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Google No. 9 Buckeyes Close Out Weekend Sweep With 4-1 Win Over Niagara - FloHockey
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No. 9 Buckeyes Close Out Weekend Sweep With 4-1 Win Over Niagara - FloHockey
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No. 9 Buckeyes Close Out Weekend Sweep With 4-1 Win Over Niagara
FloHockey
Just one minute into the game Matt Miller put the Buckeyes on the board and Matthew Weis followed with a power play goal at 7:02 for a 2-0 Buckeye advantage. Midway through the first period the Buckeyes killed a five-minute major, including nearly a ...
No. 9 Buckeyes Welcome Purple Eagles for Second Half OpenerEleven Warriors
No. 9 Ohio State hockey holds off Niagara, 3-2Land-Grant Holy Land
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via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
No. 9 Buckeyes Close Out Weekend Sweep With 4-1 Win Over Niagara
FloHockey
Just one minute into the game Matt Miller put the Buckeyes on the board and Matthew Weis followed with a power play goal at 7:02 for a 2-0 Buckeye advantage. Midway through the first period the Buckeyes killed a five-minute major, including nearly a ...
No. 9 Buckeyes Welcome Purple Eagles for Second Half OpenerEleven Warriors
No. 9 Ohio State hockey holds off Niagara, 3-2Land-Grant Holy Land
all 16 news articles »
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Google Sam Hubbard turns pro, while other Buckeyes (like Dre'Mont Jones) ponder NFL decisions -...
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Sam Hubbard turns pro, while other Buckeyes (like Dre'Mont Jones) ponder NFL decisions - cleveland.com
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Sam Hubbard turns pro, while other Buckeyes (like Dre'Mont Jones) ponder NFL decisions
cleveland.com
Among those with real decisions about staying or leaving are defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones, linebacker Jerome Baker, running back Mike Weber and receivers Parris Campbell, Johnnie Dixon, K.J. Hill and Terry McLaurin. Last year, six Ohio State ...
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Sam Hubbard turns pro, while other Buckeyes (like Dre'Mont Jones) ponder NFL decisions
cleveland.com
Among those with real decisions about staying or leaving are defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones, linebacker Jerome Baker, running back Mike Weber and receivers Parris Campbell, Johnnie Dixon, K.J. Hill and Terry McLaurin. Last year, six Ohio State ...
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Google Recruit and return: Ohio State Buckeyes - ESPN (blog)
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Recruit and return: Ohio State Buckeyes - ESPN (blog)
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Recruit and return: Ohio State Buckeyes
ESPN (blog)
Head coach Urban Meyer led the Buckeyes to 11 or more wins for the sixth-straight season and also the Big Ten championship in 2017, narrowly missing a College Football Playoff berth. While Ohio State will lose record-setting quarterback and leader J.T ...
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via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Recruit and return: Ohio State Buckeyes
ESPN (blog)
Head coach Urban Meyer led the Buckeyes to 11 or more wins for the sixth-straight season and also the Big Ten championship in 2017, narrowly missing a College Football Playoff berth. While Ohio State will lose record-setting quarterback and leader J.T ...
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Google College GameDay: Buckeyes Playoff-worthy after Cotton Bowl rout? - 247Sports
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College GameDay: Buckeyes Playoff-worthy after Cotton Bowl rout? - 247Sports
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College GameDay: Buckeyes Playoff-worthy after Cotton Bowl rout?
247Sports
Ohio State rolled to a 24-7 victory over USC in the Cotton Bowl Friday night. The Buckeyes forced four turnovers in the matchup, and the margin of victory had some asking whether No. 5 Ohio State should have been in the College Football Playoff over No ...
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College GameDay: Buckeyes Playoff-worthy after Cotton Bowl rout?
247Sports
Ohio State rolled to a 24-7 victory over USC in the Cotton Bowl Friday night. The Buckeyes forced four turnovers in the matchup, and the margin of victory had some asking whether No. 5 Ohio State should have been in the College Football Playoff over No ...
