The same logic can be applied to four-star prospect Daevin Hobbs, who has a Nov. 25 decision date looming. But OSU will not be the North Carolina resident’s pick, as he’s likely bound to play for a southern school.

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...p-spot-on-ohio-states-recruiting-board-as-the

Speaking of safeties, Ohio State offered four-star Notre Dame safety commit Adon Shuler last month, making it appear that they’d still like a fourth safety for the 2023 class. But the vibe a few weeks after the offer has been given is Shuler is fully locked in with the Fighting Irish and flipping him doesn’t seem likely at this point.

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...p-spot-on-ohio-states-recruiting-board-as-the

Three Things To Watch from the Northwestern Wildcats
CMinnich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

The Buckeyes look to continue their dominance over the Wildcats

Former Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel used to preach to his players that “September is for pretenders, November is for contenders.” With the calendar now firmly on the November page, and the Buckeyes currently second in the College Football Playoff rankings, the game at Northwestern is an opportunity for Ohio State to demonstrate that statement to their fans and doubters across the college football landscape.

The oddsmakers have firmly spoken that Ohio State should easily vanquish Northwestern, as the Buckeyes are favored by 38 points. The weather forecast for Saturday’s game is for a rainy and windy environment, but Ohio State should be able to overcome those difficulties. Below are Three Things To Watch from Northwestern as the game kicks off on ABC at 12:00 p.m. ET.

“We’ll have our hands full.” ~ Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald, on the upcoming Ohio State/Northwestern game

1. The Ohio State running game vs. Northwestern’s defense

For the last two games, Ohio State has struggled to run effectively. As written up above, the weather of November in B1G country has a tendency to be more of a factor than during September and October, and it would seem this game represents a chance for Ohio State to figure out what has and has not been working in the running game against a Northwestern defense that has been giving up an average of around 186 yards per game.

A player that I am anxious to see is freshman running back Dallan Hayden. With Miyan Williams possibly being withheld or having reduced playing time due to injury concerns, Hayden has a chance to demonstrate to the coaching staff that he is ready to carry the load, alongside TreVeyon Henderson.

2. The Ohio State defensive line vs. Northwestern’s running game

Northwestern running back Evan Hull is among the few bright spots offensively for the Wildcats. With Northwestern having so much inconsistency at the quarterback spot, Hull has rushed for 579 yards and 3 touchdowns, and is also the Wildcats’ reception leader with 45 catches for 461 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Ohio State’s defensive line was especially disruptive at Penn State last week, and will need to focus more on limiting the running lanes for Hull and his teammate Cam Porter. One of the interior defensive linemen who flashed in the Penn State win is Tyleik Williams, who was credited with 5 total tackles, 1 sack, and 1 tackle for loss. Williams is the kind of “space eater” who could make things even more difficult for the Northwestern running game.

3. Will we see more of the backups?

This has been a lament by Ohio State fans such as myself all season, but at this stage of the season, it is so important to get the backups into the game. Like every other team, Ohio State has players nursing varying degrees of bumps and bruises from the season, and it is important to rest those key starters for the crucial November stretch run. Hayden and Williams are among the players I mentioned that I could see getting substantial playing time in this game to my podcast partner Michael Citro AKA “The Grumpy Old Buckeye” on our latest Silver Bullets Podcast, and it is possible that substitutes could be taking over very early in the second half.

At 1-7, Northwestern is looking at a long offseason of probable coaching turnover. The Wildcats have not been the same since their shot at glory against Ohio State in the 2020 B1G Championship Game, and Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald may start to feel the heat from angry Wildcats supporters. Iowa dominated Northwestern 33-13 last week, and Ohio State had no problems with shutting down the Hawkeyes offensively. Northwestern just does not have the players to keep pace against a deeper and more talented Ohio State team. I have it Ohio State 56, Northwestern 7.

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Ohio State vs. Northwestern: 2022 game preview and prediction
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 Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Buckeyes will be looking for their 10th straight win over Northwestern when they head to Evanston on Saturday to take on the Wildcats.

Following a trip to State College last week, Ohio State will hit the road again this week, traveling to Evanston to take on the Northwestern Wildcats. While last week the Buckeyes took on a Penn State team with just one loss, now they’ll be going up against a team with just one win on the season.

A game for the ages


Last week the Buckeyes faced their toughest test so far this season, trailing Penn State in the fourth quarter before reeling off 28 points during a seven minute span to secure their sixth straight win over the Nittany Lions. The victory was Ohio State’s second win over a ranked team this year, with the other coming in the season opener against a Notre Dame that was ranked fifth in the country at the time.

The win over Penn State can be attributed to the performance of defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau. The sophomore had one of the best defensive performances not only by an Ohio State player in a game, but by any defensive player in a college football game. Tuimoloau finished with two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, as well as two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Tuimoloau became the first FBS player in the 21st century to accumulate those stats in a game.

When it was all said and done, Tuimoloau’s efforts resulted in 21 Ohio State points. The defensive end was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the week, Walker Camp FBS Player of the Week, and the Maxwell Club’s Chuck Bednarik Player of the Week. In the victory, Tuimoloau showed exactly why he was one of the top recruits in the country coming out of high school.

The month ahead


Now as the calendar turns to November, Ohio State knows a showdown with Michigan is looming at the end of the month. Before the clash in Columbus with their rivals, the Buckeyes have three games against teams that frequent the bottom of the Big Ten standings.

First up is the Northwestern Wildcats, who have still not won a game on American soil this year. The only win for the Wildcats came over in Dublin in the season opener against Nebraska. Following the victory over the Cornhuskers, Northwestern has dropped games to the likes of Southern Illinois, Miami (OH), and Duke.

History against Northwestern


The last time Ohio State took on Northwestern was in the 2020 Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis. With Justin Fields dealing with a sprained thumb, Trey Sermon set a school record with 331 yards rushing in the game, leading Ohio State to a 22-10 win and a spot in the College Football Playoff. The last trip by the Buckeyes to Evanston came in 2019, with Fields throwing for four touchdowns in a 52-3 win. Ohio State is 64-14-1 against the Wildcats all-time, with a 29-6-1 record in games played in Evanston.

The bar is high


Just how high are the expectations for C.J. Stroud? The sophomore quarterback went 26-33 for 354 yards and a touchdown against Penn State, and there are some talking like the performance lost him a shot at the Heisman Trophy. Stroud now has thrown for 2,377 yards and 29 scores this year through eight games.

It’s understandable to see why some people thought the Penn State game hurt Stroud’s chances, especially with lowly foes Northwestern, Indiana, and Maryland up before the showdown with Michigan. While Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker is likely the favorite for the prestigious award, Stroud should by no means be omitted from the conversation.

More big performances


One Buckeye offensive player that strengthened his case for an end of season award is Marvin Harrison Jr. The sophomore hauled in 10 passes for 185 yards against the Nittany Lions, with all 10 receptions resulting in first downs. Harrison now leads Ohio State with 48 receptions and 10 touchdown catches, and is five yards behind Emeka Egbuka’s team-leading 788 yards receiving. Egbuka had his least productive performance of the season against Penn State, catching six balls for 53 yards.

Along with Harrison, tight end Cade Stover had a huge game against the Nittany Lions. The six passes Stover caught were a career-high, while the 78 yards he amassed was his second-highest total of the season. The output was a great sign after Stover had caught just six passes for 43 yards and no touchdowns over the last three games.

Running scared


Stroud and his receivers needed to be on top of their game last week since Ohio State wasn’t able to get much going on the ground. Following an early touchdown, Miyan Williams was forced to leave the game because of an injury on his second carry of the game. TreVeyon Henderson carried the football 16 times against the Nittany Lions, finishing with 78 yards and two scores. Those numbers were inflated by Henderson’s 41-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Henderson and Williams both have rushed for over 500 yards this year, scoring a combined 16 touchdowns on the ground.

Tommy and Tuimoloau


The star of the game for the Buckeyes was defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau, who had one of the best defensive performances ever seen in a college football game. Tuimoloau was able to grab three turnovers in the game. Ohio State has now won 25 straight games where they have forced at least three turnovers in a game. The Buckeyes now have at least one interception in six straight games, which is their longest streak since 2019 when they picked off at least one pass in seven straight games.

Overshadowed by Tuimoloau’s performance was the 15 tackles Tommy Eichenberg recorded. The 15 stops were the second-most stops Eichenberg has had in a game as a Buckeyes. The linebacker’s career high came against Utah when he recorded a Rose Bowl record 17 tackles. Eichenberg is now 28 tackles away from being the first Ohio State linebacker since Raekwon McMillan to reach 100 tackles in a season.

Northwestern at a glance


Northwestern enters this game having lost seven straight games after a season-opening win over Nebraska in Ireland. The most recent of those losses came last week when they fell 33-13 to Iowa. Northwestern was put in a big hole after 30 minutes, heading into the halftime break down 20-0. The Wildcats weren’t able to get anything on the ground, rushing for just 18 yards in the loss.

Northwestern feels like an Iowa with defense. The Wildcats are in the middle of Pat Fitzgerald’s 17th season as head coach. While Northwestern made the Big Ten Championship Game in 2018 and 2020, they haven’t been able to build off that success. Following the success in the 2020 season, the Wildcats were 3-9 last year, and are now 1-7 heading into Saturday’s game.

Questionable quarterbacking


After Ryan Hilinski started the season at quarterback, now Brendan Sullivan is taking the snaps for Northwestern. Relieving Hilinski in the 42-7 loss to Wisconsin, Sullivan has started the last two games for the Wildcats. Last week, Sullivan was 23-30 for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Hilinski and Sullivan have combined to throw for just under 2,000 yards, 10 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.

