• New here? Register here now for access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Plus, stay connected and follow BP on Instagram @buckeyeplanet and Facebook.

Posts

Forum list Hot Threads Latest activity

Posts

 Social Questions
plum diamonds buckeye planet

WR Coach Cortez Hankton (Official Thread)

ScriptOhio
scarletandgame.com

One Ohio State football assistant coach is proving he more than belongs

This new assistant coach is showing that he not only belongs, but he might be thriving with the Buckeyes.
scarletandgame.com scarletandgame.com

One Ohio State football assistant coach is proving he more than belongs​

This new assistant coach is showing that he not only belongs, but he might be thriving with the Buckeyes.

Cortez Hankton has shown traits of being an elite recruiter for Ohio State​

Hankton has only been on staff a few months, but he has done a great job on the recruiting trail so far. He was able to keep Chris Henry Jr. as a signee right after Hartline left. Then, he was able to make sure Jamier Brown was locked in as a commit for the 2027 class. Both are five-star guys.

Neither of those guys was a player Hankton had recruited initially. However, Hankton then landed Austin Miller for the 2029 recruiting class. He will likely be a five-star commit when the rankings come out for that class. Jett Harrison, a 2028 five-star receiver, also committed to Hankton.

There can be some excuses made for all of those recruits and why they chose the Ohio State Buckeyes. Yet, Hankton still had to bring them in. Monshun Sales will be the real test. If Hankton can find a way to secure him, there will be no question moving forward about his recruiting prowess.

Cortez Hankton needs to prove he can develop receivers on the field​

Of course, recruiting is just one half of the equation. Developing receivers on the field and helping them get better is the more important part of coaching. Hankton has to prove that the receivers can become better players in general. That will be the true measure of whether he belongs.

Ohio State has had to replace a lot of assistant coaches over the years. That's what happens when success is attained. Other programs try to poach your guys. Ryan Day has had to deal with that, and he has done well with finding new assistants who have been able to step in and be fine.

It will help that Hankton gets to coach Jeremiah Smith this season. Smith is the best weapon in college football, and no one can truly shut him down. Having him accumulate a lot of stats this season will help Hankton jump-start a solid career with Ohio State.

Ohio State's offense should be one of the best in the country, if not the best. The Buckeyes are going to be running a bit of a new playbook under Smith, but the weapons they have are undeniable, no matter the system the players are running.
Click to expand...
Upvote 0

The Buckeye National Championship Teams (and several near misses)

ScriptOhio
LordJeffBuck said:
1954 - Woody's First Championship

In the decade between the 1944 civilian national championship season and 1953, the Buckeyes had four head coaches and posted a combined record of 48-27-7 (for a mediocre winning percentage of .628). In fact, Ohio State was becoming known as the graveyard of coaches, and the fourth head coach in the post-Brown era, a relatively young and unknown commodity who had had brief tenures at Denison University and Miami of Ohio before accepting the Buckeyes' post, was already on the hot seat after only three seasons (but an overall record of 16-9-2 will generally earn you a quick ticket out of Columbus). Fortunately for Buckeye fans, that coach got one more season, and he made the most of his final opportunity.

Wayne Woodrow "Woody" Hayes was hired in 1951 to be Ohio State's head football coach when Buckeye legend Wes Fesler, a three-time All American end (1928-1930), resigned after losing to Michigan in the infamous Snow Bowl. Hayes was not the school's first choice (the hiring committee initially offered the job to Missouri head coach Don Faurot), nor a very popular selection amongst the fans (who wanted Paul Brown to return to Columbus). During his first three years on campus, Hayes did little to endear himself with either group, winning less than sixty percent of his games while suffering two shut-out losses to Michigan in three tries. 1954 was going to be Woody's "make or break" year, and most people were betting heavily on "break", as Ohio State was picked to finish no better than fifth in the Big Ten by most sportswriters and analysts.

The Buckeyes opened the season on a high note with a 28-0 whitewashing of the lowly Indiana Hoosiers. The next week, however, Ohio State barely slipped past a below-average California squad at home, 21-13, and most observers felt that Hayes was headed for yet another three-loss campaign. Ohio State's erratic season continued, as the Buckeyes trounced highly-touted Illinois on the road, 40-7, but then squeaked by Iowa at home, 20-14; smashed second-ranked Wisconsin (led by eventual Heisman winner fullback Alan Ameche) on Homecoming, 31-14, but eked out a 14-7 victory against a very poor Northwestern team in Evanston. Two solid wins over Pitt and Purdue kept the Buckeyes' undefeated season alive and set up a showdown with a poweful Michigan squad. But the sceptics remained unconvinced, as the Wolverines had been Hayes' nemesis to date. However, Woody put all criticism to rest: With an outright Big Ten championship, a Rose Bowl invitation, and a potential national title on the line, the Buckeyes soundly defeated the Wolverines, 21-7, to finish the regular season a perfect 9-0-0.

