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What To Watch: Buckeyes host Wisconsin in battle of struggling squads​

Two teams in need of a Big Ten will collide tonight as Ohio State hosts Wisconsin at Value City Arena. Fox Sports 1 will have national coverage at 7 p.m. Eastern.

The Buckeyes (11-10, 3-7) just wrapped a stretch where they played four of their last five games on the road. OSU has also lost seven of its last eight games to fall to 12th in the conference standings.

The most recent loss was on Saturday night at Indiana, where OSU suffered its worst loss of the season by margin in an 86-70 defeat. The Hoosiers went on 15-0 run in the last minutes of the first half to grab control of the game.

Freshman forward Brice Sensabaugh had 23 points and six rebounds to lead OSU. Center Zed Key added 12 points.

Wisconsin (12-8, 4-6) has lost its last three games to fall to 11th in the Big Ten.

This is the lone scheduled match-up between OSU and Wisconsin this season.

The Buckeyes are wearing “This Game is No Secret” shirts on Thursday night vs. Wisconsin. The third annual event is organized by the coaches behind ERACISM and is in honor of the legacy of John McLendon. He led his team to a win over Duke in 1944 in a game that had to be played in secret due to Jim Crow laws.
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WHAT TO WATCH: WISCONSIN AT OHIO STATE​

* Opponent: Wisconsin
* Where: Value City Arena
* Date, Time: Tonight, 7 p.m. (Eastern)
* TV: Fox Sports 1 (announcers: Gus Johnson and Jim Jackson)
* Radio: OSU Radio Network (64 stations); WBNS-FM (97.1 The Fan) in Columbus (announcers: Paul Keels and Ron Stokes; click here for affiliates).
* 2022-23 Records: Ohio State, 11-10 overall, 3-7 Big Ten; Wisconsin, 12-8 overall, 4-6 Big Ten.
* Poll Rankings: Ohio State, unranked; Wisconsin, unranked.
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HOW WE SEE IT​

After one of the worst January showings in years, Ohio State has a chance to resurrect its season with a big stretch run. The Buckeyes will play six of their last 10 games at home, including three of the next four. This stretch begins with tonight’s home game against a Wisconsin team which is scuffling every bit as much as Ohio State has been.

Like Ohio State, Wisconsin has been beset by injuries. Star forward Tyler Wahl missed three games due to an ankle injury and the Badgers lost them all. Even with him, they’ve dropped their last three games coming into this one. They were outright humbled at home by Illinois on Saturday, losing by 10 points and only scoring 51 points.

Now comes Ohio State, which is also coming off its worst loss of the season (at least by margin) with Saturday’s 16-point loss at Indiana. The story of OSU’s season is the Buckeyes have played nearly everybody even but have found ways to lose tight games. That was true to a degree at Indiana, where the teams were even for 35 minutes. But Indiana outscored OSU by 15 points in the final five minutes of the first half.

And it’s been like that all season in the losses (and even in some of the wins) where the Buckeyes go five or six minutes without scoring or without a made field goal.

It’s common sense that the team that makes the most shots will win this game. I think Ohio State is better equipped to do that, particularly if Wisconsin can’t find a way to deter OSU freshman phenom Brice Sensabaugh. It could be on Wahl to try and defend him.

OSU center Zed Key seems to be working his way back from a shoulder injury. He was finally finishing some plays in the loss at Indiana. He should have the edge against 7-footer Steven Crowl in the middle.

OSU may go with Justice Sueing to defend Wahl. The Buckeyes need to get the ball out of his hands or deny him as much as possible. He is clearly Wisconsin’s best player.

Bruce Thornton could have his hands full with UW veteran point guard Chucky Hepburn. My guess is Sueing or Sensabaugh will be on UW guard Max Klesmit, who can be a three-point threat. Sean McNeil likely takes on UW freshman guard Connor Essegian, who broke out for a career-high 19 points in a recent game against Maryland.

In short, I just don’t think Wisconsin has the offense or shot making ability to win this game. OSU will need to find through a lot of contact because UW defends like heck. But the Buckeyes, playing at home, will put this one in the win column.

* I’ve got it: Ohio State 71, Wisconsin 65 (Ohio State is favored by 7-1/2 points on the early line; the over/under is 132-1/2 points)

WATCH: Ronnie Bell Torches Buckeye Defender At Senior Bowl Practice - Sports Illustrated
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

WATCH: Ronnie Bell Torches Buckeye Defender At Senior Bowl Practice Sports Illustrated

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Michigan fans didn’t want him to start, now they claim the G.O.A.T: Tom Brady
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

Former Ohio State rival and Michigan quarterback Tom Brady announced his retirement from the NFL after an illustrious career.

Tom Brady of the New England Patriots and Tampa Buccaneers retired this week at the age of 45 years old as a 7-time Super Bowl champion and a list of records as long as his career. In his time in the NFL, Brady established himself as a model of consistency after coming into the league as an overlooked 6th round pick.

