2025 Ohio quarterback to visit the Buckeyes later this month
Bret Favachio via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ryan Montgomery | 247Sports

Ohio State will get a visit from one of their top quarterback targets in 2025 near the end of November.

As the Buckeyes slotted in as the No. 2 team in the country on the initial College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday, they also saw an underclassman signal-caller reveal an upcoming stop to the Ohio State campus. Plus, a former Buckeye hoops pledge is headed to an arch-rival program after backing off of his commitment to the scarlet and gray.

Montgomery sets November visits


With his older brother Luke already in the fold for the Buckeyes in 2023, one could assume that their position is rather favorable In their pursuit of 2025 quarterback Ryan Montgomery of Findlay (OH). Now, they will have the luxury of getting yet another opportunity to impress Montgomery with a visit to Columbus on deck.

On Tuesday morning, Montgomery revealed on Twitter that a busy November is in store with a quartet of visits coming.


Montgomery will kick his November tour off this weekend as he heads to Athens, along with Luke, to see the Bulldogs square off against Tennessee. Following his stop at Georgia, Montgomery will then head to Clemson for their game against Louisville the week after and prior to his final visit of the month, he will be in Kentucky for their home tilt with Georgia.

Lastly, the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder will cap off November with an unsurprising stop in Columbus as they aim for revenge on Michigan. The weekend is already being dubbed as a major recruiting weekend for the Buckeyes with many visitors expected on campus, so it’s no surprise that Montgomery will end his tour with “The Game.”

With Montgomery being one of just two quarterbacks in his respective class to secure an early offer from Ohio State, it shows how big of a priority he is for the program at this point. Any opportunity you get to bring the in-state signal-caller to campus is an opportunity that head coach Ryan Day will take every time.

While it is far too early for any sort of class rankings for Montgomery and the 2025 prospects, the offer sheet is undeniable. Montgomery is wanted by a host of programs including Georgia, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Tennessee, and more but as of now, it’s Ohio State who is the unanimous favorite on the 247Sports Crystal Ball.

Wolverines add Washington III


It was just two months ago that Ohio State saw 2023 four-star shooting guard George Washington III of Chaminade Julienne (OH) decommit from the program after being in the class for about ten months.

Of course Ohio State had little problem addressing the loss of Washington III as they welcomed 2023 four-star combo guard Taison Chatman of Totino-Grace (MN) to fill the void shortly after. However, fast forward to Tuesday morning and know that the Buckeyes haven’t seen the last of Washington III.

The 6-foot-2, 165-pounder announced his commitment to Michigan over Dayton, Louisville, Virginia, and Wake Forest.


While the Buckeyes are likely better off after adding Chatman, this is still something to monitor in upcoming seasons as the two parties will cross paths again in the future. The addition of Washington III for the Wolverines gives them a prospect just outside of the Top 100 and the No. 2 player from the state of Ohio in 2023.

Quick Hits

• 2023 three-star running back Trey Cornist of Winton Woods (OH) added a trio of offers on Tuesday from Kentucky, Michigan State, and Western Kentucky. The Cincinnati native has yet to secure an offer from the Buckeyes but is a likely candidate for one, if Ohio State decides it wants to add a second back to the fold to pair with four-star running back Mark Fletcher of American Heritage (FL).

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Five things we learned from Ohio State’s 101-57 victory over Chaminade
Connor Lemons 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 handled business against a clearly inferior opponent, but the score isn’t the only thing we’re paying attention to.

With only four players returning from an Ohio State team that made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season, Tuesday night’s exhibition game against Chaminade was an opportunity to showcase the Buckeyes’ highly touted freshman class as well as its three experienced transfers. The 2022-23 iteration of the Ohio State men’s basketball team is looking to sharpen up some areas it struggled with last season, in particular its defense (No. 111 in adjusted defense) and rebounding (12th in the Big Ten in rebounds per game).

With Justice Sueing (ankle) and Gene Brown (concussion) unavailable tonight, Holtmann rolled out a lineup of Bruce Thornton, Sean McNeil, Brice Sensabaugh, Isaac Likekele, and Zed Key. It should be noted, however, that Sueing would have played through the ankle injury if this was a regular season game — per Ohio State.

Isaac Amaral-Artharee opened the scoring with a three-pointer for the Silverswords 55 seconds into the game, but Key followed with a little 4-0 run by himself to put the Buckeyes back in front. The next 10 minutes or so were a back and forth affair, with Ohio State trying to put distance between themselves and Chaminade but failing to do so. Even when the Silverswords would miss air-ball a three or get their pocket picked coming up the floor, the Buckeyes struggled to take advantage at the other end.

After shooting 35% from the floor over the first 10 minutes of the game, the Buckeyes finished the half on a 19-2 run to head to the locker room with a 46-23 lead over their D-II counterparts. Tanner Holden led all scorers with 19 points, including a 7-0 run all on his own at one point. He also blocked a shot, had a steal, and pulled down three rebounds during the first half.

The Buckeyes scored 17 points over the first five minutes of the second half, stretching their lead to 63-29. Likekele — who only has 19 career three-pointers to his name — knocked down a triple, while McNeil connected twice from downtown over a two-minute stretch from 18:59 to 16:51.

Holtmann subbed in Owen Spencer, Bowen Hardman, and Kalen Etzler with 11 minutes remaining, but after three consecutive Chaminade baskets Thornton, Sensabaugh, and Holden re-entered the game. Hardman stayed in, however, and wound up knocking down three three-pointers over a 3:06 stretch to help give Ohio State an 88-50 lead in the closing minutes.

By the time the final horn blew, the Buckeyes had wrapped up a 101-57 victory over the Silverswords at Value City Arena. Tanner Holden led all scorers with 25 points on 10-12 shooting. Key, Likekele, Hardman, and Gayle all scored in double digits as well.

What can we really take away from tonight’s victory over Division-II Chaminade? A few things:

Tanner Holden and Roddy Gayle heading up the second line


Holden and Gayle were the first and second players to check into the game off the bench at the 15:49 mark. Holden would go on to play essentially the rest of the first half, clocking 14 minutes of the remaining 15:49. Gayle played 12 of the final 15:49. The only other player to sub in for Ohio State during a competitive first half — besides Holden and Gayle — was Felix Okpara, who played nine minutes during the opening stanza.

The defense should be better


Thanks in large part to the versatility of guys like Likekele, Holden, and Sueing — who did not play — Ohio State’s defense should step up from their 11th-ranked defense last season in the Big Ten. During the first half alone, Holden had a block and a steal, while Likekele was constantly switching on defense to guard the two through five positions. Sueing — who is 6-foot-7 and 220 pounds — will be able to do a lot of the same things Likekele does on defense.

Ohio State needs to be more aggressive on the glass


The Buckeyes struggled mightily last season on the glass, especially defensively. Giving second-chance opportunities to teams in the B1G who have quality centers will lead to second-chance points more often than not, so it’s an area Ohio State has to improve on this season.

Unfortunately that did not happen during the first half of tonight’s game, as they out-rebounded Chaminade by just one board, 25-24. Nine of those Chaminade rebounds were of the offensive variety, which led to six second-chance points. Comparatively, Ohio State had four offensive rebounds, which led to just three second-chance points.

OSU won the rebounding battle while the game was still competitive, but barely. Against a Division-II team that kind of effort will fly, but it won’t against Purdue, Michigan, or Indiana. Collectively, the Buckeyes have to get after it on the glass — on both ends.

Holden might be your drought-snapper


One of the biggest questions with this particular Ohio State team is “who will get you a bucket when everything goes stale?” In basketball terms: when an offensive possession is going nowhere and the shot clock starts to dwindle, who do you pass the ball to and tell to go make something happen? Tonight, that person was, without a question, Holden.

The fourth-year transfer from Wright State had 19 first-half points on 7-9 shooting, including hitting two three-pointers and going 3-4 from the free throw line. It is D-II competition, but Holden drove to the basket with conviction repeatedly with both hands and on both sides of the basket.

Justice Sueing will be one of Ohio State’s biggest offensive weapons this season, but perhaps his absence was good for Holden to build confidence leading into the Buckeyes’ season opener next week.

Sean McNeil is not the next Justin Ahrens...… Bowen Hardman is


After a lot of effort and correction during the off-season and preseason, Chris Holtmann and his staff hammered the message home that despite McNeil being a career 38% three-point shooter, he is not “just like another player that this program had recently.” McNeil’s game is more well-rounded than that “mystery player” that Holtmann would not specifically name but we all knew who he was talking about — Ahrens.

That’s because the next Justin Ahrens is actually Bowen Hardman. Hardman, the overlooked member of Ohio State’s top-10 fresman class, scored 12 points on 4-5 shooting tonight, all from three-point land. Listed at a generous 6-foot-3 and 175 pounds, Hardman isn’t quite as far along physically as the other four freshmen class, but he made some noise during tonight’s game.

It was against a terrible defense and Hardman will certainly be at the back end of the Buckeyes’ rotation this season, but it doesn’t look like he’s going to redshirt. In fact, don’t be shocked if the Cincinnati Princeton graduate plays some meaningful minutes here and there for Ohio State.

Up Next:


With their exhibition with Chaminade in the books, the Buckeyes have five days off before they take on Robert Morris on Monday evening in their first official game of the season. The Colonials went 8-24 last season and 5-16 in the Horizon League. RMU is No. 293 in KenPom’s preseason rankings, and was picked to finish eighth (out of 11) in the Horizon League.

Ohio State’s season opener against Robert Morris tips off at 7:00 p.m. and will be broadcast exclusively on B1G+.

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Ohio State debuts at No. 2 in the first College Football Playoff ranking of 2022
Gene Ross 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

The Buckeyes have earned a spot in the top four of the initial CFP rankings.

We knew Ohio State would be included among the top four teams when the first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2022 season dropped on Tuesday night, but we didn’t quite know at which spot. The Buckeyes have been one of the most impressive units in the country through the beginning of November, and currently rank No. 2 in the AP Poll. However, while they have done everything they’ve needed to do in dominating the opponents on their schedule, would it be enough to put them ahead of teams with resumés like Georgia and Tennessee?

The top four teams in the country debuted as follows:

1. Tennessee
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Clemson

Tennessee checks in as the No. 1 team in the initial College Football Playoff rankings. The Volunteers have been incredibly impressive this season, currently boasting the best scoring offense in the country at 49.4 points per game. They are lead by a Heisman favorite in quarterback Hendon Hooker, and they also have the best win of any team this year with their 52-49 victory over Alabama. This weekend’s matchup against Georgia has massive CFP implications, as the winner will almost certainly get to represent the SEC East in the conference title game.

