B1G CCG: #1 tOSU vs #2 Indiana in Indy, Sat. Dec 6th, 8 ET on FOX
- By Telekinesis
- 2025 Football Season Capsule
- 2152 Replies
Urban’s quips in this video are worth the price of admission.
“We don’t”
“Just one?”
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“We don’t”
“Just one?”
Coaching changes: coaches hired and fired, comings and goings
- By ScriptOhio
- College Football
- 4514 Replies
UAB reportedly expected to hire interim Alex Mortensen, son of late Hall of Fame reporter, as full-time coach
Since Mortensen took over for Trent Dilfer on Oct. 12, the Blazers have upset a ranked opponent but also dealt with a stabbing in their own facility.
UAB reportedly expected to hire interim Alex Mortensen, son of late Hall of Fame reporter, as full-time coach
Since Mortensen took over for Trent Dilfer on Oct. 12, the Blazers have upset a ranked opponent and dealt with a stabbing in their own facilityUAB is expected to remove the interim tag from Alex Mortensen's title and name him the program's full-time head coach, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported Thursday.
Mortensen, the 40-year-old son of the late Pro Football Hall of Fame reporter Chris Mortensen, took the reins after Super Bowl-winning quarterback Trent Dilfer's two-plus-season stint as head coach came to an end on Oct. 12. At the time, the Blazers were 2-4 in Dilfer's third go-around.
Dilfer went 9-21, including an 0-15 record in road games and 5-14 in American conference competition.
Mortensen, previously the team's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, delivered a memorable league win over then-undefeated and No. 22 Memphis six days into his run as interim head coach and rounded out the season by conducting a come-from-behind victory on the road versus Tulsa.
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QB Kirk ‘Nightmare On’ Herbstreit (Frosted Quips, False Narratives Clown, Afraid of THE Lunatic Fringe)
- By CMic
- Fake or Disgraced Buckeye Alumni
- 4629 Replies
Hmmm - I thought he was saying "Shawty" all game.
Kirk Herbstreit's relentless use of 'Schotty' during 'Thursday Night Football' drove viewers insane
Kirk Herbstreit called Brian Schottenheimer "Schotty" exclusively during Lions-Cowboys, and viewers couldn't take it anymore.awfulannouncing.com
NTTAWWT
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2026 CA WR Chris Henry Jr. has signed!!!
- By ScriptOhio
- Football Recruiting
- 602 Replies
Just sayin':
1. Yeah, it's a long article; but definitely worth reading (again even if you had read it in August 2024):
www.espn.com
Three years ago, Emeka Egbuka turned to All-American wideout Garrett Wilson and put the junior on notice. "I'm coming for you!" Egbuka, then a five-star freshman receiver, told his new Ohio State teammate during conditioning drills.
Egbuka and fellow blue-chip freshman receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. had already trounced Wilson in the weight room earlier that summer. The two arrived in Columbus able to bench press 225 pounds a dozen-plus times. Wilson remained stuck testing on the 185-pound bar.
Wilson, the No. 2 overall receiver in the Class of 2019, ultimately defeated Egbuka in their race that day. Pushed by the freshmen, he also significantly improved his bench press, putting up 225 several times by year's end. Wilson went on to become the 10th pick of the New York Jets in 2022, then earned NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
"[The Buckeyes] recruit a certain type of receiver," Wilson told ESPN. "The ones that want to come to Ohio State ain't scared to go play with other five-star [receivers]. ... That says a lot about the confidence they have in their ability."
Fierce internal competition is just one element of the secret sauce that has transformed Ohio State's receiving corps into one of college football's few truly elite position groups perennially. In Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Harrison, the Buckeyes have produced a whopping four first-round picks at receiver over the past three drafts. Over that span, no college program has generated more first-round selections from the same position.
"We challenge each other. ... I think that's what's made us so elite at what we do," Egbuka said in a phone interview. "If you ever take a day off, it's going to come back to bite you. That's given us the mentality to just go hard each and every day."
Not every Ohio State receiver has become a star in Columbus. Not every receiver has finished his career with the Buckeyes, either.
Jameson Williams, an ESPN 300 signee in 2019, and Julian Fleming, the nation's No. 1 overall recruit in 2020, struggled to earn playing time in a loaded Ohio State receiving rotation and transferred elsewhere. Kamryn Babb, who spurned several SEC powers to join the Buckeyes in 2018, suffered multiple knee injuries and finished with only one career catch, a scoring grab in 2022 against Indiana. Others have become depth pieces, special teams contributors or even switched positions.
