Legendary Ohio State football coach Earle Bruce has passed away at age 87
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Buckeye Nation lost one of the good guys today.

It is a sad day in Buckeye Nation, as we say goodbye to one of our own. Former Ohio State head coach Earle Bruce passed away Friday morning at the age of 87 years old.

Bruce first worked on the sidelines for Ohio State as an assistant under Woody Hayes from 1966-1971, and then returned to take over as the head coach in 1979 through 1987. He coached 108 games for the Buckeyes, claiming an 81-26-1 record during that span, and winning 5-of-8 bowl games.

His daughters, Lynn, Michele, Aimee and Noel announced the news along with the university, and released the following statement:


Bruce regularly came back to Ohio State to be around the football program, and the next generation of Buckeye talent. In 2016, the former head coach even earned the honor of dotting the “i” during the Rutgers game.


Our thoughts go out to Coach Bruce’s family and friends during this difficult time, but the legendary head coach will always be apart of Buckeye Nation.

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Earle Bruce, who coached 21 college seasons, dies at age 87 - ESPN
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Earle Bruce, who coached 21 college seasons, dies at age 87
ESPN
Earle Bruce, who won 81 games while coaching the Ohio State Buckeyes for nine seasons, has died early Friday morning at the age of 87, his family announced. "He was a great man, a wonderful husband, father and grandfather, and a respected coach to many ...
Former Ohio State football coach Earle Bruce dies at 87Landof10.com
Former Ohio State Head Coach Earle Bruce PassesBuckeye Wire

all 8 news articles »

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Ohio State recruiting: Latest news and notes on the Buckeyes - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State recruiting: Latest news and notes on the Buckeyes
Landof10.com
Ohio State is still in the early stages with the 2019 recruiting class, but the Buckeyes are hot on the trail of many of the nation's top prospects. Ohio State has only three commitments to the class, but plenty of top prospects have been visiting and ...

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Ohio State staff hits the recruiting trail with spring football conclusion
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The end of spring football means spring recruiting trail for OSU staff.

It’s almost been a week since Ohio State’s annual spring football game, and while recruiting has certainly been a trending topic of not only interest, but also continuous updates, that conclusion of on-field work with the players by Ohio State’s coaching staff means that the staff now has priority in hitting the recruiting trail at an ever so speedy pace.

Imagine that, recruiting only seeing an increase in priority. Hard to think of, but Urban Meyer and his guys have said in interviews this week that they now will be hitting the trails making their presence felt all over the country as 2019 and 2020 prospects continue to see their recruitment's take off. All things considered, even a week of multiple 2019 commitments for the Ohio State Buckeyes won’t slow the pace of Meyer and company. If anything, it’s just fuel to the fire as they await the next solid pickup for their current class.

There’s some noise in Arizona


Yesterday the Buckeyes gained yet another solid pledge to their 2019 recruiting class in two-way star Steele Chambers—and that had everyone happy. With so much happening in the Buckeye recruiting world though, there’s bound to be some headlines that are missed. Not to be lost in the shadows of another impressive pickup for Ohio State, Wednesday night also saw the news of another offer going out to a very impressive 2020 prospect from Arizona.

Enter Kelee Ringo, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound Scottsdale, Arizona, native who can play some serious football. A true cornerback, Ringo has all of the speed, size and intangibles to play at the next level. With a solid pedigree already, it’s important to note that Ringo still has another two seasons of prep football to be played, so his development is only going to get better.


Currently, Ringo is not ranked or rated with a certain star status on the 247sports recruiting platform, but he is considered to be the early top ranked cornerback for the 2020 class. When the official grades come out for his respective class, you can make a pretty smart wager that Ringo will be up near the top—if not at the top. As it stands right now, Kelee holds double-digit offers and those coming from some very solid programs. Schools already in the fold consist of Oregon, USC, Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, Notre Dame and Ohio State among others. With multiple offers from Michigan, Notre Dame, California, and Ohio State all coming within the last two weeks, it’s pretty easy to see Ringo is seeing the domino effect take place.

As West Coast natives can be hard to pull toward the Midwest in recruiting battles, it’s too early to declare a true leader for Ringo. One would have to imagine that the home state schools as well as the USC and Oregon offers would be of serious interest, but getting Ringo to campus will be the telltale sign that both parties are seriously interested considering where Ohio State sits with Kelee. If a visit does in fact happen, then Meyer and the Ohio State defensive back success can speak for itself. With Ringo in the 2020 class though, there’s more than enough time for his recruitment to pan out and a relationship to be built.

