Not sure anyone's heard but if we intend to establish the run game we should just forfeit the game.

From what I'm told that's just not possible.

Well, I say we test that. I'm sure they're a great front 7 but the arrogance to make such an absolute statement like this...

B1G WBB Weeks 6, 7: Clark makes history, UM tops UNC, Nebraska in overtime
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

Big Ten women’s basketball returns after a short holiday break, and the conference looks to continue momentum

The Big Ten’s six days off for the Christmas holiday weekend came at an inconvenient time for the conference. In the three days leading up to the mini-break, the Big Ten played in 12 games, winning them all. Included in those wins were ranked match-ups, an NCAA record tied, and overtimes — a lot of overtimes.

Here are a few stories to bring you up to speed on what’s happening around the Midwest powerhouse.

Caitlin Clark Hits 2,000


Scoring 2,000 points in a college career isn’t a new thing, but Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark’s done it so quickly that she’s now connected to one of the best to ever play collegiately.

On Dec. 21, the Hawkeyes played a pretty nice breather of a game before some time away, defeating the Dartmouth Big Green 92-54. It was an expected result, but Clark put the game on the map, tying the record for fastest to the feat — hitting it in 75 games.


Clark’s second-quarter three-pointer matched former Delaware forward and current WNBA star Elena Della Donne. In terms of tie-breakers, Della Donne did it in the Colonial Athletic Association compared to the Big Ten, a top conference in the country.

Either way, Clark is on the national stage and continues to show why she’s a perennial contender for top player in college basketball.

Wolverines Bounce Back Against Tar Heels


In the last installment of the Land-Grant Holy Land Big Ten women’s basketball review, the Michigan Wolverines had a no-good, very bad day against the Toledo Rockets. Most Ohio State fans would love to hear that it humbled the Wolverines, but that’s not the case. Instead, the University of Michigan continues the North Carolina Tar Heels’ nightmare fuel that is playing Big Ten teams in the 2022-23 season.

Until Dec. 1, the Tar Heels had nothing to complain about. They sat at a cool 6-0, with wins over ranked Oregon Ducks and Iowa State Cyclones teams. Then the ACC/B1G Challenge happened.

UNC traveled to Bloomington, Ind., and lost to an Indiana Hoosiers team who was without their star point guard Grace Berger. It wasn’t just a loss, but a loss that showed the top of the Big Ten is strong. The Hoosiers won 87-63 after UNC scored the first seven points of the game and then not seeing a lead ever again.

On Dec. 20, UNC had a chance at redemption for their lone defeat of the season when they welcomed the Wolverines to Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Unfortunately for the Tar Heels, it was the opposite.

After again going up in the first minutes of the game, Michigan dominated. In the second quarter, they ballooned their lead to 23 points, before eventually winning by a more deceptive 76-68 in the final box score.

Michigan guards Leigha Brown and Laila Phelia led the way with 25 and 20 points, respectively. The Wolverines outshot the Tar Heels 58.6% to 36.4% in the first half, and the local side, who were technically the away side at the Jumpman Invitational, couldn’t find a way to come back.

Nebraska and Kansas Battle in 3 OTs


While the Hawkeyes and Wolverines each made headlines with lopsided wins, the Nebraska Cornhuskers took 15 extra minutes of basketball to earn a ranked win. It was against the No. 20 Kansas Jayhawks.

Nebraska started the year ranked, fell out of favor after a tough early season stretch of defeats, but continued their climb back to the collective conversation against Kansas.

Fast forwarding to the fourth quarter of their 85-79 win, the Cornhuskers let a third-quarter 11-point lead slip away. With under three minutes remaining, the Jayhawks went ahead after guard Zakiyah Franklin broke an over three-minute deadlock with a three.

It wasn’t three-point shooting guard Jaz Shelley who tied it up but center Alexis Markowski. The three was the 2021-22 B1G Freshman of the Year’s second of the night, tying the game at 58-58.

Then, with a two-point lead, 1:20 left in the game, and possession, Shelley tripped and lost the ball. That gave Kansas a fastbreak to tie the game at 60-60.

Markowski helped defensively late too. With one minute remaining, the big center made a game-changing block under the basket on an attacking Wyvette Mayberry. Markowski ended the day with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks.


Nebraska had a chance to win with 1.5 seconds on the clock, inbounding from their offensive half of the court. The play worked well, giving Nebraska’s Isabelle Bourne a chance to hit a layup under the basket, but the shot was too close to the rim, hitting off the iron and sending the game to overtime.

The scoring drought that plagued the final minute of regulation continued into the first period of extra time. Combined the two teams scored four points in the first overtime, with Kansas missing a buzzer-beating three, meaning more free basketball.

Shelley scored 10 of her 24 team-high points in overtime, but at the end of the second session, the Australian missed a chance to win it. On a quick layup attempt that didn’t give Shelley much time to react for a clean look, the buzzer sounded and one more period remained.

The Cornhuskers were done with the game at that point and outscored a then-undefeated Jayhawks side 15-9 in the third overtime.

Nebraska’s win makes them 2-2 this season against ranked opponents this season.

Way-Too-Early Standings

AP Poll


Here’s where all the conference sides stack up in the AP Poll. Changes to position noted are from Dec. 19 to Dec. 26.

3 - Ohio State (NC)
4 - Indiana Hoosiers (NC)
12 - Iowa Hawkeyes (+1)
14 - Michigan Wolverines (+5)
16 - Maryland Terrapins (-1)

Nebraska also received 10 votes but didn’t crack the top 25.

Games to Watch (non-OSU)


The conference kicks back into gear this week, creating exciting match-ups outside of the Buckeyesphere. Here are games Ohio State isn’t part of that still grab attention.

Wednesday, Dec. 28

• No. 14 Michigan Wolverines at Nebraska Cornhuskers - 7 p.m. ET

Thursday, Dec. 29

• No. 4 Indiana Hoosiers at Michigan State Spartans - 3 p.m. ET
• Purdue Boilermakers at No. 12 Iowa Hawkeyes - 9 p.m. ET

Friday, Dec. 30

• Minnesota Golden Gophers at No. 16 Maryland Terrapins - 2 p.m. ET

Sunday, Jan. 1

• Nebraska Cornhuskers at No. 4 Indiana Hoosiers - 1 p.m. ET
• No. 12 Iowa Hawkeyes at Illinois Fighting Illini - 3 p.m. ET

Happy New Year


Conference play brings a heap of great games going into 2023, but the main event is Saturday between the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes and No. 14 Michigan Wolverines. It has the potential to show that the Scarlet & Gray are different from last season’s two losses to their rivals, or that the Wolverines are for real.

Making it even better is that the Buckeyes and Wolverines play at the Covelli Center, instead of the cavernous Schottenstein Center. Which is a fantastic thing.

Plus, the 1:00 p.m. ET start time gives all Buckeye football fans ample time to attend — or at least watch at home — the No. 3 team in the country before the Scarlet & Gray play in the College Football Playoff. God bless us, everyone.

Continue reading...

MC&J: The first of this season’s New Year’s Six bowls will be played on Friday night
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


USA TODAY NETWORK

The Orange Bowl will truly live up to its name when Clemson takes on Tennessee.

Season ATS: 106-114-6 (57-65-3 National, 49-49-3 B1G — with a number of results still to be decided)

Bowls ATS: 10-9-1 (9-9-1 National, 1-0 B1G)


Instead of cramming the rest of the bowl games into one article, I figured I’d split them up, with the Thursday and Friday games in this article, and predictions for the games on Saturday and Monday in one last MC&J picks piece that will drop in the near future.

Bowl games 12/29 - 12/30


(All lines courtesy of Draftkings Sportsbook.)

Pinstripe Bowl: Syracuse v. Minnesota (-9.5) - Thursday 12/29 2:00 p.m. - ESPN

Both of these teams had their eyes on more prominent bowl games after the way they opened up their seasons. Syracuse started the season 6-0, while Minnesota opened up the year 4-0 before dropping three straight games. To the credit of the Golden Gophers, they rebounded with four wins in their final five games of the regular season.

After blowing a 21-10 lead in the fourth quarter against Clemson, Syracuse didn’t show much life the rest of the season, dropping four more games before beating a lifeless Boston College team in their final game of the regular season. The Orange will not only be without running back Sean Tucker in this game, their offensive and defensive coordinators have already left to take other jobs.

As if Syracuse wasn’t dealing with enough issues right now, they’ll have to try and slow down Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim, who ran for 1,594 yards and 19 touchdowns this year. I just don’t see that happening. The Orange show about as much pop in Yankee Stadium as the New York Yankees did in the playoffs.

