Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: Breaking down the biggest matchups on Ohio State’s 2022 schedule
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images

The Buckeyes have a handful of marquee matchups this season, including the season opener against Notre Dame and a big rematch with TTUN.

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:

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On this week’s episode, Gene and Josh run through the 2022 Ohio State football schedule. While there is still a ways to go until the Buckeyes will officially kick off their new campaign, the guys break down some of the biggest matchups ahead for Ryan Day’s crew, including a season opener under the lights against Notre Dame and a high-stakes rematch with Michigan in Columbus to close it out. They discuss some of the storylines and opposing faces heading into the season’s marquee games, as well as how Ohio State matches up with the teams on their schedule as well was within the Big Ten at large.

“Hangout in the Holy Land” is will now return to one episode a week during the offseason, dropping 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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Forgotten Buckeyes: Fullback edition
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Howie McCormick/Icon SMI/Icon Sport Media via Getty Images

The ongoing series where we re-remember lesser known or potentially forgotten Buckeye heroes.

Shortly after I began contributing to Land Grant Holy Land, I realized that I was already struggling to come up with good content for the offseason/summer months. Hell of a start, right? But unfortunately, once the NFL Draft takes place, the content well tends to dry up unless you’ve already dialed in on one of the spring sports or the NBA Draft (but as Buckeye hoops fans... you get it). Ohio State football and basketball – our most popular topics – are still part of the news cycle, but they have taken a back seat. And recruiting... well, there are people at LGHL who do a hell of a job covering it, so I wasn’t about to swim with those sharks.

I needed to think outside the box. I thought: Football is months away, basketball is months away, recruiting is speculative and subject to change... many of the topics being covered now revolve around future events or predictions. But what about former players? And I’m not talking recent or soon-to-be draftees, because those athletes are still being talked or written about.

I am referring to unheralded and underappreciated Buckeyes from decades ago, that have been forgotten by some (or most) since they last donned the scarlet and gray. And there it was: Forgotten Buckeyes. Other OSU fans and media types have taken a similar approach to recognition, but this is my personal way of appreciating those who left an indelible mark at Ohio State.

Welcome to Volume II.


Hand up, my mistake... I did not cover a fullback during last summer’s Forgotten Buckeyes series. Total error on my part, and it was very odd considering that I used to love watching guys like Mike Alstott, Larry Centers, Lorenzo Neal, and Cory Schlesinger in the NFL. They were legitimately some of my favorite players. It simply comes down to the fact that fullbacks did not (and do not) typically receive Alstott-level attention at Ohio State — at least not in the years I have been a fan.

I missed the careers of Jim Otis, John Brockington, and Pete Johnson, so I don’t feel qualified to write about their potentially forgotten greatness. And the Zach Boren-types have been few and far between ever since. I also think Boren is still a very well-known player, even among younger fans. But there were a couple of guys who I believe slipped through the cracks during the 1990’s and early 2000’s. In an effort to make up for my past negligence, this week’s Forgotten Buckeyes is a double dose of mean, nasty, hard-hitting fullback appreciation.

Nicky Sualua | Fullback (1993-1995)


Sualua rarely carried the ball, but was always looking for contact

Nicky Sualua was a two-way football player, wrestler, and weightlifting champion in high school. If that doesn’t scream fullback, I don’t know what does. He did all of the above while attending football powerhouse Mater Dei (HS) in Santa Ana, California — a school that has produced scores of NCAA football and NFL-level talent. Sualua committed to Ohio State in January of 1993, and famously stated that he was “looking forward to the challenge of playing in the Big Eight.” Whoops...

If they were even aware of Sualua’s gaffe, OSU fans would have forgiven his misconceptions regarding the conference they play(ed) in, because he eventually developed into a devastating blocker for the Buckeyes. But it didn’t happen right away. Sualua took a redshirt in 1993. He then lost the battle for the starting fullback role in 1994, and only took over when two of his peers were beset by injuries. Regardless of how it happened, Sualua took full advantage of the opportunity to start and function as the team’s lead blocker.

With Alex Rodriguez forced to retire for medical reasons, and Matt Calhoun also dinged up, the 5-foot-11, 250-pounder from Santa Ana started the final eight games of the ’94 season. Unlike fullbacks in previous years, Sualua was not featured in the run game often (only 25 carries). He was asked to pass protect and pave the way for star running back Eddie George, which is exactly what he did. George rushed for 1,442 yards behind Sualua and an improved offensive line, and established his name as one of the most dangerous players in all of college football. The “other guys” received very little credit, but such is the life for a fullback and/or offensive lineman.

After going 9-4 the previous season, Ohio State was being mentioned as a national championship contender in 1995. Sualua returned to block for George, but missed the first two games while he worked himself into playing shape. The reason he was late in doing so, is because he missed most of fall camp due to academic issues. However, it was not the last time academics got in the way of Sualua suiting up for the Buckeyes. But he eventually got into playing shape and out of the doghouse, and helped open up holes and running room for the eventual Heisman Trophy winner.

George rushed for over 1,900 yards and 24 touchdowns, and added 417 more yards through the air. Sualua did not put up the stats himself, but he was a contributor to greatness. The fullback did chip in with 20 carries for 109 yards, and also became more involved in the passing game. He caught 17 passes for 129 yards, including the only two touchdowns of his OSU career.

Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, the team fizzled out after an 11-0 start. They lost to TTUN and Peyton Manning-led Tennessee to close out the season, ending what could have been a special run. Sualua was projected to return for the 1996 season, but he never played a down. He was once again ruled academically ineligible, and eventually declared for the NFL Draft. Sualua’s time as a Buckeye ended in disappointment, which is too bad because the big fullback was a fan-favorite and well-liked by teammates. He never found the same level of football success again, and his professional career ended under tragic circumstances.

The Dallas Cowboys selected Sualua in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He was thought to be their heir apparent to Daryl “Moose” Johnston, but the former Buckeye only spent two seasons as a backup. He never registered a rushing attempt or reception for the ‘Boys, and the team released him prior to the 1999 season. Dallas claimed it was for football reasons, but Sualua was also present for the accidental overdose of former Cowboy Mark Tuinei.

He was never accused of buying or supplying drugs, nor was he ever charged with a crime in relation to the overdose, but Sualua ultimately attempted to let his friend and former teammate “sleep it off” — rather than taking him to a hospital. Tuinei passed on May 6, 1999. Sualua was waived by Dallas a month later, and eventually signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. But he was released with an injury settlement in September, and never caught on with another NFL team.

Nicky Sualua might be remembered more for the unfortunate losses he was a part of, but I have no interest in playing judge, jury, or executioner. His on-field contributions for Ohio State were more significant than many people realize, and that is what I am choosing to bring light to. The former fullback contributed to a Heisman-winning season, albeit somewhat indirectly. For that, Buckeye fans should acknowledge his place in OSU history.

Branden Joe | Fullback (2000-2004)

Photo by Darren Abate/Getty Images
Branden Joe contributed to plenty of winning during his time as a Buckeye

Branden Joe was a First Team All-Ohio running back for Westerville South High School, located in Columbus. He also played linebacker on the defensive side of the ball, and packed a serious punch due to his roughly 6-foot, 230-pound frame. Joe committed to Ohio State as part of the 2000 recruiting class, and proceeded to not play either of his high school positions ever again. But he did become a versatile fullback and a national champion, which is surely more important than individual rushing yards or total tackles.

Joe redshirted as a freshman, and as far as I could tell, was still listed as a running back in 2001. However, due to depth at the position, he never appeared in a game. OSU had another deep RB room in 2002 – made even better by the addition of Maurice Clarett – and as a result, the decision was made to move Joe to fullback on a permanent basis. The move paid off for both he and the Buckeyes, in ways few could have imagined (at least prior to that ‘02 season).

Fullback duties were split between Joe and Brandon Schnittker in 2002, with both playing in all 14 games. Neither player was heavily involved in the offense (four combined touches), but each had their moments blocking for Clarett, Lydell Ross, and/or Maurice Hall. Joe also played frequently on special teams, which was of the utmost importance to head coach Jim Tressel. The fullback’s tangible contributions were limited and never jumped out on paper, but he carved out a role and eventually earned a ring.

You know the story: the Buckeyes made an unexpected title run, were heavy underdogs to the Miami Hurricanes in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, and the rest is history. The fullbacks were unable able to spring Clarett for many big gains in that championship game, but he and quarterback Craig Krenzel did combine for four rushing touchdowns. It was a total team effort, Joe included.

Joe took a more active role in the offense during his final two seasons, but that’s not a whole lot. Similar to his Ohio State coaching predecessors, Tressel used a stable of running backs, but fullbacks were not featured the way they were during the 80’s and 90’s. Joe only totaled 77 carries and six receptions over his final two seasons, adding a lone touchdown in 2004. It was his first and last as a Buckeye, but he continued to be a strong lead blocker when called upon. OSU went 11-2 and 8-4 in 2003 and 2004, respectively, as they were never able to match the success of the 2002 squad. But Joe made a lifetime of memories during that season alone.

Joe never caught on in the NFL, only spending a few months with the Pittsburgh Steelers prior to the 2006 season. He has remained in Columbus, Ohio and has spent time covering the Buckeyes for local media outlets. Like many former players, he is active on social media and always supports his team. Though he was never the most high-profile player during his Ohio State career, Joe made an impact on the program and left a champion. Those players are always worth a mention, especially the forgotten fullbacks.

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Ohio State-Notre Dame sets up potential big recruiting weekend in Columbus
Bret Favachio via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

The Buckeyes and Irish kickoff the season, which welcomes a good opportunity on the recruiting trail for Ohio State.

Ohio State has had it’s fair share of notable recruiting weekends now in the rearview mirror. However, a schedule update that was announced on Tuesday will likely set the Buckeyes up for another massive opportunity to impressive many top recruits across the country. Plus, a 2025 prospect from New Jersey shares his thoughts on his offer from the scarlet and gray.

Likely major recruiting weekend set


Perhaps the biggest recruiting news to come about for the Buckeyes on Tuesday was when the kickoff time was announced for the week one contest against Notre Dame. Ohio State will get their crack at the Irish under the lights on ABC in a 7:30 PM EST contest that will also be the site of College Gameday.

