Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for August 23, 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


Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

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!

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Ask LGHL


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

Ask LGHL: Will the Ohio State defense be respectable this year?
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land

On the Gridiron


An absolutely terrible story.


Ohio State captain Babb suffers injury setback
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch

Five Buckeyes named to 2022 preseason AP All-American teams
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Ohio State Could Use Chip Trayanum in Dual Role at Running Back and Linebacker, but Dallan Hayden Coming on Strong After Injury to Evan Pryor
Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors

OSU’s Stroud, Bama’s Young preseason Heisman favorites (paywall)
The Athletic Staff

Ryan Day, Jim Knowles Press Conference:


Three Takeaways as Ryan Day evaluates Ohio State training camp
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes

Ohio State football cornerbacks expected to be ‘full strength’ for Notre Dame
Nathan Baird, cleveland.com

Ohio State coach Ryan Day reaffirms standard on transfer portal (paywall)
Matt Parker, Lettermen Row

Interesting.... very, very interesting...


You’re Nuts: Biggest surprises out of preseason camp thus far
Josh Dooley and Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land

Ohio State’s Defense Further Along than Jim Knowles Expected
Braden Moles, Buckeye Sports Bulletin

Practice Report: Confident Buckeyes making progress toward season-opening showdown (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Kyle McCord’s Improvement Since Last Year Is “Night and Day” as Ohio State Backup Quarterback Maintains “The Mindset of Being the Starter
Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors


Ohio State football’s Cody Simon healthier than ever and still ready to lead the linebacker room
Nathan Baird, cleveland.com

B1G Thoughts: 10 interesting storylines for the upcoming season
Jordan Williams, Land-Grant Holy Land

On the Hardwood


Watch OSU’s Chris Holtmann speak at NIL even
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch

Outside the Shoe and Schott


Ohio State men’s hockey to take on Michigan in Cleveland
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch


Track & Field: Joseph Announces Track & Field, Cross Country Staff
Ohio State Athletics

Men’s Soccer: Buckeye Trio Makes B1G Watch List
Ohio State Athletics

Ohio State women’s volleyball’s ‘tired of nice,’ no longer satisfied with Sweet 16 finishes
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch

And now for something completely different...


Why is this so terrifying?


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Silver Bullets Podcast: 2022 Big Ten East Predictions
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

More Ohio State preseason camp news (including some unfortunate injuries) and how we think the East will play out.


As we head into “Week 0,” it’s time for the last of our predictions shows as Chip Minnich and I run through how we see the Big Ten East shaking out at season’s end. We see Ohio State’s division very similarly, but we still walk through our reasons for where we slot each team and discuss which teams could perform a little better or possibly a little worse in 2022.

Before we get to our predictions on how the East will finish up, we discuss some of the other pressing Buckeye news, including some unfortunate injuries from preseason camp, namely the loss of Evan Pryor for the entire 2022 season. We were also extremely bummed to hear that Kamryn Babb is once again dealing with a medical setback, but at least there’s some hope that he might see the field in a few weeks.

With Pryor’s injury, there was a new face in the running backs room this week. We talk about that a little and discuss the “official” Buckeyes who have had their black helmet stripes removed since our show last week. One of them was a running back, so that couldn’t have been better timed.

We also touched on the five Associated Press preseason All-Americans from Ohio State, who are all on the offensive side of the ball. There was a mild surprise or two but no shocks, and the added bonus is that the defense can play with an even bigger chip on its shoulder this season.

Finally, we talked a little bit about the new Big Ten media deal that’s been in the news recently and how that could affect expansion. We know there are rumblings about Oregon, but who else makes sense? We weighed in with our thoughts on that.

We hope you enjoy our takes on the B1G East and we welcome your thoughts. Hit us up on Twitter (@SilvrBulletsPod) or email us, and let us know where you’ve got the Ohio State Buckeyes, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Penn State Nittany Lions, Maryland Terrapins, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, and Indiana Hoosiers.

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2025 RB set to set to attend Ohio State-Notre Dame
Dan Hessler 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

The Buckeyes continue to add to the visitor list for its home opener versus the Fighting Irish.

Ohio State is just weeks from taking the field, and much of the talk surrounding the football program revolves around the home opener versus Notre Dame and the current members of the team. However, recruiting never stops for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes. In case you missed the Buckeyes making the recruiting headlines Monday, Land-Grant Holy Land has you covered.

2025 RB to visit Ohio State


The Buckeyes home opener versus Notre Dame will create an electric atmosphere in ‘The Shoe.’ Hundreds of thousands of fans will fill Ohio Stadium, but they will not be alone, as the Buckeyes have a ridiculously long list of recruits set to visit for the game and the team appears to be adding to the list daily.

The newest recruit to add their name to list is 2025 running back Gideon Davidson of Lynchburg, VA (Liberty Christian Academy.)


Davidson was one of many recruits to visit Ohio State in June for a summer recruiting camp, and he left the camp with a scholarship offer from Tony Alford and the Buckeyes. When speaking with Cleveland.com following the offer, Davidson had the following to say:


Being in the 2025 class, Davidson will likely see an uptick in his recruitment soon. However, that isn’t to say his recruitment has been slow to this point. He holds close to a dozen offers from the likes of Louisville, Penn State, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Tennessee, Oregon and Miami.

Sept. 3 will be Davidson’s first time experiencing the Ohio State in-game atmosphere, and it will be one that is tough for him to forget. It will also give coach Alford and the rest of the coaching staff another opportunity to see if Davidson is someone they want to bring into the program and if so, sell him on it.

The Buckeyes will continue to add to next Saturday’s visitor list and Land-Grant Holy Land will continue to update you as we learn more.

Quick Hits

• Ohio State learned one of its defensive end targets committed elsewhere. Unsurprisingly, 2023 four-star DE Jalen Thompson chose Michigan State over the likes of Ohio State and Cincinnati. Defensive end is one of the positions the Buckeyes are prioritizing to close out this year’s class, and is still recruiting the likes of five-stars Keon Keeley, Damon Wilson and Matayo Uiagalelei and four-stars Desmond Umeozulu, Kayden McDonald and Jordan Hall.

• 247Sports updated its recruiting rankings for the 2023 men’s basketball class, and Ohio State is now the No. 4 class. All but one of the four Ohio State commits saw a change in their rankings. Four-star small forward Scotty Middleton saw his ranking fall to No. 35 from No. 34 and four-star center Austin Parks fell to No. 109 from No. 105. Four-star power forward Devin Royal jumped to No. 61 from No. 73. Four-star shooting guard George Washington III was the lone Ohio State commit to not see a movement in his ranking, staying at No. 60.

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Ask LGHL: Will the Ohio State defense be respectable this year?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch via Imagn Content Services, LLC

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

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

Question:


Obviously, the answer to this question is going to largely depend on your definition of “respectable.” Last year, Ohio State’s total defense came in at 59th nationally (scoring was 38th, rushing was 28th, passing was 96th). I would say that at least the rushing defense — and perhaps even scoring — were respectable, with total defense straddling the line between middling and disappointing; obviously, that passing defense was beyond redeemable.

However, for me, whether or not the defense is “respectable” or not has little to do with its numbers, so if the Buckeye D ends up nicely sliding back 10 spots in the national rankings, but they are somehow more consistent in short-yardage situations and are better at preventing long passing plays (they were 119th nationally in plays giving up 10 yards or more through the air), then I will be relatively happy.

But let’s be honest, the bulk of the success of the 2022 Ohio State football Buckeyes will depend on whether or not C.J. Stroud and the offense can approach the highs of their 2021 performance, in which the unit was the most prolific offense in the country both in terms of yards and points.

However, as historic as the unit was last year, its performance wasn’t enough to get the team a win over its rival, a conference title, a berth in the College Football Playoff, or a national championship. So, if OSU wants to achieve any — or all — of those goals in this new season, there will absolutely need to be a return to respectability for the defense; and fortunately, I think Jim Knowles and the fresh-faced defensive coaching staff can make that happen.

On Monday, head coach Ryan Day and defensive coordinator Knowles met with the media following practice as the team transitions from its camp mindset to more of an in-season approach to practice and preparation. Day said that he anticipated that the defensive secondary should be at “full strength” for the season opener against Notre Dame on Sept. 2, which should go a long way to starting the season off on the right foot.

But as Knowles got more into specifics about his side of the ball, I think a clearer picture of what to expect came into focus, perhaps not in his still muddy schematic approach and nomenclature, but at least in philosophy.

Knowles said that he had been able to install roughly 75% of his defense during camp, which was more than he had anticipated. He noted that you never want to put everything in before the season in order to continue to present fresh looks to opponents throughout the season.

The new coordinator attributed the rapid installation to just how quickly the defensive players were able to pick things up. He said that “they want to be great,” and trust me, Jim, we want them to be great as well.