The reason Brady was a sixth round pick comes down to a situation a lot of Michigan fans ignore, and the fact of the matter is, Lloyd Carr and the Michigan faithful wanted Drew Henson as their starting quarterback. Henson was an incredible athlete coming out of high school and a blue chip recruit from the state.

There are tons of reasons Michigan was excited about having Henson at the helm. As a high school quarterback, he was a Parade All-American. As a baseball player, he was four-time All-State selection and national record holder for home runs. This wasn’t a reason they cared about him as a football player, but it added to the lure of the world class athlete coming into play football.

Brady was an immobile, strong-armed quarterback from Northern California who had to send video tapes across the country to get recruited. He landed at Michigan and won the backup job on the national championship team behind incumbent starter Brian Griese. This was not a reward in hindsight. Brady had doubters of if he was capable of following in the footsteps or had the upside to win another shared national title.

There will be a lot of denial, but the evidence is clear with a now iconic – and a little infamous – story of an autograph day in Ann Arbor.

As the story goes, lines of Michigan fans awaited for the signature of the next great Michigan quarterback — the next player who was going to bring the Wolverines championship glory. That player was not Tom Brady, it was freshman supernova Drew Henson.

This story is the beginning to why the Michigan faithful should not act as high and mighty about the “G.O.A.T” attending the University of Michigan.

Brady waited that autograph day out all the way until the conclusion like a professional, signing few autographs that day and staring off into the distance taking in the scene. His first competition wasn’t with Henson; It was against the Michigan faithful. With Henson standing in the wings – or I guess at the 50-yard line signing autographs – the story of underdog Brady began for the world. This was the pathway to Mr. 199, and he only has Lloyd Carr and impatient Michigan fans to blame.

In an archived article from Sports Illustrated, Tom Brady Sr. was asked about the quarterback battle. His response tells the story of the younger Brady’s Michigan tenure, “It’s a pretty sore spot, to be honest with you,” Brady’s father said. “He wasn’t treated very kindly by the head coach.”

Carr was not against Brady, but to Carr the feeling from the outside is he wanted an influx of talent to the position. Brady wanted to transfer, but the quarterback room cleared up. The competition was still there even before Henson, but there were no guarantees made for Brady, unlike the ones made for Henson who forced all the coaches recruiting him to take one quarterback in his recruiting class.

The tale of the tape was not more clear. It was either Brady was going to earn every snap he played, or Drew Henson was going to start following any real slip-up. After Brady was the starter for a season, the Wolverines wanted to get Henson more playing time. To the ire of the fanbase, Brady was still playing well enough to warrant not passing the torch to a not completely proven commodity at the college level.

At the time of Brady coming into becoming the starter at Michigan, the fans, and more precisely the students at Michigan were not pleased. According to a story recounted in the Providence Journal, a group of fraternity members were engaging into a level of trash talk at an intramural basketball game that divulged into the likelihood of Brady starting at quarterback for the Wolverines.

“You suck,” they shouted. “You’ll never be the quarterback here,” another said.

These quotes from that story paint the picture clear as day how many of the campus members saw Brady — a kid who didn’t even warrant enough respect to even be thought of as a starting quarterback. Brady got back at them later, setting a hard screen on a kid who told him to his face that Henson would be the starting quarterback and that Brady would never start.

Seems like a place that really respected Brady, and deserves to claim him as their own.

In Henson’s first year on campus, many did believe that Carr would give him a shot at the job immediately due to his level of talent and pedigree. The beginning of fall practices saw that was the case, Henson was rotating in with the ones the minute he stepped foot on campus. Looking into this story deeper, an article from The Daily News of Newburyport, a fellow quarterback in the room, Jason Kapsner had a lot to say on the matter:

“Tom had clearly won the job, outright, in the spring, ahead of myself and Dreisbach” recalled Kapsner in Bill Burt’s article. “Then we open camp, Day 1 of two-a-days, and Drew is splitting reps with Tom. Normally, it’s a given at Michigan that a freshman has to earn his reps. This was a unique situation.”

There is a good reason Michigan fans were mislead. If the head coach himself and the rest of the staff aren’t believers, why should they be? That is a valid question, and to no fault of their own, the Wolverine faithful latched onto the hot new thing. I can think back to a time Ohio State fans did that with a certain mullet-ed kid from Texas. There is a distinct level of excitement when the best quarterback in the country declares they are coming to your school.

Where all of the parties from Tom Brady’s dad to his closest friends at the time have credited Michigan, is in how they turned him into the psychotic winner that owned the NFL for over two decades. But is being so dismissive and outright disrespectful to the quarterback from San Mateo, Calif. deserve the ability to say he’s a Michigan man?

“I’m staying,” Brady said, “And I’m going to prove to you I am a great quarterback.”

Brady won over his teammates on a daily basis, as we saw with Kapsner’s conversation. The fact he wasn’t given the reigns cost Michigan a few games in Brady’s two seasons. Carr decided to platoon Henson and Brady. In this scenario, one player would get the first quarter and the other the second. Whoever had the hot hand that day would get the second half — it was usually Brady.

