Which former Ohio State safety would you want back in Columbus?
Tia Johnston via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Khris Hale/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Sound off in the comments!

Ohio State, otherwise known as “DBU,” is nothing if not a safety/cornerback conveyer belt for the NFL. In the 2020 Draft, the Buckeyes saw Jeff Okudah go No. 3 overall, Damon Arnette go No. 19 overall and Jordan Fuller go No. 199. In recent years, we’ve also seen the likes of Marshon Lattimore, Eli Apple, Malik Hooker, Vonn Bell and Denzel Ward make a name for themselves in the league.

Since Gene already covered the cornerbacks, its time to zone in on the safety position, which happens to be one of the big question marks on Ohio State’s roster as we approach the 2020-21 season.

Fuller is now with the Los Angeles Rams, and its looking like junior safety Josh Proctor will be the next man up. Last season, Proctor played in nine games, and totaled 13 total tackles, one interception and three pass breakups.


While we haven’t seen a whole lot of what he can do, Proctor obviously shows promise. In fact, he’s expected to be less of a Fuller-type safety and more Malik Hooker-esque, meaning he’s likely to take more chances at the position, go for the interception, and overall be a little less reserved than Fuller.

Behind Proctor on the depth chart there’s sophomore Marcus Hooker (Malik’s younger brother), redshirt freshmen Ronnie Hickman and Bryson Shaw, and freshmen Lathan Ransom and Kourt Williams.

There’s really no reason to believe that Proctor won’t be on the field come September, but again, for this series’ purposes, we’re going to imagine a world where Proctor gets injured, loses all his talent, mysteriously vanishes, whatever story you want to go with, and Ryan Day is allowed to teleport any former Ohio State safety and put him in this season’s lineup. Who would you want him to choose?

If it were up to me, I’d go with Malik Hooker. For one, we lost him to the NFL way too soon. He only played one real season as a Buckeye in 2016 before getting drafted No. 15 overall to the Indianapolis Colts. During that season, he racked up 74 total tackles, seven interceptions, three defensive touchdowns and four pass breakups. I miss the electricity Hooker brought to the Buckeyes’ secondary, and while we’ve had insanely good talent succeed him, we haven’t really had a seven-interception guy since Hooker.

The only Buckeye safety to have pulled off more than seven single season interceptions is Mike Sensibaugh, who had eight in 1970 and nine in 1969.

Speaking of which, maybe you’d like Day to bring back Sensibaugh, who is not only tied as the program leader for single season interceptions, but also career interceptions (22).

Another solid option would be Mike Doss, who collected a total of 331 tackles, six quarterback sacks, eight interceptions, eight fumble recoveries and three defensive touchdowns. Doss was also chosen as Defensive MVP of the 2002 Fiesta Bowl 31-24 double-overtime victory over Miami.

We all have our favorite Ohio State safeties, and your first choice will likely be based on the fond memories you have of watching that particular player. But, I urge you to pick your player based on the current 2020-21 roster, coaching staff and schedule. I’d kill to see a Hooker/Wade duo on the field this season (but hey, we just might be getting that with Proctor anyway!)

So, let’s hear it.

Which former Ohio State safety would you want back in Columbus? Let us know in the comments!

Continue reading...

Ohio State 2022 tight end target could be nearing a decision
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Allatoona tight end Bennett Christian | Rusty Mansell, 247Sports
The Buckeyes will likely look to sign two TEs in next year’s cycle

Ohio State really wants to get two tight ends in 2021, but it doesn’t look all too promising that it will become a reality. Holding just one commitment at the position from three-star prospect Sam Hart, the Buckeyes are running out of options in the current class. It is not a total impossibility, with guys like Dametrious Crownover and Jordan Dingle still on the table, but Ryan Day and position coach Kevin Wilson are planning ahead.

It seems like they have already made quite the impact on 2022 tight end Bennett Christian. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Georgia native was offered a scholarship by Ohio State back at the beginning of June, and since then the relationship between the two parties has continued to grow.

“Ohio State is one of my top schools,” Christian told Bill Kurelic of Bucknuts. “Every week I talk to coach (Kevin) Wilson or coach (Tim) Hinton. I call coach Wilson each week.”

Christian, currently rated as the No. 18 TE in the 2022 class, already holds 12 scholarship offers including some of the nation’s top programs, including the likes of Kentucky, Penn State, Tennessee, and others. However, it sounds like the Allatoona product is nearing a decision.


While it could very well be that Christian makes his commitment sometime soon, it sounds a lot like it will just be a top schools list.

“I’m talking to a lot of schools, but I’m kind of narrowing it down to three,” Christian told Kurelic. “The main three are Ohio State, Penn State and Tennessee. I’m talking to those three each week. It’s pretty much those three.”

Christian also said he plans on visiting Ohio State once the whole COVID situation dies down, having already been to both Penn State and Tennessee. Only time will tell what exactly his “big news” tweet is in reference too, but my money would be on an official top schools list in the coming days.

Quick Hits

• One of 2022’s top prospects, offensive guard Earnest Greene, is also close to naming his top schools list, and Ohio State is expected to make the cut. Greene, the No. 2 OG and No. 48 overall player in the 247Sports Composite, told Greg Biggins of 247Sports that he is looking to name a top seven or top 10 within the next month. Greene said he talks a lot with OSU guard Wyatt Davis and has a good relationship with Greg Studrawa, so expect the Buckeyes to be on that list.
• One of 2022’s top basketball recruits will be on the move at the high school level, as five-star shooting guard Chris Livingston is set to return to Akron Buchtel HS after spending his sophomore year at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio. Livingston, the No. 3 player overall in the 2022 class and the No. 1 player in Ohio, is obviously a massive target for Chris Holtmann. After hauling in the top three in-state players in 2021, Holtmann will be hoping to once again bring a huge local talent to Columbus.

Continue reading...

Buckeye Bits: All FBS schools allowed to play Week 0, Ohio State football plans to have limited fans (for now), more
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


All of the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond.

Welcome to Buckeye Bits, our daily news roundup of all things Ohio State. We still don't really know for sure whether or not there will be a college football season in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to run rampant through the country, but the NCAA is still trying do everything in its power to make it happen. The big news on Tuesday was that the association will allow all FBS schools to start their season on Aug. 29, AKA “Week 0”, in order to provide greater flexibility to the scheduling process.


The blanket waiver, which only applies to the 2020 season, now gives teams an extra week to work with as they try to rebuild their upcoming schedules. For schools in the Big Ten and Pac-12, which have both decided to play only conference opponents this year, this now makes it even easier for them to try and figure out how and when they will fit in what will likely be 10 regular season contests. It is unclear at this time whether Ohio State will look to schedule a Week 0 game.

With the latest update from the NCAA out of the way, let’s get to the rest of today’s headlines.

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...

• Ohio State offers 2023 offensive tackle
  (Dan Hessler, LGHL)

On Monday, Ohio State sent out an offer to 2023 offensive tackle Aidan Leigh. If that last name sounds familiar to you, it’s because he is the younger brother of 2021 five-star OT Tristan Leigh, one of the Buckeyes’ top remaining targets in this year’s class. Ryan Day and position coach Greg Studrawa certainly would not hate to add the pair of Leighs to their offensive line in the next few years.