Hull yeah


Where Northwestern was expected to be strongest this year is with their ability to run the football. Evan Hull is leading the Wildcats with 579 yards and three touchdowns this year. The Penn State transfer rushed for 1,009 yards and seven scores last year after Cam Porter was injured in preseason camp. Porter is back this year and has rushed for 201 yards and two touchdowns. Porter ran for 61 yards and a touchdown in the 2020 Big Ten Championship Game loss to Ohio State.

Along with being Northwestern’s leading rusher, Hull is also leading the team with 45 catches. The 461 yards receiving Hull has is nine short of Malik Washington’s team-leading 470 yards. Washington has 43 catches on the season. After Washington and Hull, the only other Northwestern receiver with more than 20 catches is Donny Navarro III, who has 29 receptions.

Peter, Peter, defensive lineman eater


One matchup that will be fun to watch throughout the game is Northwestern offensive tackle Peter Skoronski against the Ohio State defensive ends. Skoronski is seen as a possible first round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and leads and experienced line that has four lineman with more than 20 career starts. Skoronski has 28 career starts, while Vince Picozzi leads the group with 43 starts, and Ethan Wiederkehr has started 33 games in his career.

Tackle titans


It should be no surprise that Northwestern has some talented linebackers since their head coach is one of the greatest linebackers in Big Ten history. Bryce Gallagher leads the team, and is second in the Big Ten, with 79 tackles this year. With his 12 tackles, interception, and forced fumble against Penn State earlier in the year, Gallagher became the first Northwestern player to record 10 tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble in a game since 2011.

Along with Gallagher, Xander Mueller has made some plays this year. The linebacker has 65 tackles, a couple sacks, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery. The junior has gotten better as the year has gone on, making at least 10 tackles in two of the last four games. Mueller’s best performance of the year came against Penn State when he was credited with a career-high 14 tackles. A couple weeks later, Mueller made 10 stops against Maryland.

Up against it


The Northwestern secondary will certainly be tested against the Ohio State passing attack. Jeremiah Lewis leads the defensive backs with 52 tackles and is tied with fellow defensive back Cameron Mitchell with four passes defensed this season. Mitchell does have an interception this year. which is one of just five interceptions that the Wildcats have grabbed this year. It’s hard to see Northwestern being able to pick off any passes on Saturday, especially with how few interceptions C.J. Stroud throws.

Mild pressure


Unlike the linebackers and defensive backs, who have some experienced players, the defensive line of the Wildcats is pretty green. There is one exception in Adetominwa Adebawore, who has 33 career starts. Adebawore leads the team with four sacks on the season. As a team. Northwestern has 14 total sacks. Ryan Johnson and Xander Mueller both have two sacks this year, and are the only other Wildcats with at least two sacks this season.

Summary


There really is no reason why Ohio State shouldn’t win this game by more than 30 points. Northwestern is the worst team in the Big Ten and has struggled to score all season long. The Buckeyes have more talent on both sides of the football, and while there are some fans who think otherwise because they expect perfection from Ryan Day, Ohio State is a much better coached team.

This should look a lot like the wins over Arkansas State, Toledo, and Michigan State where the Buckeyes were able to toy with their opponents because of the huge gap in talent and coaching. Ohio State could use Saturday’s game as an opportunity to try and get their running game a little bit of confidence before the showdown with the Wolverines later in the month. The status of Miyan Williams is unknown, but if he isn’t able to go, it will allow TreVeyon Henderson to get some extra work. While Henderson had a big run in the fourth quarter last week, he struggled mightily up to that point against Penn State.

Really, the biggest resistance Ohio State will see on Saturday will because of themselves and mother nature. Sometimes after a big Buckeye victory, the come out of the gates a little sluggish the next week. Last week’s win against Penn State certainly fits that bill. Because of a possible hangover from the win, Ohio State could see their first couple drives not exactly click before they find their rhythm. After that it likely will be smooth sailing.

Also, there is rain and wind expected in the Chicago area for Saturday’s game. Northwestern is notorious for leaving the grass at Ryan Field high to try and slow down some of their quicker opponents. Along with the high grass, we could see a bit more slipping and sliding if the rain shows up as expected. Maybe those factors slow Ohio State down a little early on before the Buckeyes adjust to the elements and assert their dominance.

It’s obvious to see how much the Ohio State defense is improved from the last few years. After keeping opponents from putting many points on the scoreboard over the first few games, now we are seeing the defense create a bunch of turnovers. If the defense can keep taking the football away from their opponents, it is hard to see any team keeping pace with a team that is so good on both sides of the football. This game looks more like the 2019 contest in Evanston than the 2020 Big Ten Championship Game.

LGHL prediction: Ohio State 52, Northwestern 10

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Ohio State women’s basketball player preview: Kaia Henderson
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Kaia Henderson (11), sits on the bench with Karla Vres, Emma Shumate and Mya Perry in Ohio State’s exhibition win against Notre Dame College, Monday, Oct. 31, 2022. | Ohio State athletics

Looking at a standout freshman from Upstate New York

On Monday, the Ohio State Buckeyes continued preparation for their 2022-23 season. It gave fans and media alike the first chance to see the Scarlet & Gray compete. Part of the team didn’t see many minutes, including two freshmen guards. An out-of-state shooter was part of that duo, and they’re next in a series previewing everyone on the roster.

Kaia Henderson joins the Buckeyes from Upstate New York, and brings an impressive resume to Ohio. What’s Henderson’s outlook, and how can she get time on the court?


Name: Kaia Henderson
Position: Guard
Class: Freshman
High School: New Hartford High School (Utica, New York)

Last Season


Like freshman teammate forward Cotie McMahon, Henderson opted to leave high school early. Instead of finishing a high school career, Henderson enrolled in Ohio State and joined the team in Jan. 2022.

Before Henderson left New Hartford High School, she was fourth in career scoring in New York’s Section III athletics association with 2,284 points. With only five games left, Henderson was 84 points behind second place on that list, WNBA Champion and former MVP from the Seattle Storm, Breanna Stewart, and 161 off the overall record.

It was a record bound to be broken, with Henderson scoring 55 points just 20 days earlier. However, after suffering a hand injury on Dec. 23, 2021, Henderson left school and headed southwest to Columbus to begin her NCAA career.

What to Expect


As evidenced from scoring numbers above, Henderson is an offensive powerhouse. Standing at 5-foot-6, Henderson isn’t afraid to attack the basket or shoot from deep. Watching highlights of Henderson shows a highly motivated player, who her own high school coach said outworks anybody, and possesses strong mental and physical toughness.

Monday’s exhibition didn’t give a long look at Henderson. Of all 14 rostered players who made it onto the court, Henderson played the least, logging only 2:49. Her desire to play was evident, alongside support from her teammates. In the fourth quarter, as an assistant coach was calling for someone to prepare to enter the game, Henderson half jumped up, appearing to think it was her being called in. Unfortunately for Henderson it wasn't, but when she got in she made the best of her time.

Henderson had a three and two point attempt, hitting the latter. When taking the three point shot, fellow guard Emma Shumate stood up to celebrate a potential long ball from the freshman, but the ball bounced off the rim for a miss. Henderson added a rebound to her two points in a game that was firmly over, ending 118-33.

Prediction


The exhibition doesn’t show much of the freshman, but playing behind a guard group that includes Jacy Sheldon, Taylor Mikesell and Rikki Harris is already going to be an uphill climb. If that work ethic from New Hartford is evident in practices, and Henderson makes the best of the limited opportunities, she could show what she has for the post-Mikesell and Sheldon future.

At the end of the season, if the minutes aren’t there and Henderson can't break through, her motivation makes her a good candidate for a potential transfer portal move. In the same interview from Henderson’s coach, the portal is mentioned specifically as an option that made committing to a team so quickly easier to do.

Read into that what you will.

Highlights


Henderson (11), showing off the skills that made her close to breaking New York Section III’s scoring record. They come from Henderson’s full final high school season.


Miss any player previews? Here’s the list so far:

• Taylor Mikesell
• Eboni Walker
• Madison Greene
• Emma Shumate
• Cotie McMahon
• Rebeka Mikulášiková
• Rikki Harris
• Taylor Thierry
• Hevynne Bristow

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BUTT’S BREAKDOWN. I've recently learned that former Michigan tight end Jake Butt analyzes film on the Big Ten Network each week in a segment called “Butt’s Breakdown,” which is an absolutely phenomenal name.

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“Butt’s Breakdown,” which is an absolutely phenomenal name.

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It would really be hilarious if he talked like this:

Buck Off Podcast: An honest conversation about Northwestern, Ohio State’s run game, and presser bullets
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Northwestern is not a good football team, but the guys give it their all to get you excited for Saturday.

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

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On today’s episode of “Buck Off with Christopher Renne,” I’m joined by Jordan Williams. We take an honest look at the Northwestern program from an outsider’s perspective to get prepared for Ohio State’s matchup against the Wildcats.

To get the show started, we open with a discussion about why Northwestern is as bad as they are. Despite recently playing the Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship Game, the Wildcats have been on a downward trajectory, including not winning in the United States for over a year. We get into how Pat Fitzgerald needs to be in a “do-or-die” mindset with the Big Ten’s transition forward and ask the question – is Fitzgerald even trying?

After that, the Buckeyes have started to give away their tendencies in the run game again with their alignment. Ryan Day was asked about it this week in his media availability, so we talk about his answer, getting into Day’s philosophies and how he needs to continue to work on being creative before he gets stagnant again.

Moving on from that, our discussion leads into the press conferences from the week in totality. We talk about Day gushing about Cade Stover, Jim Knowles getting down to business, and Sam Wiglusz representing Ohio State’s receiver room in the southeastern part of the state.

