‘Ball Hell Broke Loose: Tennessee leads the college football chaos in Week 7
JamiJurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Anarchy in Knoxville and what it means for the Buckeyes.

Though the Buckeyes didn’t play this week, there was plenty of chaos for us to feast on across the NCAA.

In the case of No. 20 Utah, we saw a great upset win over (formerly) No. 7 USC, whose defense decided they were on vacation. Michigan had a dominant win over No. 10 Penn State, proving that the Buckeyes and our nemesis are once again the big dogs in the Big Ten.

But no chaos remotely compared to what went down in Knoxville, Tennessee yesterday, where what we saw wasn’t chaos – it was complete anarchy. We’re not even going to bother rounding up the rest of the NCAA’s child’s play when the Volunteers delivered the second-best gift OSU fans could get on a Bye Week — a Bama loss (the first would be a Michigan loss, duh).

It was the kind of game that people will rewatch on ESPN Classics in 10 years. It was the stuff college football dreams are made of. And though it didn’t involve the Buckeyes or the Big Ten in any way, it still has indirect ramifications for us.

The Third Saturday in October is to Knoxville what the Last Week of the Regular Season is to Columbus and Ann Arbor, but as Michigan fans could tell you – rivalries aren’t quite as fun when they’re lopsided. (Yes, I know Michigan won last year – we have to throw them a bone once in awhile).

Yesterday, for the first time in 15 years, the Vols went into the game with a fighting chance against a No. 1 Alabama team whose coach had never lost to Tennessee. Alabama’s star quarterback Bryce Young (last year’s Heisman winner) decided to grace us all with his presence after a few weeks out from an injury.

What was possible was yet another Alabama blowout, the likes of which we’ve seen time and time again in the last decade and a half. But this Tennessee team is the real deal, so what we got was a full 60 minutes of football.

And thanks to Young’s return, there’s no asterisk next to Tennessee’s win, no one saying “If only we’d had our quarterback.” No, this win was sweat, blood, and tears, and the Vols earned every bit of it. The game went back and forth quite a bit, with Tennessee pulling ahead to a 21-7 lead early, Alabama taking the lead, Tennessee taking it back. Alabama’s defense was sleepy at best, sloppy at worst. Their special teams unit made a MAJOR error that resulted in a Tennessee touchdown. Alabama had a record number of flags. But still, it all boiled down to a Tennessee field goal kick with 0:01 on the game clock, and it would be the kick heard round the world.

Nothing brings me quite as much joy as a cranky Nick Saban (ok, MAYBE a crying Clayton Kershaw). And yesterday, while the Buckeyes had their much-deserved nap time, Tennessee delivered as much for us (and any other fan base who collectively hates the Crimson Tide) as for themselves and their own loyal fans.

Cigar smoke filled Neyland Stadium (Tennessee is a tobacco-free campus, but something tells me no one was going to be disrespectful enough to enforce that yesterday). And then down came the goal posts.

This, my friends, is the sweet chaos I desire at all times where college football is concerned. Do you know how hard it is to have hope when your team lets you down and causes you physical and emotional pain year after year? I’m a Chicago Cubs fan, so I sure do. Tennessee fans deserved a night of anarchy (which, compared to couch-burning and car-flipping, which I do not advise, was still relatively harmless).


As fans stormed the field at Neyland after their last-second win, the goal post came down. Fans rode it like a bull and then paraded it through the streets, taking it for a whirl at the bars before finally, finally drowning it – along with years of sorrow – in the Tennessee River, where it will now live permanently.


But what does it all mean for the Buckeyes? Alabama dropped out of the No. 1 spot, but they still control their own destiny in the SEC. Tennessee, on the other hand, has to face the now-No. 1 Georgia team in 3 weeks for a shot at a rematch with Bama in the SEC championship.

OSU still has to play the Wolverines, so nothing is set in stone, but assuming we win out, this little three-way battle for the top spot in the SEC does have playoff ramifications for us. On one hand, Georgia is the least-scary team of the three to me, so I’d love to face them in the playoffs. On the other, my heart wants Tennessee fans to have a moment of glory (and Lord knows the playoffs need some fresh blood).