Minnesota 27, Syracuse 13


Cheez-It Bowl: Oklahoma v. No. 13 Florida State (-9.5) - Thursday 12/29 5:30 p.m. - ESPN

Remember when this was a BCS National Championship Game? Never forget that Florida State’s only score of the game was a safety against the Sooners. The Seminoles should be able to score quite a few more points than they did a couple decades ago against Oklahoma. The Seminoles have scored at least 38 points in each of their last five games.

Brent Venables’ first season in Norman has been a mess. Oklahoma finished the season 6-6, marking their lowest win total since 1998 when they won just five games in John Blake’s final season as head coach. Even though the Sooners have a dynamic quarterback in Dillon Gabriel, their defense is grotesque. In a 51-48 loss in overtime to Texas Tech to end the regular season, Gabriel threw six touchdowns, but got no help from the defense.

After wondering if Mike Norvell was the right man for the Florida State job, it looks like the Seminoles are headed in the right direction. A win on Thursday would give Florida State their first 10-win season since 2016. Oklahoma’s offense won’t be quite as tough to stop in this game since running back Eric Gray has opted out of the bowl and declared for the NFL Draft. Even had Gray played, I likely would have still sided with the Seminoles here.

Florida State 44, Oklahoma 28


Alamo Bowl: No. 20 Texas (-3.5) v. No. 12 Washington - Thursday 12/29 9:00 p.m. - ESPN

Find yourself something you love doing as much as Texas loves going to the Alamo Bowl. The Longhorns will be making their third Alamo Bowl appearance in the last four years, winning in San Antonio in both 2019 and 2020. Texas will be without running back Bijan Robinson in this game, who unsurprisingly declared for the NFL Draft. Former Ohio State quarterback Quinn Ewers will try and give the coaching staff something to think about before top prospect Arch Manning arrives in Austin.

What a first season it was for Kalen DeBoer in Seattle. After coming over from Fresno State, DeBoer brought in Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr., and the Huskies finished the season at 10-2. Penix had a monster season, throwing for 4,354 yards and 29 touchdowns, setting himself up for a possible run at the Heisman Trophy in 2023. As a whole, the Washington offense averaged 521 yards per game this year.

This should be a real fun game to watch, even without Robinson on the field for Texas. Both quarterbacks are looking to make statements before the calendar turns to 2023. Even though the Longhorns have plenty of experience making the short trip to San Antonio, I just think Washington is the better team. Texas may be more talented, but the Huskies play better together. I’ll gladly take the points here.

Washington 38, Texas 34


Duke’s Mayo Bowl: Maryland v. No. 23 NC State (-1) - Friday 12/30 12:00 p.m. - ESPN

Before the season I thought NC State could be a sleeper team for a New Year’s Six bowl. Obviously that didn’t pan out. The Wolfpack were looking good after starting the season 4-0, then they lost at Clemson and Devin Leary got hurt a short time after. NC State did find a way to piece some nice wins together late in the year, beating Wake Forest and then closing out the regular season with a double overtime win against North Carolina.

Will Maryland run all over a team from the ACC in a bowl game for the second year in a row? I don’t think it’s going to be as easy this year against NC State as it was last year at Yankee Stadium against Virginia Tech. Taulia Tagovailoa won’t have many reliable targets to throw to, as Rakim Jarrett, Dontay Demus, Jacob Copeland, and CJ Dippre all won’t play in this game. The Wolfpack still have a stingy defense, which will be tough for Tagovailoa to find much success against.

NC State 24, Maryland 20


Sun Bowl: Pitt v. No. 18 UCLA (-5.5) - Friday 12/30 2:00 p.m. - CBS

This will be the second time Pitt will be making the trip to El Paso for a bowl game under Pat Narduzzi. In 2018, the Panthers fell to Stanford 14-13. Pitt enters this game having lost five of their last six bowl games, with the only win during that span coming in the 2019 Quick Lane Bowl.

The Panthers will be without key players on both sides of the football in this game. Running back Israel Abanikanda, who rushed for 1,431 yards and 20 touchdowns this year, and leading tackler SirVocea Dennis have declared for the NFL Draft, while quarterback Kedon Slovis is transferring to BYU.

Unlike Pitt, UCLA has pretty much their whole roster available for Friday’s game. Dorian Thompson-Robinson will take the snaps, and be joined by running back Zach Charbonnet and wide receiver Jake Bobo. Even though Pitt likes to pride themselves on playing gritty football, they just don’t have the horses to keep up with a UCLA offense that averaged over 500 yards per game this year.

UCLA 37, Pitt 17


Gator Bowl: No. 21 Notre Dame (-2.5) v. No. 19 South Carolina - Friday 12/30 3:30 p.m. - ESPN

Marcus Freeman’s first season as head coach of the Fighting Irish certainly hasn’t been boring. Notre Dame opened up the year with losses to Ohio State and Marshall, lost starting quarterback Tyler Buchner to injury, and then went 8-2 in their final 10 games. Following the loss to USC, Drew Pyne announced he would be hitting the transfer portal, and we’ll see Buchner back behind center against the Gamecocks.

Not that South Carolina’s season was boring, either. For most of the year Spencer Rattler was a running joke because he wasn’t doing much of anything after transferring from Oklahoma. Then Rattler and the Gamecocks finished the regular season with wins over Tennessee and Clemson, with Rattler throwing for 438 yards against the Volunteers, followed by 360 yards in the 31-30 win over their in-state rival.

Not only will Notre Dame be trying to shake some of the rust off Buchner in this game, the quarterback will be without massive target Michael Mayer, who has declared for the NFL Draft. Even though Notre Dame did get better as the year went on, South Carolina will be a little sharper in this game.

South Carolina 28, Notre Dame 24


Arizona Bowl: Ohio (-1.5) v. Wyoming - Friday 12/30 4:00 p.m. - Barstool

Barstool is a cesspool and it’s a farce they have a bowl game. This is the only bowl game I can definitively tell you that I won’t be watching this year since I can’t under any circumstances support Dork Portnoy and the rest of the trash in that company.

Ohio puts the loss to Toledo in the MAC Championship Game behind them and wins their fourth straight bowl game. I would expand on why I picked the Bobcats but I’m not going to waste your time with a game I’m not going to watch one second of.

Ohio 31, Wyoming 20


Orange Bowl: No. 6 Tennessee v. No. 7 Clemson (-5) - Friday 12/30 8:00 p.m. - ESPN

This is going to be the orangest Orange Bowl to ever orange. The only way this Orange Bowl could be any oranger is if it was sponsored by Sunkist or Crush. Can we get Orange Cassidy (all my professional wrestling peeps will get that reference) on commentary or reffing this game?

It’s too bad we didn’t have a chance to see Hendon Hooker in this game. Maybe the Tennessee quarterback would have opted out, but the decision was made for him when he was injured in the 63-38 loss to South Carolina. Hooker was outstanding this year, throwing 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Also not available for the Volunteers in this game are wide receivers Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman.

It’s not like Clemson won’t be without a few players in this game, most notably defensive end Myles Murphy. Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei has already announced he is transferring to Oregon State, leaving freshman Cade Klubnik to take the snaps. Honestly though, Klubnik has already proven to be an upgrade, leading the Tigers to an easy 39-10 victory over North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game.

I can’t take Tennessee seriously with former Michigan man Joe Milton at quarterback. Not only that, Milton won’t have Tennessee’s two best wide receivers in this game. We are going to see a lot better effort from Clemson in this game, as they work to get Klubnik even more comfortable running the offense, sending the freshman into the offseason with plenty of confidence for 2023.

Clemson 38, Tennessee 23

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

Continue reading...

Column: Who will be the ‘next man up’ in the College Football Playoff?
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Because bowl games are where stars are born.

It would be folly to say we didn’t expect Marvin Harrison Jr. to be really good when he first arrived at Ohio State. However, every player has that game that puts them on the map, and Harrison’s performance in the 2022 Rose Bowl was truly his coming out party.

Harrison had five catches for 68 yards and zero touchdowns in three 2021 regular season games. Then he had six catches for 71 yards and three incredible acrobatic scores against Utah to give Ohio State the win in the Granddaddy of Them All.

We had high expectations for Harrison in 2022 and he’s certainly lived up to them. But it begs the obvious question: Who will be the ‘next man up’ in the College Football Playoff? The good news is we have some options.

Why no defensive players, you might ask? Well, the future of the Ohio State defense has already made itself known this season. Looking at you, J.T. Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer and Michael Hall.

Jayden Ballard

Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images

Ballard might be the most parallel comparison to Harrison when we consider where Harrison was this time last year. The redshirt freshman has eight catches for 155 yards and one touchdown this season with action in four games. Notably, four of those catches (and 113 of those yards and his single touchdown) all came against Toledo earlier this season.

