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LGHL Elite Ohio QB to visit Ohio State this week

Elite Ohio QB to visit Ohio State this week
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

usa_today_19198699.0.jpg

Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

With spring football beginning today, Ohio State is getting ready to play host to dozens of recruits, including an elite Ohio quarterback.

The college football recruiting dead period has finally come to an end, and with it brings the beginning of spring football. Spring practices will begin this week, and the annual spring game will be right around the corner.

Ryan Day and the Ohio State football coaching staff will be busy preparing this year’s team for the upcoming season, but this will not be the staff’s only focus. As the team takes the field for spring practice, so too will recruits that Ohio State is interested in. The Buckeyes are set to play host to dozens of recruits over the next couple months, and on Monday the team learned a pair of Ohio teammates will be on campus this weekend, including an up-and-coming quarterback.

2026 quarterback Rocco Williams (Pickerington, OH / Pickerington Central) announced on Monday that he will making an unofficial visit to Ohio State today, and he will be accompanied by his trainer, who Buckeye Nation will be very familiar with as it is former star quarterback Braxton Miller.

Time for my unofficial visit at @OhioStateFB tomorrow with my trainer @BraxtonMiller5 ready to get there and meet with @ryandaytime , @CoreyDennis_, & @brianhartline . And see @Jr2Maine + @GabePowers21 #DJRS pic.twitter.com/01mK0bkslV

— Rocco Williams (@Qb1_rocco) March 6, 2023
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Like many in the 2026 class, Williams has not yet received a star ranking from 247Sports, and his offer list also reflects this, with offers from Jackson State, Marshall and Campbell. However, the freshman is being recruited by blue-chip programs and he has already made unofficial visits to schools like Alabama, Auburn, West Virginia, Pitt, Michigan and LSU.

Being from the outskirts of Columbus, and that his trainer is Miller, Williams has been on Ohio State’s campus multiple times, and the team is viewed as the early leaders in his recruitment.

Williams will not be making the visit on his own, as he will also be visiting with his teammate, 2025 running back Michael Taylor.

Back at THE Ohio State University tomorrow for an unofficial visit!! #GoBucks #Buckeyes pic.twitter.com/fACLh8vqBS

— Michael Taylor (@MichaelTayl0r22) March 6, 2023
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Taylor is still very early in his recruitment process, being two years away from committing to a school. And while he holds just one official scholarship offer from Kentucky, he is also being recruited by elite-level programs such as Michigan State, Cincinnati, Tennessee, Pitt, Bowling Green, etc. The visit with Ohio State will also not be his first.

The two teammates will not be alone on campus tomorrow as the Buckeyes are prepared to host a handful of other Ohio prospects as well this weekend including their other teammate 2024 three-star running back Sam Williams-Dixon.

Ohio State will be playing host to several recruits what feels like every day for the next two months. Make sure to stay up-to-date with all things Ohio State recruiting with Land-Grant Holy Land.

Quick Hits​

  • College football and basketball have seen each of their sports change for the same reason in the last 12-months — the evolution of the transfer portal. With players rightfully able to earn money in college with Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) and relaxed rules on the transfer portal, college coaches are having to add to their schedules recruiting players who wish to find a new school.

On Monday, Dartmouth forward Dame Adelekun entered the transfer portal. The forward averaged 13.8 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.0 blocks, 1.0 steals this season and has already heard from several teams, including Ohio State.

Dartmouth’s Dame Adelekun tells @Stockrisers he’s heard from Wisconsin, Ohio State, Wichita State, Boise State, Arkansas, Seton Hall, Vandy, Rhode Island, Loyola Chicago, FGCU, NC State, UNCC, UNCG. Entered portal today.

13.8 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.0 blocks, 1.0 steals. This season.

— Jake (@jakeweingarten) March 6, 2023
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LGHL Play Like a Girl Podcast: Pick a sport, any sport (as long as it’s spring)

Play Like a Girl Podcast: Pick a sport, any sport (as long as it’s spring)
JamiJurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Faceoff on the Lake - Michigan v Ohio State

Photo by Jaime Crawford/Getty Images

Plus, women’s basketball tournament predictions and what we can learn from the men’s basketball win against Illinois.

On LGHL’s Play Like a Girl podcast, Jami and Megan talk everything from Ohio State sports to advocacy for women in sports and all the happenings in between.

Check out the podcast below, and make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts:


Welcome back to the Play Like a Girl podcast. Spring is in the air, and Buckeye fans are ready to leave the winter blues behind for good. But before they close the door and wipe their memories of this winter, Jami and Megan have predictions for women’s basketball and men’s ice hockey heading into their respective tournaments, plus forecasts for next year’s men’s basketball team.

Also on the podcast, it’s time to give spring sports their due! The pair will make a hard sell for the oft-forgotten-but-not-so-forgettable spring Buckeyes! With stellar starts from men’s tennis and volleyball, plus a promising women’s softball team and a men’s baseball team that could be turning over a new leaf, choose your fighter to carry you through to football season!


