Play Like a Girl Podcast: Please, sports bars, start playing women’s sports
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images

Plus, an angry rant about Scott Frost and a not-angry rant about Maria Taylor.

On LGHL’s Play Like a Girl podcast, Jami and Meredith talk everything from Ohio State sports to advocacy for women in sports and all the happenings in between.

Check out the podcast below, and make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts:


Why aren’t there any sports bars specifically geared toward women’s sports? On this week’s edition of Play Like a Girl, Jami and Meredith dive into the topic, including highlighting two cool bar concepts in the Pacific Northwestern and discussing ideas for making other sports bars more inclusive.

Jami and Meredith also discuss Scott Frost’s recent statements celebrating how his offensive linemen are regularly vomiting during practices. Spoiler: players shouldn’t be vomiting during practice for many reasons, but notably because it’s absolutely bad for players and is a practice that should have died when we all got grossed out by it in Remember the Titans in 2000.

On a more positive note, the pair wrap with a plea to get Maria Taylor in the broadcast booth for “Saturday Night Football” on NBC. Please.

Check out the full pod for more.


Contact Jami Jurich:
Twitter: @jamiurich

Contact Meredith Hein:
Twitter: @MeredithHein

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Thank you!

South Carolina

ScriptOhio said:

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Captain Buckeye with a pick, love it. CJ is going to be a great player here, wouldn't surprise me if he sneaks up and grabs significant PT this year at LB. Hoping the coaching changes help free the LBs up to make plays, I am convinced the talent is there if they are coached up right.

Buckeneye said:

And I'm sorry for that loss.

I had never understood the concept of self forgiveness, I always thought it was a self-pity type charade. In time I found that I was wrong and survivors guilt can be a real thing.
We almost always find ourselves asking 'what more could I have done?'. Unfortunately that sort of question is done through the perspective of hindsight. All we can do is the best we have with the tools, knowledge and a bit of compassion from our current moment. Perhaps try to be better and utilize this experience for anything that might occur later. So while it isn't something I struggled with, I did finally have to admit that there was almost nothing I, or damn near anyone else for that matter, could have done to save my brother.

Sadly it just ends up being something we have to accept and live with. Perhaps even find or develop better parts of ourselves we didn't know existed.
I hope the passing of time eases your grief, and you find some semblance of peace.

Or to quote one of my favorite lines (which ended up as a deleted scene)

- "What can anyone do when faced with such death?.... You go on living"



Tu Salud

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Yes I feel bad because he was my little brother, younger b 6 years. He was always hard headed, could never get him to play sports, climb trees, go to the creek and look from crawdads, all he wanted to do was watch TV and then eventually got into video games, first Atari then Nintendo. After he graduated he moved to Las Vegas, got a job in a casino and worked his way up from dishwasher to bartender. Had a pretty good gig at one of the casinos on the strip but unfortunately between the gambling, booze,coke and hookers he could never get ahead and struggled to pay his bills. One night he came home so blitzed that he drove his truck through his neighbor's garage door. He got out, went next door to his house and went to bed, the next thing he knew the cops were waking him up. He did some time and had to pay restitution. After that he bounced around with whoever would take him in but he never got his vices under control. He never had a serious relationship with a woman, never really grew up and was content to drive Uber and live with one of our parents. He eventually got into trading stocks, he found wall street bets on Reddit and got hooked. He said it gave him a bigger thrill than gambling. During the pandemic he was somehow able to get a 8 grand check from the state for unemployment but it sounded to me that there was some kind of fraud. My father who is also on his last legs is one of those who doesn't believe in banks and he gave him cash to hold, foolishly. He ended up investing it in crypto and lost it, them the state came calling for the money they gave him. Nobody knows what he was thinking because never liked to talk much about what he was doing but one day he didn't come home. His phone was off so no one could call him. Ten days later they found him in a dry lake bed 30 miles outside of town. He shot himself in the head with a family heirloom that again my father had given him to hold onto.it was really sad but on the other hand I'm grateful that whatever hell he'd been going through his whole life was over. Of course I wish that I had been able to do or say something to set him on a better path but the reality is he never listened to anyone and this was inevitable. The majority of my memories of him are from when he was really little and I used to play with him inside the house. One of his hobbies was farting into a tape recorder and playing them back for people. For some reason that made him laugh, seeing our faces, trying not to laugh and at the same time being deeply disturbed. As an adult one of his favorite bands was a metal group called Fudge Tunnel and I remember him being upset that I wouldn't give them a listen. RIP little Joe

Since Troy Smith's thread is "Not open for further replies"; I'll post this video here:

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brodybuck21 said:

Who is she?

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Filled in the past two weeks for Common Man this week and T-Bone last week.

Ask LGHL: How good are C.J. Stroud’s odds to win the Heisman Trophy?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

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: How good are C.J. Stroud’s odds to win the Heisman Trophy?


In 2021, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud was one of four finalists invited to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony. The Buckeye ended up coming in fourth with 399 total points, behind winner Alabama QB Bryce Young (2,311 points), TTUN edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson (954), and Pitt QB Kenny Pickett (631).

However, with Hutchinson and Pickett off to the NFL, Stroud has leapfrogged Young and is now the nearly unanimous favorite to win the Heisman come Dec. 5. While one yahoo from Ann Arbor continued the needling of Stroud that he started at last year’s Heisman ceremony and believes that Young should be the favorite solely because he was the last man to win the award. That kind of lazy, regressive thinking is what gives us nearly useless “analysts” like Desmond Howard and Danny Kanell.


Anyway, back to Stroud and his chances to win the most prized trophy in college sports. Coming into the 2021 season, the Heisman front-runner was Oklahoma QB Spencer Rattler (11-2), followed by Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei (7-1). Then came Young (9-1) and Stroud (10-1); neither Hutchinson nor Pickett were anywhere near consideration.

In 2020, the preseason favorite was OSU’s Justin Fields (we know how that worked out for the greatest QB in Buckeye history). Fields finished seventh and was not invited to New York while Crimson Tide WR DeVonta Smith took home the trophy. He was not in the top 20 preseason.

In 2019, it was Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence who entered the season as the favorite, but it was Ohio State legend and forever-Buckeye Joe Burrow who won the award. I could go on, but you get the picture, the preseason favorite rarely wins the Heisman, and that’s not just a function of bookmakers being wrong.

There is always an element of narrative that factors into the Heisman voting. Commentators love to talk about candidates needing a “Heisman moment,” even though the trophy is supposed to be awarded for play throughout the season, not because they juked a defender out of his shoes during the fourth quarter of a rivalry game. So, for guys who come in with loads of hype already at their backs, it is difficult for them to sustain the excitement and the story of their rise to the top of college football.

Instead, because their skills are so well known, analysts, commentators, and fans often start focusing on every perceived imperfection in the players’ game, because their sustained excellence is just not as interesting to talk about, making it difficult for a well-known player to maintain the necessary levels of momentum throughout the year.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that it can’t happen, just that it’s difficult. Coming into the 2022 campaign, Stroud is the favorite amongst fans and bookies alike. According to the SBN Reacts preseason survey, more than one-quarter of all respondents picked the Buckeye signal-caller to receive the individual honor this season.

That plurality puts him in first place, ahead of Young (18%) and his Alabama teammate linebacker Will Anderson Jr. (8%). Oklahoma USC quarterback Caleb Williams was the only other player to warrant a mention at 5%.



Now here’s the thing, Bryce Young isn’t going to win the Heisman in 2022, so you can just go ahead and take him out of consideration right now. Now don’t get me wrong, he is absolutely a quality quarterback; in fact, I’d say he’s slightly better than fine. But he is nowhere near transcendent, and that’s what one would need to be in order to win the trophy in back-to-back years in today’s landscape.

While of course as Buckeye fans, we love that we can claim Archie Griffin as “college football’s only two-time Heisman Trophy winner,” but this isn’t about my admitted Buckeye homerism; it goes back to that whole narrative thing I mentioned above. In my opinion, Young won the Heisman last year by default. He was the quarterback on the best team in the country, and for whatever reason, voters can’t bring themselves to vote for a defensive player, even if he objectively deserves the award (sorry, I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.

Young averaged 324.8 yards passing per game, while Stroud put up 369.3. Young averaged 3.13 touchdowns per outing, while Stroud went for 3.67. Young did have the slightest of edges in the interception department averaging 0.47 picks per contest to Stroud’s 0.5. The only difference? The Tide were undefeated and the Buckeyes lost two games.

Now, this is not to say that Young isn’t a worthy candidate, he had an unequivocally above-average performance last year, but nothing that is going to make a bunch of crusty old college football writers light five decades of history on fire. So, advantage Stroud.

