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buckeyefool said:

I know there are some cities in the U.S. that charge extra for the use of plastic bags

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The poor bastard's already working for TSA, which has to be in the top 10 of shitty jobs. He doesn't need this b.s. on top of it. If I was the judge, I'd be like: "Your life's shitty enough. Pay a $1 fine and GTFO.

OSU_Buckguy said:

going to watch this guy's career with interest. put me down as someone who thinks that if girard goes to syracuse, he'll transfer by year 3. if he goes to bc or psu, though, he'll flourish. or at least have a chance to flourish, relatively speaking. kid's made for a mid-major program.

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This isn't an "I told you so", because I'm a little surprised by it, too. But the guy's had a pretty damn good freshman year.

Buckeye Draft Profiles: Chase Young
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Jp Waldron/CSM/Shutterstock

Chase Young, a stud at defensive end has left it all on the field during his time at Ohio State. He has been a force his entire career as a Buckeye, but the 2019 season was a great send off season for him before stepping foot into the pro ranks. Young and his team finished the season with a 13-1 record, but he did a ton of damage to opposing teams and their offensive aspirations. In an era where stats are recorded and scrutinized, Young’s individual stats are impressive. He finished 2019 with 16.5 total sacks (14 solo/5 assisted sacks), averaging 1.38 sacks per game which led the nation. He also led the nation in forced fumbles with 6 for the year. With tackles for loss, he had 21 for the season and averaged 1.8 per game.


Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

Most draft experts are pegging him as a can’t miss prospect and the former Buckeye is projected as a Top-2 pick for this years NFL Draft. According to Sascha Paruk from SportsBettingDime, “there is no debate about who the first Buckeye off the board will be at the 2020 draft.” Adding, “Chase Young is the consensus best prospect in the class and will only fall from #1 because the Bengals have the #1 pick and need a franchise QB like Joe Burrow.” Paruk also speculated that “IF Chase Young doesn’t go second overall, it will be because Washington trades its pick to another QB-needy team, like the Dolphins or the Chargers.”


Mike Mulholland | MLive.com

For now, Chase Young is mocked to the Washington Redskins but with talks about potential trade down chatter, would make the 2020 NFL Draft more interesting. It makes sense from a re-building standpoint to stockpile picks to accelerate the entire process. The Redskins had a tough time this year finishing 3-13, but they have a few pieces in stock. Former Buckeyes, Dwayne Haskins might be their QB of the future and Terry McLaurin appear to be solid building blocks of the future. Their defense needs some help and Young makes sense, but Okudah does too with an aging Josh Norman. We will never know until Commissioner Goodell unveils the pick to make things official. The ball is in their court and the choice to make the pick or trade down is theirs alone. This draft will definitely be interesting and an exciting one.




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Recruiting Targets: Hits & Misses
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

In another long-awaited installment of the hits & misses content, I will be looking at the 2017 class which features a bunch of familiar names. This was the year where eventual stars would join the fold and what better time to do it than right now?


DeMatha High School’s own Chase Young. Credit: 24/7sports.com
Hit: Chase Young, WDE


When I spoke of a legendary class in terms of talent, the 2017 class was the tipping point when building depth and collecting talent. Defensive Ends were plentiful and most players at Ohio State had to wait their turn, but Young, the Buckeyes own predator took the same route the Bosa’s took to their rise to stardom. The slight wait was worth it and while he turned into the guy, the impact he made was by his talents along, but we have seen this before with lesser known or less heralded recruits.

Chase Young has declared for the NFL Draft this year and he is locked in to be a potential top-3 pick. He also might join two familiar faces in Haskins and McLaurin, but we will see how the draft process unfolds. It is unpredictable, but it has been worth seeing the development and the talent turn into stars and make an impact like Young.


Jeffrey Okudah in high school. Credit: Dallasnews.com
Hit: Jeffrey Okudah, CB


Like Young, Okudah also was highly recruited and he excelled after some time in the system. He was recruited and he sat and learned behind the likes of Marshon Lattimore and Denzel Ward, but the wait has been worth it as well. He essentially played it out and played himself into being a top-10 pick in this years draft. He was the shutdown corner that everyone avoided during games. He was one of three cornerbacks taken in the class, with Sheffield blossoming into a good player in the NFL and with Wade turning down the NFL for another shot at redemption.

Okudah has been preparing himself for years and he has maximized his talents. He left an everlasting impression and he should have passed-on some pointers to Wade and the younger BIA stablemates. His legacy has been fulfilled, even though it has left a year early.


Dobbins carrying the ball. Credit: Hudl.com
Hit: J.K. Dobbins, RB


And the hits keep coming, with J-K-All-Day being the third member of a stellar class to blossom into a full-fledged star in the Buckeyes offensive attack. In 2018, he shared the ball carrier duties with Mike Weber. He had over 1,000 yards that season, but he thought it was a failure. Fast forward to this past season, he reached his potential en route to breaking records and cementing himself and his legacy in Columbus. The added time and conditioning have been wonders and he surely plunged himself into uncharted territory being a top 3 running back.


Cass Tech’s own Donovan Peoples-Jones. Credit: Bleacherreport.com
Miss: Donovan Peoples-Jones


Now, let us get a couple of misses in the article, and this one comes from our most bitter rival, Michigan and a one-time Buckeyes lean, Donovan Peoples-Jones. The pipe line at Cass Tech was flourishing, but I have no clue what went wrong in his recruitment. It also was a miss, but the team has been stacking talent over the past two seasons and well into the 2021 season. Sure, he is a star returner and he was needed in an unproven class that has two 6-5 players in Jaylen Harris, Elijah Gardiner and a 6-3 playmaker in Trevon Grimes.