Contact Megan Husslein
Twitter: @meganhusslein

Contact Jami Jurich
Twitter: @JamiJurich

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Google Buckeyes' C.J. Stroud NFL Combine's Biggest Quarterback Winner? - Sports Illustrated

Buckeyes' C.J. Stroud NFL Combine's Biggest Quarterback Winner? - Sports Illustrated
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

  1. Buckeyes' C.J. Stroud NFL Combine's Biggest Quarterback Winner? Sports Illustrated
  2. Listen: Murphy on Ohio State players not working out, Buckeyes comments at NFL Combine 247Sports
  3. Combine Quick Hits: Fellow Buckeyes QB Emulating Burrow; Local Knowledge For Bengals As NFL Mulls TEs Bengals.com

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LGHL We’ll Talk About This Later: Life after football comedy tour

We’ll Talk About This Later: Life after football comedy tour
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Kansas City Chiefs Victory Parade

Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images

Your dose of lighthearted takes from this week’s happenings.

Each week, we’ll break down something that happened during the Ohio State game (and occasionally other games and events) that we’ll be talking about for a while—you know, the silly sideline interactions, the awful announcing and the weird storylines that stick with us for years to come. We’ll also compare each of these happenings to memorable moments in pop culture, because who doesn’t love a good Office reference?

As we’ve heard from the NCAA commercials during college football and hoops seasons, less than 2% of college athletes go pro in their sports. Men’s basketball players enter the NBA at a rate of about 1.2%, while just 0.8% of women make it to the WNBA. Then there’s baseball, where nearly 10% of college athletes get to the major league.

When it comes to football, of 1.1 million high school athletes who play football, 6.5% will go on to play in college across all divisions. From those playing college ball, 1.6% go on to compete at the professional level. While football is the most physically intensive sport on this list (in terms of contact — not making commentary on skills here), it makes sense that the average NFL career spans just 3.3 years.

These stats of course beg the question of what the heck happens to the vast majority of athletes we know and love when their college and pro careers are done. We’ve seen them in the broadcast booth with varying degrees of success, moving into the coaching ranks or generally hanging around their former college or pro teams in other capacities.

Most recently — even though he is still firmly in the league — we saw Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce try his hand at standup comedy while hosting Saturday Night Live over the weekend.

Travis Kelce's SNL monologue - guy has a future in this post football. pic.twitter.com/pcprvwgN8c

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 5, 2023
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Perhaps the 33-year old was testing the waters for his post-NFL career. It was an interesting shift since SNL is firmly separated from the NFL and would be a high-risk, high-reward move for someone to look for success in an area completely apart from the sports realm. At least he made his brother laugh.

Hands down the best part of Travis Kelce hosting SNL was @JasonKelce reacting to Peacock declining the rights to Catching Kelce pic.twitter.com/kNe0A3Psjy

— alexandra (@alexandra__mcc) March 5, 2023
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For Ohio State, all-pro safety Malcolm Jenkins, who had a lengthy and extremely successful NFL career, has translated his fame into a successful foundation that works to promote social justice. Former hoops standout Michael Redd is a successful entrepreneur.

On the analyst side, power forward Clark Kellogg is clearly the best commentator CBS has to offer (fun fact, Kellogg went back to school after his NBA career ended and earned his marketing degree from Ohio State). Joshua Perry, who joined BTN seemingly minutes after being at Ohio State, has become a favorite on the panel.

And that list doesn’t even begin to account for the many entrepreneurs (the Boren brothers, Chimdi Chikwa, Doug Worthington, Thaddeus Gibson and others) who have founded or furthered businesses.

In the future perhaps we will see even more from these former athletes, especially as NIL deals will give them access to new channels earlier than they’d had before.

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LGHL You're Nuts: Who will win the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament?

You're Nuts: Who will win the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament?
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

NCAA Basketball: Michigan at Indiana

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Plus, how far will the Buckeyes make it in the conference tourney?

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: Who will win the men’s Big Ten Tournament?

Josh’s Take​


The Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament begins on Wednesday, and barring a minor miracle — or a big, fat, hairy, scarlet & gray miracle — Ohio State is not expected to contend for the title. I am not breaking news, as you likely figured this out some time in mid-January. But the Buckeyes’ lack of tournament hopes will not stop Gene and I from predicting an outcome. Or two outcomes, really.

We decided to flex our prognostication skills once again, for which we are both well known. Gene, of course, predicted Oral Roberts’ upset of OSU in 2021, while I, being a bit longer in the tooth, famously nailed that Fred Taylor would cut down the nets in 1960. So here we are again, just a couple of fortune tellers looking into our crystal ball(s).

(Editors note: some of the above details may be fabricated, but whose to say?)

On the docket today is predicting Ohio State’s B1G tourney fate, which will be followed by picking an eventual winner. But what if said fate is to win this whole damn thing!? Who says the Buckeyes can’t get hot and catch lightning in a bottle!? Huh!? Huh!?

Well, I do. I say the Buckeyes have no shot of winning it all in Chicago. But that does not mean I am predicting a quick exit. On the contrary, I am here to tell you that Chris Holtmann’s squad will make a run in the Windy City. And why, exactly, do I have these delusions of grandeur? Because I think the bracket worked out quite nicely for the Scarlet and Gray.