Still, Ohio State's overall success at receiver in recent years is unmatched. And the Buckeyes are primed to remain the preeminent program at receiver. Even now, Ohio State boasts a preseason All-American in Egbuka, the most exciting freshman wideout in the country in Jeremiah Smith and the nation's top-rated future signee in Chris Henry Jr., who committed to the Buckeyes last summer and is the son of former NFL wideout Chris Henry.
"You come to Ohio State, you don't automatically become a first-round pick or an NFL player," said Buckeyes co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline. "But I think we've done a really good job increasing the odds versus other schools."
Olave went one pick after Wilson in the same draft two years ago and has since become the New Orleans Saints' go-to receiver. Last year, Smith-Njigba went 20th overall and caught 63 passes as a rookie for the Seattle Seahawks. And earlier this year, the Arizona Cardinals selected Harrison with the fourth pick, making him the highest-drafted receiver in Ohio State history.
"To go to Ohio State, you've got to know there's going to be two five-stars in the room at all times," said Smith-Njigba, who once produced 347 receiving yards in the Rose Bowl to set an FBS record. "You can't be scared to compete. And I knew that if I could line up next to those guys [Wilson and Olave], be in the room with those guys, that I would be better."
Ohio State's receiving pipeline to the NFL doesn't appear to be slowing down, either. ESPN NFL draft analyst Matt Miller currently projects Egbuka to go 30th overall in next year's draft. Meanwhile, Smith's combination of size, speed and ball skills already has NFL scouts salivating.
"I don't think I've seen a receiver that young like him," Smith-Njigba said. "Jeremiah could play one year of college and be ready for the league. From what I've seen, from what I've heard, seeing him in person, watching him run routes, the videos, watching his tape -- yeah, he's a real dude. Big, fast, strong and polished. Great routes, great hands, so I mean, s---, what else? If you wanted to create a player, it would be him."
Despite Smith's vast potential, he'll still have to earn a starting role in another stacked Ohio State receiving room. The Buckeyes opened camp last week with Egbuka and Carnell Tate, who picked Ohio State over Tennessee and LSU two years ago, as their top two receivers.
"Most guys want to go and be the guy," Wilson said. "At Ohio State it's like, no, no, no -- come here and learn for a little bit and put in the work and learn how to practice, learn how to go about your business, and it will all pay off on the back end."
Wilson, among the others, credited Hartline for implementing a culture that's paying off. Hartline, who played at Ohio State and then the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns before returning to Columbus to coach in 2017, said he wanted to create a receiving room that mimicked the NFL.
"I love the peer-to-peer pressure of having to bring it every day," said Hartline, a member of four Big Ten title teams from 2005 to '08. "These guys are learning from each other. But they know, like in the NFL, you can't have an off day, or you'll get embarrassed."
The Buckeyes, like every other blueblood program, are searching for top talent. But Hartline noted he has prioritized prospects he believes will thrive under peer pressure.
"We've been all over the map ... all over the board," Hartline said. "You've got to be big enough, got to be strong enough, got to be fast enough. ... But the biggest thing is [finding] the right guys mentally, the mental makeup."
Wilson, Smith-Njigba, Harrison and Egbuka were all highly touted recruits who could have gone almost anywhere. But Olave was only a three-star prospect coming out of San Marcos, California. Head coach Ryan Day, then Ohio State's quarterbacks coach, discovered him while recruiting Olave's high school teammate Jack Tuttle, who is currently competing for the starting quarterback job at Michigan.
At 6-foot and only 160 pounds then, Olave was an afterthought in Ohio State's 2018 recruiting class. But the Buckeyes saw potential. By his sophomore year, Olave emerged as Ohio State's leading receiver, ahead of Wilson and Williams, who later transferred to Alabama and became the 12th overall pick, one spot after Olave, in the 2022 draft.
"Everybody is trying to get on the field, but you've got to beat really good players out," Olave told ESPN. "That's an attitude you've got to have ... and it just makes everyone better."
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2. Being a 5-Star RB recruit at Ohio State doesn't guarantee success; however, between 2019 and 2024, 5 out of 6 have been very successful.
24/7 5-Star WRs sign by Ohio State:
2019: Garrett Wilson
2020: Julian Fleming and Jaxon Smith-Njigba
2021: Emeka Egbuka
2022: None
2023: Carnell Tate
2024: Jeremiah Smith
2025: Quincy Porter
3. It wouldn't surprise me to see Porter and Henry be the 2 featured WRs in 2027 and 2028 (i.e. like Smith and Tate are this season); and be first round NFL draft picks in 2029.
