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LGHL You’re Nuts: Who should Ohio State hire as its offensive coordinator?
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You’re Nuts: Who should Ohio State hire as its offensive coordinator?
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 Sarah Stier/Getty Images
The Buckeyes are in search of their next play-caller.
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.
The Ohio State football program has experienced — nay, enjoyed — a busy and fruitful month of January, helping to ease the sting of a rather dismal December (other than Early Signing Day). In the first few weeks of the new year, OSU has already added a handful of impact transfers and began to re-work Ryan Day’s coaching staff, while also retaining the services of several stars.
Oh, and Parker Fleming was finally let go, ending Buckeye Nation’s long, insomnia-inducing nightmare. RE: Fleming, it’s nothing personal. I think most fans want him to land a new gig and grow as a coach. But the Buckeyes’ special teams units have stunk out loud under his direction. So it was beyond time.
However, one move that Day and Ohio State have not yet made is the selection or naming of a new offensive coordinator (playcaller) and/or quarterbacks coach... If that is indeed the plan. Adding a non-Day playcaller is something that many fans have wanted for years, while replacing Cory Dennis with an actual QB “expert” now seems prudent after the lackluster performance(s) of Devin Brown and Lincoln Kienholz. And to a certain extent, Kyle McCord.
But ultimately, Day has to want to pull the trigger on such a move. And be willing to hand over the playcalling duties...
Fortunately, the Buckeyes’ head coach finally seems willing to do so. Or at least that is what has been rumored on the ol’ interweb, as well as several podcast progrums. And there have even been real, non-fictional names attached to these rumors! Such as Dan Mullen, Jason Candle, and Liam Coen.
While all of the names above carry a certain amount of cache, they may or may not be the ideal candidate for OSU’s hypothetically-open(?) OC/QB coach role. And what do I mean by “ideal”? Of course I mean respected and desired by the likes of Gene Ross and yours truly, thanks to their previous success, giant football brain, and/or ties to Ohio State... Actual fit and qualifications are secondary or tertiary in terms of importance here.
So that is the topic for today’s edition of You’re Nuts. Gene and I each came up with one ideal candidate to inherit playcalling duties and presumably coach QBs in Columbus. Whether Ryan Day listens to either one of us is TBD. But he would be wise to at least read the next few paragraphs.
My ideal candidate is current (interim) offensive coordinator and QBs coach for the Buffalo Bills, Joe Brady. Primarily known for his work with LSU in 2019, Brady is only 34 years old and already boasts a decade of high-level coaching experience. Furthermore, he has worked with multiple position groups and under highly respected coaches such as Sean Payton, Ed Orgeron, and Matt Rhule. Say what you will about the latter two, but Coach O has a ring and Rhule gets plenty of love in coaching circles.
While Brady gained notoriety as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach for LSU in 2019, that has little (or nothing) to do with why I want him as the Buckeyes’ playcaller. Plus, Ohio State already has Brian Hartline fulfilling those duties. No, I want Brady in Columbus because of the work that he has done with Buffalo.
Brady has helped turn around an underperforming Bills offense, while also getting the most out of RB James Cook and QB Josh Allen — AKA a rich man’s Will Howard. The former had been severely underutilized with (former BUF OC) Ken Dorsey calling the shots, while the latter... Well, he has sort of always been awesome. But there are comps between him and the Buckeyes’ new QB, so why not bring in the guy who has been directing the tank and aiming the rocket launcher!? Just to be clear: Josh Allen is both the human tank and the human rocket launcher in this scenario.
Brady’s ability to achieve balance in Buffalo has been impressive. If you watched the Bills in previous seasons, you know that their offense relied solely on Allen and WR Stefon Diggs. But since taking over as the team’s playcaller, not only has Brady helped keep Allen playing at an MVP level, but he has also turned Cook into a legitimate 1,000-yard back. Now, the latter still doesn't (get to) score touchdowns, but that’s between Brady and my fantasy team. We’ll talk if he comes to Columbus.
Ryan Day has always talked about the importance of balance, and Joe Brady seems to have found it in Buffalo. And when you also take into account the latter’s combination of youth and championship-level experience, don’t you just sort of see the PERFECT candidate for what we think is an open OC role with Ohio State? I mean, imagine a little bit of the 2019 LSU passing game mixed with Will The Tank Howard getting downhill and plowing over defenders.
I’m getting ahead of myself, Gene! Tell me I’m dreaming, or give me a better candidate than Joseph no middle name on Wiki Brady!
While I don't really have a strong take as to who I want as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator in 2024, I know that two things are true: Ryan Day has to finally pass the sticks, and Corey Dennis has to be shown the door.
Dennis’ only claim to fame as a coach was being the son-in-law of former Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer. He had no prior coaching experience beforehand, and Ohio State is definitely not a place to cut your teeth and learn on the job. While the Buckeyes have had strong quarterback play throughout Dennis’ tenure in Columbus before 2023, likely all of that credit falls on the shoulders of Day. It is time to move on from the Meyer nepotism hire, and find a coach who can actually work with the quarterbacks and take some of the load off the head coach in the QB training department.
In terms of Day as a play-caller, he was really solid in his first few seasons at Ohio State, but the weight of being the program’s CEO in addition to all of his other responsibilities as the headman has resulted in a steady decline in the team’s offensive output. There is a reason a play-calling head coach has not won a national title since Jimbo Fisher in 2013 — it is simply too much to ask. Especially in today’s college football landscape, where in addition to recruiting and game planning you also have to worry about the transfer portal, NIL and a host of other issues, calling plays on game day is a huge ask.
As such, Day needs a guy who can come in and make his life easier elsewhere by helping to actually coach the quarterbacks as well as being trusted to call plays on Saturdays. While I didn’t like the idea of this hire originally, I can see a lot of reasons why a guy like Dan Mullen could be a good fit at Ohio State.