Ohio State clearly doesn’t have the best resumé in the world, but they have done exactly what they have needed to do thus far — beat up on inferior opponents. You can only play the teams on your schedule, and the Buckeyes have beaten the opposition this year by an average margin of 32 points, having now added a 13-point road win over a now No. 16 Penn State team on the road as another bullet point. Ohio State’s offense ranks second behind only Tennessee with 48.9 points per game, and the defensive is leaps and bounds above what it was a year ago. That’s good enough to put them at No. 2

As the defending national champs, Georgia debuts at No. 3 in the first CFP ranking of the year. The defense lost a ton of key pieces from last season, but that hasn’t stopped them from ranking second in the nation allowing just 10.5 points per game. They played a pair of head-scratchers against Kent State and Missouri in games that were closer than they should have been, but they have taken care of business lately and also dominated the only ranked team they’ve played so far in a 49-3 thrashing of Oregon in the season opener.

Finally, it was the Clemson Tigers coming in at the No. 4 spot. Dabo Swinney’s team hasn’t looked particularly strong at really any point this year, but they have still managed to remain undefeated and have wins over three teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25 (Wake Forest, NC State and Syracuse). Clemson will likely get to coast through the rest of its remaining schedule with games against Notre Dame, Louisville, Miami (FL) and South Carolina to finish off the regular season, but could potentially get tested against probably UNC in the ACC title game. Both the offense and defense rank outside of the top 15 in the country, but the CFP committee clearly valued their schedule to this point over a team like Michigan.

As of Tuesday morning, here were the betting odds for the College Football Playoff, courtesy of the DraftKings Sportsbook...

To make the College Football Playoff

• Ohio State -650
• Georgia -600
• Clemson -180
• Tennesse +105
• Alabama +140
• Michigan +190
• Oregon +650
• USC +700
• TCU +750
• UCLA +1700

To win the National Title

• Ohio State +200
• Georgia +200
• Alabama +350
• Tennessee +800
• Clemson +1600
• Michigan +1600
• Oregon +4000
• USC +5000
• TCU +6000
• Ole Miss +10000

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

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Big Ten stat leaders through Week 9
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Now 2⁄3 of the way through the regular season schedule, where do the Buckeyes stack up among conference leaders?

With each team in the conference now having played eight games, we are now officially at the 2/3 point of the regular season. As is usually the case with one of the country’s top conferences, this year’s Big Ten contains a ton of talent that will soon be playing on Sundays, but before then has spent the year putting up big numbers week in and week out. Where do all our favorite Buckeyes ran among the conference’s best?

Let’s take a look at the statistical leaders in the B1G after Week 9.

Passing Yards

1. C.J. Stroud, Ohio State - 2,377
2. Aidan O’Connell, Purdue - 2,270
3. Connor Bazelak, Indiana - 2,099

Passing Touchdowns

1. C.J. Stroud, Ohio State - 29
2. Graham Mertz, Wisconsin - 17
3. Sean Clifford, Penn State - 16

Passing Efficiency

1. C.J. Stroud, Ohio State - 200.2
2. J.J. McCarthy, Michigan - 164.5
3. Graham Mertz, Wisconsin - 159.6

Rushing Yards

1. Chase Brown, Illinois - 1,208
2. Blake Corum, Michigan - 1,078
3. Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota - 955

(Ohio State’s leader: TreVeyon Henderson - 552 — 10th)

Rushing Touchdowns

1. Blake Corum, Michigan - 14
2. Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota - 13
3. Miyan Williams, Ohio State - 10

Yards Per Carry (min. 50 attempts)

1. Miyan Williams, Ohio State - 6.9
2. Donovan Edwards, Michigan - 6.6
3. Roman Hemby, Maryland - 6.5

Receiving Yards

1. Charlie Jones, Purdue - 840
2. Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State - 788
3. Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State - 783

Receiving Touchdowns

1. Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State - 10
2. Charlie Jones, Purdue - 9
3. Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State - 7

Receptions

1. Charlie Jones, Purdue - 72
2. Isaiah Williams, Illinois - 56
3. Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State - 48

Total Tackles

1. Jack Campbell, Iowa - 82
2. Bryce Gallagher, Northwestern - 79
3. Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State - 72

Tackles for Loss

1. Jacoby Windmon, Michigan State - 10.5
2. Nick Herbig, Wisconsin - 9.5
3. Four players tied with 9.0

(Ohio State’s leader: Mike Hall Jr. - 7.5 — 7th)

Sacks

1. Nick Herbig, Wisconsin - 6.0
2. Jacoby Windmon, Michigan State - 5.5
3. Mike Morris, Michigan - 5.5

(Ohio State’s leader: Mike Hall Jr. - 4.5 — 5th)

Interceptions

1. John Torchio, Wisconsin - 5
2. Kendal Smith, Illinois - 4
3. Nine players tied with 3, including Tanner McCalister

Team Stats - Scoring Offense

1. Ohio State - 48.9 PPG
2. Michigan - 41.0 PPG
3. Maryland - 34.1 PPG

Team Stats - Scoring Defense

1. Illinois - 8.9 PPG allowed
2. Michigan - 11.5 PPG allowed
3. Minnesota - 14.4 PPG allowed

(Ohio State - 16.9 PPG allowed — 5th)

Team Stats - Total Offense

1. Ohio State - 509.3 YPG
2. Michigan - 469.8 YPG
3. Maryland - 454.4 YPG

Team Stats - Total Defense

1. Illinois - 224.5 YPG allowed
2. Michigan - 250.3 YPG allowed
3. Iowa - 265.6 YPG allowed

(Ohio State - 270.1 YPG allowed — 4th)

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Game Notes: No. 14 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. Notre Dame College
1ThomasCostello 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

Sharing thoughts about Monday’s exhibition tune-up before the Nov. 8 season tip

Monday’s Halloween night exhibition was scary, mostly for Notre Dame College. In a game that wasn’t expected to be close, the Ohio State Buckeyes women’s basketball team took care of business to the tune of a 118-33 scoreline. While the game doesn’t count in any sort of standings, there are notes from the Scarlet & Gray’s performance. Here are the things that stood out.

The Starting Five


Head coach Kevin McGuff went with a different look Monday. He went with the usual starters with guards Jacy Sheldon and Taylor Mikesell, along with forward Rebeka Mikulášiková. The other two spots were the surprises.

As preseason practice began, the talk focused on the return of Madison Greene, offseason improvements for returning sophomore Taylor Thierry and incoming four-star recruit Cotie McMahon.

McMahon and Thierry got the starting nod. It was surprising at first, but the final numbers on the night told a different story of who could lineup against the Tennessee Volunteers on Nov. 8.

McMahon Impresses


In McMahon’s first game with Ohio State, she set the tone early, from right after the tip-off. McMahon charged the basket and drew the first foul of the game within seconds. The freshman made her first free throw, and after missing the second charged the basket to grab her own rebound and hit the lay-up, completing an unconventional three-point play.

That was a good representation of McMahon’s night as a whole. The speed she possesses was evident, with her looking like the fastest player on the court using the eye test.

Anytime McMahon had the ball, there was a strong chance that she was attacking the basket. When McMahon wasn’t trying to score herself, she was making big passes. In the second half, McMahon made two court-length passes. The first, to Mikesell, was made in Mikesell’s stride, making for the easiest lay-up for the guard on the evening.

Also, the forward’s court presence was fantastic, with McMahon leading everyone on the court in assists, with six.

However, the excitement of her first game led to McMahon forcing some situations that with time will turn into more assists. Even so, McMahon’s decision to join the Buckeyes in Jan. was still evident.

Greene Returns


Although Greene didn’t start, she played 20:38, one of only two players to hit the 20-minute mark. Greene had 12 points, five assists, and two steals on the evening, and looked confident after returning from knee surgery. Not only did she lead the team in minutes but in the +/-, with Ohio State hitting 49 with Greene on the court.

It didn’t look like Greene hasn’t played for the Buckeyes in 628 days.

Shumate Hits Her Shots


Transfer and Newark, Ohio native Emma Shumate came in as a substitute guard and showed off her shooting skills. Shumate’s shot looks effortless, even from deep and on the corners. The West Virginia transfer hit four of six from deep, leading all players with 18 points.

Looking at Minutes


Post-game, McGuff talked about how Monday’s game focused on getting different groups onto the floor to see how they played together. Looking at the stat sheet, two players had more time than anyone else in McMahon and Greene.

Mikesell, Sheldon, and Mikulášiková played less than 20 minutes a piece, but that’s likely by design. They’re each frontrunners to start at their positions, after all.

Last season, McGuff played a rotation of eight different players. Monday, 10 players showed that they can log minutes, including guard Hevynne Bristow who started one game last season before being relegated to a bench role for the rest of the year.

The remaining four players, transfer forward Karla Vres and a trio of underclassmen guards in Kaitlyn Costner, Mya Perry and Kaia Henderson played 5:37 or less. Barring injury or blowouts on the scoreboard, it feels like there won’t be much of them in games this year.

Thierry’s Night


For the second season in a row, Thierry started in a Buckeyes exhibition game. This time around though, it was in a guard position. McGuff opted for McMahon and Mikulášiková as his two forwards Monday, when Thierry and McMahon fighting for the starting forward spot seemed evident.

It doesn’t mean that the fight changes, with Greene a likely starter in Thierry’s place, but McMahon and Thierry played different games Monday.

Thierry’s evening was scrappier than McMahon’s. The sophomore took three shots, making two, and didn’t do much on the boards. Instead, Thierry was dishing and stealing. Of Ohio State’s 40 forced turnovers, Thierry led the team with four steals. Twice coming up from behind, poking the ball away, and creating a Buckeyes fast break, highlighted in the video below.


Unfortunately for Thierry, she also got in the most foul trouble, earning four. Although it could be argued that some of the fouls came from referees who are also in the preseason.

McMahon and Thierry bring different things to the court, and Monday isn’t the lone deciding factor in who starts against Tennessee, but if the offense is the deciding factor, McMahon is the favorite.

Walker’s Introduction


Playing almost 20 minutes on the night was Syracuse and Arizona State transfer, forward Eboni Walker. In those minutes, Walker played in Mikulášiková’s center role and almost hit a double-double but was one rebound shy.

Walker’s play looked effortless out there as if there’s another level underneath the surface that a big game could bring to the surface.