DPJ is now leaving for the NFL and he left 0-3 against the Buckeyes and he never really made an impact during The Game. He is a valuable player, but the older, more-experienced players have held the team together for the time being.

The Replacements: Fast forward to now, the two big-bodied players have yet to reach their potential and Grimes is returning to Florida for one last ride. There are a lot of factors to consider, injuries, lack of experience or playing time, but it takes time to build yourself. Prime example, Johnnie Dixon. Injuries have plagued him his first three years, but the last two were memorable and productive. You cannot close the books on them but Grimes is no longer on the team and the other two could still make some noise.


The last NSD I watched with a hilarious twist with Darnay Holmes’ UCLA decision. Credit: Larrybrownsports.com
Miss: Darnay Holmes, CB


Last miss would be the youtube sensation “decision” from cornerback Darnay Holmes. He spurned the Buckeyes to go to UCLA and his little buddy was not happy to say the least. I know it is based on their decision in the end, but this is funny and it is needed during recruiting. Separating myself from that has helped and I don’t think it is that serious anymore. This one really grinded my gears, but now its all water under the bridge. Now he has announced his intent to pursue his NFL dreams, but with the transfer portal, rumors have been flying about him coming to Ohio State to sharpen his skills. I doubt that’ll happen, but I have seen weird things happen since following anything College Football.

Replacements: To call Sheffield, Okudah and Wade the replacements is foul, but with Holmes slipping away, they stepped up big-time. I would not change anything with this class, and I am happy that we still have Wade for one more season. If Holmes does come full circle, cool, but if not, it’s fine. You cannot predict things, but things have turned out pretty well so we can’t complain.




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MOTSAG Roundtable: Ohio State Football 2019
Chris via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

What were your expectations of the 2019 season and how did they change by the end of the season and why were you right or wrong?

Scott – I expected a BIG title and a playoff berth. There was plenty of talent and with the defensive changes Day made I knew OSU would have a great season.

Jeremiah – My expectations are the same as the teams every year. Beat Michigan, Win the B1G East, Win the B1G CCG, and give yourself a chance to make the playoffs. The team met my expectations but the way they did it far exceeded them. To have a top 5 offense and defense never happens. Was a truly magical season.

Richard- I had a BIG title, another pair of gold pants, and a playoff berth. The end of the season was bittersweet, but the team met my expectations. I had a gut feeling about getting a title this year, but the team and the coaches performed well. Still a great season that Ryan Day will build on, even after the NFL exodus.

Chris – I had mild concerns about Justin Fields and Ryan Day for the season, but my biggest concern was how the defense would really improve given very little personnel change. I also believed they would still win against TTUN and have a shot at the B1G title when all was said and done! I was shown I had no reason to worry about the things that I did and this team became one of my all-time favorites .., ever!

At what point early in the season did you realize Justin Fields was a special football player and what was is best play/series of the season?

Scott – Cincinnati game. He was fantastic against a good team. He made it look easy.



Jeremiah – FAU for sure. 295 yards and 72% completion and 5 TDs. I knew we had somehing cooking.

Richard- FAU contest. Special and never rattled after going down 5-0. Kept the momentum going and he flashed the rest of the season after he became comfortable. The INT at the end of the season will plunge him into another level. We should all be excited for angry Fields/Day in 2020.

Chris – I am with Scott here, 20/25 224 and 2 TD’s passing and 9 carries for 42 yards and 2 more scores against a very good Cincy team.

The Buckeyes offense has been setting and breaking records that have been around for decades. What are some of the reasons they have been able to keep it up against some of the best defenses in America?

Scott – The offensive line played up to its capability and a mobile QB kept the defense honest.

Jeremiah – Limiting mistakes. When your QB has 3 INTs all season you can gain a ton of yards. When your WRs dont drop balls. When your OL doesnt have a false start every other play. OSU has stopped killing themselves and become extremely efficient.

Richard- Balance is the key to a successful offense and the Buckeyes have it in spades at every position. The Buckeyes are deep on offense and the line and the playmakers wore down opposing defenses as the game progressed. With a new RB, it could stall a bit, but once he gets that wiggle, back to the balanced offense.

Chris – This hasn’t just been a this year success story. Honestly, since Ryan Day has arrived the Buckeyes have been able to impose their running will on some of the best including Clemson. A big part of it’s scheme but a lot of it has to do with the front five on offense too. The Buckeyes have been enjoying some great success along the front since Stud took over.

Giving the defensive struggles of 2018, when and why were you convinced this was going to be the defense it was?

Scott – When Day cleaned house defensively. Boom!

Jeremiah – Deep down inside I never was. I know I am Mr. Positive but every game I kept waiting for this defense to have a Purdue or Iowa game and it never happened. Kudos to them.



Richard- Just the will to blow things up with the staff. That willingness from Day was a good sign for the future and it shows that he values production and accountability over relationships (even though he values relationships).

Chris – This is unanimous kinda. I think when Day cleaned house and took ownership himself in how they were approaching the players and what schemes to go with. Not throwing shade on past coaches(lacking talent) but knowing how to speak to the players and simplifying the coverage’s made a huge impact.

What player/players or coaches were responsible for the defensive turnaround? What was the biggest difference from last year to this year?

Scott – All the credit to Greg Mattson and Jeff Hafley for the scheme changes and of course having Chase Young didn’t hurt either.

Jeremiah – All of them. That said Al Washington had the biggest improvement on the defense. His LBers played great this year. They wont get the credit they deserve but Borland and Werner were really good this season.

Richard- Jeff Hafley and Greg Mattison. They worked well together and locked down the back seven. The Rushmen benefited from great DB/LB play.

Chris – Already mentioned above the coaching change and the simplification of coverage’s really helped. I also believe that Ryan Day has let the cat out of the bag about his say in the defense. Why I won’t be concerned in Silver Bullets in the future.