• Which former Ohio State offensive lineman would you want back in Columbus?
  (Brett Ludwiczak, LGHL)

Continuing our ongoing series where we bring back former Buckeyes at each position, today Brett takes a look back through the offensive line archives. There have been some really good blockers to come through Ohio State over the program’s history, but the clear and obvious option for Brett (and myself) is Orlando Pace. Imagine Pace lining up alongside Wyatt Davis and Josh Myers? Totally unfair.

• Yesterday’s Buckeye Bits
  (Tia Johnston, LGHL)

Check out Yesterday’s Buckeye Bits from any of the latest Ohio State news you may have missed on Monday, including the Buckeyes’ 2020 NFL Draft class raking in over $111 million in rookie contracts, Marshon Lattimore and Cam Heyward making the first section of the NFL Top 100, some more COVID-related college football news, and more!

From around the gridiron...

• On Tuesday, Ohio State announced that Ohio Stadium will be at “no more than 20 percent” capacity if fans are allowed to attend college football games at all this fall. The restricted access, which would be comprised of an undecided mixture of season ticker holders and students, would put attendance around 20,000 people. Other stipulations of the plan include mandatory mask wearing inside the stadium, limited concessions, and no Skull Session or tailgating before games.

• 247Sports came out with its Top 50 players in college football on Tuesday, and three Ohio State players made the cut. Justin Fields was the highest-rated at No. 3, coming in behind only Trevor Lawrence and Oregon’s Penei Sewell. The other pair of Buckeyes on the list were Wyatt Davis at No. 14 and Shaun Wade at No. 47. I think Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson would like to have a word with somebody.

• Why does Ohio State keep beating Michigan and Penn State? This is why.

• How Garrett Wilson is going to break Ohio State’s return drought
  (Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row)

It has been quite a while since Ohio State has had a truly electric return man out there fielding kicks and punts, but Garrett Wilson could be the guy to change that. He didn’t get all that many opportunities last season as a freshman, but in the few instances Wilson had a chance to make some magic in the return game, he looked to be on the verge of breaking a big one. Now in year two with a chance to be the team’s full-time returner, watch out for Garrett Wilson on special teams.

• Alex Boone, a former Ohio State offensive lineman and a veteran of 105 games played in the NFL, is working on making his return to the league after retiring in 2017. Boone was a four-year starter with the Buckeyes, and was a two-time First Team All-Big Ten selection before going undrafted in 2009. Ironically, he would find a spot on Jim Harbaugh’s San Francisco 49ers, where he would go on to spend the first six years of his NFL career, starting in 59 games over his final four seasons with the team. Still just 33 years old, Boone is now looking to make a comeback.

From around the hardwood...

• The Ohio State women's hoops team made an addition on Tuesday, with Ohio native Tanya Beacham joining the Buckeyes as a grad transfer. Beacham spent the last three seasons at Toledo, posting a career-high 10.8 points per game last season. She also led the Rockets in field goal percentage this past year, hitting at a 58.3 percent clip. Beacham played her high school ball first at Youngstown Ursuline before spending her last two years at Toledo Rogers. She will have one year of eligibility remaining.

From everywhere else...

• Can we really blame Lou Williams for leaving the NBA bubble for food that looks like THIS:

• If there is college football to be played in 2020, I'm sure we will see a lot more of this.

• With that being said, don't get mad at athletes for making their safety a priority.

• The MLB season — which started last Thursday — is going... swell?

Continue reading...

Which former Ohio State offensive lineman would you want back in Columbus?
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


There has been a long list of outstanding offensive linemen to come through Columbus over the years, but there is one that takes the (pan)cake.

If you play on the offensive line at Ohio State, there’s a good chance you have what it takes to play in the NFL. Since 2000, Ohio State has seen 19 offensive linemen taken in the NFL Draft, with numerous others latching on to teams as undrafted free agents. The list of Buckeye offensive linemen drafted will only grow in the near future, as guys like Wyatt Davis, Thayer Munford, and Josh Myers are among the best in the country.

Recently at LGHL, we have been asking our readers which former Buckeye they’d bring back to start the first game of this season. Tia started off the fun by breaking down what running back she’d most like to see return, and it’s hard to go wrong with the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner. We have continued the exercise for quarterback and wide receiver.

Now we have made our way to the offensive line. There are plenty of tremendous offensive linemen who have donned the scarlet and gray throughout the year. From Bill Willis, Jim Parker, and John Hicks of years gone by, to more recent trench warriors like Nick Mangold, LeCharles Bentley, and Taylor Decker.

Ohio State has been producing quality offensive linemen for nearly 80 years. Bill Willis was a two-time All-American in 1943 and 1944, while Jim Parker was the first Buckeye to win the Outland Trophy in 1955. John Hicks won the Outland and Lombardi in 1973 and was a two-time All-American. Jim Lachey played in Columbus in the early 1980s and went on to an illustrious NFL career.

More recently, Korey Stringer was a three-year starter and a first round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings before his life ended tragically at training camp in 2001. LeCharles Bentley won the Rimington Award, which is an award that Pat Elflein and Billy Price also earned. We also can’t forget about Nick Mangold if we are going to talk about great Buckeye centers.

As incredible as some of those options are, the answer to which Ohio State offensive linemen I’d bring back to play in 2020 is an easy one. Orlando Pace is the greatest offensive lineman to ever suit up for Ohio State, and was one of the best to ever play in the NFL, as evidenced by his induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016. Pace was so good when he arrived in Columbus that he became just the second true freshman to start on opening day for the Buckeyes.

How good was Pace? He became known as “The Pancake Man” because of the frequency in which he dished out pancake blocks. While the term “pancake block” had been used by some teams prior to Pace’s arrival in college football, the term became widely used because of Pace. The Sandusky native was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 1994, but that was only beginning of hardware that Pace would earn.

1995 was a true breakout season for Pace, as he not only was named an All-American, but he also earned the Lombardi Award, given annually to the nation’s best college football player regardless of position. Prior to Pace, previous winners of the award from Ohio State were Jim Stillwagon, John Hicks, and Chris Spielman.

As good as 1995 was for Pace, 1996 was even better. Not only did Pace become the first player to win back-to-back Lombardi Awards, but he was also the winner of the Outland Trophy, which is given to the best interior lineman in college football. Parker, Stillwagon, and Hicks all had won the award prior to Pace taking home the honor in 1996.

Do you know how many offensive linemen have finished in the top 10 in Heisman Trophy voting since Orlando Pace finished fourth in 1996? Zero. Zilch. None. That should tell you just how respected Pace was. It’s rare to even see a defensive lineman in the running for the Heisman. An offensive lineman finishing that high is unheard of.

Another testament to Pace’s greatness was being voted the Big Ten’s most valuable player and offensive player of the year in 1996. Ohio State went 11-1 and won the Rose Bowl that season, but without Pace it’s possible the Buckeyes could have been handed two or three more losses that season. It’s incredible just how much Pace changed the game when he was on the field. Pepe Pearson rushed for 1,484 yards in 1996, but just 869 in 1997 after Pace left Columbus.

