OHSportsFan said:

UCL final going down to final extra time.

Come on PSG.

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Watched this yesterday evening in a pub in Dublin. The vast majority of locals were pulling for PSG to repeat.

No surprise, since anything British still tends to not be favored here.

It was my 4th pub of the day, including the iconic tourist trap at The Temple Bar, but I wasn’t to the point of literally ‘crawling’.

MAC adds Sacramento State as football-only member in 2026​

The MAC presidents have voted to add FCS Sacramento State into the league as a football-only member starting in 2026.

Sacramento State will join the conference starting July 1, the school announced Tuesday.

The cost of entrance is expected to be $18 million, sources said, and a deal is expected to be announced in the upcoming days. All in, the total cost of entry is expected to be $23 million, as Sacramento State would also need to pay $5 million to the NCAA to move up.

This marks a significant move for Sacramento State, as it will be the first West Coast program to make the jump to the highest level of football in well over a generation.

buckeyemania11 said:

I don't think @ Minnesota is a slam dunk for them either. They'll beat Rutgers Sparty and UCLA most likely but nothing else is going to be easy for them.

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Just sayin': WMU and UTEP could be (not real difficult) wins too

Jaxbuck said:

You know how you almost always leave a bunch of offense on the bench and it seems like they only hit when you don't start them? The baseball gods just fucking with you?

This year, my team is so fucking bad even the bench doesn't put up any offense. Think about that. They are so bad even the baseball gods are like "just leave the poor bastard alone."

This might very well be the worst fantasy baseball team ever assembled.

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May I suggest you review the current standings? 11th place is 6.5 games from 7th place. I’m 10 games back of 11th place. I should start auctioning my players off for spare parts.

Put this in the movie thread, but guess it fits here, too.

"The Mandalorian and Grogu"

Meh, it was essentially just an episode of the series stretched out over 2+ hours, and it suffers for it. Really liked the series and enjoy the characters, but this is a money grab. I think Star Wars on the big screen is done. This was the worst of the films, IMO, and if anyone knows my opinion on "The Phantom Menace", that should tell ya something. The kids did enjoy it, so there's that.

3/10 for me.

Bill Lucas said:

It's the extra socks.

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Amazing how people here forget this. And the rule that if a prospect named Rico wears Ohio State gear, he's a lock.

BuckBackHome said:

How do we feel if the Knicks win it all?

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Horrible.

Go Spurs Go.

Thelast movie I watched in the theater was Straight Outta Compton but I'm tempted to go see Backrooms

I mentioned, in Julian's thread, I have the 2025 season All-22. I'm making great use of it.

I did want to convey my main bullet point about the 2025 Offense as it relates to 2026- It felt like the opposite to their counterparts from 20 years ago. That 2005 team got better as the season wore on and saved their best ball for the last few games of the season. If not for some special teams blunders and an ill-advised turnover, they would have ending the bowl season putting up a 45 spot and 600 yards on Notre Dame.

The 2025 squad left SO much on the table it's painful. Not just the players, I'm calling out the Coaching staff as well. ( Shout out to the WR's for their lack of intensity in blocking with the running and screen game. A pick six running a stalk block? Embarrassing)

I didn't want to make it seem like I'm picking on Julian alone, so I'm going to point out the OL & the Play calling. This post is all of the stuff the players & coaches need to get away from in 2026 if this team is to contend.


The OL I got nasty with here...

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In terms of the play calling and pre-game preparation, I really have to ask where our offensive coaching staffs heads were at. The Miami defense was pretty well understood in being a 1hi dominant squad that feasted off of their weakside pressures from 2nd and 3rd levels while being aggressive on the perimeter. The Bucks early designs to attack that were RPO's to outside, playing to the aggressive CB nature. Later countering with much more lower percentage throws.

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If that wasn't enough, designing something like boundary flood off waggle just screams 'unaware'.
Twice in this game Carnell was open for what would have been a huge gain or a home-run TD. First one I put on the OL. This one I put on the coaches.





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It was just such a complete hodge podge of play calling that felt like there was no rhythm & consistency. Largely because the opening sequences and designs were so piss poor or badly executed that the coaching staff collectively lost their heads. The Canes defense was in their heads early and often.

Like I said, these are things the offensive coaching staff simply cannot afford to do moving forward. We gave no reason to back these corners off early, while at the same time making giant execution mistakes between QB, OL & WR. To the tune of 4 punts, 1 missed FG and 1INT in the Bucks first 6 possessions.