As the show moves forward, the final discussion is about the takeaways you can have from the game and what we can learn about Ohio State despite the opponent being overmatched.

To close out the show, we give our reasons Ohio State will win and score predictions.


Connect with the Show:
Twitter: @BuckOffPod

Connect with Chris Renne:
Twitter: @ChrisRenneCFB

Connect with Jordan Williams
Twitter: @JordanW330

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Another top targets sets visit plans this weekend, in-state prospect is high on the Buckeyes
Caleb Houser 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

It’s crunch time from now until Signing Day to sure up the rest of the 2023 class.

Like most of the talk going on around the 2023 recruiting class for Ohio State, this update also concerns the defensive line position group. The last real pressing need for the Buckeyes in the current cycle, coach Larry Johnson has been working tirelessly to finish the 2023 haul with a bang. The three names worth mentioning have been uttered numerous times already and while the decisions for these top players are getting closer, the job is still not done for any of them and that’s the main aspect as to why Matayo Uiagalelei, Keon Keeley, and Damon Wilson are in the news seemingly every chance available

Speaking solely on Uiagalelei here, the five-star defensive end has visit plans this weekend, and it’s not exactly a program that’s been linked closely to his recruitment, as Ohio State, Oregon and USC continue to be the main schools associated with the St. John Bosco product. At any rate though, Matayo will be in South Bend this weekend checking out Notre Dame. Of importance, Clemson is the opponent for the Irish, and seeing his quarterback brother is likely the main rooting interest for this weekend’s trek.

Not close to a decision, Uiagalelei has been rumored to take his recruitment the distance and potentially sign to the school of his choice much later than the December signing period allows. Focusing mainly on his prep season, much of the buzz surrounding Matayo will likely come at the close of his season and when recruiting can once again take priority.

The No. 33 player nationally, Uiagalelei is the sixth best edge rusher in the class and the fourth best player from California for the 2023 class per the 247Sports Composite, he is very much still considering the Buckeyes, and by some accounts Ohio State is ahead in this one. Patience will have to be a key here for all parties wishing to see him become a member of the class, but with Johnson doing the heavy lifting in this recruitment, you have like the chances of landing Matayo or at least another top elite edge rusher for this class finish.

Quick Hits

• The chances of Ohio State taking two running backs in the 2024 class seems like a pretty safe assumption. After only taking one in the 2022 and 2023 class, the Buckeyes can afford to restock the shelves a bit, but also have the luxury of being pretty picky too as they appeal to several top players at the position across the country. That said, there’s in-state Ohio players that are on the staff’s radar already. With a common theme of taking a top national product and an in-state guy to compliment, that sort of equation for the 2024 cycle doesn’t seem too far off base.

Per Bill Kurelic of Bucknuts.com, one in-state native that is highly interested in Ohio State and not shy about it, Sam Williams-Dixon (Millersburg, Ohio/West Holmes) has expressed his feelings about the Buckeyes, and is an option the staff is paying attention to as he’s already been on campus this fall for game day visits.

The No. 512 player nationally, Williams-Dixon is the 35th ranked running back in the class and the 20th best player from Ohio per the 247Sports Composite. Without an offer from Ohio State yet, Sam does hold offers from the likes of Tennessee, Cincinnati, Indiana, Kentucky, and Penn State among others. If the two parties continue the interest, it’s not out of the question to see the Buckeyes get a little more serious about Williams-Dixon and the potential to keep him at home for his college career.

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Ask LGHL: Is C.J. Stroud still the Heisman Trophy frontrunner?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.

Every day for the entirety of the Ohio State football season, we will be asking and answering questions about the team, college football, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.

Question: Is C.J. Stroud still the Heisman Trophy frontrunner?


In a word, nope. This train has been coming since Hendon Hooker and the Tennessee Volunteers beat Alabama in mid-October, and there is nothing that the college football powers that be love more than an underdog-from-a-traditional-power-makes-good-out-of-nowhere story.

Now don’t get me wrong, Hooker has been great this year, and I’m not even arguing that he doesn’t deserve the Heisman more than Stroud does, but his ascendency was predetermined as soon as the Vols pulled off the upset last month. All he had to do was keep beating the middling teams on his schedule, and he would assuredly become the favorite by the time they made the trip to Athens on the first weekend of November.

Well, that weekend is now. If Hooker puts up monster numbers — even in a loss — I feel like the trophy will essentially be his. However, if he is just ok and the Dawgs lose, that should open the door for Stroud to step back in, especially if he balls out against TTUN at the end of the month.

Currently, the oddsmakers over at DraftKings Sportsbook officially have Stroud in second place by a relatively smaller margin. Hooker comes in at -110, making him the odds-on favorite, while Stroud is at +190.



That means that to make $100 on a Hooker bet, you would have to wager $110. But, a $100 bet on Stroud would net you an extra $190. That is a pretty shocking disparity, at least to me, considering how firmly Stroud had hung onto the lead for the first two months of the season.

However, when you consider the fact that USC quarterback Caleb Williams and Mitten Men running back Blake Corum are tied for third at +1500, it puts Stroud’s odds (and his ability to erase the deficit) into perspective.

For what it’s worth, Marvin Harrison Jr. is tied for 14th best odds at +15000.

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

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Big Ten men’s basketball preview: Nebraska Cornhuskers
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

The Fred Hoiberg era has been bleak to say the least.

Team: Nebraska Cornhuskers
Coach: Fred Hoiberg (fourth season)
2021-22 record: 10-22 (4-16)
Season finish: No postseason

Players returning: C.J. Wilcher, Quaran McPherson, Lat Mayen, Derrick Walker, Keisei Tominaga, Wilheim Breidenbach, Oleg Kojenets

Players departed: Bryce McGowens, Trey McGowens, Alonzo Verge, Eduardo Andre (Fresno State), Keon Edwards (Milwaukee), Trevor Lakes (Southern Indiana)

Key additions: Ramel Lloyd Jr., Denim Dawson, Blaise Keita, Jamarques Lawrence, Sam Greisel (North Dakota State), Juwan Gary (Alabama), Emmanuel Bandoumel (SMU)

Outlook


Over the past three seasons, wins have been hard to come by in Lincoln. Since Fred Hoiberg came back to college from the Chicago Bulls and took over at Nebraska, the Huskers have not finished higher than 13th in the 14-team conference, and have yet to record a winning record. After losing their top scorers in Bryce McGowens and Alonzo Verge, the road looks rocky again for Nebraska.

McGowens and Verge combined to average over 30 points per game for the Huskers last season, and Nebraska will look to transfers like Sam Griesel (North Dakota State), Juwan Gray (Alabama) and Emmanuel Bandoumel (SMU) to help returners Derrick Walker and CJ Wilcher take over that scoring prowess.

Walker and Wilcher return after averaging 9.5 and 8.1 points per game, respectively. They were third and fourth on the team, and will have to take pretty big leaps this season to make Nebraska competitive. Sierra Canyon’s Ramel Lloyd Jr. also comes to Lincoln as a top 100 recruit that will look to make an impact right away.

The three transfers they have coming in are all talented, but can they be good enough and be good enough fast enough to help the Huskers win some games early is the question that needs to be answered.

X Factor


Sam Greisel. Greisel is a Nebraska guy who returns home to help bring Nebraska back into the light. Greisel went to high school just down the road at Lincoln East, and now he is returning to Lincoln to finish out his collegiate career after four years at North Dakota State.

Greisel averaged 14.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game last season at North Dakota State, and 9.9 points and 5.6 rebounds for his career. He also shot 48 percent from the field and 38 percent from behind the arc last season.

According to his new head coach Fred Hoiberg, Greisel wants to do one thing: Win.

“I’ll just go back to when Sam came on his official visit and sat in my office and I was in there with his mom and dad ... and all he talked about was winning,” Hoiberg said at media day. “It was very refreshing. A lot of times when you’re sitting in those meetings the questions are, ‘How many shots am I going to get? How many minutes am I going to play? What role do you anticipate for me?’ All Sam cared about is he wanted to get this program to where it’s never been because he was a passionate Nebraska fan growing up.”

Griesel has grown comfortable in Lincoln quickly off the court, which is important for his growth on the court.

“I’m just getting comfortable playing with the new guys, and they’ve made it really easy to do,” Griesel said at media day. “It’s a really fun group to play with, and the more reps that we get with each other, the better we’re going to get.”

Griesel had offseason surgery and is 100 percent ready to go.

“I stand up, start limping, and I remind myself, ‘No, it doesn’t hurt,’” Griesel said at media day. “‘I don’t have to do this anymore.’ That’s a relief and a really good feeling.”

Prediction


Nebraska has not been good, and they still are not good. Bringing in guys like Greisel, Gray and Bandoumel was important to at least give them a chance, but these are all guys that will need to make major jumps in their game, along with Walker and Wilcher, to help the Huskers win games.

Ultimately, I think it will be a long season in Lincoln. The Big Ten is talented and deep, and this Huskers team does have some talent, but they are relying on a lot of unproven guys and guys that have not played at this level yet.

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Film Preview: A quick look at Northwestern, what we can learn from Ohio State in the matchup
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

This game against Northwestern will be televised, so we will take a look at the Wildcats ahead of their matchup against Ohio State.

After Ohio State’s toughest matchup of the season so far, the Buckeyes are set to travel to Northwestern for another road game. The last time these two teams faced off, Northwestern made the game interesting, limiting Justin Fields as a passer which in turn led to one of the greatest run performances in Ohio State by history Trey Sermon.

The mighty have fallen. The Wildcats have been on a downward trajectory since their recent Big Ten Championship appearance. Their offense has regressed despite bringing in a multitude of Power-5 transfers at the quarterback position and having a few draft picks on the offensive line. There is no definitive identity; They try to run the ball, but they have given up leads early and have been forced to throw.