4. With that being said it is imperative that Day hire the best WR coach available to replace Hartline and keep the moniker of WRU at Ohio State.
1. Yeah, it's a long article; but definitely worth reading (again even if you had read it in August 2024):
How Ohio State became Wide Receiver U
The Buckeyes have produced four first-round picks at receiver over the past three drafts.
How Ohio State became Wide Receiver U
Aug 7, 2024Three years ago, Emeka Egbuka turned to All-American wideout Garrett Wilson and put the junior on notice. "I'm coming for you!" Egbuka, then a five-star freshman receiver, told his new Ohio State teammate during conditioning drills.
Egbuka and fellow blue-chip freshman receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. had already trounced Wilson in the weight room earlier that summer. The two arrived in Columbus able to bench press 225 pounds a dozen-plus times. Wilson remained stuck testing on the 185-pound bar.
Wilson, the No. 2 overall receiver in the Class of 2019, ultimately defeated Egbuka in their race that day. Pushed by the freshmen, he also significantly improved his bench press, putting up 225 several times by year's end. Wilson went on to become the 10th pick of the New York Jets in 2022, then earned NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
"[The Buckeyes] recruit a certain type of receiver," Wilson told ESPN. "The ones that want to come to Ohio State ain't scared to go play with other five-star [receivers]. ... That says a lot about the confidence they have in their ability."
Fierce internal competition is just one element of the secret sauce that has transformed Ohio State's receiving corps into one of college football's few truly elite position groups perennially. In Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Harrison, the Buckeyes have produced a whopping four first-round picks at receiver over the past three drafts. Over that span, no college program has generated more first-round selections from the same position.
"We challenge each other. ... I think that's what's made us so elite at what we do," Egbuka said in a phone interview. "If you ever take a day off, it's going to come back to bite you. That's given us the mentality to just go hard each and every day."
Not every Ohio State receiver has become a star in Columbus. Not every receiver has finished his career with the Buckeyes, either.
Jameson Williams, an ESPN 300 signee in 2019, and Julian Fleming, the nation's No. 1 overall recruit in 2020, struggled to earn playing time in a loaded Ohio State receiving rotation and transferred elsewhere. Kamryn Babb, who spurned several SEC powers to join the Buckeyes in 2018, suffered multiple knee injuries and finished with only one career catch, a scoring grab in 2022 against Indiana. Others have become depth pieces, special teams contributors or even switched positions.
Still, Ohio State's overall success at receiver in recent years is unmatched. And the Buckeyes are primed to remain the preeminent program at receiver. Even now, Ohio State boasts a preseason All-American in Egbuka, the most exciting freshman wideout in the country in Jeremiah Smith and the nation's top-rated future signee in Chris Henry Jr., who committed to the Buckeyes last summer and is the son of former NFL wideout Chris Henry.
"You come to Ohio State, you don't automatically become a first-round pick or an NFL player," said Buckeyes co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline. "But I think we've done a really good job increasing the odds versus other schools."
Olave went one pick after Wilson in the same draft two years ago and has since become the New Orleans Saints' go-to receiver. Last year, Smith-Njigba went 20th overall and caught 63 passes as a rookie for the Seattle Seahawks. And earlier this year, the Arizona Cardinals selected Harrison with the fourth pick, making him the highest-drafted receiver in Ohio State history.
"To go to Ohio State, you've got to know there's going to be two five-stars in the room at all times," said Smith-Njigba, who once produced 347 receiving yards in the Rose Bowl to set an FBS record. "You can't be scared to compete. And I knew that if I could line up next to those guys [Wilson and Olave], be in the room with those guys, that I would be better."
Ohio State's receiving pipeline to the NFL doesn't appear to be slowing down, either. ESPN NFL draft analyst Matt Miller currently projects Egbuka to go 30th overall in next year's draft. Meanwhile, Smith's combination of size, speed and ball skills already has NFL scouts salivating.
"I don't think I've seen a receiver that young like him," Smith-Njigba said. "Jeremiah could play one year of college and be ready for the league. From what I've seen, from what I've heard, seeing him in person, watching him run routes, the videos, watching his tape -- yeah, he's a real dude. Big, fast, strong and polished. Great routes, great hands, so I mean, s---, what else? If you wanted to create a player, it would be him."
