Juwan Howard just threw a punch at Gard postgame!

Okay, not at Gard but an assistant.

found this online in case anyone is interested

If Branham throws that dunk down or lays it in, the Buckeyes are in first place in the BiG. Sickening isnt it?

I went to this game. The first half was what I'm used to seeing from Ohio State - poor passing, missing shots and the other team hits theirs. But the 2nd half was absolute dominance.

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These new coaches are sure bringing a lot of optimism.

I would prefer that Ohio State be a dark horse team. Low expectations, high reward.

Buck Off Podcast: Ohio State 2023 National Champs?, Michigan’s new staff, Super Bowl picks
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

ESPN released their SP+ rankings and we discuss Michigan’s finalized coaching staff

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

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


On today’s episode of “Buck Off with Christopher Renne,” I am joined, as always, by Jordan Williams for the fourth episode of Ohio State’s offseason and we discuss why ESPN thinks Ohio State will be national champions.

We begin the show by talking about the NFL MVP (recorded before the awards) and we discuss a former Buckeye foe. We then discuss the value of the MVP award and why it has become a postseason award as well.

After that, we discuss ESPN anointing Ohio State 2022 national championship with their Production Return Rate stats and the number one SP+ ranking. We talk about the last few leaders in these rankings and why Ohio State is poised for a huge year with all the weapons on the current roster.

We then discuss the finalized Michigan coaching staff and why lightning doesn’t always strike twice. The Wolverines hired a new defensive coordinator and we discuss the reasons this might not be the best move which relates closely to Ohio State. After the break we discuss the promotions from within in their program and why the Gattis impact is complicated.

Our final discussion, we talk about Luke Montgomery’s recruitment, and give our expert prediction. Then we get into our Super Bowl picks, talk the field turf challenge, and lastly tell you why the Spring game is awesome.


Connect with the Show
Twitter: @BuckOffPod

Connect with Chris Renne:
Twitter: @ChrisRenneCFB

Connect with Jordan Williams
Twitter: @JordanW330

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Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for February 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


Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.

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

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

You’re welcome!

For your Earholes...


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

On the Gridiron


Reserve defensive lineman Cormontae Hamilton no longer with Buckeyes program
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Ohio State Draft Profile: Jeremy Ruckert brings everything a team needs in an NFL tight end
Chris Renne, Land-Grant Holy Land

Everyone loves Joe: Why Joe Burrow is treasured by Bulldogs and Buckeyes, Tigers and Bengals (paywall)
Jon Greenberg, The Athletic


‘Let’s go to work and let’s get this thing right’; Eliano brings experience to Buckeye secondary staff
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Midwest guy Frye wants to make sure OSU O-line is felt by opponents
Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts

Former Ohio State Defensive Lineman Mike Vrabel Named AP NFL Coach of the Year
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

On the Hardwood


Ohio State knocks off Nebraska, 80-70
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land


Ohio State’s EJ Liddell named to Naismith Trophy 2022 Midseason Team
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

What turned the momentum in Buckeyes’ loss at Rutgers
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch

Home, sweet home. Ohio State men’s basketball is 10-0 at the Schott this season
David M. Wheeler, Land-Grant Holy Land

Roundball Round-Up: Mike Conley and the Utah Jazz picking up their play of late
Brett Ludwiczak, Land-Grant Holy Land

Outside the Shoe and Schott


Sport-by-sport breakdown of Ohio State’s NIL deals
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch

Ohio State Among National Leaders in First Year of Name, Image and Likeness Deals for College Athletes
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

Oller: NIL turns charity work into business for college athletes
Rob Oller, The Columbus Dispatch


Women’s Golf: Buckeyes Face Setback Finish 13th at UCF Challenge
Danny Fogarty, The Lantern

Men’s Volleyball: No. 12 Ohio State Downed in MIVA Opener
Ohio State Athletics

Men’s Lacrosse: Jack Myers Named to 2022 Tewaaraton Award Watch List
Ohio State Athletics

Women’s Tennis: No. 11 Buckeyes Head to Madison for ITA National Indoors
Ohio State Athletics

And Now for Something Completely Different


And I oop!


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Ohio State makes the cut for a pair of 2023 targets
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


2023 tight end Walker Lyons | Brandon Huffman, 247Sports

The Buckeyes made the short list for a pair of prospects on the offensive side of the ball on Thursday.