That could be part of the rationale behind DraftKings Sportsbook giving the OSU QB a fairly sizeable advantage in the pre-season Heisman odds. At +220, bettors who go with Stroud will take home $220 for every $100 they bet, compared to Young, who comes in second at +380. Stroud’s premier receiving target Jaxon Smith-Njigba is in sixth place — and the top-rated WR — at +2,500, while Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson is tied with Miami QB and former Buckeye backup Quinn Ewers in eighth at +3,500.



Numbers and odds and narratives are all well and good, but what I think that Stroud truly has going for him — in addition to perhaps the best offense in college football history — is the fact he still has opportunities to surprise and impress. Obviously, anyone who watched him play throughout 2021 saw the marked improvement that he made from week to week.

However, many non-Ohio State fans and reporters are likely still stuck on the memory of Stroud “struggling” at the beginning of last season and a certain nasty subset of fans calling for him to be replaced. Because of that, if he comes out this fall — especially in the season-opener against a top-five Notre Dame — he has the ability to shock the casuals who dismissed him as a Dollar Store Justin Fields just a year ago.

Will C.J. Stroud win the Heisman in 2022? What do I look like, a Magic 8 Ball? I honestly have no idea, and history suggests that it’s not especially likely, but if there is any quarterback in any situation who could buck(eye) those trends, I’d put my money on No. 7.

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

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MC&J: Week 0 sees the college football season start across the pond
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 Steven Branscombe/Getty Images

College football in 2022 gets a soft opening with Northwestern and Nebraska kicking off the season over in Dublin.

Last season: 127-100-6 (67-59-2 National, 60-41-4 B1G)

We’re back for yet another season of Money, Cash, & Joes here at Land-Grant Holy Land! Just to think, this all started during the 2011 season with Joe Bauserman being the inspiration for the title of this weekly picks piece. It felt like at first my picks articles were on target about as much as Bauserman was against Nebraska that season. Luckily for those that have stuck around throughout the years, I have improved my accuracy.

Last season was the best year that I can remember for MC&J, and hopefully there is even more success this year. The game is about to change in a few months with sports betting becoming legal in Ohio on Jan. 1. While only five college football games this season are scheduled after Jan. 1, I’ll still be picking games throughout the season so we are in top form once the new gambling laws go into effect.

Week 0 games:


(All lines courtesy of Draftkings Sportsbook.)

Northwestern v. Nebraska (-13) - 8/27 12:30 PM EST - FOX

Nebraska is taking their comedy tour overseas! Last year the Cornhuskers were a bunch of lovable losers, dropping eight games by eight points or less. The only game that was decided by more than eight points was a 26-17 setback to Ohio State. Even though head coach Scott Frost is just 15-29 in four years in Lincoln, Nebraska is giving him another shot to right the ship.

Heading into this game all I hear is “How can a Fitzgerald lose a game in Ireland?” Well, it’s pretty easy to imagine since Fitzgerald is an overrated head coach. The best part of Fitzgerald as a head coach is watching him blame technology and everyone except for himself when the Wildcats lose a game.

Nebraska will have a new face at quarterback in Casey Thompson, who transferred from Texas to replace Adrian Martinez, who himself transferred to Kansas State. There are plenty of other new players in Lincoln, with 22 transfers trying to help Frost earn his first winning season as head coach of the Cornhuskers.

Last year’s game between the two teams was a bit of an anomaly, with Nebraska winning 56-7. Of the 11 games between the Big Ten West foes, nine of those games have been decided by 11 points or less. Northwestern not only has running back Evan Hull returning, but they also have Cam Porter returning from injury. Expect the Wildcats to lean heavily on running behind All-American tackle Peter Skoronski to keep things from getting out of hand in Dublin.

Nebraska 27, Northwestern 17


Wyoming v. Illinois (-11) - 8/27 4:00 PM EST - BTN

Wyoming finished last season with a bang, beating Kent State in the Potato Bowl. Unfortunately for head coach Craig Bohl, this led to a number of key pieces of the offense transferring out of the program. Quarterback Levi Williams is now at Utah State, running back Xazavian Valladay moved on to Arizona State, and wide receiver Isaiah Neyor decided Texas was his next stop before suffering a season-ending injury in preseason camp.

Even though I don’t think Illinois is a threat to win the Big Ten West, they aren’t going to be a pushover. The Fighting Illini should have a little more stability with quarterback Tommy DeVito, who transferred from Syracuse. If Illinois is smart, they’ll hand the football off to Chase Brown as much as possible this year. Last year Brown ran for 1,005 yards and five touchdowns. Brown should have a big game against a Wyoming defense that was 99th against the run last year.

Wyoming has just eight starters back from last year’s team, so there should be a lot of growing pains this year. Illinois and Brown should be able to take advantage of the inexperience of the Cowboys, winning by at least two touchdowns in Champaign on Saturday afternoon.

Illinois 31, Wyoming 14


UConn v. Utah State (-27) - 8/27 4:00 PM EST - FS1

Last year UConn opened up the season with a 45-0 loss at Fresno State. The Huskies will start the 2022 season with another trip west, and it’s likely we’ll see a similar result in Jim Mora Jr.’s debut as UConn head coach. Last year the Huskies lost seven games by at least 27 points.

Unlike UConn, Utah State has a lot to be excited about heading into this year. The Aggies finished last season by winning eight of nine games, including a 24-13 win over Oregon State in the LA Bowl. Logan Bonner threw for 36 touchdowns in Blake Anderson’s first season as head coach of the Aggies. Expect Utah State to pile on the points and have some fun since they know they’ll be in for a world of pain next week at Alabama.

Utah State 48, UConn 13


Charlotte v. FAU (-7.5) - 8/27 7:00 PM EST - CBS Sports Network

FAU has a few familiar names in the fold heading into this season. Head coach Willie Taggart will be starting his third year as head coach, and on his staff is former Ohio State assistant Ed Warinner. Starting at quarterback is Miami transfer N’Kosi Perry, who threw 20 touchdowns for the Owls last year.

I’ll be honest that I don’t know a ton about either squad, aside from Charlotte also having a returning starting quarterback. Chris Reynolds threw 26 touchdowns for the 49ers last year in a 5-7 season for head coach Will Healy’s team. Last year Florida Atlantic dominated Charlotte, and while it might be closer this year, the Owls still start their final season in Conference USA out strong.

Florida Atlantic 34, Charlotte 21


North Texas (-1) v. UTEP - 8/27 9:00 PM EST - Stadium

The Mean Green and Aggies both finished the season at 6-7 after losing their bowl games. The two teams had drastically different seasons, with North Texas struggling at the start of the year, and UTEP wasting a great start to the year in the second half.

Last year North Texas squeaked by UTEP 20-17 in November in Denton. Now the Miners are hoping to return the favor with a win to start the 2022 season before they have to take on Oklahoma next week. UTEP returns quarterback Gavin Hardison and running backs Ronald Awatt and Deion Hankins. Even though Hardison will miss Jacob Cowing, who was his favorite target from last season, the Miners prove they are tough to beat in El Paso.

UTEP 24, North Texas 20


Nevada (-9) v. New Mexico State - 8/27 10:00 PM EST - ESPN2

New Mexico State actually hired human gopher Jerry Kill to be head coach and Tim Beck as offensive coordinator. That just screams that they are a deeply unserious program. Nevada might have lost a lot of pieces from last year after Jay Norvell took over as head coach at Colorado State, but new head coach Ken Wilson spend a lot of time in Reno as an assistant, and will have the Wolfpack ready to play with some pride.

Nevada 38, New Mexico State 21


Vanderbilt (-8.5) v. Hawaii - 8/27 10:30 PM EST - CBS Sports Network

This line feels a little weird to me. Even though Vanderbilt is the better team, they are still the class of the bottom of the SEC East. Last year the Commodores went 2-10 in Clark Lea’s first year as head coach, with their wins coming against Colorado State and UConn.

Hawaii will probably have a pep in their step this game just because Todd Graham is no longer the head coach. Replacing Graham is Hawaii hero Timmy Chang. Even though the Rainbow Warriors have a lot of work to do, I expect them to play with passion in Chang’s head coaching debut for his alma mater. Remember, the trip to the big island is never easy. Vanderbilt wins, but Hawaii gives the Commodores everything they can handle.

Vanderbilt 27, Hawaii 24

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

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Column: Monster media rights means monster coverage
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images

Huzzah, NBC!