Despite Smith's vast potential, he'll still have to earn a starting role in another stacked Ohio State receiving room. The Buckeyes opened camp last week with Egbuka and Carnell Tate, who picked Ohio State over Tennessee and LSU two years ago, as their top two receivers.
"Most guys want to go and be the guy," Wilson said. "At Ohio State it's like, no, no, no -- come here and learn for a little bit and put in the work and learn how to practice, learn how to go about your business, and it will all pay off on the back end."
Wilson, among the others, credited Hartline for implementing a culture that's paying off. Hartline, who played at Ohio State and then the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns before returning to Columbus to coach in 2017, said he wanted to create a receiving room that mimicked the NFL.
"I love the peer-to-peer pressure of having to bring it every day," said Hartline, a member of four Big Ten title teams from 2005 to '08. "These guys are learning from each other. But they know, like in the NFL, you can't have an off day, or you'll get embarrassed."
The Buckeyes, like every other blueblood program, are searching for top talent. But Hartline noted he has prioritized prospects he believes will thrive under peer pressure.
"We've been all over the map ... all over the board," Hartline said. "You've got to be big enough, got to be strong enough, got to be fast enough. ... But the biggest thing is [finding] the right guys mentally, the mental makeup."
Wilson, Smith-Njigba, Harrison and Egbuka were all highly touted recruits who could have gone almost anywhere. But Olave was only a three-star prospect coming out of San Marcos, California. Head coach Ryan Day, then Ohio State's quarterbacks coach, discovered him while recruiting Olave's high school teammate Jack Tuttle, who is currently competing for the starting quarterback job at Michigan.
At 6-foot and only 160 pounds then, Olave was an afterthought in Ohio State's 2018 recruiting class. But the Buckeyes saw potential. By his sophomore year, Olave emerged as Ohio State's leading receiver, ahead of Wilson and Williams, who later transferred to Alabama and became the 12th overall pick, one spot after Olave, in the 2022 draft.
"Everybody is trying to get on the field, but you've got to beat really good players out," Olave told ESPN. "That's an attitude you've got to have ... and it just makes everyone better."
.
.
.
continued
2. Being a 5-Star RB recruit at Ohio State doesn't guarantee success; however, between 2019 and 2024, 5 out of 6 have been very successful.
24/7 5-Star WRs sign by Ohio State:
2019: Garrett Wilson
2020: Julian Fleming and Jaxon Smith-Njigba
2021: Emeka Egbuka
2022: None
2023: Carnell Tate
2024: Jeremiah Smith
2025: Quincy Porter
3. It wouldn't surprise me to see Porter and Henry be the 2 featured WRs in 2027 and 2028 (i.e. like Smith and Tate are this season); and be first round NFL draft picks in 2029.
4. With that being said it is imperative that Day hire the best WR coach available to replace Hartline and keep the moniker of WRU at Ohio State.
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0
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QB Kirk ‘Nightmare On’ Herbstreit (Frosted Quips, False Narratives Clown, Afraid of THE Lunatic Fringe)
- By RuGettinIt
- Fake or Disgraced Buckeye Alumni
- 4629 Replies
He and Michaels are the worst. Al told us a minimum of 5 times in the last few minutes of the half that Dallas got the ball to start the second half. We get it asshole.Comments on this story:
"I needed my emotional support earplugs."
"Kirk Herbstreit is an awful announcer. I liked it better when he simply ruined college football. Now he ruins two sports."
"Herbie" flat out sucks. He's unlistenable and ruins TNF.
Something as simple as a basic statistic he can get wrong. In the 4th quarter, Turpin made a catch and Kirk said it was his first of the night. No dummy, he made one earlier. Simply look at your stats jagoff."
Do better Prime/NFL
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B1G CCG: #1 tOSU vs #2 Indiana in Indy, Sat. Dec 6th, 8 ET on FOX
- By Telekinesis
- 2025 Football Season Capsule
- 2152 Replies
I haven’t thought about this movie in such a long time, but that’s hilarious.
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2026 CA WR Chris Henry Jr. has signed!!!
- By Jaxbuck
- Football Recruiting
- 602 Replies
I am duly chagrined for asking such a naive question.
