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LGHL Grumpy Old Buckeye: Nitpicking Ohio State’s 21-17 win over Nebraska
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Grumpy Old Buckeye: Nitpicking Ohio State’s 21-17 win over Nebraska
Michael Citro 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 via Imagn Images
Few wins could be more maddening than the Buckeyes escape at home against the Huskers.
Ohio State’s 21-17 win over Nebraska was…well, a victory, but it was not the response Buckeye fans wanted to see and that Head Coach Ryan Day promised two weeks after a one-point road loss to a good (and maybe great) Oregon team on the road. While Ohio State made some adjustments, such as more blitzing and pressure on the quarterback, the offense took some giant steps backward without Josh Simmons at left tackle. Here are the things that had me chewin’ fire on Saturday while watching the game.
The Buckeyes didn’t take long to antagonize me. It started on the team’s first possession, which came in excellent field position after the defense produced a quick three-and-out and Nebraska’s punter shanked a 31-yarder. After a nice throw on first down to Carnell Tate for eight yards, Will Howard took a sack on second-and-short. Howard appeared to see the defender coming, but he swallowed the ball rather than dumping it into the ground near his check-down receiver.
That led to…
On second-and-10 Emeka Egbuka caught a 9-yard pass just shy of the line to make. Rather than immediately turning up the field and lowering his shoulder to ensure the first down, Egbuka cut backward to try to clear a defender and make a bigger play. It didn’t work, and he was tackled immediately, setting up a fourth-and-short. Chip Kelly opted not to use the highly effective quarterback sneak and opted instead for a handoff to TreVeyon Henderson, which Nebraska stuffed. Points on that first drive, in gifted field position, might have made for a less nervy fourth quarter.
In the context of Saturday’s game, the term “moment of Zen” is not a good thing. Zen Michalski started at left tackle for the injured Simmons and things went poorly. I suppose some nerves are to be expected, but it was troubling to see a player who had two weeks to prepare to get things so dreadfully wrong. There was one play when he was so off-balance that he tried to hold his opponent and whiffed because he fell down while backpedaling in pass protection. Michalski was poor on both running and passing plays and while he seemed to be a little better as the game went on, he was clearly struggling to open holes in the run game or protect Howard’s blind side.
That is the way it can look sometimes when a backup comes in, but I’ve seen a lot of college football in the last five decades, and there are also many instances when a starter must be replaced in the middle of the game and it looks like there is no change whatsoever. Whether that speaks to the quality of Ohio State’s offensive line depth, player development under Justin Frye, recruiting, or some combination of the three, it’s not at the level expected at a program like Ohio State. Unfortunately, it’s uncertain whether Michalski will have an opportunity to improve, as he left the game with an injury.
The snap was good. The hold was good. The kick was most assuredly, not good. Jayden Fielding banged a 42-yard field goal attempt that would have put the Buckeyes up 17-3 in the second quarter. Fielding has been a decent college kicker, but not an elite one by any means. He is now 19-of-24 in his career, which doesn’t sound too bad (and it isn’t). He’s been automatic inside of 40 yards, hitting all seven of his attempts. However, he is a pedestrian 7-of-12 from 40 yards or longer, and that includes 0-for-1 from 50+. It probably doesn’t help him that he only has four attempts this season, with Day generally opting to go for it on fourth downs in less favorable field goal range. Even though Ohio State has been quite successful on fourth down, that makes it more difficult for a kicker to gain confidence and get game reps. At some point, Day is going to need Fielding to hit a long one just before halftime or at the end of the game from a long distance. He has yet to show he can do that reliably.
While I have to give Davison Igbinosun a lot of credit for his part in Ohio State’s goal-line stand against the Cornhuskers, the veteran cornerback made things more difficult on his team throughout the game on Saturday. Right after Fielding’s missed field goal, Igbinosun committed pass interference on Nebraska’s first offensive snap to move the Huskers to their own 39. That helped start a drive that ended in a field goal that cut Ohio State’s lead to 14-6. Igbinosun wasn’t finished. He again interfered with his receiver on a completed pass on Nebraska’s first possession of the second half. He committed pass interference again on the same drive on a third-and-7 play. Nebraska pulled within 14-9 at the end of the drive. Jim Knowles asked his defense to cover one-on-one all day, but at times, Igbinosun simply wasn’t up to it.
The second half of the game was arguably Will Howard’s worst since he came to Ohio State. He threw all of his incompletions in the second half and made multiple curious reads on option plays that ended up going nowhere but had a chance for success with a different choice. The worst moment Howard had was throwing an interception on the first play of the second OSU drive of the third quarter. He also threw too high on a pass to Egbuka that would have extended the next drive. He was able to put together a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter, but other than that, it was a forgettable 30 minutes for Howard. And that might be because…
Saturday’s game was the worst game Chip Kelly has called thus far. The team attempted just 16 passes with Howard completing all nine attempts in the first half but going just 1-for-7 with an interception in the second half. The Buckeyes ran 31 times and averaged only 2.1 yards per carry. The lack of a running game made those third-down passes more difficult, as Howard lacked time to allow routes to develop downfield and often had to check down or try to force something beyond the sticks. There weren’t many designed quarterback runs and no jet sweeps for variety’s sake. The pass was the better option on Saturday and Kelly did it only 16 times. Perhaps he was concerned — rightfully — about protecting Howard, but it might have given Ohio State an opportunity to pull away in the second half had he not kept calling plays that hadn’t really worked all day.