Mullen has 13 years of head coaching experience between Mississippi State and Florida, most recently serving as the Gators’ headman from 2018-21 before spending the last few years as a TV analyst for ESPN. Mullen spent time working under Urban Meyer as the quarterbacks coach at Utah, where he helped Alex Smith become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. He then followed Meyer to Florida as the QB coach and offensive coordinator, where he aided Tim Tebow to a Heisman Trophy season, and later coached Dak Prescott at Mississippi State.
Mullen also has ties to Ryan Day, as the two spent time together at Florida when Day was a grad assistant with the Gators in 2005. The two coaches also both hail from New Hampshire. He is a well-known commodity, winning 103 games in his head coaching career, and has largely had strong offenses during his stints in both Starkville and Gainesville. Mullen also posted a 7-3 record in bowl games, winning four of his last five postseason contests.
The one area I worry about Mullen is on the recruiting trail, where he has never really been all that willing a recruiter. It is a little easier to stomach that if he is spending the majority of his time coaching the QBs and designing the offense, as it will free up more time for both Ryan Day and Brian Hartline to hit the trail — both of whom are some of the nation’s top recruiters. It would also be interesting to see if Mullen could adapt to new and evolving trends among college football offenses, and how he would be able to utilize an Ohio State offense that features far more talent across the board than any of his prior teams.
Continue reading...
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 Sarah Stier/Getty Images
The Buckeyes are in search of their next play-caller.
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 should Ohio State hire as its offensive coordinator?
Josh’s Take
The Ohio State football program has experienced — nay, enjoyed — a busy and fruitful month of January, helping to ease the sting of a rather dismal December (other than Early Signing Day). In the first few weeks of the new year, OSU has already added a handful of impact transfers and began to re-work Ryan Day’s coaching staff, while also retaining the services of several stars.
Oh, and Parker Fleming was finally let go, ending Buckeye Nation’s long, insomnia-inducing nightmare. RE: Fleming, it’s nothing personal. I think most fans want him to land a new gig and grow as a coach. But the Buckeyes’ special teams units have stunk out loud under his direction. So it was beyond time.
However, one move that Day and Ohio State have not yet made is the selection or naming of a new offensive coordinator (playcaller) and/or quarterbacks coach... If that is indeed the plan. Adding a non-Day playcaller is something that many fans have wanted for years, while replacing Cory Dennis with an actual QB “expert” now seems prudent after the lackluster performance(s) of Devin Brown and Lincoln Kienholz. And to a certain extent, Kyle McCord.
But ultimately, Day has to want to pull the trigger on such a move. And be willing to hand over the playcalling duties...
Fortunately, the Buckeyes’ head coach finally seems willing to do so. Or at least that is what has been rumored on the ol’ interweb, as well as several podcast progrums. And there have even been real, non-fictional names attached to these rumors! Such as Dan Mullen, Jason Candle, and Liam Coen.
While all of the names above carry a certain amount of cache, they may or may not be the ideal candidate for OSU’s hypothetically-open(?) OC/QB coach role. And what do I mean by “ideal”? Of course I mean respected and desired by the likes of Gene Ross and yours truly, thanks to their previous success, giant football brain, and/or ties to Ohio State... Actual fit and qualifications are secondary or tertiary in terms of importance here.
So that is the topic for today’s edition of You’re Nuts. Gene and I each came up with one ideal candidate to inherit playcalling duties and presumably coach QBs in Columbus. Whether Ryan Day listens to either one of us is TBD. But he would be wise to at least read the next few paragraphs.
My ideal candidate is current (interim) offensive coordinator and QBs coach for the Buffalo Bills, Joe Brady. Primarily known for his work with LSU in 2019, Brady is only 34 years old and already boasts a decade of high-level coaching experience. Furthermore, he has worked with multiple position groups and under highly respected coaches such as Sean Payton, Ed Orgeron, and Matt Rhule. Say what you will about the latter two, but Coach O has a ring and Rhule gets plenty of love in coaching circles.
While Brady gained notoriety as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach for LSU in 2019, that has little (or nothing) to do with why I want him as the Buckeyes’ playcaller. Plus, Ohio State already has Brian Hartline fulfilling those duties. No, I want Brady in Columbus because of the work that he has done with Buffalo.
Brady has helped turn around an underperforming Bills offense, while also getting the most out of RB James Cook and QB Josh Allen — AKA a rich man’s Will Howard. The former had been severely underutilized with (former BUF OC) Ken Dorsey calling the shots, while the latter... Well, he has sort of always been awesome. But there are comps between him and the Buckeyes’ new QB, so why not bring in the guy who has been directing the tank and aiming the rocket launcher!? Just to be clear: Josh Allen is both the human tank and the human rocket launcher in this scenario.
Brady’s ability to achieve balance in Buffalo has been impressive. If you watched the Bills in previous seasons, you know that their offense relied solely on Allen and WR Stefon Diggs. But since taking over as the team’s playcaller, not only has Brady helped keep Allen playing at an MVP level, but he has also turned Cook into a legitimate 1,000-yard back. Now, the latter still doesn't (get to) score touchdowns, but that’s between Brady and my fantasy team. We’ll talk if he comes to Columbus.
Ryan Day has always talked about the importance of balance, and Joe Brady seems to have found it in Buffalo. And when you also take into account the latter’s combination of youth and championship-level experience, don’t you just sort of see the PERFECT candidate for what we think is an open OC role with Ohio State? I mean, imagine a little bit of the 2019 LSU passing game mixed with Will The Tank Howard getting downhill and plowing over defenders.
I’m getting ahead of myself, Gene! Tell me I’m dreaming, or give me a better candidate than Joseph no middle name on Wiki Brady!
Gene’s Take
While I don't really have a strong take as to who I want as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator in 2024, I know that two things are true: Ryan Day has to finally pass the sticks, and Corey Dennis has to be shown the door.