Tennessee native hears the Buckeyes calling


A position of importance in this 2019 Ohio State class, and really every class for that matter, is the offensive line. Those who know football know the battle is won in the trenches, and that starts with an impressive (and dominant) offensive line. With Ohio State’s desire to add top-notch talent each and every cycle, the work for 2019’s class is already being implemented and 2020 is getting its start too, as the Buckeyes invaded SEC territory yesterday by offering a Tennessee native with a very impressive resume in his short time as a high school prospect.

Omari Thomas, a Memphis native who plays his prep football at Briarcrest Christian, was the latest offensive line prospect to earn a Buckeye offer. A 6-foot-5, 285-pound tackle, the frame and size is already Division 1 caliber for many schools. However, again, being a 2020 kid, Omari has plenty of time to not only continue to grow, but to also continue to add strength and power only cementing why he is being pursued by many of the elite programs in college football. Holding offers from the likes of Alabama, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Missouri, Ohio State and more, Thomas is really starting to take off and for multiple coaching staffs, that has their eyes ready. In the early 247sports composite rankings, Thomas is the ninth best offensive tackle in the 2020 class and also the second best player in Tennessee. Not to mention, he is also thought of as the 42nd best prospect regardless of position in the country for the 2020 class. If you need anything more in terms of resume, then you’re one of very few.


Thomas announced his offer via his Twitter account and seemed excited to say the least. If you’re into social media hints even, Thomas went as far as making the Buckeye offer tweet as his “pinned” tweet, which will be the first tweet seen via his profile. That could be telling.

Having visited Ole Miss a couple of times unofficially already though, it’s not out of the question to think the Rebels may have an early inside track due to their proximity and familiarity, but you can never count out the Buckeyes. As always, if Thomas makes plans to check out what Ohio State has to offer in person, then the interest is certainly mutual, but any prospect in SEC territory will be one you have to battle for, but maybe this is an exception.

Time will only tell.

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Track and field: Buckeyes bring momentum back to Columbus for Jesse Owens Classic - OSU - The Lantern
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Track and field: Buckeyes bring momentum back to Columbus for Jesse Owens Classic
OSU - The Lantern
Saturday, in particular, looks bright for both Harrison and Jeff because they held their weight in last week's meet that included track-and-field stars Justin Gatlin and Christian Coleman. This week's meet does not have nearly have the same strength of ...


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Buckeyes no match for streaking Bobcats - Athens Messenger
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes no match for streaking Bobcats
Athens Messenger
Buckeyes no match for streaking Bobcats. By Jason Arkley Messenger Staff Journalist; Apr 19, 2018 Updated 3 hrs ago; 0. Big hit. Ohio outfielder MacKenzie Brunswick, seen here earlier this season, had a crucial three-run triple as the Bobcats won at ...

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Buckeyes try to keep DB machine churning after Ward's departure - Toledo Blade
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Buckeyes try to keep DB machine churning after Ward's departure
Toledo Blade
While Ohio State has lost top-tier players in the secondary nearly every season, the Buckeyes have not seen much of a drop in production. Ohio State has been among the country's top 15 teams in passing efficiency defense four years in a row, and in the ...

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Report: Buckeyes hit with minor recruiting violations - 247Sports
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Report: Buckeyes hit with minor recruiting violations
247Sports
Ohio State men's basketball program has been hit minor NCAA recruiting violations according to a report from Colin Hass-Hill and Edward Sutelan of The Lantern. The incident stems from a visit on Sept. 9 before the Buckeye football game against Oklahoma ...
Ohio State recruiting: Buckeyes coaches heading to New Jersey to inspect football talentLandof10.com
Ohio State Buckeyes: 2018 Year In ReviewFloWrestling
Steele Chambers commits to Ohio State: What it means for the Buckeyescleveland.com
Toledo Blade -AthlonSports.com -The Columbus Dispatch -OSU - The Lantern
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Wayne grad Landers growing as leader for Ohio State Buckeyes - MyDaytonDailyNews
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Wayne grad Landers growing as leader for Ohio State Buckeyes
MyDaytonDailyNews
The Dayton area's long tradition of seeing area graduates excel for the Ohio State Buckeyes will continue in 2018. Defensive tackle Robert Landers, of Wayne, should play an even bigger role than he did last season, and there's another local name in the ...
Miamisburg's Myers contending for starting center job with BuckeyesDayton Daily News
Ohio State is still looking for a left tackle247Sports
Football: Ohio State remains open to movement on offensive lineOSU - The Lantern

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Ohio State recruiting: MJ Devonshire a frequent Buckeyes visitor - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State recruiting: MJ Devonshire a frequent Buckeyes visitor
Landof10.com
Devonshire was back in Columbus once again on Saturday, taking in the Ohio State spring game and checking out the new Buckeyes roster in front of the fans. He grew up a fan of the program and any opportunity to watch them in person is a good one. “I ...


