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LGHL You’re Nuts: Who should be the final addition to Ohio State football’s coaching staff?
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You’re Nuts: Who should be the final addition to Ohio State football’s coaching staff?
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
In a way, what Ohio State football is going through right now is similar to what the Buckeyes were dealing with 10 years ago. Urban Meyer closed out the 2013 season on a two-game losing streak, losing to Michigan before falling to Clemson in the Orange Bowl. The former Ohio State head coach responded by making a number of changes to the coaching staff, bringing in Chris Ash as co-defensive coordinator and Larry Johnson as defensive line coach. Shaking things up with a few changes on the coaching staff helped the Buckeyes win the national title the following season in the first year of the College Football Playoff.
Following their third straight loss to Michigan this year, as well as an embarrassing showing in the Cotton Bowl in a loss to Missouri, current Ohio State head coach Ryan Day was forced to take a long look at his coaching staff. Day responded by firing special teams coordinator Parker Fleming and not retaining safeties coach Perry Eliano. Not only did Day replace Eliano with former Ohio State defensive senior advisor and analyst Matt Guerrieri, Day also lightened his load a bit by bringing in BIll O’Brien as the team’s offensive coordinator. O’Brien will also serve as quarterback coach, with Corey Dennis expected to take on another role with the program.
As of the time of posting, there is still one open spot on Ohio State’s coaching staff. Today we want to know who you want to see filling the opening. Even though the openings on the coaching staff are limited, the names the Buckeyes are likely considering could carry some weight. Would you prefer Day to cut ties with legendary defensive line coach Larry Johnson, who is near the end of his coaching career? Or maybe you want to remember what it feels like to have a competent special teams coordinator. Then there is the linebackers coach position, which is currently held by defensive coordinator Jim Knowles but could easily be given to someone else if it benefitted the program.
Obviously, this option would be most popular with Buckeye fans. Two years ago Laurinaitis joined Marcus Freeman’s staff at Notre Dame as a graduate assistant. Last season the “Li’l Animal” was lured back to Columbus by Day to serve in a similar position with the program. To the surprise of nobody, Laurinaitis has been killing it in his short time with Ohio State, and it feels like he’ll have a permanent position on the Buckeye coaching staff sooner rather than later. What remains to be seen is if Day thinks it would be more beneficial to keep Laurinaitis as a GA for another season so he could fill the last open spot on the coaching staff in another area.
For me, hiring Laurinaitis would essentially be like bringing in the defensive version of Brian Hartline. Much like Hartline, the former Ohio State linebacker has been doing strong work on the recruiting trail. Plus, since Knowles also holds the title of defensive coordinator, hiring Laurinaitis could take some of the responsibilities off Knowles' plate but also still have an experienced former linebackers coach around to support Laurinaitis as he steps into the role and becomes comfortable with his first true position on a coaching staff. There’s no question Laurinaitis has the intelligence and desire to succeed as a coach, but it often takes some time for coaches to find the techniques they are most comfortable with.
I really wanted my answer to be Bill Belichick as special teams coordinator since it doesn’t look like the former New England Patriots head coach won’t be coaching in the NFL in the upcoming season. Who knows, maybe Ryan Day can be the next landing spot for fired head coaches since Nick Saban recently retired! Since there is a better shot at winning the lottery than Belichick coaching for the Buckeyes in 2024, Laurinaitis is the next best option. Within five years it feels like Laurinaitis will be a defensive coordinator, so what better way for Day to show the former Buckeye how much he values him than by giving him a spot on the Ohio State staff, setting him up to take over for Knowles down the road.
I love Larry Johnson, you love Larry Johnson, recruits love Larry Johnson, but Larry Johnson is 72 years old, and his age — which has been a point of contention for years — will only increasingly be a focus of negative recruiting the older he gets. Now, I am not here to say that LJ needs to be kicked to the curb. As the best defensive line coach and recruiter in the country, he has earned the right to retire whenever he thinks that it is time, but that doesn’t mean that Ryan Day and the Ohio State staff shouldn’t have a succession plan in place.