While Knowles is a bit of a bon vivant, he has never struck me as someone who is prone to hyperbole or blowing smoke for smoke-blowing’s sake. So, for him to say that his squad’s ability to mentally retain the schematic information has been impressive, I believe him, and that excites me.

For the past two seasons, it has felt as though Ohio State’s defense was out in the cul-de-sac playing a game of two-hand-touch following a very heavy Thanksgiving dinner with the full effects of tryptophan starting to set in. There never appeared to be a fully formed structure to anything that they were attempting to do, and everyone seemed to be either a step or two behind or completely out of position.

I don’t think that that is going to happen this season. Will they be perfect? Of course not. Will it take time for the defense to fully adjust to the new system and how offenses will attack it? Of course, but I am not going into the season expecting Buckeye defenders to be out-prepared, out-coached, and out-schemed like I have been recently; a huge step towards respectability, in my opinion.

Another thing that Knowles discussed in his press availability on Monday was that while he was comfortable with defensive line coach Larry Johnson rotating players across the front as he always has, when it comes to the linebackers and (especially the) secondary, he wants the top guys to get the bulk of the action.

Admittedly, some young guys were forced into action at LB and DB in 2021 far sooner than they ever should have been; in some cases that worked out for the best (Denzel Burke, Steele Chambers, Tyleik Williams) and in other cases it didn’t (I’m not going to call guys out here, especially since some of them are no longer with the program), but beyond those situations, the previous coaching staff seemed insistent that they mirror Johnson’s philosophy and get as many guys into the game as possible, whether they were ready or not.

Often that put guys who had no business playing competitive snaps on the field in situations that they just weren’t ready for, and that is far more the coaches’ fault than the players’.

Knowles said on Monday that it is vital for the best defensive backs to be in the game in order for them to “see everything” from the back of the D. He mentioned that he will run multiple defensive sets with multiple personnel packages depending on the situation, but at this point, it is clear that Knowles believes in having his best players on the field far more often than not.

Do all of these things guarantee a return to respectability for the Buckeye defense? Again, no they do not, but they absolutely make me feel better about its chances than I would have had the previous defensive regime remained in power.

Throughout his entire career, Jim Knowles has been known as a thinking man’s defensive coordinator, so if he is impressed with his new players’ comprehension of his defensive schemes, that can only be a good thing. And, if he is committed to sticking with the most prepared and talented players for the majority of the defense’s meaningful snaps, then I don’t know how much more I can ask for in righting the wrongs of the previous defensive staff.

So, to answer your question, @DCinLF, I do truly believe that the Buckeye defense will be respectable this year, and — given how much talent they have accumulated in recent years — I actually think that they have the potential to be much more than respectable to boot.

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You’re Nuts: Biggest surprises out of preseason camp thus far
Josh Dooley 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

No, Ohio State has not replaced C.J. Stroud at quarterback or started running the wishbone offense.

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

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

This week’s topic:

Josh’s Take


Last week, when Gene and I waxed poetic about early fall practice overreactions, I found it to be quite easy. The Buckeyes were barely a week into camp, players were ramping up, coaches were experimenting, and rotations were fast and furious. Not difficult to draw conclusions — right, wrong, or completely absurd. To a certain extent, all of those things still ring true.

But now, with less than two weeks until kickoff against Notre Dame, players are a little more dialed in, the experiments are being kept to a minimum, and the rotations are a tad bit shorter. As a result, we are beginning to get a better idea of what this Ohio State team will look like on Sept. 3, and Gene, I have to say: the surprises have been few and far between for me.

Miyan Williams has not overtaken TreVeyon Henderson for the starting running back role, Gee Scott is not suddenly projected to catch 50 balls as OSU changes the way in which they utilize the tight end, and there are few underclassmen penciled in as starters on the defense — those would be huge surprises. And we just have not seen or heard anything like that. It is probably a good thing though, because if C.J Stroud was on the bench and/or Mitch Rossi was starting at left tackle, those types of surprises would spell doom for the 2022 season.

All of that being said, certain personnel decisions being made on the defensive side have piqued my interest. I am very intrigued by all of the safety options Ohio State suddenly has. From Bryson Shaw and (thankfully) Ronnie Hickman as the only viable options, to Hickman, Proctor, McCallister, Martinez, Williams, etc. The Buckeyes are seemingly loaded at that position. And at linebacker – a position of weakness in 2021 – the staff now has more options than they do spots available. The entire back half of the defense could look different from game to game, or even quarter to quarter, but my biggest surprise has actually been up front(ish). You will see why I added the -ish.

When Jim Knowles was first announced as the new defensive coordinator and we started to learn more about his scheme and the available personnel, I just assumed that Zach Harrison and Jack Sawyer were candidates 1A and 1B for the Leo (now Jack) position. The player in this position is more or less a stand-up rusher, with the ability to drop back in certain situations — up front(ish). A check goes next to the pass-rushing element, and while it wasn’t pretty, we also Harrison and Sawyer drop into coverage a time or two last season. Decision made, right? Apparently not...

From the sounds of it, Sawyer is absolutely the top candidate to man the Jack position, but Harrison does not appear to be part of that equation. He (Harrison) seems destined for a traditional defensive end role, while Sawyer has been working with Javontae Jean-Baptiste and Palaie Gaoteote. Those two names certainly surprised me, but if variety is the spice of life, I guess it makes sense. Now we’ll get to see if Knowles’ confidence in their ability is going to pay off.

Jean-Baptiste has experienced little success as a traditional DE, but it dawned on me that he was recruited as an outside linebacker. Perhaps he will be more comfortable in a dual role, where is able to use his speed and agility as an asset, as opposed to being consistently out-muscled on the defensive line. He has the body type, and if he is able to learn the intricacies of the position, he could be the team’s rangiest option.

As for Gaoteote, his name came out of deep, deep left field. Listed at 6-foot-2, 245 pounds, with only 2.5 career sacks, he does not fit the description of a pass rusher-type player. However, prior to being injured at USC, he did rack up 96 tackles and 7.5 TFL in 15 games for the Trojans. He has unfortunately dealt with bad luck and bad timing since then, but the talent is still there. Having a full offseason in Columbus might give him the edge as OSU’s potential 3rd down or coverage Jack.

There is still time before the showdown with Marcus Freeman and his Fighting Irish, so I assume that Ohio State will continue to tinker and rotate up until the last minute. In the end, I believe Sawyer will be the primary Jack, but I am now more intrigued that ever by the potential backups. JJB and Gaoteote were not guys I had pegged as major contributors in this new-look defense, but here’s hoping the trio of Buckeyes can bring the ruckus against ND and all season long.

Gene’s Take


As Josh said, there haven’t been all too many big surprises out of Ohio State camp this season. There have been the newsworthy stories here and there, from Evan Pryor going down with a season-ending injury to a kicker practicing at cornerback, but as we get closer and closer to Sept. 3, the Buckeyes haven't announced or showed us anything to really truly earth-shattering or game-changing. C.J. Stroud and the offense is expected to keep on rolling, Jim Knowles continues to try and put together Ohio State’s first competent defense in years, and everything is business as usual.

The one ‘surprise’ for me are a couple of the players named captains a little over a week ago. At the top, you have some obvious honorees including Stroud, Eichenberg and Babb. Stroud is entering the 2022 campaign as the Heisman Trophy favorite and the projected No 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and as Ohio State’s starting quarterback, his captaincy was a given. Eichenberg really came on late for the Buckeyes last season in a much maligned linebacker room, and returns for a fourth year expected to be one of the anchors of that group. Babb, the recipient of this year’s “Block O” jersey, has had an unimaginable stretch of poor injury luck, but has remained a phenomenal teammate and leader from the sidelines.

Cade Stover is another guy whose name isn’t a huge surprise to see on the list of captains. A player whose truly done it all for Ohio State, Stover has moved back and forth from offense to defense without a single complaint to fill whatever role the Buckeyes need of him. After some time at defensive end and linebacker, Stover this year will be expected to lead Ohio State’s group of tight ends. The fourth-year man made five catches for 76 yards in 2021, and Ryan Day singled him out as someone who had an “unbelievable summer” heading into the new campaign.

The two biggest surprises to me are Tyler Friday and Kourt Williams, both for different reasons.

Kourt Williams is a player I’ve always liked, and one whose skillset really interests me. Recruited as a linebacker back in the 2020 class, Williams — listed at 6-foot-1, 220 pounds — is an incredible athlete, and has actually been working out with the safeties. He is someone who could play a valuable role as a safety in the box or at the ‘bullet’ position. Williams has also reportedly been one of the hardest working players on the team, and for a defense that could really use a spark, maybe he could pay dividends for the unit in 2022. His being named a captain leads me to believe we will see way more of Williams on the field this season, which would be a great thing for Knowles’ group.