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LGHL Ohio State’s QB room could stay stacked with Joe Burrow ‘leaning toward staying’
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Ohio State’s QB room could stay stacked with Joe Burrow ‘leaning toward staying’
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Plus, Urban Meyer and Kerry Coombs react to Denzel Ward’s decision to sit and declare early.
“I came to terms with it the last couple weeks. Either way, no matter what I do, I’m going to have to come out and compete somewhere. I felt like I got a lot better in the last couple weeks of bowl practice and that was good.”
-Joe Burrow, via William Kosileski of Land of 10
The quarterback room at Ohio State has always been filled with more talent than roster spots, and more potential No. 1 than starting opportunities. The latest round of QB controversy focuses on the future of the Buckeye offense now that the J.T. Barrett era is officially behind us.
Heading into the 2017 season, the battle for the No. 2 QB spot was neck-and-neck between Joe Burrow and Dwayne Haskins, but with a hand injury and related surgery for Burrow, Haskins took the garbage time snaps and became the clear backup for Barrett throughout the season. As Ohio State also boasts Tate Martell, who just finished his redshirt season, and added yet another potential-filled QB with the 2018 recruiting class.
As the quarterback room gets more crowded, Joe Burrow has a decision to make — and soon — about where he plans to play ball in 2018. Transfer rumors started mid-season, but have certainly seen an upswing in recent weeks. As noted in the Land of 10 article above, Burrow was blunt, “I don’t know. I’m leaning towards staying.”
He won’t have too long to hedge on his decision, and will have to let Buckeye coaches know soon.
“But this game proved one thing to me: the committee got it right. Neither No. 5 Ohio State nor No. 8 USC deserved to be included in the playoff.”
-Edward Sutelan, The Lantern
With the way Ohio State played last night, especially the defense, questions quickly arose following the Cotton Bowl win about the team’s potential in the College Football Playoff. And while parts of the team could certainly compete against some of the top-4 teams playing on New Years Day, the offense still struggled enough to pump the brakes on the “Buckeyes were robbed” takes.
Both the Big Ten champions and Pac-12 champions being left out of the CFP was a hotly debated topic for weeks, but those talks should have been put to bed with the way the game played out. Certainly competing as top-10 teams, neither sides offense was enough to say they’d have succeeded against a defense like Alabama. That’s just silly.
It was still a good step for the Buckeyes, who were still fighting off flashbacks of a scoreless bowl game last season against Clemson. Beating a familiar foe in the postseason will give Urban Meyer and team some motivation and momentum heading into 2018, and will hopefully give next year’s squad a better chance of making a run in the CFP. It’s hard to imagine they would have finished on the same positive note had they snagged that final spot in the top-4 this season.
“We’ve had ongoing conversations. He practiced every day. We prepared for him not to play. I mean that would be foolish not to. So we practiced a lot of guys in those roles, which is why I think they played so well.”
-Kerry Coombs, via Tony Gerdeman of TheOzone
Denzel Ward’s seemingly last minute decision to skip the Cotton Bowl and forego his final year of eligibility for the NFL draft was a bit of a shocker. Except to those around him for the past few weeks.
Following the win over USC, both Urban Meyer and Kerry Coombs spoke about Ward’s decision to sit out of the bowl game, and how they went about preparing for his potential absence. Ward’s decision to still participate in bowl game practices and his honesty about being on the fence, allowed some of the younger guys to prepare for a role they don’t normally take -- and the results were successful on Friday.
Meyer spoke about how the discussions among Ward and his family were ongoing following the Big Ten Championship game, and that the talks weren’t taken lightly. The group discussed options for Ward to only play on third-downs or on special teams, but ultimately he decided to sit out altogether. The coaches may not have been made aware of Ward’s final decision until the day before the game, but they had been preparing for that outcome for weeks.
“Ward staying with the Buckeyes to be a part of the team and continuing to mentor his younger fellow DBs helps them out, and they get to shine on the bowl stage while he looks on as a supportive teammate.”