1954 was the rare college football season in which two major powers finished with perfect records. One was Ohio State, and the other was UCLA from the Pacific Coast Conference. Under the Rose Bowl contract, the Big Ten champ was obligated to play the PCC champ, so it appeared that the two best teams in the land would meet in the ultimate "winner take all" contest in the 1955 Rose Bowl. However, as luck would have it, the Rose Bowl had a "no repeat" rule in place, and UCLA had been the PCC representative the previous season and was thus barred from participation. Ohio State had to settle for PCC runner-up Southern Cal, and the Buckeyes easily dispatched of the Trojans to remain perfect for only the third time in school history. In voting for their respective champions, the AP and UP split the ballot, with the sportswriters (AP) selecting Ohio State and the coaches (UP) choosing UCLA. Incidentally, the 1954 Bruins squad earned the only football national championship of any kind for UCLA. Today, both schools are deemed "recognized" national champions for the year 1954, but college football historians wonder what would have happened if the two best teams in the land had been able to battle it out on the field of the Rose Bowl.

Ohio State had three All Americans in 1954 - end Dean Dugger, guard Jim Reichenbach, and halfback Howard "Hopalong" Cassady, who would repeat as an All American and also win the Heisman Trophy the following year. On the season, Cassady rushed for 701 yards and 6 touchdowns, while catching 13 passes for another 148 yards. In addition, Hopalong made the play of the year with a dramatic 88-yard interception return for a touchdown to secure a victory against the previously unbeaten Wisconsin Badgers. As a Heisman winner, Cassady's number 40 jersey has been retired from Ohio State. Howard's son, Craig Cassady, also played for Woody Hayes, lettering from 1973 to 1975.

Lineman Jim Parker was also a member of the 1954 squad. A three-year starter for the Buckeyes, Parker earned All American honors in both 1955 and 1956, and won the prestigious Outland Trophy after his senior campaign. After graduating from Ohio State, Parker went on to have an excellent career in the NFL (for the Baltimore Colts). He is a member of the Ohio State, College Football, and Professional Football Halls of Fame.

:osu: The 1954 Ohio State Buckeyes :osu:
09/25/54: Ohio State 28, Indiana 0
10/02/54: Ohio State 21, California 13
10/09/54: Ohio State 40, Illinois 7
10/16/54: Ohio State 20, Iowa 14
10/23/54: Ohio State 31, Wisconsin 14
10/30/54: Ohio State 14, Northwestern 7
11/06/54: Ohio State 26, Pitt 0
11/13/54: Ohio State 28, Purdue 6
11/20/54: Ohio State 21, Michigan 7
01/01/55: Ohio State 20, Southern Cal 7 (Rose Bowl)
Click to expand...
www.elevenwarriors.com

Remember When: Woody Hayes Captures First National Championship in 20–7 “Mud Bowl” Win Over USC in the 1955 Rose Bowl

Ohio State defeated USC in the 1955 Rose Bowl – forever known as the “Mud Bowl” – to secure Woody Hayes’ first national championship with the Buckeyes.
www.elevenwarriors.com www.elevenwarriors.com

Remember When: Woody Hayes Captures First National Championship in 20–7 “Mud Bowl” Win Over USC in the 1955 Rose Bowl​

162917_h.jpg


When Ohio State fans think of the Rose Bowl, they likely picture sunshine, warmth and postcard-worthy sunsets. The 1955 Rose Bowl offered the exact opposite.

In Woody Hayes' fourth season leading the Buckeyes, Ohio State was picked to finish fifth in the Big Ten and started the season unranked.
OSU went 9-0 during the 1954 regular season, with five wins over ranked opponents, including a 21-7 win over No. 12 Michigan. With that, the Buckeyes were set to play USC in the 1955 Rose Bowl.

In what many consider the sloppiest Rose Bowl ever played, rain fell throughout the entire game, turning the field into a muddy mess, hence the "Mud Bowl" nickname. By the second quarter, jersey numbers were nearly unrecognizable.

Login to view embedded media
After Ohio State kicker Tad Weed missed a field goal on the opening drive, USC's Jim Contratto recovered a fumble by USC's Jim Parker at the OSU 31-yard line. Future Heisman Trophy winner Howard "Hopalong" Cassady and Jerry Harkrader then alternated every carry of the ensuing drive until Ohio State got to USC's 3-yard line. Dave Leggett, the eventual MVP of the game, then scored to give the Buckeyes the first points of the game.