Even when he proved it time and time again, his performances still weren’t enough to fully win over the coaching staff and fans until the platoon cost them a game.

Ohio State and Michigan will always be rivals, and that means when the greatest NFL player of all-time was treated like Joe Bauserman, people can’t let Michigan fans forget. They had the greatest quarterback of all-time, turned him into 6th-round pick, and now claim him as the GOAT.

This might be a personal experience, but my formative years as a football fan were when Brady was first winning Super Bowls. There was not a moment where Brady outright discussed how proud he was to be a Michigan Wolverine. The story with Brady always started at with the combine picture and ended wherever Brady was at in his career.

For many players, the school they played at defines their current stature in the league and the praise is placed back to the alma mater. Patrick Mahomes shares love for Texas Tech, Josh Allen for Wyoming, and even quarterbacks like Baker Mayfield always credited the alma mater for getting them to where they were.

I know those three underdog stories ring a little different. Mahomes took Mayfield’s job as three-star recruit, Mayfield ended up leaving his school to go on to having an iconic career at Oklahoma, and Allen went from JUCO to Laramie, Wyoming to prove he was an FBS level quarterback.

Brady was not invited back, or did not accept an invite back to Michigan until 2016. That day he was an honorary captain. It was the first time Michigan as a university showed real gratitude and a connection to their former quarterback. Even on that day, there was a weird feeling in the air. There definitely was feeling of distance. The memories of the fans wanting Henson and the coaches not giving him respect were significant talking points surrounding the ceremonial honorary captaincy.

This strained relationship adds to the list of reason Michigan fans should evaluate their relationship with Brady. It is strained and always will be. As a fan of neither, there just needs to be a middle ground meeting in reality of how Brady’s career really went at Michigan.

Michigan fans wanted Drew Henson. This drove Brady to finding the competitive fire that defined his NFL career. Tom Brady was 1-1 against Ohio State, he beat Alabama in the Orange Bowl, and finished his career 20-5 as a starter. His collegiate performance was incredibly solid, but at the same time, he will always be connected to the more heralded Henson.

Looking back the choice is probably obvious, Michigan fans would absolutely have handed the keys to the future greatest quarterback of all-time. That’s not how it works though, and the legacy has left a sour relationship for everyone involved. The story of Tom Brady has always been about being overlooked. That fire created continued at Michigan and set him on a path in the NFL that is now history.

Michigan fans will have to live with their history with Tom Brady, and that history is one that disregarded the future NFL Hall of Famer. They will always claim him, but they are lying to themselves and history when they do.

Michigan fans can be salty all they want, history shows that they wanted Drew Henson. And that will always be funny in hindsight.

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Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Wisconsin: Game preview and prediction
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images

The Buckeyes look to avoid falling to .500 this evening.

Despite a brief respite with a win over Iowa in January, the Ohio State Buckeyes men’s basketball team is struggling. The Buckeyes are losers in seven of their last eight games, most recently falling to the Indiana Hoosiers on the road. Now, they look to get things back on track with a home game against the Wisconsin Badgers.

The Buckeyes are sitting at 11-10 on the season and are in danger of falling back to .500 for the first time since, well, the season started. With a 3-7 mark in conference play, they’ve fallen to No. 12 in the Big Ten standings ahead of only Nebraska and Minnesota.

What was particularly troubling about Ohio State’s loss at Indiana was the 16-point margin. The Buckeyes fell behind early and were down 46-30 at the half, but even that’s not the whole story. Indiana led by just one with five minutes remaining in the first half before the Hoosiers went on a 15-0 run before the break. That meant a 40-all second half — an impressive feat for the Buckeyes in a place like Assembly Hall — wasn’t good enough.

It also didn’t help that Indiana’s Jalen Hood-Schifino had six first-half three-pointers all by himself while the Buckeyes had just five scores from range collectively during the whole game.

Freshman forward Brice Sensabaugh led the Buckeyes in scoring for the 12th-straight game with 23 points on the night. Junior forward Zed Key was the only other Buckeye in double figures with an even dozen. The team shot a collective 44% from the field (and, as you may have guessed, were really bad from range, connecting on just 26% of attempts). Indiana, meanwhile, shot 50% on the night.

The Hoosiers outrebounded Ohio State 39-33 and was able to spread the ball much more effectively than the Buckeyes, with 17 assists to Ohio State’s nine. Impressively, the teams combined for just 17 turnovers.

The Buckeyes have lost their stride. But they have a home court advantage tonight and they’ll have their shot to get back on track against Wisconsin.

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Preview​

The Badgers and Ohio State are sitting in similar situations on the season. Wisconsin is holding a 12-8 overall record. With a 4-6 mark in conference play, Wisconsin is just ahead of Ohio State in the Big Ten standings. The Badgers are riding a three-game losing streak of their own, having fallen consecutively to Northwestern, Maryland and Illinois. They’re also losers of six of their last seven.