If not for an outstanding defensive effort and good fortunate, the Cotton Bowl should have been 31-7 Miami.


I'm hopeful, but I'm also bullish. Cautiously optimistic, if you will, for this upcoming season.

20 years ago, I was just a wide-eyed kid. Now I have 10s of thousands of hours poured into football. That 2006 squad, while talented, had some self-destruct button, type of flaws. I'm grateful to them, as painful as that season ended. Since then, I've only increased my command of the game, learned how to emotionally step back, widen the gaze and remove ones self for a more clear picture of the greater issue(s) at hand.

That issue boils down to me having doubts about this teams ability to contend late in the seeason unless the holy trifecta of QB, OL & Coaches find a greater application and consistency in/of their respective abilities.

Mclain
Friedl
Benson

All need to be gone asap

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Another former Ohio State standout has officially put pen to paper on his first NFL contract. Former Buckeye tight end Max Klare signed his rookie deal with the Los Angeles Rams on Friday.

The Rams selected Klare in the second round with the No. 61 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year rookie contract projected to be worth just over $8 million, including a $2.3 million signing bonus.

Better Know a Buckeye: CJ Sanna’s Rise In Just Two Years at Middle Linebacker Shows His Raw Ability and Potential​

Scouting Report​

In the middle of the Olentangy defense, Sanna showcased his football IQ, awareness, and instincts. With his ability to run downhill, he excels as a QB spy and run stopper. He uses his eyes and elusiveness to avoid opposing blockers and make plays on the ball.

Sanna made a habit of trucking opposing ballcarriers over with his strength and size in high school, but he must wrap them up more consistently as he goes against bigger and stronger players at the collegiate level.

With just two years of full-time linebacker play under his belt, Sanna has shown the ability to be a dominant playmaker in the middle of the defense while having plenty of room to learn and grow at Ohio State.

Depth Chart Outlook
Just like he was in the latter two years at Olentangy, Sanna is projected to be a Mike linebacker for Ohio State. With that, his first season as a Buckeye will certainly be a developmental one. Payton Pierce will lead the depth chart at Mike linebacker for Ohio State in 2026, while Riley Pettijohn, fellow freshman Cincere Johnson and rising sophomore Eli Lee are among the other Buckeyes who will likely be ahead of him on this year’s depth chart.

Sanna must develop well to become a future starter in the loaded linebacker room that James Laurinaitis has built, but playing for one of the best linebacker coaches in the country will give him a chance to maximize his potential and become a difference-maker for the Silver Bullets.

Player Comparison: Tommy Eichenberg​

After redshirting his first season as a Buckeye in 2019, Eichenberg received very minimal playing time in his second season in Columbus, totaling just two tackles. But he started to make a name for himself in his third year at Ohio State and became a dominant linebacker as a redshirt junior in 2022.

In his fourth season with the Buckeyes, Eichenberg notched 120 tackles (12 for loss), 2.5 sacks, an interception and three pass breakups. The 6-2, 235-pounder totaled 268 tackles (21 for loss), 2.5 sacks, two interceptions (one pick-six), five pass breakups, a forced fumble and one fumble recovery in his final three seasons at OSU. He was a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft following his fifth season with the Buckeyes.

Sanna, like Eichenberg, is an in-state linebacker prospect who was a four-star recruit. Also like Eichenberg, Sanna will likely need multiple years of development before he plays a major role for the Buckeyes. But if Sanna can continue to develop into a do-it-all middle linebacker after switching to the position before his junior season in high school, the 6-2, 230-pounder could follow a similar path as Eichenberg to eventually starring in the middle of Ohio State’s defense.

Just sayin': Here's the ugliest Ohio State helmet that I've ever seen...

Remember When: Ohio State, Not Michigan, Introduced Winged Helmets to College Football in the 1930s


Who was the first college football team to wear winged helmets? The answer might surprise you.

Nowadays, the idea of Ohio State wearing winged helmets would be considered blasphemy. Over the past 88 years, the winged helmet has become synonymous with Michigan, Ohio State’s hated rival. The only time you’ll ever see a Buckeye wear a winged helmet in modern times is during the practice week leading up to The Game, when Ohio State’s scout-teamers don maize and blue helmets and jerseys to help the Buckeyes prepare to play the team up north.

For five years in the 1930s, however, Ohio State was the team wearing winged helmets in The Game.