Just imagine the sense of calm that Justin Fields would have with Orlando Pace protecting him, especially since Pace didn’t allow a sack in his final two seasons in Columbus. Running backs Trey Sermon and Master Teague would feel a lot less pressure in trying to replace J.K. Dobbins if they could have Pace clearing the way for them. As unstoppable as Ohio State looks right now, they’d be even more feared with Orlando Pace on the offensive line.

What do you think? Are you going against the grain and opting for one of the other phenomenal offensive linemen mentioned earlier, or do you have a favorite that was omitted?

Which former Ohio State offensive lineman would you want back in Columbus? Let us know in the comments!

Continue reading...

Ohio State offers 2023 offensive tackle, brother of big 2021 target
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
The Buckeyes sent an official scholarship offer to the younger brother of a top 2021 prospect.

The Ohio State football team has been on a tear in its 2021 recruiting class. Just last week, the Buckeyes earned their most recent BOOM by flipping four-star CB Jordan Hancock from Clemson.

The recent addition fully cements Ohio State atop the 247Sports 2021 class rankings, though Alabama is quickly closing the gap. As a result, the Buckeyes are far from finished.

One of the most important recruits remaining on Ohio State’s list of targets is offensive tackle Tristan Leigh (Fairfax, VA/Robinson Secondary). The five-star prospect recently included the Buckeyes in his top five schools, however Clemson and LSU seem to have an edge at the moment.

Monday morning, the Buckeyes officially offered the brother of Tristan, Aidan Leigh (Fairfax, VA/Robinson Secondary). The move might first appear targeted at securing a commitment from the older brother. However, Ryan Day and the Ohio State coaching staff have been very selective in who they offer, and when presented, it means the program is fully interested in the recruit. While the move certainly is not insignificant in the recruitment of Tristan, Aidan has already been able to show off his potential as a member of the 2023 recruiting class.


Ohio State was the second official scholarship offer presented to the younger Leigh, with Big Ten foe Maryland being the first. However, the Buckeyes are not the only new team targeting Aidan. Shortly after the OSU offer came in on Monday, LSU also offered the younger Leigh. The Tigers are another team that was included in Tristan’s top five.

Aidan has yet to receive any recruiting rankings as of yet, as is common with a recruit this early on in the process. However, expect his name to be high on the list once announced. The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder will hope to achieve similar success to his brother and could grow into a larger body by the time he reaches the same point in his recruitment.

Tristan will likely try and withhold from making a final decision and will look to take those five allocated official visits, once the dead period due to the COVID-19 pandemic has been lifted. Nonetheless, the No. 3-rated OT in the country certainly noticed his brother’s Ohio State offer.

Quick Hits:

• Ohio State 2022 OLB target Dasan McCullough continues to look impressive. Buckeye OLB commit C.J. Hicks has been heavily recruiting McCullough to join him in Columbus as the two have established a budding friendship.

• Ohio State also offered 2023 athlete Joenel Aguero on Monday. The St. Johns Prep (Danvers, MA) product currently holds 12 official scholarship offers at this early stage in his recruitment, with some big programs in on the sophomore including Michigan, Ole Miss, Penn State, Tennessee, USC and others. The 6-foot, 170-pound Aguero does not yet have a rating on 247Sports, like the rest of his 2023 counterparts.

Continue reading...

Buckeye Bits: 2020 draft class tops $111 million in rookie contracts, Lattimore and Heyward among NFL’s top 100, more
Tia Johnston via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
All of the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond.

Congratulations! You’ve made it through another Monday in quarantine. Hopefully by now, you’ve shut down your work laptop, poured yourself a drink, takeout is on the way and Netflix is streaming. Speaking of Netflix, I have finally finished The Last Dance (ESPN aired it way past my bedtime), and...just a few things:

1. I think about Scottie Pippen’s teeth once a day. Like...are we just not going to talk about how immaculate they are?
2. The Bulls’ warmup gray sweatsuits. Where can I find them in a size XS?
3. Michael Jordan...wow. LeBron is better, but wow.

But now that I’m done with that documentary, I’m in the market for a new Netflix series. I hate violence, gore (I’m talking even a spec of blood), horror, drama (couldn’t make it past the first episode of Outer Banks), suspense and sci-fi— all of which, I have realized, is what everyone else loves. The Game of Thrones era was a lonely one for me. Anyway, leave your recommendations in the comments below!

Now, on to today’s headlines!

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...


Column: Ohio State’s most intriguing out-of-conference matchups

Meredith Hein, LGHL

Going with the theme of potential matchups for Ohio State, Meredith chose a team from each conference who, she believes, would be the most intriguing matchup for the Buckeyes, including non-Power-5 and Independents.


Leaders of the Room: Will there be a go-to guy at running back for Ohio State this year?

Matt Tamanini, LGHL

The Ohio State running back room is young, injured and relatively inexperienced. Although there’s talk of former Oklahoma RB Trey Sermon taking most of the snaps this season, Matt believes it’ll be more of a group effort.


Ohio State among early leaders for Florida safety

Charles Doss, LGHL

Good news and bad news. The 11th ranked safety in the 2022 class has Ohio State in his top 11, and Alabama is now on Ohio State’s heels in the 2021 class rankings after they earned the commitment of Michigan’s No. 1 prospect on Sunday.

From around the gridiron...


Ohio State’s 2020 draft class signs more than $100 million in rookie contracts, Chase Young and Jeff Okudah already among NFL’s highest-paid players at their positions

Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

Ohio State’s 2020 draft pick contracts equal $111,601,871 in total contract value, which just barely passed the infamous 2016 NFL draft class (Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott, Eli Apple, Taylor Decker, Darron Lee, Michael Thomas, Vonn Bell, Adolphus Washington, Braxton Miller, Nick Vannett, Joshua Perry and Cardale Jones) for the highest-paid draft class in school history.

Why even have a recruiting staff at this point?


Ex-Buckeyes Lattimore, Heyward among NFL’s top 100 players

Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts

The NFL Network began its countdown of the league’s top 100 players on Sunday night, and New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward ranked No. 76 and No. 84, respectively.

You can expect to see more Buckeyes added to the list when the countdown continues tonight at 8 p.m. on their network and via Twitter (@NFLNetwork).


Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Five Questions as Buckeyes look to press advantage on special teams

Austin Ward, Lettermen Row

It’s Specialists Week over at Lettermen Row, and today, Austin looked at the five biggest questions surrounding the position group, including the likelihood of more punt/kickoff returns this season and what we can expect from the main guys.


If you told me the pictures on the left were the video game, I’d believe you.


You can literally be Chase Young when Madden 21 releases for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on August 25.


Breaking: Ohio State is set up for success this season.


Also, remember when we didn’t have a returning coach or a returning quarterback? Good times.

From everywhere else...


Across Ohio, college football for the fall is being canceled

Doug Lesmerises, cleveland.com

Mount Union, John Carroll, Oberlin, Baldwin Wallace, Case Western and Kenyon are among several Ohio schools who are postponing or cancelling college football for the fall.