The forward hit all five of her shots, including one from midrange. Walker also added two assists, a steal, and a block on top of her 10 points. Playing the minutes Walker played makes sense, considering she transferred this summer and needs time to acclimate.


However, if Walker’s performance, and plays like the buzzer-beating rebound and pass to Greene can be replicated against teams like Tennessee, Indiana, and Iowa, she might not be a backup for long.

The Usual Suspects


Players like Sheldon, Mikesell, and Harris didn’t need to show a lot in the game. They each showed their abilities last season, leading the Buckeyes to a regular-season conference title.

Each played how you’d expect. There was some rust for Mikesell and Sheldon, going 2-for-10 from deep, with Mikesell hitting 2-for-8. It looked like nothing more than rust, and not needing to prove anything in the preseason.

Mikesell played stronger defense, creating a steal/block combo play under Notre Dame’s basket in the first quarter. Sheldon was the first player on the court to hit double-digit scoring.

Harris came into the game later than expected, after Shumate, but Harris played strong. The guard tied Greene in +/- and had 13 points and six assists.

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Seven things to watch for during Ohio State’s exhibition against Chaminade
Connor Lemons 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

How much info can we glean from a game vs. a D-II team? We’re about to find out.

For the first time since March 20, the Ohio State men’s basketball team will take the court for a live, competitive-ish basketball contest. They take on the Division-II Chaminade Silverswords tonight at 7:00 p.m. at the Schottenstein Center, and the game is open to fans — although it will likely be a sparse crowd. If you want to watch on TV, you’ll have to purchase a BTN+ subscription.

Chaminade went 9-18 overall last season and 7-13 in the Pacific West Conference. The Buckeyes are facing the Silverswords in Columbus as part of their participation in the Maui Invitational later this month, as Chaminade will also travel to Cincinnati and Louisville for exhibitions — two other teams who are participating in the invitational. With all due respect to Chaminade, they should not pose a challenge to Ohio State, and this piece will focus solely on the Buckeyes.

As has been heavily advertised throughout the offseason, this Ohio State roster is almost unrecognizable compared to the one that fell to Villanova in the second round of the NCAA Tournament back in March. The Buckeyes return just four players from last year’s team, but only two of them — Zed Key and Gene Brown — played more than two games.

With so many new faces in the mix, we’ve been making our best guesses for months on who will start, who will fill various roles, and if this year’s iteration of the men’s basketball Buckeyes can go farther than last season’s. Tuesday night’s exhibition will give us our first sneak peak at the team in competition, and maybe start answering a few of these questions.

There are tons of things we’ll be keeping our eye on, but here’s seven things to watch for during tonight’s action against Chaminade.

How aggressive will Justice Sueing be?

Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The long-running narrative of “Is Justice Sueing finally healthy?” is dead. It was asked over and over and over and over for the past three months, and each time Chris Holtmann has told us that yes, Sueing is good to go. Each time we’ve had the chance to ask Justice himself, he has also said that he feels great and is ready to play. Will there be some rust after having basically 18 months off? Probably. But the “will he play” plotline is dead. He’s playing.

The question we should focus on is how aggressive Sueing will be after such a long layoff. Two seasons ago when he was healthy, Sueing logged 28.3 minutes per game for Ohio State, scoring 10.7 PPG on 49.1% shooting. He also shot 36.1% from three-point land, but only attempted two per game. He averaged 7.2 shot attempts overall, which was a far reach from the 11 shots per game he took at Cal from 2017-2019.

Sueing will be looked to as one of the team’s main weapons on offense, if not the main weapon on offense. There will be some rust, but if the Buckeyes want to find success in their early-season stretch of tough games, Sueing will need to take 10-11 shots per game, like he did early in his career out west.

Will he be ready to do that after being inactive for so long?

Is Brice Sensabaugh really “him” ?

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Last season, Malaki Branham was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, one of the best overall shooters in the Big Ten, and wound up as a first round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. He was a high four-star recruit, one of the best Ohio recruits over the past decade, and played at the same high school as LeBron James.

And somehow, Brice Sensabaugh has generated even more preseason hype leading into his freshman season than Branham did one year ago.

Now why is that?



Maybe it’s the insane dunks he threw down recently at Buckeyes on the Blacktop. Maybe it’s the 50-point game he put together at the Kingdom Summer League. Maybe it’s the fact that he’s a 6-foot-6, 235-pound power forward who is expected to be one of the better three-point shooters in the conference. Maybe it’s how easily his game reminds people of another recent NBA draftee, E.J. Liddell. It’s probably all of that, combined.

In fact, Branham was actually a higher rated recruit than Sensabaugh. Perhaps Branham’s success is making people raise their expectations for Brice, too. But for the Buckeyes to be successful this season, Sensabaugh will need to develop into a reliable, three-level scorer and at least a tolerable defender.

He may not reach the same level Branham did last season with multiple 30-point games, but there’s no question the “Baby Sensa” hype is very real from the fanbase.

Will Tanner Holden expand his range?

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

At 20.1 PPG last season, Tanner Holden was actually No. 18 in the nation last season when hr was at Wright State. His 37-point game in the NCAA Tournament’s First Four was highly publicized, but he actually had a 38-point game earlier last season, too.

However, there’s real reason to believe the adjustment from the Horizon League to the Big Ten will not be perfectly smooth. The jump in talent and size is obvious, especially in a conference dominated by big men. He simply will not get the same looks that he did at Wright State last season at Ohio State.

On top of that, Holden is not a three-point shooter — not even a little bit. He averaged 1.1 3PT attempts per game last season, despite taking 12.5 shots per game. He hit 34% of those, but that’s such a small sample size.

Holden attempted 280 free throws last season, which was the second-most in the nation (he hit 79% of them). He’s a great slasher and uses his 6-foot-6 frame to get to the basket — and the charity stripe — often, but his transition to the Big Ten will be a lot smoother if he can also expand his range a bit and knock down some jumpers. Chris Holtmann has harped on this quite a bit during the preseason.

How many positions will Isaac Likekele play?

Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Perhaps the most fascinating addition to this team is 6-foot-5, 220-pound guard/forward Isaac Likekele, formerly of Oklahoma State. It’s still to be seen if he starts the Buckeyes’ first game against Robert Morris, but even if not, “Ice” is going to see a lot of minutes. He’s a versatile player and a switchable piece on defense, which makes him someone Holtmann will want on the floor as much as possible.

Likekele racked up over 600 rebounds and 400 assists at the orange OSU, while also scoring over 1,000 points. He can run point, play off the ball at the second guard spot, occupy either forward position, and even play center in a small-ball lineup.

There may be some games he is the primary ballhandler for Ohio State and racks up double-digit assists. There may also be a game or two where he backs down the opposing team’s big and winds up with double-digit rebounds. He will do every job that needs to be done on the floor. It’ll be interesting to see how he is used Tuesday night.

How much will we see from Kalen Etzler?

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Etzler redshirted last season, put on some additional muscle, and has been somewhat of an afterthought heading into his second season with the team. Now that the redshirt season is over, Etzler is expected to be part of Ohio State’s regular rotation and could become a crucial contributor if he can defend.

At 6-foot-8 and close to 200 pounds, Etzler isn’t nearly as thin anymore as the picture above depicts. His teammates have spoken highly of his offseason work ethic, noting during media day last month that he’s added muscle and has been one of the better shooters at practice thus far.

With four freshmen in the rotation and only one player on the team that’s already proven themselves as a knock-down shooter at the collegiate level (Sean McNeil), there will be an opportunity for Etzler to force Holtmann’s hand and give him consistent minutes. I’m excited to see how he plays Tuesday evening.

Will Ohio State play fast?

Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Out of 358 D-I teams, Ohio State was No. 289 in adjusted tempo (possessions per 40 minutes) last season. The Buckeyes played slow, and to be frank, they’ve played slow every season since Chris Holtmann became the head coach. Not that it’s a bad thing, because Ohio State’s offense has also been one of the most efficient in the country since he got to Columbus, but it has not been the swiftest. The Buckeyes have been outside of the top-200 in adjusted tempo every season since 2017.

Ohio State apparently wants to play faster this season. Holtmann has mentioned wanting to “push it” with Bruce Thornton at point guard, even if that means an extra turnover here or there. He told us at media day last month that he doesn’t want to see Ohio State passing the ball “just to pass” — if someone has an open look five seconds into the possession, take the shot. Getting an open shot doesn’t necessarily mean you have to work the clock down to single digits, and moving faster gives yourself more shot attempts, too.

However, we’ve heard this before, and the Buckeyes still tend to hover in the mid-200’s in tempo every single year. Keep an eye on their pace tonight, it could be a sneak peak at how they want to run the offense moving forward.

Who becomes the “we need a bucket” guy?

Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports

Last season, Liddell was Batman, and Branham was Robin, except on the nights Branham was Batman and Liddell was also Batman.

Two seasons ago, Duane Washington Jr. was Batman and Liddell was Robin.

The season prior, Kaleb Wesson was the guy, and both Washington and Liddell were also around. During Holtmann’s first season, Keita Bates-Diop was the go-to guy.

This season, Ohio State really might not have a go-to “guy”. When the shot clock hits five seconds and absolutely nothing is cooking on offense, who will the Buckeyes pass the ball to and say “go make something happen” ? The last few seasons, that question was easy to answer: Liddell, Branham, Wesson, Bates-Diop, etc.

This season it could be Sueing, the elder statesman of the team and a guy who has averaged 14 points per game during a season once already. It could be Sensabaugh, the mismatch nightmare whose ceiling seems to go up each day we get closer to the season. It could be Roddy Gayle or Bruce Thornton, two guys who are better “attack the basket” guys than they are jump shooters. Maybe it’s Sean McNeil, a fifth-year senior who is a career 37% three-point shooter and will join the 1,000-point club before the calendar flips to 2023?

My guess is Sueing, but keep an eye on who gets the ball Tuesday night when the offense stalls out and Ohio State needs to cook something up with only a few seconds left on the shot clock.

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You’re Nuts: What Ohio State player had injury issues that hit you the hardest?
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 Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

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


After playing sparingly two weeks ago against Iowa, wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was unavailable for Saturday’s game against Penn State. Smith-Njigba suffered a hamstring injury in the first half of the season opener against Notre Dame which has kept him on the sidelines for most of the first eight games of the season. While Ohio State has been able to keep their offense rolling without Smith-Njigba thanks to the efforts of Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Julian Fleming, it would be great to see the Buckeye passing game operate with one of the best receivers in the country added to the mix.