After Ohio State regained the lead and the teams exchanged punts — largely due to ultra-conservative play calling by Kelly — the Cornhuskers took over at their 24-yard line with 3:36 to play and quickly got behind the chains due to an offensive pass interference penalty on Jahmal Banks. One play later, a deep pass across the middle to Banks appeared to have been caught and dislodged by Arvell Reese. Ohio State recovered and the Buckeyes thought they were about to put the game away. But the play was reviewed, and Reese was ejected for targeting, giving Nebraska a fresh set of downs.
Reese was already committed to his tackle when Banks started to go down under Jaylen McClain’s tackle attempt. That changed Reese’s ultimate landing point relative to the receiver, but he didn’t launch himself or lead with his helmet. The primary contact appeared to be with Banks’ arm and chest, although there was some follow-through facemask contact as well. This may be letter-of-the-law officiating, but it also means the rule is written in a way to prevent defensive players from trying to tackle offensive players, just to be sure they don’t get tossed when that player suddenly changes trajectory.
To make matters worse, the officials gave Nebraska another break on the play, ruling that Banks caught the ball and was somehow down by contact prior to the hit because they stepped off the penalty from the spot of the “catch.” Receivers are (usually) required to control the ball all the way through the ground and contact when doing to ground during a catch, as Banks clearly was. That was not a reception, but Nebraska gained 34 yards on an incomplete pass.
A few plays later, Jordan Hancock’s interception ended the threat, because ball — as the kids say — don’t lie.
These are only some of the things that had me big mad on Saturday, but the internet isn’t big enough to contain them all. It was a poor, and often flat, performance by a Buckeye team that said all the right things about responding to the Oregon loss but failed to deliver on the promise. I’ll give Nebraska credit, as the Cornhuskers came to play. They responded to a beatdown against Indiana in a good way.
This performance isn’t necessarily a harbinger of what the future might bring, but it could be. I’m going to look on the bright side. Ohio State typically plays poorly coming off a bye week, and this was no exception. This was also a hidden trap game. The bye week kind of obscured the fact that the Huskers fell between the trips to Oregon and Penn State.
One thing is certain — the Buckeyes will need a lot of help to get a win in Happy Valley if the level of performance from both the players and coaches doesn’t improve.
Continue reading...
Michael Citro 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 via Imagn Images
Few wins could be more maddening than the Buckeyes escape at home against the Huskers.
Ohio State’s 21-17 win over Nebraska was…well, a victory, but it was not the response Buckeye fans wanted to see and that Head Coach Ryan Day promised two weeks after a one-point road loss to a good (and maybe great) Oregon team on the road. While Ohio State made some adjustments, such as more blitzing and pressure on the quarterback, the offense took some giant steps backward without Josh Simmons at left tackle. Here are the things that had me chewin’ fire on Saturday while watching the game.
Throw the Dang Ball (Away)
The Buckeyes didn’t take long to antagonize me. It started on the team’s first possession, which came in excellent field position after the defense produced a quick three-and-out and Nebraska’s punter shanked a 31-yarder. After a nice throw on first down to Carnell Tate for eight yards, Will Howard took a sack on second-and-short. Howard appeared to see the defender coming, but he swallowed the ball rather than dumping it into the ground near his check-down receiver.
That led to…
Emeka Egbackwards
On second-and-10 Emeka Egbuka caught a 9-yard pass just shy of the line to make. Rather than immediately turning up the field and lowering his shoulder to ensure the first down, Egbuka cut backward to try to clear a defender and make a bigger play. It didn’t work, and he was tackled immediately, setting up a fourth-and-short. Chip Kelly opted not to use the highly effective quarterback sneak and opted instead for a handoff to TreVeyon Henderson, which Nebraska stuffed. Points on that first drive, in gifted field position, might have made for a less nervy fourth quarter.
Moments of Zen
In the context of Saturday’s game, the term “moment of Zen” is not a good thing. Zen Michalski started at left tackle for the injured Simmons and things went poorly. I suppose some nerves are to be expected, but it was troubling to see a player who had two weeks to prepare to get things so dreadfully wrong. There was one play when he was so off-balance that he tried to hold his opponent and whiffed because he fell down while backpedaling in pass protection. Michalski was poor on both running and passing plays and while he seemed to be a little better as the game went on, he was clearly struggling to open holes in the run game or protect Howard’s blind side.
That is the way it can look sometimes when a backup comes in, but I’ve seen a lot of college football in the last five decades, and there are also many instances when a starter must be replaced in the middle of the game and it looks like there is no change whatsoever. Whether that speaks to the quality of Ohio State’s offensive line depth, player development under Justin Frye, recruiting, or some combination of the three, it’s not at the level expected at a program like Ohio State. Unfortunately, it’s uncertain whether Michalski will have an opportunity to improve, as he left the game with an injury.