Meanwhile, the state’s Division I schools such as Ohio State, Kent State, Akron, Toledo and Bowling Green are still up in the air, as the NCAA has pushed back its decision for another few weeks.


Columbus City Council to vote on 10 p.m. closing time for bars, restaurants to slow Covid-19 spread

Carrie Ghose, Columbus Business First

Columbus bars and restaurants are expected to have 10 p.m. closing times starting Tuesday to slow the spread of coronavirus. While people can still order takeout past 10 p.m., the goal is to eliminate the rowdiness that usually occurs at these establishments in the late hours of the evening.


Rutgers quarantines football team after six more positive tests for coronavirus

ESPN

The Scarlet Knights have stopped all in-person team activities and are quarantining the entire football program after six more people tested positive for COVID-19. Since returning to campus on June 15, the program has had 10 total positive tests.

This comes after Michigan State announced on Friday that it would also be quarantining its entire team after a second staff member and one athlete tested positive.


Speaking COVID-19 outbreaks...


We need to figure out how to put college football in a bubble. It’s the only way. Luckily, our own George Eisner has the solution!

Continue reading...

ScriptOhio said:

Obviously Mike Norvell doesn't run a "tight ship" like Jimbo did.....

Click to expand...

My first thought was "someone has video"

Spot still open. I'll even put you in @jwinslow conf so you can beat on him yearly.

I have a lot of family roots in Amanda and Amanda township. That is the absolute last place in the world where I would expect a loud party and a shooting.

NastyNatiBuck said:

Wrong thread by 10 years

Click to expand...

And the first letter of the last name is off by 22 letters or so

Didn’t keep me from missing it when I first saw it

This sumbtich would get a life sentence.

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Column: Ohio State’s most intriguing out-of-conference matchups
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports
Plus, happy adoption day, Ruthie!

Today happens to be my dog’s adoption day, so happy “birthday,” Ruthie! Sports are one of the best things ever, and dogs probably are the best ever, so putting these two together makes for some pretty tremendous happiness. Anyway, here’s a pic of my dog repping her favorite bandanas. Enjoy!




Okay, so it’s been a minute, but in my column from July 6 (a moment, perhaps, when I was more optimistic about having a college football season), we started parsing out the ideal conferences for out of conference matchups in the hopes of getting to the ideal out-of-conference opponent for Ohio State. That thought came out of a column from Brett Ludwiczak on the top matchups the Buckeyes have never had. Those matchups are headlined by Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Iowa State.

(Unrelated, I still find it shocking Ohio State hasn’t played Iowa State. I guess I just associate our win in the 2013 NCAA Tournament as being encompassing of all sports. Thanks, Aaron Craft!)

To recap the conference discussion: IMHO, the Pac-12 offers the best opportunity, in terms of historical panache and a comparatively different style of play than what we see week-in and week-out in the Big Ten. The SEC, meanwhile, is irksome in every way, and that’s coming from a self-proclaimed annoying Ohio State fan.

Given the Big Ten’s announcement this month that the football season would be limited to conference play only, the point of this article is entirely moot. But hey, we’ve got to have all our ducks in a row for when we get a COVID-19 vaccine and hopefully have a 2021 college football season...assuming the inherent economics of the system don’t cause widespread, irreversible collapse before then.

Alright, enough of me being a Negative Nancy. Back to the question at hand: Who are the best out-of-conference matchups for the Buckeyes?

Since there are 130 FBS teams, I’ll continue to take the conference-by-conference approach:

ACC


The most frequent opponent for Ohio State in the ACC happens to be Pitt, over whom the Buckeyes hold a 19-5-1 advantage. But the Panthers are certainly not top of the list in the ACC as a future non-conference matchup for the Buckeyes.

Who is? Obviously the revenge tour (which will be something of a theme here) would be great to allow Ohio State to overcome its deficits to Clemson (0-4) and Florida State (0-3). Louisville and NC State, over whom the Buckeyes hold 2-0 marks, would be cool to see in certain years as well (imagine watching Lamar Jackson vs. Nick Bosa).

Big 12


While there are several intriguing matchups coming out of the Big 12 — including two that Ohio State has had home-and-homes with in recent memory (Oklahoma and Texas) — West Virginia and TCU happen to be the most common opponents for the Buckeyes. Ohio State holds a 5-1-1 record over the Horned Frogs, its most recent win coming in 2018, and 5-1-0 mark over the Mountaineers.

That being said, Texas has to be the most intriguing opponent from the Big 12 — now more than ever, in fact. First, the Longhorns are the only Big 12 team that the Buckeyes have a losing record against (1-2). Evening up that score is a tremendous value prop for Ohio State. Then there’s the fact Tom Herman, former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Urban Meyer at Ohio State, is head coach at Texas. Finally, Texas, like Ohio State, is one of the biggest college football brands in the nation with one of the most prominent and, I’ll say it again, annoying fan bases in the sport. Plus, the Buckeyes already have a home-and-home scheduled for 2025-26 with Texas, so I’ll take that as confirmation that I’m right.

Pac-12


As alluded to above, the Pac-12 presents probably the best conference worth of opponents for Ohio State. Frankly, there are few Pac-12 teams that wouldn’t be exciting opponents to watch (Oregon State being one of them). But between USC, Stanford, Oregon, Utah, Arizona State, Washington and others, the Buckeyes have a laundry list of opponents whom they’ve mainly faced in bowl games, but who would be cool in week one or two, too.

The Buckeyes hold their best record over Oregon (9-0), and yet the Ducks still offer a unique matchup for Ohio State whenever they face off. The only two teams Ohio State has losing records against, USC (10-13-1) and Stanford (2-3), are squads that the Buckeyes could certainly go on a revenge tour against.

SEC


Okay, here goes the list I care least about top-to-bottom. The Buckeyes hold losing records against six SEC teams (Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia), but the biggest margin is just two games. So it would be great to rectify these records, but I also have zero desire to deal with Tennessee fans (even though their dog is super cute) or traveling to the state of Alabama.

That being said, there is an obvious buzz around the Buckeyes’ home-and-home against Bama, scheduled for 2027 and 2028. And yeah, despite what I just said...I’m looking forward to it.

Non-Power-5


Where to begin here, because there are actually some exciting teams outside the Power-5 who have proven chippy in the past and who remain interesting matchup possibilities looking forward. As Brett mentioned, Boise State, a team Ohio State has never faced in program history, has been a killer of giants en route to the Broncos transforming almost into giants themselves. My personal favorite Boise State moment (and probably everyone else’s) was the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, when the Broncos stuck it to Oklahoma in overtime on a Statue of Liberty, after which the tailback Ian Johnson proposed to his girlfriend. All the feels.

But then there’s UCF, whom Ohio State has only faced once — a win in 2012. The Golden Knights have been getting pretty darn close to Boise State’s level in recent years, culminating in their 2018 Peach Bowl win over Auburn. UCF has won the American Athletic Conference two of the last three seasons, and presents a stronger opponent from the AAC than, say, Cincinnati.