Senior forward Tyler Wahl leads the Badgers in scoring on the year, averaging 12.6 points per game. While that total might not feel impressive, hoops is a team sport, and there’s a quartet of Badgers averaging in double figures, including junior forward Steven Crowl, sophomore guard Chucky Hepburn and freshman guard Connor Essegian. Even more impressive, junior guard Max Klesmit, who joined the Badgers after two seasons with the Wofford Terriers, is the only member of the starting lineup who came to Wisconsin through the transfer portal.

The Badgers’ 61-51 loss to Illinois in Madison was a defensive struggle. The teams scored a collective 36 points in the first half (the conference’s lowest point total of the season). Hepburn led the Badgers in scoring with 15 points, while Klesmit had 12. Wisconsin had just five points from the bench. Wisconsin shot just 33% from the field (and from three-point range). The Badgers were outrebounded 37-31 but had nine turnovers to the Illini’s 11.

On the bench, Greg Gard is in his eighth season at the helm of the Badgers. He’s accrued a 156-86-overall record, including an 88-56 mark in conference play. Gard played his college ball at Wisconsin-Platteville and has been coaching in the state of Wisconsin for his entire career, including coming to Madison in 2001 as an assistant. Gard’s teams have made the NCAA Tournament in five-of-six seasons when the tourney was played, making the Sweet Sixteen twice during that time (2016, 2017). And while the Badgers haven’t won the Big Ten Tournament during his tenure, Wisconsin has taken home regular season championships in 2020 and 2022.

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Prediction​

Ohio State and Wisconsin are entering this evening’s matchup with similar perspectives — mostly that each is desperate for a win. While both are sitting at the bottom of the Big Ten rankings, Ohio State is still commanding more respect than the Badgers this season: The Buckeyes are sitting at No. 27 according to Kenpom while Wisconsin is No. 70. Then again, we must also recognize that Ohio State played four of its last five games on the road. The lone victory for the Buckeyes came in their home game against Iowa.

Wisconsin has struggled offensively this season. The Badgers have the No. 13 scoring offense in the Big Ten, putting up just 65 points per game. Of course, they’re balanced (relatively) defensively, giving up just over 63 points per game. While the overall margin is positive, it’s a narrow mark. Wisconsin is also the worst rebounding team in the conference with a -4.1 margin, so it certainly doesn’t behoove them to be losing out on possessions.

On the stat sheet, Ohio State should have a clear advantage here since the Buckeyes are averaging 77 points per game. Unfortunately, that stat is something of a relic. Ohio State has only scored more than 70 points once in the last five games (in their win versus Iowa), and even more troubling to be facing a team like Wisconsin that can keep games low-scoring.

The Badgers definitely favor the three-point shot, connecting on 8.5 three-pointers per game. Considering Indiana crushed Ohio State from range, that’s also a problem for the Buckeyes.

On the bench, Chris Holtmann has been showing a lot more emotion lately. While those sorts of outbursts were welcome after the Buckeyes’ win over Iowa, they were less beneficial when he got T’d up against Indiana and the Hoosiers were able to capitalize.

The Buckeyes only face Wisconsin once this season. Ohio State is 77-52 all-time against the Badgers. Last year, Ohio State split its two games against the Badgers, with each team taking the home matchup. Wahl had 20 points and seven rebounds in the Buckeyes’ road loss in 2022, but just three points and one rebound in Columbus.

Tonight is the only time Ohio State is facing the Badgers this season. Considering both teams seem to be at low points in their seasons, it favors the Buckeyes that they’ll at least have home court advantage.

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ESPN BPI: Ohio State 85.1%

Time: 7 p.m. ET

TV: FS1

LGHL score prediction: Ohio State 75, Wisconsin 61​

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Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for February 2, 2023
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.

Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.

Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.

You’re welcome!

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For your Earholes...​

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

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On the Gridiron​

Key Takeaways as Ryan Day dials up offseason plan for Buckeyes (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes

Presser Bullets: Ryan Day to Allow Brian Hartline to Call Plays During Spring, Talks Quarterback Competition, Transfer Portak Additions, Plan for NIL
Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors

Buckeyes hoping to name starting quarterback by end of spring
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row

Ryan Day says the QB battle between Devin Brown and Kyle McCord will be a ‘heck of a competition’

I feel like he’s been reading my articles over the past 14 months:

Ryan Day said he's looked at time management among reasons to distribute offensive playcalling duties.

Day said he feels he must manage his time more efficiently in the middle of the season, and said Brian Hartline has "done a great job" as wide receivers coach and on offense.

— Lantern Sports (@LanternSports) February 1, 2023

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Brian Hartline WIll Call Offensive Plays During Spring Practices, but Ryan Day Won’t Make Final Decision on Delegating Duty Until After Spring
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

At least eight Buckeyes will miss Ohio State’s spring practice with injuries
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Palaie Gaoteote IV, Tyler Friday not returning to Ohio State for sixth year
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row

He had to make sure he couldn’t still get fined:

"Can I say something?"