-Richard Johnson, SB Nation
Will Denzel Ward skipping the bowl game look bad to NFL scouts? Probably not.
It’s become somewhat of the norm over the past few years, with two of the top running backs (Christian McCaffrey, Leonard Fournette) setting a real precedent and skipping their bowl games. Still, it’s not something Ohio State players and fans really expected from one of their own. Sam Hubbard was emphatic following the Big Ten Championship that he wouldn’t even consider skipping a bowl game, that he’s playing with and for his brothers.
Now we know, even Buckeye players could make the decision to sit out of a big-time bowl game to protect their bodies and draft stock. It’s a selfish decision, but not in a bad way. The game of football is a tough one and any given play could lead to a career-ending injury, sometimes when you weigh the risks, they just aren’t worth it.
Ward is still expected to be a first or second-round pick, and will now get ready to show off during the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine -- to which, I’m sure he’ll get and accept an invite.
“College football fans are never quite going to agree on J.T. Barrett. He might simultaneously be the most underrated and overrated quarterback in Ohio State history.”
-Bill Connelly, SB Nation
Anyone who has followed Ohio State football since 2014 has noticed the ebb and flow with quarterback J.T. Barrett’s performances. He was never able to recapture the consistent precision and explosion from his first year as the starting QB for the Buckeyes — filling in for Braxton Miller just weeks before the start of the year.
The QB competition with Cardale Jones in 2015 seemed to crush his spirit, and set him up for a lot more inconsistencies throughout the duration of his Ohio State career. With top receivers turning the NFL, Barrett was the leader among a very young #Zone6 for much of 2016. He took the Buckeyes on yet another CFP run this season, that somehow saw losses to both Oklahoma and Iowa before finishing the season in the Cotton Bowl.
With a taste of how good he was early on in his career, the ups and downs weren’t taken very lightly among fans, who were (as always) highly critical of the lackluster passing game and Barrett run-heavy offensive game plan. But having claimed 22-plus school records, and a host of Big Ten conference records -- including most total offense, usurping Drew Brees during the Cotton Bowl.— it’s hard to imagine all of those frustrating things he did in-game wont eventually be forgotten, and legends of his stat lines will live on.
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Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Plus, Urban Meyer and Kerry Coombs react to Denzel Ward’s decision to sit and declare early.
“I came to terms with it the last couple weeks. Either way, no matter what I do, I’m going to have to come out and compete somewhere. I felt like I got a lot better in the last couple weeks of bowl practice and that was good.”
-Joe Burrow, via William Kosileski of Land of 10
The quarterback room at Ohio State has always been filled with more talent than roster spots, and more potential No. 1 than starting opportunities. The latest round of QB controversy focuses on the future of the Buckeye offense now that the J.T. Barrett era is officially behind us.
Heading into the 2017 season, the battle for the No. 2 QB spot was neck-and-neck between Joe Burrow and Dwayne Haskins, but with a hand injury and related surgery for Burrow, Haskins took the garbage time snaps and became the clear backup for Barrett throughout the season. As Ohio State also boasts Tate Martell, who just finished his redshirt season, and added yet another potential-filled QB with the 2018 recruiting class.
As the quarterback room gets more crowded, Joe Burrow has a decision to make — and soon — about where he plans to play ball in 2018. Transfer rumors started mid-season, but have certainly seen an upswing in recent weeks. As noted in the Land of 10 article above, Burrow was blunt, “I don’t know. I’m leaning towards staying.”
He won’t have too long to hedge on his decision, and will have to let Buckeye coaches know soon.
“But this game proved one thing to me: the committee got it right. Neither No. 5 Ohio State nor No. 8 USC deserved to be included in the playoff.”
-Edward Sutelan, The Lantern
With the way Ohio State played last night, especially the defense, questions quickly arose following the Cotton Bowl win about the team’s potential in the College Football Playoff. And while parts of the team could certainly compete against some of the top-4 teams playing on New Years Day, the offense still struggled enough to pump the brakes on the “Buckeyes were robbed” takes.