The expectation is that this will wind up being a massive chance for the Buckeyes to welcome some of the very best high school football players in the country to Columbus to get a closer look at what the program has to offer. In particular, it could provide Ohio State with the chance to leave a lasting impression on prospects considering the two programs.

With the start time being so fresh, it is unknown as to who exactly will make their way to Ohio Stadium to check out the powerhouse programs in action.

Some names to watch as potential visitors include five-star safety Caleb Downs of Mill Creek (GA), four-star wide receiver Rico Flores of Folsom (CA), four-star wide receiver Carnell Tate of IMG Academy, five-star running back Richard Young of Lehigh Senior (FL), and more — all of whom are considering both Ohio State and Notre Dame.

Matthews talks Buckeye offer


While the main focus for head coach Ryan Day is undoubtedly on the 2023 recruiting class, Ohio State has also gotten active in future classes. The Buckeyes looked towards the state of New Jersey late last month when they dropped an offer to 2025 offensive tackle Jaelyne Matthews of Toms River North (NJ).

The 6-foot-6, 300-pounder caught up with Garrick Hodge of Eleven Warriors on Tuesday to share his opinion of the offer from the Buckeyes.

“They said they offered me because of my aggressiveness on film, how smart I am on the football field and my size,” Matthews said. Hodge went on to say that Matthews was “ecstatic” about the scholarship offer from Ohio State.

While Matthews has plenty of visits likely in his future so that he can continue to get a better feel for programs in pursuit, Ohio State looks to be one program that will definitely get a visit from the Toms River native.

“I’ll be there this summer,” Matthews relayed to Hodge.

Aside from the Buckeyes, Matthews has also already secured offers from the likes of Georgia, Miami (FL), Penn State, Texas A&M, and more.

Quick Hits

• According to Bill Kurelic on Twitter, 2023 four-star cornerback Daniel Harris of Gulliver Prep (FL) has “locked in” an official visit to Ohio State. The Miami native and Buckeye target is currently graded as the No. 31 ranked cornerback in the class.
• Ohio State offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Kevin Wilson was in California on Tuesday. Wilson made an appearance at Folsom High School likely to check in on a pair of hopeful additions for 2023 in four-star wide receiver Rico Flores and four-star tight end Walker Lyons.

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You’re Nuts: What 2023 NFL Draft prospect are you excited to see Ohio State play this year?
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

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

We all know that Ohio State is loaded with talent on both sides of the football. In most years, the Buckeyes usually produce the highest number of players drafted in the Big Ten, and Ohio State is often near the top annually for most players selected from any college football team around the country. Since 2000, the Buckeyes have seen 157 players selected in the NFL Draft, with 34 of those picks coming in the first round.

While many Ohio State fans are excited to watch C.J. Stroud, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Paris Johnson Jr. this year as they look to cement their status as first round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, we can’t forget that the Buckeyes will be taking on plenty of players that will be eligible for the draft that will want to use a big performance against Ohio State to impress NFL scouts. A perfect example of this from previous years is Khalil Mack. Even though plenty of people knew the Buffalo defensive end was going to be a star heading into the season opener against the Buckeyes, Mack sent his draft stock soaring even higher with a huge performance in Columbus.

There are different ways you can look at games when Ohio State is taking on a team with NFL Draft prospects. Either you can see this as a chance to get an early look at a player that your favorite NFL team might be selecting in the next draft, if you are an NFL fan. There is also a possibility you can see one of Ohio State’s own draft prospects matching up with the highly touted draft prospect from an opponent. Or, you could just simply want to see the Buckeyes shutdown a possible top draft pick, showing some of the holes still in their game.

Today’s question: What 2023 NFL Draft prospect are you excited to see Ohio State play this year?

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

Brett’s answer: Joey Porter Jr. - Penn State


For starters, I’m sure Browns and Bengals fans will agree with this pick since Joey Porter Sr. was a thorn in the side of both teams when he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s probably already a given that the younger Porter will end up being drafted by the Steelers next April and torture Cleveland and Cincinnati for the next decade.

My reasoning for wanting to see Porter against the Buckeyes in the fall is because I want to see how he is able to handle Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr., and the rest of the Ohio State wide receivers. Somehow the Nittany Lions have found a way to keep the Ohio State offense in check in recent years, and if they are able to do it again in October, a huge reason for it will be because of the play of Porter in the secondary.

Personally, I hope that Smith-Njigba and the rest of the Buckeye receivers go off in State College, putting up huge numbers on Porter. Is that mean? It absolutely is, but there’s a reason I call myself a “big ball of hate” in my Twitter bio. I look at Penn State the same way I look at the Red Sox. I just want to see both destroyed as much as possible. It’s nothing personal against Porter, I was hating Penn State long before he committed to their football program.

In all seriousness, Porter is likely going to go on to be a good pro in the NFL. He not only has talent, he also can lean on his father for advice and what to expect at the next level. I’m just hoping he has his own personal fright night a couple days before Halloween. In the end, we are the ones getting the treat since we’ll get to see three possible first round picks going at it, as C.J. Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba will try and break down Porter on the road.

Meredith’s answer: Peter Skoronski - Northwestern


The 2023 quarterback class is poised to be a good one (especially after whatever this nonsense was we saw this year), and the Buckeyes may even find themselves facing off against one of the other quarterbacks, besides C.J. Stroud, who are part of this elite group at some point in the postseason.

However, the player I’m excited to see is a Big Ten West foe who Ohio State will travel to see in November, when the Buckeyes head to Evanston to face Northwestern.

Yes, that player is Peter Skoronski, who has followed in Rashawn Slater’s massive shoes at left tackle for the Wildcats. As Northwestern doesn’t have what one might classify as a prolific offense, Skoronski’s strengths might fall under the radar in the average game, but he’s emerged after his sophomore season as one of the Big Ten’s best pass protectors. As an aside, it doesn’t hurt that Skoronski’s grandfather was a five-time NFL Champion with the Green Bay Packers.

I’m looking forward to watching Skorinski, who will be facing off directly against Ohio State’s always formidable defensive line generally and defensive end Zach Harrison, specifically. Harrison opted to come back for his senior season rather than enter the 2022 NFL Draft, which happened to feature almost as many outstanding defensive linemen as it did receivers. Harrison will be looking to improve his draft stock, and film against an almost assured future NFL offensive lineman can help make that case.

Skoronski is projected to go in the first round in a similar spot to Slater, with many way-too-early mock drafts placing him just outside the top-10.

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Stick to Sports Podcast: ‘The One Where We Don’t Talk About Sports and Instead Discuss the Tony Nominations’
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 Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions

Sorry, it’s slow in those Buckeye streets and we’ve got plenty of other sports-focused podcast episodes for you this week.

Land-Grant Holy Land’s Stick to Sports is unlike any podcast you’ve heard on the Ohio State beat. Your hosts, Matt Tamanini and Jami Jurich, will (of course) talk Ohio State sports, but the primary focus of the show will be on what’s going on around the periphery, such as weird/funny happenings in college football and the sports world at large, as well as other things that keep us interested in between games, whether that’s pop culture, social media trends— you name it.

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

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


On an episode that will likely appeal to literally zero people, Matt and Jami break down last week’s 2022 Tony nominations. Hear these two Ohio State alums and Broadway insiders discuss what they think of the major categories. The awards will be presented on CBS on Sunday, June 12 at 8 p.m. ET.

Jami’s Recommendations:

“Under the Banner of Heaven” on FX on Hulu:

https://www.hulu.com/series/under-the-banner-of-heaven-9c4ae394-e9c4-4a6d-985e-314270602c6b

Final Season of “Grace and Frankie” on Netflix:

https://www.netflix.com/title/80017537

Matt’s Recommendation:

“Outer Range” on Amazon Prime Video:

https://www.amazon.com/Outer-Range-Season-1/dp/B09PVRLSLB


Connect with Jami Jurich
Twitter: @JamiJurich

Connect with Matt Tamanini
Twitter: @BWWMatt

Theme music provided by www.bensound.com

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pnuts34 said:

True, I was baffled by what you meant at first, until I realized he was 2 years away from hitting campus. Keeping Walton/Eliano would help a lot with him

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Yep. I know Day gets involved with pretty much every recruit. But having to start over with new position coaches would set OSU back. As we’ve seen with other guys like AJ Harris.

Tennessee basketball recruiting: Five-star PF Julian Phillips commits to Volunteers on CBS Sports HQ

Tennessee picked up a commitment from the highest available prospect in the Class of 2022 on Thursday when Julian Phillips chose the Volunteers over Auburn, G League Ignite and other collegiate and professional options in a ceremony on CBS Sports HQ. Phillips came in at No. 18 in the final Class of 2022 prospect rankings released by 247Sports on Wednesday.
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"I picked Tennessee because I have a great relationship with Coach Barnes, Coach Gainey and the rest of their staff," Phillips said on CBS Sports HQ. "I took my visit down there a few months ago. The campus and everything is beautiful. In their system, I can do well next year. That's why I chose them."

Entire article: https://www.cbssports.com/college-b...llips-commits-to-volunteers-on-cbs-sports-hq/

....Yeah right, I'm sure that the topic of NIL money never came up....

At last! A series sweep and a four-game win streak for Ohio State baseball
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



Buckeyes score 45 runs to take all three games in Evanston against Northwestern, but the streak ends abruptly after four wins

We’ve been checking in on the Ohio State Buckeyes’ 2022 baseball season every couple of weeks since the season started with the Snowbird Classic back in mid-February. And, finally, I can talk about a winning streak. Although the Buckeyes won the first three games of that early “Classic,” last weekend marked their first four-game win streak and the first series sweep of the season.

Lots of hits, lots of long balls – the key to the wins. Unfortunately, the visiting Campbell Fighting Camels killed the streak at four, with a stunning 11-1 victory over the Buckeyes on Tuesday night, followed by a 10-1 rout on Wednesday. So much for the win streak.