Knowing who’s returning and who’s not for the most part, what are the expectations of the 2020 version of Ohio State Football?

Scott – I expect to be preseason No. 1 based on the offensive players returning. While the defense takes some hits, they have been recruiting at a high level. B1G title and playoff berth should be on the radar.

Jeremiah – Beat Michigan, win the B1G East, Win the B1G CCG, and get in the playoffs.

Richard- Preseason top ¾ ranking for sure. The BIG bowls haven’t been good and I can see them getting slighted again to work their way back up the polls and rankings. Defense is not as stout, but they are a solid group with Riep, Brown and Proctor using their experiences to turn into dogs in the offseason. BIG title for sure and a playoff berth. Might be another good year with an ending we all want.

Chris – Pre-season #1 and a really pi$$ed off football team. The offense will set some new records just not the single season rushing one. Prediction of a national title in 2020.




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Thank You Buckeyes by Ben Van Ooyen
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



Thank you Buckeyes

Thank you Seniors Damon Arnette, Jordan Fuller, Binjimen Victor, Jashon Cornell, Austin Mack, Rashod Berry, K.J. Hill, Malik Harrison, Davon Hamilton, Joshua Alabi, Robert Landers, Jonah Jackson, Brandon Bowen, and C.J. Saunders.

Thank you Juniors J.K. Dobbins, Chase Young and Jeffrey Okudah and Shaun Wade

Last night was a hard pill to swallow. I watched like the rest of you as the Buckeyes roared out to a nice 16-0 lead with the intensity that they played with all season. I watched as after that 16-0 lead the Buckeyes had a 3rd and 5 with a chance to get the ball back when Shaun Wade came on a blitz and lowered his body to sack Trevor Lawrence. The Buckeyes were going to get the ball back with around 5 minutes left while still keeping Clemson scoreless in the first half. That is when it all shifted. The call on the field of a sack and a 4th down punt got sent to the review booth to look at targeting. After a few minutes of deliberation with the review booth it was determined that Wade lowered his head and hit with the crown of his helmet while Lawrence ducked as he knew the sack was impending. Was it targeting? Some will say yes, and others will say no. I know that Wade did not go for that hit with the intent of targeting Trevor Lawrence. He had a clear sack and wanted to wrap up and make sure he took the 6’6” gunslinger to the ground. He accomplished that goal and got thrown out of the game because of it. There are pictures and videos out there of different angles and Chase Young getting a fist in the face during that same play, but nonetheless it was called and the game shifted. Clemson then took advantage of Amir Riep who came in for Wade getting a pass interference call and went down and punched in the touchdown.

The Buckeyes got the ball back and immediately went three and out, and Clemson got the ball back with all the momentum and broke off a big play. We hadn’t seen the big play go against this defense much this season, but Lawrence juked Josh Proctor and took it 67 yards to the house to make it 16-14 at the half.

Clemson would get the ball to start the half, riding a 14-0 close out to the first half. The Buckeyes were without one of their leaders on defense in Wade, and J.K. Dobbins was favoring his ankle and it looked likely he wouldn’t be able to continue the amazing first half he had. Speaking of people not being able to continue, I am not sure how a guy who is held out of the rest of the first half after he hit his head, is able to all of a sudden come back in the second half as if nothing happened. I’ve never had a concussion, but I am assuming that if the doctors keep you out as a precaution then you probably shouldn’t be on the field again.

The second half started and the Buckeyes forced the surging Tigers to go three and out giving the Buckeyes the ball with a chance to extend their slim margin. Master Teague was now the feature back as Dobbins worked on his ankle. The Buckeyes drove down to the 45 and were stopped forcing a punt by Drue Chrisman who knocked a pretty punt down to the 1.

The defense again came out and it looked like they were going to get themselves off the field and the Buckeyes would get the ball back in great field position. On 4th and 6, the punt unit for Clemson came out and Cameron Brown came off the edge on what looked like a punt block attempt. He didn’t make it there in time and ran into the kicker for Clemson who I might say did a pretty good job of grabbing onto Brown and making the hit look way worse than it was. If you watch the play again, you can see Brown slowing down and hitting the kicker, but to call that roughing seemed a bit much. Clemson keeps the ball, and marches down the field and takes their first lead at 21-16.

The Buckeyes thought they had taken the lead when a Lawrence pass to Justyn Ross was completed and Jeffery Okudah knocked the ball out after Ross took three to four steps with the ball. Jordan Fuller picked up the loose ball and took in the distance giving the Buckeyes an apparent 23-16 lead. The call on the field was a fumble and after another quick review it was determined that Ross never had possession of the football during the catch and it was determined to be an incomplete pass. Someone tweeted that if that catch had been in the endzone it would have been called a touchdown, and I don’t disagree. Another stomach punch to the Buckeyes late in the game.

After that punt, Justin Fields threw his second interception of the season. The Buckeyes quickly got the ball back with a little over a minute left in the 3rd quarter. Dobbins was back from his ankle injury, and the Buckeyes marched the ball down the field in a little under five minutes. Fields hit Olave with a beautiful pass on 4th and 1 and the Buckeyes again had the lead.

The Buckeyes forced Clemson to punt on their next possession and looked to be driving down the field again to make the lead two scores, but after getting stopped on 3rd and 5 for a one yard gain, Ryan Day punted and Chrisman knocked another one down inside the 10. Four plays later Travis Etienne was again in the endzone and the Buckeyes found themselves down 29-23 with 1:50 left on the clock.