OSU gets Wisconsin in the first round, and I could not be less impressed by the Badgers. Yes, they beat the Buckeyes during the regular season (only matchup), but they play an awful, ugly brand of basketball. Their leading scorer averages 12.2 points per game on 39% shooting. They rank No. 333 (out of 363) in PPG as a team. Greg Gard’s squad does not have Johnny Davis or a borderline elite big man to save them this year, so I think Ohio State simply outscores UW.

Thursday’s game would then be against Iowa, and guess what? The Buckeyes already beat the Hawkeyes! They hung an average of 84 points on the Fighting Frans. This particular matchup would likely result in a fast-paced shootout, and OSU is better equipped to run and gun without Zed Key. Give me the Scarlet and Gray in an absolute barnburner.

If Ohio State advances to the third round, they would meet up with Tom Izzo’s Michigan State team, recipients of a double bye for this tournament. But MSU is not your typical BTT 4-seed. Due to very unfortunate and tragic events taking place, the Spartans only played 19 conference games and ended the (B1G) regular season with 11 wins and 8 losses. Had the team played an additional game and lost, they would have fallen into a tiebreaker and possibly received a much lower seed.

All this to say that Michigan State is very beatable. If a third game between these two team does come to fruition, I will take the Buckeyes.

Three wins and OSU is in the Big Ten semis, baby! But Saturday, March 11 is where I see this season coming to an end for Holtmann and the boys. They simply have no answer for Zach Edey and Purdue. Also, the Boilermakers have made a recent habit of destroying the Buckeyes’ hopes and dreams, which is what I believe will take place in the semifinals.

By now you are probably thinking my second prediction is for Purdue to win the Big Ten Tournament... No so fast, my friends! I will close this out by choosing a different team from the Hoosier State (hint, hint).

Give me Indiana to win this year’s Big Ten Tournament. Led by hyphenated stars Trayce Jackson-Davis and Jalen Hood-Schifino, Mike Davis’ Hoosiers have greater collective starpower. Furthermore, they have big bodies to throw at Edey to at least make him work hard for his points and rebounds — and they are lethal from beyond the arc (25th nationally in 3PT%). I think IU is surprise Elite 8 or Final 4 team waiting to happen, so I will pick them to cut down nets in Chi-town.

What do you think, Gene? Am I crazy like a fox, or just plain crazy?

Gene’s Take​


Starting with the Buckeyes, I am not as confident as my counterpart here. I’m not gonna hit here and pretend to be an expert on Ohio State hoops, as I wasn’t exactly glued to the screen this season whenever Chris Holtmann’s team took the floor, but I know enough to say that this team simply isn’t very good. Sure, there is some reason to be optimistic for next year with all the young talent on the squad, but the 2022-23 campaign simply ain’t it for the Buckeyes.

For that reason, I will say that Ohio State’s campaign comes to a merciful end in the first round against Wisconsin. Now, would I be shocked if the Buckeyes win a game or two this week? Absolutely not. In fact, they are favored against the Badgers on the ESPN matchup predictor at 59.4% despite their 13-18 record and their previous loss to Greg Gard’s unit. However, the smart money this year has been to pick against Ohio State and be pleasantly surprised if they do pull off a win, so I will be doing just that.

Hopefully I am wrong and the Buckeyes can pull off one of the greatest Cinderella stories of all time as they sweep through the Big Ten and win the tournament altogether — their only chance of earning a spot in this year’s NCAA Tournament — but I'm not a man to put my chips in favor of fairytales.

On the other half of this equation, since Josh was kind enough to not pick the favorite in this year’s Big Ten Tournament, although the Hoosiers are the second-favorite on most sportsbooks, I will gladly take the favored Purdue Boilermakers.

Matt Painters group won the Big Ten regular season this year with a mark of 15-5, going 26-5 overall. Unless you’ve been living under a rock throughout the college basketball season, you know about Purdue’s 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey. The big man averaged well over a double-double this season with 21.9 points and 12.8 rebounds per game, and led the conference in points, rebounds, field goal percentage, player efficiency rating, and of course free throw attempts.

The projected Wooden Award winner is joined by a strong supporting cast among the likes of Braden Smith, Brandon Newman, Fletcher Loyer and a host of other contributors on a nightly basis.

Aside from their talent, the biggest reason I'm picking Purdue to win the Big Ten this season is that they’ve already lost to Indiana twice. It is hard enough to beat a time two times in the same year, let alone three. The Boilermakers will be seeking revenge against the Hoosiers if the two meet in the conference championship game, which is a very likely possibility. I think Painter will have his guys ready for the third meeting between these two schools if it comes down to it, especially with a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament potentially on the line.

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LGHL The time Ohio State’s Keith Byars stole the soul from Illinois

The time Ohio State’s Keith Byars stole the soul from Illinois
Michael Citro 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 Keith Byars

Set Number: X30678 TK1 F18

The burly Buckeye running back had a monster day in 1984, including a 67-yard touchdown run wearing only one shoe.