Dennis’ only claim to fame as a coach was being the son-in-law of former Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer. He had no prior coaching experience beforehand, and Ohio State is definitely not a place to cut your teeth and learn on the job. While the Buckeyes have had strong quarterback play throughout Dennis’ tenure in Columbus before 2023, likely all of that credit falls on the shoulders of Day. It is time to move on from the Meyer nepotism hire, and find a coach who can actually work with the quarterbacks and take some of the load off the head coach in the QB training department.
In terms of Day as a play-caller, he was really solid in his first few seasons at Ohio State, but the weight of being the program’s CEO in addition to all of his other responsibilities as the headman has resulted in a steady decline in the team’s offensive output. There is a reason a play-calling head coach has not won a national title since Jimbo Fisher in 2013 — it is simply too much to ask. Especially in today’s college football landscape, where in addition to recruiting and game planning you also have to worry about the transfer portal, NIL and a host of other issues, calling plays on game day is a huge ask.
As such, Day needs a guy who can come in and make his life easier elsewhere by helping to actually coach the quarterbacks as well as being trusted to call plays on Saturdays. While I didn’t like the idea of this hire originally, I can see a lot of reasons why a guy like Dan Mullen could be a good fit at Ohio State.
Mullen has 13 years of head coaching experience between Mississippi State and Florida, most recently serving as the Gators’ headman from 2018-21 before spending the last few years as a TV analyst for ESPN. Mullen spent time working under Urban Meyer as the quarterbacks coach at Utah, where he helped Alex Smith become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. He then followed Meyer to Florida as the QB coach and offensive coordinator, where he aided Tim Tebow to a Heisman Trophy season, and later coached Dak Prescott at Mississippi State.
Mullen also has ties to Ryan Day, as the two spent time together at Florida when Day was a grad assistant with the Gators in 2005. The two coaches also both hail from New Hampshire. He is a well-known commodity, winning 103 games in his head coaching career, and has largely had strong offenses during his stints in both Starkville and Gainesville. Mullen also posted a 7-3 record in bowl games, winning four of his last five postseason contests.
The one area I worry about Mullen is on the recruiting trail, where he has never really been all that willing a recruiter. It is a little easier to stomach that if he is spending the majority of his time coaching the QBs and designing the offense, as it will free up more time for both Ryan Day and Brian Hartline to hit the trail — both of whom are some of the nation’s top recruiters. It would also be interesting to see if Mullen could adapt to new and evolving trends among college football offenses, and how he would be able to utilize an Ohio State offense that features far more talent across the board than any of his prior teams.
Continue reading...
LGHL Uncut Podcast: McGuff, Harris, Mikulášiková on Ohio State’s strong defensive win
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Uncut Podcast: McGuff, Harris, Mikulášiková on Ohio State’s strong defensive win
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes showed up big at home on Sunday, and after the game they discussed the important victory, with Iowa looming
Throughout the year, Land-Grant Holy Land will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.
Following a two-game stint against teams lower in the Big Ten conference standings, the Buckeyes had the first of three big tests in a week when the Michigan State Spartans visited Columbus. The then 12-3 Spartans entered Sunday’s game flourishing under first-year Big Ten head coach Robyn Fralick and played tough against Ohio State. However, the Buckeyes came out on top 70-65.
Head coach Kevin McGuff, guard Rikki Harris, and forward Rebeka Mikulášiková spoke with the media following the game.
Up first is Coach McGuff. The Buckeyes’ program leader discussed the strong half-court defense that gave Ohio State the win, a strong performance by Harris off the bench, and another diverse scoring game by the scarlet and gray lineup. Then Harris is up, talking about the team’s defensive effort, the play of Mikulášiková, and shutting down the Michigan State guards.
Mikulášiková closes out media availability, discussing the half-court defense work the Buckeyes put in leading to the victory, Harris’ meaningful minutes off the bench, and returning from illness to make big plays in important moments.
That and more on the latest “Land-Grant Uncut.”
Connect with Thomas:
Twitter: @1ThomasCostello
Theme music provided by www.bensound.com
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes showed up big at home on Sunday, and after the game they discussed the important victory, with Iowa looming
Throughout the year, Land-Grant Holy Land will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.
Following a two-game stint against teams lower in the Big Ten conference standings, the Buckeyes had the first of three big tests in a week when the Michigan State Spartans visited Columbus. The then 12-3 Spartans entered Sunday’s game flourishing under first-year Big Ten head coach Robyn Fralick and played tough against Ohio State. However, the Buckeyes came out on top 70-65.
Head coach Kevin McGuff, guard Rikki Harris, and forward Rebeka Mikulášiková spoke with the media following the game.
Up first is Coach McGuff. The Buckeyes’ program leader discussed the strong half-court defense that gave Ohio State the win, a strong performance by Harris off the bench, and another diverse scoring game by the scarlet and gray lineup. Then Harris is up, talking about the team’s defensive effort, the play of Mikulášiková, and shutting down the Michigan State guards.
Mikulášiková closes out media availability, discussing the half-court defense work the Buckeyes put in leading to the victory, Harris’ meaningful minutes off the bench, and returning from illness to make big plays in important moments.
That and more on the latest “Land-Grant Uncut.”
Connect with Thomas:
Twitter: @1ThomasCostello
Theme music provided by www.bensound.com
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State can’t complete comeback in Ann Arbor, falls to Michigan 73-65
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Ohio State can’t complete comeback in Ann Arbor, falls to Michigan 73-65
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Despite going on a 16-0 run in the second half, Ohio State wasn’t able to hang on in Ann Arbor and lost their third consecutive game.
Losers of two in a row entering Monday’s contest against Michigan, the Ohio State men’s basketball team (12-5, 2-4) traveled to Ann Arbor looking to knock off the Wolverines (7-10, 2-4) to get its season back on track. On top of that, the Buckeyes have lost their last two games to the Wolverines, having last beaten the maize and blue February 12, 2022.
While Ohio State has had a rough go of it lately with losses in each of its last two, the Wolverines have been even worse, losing five straight and eight of their last 10. The main culprit? A porous defense that gave up 87 points to McNeese, 94 to Long Beach State, and is currently a Big Ten-worst 144th in KenPom’s defensive efficiency ranking.