Both the Big Ten champions and Pac-12 champions being left out of the CFP was a hotly debated topic for weeks, but those talks should have been put to bed with the way the game played out. Certainly competing as top-10 teams, neither sides offense was enough to say they’d have succeeded against a defense like Alabama. That’s just silly.
It was still a good step for the Buckeyes, who were still fighting off flashbacks of a scoreless bowl game last season against Clemson. Beating a familiar foe in the postseason will give Urban Meyer and team some motivation and momentum heading into 2018, and will hopefully give next year’s squad a better chance of making a run in the CFP. It’s hard to imagine they would have finished on the same positive note had they snagged that final spot in the top-4 this season.
“We’ve had ongoing conversations. He practiced every day. We prepared for him not to play. I mean that would be foolish not to. So we practiced a lot of guys in those roles, which is why I think they played so well.”
-Kerry Coombs, via Tony Gerdeman of TheOzone
Denzel Ward’s seemingly last minute decision to skip the Cotton Bowl and forego his final year of eligibility for the NFL draft was a bit of a shocker. Except to those around him for the past few weeks.
Following the win over USC, both Urban Meyer and Kerry Coombs spoke about Ward’s decision to sit out of the bowl game, and how they went about preparing for his potential absence. Ward’s decision to still participate in bowl game practices and his honesty about being on the fence, allowed some of the younger guys to prepare for a role they don’t normally take -- and the results were successful on Friday.
Meyer spoke about how the discussions among Ward and his family were ongoing following the Big Ten Championship game, and that the talks weren’t taken lightly. The group discussed options for Ward to only play on third-downs or on special teams, but ultimately he decided to sit out altogether. The coaches may not have been made aware of Ward’s final decision until the day before the game, but they had been preparing for that outcome for weeks.
“Ward staying with the Buckeyes to be a part of the team and continuing to mentor his younger fellow DBs helps them out, and they get to shine on the bowl stage while he looks on as a supportive teammate.”
-Richard Johnson, SB Nation
Will Denzel Ward skipping the bowl game look bad to NFL scouts? Probably not.
It’s become somewhat of the norm over the past few years, with two of the top running backs (Christian McCaffrey, Leonard Fournette) setting a real precedent and skipping their bowl games. Still, it’s not something Ohio State players and fans really expected from one of their own. Sam Hubbard was emphatic following the Big Ten Championship that he wouldn’t even consider skipping a bowl game, that he’s playing with and for his brothers.
Now we know, even Buckeye players could make the decision to sit out of a big-time bowl game to protect their bodies and draft stock. It’s a selfish decision, but not in a bad way. The game of football is a tough one and any given play could lead to a career-ending injury, sometimes when you weigh the risks, they just aren’t worth it.
Ward is still expected to be a first or second-round pick, and will now get ready to show off during the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine -- to which, I’m sure he’ll get and accept an invite.
“College football fans are never quite going to agree on J.T. Barrett. He might simultaneously be the most underrated and overrated quarterback in Ohio State history.”
-Bill Connelly, SB Nation
Anyone who has followed Ohio State football since 2014 has noticed the ebb and flow with quarterback J.T. Barrett’s performances. He was never able to recapture the consistent precision and explosion from his first year as the starting QB for the Buckeyes — filling in for Braxton Miller just weeks before the start of the year.
The QB competition with Cardale Jones in 2015 seemed to crush his spirit, and set him up for a lot more inconsistencies throughout the duration of his Ohio State career. With top receivers turning the NFL, Barrett was the leader among a very young #Zone6 for much of 2016. He took the Buckeyes on yet another CFP run this season, that somehow saw losses to both Oklahoma and Iowa before finishing the season in the Cotton Bowl.
With a taste of how good he was early on in his career, the ups and downs weren’t taken very lightly among fans, who were (as always) highly critical of the lackluster passing game and Barrett run-heavy offensive game plan. But having claimed 22-plus school records, and a host of Big Ten conference records -- including most total offense, usurping Drew Brees during the Cotton Bowl.— it’s hard to imagine all of those frustrating things he did in-game wont eventually be forgotten, and legends of his stat lines will live on.