Prior to the season, Smith-Njigba was a front-runner for the Biletnikoff Award after an outstanding 2021 season and a record-breaking Rose Bowl. It’ll be interesting to see if Smith-Njigba is able to get back on the field this season. If the wide receiver returns, it likely won’t be until the Michigan game since Ohio State’s next three opponents should be easy victories for the Buckeyes. It is understandable if we have seen the last of Smith-Njigba in the scarlet and gray since he is projected as a high draft pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but hopefully we can see him play a couple more games with the Buckeyes.

Injuries are part of football, but there are some Buckeye players that have had their time in Columbus effected by injuries that hit harder than others. Maybe it was an injury to a fan favorite, a key player, or it could be a player that dealt with a number of injuries during their time in college.

Today’s question: What Ohio State player had injury issues that hit you the hardest?

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: Nick Bosa


After his brother left Ohio State and was drafted with the third pick of the 2016 NFL Draft, Nick Bosa came to Columbus and pick up where Joey left off. Following a five sack freshman season, Nick was even better in his second year in the scarlet and gray, recording 8.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss, earning Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year honors. The younger Bosa looked primed to be in the mix to win the Hendricks Award as the best defensive end in college football.

Bosa came out of the gates strong in 2018, recording four sacks and a touchdown in the first three games of the season. Unfortunately for Bosa and the Buckeyes, the junior was injured in the third game of the season, suffering an injury that required core muscle surgery. After holding out hope Bosa would be able to return later in the season, it was announced a month a later that he would be out the rest of the season, and was declaring for the NFL Draft.

The reason why I feel like Bosa’s injury was so tough to stomach was because we didn’t get a true conclusion to his Ohio State career. The defensive end obviously made the right decision since he was the second overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft, and is one of the best defensive ends in the NFL. It would have been fun to see just how many sacks and tackles for loss Bosa could have racked up if he was able to play the full 2018 season. Would Bosa have been able to top the 13.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss his older brother posted in 2014? Nick certainly had a good start towards reaching those marks had he not been injured against TCU.

Meredith’s answer: Ted Ginn Jr.


What’s interesting about this question is how injuries often have played out in ways that have benefited Ohio State. For example, remember when Braxton Miller got hurt, leading to J.T. Barrett being the starting quarterback? And then when Barrett got hurt against Michigan and Cardale Jones took over? It turned into a national title season for the Buckeyes.

However, I’m surprised Brett didn’t pick Ted Ginn Jr. He covered the “what if?” scenario of if the Buckeyes’ star receiver would not have gotten injured after scoring on the opening kickoff in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game. Ginn returned the kick 93 yards for a score and subsequently got hurt on the celebration, exiting the game for good with an ankle injury.

Ginn is my pick because things went very dramatically down from there for Jim Tressel’s Buckeyes. While Brett argued that the Buckeyes would not have beaten Florida even if Ginn were in for the whole game, it would have been closer and probably less embarrassing. It was literally adding insult to injury.

This particular injury also burns because, while it was an amazing play (I feel like we regularly discuss how few special teams touchdowns we get and when we anticipate the next one coming), I hate that such a great Ohio State player went down with an injury so early in his last game. It was Ginn’s last play as a Buckeye and it stinks that it ended with him hurt.

Things worked out for Ginn, obviously, who just retired in 2021 after a successful 14-year NFL career.

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


Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

What can Ben Johnson do in year two in Minneapolis?

Team: Minnesota Golden Gophers
Coach: Ben Johnson (second season)
2021-22 record: 13-17 (4-16)

Season finish: No postseason

Players returning: Jamison Battle, Parker Fox, Isaiah Ihnen, Treyton Thompson

Players departed: Payton Willis, E.J. Stephens, Luke Loewe, Eric Curry, Abdoulaye Thiam, Charlie Daniels and Sean Sutherlin

Key additions: Dawson Garcia (North Carolina), Ta’Lon Cooper (Morehead State), Taurus Samuels (Dartmouth), Pharrel Payne, Josh Ola-Joseph, Braedon Carrington, Jaden Henley

Outlook


A lot of people would agree that Minnesota was the surprise of the Big Ten last season. They went 4-16 in conference play, but played a lot of close games and started the season 10-1 with wins over Michigan, Pittsburgh, and Princeton. The only loss the Gophers suffered before the new year was a single-digit loss to Michigan State. They tripped up in conference play and finished with a losing record overall, but the first year under head coach Ben Johnson turned out being an interesting and oddly successful one, as some people went as far to say they may not win a conference game.

The Gophers lost seven of their top eight scorers from last season, but do bring back their leading scorer Jamison Battle, who should be one of the top players in the conference this season. Battle averaged 17.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game last season, and single handily keep the Gophers in games at times.

Losing Payton Willis, Luke Loewe and E.J. Stephens will hurt, but the Minnesota staff did a good job hitting the transfer portal hard and filling out a solid roster for this season. Former top-30 recruit and Minnesota native Dawson Garcia comes from North Carolina, Ta’Lon Cooper is a great point guard from Morehead State and Taurus Samuels is an experienced guard from Dartmouth. Braeden Carrington is also a freshman guard that could see starting minutes this season.

Their depth will be a question after losing all that they lost, but they have a great young coach and a solid starting five that will help them compete in games.

X Factor


Dawson Garcia. It has been a journey for Garcia thus far in his collegiate career, but he makes his way back to his home state of Minnesota after stops at Marquette and North Carolina. Garcia played well in both stops, specifically in his freshman year at Marquette. With the Golden Eagles, he averaged 13 points and 6.6 rebounds while averaging 30 minutes per game and starting every game he played in.

At North Carolina, Garcia was a key piece in their rotation, but only he only played in 16 games, starting in 12 of those. Garcia averaged 20 minutes with 9.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Even though he has played well in his first two seasons, Garcia wanted to come home and play for the state he grew up in.

“Minnesota across my chest, it’s where I grew up,” Garcia said at media day. “It’s where I’m from, and it’s what I’m fighting for,” he said. “(Having) my family and all the people I grew up with and all the people in the stands this year will be incredible.”

It is also safe to say he will be in Minnesota for the foreseeable future.

“There are some highs, some lows, but at the end of the day I got the Minnesota across my chest now,” Garcia said. “I look forward to building something special for years and years to come.”

Garcia has also made a great early impression on his teammates.

“He works his (butt) off, and I think that is something that you want as a player and you want as a teammate,” Jamison Battle said at media day. “The thing with him is the versatility he brings. He can go inside, he can stretch it out to the perimeter. Having a guy like that, with that kind of versatility, (who) can also guard a (center) in the Big Ten is something that not a lot of teams have.”

Prediction


I don’t think Minnesota is a real competitor in the conference or a tournament team yet, but what Johnson has done in his first two seasons is nothing to scoff at. Bringing Garcia back to Minnesota and adding transfers like Cooper and Samuels, they are building something in Minnesota. It could be another long year after losing guys like Eric Curry, E.J. Stephens and Payton Willis, but the future looks bright with Johnson at the helm.

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2022-23 season bump

Holtmann has assistant coach Jake Diebler back from last season. He has two new assistants in Mike Netti and Jack Owens. Netti was previously a special assistant to the head coach, while Owens has spent the last several seasons as the head coach Miami (Ohio) and as an assistant at Purdue.

2022-23 season bump

Holtmann has assistant coach Jake Diebler back from last season. He has two new assistants in Mike Netti and Jack Owens. Netti was previously a special assistant to the head coach, while Owens has spent the last several seasons as the head coach Miami (Ohio) and as an assistant at Purdue.

Column: New month, new goals for the Buckeyes
meganhusslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Who doesn’t love to make some resolutions on the first of the month?

It’s officially November, AKA TTUN month! The season has absolutely flown by and the Buckeyes have had an extremely impressive one through the first nine weeks. However, there is always room to improve of course, so here is a fresh set of goals for the team.

1. Get the running backs healthy

Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Miyan Williams and TreVeyon Henderson have proven to be the best 1-2 punch at RB in the nation. Unfortunately, they have both been banged up this year and played through some injuries. After the Penn State game, where Williams got injured and didn’t return, the entire load fell on Henderson.

At this point in the season, the Bucks cannot rely on just one running back. Even though third-stringer Dallan Hayden has looked good when called upon, I would feel a heck of a lot better if I knew both of the starters were fully healthy. If that does mean Hayden — or Chip Trayanum for that matter — gets some more reps in these next few weeks against Northwestern, Indiana and Maryland, so be it. Ohio State needs both Williams and Henderson fully healthy for TTUN and beyond.

2. Figure out what to do with JSN

Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports

Jaxon Smith-Njigba has had a really bad run of poor luck this year. From getting injured in the first half against Notre Dame, trying to make his return against Toledo and re-injuring himself, and then two weeks ago against Iowa injuring himself again, he has struggled to stay fully healthy.

However, I feel like testing him in each of these games is only making it worse for him. Playing when not fully healthy is just delaying when he will be fully healthy. Additionally, this could risk injuring other muscles in his left leg, which is the leg he injured his hamstring, or hurt something in his right leg by overcompensating. It’s just simply not smart to test it.

Being this far along in the season, I feel like he has to be shut down for at least the next three games. There is no point in playing him until TTUN, because he shouldn’t be needed. This would give him a full month to work on recovery, since he didn’t play against Penn State. I know all of Buckeye Nation, myself included, feels awful for him and we all simply want what is best for him.

3. Continue producing turnovers on defense

Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

I know I just expressed it in my previous column, but man, do I love this defense! They are so exciting to watch and have produced at least one turnover in each of the past seven games. The best part is, they aren’t all coming from one player. Seven different Buckeyes have an INT so far this season, as well as seven different defenders with one or more forced fumbles.

The 2021 defense had 12 total interceptions for the entire season, but the 2022 team already has 10 with four weeks remaining in the regular season. Turnovers have been absolutely huge for this team, whether points are scored are not. They usually come at crucial parts of the game and have been huge momentum changers. Let’s see how long the Bucks can keep the turnover streak alive.

4. Finish undefeated and beat TTUN (duh)

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The latter portion of this goal is what I am obviously most worried about. Northwestern is currently dead last in the Big Ten with a 1-7 record and Indiana is tied for last in the Big Ten East with a 3-5 record. Maryland is 6-2, but these past couple of weeks it has barely managed to defeat both Northwestern and Indiana.