The last two weeks, despite the conference sweep, did not have a happy beginning. Big-Ten-leading Rutgers rolled into Columbus on Friday, April 29, and began a sweep of their own. Pitching let the Bucks down against the Scarlet Knights. Whether they gave up an early lead or took an early lead, the Buckeyes found themselves on the short end after nine innings.

Currently, at 6-13, the Buckeyes are 12th in the Big Ten standings, with only Minnesota behind them (Wisconsin does not field a team). Overall, the team sits at 17-28, with seven contests left before the B1G Conference Tournament begins in Omaha on May 25.

With all of the hitting against the Wildcats, Ohio State batting stats surged, led by Brent Todys, Zach Dezenzo, and Kade Kern. Let’s hope that the pitching can hold up, and that potent offense will help make some noise as the season winds down.

Here are recaps of recent games.


April 29: Rutgers 6, Ohio State 4. The Scarlet Knights showed why they’re the conference’s top team early, as they hit OSU starter Nate Haberthier for three runs in the top of the 1st inning. Though the Buckeyes pounded out 12 hits, they never caught up.

April 30: Rutgers 13, Ohio State 3. Ohio State ace Isaiah Coupet cruised through the first five innings of this game and then hit trouble in the 6th, when Rutgers erupted for seven runs (five off of Coupet). Although Kade Kern lifted a homer, OSU managed only six hits overall. Rutgers had almost as many home runs (five) and outfielder Ryan Lasko hit three of them.

May 1: Rutgers 11, Ohio State 8. The third game of the series saw the Buckeyes turn the tables on Rutgers, scoring four runs in the 1st inning and four more in the bottom of the 3rd to lead, 8-3. But the Bucks’ relief pitching couldn’t hold the lead, as Tim Baird and Ethan Hammerberg gave up five runs in the 6th and three more in the 7th and 8th.

May 4: Ohio State 8, Kent State 6. OSU started the win streak with a trip north to take on the Golden Flashes. The Buckeyes, putting up four runs in the 2nd, led all the way in this one. Marcus Ernst was the batting leader, going three for four and knocking in two runs. Hammerberg pitched well in relief and picked up the save.

May 7 (first game): Ohio State 14, Northwestern 6. The Buckeyes simply feasted off Wildcat pitching. Brent Todys went 4-for-5 to lead the 14-hit Scarlet and Gray attack. Kade Kern was 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBI. If you just looked at the final score, you’d think that this game was a rout. Not so. In fact, the score was tied 6-6 going into the bottom of the 8th. It was 14-6 as the Wildcats left the field at the end of the inning. Eight runs!

May 7 (second game): Ohio State 25, Northwestern 9. Talk about a double header! NU didn’t get on the scoreboard until the 5th inning. By that time, the Buckeyes were up 23-0. 10 in the 2nd, five in the 3rd, six in the 4th, and two in the 5th. Though Northwestern did put up some runs late, the game was over by the halfway mark. Dezenzo went 5-for-5 for the day, with a home run and four RBI. Todys was 4-for-6, with two homers, a double, and seven RBI. Coupet collected the win for the Bucks.

May 8: Ohio State 6, Northwestern 5. The Buckeyes finished off the sweep with a nail-biter for a finale. It took a run in each of the final two innings for Ohio State to overcome the deficit and gain the lead. Wyatt Loncar pitched well for OSU, giving up only one hit and zero earned runs in his five innings of work. The Buckeyes outhit the Wildcats 11-4, as the bats continued to be hot.

May 10: Campbell 11, Ohio State 1. For the mid-week, non-conference game, spot starter Jacob Gehring took the mound for the Bucks. He was hit hard, as was reliever Will Pfennig. The Camels, in fact, put runs on the board in six of their nine at bats, knocking out 15 hits along the way. Kade Kern was the only bright spot in the OSU offense, getting two of the home team’s hits.

May 11: Campbell 10, Ohio State 1. Déjà vu all over again. OSU starting pitcher Aaron Funk pitched a strong four innings, giving up no runs and only two hits. Tim Baird, Griffan Smith, and Jake Johnson, however, could not keep up the good work, yielding 10 runs on eight hits in the next five frames. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, managed only three hits, two of them by Zach Dezenzo.

Statistical leaders


Batting Average: Marcus Ernst (.349)

RBI: Dezenzo (44), Kern (44)

HR: Dezenzo (13)

Pitching:
Wyatt Loncar 1-4, 4.66 ERA
Nate Haberthier 2-4, 5.12 ERA
Isaiah Coupet 3-5, 5.91 ERA

Reliever T.J. Brock has the best ERA – 3.78 – of the 18 Buckeye pitchers who have taken the mound this year.


Next up: A weekend series against visiting Penn State to close out the conference schedule. Then a home game against Cincinnati (5/17) and three at home against University of South Carolina Upstate on May 19-21. The B1G conference tourney starts on May 25.

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Column: What makes an Ohio State quarterback recruit under Ryan Day?
Chris Renne 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

Looking past the recruiting rankings, we take a look at what all of Ryan Day’s quarterback recruits have in common.

The Ohio State Buckeyes recently received a verbal commitment from class of 2024 quarterback and No. 1 player in the country according to 247Sports, Dylan Raiola from Chandler High School (Chandler, AZ).

Since Ryan Day came to Columbus for the 2017 season, the Buckeyes have landed five top-50 recruits at the quarterback position, and also brought in former five-star recruit Justin Fields through the transfer portal. The recruiting under Day at the quarterback position has arguably been the best in the country over that time period. Looking at more than the recruiting rankings, Day is looking for an extremely particular type of quarterback when he recruits.

When it comes to what Day is looking for when recruiting a quarterback, it starts with the person first, high football acumen second, physical tools third, and then the physical builds of the players fourth. When we look at the player profiles of every quarterback who has been recruited by Day since his arrival, there is a definitive look and feel to all of them. This is also why he has been able to build out such a talented quarterback room.

Football Background


Ryan Day comes from an NFL background, and in the case of his quarterbacks he looks for players who come from high level football backgrounds. This includes state championship level programs, former NFL players as coaches, and playing in high school programs that run offenses that actually prepare quarterbacks for college.

The most recent commitment Raiola comes from a football family — his dad Dominic Raiola was an All-American center and played in the NFL for 13 years. Dylan Raiola played for his Dad’s former teammate – and former NFL quarterback – Jon Kitna, who coached Raiola at Burleson High School. This is not the only quarterback Day has recruited with a former NFL player as a head coach.

Devin Brown – a Top-50 player in 247Sports’ Composite rankings – played for former Ohio State quarterback Joe Germaine, who was the head coach of Brown at Queen Creek High School (Queen Creek, AZ). Germaine ran the same offense the St. Louis Rams ran when he was a player for them. This gave Brown a pro-style background and gave him a solid foundation heading into his final season of high school. There he played in the same offense that produced first-round pick Zach Wilson and another Division-I football player in Jaxson Dart.

Brown and Raiols have incredible backgrounds for football coming in, but that doesn’t mean Kyle McCord, C.J. Stroud, Quinn Ewers, and Jack Miller didn’t. McCord played in a state championship level program in Philadelphia, and at a school that has put out NFL players in the past. Stroud comes from the talent rich state of California playing in a modern quarterback friendly offense, and Miller played in an offense under Brent Barnes at Chaparral High School (Scottsdale, AZ) in a high octane RPO/Vertical Passing offense.

When looking at all of the quarterbacks Day has brought in, high level high school offenses and winning programs seem to be the place to start. The last two quarterback commits have connections to the NFL, and every quarterback has won at a high level.

Physical Tools


Ryan Day has coached three First Round NFL Draft picks at quarterback since arriving at Ohio State in 2017. The list of Dwayne Haskins Jr., Justin Fields, and now C.J. Stroud all have incredibly strong arms and natural athletic ability. Fields was more athletic than both Stroud and Haskins, but the overall strengths of being able shape throws, be accurate to all levels, and being able to improvise when needed are the physical tools he his looking for.

We’ve seen that with the first three, but looking at the incoming players we can see that they fit the same profile as the previous quarterbacks. Starting with Jack Miller, Miller is big and athletic. He also was able to deliver the ball to all three levels of the field with accuracy and on the move. McCord arguably has the strongest arm of the bunch, and fits into the same category as a potential passer as his three potential predecessors. Brown’s senior highlight tape puts the type of arm talent and accuracy Ryan Day is looking for at that level into incredible perspective. Now, Raiola has taken that expectation to the next level with his Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes comparisons.

Below we can take look at three high light tapes from Miller, Brown, and Raiola to see how they compare. In these highlight mixes you can see the arm strength, accuracy to multiple levels of the field, and incredible playmaking ability.

Physical Traits


Once you have the first two boxes on this checklist marked off, then you get to Ryan Day’s ideal physical build at of a quarterback. After getting all the high school quarterbacks Day has recruited their height averaged out to be 6-foot-3 and their weight was 208 pounds. This is the prototypical size of an incoming quarterback, and the heights are extremely valuable to NFL evaluations when it comes to looking the part. Having six quarterbacks come in fitting the exact same – or at least incredibly similar – physical statures does not happen on accident.


Looking at the current 2023 class, the quarterbacks that Ohio State has been linked with have fallen short of this physical profile, which definitely plays into the initial evaluation. Even taking a look at J.T. Barrett, Dwayne Haskins, and Justin Fields, they all fall into the same physical profile. You combine the stature with the physical tools and high level football back ground, and you get an Ohio State quarterback. Even with Stroud coming in smaller than every other quarterback, in his time at Ohio State he already has his weight up to 218 pounds, and that gives Devin Brown some hope.

Now there could be some exceptions if a quarterback is incredibly gifted in the first two areas of quarterbacking. As of now, we have seen a definitive type of quarterback in all three categories under Day when it comes to recruiting a quarterback.

Conclusion


Ohio State under Ryan Day has had two quarterbacks taken in the first round of the NFL Draft and third almost certainly on his way. There are articles about Ohio State becoming QBU all over the internet, which says a lot about what you need to know about Ryan Day’s quarterback evaluation skills. Day is also recruiting from the top, giving him access to the highest level quarterbacks allowing him to be truly selective in who he goes after.