Defensively, all the aspects that made Northwestern so competitive in the past are no longer apparent. The discipline in their Cover-4 shell does not limit explosive plays, and the lack of commitment in run fits have made for a defense that doesn’t

Now, rather than recycling all the jokes made about Iowa’s offense, this article is going to still be serious. As serious as it can be because Northwestern is not a good football team. They do not do anything well, and Ohio State should roll.

Northwestern’s Offense


Getting started with the offense of Northwestern is like getting ready with stale bread at a restaurant — you’d rather just not have the bread. The Wildcats score 17.0 points per game, good for 120th in the country, and average 4.7 yards per play, which ranks 105th. Over the last few weeks the offense has shown a little life since transitioning to backup quarterback Brendan Sullivan. The lone bright spot is running back Evan Hull, who can only do so much.

Run Game

Looking at the run game here, Northwestern is in 20-personnel, meaning they have two running backs and zero tight ends. They run an inside zone concept to the offset back (No. 26) on the left, and the other running back lead blocks through the hole. Penn State does a great job of penetrating at the snap, but the play is made by their safety filling. Ohio State’s safeties will need to be prepared to help in the run game. If they can stay disciplined they should be able to win the early downs.


Northwestern does try to find creative ways to run the ball, but that does not mean the creativity is rewarded. The Wildcats lineup in 12-personnel with their quarterback under center. They motion the quarterback out, this means the play is a direct snap to the running back. The play is ruined by the bad snap, but the trickeration here does the opposite of deceiving Penn State. By motioning the quarterback out, the defense knows the play is going to be a run. This allows the defense to pin their ears back.

Staying disciplined and not overthinking are the two ways a defense can slow down Northwestern’s offense. They will try to create conflict with trickery like this play, but as long as Ohio State reads their keys, they should be able to hold up.


Passing game

The passing game has not been consistent over the past few years for Northwestern. Unable to find a quarterback who can provide consistency and the lack of dynamic playmakers really tells the story. For a team with a first round offensive tackle, they have been unable to protect the quarterback consistently. This has led to a passing game that ranks 100th in yards per completion with 6.5 yards per completed pass.

On this first play, Northwestern is looking to stretch the field and push the ball vertically. Penn State runs a loop on the defensive line and the right guard doesn’t slide to take the looper. This creates pressure for the quarterback and he overthrows the post route. This leads to an easy interception with the safety sitting over top. With how Ohio State’s defensive line is playing, pressure can win this game early.


Northwestern does find success at times, especially getting the running backs involved. They do this by running screens or wheel routes. Evan Hull is a talented pass catcher which creates some mismatches.

In the play below, Maryland is in man coverage. When Northwestern motions the receiver across to the bunch formation, Maryland shifts their defensive backs with the trips side safety walking down. Northwestern runs multiple in-breaking routes, which leads to the linebacker responsible for the running back getting caught in traffic. Hull fakes pass-pro, then runs a wheel route late leading to him being alone in space and scoring a touchdown.


One of the biggest issues for Northwestern is their pass-protection. This leads to a lot of sacks and throws under pressure for the quarterbacks. Maryland shows pressure and drops three players out from the pressure look. They end up only bringing four rushers, but the Northwestern line does not slide the direction of the additional rusher. The running back runs a route, and rather than checking to keep the running back in, they allow for a free rusher.

This leads to a sack from just a bad protection call. Ohio State could show pressure a lot to take advantage of this on Saturday.

Northwestern’s Defense


Northwestern has never been an offensive juggernaut, but their defense made up for it by playing complimentary football. Northwestern’s head coach Pat Fitzgerald has led a defense that does not give up big plays in coverage, tackles well, and limits red zone touchdowns. The issue is they have not done any of those three traits well this season.

Run Fill

Northwestern has played hesitant in filling in the run game. Their linebackers have also been undisciplined in their pursuit. Penn State runs an outside zone with a lead blocker through the lane. The Northwestern linebacker (No. 33) to the play side reacts late, then he over-pursues, which allows the offensive line to wash him out of the play. Penn State got to the second level blocking, and this gave the running back a huge hole to run through. The other linebacker reacts late, but is able to make a play that saves this run from turning into a huge gain.


Northwestern had to defend against Maryland’s 11-personnel with a Pistol set. This is interesting because of all the talk this week about Ohio State’s run-game tendency out of the pistol. The Buckeyes ran 100 percent of the time out of the pistol against the Nittany Lions, and Northwestern did a good job of limiting Maryland.

Maryland runs inside zone with a motion action to a bubble screen. Northwestern keyed on a tendency. The motion gives away which side the run is going, and this allows Northwestern to blitz the backside safety. By being able to attack from the backside, Northwestern is able to disrupt this run-action. Ohio State has given away tendencies recently and Northwestern will be prepared.


Coverage

Northwestern in coverage is simple, and in previous years the Wildcats were able to maximize these coverages through discipline. The variety for Northwestern includes almost every coverage, but they play predominantly Cover-4 with a two-high safety shell.

The next play shows how taking underneath throws and being patient can keep drives against Northwestern on schedule. Penn State is in a 3rd-and-6 situation and Northwestern is in Cover-4. This coverage’s goal is to keep the receivers in front of the defensive backs and allow the defensive backs to make plays on the ball. The issue is by keeping cushion, offenses can take the yards the defense is giving them, which is what Penn State does here. They throw a hitch route at the sticks and the Northwestern DB gives the receiver too much space, leading to a first down.


Near the goal line, Northwestern runs a man-coverage across the field. They play a catch technique at the goal line or in front of it. Northwestern did a good job against Maryland at limiting the pass in the red zone, and Maryland was unable to find success through the air. In this play, the defensive backs do a great job of playing at different levels, avoiding any picks at the second level. This gives them the ability to stay on their receivers and not give a window for Maryland’s quarterback to throw the ball.

Northwestern does not have the talent it had a few seasons ago, but they still do play with discipline, sticking to their coverage rules. Ohio State’s explosive ability will be challenged, and if Ohio State can’t stay patient, Northwestern can find success slowing them down.


Pressure

The last thing Northwestern does at a higher percentage is show and bring pressure through blitzing. Against Maryland in 3rd-and-7, Northwestern shows they are bringing six defenders. They drop two linebackers back into coverage and bring a late blitz from the nickel safety position. Northwestern is well-prepared for the crossing vertical routes by Maryland, and the late blitzing defensive back gets home for a sack. By bringing pressure, Northwestern aids their coverage by showing pressure, and the blitz game finds most of the defensive success for the Wildcats.


Northwestern has not won a football game in the United States in over a year. Their record against the Big Ten has gotten in worse over three consecutive seasons. Ohio State will still have to take this game seriously on the road. This is an opportunity for the Buckeyes to regain confidence in the run game and get back to limiting big plays defensively.

As we looked at today, Northwestern does not have a lot of explosiveness or athleticism on either side of the ball. The discipline Northwestern coaches has not been enough to make up for the talent disadvantages the Wildcats have had the last two seasons on defense. On offense, the lack of dynamic play-making from the quarterback position and receiver positions has been an issues. Teams have been able to load up the box and limit the one thing Northwestern is good at.

Ohio State needs to go to Ryan Field and take care of business in the trenches. This is not the Northwestern the Buckeyes last saw, but they will play hard, which will provide Ohio State a challenge. The challenge from Northwestern probably won’t last long, but if they end up making this game interesting, the Buckeyes will need to be ready.

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MC&J: The Tennessee-Georgia showdown takes center stage on this week’s national slate
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 John Adams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Two teams ranked in the CFP top-three will square off in Athens on Saturday afternoon.

Last week ATS: 7-5 (3-2 B1G, 4-3 National)

Season ATS: 64-72-3 (31-36-1 B1G, 33-35-2 National)

It was great to pull a couple games back last week. There were a few that left a sour taste in my mouth, though. Michigan won by 22 when they were a 23-point favorite, and Texas A&M lost by three when they were a 2.5-point underdog. Ohio State was also covering before a Penn State touchdown left the Buckeyes a couple points shy. A 7-5 week is nice, don’t get me wrong. I just really wanted that 9-3 or 10-2 week that was within reach.

National games:


(All lines courtesy of Draftkings Sportsbook.)

Texas Tech v. No. 7 TCU (-9.5) - 12:00 p.m. - FOX

TCU has done everything asked of them this year, and they are still ranked No. 7 in the first CFP rankings of the year. The Horned Frogs have blown the doors off Oklahoma, rebounded from deficits against Oklahoma State and Kansas State, and last week went on the road and won in a tough environment at West Virginia. Max Duggan has 22 touchdowns and just two interceptions this year, while running back Kendre Miller has rushed for 851 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Texas Tech is a really tough team to get a read on. The Red Raiders beat Texas in overtime, lost to Kansas State and Oklahoma State, destroyed West Virginia, and then got blasted against Baylor. Which Texas Tech shows up on Saturday? Behren Morton got the start at quarterback against the Bears, throwing three interceptions and completing just 11 of 34 pass attempts in the blowout. Red Raider quarterbacks have been pretty careless with the football this year, throwing 15 interceptions through eight games.

I’m not as worried about TCU in this game as I am the next two weeks, when they travel to Texas and Baylor. Maybe the Red Raiders rebound this week after the ugly loss to Baylor, I’m just not seeing it happening. Morton and backup quarterback Donovan Smith make too many mistakes for me to have any faith in Texas Tech pulling the upset or cover here. TCU is the type of team that feasts off turnovers. Duggan and company win their third straight game by at least 10 points.