Last week, the Big Ten announced the largest media rights deal in college football history — by a long shot. Given the reach of the conference, including huge brands and large media markets that make advertisers salivate, the conference engaged a set of networks who were willing to pay up rather than focusing on a more limited partnership. Notably, the $7 billion deal effectively cut ESPN out of the conference’s repertoire in favor of a mélange of CBS, FOX, and NBC.

The move felt shocking, but natural — like when the last carriage left the streets of New York as automobiles took over, because Big Ten football on ESPN, in its glory days, is a vestige of another time.

For many years, ESPN was the gold standard of sports as cable television overtook broadcast production in terms of quality. Monday Night Football, moving from ABC to ESPN, was the premier game of the week. The Disney halo made the event magical, something to brighten the doldrums of Mondays.

More recently and in the collegiate sphere, the College Football Playoff is an example of how that excellent production quality translated to college football. I will always associate the black and gold branding of the CFP when I hear Fall Out Boy’s Centuries, and the pageantry of that first championship in 2014 was on a different level.

But like Icarus, ESPN flew too close to the sun. They went too far with the pageantry to the point where even finding a classic view of the game at hand became a challenge. For elite games, ESPN’s natural goal is to fill all of its many networks and radio stations with content, but the dueling simulcasts, the skycams, the local voiceovers, the competing commentary — it’s all too much and it’s a distraction when I simply want to watch a football game.

Some of these ideas in isolation are cool — who didn’t love Peyton and Eli’s complementary broadcast during Monday Night Football? — but in aggregate, they are overwhelming.

In many ways, College Gameday has gone much the same way as the rest of ESPN: Overproduced, overwhelming and over-the-top. It pains me to acknowledge that, because Lee Corso is all of our grandfathers.

Moreover, the focus on the pageantry seems to detract from the on-field product with core competencies like broadcasting (though I will forever love the crew of Molly McGrath, Todd Blackledge, and Sean McDonough). ESPN has lost some of its high-profile talent in recent years to the networks, including Tom Rinaldi and Maria Taylor.

Does this focus on production impact the bottom line? January’s College Football Playoff Championship, even rebounding from a low in 2021, still saw low ratings. Moreover, the Big Ten and SEC Championship and rivalry games in the final weeks of the season, including Ohio State vs. Michigan, were played on FOX and CBS — and beat ESPN in ratings by a long shot.

Compare ESPN’s production to the incredible quality of what is now the gold standard in football production: Sunday Night Football. From the team in the studio on Football Night in America anchored by Maria Taylor (a smooth transition from the post long held by Mike Tirico, who is moving to fill Al Michael’s role alongside Chris Collinsworth) to the on-field talent, it’s a clean, classy, drama-free production.

In particular, NBC has managed to weave analytics, which had become a buzzword, into an actual differentiator. As much as we might roll our eyes that it is Collinsworth’s company, Pro Football Focus, that supplies the analytics for Sunday Night Football, there’s no denying their analytical focus is far better than the regular analysis of Jon Gruden that “He’s a football player!” It makes the modern game more interesting when viewers can learn about data rather than hear announcers ogling over big hits. How cool will it be to see those tools applied in real-time for Ohio State games?

More broadly, now, the Big Ten can benefit from the halo of production value. From a talent perspective, might we even see Maria Taylor playing a role on the Saturday night crew? She was incredible in her days on ESPN on the sideline, and maybe someday we’ll see her in the booth (I can dream!). Taylor already holds one of the most coveted broadcast roles in sports in her aforementioned new role hosting Football Night in America.

NBC as a network is also no stranger to college football, given their long-standing contract with Notre Dame which is already in the process of renegotiations. If this contract is renewed (though perhaps not at the valuation the Fighting Irish are hoping for), the Big Ten also serves to benefit from advertising for Saturday night football during Notre Dame’s noon and afternoon games.

Even on FOX, Big Noon Kickoff has become an oft preferred alternative to College Gameday, having beaten out the behemoth in ratings for the first time in 2019 and continuing to provide top-tier analysis directly ahead of FOX’s oddly branded primetime slot.

That’s not even to mention the afternoon slot on CBS, which also tends to draw in significant national audiences.

What does all this mean for Ohio State? On the deal side itself, the Buckeyes bring exactly what the advertisers for these major networks want: eyeballs. There’s no doubt that Ohio State pulled the greatest weight of any individual team when it came to negotiating the media rights deal overall. Ohio State has brought broadcast and cable television some of the most highly-rated football games of the last decade (and beyond that), with the Buckeyes regularly in the top three of most-watched games year in and year out.

Naturally, FOX will be looking to book Ohio State in its own primetime spot — Big Noon kickoff — while NBC will be jockeying to put the Buckeyes on Saturday nights. It will be interesting to see how the push and shove of these two networks with their non-competing premier timeslots will play out.

For fans, the new media rights deal means fresh and quality production on networks that have proven themselves experts in college football in recent years.

We also must remember that it’s not all about Ohio State. Negotiation based on one team would have resulted in a Longhorn Network equivalent and we all saw how that turned out. Expansion — and the announcement thereof — only further emphasizes Kevin Warren’s savvy as commissioner. The Big Ten brings a lot to love for advertisers, from the top-three media markets in the US (New York, LA, Chicago) to big brands even beyond Ohio State.

But back to the season at hand — or what the season at hand will be in a few short years: The production value for Big Ten games moving forward looks to be incredible. As a fan, I simply cannot resist — which is exactly what those advertisers were going for.

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Previewing Week 0 in the Big Ten
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


QB Aidan O’Connell will lead the Boilermakers against Penn State. | Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Before Ohio State even takes the field, three B1G rivals will be 1-0 in conference play.

For months (seemingly years), we’ve been waiting patiently (well, maybe not) for Sept. 3, the day that the Notre Dame Fighting Irish come to Ohio Stadium to take on the Buckeyes. Week 1. We regard it as the start of the college football season. But it’s really not. Week 1 doesn’t start on Saturday; it begins on Thursday. And Week 1 isn’t the first week; there’s a Week 0. Go figure. Next year, be on the lookout for week 00 – just like roulette.

While we’re waiting for that evening kickoff with the Irish, it might be fun to take a look at these early Big Ten games. There’s a carnival-like opener on Saturday, Aug. 27. There’s an interesting matchup on Thursday, Sept. 1 that should tell us some things about a couple of teams that hope to contend. And then, on Friday, Sept. 2, there’s a game that looks from here to be in the loser’s bracket.

Saturday, Aug. 27, 12:30 ET, in Dublin, Ireland:
Northwestern Wildcats vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers


Sponsor Aer Lingus is calling this game a “College Football Classic.” I think that it’s the second game to go by this title, but it hasn’t been played every year. And, when an American college game has been played in Ireland, it’s usually Notre Dame or Boston College – some place with some Irish credentials. Lincoln, Nebraska? Evanston, Illinois? Maybe, but the locals are going all out for this one.

It will be played in the relatively new and architecturally cool Aviva Stadium, a place that usually witnesses rugby or soccer and holds 44,000 when configured for American football. Hoping for thousands of American fans – or Irish pretending to be American fans – the sponsors have scheduled pep rallies for each team on the evening before the game. While you won’t be able to park your pickup next to the stadium for a little tailgating, each team will have a designated “official” team bar. If you’re wearing purple, go to Fitzsimons’ Temple Bar. If you’re wearing a sweatshirt with one of those weird Cornhusker guys on it, your place is Busker’s.

Once the game gets underway, at 5:30 Irish time, it might be fun. Both teams are coming off of very disappointing 2021 campaigns and need to get off to a good start. Although I’ve seen odds for this game favoring Nebraska by around 13 points, it’s really hard to have much confidence in Scott Frost’s team. Frost has hired a bunch of new offensive coaches and stocked his roster with transfer players. With all that’s new, it’s difficult to make a prediction here.

At least Adrian Martinez is gone after playing for something like 12 years. Texas transfer Casey Thompson is the likely starting quarterback, but we’ll have to wait and see about the ‘Husker offense. On the other hand, the defense was pretty good last year and should be again this year, led by preseason all-Big Ten linebacker Garrett Nelson. The team will be hoping to contend for the west championship. Not likely, I don’t think, but they might have a shot at a bowl. If they make it, it will be Frost’s first with the team.

Northwestern was 3-9 last year and probably won’t be much better. (I’m thinking 4-8 for them.) Last year’s offense wasn’t any good, and the quarterback position this year is a question mark. The Wildcats do have a true star in offensive lineman Peter Skoronsky. Tough for him to win a game on his own, though. On the other hand, I’m not sure that I’d want to bet against a guy named Patrick Fitzgerald in a game played in Dublin. I’d take Northwestern with the spread but not straight up.

Prediction: Nebraska 27, Northwestern 17.