Following another USC fumble, which was recovered by Leggett, he delivered again, this time throwing a 21-yard touchdown pass to Bobby Watkins to give Ohio State a 14-0 lead.

The Buckeyes punted on their next drive, one in which USC tailback Aramis Dandoy returned for an 86-yard touchdown, a Rose Bowl record, to cut OSU's lead to 14-7. But that was the closest the Trojans ever got to Ohio State.

Then, at halftime, both Ohio State and USC's bands performed on the field, making it even muddier. Hayes wasn't happy, to say the least.

"I think we've got the greatest band there is. But they should have kept them both – USC's band, too – off the field," Hayes said following the game. "They let 'em come out at halftime and cut our football field into a quagmire between the 30-yard lines. It just doesn't make sense.

"It was the worst field we've played on in four years. They should have had a tarp on the field, even if they had to send San Francisco to get it."

USC almost tied the game following a 70-yard run by Jon Arnett, but the Trojans then stalled at OSU's 26-yard line, turning the ball over on downs four plays later.

Ohio State took a two-touchdown lead thanks to a 12-play, 77-yard touchdown drive, as Jerry Harkrader ended the drive with a nine-yard touchdown run. The Buckeyes missed the extra point, giving them a 20-7 lead, which became the final score.

The conditions were more than just inconvenient. With sand layered beneath the field, the rain created a gritty mixture that worked its way into players’ uniforms, rubbing their legs raw. Seven Ohio State players required hospital visits, with a couple staying overnight.
.
.
continued
.
.
Ohio State’s opponent could have been different. UCLA, which won the 1954 Coaches Poll national championship and outscored opponents by an average of 40-4, was ineligible due to the Pacific Coast Conference’s “no-repeat” rule. That opened the door for USC, despite the Bruins’ 34-0 win over the Trojans that season.

But while UCLA won the Coaches' Poll national title, Ohio State proved to be national championship-worthy, taking home the AP Poll title, the Buckeyes' first national championship since 1942.

As a sign of the times, three Buckeyes flew to Mobile, Alabama, to play in the Senior Bowl following the game, while the rest of the team — including some married players traveling with their wives — returned to Columbus by train.

The 1955 Rose Bowl marked the first of five national championships under Hayes, who would also lead Ohio State to titles in 1957, 1961, 1968 and 1970.
Click to expand...
Upvote 0

Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest (Official Thread)

ScriptOhio
nypost.com

Joey Chestnut wins 4th of July Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest for unrivaled 18th time

He’s the top dog for a reason.
nypost.com nypost.com

Joey Chestnut wins 4th of July Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest for unrivaled 18th time​

joey-chestnut-competing-nathans-hot-133266026.jpg


He’s the top dog for a reason.

Bottomless pit Joey Chestnut once again took home the crown at the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Saturday afternoon, celebrating the 250th birthday of America with relish.

Chestnut, 41, scarfed down a nauseating 66 glizzies in 10 minutes to the delight of a ravenous estimated 25,000 spectator crowd in Coney Island to secure his astounding 18th Mustard Belt and $10,000 prize.
Click to expand...
Upvote 0

Ross Bjork (OSU AD)

ScriptOhio

Ohio State's Ross Bjork projects to have $500 million athletics budget 'very soon'​

Athletic director Ross Bjork expects Ohio State’s athletic department to be the first to record an annual operating budget of $500 million in the coming years.

“It’s going to happen,” Bjork said. “It could happen in three years from now. It could happen two years from now or five years from now. But we will have a $500 million athletic budget at some point in time very soon. We have that capability.”

Since replacing Gene Smith at the helm of the athletic department two years ago, Bjork has seen soaring revenues from ticket sales, sponsorship and licensing, as well as record fundraising following their national championship in football in 2024.

The university’s athletic department exceeded $300 million in operating revenue for the first time during the 2025 fiscal year, according to its annual financial report to the NCAA.

The department’s total of $336.1 million marked a significant spike from its previous high of $279.5 million from the 2023 fiscal year. Revenue and expense figures from this fiscal year ending on June 30 are not yet available.

Ohio State is a behemoth in college sports not only due to the stature of its football program, but also due to its sponsorship of 36 other varsity sports, leaving it tied with Stanford for the most among power conference schools.

Both factors have led the athletic department in recent years to pursue additional ways to generate revenue, especially as it also manages new expenses related to revenue-sharing with athletes that began last year following the settlement of three antitrust cases against the NCAA.

Bjork has sought to cultivate more donors as well as part of their fundraising efforts.