"I made a lot of calls after the game"

Here is Ryan Day's full answer on the targeting call on Marvin Harrison Jr that was overturned in the Peach Bowl: pic.twitter.com/kjXMtipMOg

— Adam King (@AdamKing10TV) February 1, 2023

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Ryan Day unsatisfied with officials’ explanation of no targeting call on Marvin Harrison Jr. against Georgia
Kevin Flaherty, 247Sports

In Davison Igbinosum, Ja’Had Carter, the Buckeyes got two of the top transfer portal defensive backs
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Quick Hits: Ohio State’s 10 Assistant Coaches, James Laurinaitis and Mark Pantoni Provide Offseason Updates, Look Ahead to Spring Practice
Dan Hope, Griffin Strom, Garrick Hodge, and Chase Brown, Eleven Warriors

Between Laurinaitis and this guy, I’m liking the more aggressive approach to coaching lately:

LaAllan Clark, a pass rush specialist who has worked with more than 50 NFL defenders, is joining Ohio State as a defensive line graduate assistant. https://t.co/MLMQbGw4zI

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) February 1, 2023

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Mark Pantoni Says Ohio State “May Have to Pull Out” of Recruiting National Prospects Earlier if NIL Is Driving Force in Their Recruitiments
Garrick Hodge, Eleven Warriors

Ohio State offensive lineman Paris Johnson releases NIL-driven Paris’ Cut jerky
Pete Nakos, On3

B1G Thoughts: Five offseason questions for Ohio State
Jordan Williams, Land-Grant Holy Land

James Laurinaitis can have a Brian Hartline impact on Ohio State’s linebackers
Stephen Means, cleveland.com

To portal, or not to portal? That is the question for Ohio State football.
Josh Dooley, Land-Grant Holy Land

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On the Hardwood​

No. 10 Ohio State women back on track beating Wisconsin 90-67
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land

NBA talks increasing as Ohio State’s Brice Sensabaugh focuses on team
Adam Jardy, Land-Grant Holy Land

That will get the job done.

Have. A. Night.  

Taylor Thierry put up a career-high 25pts! @OhioStateWBB x @B1Gwbball pic.twitter.com/JWyDALbow0

— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) February 2, 2023

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Column: Ohio State men’s basketball is breaking computers like no team ever has
Connor Lemons, Land-Grant Holy Land

Freshman Bruce Thornton ascending to leadership role for Ohio State
Adam Jardy, Land-Grant Holy Land

This is very cool:

Special moment last night in Cameron.... pic.twitter.com/jwOplD9buW

— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) February 1, 2023

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Outside the Shoe and Schott​

Ohio State wrestling completes Michigan sweep in dominating fashion
Josh Dooley, Land-Grant Holy Land

Women’s Swimming and Diving: Zenick, Eden Claim B1G Weekly Swimming Awards
Ohio State Athletics

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And now for something completely different...​

What could go wrong?

Kirk on staff: “I anticipate no changes on our staff moving forward.”

— Scott Dochterman (@ScottDochterman) February 1, 2023

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Emeka Egbuka, Julian Fleming and Tommy Eichenberg Among Eight Buckeyes Who Will Miss Spring Practices | Eleven - Eleven Warriors
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Emeka Egbuka, Julian Fleming and Tommy Eichenberg Among Eight Buckeyes Who Will Miss Spring Practices | Eleven Eleven Warriors

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Bucketheads Podcast: Ohio State’s backs are up against the wall. Can they turn this thing around?
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images

And what do they have to do to make the NCAA Tournament?

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

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

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For episode 64 of the “Bucketheads” Podcast, Connor and Justin take a look at the Buckeyes' disastrous January, and ask a simple question: Is there any way this thing gets turned around?

The Buckeyes currently sit at 11-10 and 3-7 in the conference, but with seven of their last 10 games at home and games coming up against Wisconsin and Michigan, can the Buckeyes finish strong enough to make the NCAA Tournament? And if they don’t, where do they go from here?

Also, the guys take a look at the 2023 recruiting class, and answer some listener questions to wrap things up.

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Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGHL

Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor

Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba

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A transfer cornerback; James Laurinaitis; roster management; chicken bones and more: Buckeye Talk Q&A - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

A transfer cornerback; James Laurinaitis; roster management; chicken bones and more: Buckeye Talk Q&A cleveland.com

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Wednesday made for the easiest February Signing Day ever for the Buckeyes, but all attention has been focused on 2024 and 2025’s class.
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Doral Chenoweth / USA TODAY NETWORK

All the attention has been focused on 2024 and 2025’s class.

The February Signing Day for high school recruits is celebrated for a couple of reasons. The excitement surrounding the hard work paying off for these prep stars is among the top reasons for it being a special day, but it also gives way for the Ohio State coaching staff to speak to the media and give some in-depth coverage as to what is going on in the state of the program.

Wednesday once again allowed other assistant coaches to speak in addition to staffers, such as Mark Pantoni, who’s focus is solely on recruiting efforts and managing the personnel for the Buckeyes. Bringing several pieces of news to attention, the staff is still in full pursuit mode of elite players to join the roster after spring football via the transfer portal, and roster management to get to 85 players is already taking place.