Fields hit Dobbins for two quick passes to start the drive and then K.J. Hill for another to get the ball to the Clemson 40 with a little over a minute left. After another completion out of the backfield to Dobbins, Fields missed Mack and set up a 3rd down which he converted with his feet. 1:04 on the clock and the Buckeyes had the ball with a first down on the 31 yard line. Another run by Fields for three, and a timeout for the Buckeyes. The play call looked very similar to the 4th down play that was scored on earlier in the 4th, but Chris Olave broke off his route thinking that Fields was scrambling and the throw was intercepted by Clemson sealing the Fiesta Bowl in their favor.

The Buckeyes were the better team last night and probably deserved to win. I said it last night, and I will say it again, I am not going to say the officiating cost us the game as they had plenty of chances to score, but the amount of very judgemental calls certainly did not help either.

This Buckeye team ranks pretty high for me on a best team I’ve watched play in my lifetime scale. We dominated nearly every game from start to finish all year, and had three of the top six Heisman vote getters. Chase Young set records on defense, and J.K. set records on offense. I assume that next year we will see them suiting up on Sunday along with about 50 other Ohio State Buckeyes in the NFL. While we will be losing a lot of talent to the draft and graduation later this year, we are also bringing in a very highly regarded recruiting class next summer/fall.

The future is still bright at Ohio State.

Thank you Buckeyes!




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College Football Playoffs: The Semi-Final in the Desert
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence in the Playstation Fiesta Bowl. Credit: Collegefootballnews.com

We are nearly 24 hours away and a collision course between the #2 and the #3 team in the nation. The battle in the desert will pit Ohio State against the reigning champion Clemson against each other with a championship game up for grabs.

This contest seems like must-watch tv and the stakes and pride are also up for grabs. For the Buckeyes, they are 0-3 all time versus Clemson with the two losses being fresh in the minds of Buckeyes fans across the nation.

The 2014 Orange Bowl ended in a Clemson comeback and the Buckeyes fell 40-35. In 2016 at the same venue in Glendale, the JT Barrett led team failed to score in a 31-0 shutout that hurt their credibility. The Big Ten has failed to score a single point in the last two appearances with the last time a point was scored, the Buckeyes won it all.

This is a game of matchups and the coaching should be the determining factor in the end, but the build-up has been quite one-sided. Every analysts and every talking head on sports outlets are giving the Buckeyes no shot to dethrone Clemson. ESPN has been killing the Buckeyes and FOX has went to bat for them, but opinions are only opinions. It is up to the Buckeyes to take care of business and shock the world once again.

I will be taking a look into the x-factors and matchups that make this game so exciting. There are many twists and turns, and there are many storylines that intertwine and make this matchup a great one.


Two former five-star quarterbacks, Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence. Credit: 10tv.COM
Battle of the Five Star Quarterbacks


The Quarterback is arguably one of the most important positions in football and both of these teams have studs at the position. Fields and Lawrence took high school rankings and excelled. Lawrence has stuck with Clemson and being one of the stars on the offense. Fields committed to Georgia, played sparingly and ended up developing into a star at Ohio State.

Their paths will cross once again with an appearance in the title game up for grabs. Lawrence has been off, but he has carved up teams even though he turns the ball over. Fields has been the focal point, but he has caught a few licks and he is somewhat hobbled for the contest against Clemson. 80-85% is low but I don’t think he will be running a ton, but you never know.

This matchup will come down to the coaching and the overall team mentality when dealing with turnovers and executing. Both barely turn the ball over, but the body language will tell the story by the end of the game tomorrow.


Clemson Offensive Line walking out to the field. Credit: Rubbingtherock.com
Trench Warfare


For the most part, Dabo Sweeney’s pitch of Urban Meyer retiring came to fruition. He was the top rated player in the state of Ohio and he slipped through and spurned the hometown team to play for the Clemson Tigers. Fast forward two seasons, fate seemed to play a part and it pitted the teams against each other.

This o-line has been stingy with sacks and through the regular season they have allowed 1 sack per game and they are tied for 5th in the nation. For comparison purposes, Ohio State is ranked 94th in the nation allowing 2.38 sacks per game. To be fair, the competition and caliber of defenses they have faced is questionable, but hey, stats are stats and they could use the numerous slights as an added edge to disrupt this offense.

The Buckeyes and Chase Young thrive on pressuring the quarterback and ruining offensive game plans and they are tied for best in the nation along with Pitt and SMU with 51 sacks through 12 games, averaging 3.92 per game. Clemson is 22nd in the nation with 37 and 2.85 per game. Whoever wins in the trenches will win this contest. I sense a motivated Buckeyes team, especially at the line of scrimmage. I could be wrong, but I can feel that crazy look in the players’ eyes.


Dobbins breaking through the Wolverine defense on a career day. Credit: Jsonline.com
Underdog Mentality


Dobbins is third in the nation in rushing behind Chubba Hubbard of Oklahoma State and Jonathan Taylor of Wisconsin and it seems like he is the third wheel in this contest. Building up to the game, he used the “most disrespected team in the nation” interview and he might go off like Zeke did in 2015. As I stated earlier, this game, the build up and the hype–it is eerily similar to the 2015 run with no one giving the Buckeyes a shot.

Channel after channel, analyst after analyst–same saying. “Clemson will defeat the Buckeyes with a minimum margin of 14 points–easily”. The Buckeyes as you know overcame a slow start and won it all that year. This team has the horses to do the same thing, but the balance cannot be understated.

The Dobbins and Fields combination has worked and he will be leaned upon heavily with Fields being dinged up with a knee injury. So expect a heavy dose of Dobbins and passing.


Ohio State DB’s celebrating a turnover. Credit: Saturdaytradition.com
Best In America


In what was one of the most head-scratching moments of the season, ESPN said to pick on Shaun Wade cause he is the weak man in the DB rotation. What?! A projected first round pick seems to get picked-on as the slot corner, but he also holds his own when called upon. His pops knows of the slander and I am positive that bulletin board material is posted, but that is just one out of the two starters who weren’t mentioned. The other, Damon Arnette is the enforcer in the DB room and he might feel some way after not even being mentioned. Okudah will also come with the juice because he will fight for his brothers. It’ll be a battle, but it will be a fun contest of wills.