Sam Willaman’s Buckeyes were the first college football team to wear winged helmets when they adopted the design in 1930. Their version of the winged helmet, designed by Spalding, had more to do with safety than aesthetics; according to SpartanJerseys.com, the lighter-colored wing, placed on top of a dark-colored leather helmet, was put in place as extra padding to help protect players from collisions.


Ohio State wearing the winged helmets during a 27-0 win over Navy in 1930.

Ohio State wore the winged helmets through Francis Schmidt’s first season in 1934 – when the Buckeyes earned their first of four straight shutout wins over Michigan under Schmidt – before switching back to solid-colored helmets in 1935.

The Buckeyes weren’t the only team to wear winged helmets before the Wolverines. Indiana, Georgetown and Michigan’s other rival, Michigan State, also wore versions of the winged helmet in the early 1930s. Indiana’s winged helmet design looked similar to Michigan’s, with three white stripes running across the top of the helmet from front to back, but the direct inspiration for Michigan’s helmet design came from Princeton.

Princeton began wearing its winged helmets, with three orange stripes on a black base, during its undefeated national championship season of 1935. The Wolverines began wearing winged helmets three years later, in 1938, when Michigan hired Fritz Crisler away from Princeton to be its new head coach. Nearly nine decades later, the blue helmets with maize wings remain a staple of the Wolverines’ uniforms.

Ohio State never wore winged helmets again after the 1934 season, but the modern-day Ohio State helmets that now rank among college football’s iconic designs weren’t introduced until 1968. After Woody Hayes and athletic trainer Ernie Biggs introduced the concept of awarding Buckeye Leaf helmet stickers to players in 1967, Ohio State switched to silver helmets with a scarlet, white and black stripe in the center for the following season. The “Super Sophomores” led the 1968 Buckeyes to a 10-0 season and a national championship, and Ohio State’s now-emblematic helmet design remains nearly unchanged 58 years later.

Hurricanes choose to not touch Prince of Wales trophy after win over Canadiens​

After punching a ticket to their first Stanley Cup final in 20 years, Carolina followed Rod Brind'Amour's advice: 'Do what you want, but don't touch it'

On the brink of their first Stanley Cup since 2006, the Carolina Hurricanes did not want to tempt fate.

The Hurricanes crushed the Montreal Canadiens to win the Eastern Conference finals 4-1. Afterwards, when being presented with the Prince of Wales trophy, Carolina chose to not touch the trophy — a decision that is rife with superstition.

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Historically, the decision to not touch or touch the trophy doesn’t have much consistency in the outcome. Of the 10 teams over the past 20 years who touched the trophy, four have not won the Cup, per NHL.com.

But hockey players are incredibly superstitious, and the few success stories after not touching it are enough to make the solution clear. The Florida Panthers, who won the past two Stanley Cups, lost the final series in 2023 after touching the conference trophy, but came back to win it twice after not touching it.

And in Hurricanes’ history, in the team’s only other Eastern Conference finals win in 2002, captain Ron Francis picked up the trophy. Carolina went on to lose the 2002 Stanley Cup in five games to the Detroit Red Wings.

RB07OSU said:

Howard was about damn perfect in deciding to run or throw. He was a decent athlete, but his decisiveness was the key. I think that can be learned, so I think Julian can get that decision making skill down. Lord knows the talent is there and he's a decent enough athlete.

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RE: Julian Sayin's 77.0 completion percentage in 2025 is the best in single-season program history, is a Big Ten Record and also is third highest in FBS history (Bo Nix in 2023 at Oregon (77.4 pct.) and Mac Jones in 2020 at Alabama (77.4 pct.)).

Will Howard was a 5th year senior and had 4 years of experience at K-State under his belt when he came to Ohio State. Julian Sayin pretty much sat of the bench in 2024 as QB3 watching Howard play. In 2025 Ohio State didn't have the best OL or QB2/QB3. Besides not always having a lot of time to set up in the pocket and he was told not to run (to minimize his chances for an injury)he threw a lot of passes away just to avoid a sack. With a year of actual experience/more film watching/additional coaching I would expect him to be able to read defenses much faster and he should be able to see when he has an opportunity to run for a first down, not be hit, and just go out of bounds or take a feet first slide. He's the most accurate passer that has ever been at Ohio State, the WR room could very well be the best in the nation, and overall the RBs much are better than average. If Ohio State can fix last year's "Achilles heel" (i.e. the OL) there's a very high ceiling in what Julian Sayin should be able to accomplish in 2026.

calibuck said:

Back 'in the day', was publicized that Woody gave several of his raises to his assistant coaches. He famously said 'I've got enough, so want some to go to my assistants' or somesuch wording. Always thought that was cool. Also believe that Day/Bjork will reward those assistants who produce in recruiting talent, and how well their position group performs on the field. Script, do you have an update of the 2026 salaries for the group you can post? Would think a side-by-side year-over-year picture would be telling. Lest we forget, for the working stiffs of the world (including me), $500,000 a year isn't chump change. And, inevitably, other schools are going to try to poach these guys, especially the high performers (see above), and we'll see how Day/Bjork respond. Maybe Day would take a cut to help out? Dunno.