We saw in the three highlight mixes what Ohio State quarterbacks should look like at the high school level. The ability to throw to all three levels, with different velocities and when improvising, all show up immediately when you watch any of the quarterbacks’ high school tapes. Coming from a high level offense, NFL coaching, and high character high school programs is definitely in the formula as well.

Day does not recruit quarterbacks who can’t do a little bit of everything. It’s a requirement of his offense. Every quarterback he has recruited has been incredibly successful at the high school level, and this has built him into one of the greatest talent collectors in quarterback recruiting. Ohio State fans should be excited, and with the commitment of Dylan Raiola earlier this week, it doesn’t look like this trend of elite quarterback recruiting is slowing down.

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Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for May 12, 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 Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via 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!

For your Earholes...


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

On the Gridiron


Forgotten Buckeyes: Bobby Hoying took a while to get going at OSU, but put up more prolific numbers than you might remember
Josh Dooley. Land-Grant Holy Land

Once homeless, Carlos Snow rallies to earn Ohio State degree
Rob Oller, The Columbus Dispatch

A talented Ohio State receiver room has Brian Hartline again confident in a deep rotation
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Next Man Up: How Buckeyes can replace Chris Olave at wide receiver (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Good thing he’s better at catching the ball than throwing it!


Mickey Marotti says Ohio State football’s loss to Michigan forced everybody to ‘look in the mirror’
Stephen Means, cleveland.com

What Jim Knowles wants out of an Ohio State linebacker
Colin Gay, Scarlet and Gray Report

Why Notre Dame could be Ohio State’s toughest game of the season: Buckeyes schedule breakdown
Doug Lesmerises, cleveland.com

Ohio State is the new QBU, Florida poised to break out
Ari Wasserman, The Athletic

Column: How far can Ohio State go in claiming other programs’ starpower?
Meredith Hein, Land-Grant Holy Land

You’re Nuts: Which Ohio State football player would you want to see play a different sport?
Meredith Hein and Brett Ludwiczak, Land-Grant Holy Land

On the Hardwood


Malaki Branham, E.J. Liddell invited to participate in NBA Combine
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Zed is putting in the work!

Outside the Shoe and Schott


Buckeyes top Purdue, advance in Big Ten softball tournament
Staff Reports, The Columbus Dispatch

Softball: Six Buckeyes Earn Big Ten Postseason Honors
Ohio State Athletics

Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith Believes NCAA’s New NIL Guidelines Are Necessary, Worth Risk of Potential Lawsuits
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

Women’s Lacrosse: Johnson and Epstein Named USA Lacrosse Magazine Honorable Mention All-Americans
Ohio State Athletics

And now for something completely different


Humanity is not all bad.


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Buckeyes stay busy on the recruiting trail as they offer a pair of Georgia natives
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Nicolas Galindo/The Columbus Dispatch via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Ohio State continues to stay active in Georgia by offering two new players from the Peach State.

In-season, out-of-season, it really doesn’t matter. Ohio State is recruiting their tails off and not showing any signs of stopping. This coaching staff has been non-stop when it comes to evaluating top new talent, and the same is true for their efforts in courting the 2023 and 2024 top targets on their board. Landing the nation’s best player in the 2024 class earlier this week thanks to the commitment of Dylan Raiola, it looks as if that’s just the beginning of how well the rest of this spring and into summer can go for the Buckeyes.

Buckeyes dish out latest offer in the 2024 class


Stop if you’ve heard this before, but the state of Georgia is easily one of the most impressive states when it comes to producing DI talent. The amount of players coming out of the Peach State right now is pretty incredible, and every major program is looking to shoot their shot with any number of those top guys. Fortunately, the Buckeyes have a pretty solid track record in Georgia, and they’ll look to keep the trend moving.

On Wednesday, Ohio State’s presence was back inside those talent-rich state lines as they sent out their latest offer in the 2024 cycle. On the receiving end, 6-foot-3, 180-pound defensive back Mike Matthews took to his Twitter account to share the latest in his recruitment process.

The No. 73 overall player in the 2024 class per the 247Sports Composite grades, Mike is also considered the be the eighth-best safety and the No. 15 player in Georgia. With nearly 20 offers to his name already, it’s not hard to see why Ohio State wanted to get in the mix here. While they may be a bit later to the party in comparison to the other programs such as Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, and a host of others, in-state power Georgia has yet to offer, so the Buckeyes are clearly looking to make a name for themselves early.

Though the 2023 class is certainly priority No. 1 for the staff right now, the addition of Raiola to the 2024 class is only going to speed up the momentum as they look to build yet another elite class of future Buckeyes.

OSU sends out an offer in the very distant future


It’s not often you see Ohio State send out offers to prospects in classes that are three and four years out. Ryan Day and company tend to focus on the guys in the current cycle and the class to follow. Still, when a player is worthy of an Ohio State offer, it really doesn’t matter when they receive it if the coaches believe they’re good enough. In fact, those kinds of offers many times can be to Ohio State’s advantage, because it provides increased time for building strong relationships.

Yesterday, the Buckeyes looked way off into the future when they sent out an offer to a current eighth grader in the class of 2026. About as early as it gets for an offer to be sent out, Ohio State was the latest to enter the very early recruitment of Tyler Atkinson, another Georgia product that is seeing his process explode with attention.

Not your typical middle school student by any means, Atkinson is already a household name and his offers from Georgia, Auburn, Ole Miss, and Ohio State prove how talented this youngster is. Without a ranking in the 247Sports Composite grades yet, without a doubt in mind, Atkinson will be easily one of the top players in the country for his class when those grades become available.

As mentioned, offers this early in the process make for a long relationship opportunity and though the Buckeyes weren’t first in line, Jim Knowles and the rest of the defensive staff have their sights set on being in this recruitment for the long haul.

Quick Hits

• Jim Knowles was on the road in sunny California on Wednesday as he stopped in at the national power St. John Bosco for their showcase where several college coaches were in attendance. Checking in on defensive back target Peyton Woodyard, Knowles and his three-safety system are very much working to land the No. 11 player in the country and the top safety in the 2024 class.

In addition to Woodyard, Ohio State is also in on 2024 linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa who is the No. 60 player nationally and fourth best linebacker in the class. Kyngstonn made it known that he definitely intends to get back to Columbus in the future for what would be his third visit to Ohio State overall. Not an easy trek from California, that alone should show the interest is pretty high for this top target.

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Column: How far can Ohio State go in claiming other programs’ starpower?
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 Michael Reaves/Getty Images

The limit does not exist.

A picture is worth a thousand words, and the photo of Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave and Jameson Williams in the endzone in the 2021 College Football Playoff Championship exemplifies the story of the 2022 NFL Draft — or at least the narrative Ohio State wants to tell.

It was a big night for receivers overall, but the 10-11-12 selection overall of Wilson, Olave and Williams to the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints and Detroit Lions leaves a lot to unpack — most notably because, as alluded to in the opener, they once lined up on offense for Ohio State altogether.

For starters, the trio’s success is a testament to Ohio State wide receivers coach Brian Hartline who, in just a few seasons, has made Columbus THE destination for top receiver talent from across the country. That pipeline has continued into its next generation, as we saw in the Rose Bowl in January with Jaxon Smith-Njigba seamlessly stepping into the role of No. 1 receiver.

There’s also the continued success of Ohio State in the draft at large — a story this draft helped to perpetuate. The Buckeyes have had at least one first round pick in every draft since 2016, and the program has an FBS record 87 first-round selections.

For all the success of this year’s draft, this narrative also begs the question of how much Ohio State can continue to capitalize on the talent of individual players who did not finish their collegiate careers in Columbus — something that would have seemed altogether unthinkable just a few seasons ago.

In 2022, however, the phenomenon is not that far-fetched, nor is it uncommon. Ohio State fans have been claiming Joe Burrow as a member of Buckeye Nation despite him leaving for LSU in 2018 after graduating from Ohio State — a solid reason to count him in the ranks if there ever was one. Now, we can add Williams to the list. It’s a scenario that will only continue to compound with the continuation of the transfer portal as more players will spend time with multiple programs during their college careers.

On the flip side, it feels apparent that Ohio State fans would rarely give credit to the previous program of a player who transferred in. There is some haughtiness there, but there’s also consideration that, as the elitist of elite programs, Ohio State deserves much of the credit in getting the inbound player the stage and setup to be successful.

That narrative doesn’t hold up when we look at players like North Carolina graduate transfer kicker Noah Ruggles, but even with a grad transfer, the story of Ruggles’ time in Columbus still contained the element that he’d initially wanted to come to Ohio State and his grandfather was a season ticket holder.

Similarly, we also tell ourselves that players like Williams and Burrow who transfer to other elite programs — Alabama and LSU, for instance — are trading for new situations with other great programs, so we can assume Ohio State played a big role in their development. Again, that’s the narrative we repeat to ourselves when times are good.

Perhaps looking at players who have never been at Ohio State can help us understand this situation. For instance, will Oklahoma continue to claim Caleb Williams as a Sooner? What about NC State/Wisconsin and Russell Wilson?

Russell Wilson presents a rare case of a player who can give us hindsight in this rapidly evolving situation, as the graduate transfer situation is recognizably more clear cut but similar to the chaos of the transfer portal. Players play for a significant period at their undergraduate school’s program before wrapping up elsewhere. For Big Ten fans, the emphasis for Wilson is the “somewhere” he landed — Wisconsin — while for others it might be NC State, where he spent the first several years of his college career. In many ways, it feels like there are fewer hard feelings with grad transfers.

Like Williams, Burrow didn’t leave anyone at Ohio State in a lurch when he transferred. Dwayne Haskins had effectively backed up JT Barrett in 2017 when Burrow was injured, and Haskins came out on top of the three-way quarterback competition in the spring of 2018. Haskins would go on to have a phenomenal season in 2018 before Justin Fields transferred in from Georgia in 2019 — a move no one was mad about.

That’s a long way of saying there were no hard feelings when Burrow left.

Fields, of course, is the inverse of Burrow, having played limited snaps in his single season with the Bulldogs before transferring to Ohio State. However, like Burrow and Williams, Ohio State fans claim Fields unequivocally as one of their own.