After the Cotton Bowl, I laid out a number of moves that I thought were imperative for Day to get the football program back on its path to being the best team in the Big Ten and competing for national championships. Fortunately, Day has taken head and followed through on many of them (you’re welcome Buckeye Nation), but one that is still in the air is bringing in Ohio State’s next defensive line coach. At the time, I said that I wasn’t worried about what position they occupied for the 2024 season, just that they would take over after Larry left, which in my proposed scenario would be at the conclusion of the upcoming campaign.
While the specifics of the succession plan can be figured out later, I think that OSU needs to find a talented, dynamic, and experienced defensive line coach to continue the Rushmen legacy. I am putting Jason Taylor as my “official” pick, just because his name has been floated, but given the fact that people have been talking about him as a possibility for weeks and nothing has happened, I’m assuming that the NFL Hall of Famer doesn’t plan to leave Miami and come back to the state where he played his college football.
However, given the fact that he is originally from Pittsburgh, went to school in Akron, and coached at St. Thomas Aquinas High School — which has many Ohio State connections — I think he would be an excellent fit to follow in LJ’s footsteps.
But, if Taylor isn’t the answer, then why else could Day be waiting to make an announcement? Perhaps, his pick is still coaching in the NFL Playoffs and he is waiting until after the Super Bowl to make it official. Now, I don’t think this is likely at this point, but it would explain the delay.
Here are some options that I came up with of options gearing up for the Super Bowl:
Now, none of these have the cache or sexiness of a Jason Taylor, but they do all bring NFL cred and could see coming to Columbus as a big career move.
Of course, if we are talking about defensive line coaches with NFL experience who would almost certainly enjoy being in Columbus, we have to discuss recently unemployed Mike Vrabel. The former Ohio State All-American and assistant coach had a successful run as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans, but is now out of work. While it would be a coup to bring him in as a co-position coach, I have a feeling he has other things on his mind.
Since it doesn’t look like he will be taking any of the open NFL head coaching jobs this offseason, I would not be surprised if Vrabes sits out this season and waits to see what happens with Ryan Day. If the improvement that we all anticipate following an incredible month of moves doesn’t come to fruition and OSU’s new president and AD decide to move on after the 2024 season, Vrabel would be available to step in right away, no buyout needed.
Now, if we’re throwing out extremely unlikely options, I might as well go on the record staining for Cameron Heyward. Yes, I know that he is still an active NFL player and was a Pro Bowler just last year, but hear me out.
Cam was injured in Week 1 of this past season and ended up missing a total of six games. He only accumulated 33 tackles in 11 games, his lowest total since 2017 when he had 21 in seven games. If, after 13 seasons in the NFL, six Pro Bowls, three All-Pro selections, and six Walter Payton Man of the Year nominations, Cam decides to hang it up, Day needs to be the first person hitting him up.
Not only does he have an incredible NFL pedigree, but he is known as one of the best human beings in the game. I don’t know if Heyward wants to coach, but if he does, he would be an incredible college coach and leader of young men.
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
In a way, what Ohio State football is going through right now is similar to what the Buckeyes were dealing with 10 years ago. Urban Meyer closed out the 2013 season on a two-game losing streak, losing to Michigan before falling to Clemson in the Orange Bowl. The former Ohio State head coach responded by making a number of changes to the coaching staff, bringing in Chris Ash as co-defensive coordinator and Larry Johnson as defensive line coach. Shaking things up with a few changes on the coaching staff helped the Buckeyes win the national title the following season in the first year of the College Football Playoff.
Following their third straight loss to Michigan this year, as well as an embarrassing showing in the Cotton Bowl in a loss to Missouri, current Ohio State head coach Ryan Day was forced to take a long look at his coaching staff. Day responded by firing special teams coordinator Parker Fleming and not retaining safeties coach Perry Eliano. Not only did Day replace Eliano with former Ohio State defensive senior advisor and analyst Matt Guerrieri, Day also lightened his load a bit by bringing in BIll O’Brien as the team’s offensive coordinator. O’Brien will also serve as quarterback coach, with Corey Dennis expected to take on another role with the program.