Unspecial Teams
The snap was good. The hold was good. The kick was most assuredly, not good. Jayden Fielding banged a 42-yard field goal attempt that would have put the Buckeyes up 17-3 in the second quarter. Fielding has been a decent college kicker, but not an elite one by any means. He is now 19-of-24 in his career, which doesn’t sound too bad (and it isn’t). He’s been automatic inside of 40 yards, hitting all seven of his attempts. However, he is a pedestrian 7-of-12 from 40 yards or longer, and that includes 0-for-1 from 50+. It probably doesn’t help him that he only has four attempts this season, with Day generally opting to go for it on fourth downs in less favorable field goal range. Even though Ohio State has been quite successful on fourth down, that makes it more difficult for a kicker to gain confidence and get game reps. At some point, Day is going to need Fielding to hit a long one just before halftime or at the end of the game from a long distance. He has yet to show he can do that reliably.
Davison Igbi-no, son
While I have to give Davison Igbinosun a lot of credit for his part in Ohio State’s goal-line stand against the Cornhuskers, the veteran cornerback made things more difficult on his team throughout the game on Saturday. Right after Fielding’s missed field goal, Igbinosun committed pass interference on Nebraska’s first offensive snap to move the Huskers to their own 39. That helped start a drive that ended in a field goal that cut Ohio State’s lead to 14-6. Igbinosun wasn’t finished. He again interfered with his receiver on a completed pass on Nebraska’s first possession of the second half. He committed pass interference again on the same drive on a third-and-7 play. Nebraska pulled within 14-9 at the end of the drive. Jim Knowles asked his defense to cover one-on-one all day, but at times, Igbinosun simply wasn’t up to it.
Will You Please?!?!
The second half of the game was arguably Will Howard’s worst since he came to Ohio State. He threw all of his incompletions in the second half and made multiple curious reads on option plays that ended up going nowhere but had a chance for success with a different choice. The worst moment Howard had was throwing an interception on the first play of the second OSU drive of the third quarter. He also threw too high on a pass to Egbuka that would have extended the next drive. He was able to put together a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter, but other than that, it was a forgettable 30 minutes for Howard. And that might be because…
Play Calling
Saturday’s game was the worst game Chip Kelly has called thus far. The team attempted just 16 passes with Howard completing all nine attempts in the first half but going just 1-for-7 with an interception in the second half. The Buckeyes ran 31 times and averaged only 2.1 yards per carry. The lack of a running game made those third-down passes more difficult, as Howard lacked time to allow routes to develop downfield and often had to check down or try to force something beyond the sticks. There weren’t many designed quarterback runs and no jet sweeps for variety’s sake. The pass was the better option on Saturday and Kelly did it only 16 times. Perhaps he was concerned — rightfully — about protecting Howard, but it might have given Ohio State an opportunity to pull away in the second half had he not kept calling plays that hadn’t really worked all day.
Targeting… What Even Is It? Also… What?!
After Ohio State regained the lead and the teams exchanged punts — largely due to ultra-conservative play calling by Kelly — the Cornhuskers took over at their 24-yard line with 3:36 to play and quickly got behind the chains due to an offensive pass interference penalty on Jahmal Banks. One play later, a deep pass across the middle to Banks appeared to have been caught and dislodged by Arvell Reese. Ohio State recovered and the Buckeyes thought they were about to put the game away. But the play was reviewed, and Reese was ejected for targeting, giving Nebraska a fresh set of downs.
Reese was already committed to his tackle when Banks started to go down under Jaylen McClain’s tackle attempt. That changed Reese’s ultimate landing point relative to the receiver, but he didn’t launch himself or lead with his helmet. The primary contact appeared to be with Banks’ arm and chest, although there was some follow-through facemask contact as well. This may be letter-of-the-law officiating, but it also means the rule is written in a way to prevent defensive players from trying to tackle offensive players, just to be sure they don’t get tossed when that player suddenly changes trajectory.
To make matters worse, the officials gave Nebraska another break on the play, ruling that Banks caught the ball and was somehow down by contact prior to the hit because they stepped off the penalty from the spot of the “catch.” Receivers are (usually) required to control the ball all the way through the ground and contact when doing to ground during a catch, as Banks clearly was. That was not a reception, but Nebraska gained 34 yards on an incomplete pass.
A few plays later, Jordan Hancock’s interception ended the threat, because ball — as the kids say — don’t lie.
These are only some of the things that had me big mad on Saturday, but the internet isn’t big enough to contain them all. It was a poor, and often flat, performance by a Buckeye team that said all the right things about responding to the Oregon loss but failed to deliver on the promise. I’ll give Nebraska credit, as the Cornhuskers came to play. They responded to a beatdown against Indiana in a good way.
This performance isn’t necessarily a harbinger of what the future might bring, but it could be. I’m going to look on the bright side. Ohio State typically plays poorly coming off a bye week, and this was no exception. This was also a hidden trap game. The bye week kind of obscured the fact that the Huskers fell between the trips to Oregon and Penn State.
One thing is certain — the Buckeyes will need a lot of help to get a win in Happy Valley if the level of performance from both the players and coaches doesn’t improve.
Continue reading...
LGHL Top 10 games of upcoming Ohio State women’s basketball season
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Top 10 games of upcoming Ohio State women’s basketball season
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
Picking 10 of the Buckeyes’ 29 games that you can’t miss
College basketball season is fast approaching and Land-Grant Holy Land is here to get you ready. Before the season starts this fall, check back regularly for player previews, schedule news, features, and more heading into the 2024-25 Ohio State women’s basketball season.