While Ohio State’s staff is busy preparing for the 2022 college football season, they remain focused on making sure the talent level in Columbus remains consistent by bringing in the best possible players from the recruiting trail. At lot of work goes into landing the top targets on their board, but on Thursday the staff saw some of their labor pay off as a pair of prospects in the 2023 class listed Ohio State among their top schools.

In-state offensive lineman trims it down to six


The beat goes on as it has all week for in-state recruiting prospects. On Thursday, another Ohio native in the 2023 class updated their recruitment and gave the Buckeyes some good news. Whether Ohio State brought in a new offensive line coach or not this year, Lakota East product Austin Siereveld was going to be a priority for the coaching staff, and him being inside state lines for a position of importance makes him that much more valuable to the 2023 class.

Announcing the latest in his recruitment via his Twitter account, Siereveld released a list of six remaining schools he is still considering before shutting it down completely and committing to the school of his choice. Included in the mix were Iowa, Michigan, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Alabama, and of course Ohio State. After having nearly 20 offers to his name, getting it down to six schools shows the process is moving for Siereveld, but there’s still time for any of the six to make major moves.

Currently, Siereveld checks in as the seventh-best player in Ohio for his class as well as the 23rd-best interior offensive lineman and No. 326 player nationally regardless of position. For Ohio State, the Buckeyes already are in solid position to land another in-state target, but position coach Justin Frye will certainly continue the pursuit in a way that really shows how important he is to Ohio State’s 2023 class overall.

Ohio State makes final group for top tight end


Tight end is obviously a huge position of need for Ohio State moving forward. Now that Jeremy Ruckert is off to the NFL, the depth chart at tight end is full of question marks. Guys like Joe Royer, Mitch Rossi and Gee Scott Jr. will battle it out for playing time in 2022, but the Buckeyes clearly need more at the position. After bringing in Bennett Christian in the 2022 class, Ohio State will likely look to add at least two tight ends in the 2023 cycle.

They got at least one step closer with one of their top tight end targets on Thursday, as four-star TE Walker Lyons announced his top six schools via Twitter. Cutting things down from over 30 offers, the California native is now taking a closer look at Alabama, BYU, Stanford, USC, Utah and Ohio State.


A four-star in the 2023 class, Lyons currently ranks as the No. 4 TE and the No. 73 overall player in the cycle. He is also listed as the No. 7 player in the talent-rich state of California. Standing at 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, Lyons is a very productive player at Folsom High School. Over 13 games during the 2021-22 season, he recorded 42 receptions for 646 yards and seven touchdowns for the Bulldogs.

Lyons previously visited Ohio State in June, and hopes to take another trip to Columbus this fall. In speaking with On3, Lyons said OSU was one of his first big offers outside of the Pac-12, and was the first school he visited last summer, lauding his strong relationship with head coach Ryan Day. The Buckeyes are also in pursuit of his high school teammate, 2023 four-star WR Rico Flores.

Quick Hits

• Speaking of tight ends, Ohio State will be getting a visit from another big tight end target next month. Four-star TE Mac Markway will be making the trip to Columbus on March 26, according to his Twitter account. The St. Louis native is the No. 5 TE in the country and the No. 95 player overall in the 2023 class.

• Ahead of his Feb. 17 commitment date, Ohio State has continued to gain momentum for 2023 OT Luke Montgomery. There are now a total of five Crystal Ball predictions in for Montgomery, all of which are in favor of the Buckeyes with a minimum confidence rating of six. Montgomery is the No. 6 OT and No. 62 player overall in the cycle, and would be the first commitment for new offensive line coach Justin Frye at Ohio State.

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Ohio State knocks off Nebraska, 80-70
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ohio State Athletics

A standout performance by freshman Taylor Thierry and a return to form for Rebeka Mikulasikova put away a strong Cornhuskers offense.

Coming into any season, certain games are circled on the schedule. In the Big Ten, games against Michigan, Maryland and Indiana grab some attention, but one team surprised the conference this year: the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Nebraska is a team that sat in ninth place in conference standings in 2020-21 with a record of 13-13. Starting the ‘21-22 season, the Cornhuskers won their first 13 games, and sat just one game back from the Buckeyes coming into Thursday night. Although the Cornhuskers have surprised opponents throughout the season, the Buckeyes weren’t caught off guard, defeating Nebraska, 80-70.