But the real question that came out of yesterday for the Buckeyes is what this means for CJ Stroud and his shot at the Heisman. Until yesterday, he seemed like a sure thing if he continues on the track he’s been on. But Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker might be known as Hendon Heisman come the end of this season after his performance yesterday. If he manages to pull off something comparable against Georgia in three weeks, Stroud’s Heisman hopes might be in trouble.

Now listen, I’m thrilled for the Vols (my brother graduated last spring and was in Knoxville for the game yesterday. One of my oldest, dearest friends is a lifelong Vols fan who grew up in Tennessee). I wept at the end because I knew what it meant to every single person who puts on their orange jersey and sings “Rocky Top” every week. Nothing – and I mean NOTHING – would bring me more joy than a Tennessee-OSU playoff showdown.

But I do need them to back off of our man CJ. Hendon Hooker is a spectacular quarterback, and he certainly deserves to be in New York, but this is one of those cases where the Heisman committee are simps for the SEC, and as a Buckeye fan who would lie in traffic for CJ Stroud, that is where I draw the line.

So may chaos reign, may both goalposts and sorrows drown, may Rocky Top always be home sweet home to those who like that sort of thing. But with all the love in my heart and just a bit of vaguely threatening energy, get your man Hendon to back up off my man CJ, or I might make some chaos of my own!

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BASKET-BOOM! 2024 four-star point guard John Mobley Jr. commits to Ohio State
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Buckeyes are already working on stacking up their next great recruiting class.

It’s early, but Ohio State has already began filling what will likely be a smaller recruiting class for the 2024 cycle — starting with a big BOOM on Sunday afternoon. At halftime of today’s 3:00 ESPN2 Top Flight Invite, John Mobley Jr. — a four-star point guard from Bishop Gorman HS in Las Vegas — announced he’ll be moving back home to Columbus for college to play for Chris Holtmann and the Ohio State Buckeyes.


Mobley is the No. 44 player in the class of 2024, the No. 6 point guard in the nation, and the second-highest ranked player in the state of Nevada, according to 247Sports. He’ll don the scarlet and gray starting the fall of 2024 — two seasons from now. Mobley is just the third top-50 player in the 2024 class to make his college decision (Jason Asemota committed to Baylor and Mercy Miller committed to Houston), and he’ll return to Columbus where he lived for 11 years.

As Ohio State fans on Twitter were so quick to notice, Mobley has “Columbus, OH” as his location on his Twitter page, rather than Las Vegas, where he goes to school. This was not a hint or trick pointing to where he’d land for college. On the contrary, Mobley is originally from central Ohio, but left to play basketball at Bishop Gorman.



Mobley, a junior, stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 150 pounds. He is one of the most polished shooters in the country already, and is considered the best shooter in the nation by many. He models his game after Trae Young and Steph Curry, and has the potential to end up as the best outside shooter at Ohio State since Jon Diebler.

While at first glance it may seem like the Buckeyes are already heavy on guards, by the fall of 2024 this may not be the case. In the age of immediate transfer rules, roster changes are unpredictable. That also ignores the possibility that Taison Chatman, Roddy Gayle, or Bruce Thornton could be NBA-bound by the time Mobley even steps on campus. With the way rosters are constantly in flux, it’s never a bad idea to pick up a solid point guard who also may wind up being the best shooter in the class.

Mobley isn’t the biggest guard at just 150 pounds, but he told Prospective Insight in June that he thinks he’ll grow a few inches before college — possibly getting to 6-foot-3 or 6-foot-4. If he can also add 20-30 pounds over the next two seasons, he could quickly increase his pro potential and NBA draft stock. Regardless, Chris Holtmann and his staff will certainly spend time working on the other parts of his game — aside from shooting — once he gets on campus.

Mobley held offers from Ohio State, Creighton, Arizona State, LSU, St. John’s, Toledo, UNLV, USC, and Xavier. He cut down a final list by simply removing Toledo, UNLV, and St. John’s two weeks ago. Ohio State and Creighton were the only two schools that he went on official visits to, and were considered the two favorites.