Ballard is also behind Harrison on the depth chart. Harrison has a couple inches on the 6-foot-2 Ballard, but the more junior receiver also has hints of the hands and speed that have made Harrison so exciting to watch this season.

Gee Scott Jr.

Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Like Ballard, Scott came to Ohio State as a four-star receiver, but Scott has had another season to develop under the tutelage of the star receivers who came before him in Columbus. He’s also moving over to the tight end spot — one that Ohio State is incorporating more and more. Scott has five catches for 28 yards and a score this season. He saw similar numbers in 2021, when the rotation was so deep that it was impressive Scott managed five catches.

As C.J. Stroud will be looking for more outlets Saturday, Scott could be the mid-range target he needs in third-down situations.

Chip Trayanum

Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images

Of course there’s going to be a running back on this list, and of course it’s not going to be freshman Dallan Hayden, who’s already had three 100-yard games this season. Enter: Chip Trayanum, who’s listed at second on the depth chart behind Miyan Williams and who might just be the Trey Sermon of 2022.

Like Sermon, Trayanum came to Columbus as a transfer from Arizona State, though the younger back has more eligibility remaining. Though he came to Columbus to move back to linebacker, the needs of the many outweighed that pull and, alas, the transfer found himself lining up on offense for the first time against Iowa. Trayanum had 83 yards against Michigan which is certainly respectable against one of the top rushing defenses in the nation.

He’ll need another strong performance against the top rushing defense in the nation come Saturday.

Continue reading...

Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for December 28, 2022
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.

Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.

Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.

You’re welcome!

For your Earholes...


Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio

On the Gridiron


Ohio State’s Miyan Williams ‘under the weather’ but Buckeye running backs ‘at full force’ for CFB Playoff
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Buckeyes keeping same game-week routine amid busy bowl experience schedule
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Chip Trayanum hopes to stick at running back for Ohio State
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch

What are the injury situations for Georgia, Ohio State ahead of the Peach Bowl?
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land


Key Takeaways for Buckeyes offense ahead of Peach Bowl (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes

Ohio State Not Putting Much Stock in LSU’s Passing Success Against Georgia: “That Wasn’t Necessarily the Formula to Win the Game”
Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors

Busy Kevin Wilson is keeping focus on Ohio State before College Football Playoff run
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts


Ohio State coach Ryan Day identifies Georgia defense’s strength entering College Football Playoff’s Peach Bowl
Will Backus, 247Sports

‘You feel those guys on tape’: Buckeyes strapped in for fight with Georgia defensive line (paywall)
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row

Georgia D, Ohio State O set for a meeting years in the making (paywall)
Seth Emerson, The Athletic


Ohio State chasing championship, not perfection, in Peach Bowl (paywall)
Jeremy Birmingham, Dotting the Eyes

Stroud on task facing Georgia in Peach Bowl: ‘We have to play Buckeye football’
Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts

Ryan Day talks slowing down Georgia’s rushing attack
Kevin Flaherty, 247Sports


Changing of bowl seasons: Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr. went from future to leaders of Zone Six (paywall)
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row

We’ll talk about this later: They are who we thought they were (Bills fans, that is)
Meredith Hein, Land-Grant Holy Land

On the Hardwood


Chris Holtmann and Sean McNeil Reflect on Ohio State’s Start to 2022-23 Season, Preview Alabama A&M Matchup
Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors

Eugene Brown III will be available to play against Alabama A&M
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row

If you screw this up for us, Southwest, I’m never flying you again.


Brice Sensabaugh Wins Second Straight Big Ten Freshman of the Week Honor
Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors

Outside the Shoe and Schott


You’re Nuts: What is your new year’s resolution for any Ohio State team?
Brett Ludwiczak and Meredith Hein, Land-Grant Holy Land

And now for something completely different...


What an unmitigated disaster...


Continue reading...

Game Preview: No. 3 Ohio State travels to Northwestern
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ben Cole - Land-Grant Holy Land

Buckeyes women’s basketball resumes conference play, which will continue on through March Madness.

Wednesday, the Ohio State Buckeyes women’s basketball returns to conference play. On the schedule are the Northwestern Wildcats (6-5). In the first of two matchups of the season, the Buckeyes take on a Wildcats team without three-time B1G Defensive Player of the Year Veronica Burton, who left for the Dallas Wings of the WNBA.

For the Scarlet & Gray, they have their own issues to contend with, including playing with their third different starting point guard of the season and trying not to look ahead to New Year’s Eve.

Preview


Before the Christmas holiday weekend, the Ohio State Buckeyes had an up and down two days at the San Diego Invitational. Up because they beat a tough USF Bulls team in overtime and handled the No. 16 Oregon Ducks with relative ease. The down? Losing point guard Madison Greene to an apparent knee injury.

After sustaining the injury in the fourth quarter of the Dec. 20 win against USF, Greene didn't play the next day. Instead, veteran redshirt junior Rikki Harris came in and delivered. Literally.

Harris had eight assists in the first half, leading to a 54-37 first half lead. That production playing point guard for the first time in the starting lineup since high school. The guard from Indianapolis, Indiana isn’t a stranger to stepping into spots opened through injury though.

Last season, Harris jumped into the starting five after starting point guard Kateri Poole sustained an injury in Jan. 2022 that had head coach Kevin McGuff slide guard Jacy Sheldon into the facilitator role. Harris started through the end of the season.

This season, Harris took more of a “veteran off the bench” role, like forward Tanaya Beacham last season. Within 24 hours though, she slid into a role vacated by Greene and Sheldon, who’s nursing a lower leg injury.

Wednesday’s game against the Wildcats gives Harris a chance to get more practice under her belt at the position.

Missing guards Sheldon and Greene is tough. No team wants to go down their two starting point guards, but another gap it creates is in on-court experience. This season, when the Buckeyes needed a stable presence, it was Harris playing alongside either Greene or Sheldon who calmed the team down.

Now, that same caliber of veteran presence is gone — until Sheldon returns, putting Harris back as a sixth player. Fortunately for the Scarlet & Gray, they might not need it on Wednesday.

Northwestern is not a bad team, but this season they’ve struggled against top opponents. The Wildcats faced the Oregon Ducks on Nov. 7, tipping off the season, and lost 100-57. Against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish it was only slightly better, losing 92-58.

The Wildcats aren’t necessarily a bad team, but they’re a team undergoing changes. Burton’s absence is the largest, but stepping in on defensive duty is forward Caileigh Walsh. The 6-foot-3 sophomore’s come on strong this year, after working her way into the starting lineup last season.

Walsh leads the Wildcats with 13.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. She also has 17 blocks in 11 starts, good for fourth in the conference with a 1.5 blocks per game average.


Caileigh Walsh (10) provides presence in the paint in Wednesday’s game against the Buckeyes

At the San Diego Invitational, Ohio State had trouble against the bigs from USF and Oregon, with Bulls center Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu scoring 34 points and adding 17 rebounds. Although the Scarlet & Gray held Oregon’s Phillipina Kyei to no points scored the next night, the 6-foot-8 Canadian still grabbed 10 rebounds, making presence in the paint something to watch for Ohio State.

Also, even though those score lines from early in the season look bad, the team of eight underclassmen are starting to gel. Even though they’ve lost to the likes of the Michigan Wolverines and Duke Blue Devils, they’ve stayed in games longer and kept games closer.

Projected Lineups

Lineup Notes

• Forward Cotie McMahon’s moved her points per game average up to 11.5 over the past three weeks, highlighted by her 30-point performance against USF.
• Forward Taylor Thierry still leads the NCAA with a field goal percentage of 73% and has raised her freshman 2.9 ppg average up to 12.6 ppg this year.
• Five different Buckeyes have led the scoring for Ohio State so far this season.

Lineup Notes

• Point guard Kaylah Rainey sits 12th in the conference in assists.
• Northwestern is last in the B1G in threes made this season, hitting only 51 in 11 games.
• The Wildcats average the third most turnovers in the Big Ten, allowing 18.1 per game.

Prediction


The Buckeyes and the Wildcats shouldn’t be a game Ohio State loses, but with Michigan looming three days later, it wouldn’t be a shock to see a slow first half. Ohio State’s entered games against teams they are heavily favored to beat with less energy than coach McGuff’s liked. Northwestern has that kind of performance written all over it.

Even so, the scoring and defense is there to make it a tough 40 minutes for the Wildcats.