Thursday, Sept. 1, 8:00 pm ET:
Penn State Nittany Lions at Purdue Boilermakers


Although both of these teams are likely to finish in the middle of the pack in their respective Big Ten divisions, there’s also a chance that they could both compete for titles. The loser in this early matchup, though, starts in a hole.

The Nittany Lions started off on fire last year, 5-0. We all thought that they were back after a bad COVID 2020 season. But then they won only two more games to finish 7-6 for the year. The defense, a strength last year, loses a lot of its starters from a year ago but has a new coordinator in Manny Diaz. Sean Clifford returns at QB, for better or for worse. He’s been inconsistent, but then again, he often finds himself on his back on passing plays, as PSU gave up the most sacks in the conference in 2021. It will be exciting to watch true freshman running back Nick Singleton play in his first college game. If he’s only half as good as his hype, he’ll be something.

Jeff Brohm’s Boilermakers were 9-4 in 2021, featuring a splendid passing game. Aidan O’Connell is back at quarterback, and I’d rank him as the league’s No. 3 signal-caller. His primary target from a year ago, David Bell, however, will be catching passes for the Browns this season. The running game was a problem last year and was a point of emphasis in offseason practices. The bookies see Purdue by 3. That’s about right in West Lafayette.

Prediction: Purdue 34, Penn State 28.

Friday, September 2, 8:00 pm ET:
Illinois Fighting Illini at Indiana Hoosiers


If this game were being played at the end of the season, rather than at the beginning, we might call it the “who cares?” bowl. A real yawner. But it’s an early game, so we’ll watch it. And I went to Illinois, so I care (sort of) about the outcome.

The Illini, led by running back Chase Brown, could run the ball last year. And I think that they’ll be able to do it again this year. Illinois was thought to be a program on an upswing after just missing a bowl game last year, with a 5-7 record and wins over Penn State, Nebraska, and Minnesota. Without a passing game, Illinois may find those wins tougher to come by in 2022.

I said, in an earlier column, that Indiana was the worst team in the Big Ten. I haven’t changed my mind. After going 2-10 and losing all nine of their conference games last year, coach Tom Allen fired everybody and kept his eyes firmly on the transfer portal. Clearly, he wanted a restart. Whether it happens will depend on how well, and how quickly those transfers at offensive skill positions are able to get the job done. The spread in this game is Indiana by 4.5. Too high, and time for an upset.

Prediction: Illinois 20, Indiana 16.

Continue reading...

Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for August 25, 2022
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.

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

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

You’re welcome!

For your Earholes...


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

Ask LGHL


Introducing ‘Ask LGHL,’ asking and answering questions throughout the football season
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land

LGHL Asks: Are you worried about cornerback depth? Who joins Stroud at Heisman ceremony?
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land

On the Gridiron


Nine Buckeyes named to Senior Bowl preseason watch list
Matt Parker, Lettermen Row

Pressure and opportunity: Ryan Day enters his most critical season at Ohio State (paywall)
Ari Wasserman, The Athletic

We’re listening, Luke...


WR videos: Hartline, Smith-Njigba, Harrison Jr., Egbuka, Fleming, Johnson, Ballard
Dave Biddle, Bucknuts

“Anything Below That Is Unacceptable”: Watch Ohio State Wideouts, Brian Hartline, Parker Fleming and Bradley Robinson Discuss Lofty Expectations for 2022 Season
Garrick Hodge, Eleven Warriors

Practice Report: Buckeyes wide receivers enter season with massive expectations
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Kamryn Babb: Ohio State captain ‘confident’ in return, won’t need surgery (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes


How Ohio State’s Julian Fleming popped his shoulder back in and became a preseason scrimmage legend
Nathan Baird, cleveland.com

“He’s Really the Best I’ve Been Around”: C.J. Stroud’s Football Intelligence, Mastery of Ohio State Offense Impressing Coaches in Camp
Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors

You’re Nuts: What Ohio State tradition are you most looking forward to coming back?
Matt Tamanini and Jami Jurich, Land-Grant Holy Land

Ohio State’s Zach Harrison is only concerned about his own expectations: ‘I’m trying to be a game changer’
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Tim Walton Relishes Return to Ohio State in Coaching Role
Jack Emerson, Buckeye Sports Bulletin

There is a reason that she’s the best in the business! She knows what she’s talking about.


Why versatile captain Kourt Williams became leader in Buckeyes safeties room
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Denzel Burke Feeling More Confident Heading Into Year Two
Braden Moles, Buckeye Sports Bulletin

How Lathan Ransom went from Rose Bowl injury to camp standout in rapid time
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes

2022 Buckeyes in the NFL Fantasy Football Preview: Garrett Wilson
Josh Dooley, Land-Grant Holy Land

On the Hardwood


Clark Kellogg ‘overwhelmed with gratitude’ at GCBLA induction
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch

I too would like for Ohio State to pay for me to come and watch that game.

Outside the Shoe and Schott


Women’s Ice Hockey: Buckeyes Add Familiar Faces to Coaching Staff
Brett Price, The Lantern

Women’s Ice Hockey: Four Buckeyes To Compete at World Championships
Ohio State Athletics


Women’s Soccer: No. 20 Buckeyes Host No. 9 BYU in Home Opener Friday
Ohio State Athletics

Field Hockey: Bough, Goldean, Webster Are Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch
Ohio State Athletics

Women’s Volleyball: No. 7 Ohio State Opens Season Against No. 2 Texas at Home
Ohio State Athletics

And now for something completely different...


My day job is covering this stuff, and even I am shocked by how poorly David Zaslav is running Warner Bros. Discovery.


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Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: 2022 Big Ten Previews — Iowa and Wisconsin
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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

Who will emerge victorious in the Big Ten West this season?

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 continue their Big Ten previews with a look at Iowa and Wisconsin. Two teams that finished atop the standings in the West division last year, both programs had stellar defenses to go along with subpar offenses. Will it be more of the same for the Badgers and Hawkeyes this season, or will they finally figure out the forward pass? Plus, how do they stack up to their projected win totals on the DraftKings Sportsbook, with Iowa at 7.5 and Wisconsin at 8.5?

“Hangout in the Holy Land” is will be dropping one episode per week during the offseason, coming out every Wednesday (don’t hold us to that). 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

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

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Ohio State men’s basketball player preview: Bruce Thornton
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Andrew Jansen/News-Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK

Let’s talk about the only true point guard on the roster

As the basketball offseason continues and we move into the fall, Land-Grant Holy Land will put out basketball player and team previews. There will be two previews a week leading all the way into the start of the season, starting with player previews.

Last time to we talked about Roddy Gayle Jr. and what he can bring to the program as a freshman. This time, we are taking a look at fellow freshman and the only true point guard on the roster, Bruce Thornton.


Name: Bruce Thornton
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 205 pounds
High School: Milton High School
Class: Freshman
2021-22 stats: N/A

Caitlyn Jordan/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK
Outlook


Thornton is a 6-foot-2, 205-pound point guard from Milton High School in Alpharetta, Georgia. According to 247Sports, he is the 52nd ranked player in the 2022 class, the 10th ranked point guard in the country and the No. 1 player from the state of Georgia. Thornton was named the Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year and is the second recruit in the class for the Buckeyes to receive that honor this year in their respective state (Brice Sensabaugh, Florida).

Sensabaugh has really taken over a lot of the individual hype as the 2022 class gets to Columbus, but for a large part of their recruitment, Thornton was the guy that Ohio State fans were most excited to see — and for good reason.

Here is the scouting report from 247 Sports recruiting analyst Brandon Jenkins, who also compared to Thornton to former Syracuse point guard Scoop Jardine:


This scouting report makes sense when you learn that Bruce Thornton Sr., Bruce’s father, played four seasons in the NFL after being a fourth round pick out of the University of Georgia. He might have the body of a football player, but Thornton Jr. is a hooper at heart.

Thornton is also the recruit that most people pointed to as the most college-ready player in the class. However, he talked about his first couple of weeks on campus being somewhat of a struggle.

“It was rough my first week getting my feet wet,” Thornton told Eleven Warriors in July. “But everybody comes together being very cohesive, connecting together. The bond is just great. I love my team no matter what. The season didn’t even start yet, but I already love them. I feel like we’ve got big things ahead of us.”

Thornton added, “The toughest part is just everyday consistency, making sure you go hard every single day. That’s a big main thing. But when you get your feet wet, you understand it’s a business. So, when you take it as a business, you have great success.”

Expectation


Thornton does not have the luxury that many other freshmen have in terms of development and starting off slow. The Buckeyes will need him to be productive from day one if they want to be successful, and especially when they head to Maui for the Maui Invitational.