With another month almost in the books on the 2024 calendar, college basketball creeps closer and closer. Soon, Halloween costumes are traded for comfy spots on the couch to watch a full slate of college basketball that stretches from November to April.
To help prioritize your time, here are the top 10 games you can’t miss in the upcoming Ohio State women’s basketball schedule. Disagree with the order? Did we miss a game against your alma mater? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter.
While the conference might not be high on this game, foregoing any television audience and opting to put it behind the conference streaming paywall, it deserves to be in the top 10. Not only because its another edition of The Rivalry, but it does help.
When Michigan and Ohio State play, you can tell the teams don’t like each other, more than most Big Ten games. Last season, the Buckeyes lost to the Wolverines in Ann Arbor, a loss that was the catalyst for a 15-game winning streak.
In the final game of that streak, it was the Wolverines who lost on Ohio State’s home court and had to be in the building as the Buckeyes celebrated another Big Ten regular season title.
This year’s edition won’t include arguably Michigan’s best player in Laila Phelia, who transferred to the Texas Longhorns in the offseason. However, the lone game between the two teams this year includes a blockbuster freshman showdown.
For Ohio State, it’s Jaloni Cambridge, the No. 2 prospect in the 2024 class. For Michigan, it’s Syla Swords, the 18-year-old who made the Canadian 2024 Paris Olympic team and the No. 4 overall prospect in the class.
Seeing the two battle in the backcourt for the first time is a sign of things to come in the storied rivalry between the two schools.
B1G+ strikes again. This game, like No. 10, should get a lot more respect. This game has it all, from the strong in the paint duos to another young guard battle.
Near the basket for the Cornhuskers are Alexis Markowski and Natalie Potts. While the latter didn’t do too much damage against the Buckeyes last year (six points and two rebounds in an 80-47 clobbering Nebraska), she was voted Freshman of the Year by the coaches for a reason.
Potts averaged 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds and was top 10 in the conference in grabbing offensive boards. Which helps her senior center/forward teammate, Markowski.
Unlike Potts, Markowski has made the Buckeyes’ life difficult averaging 15.6 points and 13.0 rebounds in three previous games against Ohio State (all losses).
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Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Alexis Markowski (right) and Cotie McMahon (left) battling for the ball on Feb. 14, 2024
People are high on Nebraska this year partly because of that duo. It’s set up to be a great game between the Big Red duo and the Ohio State interior of Ajae Petty, Cotie McMahon, and Taylor Thierry. This game comes at a time when teams should be ramping up to hit their peak entering tournament time. This provides a great test for head coach Kevin McGuff’s side.
Plus another pair of future Big Ten star guards with Cambridge and Nebraska’s Britt Prince. Prince is the No. 25 prospect of the 2024 class and another candidate to fight for a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman team at season’s end.
Revenge is a dish best served cold, and it should be chilly in late January when the Terrapins head to Columbus, at least in the forecast.
The last time these two times met was in the Big Ten Tournament. Ohio State entered as the No. 1 seed, with McGuff not losing a first game of the tournament in any previous season where his team entered as a top-four side. That streak ended, and it ended badly.
Ohio State lost by 21, with Maryland outrebounding the Buckeyes 55-31. It was the first of two losses in the three Scarlet and Gray tournament games, losing two games later in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament against the Duke Blue Devils.
January is the first of two times McGuff and Maryland coach Brenda Frese will face each other this season, with the conference pairing every team up with one side they’ll meet in a home-and-home.
The first edition takes place in Columbus, where the Buckeyes defeated the Terrapins last year. However, Maryland is on a different side this year, bolstering their lineup with former Rutgers freshman standout Kaylene Smikle and Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Sarah Te-Biasu from VCU. Not to mention the return of senior Shyanne Sellers.
Will the Ohio State offense play like the tournament side or the one that beat the Terrapins twice in the 23-24 regular season? Tune in on Big Ten Network in late January to find out.
For the second season in a row, Ohio State faces the Iowa Hawkeyes on national television. The big difference is the absence of a certain alliteratively named star guard.
Even so, the Buckeyes and Hawkeyes have been part of a small group of teams sitting near the top of the conference over the last few seasons. Also, the Iowa and Ohio State rivalry dates back decades with both sides investing in women’s basketball earlier than most in the conference.
This time around, Iowa has guard Lucy Olsen. The Villanova transfer steps into the shadow of Caitlin Clark, who had three triple-doubles against the Buckeyes in her career. Now, Olsen won’t be as strong of a triple-double threat but can score in bunches, sitting third in the nation last season with 23.3 points.
What makes the matchup intriguing is Hannah Stuelke. The junior forward thrived under Clark, but will that continue with the Hawkeyes playing under a new head coach and without the linchpin of the offense for the past four seasons?
The fact that this game is on FOX is kind of surprising, but after last year’s overtime thriller in Columbus, it’s a matchup worth taking a gamble.
This game is higher than the national game against Iowa for a couple of reasons. First, Indiana is going to be a good team. Despite losing program-shifting forward Mackenzie Holmes, head coach Teri Moren brings back an experienced side, led by Sydney Parrish and Chloe Moore-McNeil.