TTUN is a whole ‘nother story. This game has huge ramifications from many different angles. First off, revenge. It’s in the Horseshoe this year so there’s an advantage for Ohio State. Second, playoffs. If both teams win out up until that game, the winner advances to the Big Ten Championship, and most likely, the College Football Playoff. Both teams have been playing extremely well this season, so it will all come down to this game.

Let’s hope each of these goals can be crossed off, but especially this one.

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Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for November 1, 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

Business is BOOOOOOOMing


BOOOOM! 2023 four-star DL Kayden McDonald commits to Ohio State
Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land


Kayden McDonald is a Buckeye: The impact
Bill Kurelic, Bucknuts

Analyzing impact as 2023 four-star Kayden McDonald commits to Ohio State (paywall)
Jeremy Birmingham, Dotting for Eyes

What Kayden McDonald commitment means for Ohio State
Matt Parker, Lettermen Row

What Kayden McDonald’s commitment means to Ohio State football: Buckeyes Recruiting
Stephen Means, cleveland.com

Twitter reacted after Kayden McDonald announced commitment to Ohio State
Bill Kurelic, Bucknuts

On the Gridiron


Column: Ohio State’s run game is back to being incredibly predictable
Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land

Buckeyes tied with Tennessee at No. 2 in Associated Press poll
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch

Ohio State names four players of the game vs. Penn State
Patrick Murphy, Land-Grant Holy Land

Ryan Day Says Penn State Win “Wasn’t About Trying to Get Style Points,” Looks Ahead to Northwestern on 97.1 The Fan
Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors

As if there was ever any doubt:


Film Review: Ohio State’s offense explodes again backed by an all-time defensive performance
Chris Renne, Land-Grant Holy Land

Ohio State Rewatch: Second thoughts on a win at Penn State (paywall)
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes

Five Buckeyes who helped their cause, impressed in win over Penn State (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Column: What did we learn from the Penn State game?
Megan Husslein, Land-Grant Holy Land

Gotta love these guys:


J.T. Tuimoloau’s dominance isn’t a surprise to those who know him best (paywall)
Cameron Teague Robinson, The Athletic

In C.J. Stroud, Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State’s talent won out again against Penn State
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Grumpy Old Buckeye: Ohio State at Penn State
Michael Citro, Land-Grant Holy Land

Listen to Jordan and Dante’s take on the Big Ten week that was:

On the Hardwood


Three storylines for No. 14 Ohio State women’s basketball exhibition game vs. Notre Dame College
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land

That seems good:

Outside the Shoe and Schott


Women’s Volleyball: Podraza Claims Fourth Big Ten Setter of the Week Award
Ohio State Athletics

Women’s Ice Hockey: WCHA Awards Jaques Defender of the Week Honors
Ohio State Athletics

And now for something completely different...


It wouldn’t have been Halloween without this...

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Silver Bullets Podcast: Penn State Rewind and Northwestern Preview
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

A look back at Ohio State’s win in Happy Valley and a look ahead to a trip to Evanston.


For the second consecutive week, Ohio State’s offense took a little while to get warmed up, but then it was absolutely fine. Also for the second straight week, the defense forced key turnovers to effectively prevent the Buckeyes’ opponents from being able to take advantage of the offense’s slow start. We break down Ohio State’s 44-31 road win over the Penn State Nittany Lions, including a first half that seemed much tighter than it needed to be. We checked in on our score predictions to see how well we prognosticated the game, and poured over the statistical data to see if our picks to click actually... well, clicked.

We took our usual stroll through the rest of the Big Ten games from Saturday to keep tabs on how everyone else made out. There was some ugliness in Ann Arbor, and it wasn’t limited to the game between the Wolverines and Spartans, as it spilled into the tunnel after the final whistle. While everyone seems to want to point out how easily Michigan handled Penn State compared to Ohio State’s trip to Happy Valley, it’s worth reminding them that the Wolverines had to settle for a lot of field goals at home against a Spartans team that the Buckeyes eviscerated in East Lansing. The Illini kept rolling while the Minnesota Golden Gophers tried to get back on track, and Iowa found some offense against... Northwestern.

Speaking of the Wildcats, we looked ahead to Saturday’s road game and the way Northwestern has played this season. We expect the spread to be covered as Ohio State looks to get back in rhythm offensively heading into the season’s final stretch. We made our predictions for the game and selected our offensive and defensive picks to click.

We’ll be back next week to talk about Ohio State’s matchup with the Northwestern Wildcats in Evanston, Illinois, and to preview the following week’s return home to face the Indiana Hoosiers at Ohio Stadium. In the meantime, feel free to reach out with your feedback and questions below in the comments section or send us an email. Be sure to subscribe, rate, review, and share!

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Ohio State makes the cut for four-star tight end from Georgia
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


2024 four-star tight end Michael Smith via 247Sports

The Buckeyes made the top eight for a 2024 four-star tight end and offered a four-star wide receiver over the weekend.

It may not have been pretty, but Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes are still undefeated following a road game at Penn State. The Buckeyes struggled throughout the first three quarters of the game, but then impressed in the fourth quarter, leading to a victory. With the regular season getting down to crunch time, the majority of the headlines surround Ohio State will revolve around the current roster. However, don’t expect the Buckeyes to rest their laurels in recruiting because of this.

Four-star TE has Ohio State in top 8


One of the positions Ohio State has been focusing on early in the 2024 class is at tight end. The Buckeyes have offered a half-dozen recruits at the position already, and will continue to look to add to this group while also continuing to recruit those already offered.

One of the tight ends Ohio State has offered in the class is four-star Michael Smith (Savannah, GA / Calvary Day). The Buckeyes offered Smith on June 28, following his visit for one of the program’s summer camps. The camp must have left a strong impression on Smith, as he included the team in his top schools Monday.


Smith narrowed his list of schools he will focus on to close out his recruitment to eight. Alongside Ohio State, Smith also included South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Arkansas, Texas and Penn State.

It will be tough to sway Smith to leave SEC Country, but he is also considering Penn State, which means he is at the very least considering going to college far from home if he feels it is the best school for him to continue his football career. However, if the Buckeyes are going to separate themselves from the field, they will need to get him on campus for the in-game experience. Saturdays in ‘The Shoe are one of Ohio State’s biggest selling points when it comes to recruiting.

Smith is the No. 6 TE in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and is the No. 152 overall prospect regardless of position. He is also No. 24 recruit out of the talent-rich state of Georgia.

Quick Hits

• Ohio State continues to recruit the 2024 class as they also look to close out its 2023 class. They did so this weekend by offering three-star wide receiver Jaden Reddell (Peculiar, MO / Raymore-Peculiar). Reddell has seen his recruitment take off as of late, receiving offers from the likes of Alabama, Auburn, South Carolina, Oklahoma and now Ohio State in the past two months. Reddell is projected to play wide receiver or tight end in college, and with the Buckeyes prioritizing tight end in 2024, the likely are looking him to play there as opposed to wideout.

• One of Ohio State’s commits in the 2023 class, and one of the leaders of the class, four-star offensive tackle Luke Montgomery (Findlay, OH / Findlay) will be visiting Georgia this weekend as they take on Tennessee. Fortunately for the Buckeyes, Montgomery already clarified he is visiting with his brother, Ryan, as a guest and there should be no worries of a decommitment.

• ICYMI, Ohio State landed its latest commitment in the 2023 class on Monday with the addition of four-star Georgia DT Kayden McDonald.

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BOOOOM! 2023 four-star DL Kayden McDonald commits to 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


Four-star DL Kayden McDonald | Andrew Ivins, 247Sports

It’s all treats and no tricks for the Buckeyes on Halloween as they add another member to their fourth-ranked class.

The kids aren’t the only ones bringing home the goods on Halloween, as Ohio State’s coaching staff got themselves a big piece of candy on Monday afternoon. The Buckeyes went trick or treating in Suwanee, GA this time around, hauling in a commitment from 2023 four-star defensive lineman Kayden McDonald.


At 6-foot-3, 310 pounds, McDonald profiles as a defensive tackle at the next level. The Peach State product currently sits as the No. 229 player in the country and the No. 33 defensive lineman, according to the 247Sports Composite. McDonald hauled in close to 40 scholarship offers during his recruiting process, but in the end Ohio State managed to emerge victorious. It’s obviously not the sole reason, but it’s certainly not surprising to see the Buckeyes haul in a defensive lineman on the heals of J.T. Tuimoloau’s insane performance against Penn State this past weekend.

While Tuimoloau is an edge guy, McDonald is probably hoping his game translates to something more like Mike Hall Jr. on the interior. His scouting report says he displays good athletic ability at his size in the middle of the defensive line, especially as a one-tech, but shows the ability to play multiple positions along the front. Here is the rest of what to expect from McDonald, courtesy of 247Sports national recruiting analyst Cooper Petagna:


As previously alluded to, the Buckeyes were not the only ones in heavy pursuit of McDonald. He kept his recruitment pretty close to the vest, and it seemed as though all five of his final schools including the likes of Clemson, Florida, Michigan, Oklahoma and of course Ohio State all had a legitimate chance to land the four-star prospect. McDonald was in Columbus for the Buckeyes’ big win over Wisconsin in September and came away very impressed, but ultimately it seems as though his relationship and respect for position coach Larry Johnson was the deciding factor in making Ohio State his college destination.

Ohio State is no stranger to the Suwanee area, as in just last year’s class they managed to haul in Kojo Antwi from the same Georgia City. They’ve also had some recent prior success from North Gwinnett High School as well, with Buckeye cornerback Jordan Hancock hailing from the prep program in the 2021 class. McDonald is the third Ohio State commit in this cycle from the state of Georgia, joining four-star tight end Jelani Thurman and four-star corner Kayin Lee. Coach LJ has had more than his fair share of wins in his time from all across the country, but it’s always especially sweet to steal a guy out of SEC country.

McDonald is the 21st member of Ohio State’s 2023 class, which currently ranks No. 4 in the country behind Alabama, Georgia and Notre Dame. The Buckeyes are not done yet, and the defensive line position looks to be the main area Ohio State will continue to look to add on. McDonald becomes the third defensive line commit in the group, and the second interior lineman alongside Will Smith with defensive end Jason Moore as the other in the position group. McDonald is a welcome addition to a defensive tackle room that could use an influx of depth and young talent.

Welcome to Buckeye Nation, Kayden!

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I-70 Football Show: A weekend full of horror
JordanW330 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

Two days before Halloween, college football delivered a weekend full of horror. Horrible football that is.