Independents


Okay, I could have lumped this group in with the non-Power-5 group, but just wanted to explicitly say that Notre Dame doesn’t count. The Buckeyes hold a 4-2 record over the Irish, their most recent wins coming in 2006 and 2016 Fiesta Bowls. Note that Notre Dame’s last win over Ohio State came in 1936. They should just join a conference already. Maybe a season where they’re shut out of competition when the rest of the major players stick to conference-only play will motivate them to do so.

On that note, bye for now.

Continue reading...

Leaders of the Room: Will there be a go-to guy at running back for Ohio State this year?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Short answer: I don’t think so.

Over the past few weeks, we have been running through the leaders of each position group for the Ohio State Buckeyes in our Leaders of the Room series, and so far, it’s been a fairly cut and dry endeavor. While there might have been a room or two that was a bit more difficult to determine than the others, for the most part, it’s been a pretty painless process. However, we’ve saved the most complicated for last, as now it’s time to venture into Tony Alford’s running back room.

With J.K. Dobbins’ departure for the NFL, the Ohio State running backs began the offseason as a group of young and injured guys with a whole lot to prove. While Master Teague III earned a Big Ten third-team honor during his red-shirt freshman year in 2019, he suffered an Achilles injury during the first workout of the pandemic-shortened spring practices. There is optimism that he could be ready to go for the fall season — whether it starts on time or not — but no one really knows for sure.

However, this video from Thursday includes a decent look of what appears to be a pretty darn healthy MT3, so perhaps he might actually be ready to go by the time a season theoretically kicks off:


As for another injured RB, after showing promise in his freshman campaign, Marcus Crowley tore his right ACL during OSU’s November win over Maryland. Again, Ryan Day’s staff is hopeful that Crowley will be healthy enough to return to action, but even with how modern medicine has sped up the healing process for ACL tears, there’s no guarantee when he will be back to form.

That leaves now-redshirt freshman Steele Chambers and criminally under-utilized, ninth-year senior Demario McCall from last year’s squad. Technically McCall might not be considered a running back anymore (I can’t keep up at this point), but these two should both be fully available if either wins a job in the rotation, or circumstances necessitate them stepping up.

Heading into the pandemic-created lockdown, that would have been the OSU running back room, but on March 22, Alford and Day welcomed a new back to the fold in former Oklahoma Sooner Trey Sermon. The graduate transfer comes to Columbus with one year of eligibility remaining, having already rushed for over 2,000 yards and 22 touchdowns in his career.

As a freshman and sophomore in 2017-18, Sermon was a major factor in the OU offense, wracking up 285 carries, 1,691 yards, and 18 TDs. But in 2019, he was relegated to a third running option as transfer-quarterback Jalen Hurts became the team’s leading rusher, and sophomore Kennedy Brooks went for his second straight thousand-yard season.

Then, in the Sooners’ Nov. 11 game against Iowa State, Sermon suffered a season-ending knee injury. Though the expectations are that he is already back to full strength, adding another back with a recent injury history to the crew could be a bit concerning.

So, now that we’ve established the whos of the running back room, let’s figure out the whats and whens. Unfortunately, I don’t see the Buckeyes having a distinct leader in this room; rather I expect Day to employ a RB-by-committee approach, especially if Teague is approaching 100 percent as the season progresses.

We still don’t really know what the Buckeyes’ schedule is going to look like, so I won’t put a definitive guess on actual yardage totals, but I see the season starting with Sermon getting about 50-60 percent of the carries, with the staff easing Teague into things, getting about 20-30, and then all other healthy backs splitting the final 20.

I’d say you see Sermon for most of the first quarter, but Teague gets the fourth series of the game. Then, as OSU you builds a lead, Sermon gets two series in the second quarter, before both being shut down sometime in the third.

As the season goes on, and Teague proves that he is able to shoulder the weight of increased carries, I think that we end up seeing him and Sermon meeting in the middle at about 40 percent each (give or take a few on either side), and everyone else taking the remaining 20 percent in clean-up duties.

Let’s face it, Ohio State isn’t likely to have a difference-making back in 2020 like fans have gotten used to in recent years with the likes of Dobbins and Ezekiel Elliott. However, with perhaps the best offensive line in the country, and more depth at QB, I do think that the backs could be effective, especially with an increased running threat from quarterback Justin Fields.

Having a viable option to pick up four to five yards per carry (even if they don’t have regular home run potential) might be enough to give Fields the opportunity to bust loose a time or two per drive. And, with the big-play potential on the outside, I really think that might be enough to render even the best defenses on OSU’s schedule helpless.

This year’s running back group will undoubtedly be one of transition, no matter how successful or productive they end up being. With the nation’s best back, TreVeyon Henderson, coming in January 2021 (after exploring reclassifying into this class), whomever ends up carrying the load for the Buckeyes will likely be a bridge to even brighter future.

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Ohio State among early leaders for Florida safety
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Markeith Williams | Andrew Ivins/247Sports
The Buckeyes are still in the mix for a Sunshine State standout.

Ryan Day and the Ohio State football program are well on their way to a top notch recruiting class in 2022. Holding verbal pledges from defensive back Jyaire Brown, linebacker CJ Hicks, and offensive tackle Tegra Tshabola, numerous other highly sought after junior prospects have the Buckeyes sitting rather high on their leader list.

Over the weekend another class of 2022 standout took to his Twitter page to let the world know what college programs are currently sticking out to him at the moment. Taking a hard look at 11 schools now, four-star safety Markeith Williams is now contemplating taking his talents to either Ohio State, Oklahoma, Florida, Miami, Alabama, Texas A&M, Auburn, Florida State, Nebraska, Louisville, or West Virginia.


Williams, the 11th safety and 163rd overall prospect in the class of 2022, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, has been a ball hawk during his time with Orlando’s Evans High School. Helping the Trojans bounce back from a 1-9 season in 2018 to a 5-5 record last year as a sophomore, the 6-foot, 160-pounder snatched down seven interceptions from his spot in the defensive backfield and was named Orlando Sentinel All-Area first-team for his play on the gridiron.

Want to see Williams in action? Take a few minutes to check out what the Sunshine State standout could potentially add to the Buckeyes silver bullet secondary:

Quick Hits

• Class of 2022 offensive tackle Joey Tanona verbally committed to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish over the weekend. A four-star prospect from Zionsville, IN, Tanona chose to take his talents to South Bend over opportunities at Ohio State, LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, and others.
• Ohio State basketball recently conducted a Zoom meeting with East Rockingham (VA) four-star power forward Tyler Nickel. The 6-foot-8, class of 2022 standout holds early scholarship offers from programs such as Clemson, LSU, Penn State, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest.
• Class of 2021 five-star defensive tackle Damon Payne committed to Alabama on Sunday. Payne, the No. 1 player in the state of Michigan, apparently was not even considering the in-state Wolverines when making his decision. The commitment has the Crimson Tide right on Ohio State’s heels in the class rankings, now in second place with 16 commits and an average player rating of 94.48 (Buckeyes have 19 commits with a 94.94 average).

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Buckeye Bits: Justin Fields on Maxwell Award watch list, Ohio State targets talk postponed high school season, more
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
All of the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond.