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Ohio State could see more of J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber together in the backfield this year
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Opposing defenses have to be frightened at the thought of the two talented running backs being on the field at the same time.

“It brings explosiveness. I feel like defenses won’t know what to do against it.”

Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins via Ryan Ginn, Land of 10


Last year it was hard enough to slow down running backs J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber when they were on the field separately. In 2018, defenses might have an even tougher task, after what the Buckeyes showed on one play in the 2017 Cotton Bowl against USC. In one of the first plays after halftime, Dobbins and Weber were on the field at the same time, which resulted in a 21-yard rush for Dobbins.

Dobbins already has some experience at sharing the workload at running back in a two-back set. As a sophomore in high school, Dobbins rushed for 2,243 yards and 37 touchdowns, even though Dobbins didn’t receive the majority of the carries. The thought of the numbers Dobbins and Weber could put up together when utilized together should have Buckeye fans salivating.

Between the power of Weber and the speed and elusiveness of Dobbins, defenses would have their hands full if they have to try and prepare for both running backs coming at them at the same time. The duo of Dobbins and Weber in the backfield at the same time could also help to take pressure off of Ohio State’s starting quarterback this year, whoever that ends up being.

“The main difference between the punishment for the football program and that of the men’s basketball program is neither the university’s compliance department nor the NCAA told the program it could not recruit any of the three basketball players. This calls in question how Ohio State decided to determine the self-imposed punishments and why they differed so drastically.”

Colin Hass-Hill and Edward Sutelan, The Lantern


In September, when Ohio State was getting ready to host Oklahoma, five-star football defensive end Micah Parsons, along with three basketball recruits all walked onto the College Gameday stage and met Buckeye alums Kirk Herbstreit and Eddie George as part of their official visit. While the meeting doesn’t seem like a big deal, it was an NCAA violation.

Ohio State self-reported the violation, and not only agreed to end their recruitment of Parsons, who went on to sign with Penn State, but the also gave football recruiting assistant Ed Terwilliger a one-game suspension. The NCAA found the punishments satisfactory and didn’t add any sanctions.

While the Parsons violation was self-reported on Sept. 26, the violation by the basketball recruits wasn’t reported until Nov. 16. Jaedon LeDee and Luther Muhammad, two of the recruits involved, both signed with Ohio State less than two weeks after the incident took place.

The NCAA temporarily declared LeDee and Muhammad ineligible, requiring Ohio State to apply for reinstatement for the student-athletes. Director of player development Scoonie Penn was also suspended for a game for being the one to allow for the basketball recruits onto the stage area to meet with Herbstreit and George.

Ohio State might have hurt themselves by being too harsh with their punishment when it came to Parsons. Because the Buckeyes self-reported so quickly and punished themselves the way they did, it likely had a negative effect on the basketball program, who took two months to self-report the incident.

In the grand scheme of things, the violations weren’t all that malicious. Some are wondering if Ohio State used the suspension of their recruitment of Parsons to cover for the Buckeyes decided to end their recruitment of Parsons because of a tweet he sent following the loss to Oklahoma, in which Parsons called for Dwayne Haskins at quarterback to start instead of J.T. Barrett.

Because Ohio State brings in so many top recruits, along with some of the NCAA violations they have committed in the past, the Buckeyes will always be under the microscope when it comes to recruiting. Going forward though, it might be in Ohio State’s best interest to self-impose sanctions, as the punishment for the football program wasn’t quite as harsh as what the NCAA ruled for the basketball program.

“For the first time under coach Urban Meyer, the Buckeyes believe the line has sufficient depth. It’s not just that they have an adequate backup at each spot. It’s that the backups are now pushing presumed starters for jobs.”

Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch


Ohio State’s offensive line depth took a bit of a hit yesterday when Matthew Burrell announced his intention to transfer, but even with the loss of Burrell, the Buckeyes still have plenty of talented offensive linemen vying for the five starting spots. Offensive line coach Greg Studrawa has been very pleased with what he saw from the linemen during spring practices.

Despite Studrawa not being ready to announce the starters on the offensive line yet, the only spot doesn’t feel up for grabs is at left guard. Michael Jordan has started the last two seasons at left guard, and even though he missed spring practices as he recovered from shoulder surgery, Jordan should be the starter when the Buckeyes open up the season against Oregon State.

There sounded as if Isaiah Prince was going to shift from right tackle to left tackle this year, but in the spring game Prince was back at right tackle. Prince did state that moving to left tackle was like trying to learn to write left-handed, and Meyer and Studrawa might have to make changes because they aren’t seeing the progress they have hoped for.

Another reason why Prince might be back at right tackle is because Thayer Munford, who was the favorite to replace Prince at right tackle, has had an easy transition to the left tackle spot. Josh Alabi, who moved over from the defensive line, has also found himself more comfortable on the left side of the line.

Ohio State’s depth has especially shown at center, where Josh Myers is pushing Brady Taylor, who is the favorite to replace Billy Price. While Taylor is steady at center, Myers has made massive strides as he has gotten more reps and become more comfortable with the offense. The battle at the center position is likely one that won’t be decided until late in preseason practices.

Unlike in years past, where the offensive line depth hasn’t been the greatest for Ohio State, the amount of talented the Buckeyes have amassed on the offensive line will help to make the linemen even better. The offensive linemen know they can’t become complacent, because there is a lineman right behind them who could take their starting spot. The competition for starting spots will bring out the best in the Buckeyes.

STICK TO SPORTS

• Land-Grant Brewing’s big patio expansion will open this summer.
• For those with the munchies, Condado is celebrating 4/20 with BOGO tacos tomorrow.
• Ohio Brewing Company is planning on opening a Columbus location in the summer or early fall.
• Alexa is adding more custom responses, lulling us into a false sense of security before she takes over the world.
• Apparently beggars can be choosers: Toys R Us turned down a buyout offer for being too low.

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Ohio State women's basketball | Buckeyes to play Maryland twice in 2018-19 - The Columbus Dispatch
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Ohio State women's basketball | Buckeyes to play Maryland twice in 2018-19
The Columbus Dispatch
The Ohio State women's basketball team on Thursday learned its Big Ten opponents for the 2018-19 season, when the conference returns to an 18-game schedule. Approximately four months before conference game dates are announced, the Buckeyes learned they ...
Big Ten announces 2018-19 schedule breakdown for Ohio State247Sports
Ohio State Fans Not Happy With The Buckeyes' 2018-19 ScheduleThe Spun (blog)
Ohio State basketball 2018-19 conference slate announcedLand-Grant Holy Land
Eleven Warriors -The Ozone
all 38 news articles »

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Ohio State basketball 2018-19 conference slate announced
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


And we’re in luck, the Buckeyes only have to play Penn State once... during the regular season at least.

On Thursday, the Big Ten Conference announced the league matchups for all 14 B1G teams. While dates and times will be announced in the future, we now know how often and where the Ohio State Buckeyes will be facing off against their conference foes this coming season.

This year, OSU will have home-and-home series with Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Northwestern, Purdue and Rutgers. However, their one contest against Minnesota, Penn State, and Wisconsin respectively will be in Columbus. Conversely, the Buckeyes will travel for road games against Indiana, Michigan, and Nebraska.

BigTen.org

There is always the potential that one of the Buckeyes’ games could be slotted into a neutral-court contest, like their game against Minnesota was earlier this year as part of the Super-Saturday hockey and basketball double-header at Madison Square Garden.

In addition to these recently announced league games, Chris Holtmann’s squad will open up the season on the road against Cincinnati, before facing off against UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic, in addition to playing host to Bucknell as part of the non-conference schedule, and the annual Big-Ten ACC Shootout game.

You can check out all of the Big Ten conference matchups HERE.

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Big Ten releases 2018-19 men’s basketball conference season opponent breakdown
Alex Roux, BTN.com editor via Big Ten Network

The Big Ten Conference revealed a breakdown of all 14 schools' opponents for the 2018-19 Big Ten men's basketball season on Thursday. Conference teams will compete in a 20-game conference schedule for the first time, playing seven teams both home and away and six teams once (three home and three away).