How to Watch


Date: Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Where: Welsh-Ryan Arena - Evanston, Illinois
Television: Big Ten Network
Stream: FOX Sports with Big Ten Network subscription

LGHL Prediction: 88-64 Ohio State Buckeyes

Cotie McMahon Goes Back-to-Back-to-Back


The Ohio State Buckeyes needed a hero against USF in the San Diego Invitational, and got it with freshman Cotie McMahon. McMahon scored a career-high 30 points against the Bulls. Beyond that, McMahon’s been the Buckeyes’ catalyst to start games with high energy and playing a key role in the Scarlet & Gray’s defensive press.

After an inconsistent start to the season, McMahon’s coming into her own quickly in her first collegiate season.

Continue reading...

Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: Previewing College Football Playoff against Georgia
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Brooke LaValley/Columbus Dispatc / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Buckeyes will take on the nation’s No. 1 team on New Year’s Eve.

The latest episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s flagship podcast ‘Hangout in the Holy Land’ is here! Join LGHL’s co-managing editor Gene Ross alongside his co-host Josh Dooley as they cover everything from football to basketball to recruiting and more!

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio


The Holy Land boys are back with their first game preview episode in nearly five weeks! The time has finally come, as Ohio State will take the field for the first time since the loss to Michigan. In their way are the Georgia Bulldogs — the defending national champions and the No. 1 team in the country. Gene and Josh are here to break down Kirby Smart’s 2022 roster and how they match up with this year’s Buckeyes. What will it take for Ohio State to pull off the upset?

“Hangout in the Holy Land” will be posting two episodes per week during the regular season, with an episode before and after each Ohio State game to give you all the preview and recap content you may need. Be sure to download and listen in wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple to let us know your thoughts and how we can make things even better!

You can also follow us on Twitter @HolyLandPod, where we will want to hear from you guys even more! If there’s anything you’d like us to talk about on the show, @ us and let us know!

As always, Go Bucks.


Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @HolyLandPod

Connect with Gene:
Twitter: @Gene_Ross23

Connect with Josh
Twitter: @jdooleybuckeye

Continue reading...

Four-star athlete from Tennessee includes Ohio State as a top school
Bret Favachio via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Boo Carter | 247Sports

The Buckeyes remain a real threat for one of Tennessee’s top prospects in next years class.

Ohio State found themselves as a finalist for yet another blue-chip prospect on Tuesday, just 24 hours after a highly-coveted tight end did so. Plus, one transfer portal option for the Buckeyes came off the board to an SEC powerhouse.

Carter reveals top group


Fresh off of making the top three for tight end Christian Bentancur on Monday night, the Buckeyes found themselves in another top group on Tuesday. Narrowing down his list last night was 2024 four-star athlete Boo Carter of Brainerd (TN) and Ohio State was among the programs that remain an option for the Chattanooga native.


Carter trimmed down his list of over 30 scholarship opportunities and will now focus on the likes of Colorado, Michigan, Oregon, Tennessee, and of course the Buckeyes as potential options for him at the next level. The 247Sports Crystal Ball currently reads that the Volunteers are the team in the best position to land the in-state talent, but Ohio State was able to bring in the 5-foot-10, 184-pounder for a visit last month.

In a brief discussion with Chad Simmons of On3, Carter broke down his feelings on the handful of schools that remain in play and had this to say about the Buckeyes

“I have taken two visits to Ohio State and I have felt at home. Me and coach Alford have already had some great talks and he makes me feel comfortable. Ohio State likes me as a running back and they have had some great players come through there. I really liked the game-day atmosphere, the fans and the love the fans show the players. There is something about the feeling I had when I visited Ohio State. It is different.”

While Carter is listed as an athlete, he is a player that could play in the offensive or defensive side of the ball at the collegiate level. The Tennessee standout is being pursued by some as a running back while others are hoping to welcome his services to their respective defensive back room.

Carter currently slots in as a Top 300 prospect overall in next years cycle as he stands at No. 268 overall in the 247Sports Composite Rankings. The versatile prospect from the volunteer state is also penciled in as the 32nd highest graded athlete in the class and is the fifth best player from the state of Tennessee.

Buckeyes miss out on transfer TE


As expected, Ohio State came up empty handed in their pursuit of Maryland transfer tight end CJ Dippre, as the Pennsylvanian native announced his pledge to Alabama on Tuesday.


The Buckeyes were able to get the former Terrapin on campus for a visit but it never felt as if they were a serious contender and were likely more of just a hat on the table. With Dippre no longer an option, it is unclear if Ohio State will make a play for any other players at the position in the transfer portal but would obviously be unsurprising if they did.

Dippre will head to Tuscaloosa with a resume that features 33 receptions for 339 yards and 3 yards touchdowns over two seasons in College Park. The 6-foot-5, 260-pounder was a former three-star recruit that originally chose Maryland over offers from Boston College, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Temple, Virginia, and more.

Quick Hits

• 2024 three-star center Raleigh Burgess of Sycamore (OH) was named MVP in game two of the Holiday Hardwood Classic against Milford High School. The 6-foot-10, 205-pounder, who already holds an offer from Ohio State, finished with 20 points in the 59-45 win.

Continue reading...

mendensa said:

I keep seeing all these WR and TE offers go out..... where are the offers to all these stud 4 and 5* kids in the trenches? We need some OT's.

Click to expand...

Amen!

ScriptOhio said:

Doss Honorary Captain

Michael Doss, the three-time All-American safety from Canton, Ohio, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame earlier this month, will be Ohio State’s honorary captain for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Doss is the 27th Ohio State player to be enshrined into the Hall of Fame.

Entire article: https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/ohio-state-cfp-prep-moves-to-atlanta-mercedes-benz-stadium/

Click to expand...

Fuck that, suit him up! We need someone to nail the TEs early on so they alligator arm it the rest of the game!

I-70 Football Podcast: Big Ten recruiting, College Football Playoff semi-final previews
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

In this episode, we take a look at how each team’s recruiting class looks and preview the college football playoff semi-finals.

Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s I-70 podcast. On this show, we talk about all things Big Ten football and basketball. After every week of action, we will get you caught up on all the conference’s games and look ahead at the matchups, storylines, and players that you should be paying attention to in the next week. My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host Dante Morgan.

Listen to the episode and subscribe:


Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! The guys are back after spending the holidays with family to discuss Big Ten football. In between episodes the early signing period has come and gone and the future of the Big Ten is set, aside from a few transfers and some late signings. Ohio State’s reign in recruiting continues, it hasn’t translated on the field against Michigan but they continue to be the best recruiting program in the conference and one of the best in the nation.

Seeing that these 2023 recruits will most likely see most if not all of their playing time as members of the Big Ten we included USC and UCLA in this conversation. Penn State, USC, Michigan, and Michigan State round out the top five. There should be no surprises with that list, besides USC coming in at 15th in the country, behind Penn State at 14. This will probably be the lowest USC ends up in the Lincoln Riley era.

Transitioning back to on-field football Jordan and Dante preview the two college football playoff semi-final games. Starting with Ohio State vs. Georgia, the guys give Ohio State a 35% chance to upset Georgia. On paper Ohio State is pretty equal to Georgia, they both recruit at a high level and the Buckeyes have some clear advantages over the Bulldogs at quarterback and wide receiver.

Regardless, the game is won on the margins and Georgia has the better head coach, better strength and conditioning staff, and game plans around their player’s strengths better. Ryan Day will need to coach the best game of his career to put his team in a position to upset the reigning national champions. This game has a chance to be the best semi-final game in the four-team playoff era.

Michigan is the popular choice to beat TCU and make the national championship. Many people in the country are not giving TCU a real shot thinking that Michigan will steamroll them. Jordan disagrees with that assumption giving TCU a 45% chance to upset the Wolverines. TCU will be the toughest team mentally that Michigan has faced, their strategy of leaning on teams and throwing body punches until they quit won’t work against TCU.

Led by Max Duggan, TCU has fought back all season refusing to give up. If it comes down to Duggan vs. McCarthy we’re taking Duggan 100% of the time. Michigan has the physical advantage and they are the best team in the Big Ten, their winning won’t be a surprise but don’t count out the Horned Frogs.

In their pitstops, Jordan talks about the success of Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave in their rookie seasons. In the NFL, it is rare for rookie wide receivers to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards. Barring injury, both players will reach 1k yards and one will most likely win offensive rookie of the year. Dante complains about the NBA games played on Christmas. The games were far from interesting this year with player injuries and blowouts.


Connect with us on Twitter:

Jordan: @JordanW330
Dante: @DanteM10216

Continue reading...

What are the injury situations for Georgia, Ohio State ahead of the Peach Bowl?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Brooke LaValley / USA TODAY NETWORK

Miyan Williams is apparently sick today, but otherwise should be as close to 100% as he has been in a while.