With two teams facing off who can’t seem to get out of their own way, we had a classic “stoppable force meets very movable object” situation going on Monday afternoon.
Ohio State, despite its struggles, stuck with the same starting lineup its used all season: sophomores Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, Evan Mahaffey, and Felix Okpara alongside senior forward Jamison Battle. Juwan Howard’s Wolverines countered with Dug McDaniel, — who was available because his suspension is only road games — Nimari Burnett, Terrence Williams, Olivier Nkamhoua, and Tarris Reed.
Thornton and Mahaffey each scored four points in the opening minutes, helping the Buckeyes establish an early lead on the road. Ohio State knocked down three of its first five shots to take an 8-5 lead at the first media timeout, but Battle fouled Nimari Burnett shooting a three-pointer with 15:31 remaining, sending him to the free throw line with a chance to tie it up. He hit two of three, so the Buckeyes held a one-point lead for the time being.
After Ohio State went up 13-10, the Wolverines went on an 11-2 run to jump ahead by half a dozen points with 8:35 left in the first half. Nkamhoua was knocking down some really tough shots for Michigan, including multiple baseline jumpers over the outstretched arms of Okpara, who is 6-foot-11.
Ohio State cut the deficit to four with 1:28 left in the half, but Michigan ended with five unanswered points — including a McDaniel buzzer-beating-three — to take a 37-28 lead at the break. Michigan shot 41.2% overall and 63.6% from three-point range in the first half, while Ohio State shot 32.3% in the first half and 7% (1-14) from three-point range. Royal and Thornton both had seven points in the first half, while Nkamhoua had a dozen in the first half for Michigan.
Mahaffey continued to have what was maybe his best all-around offensive game of the season, scoring two more times in the first three minutes of the second half to push his point total to eight — his second-highest total of the season — with 17 minutes still to go. Battle also chipped in his first three-pointer of the game and a vicious dunk over Reed for five quick points, as Ohio State cut the Michigan lead to 43-39 just 3:23 into the second half.
Despite cutting it to four multiple times, Ohio State still trailed by that identical nine points by the under 12-timeout, 52-43. Both teams hit exactly six shots over the first eight minutes of the second half, but unfortunately for the Buckeyes, the hole they dug themselves in the first half meant they couldn’t afford to let Michigan go shot-for-shot with them anymore. After Gayle scored four consecutive points to make it 47-43, Michigan responded with a two-point jumper from Nkamhoua and a three from McDaniel to go back up 52-43 with 12 minutes to go.
But, much to the shock of the maize and blue-clad fans in attendance, Ohio State answered with an unlikely (impossible?) 16-0 run over the next 3:48, taking a 59-55 lead over Michigan with 7:21 left in the game. Thornton and Gayle were the catalysts by getting to the basket and free throw line, but Okpara and even Dale Bonner got in on the fun. The three-pointers that were falling at an alarming rate for Michigan for most of the game dried up for just a few minutes, and in that time Ohio State knocked down six out of seven shots to halt and reverse the momentum.
But, as expected playing on the road, Michigan swung back with back-to-back baskets from Burnett and Nkamhoua to go back ahead, 60-59. After a loose ball scrum, Roddy Gayle was able to snag it and slam home a dunk with 4:23 remaining to put the Buckeyes back up, 61-60.
However, as it’s gone the last week or two, the Buckeyes weren’t able to get the critical stops it neended on the defensive end in the closing minutes, eventually falling to the Wolverines, 73-65. The spirited run was for naught, as Ohio State picked up its third consecutive loss in Big Ten play.
If you weren’t around Monday afternoon to see the Buckeyes drop another tough one in Ann Arbor, here are a few key moments that ultimately led to the Wolverines prevailing and snapping their five-game losing streak:
Gayle, Thornton, and Battle have pretty firmly established themselves as Ohio State’s only reliable scoring options to this point in the season, but when two of them are off (or all three), the Buckeyes struggle because nobody else has played consistently well. One of the players who showed above-average instincts to get the ball in the basket in high school is Devin Royal, who to this point has averaged just 2.1 points per game.
During the first half, however, Royal chipped in back-to-back baskets to put the Buckeyes up 15-13 in the first half. The baskets were Royal’s first points he’d scored since December 21 against New Orleans.
Mahaffey, who is averaing 3.6 points per game and whose spot in the lineup is one that Ohio State fans have talked a lot about over the last few weeks, also chipped in four points in the opening minutes of this game.
Michigan had a hell of a hard time putting the ball in the basket from anywhere other than three-point land over the first 10 minutes or so of this game, hitting one of its first nine shots from two-point range, but three of its first seven threes. They did what they had to do to just keep things close early on, before really pouring it on later in the first half and going into the break up nine.
Olivier Nkamhoua, a transfer forward from Tennessee, presented a unique challange for Ohio State. He was too much of a scoring threat for Battle to guard and too much of a shooter for Key to hang with, so for the most part it was Okpara guarding the 6-foot-9 forward. He scored a team-high 12 in the first half, including two three-pointers and multiple baseline jumpers over the outstretched hands of Okpara where Nkamhoua had to alter the arc of his shot higher to get it over the Buckeyes’ center.
The Buckeyes cut the Wolverines’ 10-point lead to just four with a minute remaining in the first half, but after a Tarris Reed layup made it six, McDaniel ran off a screen, caught the inbounds pass from Williams, and knocked down a buzzer-beating three from the very top to make it 37-28 Wolverines at halftime. It was McDaniel’s second three-point make of the game, at the time, despite going 3-for-10 overall.
With Ohio State trailing Michigan 43-39 with 16:12 remaining, the 6-foot-11 Okpara went for a dunk, but it was blocked by a sprinting Burnett, who was able to get a hand on the ball before he flew out of bounds and into the padding below the basket. Okpara came back down with the ball and had an open basket for a dunk, but the whistle blew and a held ball was called, with the possession arrow in Michigan’s favor.