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How did the offense improve this spring?
Chad Peltier via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


McCall, Brady Taylor, and Luke Farrell highlight a solid spring for the Ohio State offense

Now that spring practice is over and we really dip into the offseason, we can take a look at how the team progressed on both sides of the ball. This post will only concentrate on the positive developments — we can tackle the “needs improvement” areas next.

The Buckeyes have a good center (and maybe two!)


Early on in the spring we learned that Josh Myers forced his way into a real fight with Brady Taylor for the starting center job. My assumption was that the former top-60 overall recruit (and second-ranked guard) would take the job from Taylor, who hadn’t seen a lot of playing time in his four years on campus. But Meyer announced that Taylor would be in the starting spot heading in to fall camp — and that’s huge.

But, it’s also not the end for Myers. Starting for the Scarlet team, Myers also had an impressive spring game and could still win the job in fall camp.

Center was head coach Urban Meyer’s biggest concern at the beginning of spring practice, but these two have at least shifted concerns elsewhere.

Ohio State also has two solid tight ends


The expectation was that Rashod Berry would be the no-brainer starting tight end after Marcus Baugh’s graduation. Slowed by some injuries this spring, Berry didn’t play in the spring game, which left the door open for Luke Farrell to make a move for the starting job. And like Taylor, Meyer announced that Farrell earned a starting role, at least heading in to the fall.

Farrell came to Ohio State with a few other tight ends, and wasn’t ranked as highly as Jake Hausmann, but the 6’6 tight end appears to have the edge for now.

And we already know that Berry has solid athleticism — he averaged nearly 17 yards per catch and had two touchdowns from just six total catches last season. I mean, take a look at this garbage time play vs. UNLV last season:

Demario McCall could be the offense’s X-factor


It seems like at least one receiver breaks out every year in Ohio State’s spring game. Last year it was Johnnie Dixon. 2016 was probably Torrance Gibson. 2015 had Corey Smith and his 6 catches for 174 yards. Ohio State fans should know by now to not over-hype spring game performances from receivers — it just doesn’t always translate to on-field production.

But Demario McCall was electric this year, finishing with 11 receptions for 165 yards. He looked like a model slot receiver in the former-running back mold; i.e., just like Curtis Samuel.

Ohio State’s passing game still needs to prove that it can be effective in the intermediate-to-long range, challenging the defense vertically as well as horizontally. That’s been true really since the 2014 season. But McCall (along with Parris Campbell) brings a related capability — the ability to turn routine, high-percentage short passes into explosive plays.

So yeah, we can’t go overboard on the McCall hype train this offseason, but it seems clear that he’s carved out a big chunk of playing time with Parris Campbell.

By the way, that last play of the game? Burrow and McCall actually did something similar in last year’s spring game too:

This is a two-running back offense


J.K. Dobbins was incredible as a freshman and we have every reason to believe he’s going to be even better in 2018.

But Mike Weber wants to remind you that he’s not just a between-the-tackles option, and can add explosive plays as well. In the spring game, Weber exploded through a solid hole for a 63-yard run, then made an excellent cut to shake off Brendon White at safety.

Weber showed that same type of breakaway speed last season too with big runs against Michigan State, Illinois, and Michigan. Dobbins proved to be more explosive — gaining 10+ yard runs on 19.6% of his carries and 20+ yard runs on 8.2% of his carries — but Weber was explosive too, getting 10+ yard runs on 11.9% of his carries and 20+ yard runs on 5.9% of his carries.

The QB will be more accurate in intermediate and deep routes


Haskins has demonstrated impressive timing, anticipation, and willingness to throw in tight spaces on intermediate and long passes. It seemed like the general fan expectation was that a Haskins win in the quarterback battle would mean an offensive evolution with a more vertical passing game.

And while that may be true, don’t assume that the 2018 offense will just resemble the Barrett-led 2017 (which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing anyway!) if Joe Burrow wins the job instead.


Burrow actually had a better performance in the deep passing game than Haskins. According to Tim Bielik who ran the numbers, “Burrow was more accurate on deep throws (3-for-5, 122 yards, two TDs) compared to Haskins (2-for-8, 68 yards, TD).”

Obviously that’s very limited data and it’s less revealing about Haskins than it is about Burrow — essentially, that he’s a better passer than you might have thought. Haskins entered the spring as the favorite to win the job (even if it wasn’t outwardly acknowledged), but the passing offense will likely improve even if Burrow wins the job in an upset.