As of the time of posting, there is still one open spot on Ohio State’s coaching staff. Today we want to know who you want to see filling the opening. Even though the openings on the coaching staff are limited, the names the Buckeyes are likely considering could carry some weight. Would you prefer Day to cut ties with legendary defensive line coach Larry Johnson, who is near the end of his coaching career? Or maybe you want to remember what it feels like to have a competent special teams coordinator. Then there is the linebackers coach position, which is currently held by defensive coordinator Jim Knowles but could easily be given to someone else if it benefitted the program.
Today’s question: Who should be the final addition to Ohio State football’s coaching staff?
We’d love to hear your choices. Either respond to us on Twitter at @Landgrant33 or leave your choice in the comments.
Brett’s answer: James Laurinaitis as linebackers coach
Obviously, this option would be most popular with Buckeye fans. Two years ago Laurinaitis joined Marcus Freeman’s staff at Notre Dame as a graduate assistant. Last season the “Li’l Animal” was lured back to Columbus by Day to serve in a similar position with the program. To the surprise of nobody, Laurinaitis has been killing it in his short time with Ohio State, and it feels like he’ll have a permanent position on the Buckeye coaching staff sooner rather than later. What remains to be seen is if Day thinks it would be more beneficial to keep Laurinaitis as a GA for another season so he could fill the last open spot on the coaching staff in another area.
For me, hiring Laurinaitis would essentially be like bringing in the defensive version of Brian Hartline. Much like Hartline, the former Ohio State linebacker has been doing strong work on the recruiting trail. Plus, since Knowles also holds the title of defensive coordinator, hiring Laurinaitis could take some of the responsibilities off Knowles' plate but also still have an experienced former linebackers coach around to support Laurinaitis as he steps into the role and becomes comfortable with his first true position on a coaching staff. There’s no question Laurinaitis has the intelligence and desire to succeed as a coach, but it often takes some time for coaches to find the techniques they are most comfortable with.
I really wanted my answer to be Bill Belichick as special teams coordinator since it doesn’t look like the former New England Patriots head coach won’t be coaching in the NFL in the upcoming season. Who knows, maybe Ryan Day can be the next landing spot for fired head coaches since Nick Saban recently retired! Since there is a better shot at winning the lottery than Belichick coaching for the Buckeyes in 2024, Laurinaitis is the next best option. Within five years it feels like Laurinaitis will be a defensive coordinator, so what better way for Day to show the former Buckeye how much he values him than by giving him a spot on the Ohio State staff, setting him up to take over for Knowles down the road.
Matt’s answer: Jason Taylor as Co-Defensive Line Coach
I love Larry Johnson, you love Larry Johnson, recruits love Larry Johnson, but Larry Johnson is 72 years old, and his age — which has been a point of contention for years — will only increasingly be a focus of negative recruiting the older he gets. Now, I am not here to say that LJ needs to be kicked to the curb. As the best defensive line coach and recruiter in the country, he has earned the right to retire whenever he thinks that it is time, but that doesn’t mean that Ryan Day and the Ohio State staff shouldn’t have a succession plan in place.
After the Cotton Bowl, I laid out a number of moves that I thought were imperative for Day to get the football program back on its path to being the best team in the Big Ten and competing for national championships. Fortunately, Day has taken head and followed through on many of them (you’re welcome Buckeye Nation), but one that is still in the air is bringing in Ohio State’s next defensive line coach. At the time, I said that I wasn’t worried about what position they occupied for the 2024 season, just that they would take over after Larry left, which in my proposed scenario would be at the conclusion of the upcoming campaign.
While the specifics of the succession plan can be figured out later, I think that OSU needs to find a talented, dynamic, and experienced defensive line coach to continue the Rushmen legacy. I am putting Jason Taylor as my “official” pick, just because his name has been floated, but given the fact that people have been talking about him as a possibility for weeks and nothing has happened, I’m assuming that the NFL Hall of Famer doesn’t plan to leave Miami and come back to the state where he played his college football.
However, given the fact that he is originally from Pittsburgh, went to school in Akron, and coached at St. Thomas Aquinas High School — which has many Ohio State connections — I think he would be an excellent fit to follow in LJ’s footsteps.