TCU 48, Texas Tech 31


No. 19 Tulane (-7.5) v. Tulsa - 12:00 p.m. - ESPNU

After wins at Kansas State and Houston earlier in the year, Tulane has their sights set on the a New Year’s Six spot as the Group of Five team. Had it not been for a 27-24 loss to Southern Miss at the end of September, right now the Green Wave would be undefeated. Tulane doesn’t do anything that is going to blow you away, they just play solid defense and can move the football through the air and on the ground.

It feels like Tulsa tries really hard, they just aren’t very good. The three wins by the Golden Hurricanes this year have come against Northern Illinois, Jacksonville State, and Temple. Not exactly any victories that are going to blow you away. Honestly, the biggest win by Tulsa this year was a 35-27 loss to Ole Miss. While Davis Brin and the offense can move the football, their defense provides little resistance for opponents.

Following Saturday’s game, Tulane has a tough finish to the season with home games against UCF and SMU before closing out the regular season at Cincinnati. Willie Fritz knows how important it is to win at Tulsa to head into those three games with just the one loss. The Green Wave are a more talented and disciplined team, which will become obvious once the game starts on Saturday.

Tulane 34, Tulsa 20


No. 1 Tennessee v. No. 3 Georgia (-8) - 3:30 p.m. - CBS

Right now Tennessee is the flashy sports car, while Georgia is that reliable car that isn’t as fast and a few years old, but it gets you where you need to go. Following a win over Alabama a few weeks ago and a blowout of Kentucky last week, the Volunteers sit atop the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season. It’s safe to say that whatever team wins this game will be ranked first next week.

Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker is having an incredible season, having thrown for 2,338 yards and 21 touchdowns through eight games. The scary thing is Hooker might be even better than we saw against Alabama since top wide receiver Cedric Tillman is back from injury. While Tillman was out, Jalin Hyatt picked up the slack and is currently leading the country with 14 touchdown receptions.

Despite having their best season of football in years, I’m just not sure Tennessee is able to get two marquee wins in the same season. Georgia might not have an offense that can match what the Volunteers do, but the Bulldogs certainly have a defense that can slow Hooker and company down. Even though Georgia took a hit when Nolan Smith was lost for the season to injury, I like their defense to frustrate Hooker and hold Tennessee in check between the hedges.

Georgia 38, Tennessee 24


No. 6 Alabama (-13.5) v. No. 10 LSU - 7:00 p.m - ESPN

How incredible is Alabama? This marks the first time since 2010 that they have entered the LSU game not ranked in the top-five. Following a loss to Tennessee three weeks ago, the Crimson Tide dominated Mississippi State 30-6 in Tuscaloosa before having a week off last week. Even though Alabama was able to win easily, there wasn’t much that stood out about the game with the Bulldogs. Bryce Young was 21 of 35 for 249 yards and two scores, but the running game wasn’t able to get going. Alabama rushed for just 29 yards on 27 carries in the win.

Much like Alabama, LSU was also off last week. The Tigers did have an impressive win two weeks ago, running away from Ole Miss in the fourth quarter. Arizona State transfer quarterback Jayden Daniels is getting better as he is becoming more comfortable in the LSU offense. Over the last two games, Daniels has 11 total touchdowns, throwing for five scores, while adding six touchdowns on the ground.

I get that Alabama is Alabama, I just can’t figure out why they are favored by nearly two touchdowns. Honestly, I think LSU can win this football game straight up. I’m not putting a whole lot of stock into the Alabama win over Mississippi State since the Crimson Tide put the Bulldogs in a corner every year. I’m going to follow my gut and take LSU to win. Even if the Tigers don’t win, they shouldn’t lose by more than two touchdowns.

LSU 31, Alabama 27


No. 24 Texas (-2.5) v. No. 13 Kansas State - 7:00 p.m. - FS1

Anybody that says they thought Kansas State was going to beat up on Oklahoma State like that is a liar. Too bad we didn’t get a clip of Mike Gundy screaming “I’M A MAN! I GOT BEAT BY 48 BY K-STATE!”. Will Howard was outstanding at quarterback with Adrian Martinez not available for the game because of injury. Howard threw for 296 yards and four touchdowns, while Deuce Vaughn added 158 yards and a score on the ground.

Unlike Kansas State, Texas is coming into this game coming off a 41-34 loss to Oklahoma State. The Longhorns did at least have a week to lick their wounds since they were on a bye last week. Quinn Ewers had some good moments in the loss to the Cowboys, but he also missed on 30 of his passes and was picked off three times. Bijan Robinson has been solid at running back, topping 100 yards rushing in each of the last six games. There hasn’t been a game that Robinson has taken over yet, though.

The week off has to have done wonders for the Longhorns, giving them time to refocus ahead of this week’s game, as well as next week’s showdown with TCU. The status of Martinez is still up in the air for this game, so we may see Will Howard again at quarterback. I think the win over Oklahoma State was a bit of a mirage for the Wildcats, especially since the Cowboys were coming off a stretch where they played TCU and Texas before last week’s game. Texas will be a lot fresher for this game than Oklahoma State was last week.

Texas 41, Kansas State 31


No. 4 Clemson (-3.5) v. Notre Dame -7:30 p.m. - NBC

Notre Dame looks like they are starting to find their rhythm. The season got off to a nightmare start for new head coach Marcus Freeman. Not only did the Fighting Irish lose their first two games of the season, they also lost starting quarterback Tyler Buchner for the year to injury. Drew Pyne has steadied the ship in South Bend because he doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. Even though his numbers aren’t flashy, he puts the Fighting Irish in positions to win.

Clemson comes into this game fourth in the CFP rankings, but there’s not many people who think they are the fourth-best team in the country. In their last game two weeks ago, D.J. Uiagalelei was benched with the Tigers trailing Syracuse. While Cade Klubnik didn’t do much on the field, the move sparked Clemson enough to avoid the upset from the Orange. If it wasn’t for Will Shipley and his 172 yards rushing and two scores, Clemson wouldn’t be undefeated right now.

Is Clemson really better than Notre Dame? Both teams have really good defenses that make up for questions at quarterback. I almost trust Drew Pyne more than Uiagalelei since Pyne has the luxury of throwing to standout tight end Michael Mayer. Notre Dame beat Uiagalelei, who was filling in for Trevor Lawrence, back in 2020, and while the score this year won’t be as high, I think the Fighting Irish hand Clemson their first loss of the season.

Notre Dame 28, Clemson 24


No. 12 UCLA (-10.5) v. Arizona State - 9:30 p.m. - FS1

I try my best to talk myself out of taking ranked teams on the road against unranked underdogs. Having said that, I still can’t find a reason not to take UCLA here. Arizona State has been a mess this year, entering this game at 3-5. Last week the Sun Devils beat Colorado 42-34, but I don’t put much stock in that win since the Buffaloes are one of the worst teams in the country.

At least UCLA didn’t dwell on the loss to Oregon for too long. After the 45-30 loss in Eugene, the Bruins came out last week and handled their business against Stanford 38-13. Michigan transfer Zach Charbonnet needs just 36 yards to reach 1,000 yards rushing on the season after racking up nearly 200 yards on the ground against the Cardinal.

UCLA is the better team. The Bruins have more weapons on offense, a hungrier defense, and they don’t have a coaching staff that has been shuffled like Arizona State, who fired Herm Edwards earlier this year. Even though UCLA lost a few weeks ago, they still have a ton left to play for, as they are in the mix for a spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game next month. It’s hard to not see the Bruins winning this game by at least two touchdowns.

UCLA 42, Arizona State 21

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

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Visiting Locker Room: Previewing Michigan State women’s basketball with The Only Colors
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Robert Killips | Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

To learn more about Sparty, LGHL worked with someone who knows the team well.

The Ohio State Buckeyes women’s basketball team faced the Michigan State Spartans three times last year, including in postseason play. Head coach Kevin McGuff’s Buckeyes side bested them all three times on the court.

Even so, Michigan State could be a team that surprises people this season. Could they make a run like Ohio State did last year, when they earned a share of the Big Ten conference title?

To find out the answer to that question and more, Land-Grant Holy Land worked with The Only Colors, the Michigan State site on SBNation. Kevin Knight covers the Spartans and shared more about a potential surprise year, who steps up with big names graduating and more.

Land-Grant Holy Land: Even with Michigan State’s difficult 2021-22 season, it didn’t detract transfers or freshmen from joining the team. There are some impressive names in the group joining Sparty this year. Who of the group can make an immediate impact?


LGHL: Michigan State lost guard Nia Clouden and forward Tamara Farquhar to their finished NCAA careers. Can guard Matilda Ekh and forward Taiyier Parks turn into the next iteration of those two key role-players for the Spartans?


LGHL: Last season, the Buckeyes played a pretty light non-conference schedule and were able to gel and come on strong in the second half of the season, and win a conference title. Looking through Sparty’s schedule, they don’t have an overly difficult road. Do you think Michigan State could find the same sort of success after giving this younger team time to build chemistry?


LGHL: Finally, what are your way-too-early predictions for where Michigan State ends in the final conference standings and how far do they make it in the NCAA Tournament, if they make it?


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What’s a tight end, anyway? A look at Buckeyes who have played the position under coach Ryan Day
David M Wheeler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

Ohio State tight ends are used in multiple ways.

Running teams in the Big Ten love their tight ends. Michigan, Iowa, Penn State – they put tight ends on the field, sometimes two or even three at a time. They’ll seal the corner on outside running plays. They’ll pull down the line and lead the attack into the middle. They’ll line up in the slot. They’ll line up at fullback. They’re all over the place, and they block, block, block.