By the time the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes and the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs take to the field in Atlanta for the Peach Bowl, it will have been 35 days since OSU last played a football game and 28 for the Dawgs. During that time period, both teams have had an opportunity to get guys healthy so that they are entering the College Football Playoff as close to 100% as humanly possible.

Of course, since college football coaches are paranoid and refuse to share any information whatsoever that they don't absolutely have to, we don’t really know what’s going on in the injury department, but let’s take a look at what we know from each team.

At this point, all of the injuries have likely been baked into the odds and, unless something major happens between now and Saturday, the lines won’t change too dramatically. Currently, DraftKings Sportsbook has the Buckeyes as 6.5-point underdogs with a 62.5-point over/under line.

Georgia Injury Situation


Even though the Bulldogs routed LSU in the SEC Championship Game, two starters had to leave the contest due to injuries. The team’s No. 1 wide receiver Ladd McConkey left the game with an apparent knee injury. Of course, for the UGA offense, being the No. 1 WR doesn’t mean that you are the No. 1 pass catcher. While McConkey has 51 receptions for 675 yards and five scores, he is behind tight end Brock Bowers in all three of those categories (although just by a single reception).

The other noteworthy injury from the SEC title Game was to right offensive tackle Warren McClendon who reportedly sustained an “upper-leg injury” during the game. McClendon has started 37 consecutive games for the Bulldogs.

During his media availability on Monday, UGA head coach Kirby Smart declined to provide any specific status updates on either player, opting instead to keep it vague... something that Buckeye fans are very familiar with from Ryan Day.

“We’re excited to get those guys hopefully back,” Smart said, “and we’ll see how they do this week.”

Certainly not a full-throated declaration that both will be playing, but not ruling them out completely either. so instead of having any clarity on the situation, we — along with the Ohio State team — are left having to wait and see what the situation will be for both players on Saturday.

While losing any starter is less than desirable, these won’t likely be death blows for the UGA offense, even if both are out. While McConkey is the team’s leading wide receiver, as I mentioned before, Bowers is their primary receiving weapon and running back Kenny McIntosh is the team’s third-leading receiver. So the WR passing game is not exactly at the center of the Dawgs’ offensive attack.

As far as McClendon goes, while he has started every game for practically three seasons, on depth charts, Georgia lists him as a co-starter with sophomore Amarius Mims. While the veteran has gotten the nod, clearly the coaching staff sees something from Mims, meaning that with nearly a month to prep, should he be called upon in the Peach Bowl, Buckeye fans shouldn’t expect a major decline in protection.

Earlier in the month, Smart said that the pair was getting some work in, but hadn’t really rejoined the team on the practice field.

“I don’t know when exactly we’ll get those guys back,” Smart said. “They’re not practicing with us right now, but they’re conditioning. They’re going and moving around, but they’re not practicing just yet.”

Whether they have fully gotten back into the flow of practices is not yet fully known. There is at least one other Georgia injury worth noting, but it isn’t anything new. The Bulldogs lost linebacker Nolan Smith in the team’s 42-20 win over Florida in late October. The defensive leader tore his pectoral muscle and underwent season-ending surgery to repair it. At the time, Smith had 18 tackles — seven for loss, including three sacks, which was the team lead at the time.

Though the defense has responded since Smith’s departure, and Jalen Carter is unquestionably the star of the unit, losing a player who was considered a first-round draft pick had he stayed healthy is always difficult to replace.

Ohio State Injury Situation


As we have chronicled throughout the season, the injury bug has bitten the Buckeyes in the butt at nearly every turn. From week to week, one was never sure who was going to be active and who wasn’t; which running back would be carrying the rock, and which one would be in a walking boot; which cornerback would be on the sideline with a strained hammy, and which one would be on the field with a cast on his hand.

If there is any silver lining to the Buckeyes losing to Michigan on Nov. 26 (and it is difficult for me to even wrap my head around there being a positive out of that) it is that they got an extra week to get healthy without having to risk anyone else getting beaten up in the Big Ten Championship Game.

There has been precious little said about the Buckeye cornerbacks in terms of their health recently, so we’re hoping that no news is good news. If OSU can roll out a healthy Cam Brown, Jordan Hancock, and Denzel Burke, that would be a huge positive for the team. Even though UGA’s wide receivers are not likely to light the world on fire, that is mostly because of the style of offense, rather than their athletic abilities. But, if Ohio State’s CBs can play them one on one, that will open up safeties to cover the tight ends and running backs who are even more likely to catch balls for the Dawgs.

But in terms of specifics, it sounds like both offensive guard Matt Jones and running back Miyan Williams are nearing 100%, although Williams missed a media availability on Tuesday due to illness. Given his injury issues this season, I’m just glad if he had to get sick that it was early in the week and not later.

OSU out-going offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said that Jones has been practicing for the past two weeks after dealing with a severely sprained ankle that kept him out of the regular-season finale against the Wolverines. so while Josh Fryar and Enokk Vimahi could likely go if necessary, it sounds like Jones will be back in the starting rotation.

In terms of Williams’ health, quarterback C.J. Stroud said that the RB is looking more like his old self in practice lately, which should be good news for the offensive; having a legitimate running threat to balance out the pass-first attack should hopefully keep the Georgia defense at least a little bit on its toes.

Of course, the biggest injury news for Ohio State since the end of the regular season was getting official confirmation that neither Jaxon Smith-Njigba nor TreVeyon Henderson would be playing in the game. JSN has been hampered with a nagging hamstring injury that has reemerged as an issue every time he attempted to play this season, and Henderson has undergone surgery on his foot.

Obviously having two of the most talented players in the country at their positions would have been a major boon for the Buckeyes as they head into the CFP, they have primarily played all season without Smith-Njigba, and Henderson (like Williams) has been in and out of the lineup so much, that I’m not sure that the offense was ever able to solidify a singular running identity with either back. So, perhaps it is better that they know for sure who their starting running back is (unless Woody forbid something else happens) so that a game plan can be built around what Miyan brings to the table.

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

Continue reading...

You’re Nuts: What is your new year’s resolution for any Ohio State team?
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.

New year, new me; it’s resolution time! As we enter 2023, we’re probably all thinking of goals we want to achieve this year. Some of the most common resolutions include living healthier, personal improvement, weight loss, career goals and financial goals, and we probably have our own methods of trying to achieve them.

However, since we’re us, Brett and Meredith also thought through resolutions they have for Ohio State and what we’d like them to achieve this year. And while most people give up on their New Year’s resolutions by February. But Brett and Meredith are hoping Ohio State can keep them up longer — at least through March.

Today’s question: What is your new year’s resolution for any Ohio State team?

We’d love to hear your choices. Either respond to us on Twitter at @Landgrant33 or leave your choice in the comments.

Brett’s answer: For the Ohio State men’s basketball team to stop losing on the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament


The last time the Ohio State men’s basketball team made it out of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament was back in 2013, when they lost in the Elite Eight to Wichita State. Since then, the Buckeyes have made the NCAA Tournament six times, losing in their first game twice, and in the second round four times.

The lack of a Sweet Sixteen appearance has some Ohio State fans questioning if Chris Holtmann is the right man for the job despite Holtmann winning at least 20 games in each of his first five seasons in Columbus. Even though Ohio State looks like they’ll be headed towards another 20-win season, I’ve already seen people assuming the Buckeyes will waste this season and get bounced early in March.

I love March Madness, whether Ohio State makes a run in the tournament or not. Buckeye Nation is due to see the shootyhoops team threaten to make a Final Four. Plus, this team has a great mix of players that could do some damage in the tournament. Not only are Zed Key and Justice Sueing fun to watch when they are on, Holtmann has brought in a couple talented freshmen in Brice Sensabaugh and Bruce Thornton.

It feels like a bit of a must to make a deeper journey into the tourney this year, since Sensabaugh is looking like he could be a one-and-done player, and the Buckeyes already wasted the little bit of time they had Malaki Branham last year.

While I’ve been a Holtmann defender over the last few years — since it’s hard to think of a realistic replacement that would be better than the Ohio State head coach — my position would undoubtedly change if we got another season that ended with an early NCAA Tournament exit.

Meredith’s answer: For the Ohio State women’s basketball team to make a Final Four


I’m also going to stick with hoops and resolve for a Final Four appearance from the Ohio State women’s basketball team. In a time when it feels like parity is finally coming into play for women’s hoops, Kevin McGuff has had the Buckeyes well-positioned for a run in recent years. This year could be the time they break it open.