On the other end, Okpara fouled Tschetter below the basket, and Michigan’s sophomore backup center swished both to make it 45-39 Michigan, rather than 43-41.
After cutting it to four with 13:47 left, Michigan went on an 8-0 run to give the Wolverines their biggest lead of the day, 55-43, courtest of a Terrence Williams three-pointer. It was Michigan’s ninth three-point make of the day, and Williams’ third by himself.
After falling behind by a dozen and looking dead in the water with 12 minutes remaining, the Buckeyes responded with a 16-0 run, led by Gayle and Thornton who attacked the basket with no mercy against the likes of Burnet, McDaniel, and Jace Howard. Over a span of 3:48, Ohio State knocked down six of seven shots and hit three free throws, while Michigan missed eight consecutive shots and the Buckeyes went ahead, 59-55.
After Ohio State retook a 61-60 lead, Williams took a three-pointer from dead center on top of the key that bounced around, hit every bit of rim it could find, and eventually dropped in to give Michigan a 63-61 lead with 3:37 left in the game.
Ohio State (12-5, 2-4) returns home to face Penn State (8-9, 2-4) on Saturday afternoon at the Schottenstein Center. The Nittany Lions have a tough week ahead of them, as they will welcome No. 15 Wisconsin to the Bryce Jordan Center Tuesday night before heading to Columbus on Saturday.
The last time these two teams met, Ohio State bungled away an 18-point second-half lead and ultimately lost on the road to the ‘Nits, 83-80.
Ohio State’s game against Penn State on Saturday will tip off at noon and will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
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
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Despite going on a 16-0 run in the second half, Ohio State wasn’t able to hang on in Ann Arbor and lost their third consecutive game.
Losers of two in a row entering Monday’s contest against Michigan, the Ohio State men’s basketball team (12-5, 2-4) traveled to Ann Arbor looking to knock off the Wolverines (7-10, 2-4) to get its season back on track. On top of that, the Buckeyes have lost their last two games to the Wolverines, having last beaten the maize and blue February 12, 2022.
While Ohio State has had a rough go of it lately with losses in each of its last two, the Wolverines have been even worse, losing five straight and eight of their last 10. The main culprit? A porous defense that gave up 87 points to McNeese, 94 to Long Beach State, and is currently a Big Ten-worst 144th in KenPom’s defensive efficiency ranking.
With two teams facing off who can’t seem to get out of their own way, we had a classic “stoppable force meets very movable object” situation going on Monday afternoon.
Ohio State, despite its struggles, stuck with the same starting lineup its used all season: sophomores Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, Evan Mahaffey, and Felix Okpara alongside senior forward Jamison Battle. Juwan Howard’s Wolverines countered with Dug McDaniel, — who was available because his suspension is only road games — Nimari Burnett, Terrence Williams, Olivier Nkamhoua, and Tarris Reed.
Thornton and Mahaffey each scored four points in the opening minutes, helping the Buckeyes establish an early lead on the road. Ohio State knocked down three of its first five shots to take an 8-5 lead at the first media timeout, but Battle fouled Nimari Burnett shooting a three-pointer with 15:31 remaining, sending him to the free throw line with a chance to tie it up. He hit two of three, so the Buckeyes held a one-point lead for the time being.
After Ohio State went up 13-10, the Wolverines went on an 11-2 run to jump ahead by half a dozen points with 8:35 left in the first half. Nkamhoua was knocking down some really tough shots for Michigan, including multiple baseline jumpers over the outstretched arms of Okpara, who is 6-foot-11.
Ohio State cut the deficit to four with 1:28 left in the half, but Michigan ended with five unanswered points — including a McDaniel buzzer-beating-three — to take a 37-28 lead at the break. Michigan shot 41.2% overall and 63.6% from three-point range in the first half, while Ohio State shot 32.3% in the first half and 7% (1-14) from three-point range. Royal and Thornton both had seven points in the first half, while Nkamhoua had a dozen in the first half for Michigan.
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Mahaffey continued to have what was maybe his best all-around offensive game of the season, scoring two more times in the first three minutes of the second half to push his point total to eight — his second-highest total of the season — with 17 minutes still to go. Battle also chipped in his first three-pointer of the game and a vicious dunk over Reed for five quick points, as Ohio State cut the Michigan lead to 43-39 just 3:23 into the second half.
Despite cutting it to four multiple times, Ohio State still trailed by that identical nine points by the under 12-timeout, 52-43. Both teams hit exactly six shots over the first eight minutes of the second half, but unfortunately for the Buckeyes, the hole they dug themselves in the first half meant they couldn’t afford to let Michigan go shot-for-shot with them anymore. After Gayle scored four consecutive points to make it 47-43, Michigan responded with a two-point jumper from Nkamhoua and a three from McDaniel to go back up 52-43 with 12 minutes to go.
But, much to the shock of the maize and blue-clad fans in attendance, Ohio State answered with an unlikely (impossible?) 16-0 run over the next 3:48, taking a 59-55 lead over Michigan with 7:21 left in the game. Thornton and Gayle were the catalysts by getting to the basket and free throw line, but Okpara and even Dale Bonner got in on the fun. The three-pointers that were falling at an alarming rate for Michigan for most of the game dried up for just a few minutes, and in that time Ohio State knocked down six out of seven shots to halt and reverse the momentum.
But, as expected playing on the road, Michigan swung back with back-to-back baskets from Burnett and Nkamhoua to go back ahead, 60-59. After a loose ball scrum, Roddy Gayle was able to snag it and slam home a dunk with 4:23 remaining to put the Buckeyes back up, 61-60.
However, as it’s gone the last week or two, the Buckeyes weren’t able to get the critical stops it neended on the defensive end in the closing minutes, eventually falling to the Wolverines, 73-65. The spirited run was for naught, as Ohio State picked up its third consecutive loss in Big Ten play.