The Buckeyes offered Mobley a scholarship in June, and also had Mobley’s final official visit on October 1, when he visited and attended the Ohio State-Rutgers with his family and the Ohio State coaching staff. Mobley is the first member of Ohio State’s 2024 recruiting class. With a combined nine players in the 2022 and 2023 classes, this class may only have one more player after Mobley.



Check out some recent video of John’s game below:


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maximumblitz said:

As always, BYE was brutal. I speculate that TSUN will jump THE in the polls, and stay there after THE beats pedstate. Tennessee will jump THE. And I speculate that a one loss Bama, Tennessee, or Georgia would beat a (hypothetical) one loss tOSU into the play offs.

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Class: 2024
Position: IOL
School: Aiea (HI) Aiea
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 315lbs

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chornii said:

done for the game only

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Thanks! I appreciate it!

Whoever led you to believe that was wrong. Ha!

BUCKDUBBS007 said:

View attachment 27723

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thanks

What's with these Harrisons?

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As always, added to my seedbox. Thanks @BUCKDUBBS007

Scoreboard
Advantage: Ohio State

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Class: 2024
Position: RB
School: McKinney(TX) McKinney
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 210lbs

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Class: 2024
School: Lancaster (TX) Lancaster
Position: RB
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 190lbs

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Class: 2024
School: Tampa(FL) Carrollwood Day
Position: RB
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 191lbs

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Not sure how much in this race we are, but we're in his top 12. And he is rumored to be Alford's top RB on his list

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charlohiottean said:

View attachment 33239

So you’re a Wichita Lineman?

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no.
i just grabbed an ice chest from warehouse at work.

never been to Wichita and damn sure ain’t a lineman.

Pipeliner from South Louisiana.

Rewatched the game and I'll just keep it brief. No need to even tout Meatball and his performance, hell of a game. Stroud seemed a little off but the run game was going and many of his throwaways were smart decisions, plus Rutgers was just trying to hold our WRs every play and hope the refs didn't call many PI's (can't say I blame them). Another great game for the defense, love the aggressive play calling and Chambers played out of his mind, his closing speed is unreal. Harrison also had an amazing game, glad to see him show up.

On Day and Schiano, my initial reaction was fuck off Schiano. But after rewatching, I don't really have a problem with it. Was part of it Schiano being pissed at a fake punt with the score being what it was? I'm sure that was a part of it. But he came over (I think) at first to get his players away from our bench and then got into it with Day in the middle of the scrum. Then Schiano lit into his players for the whole thing. Not saying the guy is a saint in the whole process, but not going to say I lost any respect for him all things considered. I know almost everyone will disagree with me on that one, but whatever. Day on the other hand only gained more respect after that exchange, he's done with the whole being soft perception and he didn't go over the top with it, but he definitely isn't taking other people's shit this year. Kudos.

Overall pretty happy with the win and another good defensive performance. Now on to 6-0, Go Bucks!

DEFENSIVE TACKLES
Mike Hall: 40
Taron Vincent: 36
Jerron Cage: 14
Jaden McKenzie: 10
Ty Hamilton: 7
Tyleik Williams: 6
Hero Kanu: 2
Bryce Prater: 1

Prater played his first snap of the season on the final play of the game.

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...ity-of-playing-time-in-49-10-win-over-rutgers

twister55 said:

hope to find arst at ohio st .still seeding norte dame -ohio st game

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Did you still need a copy of Arkansas State?

#1 Alabama/Georgia
#2 Georgia/Alabama
#3 Tennessee is back
#4 Texas is back
#5 Rutgers (7-0 vs Ohio State… SCOREBOARD!)
#6 Ohio State (ugly win at home vs Rutgers.. who was leading Ohio State to start the game)

Apparently was released from the hospital under the care of the team. Hopefully that means no ill effects but be careful dude.

Fantastic!! Thank you.