Friday is the bigger surprise of the two. Despite heading into his fifth year with the program, the defensive end has started only five games in Columbus while appear in 26 games total. His best season came in 2019, wherein he totaled eight total tackles with three for loss and a pair of sacks — including a sack of Trevor Lawrence in the Fiesta Bowl against Clemson. Friday missed all of the 2021 season with a torn ACL, but clearly he is a guy the coaching staff believes can make an impact this year even coming off a major injury. We haven’t quite seen all that much from Friday on the field, but I am intrigued by what he can possibly bring to the table as one of the team’s six captains.

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B1G Thoughts: 10 interesting storylines for the upcoming season
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Week 0 is here. These are the 10 things I will be paying close attention to throughout the season.

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

Congrats are in order. We have survived a long offseason unlike any we’ve ever seen. College football has the shortest season and the longest offseason, which usually leads to boredom and sadness. This offseason was different.

We had UCLA and USC sign up to join the Big Ten. The Big Ten signed a massive media rights deal, totaling $8 billion over seven years. We had Nick Saban versus Jimbo Fisher. The Big 12 hired a new commissioner and George Kliavkoff, the PAC 12 commissioner, hasn’t decided if he wants to go shopping in the Big 12 yet.


After the craziest offseason in recent memory — following last offseason’s shake-up with Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC and a major round of realignment that led to multiple Groups of 5 schools joining Power 5 conferences and FCS schools jumping to the FBS — we finally have football games to watch.

Last year, the Big Ten gave us storyline after storyline, The return of the Purdue Spoilermakers, Iowa’s insane turnover rate, Kenneth Walker III’s rise to stardom and Aidan Hutchinson’s Heisman campaign, culminating with Michigan breaking through against Ohio State to win the Big Ten and make the playoffs. It’s a new season with new possibilities. Here are the 10 storylines I’ll be paying the closest attention to.

Scott Frost’s buyout and Nebraska’s road to a bowl game


I am on record as the founder, president, and CEO of the fire Scott Frost club. In four years at Nebraska, Frost is 15-29 with zero bowl appearances. Last year they went 3-9, but convinced themselves and the country that they will be better this year after losing all nine games but one score or less. Instead of firing Frost, Nebraska lowered his salary to $4 million, and also gave themselves an out by agreeing to reduce his buyout from $15 million to $7.5 million if he is fired after Oct. 1. This essentially gives Nebraska a way to fire Frost mid-season if they get off to a slow start.

Frost fired his whole offensive staff and brings in replacements, including Mark Whipple from Pittsburgh to serve as offensive coordinator and Mickey Joseph from LSU as wide receivers coach. He also brought in Texas’ 2021 starting quarterback Casey Thompson, who he just announced as the starter for their Week 0 game in Dublin Ireland against Northwestern. Personally, anything less than an eight-win campaign would get Frost fired, but he will be at least hoping to win six games and make it to a bowl game for the first time as the Cornhusker’s head coach.

Michigan’s quarterback competition


Michigan had its best season under Harbaugh last year, going 11-1 in the regular season, beating Ohio State, winning the Big Ten, and gaining a playoff berth. They were led by a Heisman finalist and No. 2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson and his running mate David Ojabo. Heading into 2022, Jim Harbaugh is tasked with replacing Hutchinson, Ojabo, Dax Hill, Hassan Haskins, and their offensive and defensive coordinators, to name a few. After losing all this talent, Michigan is facing an uphill battle, which makes the decision at quarterback more important.

In one corner there is Cade McNamara, the veteran who started last year and led Michigan through his poise and decision-making. McNamara is the prototypical game manager quarterback, with a high floor and low ceiling who rarely makes mistakes and always puts the team in the best position to win. In the other corner there is J.J. McCarthy. McCarthy, a former five-star quarterback, has all the talent in the world giving him the ability to make plays McNamara can only dream of. With that talent comes more explosiveness and more mistakes, such as the fumble that lost them in the Michigan State game.

McCarthy can raise the ceiling, but he hasn’t taken the job away from McNamara, and it’s hard to take the keys away from the guy who quarterbacked your best season. Harbaugh can’t risk getting this decision wrong, as it will make or break their season.

C.J. Stroud’s Heisman campaign


In 2021, C.J. Stroud stepped into the unenviable situation of replacing Buckeye legend Justin Fields. After a slow start, he dealt with backlash from fans asking for head coach Ryan Day to replace him with backup quarterback Kyle McCord. After a week off, Stroud came back and lit the nation on fire, finishing the season as a Heisman finalist with 4,435 yards, 35 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. He is entering 2022 as a consensus top-two quarterback in college football who many consider the projected No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Despite all the accolades, Stroud’s most important job is beating Michigan and leading Ohio State to the National Championship game. If he does that, he will be a Heisman finalist and has a chance to be Ohio State’s first Heisman trophy winner since Troy Smith in 2006. He will face tough competition in last year’s winner Bryce Young of Alabama. Winning on the field is always the goal, but I can’t wait to watch Stroud battle Young, Bijan Robinson of Texas, and his teammates Jaxon Smith-Njigba and TreVeyon Henderson for the Heisman trophy.

B1G Running Backs


The Big Ten has a stable of running backs, many of whom should be considered for the top five running backs in the nation. The top three running backs in most people’s opinions are Minnesota’s Mo Ibrahim, Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson, and Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen.

Ibrahim is a sixth-year senior who suffered a season-ending injury in game one after spending the entire game running all over Ohio State. Henderson and Allen are both true sophomores who won the starting job and put the country on notice that they are the future of the position. Some other backs of note are Illinois tandem Chase Brown and Josh McCray, while Penn State has former five-star and No. 1 back in the country Nick Singleton hoping to make a name for himself.

In the Big Ten, a running game is paramount and there is much worth watching this season.

Aidan O’Connell and Purdue’s second act


Aidan O’Connell and the Purdue Boilermakers are hoping to build off a solid 2021 campaign and win the Big Ten West. O’Connell has not gotten the attention he deserves heading into the 2022 season after passing for 3,700 yards with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He’s being overshadowed by Alabama’s Bryce Young, Kentucky’s Will Levis, and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, but with a strong campaign, he has a chance to be a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

There is an uphill climb to replace star wide receiver David Bell and defensive end George Karloftis. Purdue hopes that O’Connell’s arm will be able to hide their deficiencies en route to winning the West.

Minnesota and the ‘Encore Four’


Minnesota, under head coach P.J. Fleck, has been close to a West championship multiple time, but have been stopped just short by rivals Wisconsin and Iowa. If they have any hope of a breakthrough, it will be this season on the backs of the ‘Encore Four’.

Sixth-year senior quarterback Tanner Morgan, running back Mo Ibrahim, offensive lineman John Michael Schmitz and wide receiver Chris Autman-Bell all decided to use their COVID waiver and come back for one final campaign. Morgan is being reunited with Kirk Ciarrocca, the offensive coordinator who helped him to the best season of his career, while Ibrahim is back and healthy. This quartet of players has led Minnesota to the threshold and hopes to finally get them to the top of the mountain in their final season of eligibility.

Taulia Tagovailoa and the return of Dontay Demus Jr.


Taulia Tagovailoa had a career year in 2021, throwing for 3,800 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Maryland’s offensive was explosive, but a key piece was missing as star receiver Dontay Demus Jr. was ruled out for the season after five games — in which he had a Big Ten-leading 507 yards. Despite missing over half of the season, he finished second on the team in receiving yards, proving hard to replace.

Maryland has arguably the second-best receiver corps in the Big Ten with Demus Jr. and Rakim Jarrett. If Taulia keeps improving, coupled with the return of Demus Jr., Maryland should have an offense that can hold up with the best in a shootout, and will be a nightmare for teams to play against. At a minimum, the Terrapins should be a bowl team, but behind this offense, the rest of the Big Ten is being put on notice.

Ohio States’ new-look defense


The Ohio State Buckeyes enter the season as one of the top teams in the country, and are expected to contend for the National Championship. They have Heisman contenders at quarterback, running back and wide receiver, and should repeat as the best offense in college football. With a team full of previous four and five-star players, the expectations are high, but they all depend on how well the new look defense performs.

After an abysmal 2021, the Buckeyes reorganized their defensive staff, bringing in Jim Knowles, Perry Eliano, and Tim Walton to serve as defensive coordinator, safeties coach, and defensive backs coach, respectively. Knowles is tasked with taking an underperforming defense filled with talent and turning them into a top-ten defense after one offseason on the job. The only thing holding Ohio State back is their defense, if that gets fixed, they should be the favorite to win their first national championship since 2014.

Battle of the Big Ten West


Last year the Big Ten West was a gauntlet that went into the final week of the season. Rivalry week was a fire with gasoline poured on it as three teams went into the final game with a realistic shot at winning the West, depending on how the games played out. This season should be the same with Iowa, Minnesota, Purdue, and Wisconsin all having realistic chances to win the division.

Wisconsin is the favorite, led by star running back Braelon Allen, but Iowa returns key defensive pieces such as linebacker Jack Campbell, who led the nation in tackles, and defensive back Riley Moss. Purdue hopes that Aidan O’Connell and Jeff Brohm can outscore the competition, while Minnesota’s super senior-laden group and tough defense hope to finally get a trip to Indy. Any team could lose on any given Saturday, making the race to the finish must-watch television.