If you weren’t around Monday afternoon to see the Buckeyes drop another tough one in Ann Arbor, here are a few key moments that ultimately led to the Wolverines prevailing and snapping their five-game losing streak:
Devin Royal, Evan Mahaffey chipped in early
Gayle, Thornton, and Battle have pretty firmly established themselves as Ohio State’s only reliable scoring options to this point in the season, but when two of them are off (or all three), the Buckeyes struggle because nobody else has played consistently well. One of the players who showed above-average instincts to get the ball in the basket in high school is Devin Royal, who to this point has averaged just 2.1 points per game.
During the first half, however, Royal chipped in back-to-back baskets to put the Buckeyes up 15-13 in the first half. The baskets were Royal’s first points he’d scored since December 21 against New Orleans.
Mahaffey, who is averaing 3.6 points per game and whose spot in the lineup is one that Ohio State fans have talked a lot about over the last few weeks, also chipped in four points in the opening minutes of this game.
Wolverines used the three-ball to keep them afloat in the first half
Michigan had a hell of a hard time putting the ball in the basket from anywhere other than three-point land over the first 10 minutes or so of this game, hitting one of its first nine shots from two-point range, but three of its first seven threes. They did what they had to do to just keep things close early on, before really pouring it on later in the first half and going into the break up nine.
Nkamhoua presents a unique challenge
Olivier Nkamhoua, a transfer forward from Tennessee, presented a unique challange for Ohio State. He was too much of a scoring threat for Battle to guard and too much of a shooter for Key to hang with, so for the most part it was Okpara guarding the 6-foot-9 forward. He scored a team-high 12 in the first half, including two three-pointers and multiple baseline jumpers over the outstretched hands of Okpara where Nkamhoua had to alter the arc of his shot higher to get it over the Buckeyes’ center.
McDaniel at the buzzer
The Buckeyes cut the Wolverines’ 10-point lead to just four with a minute remaining in the first half, but after a Tarris Reed layup made it six, McDaniel ran off a screen, caught the inbounds pass from Williams, and knocked down a buzzer-beating three from the very top to make it 37-28 Wolverines at halftime. It was McDaniel’s second three-point make of the game, at the time, despite going 3-for-10 overall.
Burnett gets up, forces a tie-up rather than an open dunk for Okpara
With Ohio State trailing Michigan 43-39 with 16:12 remaining, the 6-foot-11 Okpara went for a dunk, but it was blocked by a sprinting Burnett, who was able to get a hand on the ball before he flew out of bounds and into the padding below the basket. Okpara came back down with the ball and had an open basket for a dunk, but the whistle blew and a held ball was called, with the possession arrow in Michigan’s favor.
On the other end, Okpara fouled Tschetter below the basket, and Michigan’s sophomore backup center swished both to make it 45-39 Michigan, rather than 43-41.
Michigan takes its biggest lead of the day on yet another three
After cutting it to four with 13:47 left, Michigan went on an 8-0 run to give the Wolverines their biggest lead of the day, 55-43, courtest of a Terrence Williams three-pointer. It was Michigan’s ninth three-point make of the day, and Williams’ third by himself.
Ohio State responds with 16-0 run, take a late lead
After falling behind by a dozen and looking dead in the water with 12 minutes remaining, the Buckeyes responded with a 16-0 run, led by Gayle and Thornton who attacked the basket with no mercy against the likes of Burnet, McDaniel, and Jace Howard. Over a span of 3:48, Ohio State knocked down six of seven shots and hit three free throws, while Michigan missed eight consecutive shots and the Buckeyes went ahead, 59-55.
Williams’ three hits every bit of the rim, bounces in to put Michigan back up
After Ohio State retook a 61-60 lead, Williams took a three-pointer from dead center on top of the key that bounced around, hit every bit of rim it could find, and eventually dropped in to give Michigan a 63-61 lead with 3:37 left in the game.
Up Next:
Ohio State (12-5, 2-4) returns home to face Penn State (8-9, 2-4) on Saturday afternoon at the Schottenstein Center. The Nittany Lions have a tough week ahead of them, as they will welcome No. 15 Wisconsin to the Bryce Jordan Center Tuesday night before heading to Columbus on Saturday.
The last time these two teams met, Ohio State bungled away an 18-point second-half lead and ultimately lost on the road to the ‘Nits, 83-80.
Ohio State’s game against Penn State on Saturday will tip off at noon and will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
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LGHL Ohio State Men’s Basketball vs. Michigan: Game preview and prediction
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Ohio State Men’s Basketball vs. Michigan: Game preview and prediction
Jami Jurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
The Buckeyes look to snap a two-game losing streak on the road in Ann Arbor.
The Ohio State men’s basketball team needs a win, having dropped their last two games in rough fashion. After falling to a mediocre Penn State team, 83-80, early in December, the Buckeyes went on a four-game win streak, looking ready to go as they headed into the bulk of conference play. But they stumbled a bit last week, losing to Indiana, 71-65, at Assembly Hall and setting a season-low in points, before following it up with a loss to No. 15 Wisconsin at home, 71-60, and again setting a new season-low in points. Now, the Buckeyes (12-4, 2-3) look to turn things around against their rivals, the Michigan Wolverines, in Ann Arbor on Monday. With the Wolverines currently sitting at the bottom of the Big Ten conference, the Buckeyes need to take this opportunity to get their train back on the tracks as they head into the second half of the season.
The last two games for OSU were tough to watch. They marked two of the Buckeyes’ worst defensive performances of the season, and in both cases, OSU had a chance to win the game but struggled to make big defensive stops in the second half that could have brought them to victory. They’ve been plagued by turnovers and sloppy errors, and they’ll need to clean those things up before heading to Ann Arbor.
Still, it wasn’t all bad for the Buckeyes. Against Wisconsin, they looked good early in the game, hitting five of their first seven shots. At the first media timeout, OSU led, 11-8, and they extended that lead to 25-17 by the under-eight media timeout.
Jamison Battle and Bruce Thornton both played a great 20 minutes of basketball, with Battle shooting 5-of-6 for 14 points, including 4-of-5 three-pointers. Thornton, for his part, put up 11 first-half points.