He will likely be the starting point guard at some point this season, and there is a real good chance that he is the starting point guard from the very beginning. Anytime you have a true freshman running the show, there can be a learning curve. But Thornton has been praised for his flexibility and his game IQ, so he should be able to step in and learn as he goes.

Prediction


Thornton basically has the opportunity to play as much as he wants or earns. Guys like Isaac Likekele and Justice Sueing can play the one, but Thornton is the only true point guard on the roster, and there is a real scenario that he starts day one. Him playing anywhere from 20-30 or even around 32 minutes a game come in conference play is a real possibility. I would look more in the 24-28 minutes per game range since the Buckeyes are very deep and will try to tap into that depth. But there is no doubt, Buckeye fans will be seeing a lot of Thornton this season.

Highlights

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LGHL Asks: Are you worried about cornerback depth? Who joins Stroud at Heisman ceremony?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

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.

Last week, our friends at SBNation Reacts helped us run a survey to take the temperature of Buckeye Nation on two questions about the upcoming Ohio State football season. Here are the answers from LGHL readers.

Question 1: How concerned are you about the lack of cornerback depth in the Ohio State secondary?



Look, we all know that Ohio State fans don’t exactly have a reputation for being the most level-headed group of folks in the college football world. So, I was pleasantly surprised that the two extremes in the question’s continuum only totaled out at 18%.

Currently, there are only six scholarship corners on the Buckeye roster and a handful of safeties have been cross-training at the other secondary spot in order to provide some additional depth, should it become needed.

We’ve also heard of some minor injuries to various CBs during fall camp, but based on media availabilities with players and coaches this week, it sounds like everybody should be ready to go for next Saturday’s matchup against No. 5 Notre Dame. Will they all be 100% healthy, probably not, but the fact that — as of now — it sounds like everybody will be on the field is a huge bonus for the Buckeyes.

The Domers have not exactly been an explosive passing team in recent years, although their best offensive weapon will likely be tight end Michael Mayer. However, the responsibility to cover him will probably fall on the defenses linebacker-safety hybrid Kourt Williams who also appears to finally be healthy heading into his third season in Columbus.

Question 2: Other than C.J. Stroud, which Buckeye has the best chance to be a Heisman Trophy finalist?



Jaxson Smith-Njigba is of course the right answer here as if someone other than the OSU quarterback is going to go to New York it is almost certainly going to be the most talented skill-position player on a team that will have the most talented offense and passing attack in the game. So, no arguments from me here.

However, I am intrigued by how many people think that TreVeyon Henderson has a shot at an invite. Don’t get me wrong, I would love for that to happen. Last season, after only his third collegiate game, I said that he reminded me of a mix of J.K. Dobbins, Ezekiel Elliott, and Maurice Clarett, pretty ridiculous, right?

Maybe, maybe not, but he is immensely talented, and I am very on board for him getting enough touches to warrant inclusion in the Heisman Trophy discussion. Under head coach Ryan Day, the OSU offense has been far more pass-heavy than it was during the bulk of Urban Meyer’s tenure. Despite Ohio State’s offense leading the country in yards and points, they ranked 47th nationally in rushing yards and 102nd in attempts — despite the fact that many second halves featured little to no passing.

So, if you were to tell me that I had a choice of guaranteeing that Henderson of JSN was invited to New York for the Heisman ceremony, I would take the running back every time. We know that with Stroud distributing the ball to Brian Hartline’s insane conglomeration of talent, the passing attack will continue to be electric this season, but if Henderson is one of the best players in the country this year, that means that the ground-game will have to take a gigantic step forward, and that can only be good for the overall healthy of the Ohio State offense and team as a whole.

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You’re Nuts: What Ohio State tradition are you most looking forward to coming back?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch via Imagn Content Services, LLC

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

Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.

In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.

Today’s Question: What Ohio State gameday tradition are you most looking forward to coming back?

Jami’s Take: Singing “Carmen Ohio” at the end of football games


If you don’t get choked up every time you put your arms around the strangers who flank you to pour one out for our beloved alma mater, you are a soulless ghoul and I don’t care to know you.

This song nails the Buckeye experience. “With joy which death alone can still” — that’s the joy I felt when the Buckeyes won the National Championship. “How firm thy friendship” — that’s the feeling of reuniting with the besties for homecoming. “Time and change will surely show” – that’s how I feel walking down High Street and finding that I still love it even though they have demolished all my favorite bars (RIP Too’s, Chumley’s, and The O - gone too soon).

Part of what makes OSU such a magical place is that it’s so much bigger than any one graduate or game or season or graduating class. The history and tradition spans centuries, and it’s palpable during “Carmen.” We are the luckiest people in the world because we’re part of something so much bigger than ourselves, and we get to leave our mark on a place that is truly special – because those who came before us made it so. We get to celebrate that while standing next to the very people who became our people at OSU, who made us who we are while we all worked to make OSU what it can be. This is true no matter when or where you sing “Carmen.”

But there is something particularly special about singing it in The Shoe after a win. When you’re in college, a big football win feels like the most monumental thing in the world. Take down Michigan and it feels like you can fly. Knock off another Top-10 team, and you might as well have invented electricity.

I remember being in school and wishing time would stop in its tracks on game days. Sitting next to my best friends cheering the Buckeyes on to victory, I never wanted my time in college to end. I love the life I’ve built post-grad, but I still get nostalgic for Columbus on game day.

Never is campus more beautiful than in the heart of fall, with the changing leaves marking the passage of time, and “Carmen” so perfectly hones in on all the emotional layers that come with the feelings of change.

When I return to campus now, so much has changed. Parts of it are unrecognizable. But when I stand in the stadium and those bells start chiming after a football game, I am instantly 21 again, perfectly content with where I’m at in the moment and hopeful for everything to come. It is a warm hug from a place that will always feel like home.

Time and change will surely show, how right my answer, O-hi-o.

Matt’s Take: The Ramp Entrance


I know that when it comes to Ohio State Marching Band traditions, “Script Ohio” is the most obvious answer, and I love “Script One,” as any red-blooded Buckeye fan does. But for me, “The Ramp Entrance” is the thing that gets me most excited and emotional.

Perhaps it is because this is the first time that we see TBDITL in Ohio Stadium on each individual game day, or maybe it’s the sheer, regimented perfection of each intricate movement, but I regularly tear up when the drum line makes its way down the ramp on the north end of The Shoe; and then when the drum major runs through the tightly assembled columns and — after a signature backbend — signals for the awaiting phalanx to do what the song commands and drive down the field, I become a blubbering mess — much like I am even typing this out now.

The ramp entrance signifies the start of an event that millions of people build their entire weeks around, and to be fortunate enough to be in that glorious cathedral of college football on the banks of the Olentangy is an honor each and every time it happens. As the Pride of the Buckeyes makes its way onto the playing surface, that means that for the next three hours, you are in for something special.

The ramp entrance is like the anxiety-fueled moments as attendants corral horses into the starting gates before a Triple Crown race. The excitement, the nerves, the anticipation have been building; finally, the beloved, familiar traditions are underway, meaning that the action cannot be far behind.

There is a rising excitement about what is to come: It’s the fizz bubbling up in a bottle of champagne before the cork is finally popped; it’s the giddiness of a group of kids waiting not-so-patiently at the top of the stairs for their parents to let them open their presents on Christmas morning; it’s unbridled elation of seeing your loved one walk into the airport terminal after being gone for weeks.

The Ohio State University, its football team, and its marching band are obviously very important to all of us in Buckeye Nation, and nothing gets that pride, camaraderie, and nostalgia stirring in me like seeing 228 college students in faux-military regalia complete with scarlet and gray plumes systematically marching onto that football field.

I know people are more likely to side with Jami or to go with the incomparable “Script Ohio,” but for me, it has always been the ramp entrance. I mean, even this video that the marching band posted last week got me emotional. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go get my box of tissues.


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2022 Buckeyes in the NFL Fantasy Football Preview: Garrett Wilson
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images

Wilson has eyes on becoming the top target for his team’s young and potentially explosive offense.

Rookie wide receivers finding success in the NFL is not unheard of. Far from it, actually. But in recent years, a few special rookies have dominated both on the field and in fantasy football lineups. They now find themselves firmly inside the top-10 of players at their position.

Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings finished the 2020 season with 88 receptions for 1,400 yards and 7 TD, good for sixth in PPR points (WR position only). And in 2021, Ja’Marr Chase of the AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals quickly became the alpha of an already-established receiving core, putting up totals of 81/1,455/13 (5th in PPR). These players are the most recent examples of what a talented wideout can do – at an early NFL age – when dropped into the right situation.