Mel Tucker’s third year


After a tough first season that coincided with the pandemic, Mel Tucker and his Michigan State Spartans bounced back in a major way behind the play of transfer running back Kenneth Walker III and quarterback Payton Thorne. Walker is in the NFL now, and Tucker must find a way to replace him, hoping to do so with Wisconsin transfer Jalen Berger and Colorado transfer Jarek Broussard.

Tucker has sped up Michigan State’s rebuild by hitting on the transfer portal, but that is a gift that eventually stops giving. Can Tucker continue his transfer portal magic and lead Michigan State to another 11-win season and a shot at dethroning Ohio State in route to Indianapolis? After securing a 10-year contract, it’s up to Tucker to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke and he can build a consistent winner in East Lansing.

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waived by Tennessee

Anyone with Construction Mgmt or Civil Eng degrees looking?

Northeast Ohio

Has a huge backlog of natural pipeline jobs coming up in next few years

listed as a starter

Should be better now.

colobuck79 said:

How about the Lambeau Bowl? No sissies allowed.

Click to expand...

We'll need another tie-in when USC/UCLA join.

Film Study: A first look at Notre Dame’s defense
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


South Bend Tribune-USA TODAY NETWORK

The Fighting Irish rely on flexibility from their base personnel to create challenges for opposing offenses.

Ohio State is beginning their final approach towards the 2022 football season, with less than three weeks until their top-5 match up against Notre Dame. Throughout fall camp, many of the questions asked have been about Ohio State’s defense, but they open up against a good Notre Dame defense with a solid defensive line, a consistent group of linebackers, and a stingy defensive backfield. Led by first year head coach and former defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman, there are high expectations on this side of the ball by the Irish staff.

Looking at the staff, Notre Dame brought in former Miami and Temple head coach Al Golden to serve as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Golden had Ryan Day on his staff for one season at Temple in 2006, which probably does not mean all that much. Another Ohio State connection to the staff is former Ohio State linebackers coach Al Washington, who is now the defensive line coach and defensive run game coordinator for the Irish. Former Buckeye James Laurinaitis is also on staff as a defensive of grad assistant. There is a lot of familiarity in this matchup, and Day’s one matchup against a Freeman defense ended in 42-0 throttling of Cincinnati when he was their DC.

Last season, Notre Dame ranked 14th in points per game, 28th in opponents yards per play, and 10th in opponents third down conversion percentage. Overall, Freeman has a flexible defense that mixes in pressure and relies on a disciplined secondary to limit big plays in the passing game. Their defense is talented and will create some challenges for Ohio State’s offense. Looking at the spring game should allow for an in depth look at Notre Dame’s base defensive looks and how they might come out against the Buckeyes.

Defensive Personnel & Alignment


Notre Dame under Marcus Freeman has run a base 3-3-5 and 4-2-5 hybrid, depending on the matchup. This gives them the flexibility of showing an odd front, as well as being able to mix in a four down linemen even-front with a stand up end. This flexibility and formational versatility comes from a position Notre Dame employs called the “Vyper,” which is an EDGE defender who plays both down linemen and outside linebacker responsibilities — similar to Jim Knowles “Jack” position. On the defensive line, Notre Dame has three down linemen including a defensive end (or Big End), a defensive tackle, and a nose tackle.

Moving to the backfield, Notre Dame utilizes the standard Mike and Will terminology for their two inside linebackers. Their five defensive backs include two corners and three safeties. The safeties are broken into three groups, with them being the boundary safety, field safety, and rover position, which is a bigger in-the-box safety. The rover position can be rotated out for a nickel safety, which is an additional corner body type against pass heavy teams. The defensive structure below gives a look of both defensive looks with bigger personnel and smaller personnel.

Base Defense

To get started, here is a visual of the Notre Dame base defense with all the positions marked. This look is a 4-2-5 look with the “Vyper” – the prestigious academics apparently don’t know how to spell the name of the snake species the position is named after – playing as a stand up defensive end. The two linebackers the “Mike” and “Will” are aligned straight forward, with the “Will” to the boundary and “Mike” to the field side. The safeties play on the hashes and their names are pretty self-explanatory, and they do rotate sides. Lastly, the three-down linemen are true odd front bodies, with the “Big End” being a heavier defensive end, the nose tackle usually lined up as 1-tech to the strong side, and the defensive tackle plays as a 3-tech to the weak side.

The “Vyper” position allows for Notre Dame to utilize odd front personnel from an even front look. This also gives them a lot of flexibility to move the down linemen around to search for matchups.



Defensive alignment against 11-Personnel Doubles

Notre Dame’s defense relies on their base structure and the flexibility that the structure provides against multiple formations. Having two positions that emphasize versatile skill sets in the “Rover” and “Viper” allows for them to match up against most looks from their base set. In this situation, they took the “Rover” out for a nickel corner due to the 3rd-and-11 passing situation, but the defensive front remains the same. Looking at the linebackers, they are aligned in their traditional spots with the “Will” playing to the short side, and the “Mike” playing to the field side.



Defensive alignment against trips

The defense in this example is aligned against a three wide receiver look. The defense is playing with their base defensive personnel. Looking first at the box in the picture, we get another look at how the Fighting Irish defensive line looks up front. The “Viper” is playing once again as a stand up EDGE rusher, the DT is in a 3-technique, the NT is in a 1-technique, and the “Big End” is to the field side. Looking at the secondary, the “Rover” is over the first receiver and the two safeties are both playing their landmarks with hash marks.

This shows another example of how Notre Dame does not stray away from their base personnel in most situations and relies on the positional versatility to matchup against a variety of looks.


Coverages


Notre Dame runs a two-high based look, and under Marcus Freeman the focal point of their coverage strategy has been utilizing “Cover-4 Match” which is a versatile coverage a lot of teams have moved to using. This coverage is simple and has been effective against Ohio State over the past couple of seasons. To explain Cover-4, it is a quarters look, meaning the two corners and two safeties are responsible for quarters of the field. In Cover-4 Match, the responsibilities are still based in the principle of playing for quarters, but there is a built-in switch emphasis on the receivers.

Looking at the clips below, we can get a look at how Notre Dame drops into their coverage. In the first play, we see the Rover and the Field Safety over the two inside receivers. This leaves the field corner alone on an island responsible for the outside receiver. The “Rover” is responsible for whichever of the two receivers runs a short breaking route. The Field Safety is responsible for whichever receiver pushes vertically.

In this scenario, the “Mike” drops into the middle of the two deep safeties, providing help and allowing the safeties to stay deep. The quarterback makes a bad decision and this results in a pick, but seeing the initial drops helps visualize how Notre Dame will be looking to defend Ohio State.


In the second play, the Cover-4 Match ends up being played as a traditional Cover-4. Looking at the boundary side first, the outside receiver runs a shallow route across the formation and the corner lets him go then sits back in his quarter zone. The Boundary Safety takes the vertical tight end, but when the tight end breaks off his route towards the cornerback, the safety is able to provide help to the middle.

To the field side, the “Rover” presses the receiver at the line of scrimmage, who takes an inside release in the direction of the field safety, meaning the receiver is the safety’s responsibility. The field corner takes the outside receiver and is able to stay over top, allowing the “Rover” to remain as an underneath player. The field safety keeps his depth and is able to take his receiver and watch the backfield, which allows him to make a play on the ball, intercepting the pass.


Notre Dame’s defense is based in structure and creating havoc through their organization. Marcus Freeman has built his defenses on this philosophy, and this is why his defenses have been successful on a consistent basis. Their 4-2-5 defense is flexible and can be used in a variety of ways to create mismatches for offenses. Having two positions dedicated to being versatile allows Notre Dame to change their fronts and numbers in the box seamlessly.

From a defensive personnel standpoint, they utilize the “Vyper” and “Rover” to match up against certain offensive looks better. The “Rover” is able to provide additional run support in the box when necessary, and is a focal point in the field side coverage interrupting the seam. In the front-seven, the “Vyper” is used to attack different pass rush matchups and also aids in coverage at times against bigger tight ends. This versatility on the field allows Notre Dame to maintain their base structure, but they are also able to have a lot of flexibility in player responsibility.

The Buckeyes will have their work cut out for them, as Notre Dame has a big defensive line and they play a bend not break style. If Ohio State isn’t patient, that will play into Notre Dame’s hands, as their defense is built on waiting for the offense to make a mistake. The Fighting Irish will need a huge performance defensively, but if Ohio State starts with some of the same problems they had last year, the Notre Dame defense is built to make things difficult for unbalanced offenses.

Ohio State will need to establish the run and attack the Irish with a lot of play-action to create indecisiveness on the back end. If they can do that, Notre Dame’s defense, despite being stingy, won’t have enough to slow the Buckeyes down.

