Those were some happy trees, I’ll tell you what.

BigWoof31 said:

None taken at all.
I just don't see how the two are correlated.

An ill conceived rule that's applicable to only league play wouldn't impact the playoff or OOC games?

Click to expand...

It's called desperation. Grasping at straws. Whatever you want to call it.

Envision a moment where this call could be called in an SEC SEC SEC game but isn't in an OOC game or playoff game where an SEC school loses? And if that particular play is key to that loss?

One thing the SEC does very well is they play the long game pretty well. They want to open this door so any controversy would work for them, i.e. "See, we did it THIS way, and THIS play wouldn't have counted, etc etc etc".

UNDER THE RADAR. You can always set your watch to what kind of content will be produced by college football outlets in mid-July. Preseason predictions, watchlists, media days content and anonymous-sourced pieces where college coaches give their true thoughts on teams and players for the upcoming year.

Well, one piece that fits the final category was released on Wednesday, as 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz polled sources around the Big Ten to gather intel on 25 under-the-radar players to watch for the 2025 season.

Two Buckeyes were mentioned in the piece: Running back James Peoples and right tackle Austin Siereveld.

Here’s what the sources said on each player.

• On Peoples: “Compact, explosive runner with a thick lower body and has really good short area burst.”
• On Siereveld: “He's been looking like a dude this offseason.”

Peoples is on track to be OSU’s starting running back this season, or at the very least see significant carries. Siereveld has already been confirmed as a starter by Ryan Day, it’s just a matter of whether he’ll play right tackle or guard. Either way, like random not-named Big Ten sources, I too am bullish on big seasons for that duo.

UNDER THE RADAR. You can always set your watch to what kind of content will be produced by college football outlets in mid-July. Preseason predictions, watchlists, media days content and anonymous-sourced pieces where college coaches give their true thoughts on teams and players for the upcoming year.

Well, one piece that fits the final category was released on Wednesday, as 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz polled sources around the Big Ten to gather intel on 25 under-the-radar players to watch for the 2025 season.

Two Buckeyes were mentioned in the piece: Running back James Peoples and right tackle Austin Siereveld.

Here’s what the sources said on each player.

• On Peoples: “Compact, explosive runner with a thick lower body and has really good short area burst.”
• On Siereveld: “He's been looking like a dude this offseason.”

Peoples is on track to be OSU’s starting running back this season, or at the very least see significant carries. Siereveld has already been confirmed as a starter by Ryan Day, it’s just a matter of whether he’ll play right tackle or guard. Either way, like random not-named Big Ten sources, I too am bullish on big seasons for that duo.

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Better Know a Buckeye: Anthony Rogers’ Do-It-All Playmaking Ability As a Hybrid Running Back Makes Him A Unique Weapon for Ohio State’s Offense​

Immediate Impact​

While Ohio State's running backs might lack experience, with West Virginia transfer CJ Donaldson being the lone one with any major playing time at the college level, the room makes up for it with talent and depth. James Peoples and Donaldson seem to lead the way for Ohio State’s one-two punch at the position this year, while Jackson, Sam Williams-Dixon and West are also candidates for playing time behind them.

With that, Rogers' ability to be a playmaker wherever he is lined up on the field is what differentiates him from the rest of Locklyn's room.

"We felt like, based on what we saw him do this year, he was lined up as a receiver a lot. He was a returner," Day said. "So he kind of gives us a little bit of that hybrid where he can line up a receiver, he can come into the backfield, he can return kicks. Haven't had a ton of those guys. Xavier Johnson was probably the guy who was probably the best comp that way. ... So guys who can do multiple job descriptions, I think their value is going to continue to increase, and I think Turbo is one of those guys.”

While it might be tough for Rogers to see significant snaps at running back in his first season in Columbus, his ability to be a game-changing returner paired with his versatility to play both running back and wide receiver increases the likelihood that Day and Brian Hartline will find a way to get him on the field, even if it is only on special teams early on.

Long-Term Impact​

With Donaldson entering his final year of eligibility, Rogers will have a chance to push for real snaps at running back in 2026. Even if Peoples and Jackson are the one-two punch a season from now, Rogers' skill set will give Ohio State incentive to find a role for him with his ability to line up in multiple spots and create mismatches.

Whether it be in the backfield, in the slot or as a returner, expect Rogers to carve out a role by his second year as a Buckeye and become an impact player in Ohio State’s offense by his third year in Columbus.

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Ohio State and Alabama Are Tied for College Football's Highest Blue-Chip Ratio For the 2025 Season​

Ohio State and Alabama are tied for the country's highest blue-chip ratio on their rosters for the 2025 college football season.

In a yearly study conducted by CBS Sports since 2013, a blue-chip ratio equates to what percentage of a team's players are composed of five- and four-star prospects. Both the Buckeyes and the Crimson Tide have a blue-chip ratio of 89 percent, meaning that 89 percent of their rosters consist of either five- or four-star recruits. Transfers are not factored into the blue-chip ratio.

Since the 2011 season, no college team has won the national championship with less than 52 percent of its roster being composed of blue-chip athletes (2016 Clemson was the lowest percentage champion at 52). Ohio State's national championship team in 2014 had a 68 percent blue-chip ratio, while last season's Buckeyes had a whopping 90 percent blue-chip ratio, the highest ever in the sport since the study's inception.

CBS Sports also conducted a blue-chip ratio with transfers factored into the equation, and the Buckeyes lead the nation with an 82 percent blue-chip ratio, followed by Alabama at 78 percent.

The complete list of teams for the 2025 season that meet the 52 percent threshold and therefore are capable of winning the national championship this season per the metric is listed below (not factoring in transfers).

• Ohio State, 89%
• Alabama, 89%
• Georgia, 84%
• Texas A&M, 82%
• Oregon, 78%
• Texas, 78%
• LSU, 73%
• Notre Dame, 73%
• Oklahoma, 70%
• Penn State, 68%
• Miami, 64%
• Florida, 64%
• Auburn, 64%
• Michigan, 57%
• USC, 57%
• Clemson, 55%
• Tennessee, 54%
• Florida State, 54%