It was Saturday, Oct. 13, 1984 and the 4-1 Ohio State Buckeyes were coming off a 28-23 loss at Purdue when the Fighting Illini came to Ohio Stadium for what was then the annual Illibuck game.

The Buckeyes were the better team most of the day against the Boilermakers, but couldn’t stop Purdue quarterback Jim Everett in the second half of a costly road loss. That Purdue loss produced a hangover that threatened to sink Ohio State at home the next week against Illinois.

It was the fourth game I attended as a student at Ohio State. I wasn’t supposed to be in Columbus, because everyone who worked at the Arby’s that stood on the corner of Lane Avenue and High Street was expected to work on football Saturdays. I had made up some idiotic lie about being “expected” to report home on the weekends by overprotective parents, but I actually just had a student season ticket and I’d be damned if I was going to miss being in the Shoe on game day. As far as I was concerned, that was the primary reason I had gone to school there.

But I digress.

The Buckeyes’ hangover was apparent early. The defense could do little to stop Illinois quarterback Jack Trudeau, running back Thomas Rooks, and rest of the Fighting Illini offense. The Illini jumped all over Ohio State, racing out to a 24-0 lead just seconds after the second quarter began. Ohio Stadium was restless and some folks were either heading for the exits already or wondering if they should at least wait until halftime.

Those who opted to stay — the vast majority, if we’re being honest about it — were treated to a legendary comeback performance.

Wedged into my seat in the Block “O” section, which was about halfway up A Deck in the closed end of the Horseshoe in those days, I watched in horror for more than a quarter as the Buckeyes played like a team that wanted to be anywhere but on the synthetic surface of Ohio Stadium. OSU turnovers had been directly responsible for more than half of that Illini lead.

But the Buckeyes started to find some rhythm. There was a false start to the comeback as Ohio State drove deep into Illini territory, only to turn the ball over on downs. But then the defense stepped up and got the ball back — with the help of a critical clipping call on the Illini offense.

Quarterback Mike Tomczak drove the Buckeyes from the shadow of their own goalpost to their first points of the afternoon, with one of the key moments being a huge chunk play on a pass to Cris Carter, who showed his excellence by holding onto the ball despite taking a big hit as the ball arrived. Tailback Keith Byars carried the rock the final 16 yards to stop the bleeding.

Safety Craig Swoope committed a dead-ball personal foul after the play, and that seemed to light the spark the Buckeyes needed.

The cheers for Byars’ touchdown was more a sigh of relief than a typical post-score roar. The crowd had hope at that point but the prevailing thought was still that the hole was still a bit too deep for the Buckeyes to climb out of it. But that feeling in the stadium changed quickly.

Trailing 24-7 with less than five minutes remaining until halftime, Earle Bruce dialed up an onside kick. There was little risk in doing so after Swoope’s penalty allowed Rich Spangler to kick off from the Illini side of the field.

The Buckeyes came up with the football and two plays later, they scored again.

Under pressure, Tomczak threw a jump ball to Carter between three receivers. Carter out-leaped everyone and came down with it, tumbling into the end zone for the team’s second touchdown in just 50 seconds. Suddenly, the deficit was just 24-14 with more than half the game still remaining. This time, the roar was more typical of an Ohio State crowd and there was true belief that the Buckeyes were back in the game.

Illinois started to move the ball again on the ensuing drive, taking it near midfield in just a few plays, but Sonny Gordon put a stop to it with an interception at the OSU 35-yard line.

It appeared Ohio State’s final possession of the first half would stall, but a holding penalty on the Fighting Illini gave the Buckeyes new life and they made the most of it. Carter made a remarkable catch on a low pass to keep the drive alive, and a throw to Mike Lanese set up Ohio State with first-and-goal with half a minute remaining. Byars took a pitch from four yards out and raced to the left, leaping over the last defender at the goal line to cap the drive and pulling the Buckeyes to within 24-21 at the break.

Ohio Stadium was going nuts after watching the Buckeyes come back from the dead with 21 points in less than four minutes. We were ready for the second half.

So were the Buckeyes.

Ohio State kicked off to start the second half and Ray Wilson opted to return it from a few yards deep in his end zone. That turned out to be a mistake, because he lost the football. William White jumped on it and before folks had even returned from the restroom, the Buckeyes were back on offense deep in Illini territory.

The ensuing 26-yard drive was all Byars, as the tailback covered the distance between the start of the drive and the end zone in just four carries. He rushed for 17 yards on the first play, then picked up two modest gains before diving into the end zone from one yard out to complete the drive. Nobody in Ohio State history dove into the end zone like Byars. He was unstoppable once the ball got inside the 3-yard line. His third touchdown of the game gave the Buckeyes the lead at 28-24, which had seemed improbable about 45 minutes earlier.

The Fighting Illini tried to re-establish their control of the game, driving into OSU territory with Trudeau alternating short passes with runs by Rooks. Ohio State finally got a stop and Chris White hit a 46-yard field goal to cut the deficit to a single point, 28-27.

Then Byars stole the Illini’s souls.