In Holmes’ vacated spot are a few options for Moren. Third-year Hoosier Lilly Meister played behind Holmes throughout her career, but Tennessee transfer Karoline Striplin has more experience starting and Faith Wiseman enters as a high-ranked forward recruit out of Marysville, Indiana.
Even so, there’s enough experience on this team to give Ohio State troubles, something the Buckeyes have had against Indiana in recent history.
Before the 2023 Big Ten Tournament, the Buckeyes lost five straight against the Hoosiers. Ohio State is now on a two-game winning streak after that 2023 conference tournament win featuring a historic second-half comeback, but Assembly Hall is the second reason this game stands out.
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Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK
Mackenzie Holmes (right) celebrates with Sydney Parrish (left) the last time the two teams played each other in Assembly Hall, on Jan. 26, 2023
By the time these two sides play in February, it’ll be four years since Ohio State won a game in Assembly Hall. With seats basically on top of the action, it’s a formidable gym to play in, with a group of fans who live and breathe basketball yelling at every perceived slight against their crimson-clad basketball team.
The challenge of winning in a rowdy Assembly Hall could mean good things for Ohio State as it heads into the final weeks of the season.
Putting the game against Stanford at five feels like a bit of a reach. After all, the Cardinals weren’t thought too highly overall entering this year with Associated Press voters leaving them out of the preseason top 25.
After all, Stanford lost their two best players Cameron Brink and Kiki Iriafen to the WNBA and USC Trojans respectively. It also lost legendary head coach, and former Ohio State coach, Tara Vanderveer.
There are reasons why Stanford is so high on this list. Part of it is the name. Regardless of ranking, Stanford is a women’s basketball school and even if they’re starting down there’s a strong chance it doesn’t last for long.
The loss of Vanderveer is tough, but Kate Paye slides into the role similarly to the changing of the guard in Iowa with the loss of Lisa Bluder. Paye isn’t new to Stanford by any means. The former pro and Stanford grad not only played for Vanderveer for four seasons but has been on the staff since 2007.
On the staff is another 23-24 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, this time on the media side. Former Purdue Boilermaker forward Mary Ashley Stevenson, who played once against the Buckeyes with 12 points and seven rebounds, is the one familiar face on the court between the two sides.
Even so, Stanford is likely to be ranked by the time the teams meet in San Francisco at the Bay Area Women’s Classic. That is unless AP voters were right and Stanford is in for a rebuild.
Ohio State was one of the few conference teams who scheduled the Bruins last year, in expansion preparation. The Bruins marched into the Schottenstein Center and walked away with a 77-71 win over the Buckeyes, with a scoreline that is deceptive.
The Scarlet and Gray were down 22 points with 8:49 remaining in the fourth quarter and made it a game. A patented McGuff comeback, this time without getting across the finish line. A game that could’ve gone another way if it was five quarters, but that’s not how basketball works.
Center Lauren Betts had a double-double in the win, with 11 rebounds as no Buckeye could handle the 6-foot-7 star.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25700088/usa_today_22134778.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Cotie McMahon (left) going up against Lauren Betts (right)
This season, Ohio State boasts an improved post-game, with Petty and 6-foot-6 freshman center Elsa Lemmilä. Will that make the game within reach? Will travel be an issue? How will the young Buckeyes backcourt do against Preseason All-B1G guard Kiki Rice?
By the time February rolls around, the identity of the Buckeyes should be known, for better or worse. The more the identity is established, and the team is clicking, the higher chance Ohio State has to beat their new conference foes. Then, three days later, it doesn’t get any easier.
Like the loss against UCLA last campaign, the Buckeyes tried to get an edge in scouting and played the Trojans to start the season. In the first game of the year, JuJu Watkins introduced herself to the nation with a 32-point performance in an 83-74 victory.
It’s tough to be the first team to face a phenom like Watkins, with the Buckeyes relying on AAU scouting to try and get an edge, but as the season went on nobody had much better luck against who could be a three-time B1G Player of the Year when it's all said and done.
Ohio State gets another shot this year, in Los Angeles on the Trojans’ home court. It’s not much easier than last year, with Stanford standout Iriafen joining Watkins at USC in the transfer portal.
It might be a tall task for coach McGuff’s side, but this Saturday night matchup in California is the first time the Buckeyes can show what they’ve learned about Watkins and the Trojans. It’s also a good test for how Ohio State could do in the NCAA Tournament, with USC already predicted as a top-four seed in the nation.
Credit to the Big Ten schedule makers for their last regular season games of the season. UCLA faces USC on FOX, on March 1. The next night, the Buckeyes and Terrapins are the main event with 14 league teams facing off.
Where will Ohio State be at this point in the season? If things go well, this game deserves a top ranking on this list.
Two seasons ago, these two teams faced off to end the year and Ohio State almost forced overtime if not for a McMahon layup that was a fraction of a second too late to count. When both of these teams are good, they play exciting basketball games.
Will the Buckeyes be playing for a top-four spot in the tournament, maybe challenging for a conference title or will this game be meaningless? Odds are it’ll be a game where two teams are playing for momentum heading into the Big Ten tournament a week later.
It might seem crazy to see Illinois at No. 1 on this list. With games against the Watkins, Betts, and Stuelkes of the world, the first conference game of the season doesn’t seem like it carries much weight, but this game carries a ton.