Granted, that “claim” also translates into extraordinary support. When Williams went down with an injury in the College Football Playoff final this year, Buckeye Nation collectively held its breath and hoped it wasn’t too serious. Like Burrow, we all seem to have a soft spot for Williams and want him to succeed, even if he did go to an SEC school.

Of course, even the most loyal of Ohio State fans can be fickle at times. We accept that Williams wouldn’t have had as much of a breakout season in Columbus if he was splitting catches with Olave and Wilson. Would our feelings toward Williams be so positive if Ohio State’s receiver room was not quite so talented this past season? We know what we’d do: We’d be calling him a traitor.

There’s also the consideration of some of the more unceremonious departures from Ohio State for the transfer portal who get no love from Ohio State fans. The mid-season transfer of linebacker K’Vaughan Pope comes to mind. It’s hard to imagine Ohio State fans cheering for him in the same way they did for the parted Williams — then again, tweeting out obscenities about the team at halftime might have contributed to those hard feelings.

Regardless of how we feel, Burrow doesn’t say he went to Ohio State when he does his voiceover for Monday Night Football. There are probably few who care that he started his career at Ohio State. So why is it so important to us, especially when we have so many other proof points?

At the end of the day, Ohio State has an embarrassment of riches, and probably can pump the brakes on claiming players who didn’t actually finish their college careers in Columbus. There’s no shortage of proof points to the validity of the program, and this past draft was no exception. Two receivers going high in the first round should be proof enough of the strength of the program.

Then again, there’s no reason not to keep showing that photo of Olave, Wilson and Williams at every possible opportunity.

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You’re Nuts: Which Ohio State football player would you want to see play a different sport?
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

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

Football players are some of the best athletes in the world, so it’s only natural to think they would be able to excel at other sports. Not like we haven’t seen football players try their hand at basketball, baseball, track, as well as numerous other sports over the years. We even saw Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson play both football and baseball. Who knows, if Jackson’s body had held up, we might have seen Bo put up Hall of Fame careers in both sports.

These days it is pretty rare to see some play both football and another sport in college. You’ll have a few that also play basketball, but it is really tough for college football players to also play college basketball now, since often times a college football team’s season isn’t done until late December or early January. With no downtime to recover from the physical toll from football, a lot of programs are reluctant to allow a player to go straight into the middle of a college basketball season. You’ll likely see this type of scenario play out in the next few years at Ohio State, since the Buckeyes landed Sonny Styles, who is one of the best players in the state at both football and basketball.

Since we have to fill a few months before football season gets back underway, we figured today was a good day to let our imaginations run wild. Ohio State has had some tremendous football players come to Columbus in all shapes and sizes. There are some sports that would be perfect for some Buckeyes if they weren’t able to play football. Then there are other players we would want to see play a certain sport just because it would be hilarious. There really are no wrong answers here.

Today’s question: Which Ohio State football player would you want to see play a different sport?

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

Brett’s answer: Garrett Wilson - Soccer


There was so much about Garrett Wilson that was fun to watch during his three years with the Buckeyes. At the top of the list is Wilson’s footwork. It was a privilege to watch the work Wilson would do to get open, using his feet along with changes in direction and timing to find the open spots in the defense. Then there was the way that Wilson would contort his body to find a way to make a tough catch.

Even though Wilson didn’t run quite as fast as teammate Chris Olave at the NFL Combine, there’s no denying that Wilson has speed to burn. What would really make Wilson a problem on the pitch for opponents is his quick acceleration. Wilson has a number of different gears which would make it tough for opponents to get a read on him.

Another reason I would love to see Garrett Wilson play soccer is because of how effective he is in the air. We saw countless times how Wilson would jump to get the football, and it looked like he would make the catch with ease. Now imagine Wilson taking to the sky in the box to get to a header that he would put past the goalkeeper. Even though Wilson might not have the most size, he knows how to maximize his abilities.

With the way Columbus Crew SC has been playing over the last two years, they might have missed out on something special by not seeing what Wilson could bring to the pitch. If the Crew couldn’t have found a place for Wilson, you know that FC Cincinnati certainly could have since that soccer team is sadder than a bowl of Skyline.

Meredith’s answer: Chase Young - Hoops... or Hockey


When it comes to this topic, there are definitely some cop outs, like Chris Olave running track (of course he did - he’s so fast!) or Nate Ebner playing rugby (since it’s so random that he did that anyway).

As a result, I’m going to go with Chase Young here. Young is an incredible athlete who played quarterback, tight end and other positions in high school before moving to defensive end, where he’s obviously thrived. His outright athleticism means he could probably be passable at most team sports, but in particular those that require the agility and ball-hunting capabilities that makes him a great defensive player.

In particular, Young’s size and strength would make him an outstanding basketball player, though at just 6-foot-5, he might lack the height to be, say, an NBA-level big man. This particular sport makes sense since Young’s father and sister played college hoops, and Chase himself played in high school. However, as his high school, DeMatha, happened to be a basketball powerhouse, Young was competing for playing time with future NBA prospects like Markelle Fultz — the No. 1-overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. There’s also the potential that his aggression on the court could put him in foul trouble, so as entertaining as he might be on the hardcourt, he might only be good for a half.

Which brings us to hockey. Young moves with such grace and precision on the football field, and we have to imagine that if he was able to skate (something I can’t verify), he would bring the aggression and handling skills that would make him a standout on the ice.

The specific image of Young as an enforcer makes me smile — no one would be getting to the goal.

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Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: Ryan Day lands another five-star QB, the latest on OSU recruiting
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Five-star 2024 QB Dylan Raiola | Mike Roach, 247Sports

The Buckeyes’ 2024 class gets off to a massive start.

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, the guys dive into all of the latest on Ohio State recruiting. They get things started by taking a look at all of the latest Crystal Ball predictions in favor of the Buckeyes in the 2023 class, including the big names you should be keeping an eye on this summer. They also discuss the latest Ohio State commitment — a five-star quarterback in the 2024 class. They finish things up with some analysis on how the change in philosophy for the Buckeyes’ offense has led to the recent run of success on both the recruiting trail and in the NFL Draft on that side of the ball.

“Hangout in the Holy Land” is will now return to one episode a week during the offseason, dropping 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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Forgotten Buckeyes: Bobby Hoying took a while to get going at OSU, but put up more prolific numbers than you might remember
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Hoying finished his Ohio State career as one of the most prolific passers in program history

This is the ongoing series where we re-remember lesser known Buckeye heroes.

Shortly after I began contributing to Land Grant Holy Land, I realized that I was already struggling to come up with good content for the offseason/summer months. Hell of a start, right? But unfortunately, once the NFL Draft takes place, the content well tends to dry up unless you’ve already dialed in on one of the spring sports or the NBA Draft (but as Buckeye hoops fans... you get it). Ohio State football and basketball – our most popular topics – are still part of the news cycle, but they have taken a back seat. And recruiting... well, there are people at LGHL who do a hell of a job covering it, so I wasn’t about to swim with those sharks.

I needed to think outside the box. I thought: Football is months away, basketball is months away, recruiting is speculative and subject to change... many of the topics being covered now revolve around future events or predictions. But what about former players? And I’m not talking recent or soon-to-be draftees, because those athletes are still being talked or written about.

I am referring to unheralded and underappreciated Buckeyes from decades ago, that have been forgotten by some (or most) since they last donned the scarlet and gray. And there it was: Forgotten Buckeyes. Other OSU fans and media types have taken a similar approach to recognition, but this is my personal way of appreciating those who left an indelible mark at Ohio State.

Welcome to Volume II.

Bobby Hoying | Quarterback (1992-1995)


Hoying was a classic pocket passer who got better each and every year in Columbus

The headline for this piece does a great job of ruining the bit, but I’ll ask anyway: Quickly, and without looking, can you name the last quarterback to hold Ohio State’s single-season record for passing touchdowns for more than a decade? From 1995 until 2006, when his record was broken by Heisman Trophy winner, Troy Smith? Well, like I said, the headline plays spoiler here, but I don’t know how many people would have guessed Bobby Hoying under different circumstances. And that is a shame, because Hoying was actually OSU’s most prolific passer of the 1990’s.

You might be wondering: Did I forget about Joe Germaine? The answer is no, not at all. Germaine did break Hoying’s single-season yardage record – and he was definitely the more accomplished quarterback in terms of individual honors, team success, bowl victories, etc. – but it was Hoying who put up greater career totals. And you can argue opportunity, attempts, or whatever else you want, but the stats are the stats, and he (Hoying) still holds a place in the top-5 of many passing categories for Ohio State. Pretty damn prolific, if I do say so myself.

Hoying committed to OSU after an outstanding high school career, during which he won (Ohio) state titles in both football and basketball. He even earned the title of Ohio’s Mr. Football in 1990, despite playing for tiny St. Henry High School (near the Indiana border). But his prep titles and individual honors meant nothing once he arrived in Columbus. Hoying would have to earn playing time, and his ability to do so was not a foregone conclusion.

The John Cooper-led Buckeyes were no juggernaut during the early ‘90s, but at least they had depth at the quarterback position in 1991 (or so they thought). Kent Graham and Kirk Herbstreit were the veterans, and chomping at the bit behind them was a highly-touted recruit from the 1990 class named Joe Pickens. Hoying was no better than fourth on depth chart, so he ended up taking a redshirt as a freshman. Maybe they should have let the kid play? Because unfortunately for Ohio State, said depth actually turned out to be a dearth of QB talent, and the 1991 team was unable to do much in the passing game. Actually, that would be putting it mildly. OSU quarterbacks couldn’t hit water from a boat in 1991.

Graham and Pickens graduated and/or transferred after Hoying’s redshirt season, but Herbstreit was still around, and the future ESPN star was eventually named the full-time starter for the 1992 season. Hoying appeared in seven games, attempting 14 passes and throwing a single touchdown. Funny enough, he actually accounted for 20 percent of Ohio State’s passing touchdowns that season. That’s right, the Buckeyes threw five touchdowns all year! Herbstreit threw four, on 264 passing attempts. How times have changed. Despite the lack of a passing game, OSU went 8-3-1 in 1992, laying the groundwork for a nice little run under Cooper. Hoying wound up being a big part of the program’s success.