Film Preview: Rutgers will do its best to throw Ohio State off its game, but that won’t be enough
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Joshua A. Bickel/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Greg Schiano blitzes... a lot, and against Ohio State he will need to hope his creativity can give his team enough to keep the game interesting.

Ohio State hosts Rutgers and former defensive coordinator Greg Schiano, now the headman of the Scarlet Knights. The Buckeyes have never lost to Rutgers, and looking at Rutgers’ season in totality, there isn’t any reason to think that will change this year.

This matchup features a lot of familiarity between Ohio State having its former defensive coordinator being the head coach and the two schools being divisional rivals, meaning there is nothing to hide between the two teams. In my own research, Ohio State has an average margin of victory of 42.5 points in the all-time series. Rutgers will once again be fighting an uphill battle against Ohio State to make this game close.

Today, we’re going to look at how Rutgers might try to do that. By looking at film from last season, we can see how the Buckeyes attacked Rutgers’ defense, the way Rutgers’ defense has looked this year, and how their offense can be their own worst enemy against better teams.

Ohio State offense vs. Rutgers


Ohio State and Rutgers have played eight times, with the Buckeye having an average margin of victory of 42.5 points. There was no reason that was needed, just like there is no reason there needs to be a mention of Rutgers being 0-8 against Ohio State. But with eight games, that means we have some previous film to look at to see how the Buckeyes will look to attack Greg Schiano’s defense.

In all eight matchups, the Buckeyes’ offense has beaten Rutgers in to submission in a lot of ways, and this year the plan of attack shouldn’t change much. Schiano and the Rutgers defense have blitzing built in to their identity, and a leopard can’t change its spots. This means Ohio State will need to be on its game from a protection and play-calling standpoint.

RPO


Last year, C.J. Stroud was having a rough go of it heading into the matchup against Rutgers. Coming off a rough performance and injury, Rutgers was an opportunity for him to get some clean throws against aggressive looks. The Buckeyes found their rhythm passing the ball against Rutgers, and that should scare Rutgers’ fans because the Buckeyes have come a long way since this contest.

For Stroud, Day mixed in a good dose of RPO’s early to get Stroud into a rhythm. This is less needed this year, given where Stroud is as a quarterback, but from an attacking standpoint the play design below can be an effective way to get the slot receiver the ball. By motioning the tight end across the formation, they grab the attention of the nickel corner over top of the slot-receiver. For the option aspect here, Stroud is reading the linebackers. If they drop into coverage the play would be a “Split-zone,” instead they throw the route top side.

This is an easy throw for a big gain, and challenges the discipline of an incredibly aggressive defense.

Shallow Crossers


This year, it feels like shallow crossers have turned into deep crossers, with most of the catches being between 10-15 yards down field instead of five. Rutgers chooses to drop into coverage in this play, only bringing four rushers. Ohio State brings an X-Shallow crosser across the formation with the trips side receivers taking the defenders the other direction. This opens up a wide field throw with a lot open grass for the completion.

Ohio State used similar concepts to attack Wisconsin, and this is their bread-and-butter in the passing game. Expect a lot of these types of throws, especially early, to get Ohio State’s receivers into space.

Rutgers’ Defense in 2022


Rutgers has been solid on defense early into the season, and as a unit have only given up 55 total points. Schiano is an aggressive defensive mind, and early in the season this has paid dividends for their success. The issue for Rutgers is Iowa, Temple, and Boston College do not have the offensive fire power that Ohio State brings to the table.

Against Wide Zone


One of the concepts Ohio State has been deploying this season frequently is “Wide Zone.” This is a zone blocking outside run play that uses a horizontal run action to create vertical lanes for backs to cut into. Rutgers fills aggressively, but despite getting to their spots, Iowa moves them out of the way. With the way Ohio State’s offensive line is blocking, this will be a significant challenge for Rutgers to stop this play. They will need to get creative in throwing off how the offensive line counts the defenders, but history says getting too complicated with checks is not a strength of a Schiano defense.