There’s no argument that the Buckeyes’ non-conference schedule isn’t full of the best of college basketball. While there are strong mid-major sides on the calendar, like Ball State and Cleveland State, the only way they’re losing is if things go wrong for Ohio State.
This game against Illinois will start to build the story of the Buckeyes’ season.
Illinois fields a strong, experienced, team. Although they had a tough conference season, going 8-10, the Illini bounced back to show their class in the postseason. Illinois ended the season with a five-game winning streak, winning the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament.
They also return three fifth-year stars in forward Kendall Bostic and guards Genesis Bryant and Makira Cook; all players who have given Ohio State issues in the past two seasons, despite the Buckeyes always coming out on top against head coach Shauna Green’s side.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25700140/1962122132.jpg "COLLEGE BASKETBALL: JAN 25 Women’s - Ohio State at Illinois")
Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Genesis Bryant (right) against Ohio State
If Ohio State wins the game, it starts to prove to folks that losing players like Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor isn’t debilitating. Lose it, and it could show the Buckeyes what it has to do as games are more difficult from December through the end of March.
Now, it’s early enough in the season that it won’t end any conference chances, but it’ll show if McGuff’s retooled his side to stay contenders.
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
Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
Picking 10 of the Buckeyes’ 29 games that you can’t miss
College basketball season is fast approaching and Land-Grant Holy Land is here to get you ready. Before the season starts this fall, check back regularly for player previews, schedule news, features, and more heading into the 2024-25 Ohio State women’s basketball season.
With another month almost in the books on the 2024 calendar, college basketball creeps closer and closer. Soon, Halloween costumes are traded for comfy spots on the couch to watch a full slate of college basketball that stretches from November to April.
To help prioritize your time, here are the top 10 games you can’t miss in the upcoming Ohio State women’s basketball schedule. Disagree with the order? Did we miss a game against your alma mater? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter.
No. 10: Jan. 8, 2025 at Michigan (B1G+)
While the conference might not be high on this game, foregoing any television audience and opting to put it behind the conference streaming paywall, it deserves to be in the top 10. Not only because its another edition of The Rivalry, but it does help.
When Michigan and Ohio State play, you can tell the teams don’t like each other, more than most Big Ten games. Last season, the Buckeyes lost to the Wolverines in Ann Arbor, a loss that was the catalyst for a 15-game winning streak.
In the final game of that streak, it was the Wolverines who lost on Ohio State’s home court and had to be in the building as the Buckeyes celebrated another Big Ten regular season title.
This year’s edition won’t include arguably Michigan’s best player in Laila Phelia, who transferred to the Texas Longhorns in the offseason. However, the lone game between the two teams this year includes a blockbuster freshman showdown.
For Ohio State, it’s Jaloni Cambridge, the No. 2 prospect in the 2024 class. For Michigan, it’s Syla Swords, the 18-year-old who made the Canadian 2024 Paris Olympic team and the No. 4 overall prospect in the class.
Seeing the two battle in the backcourt for the first time is a sign of things to come in the storied rivalry between the two schools.
No. 9: Jan. 26, 2025 at Nebraska (B1G+)
B1G+ strikes again. This game, like No. 10, should get a lot more respect. This game has it all, from the strong in the paint duos to another young guard battle.
Near the basket for the Cornhuskers are Alexis Markowski and Natalie Potts. While the latter didn’t do too much damage against the Buckeyes last year (six points and two rebounds in an 80-47 clobbering Nebraska), she was voted Freshman of the Year by the coaches for a reason.
Potts averaged 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds and was top 10 in the conference in grabbing offensive boards. Which helps her senior center/forward teammate, Markowski.
Unlike Potts, Markowski has made the Buckeyes’ life difficult averaging 15.6 points and 13.0 rebounds in three previous games against Ohio State (all losses).
Alexis Markowski (right) and Cotie McMahon (left) battling for the ball on Feb. 14, 2024
People are high on Nebraska this year partly because of that duo. It’s set up to be a great game between the Big Red duo and the Ohio State interior of Ajae Petty, Cotie McMahon, and Taylor Thierry. This game comes at a time when teams should be ramping up to hit their peak entering tournament time. This provides a great test for head coach Kevin McGuff’s side.
Plus another pair of future Big Ten star guards with Cambridge and Nebraska’s Britt Prince. Prince is the No. 25 prospect of the 2024 class and another candidate to fight for a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman team at season’s end.
No. 8: Jan. 23, 2025 vs. Maryland (Big Ten Network)
Revenge is a dish best served cold, and it should be chilly in late January when the Terrapins head to Columbus, at least in the forecast.
The last time these two times met was in the Big Ten Tournament. Ohio State entered as the No. 1 seed, with McGuff not losing a first game of the tournament in any previous season where his team entered as a top-four side. That streak ended, and it ended badly.
Ohio State lost by 21, with Maryland outrebounding the Buckeyes 55-31. It was the first of two losses in the three Scarlet and Gray tournament games, losing two games later in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament against the Duke Blue Devils.
January is the first of two times McGuff and Maryland coach Brenda Frese will face each other this season, with the conference pairing every team up with one side they’ll meet in a home-and-home.