Or they catch passes. For these running teams, the TEs are also favorite receivers. Sam Laporta is by far Iowa’s leading receiver, and Luke Schoonmaker is second only to Ronnie Bell for Michigan. Quick slants, delayed routes over the middle, hook patterns for a first down. Occupying linebackers, these tight ends are meant to complement the running game.

Ohio State usually has a tight end on the field, but his role is unlike those of most players at the position. Let’s see how.

The 2022 tight ends


First of all, let’s be clear. None of this year’s three top Buckeye tight ends – Cade Stover, Mitch Rossi, and Gee Scott Jr. – started as a tight end. Stover was a four-star outside linebacker in the Bucks’ 2019 class. In fact, he was the national No. 7 OLB in that class and ranked at 114 at any position. Scott Jr. was the No. 10 wide receiver in the class the following year. His national ranking (at any position) was No. 66. Not bad. And Mitch? He walked on in the summer of 2017 as a running back. This season is Rossi’s sixth as a Buckeye.

Rossi, at 6-foot, 245 lbs., is built like a fullback – and often plays there. The former WR Scott is built like – well, like a wide receiver. A big wide receiver, at 6-foot-3, 220. Stover has both the height (6-foot-4) and the weight (255) of a tight end. He at least looks like a tight end.

Recruiting tight ends


So, if the top three TEs aren’t really tight ends at all, doesn’t Day ever recruit any? Yes and no. The Buckeyes signed three-star Cormontae Hamilton in the class of 2019, three-star Joe Royer in the 2020 class, and three-star Sam Hart in 2021. With recruiting classes mainly filled with five- and four- star athletes, it appears that either the best tight ends don’t commit to OSU because the Bucks don’t use them traditionally, or that recruiting TEs hasn’t been a priority for Day and company.

I must point out that this year’s freshman class (2022) has four-star tight end Bennett Christian, a traditional tight end who ranked No. 20 at the position and No. 408 overall. Next year’s class has a top recruit at tight end – four-star Jelani Thurman, who ranks fourth at the position and 108 overall. Nevertheless, the two top players in Ohio State’s 2023 class are, of course, wide receivers.

Jeremy Ruckert joined the Buckeyes for the 2018 season, and he was almost the prototype for the position – 6-foot-5, 252 – and was the No. 2 ranked player at the position that year. And that was the year before Day took the helm.

The history of Day’s tight ends


Although Day inherited him, Ruckert was the starter for Day’s first three seasons as head coach. For the first two of those (2019 and 2020), Ruckert shared time with Luke Farrell, another traditional tight end. Day especially liked to use Ruckert and Farrell near the goal line. They would do a curl just over the line, a shallow slant, or run horizontally along the end line, using their height to snare deliberately high passes.

A high proportion of their catches were, accordingly, touchdowns. In 2019 they caught 21 passes for six TDs. Six TDs in 2020 from their 18 combined receptions. We started to see a change last year, as more balls were thrown to tight ends and the routes were more varied. Farrell was gone for 2021, but Ruckert, Stover, Scott, and Rossi combined for 40 catches but only four touchdowns.

The pattern that emerged last season has only sharpened this year. The three tight ends have already exceeded last year’s TD total (five so far this season) and the tight ends, with 30 in eight games, are on a pace to get more receptions. Granted, the wide receiver position has lost players to injury, perhaps making the TEs more attractive as targets.

How are the tight ends being used this year?


Cade Stover’s performance against Penn State last week, especially his 24-yard touchdown reception, is what called my attention to the difference. As a receiver, he ran patterns that we normally associate with wideouts. Overall, he had six catches on six targets for 78 yards and a touchdown. Both Marvin Harrison Jr. (37) and Emeka Egbuka (53) had longer receptions, but Stover’s 13 yards per reception average is like a number we’d expect from wide receivers.

As a blocker, Stover stood out, for better and for worse. In the decisive fourth quarter, Stover blocked one man out of the hole, then moved on to take out another to launch TreVeyon Henderson’s 41-yard TD run. On the other hand, Stover missed (two, three times) his blocks on defensive backs when OSU tried wideout screens. It appeared that Day was trying to set up a play where Stover would fake the block and go down the field as the defender bit on the screen. Maybe this week.

Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Rossi played a lot less at tight end but sometimes lined up in the backfield, either in the slot or as an actual fullback. For the day, Rossi rushed once for eight yards and caught one pass for 16 yards. He was effective because, with all of the spectacular talent on the field for the Buckeyes, Rossi’s involvement is unexpected.

Bottom line


The tight end play this year is interesting because it is, to my untutored eye, unusual. Ryan Day has obviously tailored the position to suit his passing offense and, more importantly, to suit the personnel that he has available to him at the position. As this group moves on and more traditional tight ends join the action, I will be curious to see how the players are used.

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BB73 said:

How do we get every Heisman voter to see this? I seriously think it should be e-mailed to Dave Revsine at BTN and Joel Klatt at Fox each week. Everybody at ESPN will ignore it since it doesn’t fit their narrative.

Click to expand...

Bingo! All of the advanced stats you want to provide, ESPN will always respond with "but he doesn't play in the SEC" and "who have they played". I was listening to Cowherd, and then an analyst on ESPN, and they both parroted each other, saying that if Stroud played in the SEC his numbers wouldn't be as good, and that he didn't dominate like he should have against Ped ST and Iowa. The ESPN analyst said he didn't even watch all of OSU's games, but looked at the stats and they didn't "wow" him. Stroud is putting up one of the most efficient and dominant QB performances in CFB, but yet is getting knocked for it. Only in CFB, do you play well and get knocked for it, because you don't play in the right conference(one of my biggest gripes about CFB in general).

United States of College Basketball: Predicting the best team in each state for the 2022-23 season



Ohio: Xavier Musketeers
State of the state: A fun four-team race among the four biggest programs. Xavier, Dayton, Ohio State and Cincinnati all have designs on making the NCAAs in 2023. I'm thinking at least one of those teams will come up short, but at least the hoops are good in the Buckeye State these days. Toledo and Kent State are 1-2 in the MAC (pick your order), and Akron's No. 3. Ohio and Wright State remain respectable (at the very least) mid-major outfits. But I'll say Xavier makes moves right away under Sean Miller and edges out Dayton (barely) as the top team. Ohio State has major questions and Cincinnati is a year away from the big bump.

Entire article: https://www.cbssports.com/college-b...st-team-in-each-state-for-the-2022-23-season/

Ohio State women’s basketball player preview: Hevynne Bristow
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Hevynne Bristow against Bucknell University on Nov. 10, 2021 | Ohio State University Athletics

Looking at the senior guard entering the 2022-23 season.

It’s less than two weeks before the Ohio State Buckeyes women’s basketball team starts their Big Ten title defense season. So far this preseason, Land-Grant Holy Land’s previewed players throughout the team roster.

Next up is Hevynne Bristow. The guard enters the third season in scarlet, sticking around the program after multiple teammates in a similar situation left Ohio State in the offseason. Where does the Academic All-B1G fit into the team for the upcoming campaign?


Name: Hevynne Bristow
Position: Guard
Class: Senior
High School: Brooklyn Community of Arts and Media
2021-22 Stats: 3.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 0.8 apg, .367 FG%, .333 3FG%, .750 FT%

Last Season


When starting point guard Madison Greene suffered a season-ending knee injury before the season even started, head coach Kevin McGuff had a decision to make. McGuff had different ways he could go but went with experience in choosing upperclassman Bristow to start the year against Bucknell University.

In 15 minutes, Bristow scored six points and added five rebounds in a lopsided 71-48 win to start the year. That was the last game Bristow started in the season, with McGuff going with sophomore, and fellow member of New York’s five boroughs, Kateri Poole.

That didn’t mean Bristow didn’t see the court. In 10 additional appearances, the 6-foot-1 guard averaged 8.2 minutes per game. After the conference schedule began, McGuff lowered Bristow’s minutes, ending the season with 3.2 points.

After the season ended, Poole and two other Buckeyes entered the transfer portal. Even though Bristow didn’t get close to matching the minutes she played in her first collegiate spot at Providence, she stayed with Ohio State for her first of potentially three remaining years of NCAA eligibility (if she opts to use the extra year awarded to athletes who played during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic).

What to Expect


Bristow can compete defensively, using the 6-foot-1 guard size to her advantage for rebounding and blocking. While the sample size at Ohio State hasn’t been large, Bristow played 29 games, with three starts, for Providence when she entered the college ranks.

With Providence, Bristow had 64 rebounds in only 261 minutes played, with eight blocks on top of that. Offensively though, Bristow isn’t the type of guard that Buckeye fans are likely to see on the court, aka a shooter.

Through three seasons, Bristow has three attempts from beyond the arc, all coming last season. Maybe it’s a sign of an area that the OSU Scholar-Athlete is working to improve to gain minutes.

Prediction


The Buckeyes are stacked at the guard position. Greene returns, plus two First Team All-B1G players in Jacy Sheldon and Taylor Mikesell. Also, Rikki Harris and freshman duo Mya Perry and Kaia Henderson, along with transfer Emma Shumate.

Bristow is likely to continue where she left off last year, as an important locker-room piece. See anything about the Scarlet & Gray across social media, and anything fun the team is doing there’s Bristow in the middle of it. The senior represents the spirit of this team who really seem to get along and like being around each other.

Highlights


Bristow (3) makes a smooth no-look pass to Sheldon in transition in Monday’s 118-33 exhibition victory over Notre Dame College.


Miss any player previews? Here’s the list so far:

• Taylor Mikesell
• Eboni Walker
• Madison Greene
• Emma Shumate
• Cotie McMahon
• Rebeka Mikulášiková
• Rikki Harris
• Taylor Thierry

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Bucketheads Podcast: Big Ten men’s basketball preview
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, surprise team, letdown team, and more! Plus we discuss what went right (and wrong) against Chaminade.