Still, there were a few reasons to be concerned about the Buckeyes’ performance even while they were leading, including the aforementioned issues. Three early turnovers were just the beginning, in a game in which OSU turned the ball over eight times.
And while the Buckeyes did a good job of shutting down Wisconsin’s open lanes on defense in the first half, they could not find a solution for AJ Storr. Storr finished the first half 7-for-11 with 15 points, despite the Buckeyes putting multiple guys on him. It was the first sign of defensive trouble to come, despite the first half being evenly matched otherwise.
At halftime, the Badgers held a narrow two-point lead. But much like in the Indiana game, things fell apart defensively for the Buckeyes in the second half.
The Buckeyes were unable to cut into Wisconsin’s lead for much of the second half, still trailing by just one basket 14 minutes in. The teams went into the under-eight media timeout all tied up at 52-all. This is where things fell apart.
After the timeout, Wisconsin’s Max Klesmit, a junior guard averaging 7.2 points per game, went on an 8-0 run, finishing the game with 18 points in the second half, and scoring nine of the Badgers’ final 14 points.
The Buckeyes were unable to make the defensive stops they needed to close out the game, despite being neck-and-neck for almost all of it.
Similarly, Indiana’s sophomore forward Malik Reneau scored 19 of his 23 points in the second half, nine of which came on an 11-2 run to tie the game at 48-all with 12 minutes to play. A few more baskets helped boost the Hoosiers to a 10-point lead with under four minutes in the game.
The Buckeyes weren’t helped in either situation by sophomore guard Roddy Gayle’s struggles. While Gayle has been a steady leader on the team so far, the Wisconsin game marked the third game in a slump where he’s struggled to make baskets, shooting just 4-for-13 and going 0-4 for on three-pointers. Against the Badgers, his confidence looked noticeably shaken.
They’ll look to get Gayle and their defensive play back on track, as they’ll need to fire on all cylinders to get the win in Ann Arbor.
Michigan (6-10, 1-4 in the Big Ten), for its part, sits at No. 13 in the conference, having lost their last five games. Most recently, they lost on the road to Maryland, 64-57, despite holding a 33-21 lead at halftime. Michigan was without leading scorer, sophomore guard Dug McDaniel, for the game, as the Wolverines announced last week that he would not travel for road games until further notice as he works toward some academic goals.
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Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports
McDaniel will dress for the game Monday, however, as he is still slated to play in home games. He’s leading the team in points per game, averaging 17.8, and assists, averaging 5.1. Other playmakers for the Wolverines include their pair of senior forwards—Oliver Nkamhoua, who is putting up an average of 16.9 points per game and leads the team in rebounds with an average of 7.6, and Terrence Williams II, who averages 12.6 points per game.
Nkamhoua and Williams II put up 18 and 10 points, respectively, in their loss to the Terrapins.
However, for all of OSU’s defensive struggles in the last two games, they don’t compare to the defensive struggles the Wolverines have faced all season. Against one of the worst defenses in country in this Michigan team, Ohio State will need to seize this opportunity to right their ship.
The Wolverines will have some popular folks in the stands, with Jim Harbaugh and the newly crowned N*tional Ch*mpionship football team rumored to be in attendance to be honored on the court during the game. Their presence could serve as a boost for a team in dire need of a momentum shift.
But the Buckeyes are desperate too (though to a lesser degree). Their next two games, starting Monday in Ann Arbor, and followed by a rematch against Penn State at home, feel like must-wins if they want to keep their season on track and hold onto their NCAA Tournament hopes. Perhaps Harbaugh and Co.’s presence will motivate the Buckeyes too, as handing their rivals an L while the football darlings look on could add to the fun.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25226091/usa_today_22265183.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
While this should be a pretty evenly matched basketball game, Michigan’s defensive challenges far outweigh those of OSU’s. With the exception of the last two games, the Buckeye defense has been pretty solid this season, and the biggest issue defensively in the last two games was closing it out. They’ll need to finish strong against the Wolverines, but Michigan has a much higher hurdle to clear, given that they’re ranked in the bottom third in points allowed and three-point defense this season.
Michigan will have to find a way to keep the ball away from Thornton and Battle if they have any hope of winning this game. This also presents an opportunity for Gayle to return to form, and the Wolverines will need to keep an eye on him as well.
But defensively, the key for the Buckeyes will be Felix Okpara, whose toughness has been a challenge for opponents all season. His performance against the Hoosiers included career-high 15 rebounds and five blocked shots, and if he can continue to put up numbers in that ballpark, it could be enough pressure for the Wolverines to crack, particularly as a team who has been plagued by turnovers all season.
Look to Okpara to try to force some key errors that could keep the game moving in the Buckeyes’ favor.
Still, this should be a competitive matchup between the two teams. The Buckeyes cannot afford to be sloppy, and they will need to hold onto the ball themselves. But barring sloppy errors, the Buckeyes should be able to leave Ann Arbor with a win and leave behind the struggles of last week, but it won’t be handed to them without a fight.
ESPN BPI: Michigan 50.1%
Time: 12 p.m. (noon) ET
TV: FOX
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Jami Jurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
The Buckeyes look to snap a two-game losing streak on the road in Ann Arbor.
The Ohio State men’s basketball team needs a win, having dropped their last two games in rough fashion. After falling to a mediocre Penn State team, 83-80, early in December, the Buckeyes went on a four-game win streak, looking ready to go as they headed into the bulk of conference play. But they stumbled a bit last week, losing to Indiana, 71-65, at Assembly Hall and setting a season-low in points, before following it up with a loss to No. 15 Wisconsin at home, 71-60, and again setting a new season-low in points. Now, the Buckeyes (12-4, 2-3) look to turn things around against their rivals, the Michigan Wolverines, in Ann Arbor on Monday. With the Wolverines currently sitting at the bottom of the Big Ten conference, the Buckeyes need to take this opportunity to get their train back on the tracks as they head into the second half of the season.