But, if Taylor isn’t the answer, then why else could Day be waiting to make an announcement? Perhaps, his pick is still coaching in the NFL Playoffs and he is waiting until after the Super Bowl to make it official. Now, I don’t think this is likely at this point, but it would explain the delay.
Here are some options that I came up with of options gearing up for the Super Bowl:
- Darryl Tapp: San Francisco 49ers Assistant Defensive Line Coach. Played in the NFL for 12 seasons. Originally from Virginia. Coached three years in college football before joining the Niners in 2021.
- Cameron Brown (no, not that Cameron Brown): San Francisco 49ers Defensive Quality Control Coach. Originally from Westlake, Ohio. Served as the assistant defensive line coach and outside linebackers coach at Case Western Reserve University before joining San Fran’s staff this season.
- Alex Whittingham: Kansas City Chiefs Defensive Quality Control Coach. The son of Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham. Two-time Super Bowl champion. Served one season as the Chiefs’ assistant defensive line coach, has been in current role for five seasons.
Now, none of these have the cache or sexiness of a Jason Taylor, but they do all bring NFL cred and could see coming to Columbus as a big career move.
Of course, if we are talking about defensive line coaches with NFL experience who would almost certainly enjoy being in Columbus, we have to discuss recently unemployed Mike Vrabel. The former Ohio State All-American and assistant coach had a successful run as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans, but is now out of work. While it would be a coup to bring him in as a co-position coach, I have a feeling he has other things on his mind.
Since it doesn’t look like he will be taking any of the open NFL head coaching jobs this offseason, I would not be surprised if Vrabes sits out this season and waits to see what happens with Ryan Day. If the improvement that we all anticipate following an incredible month of moves doesn’t come to fruition and OSU’s new president and AD decide to move on after the 2024 season, Vrabel would be available to step in right away, no buyout needed.
Now, if we’re throwing out extremely unlikely options, I might as well go on the record staining for Cameron Heyward. Yes, I know that he is still an active NFL player and was a Pro Bowler just last year, but hear me out.
Cam was injured in Week 1 of this past season and ended up missing a total of six games. He only accumulated 33 tackles in 11 games, his lowest total since 2017 when he had 21 in seven games. If, after 13 seasons in the NFL, six Pro Bowls, three All-Pro selections, and six Walter Payton Man of the Year nominations, Cam decides to hang it up, Day needs to be the first person hitting him up.
Not only does he have an incredible NFL pedigree, but he is known as one of the best human beings in the game. I don’t know if Heyward wants to coach, but if he does, he would be an incredible college coach and leader of young men.
Continue reading...
LGHL Gene Smith voices support for Chris Holtmann, Anthony Schlegel (temporarily) returns to OSU
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Gene Smith voices support for Chris Holtmann, Anthony Schlegel (temporarily) returns to OSU
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
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!
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
Where Ohio State might look to add in the next transfer portal window (paywall)
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Buckeyes wise to add Anthony Schlegel to offseason staff, even if that’s temporary (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Michigan coach Sherrone Moore addresses Ohio State rivalry
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State, Michigan offseasons setting up shift in rivalry power (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes
Ohio State quarterbacks: Will Howard 2024 outlook, transfer candidates, Julian Sayin, Air Noland to battle
Grant Hughes, 247Sports
Analyzing impact as offensive lineman Carter Lowe commits to Ohio State (paywall)
Jeremy Birmingham, Dotting the Eyes
Ohio State’s creating ‘a really competitive environment’ but has to put in the work to be successful in 2024
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Transfer portal team rankings: Ohio State surges into top 10 with Julian Sayin, Ole Miss retakes No. 1
Brad Crawford, 247Sports
A Super Bowl rooting guide for Ohio State football fans
Michael Citro, Land-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State’s Gene Smith reaffirms commitment to Chris Holtmann
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch
Chris Holtmann contract buyout if Ohio State fires basketball coach
Craig Meyers, The USA Today Network
Ohio State women’s basketball moves to No. 8 in AP poll
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
You’re Nuts: When will Ohio State mens basketball finally end its B1G road losing streak
Josh Dooley and Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land
Cotie McMahon’s switch from pure scorer to do-it-all forward for Ohio State women’s basketball
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
Women’s Tennis: No. 13 Buckeyes Headed to ITA Division I Championships After Defeating Arizona State
Caroline Hebert, The Lantern
Women’s Gymnastics: No. 12 Buckeyes Earn First B1G Win of the Season, Score 197.100 Against Illinois
Ohio State Athletics
Women’s Ice Hockey: No. 1 Buckeyes Earn Third-Straight Top-10 Sweep at St. Cloud State
Reid Murray, The Lantern
Men’s Golf: Buckeyes in 8th After Round 1 of Southwestern Invitational
Ohio State Athletics
I’m reading this book specifically for the movie, but it is awful. It might have just been written by AI.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
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!