At any rate, there’s plenty going on in Columbus that makes it seem like there’s really not an offseason for this program.

The easiest signing day in Ohio State history ​

Before the sun came up yesterday, Ohio State took to Twitter to preview signing day, and shared their sentiments of, “looking forward to a great day.”

Not even five minutes later, another tweet from Ohio State stated signing day was, “now complete,” after zero new additions were made to the 2023 recruiting class. Having some fun with how that news was shared, this at least ties the easiest signing day ever for the Buckeyes, as all of the work for this class was signed, sealed, and delivered during the December signing period when the entire class inked their letters of intent.

Signing day is now complete Go Bucks!

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) February 1, 2023

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While there weren’t any fireworks, that doesn't necessarily give cause for concern, because the time this staff has spent the last several weeks on the trail has been fully devoted to the efforts in the 2024 and 2025 classes. Seeing coaches on the road and doing so all over the country has made for a ton of new offers. Those recruits have made it clear how they feel about Ohio State, and while the season certainly didn’t go as planned, the feelings by top recruits point to a pretty positive vibe surrounding the Buckeyes’ future.

Pointing to the recent success in the transfer portal as well, this staff is showing signs of doing what it takes when it comes to landing the top players looking for new homes. As long as that remains the case moving forward, Ohio State is in as good of a spot as anyone else.

Quick Hits​

• Ohio State made the hiring of LaAllan Clark official on Wednesday. Coming in as a defensive GA, Clark will be spending his time helping Larry Johnson with the defensive line group. An important hire for the Buckeyes, Clark’s resume in helping train several current NFL stars at the position may be the stat that jumps out the most, and is definitely a key piece when it comes to recruiting down the road.

LJ is still one of the best in the game at his profession and position group, but having a right hand man to help in development as well as the many other areas is a key to seeing this defensive line group take the next step in 2023.

Truly Blessed!! Let’s Work!! #GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/AZelegGsUh

— Coach LaAllan Clark (@CoachLCTrenches) February 1, 2023

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• Of the many talking points that were brought up regarding recruiting, the notes Pantoni made about recruiting more regionally as well as leaving recruitments of national players if their focus is mainly NIL stick out the most. Knowing Ohio State’s goals to fill the roster with players of a certain mindset, hearing staffers say NIL priorities for national recruits may guide the Buckeyes elsewhere makes sense.

Ohio State will always be in the business of going after the best players in the country, but if the headaches and potential for clashes in culture present themselves, the Buckeyes believe their time is better spent elsewhere. The world of college football and recruiting has never been crazier, but Ohio State seems as prepared as any when it comes to weathering any potential storms.

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Rohlik, Brickey and Wise Preview Series vs. Penn State - Ohio State University
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Rohlik, Brickey and Wise Preview Series vs. Penn State Ohio State University

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Buckeyes Targets Jeremiah Smith and JoJo Trader a Package Deal? | 2024 Ohio State Football Recruiting Tracker - Sports Illustrated
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Buckeyes Targets Jeremiah Smith and JoJo Trader a Package Deal? | 2024 Ohio State Football Recruiting Tracker Sports Illustrated

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Ohio State Hires Graduate Assistant LaAllan Clark - Sports Illustrated
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Ohio State Hires Graduate Assistant LaAllan Clark Sports Illustrated

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Analyzing how Buckeyes filled their needs with 2023 recruiting class and transfer portal - 247Sports
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Analyzing how Buckeyes filled their needs with 2023 recruiting class and transfer portal 247Sports

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No. 5 Buckeyes Host No. 1 Penn State, Travel to No. 15 Northwestern - Ohio State University
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No. 5 Buckeyes Host No. 1 Penn State, Travel to No. 15 Northwestern Ohio State University

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Baumgardner mock draft: Four Buckeyes projected in first round - 247Sports
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Baumgardner mock draft: Four Buckeyes projected in first round 247Sports

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Jeremiah Smith and JoJo Trader a Package Deal? | 2024 Ohio State Football Recruiting Tracker - Sports Illustrated
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Jeremiah Smith and JoJo Trader a Package Deal? | 2024 Ohio State Football Recruiting Tracker Sports Illustrated

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At least eight Buckeyes will miss Ohio State's spring practice with injuries - 247Sports
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At least eight Buckeyes will miss Ohio State's spring practice with injuries 247Sports

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Two Big Home Matches for the Buckeyes this Week - Ohio State University
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Two Big Home Matches for the Buckeyes this Week Ohio State University

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Dan Apple Named Executive Director of Buckeyes Cohesion Foundation - Sports Illustrated
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Dan Apple Named Executive Director of Buckeyes Cohesion Foundation Sports Illustrated

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Buckeyes Land Pair of Five Stars in On3's Final 2023 Consensus Rankings - Sports Illustrated
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Buckeyes Land Pair of Five Stars in On3's Final 2023 Consensus Rankings Sports Illustrated

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Former Ohio State WR Transfers To Big Ten West Rival - Sports Illustrated
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Former Ohio State WR Transfers To Big Ten West Rival Sports Illustrated

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Ohio State football: Ryan Day on Buckeyes' spring QB battle, Georgia's hit on Marvin Harrison Jr., signing day - 247Sports
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Ohio State football: Ryan Day on Buckeyes' spring QB battle, Georgia's hit on Marvin Harrison Jr., signing day 247Sports

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To portal, or not to portal? That is the question for Ohio State football.
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Is Ryan Day’s conservative approach to the transfer portal a swing-and-a-miss, or a series of bets on current players’ potential?