Jordan Fuller will look to be the eraser with the Linebackers in between. The seams have been the a concern and with the new scheme, we have seen less splash plays at the beginning of the season, but they’ve been coming more frequently the last three games. Is that concern? Maybe or maybe not, but they will be ready. Freiermuth really had a decent game and his size and speed were a factor, but this group of receivers should be a good challenge. Five stars against five stars will be something great to watch.

Matchups To Watch

• Fields vs Lawrence
• The Trench Battle
• Clemson WR’s vs Ohio State CB’s
• Dobbins vs Etienne
• Young vs Carman
• Ohio State LB’s vs Clemson TE’s
• Coach Day’s Lack of Experience vs Coach Sweeney’s Experience

Prediction:


I am honestly torn in this one. I want revenge, like 31-0 type of revenge, but I don’t know. The hype and the snubs won out in the end and I have a feeling Ohio State is the team peaking at the right time. The narratives and the disrespect will be the tipping point.

The Ohio State Buckeyes defeat the Clemson Tigers 45-35


#GoBucks




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Ohio State hangs tight at No. 19 in the final AP Poll of the season
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Ohio State will head into the Big Ten Tournament as the fourth-highest ranked Big Ten team.

After a 1-1 week that saw the Ohio State Buckeyes both beat and be beaten by a ranked team, AP voters decided to leave OSU right where they are in the AP Poll at No. 19.

Thursday evening’s win over the Illinois Fighting Illini was E.J. Liddell’s coming-out party. The freshman forward, who was a two-time Mr. Basketball winner in the state of Illinois in high school, scored 17 points to go along with 11 rebounds in Ohio State’s 71-63 comeback win. That win deflated Illinois’ chances for a Big Ten title.

On Sunday, Chris Holtmann’s squad had an opportunity to do the same in East Lansing. The Spartans were looking to lay stake to part of the conference championship, and they did just that by beating the Buckeyes 80-69. Cassius Winston scored 27 points, as the short-handed Buckeyes didn’t have the (healthy) manpower to defend all of Sparty’s weapons.

Kansas once again reigned supreme in the poll, followed by Gonzaga, Dayton, Florida State (up from No. 7 last week), and Baylor.

Five other B1G teams appeared in the top 25 this week. Big Ten co-champions Michigan State, Maryland, and Wisconsin sit at 9, 12, and 18 respectively. Illinois, who also went 1-1 last week, jumped from No. 23 to No. 21. Iowa just snuck into the poll at No. 25, down 7 spots from last week after going 0-2 last week.

Check out the full poll below:

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Ohio State concludes a big weekend of recruiting visits
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Three-star 2021 RB David Holloman | via @Dhollo33_David on Twitter
Columbus played host to a number of top recruits the past few days

With the decent weather over the weekend you probably missed out on your Ohio State recruiting fix. Don’t worry, Land-Grant Holy Land is here to get you caught back up with the some of the latest news surrounding the Buckeyes.

Recruits flock to Columbus


The sun wasn’t the only thing that showed it’s face in Columbus over the weekend, as a bunch of top notch high school prospects were in attendance as well. In town to get a closer look at what it would be like to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes football squad, Ryan Day and crew kicked off their spring visit schedule with a pretty solid list of recruits.

It might’ve not ended with any verbal pledges, but Day and crew had the chance to show some of the recruits on their 2021 and 2022 recruiting board around their potential future stomping grounds.

Want to know which recruits made the trek to the Ohio State University campus over the weekend? We’ve got you covered:

Four-star RB Donovan Edwards


Class: 2021

Town: West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield

Size: 5-foot-11/190 pounds

Status: Uncommitted

Offers: Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan, Michigan State, Alabama, etc

Three-star TE Treylan Davis


Class: 2021

Town: Jackson, OH/Jackson

Size: 6-foot-5/215 pounds

Status: Verbally committed to the University of Cincinnati

Three-star RB David Holloman


Class: 2021

Town: Auburn Hills, MI/Avondale

Size: 5-foot-10/189 pounds

Status: Uncommitted

Offers: Boston College, Indiana, Iowa State, Maryland, Nebraska, etc

Three-star QB Lonnie White


Class: 2021

Town: Malvern, PA/Malvern Prep

Size: 6-foot-2/190 pounds

Status: Uncommitted

Offers: Boston College, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, etc

RB Dillon Tatum


Class: 2022

Town: West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield

Size: 5-foot-11/180 pounds

Status: Uncommitted

Offers: Ohio State (During visit), Florida, Miami, Michigan, West Virginia, etc

ATH Randy Masters


Class: 2022

Town: Pearland, TX/Shadow Creek

Size: 6-foot/165 pounds

Status: Uncommitted

Offers: Florida, LSU, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, etc

Quick Hits

• Four-star class of 2021 tight end Moliki Matavao took to his Twitter page over the weekend to let the recruiting world know his top 10 college leaders. Cutting things down from over 30 offers, Ohio State, LSU, Tennessee, Penn State, UCLA, Oregon, Michigan, and Washington made the list for the 6-foot-6, 240-pound Nevada native.
• Trimble High (OH) class of 2020 quarterback/safety Cameron Kittle has accepted a walk-on spot with the Ohio State football team. Now joining other instate preferred walk-on commits such as Patrick Gurd (New Albany), Kyle Moore (Austintown Fitch), Marvin Davies (Pepper Pike Orange), Quinton Burke (Lancaster), and Andrew Moore (Cleveland Heights), Kittle was named All-District and Conference after helping lead the Tomcats to an overall record of 11-1 as a senior this season.