A big matchup coming into the game was about just that — the bigs. Ohio State Buckeyes forward/center Rebeka Mikulasikova took on freshman phenom Alexis Markowski. Starting the game, Markowski got the best of the two, scoring four points and adding three rebounds in the first 10 minutes, On the other end, Mikulasikova hit an early three, but otherwise struggled offensively, missing all other attempts.

Nebraska took advantage of those missed chances, making 55.6% of their field goals and 40% from three, taking a first quarter lead of 22-19. Then, with 1:25 remaining in the first quarter, the Buckeyes introduced their own exciting freshman, Taylor Thierry.

Before Thierry started taking control of the game, almost singlehandedly, Nebraska held their first quarter momentum to expand their lead to eight in the second quarter. The swing began with a monster block, but it wasn’t on a layup. Nebraska guard Sam Haiby received the ball in the corner on what looked like a blown defensive assignment. Thierry ran towards Haimby and leapt to block her shot immediately after release.

Thierry followed that block up with three rebounds (two on the offensive end), two assists, two steals and two points. The Cleveland native’s individual effort combined with a surging Buckeye offense — Mikulasikova especially. Making up for a difficult start to the game, the Buckeye forward scored eight points, hitting both threes she attempted plus a layup. In addition, she added three second quarter rebounds. Ohio State ended the half on a 9-0 run, putting the Buckeyes up 36-31 at halftime.

The third quarter saw the Buckeyes return to their offensive form. Leading the charge was Taylor Mikesell, recently named to the 10-player Ann Meyers-Drysdale finalist list for the best shooting guard in the nation. Mikesell went a perfect 3-for-3 from deep. Those put her at 50% from three-point range on the year, increasing her NCAA-leading shooting percentage.

In the fourth quarter, Ohio State wouldn’t let Nebraska get close. Markowski hit a layup and a free throw to get the Cornhuskers within nine points, but it’s the closest they would get to an upset. Thierry added five fourth quarter points on top of her already impressive defensive night. Her nine points tied a season high for Thierry, and her seven rebounds was one shy of her high of eight. The Buckeyes held the pressure through the final minute, winning 80-70.

Bouncing Back


Before Thursday’s victory, Ohio State’s Mikulasikova had a string of inconsistency. Ending 2021, the Buckeye center went three-straight games without scoring any points. In B1G play over the past few weeks, Mikulasikova fell into another scoring slump, scoring just 27 total points over four games. Against Nebraska, who has one of the top centers in the conference in Markowski, Mikulasikova showed up in a big way.

Against tough competition, Mikulasikova scored 15 points, nine of which came from beyond the arc, while also adding seven rebounds. Even though Mikulasikova’s night didn’t start out looking the best, a complete performance in the remaining three quarters bodes well for the Buckeyes as they fight to stay near the top of the B1G standings.

Defensive Effort


An area the Buckeyes aren’t necessarily known for this season is on the defensive end of the court. Before Thursday’s win, Ohio State was ninth in the B1G in points per game allowed (67.5). Going up against a Nebraska offense that averages 78.8 points per game was a tall task.

Ohio State responded, led by Thierry and senior guard Braxtin Miller. The two combined for four out of the Buckeyes’ six steals, leading to 19 points off Cornhusker turnovers. Even though Markowski had a double-double of 23 points and 15 assists, Ohio State neutralized the rest of Nebraska’s attack, allowing only three players to reach double figures in points.

What’s Next


Next up for the Buckeyes is a Valentine’s Day trip to Illinois to face the Fighting Illini. The game tips at 9:00 p.m. ET, airing live on B1G Network. Illinois sits in second-to-last place in the B1G, but have only played 19 games due to COVID-19 postponements. The last time these two teams met, on Jan. 6, the Buckeyes beat the Fighting Illini, 90-69, at the Schottenstein Center.

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Roundball Round-Up: Mike Conley and the Utah Jazz picking up their play of late
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 Alex Goodlett/Getty Images

There are currently five former Ohio State basketball players in the NBA, and we’ll update you weekly on how they are doing.

Business is picking up around the league. The NBA trade deadline is Thursday (for transparency, this article is written on Wednesday evening) and we have already seen some moves being made. The Cleveland Cavaliers traded for Caris LeVert, the Indiana Pacers have moved Domantas Sabonis out west to Sacramento, and there are still questions as to whether guys like James Harden, Ben Simmons, and Russell Westbrook will be moved.

Of course, those questions will be answered by the time this article is published.