Welcome to Buckeye Bits, your one-stop shop for all of the day’s Ohio State news. Despite an ongoing pandemic, sports are slowly making their return into our lives. If your favorite MLB team wasn’t in action last night, they will be today. The NBA bubble has seemingly begun without issue, and the NHL restart in Canada is slated to start next weekend. Most importantly for us, the Buckeyes have returned to the practice field.


We’re all still holding out hope that there is college football to be played this fall, and I'm sure Ryan Day and his staff are taking the same approach. So until we hear otherwise, I will assume we will see our beloved Buckeyes come September. With that being said, let’s move on to today’s headlines.

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...

• Buckeyes offer a pair of Florida offensive linemen
  (Caleb Houser, LGHL)

Just because Ohio State has put together the nation’s top recruiting class in 2021 doesn’t mean Day and company get to take their foot off the gas, especially when it comes to building for the future. On Thursday, the Buckeyes offered a pair of 2023 offensive linemen from Florida, attempting to get out early on some potential forthcoming top prospects. Plus, one of the nation’s top tackles in 2021 has OSU in his top five.

• Which former Ohio State linebacker would you want back in Columbus?
  (Gene Ross, LGHL)

There has been no shortage of elite linebacker talent to come through Ohio State in the program’s history. From Chris Spielman and Andy Katzenmoyer to Darron Lee and Raekwon McMillan, a bunch of incredible players have donned a Buckeye uniform at the position. If you could bring one of these guys back to play alongside the 2020 roster, who would you choose?

• College Football Island: Can the NCAA make it happen?
  (George Eisner, LGHL)

ICYMI, earlier this week George wrote about the idea of College Football Island, much like the UFC’s Fight Island. In his proposal, he drew up a single-elimination March Madness-style bracket for college football, played entirely in the Bahamas. While obviously a near impossible scenario, George draws up exactly how it would work, and it sounds pretty damn fun to me!

From around the gridiron...

• To nobody’s surprise, Justin Fields has been named to the Maxwell Award watch list, an honor given annually to the most outstanding player in college football. After over 3,200 passing yards and 51 total touchdowns in his first season in Columbus, Fields finds himself on numerous national award watch lists, and is a candidate — if not the favorite — for the Heisman Trophy in 2020.

• Jakailin Johnson and the three-year plan to be OSU’s next first-round NFL CB
  (Stephen Means, Cleveland.com)

Johnson chose to play at Ohio State for the same reason most cornerbacks choose to play in Columbus: he wants to be a first-round NFL Draft pick. Kerry Coombs has a history of getting guys into the league, and he will now look to do the same with the nation’s No. 40 overall player in the 2021 class. His plan to get there is three simple steps: play special teams and get on the field a little as a freshman, start in year two, and compete for the Thorpe Award in year three.

• Five bold predictions as Buckeyes look to defend BIA status
  (Lettermen Row Staff)

The guys over at Lettermen Row continued their bold predictions series on Friday, this time with the defensive backs. Ohio State has a lot of question marks in the secondary this year outside of Shaun Wade, but there is a ton of upside in the unit. Some of these outside-the-box predictions reflect that high ceiling, including the idea that the Buckeyes produce two first-rounders this year, Cam Brown achieves All-Big Ten status, and a potential freshman starter.

• Speaking of Ohio State defensive backs, this guy was pretty good...

• Agreed.

• Tuimoloau, Egbuka react to the new football season
  (Brandon Huffman, 247Sports)

It’s no secret that Emeka Egbuka and J.T. Tuimoloau are two of Ohio State’s top remaining targets in the 2021 class. The pair of five-star prospects from Washington are taking it slow in their recruiting process without the ability to take official visits as a result of COVID-19, but they now have decisions to make as the state has pushed all high school football to March. It appears both Egbuka and Tuimoloau plan on playing their senior season before enrolling at the college program of choice.

From everywhere else...

• On Friday, the MAC announced the suspension of all fall sports, but not the MAC you’re thinking of. Middle-Atlantic, not Mid-American.

• This policy seems questionable at best, but what do I know?

• Get ready for the Buffalo Blue Jays!

• One thing we can all agree on: CampusParc absolutely sucks.

Continue reading...

Which former Ohio State linebacker would you want back in Columbus?
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 Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
State your case in the comments!

Ohio State’s linebackers should actually be really good heading into 2020. While the unit lost its top guy in Malik Harrison to the NFL Draft, it returns a pair of multi-year starters in Tuf Borland and Pete Werner — both of whom improved drastically in 2019 — and a potential star in Baron Browning, who split time at MLB with Borland last season but will now fill Harrison’s vacant spot in a full-time role.

The group should be one of the strengths of the Buckeyes’ defense as we (hopefully) head into what will be a weird, Big Ten-only campaign, and the talent at the position doesn’t stop with the starters. The team also features a myriad of highly-touted players waiting in the wings, including the likes of Dallas Gant, Teradja Mitchell, K’Vaughan Pope and Justin Hilliard — all of whom were four or five-star prospects who could all see their fair share of playing time in 2020.

With that being said, what if you could make this talented group of linebackers even better? While each of the guys on the current roster bring their own unique skillset to the table, what if you could add in a guy with a proven track record of success? If Ryan Day had the option to bring back one former Ohio State linebacker to add to this year’s unit, who would be at the top of that wish list?

There is no shortage of options to choose from in this regard. You could start by looking through the history books at some of the greatest linebackers ever to don the Scarlet and Gray.

A popular option for long-time fans of Ohio State would likely be Chris Spielman, a two-time All-American and Lombardi Award winner who racked up an astounding 546 tackles in his time in Columbus. You could also look at a guy like Andy Katzenmoyer, the first true freshman ever to start at linebacker for the Buckeyes who later became a consensus All-American and Dick Butkus Award winner.

Moving more into the 2000s, you run into options like A.J. Hawk and James Laurinaitis. Hawk was a member of the 2002 BCS National Championship team as a freshman, winning the Lombardi Award following his senior season in 2005 and being twice named a unanimous First Team All-American. Laurinaitis had an incredible career at Ohio State, winning the Bronco Nagurski Trophy, the Butkus Award, and the Lott Trophy over the span of his four years playing in Columbus.

Which brings us to more of the guys that I really got a chance to enjoy watching during my tenure as an Ohio State fan that only began shortly before I arrived on campus (not a ton of people in Long Island really pay attention to college football, unfortunately).

The more recent wave of outstanding Buckeye linebackers really begins with Ryan Shazier. Seemingly always in the right spot to make the big play, Shazier started every game for Ohio State in 2012, returning a game-winning interception for a touchdown against Penn State and making the game-saving tackle on 4th-and-inches on the goal line against Wisconsin in that same season. Shaz would go on to be named a First Team All-American, finishing his OSU career with 316 total tackles, 45.5 tackles for loss and 15 sacks.

Ohio State had a pretty good run of linebackers from that point up until the disaster that was position coach Bill Davis, which included some very talented players among the likes of Darron Lee, Raekwon McMillan and Jerome Baker. Lee and McMillan were both members of the National Championship team in 2014, with Lee being named the Defensive MVP of the Sugar Bowl against Alabama in the prior contest. Baker was a guy I felt personally was always a bit underrated, as he went on to finish his mainly two playing seasons at OSU with 159 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks.