Preview
The last two games for OSU were tough to watch. They marked two of the Buckeyes’ worst defensive performances of the season, and in both cases, OSU had a chance to win the game but struggled to make big defensive stops in the second half that could have brought them to victory. They’ve been plagued by turnovers and sloppy errors, and they’ll need to clean those things up before heading to Ann Arbor.
Still, it wasn’t all bad for the Buckeyes. Against Wisconsin, they looked good early in the game, hitting five of their first seven shots. At the first media timeout, OSU led, 11-8, and they extended that lead to 25-17 by the under-eight media timeout.
Jamison Battle and Bruce Thornton both played a great 20 minutes of basketball, with Battle shooting 5-of-6 for 14 points, including 4-of-5 three-pointers. Thornton, for his part, put up 11 first-half points.
Still, there were a few reasons to be concerned about the Buckeyes’ performance even while they were leading, including the aforementioned issues. Three early turnovers were just the beginning, in a game in which OSU turned the ball over eight times.
And while the Buckeyes did a good job of shutting down Wisconsin’s open lanes on defense in the first half, they could not find a solution for AJ Storr. Storr finished the first half 7-for-11 with 15 points, despite the Buckeyes putting multiple guys on him. It was the first sign of defensive trouble to come, despite the first half being evenly matched otherwise.
At halftime, the Badgers held a narrow two-point lead. But much like in the Indiana game, things fell apart defensively for the Buckeyes in the second half.
The Buckeyes were unable to cut into Wisconsin’s lead for much of the second half, still trailing by just one basket 14 minutes in. The teams went into the under-eight media timeout all tied up at 52-all. This is where things fell apart.
After the timeout, Wisconsin’s Max Klesmit, a junior guard averaging 7.2 points per game, went on an 8-0 run, finishing the game with 18 points in the second half, and scoring nine of the Badgers’ final 14 points.
The Buckeyes were unable to make the defensive stops they needed to close out the game, despite being neck-and-neck for almost all of it.
Similarly, Indiana’s sophomore forward Malik Reneau scored 19 of his 23 points in the second half, nine of which came on an 11-2 run to tie the game at 48-all with 12 minutes to play. A few more baskets helped boost the Hoosiers to a 10-point lead with under four minutes in the game.
The Buckeyes weren’t helped in either situation by sophomore guard Roddy Gayle’s struggles. While Gayle has been a steady leader on the team so far, the Wisconsin game marked the third game in a slump where he’s struggled to make baskets, shooting just 4-for-13 and going 0-4 for on three-pointers. Against the Badgers, his confidence looked noticeably shaken.
They’ll look to get Gayle and their defensive play back on track, as they’ll need to fire on all cylinders to get the win in Ann Arbor.
Michigan (6-10, 1-4 in the Big Ten), for its part, sits at No. 13 in the conference, having lost their last five games. Most recently, they lost on the road to Maryland, 64-57, despite holding a 33-21 lead at halftime. Michigan was without leading scorer, sophomore guard Dug McDaniel, for the game, as the Wolverines announced last week that he would not travel for road games until further notice as he works toward some academic goals.
McDaniel will dress for the game Monday, however, as he is still slated to play in home games. He’s leading the team in points per game, averaging 17.8, and assists, averaging 5.1. Other playmakers for the Wolverines include their pair of senior forwards—Oliver Nkamhoua, who is putting up an average of 16.9 points per game and leads the team in rebounds with an average of 7.6, and Terrence Williams II, who averages 12.6 points per game.
Nkamhoua and Williams II put up 18 and 10 points, respectively, in their loss to the Terrapins.
However, for all of OSU’s defensive struggles in the last two games, they don’t compare to the defensive struggles the Wolverines have faced all season. Against one of the worst defenses in country in this Michigan team, Ohio State will need to seize this opportunity to right their ship.
Prediction
The Wolverines will have some popular folks in the stands, with Jim Harbaugh and the newly crowned N*tional Ch*mpionship football team rumored to be in attendance to be honored on the court during the game. Their presence could serve as a boost for a team in dire need of a momentum shift.
But the Buckeyes are desperate too (though to a lesser degree). Their next two games, starting Monday in Ann Arbor, and followed by a rematch against Penn State at home, feel like must-wins if they want to keep their season on track and hold onto their NCAA Tournament hopes. Perhaps Harbaugh and Co.’s presence will motivate the Buckeyes too, as handing their rivals an L while the football darlings look on could add to the fun.
While this should be a pretty evenly matched basketball game, Michigan’s defensive challenges far outweigh those of OSU’s. With the exception of the last two games, the Buckeye defense has been pretty solid this season, and the biggest issue defensively in the last two games was closing it out. They’ll need to finish strong against the Wolverines, but Michigan has a much higher hurdle to clear, given that they’re ranked in the bottom third in points allowed and three-point defense this season.
Michigan will have to find a way to keep the ball away from Thornton and Battle if they have any hope of winning this game. This also presents an opportunity for Gayle to return to form, and the Wolverines will need to keep an eye on him as well.
But defensively, the key for the Buckeyes will be Felix Okpara, whose toughness has been a challenge for opponents all season. His performance against the Hoosiers included career-high 15 rebounds and five blocked shots, and if he can continue to put up numbers in that ballpark, it could be enough pressure for the Wolverines to crack, particularly as a team who has been plagued by turnovers all season.
Look to Okpara to try to force some key errors that could keep the game moving in the Buckeyes’ favor.
Still, this should be a competitive matchup between the two teams. The Buckeyes cannot afford to be sloppy, and they will need to hold onto the ball themselves. But barring sloppy errors, the Buckeyes should be able to leave Ann Arbor with a win and leave behind the struggles of last week, but it won’t be handed to them without a fight.
ESPN BPI: Michigan 50.1%
Time: 12 p.m. (noon) ET
TV: FOX
LGHL Score Prediction: Ohio State 72, Michigan 70
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