The Buckeyes picked up a first down on their next drive but a false start pushed them into a 2nd-and-11 situation at their own 33-yard line. Tomczak dropped back and handed the ball to Byars on a draw play. The tailback cut inside a pass rusher who was forced wide up the field and found the right sideline. He then cut back toward the middle of the field and lost his left shoe but still outran the entire Illinois defense for a 67-yard touchdown that has become legendary not only among Ohio State fans but in college football lore.


It was Byars’ fourth rushing touchdown of the afternoon and he needed just one more to tie Pete Johnson’s school record.

To their credit, the Fighting Illini didn’t give up. After the teams exchanged punts, Illinois drove down the field and Trudeau hit Wilson for a 9-yard touchdown. The Illinois quarterback carried it in for the two-point conversion on a scramble that the Buckeyes over-pursued, and the game was tied at 35-35.

A long touchdown run by John Woolridge that would have put the Buckeyes right back on top was called back due to an illegal shift penalty late in the third quarter. In the final period, Byars continued to pick up chunks on the ground and, already with more than 200 rushing yards, he was spelled at times by Woolridge, who did the same.

However, the Buckeye drive stalled and Spangler had to kick a 47-yard field goal to restore Ohio State’s lead. Illinois answered, driving deep into Ohio State territory before a goal-line stand at the OSU 1-yard line forced the Illini to make a decision. Nowadays, most teams would likely have gone for it on fourth down. Instead, White kicked a 16-yard field goal to tie the game at 38-38 with just 3:18 remaining to play — and remember, there were ties in college football back then.

With Byars over 200 yards rushing and Carter already over 100 yards receiving on the day, I wasn’t worried that the Buckeyes could get into scoring position, but there was a nagging fear of an untimely turnover giving the game away.

A touchback on the ensuing kickoff gave the Buckeyes the ball on their own 20 and from there, the Buckeyes went to work. Byars ripped off a 23-yard run to get the ball near midfield and the ball came out but he was ruled down.

Tomczak continued to give the ball to Byars and Woolridge, and the two running backs were picking up yardage in about 5-yard chunks. A good run of 18 yards by Woolridge set the Bucks up with first-and-goal and then it was Byars time.

Keith roared up the middle for five yards on first down, but — in a rarity — was stopped for no gain on second down. On third-and-goal, the Buckeyes went back to the toss sweep to the left. Tomczak pitched to Byars, who sprinted toward the left sideline. Illinois cut off his lane to the sideline, so the big back cut inside and spun into the end zone for his fifth score of the day, tying Johnson’s school record and setting a single-game rushing mark of 274 yards on 39 carries.

Spangler’s PAT put Ohio State ahead, 45-38 with 36 seconds to play. A failure on that third down likely would have resulted in Spangler setting up for a tying kick on fourth down. Hey, it was a different era.

Trudeau managed a first down on a deep out but from there, the Buckeye secondary shut down the next four plays and Ohio State had completed its comeback.

That 1984 Ohio State team won the Big Ten with a 7-2 record — losing two games later at Wisconsin — and then lost to USC in the Rose Bowl by a field goal. But it was that huge comeback win over Illinois, and Byars’ five-touchdown, 274-yard performance was a game for the ages.

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LGHL NFL Combine proved Ohio State is ‘The’ football factory, now it’s time to win like it

NFL Combine proved Ohio State is ‘The’ football factory, now it’s time to win like it
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

NFL: Combine

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It’s time for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes to prove that they are more than just a collection of talented players and bring titles back to Columbus.

Spring is an interesting time of year for college football fans. The season is still more than six months away, and we are drowning in a sea of basketball, hockey, and spring training baseball. Early March is especially treacherous this year because, as Buckeye fans, the men’s basketball team will not be going dancing, so the buoy that normally keeps us afloat for a few extra weeks is nowhere to be seen.

Instead, we are left swimming amongst the vestiges of the most recent football season via the NFL Draft while grasping for the lifelines that spring football provides. It is a season that is light on actual on-field excitement or useable information, but big on hype and hyperbole, which makes it the perfect time to be an Ohio State fan.

As Buckeyes, we puff out our chests at every minor accomplishment or perceived success and turn it into a greatest-of-all-time, you-need-to-respect-us event. That’s what makes the confluence of the NFL Draft and spring football so exciting and dangerous for us as a people.

I say all of that as a preamble and an acknowledgment that what I am going to say very well might sound insane to many people, but say it I will.

The collective performance by Buckeyes at last week’s NFL Combine proved that under Ryan Day, Ohio State is becoming the preeminent football factor in the country. While I am more than happy to admit my biases, C.J. Stroud completely overshadowed all of the other quarterbacks in Indianapolis this week and if NFL scouts and “draft experts” are sane (they are not) should have created a sizable chasm between himself and the likes of Bryce Young, Will Levis, and Anthony Richardson.

First throws of the day for @OhioStateFB QB CJ Stroud.

: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
: Stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/PWjjhZupyh

— NFL (@NFL) March 4, 2023
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Think I’m overhyping it (as I told you Buckeye fans are wont to do)? Well, don’t take my word for it, listen to the guy who does this for a living and all of his highly-placed sources.

Asked a veteran NFL scout about Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud: “One of the best Combines I’ve seen from a quarterback. Sometimes it’s the short throws that can be tricky. Not for Stroud. Everything was clean. His arm was effortlessly big. He measured well. Pretty much perfect.”