Mike Conley


Point Guard | Utah Jazz

All the Utah Jazz needed was to see the calendar turn to February for their fortunes to start to turn. January was a frustrating month for Conley and the Jazz, with Utah going 4-12 in the first month of 2022. The Jazz have already almost matched their win total from last month, winning their first three games of February.

The return of Donovan Mitchell to the Utah lineup not only helped the team return to their winning ways, it also helped to boost the production from Mike Conley. Even though Conley went just 2-of-10 from behind the arc on Monday night against the Knicks, the former Ohio State guard still scored 18 points in the 113-104 win.

The area where Conley has picked up his play lately has been on the defensive end. In five of Utah’s last seven games, Conley has recorded at least two steals. The best of those performances came last Wednesday in a 108-104 win against Denver, when he was credited with four steals against the Nuggets, tying a season-high. Conley has also blocked one shot in each of Utah’s last three games. Even though Conley isn’t quite at the level on the defensive end that he was a decade ago when he was averaging over two steals per game, the veteran is still a force on defense.

Duane Washington Jr.

Point Guard | Indiana Pacers


Just as it looked like Duane Washington Jr. was getting comfortable in his role with the Indiana Pacers, things got turned upside down. Washington had one of his best weeks in the NBA, scoring at least 10 points in three of the four games that he played. Even though the Pacers lost all four of their games, Washington scored 17 points against Chicago on Friday night and against Cleveland on Sunday. The seven rebounds Washington pulled down against Chicago and the three steals he recorded on Tuesday against Atlanta were both career-high marks.

Over the weekend it looked as if Washington might see his role expand since the Pacers traded Caris LeVert to Cleveland. The good vibes didn’t last too long though, as on Tuesday Indiana acquired Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield from Sacramento in a trade. Now with Haliburton and Hield in the mix along with Malcolm Brogdon and Chris Duarte, it remains to be seen where Washington fits in the mix in the backcourt.

Jae’Sean Tate

Small Forward | Houston Rockets


Wins have been rare for the Houston Rockets this year. One of the few victories on Houston’s record came last Wednesday when they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104. Jae’Sean Tate only had six points, but he did contribute in other ways, grabbing five rebounds, and recording a season-high four steals. The victory snapped a four-game losing streak by the Rockets.

Unfortunately for Houston, the win last Wednesday didn’t snowball into more wins, as the Rockets have lost their last three games. During that time, Tate’s best performance came on Tuesday in a 110-97 loss to New Orleans, when he almost recorded a double-double by scoring nine points and pulling down nine rebounds. The former Buckeye also nabbed three steals against the Pelicans.

The Rockets may be one of the worst teams in the NBA this year, but at least Tate does have something to look forward to in a couple weeks. As announced a couple weeks ago, Tate has been selected to play in the Rising Stars Challenge. The format has been tweaked a bit, with those selected divided up into four teams of seven players. Tate will be on Team Barry, which will be coached by Rick Barry, and includes Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers and top overall draft pick Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons.

D’Angelo Russell

Point Guard | Minnesota Timberwolves


After last playing on Jan. 27 against Golden State, D’Angelo Russell returned to the court on Sunday. Russell scored 22 points and dished out eight assists in the 118-105 victory over Detroit. The former Buckeye followed his return up with 14 points and seven assists in a blowout win over Sacramento on Tuesday. The Timberwolves have now won their last five games overall, with the first three of those wins coming with Russell unavailable due to injury.

Keita Bates-Diop

Small Forward | San Antonio Spurs


Keita Bates-Diop has had a rough go of things lately. After missing some time after entering health and safety protocols due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, Bates-Diop hasn’t bounced back as quickly as other have after being able to leave protocols. According to San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich, Bates-Diop isn’t able to play back-to-back games at this point. While that could change in the future, Bates-Diop will have to work on his conditioning to get to that point.

Bates-Diop was able to play in one game last week, scoring four points in 14 minutes in a 131-106 win over Houston. Luckily for Bates-Diop he doesn’t have to be in a hurry to return to 100% since the Spurs are just 20-34 on the year, so they aren’t exactly threatening for a playoff spot. Since the start of 2022, San Antonio is 6-14.

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I'll take the lime-flavored, blue corn chips, topped with lots of Velveeta, jalapenos, pico de gallo, Kalamata olives, with a skosh of Hellman's on the side, for dipping.