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Moments that mattered: Ohio State’s 80-69 loss to Big Ten champion Michigan State
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
The short-handed Buckeyes battled hard, but this one slipped away in the final ten minutes in East Lansing.

Coming off a come from behind, knock down, drag-out victory over No. 23 Illinois earlier this week, the Buckeyes had a chance on Sunday to crush yet another team’s hopes of winning a share of the Big Ten Championship.

Illinois (20-10, 12-7) needed to win their final two games to collect a share of the conference title, but Ohio State was unrelenting, coming back from deficits of 11, 9, and 8, durnig that game to ultimately dispatch the Illini, 71-63. Kaleb Wesson scored 19 in the victory, but it was E.J. Liddell’s 17 points and 11 rebounds off the bench (both season highs) that sparked Ohio State (21-10, 11-9) to victory earlier this week.

Sunday provided a similar framework for Ohio State’s next opponent. With a win, Michigan State (22-9, 13-6) became part of a three-way tie for the Big Ten championship along with Maryland and Wisconsin. The three are “co-champions” and each get a B1G championship trophy.

It was also senior day on Sunday for Cassius Winston, the Spartans’ leading scorer and an all-time MSU great. Winston’s brother Zachary committed suicide in the fall, and Michigan State coach Tom Izzo recently said that coaching this team through the tragedy has been “the most difficult thing he’s had to do in his career.” Winning a conference title with this team and what they’ve been through would be an impressive feat, but first they had to get through the Buckeyes.

With a win, Ohio State would have entered the Big Ten Tournament as the five-seed and would play the winner of the 12-13 game on Thursday. With a loss, they would either be the six or seven-seed, depending on the outcome of Sunday night’s matchup between Illinois and Iowa.

While the Buckeyes punched back several times Sunday after falling behind by as much as a dozen, ultimately they were not able to corral Winston and his Spartans, as Ohio State fell 80-69. After trailing by six at halftime, OSU came right out of the gate in the second half and tied the game 42-42.

They continued to go punch-for-punch with the Spartans until about the 10:00 mark, but Winston and Rocket Watts, who combined to score 46 points, were too much for the short-handed Buckeyes. Saddled with foul trouble early, Ohio State did not have much depth to lean on with Kyle Young, D.J. Carton, and Alonzo Gaffney all unavailable. Because of this, the Buckeyes had to play defense less aggressively, and Michigan State took full advantage.

Duane Washington Jr. led Ohio State with 16 points. CJ Walker chipped in 14 as well. MSU was led by Winston’s 27 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds.

What were the key plays from Ohio State’s loss on Sunday? Here are the moments that mattered:

Rocket Watts blasts off


With Ohio State leading 7-4 early, Michigan State went on a 12-0 run over the course of the next 2:12, including eight straight points from Michigan State freshman guard Rocket Watts. This early outburst gave Michigan State a 16-7 lead, forcing Holtmann to use a timeout at the 14:31 mark of the first half. Ohio State never regained the lead from that point on.

Muhammad’s trouble with Cassius


The matchup of Luther Muhammad guarding Cassius Winston was supposed to be a great one, with Muhammad being one of the best on-ball defenders in the conference and Winston being possibly the toughest guard in the conference to defend. Muhammad struggled right from tip, picking up two fouls in the first eight minutes, including fouling Winston on a three-pointer at the 12:29 mark. Winston hit all three free throws, giving MSU a 21-10 lead.

Dueling PGs


CJ Walker has really stepped up lately for Ohio State, averaging just over 14 points per game during their four-game winning streak. Winston has been doing it all season, averaging 18.3 points per game this season. Winston had 27 for MSU, while CJ Walker dropped 14 on seven-of-ten shooting. Walker’s coast to coast layup at the 1:00 mark of the first half pulled the Buckeyes to within four points, 36-32.

Tillman’s buzzer beater


On Michigan State’s final possession of the first half, with three Buckeyes collapsing around him, Xavier Tillman hit a fading, turnaround jumper at the buzzer to give the Spartans a 36-32 halftime lead.

Big trouble on the boards


MSU out-rebounded Ohio State 36-30, including 11 offensive rebounds. Ohio State had only six offensive rebounds. Michigan State also had 14 second-chance points compared to Ohio State’s nine.

The Rocket returns


After his initial outburst, Watts stayed mostly quiet until the 9:35 mark of the second half, when he hit a three and was fouled by Walker. He hit the free throw, completing the four-point play. On the very next MSU possession, he was hand-checked by Walker, drawing the foul. Already in the bonus, Watts hit both free throws to give the Spartans a 62-51 lead. Watts would finish with 19, his third-highest scoring output of the season.

Washington Jr.’s shot clock-beating triple


At the 8:37 mark with Ohio State down 11, Duane Washington Jr. hit a three-pointer with the shot clock down to two seconds. His shot got the Buckeyes back to within eight points while Michigan State threatened to blow the game open. Washington Jr. would end the game with a team-high 16 points.

Up Next:


Ohio State’s next game won’t come until Thursday in the Big Ten Tournament. Ohio State will enter the tournament as either the six or seven seed, depending on the winner of tonight’s Iowa-Illinois game. The times for these games are still to be announced. All games will be played in Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The first two rounds will be broadcast on BTN.

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Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Michigan State: Game preview, prediction
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
With the last regular season game upon us, the Buckeyes look to finish on a high note.

The No. 19 Ohio State Buckeyes men’s basketball team has certainly made a comeback in the last month, and this hot streak is the one Ohio State fans have been hoping for as the squad wraps up the regular season.