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refurbs scare me... due to the pixel count vagueness in the warranties etc

Ohio State football: Why not just play all 3 quarterbacks, Buckeyes? - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: Why not just play all 3 quarterbacks, Buckeyes?
Landof10.com
Looking at the complete package at the moment, then, it's possible to make a compelling argument that Burrow represents the safest choice for the Buckeyes. The flip side, though, is what could happen if Haskins is tabbed for the job and allowed to ...
Buckeye Football Notebook: Does OSU Need to Re-Recruit Joe Burrow?The Ozone
Should Tate Martell Transfer If He Isn't The Starter At Ohio State?Buckeye Wire

all 5 news articles »

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What 2019 RB Steele Chambers brings to Ohio State
Patrick Mayhorn via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The new style of Buckeye running back is coming very soon.

If you like massive Buckeye booms, this has been a very good couple of days for you. The fireworks started last Friday, when New Jersey safety Ronnie Hickman announced his commitment to Ohio State. Mentor (Ohio) defensive end Noah Potter brought the new week in right, when he announced his commitment on Monday. In case that wasn’t enough however, the Buckeyes picked up a third last night, when Georgia athlete Steel Chambers announced his pledge to Ohio State.

Chambers is a fairly new name to Buckeye fans, and a recruit that really hadn’t been talked about a ton before his commitment late last night. That doesn’t mean that his commitment isn’t a huge deal however, as Chambers was the top running back remaining on Ohio State’s board. Let’s take a look at what Tony Alford likes so much about the 6-foot-2 halfback.

On the field


If you couldn’t tell already, Ohio State is changing up their offensive recruiting strategies under Kevin Wilson and Ryan Day. Pro-style passers, massive power backs, and long receivers are the trend right now for the Buckeyes, a far cry from the dual-threat quarterbacks and speedy scat-backs we saw under Tom Herman and eventually Tim Beck.

Steele Chambers, much like 2018 signed Master Teague, is a true power, one-cut back, cut from the same cloth as running backs like Bo Scarborough at Alabama, Nick Chubb at Georgia, or numerous other SEC backs. He’s an explosive, violent downhill runner, that doesn’t just take contact: he seeks it out.

The Beanie Wells/Ezekiel Elliott comparisons are pretty easy, but Chambers isn’t all that similar to either of those two Buckeye legends. No, Steele reminds me quite a bit more of former Big Ten defensive coordinator’s worst nightmare and Groveport Madison alumni Le’Veon Bell.

Both players run very patiently, and while Bell is obviously quite a bit more refined as a runner now, after years of playing, Chambers’ high school film is extremely similar to Bell’s, and honestly, it’s probably better. Chambers is a better athlete than Bell was coming out of high school, and with Tony Alford coaching him up, it’s not hard to imagine Chambers taking Columbus and eventually the NFL by storm.

Like a lot of young backs, Chambers isn’t a great blocker or receiver, which will keep him off the field as a freshman, but he certainly has the hands and strength to develop into an all-around dominant player.

In the class


Chambers is the sixth member of Ohio State’s 2019 class. He’s the second running back to join the class, along with Indiana product Sampson James, a quicker, more elusive back, that should compliment Chambers extremely well.

He’s ranked as the 340th player nationally, and the 29th ranked athlete, though that ranking will almost certainly jump up if Chambers participates in the summer camp circuit and plays well during his senior season, which I expect he will.

Chambers held offers from 26 other schools, including Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Stanford, Tennessee and Wisconsin, among others. With an offer sheet that impressive, paired with his impressive film and skill set, it’s not hard to see what Ohio State likes in the Roswell star.

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New NCAA rule will dramatically impact Ohio State’s special teams philosophy
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Let’s see how Urban Meyer will exploit OSU’s talent advantages this time.

Since Urban Meyer returned to coaching college football in 2012 following his one-season hiatus, his standard operating procedure in Columbus has been to get the best players at every position, coach those players up, and use their natural abilities— combined with top-level coaching acumen— to take advantage of glaring talent differentials that the Buckeyes have over almost-always inferior opponents.

This has been especially true on special teams for Meyer’s Ohio State squads, as he has taken a hands-on approach to coaching the third unit; often stacking the coverage teams with starters and future superstars. While having players split practice time between their primary positions and special teams can sometimes lead to less than desirable results, Meyer’s philosophy has clearly been that the athletic advantage that his units have, outweigh any potential negatives coming from their lack of reps.