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

Listen to the episode and subscribe:


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October is full of horror. New scary movies are dropping, and old favorites end up on streaming services as many of us are searching for a good scare. I watched Halloween Ends — the final film in the Michael Myers series — this weekend, and it was not even close to the scariest thing I’ve seen. That honor belongs to this week’s Big Ten schedule, as every game ended with a two-score deficit, many of them larger than three.

The weekend was full of blowouts. The closest game of the weekend was Ohio State vs. Penn State, as James Franklin’s team continued their streak of playing OSU tough. Penn State was winning most of the game, finding ways to slow down the Buckeye offense and holding a 21-16 lead with nine minutes left in the game. At that moment it was over, as Ohio State flipped the switch and scored 28 fourth quarter points, including a touchdown after a sack-fumble and a pick-six, both by Ohio State defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau. Elsewhere, Michigan steamrolled in-state rival Michigan State. The Spartans didn’t show fight until after the game when they jumped a Michigan player in the tunnel.

The scariest thing of the year will happen the weekend after Halloween, as Northwestern has to spend 60 minutes on the same field as Ohio State. After allowing Iowa to score 33 points — without a defensive touchdown — Northwestern may want to forfeit this game and cite player safety. The Buckeyes will go into this one looking to fix some issues before they face Michigan with the Big Ten Championship Game and likely the playoffs on the line. The matchup against the Wildcats should come with an R rating. Cover your eyes, and don’t let your kids watch. There will be a lot of blood and gore.

In their weekly pit stops, Jordan laughs at Anthony Davis after his horrid start to the season. In the offseason, AD bragged about not touching a basketball, and it’s clear he didn’t as he struggles to begin the year. Dante thinks that Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson are overrated and should retire as father time is catching up to them.


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Jordan: @JordanW330

Dante: @DanteM10216

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Column: Ohio State’s run game is back to being incredibly predictable
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 Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

Everyone watching can tell when the Buckeyes are going to run the football based purely on the formation, which is not great in my personal opinion.

Ohio State’s running game has been less than stellar over the past two games, and that is putting it mildly. After totaling at least 160 yards rushing in each of the team’s first six games, the Buckeyes have failed to reach the century mark in back to back weeks against Iowa and Penn State. In fact, Ohio State was averaging 228 yards on the ground per game on six yards per attempt before these last two contests, wherein they totaled just 66 and 98 yards rushing, respectively, on a measly 2.9 yards per attempt.

So what gives? Can we simply chalk it up to Ohio State playing against some better defenses? Well, partially. But I think the main reason for the massive downgrade in production running the football has been a lack of creativity in the run game. More specifically, a lack of diversity in play calls based on the formation the offense comes out in. Anecdotally, it felt like the Buckeyes were running the football out of the same formations every single time against Penn State, and then we got the empirical data that this was actually the case, courtesy of Bill Connelly:


Objectively, it looks like Ohio State had a pretty great day on offense based on these numbers. The Buckeyes averaged 7.5 yards per play, which is pretty good considering you'd be getting a first down every two plays. Personally, I'd take it! C.J. Stroud was really good even despite some questionable play-calling, averaging over 10 yards per attempt through the air. OSU also won the turnover battle significantly, taking the ball away four times while not giving it up once. However, the specific figures we are looking at here are the run rates:



Ohio State ran the football 100% of the time when lined up either under center or in the pistol formation, compared to only 19.6% of the time when they lined up in shotgun. Essentially, Penn State could load up the box whenever they saw either an under center or pistol look from the Buckeyes — which they did — and there was never any threat of being beaten over the top by a passing play. When a dummy like me sitting on my couch can tell you that Ohio State is going to run the football purely based on how they are lined up, the opposing defense is certainly aware of it as well. This is simply inexcusable.

Ryan Day brought in a guy like offensive line coach Justin Frye to help diversify the run game, but it doesn’t appear that he is actually allowing him to do that. We know Day gets the final word when it comes to play calls, but it seems like it wouldn’t hurt to let someone like Frye or even offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson get into the mix and change things up a bit on the ground. Day is excellent at coaching quarterbacks and designing the passing game, but a run game this predictable is simply not going to cut it against the tougher teams on Ohio State’s schedule. It didn’t fool Iowa or Penn State, and while it didn’t cost them either game, they can’t afford to do that against a team like Michigan or a potential CFP opponent.

On top of the need for play diversity by formation, Day needs to realize that this offense has to be run in reverse of the traditional way of doing things. You always hear teams talking about establishing the run to open up the pass, but Ohio State has to do the inverse. Get the offense moving with C.J. Stroud spreading the ball around to guys like Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, Julian Fleming and eventually hopefully Jaxon Smith-Njigba and force the opposing defense to take a few steps back. Once you have them on their heels, the run game should come along way easier. Also just scrap the bubble screens entirely, because throwing the football behind the line of scrimmage with these receivers is silly.

There really isn’t any excuse for Ohio State to not put together an elite running game with the players they have at their disposal. TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams are both excellent running backs, and the offensive line — alongside the tight ends, especially Cade Stover — has opened up some really great running lines when given the opportunity and put in a position to succeed. All it would really take is a few play-action passes here and there out of these formations to at least make defenses think twice about what you are doing to fix this issue. You dont have to re-invent the wheel, but you can’t be this predictable without doing literally anything else at least a few times per game.

Teams already have to throw a ton of resources on defense into slowing down a Heisman candidate quarterback in Stroud and his treasure trove of future NFL wide receivers, so a more consistent and impactful running game could take an already powerful offense to a truly elite level. This was a huge problem for Ohio State last season as well, and Ryan Day never got it fixed. Hopefully he can figure it out before The Game, or it could once again prove costly.

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Three storylines for No. 14 Ohio State women’s basketball exhibition game vs. Notre Dame College
1ThomasCostello 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 OSU women’s basketball team faces an in-state side to warm-up for Nov. 8’s season opener.

For the first time since Mar. 25, the Ohio State women’s basketball team competes on the court for fans and media to see. All-in-all, it’s a game that won’t matter in the regular season standings, and won’t be against a team that is likely to challenge the Buckeyes. Regardless, there’s a lot to take from Monday night’s exhibition.

Here are three storylines to watch for during Monday night’s spooky Halloween exhibition.

Madison Greene’s Return


The biggest attention will fall on Buckeyes point guard Madison Greene. Feb. 10, 2021 is the last time Greene’s suited up for the Scarlet & Gray for a competitive basketball game. That 628-game gap likely ends Monday, with fans finally getting a small glimpse of what Ohio State can look like with their best players on the court.

Greene’s played with many of the names still on the roster like fellow guards Jacy Sheldon and Rikki Harris, along with forward Rebeka Mikulášiková, so chemistry won’t be a problem. It’s more about getting back into the pace of the game.

According to head coach Kevin McGuff, Greene stayed with the team over the summer as an intern, continuing to work out and practice, and enters this season motivated by a year of watching the title-winning Buckeyes from the bench.

It’ll be interesting to see how she works alongside guard Taylor Mikesell, who Greene played alongside in their AAU days. The faster those two get on the same page and know each other’s movements, the more dangerous the Ohio State offense becomes.

Starting Forwards


McGuff said there’s an open competition for spots entering the season, but it feels more likely inside the paint. Last year, Mikulášiková and now-graduate Braxtin Miller took four and five spots but this year it’s a toss-up.

Mikulášiková has a strong chance to return as a starter. Last year was the Slovakian’s first year starting a majority of her games with the Scarlet & Gray. Mikulášiková knows the system and she could make a leap this year in consistency of performances. If so, it leaves one spot open on the court.

The other forward spot could go a few different ways, with Monday showing where McGuff is leaning. He has returning sophomore Taylor Thierry available alongside three new names: Cotie McMahon, Eboni Walker, and Karla Vres.

McMahon is a freshman but enters the season off a summer competing with Team USA’s youth team, and she’s been with the Buckeyes since Jan. 2022, opting to graduate early from high school.

Walker — a senior — and Vres — a graduate senior — each bring experience. The duo transferred from Syracuse University and American University, respectively.

Vres follows a similar road to Mikulášiková, growing up playing in Europe before taking their craft to the United States, but it doesn’t seem likely that McGuff starts them both. Mikulášiková and Vres could both play center, switching off throughout games.

The way that the minutes are split on Monday will be something to watch closely, especially in the first half. Thierry, McMahon, and Walker are all likely to play. Whoever gets early-game minutes could be who McGuff favors to start on Nov. 8, when the No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers come to town.

The Future


Monday’s exhibition and early non-conference games against smaller schools are a great time to look ahead. The Buckeyes have three freshmen this season. Outside of the aforementioned forward McMahon are guards Mya Perry and Kaia Henderson.

Their play on Monday, and in the coming year, is important because the Scarlet and Gray’s guard group is its strength. Also, it could have a big changeover in the coming seasons.

Mikesell is in her final NCAA year and Sheldon could be close behind, especially if this year is better than her last and she tries her hand at the professional ranks. That means players like Greene and Harris will lead the guard group and the current crop of underclassmen will fill in those spots.

Giving minutes to Perry, Henderson, and transfer Emma Shumate gives a glimpse into who can be those key starters for the next four years.

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Grumpy Old Buckeye: Ohio State at Penn State
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Saturday’s result in Happy Valley was good, but it came after an afternoon filled with petty aggravations and I’m going to let you people hear about them.

Ohio State traveled to Happy Valley on Saturday for what should be the team’s toughest true road game of the 2022 season. Games against Penn State rarely go exactly according to plan and instead end up becoming much more aggravating than they usually need to be. This was certainly the case on Saturday when the offense continued to stubbornly do things that never worked for three quarters before the Buckeyes stopped playing with their food and took care of business in the fourth quarter. Here’s what soured my stomach in Saturday’s 44-31 road win.

Continued Problems Getting Plays In


The ongoing problems getting plays in and the offense ready to go just don’t seem to be going away under Ryan Day and they were magnified on Saturday as the Buckeyes played with a silent count for the first time this year. On the first drive of the game, Ohio State faced a third-and-10 deep in Penn State territory and took a delay of game penalty. It was the second time in that set of downs alone in which the Buckeyes had trouble getting the play called in time to run it.

They had previously checked into a running play that went nowhere on first down and although I’ll admit I have no idea what that play might have been originally, but the play they checked into seemed to go into the teeth of how Penn State was set up defensively, so it was a weird deal all around. While Ohio State wasted a few first downs last week after having these issues, this time the Buckeyes thought taking the bad play and the penalty were the preferable way to go.

The third down resulted in an 8-yard pass to Cade Stover that might have given Day a decision to make had it happened on third-and-10 rather than third-and-15.