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 6, 2023
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Then there was the performance of Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He effectively missed the entire season with a hamstring injury — and his interview comments showed just how devastating that was for him — and yet still put on an absolute show in the quickness and agility portion of his combine performance.

JSN ran the 20-yard shuttle in 3.93 seconds and did the three-cone drill in just 6.57. Those were each the best performances by any wide receiver in Indianapolis and his shuttle time was the best since 2017.

6.57 on the 3 cone is ELITE.@jaxon_smith1 | @OhioStateFB

: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
: Stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/97E1dbA3cR

— NFL (@NFL) March 5, 2023
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When you combine that with how smooth he looked out on the field catching passes, including during Stroud’s throwing drills and his incredible production at Ohio State, there is little to no doubt that even despite his injury, Smith-Njigba is absolutely an elite-level NFL wide receiver.

Over the last two years, Jaxon Smith-Njigba has hauled in 92% of his catchable targets—the highest rate of any FBS receiver. pic.twitter.com/HdMgA5ovUx

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) March 3, 2023
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And I know that seeing these two guys hyping each other up with the love and affection of two brothers made us all wish that things would have gone differently this past season and that they could have had one final chance to run it back together in the Scarlet and Gray, but instead, we will just have to be content to watching them continue to climb draft boards and redefine what it means to be a Buckeye in the NFL.

As I walk out of Lucas Oil, two workouts are sticking with me:

CJ Stroud
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

The top-2 performances I saw today were both Buckeyes. And neither was surprising.

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) March 5, 2023
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Now, before we get too excited about the skill position guys, let’s not forget about the big guys too. The talk of Sunday at the combine was the Mountain Man Dawand Jones. Standing 6-foot-8, weighing 374 pounds, and having a wingspan large enough to make Jay Bilas giddy, Dawand is an absolute physical specimen (his 87-7/8 wingspan is the second widest at the combine this century).

But then, he ran the 40-yard dash. And while his time might not make Usain Bolt quiver in his spikes, I’m going to venture to guess that his time of 5.35 is better than a vast majority of us could do, and we aren’t anywhere near 400 pounds.

Big Thanos coming through

: #NFLCombine March 2-5 on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/RZlKTYZPxN

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) March 5, 2023
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If you’ve ever seen video of Jones playing basketball in high school, you know just how athletic he is, even at his size. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget just how skilled interior offensive linemen are because it’s hard to focus on what they are doing while watching games on TV, but Dawand has proven himself to be far more than his recruiting rankings would ever have led you to believe.

That is a testament to how hard he has worked since initially coming to Columbus and the coaching that he received from Greg Studrawa, Justin Frye, and the strength and conditioning team.

In awe of Dawand Jones’ coordination at this size

OL is far more of a “skill position” than it gets credit for and Jones one of the most skilled tackles in the class

If I need an RT at the back of R1 (*cough* Bengals) I’d be more than willing to take him https://t.co/o1naohdnvd

— Mike Renner (@PFF_Mike) March 5, 2023
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In addition to those standout combine performances, we also got somewhat incomplete reports from Luke Wypler, Paris Johnson Jr., Zach Harrison, Ronnie Hickman, and Cam Brown. They will all have more to say and show at Ohio State’s Pro Day in a couple of weeks.

Between these guys dominating the conversation coming out of Indianapolis the fact that the NFL is reportedly considering changing the name of its Rookie of the Year Award to the “Buckeye of the Year Award,” it is clear — at least to this blogger who sees everything through scarlet and gray-colored glasses — that Ohio State is continuing to assert itself as the best college football program in the country when it comes to producing top NFL talent.

Now, of course, I’m not biased enough to dismiss the likes of Alabama, Georgia, LSU, USC, etc. from this discussion, but under Day, the Buckeyes have continued to take a step forward in the elite-level players that they turn out every year. Under Urban Meyer, Jim Tressel, John Cooper, Earl Bruce, and Woody Hayes, there were always tons of Ohio State alums ready to move on to the next level, but the OSU creme is seemingly slowly rising to the top in recent years, which is fun and exciting for Buckeye fans.

But here’s where we move from the NFL Draft side of the football-amorphous time of year to the spring practice portion. As the Buckeyes get ready to kick off the official preparations for the 2023 season on Tuesday, it’s time for the program to take a step forward. While, perhaps, some of the hand-wringing across the fandom has been over the top, the general discontent with the team’s inability to beat its rival, win the conference, or deliver a national title is real and warranted.

While I think the most level-headed amongst us understand that the nearly two complete decades of dominance over Michigan and the Big Ten was not sustainable forever (and arguably not good in the long run for the program), what once felt like an insurmountable advantage for the Buckeyes over the Wolverines has seemingly swung into a deficit. While two years does not an era make, Ohio State is without a proven quarterback and must go to Ann Arbor the Saturday after Thanksgiving to cap off what will likely be one of the most difficult schedules in college football this season.