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- A Beatle and a Bee Gee were just tapped as British Knights. No, seriously.
- Dec. 30th is National Bacon Day, so go out and celebrate! And if you’re in Columbus, here’s a few ways to honor the day.
- As Foodies far and wide start preparing their pallets for cuisine in 2018, here’s a look at some of the top food trends from 2017.
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Google Ohio State's Cotton Bowl Victory Moved the Buckeyes to 6-0 All Time in the Lone Star State...
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Ohio State's Cotton Bowl Victory Moved the Buckeyes to 6-0 All Time in the Lone Star State - Eleven Warriors
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Ohio State's Cotton Bowl Victory Moved the Buckeyes to 6-0 All Time in the Lone Star State
Eleven Warriors
Against Texas schools overall, the Buckeyes are 22-4-2 against Baylor, Rice, SMU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and TCU. Ohio State plays the Horned Frogs this September in AT&T Stadium. TCU lost the Big XII title game to Oklahoma 41-17 on that field ...
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Ohio State's Cotton Bowl Victory Moved the Buckeyes to 6-0 All Time in the Lone Star State
Eleven Warriors
Against Texas schools overall, the Buckeyes are 22-4-2 against Baylor, Rice, SMU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and TCU. Ohio State plays the Horned Frogs this September in AT&T Stadium. TCU lost the Big XII title game to Oklahoma 41-17 on that field ...
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Google Buckeyes Sam Hubbard, Denzel Ward declare for NFL draft - NBC4i.com
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Buckeyes Sam Hubbard, Denzel Ward declare for NFL draft - NBC4i.com
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Buckeyes Sam Hubbard, Denzel Ward declare for NFL draft
NBC4i.com
COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 7: Sam Hubbard #6 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates after making a tackle for a loss in the second quarter against the Maryland Terrapins at Ohio Stadium on October 7, 2017 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty ...
Ohio State football: What Sam Hubbard declaring for NFL draft means for BuckeyesLandof10.com
Sam Hubbard turns pro, while other Buckeyes (like Dre'Mont Jones) ponder NFL decisionscleveland.com
Buckeyes Discuss Upcoming NFL Draft Decisions, Seniors Reflect on Final Win at Ohio StateEleven Warriors
Land-Grant Holy Land -Los Angeles Times -The Columbus Dispatch
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Buckeyes Sam Hubbard, Denzel Ward declare for NFL draft
NBC4i.com
COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 7: Sam Hubbard #6 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates after making a tackle for a loss in the second quarter against the Maryland Terrapins at Ohio Stadium on October 7, 2017 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty ...
Ohio State football: What Sam Hubbard declaring for NFL draft means for BuckeyesLandof10.com
Sam Hubbard turns pro, while other Buckeyes (like Dre'Mont Jones) ponder NFL decisionscleveland.com
Buckeyes Discuss Upcoming NFL Draft Decisions, Seniors Reflect on Final Win at Ohio StateEleven Warriors
Land-Grant Holy Land -Los Angeles Times -The Columbus Dispatch
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Google Ohio State football: After Cotton Bowl win over USC, Buckeyes will need to reload for 2018...
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Ohio State football: After Cotton Bowl win over USC, Buckeyes will need to reload for 2018 - Akron Beacon Journal
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Ohio State football: After Cotton Bowl win over USC, Buckeyes will need to reload for 2018
Akron Beacon Journal
COLUMBUS: The Ohio State Buckeyes expected to be in the College Football Playoff this season. Even after an early home loss to Oklahoma, all of the Buckeyes' goals were still within reach. Win out, win the Big Ten, make it the playoff and make a better ...