Hoying became the starter in 1993, but he did not monopolize the QB position. Bret Powers was brought in from Arizona State (Cooper’s previous employer), and he appeared in all 12 games as the backup. The QB timeshare is something Buckeye fans grew accustomed to seeing from Coop, whether we liked it or not (we did not). Hoying struggled at times – which young quarterbacks are known to do – and it was Powers who had the higher completion percentage, but the Ohio kid held down the job. Both signal callers were supported by a strong run game and an opportunistic defense (18 INT), and the team finished with a 10-1-1 record.

Finally, in 1994, Hoying had the quarterback position to himself — for the most part. Because he just couldn’t help himself, Cooper deployed a young Stanley Jackson as a runner, but the gadget QB only attempted 28 passes. The Buckeyes opened up the offense just a little bit, allowing Hoying to attempt over 300 passes. He was flanked by skills players such as Eddie George, Joey Galloway, and Dimitrious Stanley, and it was his first real opportunity to let it loose and deliver on some of the promise he had shown in high school.

George was the clear star, but Hoying passed for over 2,300 yards and 19 touchdowns — the highest total by an OSU QB since 1985. Nobody was talking about Ohio State as having an air raid offense, but there were the makings of an explosive unit. The team took a step back record-wise, finishing 9-4, but there was optimism for Hoying and his teammates moving forward.

As a redshirt senior, Hoying took a blowtorch to the Ohio State record books in 1995. His numbers might look pedestrian now, but this was not your Ryan Day-coached offense. Passing was not as prevalent, and the veteran QB had to share the rock with his Heisman-winning running back. In total, Hoying set double-digit school records in ‘95. Among them were new single-season marks in passing yards (3,269), touchdowns (29), and completion percentage (61.9). Hoying, George, and Terry Glenn formed a dangerous offensive trio, and all of the sudden, Cooper’s Buckeyes went from a 9-4 team to a championship contender. They reeled off 11-straight victories and rose to No. 2 in the rankings.

Unfortunately, Hoying’s college career and the Buckeyes’ 1995 season ended with back-to-back losses. TTUN put a nail in the coffin of Ohio State’s championship hopes with a home victory in The Game, and the team then went out with a whimper (14 points scored) against Peyton Manning-led Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl. Hoying’s teams went 38-10-2 during his career, but only 1-2- in bowl games and 1-3 against the Wolverines. The quarterback did earn a First Team All-Big Ten nod for his final season, but I’m sure he would have traded the individual accolade(s) for another shot at team glory.

After leaving OSU, Hoying found varying degrees of success in different walks of life. He spent six years in the NFL, primarily as a backup. He passed for 2,544 yards and 11 TD in his professional career, which ended after the 2001 season. Hoying then went into real estate, where he has done quite well for himself in the Columbus area. He helped form Crawford Hoying, one of the premier real estate developers in central Ohio. Hoying still plays an active role in guiding the company’s new developments, and he is also very active in the local community. Buckeye fans could bump into the former quarterback at any number of events around town.

Now more commonly referred to as Bob, Hoying was elected into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008. His name is still scattered throughout the school’s record books, and the 1995 team will likely be remembered as one of OSU’s better non-championship winning teams. Hoying himself is often overlooked — especially now that J.T. Barrett, Dwayne Haskins, Justin Fields, and others have put up ridiculous stats — but the prep legend and first 3,000-yard passer at Ohio State deserves praise for helping to modernize the game in Columbus.

Continue reading...

Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for May 11, 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 Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via 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!

For your Earholes...


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Buckeyes are BOOOOOOMing...


BOOOOOM! Five-star 2024 quarterback Dylan Raiola commits to Ohio State
Shane Bailey, Land-Grant Holy Land

LFG!!!


What Dylan Raiola’s Commitment Means for Ohio State’s 2024 Recruiting Class
Garrick Hodge, Elven Warriors

Ohio State Commitment Evaluation: Dylan Raiola, Chandler (Ariz.)
Mark Porter, Bucknuts

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

In Dylan Railoa, Ryan Day and Ohio State add to stockpile of elite QBs
Brandon Huffman, 247Sports

Succession: Ohio State’s future plan for quarterback
Colin Gay, Scarlet and Gray Report

Counting down the top QBs Ohio State has landed in the modern rankings era, and where Raiola ranks
Bill Kurelic, Bucknuts


Dylan Raiola Continues Ryan Day’s Absurd Quarterback Recruiting Stretch, Becomes Fifth Top-50 Prospect Since 2020 Class
Kevin Harrish, Eleven Warriors

Commitment from Dylan Raiola keeps up Ohio State QB recruiting run
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch

Diving inside personality, pedigree of Ohio State QB commit Dylan Raiola
Zack Carpenter, Scarlet and Gray Report

The Hurry-Up: Dylan Raiola’s Presence Will Only Help Ohio State Wide Receiver Recruiting Moving Forward
Garrick Hodge, Eleven Warriors

On the Gridiron


Column: Brandon Inniss and Carnell Tate aside, Ohio State is also in the mix for other top pass-catchers
Bret Favachio, Land-Grant Holy Land

Defensive early enrollees ‘really made progress’ during spring for Buckeyes (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Ohio State’s 2022 Run Defense Must Improve on Last Season’s Struggles When It Mattered Most
Chris Lauderback, Eleven Warriors

You seem to be forgetting a certain Scarlet and Gray running back


In 2-deep: Projecting Ohio State’s depth chart on offense
Dave Biddle, Bucknuts

Progress Report: Evaluating Ohio State special teams after spring camp (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Former Ohio State DL Cameron Heyward named PFWA Good Guy Award winner
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

On the Hardwood


Column: Seth Towns deserves to end his collegiate career on a high note
Connor Lemons, Land-Grant Holy Land

E.J. and Malaki are going combining.

Outside the Shoe and Schott


Where does the Emmert-less NCAA go from here?
David M. Wheeler, Land-Grant Holy Land

Men’s Lacrosse: Inacio and Reid Selected in Premier Lacrosse League Draft
Ohio State Athletics

Rest in peace, Cap.


Women’s Golf: Day 2 — Buckeyes Tied for 6th at 2022 NCAA Ann Arbor Regional
Ohio State Athletics

Ohio State softball gears up for Big Ten Tournament
Megan Husslein, Land-Grant Holy Land

Senior associate AD Jocelyn Gates will be leaving Ohio State
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch

And now for something completely different


I just want anything approaching coherence on this multiverse stuff:


Continue reading...

Mike80 said:

17. Craig Walkup is in the Hizzzouzzzzze!!!

Too bad this thread is apparently down the memory hole...I ran across this moron on Facebook...and yes he's still a moron...

Click to expand...

Damn....

Exactly 2 years later, another Facebook interaction. Yes he's still a moron.

Login to view embedded media
Ohio State’s recruiting class of 2016 officially ended its run in Columbus when Demario McCall played his sixth and final season with the Buckeyes this past fall.

While his lengthy career never blossomed into what many believed it could become when he arrived at Ohio State as the No. 44 overall prospect in the 2016 class, there were plenty of other players in his class – which was ranked as the fourth-best class in the country at the time – who went on to play major roles for the Buckeyes.

Although it did not spawn quite as many marquee players as the 2017 class that directly followed it – a class that still has one of its members on the Buckeyes’ 2022 roster (Jerron Cage) – the class of 2016 made a significant impact at Ohio State nonetheless, highlighted by a pair of superstars who would become first-round NFL draft picks in just three years as well as nine other players who became multi-year starters for the Buckeyes, including three multi-year captains.

Out of the 24 total scholarship players who signed with the Buckeyes in 2016, exactly half of them became starters for Ohio State while three of them had lengthy careers as backups. The other nine left the team to either transfer elsewhere or stop playing football altogether before exhausting their collegiate eligibility.

Now that all 24 members of the 2016 class have completed their Ohio State careers, it’s time to take a look back at how each of them fared in Columbus and what they’ve done since.

TWO SUPERSTARS

QB DWAYNE HASKINS
While Haskins was only a one-year starter at Ohio State, his lone season leading the Buckeyes’ offense was one of the greatest individual seasons in OSU history.

Haskins completed 70 percent of his passing attempts for 4,831 yards and 50 touchdowns – both school records – and finished third in the Heisman Trophy race while winning the Silver Football and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors and leading the Buckeyes to a 13-1 record with a Big Ten championship and a Rose Bowl win in 2018.

A different kind of quarterback than just about every other quarterback Urban Meyer recruited during his seven-year tenure, in that he did almost all of his damage with his arm rather than with his legs, Haskins was selected with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, becoming Ohio State’s first Round 1 pick at quarterback since Art Schlichter in 1982. And by redefining Ohio State’s offense as one in which pass-first quarterbacks could thrive, he set the stage for the run of elite quarterbacks that appears set to continue at Ohio State for years to come.

DE NICK BOSA
The lone five-star recruit in Ohio State’s class of 2018, Bosa became exactly the kind of player he was expected to be when he arrived at OSU as the eighth-ranked overall player in his class, though his Buckeye career might always be remembered most as a case of what could have been.

Bosa made an immediate impact as a true freshman, recording 29 total tackles with seven tackles for loss and five sacks even though he never started a game. He established himself as one of college football’s elite defenders as a sophomore in 2017, when he recorded 16 tackles for loss with 8.5 sacks and earned first-team All-American and Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year honors even though he was still only a part-time starter.

He got off to a spectacular start in 2018, recording six tackles for loss with four sacks in just two-and-a-half games, but his season and Ohio State career ended prematurely when he suffered a core muscle injury in the Buckeyes’ third game of the year against TCU. That kept Bosa from making as big of a mark at Ohio State as he could have, but that didn’t stop him from being selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, and he’s continued to be a dominant force for the San Francisco 49ers, earning first-team All-NFL honors in 2021.

NINE MULTI-YEAR STARTERS
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.
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continued

Here's a 2019 article re-ranking the 2016 classes:

Re-Ranking the Recruiting Classes of 2016: Who Really Had a Top-10 Haul?