There are a lot of great options on the table, but personally, I somewhat surprisingly think I would go with Raekwon McMillan as my option to join this year's squad. Call it recency bias and the fact that I actually got to watch his career in person at The Shoe, but I really loved McMillan’s game. He was a great field general at the center of the Ohio State defense, and was one of the most sure tacklers on the team with a nose for the ball. With all due respect to Borland, I think his skillset would slot in real well alongside Browning and Werner to make a formidable group of linebackers in 2020.

I wrestled between he and Shaz, but I think either would be a more than suitable option.

So, let’s hear it.

Which former Ohio State linebacker would you want back in Columbus? Let us know in the comments!

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Buckeyes offer a pair of Florida offensive linemen
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Columbus Dispatch-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Content Services, LLC
It’s never too early to find elite talent as Ohio State offers two 2023 prospects

With August approaching quickly, Ohio State and other college programs around the country are still pursuing their fall camp start dates. While nothing has been set in stone yet, the one positive to take away right now is that no news is good news in terms of football updates. With Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith announcing the Buckeyes are still working towards opening training camp as usual, that’s a step in the right direction for the season.

One thing is for certain, as it has been this entire pandemic — the Buckeyes coaching staff has been relentless on the recruiting trail. Even with practice dates coming in the near future, Ryan Day and his crew are still in full pursuit of finishing their current 2021 class as the nation’s best, and while doing so have started to really ramp up their efforts in the future classes.

Dishing out two new offers in the class of 2023


With the outcome of the games themselves decided in the trenches, Ohio State’s coaching staff knows it’s pivotal for them to not only bring in elite caliber linemen, but to stockpile them in a way that leads to those position groups being one of the key strengths of the overall roster. Specifically on the offensive side of the ball, the Buckeyes have been able to more than meet their needs with bringing in top offensive linemen, which has had a direct correlation to their consistency on the field.

In the current 2021 cycle, Ohio State is still in full pursuit of landing another elite caliber offensive tackle to bolster the future in addition to current offensive guard commits in Ben Christman and Donovan Jackson. In 2022, the Buckeyes have already nailed down the commitment of in-state four-star tackle Tegra Tshabola. Ohio State still isn’t resting, as yesterday they proved it’s now time to start recruiting even further ahead into the future with two offers going out to offensive linemen in the 2023 class.

Checking in first, TJ Shanahan (Orlando, Florida/Timber Creek) a 6-foot-5, 300 pound monster announced via his Twitter account that the Buckeyes were the latest to throw their hat into the ring vying for his services. Only a high school sophomore this coming year, Shanahan already has the size of a big time DI football player. Still, when considering there’s three full prep seasons to develop his game both on and off the field, it’s not hard to see why the Buckeyes wanted to become the next program to enter this recruitment.

Without a ranking yet on 247Sports due to his class status and age, Shanahan will easily be one of the higherrated offensive linemen when his time comes, as he already holds offers from over 20 programs. With schools such as Florida State, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Tennessee, and a host of others already in the thick of things, it’s really only a matter of time before Shanahan becomes a household name with every top program in the country throwing him their best recruiting pitch. Ohio State has always held a strong presence in Florida and with an offer coming this early to a player with three years left before he signs, it gives the Buckeyes and Coach Studrawa plenty of time to create a lasting relationship that will help their chances at bringing another elite southern talent to Columbus.


Staying in the Sunshine State, Clay Wedin (Tampa, Florida/Carrollwood Day) was the second OT prospect to announce he too had received an Ohio State offer. Checking in at 6-foot-6, 275 pounds, like the aforementioned Shanahan, Wedin has incredible size that already portrays to a force on the offensive line for any top college program. Still too young to have a ranking or grade on 247Sports, it will be interesting to see where he finds himself, which will likely be among the nation’s best along the offensive line. Again, with three more years to develop his game and body, the sky is the limit for Wedin and his football career.

With nearly 20 offers to his name this early on as well, it’s pretty telling a Buckeye offer will one of many more to come as other top programs take note of his playing abilities and size. Schools such as Florida, Florida State, LSU, Kentucky, USC, Penn State, and more have already entered this recruitment, and while there’s still a few programs out there like Alabama and Clemson yet to pull the trigger on offering, it’s likely just a matter of time.

As the Buckeyes continue to evaluate and find the best players in the 2023 class, the pair of Shanahan and Wedin are obviously two names that are sure to be recurring mentions. It will be tough to pull this duo out of the south, but if any program has had success of bringing elite talent north each recruiting cycle, it’s been Ohio State.

Quick Hits:

• Yesterday, Virginia native five-star offensive tackle, Tristan Leigh announced his top five schools and, as expected, the Buckeyes made the cut. Clemson, Oklahoma, Alabama, and LSU rounded out the others, with LSU seemingly being the biggest threat to Ohio State in this recruitment. Fortunately, no school other than OSU has made a bigger jump for Leigh as of late, and the momentum seems to be growing. Leigh is the No. 3 OT in the nation, and the No. 11 prospect in the 2021 class.

• Chris Holtmann was also busy on the recruiting trail on Thursday, sending out a new offer to 2022 forward Camden Heide. The 6-foot-5, 180-pound Minnesota native is currently the No. 14 PF and No. 74 player overall in the class, and Ohio State has gotten in early as one of just nine early offers. Other schools in on Heide at this point include Arizona, Creighton, Minnesota, Purdue and Wisconsin, among others. It is just the 12th offer out for the Buckeyes in the 2022 class, according to 247Sports.

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Buckeye Bits: Football begins next practice phase Friday, Buckeye Donuts robbed, more
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 Steven Branscombe/Getty Images
All of the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond.

Welcome back to Buckeye Bits, where we gather all of today’s best headlines and put ‘em all in one place. I’m going to work a little blue here to open up today’s column, so cover the eyes of any children reading along.

Hey, 2020! How f*cking dare you?!?!?!


Speaking of Columbus travesties:


Ok, with all of that awfulness out of the way, let’s talk sports.

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...


Five-star Ohio State target announcing his Top 5 on Thursday

Tia Johnston, LGHL

As expected, Tristan Leigh named Ohio State, LSU, Clemson, Alabama, and Oklahoma as his Top 5. If Ohio State lands the five-star offensive lineman, it would help get them closer to the highest-rated recruiting class in history. If the Tide get him, they could land the best offensive line haul of all time. I prefer the former, personally.

Which former Ohio State wide receiver would you want back in Columbus?

Also Tia Johnston, LGHL

The responses to this have been phenomenal, from guys like <Jon Gruden voice> Dane Sanzenbacher to the late, great Terry Glenn. Perhaps because I am old, I would probably go either David Boston or Ted Ginn Jr.

From around the gridiron...


Ok, this has been pretty confusing as schedules have shifted with no real communication on definitive plans. But, with walk-throughs starting tomorrow and fall camp-proper kicking off on Aug. 7, that means that Ohio State believes that they will still be playing their first game of the season on Sept. 5 as initially planned.