Cotton Bowl score: Ohio State Buckeyes roll USC Trojans, 24-7OregonLive.com
Cotton Bowl, USC vs. Ohio State score, highlights: Buckeyes easily control TrojansCBSSports.com
Did Ohio State's Cotton Bowl win make the case the Buckeyes should have made the playoff? Analysiscleveland.com
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via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Ohio State football: After Cotton Bowl win over USC, Buckeyes will need to reload for 2018
Akron Beacon Journal
COLUMBUS: The Ohio State Buckeyes expected to be in the College Football Playoff this season. Even after an early home loss to Oklahoma, all of the Buckeyes' goals were still within reach. Win out, win the Big Ten, make it the playoff and make a better ...
Cotton Bowl score: Ohio State Buckeyes roll USC Trojans, 24-7OregonLive.com
Cotton Bowl, USC vs. Ohio State score, highlights: Buckeyes easily control TrojansCBSSports.com
Did Ohio State's Cotton Bowl win make the case the Buckeyes should have made the playoff? Analysiscleveland.com
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Google College basketball/Ohio State 72, Miami 59: Keita Bates-Diop leads Buckeyes past RedHawks -...
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College basketball/Ohio State 72, Miami 59: Keita Bates-Diop leads Buckeyes past RedHawks - Akron Beacon Journal
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College basketball/Ohio State 72, Miami 59: Keita Bates-Diop leads Buckeyes past RedHawks
Akron Beacon Journal
COLUMBUS: Keita Bates-Diop scored 19 points as Ohio State pulled away in the second half to beat in-state rival Miami 72-59 on Saturday afternoon. C.J. Jackson added 16 points and Kam Williams had 15 for the Buckeyes, who wrapped up their nonconference ...
Ohio State men's basketball | Pregame Reading: Buckeyes host MiamiThe Columbus Dispatch
Sloppy Buckeyes hold off upset-minded Miami247Sports
How to watch Ohio State vs. Miami (OH): Preview, game time, live streaming onlineLand-Grant Holy Land
Eleven Warriors -Scout
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College basketball/Ohio State 72, Miami 59: Keita Bates-Diop leads Buckeyes past RedHawks
Akron Beacon Journal
COLUMBUS: Keita Bates-Diop scored 19 points as Ohio State pulled away in the second half to beat in-state rival Miami 72-59 on Saturday afternoon. C.J. Jackson added 16 points and Kam Williams had 15 for the Buckeyes, who wrapped up their nonconference ...
Ohio State men's basketball | Pregame Reading: Buckeyes host MiamiThe Columbus Dispatch
Sloppy Buckeyes hold off upset-minded Miami247Sports
How to watch Ohio State vs. Miami (OH): Preview, game time, live streaming onlineLand-Grant Holy Land
Eleven Warriors -Scout
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Google Buckeyes Discuss Upcoming NFL Draft Decisions, Seniors Reflect on Final Win at Ohio State -...
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Buckeyes Discuss Upcoming NFL Draft Decisions, Seniors Reflect on Final Win at Ohio State - Eleven Warriors
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Buckeyes Discuss Upcoming NFL Draft Decisions, Seniors Reflect on Final Win at Ohio State
Eleven Warriors
ARLINGTON, Texas – While Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward has already made clear his intentions to declare for the 2018 NFL draft by choosing to sit out the Cotton Bowl, it remains uncertain which of the Buckeyes' other draft-eligible underclassmen ...
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via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Buckeyes Discuss Upcoming NFL Draft Decisions, Seniors Reflect on Final Win at Ohio State
Eleven Warriors
ARLINGTON, Texas – While Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward has already made clear his intentions to declare for the 2018 NFL draft by choosing to sit out the Cotton Bowl, it remains uncertain which of the Buckeyes' other draft-eligible underclassmen ...
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BTN Ohio State pulls away to beat in-state rival Miami 72-59
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Ohio State pulls away to beat in-state rival Miami 72-59
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network
Keita Bates-Diop scored 19 points as Ohio State pulled away in the second half to beat in-state rival Miami 72-59 on Saturday afternoon.
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Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network
Keita Bates-Diop scored 19 points as Ohio State pulled away in the second half to beat in-state rival Miami 72-59 on Saturday afternoon.