For your Earholes...
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
On the Gridiron
Where Ohio State might look to add in the next transfer portal window (paywall)
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Buckeyes wise to add Anthony Schlegel to offseason staff, even if that’s temporary (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Michigan coach Sherrone Moore addresses Ohio State rivalry
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State, Michigan offseasons setting up shift in rivalry power (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes
Ohio State quarterbacks: Will Howard 2024 outlook, transfer candidates, Julian Sayin, Air Noland to battle
Grant Hughes, 247Sports
Analyzing impact as offensive lineman Carter Lowe commits to Ohio State (paywall)
Jeremy Birmingham, Dotting the Eyes
Ohio State’s creating ‘a really competitive environment’ but has to put in the work to be successful in 2024
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Transfer portal team rankings: Ohio State surges into top 10 with Julian Sayin, Ole Miss retakes No. 1
Brad Crawford, 247Sports
A Super Bowl rooting guide for Ohio State football fans
Michael Citro, Land-Grant Holy Land
On the Hardwood
Ohio State’s Gene Smith reaffirms commitment to Chris Holtmann
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch
Chris Holtmann contract buyout if Ohio State fires basketball coach
Craig Meyers, The USA Today Network
Ohio State women’s basketball moves to No. 8 in AP poll
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
You’re Nuts: When will Ohio State mens basketball finally end its B1G road losing streak
Josh Dooley and Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land
Cotie McMahon’s switch from pure scorer to do-it-all forward for Ohio State women’s basketball
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
Outside the Shoe and Schott
Women’s Tennis: No. 13 Buckeyes Headed to ITA Division I Championships After Defeating Arizona State
Caroline Hebert, The Lantern
Women’s Gymnastics: No. 12 Buckeyes Earn First B1G Win of the Season, Score 197.100 Against Illinois
Ohio State Athletics
Women’s Ice Hockey: No. 1 Buckeyes Earn Third-Straight Top-10 Sweep at St. Cloud State
Reid Murray, The Lantern
Men’s Golf: Buckeyes in 8th After Round 1 of Southwestern Invitational
Ohio State Athletics
And now for something completely different...
I’m reading this book specifically for the movie, but it is awful. It might have just been written by AI.
Continue reading...
LGHL Terrence Shannon Jr., No. 14 Illinois out-class and out-shoot Ohio State, 87-75
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Terrence Shannon Jr., No. 14 Illinois out-class and out-shoot Ohio State, 87-75
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
The pit of misery! Dilly dilly!
Well beyond “must-win” games, the Ohio State men’s basketball team (13-8, 3-7) welcomed the Illinois Fighting Illini (16-5, 7-3) to Columbus Tuesday night in desperate need of a winning streak, not just one win.
Opposing them was an Illinois team that entered tonight’s game ranked seventh in the country in adjusted offense, averaging 120.4 points per 100 possessions. Comparatively, Ohio State entered tonight’s game No. 48 in adjusted offense, averaging 115 points per 100 possessions. The Illini also slotted into the AP Top 25 Poll at No. 14 on Monday afternoon.