After a serious slump in January, which included one stretch where the Buckeyes lost six-of-seven games, Ohio State has emerged with a four-game win streak which has included three victories over ranked opponents and one dominant conquest on the road. With these wins in the books, the Buckeyes rose to the No. 15 spot in the latest NET rankings. All told, Ohio State has truly flipped the script from the early Big Ten season, now having won six of the last seven as the Buckeyes seem to have gotten hot at exactly the right time.

The Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament opens in Indianapolis next Wednesday, but Ohio State won’t start play until Thursday or (hopefully) Friday. That’s because the Buckeyes still have a narrow shot at a top-four seed and two byes, though they’ll need some help along the way to get there.

Now, the Buckeyes prepare for their final regular season game of the year as they hit the road to take on No. 16 Michigan State at 4:30 ET in East Lansing.

Preview


Ohio State’s recent win streak has proven that the Buckeyes can win the close game (e.g., Michigan, Maryland) as well as put away an opponent while maintaining a big lead early (e.g., Nebraska). However, what they’d yet to show recently was a true comeback win.

That changed Thursday when the Buckeyes defeated the No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini 71-63. Despite being down 37-30 at the half, with the Illini leading by as many as 11 and holding a lead well into the second half, Ohio State surged late at home to secure the eight-point victory.

In Thursday’s matchup, junior forward Kaleb Wesson emerged once again for the Buckeyes, pouring in 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting. And once again coming off the bench to provide an injection of scoring for Ohio State was freshman forward EJ Liddell, who totaled 17 points on the night. Junior point guard C.J. Walker added 15 of his own, also off the bench, though 11 of those points came from the free throw line as Walker connected on just two field goals all night. Senior Andre Wesson played all 40 minutes for the Buckeyes, adding eight points.

Ohio State finished the game shooting 38.6% from the field while giving up 43.6% to Illinois. The Buckeyes won the rebound battle 38-31, and had 11 turnovers to Illinois’ 14. A crucial point in such a tight game, the Buckeyes shot 28 free throws (making 24) compared to just 10 for the Illini.

Additionally, despite the three-point shot having proven a critical part of Ohio State’s success thus far this season, the Buckeyes also proved they could win without the three, as Ohio State was just 3-for-15 from beyond the arc.

With injuries to forwards Kyle Young (high-ankle sprain) and Alonzo Gaffney (illness), it certainly helped that guard play has been outstanding for the Buckeyes in recent weeks, and that Liddell has stepped up to such a degree as he has.

Michigan State, meanwhile, is well on the verge of winning its third-straight regular season conference championship. That opportunity is surprising, given the overall strength of Maryland and the fact the Spartans lost four of five in the middle of February. However, Tom Izzo is not one to let his teams get down when it comes to March, as Michigan State hasn’t missed the big dance since 1997. Like the Buckeyes, Sparty is surging at the right time, with Michigan State jumping to the No. 7 spot in the latest NET rankings.

On that note, Tom Izzo has been at the helm in East Lansing since 1995. Through 24 seasons, Izzo has won nine Big Ten regular season titles, tournament titles or, on three occasions, both. Truly a living legend. Izzo has also taken his team to eight final fours, winning a national title in 2000.

On the court, Izzo once again has a superstar in Cassius Winston — the senior point guard who has stuck with the team despite an opportunity to enter the draft last season. Winston was the 2018-19 Big Ten Player of the Year and hasn’t slowed down in the 2019-20 campaign. In his final year in East Lansing, Winston is averaging 18.3 points per game, which is good for third in the conference behind Iowa’s Luka Garza and Minnesota’s Daniel Oturu. Winston has also been a threat from range, connecting on nearly 43% from beyond the arc — a Big Ten-best. Rounding out the point guard’s skillset, Winston is averaging 5.9 assists per game.

Xavier Tillman has also been a boon for the Spartans this season. In addition to his 13.7 points on 55% shooting (!), Tillman is pulling down 10.4 rebounds per game — also a top-three mark in the Big Ten — while averaging three assists, 1.2 steals and 2.1 blocked shots per game.

Overall, the Spartans are second in the conference in scoring offense, averaging just under 76 points per game on 46% shooting. Sparty also boasts the best field goal defense in the conference, allowing just 37.6% of all shots and a mere 28.7% from range. Michigan State is also tops in the conference in blocked shots per game (5.0) and assists per game (17.7).

While the Buckeyes’ recent win streak has been something to celebrate, Michigan State has been riding its own in recent weeks. After falling at home against No. 9 Maryland Feb 15, Sparty has posted a 4-0 record, with wins at Nebraska, home against No. 18 Iowa, on the road against Maryland (the Terps’ first loss and so far only loss at home this season) and, most recently, on the road against No. 20 Penn State.

The three recent wins in particular are feathers in the cap for Michigan State’s tournament resume, with the Spartans sitting as high as a No. 3 seed according to some projections. Of notable importance is the victory over Maryland which, like Ohio State’s win over the Terps, gave the Spartans a signature conference win. However, the one-upper in favor of Michigan State is the fact Sparty accomplished this feat on the road.

Prediction


ESPN BPI: Ohio State 27.4%

This afternoon marks the first and, obviously, only time Ohio State and Michigan State face off in the regular season this year. Per the usual, it doesn’t help that the Buckeyes are facing Izzo’s squad on the road, and Ohio State isn’t getting a ton of respect in the lead up to this game.

On the whole, it bears emphasizing just how loaded the conference is this season, and just how much Big Ten teams have beaten one another up. Regardless, up to 11 Big Ten teams (more likely 10) could make the 68-team NCAA Tournament field. That number feels right, since, in the latest AP Poll, the Big Ten had eight teams ranked, with Maryland holding the highest spot at No. 9. Michigan State has a lot to play for this afternoon, as Sparty is still actively fighting for the top-seed in the Big Ten Tournament.