Despite the recent rough stretch against the Corn and Blue, Ryan Day has had undeniable successes to build upon in the first four years of his head coaching tenure, but judging by the inordinate amount of NFL-ready talent that his program is turning out, it’s fair to say that he hasn’t yet maximized the talent at his disposal, but that’s no reason to believe that he is incapable of doing so.

The Buckeyes are never short of impressive players, but in recent years (really since 2014), fans haven’t seen that talent manifest into a consistent, well-rounded performance on the field for an entire season. With spring practice starting, this is the first hurdle that Day and his staff needs to clear in order to get the Buckeyes back to where they and fans expect them to be.

Let us not forget that were it not for a dubious replay review, one shanked field goal, or any other tiny bounces, Ohio State most likely would still be bathing in the glow of a national championship. So this is not to say that the program is in a death spiral, but rather that they have been beating their collective head against a glass ceiling for nearly a decade, and its time to take the considerable talent that the coaches have amassed and break on through to the top of the college football hierarchy.

Ohio State has the horses, I think they’ve got the coaches, and they certainly should have the motivation, so there’s no time like the present to get the Harbaugh-shaped monkey off their back and show why the Buckeyes have not only earned the title of NFLU, but also are ready to ascend to the top of the CFP mountain yet again.

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LGHL C.J. Stroud is the best quarterback in the NFL Draft. There is now no debate

C.J. Stroud is the best quarterback in the NFL Draft. There is now no debate
Chris Renne 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

There were questions heading into the NFL Combine for C.J. Stroud. He answered them emphatically.

There is no debate that C.J. Stroud is the No. 1 quarterback prospect and should be the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. At the NFL Combine, Stroud presented himself in a way that exuded confidence that any NFL decision maker should take notice to from the time he stepped up to the podium for the interviews, all the way until his last throw.

Stroud has a stoic nature about him. He speaks with confidence. His personality is exactly what an NFL team would want. In a marathon of a season there needs to be a sense of level headedness at the position. The Buckeye signal-caller brings that to the table in combination with the physical traits needed to excel at the NFL.

Looking at the entire package in one weekend with every other quarterback prospect side by side with Stroud was everything that should have been expected from the jump. The size, arm strength, and personality is that of an NFL quarterback. No need to “flash the cannon” or be “faster than Kyle Pitts.” He plays quarterback, and that is what defines Stroud.

Measurements

There were never any questions about Stroud’s size. He has the height and carries his weight well. When it comes to looking at what should go into a No. 1 pick – especially when it’s a quarterback – the size traits are a key variable.

When a quarterback has to inflate themselves to weigh in at a certain threshold, that is not sustainable. Looking below at each quarterback’s measurement in the first pick conversation, there is one outlier... and it’s not C.J. Stroud.


Obviously, Anthony Richardson and Will Levis are in the highest percentile in height and weight, with hand sizes above 10 inches. Stroud is not far behind in any of the physical traits, where Young is significantly behind all three. Only two current quarterbacks in the NFL stand under 6 feet tall, and when compared to the average, Stroud is most in line.

There are obvious advantages to being 6-foot-4 and 230-plus pounds, but that is not a prerequisite to success, while being under 6-feet tall tends to lead to disappointment at the quarterback position.

Workout

Stroud did not run at the combine, which is not surprising given the fact his main sales pitch are his capabilities throwing the football. Over the course of his career, Stroud showed incredible accuracy, but there were questions about the velocity he possessed on throws. In a drill where the quarterbacks threw the ball at a radar gun, Stroud was only a single mile per hour slower than Richardson, who is being touted for his arm talent.

When it came to showing off the cannon, Stroud did not disappoint either. Throughout the day, Stroud showed his ability to place the football and change the velocity on each throw. With all of the additional pressure of throwing behind the cannon-armed Richardson, Stroud did more than hold his own.


via GIPHY


In the first throw Stroud had on the deep ball, he under threw it just a tad. Immediately following that, he hit a receiver in the hands and then dropped the ball in the basket, which is what we see above. There is nothing more elegant than an incredible deep ball. That elegance also showed that there should be no questions about Stroud’s arm strength.


via GIPHY


The throw that showed Stroud at his best was his touch throw on the post-corner route. Stroud took a smooth drop, and put the ball perfectly over the receiver’s shoulder allowing for an easy catch in bounds. This is an unrealistic throw in a game, but the touch translates which Stroud has already showed throughout his career.

Comparing Stroud’s performance to top signal callers in the draft, Young did not throw. Richardson and Levis had a mix of wow throws inline with some bad misses. Stroud was consistent and on point with all but a few throws. The consistency is where Stroud separated during the workout. With the two most important traits of an NFL passer being consistency and ball placement, Stroud separated himself again.

Presser

In the presser, Stroud showed the quiet confidence that endeared himself to his teammates and coaches. Without having to say something catchy about his arm strength or his athleticism, Stroud commanded the room. He was honest about parts of his game he didn’t show as much, including the amount he ran the ball. In sharing his mindset about making sure all of his teammates ate, he showed the NFL the game is about more than his accomplishments.