Despite recent struggles, Chris Holtmann did not deviate from the starting lineup he’s used all season long, going with Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, Evan Mahaffey, Felix Okpara, and Jamison Battle. Brad Underwood countered with Marcus Domask, Terrence Shannon Jr., Ty Rodgers, Quincy Guerrier, and Coleman Hawkins.
The Buckeyes and Illini traded makes for the first several minutes, with Gayle knocking down each of his first three shots for the good guys and Rodgers scoring twice for Illinois. Since there was only one foul called over the first eight minutes, the initial media timeout didn’t even happen until the 12:12 mark of the first half — at that point, it was a 14-14 tie. While both teams came out hitting shots early, the two leading scorers — Thornton and Shannon — combined to shoot 1-of-9 during that first portion of the game leading into the first media timeout.
With the game tied at 23 and just under eight minutes remaining, Mahaffey took advantage of his matchup with Goode, turned his back to the basket, power dribbled twice, and went up with it. He scored through contact, as the whistle blew and Goode picked up his first foul of the game. Mahaffey’s basket made it 25-23 at the under-eight timeout with 7:39 left to go in the first half.
Illinois outscored Ohio State 8-2 over the final 4:06 of the first half to take a 41-34 lead into the locker room at halftime. Domask was the catalyst for the visiting Illini, scoring 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting in the first half. Gayle had 11 points for Ohio State in the first half and never came out of the game during the first 20 minutes. Illinois was 5-of-11 from three-point range in the first half, while Ohio State was 1-of-4.
Illinois extended its lead to a dozen points early in the second half, and following a Roddy Gayle layup that cut the deficit to 60-50, Chris Holtmann used one of his timeouts. The Buckeyes’ offense was getting quite a few good looks, but the continuous deterioration of its defense on a game-by-game basis continued Tuesday night. Even when the Buckeyes scored on two out of three possessions or three out of four, they refused to stop Illinois on the other end. That makes coming back from even the most minor deficit quite difficult.
Illinois extended its lead to 75-60 by the under-eight timeout, and the route was on. The Buckeyes continued to make shots at a level that would win quite a few games, but not this one — not on a night when nine different Illinois players scored, and Terrence Shannon Jr. outscored all Ohio State players in the second half alone. The Buckeyes were simply not up to the task on the defenive end, once again.
By the time all was said and done, Illinois had wrapped up a 87-75 win over Ohio State at the Schottenstein Center on Tuesday evening in front of a sparser than normal crowd.
If you weren’t around tonight to see Illinois deal Ohio State another loss and send us all further down into the pit of despair, here are a few key moments and plays that ultimately led to an Illini win:
Ohio State won the opening tip on Tuesday night, with Okpara tipping the ball out to Gayle, who underhand flipped the rock to Thornton to initiate the offense. Shannon slid over to guard Thornton bringing the ball up, which meant one team’s leading scorer guarding the other right away.
What was poised to be great theatre turned out to be a whole lot of nothing in the first half, as both teams’ leading scorers had a hard time putting the ball in the basket during the first 20 minutes. Thornton finished the first half with two points on 1-of-4 shooting over 12 minutes and was saddled to the bench for the final six minutes or so of the half after picking up his second foul.
Shannon finished the first half with five points on 1-of-7 shooting over 14 minutes and also spent the last several minutes of the first half on the bench with two fouls.
Teams have absolutely torched Ohio State from beyond the arc over their last four games, while the Buckeyes have struggled to confidently take and knock down shots from distance. Even when nearly everything else is held constant, it’s usually the three-point shooting of the Buckeyes’ opponents that has been the difference.
On Tuesday night, the Illini knocked down five of their 11 first-half attempts from downtown, good for a 45.5% mark. Ohio State, on the other hand, hit one of four, which is 25%. The Buckeyes essentially abandoned the three-point shot in the first half Tuesday night, yet they still shot nearly 50% in the first half.
Oddly enough, this shows that this team could probably survive if they mostly abandoned the three-point shot, but they would need to play defense and prevent so many easy looks at the basket.
Ohio State has been a pretty solid free throw shooting team this season, with its 75.1% free throw percentage making it the fourth-best free throw shooting team in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes were 7-of-10 from the line in the first half of Tuesday night’s game, but two of those three misses were huge ones on the front end of two one-and-one’s that potentially left four points at the line.