Yup, I’m a chipstick.

brodybuck21 said:

@HotMic

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General Thoughts:

Another solid class. While lacking a bunch of elite top 50 types, I really think the middle of this class is as good as it’s been in awhile and is full of guys who have the potential to become stars.

On offense it was another outstanding haul at QB and WR. Getting Brown that late was beyond impressive. Stud did what Stud did every year (as I have been saying for awhile) and struggled to recruit the tackle position. Thankfully we won’t have to see excuses made for him anymore. TE is what TE is at Ohio State. Alford found a guy I really like in Hayden to bridge the year between (hopefully) superstars at RB.

On defense Larry closed strong. He was one DT away from another elite haul, but what he brought in was more than acceptable. LB was solid thanks to the in-state guys. Washington just never could seem to connect with top-end guys out of state during his time here, so it was nice to have those guys close to home. I think they were a little too focused at DB this year, and it ended up costing them down the stretch. Not a bad group by any means, but it could have been better. Sonny reclassifying definitely helped things.

Earliest Impact: CJ Hicks
Star Potential: Devin Brown
Most Intriguing: Kye Stokes
Biggest Reach: Avery Henry
Sleeper: Dallan Hayden
Biggest Surprise: Carson Hinzman

New DL grad assistant.

Interesting background.

Young, former big time Terp recruit from the DMV.
Injuries ended his career early.
Spent some time as grad coach at Maryland and Da U.
Opened a DL academy that had some big league clients.https://www.si.com/college/maryland...nce-transitioning-into-dl-training-specialist



Not sure that he is the heir apparent to LJ.
But interesting.

5 STAR U-G-A said:

That's quite obvious since they do not have Internet access yet in most parts of that shit hole of a state.

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You sure? Pretty sure it's there, just covered by the kudzu.

Probably be in the Top 15 this week with 2 huge road games. If we get both of them I'll be ecstatic.

Good for Ashton.

Wasn’t Garrick McGee a hot, up and coming Offensive Coordinator at one point?

Jaxbuck said:

Yeah knew his great uncle Bram.

Great storyteller. Not much of an athlete as I recall.

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Didn't he have a thing for that cheerleader Mary Shelley?

Welcome the Buckeye family Colin

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On the team's resiliency during the comeback:

"That's what it was gonna take to coming into this game: being resilient, fighting. Basketball is a game of run, ups and downs. We went down in the first four minutes. We didn't have the effort we needed to, but as the game went on, we had that. So I don't think that last shot was the reason we lost. It was plays before that. I take a part of that on myself, only having a couple of rebounds. I gotta be better than that on the glass. We were just resilient today."

ScriptOhio said:

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Ohio State didn't make his latest list.

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Any list that includes ttun makes me question their judgment...hard pass

Buckeyes’ men’s basketball Big Ten title odds remain unchanged despite winning ways
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Harrison Barden-USA TODAY Sports

Ohio State has the fifth-best odds to win the Big Ten according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

Despite winning four of their last five games, out-rebounding a conference foe by 26, and whooping arguably the worst team in Division-I basketball by 46 points, Ohio State’s Big Ten title odds remain unchanged from the beginning of January according to our friends at DraftKings Sportsbook. The No. 16 Buckeyes (13-4, 6-2) have +600 odds to win their first B1G title in a decade, behind No. 24 Illinois (+230, up from +500), No. 6 Purdue (+300, down from +160), No. 11 Wisconsin (+400), and No. 10 Michigan State (+450).


Despite losing two of their last three games, Illinois has become the odds-on favorite to win the conference, with Purdue close behind them. After not generating much interest in the beginning of the season, people are now coming around on Wisconsin and Michigan State as well.

But while the Buckeyes’ Big Ten title odds have not changed, their Final Four odds have dipped a bit, going from +800 at the beginning of the month to +1000 now. They have the 18th-best odds to make it to New Orleans, just behind Wisconsin at +900 and in front of No. 19 LSU at +1100. No. 18 Tennessee has identical odds as the Buckeyes to make a Final Four run. No. 2 Gonzaga (+115), No. 9 Duke (+200), No. 4 Baylor (+220), No. 5 Kansas (+220), and Purdue (+220) — despite not having the best odds to win the Big Ten — have the best odds to make the Final Four right now, according to Vegas.