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2026 tOSU Recruiting Discussion
- By ScriptOhio
- Football Recruiting
- 793 Replies
Press Coverage: Chris Henry Jr. Sticks with Ohio State, Completing A Strong 2026 Recruiting Class
Chris Henry Jr.’s signing keeps Ohio State on track to remain Wide Receiver U and headlines a strong 2026 recruiting class for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State’s Recruiting Class of 2026
| Pos | Name | Rating | Rank | Size | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | CHRIS HENRY JR. | ★★★★★ | #10 NATL | #1 WR | 6-5 | 205 | Mater Dei (Santa Ana, California) |
| DE | KHARY WILDER | ★★★★ | #42 NATL | #2 DL | 6-4 | 260 | Junipero Serra (Gardena, California) |
| LB | CINCERE JOHNSON | ★★★★ | #50 NATL | #3 LB | 6-3 | 222 | Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio) |
| OT | SAM GREER | ★★★★ | #51 NATL | #6 OT | 6-8 | 315 | Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio) |
| CB | JAY TIMMONS | ★★★★ | #64 NATL | #7 CB | 5-11 | 185 | Pine-Richland (Gibsonia, Pennsylvania) |
| S | BLAINE BRADFORD | ★★★★ | #71 NATL | #7 S | 6-1 | 207 | Catholic (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) |
| CB | JORDAN THOMAS | ★★★★ | #123 NATL | #15 CB | 6-1 | 185 | Bergen Catholic (Oradell, New Jersey) |
| WR | JERQUADEN GUILFORD | ★★★★ | #137 NATL | #22 WR | 6-3 | 190 | Northrop (Fort Wayne, Indiana) |
| OL | MAXWELL RILEY | ★★★★ | #171 NATL | #7 IOL | 6-5 | 280 | Avon Lake (Avon Lake, Ohio) |
| S | SIMEON CALDWELL | ★★★★ | #186 NATL | #10 LB | 6-3 | 185 | The Bolles School (Jacksonville, Florida) |
| DT | DAMARI SIMEON | ★★★★ | #194 NATL | #22 DL | 6-3 | 275 | St. Augustine Prep (Richland, New Jersey) |
| RB | FAVOUR AKIH | ★★★★ | #244 NATL | #17 RB | 6-0 | 190 | Rutherford B Hayes (Delaware, Ohio) |
| DT | EMANUEL RUFFIN | ★★★★ | #247 NATL | #29 DL | 6-4 | 295 | Bessemer City (Bessemer, Alabama) |
| LB | CJ SANNA | ★★★★ | #252 NATL| #15 LB | 6-3 | 225 | Olentangy (Lewis Center, Ohio) |
| LB | BRAXTON REMBERT | ★★★★ | #358 NATL | #22 LB | 6-5 | 200 | Mill Creek (Hoschton, Georgia) |
| DE | DRE QUINN | ★★★★ | #365 NATL | #36 EDGE | 6-4 | 228 | Buford (Buford, Georgia) |
| S | KHMARI BING | ★★★★ | #395 NATL | #35 CB | 6-0 | 190 | St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Maryland) |
| WR | JAEDEN RICKETTS | ★★★★ | #424 NATL | #62 WR | 6-0 | 187 | Watkins Memorial (Pataskala, Ohio) |
| TE | NICK LAUTAR | ★★★ | #542 NATL | #29 TE | 6-5 | 230 | Lebanon (Lebanon, Ohio) |
| S | KADEN GEBHARDT | ★★★ | #546 NATL | #44 S | 6-2 | 200 | Olentangy (Lewis Center, Ohio) |
| OL | TUCKER SMITH | ★★★ | #572 NATL | #45 IOL | 6-5 | 280 | Sandra Day O'Connor (Phoenix, Arizona) |
| DL | DARRYUS MCKINLEY | ★★★ | #601 NATL | #72 DL | 6-3 | 270 | Acadiana (Lafayette, Louisiana) |
| WR | BROCK BOYD | ★★★ | #601 NATL | #84 WR | 6-1 | 180 | Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas) |
| QB | LUKE FAHEY | ★★★ | #629 NATL | #37 QB | 6-0 | 185 | Mission Viejo (Mission Viejo, California) |
| DT | JAMIR PEREZ | ★★★ | #768 NATL | #86 DL | 6-4 | 360 | Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio) |
| OT | LANDRY BREDE | ★★★ | #858 NATL | #77 OT | 6-5 | 280 | Mentor (Mentor, Ohio) |
| OL | MASON WILHELM | ★★★ | #1002 NATL | #81 IOL | 6-4 | 285 | St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) |
| Prospect Rating Data: 247Sports Composite |
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