247Sports’ Bill Kuerlic reported as much on Wednesday, but no one yet knows who or where the Buckeyes will play. But, the fact that they are wasting no time and starting the season in the already-planned Week 1 gives them as much flexibility as possible, should things go off the rails and games need to be shut down.

While this doesn’t mean that we are full engines go for a fall season, I do think that this is the best-case scenario to something resembling a fall season happening. Of course, should things get moved to the spring, it’s likely that a number of the Buckeyes’ best players will choose not to play; Shaun Wade’s parents have already said that he would be “outta here, baby.”

Why conference-only schedules could save fall college football

Brandon Marcello, 247Sports

When Ohio State AD Gene Smith and Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren talked about the league’s move to only play conference games earlier this month, they did so by emphasizing that the drastic step was made in order to ensure that the B1G has as much room to maneuver as possible if the situation on the ground gets worse than it already is.

That is essentially what Marcello is arguing in the piece, so it is confusing and frustrating that other conferences are game-planning schedules that go to 11 or 12 games. I’d probably be ok with going to 10, but if you’re going to play 11, why not just play 12, and if you’re going to play that many games, why cancel non-conference contests in the first place?

Look, I am all for having contingency plans, but — to me — this reeks of trying to have your cake and eat it too; cancel non-conference games to make it look like you care about the ongoing pandemic, but load up on extra conference games and try to squeeze some extra cash out of the networks.


How the Uncertain College Football Schedule Could Impact Ohio State’s 2020 Playoff Hopes

David Regimbal, Eleven Warriors

This is something that I haven’t spent much time thinking about yet. In a perfect world, of course a league taking measures in the time of a pandemic wouldn’t be held against its member institutions. However, we’ve seen how awful the Playoff Committee has been in sticking to any predetermined protocol and criteria in years past. So, I have very little faith in them being able to make logical conclusions in a world where the SEC and Big 12 play full seasons, but the B1G does not.

Ohio State Football: Can Chris Olave become a 1,000 yard receiver?

Alex Austin, Scarlet and Game

Can Chris Olave become a 1,000 yard receiver? Yes, he absolutely can, but there are two things standing in his way:

1) How many games will OSU play this year?

Will they stick to nine conference games? Will there be a B1G Title game? Will there be bowl games? A College Football Playoff?

That will obviously be a major factor in determining what stats players can wrack up this year.

2) There’s a lot of other really good receivers who are gong to need the ball as well.

Kamryn Babb, Mookie Cooper, Julian Fleming, Gee Scott Jr., Jaxson Smith-Njigba, Jameson Williams, Garrett Wilson, and more.

How much could CFB players make off their name, image, likeness?

Chris Hummer, 247Sports

A LOT OF MONEY! AND. THEY. DESERVE. EVERY. SINGLE. PENNY. OF. IT!

Speaking of deserving a poop-ton of money:

From around the hardwood...


Malaki Branham to Ohio State: A vital, sneaky good win for the Buckeyes (paywall)

Bill Landis, The Athletic

Ohio State men’s basketball is on a roll in recruiting recently. With the Wednesday commitment of Malaki Branham, they have now earned the pledge of three top-100 players (all native Ohioans) and they are looking to add an elite big man to the class.

Retention of top players has been a bit shaky for Chris Holtmann recently, but this commitment shows that it does not appear to be damaging his ability to attract top-line talent.

The ’s new kit is :

From everywhere else...


Hey, Siri, show me how to properly unveil a new professional sports team name:


Hey, Siri, show me how not to unveil a new professional sports team name:


I actually don’t love the name The Kraken, it just feels like something you’d see from a Double A baseball team. But, the logos, the social media presence, and the eventual merch does look great.

And now for something completely different...


This is something that late Gen Xers and early Millennials need during this time of stress and uncertainty:


This is something that absolutely no one needs:


If we’re being honest, having no one in the stands is actually much closer to reality for most regular season baseball games than having CGI fans in the seats.

Continue reading...

Which former Ohio State wide receiver would you want back in Columbus?
Tia Johnston via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


State your case in the comments!

Now, let me start this off by saying there is absolutely nothing wrong with Ohio State’s current wide receiver unit. It’s loaded with both experienced and fresh talent, and with Justin Fields as their quarterback, they’re set up to have a remarkable season.

Last season, junior WR Chris Olave was Fields’ go-to guy, catching 48 balls for 480 yards and 12 touchdowns, while then-freshman Garrett Wilson tallied 30 receptions for 432 yards and five touchdowns. These two were major contributors to the team’s success last season, along with K.J. Hill, Binjimen Victor and Austin Mack (who are now all NFL bound).

As for the aforementioned fresh talent, freshmen Julian Fleming, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Gee Scott Jr. and Mookie Cooper are all at WR coach Brian Hartline’s disposal this fall.

Fleming was the No. 3 prospect in the 2020 recruiting cycle and the No. 1 receiver. He is the highest-ranked recruit to sign with the Buckeyes since Terrelle Pryor in 2008. Smith-Njigba was the fifth-ranked receiver in the 2020 class, due to the 5,346 receiving yards and 82 touchdowns he racked up during his high school career. Scott Jr. and Cooper have similar resumes, ranked No. 10 and No. 16 at the position, respectively.

Other receivers to keep an eye on this season include sophomore Kamryn Babb— who has massive potential but has been held back due to knee injuries, sixth-year senior C.J. Saunders (assuming he is healthy), senior Jaylen Harris, redshirt junior Ellijah Gardiner and sophomore Jameson Williams.

So yeah, Fields has options. But again, for the sake of this new series we’ve started up, let’s say Olave or Garett are unavailable for whatever reason in the season opener (opponent yet to be determined), or the freshmen studs aren’t able to adjust to the collegiate level due to lack of in-person training, and Coach Day was allowed to pluck any former Ohio State wide receiver and put him on this year’s roster. Who would you want back in Columbus catching passes from QB1?

Gun to my head— I’m choosing Ted Ginn Jr. every time (assuming he’d also be utilized on kick/punt return). But, if I were to dive into my options a little more, I’d also be interested to see the numbers Michael Thomas and Terry McLaurin could produce with Fields’ arm (no offense, J.T.)

Maybe you’d rather stick to your guns and pick a surefire winner, in which case you’d go with David Boston (1996-1998), who holds the Ohio State record for receiving receptions in a single game (14), receiving yards in a single season (1,435 in ‘98) and receiving touchdowns in a career (34). Joining Boston in several categories of the Ohio State record books include Michael Jenkins, Cris Carter, Terry Glenn, K.J. Hill, Parris Campbell and DeVier Posey— none of which would let us down. Or, does the 2020-21 roster need the likes of a multifaceted receiver, like a Curtis Samuel or a Braxton Miller?

Choose your fighter.

We all have our favorite Ohio State wide receivers, and your first choice will likely be based on the many fond memories watching that particular player. But, I urge you to pick your player based on the current 2020-21 roster, coaching staff and schedule.

So, let’s hear it.

Which former Ohio State wide receiver would you want back in Columbus? Let us know in the comments!

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