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Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for August 18, 2022
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.

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

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

You’re welcome!

For your Earholes...


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

Ask LGHL


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

Ask LGHL: How does losing Evan Pryor impact the Ohio State offense?
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land

On the Gridiron


Ohio State’s Ryan Day named 247Sports/CBS Sports preseason Coach of the Year
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Ohio State has five players selected to 247Sports/CBS Sports preseason All-American teams
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Speedy freshman wide receiver Kaleb Brown sheds black stripe for Buckeyes
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Ohio State Walk-On Tight End Zak Herbstreit Loses Black Stripe
Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors

This top line is correct...


Five Questions as Ohio State hits midpoint of training camp (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes

Column: How are individual offensive linemen so versatile?
Meredith Hein, Land-Grant Holy Land

Inside C.J. Stroud’s year-long transformation into Ohio State football’s franchise quarterback
Stephen Means, cleveland.com

Now that Notre Dame has picked a starting quarterback, we ask ‘Who is Tyler Buchner?’
David M. Wheeler, Land-Grant Holy Land

Can’t say that I disagree.


Watch: Sawyer looking for starring role as he moves into sophomore year
Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts

How J.T. Tuimoloau can follow familiar second-year path, become elite for Buckeyes
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Zach Harrison continues as leader while not being Ohio State captain
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch

Why a ‘twitched up’ Mike Hall makes Ohio State football’s defensive line better in 2022
Nathan Baird, cleveland.com

Tyleik Williams Looks to Build Off Promising Freshman Campaign
Jack Emerson, Buckeye Sports Bulletin

You have my attention...


Gee Scott Jr. Remains Optimistic About Future at Tight End as He Strives to Become Complete Player at Position
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

Buckeyes staying silent on defensive hybrid role as grand unveiling nears (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Which former Buckeyes have the best odds of bringing home an individual award for the 2022 NFL season?
Josh Dooley, Land-Grant Holy Land

On the Hardwood


How linked is Ohio State to Bronny James as he weighs his future?
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch

Outside the Shoe and Schott


Wrestling Feldman, Bouzakis End Competition at U20 World Championships
Ohio State Buckeyes

And now for something completely different...


This guy is not funny.......


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Bucketheads Podcast: Chatting with Scotty Middleton about Columbus, snacks, his evolving game
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo courtesy of Eric Bossi - 247Sports

We also spend some time discussing Bronny James’ recruitment and how that could impact the Ohio State men’s basketball program.

Land-Grant Holy Land’s newest podcast, ‘Bucketheads’ takes you on a journey across the college basketball landscape every episode. The only basketball-focused podcast in the LGHL family of podcasts, co-hosts Connor Lemons and Justin Golba give the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes as well as all the other happenings in the college hoops world. ‘Bucketheads’ will be released every Thursday throughout the regular season and every other Thursday during the off-season.

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


This week, Connor and Justin are joined by four-star small forward Scotty Middleton, who is also the newest member of Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class. Scotty currently plays for Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita, but he’s been moving from state to state most of his life. We had the opportunity to hear Scotty’s story, including which city he’ll (probably) want the PA announcer to say he’s from when he gets to Ohio State.

We also spoke to Scotty about his official visit, his relationship with the other members of the 2023 class, and his goals for his upcoming senior season at Sunrise. We close with a rapid fire round of quick questions, including asking what his go-to road trip snack is and who would win an arm wrestling match between Chris Holtmann and Jake Diebler.

Connor and Justin also took some time to break down Bronny James’ ever-evolving recruitment, and what a commitment to Ohio State would look like. The impacts would extend far beyond the basketball court, that’s for sure.


Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGHL

Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor

Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba

Connect with Scotty
Twitter: @ScottyMiddleto9

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Buckeyes hoping to get in the mix for 2023 five-star Notre Dame de-commit
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Keon Keeley | 247Sports

Can Ohio State become a legitimate option for one of the nation’s top edge rushers?

Game day is getting closer and closer. From all that we’ve seen of fall camp, the Buckeyes appear to be getting pretty fired up for their 2022 campaign. Whether it’s been the removal of black stripes or positive vibes from the coaching staff, this year is trending in the right direction as we edge towards opening kickoff.

Larry Johnson being quoted saying he’s, “never seen this type of energy in his tenure,” at Ohio State isn’t your typical coach-speak you’re bound to hear this time of the year. Seeing the defense flying around even in the short clips the creative team is pumping out should get fans real excited for the changes coming. While far from a finished product, this team at least looks like they’ll be ready for when Notre Dame comes to town under the lights Sept. 3.

This time of the year and this close to the season, recruiting is bound to take a backseat, and to some extent it has. The main objective right now for this staff is sights set toward kick-off. But as we’ve seen time and time again, this program doesn’t take the foot off the gas when it comes to recruiting efforts. Though Week 1 is on the horizon, the efforts are still there as the Buckeyes try to bring in the best talent in country.

Keeley backs off Notre Dame pledge


Defensive line recruiting for Johnson this cycle looks to be similar in comparison to that last couple of classes. Seeing majority of the recruiting efforts pay off late in the game, this 2023 haul may be in the same boat, which means the bulk of commitments may be coming later rather than sooner — and that’s fine. Johnson already has a couple of guys locked up right now, but certainly room for additional players along the defensive front is a given. With several key targets still out there, it’s not wrong to think the Buckeyes are going to end up in a good spot.

One target that has long been on Ohio State’s mind is Florida native, Keon Keeley. The five-star edge rusher is the No. 7 player nationally, the top player at his position, and the second best player in Florida for this current cycle per the 247Sports Composite. Obviously a top player on the board for any program, Keeley committed to Notre Dame way back in June of 2021, but Wednesday brought a big time update in his recruitment as he decided to back off his pledge and decommit from Notre Dame, dropping the Irish a spot in the current class rankings.

The crown jewel of any class, the loss of Keeley has to be hurting the Notre Dame staff. While that’s not what they wanted by any means, other suitors are sure to try and get in on the now uncommitted consensus five-star talent. One of course being Ohio State, as the Buckeyes have already played host to Keely multiple times and would love to get back in the fold here as much as possible.

Of course, the likely link to the timing of this rescinded pledge comes with the unofficial visit Keeley recently took to Alabama. Shortly after his announcement, the Crystal Ball predictions in favor of the Crimson Tide started to roll in for Keeley to end up at Alabama. While those crystal ball submissions aren’t guarantees, coming from the likes of Steve Wiltfong, among others, gives pretty good insight as to what is happening. Of course that points towards Alabama taking some serious strides here for yet another top national player, as if they didn’t have enough success already.

Regardless, with Keeley now on the market, Ohio State would be crazy not to least try their luck here. Johnson cannot be over-looked when it comes to recruiting efforts and success on the trail. With his track record and with already having experience with Keeley himself, it’s a chance worth taking. Sure, Alabama may be in the best position here as they tend to be, but Ohio State is at the very least going to do their due diligence. If he ends up in Tuscaloosa, it certainly won’t be for a lack of effort. A decision coming soon though would pretty much point towards Bama being Bama.


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Ask LGHL: How does losing Evan Pryor impact the Ohio State offense?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

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

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

Question: How does losing Evan Pryor impact the Ohio State offense?


As all Buckeye fans likely know at this point, former four-star, redshirt freshman running back Evan Pryor suffered an injury this week and will reportedly miss the entire 2022 college football season. Though he was almost certainly third on the Ohio State running back depth chart, expectations were high that he could steal some carries from starter TreVeyon Henderson and No. 2 option Miyan Williams while also figuring into the passing game.

Word out of offseason workouts was that after playing in four games and rushing for 98 yards during his first season in Columbus, Pryor had worked himself into a dynamic, change-of-pace option from the bigger, more physical Henderson and Williams.

While there are obviously a lot of differences between the team’s top two backs — and both have their own unique dynamicism — because Pryor is nearly 20 to 30 pounds lighter than his backfield brethren, he brings a different style of explosiveness and elusiveness to the stable.

Though most fans and onlookers were pretty comfortable acknowledging a somewhat sizable gap between Pryor and the top two backs in terms of expected usage, the former’s exciting skill set was a popular preseason puzzle piece that many had hoped that the Buckeye coaching staff would be able to plug into the offensive plans.

With Pryor now out for the season, many have noted that it likely won’t have a significant impact the larger picture of how the Buckeyes deploy their cadre of backs, and that is almost certainly true. Henderson and Williams would have shouldered the bulk of the carries had Pryor been available, and they will still shoulder the bulk of the carries with him out. So, from a game-to-game perspective, I agree, Pryor’s injury likely won’t present a major issue to the OSU offense.

Of course, losing a back as talented as he is is never ideal, and it hampers the overall depth at the position. However, the Buckeyes do still have true freshman Dallan Hayden and a number of warm bodies to fill in any workload gaps that might present themselves during the season. But, if Henderson or Williams ends up missing time for any reason, not having Pryor will certainly become more of an issue.

