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I think OSU has been in the club. They’ll pay guys competitively based on how much they play and how they’ve excelled. But they won’t be strong armed. We’ve hardly seen any starters leave, the guys leaving are mainly in year 3 or later and haven’t really contributed.
No you don’t, especially when neither garnered a ton of PT last year and it was said that their consistency was a constant issue.
I think the staff may have told them that they were looking at transfers at CB and he and West wouldn’t guaranteed starters by the staff. No longer can guys think they wait their turn and are automatic starters. Those days are gone
I think OSU has been in the club. They’ll pay guys competitively based on how much they play and how they’ve excelled. But they won’t be strong armed. We’ve hardly seen any starters leave, the guys leaving are mainly in year 3 or later and haven’t really contributed.The portal has changed everything. I think the old plan OSU had to pay kids to stay maybe gone, because it was probably unsustainable. OSU may have to join the club.
No you don’t, especially when neither garnered a ton of PT last year and it was said that their consistency was a constant issue.Scott and West probably would command starter type money to get them to stay. You don't pay guys who maybe end up in line to be the 4th and 5th (at best 3rd and 4th) corners in 2026 starter money to stick around and wait another year, that just doesn't make any sense especially when you have bigger problems elsewhere to fill in
I think the staff may have told them that they were looking at transfers at CB and he and West wouldn’t guaranteed starters by the staff. No longer can guys think they wait their turn and are automatic starters. Those days are goneThis one surprises me. Thought he was staged for big playing time next year - maybe even starter - with Sanchez and Matthews.
Likely waiting on a pro evaluation also.
Sounds like he’s just wanted to get his check figured out to stay.
Ohio State doesn’t really like to pay guys a whole lot […]
Compared to other schools, that’s probably why we don’t really get those kind of recruits. But at the same time, we don’t really want those recruits that are just in it for the money.
— Carson Hinzman, via the B&B Podcast
Ruggles was fantastic minus one kick. He doesn’t deserve the reputation he has because of his last kick.I agree, but it’s also much more difficult to maintain elite ST performance than people are letting on. Tressel started out with an all time duo in Nugent and Groom, then slightly downgraded Sanders and then Huston. He had good Ps and Ks players after that, but no All Americans.
Here are the last 24 years of kickers:
Nugent (01-04) 82% (7-9 40-49, 5-6 50+) only found 04 splits, but he did have 8 career 50 yard FGs
Huston (05) 79% (5-8 40-49, 0-2 50+)
Pretorius (06-08) 77% (6-9 40-49, 3-5 50+)
Pettrey (06-09) 74% (12-13 40-49, 6-10 50+)
Barclay (09-10) 79% (4-7 40-49, 0-1 50+)
Basil (10-13) 78% (7-10 40-49, 1-5 50+)
Willoughby (15) 63% (0-3 40-49, 0-0 50+)
Durbin (16) - 77% (2-5 40-49, 0-0 50+)
Nuerenberger (14-18) 72% (6-15 40-49, 0-0 50+)
Haubeil (18-20) 80% (7-9 40-49, 1-1 50+)
Ruggles (21-22) 90% (11-11 40-49, 0-2 50+)
Fielding (23-25) 79% (15-20 40-49, 0-3 50+)
I was shocked to see Ruggles hit 100% from 40-49 and Fielding have more 40 yard FGs than everyone but, I assume, Nugent.
They can and should do better, but OSU has had 3 kickers that were >50% from 50+ in the last 25 years. If they find someone who hits >80% total and >65% from 50, it’d be the first time since Nugent, and probably only the 2nd time in school history. It’s not that they shouldn’t try, but this isn’t something that OSU had until recently and then stopped caring.
Also, this is still college. Tate Sandell won the Groza making 23-24 kicks, 8-9 from 50+, and 4 from 55+. The poor sob then went 1-3 against Bama, missing a 36 yarder and his first 50 yard miss of the season. It’s going to be hard to find a college kicker that’s a machine.
I have to say. I’d think FG and Punter is about as important as it gets.
FG- if you have a guy that’s like Ole Miss’ kicker who’s like 9 of 10 from 50+ yards that’s tough for a defense to know that if they give up 2 first downs they’re giving up points.
P- with our defense could you imagine a team having to start inside the 10 every time? Teams can’t go 30 yards against our defenses let alone 90.
Special teams need to stop being treated like a throw away. An elite FG kicker allows more margins in games and an elite Punter makes it impossible for teams to catch up.
The portal has changed everything. I think the old plan OSU had to pay kids to stay maybe gone, because it was probably unsustainable. OSU may have to join the club.