With 3:49 left in the first half and Ohio State trailing 35-32, Mahaffey was fouled away from the basket by Illinois’ Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, who got too handsy with Evan after knocking the ball out of his hands twice. Mahaffey, a 66% free throw shooter, missed the front of the one-and-one, and Illinois grabbed the rebound.
40 seconds later with Illinois now leading 37-32, Key corralled an offensive rebound off of a miss from Battle. Key tried to go back up with it, but was fouled by Amani Hansberry. Key is a 72% free throw shooter, and missed the front of that one-and-one, as well.
With Illinois already up 65-52 and 10:19 remaining in the game, Terrence Shannon Jr. sprinted down the court and tried to get Ohio State on its heels in transition. True to form, Shannon’s quick burst got him going downhill with Scotty Middleton on his hip, and the undersized, under-prepared, and under-seasoned freshman had no option but to swipe at Shannon’s arm as he got to the basket.
The grab caused Shannon to fall down, and as the whistle blew the 6-foot-6 senior was able to toss the ball up into the bucket while flying through the air. The ball went in, the foul counted, and Shannon completed the old-fashioned three-point play to put Illinois up , 68-52.
It’s another quick turnaround for the Buckeyes (13-8, 3-7), as they head to Iowa City at the end of the week to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes (12-8, 4-5) on Friday night. The battle between two NCAA Tournament bubble team-hopefuls will tip off at 7:00 p.m. on FS1.
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
The pit of misery! Dilly dilly!
Well beyond “must-win” games, the Ohio State men’s basketball team (13-8, 3-7) welcomed the Illinois Fighting Illini (16-5, 7-3) to Columbus Tuesday night in desperate need of a winning streak, not just one win.
Opposing them was an Illinois team that entered tonight’s game ranked seventh in the country in adjusted offense, averaging 120.4 points per 100 possessions. Comparatively, Ohio State entered tonight’s game No. 48 in adjusted offense, averaging 115 points per 100 possessions. The Illini also slotted into the AP Top 25 Poll at No. 14 on Monday afternoon.
Despite recent struggles, Chris Holtmann did not deviate from the starting lineup he’s used all season long, going with Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, Evan Mahaffey, Felix Okpara, and Jamison Battle. Brad Underwood countered with Marcus Domask, Terrence Shannon Jr., Ty Rodgers, Quincy Guerrier, and Coleman Hawkins.
The Buckeyes and Illini traded makes for the first several minutes, with Gayle knocking down each of his first three shots for the good guys and Rodgers scoring twice for Illinois. Since there was only one foul called over the first eight minutes, the initial media timeout didn’t even happen until the 12:12 mark of the first half — at that point, it was a 14-14 tie. While both teams came out hitting shots early, the two leading scorers — Thornton and Shannon — combined to shoot 1-of-9 during that first portion of the game leading into the first media timeout.
With the game tied at 23 and just under eight minutes remaining, Mahaffey took advantage of his matchup with Goode, turned his back to the basket, power dribbled twice, and went up with it. He scored through contact, as the whistle blew and Goode picked up his first foul of the game. Mahaffey’s basket made it 25-23 at the under-eight timeout with 7:39 left to go in the first half.
Illinois outscored Ohio State 8-2 over the final 4:06 of the first half to take a 41-34 lead into the locker room at halftime. Domask was the catalyst for the visiting Illini, scoring 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting in the first half. Gayle had 11 points for Ohio State in the first half and never came out of the game during the first 20 minutes. Illinois was 5-of-11 from three-point range in the first half, while Ohio State was 1-of-4.
Illinois extended its lead to a dozen points early in the second half, and following a Roddy Gayle layup that cut the deficit to 60-50, Chris Holtmann used one of his timeouts. The Buckeyes’ offense was getting quite a few good looks, but the continuous deterioration of its defense on a game-by-game basis continued Tuesday night. Even when the Buckeyes scored on two out of three possessions or three out of four, they refused to stop Illinois on the other end. That makes coming back from even the most minor deficit quite difficult.