The New York Jets are hoping that they have created a similar situation — one that will be conducive to putting up big yardage and big point totals via their very young offensive core. It is certainly a gamble to count on a bunch of young pups, but the Jets are in rebuilding mode, and have had enough draft capital and salary cap space to take said risk(s).

They have (hopefully, for them) identified Zach Wilson as their franchise quarterback of the future, and brought in Garrett Wilson to potentially be his No. 1 option. If the young battery can develop chemistry quickly, the former Buckeye has all the skills and talent to become a big-time fantasy football asset.


Wilson spent much of his early Ohio State career in the slot before lining up primarily outside throughout the 2021 season. No matter where the Buckeyes put him, he excelled as a playmaker. The speed, the hands, the ability to make plays after the catch — all facets of his game were dialed in, and continued to improve over the course of three seasons in Columbus. But his size (or lack thereof) was a question mark for some debating his NFL potential.

In my humble opinion, Wilson put size concerns to rest in 2021 by regularly creating separation and coming down with contested catches. The footwork and the route running are always a work(s) in progress – even for veteran wideouts – so he is not a finished product, but the Jets saw very few holes in his game, leading to Wilson becoming the 10th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. And the team certainly did not spend such a high pick to have the rookie sit and develop slowly. Unless he is a catastrophic bust (fat chance), Wilson will be thrown quickly into the fire. I expect him to perform well, and there is a realistic scenario in which he becomes the team’s go-to receiver.

Versatility will likely be key for Wilson, as the Jets have a bit of a funky WR depth chart. The team drafted Elijah Moore last year, and he performed well as a second-round draft pick. The 5-foot-10, 180 pounder is currently a projected starter. Same goes for Corey Davis, a former high draft pick who signed with New York as a free agent. He has thus far failed to reach his ceiling, but is a big-bodied pass catcher at 6-foot-3, 210. Braxton Berrios and Denzel Mims are the backups and near-copies of Moore and Davis, but the group as a whole is largely unproven.

Whereas the incumbent four fit some sort of mold, the 6-foot, 185 pound Wilson falls somewhere in the middle. He is nowhere near the size of those possession guys, but plays much larger than the slot-only receivers. The Jets should be able to move this former Buckeye all around the field, similar to how Ohio State used him in certain matchups.

If Zach Wilson progresses after a long offseason spent hunting cougars, it will go a long way in boosting the fantasy potential of the individual weapons around him. The team brass certainly wouldn’t mind either, but this is a fantasy football preview, not an AFC East preview. Wilson (Garrett, from here on out) has by far the highest upside of the skill position players, and should be taken as the first Jet off the board. Moore has PPR potential, the young NY running backs are skilled, and the team has nearly a dozen tight end options, but Wilson is the elite prospect you want to target in drafts.

Some prognosticators have suggested that the Jets are an up-and-coming team to watch out for. With just one winning record in their last 11 seasons, I’ll believe it when I see it. As such, the team could find itself behind often, and throwing the ball with regularity. Their young QB struggled at times as a rookie, but he has a cannon of an arm and love to extend plays. That is where Wilson comes in. If he is able to pick things up quickly, I don’t see any reason why he would be unable to rise up the depth chart. From there, it will be about using his skills and athleticism to hopefully become the next Ja’Marr Chase.

Wilson currently has an ADP outside the top 100, and is barely being looked at as a top-50 WR option. Target him earlier in fantasy drafts. Because it might take time to find his footing in the NFL, but I just can’t imagine him ever being a bust... at least not due to his talent, or lack thereof. If Wilson struggles, I would guess that it is a result of QB play.

That being said, PPR points might be hard to come by, so don’t go nuts. Draft him knowing that he is a much better dynasty pick than he is a 2022 certainty. But I will definitely be taking into account upside when I target Wilson in my own fantasy drafts. I would rather pick up the former Buckeye two rounds too early, as opposed to sitting on his ADP and hoping I get lucky. Wilson has fantasy stud potential, it’s a matter of whether or not things come together for he and his other young teammates.

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Another pair of blue-chip prospects will attend Ohio State’s season opener
Bret Favachio via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ian Moore | Mick Walker, 247Sports

The Buckeyes are set to welcome two more highly-coveted prospects in Columbus early next month for the battle with the Irish.

As Week 1 inches closer, the list of visitors for the Buckeyes contest against Notre Dame continues to grow daily. On Tuesday, a new pair of prospects revealed there intentions to be in Columbus for the top five showdown. Plus, a former Buckeye quarterback discusses the pipeline with Ohio State and his alma mater.

Moore, Smith to attend season opener


In less than two weeks, the Buckeyes are set to host a loaded list of prospects inside of Ohio Stadium when the program clashes with the Irish. According to a tweet from Bucknuts, 2024 four-star interior offensive lineman Ian Moore of New Palestine (IN) will be among the many visitors next Saturday.

The 6-foot-5, 295-pounder has over 20 offers as a prospect thus far including a scholarship opportunity from Ohio State, who offered the Indiana standout back in June. Among other programs in pursuit of the Top 100 prospect include Cincinnati, Florida State, Iowa, Louisville, Miami (FL), Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and more.

Joining Moore in Columbus in just a couple of weeks is also the No. 9 running back in the country in the 247Sports rankings, according to Bill Kurelic of Bucknuts. That prospect is none other than 2024 four-star running back Corey Smith of Catholic Memorial (WI).

While Smith is the No. 9 running back on 247Sports, he is the consensus No. 10 prospect overall. The Waukesha native also slots in as a Top 200 prospect, No. 184 overall, and is the second highest graded player from Wisconsin.

Ohio State has yet to offer the dual-sport athlete (track and field), but Smith has landed offers from over double digit programs including Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.

Jones talks OSU-Glenville pipeline


After a brief hiatus between the two parties, it looks as if the alma mater that has sent numerous prospects to Columbus in previous years could be getting back to their old ways. Glenville (OH) has seen Christian Bryant, Cardale Jones, Marshon Lattimore, Troy Smith, Donte Whitner, Chris Worley, and many others in the past go from Tarblooder to Buckeye.

Now, Ohio State is back in pursuit of prospects from the Cleveland area high school and even landed their first pledge from Glenville since the 2014 recruiting class when 2023 four-star linebacker Arvell Reese announced his pledge to the Buckeyes earlier this month catching the attention of the aforementioned Cardale Jones.

“I think (OSU re-establishing the pipeline is) great because Glenville always has some great athletes. They’re known for players that have come to Ohio State and have done some big things for the program,” Jones told Eleven Warriors.

The former national championship winning quarterback continued by stating, “Hopefully that pipeline opens back up. I know they have another two or three kids that they’re recruiting. One already has an offer, so hopefully, after they go through the recruiting process and weigh out their options and what’s important to them, Ohio State is their top decision.”

One prospect in specific the Buckeyes would like to add to the fold from Glenville is 2024 four-star cornerback Bryce West. The Cleveland native, who unsurprisingly already has an offer from Ohio State, is currently pegged as the No. 2 player in the state for next years class and has multiple predictions in favor of the Buckeyes landing his coveted pledge.

Quick Hits

• Numerous Ohio State targets will kickoff their high school season this Friday including 2024 four-star running back Stacy Gage of Wharton (FL). The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder attended IMG Academy (FL) last season before transferring to become a member of the Wildcats.

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Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for August 24, 2022
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.

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

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

You’re welcome!

For your Earholes...


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

Ask LGHL


Introducing ‘Ask LGHL,’ asking and answering questions throughout the football season
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land

Ask LGHL: How will 4-2-5 defense stack up against power run teams?
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land

On the Gridiron


Early bowl predictions expect Buckeyes to be national-title contenders
Matt Parker, Lettermen Row

Mandel’s Big Ten predictions: It’s Ohio State ... and everyone else (paywall)
Stuart Mandel, The Athletic

Videos: Walton, Eliano, Burke, Johnson, Martinez, Ransom, Proctor, McCalister, Hickman, Williams
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts


Jim Knowles Wants to Limit Rotation on Back End of the Buckeye Defense, but Says Ohio State Has “More Depth Here than I’ve Had in the Past”
Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors

Ohio State: Denzel Burke has ‘no doubt’ about health of secondary
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes

Buckeyes confident ‘banged up’ cornerbacks room will be at full strength for opener
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Tanner McCalister says Ohio State football’s defense is “pretty close” but still has to go prove it
Stephen Means, cleveland.com


Knowles on why he doesn’t rotate much in back 7 | ‘Reviving the Silver Bullet culture’
Dave Biddle, Bucknuts

Ohio State’s young corners gained experience as Buckeyes work back to ‘full strength’
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

What’s up with Ohio State football’s Denzel Burke, Cam Brown, Jordan Hancock and health at cornerback?
Nathan Baird, cleveland.com

A look back at Ohio State’s 2023 commits in Week 1 prep kickoffs
Caleb Houser, Land-Grant Holy Land

Danny coming in hot with his always-insightful analysis.