A good resolution follows SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely) goal setting practices. A Final Four run for the women’s team would be a natural extension of last year’s success, which saw the Buckeyes’ first Sweet Sixteen appearance since 2017. They also won the Big Ten regular season in 2022.

Speaking of which, the Big Ten is on the rise on the national stage when it comes to women’s hoops. Though perennial powers like South Carolina, Stanford and UConn remain teams to beat, undefeated Ohio State remains No. 3 in the AP Poll this week, just ahead of Indiana. Iowa, Michigan and Maryland are also contenders for a conference title.

Ohio State hasn’t made a Final Four since 1993, which feels like the Golden Age of Ohio State women’s basketball, but they have all the pieces to be able to make a run this season. Six players, including a healthy mix of new faces and veterans, are averaging in double figures as the team enters the meat of conference play.

Continue reading...

We’ll talk about this later: They are who we thought they were (Bills fans, that is)
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images

Your dose of lighthearted takes from this week’s happenings.

Each week, we’ll break down something that happened during the Ohio State game (and occasionally other games and events) that we’ll be talking about for a while—you know, the silly sideline interactions, the awful announcing and the weird storylines that stick with us for years to come. We’ll also compare each of these happenings to memorable moments in pop culture, because who doesn’t love a good Office reference?

Hoping you all had a very Merry Christmas! Amid the gifts this weekend brought us were a host of NFL games starting on Christmas Eve, including the Buffalo Bills traveling to Chicago to take on the Bears.

Saturday was famously chilly in the Windy City. As dangerous weather crossed the nation, the story of the NFL weekend quickly became the sub-zero temperatures and wind chills that would set the stage for the day’s matchups.


For my part, Christmas Eve morning found me at brunch with my husband ahead of the matinee performance of The Nutcracker here in Chicago. It was interesting enough that the Joffrey Ballet’s interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s most well known work included scenes from the 1892 World’s Fair — which happened to feature a vignette of “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show” on the day the modern football Bills were visiting the city.

As we traversed perhaps 100 yards from our parking spot to brunch, I feared my excessive outerwear would not be enough to sustain me and I would end up frozen like Anna at the crescendo of Frozen.


Thawing indoors, I glanced outside the window to see a Bills fan clearly moving toward a tailgate. Wearing a hoodie and jeans, he carried in his ungloved hands an unopened pack of hand warmers, a bottle of Bulleit and a Diet Coke.

When I imagine the mythical Buffalo fan, this dude — outside, rawdogging it on a -10 degree morning while walking much more than 100 yards — was exactly it. Like Dennis Green famously said of the Chicago Bears, they are what we thought they were.


When it came to the game itself, of course Buffalo was prepared to handle a struggling Bears squad whatever the weather. And also deal with the snow when they got back home.


Continue reading...

TenYearBore said:

Honestly like this pick up for them. I'm not saying Card is a stud, but he brings enough talent to the table, and assuming the Boilermakers don't change too much on offense, I can see him fitting in real well there. The West might be less of a tire-fire this year, but I could still see Purdue coming out on top if Card continues to be a guy who distributes to the open man and doesn't turn the ball over.

Click to expand...

That is what I was thinking, seems like a great fit for both sides. When I watched Card this season, he looked pretty good and made a bunch of plays after Ewers got hurt. Good landing spot for him imo.

"Here's how you lost."

Yeah, we know.

Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for December 27, 2022
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.

Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.

Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.

You’re welcome!

For your Earholes...


Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio

On the Gridiron


Ryan Day full transcript/video during Buckeyes’ first full day in Atlanta
Dave Biddle, Bucknuts

Key Takeaways as Buckeyes arrive, start practice at Peach Bowl (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes

Ryan Day talks slowing down Georgia’s rushing attack
Kevin Flaherty, 247Sports

Presser Bullets: Ryan Day Previews the Peach Bowl as Ohio State Arrives in Atlanta for CFP Semifinal Matchup with Georgia
Chase Brown, Eleven Warriors

Peach Bowl Film Preview: Georgia’s defensive line is elite, Ohio State’s offensive line performance will tell story of the game
Chris Renne, Land-Grant Holy Land

#BusinessTrip


Reenergized Ohio State preparing for Georgia with urgency, physicality
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row

Ohio State, Georgia have to keep focus on College Football Playoff among Peach Bowl activities
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Ohio State Embracing Notion that “Not a Lot of People Give Us a Chance” to Beat Georgia as Peach Bowl Prep Resumes in Atlanta
Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors

Are the Buckeyes healthy enough at running back to challenge Georgia in CFP? (paywall)
Cameron Teague Robinson, The Athletic

Give me a healthy Miyan Williams, or give me death (not literally, but probably the death of the OSU football season):


Ohio State’s Michael Hall Jr. is ‘anxious’ to play healthy vs. Georgia, could be X-factor in CFB Playoff
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Cade Stover Will “Never Admit” the Extent to Which Injuries Hampered His Performance Against Michigan
Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors

Georgia’s defense back to basics to prepare for Ohio State football’s unique threat in Peach Bowl
Nathan Baird, cleveland.com

Kirby Smart says C.J. Stroud has ‘become a complete quarterback’ at Ohio State
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row

On the Hardwood


Buckeyes expecting Eugene Brown III back soon: ‘I know our team needs him’
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row

Would be really nice to have him back in Columbus this year, but Malaki is cooking in the league!

And now for something completely different...


What is this monstrosity?


Continue reading...

Order your limited edition Brutus Buckeye College Football Playoff bobblehead today!
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



You could get one for the other teams in the CFP if you want to, but clearly one of them is far more lame than the others.

Buckeye Nation, it is officially Peach Bowl Week, and this week between Christmas and the start of the College Football Playoff is going to be crazy, so, if you tend to partake in a little retail therapy to soothe your frazzled nerves, we’ve got just the thing for you.

Our fine friends at FOCO have just released new, limited-edition bobbleheads for the four teams competing in the CFP on Saturday; of course, since one of the four teams in the final four is arrogant and doesn’t have a mascot, their representative bobblehead is significantly more lame than the rest, because it just has to feature a nameless, faceless player... but I digress.



The Ohio State-specific bobblehead features an eight-inch Brutus on a scarlet and gray decorated football field in front of the words “CFP Bound.” The playoff logo and year mark the special occasion for the team and make this a must-have collector’s item. But, you better hurry if you want to get yours.

There are only 144 hand-painted, hand-crafted bobbleheads available for each team, so if you want one (and you know you do), pre-order yours for $75!

Get Your Brutus Buckeye College Football Playoff Bobblehead!



FOCO has been killing it with Brutus bobbleheads this year. Most recently, they released an absolute must-have Brutus “Then and Now” bobblehead featuring the current and original versions of everybody’s favorite poisonous nut! And starting in October, to celebrate Halloween, the company released a “Phantom of the Opera-themed bobblehead featuring our boy Brutus in a picture-perfect Spooky Season costume. The company also released a Thanksgiving Day Parade-inspired Brutus bobblehead and a Brutus in Christmas pajamas in front of the fireplace bobblehead. Also, as over the summer, FOCO released very snazzy Brutus Buckeye Bighead.

In addition, FOCO just released a pair of bobbleheads to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Ohio Stadium. One features Brutus, while the other shows Woody Hayes strutting above The Horseshoe. Also, OSU great Chris Olave got his own Gate Series bobblehead joining fellow former Buckeye greats Chase Young, Justin Fields, Cameron Heyward, Carlos Hyde, Joey Bosa, and Michael Thomas who had their boobleheads released in August.

As someone with a borderline unhealthy Ohio State bobblehead/collectible addiction, I can think of no better way to celebrate the holiday season than with one (or all) of these magnificent merchandising masterpieces.

Continue reading...

Silver Bullets Podcast: Early Signing Day recap, Georgia preview
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

All-American talk, the OSU Early Signing Day haul, previewing Georgia with Dawg Sports, and more.


We’re back after a one-week holiday hiatus and we’re getting ready for Ohio State vs. Georgia. The Buckeyes and the Bulldogs seems like a dream match-up for neutrals, and something to be insanely nervous about from now until then for those of us who follow Ohio State football.

Before we get to the Bucks vs. the Dawgs, we follow up on some OSU All-America business from our last show, and we discuss Ohio State’s haul for the 2023 class from Early Signing Day. The Buckeyes reloaded with talent, and despite some angst from those who let the decisions of teenage boys affect their moods, we are confident that there is plenty of quality for the coaching staff to work with and retain the team’s perennial contender status.

We’re particularly happy about the wide receiver room (as usual) and the staff’s ability to pluck talent out of the Southeast.