Illinois extended its lead to 75-60 by the under-eight timeout, and the route was on. The Buckeyes continued to make shots at a level that would win quite a few games, but not this one — not on a night when nine different Illinois players scored, and Terrence Shannon Jr. outscored all Ohio State players in the second half alone. The Buckeyes were simply not up to the task on the defenive end, once again.
By the time all was said and done, Illinois had wrapped up a 87-75 win over Ohio State at the Schottenstein Center on Tuesday evening in front of a sparser than normal crowd.
If you weren’t around tonight to see Illinois deal Ohio State another loss and send us all further down into the pit of despair, here are a few key moments and plays that ultimately led to an Illini win:
Thornton, Shannon first half non-factors
Ohio State won the opening tip on Tuesday night, with Okpara tipping the ball out to Gayle, who underhand flipped the rock to Thornton to initiate the offense. Shannon slid over to guard Thornton bringing the ball up, which meant one team’s leading scorer guarding the other right away.
What was poised to be great theatre turned out to be a whole lot of nothing in the first half, as both teams’ leading scorers had a hard time putting the ball in the basket during the first 20 minutes. Thornton finished the first half with two points on 1-of-4 shooting over 12 minutes and was saddled to the bench for the final six minutes or so of the half after picking up his second foul.
Shannon finished the first half with five points on 1-of-7 shooting over 14 minutes and also spent the last several minutes of the first half on the bench with two fouls.
Buckeyes continue to struggle guarding the three-point line, and can’t hit one themselves
Teams have absolutely torched Ohio State from beyond the arc over their last four games, while the Buckeyes have struggled to confidently take and knock down shots from distance. Even when nearly everything else is held constant, it’s usually the three-point shooting of the Buckeyes’ opponents that has been the difference.
On Tuesday night, the Illini knocked down five of their 11 first-half attempts from downtown, good for a 45.5% mark. Ohio State, on the other hand, hit one of four, which is 25%. The Buckeyes essentially abandoned the three-point shot in the first half Tuesday night, yet they still shot nearly 50% in the first half.
Oddly enough, this shows that this team could probably survive if they mostly abandoned the three-point shot, but they would need to play defense and prevent so many easy looks at the basket.
Leaving points at the stripe in the first half
Ohio State has been a pretty solid free throw shooting team this season, with its 75.1% free throw percentage making it the fourth-best free throw shooting team in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes were 7-of-10 from the line in the first half of Tuesday night’s game, but two of those three misses were huge ones on the front end of two one-and-one’s that potentially left four points at the line.
With 3:49 left in the first half and Ohio State trailing 35-32, Mahaffey was fouled away from the basket by Illinois’ Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, who got too handsy with Evan after knocking the ball out of his hands twice. Mahaffey, a 66% free throw shooter, missed the front of the one-and-one, and Illinois grabbed the rebound.
40 seconds later with Illinois now leading 37-32, Key corralled an offensive rebound off of a miss from Battle. Key tried to go back up with it, but was fouled by Amani Hansberry. Key is a 72% free throw shooter, and missed the front of that one-and-one, as well.
Shannon’s and-one gives Illinois a 16-point second-half lead
With Illinois already up 65-52 and 10:19 remaining in the game, Terrence Shannon Jr. sprinted down the court and tried to get Ohio State on its heels in transition. True to form, Shannon’s quick burst got him going downhill with Scotty Middleton on his hip, and the undersized, under-prepared, and under-seasoned freshman had no option but to swipe at Shannon’s arm as he got to the basket.
The grab caused Shannon to fall down, and as the whistle blew the 6-foot-6 senior was able to toss the ball up into the bucket while flying through the air. The ball went in, the foul counted, and Shannon completed the old-fashioned three-point play to put Illinois up , 68-52.
Up Next:
It’s another quick turnaround for the Buckeyes (13-8, 3-7), as they head to Iowa City at the end of the week to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes (12-8, 4-5) on Friday night. The battle between two NCAA Tournament bubble team-hopefuls will tip off at 7:00 p.m. on FS1.
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