But, to me, the biggest impact that losing Pryor will have on the season is the ability for the Buckeyes to throw out yet another offensive weapon against the best teams on the schedule. We know that OSU’s wide receivers are literally second-to-none in college football, and the team’s 1-2 punch of Henderson and Williams certainly stacks up well to nearly any backfield in the country. But when a team is hoping to rise to a championship level, every unique option can make a difference.

Will not having Pryor matter when the Buckeyes take on Arkansas State or Toledo? Absolutely not. What about Wisconsin or Michigan State? I’d say likely not. Penn State and TTUN? I’d still say probably not.

What about Georgia or Alabama? Now here’s where Pryor’s absence could come into play. I love TreVeyon Henderson and think that he has the potential to be the best running back in the country, assuming Ryan Day gives him enough carries and the offensive line gives him enough room to run.

I also think that Williams’ journey from after-thought recruit to a beloved folk hero amongst the fan base is why I love college football. But neither of them do what Evan Pryor does, or at least not in the same way.

Henderson certainly has ample amounts of speed and shiftiness, and “Porkchop” is much more elusive than his moniker and bowling ball reputation give him credit for, but if you give Pryor space, he is an incredibly difficult back to bring down, as evidenced by his performance in the spring game. The way that the coaching staff used him to stretch the field and formations, and also as a pass-catching threat out of the backfield would have been a nice element to force the Crimson Tide and/or Bulldogs to gameplan for in the playoffs.


I expect Ohio State to have the most productive and dynamic offense in college football for the second year in a row, and that will overwhelm nearly everybody on the team’s schedule. However, if the Buckeyes want to accomplish the top-line goals on their collective to-do list, they will need to be able to beat the best teams in the country, and any extra help around the margins will be helpful; and that’s where I think losing Pryor could end up hurting.

The Buckeyes are now without a versatile weapon from their arsenal. While it might have only been occasionally deployed throughout the season, having it available at the most opportune of times would have given the team an added element that it now will have to do without in the biggest games of the year.

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Column: How are individual offensive linemen so versatile?
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

It’s nothing new at Ohio State.

When Pat Elflein moved from guard to center before his senior season in 2016, it seemed a natural progression. Elflein was the most senior veteran on an experienced offensive line and, having spent time at both guard spots in the preceding seasons, including when Ohio State won its national title in 2014, he made the move with aplomb. Elflein would go on to win the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s best center in 2016.

Similarly, when Billy Price moved from guard to center before his own senior season in 2017, no one batted an eye. When Price won his own Rimington Trophy later that year, the move seemed even more genius.

(As an aside, the Big Ten has won four of the last six Rimington Trophies and nine of 22 total trophies given. Hooray for being the conference of centers!)

Paris Johnson Jr. is just the latest example of an Ohio State offensive lineman who is moving positions, shifting from right guard, where he started all 13 games in 2021, to left tackle. If past precedent is any indication, the shift should prove a boon for the collective line, even though the move from guard to tackle is less common than the reverse.

What’s interesting about Johnson compared to Elflein and Price, however, is that Johnson came to Ohio State to play left tackle, having come to Ohio State as the top-ranked offensive tackle in his recruiting class. Elflein joined the Buckeyes as a guard and Price as a defensive tackle. This move, then, is the culmination of what Johnson came to Ohio State to do rather than a shift planned as the line evolved over time.

Fans of The Blind Side (or students of football more generally) understand the critical nature of the left tackle position. For a pass-first offensive attack like Ohio State, locking down that position becomes even more relevant and even more worth moving your best interior lineman to the outside.

Last season, Nicholas Petit-Frere anchored the left tackle position, earning first team All-Big Ten and second team All-American honors. Similar to how Price stepped in to fill Elflein’s large shoes, Johnson shouldn’t miss a beat when moving back to left tackle. He brings all the fundamentals, having played the position previously, but he will not have much time for readjustment given his first matchup is against the pass rush of Notre Dame — a unit that accounted for 40 sacks last season, and that returns its top-six sack producers from 2021.

On that note, Johnson’s move becomes more salient when we remember what happened last year. Johnson will play a critical part on an offensive line that struggled to halt the likes of Aidan Hutchinson and Michigan at the end of last season. The Wolverine defensive line doesn’t show much sign of slowing down heading into 2022, anchored by defensive end Mazi Smith.

Last season against Michigan, quarterback C.J. Stroud was sacked four times. The offensive line also had five false starts and two holding calls against it in the loss to the Wolverines. It was a particularly troublesome performance for the line, considering Stroud was sacked just 13 times all season long.

As one of the most highly touted offensive line recruits in recent memory, Johnson was looked at by some as the next Orlando Pace. How he’s panned out in his first two seasons has perhaps not been on that level, but he’s got several advantages heading into 2022.

For starters, Johnson is finally playing the position he was recruited to play at left tackle. He’s also aided by a fresh coach on the offensive line in Justin Frye and is finally having a fair shot at fall camp after spending one season working through a global pandemic (which also impacted the guard lineup with changes to NCAA eligibility) and another learning the nuances of the guard position.

Johnson is widely projected as one of the top offensive line picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, a likely first-round selection alongside the quarterback he’s defending. Johnson’s status is a testament to his moving to a new position at guard and achieving such great improvement as the season wore on to earn second team All-Big Ten honors last season.

The next player up mentality is an important concept in ensuring continuity from season to season, but the offensive line takes it to a new level, because for them, it’s just the next player over.

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Now that Notre Dame has picked a starting quarterback, we ask ‘Who is Tyler Buchner?’
David M Wheeler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Getting to know the Notre Dame starting quarterback

At high school basketball games, when visiting players were introduced, our cheerleaders would urge the crowd (well, spectators) to shout “who’s he?” after every introduction. Generally, we didn’t know these opposing players — nor did we care. Even when we were very well aware of the player’s identity, we pretended not to know.

I remember a 6-foot-8 or 6-foot-9 monster who played for one of our district rivals. He was committed to Al McGuire’s Marquette team, a Midwest powerhouse that recruited our Chicago area as if it were part of some farm system. Yeah, we knew this guy but asked “who’s he?” any way. And then watched our 6-foot-2 center hold him to 35 points and 21 boards.

So now, Marcus Freeman has announced that the competition is over and that the starting quarterback at Notre Dame for the beginning of the 2022 season (i.e., the Ohio State game) will be Tyler Buchner. Join me now: “Who’s he?” Let’s try to answer that question so that we Buckeye fans will know what to expect come the evening of Sept. 3.

Buchner as a recruit


The 2021 recruiting class was a rich one in quarterbacks, especially once Quinn Ewers reclassified to join the class. Ewers became the No. 1 ranked QB (and player). The Buckeyes’ Kyle McCord was ranked as the No. 6 quarterback (one spot behind Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, I’m sorry to say). Buchner was ranked as the No. 11 quarterback in the class and had a composite ranking of No. 65 nationally (at any position). His best ranking was No. 39 (ESPN) and his worst was Rivals at No. 111.

Buchner was regarded in this recruiting class as a pro-style QB, but the high school clips that I saw featured his running even more than his passing. He could throw a deep ball or a sideline pass with a quick release, but it was his speed and his ability to make tacklers miss and then outrun people that caught my attention. With offers from the major West Coast schools (Oregon, Southern Cal, Stanford) and Alabama, Buchner committed to Notre Dame early – in March of 2019 – and in the fall of that year, he enjoyed a strong junior year. In 2020, however, his La Jolla, CA, team didn’t play a football season because of COVID, and Buchner missed his senior year of playing.

Recruiting analyst Greg Biggins lauded Buchner’s “escapability” in the pocket and as a runner, claiming that Buchner, “looks like a running back in the open field.” Biggins also predicted a couple of years ago that the young quarterback would need, “to rein in his running at the college level.” After watching 2021 film and studying the stats for games in which Buchner played, I think that his instinct to scramble — to pull the ball down and run on called passing plays — might still be an issue.

Buchner as a freshman: the 2021 season


Clearly, Tyler Buchner was a highly touted QB coming in to Notre Dame. He enrolled early and played in the 2021 spring game. Not only did he play, but he also starred in the game. The excitement and hype around Buchner grew to the point where many Irish fans expected him to be competing with graduate transfer Jack Coan, who had moved over from Wisconsin after the 2020 season, for the starting job. But as the 2021 season got underway, Buchner was third on the depth chart, behind Coan and Drew Pyne, whom he beat out this year. As the season progressed, Buchner moved into the No. 2 slot and played in 10 games.

Buchner’s stats for 2021, really, are similar to the ones that Kyle McCord put up for the Buckeyes as C.J. Stroud’s backup. Buchner threw 35 passes and completed 21 of them (60%) for 296 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. McCord’s numbers: 25 for 38 (65.8%), 416 yards, two TDs and two interceptions. The big difference between the two was Buchner’s rushing. Second on the Irish team in rushing last year, behind only Kyren Williams, he carried the ball 46 times, gained 336 yards (an eye-popping 7.3 yards/carry average), and scored three rushing touchdowns. McCord ran nine times for -16 yards.