2. Ohio State

Original rank: 4
Record since 2016: 37–5
Conference titles: 2
College Football Playoff appearances: 1
New Year’s Six bowl appearances: 3
National titles: 0

Major contributors: DE Nick Bosa, DE Jonathan Cooper, WR Austin Mack, QB Dwayne Haskins, WR Binjimen Victor, C Michael Jordan, OG Malcolm Pridgeon, TE Luke Farrell, LB Tuf Borland, S Jordan Fuller, P Drue Chrisman.

This class includes a Heisman Trophy finalist (Haskins) who shattered Big Ten passing records, and it may wind up containing a No. 1 pick in the NFL draft (Bosa). It also includes some critical role players and a specialist (Chrisman) who was truly special at times in ’18.

Entire article: https://www.si.com/college/2019/02/28/signing-day-2016-recruiting-rankings-alabama-oklahoma

Four-star corner has Ohio State in top schools
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


2023 four-star CB Sharif Denson via Andrew Ivins/247Sports

The Buckeyes made the cut for a 2023 four-star cornerback and offered its first wide receiver in the 2025 class.

Ohio State began the week hitting the recruiting trail head first. On Monday, the Buckeyes found themselves in the top five schools for a four-star cornerback and also offered their first wide receiver in the 2025 class. They also landed a five-star QB in 2024.

Four-star CB has Ohio State in top-5


Ohio State has been making the cut for plenty of targets as of late. The program was listed on a handful of top schools list this past weekend, and the trend continued into Monday as one of the programs top defensive targets listed the Buckeyes in his top schools.

2023 Four-star CB Sharif Denson (Jacksonville, FL / Bartram Trail) listed the Buckeyes in his top schools.


Denson revealed a top five schools of Ohio State, Florida State, Florida, South Carolina and Texas A&M.

The blue-chip prospect is obviously familiar with the Buckeyes. Denson last visited with Ohio State April 1-3 with multiple of his South Florida Express teammates. The visit appeared to go as well as planned, as shortly following the visit, Denson announced he was ready to drop a top schools list.

Denson spoke with Chris Boyle of staugustine.com regarding his top schools and his recruitment and mentioned that he is, “A Florida boy - born and raised,” but that after making visits to schools outside of Florida, that might have to change.

Denson’s willingness to leave Florida certainly helps Ohio State chances, and the unofficial visit went as well as possible, as the Buckeyes made his top schools list. However, the Buckeyes will need to get him on campus for an official visit if they are going to steal from the sunshine state. Denson does not yet have any official visits planned, but look for all of the above teams to receive one sometime this summer or next season. He will also look to take his time, looking to be a mid-year enrollee.

The blue-chip prospect also spoke with Boyle about each of his five finalists. When speaking about Ohio State, he had the following to say:


Denson is viewed as a four-star prospect by 247Sports and is listed as the No. 56 prospect out of Florida and is the No. 30 CB.

Ohio State offers 2025 WR


It is not news that Ohio State has been successful at the wide receiver position since bringing on Brian Hartline. Under Hartline, the Buckeyes have successfully recruited top prospects, got on-field production from those kids, and found ways to send the young men to the NFL as top picks.

Hartline’s ability to locate special talents at WR early and build relationships is uncanny - and he may have done it again.

On Monday, Ohio State offered its first WR target in the 2025 recruiting class in Dakroien Moore (Duncanville, TX / Duncanville.)


Moore is certainly in the beginning stages of his recruitment, but it has been anything but slow. The blue-chip WR has already earned close to two-dozen offers from programs like Arizona, Baylor, Florida, Kansas, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Pitt, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, USC, etc.

There is obviously plenty of time left in Moore’s recruitment, and many more schools will throw their hat in the ring for his services by the time he is ready to commit. Ohio State will continue to build a relationship with Moore and get him on campus multiple times in the coming years.

Quick Hits

• Ohio State offensive line coach Justin Frye visited with 2023 four-star OT and Ohio State verbal commitment Luke Montgomery Monday. Montgomery committed the Buckeyes Feb. 17 and has sense become an avid recruiter for the Buckeyes.

• On Monday night, Ohio State landed a commitment from 2024 five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola. The No. 8 player in the country overall and the No. 3 QB in the class per the 247Sports Composite, Raiola checks in as the top overall player by 247Sports’ own rankings. He is quite an impressive first get for the Buckeyes’ 2024 group, and yet another massive quarterback prospect to join the program under Ryan Day.

Continue reading...

BOOOOOM! Five-star 2024 quarterback Dylan Raiola commits to Ohio State
Shane Bailey via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



Ryan Day and Ohio State continue their roll on the recruiting trail with another elite QB.

In his time with Ohio State, Ryan Day has become one of the most beloved coaches amongst big-time quarterback prospects, landing C.J. Stroud, Quinn Ewers, Kyle McCord, and Devin Brown.

On Monday, Day and the Buckeyes earned the commitment of their latest top-line QB recruit in Dylan Raiola, the No. 3 QB in the class of 2024 according to 247Sports Composite Rankings. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound signal-caller from Chandler, Ariz. announced his pledge to play at Ohio State on his birthday, and it seems like Buckeye Nation was the one getting the gift.


The Buckeyes beat out USC, Nebraska, Bama, Georgia, Oregon, and essentially every school in the country for his commitment. The five-star prospect is currently the eighth-rated player in the Composite rankings, but 247Sports’s in-house rankings have him as their top overall prospect.

Raiola becomes the first prospect in OSU’s 2024 class, but absolutely sets them up for a lot of success in the cycle. Landing a major QB early in the process is a massive boon for programs as they can use that commitment as a way to recruit other top talent. Even with just one player in the class, Raiola moves OSU to the No. 5 spot in the national recruiting rankings.

The son of former Nebraska and Detroit Lions offensive lineman Domenic Raiola, the NFL bloodline is apparent when watching Dylan’s film. Raiola is one of the best QB prospects that I have gotten to watch on tape and is somebody that Buckeye fans should be very, very excited about playing in Columbus.

Getting a player like Raiola this early in the process is a huge bonus for the Buckeyes' shot at securing the No. 1 class in 2024; as you can see, he’s already pretty close with fellow five-star recruit KJ Bolden. Building a class around one of the best (if not the best) QBs in the class is a recipe for success.


Raiola is a unique quarterback who the Buckeyes chose over an array of other options that were available in 2024. Already standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 225 lbs., Raiola is what you look for in a pro-style prospect.

He transferred to Chandler High School in Arizona for the upcoming season, but previously played for Burleson High School in Texas where he was the Texas District 5-5A-II Offensive MVP as a sophomore, throwing for 3,341 yards while completing 65% of his passes. He also tossed 32 touchdowns to go along with the other stats.

For the running QB crowd, Raiola also tacked on nine rushing TDs, although at only 1.8 yards a carry.

Now I am going to put a huge disclaimer here, I am not saying that he will become these guys, but man does he really make some Matt Stafford/Patrick Mahomes/Aaron Rodgers, backyard, gunslinger type of throws, and I absolutely am here for it.

Just take a look at the clip below for instance:


With the positional talent that the Buckeyes are bringing in, Raiola will have an embarrassment of riches to throw to at wide receiver, and with a strong recruiting start from new offensive line coach Justin Frye, he should have a great offensive line to go with it.

While he clearly still has a lot of development to do, Raiola’s talent is the type that very well could lead him to the top 10 of the NFL Draft in four to five years time, and I could not be more optimistic about the future of the QB position in Columbus with Day leading the team.

By becoming the first commitment in the Buckeyes’ 2024 cycle, Raiola appears to be accepting and welcoming his role in helping lead and building the rest of the class.

There are already rumors of a few 2024 WRs wanting to commit to the class alongside Raiola, but with it still being so far out, Brian Hartline may decide to take a slower approach with his evaluation.

Only time will tell how the OSU staff sorts out its board, but having one of the best players in the country already committed at quarterback is obviously a good start.

Check out Dylan Raiola’s highlights:

Continue reading...

Ohio State softball gears up for Big Ten Tournament
meganhusslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Katie Good | For The Lantern

The softball Bucks had a great end to their regular season on Sunday, including setting some new records. Now, they get ready for the postseason.

It’s officially the postseason for college softball, AKA one of the most exciting times of the year for the sport! This year in particular, the Buckeyes have had a very successful regular season and look to continue doing damage in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournament.

Ohio State closed out their regular season with a doubleheader sweep against Maryland on Sunday. The women definitely ended their season on a high note, with hits coming from everyone in the lineup and the pitching staff backing them up. Additionally, a couple big records were set, one by ace left-hander Lexie Handley and another by head coach Kelly Kovach Schoenly.


Even though this is her first and only season with the Buckeyes, Handley has certainly made her presence known by leading her team in the circle and carving her name into the history books. She broke Ohio State’s single-season strikeout record that has previously stood for 15 years, since Jamee Juarez set it in 2007. Handley eclipsed the former record of 240 strikeouts by punching out one more than Juarez, finishing with 241— yet she still has the postseason to add to this total.

Handley also became Ohio State’s first 20-game winner since Kim Reeder won 21 in 2009. The single-season wins record is also held by Reeder, who won 26 games in 2008. Sunday marked the fifth game this season that Handley has struck out 13 batters. She ends the regular season going 20-8 with a 2.58 ERA through 192.2 innings pitched.

As for the head honcho, Schoenly won her 300th game at Ohio State in the second game of the doubleheader. She’s the fastest coach in program history to reach that mark, as it took her 486 games. Her career record with the Buckeyes is now 300-185-1, and she’s averaged 33 wins per year in her nine full seasons.


Schoenly gathered a good amount of new players this season, including five who worked their way into the everyday lineup. However, she figured out a game plan that led to a successful season, finishing with a 33-14 overall record and a 13-9 conference record. Ohio State won five of its seven Big Ten weekend series.

The Buckeyes secured the No. 6 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, and will first face off against No. 11 Purdue on Wednesday. Northwestern earned the No. 1 overall seed, followed by Nebraska, Illinois, Michigan and Maryland. The Wildcats (39-9, 19-4 Big Ten) were completely dominant this season, however Illinois and Michigan only have one more win than the Buckeyes.