Buckeyes Defensive Line Depth Looks to Prove Dividends in 2022
Casey Smith, The Lantern

C.J. Stroud making small steps to reach huge 2022 Ohio State goals (paywall)
Jeremy Birmingham, Dotting the Eye

You’re Nuts: Which unranked team will finish highest in the final college football AP Poll
Josh Dooley and Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land

On the Hardwood

Outside the Shoe and Schott


Legendary golfer and Ohio State alumni Tom Weiskopf passes away at age 79
Justin Golba, Land-Grant Holy Land

Ryan Day, Chris Holtmann embrace changing landscape at Ohio State’s ‘The Foundation’ event
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch

And now for something completely different...


I can’t wait for this show.


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Jake said:

This place really needs some college football. Fortunately, it starts this weekend.

Why Nebraska and Northwestern are playing each other in Ireland, I'll never know.

Click to expand...

Two words - Corn. Whiskey.

CHRIS BOOKER → XFL? Former Ohio State walk-on wide receiver and special teams ace Chris Booker told Eleven Warriors in March that he wishes to continue his football career in the professional ranks after his petition for an extra year of collegiate eligibility was denied.

Booker’s wish could come true in 2023 if he is selected by an XFL franchise from the Player Draft Pool, an assortment of athletes the league has deemed talented enough to compete in the league.

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“I know in my heart that I am good enough,” Booker said of making an NFL roster. “And I also know that I have things waiting for me if football doesn’t work out. But I know that football is what I want to do right now.”

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/skul...-pro-and-brian-hartline-isnt-a-secret-anymore

Ask LGHL: How will 4-2-5 defense stack up against power run teams?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Joseph Maiorana-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: Two people essentially asked the same question, so I put them together for today’s article.


So, to me, this is the biggest question for defense coming into the season. As I said in yesterday’s “Ask LGHL” column, stats never really tell the full story of what a team is. In 2021, the OSU defense ranked a rather respectable 28th nationally against the run, and a putrid 96th versus the pass.

However, both of those rankings were colored by the fact that the Ohio State offense was by far the most prolific in the country and therefore opposing offenses had to turn to the air in order to play catch up. So, while the Buckeyes were pretty bad against the pass, perhaps they weren’t as bad as the stats suggest; and conversely, in my opinion, they were not in the top 25% of rushing defenses in college football last year, no matter what the numbers tell you.

The biggest issue for the Buckeyes’ rush defense in 2021 wasn’t what they did against the majority of their opponents, instead, it was what they specifically did against the best rushing teams on the schedule, and even more importantly what how they stacked up on no-doubt, short-yardage rushing downs.

I’m not going to relitigate the performances against Oregon and TTUN’s rushing attack from last year, because at this point, it’s just throwing salt into wounds that have nearly been healed by the dawning of a new season. However, I can’t do this article without looking at some pretty telling statistics.

Last year, Ohio State allowed 77 conversions on 183 third-down plays (42.08&), 10 first downs on 21 fourth-down attempts (47.62%), and 36 scores (31 touchdowns and five field goals) in 42 red zone trips (85.71%). Those totals ranked 13th, 8th, and 12th in the Big Ten respectively last season.

Those aren’t bad numbers, they are horrifically revolting numbers for anyone who cares about Ohio State football, quality defensive execution, and the sanity of everyone within Buckeye Nation. In all of those situations last year, as a fan, it felt like a foregone conclusion that the OSU defense would not only bend, but it would break and shatter into a bazillion little parts that no one would know how to reassemble, because they really weren’t sure of how it was supposed to look in the first place.

But as I said yesterday, I trust new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles when he talks about how quickly the Bucks are picking up his scheme, how tough they are practicing, and how he is dedicated to playing the best players the bulk of the time.


So, without having seen the defense yet, or how the individual personnel have responded to the change in defensive leadership, perhaps the most instructive thing for how the Buckeye defense will do against running teams this year is looking at Knowles’ Oklahoma State defense last season.

Of course, the running prowess of Big 12 teams will differ significantly from those that the real OSU will face in the Big Ten, and there are innumerable variables that make a true apples-to-apples comparison impossible, but I do think that there is enough meat on the bones to be information.

For example, Baylor led the Big 12 in rushing last year averaging 219.71 yards per game, which was good for 10th nationally. Because the Cowboys and Bears met in the conference title game, the two teams met twice during the season. In the teams’ first meeting in early October, OSU won 24-14 and gave up to 205.1 yards on the ground. However, two months later, the Bears edged out the Pokes 21-16, but only rushed for 62 total yards.

Oklahoma State’s next game was in the Fiesta Bowl — coincidentally enough — against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. ND only ran for 144 yards per last season (83rd nationally), but in the bowl game only wracked up 42 yards on the ground. Knowles’ defense was definitely playing its best football, especially against the run, at the end of the season.

The Oklahoma State defense faced three other rushing offenses in the top 40 last season in Texas, TCU, and Oklahoma. The Cowboys’ held Texas’ 26th-ranked rushing offense to 138 yards, the No. 30 Horned Frogs to 133, and 40th-ranked Oklahoma to 189 rushing yards; all below their season averages.

In terms of the high-value situations that Ohio State failed in last year, Oklahoma State led the Big 12 in third-down conversations allowed at 28.64% (59 of 206) and fourth-down conversions at 29.63% (8 of 27). While the Cowboys were sixth in red zone conversions at 87.5%, they allowed the fewest trips in the league (32) and gave up the fewest TDs (18) in the Big 12 last year.

So, if the past is prologue and how Knowles’ 2021 Oklahoma State defense can serve as a blueprint for his 2022 Ohio State squad, then I feel pretty comfortable in saying that the Buckeyes will be better against the best rushing teams that they face this season.

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You’re Nuts: Which unranked team will finish highest in the final college football AP Poll
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 James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

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

Last week the college football preseason AP Top 25 rankings were released. There was no surprise at the top with Alabama, Ohio State, and Georgia taking the top three spots of the rankings. Four Big Ten teams were included in the rankings, while the SEC placed the most teams in the initial rankings, with six teams among the top 25.

Every year there are teams ranked in the preseason top 25 that underperform and finish the season outside the top 25. There are also a few teams that surprise the “experts” and work their way into the top 25 by the end of the year. Last year, Iowa State started the year ranked seventh in the country before posting a 7-6 season and finishing the year unranked. On the other end of the spectrum, Michigan was in the “others receiving votes” section before going on a run that saw them win the Big Ten and claim a spot in the College Football Playoff.

While we could try and identify which team is going to underperform this year, instead we’ll look for the team we think could surprise and go from unranked at the start of the season to ranked in the final AP Poll. There are plenty of interesting options that are outside the top 25 to start the season.

Today’s question: Which unranked team will finish highest in the final AP college football poll?

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

Brett’s answer: Minnesota


The Golden Gophers don’t exactly have a great track record of season-long success, finishing the season ranked just three times since the 1999 season. At least P.J. Fleck does have one strong season in recent memory, with Minnesota’s 11-2 season in 2019 resulting in the Golden Gophers being ranked 10th in the final AP poll.

There are a number of reasons why I am optimistic about Minnesota this year. First is the return of running back Mohamed Ibrahim, who suffered a season-ending injury in the season opener against Ohio State last year. Ibrahim cracked 1,000 yards in 2018, as well as in a seven-game season in 2020. Before suffering the achilles injury against the Buckeyes, Ibrahim had rushed for 163 yards on 30 carries.

Not only do the Golden Gophers have Ibrahim returning, Tanner Morgan is back for his 36th year at quarterback. Morgan will be trying to recapture some of the magic from 2019 when he threw 30 touchdowns. Joining Morgan in returning is wide receiver Chris Autman-Bell, as well as stellar center John Michael Schmitz. Fleck hit the transfer market to beef up the offensive line, bringing in Quinn Carroll from Notre Dame and Michigan’s Chuck Filiaga.

Another reason I like Minnesota’s chances to have a strong season is their manageable schedule. The Golden Gophers have a non-conference schedule that consists of New Mexico State, Western Illinois, and Colorado, which should allow Fleck’s squad to head into Big Ten play with a 3-0 record. Minnesota does have tough road games at Michigan State, Penn State, and Wisconsin, but it’s not like those contests aren’t unwinnable. I really could see the Golden Gophers being in contention to win the Big Ten West and finish the season with at least 10 wins.