However, a new NCAA rule that was finally made official last week, is forcing the head coach to rethink park of his kickoff gameplan for the coming season.

How it all began


To understand how we got to the current conundrum for Meyer, let’s go back to just before his first year as the head coach at OSU. Following the 2011 season, the NCAA approved a pair of changes to kickoffs designed to decrease the frequency in which returners actually advanced the ball out of the endzone.

The moves— kicks were moved up five yards and touchbacks came out to the 25— were designed to limit the potential injuries that players could suffer from colliding with finely-tuned muscle machines sprinting at peak velocity down the field.

However, in a move that should have been anticipated by anyone paying attention, college football coaches were not going to leave well-enough alone and simply concede the extra yardage when they could, and instead, mine the new rules to capitalize on prior unavailable advantages.

As Meyer began to start his tenure at Ohio State, he realized that— as he did at Florida— at OSU, he should have a significant talent-advantage at all positions against almost all of his opponents. So, Meyer decided to use these theoretical advantages, at both kicker and on the coverage team, to employ the equivalent of a coffin-corner kickoff philosophy.

How it works worked


The strategy was to kick the ball as high as possible, to one side of the field, between the five and 10 yard-line; forcing the returner to catch the ball in play, but giving the coverage team enough time to get downfield to prevent a big return. Thus, not allowing him to advance to the 25-yard-line, which he would have been gifted, had he been able to down the ball in the endzone.

Over the six years of Meyer’s tenure in Columbus, this gameplan has at times been incredibly successful, and at others... not so much (I’m sorry, I will never forgive kicking the ball out of bounds). However, here is an example of the strategy working to perfection against Michigan last November.


Before the 2012 rule change, Buckeye fans were conditioned to believe that the only good kickoffs were ones that went out of the back of the endzone, negating the opportunity for opposing teams to score a touchdown on a flukey kickoff return.

Given OSU’s historically stingy defenses, this made sense when considering the rules of that time, and the legacy of the golden-footed kicking god known as Mike Nugent. During the final season of Nuge’s Groza-winning, record-breaking career, 34 of his 55 kickoffs resulted in touchbacks, good for 61.8 percent. Combined with his 20-of-23 field goal mark that season, Nugent became the first kicker in Ohio State history to be named by his teammates as the Buckeyes’ season MVP... he’s a kicker! If that’s not G.O.A.T. material, I don’t know what is.

However, as SBNation’s Football Studyhall noted following the 2012 season, touchbacks more than doubled after the rule change was implemented, meaning that more teams were able to equal the advantage that Ohio State had in having a kicker who could boom the ball through the endzone.

So, like all visionaries ahead of their time, Meyer realized that when everyone is zigging, it is often best to zag. Therefore, to take advantage of an obvious flaw in the NCAA’s thinking, he came up with the new strategy, as explained by former OSU kicker Drew Basil in 2013.


In 2012 and 2013, Basil had the third-lowest touchback percentage in the Big Ten at 23.68 and 25.96 percent, respectively. Since then, the Buckeyes have been in the bottom quarter of the league in this category every year, and in 2017, freshman Blake Haubeil (believe it or not, that was the name of OSU’s kickoff kicker for most of last year) had the second-lowest touchback percentage in the B1G at just 13.64 percent— although he was tied for the most kickoffs out of bounds in the conference with five.

Where do we go from here?


Now, the NCAA is trying to muck up Ohio State’s kickoff advantage with yet another rule change intended to improve player safety. As approved last week, this season, if a receiving-team player signals for a fair catch before catching the ball inside the 25-yard-line, he will be awarded a touchback, thus rendering OSU’s kickoff philosophy obsolete.

When asked about the impending rule change at a press conference in March, Meyer said that his coaching staff hadn’t yet thought about a change too deeply, but did acknowledge that the coffin-corner strategy had been an advantage for the program.


So, now the question is whether or not Meyer will adhere to the motivation behind the rule change and simply forego any potential advantages in order to preserve the safety of players, or if he and his staff will devise a new way to exploit hidden kickoff yardage... I feel like I know what the answer to this question would eventually be before it even had to be asked.

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Ohio State podcast: Buckeyes shuffle deck on offensive line - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State podcast: Buckeyes shuffle deck on offensive line
Landof10.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Get insight and reaction to Ohio State football and basketball on the Inside the Shoe podcast, brought to you by Land of 10. In the latest edition, Ryan Ginn joins Kyle Lamb for a discussion on the latest in the QB race and to analyze ...