Not a Banner Day Blocking


Granted, Penn State has a defense that can create problems, but — coming off a game against a stout Iowa defense — the blocking all across the line of scrimmage was problematic at Penn State.

On the second series, tackle Paris Johnson, Jr. got completely blown up on a first-down run and Stover whiffed entirely on a third-down wide receiver screen that could have gone for big yards to the right if the initial block had been successful, as the defense loaded up the middle and was outflanked.

Stover later missed his block again on the left side on a similar play. Credit the Nittany Lions for good recognition and reacting faster than Ohio State but the wide receiver screens that Day says are part of the running game were useless in this game — mainly because the Buckeyes couldn’t block them properly — and the team kept running them anyway. A competent running game doesn’t need wide receiver screens to open things up.

The Touchdown that Almost Wasn’t


Miyan Williams pretty clearly got into the end zone for Ohio State’s first touchdown and it’s puzzling how the umpire didn’t have a good enough look at it to signal that he’d gotten in. Instead, with three-quarters of Williams’ body lying in the end zone, both sideline refs marked the play short of the goal line and Day and company seemed content to line up and run the next play without asking for a review. Just as the ball was being snapped for the next play, the replay booth buzzed down to ask the referee to look at it, which ultimately overturned the call.

Another Key Injury, More Short-Yardage Blocking Woes


Williams caught a pass out of the backfield and looked to have a good shot at a first down but he landed awkwardly with contact and was kept short of the chains. When he landed out of bounds, he stayed down and both the repeated replays and the speculation by broadcasters Gus Johnson and Trent Klatt had folks thinking it was Williams’ knee. Social media doctors were still diagnosing season-ending knee injuries when Williams walked off with a trainer holding his arm. Although Williams later tweeted “All good,” he didn’t return.

On the ensuing third-and-short situation, the offensive line again allowed the Nittany Lions to penetrate and blow up a short-yardage run in the backfield to force a punt. Ohio State has fixed a lot of things that hurt the team last year, but short-yardage running continues to be problematic. That seems likely to cost the team at some point and it’s one of the main reasons Saturday’s game was even close.

This might be fixable by spreading the defense out via formation and running with fewer defenders close to the line of scrimmage or burning an opponent with a play-action pass or two in that situation to keep them honest.

Unsportsmanlike Conduct


Penn State tight end Brenton Strange was called for unsportsmanlike conduct for hitting J.T. Tuimoloau in the head from behind. There’s no doubt it was a penalty, but taking a swing at an opponent, particularly from behind, should be an automatic disqualification from the game. While the act had little chance of actually hurting Tuimoloau, there’s just no place in the game for taking a swing at your opponent’s head.

Strange was allowed to continue and went on to make a key play in the fourth quarter. Ronnie Hickman forced a fumble at the goal line when he knocked the ball out of Mitchell Tinsley’s hands. Strange recovered and was initially given a touchdown despite the ball being out of the end zone when it was recovered — see earlier aggravation about officials’ rulings at the goal line.

The play was correctly overturned, but Penn State then scored on fourth-and-goal when Tommy Eichenberg couldn’t pull down Kaytron Allen in the backfield. That touchdown gave Penn State a fourth-quarter lead and may never have happened had Strange been ejected.

J.K. Johnson’s Tough Day


Cornerback Jakailin Johnson had a tough afternoon in Happy Valley. On the same drive that Strange took his swing at Tuimoloau, A short pass for a first down became a nightmare play that turned a 10-0 game into the tight battle it ultimately became. Sean Clifford completed a pass to Parker Washington for a first down and the Buckeyes were in good shape with both Tanner McCalister and Johnson closing in.

But McCalister went to the ground and lost his grip on Washington. Johnson did what far too many young defenders do and went for the big hit to knock down the receiver without using proper technique to wrap up. Johnson bounced off the receiver, who kept his balance and raced the remaining distance to the end zone to pull the Nittany Lions within 10-7, igniting the crowd and stealing momentum back from the Buckeyes. Penn State went on to win the second quarter, 14-3, and led at the half.

Johnson had plenty of other issues later in the game in coverage. The worst of those was when he committed pass interference on a seemingly uncatchable ball on which he had good coverage on a Penn State third-and-16 play. That came at the start of the same drive on which Strange fell on the fumble near the goal line and allowed Penn State to take a fourth-quarter lead. The young corner will have better games than this one, and in fact, already has had several.

First Half Endgame a Masterclass in What Not to Do


Marvin Harrison Jr. picked up a big first down with seven seconds remaining in the second quarter at the PSU 8-yard line. Some fans, like me, were incensed that Ohio State opted to spike the ball rather than use its final timeout, wasting a second and leaving six on the clock. There was some confusion as to whether Ohio State had any timeouts remaining because the FOX broadcast graphic showed one remaining, as did the official stats broadcast used by the media. However, the Buckeyes had actually used their three, with two of them coming within a two-play span earlier in the drive (one was erroneously announced as a Penn State timeout by the on-field official).

On the ensuing play, Stroud did not get the ball out quickly despite the game clock winding down. He double-clutched and was hit, losing the ball. Although Luke Wypler fell on the football, the game clock expired, making it not matter which team came up with the recovery, and the Buckeyes got no points to show for their final drive. Stroud’s awareness of the game situation was a big mistake, as the quarterback should have made one read and then fired the ball over everyone’s heads and out the back of the end zone to preserve time for a go-ahead field goal. The Buckeyes trailed 14-13 at the half instead of leading 16-14 because of the error.

Despite the timeout situation not ultimately being what many thought it was, Day was still largely outcoached in the first half and that’s been a problem in big games since he took over. Ohio State’s second-half adjustments, the final results on the field, and the Buckeyes’ record have largely masked it, but Day’s first-half coaching performances in big games have left a lot to be desired since he took over the program.

When a couch potato like me can look at the alignment of the defense and then watch in horror as Ohio State runs unsuccessfully into the teeth of that defense, losing yards on critical, possession-wasting plays, it seems logical that the coaches paid millions can also see that the play isn’t going to work. I’m all for saving timeouts, but when using one can keep the team out of a bad third-and-1 play and extend a drive as a result, maybe it’s good to take one.

The Cosmetic Touchdown


I’m going to preface this section by saying I hate the term “style points.” However, when people across the country only see the final score, sometimes the margin of victory means something. Ohio State went up by 20 points on the road against the nation’s No. 13 team and then played softly on Penn State’s final scoring drive. The Nittany Lions had their easiest drive of the game, coming right down the field on a drive that covered 75 yards on eight plays but took only a minute and a half. For those around the country, 44-24 would have seemed more impressive than 44-31 and given Tuimoloau’s dominant performance, it would have more accurately reflected the game. As for the gamblers who took Ohio State to cover, well, that’s not my problem because I don’t have enough disposable income to wager some of it on the whims of 18- to 22-year-olds playing a game.


Those are the items that got me heated on Saturday. What irritated you? Let me know in the comments below. Obviously, there were plenty of good things too, such as Tuimoloa’s incredible game, Zach Harrison doing some similar things on the other side, Marvin Harrison Jr. having another huge outing, and TreVeyon Henderson hitting one of his long-awaited home runs.

Next week, the Buckeyes will travel to Evanston, Illinois to take on the Northwestern Wildcats. There’s always something aggravating about Ryan Field.

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Film Review: Ohio State’s offense explodes again backed by an all-time defensive performance
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 Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

The Buckeyes needed every bit of J.T. Tuimoloau’s historic performance, but they came up huge again in the fourth quarter to beat Penn State.

Ohio State was in a dog fight until the offense clicked and their star defensive end took over in the fourth quarter to beat Penn State 44-31. The Buckeyes came out of the gate playing incredible football, jumping out to 10-0 lead in the first quarter, then a missed tackle and some questionable offensive play-calling allowed Penn State to answer.

In back-to-back weeks, the general feeling throughout the game was the Buckeyes were underwhelming on offense. Consistently moving the ball, but then getting in their own way by getting away from what was working led to drives stalling. For Ryan Day, it once again felt like a game where his overthinking was a detriment.

Luckily enough for Day, on the other side of the football J.T. Tuimoloau had one of the greatest individual performances in school history. In the moment, adding perspective to how good the performance was challenging to place, but the reality is Tuimoloau’s performance was an all-time great one in Ohio State history. Without his showing, the Buckeyes probably do not win this football game.

Despite trailing in the fourth quarter, Ohio State showed a toughness and an inevitability on both sides of the ball to emerge victorious. The issue once again was why it took so long to get there...

First half offensive struggles


This article could have been five clips of failed bubble screens, but there were issues that arose outside of the unusual amount of throws behind the line of scrimmage called. Ohio State’s offensive line and running backs were once again held in check. Penn State deserves credit for this, but the Buckeyes need to be able to overcome the physicality of opponents.

In the first scenario, Ohio State is in a 3rd-and-1, which through the first six games was picked up consistently. The Buckeyes even bring in their heavy package with Mitch Rossi at fullback and Josh Fryar as an extra “tight end.” Ohio State runs their inside zone concept from this formation, and after the snap the play goes south immediately. Penn State’s defensive tackle (No. 97) gets off the ball and into Ohio State’s play side offensive linemen, creating congestion. On the backside, Matthew Jones (No. 55) gets beat inside, and this allows the defensive linemen to make the play before Henderson is even able to react.


This trend continues in the next play. Ohio State is once again in a short yardage position looking to pick up the first down on the ground. The Buckeyes are lined up in their pistol single back formation with Henderson lined up behind Stroud. Tendency wise, this is usually a formational giveaway that Ohio State is running wide zone to the boundary.

After the snap, Ohio State does in fact run the play everybody is expecting. Still, the Buckeyes have the numbers and this play has a chance to be successful. The issue is there is interior penetration that stops the play before it can get started. This time Matthew Jones is play side, and the defensive tackle is able to get up field and cut off Henderson before he can get the edge. The predictability aspect is an issue, but we can see the play is there, the Buckeyes just need to execute to have success.


Now we get to the bubble screens — Ohio State’s new favorite play in every situation that feels important. Ryan Day explained this by saying he wanted to attack Penn State in all areas and challenge them to cover the entirety of the field. This to me is overthinking for the sake of trying to outsmart the defense.