Blitzing


One of the main ways Schiano tries to throw off blocking schemes in both the run and passing game is by blitzing a lot. Before the match up against Iowa, @CFBFilmRoom on Twitter had Rutgers with the highest Blitz Rate in the Power-5 at 41.8 percent.


Against teams without C.J. Stroud at quarterback, this is an incredibly effective way to challenge QBs with intermediate skill sets. The pressure forces the opposing quarterbacks internal clock to speed up, and if they are not well-prepared this pressure can force mistakes. Schiano and defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak will blitz in any situation, forcing offenses to always be prepared.

In the first play, Iowa is running a long developing downfield passing concept. Their quarterback takes a three step drop, and the pressure forces him out of the pocket before he has time to locate a throwing option. He scrambles for almost no gain and this is why Rutgers brings pressure. Ohio State has handled pressure well this year, and the Buckeyes will need to continue this trend to have a chance to make some big plays.


The vulnerability comes from Rutgers getting a little too aggressive, and when the blitz doesn’t get home, big plays can happen for Rutgers’ opponent. Iowa once again runs a long developing passing concept, but this time they protect the quarterback long enough to set up a throw. The Scarlet Knights defense brings a safety blitz from the deep safety. The corner gets beat by the receiver and the safety, needing to disguise his formation, can not get across the field in time. The window for this throw is gigantic, and this is the risk a team runs when the blitz doesn’t get home.

Rutgers Offense in 2022


Offensively, Rutgers runs a spread offense with a lot of 11-personnel. Their tight end Johnny Langan is often utilized as a motioner across the formation, and also is utilized as a wild cat quarterback at times. The passing game relies on attacking horizontally and trying to get the ball into their receivers’ hands in space. In the running game, they use almost exclusively zone runs with a quarterback read. And the final thing you should always expect when they play Ohio State is a few trick plays.

Read Option

Looking at Rutgers’ read option concept, they are willing to run the quarterback inside, which gives them more options. Having the quarterback as an inside run option changes how the read defender needs to react. The Iowa defensive end plays the read option poorly by taking the running back, and this allows the quarterback to pull the ball.

By over-pursuing to the running back, the Rutgers offensive line is able to get up field and get their blocks at the second level. Rutgers will look to challenge Ohio State’s discipline in a lot of ways, but this play type will be the primary test for the Buckeyes.


Turnovers

Now Rutgers has improved in a lot of ways under Greg Schiano, but the main issue for Rutgers is turnovers. In the play below, Rutgers shows how this issue can rear its ugly head for the offense, and why this is the defense’s worst enemy. The Rutgers offense throws a pass down field that gets picked off and Iowa runs it back for the score. Rutgers actually played a solid football game against Iowa, but they spotted the Hawkeyes two defensive touchdowns. This is the one thing Rutgers can’t do against Ohio State, and if they want to make the game more interesting, limiting turnovers is the place to start.


There is not a lot to say about this matchup, Ohio State has dominated the series on both sides of the football. Rutgers has been playing catch up in so many ways since joining the Big Ten, and they are still on the journey. Playing in the Big Ten East hasn’t helped by any means, and every time they play Ohio State, the talent differential is not the only issue needing to be overcome.

Rutgers doesn’t run a complex scheme on either side of the ball, but they are aggressive in everything they do. They will bring pressure at an incredibly high rate on defense to try to throw off opposing offenses. On offense, they will attack down field and get creative with a few trick plays. Throwing the kitchen sink at teams has worked when the talent is close, but against Ohio State, that is not the case.

Ohio State is more talented and they are a team that can capitalize on any mistakes Rutgers makes. Historically, the moment is too big for them every time they play Ohio State, but Greg Schiano is going to throw some punches. Rutgers deserves respect in the growth they’ve had recently, and the toughness of this team grows on a yearly basis. Schiano has added more talent to the roster, but it still has not netted any crazy gains.

They will throw the playbook at Ohio State with blitzes and trick plays. With how Ohio State is playing, it won’t be enough. The Buckeyes are always well-prepared for Rutgers and this game should be no different. The Buckeyes just need to remain disciplined and they will move to 9-0 all-time against Rutgers on Saturday.

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