haven’t faced a ton of quality teams yet
even tonight, Mizzou is pretty much bottom of the SEC barrel, but looks like we have a Friday ace in Kade Anderson.

and true Freshman LF Derek Curiel is fucking amazing.
Danny Dickinson at 2B is a stud from the transfer class.

heisman said:

Sure, but my problem is changing it after the draft. I literally read the rules and drafted accordingly. I would have drafted 2 or more starters, based on an existing minimum IP requirement.

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Hold the phones. You're supposed to have an actual strategy in this game?!?

Maryland running Illinois off the court up 57-31 at halftime.

What's interesting is that the media is happy to have Herbstreit give his take on why Ohio State fans don't like him but don't actually do anything like ask actual Ohio State fans what they think of him and why.

Is this bad?

Bestbuck36 said:

Other than the Thad 5 we've never seen a class that ended up there. Holt had one really good class didn't he?

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His highest rated class was a pretty good one - they had Thornton, Sensabaugh, Gayle and Okpara.

buckeyemania11 said:

Bad portal decisions are definitely on the coach.

Stewart and Bradshaw (especially Bradshaw) definitely did not deliver. I hope we go after more proven production than perceived potential based on past recruiting rankings when it comes to the bigs in the portal this cycle.

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Bradshaw made sense if they were planning on Okpara coming back. Initially, he claimed he was returning, then they got Bradshaw, and a week or two later Okpara bolted. Bradshaw was kind of miscast on this team as a big man because they didn't really have one. He'd fit better as a PF able to block shots from the weak side and not be forced to hold his ground in the paint.

DaveyBoy said:

The problem is who in their right mind would choose Ohio State with Diebler over just about every BigTen program except possibly Minnesota, Northwstern, and possibly Nebraska. ?

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Certainly not you, it would appear.

I have to say, Fran McCaffery was about the best you could hope for as a rival fan. A man you could make fun of, and his teams generally gave an entertaining game for you to watch.

ochre said:

but I guess anything can happen if one is objectively tired.

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I believe Herbie truly is confident he is objective when he calls games, works extremely hard in game prep, and believes he delivers the best analysis since John Madden. I also believe he has the IQ of a turtle, has no idea what the word objective means, wouldn't know real analysis if it bit him in the ass, and has the thick skin of a snowflake.

but I guess anything can happen if one is objectively tired.

I'm pretty sure Mike Brewster was objectively not part of tatgate.

James Laurinaitis on the progress of Arvell Reese, what he expects leadership-wise from OSU's linebackers​

Ohio State linebackers coach James Laurinaitis went into great detail when describing what he expects from players in his room from a leadership standpoint. He also spoke at length about rising junior LB Arvell Reese who is going to step into a starting role this season.​

Linebackers coach James Laurinaitis knows a thing or two about leadership being a former two-time captain at Ohio State. Recently, Laurinaitis was asked what rising junior Arvell Reese needs to do this spring to seize the starting middle linebacker job – replacing Cody Simon who had an excellent 2024 season – and Laurinaitis answered the question. While answering the question, he also provided what can best be described as an awesome peek behind the curtain regarding his views on leadership.

"I think with Velly (Reese), a lot of it is just preparation," Laurinaitis said. "I think when you're a young player, there's so much to learn and sometimes it just goes back to habits. And we talked about it a lot last year, and he got way better as the season went on, but it's habits and then it's leadership, and I think what we've seen so far in the winter is him taking a more active leadership role. And obviously Sonny (Styles) is a great leader for us, but you kind of see the development of Arvell being a leader as well.

"Malcolm Jenkins talked to our guys last year and I thought he had a great message for everybody. He said everyone should want to be the leader, the captain of their class, and it's a mindset. So, I've kind of adopted that, and obviously Malcolm and I played together, but the whole idea of, if you're Payton Pierce or Garrett Stover, you guys should both be the leaders of your class, you know what I mean? And obviously that trickles down to TJ (Alford), Riley (Pettijohn), and Eli (Lee), but it's just a mindset.

"It's a mindset anyway – if you're a linebacker – you just naturally have to be a leader. You've got to communicate so much, so it's getting Velly to get out of the shell, which he did last year. And I on purpose roomed him with Cody Simon on the road for multiple reasons, to make sure that he was awake and coming to meetings on time, but just like there was a maturity that Cody had, having gone through it, and pairing him with Velly (seemed like a good idea). He's had a phenomenal winter so far and I'm excited to see him compete here once we get back."

Leadership seems to be an innate trait. You either have it or you don't. Laurinaitis won't go quite that far, but he did expound on his thoughts about being a leader at a place like Ohio State.

"I think a lot of times, leadership, it's hard," Laurinaitis said. "You can try to teach leadership for sure, but a lot of it's like, it's just 'caught,' you know what I mean? Like when you're around it, you just see it. And everybody has a different style. So, that's one of the things that I've stressed to Arvell. I even stressed it to Sonny, like, you guys don't have to be Cody Simon, just because Cody Simon was a great leader, he did it in his way. Like, if you try to be somebody else, and you're not authentic to yourself and your own personality, then the locker room will notice. If you're a guy who's pretty quiet, and all of a sudden you're trying to give all these uncomfortable, rah-rah speeches, and it's not who you are, that's not going to go over well. And you see, I've always seen people do that.

"And so, you have to get comfortable in who you are. A.J. Hawk was a great leader. A.J. barely said anything when we were at practice, but then when A.J. spoke, you're like, 'OK,' you know what I mean? Like, he was quiet, he did everything right, he worked his tail off.
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Yeah, that's it.

I bet my neighbor who doesn't clean up his dogs shits when they go for a walk probably thinks people hate him because he's TOO objective, too.

Dickhead.

Former Ohio State Buckeyes star struggling to find new team despite electric bounceback season in 2024​

The life of an NFL running back is incredibly difficult. Not only do ball-carriers take an absolute beating each week, but their professional careers are as fickle as any position in the league. The free agency experience J.K. Dobbins is dealing with right now is a good snapshot of the challenges stars at the position can face.

Dobbins is by far PFF's highest-rated running back still on the market, and the 26-year-old is coming off his best season yet. The former Ohio State playmaker logged his most carries and yards and tied his previous touchdown record. An ankle injury cost him four games in 2024, but Dobbins was otherwise recovered from a 2021 ACL tear and a 2023 Achilles tear.

For several reasons, the 2019 Heisman Trophy candidate is facing an uphill battle to land a multi-year deal. Since entering the NFL, his injury history is concerning enough to limit guaranteed dollars beyond 2025. The 2025 NFL Draft class is also as deep with running backs as it ever has been.

Recently, Rico Dowdle, Aaron Jones, and Najee Harris have taken short-term deals. But those names were expected to receive solid offers, and the money they earned was respectable. What wasn't expected was seeing less-talented role players find homes before Dobbins.

Guys like AJ Dillon, Miles Sanders, Raheem Mostert, and Alexander Mattison are getting situated in new situations. A few of those guys might not even make their team's final 53-man roster. While it's a bit apples to oranges because Dobbins is surely looking to be at least a high-end No. 2 back, it's a surprising development.

There are still some openings for Dobbins, though. The AFC North is especially intriguing, as Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati could use help. Denver, Houston, and Kansas City would be nice landing spots as well. Minnesota, Los Angeles Rams, and New Orleans are top NFC fits.
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