With the Big Ten being extremely competitive this season, it will be interesting to see how this tournament plays out. Northwestern won the regular season title, but the tournament title is totally up for grabs. The Buckeyes are riding momentum coming off two solid wins against the Terps, so we will see if they can keep it going this week.

Ohio State faces off against the Boilermakers Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. It will be televised on the Big Ten Network and streamed on the Fox Sports app. If they win, they will play Illinois Thursday at the same time and channel.

Continue reading...

You’re Nuts: In honor of Rich Strike, what is your favorite Ohio State comeback?
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Michael Clevenger and Erik Mohn/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Kentucky Derby winner came from behind for a shocking first place finish.

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: What is your favorite Ohio State comeback?

Josh’s Take: 2021 Rose Bowl


This weekend’s Kentucky Derby was a reminder that everyone loves a good comeback story in sports, even more so if you own – or have money on – an 80/1 longshot horse. Plenty of people struck it rich with Rich Strike, and the backstory of the horse even making it into the race was great to hear and/or read about. But Gene, now that I got that terrible joke/pun out of the way, I need to confess something.

I don’t get the whole infatuation with the Kentucky Derby or any other horseracing event. Sorry, it’s just not my thing. I appreciate the gambling and the party element, but why is this a must-see sporting event? What do we really know about it, or any of the players involved?

The one owner that I am aware of is basically Ashley Schaeffer from Eastbound & Down, nobody on the planet can name a successful jockey, and the most important “athletes’ or figures involved are horses. They are beautiful, majestic creatures, but I like to get to know my athletes. Or I’ll decide to root for them because they are associated with a school and/or city that means something to me. Tell me why I should ever care about Rich Strike again, and maybe I’ll jump on the horseracing hype train. I can join the others who pretend to care once a year.

Personal feelings about the event aside, Rich Strike’s win was a comeback for the ages, and it got us thinking about great Ohio State comebacks. A number of them came to mind, and I lost the game of rock, paper, scissors for Gene’s entry, so I settled on the most recent one. OSU’s come-from-behind Rose Bowl victory over Utah put a spectacular end to the Buckeyes’ football season, and while it was not part of the College Football Playoff, I do think it is a game we will remember for some time.

Under different circumstances, the 2022 Rose Bowl could have been a snooze-fest. No disrespect to the Utah, but if Ohio State had its full complement of players, the Buckeyes probably would have rolled the Utes. But with a number of high-profile players opting out, OSU found itself in a real battle. C.J. Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba put on a show, under-appreciated players made a few big plays, and the game ended up being one of the most exciting Ohio State victories in recent seasons.

Unlike the Alabama CFP game or a closely-contested version of The Game, The Buckeyes did not have a ton to play for in Pasadena... and it showed early on. They were coming off of a crushing defeat to TTUN, and honestly, my anticipation for the Rose Bowl was not at an all-time high. But my excitement level increased as the game went along, and by the second half, I was on the edge of my seat.

Ohio State’s defense could not stop a nosebleed during the first half, and it seemed like they might actually lose to a tougher-than-nails Utah team. Fortunately, the Buckeyes eventually showed some toughness of their own, and Stroud and Smith-Njigba put on a performance for the ages. Watching the two of them work in perfect harmony was a sight to behold. They were completely unstoppable as a duo, and we may never see another game like it. The aerial display was truly memorable, and the comeback made it that much more special.

But the Stroud-to-JSN connection was just one of the elements that etched this game into my memory — potentially forever. Marvin Harrison Jr.’s breakout was a preview of great things to come, Tommy Eichenberg showed a ton of grit and determination in firing his defense up, and the team as a whole found a toughness that they had not really shown all season. It was not a dominant victory by any means, but it was hard-fought and completely earned.

For what it’s worth, the Rose Bowl also set in motion a series of coaching changes that will hopefully lead to great results in the coming seasons. I don’t want to sit here and say that I will forever remember this game because it was the last one that Kerry Coombs, Al Washington, and others coached at OSU, but I do hope that we look back on it as the beginning of a new, even more successful chapter in Ohio State football history. The end of the season was a necessary evil, but ending it with a victory removes a little bit of the sting.

I’m optimistic that the Rose Bowl was the beginning of something special. The Buckeyes could have folded, and if they did, some would likely be asking questions about Ryan Day and/or the state of the program. But instead, I think we are collectively optimistic about the future. I hope that we will look back at the record-setting comeback as something that propelled this team to even great heights, and it is a game we should all remember for how special it really was.

Gene’s Take: 2015 Sugar Bowl


I’m willing to admit that I got the lucky draw here and won the battle for the rights to get the 2015 Sugar Bowl as my choice, as both Josh and I likely agree that this is our favorite Ohio Sate comeback of all time — or at the very least in recent memory. Not quite as big an underdog as Rich Strike, the Buckeyes were certainly not the favorite as they embarked into SEC territory to take on No. 1 seed Alabama in the inaugural College Football Playoff. While a few comebacks against Michigan and the 2019 B1G Championship also come to mind, this game takes the cake for a number of reasons.

Things started out okay for the Buckeyes but not great, as they got the ball inside the Alabama 5-yard line on their first offensive possession but were unable to finish the drive, settling for a 22-yard field goal. From there things got hairy, as an Ezekiel Elliott fumble led immediately to a 25-yard touchdown run for Derrick Henry as the Tide took the lead. Ohio State again got inside the five but had to settle for a field goal to make it 7-6, and Bama responded with another touchdown to extend their lead to 14-6. A Cardale Jones interception then led to an easy score for the Crimson Tide, and just like that Ohio State trailed 21-6 midway through the third quarter.

That is when things began to take a turn. A long 12-play, 71-yard drive on the Buckeyes’ ensuing possession resulted in an Elliott score as the deficit was cut to 21-13. After forcing an Alabama punt, Ohio State capped off their final drive of the half with a ridiculous trick play touchdown on a pass from Evan Spencer to Michael Thomas in the corner of the end zone. Thomas just barely got the foot inbounds, and all of the sudden the scarlet and grey were down by just one with all of the momentum heading into locker room at halftime.

Ohio State opened the second half with a 47-yard touchdown pass from Jones to Devin Smith, and just a few drives later defensive end Steve Miller picked off a pass from Blake Sims and returned 41 yards to the house for yet another Buckeye touchdown as the script had now fully been flipped, with OSU leading 34-21 near the end of the third quarter. Alabama would not got quietly into the night, however, as they responded with an 84-yard touchdown drive of their own to cut the Ohio State lead to just six points as we neared the start of the fourth quarter.

Both teams went quiet offensively for much of the final frame, but eventually the Buckeyes broke through with the most famous play of that crazy game. Ezekiel Elliott took the ball in the backfield and cut to the left, finding an extra burst of speed as he split the defense down the left sideline with nothing but green grass in site. 85 yards later, Elliott was in the end zone with what would prove to be the deciding touchdown as Ohio State now held a 42-28 lead with just over three minutes remaining. Bama would make one final push, scoring a touchdown to cut it to six yet again, but Sims was intercepted by Tyvis Powell on the final play of the night as the Buckeyes emerged victorious, 42-35, en route to what would become a National Championship at year’s end.

Ohio State at one point trailed 21-6 with not much going right, but things quickly turned around in that second quarter and the trick play at the end of the half set the tone for the rest of the game. The 2015 Sugar Bowl is one that im sure lives at or near the top of the list of favorite games for almost all of Buckeye Nation, especially since that game really felt like the national title as the harder game of the two between the Tide and Oregon, which Ohio State easily rolled in the actually title game. Cardale Jones, Ezekiel Elliott and the entire Buckeye defense put on a show in the heart of SEC territory against the kings of the conference, and it was truly a sight to behold.

Continue reading...

I-70 Football Podcast: 2023 mock draft, players to watch
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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

On this episode Dante and Jordan discuss a way too early 2023 Mock Draft, plus which players they’re excited to watch in the 2022 season

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

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Happy Belated Mother’s Day to all the moms out there, we hope your significant others and sons made you feel special. We start the show discussing buying mom a house when you make it and why we find it funny when players buy their dads a car. Plus, will Primetime stay at Jackson State? and is he getting the credit he deserves for the recognition he’s bringing to HBCUs?

Dane Brugler of The Athletic released his way too early 2023 mock draft and it featured multiple Big Ten players. If a QB needy team has the first pick will C.J. Stroud be the first player off the board? Is Will Levis really an early first-round pick? If so, what does that say for Penn State’s handling of him? Should they have tabbed Levis over Sean Clifford?

One surprise in the mock draft is Ohio State’s senior defensive end Zach Harrison. His production hasn’t matched his five-star status but at 6-foot-6, 260+ pounds he runs a sub 4.5 forty-yard dash and has the measurables for a first-round pick. Can he improve enough in his last season to get his name called on day one?

In their weekly pit stops Dante discusses playoff basketball and why people have different standards for the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Jordan wants to know if Bryce Young can do enough to get drafted in the first round? He has the talent but at 6ft, 195 pounds he is shorter and weighs less than just about every current NFL starter.


Connect with us on Twitter:

Jordan: @JordanW330
Dante: @DanteM10216

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Poe McKnoe said:

How bad at life choices do you have to be to harass and provoke Mike Tyson. I’d rather jump into the tiger exhibit at the zoo.

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Just sayin': Yeah, me too. However, I did that once, it's not that big of deal....

The list of graduating Buckeyes includes 14 current and former Buckeye football players: Ryan Batsch (finance), Cameron Brown (human development and family science), Robert Cope (hospitality management), Aaron Cox (food, agricultural and biological engineering), Dominic DiMaccio (consumer and family financial services), Jordan Fuller (marketing), Dallas Gant (finance), Marcus Hooker (human development and family science), Jack Jamieson (logistics management), Javontae Jean-Baptiste (human development and family science), Cade Kacherski (finance), Lloyd McFarquhar (communications), Carlos Snow (sociology) and Taron Vincent (sport industry).

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Well, Cade Kacherski is "going pro", but just not in football....