Jeremy Attaway from SBNation’s Georgia blog Dawg Sports jumped on with us to give us his expertise on Georgia’s personnel and approach to the game. We grilled our guest and he responded about the Bulldogs’ quarterback, running back group, tight ends, defense, and more. Huge thanks to Jeremy for his contributions to the show.

Finally, as always, we put our reputations on the line and gave our picks to click in this game on both the OSU offense and defense, and made our score predictions. We’ll have to wait for next week to see how we did, but the spoiler is that we’re either going to be at least somewhat correct in our predictions or else we’ll be pretty happy.

We’ll be back next week to break down the Georgia game and, if all goes well, we’ll have another game to preview. If all does not go well, we’ll be sad and start our postseason wrap-up. In the meantime, feel free to reach out with your feedback and questions below in the comments section or send us an email. Be sure to subscribe, rate, review, and share.

Thanks for listening!

Continue reading...

Ohio State hopes to earn a transfer portal TE on Tuesday
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


2024 four-star TE Christian Bentancur via Allen Trieu - 247Sports

Ohio State is hoping to add a tight end from the transfer portal today. The team also made the top three for a 2024 four-star TE.

The Ohio State football coaching staff, led by Ryan Day, hopefully had time with their families this holiday weekend. The team is now in Georgia in preparation for a College Football Playoff match with the Georgia Bulldogs. While many of the headlines surrounding the team will focus on this current roster and the New Year’s Eve game, the Buckeyes will continue to make the college football recruiting headlines as well.

Transfer Portal TE CJ Dippre to commit today


Ohio State was able to secure a signee at the tight end position in its 2023 recruiting class in four-star TE Jelani Thurman. The team had two verbal commitments earlier in the cycle, but watched four-star Ty Lockwood de-commit from the program and sign with Alabama.

It was well-known that TE was a position of desire in this year’s class and the team wanted to bring in two at the position. Without being able to secure a second one, the team is now looking to the ever-growing transfer portal to reload at the position. The team is hoping they have found one in CJ Dippre.

Dippre is deciding between Alabama and Ohio State to continue his collegiate career, and has made visits with both schools since entering the portal. While Alabama is viewed as the favorites in this one, we will soon see if Ryan Day and the Buckeyes can get a much-needed, big recruiting win. Dippre announced Monday that he will be making his decision at 10:00 a.m. this morning.


Make sure to follow Land-Grant Holy Land as we will keep you updated on Dippre’s recruitment and all things Ohio State recruiting related.

Four-star TE has Ohio State in top 3


If you haven’t noticed already, Ohio State’s coaching staff is highly coveting tight ends. The program is not only looking at the transfer portal to bring more to the team, as they are also looking forward to the 2024 recruiting class.

The Buckeyes already hold verbal commitments from three recruits in next year’s class, but the team is looking for many more than that. The Buckeyes have targeted plenty of TE’s in the class, and now knows that hard work is paying off for at least one of their targets. 2024 four-star TE Christian Bentancur announced a top three schools Monday of Ohio State, Clemson and Oregon.


Bentancur is a popular TE prospect, already holding more than 35 official scholarship offers. The blue-chip prospect has made visits to many programs around the country, including a visit to Ohio State for its home-opener versus Notre Dame.

The update in his recruitment was unexpected, but some may find it more surprising that the Buckeyes made the list over the likes of Texas A&M and Iowa State as he looked to have built strong relationships with both of those schools after making his Columbus visit.

At this point, Bentancur has not yet stated when he is thinking about making a commitment - he very well may try and visit with all of the above schools one more time before making a decision. Or, he may need less or more time.

Bentancur is the No. 4 TE in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and is the No. 102 overall prospect. He is also the No. 3 recruit from Illinois.

Quick Hits

• Ohio State 2024 target KJ Bolden announced on Monday that he plans to drop his top schools list on New Years. Bolden is viewed as an athlete, but projects best as a safety. No matter the position he plays in college, he has already shown an elite level on potential Bolden is the No. 4 overall prospect and is the No. 1 safety target in the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He is also the No. 2 prospect from Georgia.

Bolden took an unofficial visit with the Buckeyes for their home-opener versus Notre Dame.

• Ohio State 2024 five-star cornerback target Ellis Robinson took to Twitter Monday to announce he will be releasing his top schools on New Year’s Day, like Bolden. Ohio State made the cut for Robinson’s first top schools list, when he listed them in his top 10, and will hope to make the cut once again. Robinson is the No. 1 CB and the No. 13 overall prospect in the 2024 class. He is also the No. 6 prospect out of Florida.

• Ohio State 2024 four-star defensive end target Elias Rudolph included the Buckeyes in his top 10 schools on Christmas. Rudolph hails from Cincinnati, Ohio and has long been associated with the Buckeyes because of the close proximity. Ohio State made recruiting in-state talent a priority in this years class and that trend appears to be continuing with the next class.

Ohio State will be competing with the likes of Tennessee, Michigan, Michigan State, Arkansas, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, West Virginia, Cincinnati and Pitt for Rudolph’s commitment.


Continue reading...

Login to view embedded media

Closest lot to stadium, just steps away. Incredible setup for tailgating, clean Jiffy Johns (trust me, this is important at Mercedes Benz)

If interested, text 404-725-3426

Peach Bowl Film Preview: Georgia’s defensive line is elite, Ohio State’s offensive line performance will tell story of the game
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ohio State’s offensive line will play their toughest test in years against the Georgia Bulldogs defensive line. Will they be up to the challenge?

Ohio State’s offensive line has been solid this year. Not spectacular though, which they will need to be in their College Football Playoff matchup against Georgia. The Bulldogs are built up front, and their defense starts and stops with how their defensive line plays.

The Bulldog’s defensive line needs little introduction, with players like Jalen Carter anchoring the defense up front. Statistically speaking, Georgia has been inconsistent in a few phases, but they do not get a lot of sacks — 111th in the country in sack rate — and they rely on four to get consistent pressure. The most important group for Ohio State in this game will be the interior offensive line — if they can communicate and ensure Carter is not wrecking the entire game plan.

If Ohio State has to dedicate additional blockers to limit Carter, Georgia has the Buckeyes right where they want them. This opens up one-on-one matchups across the line of scrimmage for the other pass rushers, and also creates more conflict if Georgia brings additional pressure.

The importance of winning early downs can not be overstated in this matchup. If Ohio State gets off schedule, they will be able to sit in coverage and the defensive line will be able to pin their ears back.

Pass Rush


As vaunted as Georgia’s pass rush can be, they only have 26 sacks on the year. Contextually this number starts with them only rushing four defenders on most occasions. When they bring extra rushers, they tend to create constant pressure. But the rate of getting home leaves a lot on the table for how much pressure they create. For Ohio State, Stroud has not been great against the blitz this year and with pressure in his face. If the Buckeyes can’t keep the pocket clean, this will challenge a years worth of what teams have found as a weakness for the Buckeyes.

In the play below, we can see how pressure effects the quarterback, but how the quarterback is able to fade back while still delivering the throw. Georgia shows a five man rush on the play, then drops the left end into coverage bringing only four. They run a twist with the right end and the right defensive tackle. The twisting end is unblocked in the middle. This pressure forces the quarterback to retreat backwards. He is forced into an off the back foot throw. Georgia playing man gives Auburn’s quarterback enough of a window to fit the ball into for a first down.


Off the back foot throws are not how you want your quarterback living, but Stroud has shown he has the arm talent to make those throws. The real point of the last clip was to show that pressure can be evaded, and if the quarterback is able to move within the pocket he can make life on his offensive line that much easier. Stroud’s pocket presence will be tested, and if he can’t work with in the pocket and is forced to maneuver outside, the Buckeyes have not found a lot of success in that area.

In the next play, Georgia is taking on LSU and has forced them into a third-and-long situation. LSU relieved their starter due to injury in this game, so they were on quarterback No. 2. Georgia rushes four on this play, with one player stopping to try to interfere with the passing lane. In the first of three pass rush matchups, LSU’s right guard is tasked with Jalen Carter, and does a great job of working him up the field. The end takes on the right tackle gets way up the field in his rush, and the right end gets stuffed by the left tackle.

With the pocket collapsing, the quarterback does a great job, he climbs up the pocket and evades the rush. By the rushers getting too far up the field, this allows for the quarterback to have a clean throw – which he does nothing with.


Looking at the result of the last play, the pressure impacts the timing of the quarterback. The play shows that even when you beat the rush, the coverage is its own animal. This is where Ohio State’s receivers are going to have to win their battles to help out the quarterback being pressured.