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Matt Patricia Becomes College Football’s Highest-Paid Coordinator With $3.75 Million Salary, Arthur Smith to Make $1.5 Million in 2026​

March 10, 2026
Matt Patricia is now the highest-paid assistant coach in college football.

After leading the nation’s top defense in his first year with the Buckeyes in 2025, Ohio State’s defensive coordinator will make $3.75 million in 2026 as part of a new three-year contract. His salary will increase to $3.85 million in 2027 and 2028, per the terms of his contract, which was obtained by Eleven Warriors on Tuesday through a public records request.

Patricia’s new contract comes after he received offers from NFL teams that were interested in hiring him as their defensive coordinator. Ultimately, Patricia decided to stay at Ohio State, and Ohio State made sure he was compensated accordingly.

“Did he have options? Yes. But I think he found a lot of joy in making an impact on these guys' lives at a different point in their lives than what he was used to in the NFL. And so we were able to work something out to keep him here,” Ryan Day said Tuesday.
“We knew that was important. The guys really enjoy working with him and learning from him.”

OHIO STATE'S 2026 ASSISTANT COACH SALARIES

New Ohio State offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will make $1.5 million in 2026 and $2 million in 2027 on a two-year contract. Wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton will make $900,000 in 2026 and $1 million in 2027 on a two-year contract. New special teams coordinator Robby Discher will make $400,000 in 2026 and $450,000 in 2027 on a two-year contract.
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In total, Ohio State will pay its assistant coaches $15.3 million in 2026, its largest assistant coach salary pool ever, after expanding its full-time coaching staff from 10 coaches to 12. That’s an increase of more than $3.5 million from 2025, when Ohio State paid its assistant coaches $11.775 million in salary, not including bonuses.

That’s in addition to the $12.5 million Ohio State will pay Day, who’s in the second year of a seven-year contract that he signed with Ohio State last year.

Ryan Day, Ohio State Agree On a New Seven-Year Contract Valued at $12.5 Million Per Year​

February 6, 2025
Ryan Day has a new contract.

Ohio State announced Thursday that Day and the school's athletic department have agreed in principle to a new seven-year contract, worth $12.5 million in total annual compensation, that will keep the head football coach in Columbus through the 2031 season. Terms of the contract, which add three years to his current agreement.

In addition to his base pay, Day will also remain eligible for a multitude of bonuses based on his team’s performance, as listed below:

• $50,000 for a team GPA of 3.0 or higher, which increases to $100,000 if GPA is 3.3+ and $150,000 if GPA is 3.5+
• $50,000 for a Big Ten Championship Game appearance, which increases to $250,000 for a Big Ten Championship Game win
• $100,000 for a College Football Playoff appearance, which increases to $250,000 for a quarterfinal appearance, $300,000 if Ohio State earns a first-round bye into the quarterfinals, $350,000 for a semifinal appearance, $500,000 for a national championship game appearance and $1 million for a national championship game win
• $50,000 for a Big Ten Coach of the Year award
• $100,000 for a national coach of the year award

Should Ohio State fire Day without cause, it would owe Day a buyout of $11.5 million per year for each remaining year on the contract, though he would be required to pursue other work and those buyout payments would be reduced by his pay in his subsequent job.

Day would owe Ohio State a $6 million buyout if he left Ohio State before Jan. 31, 2026. That buyout decreases to $4 million on Feb. 1, 2026 and by $500,000 for every subsequent year thereafter, down to $2 million if he leaves Ohio State after Feb. 1, 2030 and no buyout if he leaves Ohio State after Feb. 1, 2031.

I must say, my biography on Netflix is a must watch. Unfortunately they cut the interviews of the ladies discussing my immense penis.

calibuck said:

Hey, please clear away the fog for me. I know that there have been numerous asst coaches hired to backstop LJsr. Eventually he'll hang 'em up, and the thought was there would be an individual trained to succeed him. And those numerous asst coaches have all left to take other jobs. OK, does tOSU have someone in place? Or is it going to be find the best guy out there when he finally rides into the sunset? I've lost track.

