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Week 2 Game Discussion Thread

Ohio State lax player now LB for Okie, @sparcboxbuck

Ohio State football team had future NFL Draft prospect playing the wrong sport

The Buckeyes had this prospect playing a completely different sport when he was on campus.

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No other program has as many defensive prospects that will be drafted in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft as the Ohio State football program. They will likely have four players drafted in the first round. There's an outside chance that side of the ball sees six players drafted that high.

The Buckeyes were one of the best teams in the country this past season. They started the season 12-0 before falling apart in the final two weeks. Oklahoma made the 12-team College Football Playoff for the first time. Owen Heinecke was a key member of the Sooners' defense.

Heinecke started his career with the Ohio State Buckeyes, but he wasn't on the football team. In fact, he played lacrosse with the Buckeyes for one season before transferring to Oklahoma to be a preferred walk-on. Heinecke let everyone know how close he was to playing football for the Buckeyes.

Owen Heinecke asked about joining the Ohio State football program

Heinecke explained the process of going through his time at Ohio State and whether or not he thought about playing football for the Buckeyes.

"I did. Unfortunately, they were taking my lacrosse scholarship because I was stepping away from lacrosse, and out-of-state tuition was just a little bit too much for me and my family."

Instead, Heinecke ended up transferring back home to Oklahoma to play football. He only entered the draft because the NCAA denied his waiver to play an additional year with the Sooners. They deemed the year he played lacrosse counted as a year of eligibility.

Now, Heinecke will try to get drafted out of Oklahoma. Had he played football for the Buckeyes, it would have been hard for him to see the field. Both Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles are going to be first-round picks, so it would have been hard for him to play snaps ahead of either player.

Heinecke only started one year in his collegiate career, totaling 74 tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble in 2025.
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Army -2.5 at Navy, Week 15

I'd be just as likely to watch it Thanksgiving weekend (as long as it isn't noon on Saturday) as I would any other time.
I like the tradition of the Army-Navy game, but it really isn't big on my mind. Put it Thursday, and I'm probably watching the NFL games. Put it on Friday, and yeah, maybe. Saturday after The Game, and yeah, maybe. Put it any other weekend, and yeah, I might watch it.
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Buckeye Cruise for Cancer


WELL DONE, BUCKEYES. Dom Tiberi’s interview with Ryan Day came during the penultimate day of the Buckeye Cruise for Cancer. Tiberi reported that the 2026 voyage raised $4.6 million for The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute.

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In 19 years, the Buckeye Cruise for Cancer has raised over $48 million for cancer research.

Well done, Buckeyes!
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DE Mitchell Melton (National Champion, transfer to Virginia)

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Top Performers​

Mitchell Melton, DE, Virginia​

45 tackles, 10 TFL, 5 sacks, 3 FF, 1 INT, 3 PBU

No Ohio State transfer had a better year in 2025 than Melton, who took full advantage of his one and only opportunity to be a starter at the collegiate level. After battling injuries and playing sparingly in five years at Ohio State, Melton emerged as one of the ACC’s top defensive ends at Virginia.


Pro Football Focus graded Melton as the 20th-best defensive end in the FBS (85.8). Also per PFF, Melton tied for the 15th-most quarterback pressures among FBS defensive ends in 2025. He earned ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks after leading Virginia to a pair of overtime wins with seven tackles and a forced fumble vs. Florida State and two sacks with another forced fumble, a pass breakup and five total tackles at Louisville.

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Melton, who played in the Hula Bowl in January, will look to parlay his big season with the Cavaliers into an NFL draft selection.
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Rondale Moore (WR Minnesota Vikings, R.I.P.)

As I’ve grown older, I’ve found during interactions with folks especially younger ones asking “How are you” or “are you ok, you seem off” is a small gesture, that can mean a lot. You might not get an honest answer but it might help spur something positive.
I think its something many of us who are a little older(45+) are starting to realize and pivot towards when it comes to our younger counterparts. We were always told to suck it up and deal with whatever. Not sure thats the best method long term, and especially for the younger generation
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2028 TX WR Damarion Mays (Verbal Offer)

Meant to post this earlier in the week.

This is one to keep a close eye on in the Lone Star State. Ohio State is the only school that lit up his face in the video interview. Patterns his game after Jeremiah Smith. Is an ELITE, likely 5-star talent.

Free Article with Video Interview:
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S Rob Harley (Interim HC Northern Illinois)

Former Ohio State Safety Rob Harley Named Interim Head Coach at Northern Illinois​

By Dan Hope on February 18, 2026 at 10:43 am @dan_hope
Rob Harley

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Former Ohio State safety Rob Harley is now the interim head coach at Northern Illinois.
Northern Illinois promoted Harley to interim head coach on Wednesday after Thomas Hammock, who had been NIU’s head coach since 2019, left the Huskies to be the running backs coach for the Seattle Seahawks.
Harley, who played for the Buckeyes from 2001-05, joined Northern Illinois’ coaching staff as defensive coordinator in 2025. He was previously the defensive coordinator at Arkansas State from 2021-24. Before that, Harley was the linebackers coach at Pittsburgh (2015-20) and FIU (2014). He started his coaching career at Ohio Dominican (2010-11), coaching linebackers and defensive backs under the direction of longtime former Ohio State assistant Bill Conley, before a two-year stint as a graduate assistant at Michigan State (2012-13).
Harley, the great nephew of Ohio State legend Chic Harley, takes over interim head coaching duties at Northern Illinois as the Huskies move from the MAC to the Mountain West for the 2026 season.
Assuming NIU sticks with Harley as its head coach for 2026, he will be one of seven Ohio State alumni leading a FBS program this year.
Harley is the third former Buckeye to become a first-time FBS head coach this offseason, joining Brian Hartline (USF) and Mike Jacobs (Toledo). They join former Ohio State stars Luke Fickell (Wisconsin), Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame) and Eddie George (Bowling Green) as well as former Ohio State student Alex Golesh (Auburn) – who didn’t play for the Buckeyes, but was a student assistant for Jim Tressel in 2004-05 – as Buckeyes who are now FBS head coaches.
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Ohio State vs. #15 Virginia, (Nashville, TN), Saturday Feb. 14, 8pm EST, FOX

It was the first game of the season they didn't start Mobley. You act like missing one of your leading scorers is no big deal, but OSU refused to put competitive NIL resources into building up this roster, so it's a huge deal.
On Mobley, yes he might have contributed or he might have scored about 3 points as he did against Pitt or Washington. He probably would have taken some of Thornton's 28 pts, so that could have been a wash. But he wouldn't have made much difference in the rebounding deficit, which was 14! They outrebounded OSU 40 - 26. If you saw the game you saw our guys lose rebounds they should have had, not be in position for rebounds, etc...

E.g., two Buckeyes under the basket, boxing out a UVA player who jumps over them and swats it to his teammate. Our guys didn't bother to jump or even raise their arms for the ball. Another one, ball is bouncing under the basket, our two guys stand there and let the UVA guy pick it up, *then* Tilly decides to do something, ties it up, possession arrow to UVA. Other plays where OSU is nowhere near in position. Buckeyes have the size to be better than 103rd in rebounding. UVA is 12th in rebounding because of good coaching and mentality (from good coaching).

It is obvious OSU does not run a well-coached offense even with Mobley. This is in contrast to their opponents that have seasoned coaches that know what they are doing. Game on the line, under a minute to go, it's Tilly for the 3. Da fuq? With Bynum and Thornton on the court? That's bad coaching. That's why we can't win these close ones.
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