This next play is not indicative of Georgia’s standard defense. They are in a soft zone and the half is expiring, but it is indicative of the protection needed to beat Georgia’s defense. Georgia is bringing four, but are playing a soft zone behind the pass rush, which is not the conventional way the Bulldogs usually cover. On the snap, the secondary drops back and the pass rush does not do anything from a stunting standpoint.

LSU’s offensive line handles the rush well, and gives the quarterback a clean pocket. This allows LSU to throw with timing and hit a big gain across the middle.


The passing game starts with the protection up front and ends with the receivers winning their one-on-one matchups. But there is a huge responsibility on Stroud coming into this game due to his struggles with handling pressure this season. His pocket mobility and throwing off schedule will need to be at a level we haven’t seen consistently this year.

Georgia’s defensive line is a load to handle. They don’t always get home, but they collapse the pocket in on quarterbacks making them uncomfortable. If Georgia is able to win with four rushers, the night will be a long one for the Buckeyes. Winning for Georgia is throwing the timing off and disrupting passing lanes with their hands at the line of scrimmage. Sacks from the rush and blitzes are a bonus.

If Ohio State can limit the disruptions on a play-to-play basis and let Stroud get comfortable, the Buckeyes can find success downfield.

Run Defense


Where the Georgia Bulldogs defensive line has shown some struggles in rushing the passer consistently, the run stopping has ranked with the best in the country all year long. According to Footballoutsiders, Georgia ranks 7th in power success rate at 50 percent. This is a matchup to watch with Ohio State’s 119th ranked offensive line in the same category. If you look at the Buckeyes’ offensive struggles this season, a lot of the issues stem from the lack of a power run game on key downs.

Georgia’s defensive line has dominated these situations this year, and a key reason why is the athleticism and size of their defensive line. This first play shows the athleticism Georgia has up front and how it impacts the running game. Auburn runs an outside zone look from the pistol. The offensive line is stepping right with the handoff going play side. Georgia’s defensive end (No. 4) reads the play at the snap based off the offensive line’s first step. He uses his quickness jumping inside and the offensive linemen doesn’t have a chance.

Georgia makes a play in the backfield for a huge tackle for loss.


Going back to their matchup against Kentucky, there was a two play sequence in which Georgia flashed their physical strength and then their athleticism in a short yardage scenario. The combinations of size, speed, and strength up front is what truly separates the great defensive lines across the country from the elite ones like Georgia, and the next to plays show why.

In the first of two plays, Georgia shows physicality up front. Kentucky runs an inside zone here, and looking at the line of scrimmage, this play never has a chance. Georgia’s defensive line steps across the faces of the offensive line, then anchors in place. They gain leverage and push back Kentucky’s offensive line into the running back. By winning the leverage against the offensive line, this allows the unblocked player to make the stop in the backfield.


In the second part of the two plays, Kentucky once again tries to get the first on the ground. The Wildcats once again take the snap from the gun, and the running back is unable to get any forward momentum.

That leads to a problem for Kentucky, because Georgia’s defensive end beats his man inside on the snap. This shows how Georgia wins in these situations with speed and this forces the back outside with the defense already flowing that direction. Georgia’s outside linebacker does his job using his strength to keep contain, this forces the back inside to the flowing defenders. The remaining defensive linemen scrape down the line, and the linebackers finish off the play to make a huge fourth down stop.


Ohio State has two All-Americans on the offensive line and two All-Big Ten level players. The talent is there to matchup against the lauded Georgia defensive line, but Ohio State’s struggles situationally this season make this feel like a more lopsided matchup than it is on paper. For the Buckeyes to have any offensive success against Georgia, it starts up front — and that can’t be stated enough.

Georgia’s defensive line plays a straight up brand of football, but they are successful because they do the small things well. They win with leverage, and their ability to read plays at the snap takes the talent to another level. It would be one thing to face group with this much talent on the interior, but they are well-coached which adds to why they’re such an effective group.

Ohio State will need to win their individual matchups against the four man rush. If they can do that, and force Georgia to bring additional pressure, this will open up more options in the passing game. In the run game, Ohio State needs to be creative and remember that there is more than Wide Zone.

The matchup up front is where the game is going to be won by either side. If the Buckeyes make Georgia’s defensive line look human, then the offensive should find success. On the other hand, if the Georgia’s defensive line shows up and dominates, it can be a long New Year’s Eve for the Buckeyes.

Continue reading...

Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for December 26, 2022
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.

Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.

Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.

You’re welcome!

For your Earholes...


Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio

On the Gridiron


Ohio State arrives in Atlanta for College Football Playoff vs. Georgia
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts


Three early enrollees for 2023 to watch from the recruiting class
Chip Minnich, Land-Grant Holy Land

Scholarship Count: Where does Ohio State stand after national signing day?
Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts

What do you think? Was Ryan Day on the Naughty or Nice List this year?


As Peach Bowl week begins, a breakdown of Georgia vs. Ohio State (paywall)
Seth Emerson, The Athletic

Three under-the-radar X-Factors who could swing Peach Bowl (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes

Practice Report: Previewing week ahead as Buckeyes make trip to Atlanta for Peach Bowl
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Ohio State football braces for Stetson Bennett IV, the best 2-star, Juco transfer walk-on of all time
Nathan Baird, cleveland.com

Can Ohio State’s defensive line find its best form against Georgia? (paywall)
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes

Once a Buckeye, always a Buckeye


Preview: Michigan, TCU to kickoff 2022 College Football Playoffs
David M. Wheeler, Land-Grant Holy Land

Ohio State’s Ryan Day named semifinalist for George Munger Award
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

On the Hardwood


You’re Nuts: Which Chris Holtmann-era player would best complement this current team?
Justin Golba and Connor Lemons, Land-Grant Holy Land

Still ‘wait and see’ for timing of Isaac Likekele’s return
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row

Outside the Shoe and Schott


Why are 5 players transferring from OSU’s Elite 8 volleyball team?
Lori Schmidt, The Columbus Dispatch

And now for something completely different...


His form could use some work, but the dedication is clearly there.


Continue reading...

Five-star wide receiver from Florida includes Ohio State on top group
Bret Favachio via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Joshisa Trader | 247Sports

Brian Hartline and the Buckeyes are among the programs still in play for a top pass catching prospect.

Ohio State got themselves a good gift during the holiday weekend as one of the top pass catching prospects in the country included them in his list of top schools. Plus, after striking out at the running back position in the 2023 class, the Buckeyes added an impressive player at the position as a preferred walk-on.

Trader down to five


One thing that has stayed true time and time again is that Brian Hartline is going to add elite talent to his receiver room. On Sunday, he inched his way closer to further proving that point as 2024 five-star wide receiver Joshisa Trader of Chaminade-Madonna Prep (FL) revealed his list of programs that are still in the running for his coveted pledge.


Ohio State will battle it out with a trio of Sunshine State programs as Florida, Florida State, and Miami (FL) were included in the group. The Buckeyes will also have to outlast Tennessee, who also made the list. While the scarlet and gray with have their work cut out for them in this recruitment, they do have one working advantage in specific.

Trader is teammates with 2024 five-star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who pledged to Ohio State earlier this month. While kids chose their future programs for different reasons, the Buckeyes having a player that Trader knows and has played with should only work as an advantage for Hartline.

In the end, if Ohio State does wind up as as the beneficiary of Trader’s decision, it will give them yet another program changing prospect. The Hollywood native is currently graded as the No. 11 overall prospect in the class. Trader also slots in as the fifth highest graded player from the state of Florida — just four slots below the aforementioned Smith.

Buckeyes add three-star PWO running back


After coming up empty handed at the running back position in the 2023 class, Ohio State added an important preferred walk-on commitment on Saturday. Staying home at suiting up for the Buckeyes will be 2023 three-star running back Willtrell Hartson of Massillon Washington (OH).


Hartson chose the opportunity to walk-on in Columbus over a dozen of scholarship offers that he received as a prospect. Among the programs that had offered the 5-foot-9, 200-pounder include Boston College, Marshall, Temple, and more.

While Hartson won’t bring a high profile to Ohio State with him, it was a much needed addition for running back coach Tony Alford. The Buckeyes saw one time pledge Mark Fletcher depart from the class and weren’t able to gain much traction with a few other players at the position,

Nonethless, Hartson was ranked as the 89th overall running back in the class and a Top 50 prospect in the state of Ohio. He will join Ohio State with a opportunity to turn that preferred walk-on status into a scholarship if he can impress the coaching staff.

Quick Hits

• Former Maryland tight end CJ Dippre, who entered the transfer portal late last month, will be choosing from Alabama and Ohio State on Tuesday. The Pennsylvania native recorded 339 yards and three touchdowns on 33 receptions in his two seasons as a Terrapin.

Continue reading...