When looking at Stroud, he showed a level of maturity that two of other three quarterbacks lacked. In comparison to Young, specifically, who only had two jobs this week, Stroud showed there was more to him than the X’s and O’s robot. Seeing Stroud comfortable talking to the press was a big step, as many fans will attest he was not always the greatest at understanding the moment of conversation. At the combine he put those questions to ease, and showed the NFL he can be a face of a franchise.

Career

Comparing careers to the other top prospects, the Buckeye signal-caller clears everyone except Young. Young has a conference title, was part of a national championship team, and won the Heisman. There are ways to look at this, but he never won a title as the starter. His ability to create out of nothing mesmerized award voters, and he came up huge beating Georgia in the SEC Championship.

Stroud does not have that notable win under his belt, losing to Michigan twice and falling a field goal short against Georgia is what his legacy record-wise will be. What Stroud does have is countless games where he put on clinics with accuracy. At the end of the day outside of the award hardware, Stroud never had any stretches where he was not able to show the NFL his ability to play quarterback and help a team win. Even the bad weather game against Northwestern, he took the game into his own hands by using his feet to put away the Wildcats.

Comparing Stroud’s career to Will Levis, there is a significant difference in the fact Stroud won the job in his first opportunity. Levis transferred schools and showed his talents off at Kentucky, but lacked the consistency of Stroud as well as Young. The same goes for Richardson, who would lose confidence in throwing the ball and would opt to just avoid throwing all together at times. That is not the consistency that a team in the NFL should bet on.


That is why Stroud solidified his place as the best quarterback prospect in the draft. There are reasons to like a lot of quarterback prospects in this class, but if you’re a team looking for a quarterback who brings every tool to the table, Stroud is the only one who checks every single box.

Stroud is comparable to the NFL average in size measurements, and there is no question that his size will change — that is the difference between him and Young. When it comes to throwing the football, Stroud can make every throw on the football field with touch, velocity, or in between. That is the difference between him and Levis as well as Richardson.

NFL teams will need to make a decision. They draft on projection as well as upside a lot of the time. Stroud has the confidence and self-awareness to be the face of a franchise, now it is up to an NFL team to make the right decision, and make C.J. Stroud the first quarterback taken.

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Ohio State vs Wisconsin, Mar 8, 2023, 6:30 PM EST, BTN

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Ohio State opens the festivities in the first game of the tournament on Wednesday, when the 13th-seeded Buckeyes will take on No. 12 seed Wisconsin in a rematch of a Feb. 2 matchup in Columbus. The Badgers beat the Buckeyes, 65-60, in the lone regular-season meeting, but Ohio State has a chance at revenge at 6:30 p.m. in just three days.

Wisconsin's gone 4-5 since beating Ohio State to finish the regular season with a 17-13 overall record and a 9-11 mark in conference play.

sportsbookwire.usatoday.com

Ohio State vs Wisconsin Big Ten Tournament odds, tips and betting trends

Watch as the Wisconsin Badgers (17-13, 9-11 Big Ten) and the Ohio State Buckeyes (13-18, 5-15 Big Ten) look to advance in the Big Ten tournament on Wednesday as they meet at 6:30 PM on Big Ten Netw…
sportsbookwire.usatoday.com sportsbookwire.usatoday.com

Ohio State vs Wisconsin Big Ten Tournament odds, tips and betting trends​

Wisconsin vs. Ohio State prediction

Wisconsin 69, Ohio State 68

Against the spread
  • Wisconsin has compiled a 13-17-0 ATS record so far this year.
  • Ohio State has put together an 11-20-0 record against the spread this season.
  • The Badgers record only 4.2 fewer points per game (65.2) than the Buckeyes give up (69.4).
  • When Wisconsin scores more than 69.4 points, it is 4-5 against the spread and 7-2 overall.
  • Ohio State is 8-5 against the spread and 10-3 overall when allowing fewer than 65.2 points.
  • The Buckeyes score 9.3 more points per game (73.1) than the Badgers allow (63.8).
  • Ohio State is 11-14 against the spread and 13-12 overall when it scores more than 63.8 points.
  • Wisconsin has an ATS record of 10-14 and a 14-10 record overall when its opponents score fewer than 73.1 points.
topbet.eu

Ohio State vs Wisconsin Predictions, Picks, Odds, Preview - March 8, 2023

Betting preview for the Ohio State Buckeyes vs Wisconsin Badgers college basketball game on March 8, 2023, predictions and odds from TopBet.
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Buckeyes vs No. 12 Wisconsin Badgers Big Ten Tournament NCAA College Basketball Game on March 8, 2023​

Writer’s Prediction​

Wisconsin wins, 63-61.

Needless to say, Ohio State's only chance of getting to the "Big Dance" this season is winning 5 games in 5 days (i.e. the B1G Tournament) and the only 2 predictions (from gambling sites) that I found have them losing a close one to Cheese..
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Google Skull Session: C.J. Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba Major in the Majors at the Combine, Stroud Picks His Buckeye - Eleven Warriors

Skull Session: C.J. Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba Major in the Majors at the Combine, Stroud Picks His Buckeye - Eleven Warriors
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Skull Session: C.J. Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba Major in the Majors at the Combine, Stroud Picks His Buckeye Eleven Warriors

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