The first edition takes place in Columbus, where the Buckeyes defeated the Terrapins last year. However, Maryland is on a different side this year, bolstering their lineup with former Rutgers freshman standout Kaylene Smikle and Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Sarah Te-Biasu from VCU. Not to mention the return of senior Shyanne Sellers.
Will the Ohio State offense play like the tournament side or the one that beat the Terrapins twice in the 23-24 regular season? Tune in on Big Ten Network in late January to find out.
No. 7: Feb. 17, 2025 vs. Iowa (FOX)
For the second season in a row, Ohio State faces the Iowa Hawkeyes on national television. The big difference is the absence of a certain alliteratively named star guard.
Even so, the Buckeyes and Hawkeyes have been part of a small group of teams sitting near the top of the conference over the last few seasons. Also, the Iowa and Ohio State rivalry dates back decades with both sides investing in women’s basketball earlier than most in the conference.
This time around, Iowa has guard Lucy Olsen. The Villanova transfer steps into the shadow of Caitlin Clark, who had three triple-doubles against the Buckeyes in her career. Now, Olsen won’t be as strong of a triple-double threat but can score in bunches, sitting third in the nation last season with 23.3 points.
What makes the matchup intriguing is Hannah Stuelke. The junior forward thrived under Clark, but will that continue with the Hawkeyes playing under a new head coach and without the linchpin of the offense for the past four seasons?
The fact that this game is on FOX is kind of surprising, but after last year’s overtime thriller in Columbus, it’s a matchup worth taking a gamble.
No. 6: Feb. 20, 2025 at Indiana (Peacock)
This game is higher than the national game against Iowa for a couple of reasons. First, Indiana is going to be a good team. Despite losing program-shifting forward Mackenzie Holmes, head coach Teri Moren brings back an experienced side, led by Sydney Parrish and Chloe Moore-McNeil.
In Holmes’ vacated spot are a few options for Moren. Third-year Hoosier Lilly Meister played behind Holmes throughout her career, but Tennessee transfer Karoline Striplin has more experience starting and Faith Wiseman enters as a high-ranked forward recruit out of Marysville, Indiana.
Even so, there’s enough experience on this team to give Ohio State troubles, something the Buckeyes have had against Indiana in recent history.
Before the 2023 Big Ten Tournament, the Buckeyes lost five straight against the Hoosiers. Ohio State is now on a two-game winning streak after that 2023 conference tournament win featuring a historic second-half comeback, but Assembly Hall is the second reason this game stands out.
Mackenzie Holmes (right) celebrates with Sydney Parrish (left) the last time the two teams played each other in Assembly Hall, on Jan. 26, 2023
By the time these two sides play in February, it’ll be four years since Ohio State won a game in Assembly Hall. With seats basically on top of the action, it’s a formidable gym to play in, with a group of fans who live and breathe basketball yelling at every perceived slight against their crimson-clad basketball team.
The challenge of winning in a rowdy Assembly Hall could mean good things for Ohio State as it heads into the final weeks of the season.
No. 5: Dec. 20, 2024 at Stanford (FS1) - Neutral site game
Putting the game against Stanford at five feels like a bit of a reach. After all, the Cardinals weren’t thought too highly overall entering this year with Associated Press voters leaving them out of the preseason top 25.
After all, Stanford lost their two best players Cameron Brink and Kiki Iriafen to the WNBA and USC Trojans respectively. It also lost legendary head coach, and former Ohio State coach, Tara Vanderveer.
There are reasons why Stanford is so high on this list. Part of it is the name. Regardless of ranking, Stanford is a women’s basketball school and even if they’re starting down there’s a strong chance it doesn’t last for long.
The loss of Vanderveer is tough, but Kate Paye slides into the role similarly to the changing of the guard in Iowa with the loss of Lisa Bluder. Paye isn’t new to Stanford by any means. The former pro and Stanford grad not only played for Vanderveer for four seasons but has been on the staff since 2007.
On the staff is another 23-24 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, this time on the media side. Former Purdue Boilermaker forward Mary Ashley Stevenson, who played once against the Buckeyes with 12 points and seven rebounds, is the one familiar face on the court between the two sides.
Even so, Stanford is likely to be ranked by the time the teams meet in San Francisco at the Bay Area Women’s Classic. That is unless AP voters were right and Stanford is in for a rebuild.
No. 4: Feb. 5, 2025 at UCLA (Peacock)
Ohio State was one of the few conference teams who scheduled the Bruins last year, in expansion preparation. The Bruins marched into the Schottenstein Center and walked away with a 77-71 win over the Buckeyes, with a scoreline that is deceptive.
The Scarlet and Gray were down 22 points with 8:49 remaining in the fourth quarter and made it a game. A patented McGuff comeback, this time without getting across the finish line. A game that could’ve gone another way if it was five quarters, but that’s not how basketball works.
Center Lauren Betts had a double-double in the win, with 11 rebounds as no Buckeye could handle the 6-foot-7 star.
Cotie McMahon (left) going up against Lauren Betts (right)
This season, Ohio State boasts an improved post-game, with Petty and 6-foot-6 freshman center Elsa Lemmilä. Will that make the game within reach? Will travel be an issue? How will the young Buckeyes backcourt do against Preseason All-B1G guard Kiki Rice?
By the time February rolls around, the identity of the Buckeyes should be known, for better or worse. The more the identity is established, and the team is clicking, the higher chance Ohio State has to beat their new conference foes. Then, three days later, it doesn’t get any easier.