Ryan Day and the Ohio State football team added a big piece to the defense on Monday in former Ole Miss cornerback Davison Igbinosun. He joins other transfers that joined the Buckeyes in recent weeks — former Oregon State quarterback Tristan Gebbia, Louisiana-Monroe offensive lineman Victor Cutler, Syracuse safety Ja’Had Carter, Kent state kicker Casey Magyar, and Arizona State long snapper John Ferlmann.

In total, the Buckeyes have now added six transfer players since the end of the 2022 season, indicating a more aggressive approach in “free agency”... for OSU, that is. Not most programs.

Dream come true pic.twitter.com/IBUVByamNz

— V!c (@CutlerVictor) January 18, 2023

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Under Day’s guidance, the Scarlet and Gray have preferred to build and develop from within, at the same time attempting to avoid massive roster turnover seen elsewhere. As part of that plan and/or process, Ohio State has inarguably taken a very conservative approach to transfers, only wading ankle-deep into the portal waters. Adding five new faces is a detour from the usual path taken, but not a hard left onto Mel Tucker Highway.

So what do we make of OSU’s approach to the transfer portal? Is it the right one or the wrong one? Is it timid or tactical? I am here to tell you that I have absolutely no clue. Every program is different, with a unique combination of resources, expectations, and circumstances under which they operate.

Day and his coaches should not be using the same figurative playbook as Deion Sanders at Colorado, just like Prime Time should not be going out of his way to keep 99 percent of CU’s eligible roster intact (as the Buckeyes tend to do). Different strokes for different folks as they say, and the transfer portal will continue to be utilized differently by each and every program. There is simply no template.

Getting back to Ohio State, there are fans out there who are upset with the way January ultimately played out — and I’m not talking about the Peach Bowl. Specific to transfer comings and goings, the Buckeyes lost a handful of players to the portal, while adding a grad QB with limited game experience, a Sun Belt OL, a long snapper, a preferred walk-on kicker, and a productive safety from the ACC... Not exactly a who’s who of college football. And those additions have not been good enough for some. But I think that many of the negative reactions from Buckeye Nation are short-sighted and unnecessary. Allow me to pontificate.

With the offseason's first transfer portal window closing this week, here's our updated tracker looking at who left Ohio State and who joined the program over the previous weeks: https://t.co/H4LtfWMrqf

— Joey Kaufman (@joeyrkaufman) January 20, 2023

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Also, let me preface my argument with this: I would have been over-the-moon excited had OSU landed a commitment from Dasan McCullough, Ajani Cornelius, or Fentrell Cypress. Those players – among others – should have been pursued aggressively, in my humble opinion. So I am in no way trying to frame the early transfer period as some wild success. But at the same time, I would never call it a failure. By no means whatsoever, and for a number of reasons.

First and foremost, working the transfer portal is much different than high school recruiting — strictly from a timing perspective.. Due to a horrid, horrid schedule set forth by the good ol’ NCAA, Ohio State and other schools competing in meaningful bowl games are expected to navigate the portal and forge relationships while at the same time preparing for the sport’s most prestigious and meaningful games... Just brilliant.

Early Signing Day even gets in on the action! Just a comedy of scheduling errors, but I will touch more on that later. My point here is that certain schools are unable to prioritize relationship-building when dozens (or hundreds, I’m not sure) of players are first exploring transfer options.

Sure, a player can choose to keep their options open until January, February, or even the spring and summer months if they are so inclined, but there is an edge to be gained by making contact early. McCullough, for example, entered the transfer portal on December 5 and committed to Oklahoma on December 12. There were extenuating circumstances, and the former Indiana Hoosier was likely never going to be dissuaded from joining his little brother in Norman, but let’s play make-believe: What if the Buckeyes had been able to arrange a few phone calls and a visit?

What if Day delegated certain coaching duties in preparation for the hypothetical Bush’s Baked Beans Bowl (his team did not make the CFP in this scenario) and instead put a full court press on landing the former OSU verbal commit? I am not trying to make excuses, but I do think there are legitimate reasons as to why Day and his staff were a bit behind the 8-ball during this transfer period.