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Ohio State OL Matthew Burrell transferring from Buckeyes - NBCSports.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State OL Matthew Burrell transferring from Buckeyes
NBCSports.com
For the third time this offseason, Ohio State has lost an offensive lineman to transfer. The latest to leave the trenches in Columbus is Matthew Burrell (pictured, right), with the rising redshirt junior taking to Instagram to announce that, “after ...

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Is anyone seeding? Thanks.

Buckeyes offer scholarship to 5-star cornerback - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes offer scholarship to 5-star cornerback
247Sports
The Buckeyes have recruited cornerbacks extremely well since Urban Meyer arrived at Ohio State. A number of those cornerbacks went on to become first round NFL draft choices including Marshon Lattimore who was named NFL defensive Rookie of the Year ...


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With commit from Chambers, Ohio State moves up to No. 14 in 2019 recruiting rankings, according to 247sports
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Prior to the commitment from the 3-star RB/LB, the Buckeyes were No. 18.

It’s been an eventful week for the Ohio State Buckeyes. On Monday, defensive end Noah Potter committed to the program. Then, late Wednesday, three-star running back/linebacker Steele Chambers (Roswell, GA / Blessed Trinity Catholic) committed to the program—adding another layer to the amount of talent in the Buckeyes’ 2019 recruiting class.

The addition of Chambers signifies a couple things. First, he’s the sixth member to the ‘19 class for OSU. Second, he helps the Buckeyes in their quest to climb up the recruiting rankings. While 247sports grades Chambers as a .8950, OSU’s average recruit grade is 92.63—which is good enough to lead the Big Ten. Overall, the Buckeyes move up in the team rankings from No. 18 to No. 14.

OSU has 129.36 points, and to move up to No. 13, they’ll have to overtake South Carolina, a program that holds 139.33 points off of six three-star commitments, and three four-star commitments. Right now, the Bucks have five (!) recruits that hold four-star status. Urban Meyer and company may be out of the top-10 in the 247sports rankings, but that can change in a hurry.

For those curious: Oklahoma (202.19) leads the 247sports recruiting rankings for 2019, and is followed by Florida State (193.41) and Ole Miss (189.22).

It would be wise to keep him local


In the 2019 class, Zach Harrison is one of the best. He’s the No. 1 recruit in Ohio, the No. 2 weak-side defensive end and the No. 3 overall prospect. Over 15 schools have sent the five-star an offer, and expect that number to keep on climbing.

On Wednesday, Harrison showed off just how athletic he was in a dual track meet.


As Steve Blackledge reported, those times are pretty good. Like, really really good. Fortunately for the Buckeyes, Harrison is just up the road from campus—Lewis Center, Ohio, is about 20 minutes north of the OSU campus. In a way, this was a PSA of not just how good he is on the gridiron, but in athletics in general.

We’ll keep you posted on the Harrison-to-OSU watch, as all 12 of the predictions in his 247sports crystal ball profile point to the Buckeyes being the team he’ll commit to.

An instant impact?


On Wednesday, offensive lineman Matthew Burrell declared his intent to transfer. The redshirt sophomore was thought to be in contention for one of the offensive line roles this season.

There are a handful of options the Buckeyes could go to on the O-Line. However, we may have gotten a glimpse of what is to come from Meyer. After the spring game, the head coach gave his thoughts on the offensive line shuffling between Thayer Munford and Isaiah Prince. Meyer mentioned a rotation of players on the line—and one of those potential members hasn’t arrived on campus yet.

Five-star member of the 2018 class Nicolas Petit-Frere was mentioned by Meyer in his post-game presser after the spring game. With one of the more experienced members of the offensive line leaving in Burrell, if there was a need to fill the void as fast as possible, then Petit-Frere fits the bill.

“A guy that’s been here, watching,” Meyer said of Petit-Frere after the spring game. “A very talented young man.”

Talent is something that’s been a constant around the Ohio State football program, but the Tampa native will be arriving in Columbus as the No. 1 offensive tackle in the ‘18 class. There aren’t too many people at 6-foot-6 walking around with the athletic ability of NPF. Meyer realized that Petit-Frere was taking in what he was seeing at the visits—and was paying attention. That could go a long way when he arrives on campus, as he may be seeing playing time right off the bat.

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