‘Bucketheads’ is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. Every episode they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in the college hoops world.

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


The guys start this week’s show by discussing what Ohio State did well and what they did not do well during this week’s exhibition game against the Chaminade Silverswords. Chris Holtmann was not overly pleased about his team’s effort — especially on the glass — despite his team winning by 44 points. Will adding Justice Sueing and Gene Brown to the mix improve their rebounding numbers by all that much? They also discuss which players could get squeezed out of the main rotation when Sueing and Brown return.

Then, Justin and Connor give their best guesses on how the Big Ten conference will break down this season. Which surprise team does Connor have in his top four? Which team does Justin have missing the NCAA Tournament for just the second time since Y2K? They also guess post-season accolades such as Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Freshman of the Year.


Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGHL

Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor

Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba

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A top edge rush target in the 2023 class sheds light on decision timeline
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Damon Wilson | 247Sports

Ohio State is still going all in on a top 2023 target, Damon Wilson as he nears a commitment.

It’s pretty clear that Ohio State is doing their last heavy lifting in the 2023 recruiting class along the defensive line with just a few spots up for grabs. Now set with interior guys in this cycle after the commitment of Kayden McDonald on Monday, all eyes are on the defensive end position and the big three of Damon Wilson, Keon Keeley and Matayo Uiagalelei. Each has long been in the thick of things, but time is starting to run down on their uncommitted statuses with the December signing period getting closer.

The Buckeyes, thanks to position coach Larry Johnson, are in solid position with all three of the top talents, but odds are Ohio State isn’t going to land all of them. Still, with momentum riding at a steady rate for all three candidates, crunch time is on until each of them make the final call, and hopefully two or even one of these elite edge rushers pick the good guys in the end.

In this regard, the latest on Damon Wilson gives way to his recruitment coming to an end in the near future. In an interview with Director of Recruiting for 247Sports, Steve Wiltfong, Wilson talks about his upcoming visit to the Georgia versus Tennessee matchup this weekend, and how that visit will wrap up the remaining trips he has set. In addition to speaking on the three finalists of Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State, Wilson made it known that he will, “probably make it after this Georgia visit” in terms of a final decision.

With Georgia the biggest threat to Ohio State, the Buckeyes are hoping to really stay out in front here as the 247Sports Crystal Ball suggests. At any rate, at least a decision looks to be coming rather soon. If Ohio State can win this one, the Buckeyes would be adding the No. 19 player nationally and the fifth best edge rusher in the 2023 class per the 247Sports Composite grades. Make no mistake about it either, the play this past weekend from J.T. Tuimoloau was not only seen by Wilson, but is playing a role in why Ohio State is so highly thought of by defensive linemen.

The countdown is on for coach Johnson and the Buckeyes. To read more of what Wilson had to say in his piece with Wiltfong, read below.

Quick Hits

• Thanks to the recent commitment of offensive tackle Ian Moore, Ohio State’s 2024 class is starting to really take off in terms of guys who are ready to join the fold for the Buckeyes. As the class becomes the top priority following 2023, the Ohio State coaches are already all over it and doing their due diligence to stay out in front for their top targets.

While it’s not everything, yesterday Mark Pantoni took to his Twitter account and retweeted the highlight film that Illinois native Christian Bentancur posted. The No. 107 player nationally, Bentancur is the fourth ranked tight-end in the 2024 class per the 247Sports Composite rankings, and with the 2024 class likely to take two at the position, Ohio State is all in on being present early and often for their top targets.

At nearly 35 offers to his name already, it’s going to be a bit before Bentancur makes the final call of his recruitment, but seeing Pantoni sharing his film clearly shows the staff is all in on him and making him a name that will be seen and heard for the long haul.

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LGHL Asks: Tell us what you think is going to happen against Northwestern on Saturday
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 via Imagn Content Services, LLC

You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.

Every day for the entirety of the Ohio State football season, we will be asking and answering questions about the team, college football, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.

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Question 1: Which opponent before The Game worries you the most?


For all intents and purposes, Ohio State is back in tune-up mode for the next three weeks. Having gotten through the moderate mid-season tests of Iowa and Penn State, the Buckeyes have three consecutive contests against middling to downright awful teams before The Game at the end of the month.

In all honesty, none of the three games — against Northwestern, Indiana, and Maryland — should really worry you all that much, at least not in terms of the eventual outcomes. But, if you are an OSU fan who came of age during the John Cooper era, I understand why any and all games could get you a bit skittish.

I don’t know that any of them actually scare me, but there is one that I am most interested to see. Are you at least apprehensive about the Wildcats, Hoosiers, or Terps?

Question 2: What is most likely to happen on Saturday against Northwestern?


As I said above, Northwestern is awful, like haven’t-won-a-game-on-U.S.-soil-this-season awful. So, that brings up a number of different possibilities for what could happen when the Buckeyes visit Ryan Field on Saturday.

Now, to be fair, I would not be surprised if more than one of these things happens this weekend, but when it comes down to which one is most likely to happen, what do you think?

Do you think the offense is more likely to put on a show? Or will the defense put up its first shutout of the season? Will this be a passing or running-dominated game? As always, I won’t share my thoughts until your results are in as not to unduly influence the outcome, but I do have a thought (or two or three) about this one.

Question 3: How many points do you think Ohio State beats Northwestern by this week?


Look, the Buckeyes opened as 36.5-point favorites over Northwestern and in my mind, the only way they don’t cover that is if Ryan Day decides to just throw bubble screens and run out of under-center formations all game — then, they will probably just win by 35.


So, what do you think? Will this be a four? five? six? seven touchdown victory on Saturday? Let us know in the survey below, and if you have additional thoughts, please share them in the comments below.


Have your voice heard and share your thoughts on the Buckeyes here:


Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State Buckeyes fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate.

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Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: Northwestern shouldn’t provide much of a challenge for Ohio State
Gene Ross 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

The Buckeyes are heavy favorites for a reason.

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


On this week’s episode, Gene and Josh preview Ohio State’s next game against Northwestern. After facing off against a tough Iowa defense and battling Penn State on the road, the Buckeyes should find things a bit easier this week as the Wildcats are having a pretty dreadful year. Sitting at 1-7 on the season, Pat Fitzgerald’s team has already made a chance at quarterback, and does not have the usual stout defense you would expect under the 17th-year head coach. The guys expect Ohio State to roll in this one, and also give their predictions for Tuesday night’s initial College Football Playoff rankings.

“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

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Northwestern Defensive Player to Watch: Linebacker Bryce Gallagher
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Following in the footsteps of his older brother, Bryce Gallagher has developed into a leader and sure tackler for the Wildcats.

As the Ohio State Buckeyes and Northwestern Wildcats prepare to face off on Saturday, both teams unequivocally know that NU’s defense is what could determine the outcome (AKA severity of the spread, let’s be honest).

For years under head coach Pat Fitzgerald, the Wildcats’ defense has been their calling card. It makes total sense, given the coach’s background and storied career as an All-American linebacker. In fact, only twice in the past decade has Northwestern’s defense finished outside the top-50 nationally in points per game allowed. Many years they have finished in or around the top-25, with 2020 being Fitzgerald’s masterpiece (15.9 PPG allowed, good for fifth in FBS). Unfortunately for the guys in Evanston, they have won only four games since the end of that pandemic-shortened season, and their defense has taken a big step back.

In this case, the root cause seems to be NU’s inability to stop the run. Last year, the Wildcats surrendered an average of 213.9 rushing yards per game (!) to their opponents, finishing near the bottom of FBS rankings. They also gave up nearly 5.4 yards per carry. Teams were unafraid to run against Northwestern, and clearly for good reason. The ‘Cats have improved to the point where they are currently allowing 186.4 rushing yards per game in 2022, but that number barely puts them inside the top-100. Playing in the Big Ten has only made matters worse, as Penn State, Wisconsin, and Iowa in particular have run all over Fitzgerald’s bunch. And I expect the Buckeyes to do the same.

To hang with OSU this weekend, Northwestern will need all of their biggest, baddest, best defenders to play well... Like, really, really well. Because one or two guys having a fantastic game is unlikely to slow down Ohio State’s offense — at least not each and every weapon at Ryan Day’s disposal. So it will take a total group effort, with NU’s leaders stepping up on that side of the ball.

One of those impressive leaders is linebacker Bryce Gallagher. This redshirt junior and family legacy did not see the field often during his first two seasons, but developed into a defensive stalwart once given the opportunity. He is now one of the leading tacklers in the Big Ten – both currently, and since the beginning of 2021 – as well as this week’s Defensive Player to Watch.

Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Bryce, a 6-foot-2, 240-pounder from Massachusetts, followed in older brother Blake’s footsteps by committing to Fitzgerald and Northwestern all the way back in 2017 (enrolled in 2019). The Gallaghers shared a position room and technically played together for two seasons, but it was Blake who arrived first and gained most of the notoriety... and all of the playing time. Which was well-deserved, because from 2017-2020, he racked up 332 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, and five interceptions, while earning various Big Ten honors. Bryce was ultimately forced to take a back seat to big brother, until replacing him in the Wildcats’ starting lineup last season. From that point on, he has continued the family legacy.

Gallagher (Bryce from here on out) took to his new role quite well in 2021, despite a bit of a slow start. After being credited with just one tackle in NU’s opener last year, he put up five against Indiana State in Week 2. Then seven. Then five again. Solid, but certainly not Luke Kuechly-esque for a four-game stretch. However, he then went on to average exactly 10 tackles per game through mid-November, totaling 70 across seven games. And he was incredibly consistent in doing to. Gallagher’s tackles by game went 10-10-14-12-9-9-6, with 4.5 TFL and one sack for good measure. He had fully arrived, and finished the season with 90 total tackles.