Meredith’s answer: Air Force


I’m going to step outside of the Big Ten for this one (even though there are plenty of in-conference programs, including Minnesota, who got snubbed by not making it into the preseason AP Poll), and am going to go with the Air Force Falcons.

Air Force is one of just six FBS programs favored to win all their games. The Falcons are in good company, as the other five programs are all ranked in the top 10 of the AP Poll (Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Utah and Oklahoma).

Sure, being favored to win all your games is very different from the season over-under, but it’s absolutely an indicator. While it seems unlikely that the Falcons will go undefeated, the favored status shows that the potential is there. In June, the over-under for Air Force was just 8.5 wins, which feels absurdly low.

The Falcons finished last season 10-3 with losses to Mountain West champ Utah State, a ranked San Diego State and rival Army. They also wrapped the season with a bowl game win over Louisville.

I could sit here and regale you with facts about the mental toughness of the Air Force football team (my husband and I have a running bet on when during each game the commentators will share a graphic about the daily schedule of the Air Force cadets), but suffice to say the Falcons will keep things close and the games will be over in about two hours.

Now we all just have to bear watching the triple option.

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Legendary golfer and Ohio State alumni Tom Weiskopf passes away at age 79
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by David Cannon/R&A/R&A via Getty Images

Weiskopf was a giant in the game of golf and will be fondly remembered.

The golfing world lost a giant on Sunday with the passing of Tom Weiskopf. Weiskopf passed away at the age of 79 after a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer.

Weiskopf was a 16-time winner on the PGA Tour and finished runner up at The Masters four times, never winning the tournament. Weiskopf also accumulated 28 total professional golf wins.

“He had a helluva career,” said his good friend Tony Jacklin. “He was unfortunate that he ran into (Jack) Nicklaus so often. He held Jack in such high regard.”

Weiskopf was born in Massillon Ohio and attended high school at Benedictine High School in Cleveland and then attended The Ohio State University. He turned pro in 1964. In addition to his four runner-up finishes at The Masters, Weiskopf won the Open Championship in 1973 at Troon Golf Club in Troon, Scotland and his four-round score of 12-under par matched the then Open Championship scoring record set by Arnold Palmer in 1962.

Weiskopf was also well known for making sure he had a life outside of golf.

“I didn’t really have the passion or the effort that I wanted to put into it, and everyone kept pushing me to put into it. Golf was more a means to an end for me. It was a way to give my family the best possible life they could have. Hunting and fishing and the outdoors was more important to me. Getting the grand slam of sheep was more important. That’s why I gave up a Ryder Cup one year so I could get my grand slam,” Weiskopf explained to Golfweek in an interview in 2020.

Weiskopf is one of the golfers that, as well respected as he was with fans and spectators, he was even more respected by other great golfers and his peers.

“Definitely,” Johnny Miller said when asked if Weiskopf deserved to be enshrined in the World Golf Hall of Fame. “A lot of guys get into the Hall, but they were never the best, just the body of work was Hall of Fame worthy. But when you have a run like Tom had (in 1973), there’s two ways of looking at greatness, it’s not just always being consistently good but there’s some point in your career where you might have been the best in the world. That’s big to me.”

The PGA Tour released this statement on Sunday:

“The PGA TOUR is saddened at the passing of Tom Weiskopf, a towering figure in the game of golf not only during his playing career but through his accomplished work in the broadcast booth and golf course design business,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Tom is leaving behind a lasting legacy in golf. The beautiful swing he showcased during his 16 career PGA TOUR victories is still being emulated today, while his golf courses remain as testaments to his love for the game. Our hearts and deepest sympathies are with the entire Weiskopf family during this time.”

Jack Nicklaus, one of the greatest golfers of all time, battled with Weiskopf plenty of times and Weiskopf was one of the top guys to challenge Nicklaus over the years.

“Tom Weiskopf had as much talent as any player I’ve ever seen play the TOUR,” Nicklaus told Golf Channel.

He finished with 68 top three finishes on the PGA Tour.

In addition to his golfing career, Weiskopf is known as one of the most renown course designers in the history of golf. Here are some of the courses that Weiskopf designed or co-designed:

• Troon North Golf Club
• Loch Lomond Golf Club
• Catamount Ranch and Club
• Double Eagle
• Mira Vista Country Club
• Forest Highlands
• Lahontan Golf Club
• The Olympic Club
• The Ridge at Castle Pines North
• Shanty Creek Resort
• Quail Hollow Country Club
• Snake River Sporting Club
• Castiglion Del Bosco
• The Rim Golf Club
• Silverleaf Club
• Estancia El Terron Mendiolaza
• Frost Creek
• Bloody Point
• Black Desert Resort

In a weird connection to current times, Weiskopf’s first event as a pro and his last win as a pro was at the Western Open — now known as the BMW Championship — which was the tournament the Tour was conducting when news of Weiskopf’s passing arose.

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A look back at Ohio State’s 2023 commits in Week 1 prep kickoffs
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



Looking at several of the Buckeyes’ 2023 commits and how they fared in the first week of their seasons.

It’s no secret that Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class is home to some of the top high school players in the country regardless of position. Each year the Buckeyes bring in elite players on both sides of the ball, and it’s a direct correlation to their success on the field each season.

With high school football kicking off last week for several states across the country, here’s a look at how a couple of the 2023 commits fared in their season openers, and also a glimpse into some of the incredible statistics put up by some of the more well-known players in this current cycle.

Brandon Inniss - Wide Receiver


The top ranked player in Ohio State’s class currently, Brandon Inniss doesn’t need much of an introduction. The American Heritage product is a phenom on the 7-on-7 circuit during the summer months, and he picked up right where he left off this past Saturday night on the field for his prep program.

Scoring on the first play from scrimmage to start the game, Inniss additionally put up a stat line that most players only dream of. In total, Inniss had six receptions for 221 yards, two touchdowns, and racked up over 260 all-purpose yards in a 38-20 victory.

The No. 22 player nationally, Inniss is the fourth raked receiver in the class and the fifth best player from Florida per the 247Sports Composite.

Carnell Tate - Wide Receiver


When discussing the receiver position, Carnell Tate has been a popular name when talking about Ohio State recruiting in the 2023 cycle. From the many twists and turns of his recruitment ending up with his eventual commitment, Tate always seemed destined for the Buckeyes, and he was all too obvious a counterpart to fellow receiver commit and the aforementioned Inniss.

The two are very close, and as you can tell from the image atop of this piece, they’re not shy about hiding their friendship. One of the cooler aspects to the kickoff of high school football last week for Ohio State was not only seeing Inniss score on the first play of scrimmage for his prep team, but Tate too took the opening kick 98 yards for a touchdown to open his game the night before, and the two players certainly enjoyed “twinning” with each other again.

The No. 58 player nationally, Tate is the 11th best receiver in the class and the 13th best player in Florida per the 247Sports Composite. Behind his hot start, IMG Academy rolled to a week one 41-3 victory.

Joshua Padilla - Offensive Line


The most tenured member of Ohio State’s 2023 class, Huber Heights Wayne product Joshua Padilla and the Warriors kicked off their season on Thursday of last week against the Cincinnati area Fairfield Indians. A tough loss for Padilla and Wayne, not all on Thursday was negative as Joshua put on a show in the trenches and gave great insight to what the Buckeyes are getting.

The No. 187 player nationally per the 247Sports Composite, Padilla is listed as an interior lineman and will likely play there at the next level too, but currently lines up outside at tackle for his prep program. Showing what he can do in both the run game and in pass protection, Buckeye fans should be excited with his trajectory by time he arrives in Columbus, and all of the continued improvements he will make once under the leadership of position coach, Justin Frye.

The Warriors will look to bounce back this week against Reynoldsburg in another non-conference match-up.

Malik Hartford - Defensive Back


Maybe the shot heard around the world this past weekend, Ohio State commit Malik Hartford has been all over the social media world with one of his plays from Friday night.

A big win over Cincinnati’s St. Xavier, Hartford and his Lakota West squad came back from a 13-0 deficit at half time to beat St. X in one of the more impressive upset wins across the state of Ohio for week one.

The play that is being most talked about from this game though however is Hartford’s hit over the middle of the field, when he struck a St. X receiver after making a catch in the last drive of the game. Hartford’s hit was flagged for targeting, but this type of blow shows just how physical Malik is on the back end of the defense at his safety position and clearly he has no issues with coming downhill.

The No. 163 player nationally, Hartford is the ninth best safety in the country per the 247Sports Composite and one of three safeties in Ohio State’s 2023 class.


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