Buchner entered the games in particular situations, ones where his ability to run or throw was a distinct advantage. In the second game of the season against Toledo, for instance, Buchner’s rushing was crucially important, as the Irish pulled out a 32-29 victory with a touchdown at 1:09 in the fourth quarter. Buchner played a lot in the game, hitting all three of his passes for 78 yards and a TD and rushing for 68 more on seven carries (9.7 average). After Toledo, fans again expected to see more of Buchner.

His running remained impressive throughout the year, but his passing was inconsistent. Both inaccuracy and poor reads kept him out of the starting role. Against Virginia Tech (another 32-29 Irish win), Buchner was 6-of-14 passing with a TD and two interceptions. In games against major opponents, Brian Kelly played him in some situations, but he didn’t see much action. Against Cincinnati, USC, and Stanford combined, Buchner threw five passes, completing three. He carried the ball 10 times total in those three games. Though healthy, Buchner didn’t play at all in the Fiesta Bowl loss to Oklahoma State.

Buchner as a starter in 2022


Tyler Buchner didn’t play football in his senior year of high school. As a freshman at Notre Dame, he didn’t start any games and saw primarily package reps in practice and run/pass situations in games. He rolled his ankle in spring practice this year and didn’t play in the Irish’s 2022 spring game. He’s never been the team leader, “the guy” at Notre Dame.

That’s why Marcus Freeman named him as the starter three weeks ahead of the opening game. Buchner needs to feel that responsibility, practice in that role, and have his teammates get accustomed to the idea of his starting.

Going up against Ohio State in Ohio Stadium as the featured game of opening week is enough to scare anyone. And he’ll be competing against Stroud, the nation’s best collegiate quarterback. There will be comparisons. So far, it sounds as though Buchner’s likely to be a liability for the Irish, rather than an asset. No way. Here’s why.

Cross “pro-style” off the recruiting or scouting report. Buchner is a genuine dual-threat QB and very threatening as a runner or a passer. He’ll put a lot of pressure on the Buckeye linebackers, cornerbacks, and defensive ends with his option game. He’s capable of a quick read and a quick decision whether to throw or run. I watched quite a bit of 2021 film, and was impressed with how Buchner could freeze a defender. Once frozen in place, they became easy prey for the option game.

When Buchner runs, he’s elusive and fast. A really good athlete. The Buckeyes will need all of the team speed that they can muster to contain him. Forcing him to pass is the better option, if the Bucks can pull it off. Both Buchner’s mechanics and decision-making decline rapidly when he’s under pressure. A strong pass rush can disrupt his game, but the rushers need always to be aware of his scrambling potential. He’s a good enough rusher and scrambler that he warrants a “spy” to watch him on every play. But that spy has to be fast.

Buchner’s arm is strong, and he can throw deep or wide. Look for him to throw to tight ends a lot. The wideouts were never the Irish strong suit, but the loss for the season of one of the best – Avery Davis – with a torn ACL damages the long passing game. And they’re not very deep at wideout.

We’ll get to know Mr. Buchner pretty quickly. The first three series for Notre Dame will probably tell us how well Tyler Buchner is going to perform. He’s talented but relatively inexperienced. He’ll need to score a lot of points. He’ll be under a lot of pressure. And my guess is that he’ll probably feel it. I think that the Buckeyes are fortunate to catch him in his first start, at any level, in almost three years. With a few games under his belt, he’ll be a good one.

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How scored the 1st TD in Ohio State (football) history?

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Answer: QB, Joseph H. Large

Which former Buckeyes have the best odds of bringing home an individual award for the 2022 NFL season?
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Could both “Brosas” be in the running for this year’s NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award? | Photo by Kiyoshi Mio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Despite stiff competition, a former Buckeye has won a prestigious NFL award three years in a row, and there are plenty of candidates to do so again in 2022.

Last week, I laid out current team odds for Super Bowl LVII. Excluding the top three favorites (Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Kansas City) – all of whom I would argue against – there are dozens of former Buckeyes on teams projected to compete and potentially make a run at the NFL’s Lombardi Trophy. A few of those scarlet and grey-tinted favorites include the Los Angeles Rams (Jordan Fuller) at +1100, the Green Bay Packers (Josh Myers) at +1140, and the Joey Bosa/Corey Linsley-led Los Angeles Chargers at +1500.

I would be remiss if I did not mention my personal betting favorite: the defending AFC champs, and a future NFL dynasty loaded with former Buckeyes... the Cincinnati Bengals at +2120.


With team odds out of the way, I thought it would also be fun to take a peek at current odds for the NFL’s individual awards. Only one team can win it all, but with Ohio State talent scattered throughout the league, there is a chance we could see a former Buckeye (or two, or three) take home hardware as the most valuable player (MVP), player of the year on offense or defense, or rookie of the year, among other awards.

Recent individual winners include Joe Burrow for 2021 Comeback Player of the Year, Michael Thomas for 2019 Offensive Player of the Year, and Nick Bosa and Chase Young taking home back-to-back Defensive Rookie of the Year awards in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Special shoutout to Mike Vrabel as well, who is obviously not a player, but was recognized as Coach of the Year after the 2021 season.

Disclaimer: Once again, I will be using Vegas Insider odds. Additionally, while there are certain awards for which a former Buckeye is named further down the list, I am choosing to focus on “favorites” — players who currently possess top-5 or top-10 betting odds. Lay your money down at your own risk, but know that you can’t take it with you in the end. Here are the most notable scarlet and gray candidates and their various award odds:

NFL MVP


Joe Burrow — QB, Cincinnati Bengals (+1200): This award should just be renamed Quarterback of the Year, but I’ll save that rant for another day. Burrow (who is indeed a former Buckeye) currently owns the sixth-best MVP odds, behind usual suspects Allen, Mahomes, Brady, and Rodgers. Justin Herbert is also in the running, as he owns the fifth-best odds — which I find odd for a player with zero playoff appearances.

But Old Man Brady and Immunized Psychedelic Rodgers will not be around forever, so if Burrow continues his upward trajectory – and most importantly his winning ways – I absolutely believe he will become a perennial top-5 or top-10 guy in the MVP voting. From here on out, if I see Joe Cool at or above 10:1, I am definitely playing those odds.

To show how QB-driven this award is, I will also point out that Justin Fields is +12500 to win. He has better odds than Aaron Donald, Alvin Kamara, and Austin Ekeler... and those are just a few of the names beginning with the letter A.

NFL Offensive Player of the Year


Burrow (+3300), Ezekiel Elliott — RB, Dallas Cowboys & Michael Thomas — WR, New Orleans Saints (both +6000)

They might not look favorable, but these odds are better than you think. Burrow has top-20 odds at +3300, while both Thomas and Elliott are just outside the top-30. And this award is actually open to non-quarterbacks, whereas the MVP has not been won by a skill player since Adrian Peterson in 2012. Bettors have a legitimate shot if/when choosing their favorite RB or WR.

Thomas won this award in 2019 — the last year during which he played at a superstar level/if he played at all. Elliott has been a workhorse, but as a RB, his best years could already be behind him. And Burrow, of course, is the young gun who just led his team to a Super Bowl. If I am making a big bet on OPOTY, I would avoid these former Buckeyes. A QB rarely wins this award, and both Thomas and Elliott need to prove their “eliteness” again before I put money on them. I hope all three play out of their absolute mind(s), but this award is a stay-away.

Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Ohio State fans are hoping for a return to form by Thomas, who was one of the best players in the NFL when last healthy
NFL Defensive Player of the Year


Nick Bosa — DE, San Francisco 49ers (+1200): Yes, please. Great odds. The youngest “Brosa” won DROTY in 2019, and has dominated whenever healthy. In his two full seasons, Nick totaled 24.5 sacks, 37 TFL, and 58 QB hits. He has been unreal, and is poised to be even better in 2022, due to his new regimen of eating like the Liver King and squatting Buicks. Nick owns the fifth-best odds for DPOTY, which feels about right for the young star.

Joey Bosa — DE/OLB, Los Angeles Chargers (+2500): This is a situation I will be monitoring closely. Joey Bosa has 58 sacks in 79 career games, and is one of the best run-stoppers in the league at his position. He also set a career-high with seven forced fumbles last season with seven, and was named to his fourth Pro Bowl. He is barely 27 years old. Although it feels like the older Bosa Smash Brother has been in the NFL forever, there is a chance he is still in the beginning stages of his prime. The Chargers added Khalil Mack to work opposite of Bosa, meaning this former Buckeye could see fewer double teams. If he remains healthy throughout the duration of August, I would not mind dropping a few pennies on Joey at 25:1.