No. 3: Feb. 8 at USC (FOX)
Like the loss against UCLA last campaign, the Buckeyes tried to get an edge in scouting and played the Trojans to start the season. In the first game of the year, JuJu Watkins introduced herself to the nation with a 32-point performance in an 83-74 victory.
It’s tough to be the first team to face a phenom like Watkins, with the Buckeyes relying on AAU scouting to try and get an edge, but as the season went on nobody had much better luck against who could be a three-time B1G Player of the Year when it's all said and done.
Ohio State gets another shot this year, in Los Angeles on the Trojans’ home court. It’s not much easier than last year, with Stanford standout Iriafen joining Watkins at USC in the transfer portal.
It might be a tall task for coach McGuff’s side, but this Saturday night matchup in California is the first time the Buckeyes can show what they’ve learned about Watkins and the Trojans. It’s also a good test for how Ohio State could do in the NCAA Tournament, with USC already predicted as a top-four seed in the nation.
No. 2: March 2, 2025 at Maryland (FOX)
Credit to the Big Ten schedule makers for their last regular season games of the season. UCLA faces USC on FOX, on March 1. The next night, the Buckeyes and Terrapins are the main event with 14 league teams facing off.
Where will Ohio State be at this point in the season? If things go well, this game deserves a top ranking on this list.
Two seasons ago, these two teams faced off to end the year and Ohio State almost forced overtime if not for a McMahon layup that was a fraction of a second too late to count. When both of these teams are good, they play exciting basketball games.
Will the Buckeyes be playing for a top-four spot in the tournament, maybe challenging for a conference title or will this game be meaningless? Odds are it’ll be a game where two teams are playing for momentum heading into the Big Ten tournament a week later.
No. 1: Dec. 8, 2024 vs. Illinois (BTN)
It might seem crazy to see Illinois at No. 1 on this list. With games against the Watkins, Betts, and Stuelkes of the world, the first conference game of the season doesn’t seem like it carries much weight, but this game carries a ton.
There’s no argument that the Buckeyes’ non-conference schedule isn’t full of the best of college basketball. While there are strong mid-major sides on the calendar, like Ball State and Cleveland State, the only way they’re losing is if things go wrong for Ohio State.
This game against Illinois will start to build the story of the Buckeyes’ season.
Illinois fields a strong, experienced, team. Although they had a tough conference season, going 8-10, the Illini bounced back to show their class in the postseason. Illinois ended the season with a five-game winning streak, winning the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament.
They also return three fifth-year stars in forward Kendall Bostic and guards Genesis Bryant and Makira Cook; all players who have given Ohio State issues in the past two seasons, despite the Buckeyes always coming out on top against head coach Shauna Green’s side.
Genesis Bryant (right) against Ohio State
If Ohio State wins the game, it starts to prove to folks that losing players like Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor isn’t debilitating. Lose it, and it could show the Buckeyes what it has to do as games are more difficult from December through the end of March.
Now, it’s early enough in the season that it won’t end any conference chances, but it’ll show if McGuff’s retooled his side to stay contenders.
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LGHL Wrapping up the reactions to Ohio State-Nebraska as we turn the page to Penn State
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Wrapping up the reactions to Ohio State-Nebraska as we turn the page to Penn State
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
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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 to the Land-Grant Podcast Network for all of your Ohio State needs
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Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio
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Hilarious, and good for Timothée!
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
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
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 to the Land-Grant Podcast Network for all of your Ohio State needs
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio
On the Gridiron
Ohio State is a 3.5-point favorite over Penn State
Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State stays at No. 4 in Week 10 Coaches, AP Polls
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Snap counts, PFF grades and analysis from Buckeyes win over Nebraska
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
ESPN’s College GameDay to Be in State College for Showdown Between Ohio State and Penn State
Chase Brown, Eleven Warriors
Carnell Tate, Cody Simon lead Ohio State to ugly, but important, home win
Jeremy Birmingham, Dotting The Eyes
Lack of running game a major problem for Buckeyes
Rob Oller, The Columbus Dispatch
Defensive notebook: Was Ohio State pass rush successful against Nebraska?
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Five Thoughts: Ohio State puts forth flat effort vs. Nebraska
Bill Landis, Dotting The Eyes
OSU win didn’t feel like much of one, as OL issues loom
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
#developedhere
Using Warren Buffett’s portfolio to recap Ohio State’s 21-17 win over Nebraska
Brett Ludwiczak, Land-Grant Holy Land
If This Were a Movie: Buckeyes’ performance felt like a ‘Nightmare on Woody Hayes Drive’
Jami Jurich, Land-Grant Holy Land
On the Hardwood
You’re Nuts: Will Ohio State men’s basketball land any of these four big 2025 targets?
Connor Lemons and Justin Golba, Land-Grant Holy Land
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Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
No. 25 player in the country teasing Buckeye Nation:
Outside the Shoe and Schott
Women’s Soccer: No. 21 Ohio State Blasts No. 15 Penn State 4-1 in Regular Season Finale
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Men’s Ice Hockey: No. 19/17t Ohio State Shuts Out BG Falcons, 2-0
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And now for something completely different...
Hilarious, and good for Timothée!
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