High school recruiting and Early Signing Day also played a role in dictating Ohio State’s transfer activity, which is something I alluded to earlier. With ESD and the “real” opening of the portal going on concurrently, programs are often forced to choose: Who or what are we all-in (relative term) on? Do we prefer high school recruits, or experienced transfers? While obviously possible to serve two masters in this situation, I would argue that if a team chases even one transfer player, they are not all-in on their recruiting class — or recruits at a certain position. If your favorite team scours the country for two transfers, they are even further away from being all-in. Three players, even further than that. And so on.

Same rings true for the opposite approach. If a team plans to sink or swim with a proven portal QB, but then hosts a late-rising HS recruit who de-committed from another school in mid-December, well then they risk losing John Football, who they began talking to weeks or months prior... Which means they are not all-in on the transfer route. I am focusing on extremes and one-offs here, but I hope you get the point. Two masters can be served, but never with full vigor.

Few programs take all-in literally – whether recruiting or transfer shopping – but they do typically prioritize one method of roster construction over another. OSU clearly prioritizes long-term recruiting relationships over swiping right and hooking up with the most willing or available transfer. And given the results (three CFP berths in four seasons), I find it hard to criticize what Day, Mark Pantoni, and others have adopted as their team-building philosophy. Said philosophy is really what it all comes down to.

Ryan Day and Ohio State as a living, breathing entity preach brotherhood, chemistry, development, and results. Right, wrong, or otherwise, the general philosophy can be summed up as: Bring in the right players, foster relationships, develop those players in-house, and either send ‘em off to the NFL or give them life skills necessary to succeed elsewhere.

Believe in it, buy it, or don’t — I favor the Buckeyes’ football culture over that of, say, Texas A&M. Jimbo Fisher could tell me face-to-face that he and his coaches are building character and mentoring young men to the best of their ability, but I’ll never believe it. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and said fire is probably coming out of Bobby Petrino’s tailpipe right now, as he races away from some unfinished business and right into an A&M staff meeting.

Beth Hall-USA TODAY Sports
Does transfer culture = Texas A&M culture? No idea, but I’m sure this guy would give us an honest answer.

That culture seems (allegedly) toxic. And I’m not here to tell you that OSU has a perfect culture by any means, but part of what makes it worthy of having at least some pride in, is the fact that the coaches, the athletic department, and the university generally seem to do right by their players. Sometimes than can result in being overly stubborn regarding a guy’s potential – and turning a blind eye to outside interest – but I would rather Ohio State miss out on one talent than risk alienating three or four known commodities. Probably not the best way to do business, but my argument is supported by the next paragraph.

Finally, I would point out that bringing in a boatload of transfers is no guarantee of success. See: Michigan State football.

Furthermore, it (operating as Mercenary U) could be rather indicative of failures elsewhere. There are clear exceptions, such as coaching turnover, scandal, etc... But at the end of the day, if your favorite CFB team is bringing in 15-20 transfers, there is a better-than-zero chance that any or all of the following statements are true: Multiple coaches throughout the program suck at their job(s)... Their ability to recruit and/or develop talent is non-existent... Or maybe the head coach is just an asshole, and no player can stand to be around him for longer than 18 months. Either way, you don’t see Alabama or Georgia (or Ohio State) bringing in transfers by dozen(s). There’s a reason for that.

If you (Buckeye Nation, LGHL readers, whoever) are still upset by OSU’s lack of aggressiveness or ability to close in the transfer portal, I get it. I can’t say, with an ounce of honesty in my bones, that January has been a perfect month. The Buckeyes need to better supplement their young roster, period. But at least take a look back at the hits and misses – and give it until spring – before any torches are lit... Justin Fields, Jonah Jackson, Trey Sermon, etc. All hits. And there will be additional roster movement in the future. It’s only January!

As for those misses, who are we even talking about? Eli Ricks? The former LSU Tiger transferred to Bama and played sparingly as a backup. That player every Ohio State fan seemed to want at this time last year totaled 13 tackles and broke up four passes in Tuscaloosa, before declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft. He also had a little run-in with the Mississippi Highway Patrol before the 2022 season, which is probably part of the reason he sat on the bench to begin with. So yeah, a real swing and a miss there, huh?

Ryan Day and his staff build their roster a certain way. That’s all there is to it. You can love it, hate it, or be indifferent to it... But if you’re a Buckeye fan, I think it is important to give the new(ish) coaches more time. If cornerbacks still can’t spot a ball in the air after year two with Tim Walton, and Cypress wins the Thorpe Award at Florida State, then I will eat crow and admit that Ohio State’s current approach is ineffective and overly conservative. But until then, I will choose to believe in the old saying: A bird with a hand is worth two bushes.

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Wrestling: No. 6 Buckeyes earn weekend victories over No. 5 ... - OSU - The Lantern
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Wrestling: No. 6 Buckeyes earn weekend victories over No. 5 ... OSU - The Lantern

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PHOTO GALLERY: Buckeyes Sweep Michigan, MSU – Ohio State ... - Ohio State University
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PHOTO GALLERY: Buckeyes Sweep Michigan, MSU – Ohio State ... Ohio State University

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