For the Buckeyes, this afternoon marks a chance to end the regular season on a high note, but they’ll have to overcome an opponent that, so like themselves, is getting hot at just the right time. Additionally, they’ll have to keep playing through adversity, With Kyle Young day-to-day, and with freshman point guard DJ Carton still out, the Buckeyes have grown used to operating with a team that’s not 100%. Players like Liddell will need to continue to step up, not only today, but also with the start of the Big Ten Tournament next week.

LGHL final score prediction: 75-72 Michigan State

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Ohio State settles with 11 victims of Richard Strauss
Tia Williams via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
The university agreed to a monetary settlement with 11 of the 18 abuse lawsuits against them.


After a year-long investigation into sexual abuse claims against Richard Strauss, a deceased Ohio State University-employed physician from 1978 to 1998, the university issued a report detailing acts of sexual abuse against at least 177 former students for more than 20 years. The report concluded that employees of the university did not appropriately respond to or prevent Strauss’ abuse at the time.

On Friday, Ohio State announced that they have agreed to a monetary settlement with victims in 11 of the 18 lawsuits pending against the university.

“Strauss’ conduct was reprehensible, and the university’s failures at the time are completely unacceptable,” said President Michael V. Drake. “While nothing can undo what happened here years ago, today’s university has a responsibility to support our former students and alumni, and this initial settlement is another important step in the process of restorative justice.”

Funds in the settlement will be allocated on an individual basis and will depend on the damages experienced by each survivor. The funds will not come from taxpayers, tuitions or donors. Instead, Ohio State said they will be paid with “existing institutional discretionary funding.”

More details will become available as the legal process moves forward.


Think about what Garrett Wilson was able to do as a freshman wide receiver. Now picture him as a sophomore wide receiver, post-offseason training and conditioning with the best strength/coaching staff in the country. And now go buy a CFP national championship ticket.


So, if you recall, last week during NFL combine interviews, a reporter questioned former Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah on his technique, calling him “sloppy” due to “penalties and stuff.”

Okudah responded by informing him that he, in fact, did not have a single pass interference or holding penalty the entire season and to “cut the tape again.”

The identity of said reporter was pretty much unknown until today, when his tweet defending himself went viral Friday afternoon when the college football world finally came across it.

Pranav Rama, a writer for a website called TheScoreCrow.com, tweeted out that “a play or two” can be “the difference between a Super Bowl and a couch sitting at home,” and that it’s his “job to ask the tough questions whether the general people like it or not.”

I mean, it’s not really a matter of whether or not we the people like the question. It’s the fact that the question was about “penalties and stuff” that...never happened.

According to Rama, however, he was referring to the penalties the refs missed, and he will provide evidence once he has finished his “NFL media work.”


I’m truly looking forward to the tapes he comes up with and, in other news, I need a hobby.


Sporting events all over the world are getting cancelled due to the pesky Coronavirus, such as the ones Tom Orr of The Ozone listed:


And while there hasn’t been any confirmed cases of the Coronavirus in Ohio, the Ohio Department of Health is limiting spectator access to the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus this weekend.

And while the Big Ten Tournament and Ohio State spring game are nearing in, representatives from both events confirmed that they should resume as scheduled.

“While there are currently no changes to the (Big Ten Tournament), we are in consultation with the Marion County Public Health Department, our hosts and the venue in an effort to monitor the situation with the medical experts in the area,” said Adam Augustine, the Big Ten’s Assistant Commissioner for Communications.

The Ohio State spring football game is Saturday, April 11. Ohio State spokesman Benjamin Johnson told The Ozone that the university is taking precautions, but there is no need to change any routine campus activities due to the Coronavirus, and that includes the spring game.

Friday afternoon, the NCAA’s COVID-19 Advisory Panel issued a statement, urging people to practice “risk-mitigation at all events.” Still, they did not recommend canceling or rescheduling major events.


B O O M. Cuban native and Arizona high school state champ, Anthony Echemendia, is officially joining Ohio State’s wrestling roster in May.

Echemendia was originally committed to Iowa State, but reopened his commitment last fall and took official visits to several top programs before pledging to the Buckeyes in mid-November, according to Andy Vance of Eleven Warriors.

After a few months of academic and compliance issues, he received the good news that he was officially accepted into Ohio State.

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I was carrying a full load, so that’s Ten Yards, (of concrete) And a Cloud of Dust, or, eighty-thousand pounds the hard way.

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ScriptOhio said:

Just sayin': Would be nice if he could, but to take out Clemson he'll need a lot more than six 4 star recruits.

Four-star 2021 QB flips commitment from Alabama to North Carolina

On top of that, Maye goes to high school in North Carolina. On top of that, his brother, Drake Maye, played basketball for the Tar Heels.

Maye is rated as the No. 6 pro-style quarterback in the country. He’s also the No. 3 player regardless of position in the state of North Carolina.

With Maye’s commitment, North Carolina now has seven 2021 commitments, six of which are four-star prospects. That class for Brown & Company is currently sixth in the nation.

https://collegefootballtalk.nbcspor...commits-drake-maye-commits-to-north-carolina/

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Yeah I mean I’m sure he won’t start running the ACC but at least pulling off the upset could wreck their season given how awful the conference has been. He hasn’t been there long but if he can start getting some good QB play and put players in the NFL they might be more consistently competitive.

I just think he’s been a solid add to a pitiful conference vs the likes of Manny fing Diaz; I’m digressing.

HotMic said:

Does anyone have a pic/clip of the girl holding up the “nice” sign when they hit 69?

The commentary was great.

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The ESPN scoreboard graphic had not changed to 69 until after the sign was raised and at that point you cant see who is holding it on the broadcast.

BTW, Dick Furry is like a 1960 porn name.