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I’m not sure the guys under LJS are considered successors. Joe Kim by all accounts seems to be a very respected consultant and teacher of technique but from a recruitment and unit performance standpoint I have no idea.

Sorry I couldn’t be of more help, in short it doesn’t seem like it but he has teachers under him for sure.

Tomateaux Quinoa Gumbeaux said:

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Ohio State makes final top three for Big Walnut 2027 star Sydney Mobley​

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She was also named Ohio's Ms. Basketball award winner for 2025-26 after leading Big Walnut to the Division II state final four.

According to a report by The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio State was the first of Mobley's whopping 42 scholarship offers. And OSU women's basketball coach Kevin McGuff made that offer when Mobley was in the sixth grade!

As a junior, Mobley averaged 20.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists to lead the Golden Eagles (23-5). In her career, Mobley has amassed 1,508 points, 835 rebounds, 228 assists, 186 steals and 145 blocks.

"When you watch a kid work like she's worked … I've had the privilege of knowing her since she was in fourth grade, so I've seen the progression, and to see what it has progressed to, this type of award and achievement is pretty cool," Big Walnut coach Carey Largent told The Dispatch.

Mobley starred at Lewis Center Olentangy as a freshman, when she averaged 17.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals and earned first-team all-state in Division I after helping the Braves to their first district championship in 26 years.

She moved to Big Walnut for her sophomore year and led the Golden Eagles to their first state tournament with 20.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks.

As a junior, Mobley scored a career-high 38 points twice, against 2024-25 Division I state runner-up Cincinnati Princeton and Olentangy, and one-upped that with 42 points in Big Walnut's first district tournament game against Dublin Scioto.

"I just think being more aggressive offensively and knowing when to turn it on when my team needs me to really put the ball in the hole [has been key]," she said. "[Then there are] other times when it's not as necessary and I can be more of a passer.

"I really worked on my conditioning. That's always something I'm working on. Playing without fouling offensively, too. In high school basketball, I get a lot of offensive fouls just from being a bigger player, so I've definitely worked on shooting over people and not always going through people."

It's unclear when Mobley will announce her college choice. Rising seniors can sign letters of intent/scholarship papers in November.

Ex-Mets manager Bobby Valentine dons famous disguise again​

Bobby Valentine was just trying to keep things loose -- and perhaps save his job -- when he donned a makeshift disguise and returned to the New York Mets' dugout after being ejected from a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on June 9, 1999.

It turned into a defining moment, maybe the most memorable of his 40-plus years in baseball.

On the eve of his induction into the Mets Hall of Fame, Valentine reveled in that clandestine act Friday night when the former manager again wore sunglasses and a fake mustache while throwing out the ceremonial first pitch to a similarly disguised Mr. Met.

Valentine, 76, who will be honored Saturday alongside former Mets teammate Lee Mazzilli, emerged from the New York dugout and received a warm hand from a Citi Field crowd that included fans already adorned in the ballpark giveaway -- sunglasses and a fake mustache.

He moved a few steps in front of the mound and tossed a pitch to the team mascot, whose hat read: Not Mr. Met.


On the eve of his induction into the Mets Hall of Fame, former manager Bobby Valentine again wore his famous sunglasses and fake mustache disguise while throwing out the ceremonial first pitch Friday night at Citi Field.

Moments later, local children from John Lewis Childs grammar school on Long Island sang the national anthem -- with several of them wearing fake mustaches. Another group of kids in disguise pushed a button to activate the Home Run Apple beyond the center-field fence.

"Great memories for me," Valentine said through vice president of alumni public relations and team historian Jay Horwitz. "At the time I did the mustache, we were struggling and I wanted to let the guys know I was behind them."
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Before Brady Edmunds competed in the Elite 11 Finals on Friday, the California prospect opined it would be "hard" to back off his commitment to Ohio State as other teams pursue the standout signal caller.​

Speaking with him on Friday before the Elite 11 Finals, Edmunds said that things are still all good with Ohio State for now, but he's continuing to do his due diligence and explore his other options, with schools such as UCLA and Northwestern continuing to recruit Edmunds hard.

Note: The rest of the article is for "members only". I have no idea if he said anything else or not. The above paragraph is all that I could access/read.