“There’s a lot of data that shows we have 12 million fans,” Bjork said. “If 1% of those people would join the Buckeye Club, what’s the math on that? One hundred and twenty thousand. Right now, we have about 25,000 donors, and that’s a great number, but how do we take the size and scale of Ohio State and maximize it?

“There really is no ceiling for our program from an engagement, enterprise, value, revenue, all of those things. That’s what we're really going to focus on. Take vision, turn it into action and make sure we're nationally competitive. We have to make sure there's some financial sustainable model.”

atozsports.com

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum has made a surprising admission about the Ohio State Buckeyes ahead of the 2026 season

Paul Finebaum has ruffled the feathers of Ohio State fans many times over the years. His latest comment on the Buckeyes may come as a surprise for that very reason.
atozsports.com atozsports.com

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum has made a surprising admission about the Ohio State Buckeyes ahead of the 2026 season​

Paul Finebaum has ruffled the feathers of Ohio State fans many times over the years. His latest comment on the Buckeyes may come as a surprise for that very reason.

Paul Finebaum tells it like it is with the Ohio State Buckeyes ​

“Nobody is in Ohio State’s league right now,” Finebaum said recently. “I saw that story the other day, and the idea of a half-billion-dollar athletic budget is truly amazing. Now, remember, Ohio State has more sports than the average SEC program. I would think Texas and Georgia are considerably behind that. It’s just a number, but it’s also where college athletics is.”

Finebaum is typically viewed as somewhat of an SEC homer in Big Ten land. He was honest about no other program being on Ohio State’s level right now athletics-wise. Of course, much of it has to do with the support of Buckeye Nation, as well as the success the football team can ride on every season.
Click to expand...
Upvote 0

Real Life Wednesdays (Real World)

gmen6981
calibuck said:
Glad to hear this, and does your reply indicate that indeed it is continuing under Day? Hope so, as did expose our players to leaders in fields that they might have an interest after their shelf life in football is used up. Also, is this open to other sports, and genders as well? So enjoyed the commercial "We'll go pro in other fields" or somesuch paraphrase. Thanks for your response.
Click to expand...
Yes. Day has kept the program going.
Click to expand...
Upvote 0

NHL Buckeye Tracker

ScriptOhio
www.elevenwarriors.com

Skull Session: Ohio State Could Have College Football’s Toughest Schedule in 2026, David Gabriel Georges Could Be The First Million-Dollar Running Back Recruit and Kelsey Mitchell Is A WNBA All-Star Starter

Ohio State could have college football’s toughest schedule in 2026, David Gabriel Georges could be the first million-dollar RB recruit and Kelsey Mitchell is a WNBA All-Star starter.
www.elevenwarriors.com www.elevenwarriors.com

SAVE MAN GETS PAID. Former Ohio State men’s hockey goaltender Jakub Dobes is cashing in after leading the Montreal Canadiens to the NHL’s Eastern Conference finals in this year’s playoffs.

Dobes received a three-year contract extension with an average annual salary of $5,357,575 from the Canadiens on Wednesday.

Login to view embedded media
Dobes was the NHL’s top rookie goaltender this past season, earning wins in 29 of his 43 regular-season appearances with a 2.78 goals against average and a .901 save percentage. He followed that up by earning nine wins with a 2.66 GAA and .908 save percentage in the playoffs, leading the Canadiens to series wins over the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres before they lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes in the conference finals.
Click to expand...
Upvote 0

2027 MS OL Caden Moss is a Buckeye!!!

RB07OSU
pnuts34 said:
Login to view embedded media
Click to expand...
I'm sure this will come off as homerism after he picked us, but I've been of the opinion Moss is a fringe 5* since I watched his film (camp and game). He'll need some work on weight distribution and technique, but really that's 95% of OL recruits coming out of HS (or more). Moss has all the tools to be an elite OT and at worst will be a 3 year starter type, perhaps inside at guard. Lots of work in the weight room and coaching, but 2-3 years out I can see revisiting Moss and seeing why he is in the 5 star discussion.

Regardless, I'm ecstatic to land him. Great prospect and a steal from the heart of the south.
Click to expand...
Upvote 0

Impending Assistant Coach Vacancies

sparcboxbuck
buchtelgrad04 said:
I’m not sure of his chops, but in theory it’s a great hire.

An NFL scout monitoring the transfer portal? Good deal.
Click to expand...
I just created a thread for him and then saw this discussion.

I agree, this is a baller move. I presume that having anyone with an NFL background paying attention, full time nonetheless, to everyone else’s players who are ripe to be picked is better than nothing. Putting that on Pantoni would be too much.
Click to expand...
Upvote 0
Load more

Filter

Back
Top