Up to this point, Ohio State was attacking down the field getting chunk play after chunk play. Day isn’t wrong here: Ohio State had the numbers to the side, and the play would have worked if Cade Stover gets his block. Penn State does a great job defending this play, but once again failed execution doesn’t mean the play call is bad. Now, Day calling this play multiple times after it was stopped for no gain is another story. To me, the issues isn’t the bubble itself, it is sticking to the concept when the opponent has shown they aren’t going to be caught off guard.

Offensive concepts that were working


The offense had a huge day even though there were some struggles, and for the Buckeyes the ability to explode when needed is something that has always been there. As frustrating as it can be to watch the Ohio State flounder a few drives away, they have shown an ability to get it done when it matters most.

Early in the game, the Buckeyes found success attacking the middle of the field. The slant game and other inside breaking routes were open constantly. In this play, Ohio State runs a play-action pass with Marvin Harrison Jr. running a dig route. This opens up because the route concept attacks Penn State’s coverage tendencies. Harrison Jr. and Egbuka pushing vertical forces the safety to move over top of them, taking him away from the dig route that Harrison Jr. runs. Egbuka’s route forces the corner to stay in his area and carry Egbuka up the field. This leads to a huge window for Stroud to throw the ball, and allows Harrison Jr. to create yards after the catch.


This last concept showed that there was plenty of vacated space in the middle of Penn State’s defense to attack. On the very next play, Ohio State runs another inside breaking route, this time a quick slant, and the pass is complete again to Harrison Jr. who breaks off a big gain. This was not hard to see, and the question that I think most people want to ask coaches is why they don’t continue to run the plays that are working. Day showed that he still has the ability to get it done, but back-to-back weeks it took far too long to stick to what was working.


Moving forward to when the game was still hanging in the balance. This play was the last offensive play that I wanted to look at for two reasons: the level of design that went into the play, and then Cade Stover running with the ball after the catch.

The Buckeyes are lined up in 11-personnel in a tight end trips formation with Stover lined up in a wing alignment. Ohio State fakes their outside zone look with play-action. Stroud drops back looking to the field side, and Henderson runs a wheel route out of the run-action, taking the linebacker out of the picture. Stover at the top of the screen chips, selling the run action even harder and sucking up the linebackers who end up trying to bring pressure. After the chip, Stover slowly sneaks out and gets up field, creating an easy throw for Stroud.

Stover does the rest, breaking three tackles on the way to the end zone to make it a two-score game.

An all-time defensive performance


There are games that stay with you for a long time. Truly dominant performances that transcend the sport. On Saturday, J.T Tuimoloau had one of those afternoons. People all over the country were comparing this performance to Ndamukong Suh’s one man wrecking crew Big Ten Championship and Chase Young’s demolition of the Wisconsin Badgers. Having a performance like this creates a legendary aura for a player, and the Buckeyes needed every bit of that performance. With that being said, the entire defensive half of this article will be dedicated to Tuimoloau.

The first play set the tone for the day. Tuimoloau is lined as a stand-up edge rusher in a 3rd-and-short situation. Ohio State rushes three, and Tuimoloau actually drops into coverage right at the sticks. Clifford tries to fit the ball in at the yard-to-gain, but Tuimoloau had other ideas, breaking on the ball and intercepting it. For a defensive end to understand where he is on the field in coverage and then be able to break on the ball is incredibly impressive.


The next play shows the level of instinct Tuimoloau plays with and how his length is able to impact the game. In the play, Penn State is trying to run a tunnel screen. This is when the receiver comes inside to catch the ball behind blockers who are getting up field. Tuimoloau is lined up wide in what looks like a 9-technique to the field side. This gives him the angle to go right after the quarterback. The instincts come into play here, because Tuimoloau gets off the ball and is untouched with the tackle leaving to get up field to block.

His mind clicks immediately, understanding this means there is a screen coming behind him. Tuimoloau does the famous matching of hands and gets his hands up to deflect the pass. The ball pops up in the air, and then the other incredibly athletic defensive end in Zach Harrison deflects the ball to himself for the interception. This is just a remarkable play from Ohio State’s defensive ends.


Now the Buckeyes are in crunch time here, Ohio State had just taken the lead and the Nittany Lions got the ball back. Penn State’s opportunity to answer was disrupted by another incredible individual effort from Tuimoloau. The Buckeyes are in coverage and Penn State is in their stacked twins receiver look. They run switch concepts and Parker Washington comes open late across the middle.

Fortunately for the Buckeyes, Tuimoloau was not done playing hero yet. Tuimoloau bull rushes his defender, and by forcing him into Clifford, the Penn State quarterback needs to step up in the pocket. This gives Tuimoloau the tenth of a second he needs to strip the ball and recover it. Ohio State would go on to score to make it a two score game just like that.


The last play was a dagger in every sense of the word. Penn State was still in the game and there was still three minutes left on the clock for the Nittany Lions to try to score and try an onside kick. Instead, Tuimoloau said this game was over. Remember earlier in the game when Penn State tried running a tunnel screen and Tuimoloau deflected it to Zach Harrison for an interception? Well, they tried running that same play to his side of the field again – this time to an even more detrimental result.

This time around, Penn State’s tackle tries to cut Tuimoloau, but the Ohio State defensive end was ready. He fights off the cut block, and once again jumps up into the passing lane, this time intercepting the pass and returning it for a touchdown to put the game on ice. The performance was truly legendary, and if the season goes as many fans hope, Tuimoloau’s big game will live in Ohio State lure forever.


Ohio State was battle tested in a hostile road environment against a talented football team in Penn State. Despite trailing with just over nine minutes to go in the game, the Buckeyes never wavered. The talented Ohio State players executed to perfection when it mattered most, and that should be the takeaway from this game.

The offense was frustrating at times, but Penn State deserves some credit. Ryan Day said it himself, they took away the easy stuff and made Ohio State work for everything on that side of the ball. Eventually, the Nittany Lions broke and the Buckeyes’ inevitability, which was compared to an avalanche, took center stage.

The offense got the help it needed in the way of J.T. Tuimoloau. There have been few performances as dominant as Tuimoloau’s, and he could not have done it alone. Despite having their worst overall showing on defense from a yards per play stand point and giving up some big plays, the defense showed a toughness we haven’t seen in some time. When the game mattered most, they rose to the occasion.

For now, the Buckeyes will look to stay unscathed as they head to down their final stretch, starting with Northwestern. Ohio State has time now to clean up the mistakes, because Nov. 26 will be here before they know it.

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Top-30 sophomore Trent Sisley talks his recruitment, recent visits


Ohio State?

“It’s been really good. I’ve talked to Coach Holtmann and Coach Owens. I went up there for a visit right before football season so I didn’t get to go to a football game but I got to see a practice and toured all the facilities.”

https://stockrisers.com/s/460/top-30-sophomore-trent-sisley-talks-his-recruitment-recent-visits

LordJeffBuck said:

Penn State: Still not elite ... still not our rival.

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Column: What did we learn from the Penn State game?
meganhusslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Good and bad, many different areas of the Buckeyes were highlighted Saturday.

I usually complain about blowouts, but after Saturday’s game and what it did to my heart, I don’t think I will ever be upset about a 40-point win again. Penn State is always a close game, and with it being Ohio State’s first real competition of the year, a few things were exposed.

Establishing a run game is CRUCIAL

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Through the first three quarters of the game, the Buckeyes had a pretty much nonexistent run game. Obviously having Miyan Williams get injured was a major contributor to the lack of a run game, but even with that, it proved how much Ohio State relies on it.

TreVeyon Henderson was really having a rough time getting going, but it wasn’t entirely his fault. The offensive line did not do him any favors, so most of his rushes ended up with negative yardage or no gain. However, once he broke free for his 41-yard touchdown run, the momentum totally changed.

C.J. Stroud and his receivers just weren’t working early on. That’s why having a run game was pivotal. Neither was working to start though, but luckily the defense came through. The Bucks can’t always count on the fact that Stroud & Co. are going to click right away and figure out the opposing team’s defense quickly. Therefore, the running backs must be able to be counted on.

There are two, possibly three, Heisman contenders on this team

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Stroud, once again, proved why he is the Heisman frontrunner. He went 6-of-8 in the fourth quarter, leading the offense down the field and making the throws when it mattered most. Prior to the fourth quarter, it’s not that he was doing bad necessarily — he went 26-of-33 for the whole game. The plays being called were just not working (please no more bubble screens!).

The other Heisman contender I’m speaking of is Stroud’s go-to guy, Marvin Harrison Jr. When all else fails, you can count on Marv making a play. He had 10 receptions for 185 yards, yet didn’t have any touchdowns. That’s when you know a guy is impactful — he didn’t even score, yet the receptions he did make had major ramifications for putting the Bucks in the red zone. I truly do think it’s time for Marv to be entered into the Heisman conversation.

We all know that this game is classified as the J.T. Tuimoloau game. It was one of the greatest defense performances in Ohio State history. Tuimoloau finished with six tackles, two sacks, two interceptions, one forced fumble and fumble recovery, and one touchdown. Now, obviously he won’t be playing like this every week (I mean, I hope he does), but this was certainly his coming out game. If he continues to be a major contributor every game, I think he could be considered as a finalist.

Having a good defense is important.

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I am so happy that whenever the Buckeyes’ defense comes onto the field, I don’t dread it. In fact, I actually welcome it, as opposed to last year. It is so nice being able to rely on the Silver Bullets to come through when needed.

Top to bottom, they are looking good. Some holes were exposed Saturday, as they did still give up 31 points, but last year’s defense would’ve given up double that, and probably wouldn’t have gotten any interceptions. I think Jim Knowles has figured out who works best on the D-Line, and Zach Harrison in particular had a great game (alongside Tuimoloau, of course).

It was good for them to play a solid offense, probably the best they have seen all year. Now, they know what to work on and will be prepared for TTUN. Overall, I am still happy with what I saw from them Saturday.

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Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: The J.T. Tuimoloau Game™
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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Plus, a word or two about the head coach’s play sheet.

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 Matt Tamanini as they cover everything from football to basketball to recruiting and more!

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

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On this week’s episode, Gene is joined by his LGHL co-managing editor Matt Tamanini to discuss Ohio State’s 44-31 win over Penn State this past weekend. Staying on brand, they discuss the putrid play-calling by Ryan Day that led to the Buckeyes’ less-than-desirable first three quarters of the game before a 28-point fourth quarter secured a victory for the good guys. They go on to talk about J.T. Tuimoloau’s ridiculous showing, Marvin Harrison Jr.’s rise to stardom, Ohio State’s continued injury woes, and much more.

“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.


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Twitter: @Gene_Ross23

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Twitter: @BWWMatt

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