Chase Young — DE, Washington Commanders (+2800): Similar to Nick Bosa, Chase Young won DROTY before suffering a significant injury the following season. However, Young was injured mid-season, putting the early portion of his third year at risk. He is not practicing with the team, and the Commanders have acknowledged that he could ultimately miss a few games. For that reason, I am out on Young as DPOTY... in 2022. But I think he’ll get one eventually.

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year


Chris Olave — WR, New Orleans Saints (+800): New Orleans traded up in the 2022 NFL Draft to get Olave, so he should absolutely have a role. But with Michael Thomas now practicing and Jarvis Landry in the picture, will it be as a first, second, or third option? I think there is room for all three, in addition to Alvin Kamara. I expect the Saints’ offense to have a bounceback season, with the rookie heavily involved. A safe(r) bet here, as Olave has the third-best odds.

Garrett Wilson — WR, New York Jets (+1100): Drafted to be a primary weapon for the New York Jets, I do believe Wilson will develop into their best overall WR. However, the Jets also have Elijah Moore, Cory Davis, a solid pass-catching RB, and half a dozen tight ends to throw to. Wilson should not have to shine right away, which I think eats into his chances at winning ROTY. I’ll be checking back on these odds a month into the season.

Special mention: Jameson Williams — WR, Detroit Lions (+1400)

NFL Comeback Player of the Year


Michael Thomas (+1200), Chase Young (+1400) J.K. Dobbins — RB, Baltimore Ravens (+2000): Three supremely talented players all listed behind Jameis Winston, Daniel Jones, and Baker Mayfield. Mitchell Trubisky and Marcus Mariota are also sandwiched between Young and Dobbins. This is just tremendous value, so I could see placing a wager on any or all of these former Buckeyes.

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Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for August 17, 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

Ask LGHL: Who is Ohio State’s most important player other than C.J. Stroud?
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grnt Holy Land

On the Gridiron


Evan Pryor: Ohio State running back suffers season-ending injury
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes

Without Evan Pryor, who’s left at running back for Ohio State?
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch

Practice Report: Evan Pryor injury impact, how Buckeyes defensive line can reach high ceiling
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Can’t wait for you to come back healthy and better than ever, EP.


Why Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson’s retirement plans remain ‘way away from here’
Nathan Baird, cleveland.com

Three takeaways from Larry Johnson, Ohio State defensive line (paywall)
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes

Buckeyes stocked with deep, loaded group of versatile defensive tackles (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Larry Johnson confident he has ‘alpha males’ on OSU defensive line
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch

Stay classy, Ann Arbor:


DL videos: LJ, Tuimoloau, Sawyer, Williams, Vincent, Harrison, Cage, Hamilton, Friday
Dave Biddle, Bucknuts

Tyler Friday Stepping up as Leader in Return to the Field
Braden Moles, Buckeye Sports Bulletin

How are Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Jack Sawyer and Palaie Gaoteote IV progressing at Ohio State football’s Jack position?
Nathan Baird, cleveland.com

Zach Harrison muting outside noise, focusing on final Buckeyes season (paywall)
Matt Parker, Lettermen Row

Son of a bitch...


Tony Alford on Ohio State freshman RB Dallan Hayden: ‘He’s gonna be a really good player’
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Mitch Rossi Eyes NFL Dreams Ahead of Final Season with the Buckeyes
Jack Emerson, Buckeye Sports Bulletin

You’re Nuts: Which Ohio State player would you add to the 2022 team captains?
Brett Ludwiczak and Meredith Hein, Land-Grant Holy Land

On the Hardwood


Will the Buckeyes turn to Brice Sensabaugh when the clock winds down?
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch

Freshman Cotie McMahon on choosing Ohio State, the upcoming Buckeyes season and smoothies
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land

Seems like he would know better than most.


Ohio State men’s basketball player preview: Roddy Gayle Jr.
Justin Golba, Land-Grant Holy Land

Outside the Shoe and Schott


Wrestling: Bouzakis, Feldman Wrestle for Bronze at U20 World Championships
Ohio State Athletics

And now for something completely different...


Getting a little sentimental on Main.


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


Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Only a few teams remain as we preview every B1G team ahead of the 2022 season.

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

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

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


On this week’s episode, Gene and Josh continue their Big Ten previews with a look at Michigan State and Minnesota. Before diving into those two programs, the guys discuss the latest Ohio State football news, including the Buckeyes’ newest commit, a big injury from camp, and the debut of the AP Top 25 Poll. They then get into the nitty gritty of the Spartans and the Gophers. Can Michigan State find repeat success coming off an 11-2 season? Can Tanner Morgan turn it around for Minnesota?

“Hangout in the Holy Land” is will be dropping one episode per week during the offseason, coming out every Wednesday (don’t hold us to that). Be sure to download and listen in wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple to let us know your thoughts and how we can make things even better!

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

As always, Go Bucks.


Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @HolyLandPod

Connect with Gene:
Twitter: @Gene_Ross23

Connect with Josh
Twitter: @jdooleybuckeye

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Four-star safety pledge eyes two Ohio State trips in September
Bret Favachio via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Cedrick Hawkins | Andrew Ivins, 247Sports

A blue-chip DB that has been committed to the Buckeyes since January looks to be planning a couple stops in Columbus next month.

A defensive back commitment from Florida revealed on Tuesday that he misses Columbus, and fortunately he won’t be waiting much longer to get back to the Ohio State campus. Plus, the head coach of the Buckeyes latest commitment discusses what he can bring to the table for the defensive secondary in Columbus.

Hawkins plans September visits


Ever since the Buckeyes secured a pledge from four-star safety Cedrick Hawkins of Cocoa (FL) back in January, the program has only been able to get the Titusville native on campus one time when he made a trip to Columbus in April, and he wants everyone to know that he misses it.


Fortunately for the 6-foot, 175-pounder, he won’t have to wait too much longer to touch down in his future home. According to a tweet by 247Sports’ Bill Kurelic, Hawkins will not only get back to campus in September, but he will do it on two separate occasions.

When taking a look at his 247Sports profile, you can see that the Florida standout has an official visit scheduled for the weekend of Sept. 3 when the Buckeyes face off against Notre Dame. The remaining three contests in the month of September are also home games against Arkansas State, Toledo, and Wisconsin.

One would think that the likely bet for Hawkins making it back would be for the battle with the Badgers near the conclusion of the month, but that remains to be seen.

Nonetheless, Hawkins will be back on campus sooner rather than later and what better time to come back than the big recruiting weekend for the Buckeyes with their tilt against the Irish. It will give him the opportunity to get in the ear of many Ohio State targets that the staff is hopeful of landing.

Hawkins, the cousin of current Los Angeles Rams and former Louisville running back Javian Hawkins, is currently graded as the 17th highest graded safety and is a consensus Top 250 prospect in the class.

St. Peter’s Prep HC talks Bonsu pledge


Joining Hawkins in the defensive secondary in Columbus will be four-star safety Jayden Bonsu of St. Peter’s Prep (NJ), as well learned on when he made his pledge to the Buckeyes.

When taking a look at his 247Sports profile, you can see that Bonsu slots in as the No. 22 safety in the class. You can also find that the Hillside native is the fourth highest graded prospect from the state of New Jersey. But another way to get a feel for what Bonsu can bring to Ohio State is to hear it from the man that coaches him.

“To me, I think (Jayden) is a big physical safety, but also has that positional flexibility where at our level or the next level he can play wherever you ask him,” St. Peter’s Prep Head Coach Rich Hansen told Eleven Warriors.

Hansen also revealed to Eleven Warriors that Bonsu does similar things from the defensive backfield than Ohio State safety Ronnie Hickman, the Buckeyes leading tackler last season, another New Jersey native.

“(Jayden is) a similar kid that will never ever second guess what coaches are asking of him and skill set-wise can play everything,” Hansen said. “I think they share a unique combination of size and speed and athleticism.”

Quick Hits

• Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson revealed that his rumored retirement is “way away from here” on Tuesday. While that may not provide clarity on when Johnson may step aside, it seems as if it’s not on his mind at this time and it’s worth monitoring how this could positively impact the Buckeyes chances at landing some big fish in 2023 including five-star defensive ends Keon Keeley (Notre Dame commit) of Berkeley Prep (FL), Matayo Uiagalelei of St. John Bosco (CA), and Damon Wilson of Venice (FL).
• Last cycle, Ohio State assistant Tony Alford focused on four-star running back Dallan Hayden of Christian Brothers (TN) and ultimately was able to ink the No. 24 overall prospect at his position. Fast forward to Tuesday, and now Hayden could be in-line for an unexpected role on this years Buckeye team with Evan Pryor, the third back in line, went down with a season-ending injury leaving the Memphis native as the the only other scholarship back aside from TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams.
• According to Garrick Hodge of Eleven Warriors, 2025 tight end Ryan Ghea of Milton (GA) will visit Ohio State sometime this fall. Ghea, who picked up an offer from the Buckeyes in June, told Hodge that a specific date is yet to be determined but the visit will “for sure” happen.

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