No. 16 Ohio State’s next game is Sunday at noon against No. 6 Purdue (17-3, 6-3) in Mackey Arena. The game will be broadcast on CBS. With a win, Ohio State will keep pace with Illinois and Michigan State at the top of the B1G. A Purdue loss could put their B1G title hopes on life support with 10 games still to play.

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Ohio State wrestling has dropped two of their last three Big Ten matches, but the team is still well-positioned to make noise in the postseason
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Malik Heinselman celebrates his victory over Drake Ayala of Iowa | Ohiostatebuckeyes.com

Despite losses against TTUN and Iowa, the Buckeyes look to have righted the ship after a tough 2020-21 season.

After a 5-0 start, the Ohio State wrestling team has fallen back down to Earth. They were defeated soundly by TTUN, and fell short in a closer-than-expected match to the Iowa Hawkeyes. The team rebounded by wiping the literal mat with Maryland (39-4), and are now off until Feb. 4, when they face top-ranked Penn State. The Nittany Lions recently destroyed TTUN, which does not bode well for Tom Ryan’s team — the Buckeyes lost to the Wolverines 29-8. But dropping a few matches in the uber-competitive Big Ten is no surprise, and after a rough (for OSU) 2020-21 campaign, Ryan’s grapplers have Ohio State squarely back in the national conversation.


The Buckeyes were humbled by TTUN on Jan. 14. The Wolverines came in to the Covelli Center undefeated, and dominated from beginning to end. Sammy Sasso (149) and Carson Kharchla (165) were the only victors in an otherwise underwhelming performance. One week later - again in a packed Covelli Center - Ohio State tasted defeat once more... but this time, the Buckeyes gave Iowa all they could handle, and dropped a close one 21-12. The final score was not indicative of how close the match really was. OSU only trailed 14-12 upon completion of the 184 match. The Hawkeyes then added a decision and a major decision to close it out at the heaviest weight classes. TTUN and Iowa were ranked No. 3 and No. 2 respectively, and have since flip-flopped in the national rankings.

Losing two straight home duals is never a good thing, but in this case: it’s also not a bad thing! TTUN and Iowa are two of best teams in the country. The best team in the country is Ohio State’s next opponent, Penn State. Such is life in the Big Ten. Half of the top-10 nationally is made up of teams from the Big Ten, and it’s nothing new. “New” is Tom Ryan’s Buckeyes finishing outside of the top-3. Ryan has built a dynasty of sorts, and this season was an opportunity to reclaim their place among the elites. Despite two (and possibly three out of four) recent losses, the team has done exactly that.

Driving Ohio State’s success and a few of the main reasons for optimism, are veterans Sasso, Malik Henselman, and Kaleb Romero — along with redshirt freshman (and a finally healthy) Kharchla. The three vets have collectively qualified for seven NCAA Championships, and Kharchla showed a ton of promise as a high school wrestler and during his unattached season with OSU. Since recovering from a knee injury that caused him to miss all of last year, he has helped form a fearsome foursome... read that again, three times fast.


Each wrestler mentioned above is ranked inside the top-10 at their weight class, with Sasso coming in as the highest (No. 2 at 149). He is a real national title contender, and it appears as if Kharchla might join him. Kharchla took down Iowa’s Alex Marinelli, who was ranked No. 1 at the time. Ohio State’s redshirt freshman currently sits at #4. Joining those four in the top-10 is Ethan Smith (No. 7 at 174), despite having four losses. Smith is a three-time NCAA qualifier himself, so he knows what it takes to get back there. All five of these wrestlers have at least a chance of winning an individual championship, whether it be in the Big Ten or NCAA’s.

Ohio State will, in all likelihood, finish the regular season fourth in their own conference. However, depending on how things shake out, they could very well make some noise in the big tournaments. The Big Ten and NCAA Championships are much different than the traditional duals. The Buckeyes will not be head-to-head with one team. Their best wrestlers will have an opportunity to survive and advance, and OSU has top-10 representation in half of the weight classes — a number similar to that of the three Big Ten teams ranked above them. Anything can happen in tournament-style competition, and Coach Ryan has often pushed his guys to peak in February and March.

Although the team has collectively hit a bit of a skid, the close loss against Iowa was promising, and the guys at the “top” of the roster are performing well. Sasso is a monster, Kharchla is a future star, and Romero and others are proven vets looking to finish out their career(s) strong. Don’t be surprised if the Buckeyes give Penn State problems next week, and keep an eye on this team as the season inches towards one of the most exciting tournaments in college sports.

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