2022 has seen much of the same from this now fourth-year LB. Gallagher sits at 79 tackles through eight games to go with 1.5 sacks. The Wildcats’ best defender has also added an interception and a forced fumble, but turnovers and big plays are not typically a huge part of his game. In fact, it is fair to say he is severely lacking in that department. Because in 30 career appearances, he has totaled just 2.5 sacks, 11 TFL, one interception, and a single forced fumble. Less than ideal, but somebody has to do the dirty work, right?

That is what Gallagher does: Studies his opponent, follows the gameplan, and makes a bunch of tackles when he is near the ball. Flashy? Not at all. But dozens of teams across the country would love to have his steady presence in the middle of their defense. I do not view the Northwestern’s MLB as a game-changing player come Saturday, but he is unlikely to blow an assignment, commit a foolish penalty, or miss many tackles throughout the course of the game. He is fundamentally sound, and will go down swinging until the final whistle blows or he is removed from the game.

The Wildcats would likely need 11 of this guy to stand a chance on defense, but do not tell that to Bryce Gallagher.

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B1G Thoughts: Reviewing the Big Ten at the two-thirds mark
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

With Halloween out of the way, we’re two-thirds of the way through the season and it’s time to see what’s changed in the last four weeks.

Every week after the Big Ten slate of games, I will bring you some B1G thoughts on everything that happened! This will include analysis, stats, key players, moments, and maybe a joke or two. Be sure to check out the I-70 Football Show in the Land-Grant Holy Land podcast feed for more in-depth analysis and to preview the next week of B1G games.

Halloween is over and people are starting to put up Christmas decorations. Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas’ is making its way up the charts, and soon enough we will be plunged into darkness by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. That means we are two-thirds of the way through the college football season. Now is not the time to lament that CFB is the shortest compared to all the major sports — and yes CFB is a major sport. Nor is it the time to fear the end, as we still have a couple of glorious months, plus MACtion, so we can’t let the seasonal depression win.

Every team in the Big Ten has played eight games. At this point in the season, we know who all these teams are. Sure, some teams like Ohio State may have extra gears they can reach, but for the most part it is safe to assume who these teams are. Illinois has all but locked up the Big Ten West. Can they maintain their focus and complete one of the greatest seasons in their program history? Ohio State and Michigan have been on a collision course since the Wolverines dominated The Game last year. Can Michigan avoid an upset loss to Illinois? Ohio State has three easier games, but teams like Northwestern and Indiana are looking to play spoiler as their seasons are all but over anyway.

Since the one-third season review, we’ve had coaches fired, players enter the transfer portal, arguments over tunnels, and even a disgusting show of disrespect with a number of Michigan State players jumping Michigan players. With four games left, there are a number of teams still fighting for post-season eligibility, while for others it may be time to make decisions on coaches or let younger players — e.g. Drew Allar at Penn State — get some playing time to prepare for next season. Bret Bielema is well on his way to Big Ten and potentially National Coach of the Year, while Kirk Ferentz and Pat Fitzgerald are playing the legacy card in hopes of keeping their jobs.

This season hasn’t disappointed us yet, so let’s take a look at the past eight games.


I would be lying if I did not admit there are a lot of surprises at this point in the season. We all could have predicted Ohio State and Michigan at the top of the East. Anyone who didn’t believe in Fitz’s Magic (maybe he should grow a beard to match Ryan Fitzpatrick) could have predicted Northwestern would struggle this season. On the flip side, Wisconsin being at 4-4 with an interim head coach wasn’t imaginable this season. I had them going 11-1 or 12-0 with a trip to Indianapolis already booked. Instead, Illinois is the class of the West, and if you predicted that congrats on becoming a multi-millionaire.


After four more weeks of evidence, there were major changes to my Big Ten Power rankings. Ohio State and Michigan stay at the top where they should always be, but Illinois has proven itself and taken the No. 3 spot, replacing Minnesota.

Minnesota has struggled as of late and falls to the middle of the pack, while Maryland jumps from No. 8 to No. 5, showing they can win in multiple ways even without their star quarterback playing. Northwestern and Indiana round out the bottom of the conference and should be looking for new coaches this offseason. I am more confident that Indiana will make the move, and there is an obvious hire in former defensive coordinator and current South Alabama head coach Kane Wommack. Northwestern will probably just build a statue of Pat Fitzgerald and let him run their program in the ground.

*Denotes the same player led the category at the one-thirds review


Almost all of our offensive stat leaders stayed the same, as C.J. Stroud, Chase Brown, Blake Corum and Charlie Jones continue to have amazing seasons. Marvin Harrison Jr. caught Jones from behind and now leads the conference with 10 touchdowns. Most offensive awards go to quarterbacks, and Stroud is deserving, but if things were equal the race for Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year could get spicy in the final four weeks.

On the defensive side of the ball, there has been much more change, which should be expected as some more recognizable players have started to round into shape. Coming into the season many people projected Jack Campbell and Nick Herbig to be two of the best defensive players in the conference, so it was surprising when they were not leading any stats at the one-third mark. Eight games in and there is not a single Ohio State or Michigan player leader in these categories, as both teams have morphed into more team defenses versus their previous star-led units.

*Denotes projected division winners


I have watched every one of these teams play — yes, even Iowa and Northwestern — so i’m putting my reputation on the line by predicting all 14 teams' final records. I tried to account for upsets and weirdness that happens in rivalry games, as hatred makes team play better. If my predictions are accurate or even close, the Big Ten is looking at eight teams making bowl games, which is not great.

This has been a bad year for the conference, with many typical powers struggling. One thing to note: if Jim Leonhard gets Wisconsin to bowl eligibility I imagine they will give him the job. Mickey Joseph on the other hand is probably not keeping the Nebraska job. This season has been full of surprises, breakouts, and awesome games. Put on your seat belts, the final four weeks are going to be a wild ride.

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Column: The Big Ten is not good enough for two College Football Playoff teams
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



Sorry :(

As non-SEC fans, it’s always frustrating to see the near-default of two SEC teams getting into the College Football Playoff so regularly. It would seem that, with Ohio State and Michigan playing among the best football in the country, this year might finally be the Big Ten’s to feature two teams of our own.

But no, just stop.

The Big Ten is top-heavy — as in the top-two teams are really good. From there, there is a precipitous dropoff. Illinois, which entered the first College Football Rankings at the No. 16 spot, is the third-best team in the conference (since, you know, Penn State which technically came in above the Illini at No. 15 already has two losses in the Big Ten East). Previous division winners Michigan State, Northwestern, Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin are all experiencing disappointing seasons.

We don’t want a repeat of 2006. Remember that season when No. 1 Ohio State beat No. 2 Michigan in a nail biter in Columbus and folks argued that the Buckeyes and Wolverines should get a rematch in the BCS Championship Game? Things didn’t work out so well. As it turns out, the Big Ten was really not that strong, because the Buckeyes got effectively thwacked by the Florida Gators on national television. Michigan got pummeled by USC in the Rose Bowl. The Big Ten went 2-5 in bowl games that season.

*shakes head to rid myself of bad memories.*

Back to 2022: Michigan’s non-conference schedule hurt them in the inaugural rankings, and the Wolverines have ground to make up to make it into the CFP — namely, beating Ohio State. Given these initial rankings, it feels even less likely that even two really good Big Ten teams would make the four-team field.

The other issue is the stacking of SEC teams. The SEC East champion — No. 1 Tennessee or No. 3 Georgia — is all but assured of a playoff bid. In the initial rankings, the committee has Alabama sitting on the doorstep as the best one-loss team (the Crimson Tide entered the Playoff picture at No. 6).

If Alabama runs the table they will likely receive a second bid for the conference. Of course, the Crimson Tide have a challenging trip to Baton Rouge on deck, and a two-loss LSU team would probably be the odd one out unless Georgia or Tennessee were to somehow lose two games apiece (reminder that they play each other this weekend on Super Saturday in the SEC).

Then there’s the consideration of, if the SEC has two teams and the Big Ten gets one, who gets the fourth Playoff spot? Clemson and TCU remain undefeated, but questions abound about Clemson’s strength of schedule and about TCU’s defense which is giving up north of 27 points per game. A one-loss Pac-12 champion (Oregon, USC or UCLA) would also have an outside shot, with Oregon holding a strong case if Georgia ends the season undefeated (Oregon’s sole loss came at the hands of the Bulldogs all the way back in week one). Then again, if USC or UCLA got the last spot, the Big Ten would sort of have two teams!

Given that, at this point, only four teams could possibly remain undefeated (since there are two head-to-head matchups of currently undefeated programs), perhaps that would be the clearest route to the field — one representative from four conferences. That arrangement would leave both SEC and Big Ten fans with hands outstretched begging for an expanded playoff.

In the Playoff rankings, the Big Ten was not looking strong compared to the rest of the Power Five. The SEC, ACC and Pac-12 all had five teams in the opening rankings. The Big Ten and Big 12 each had four.

As excited as we were about the Big Ten heading into the season, it’s yet another healthy reminder of why preseason polls are clown shoes. Along with highly touted Ohio State and Michigan programs, Michigan State and Wisconsin were both ranked at the start of the year while Penn State, Iowa, Minnesota, Purdue and even Nebraska received votes (in the case of the Huskers, it was indeed just one vote). Heck, Tennessee was unranked to start the season.

We actually have to play the games and cannot base the Playoff picture on paper conjecture, but the downgrade is still painful. And sure, we can digress into an argument for why an expanded Playoff is long overdue. But that’s not happening this year. So let’s save ourselves the heartache and put the entire fate of the conference’s reputation squarely on Ohio State’s shoulders — again.

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