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LGHL Ohio State men’s basketball hangs on against Miami (OH), 72-59
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Ohio State men’s basketball hangs on against Miami (OH), 72-59
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
It wasn’t easy, but C.J. Jackson and Keita Bates-Diop held off a furious RedHawk comeback attempt.
In their final non-conference game of the season, the Ohio State Buckeyes (11-4, 2-0) held on against the Miami (OH) RedHawks (7-6), 72-59, after an evenly played first half at the Value City Arena. The Buckeyes took a commanding 17-point lead midway through the second half only to see Miami eventually cut the advantage to three points before OSU ran away with the victory.
OSU senior Jae’Sean Tate started the game, but reportedly has been dealing with a left shoulder sprain. Apparently head coach Chris Holtmann thought about sitting the senior forward for the game, with the Buckeyes returning to the Big Ten portion of their schedule next week. However, Tate, who is left handed, did play, and turned in one of his traditionally well-rounded performances.
The game opened with both teams fairly cold from the floor. The Buckeyes hadn’t played since last Saturday’s loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels, and the RedHawks hadn’t been on the hardwood since Dec. 21 against DePaul. At the first media timeout at 15:25 in the first half, the teams were a combined 2-13 from the floor. The Buckeyes were 1-8 (12.5%) and Miami was 1-5 (20%).
From there, OSU began to build a modest lead thanks to their stifling defense. Miami was forced to settle for shots from distance as eight of their first 11 attempts came from behind the arc. The Buckeyes also were able to turnover the RedHawks five times in the first nine minutes of the game. Those turnovers led directly to five points, which was the margin of Ohio State’s early advantage at the second media timeout, 12-7.
After the under-12 media timeout, the Buckeyes began to find their stroke as they went on a six-point run in 30 seconds, thanks to an old-fashioned three-point play from Kaleb Wesson and a more traditional triple from C.J. Jackson to go up 18-9.
on the floor! Buckeyes on a run ... break out to a 18-9 lead with under 9 to play in the first #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/AY6e2XTjnk
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) December 30, 2017
Sandwiched around a great give-and-go from Kaleb Wesson and Tate, Miami forward Bam Bowman hit back-to-back three pointers to cut into the OSU lead. After RedHawk Dalonte Brown missed a three that would have given his team a one-point lead, guard Darrian Ringo picked up his third first-half foul. As one of Miami’s best offensive weapons, head coach Jack Owens allowed his junior leader to stay on the floor for a few extra minutes. The risk paid off as he hit a layup in the lane to cut the OSU lead to 23-21.
However, from there, Ringo headed to the bench, and the Buckeyes opened up their lead as Keita Bates-Diop hit a jumper, and Kam Williams followed up with a three-pointer to go up seven, 28-21.
Holding onto a 30-26 lead, Jackson poked the ball free from Isaiah Coleman-Lands, and Bates-Diop found the guard streaking towards the basket. Jackson laid it up, and Logan McLane blocked it off of the backboard, resulting in a goaltend and a bucket. OSU freshman Musa Jallow hit a three-pointer with 00:43 left in the period to bring the halftime score to 35-28 in favor of the home team.
At the intermission, the Buckeyes were getting incredibly balanced scoring; Jackson and KBD led with eight apiece, Kaleb Wesson had seven, and Tate had six.
Similarly, 26 of Miami’s 28 points came from four players; Ringo and Nike Sibande each had seven, and Bowman and Jake Wright had six apiece.
As was the individual scoring, most of the first half stats were fairly close. Miami had a one board lead on the glass (17-16), while the Buckeyes led just 12-10 in terms of points in the paint. Both teams shot 10-for-26 (38.5%) in the first 20 minutes.
On Miami’s first offensive possession of the second half, Bates-Diop picked up two blocks on shots down low, but after a Kaleb Wesson fall-away miss, Wright and KBD traded jumpers, before Jackson hit a three-pointer to get the Buckeye lead to double-digits for the first time on the day, 40-30.
KBD-ikembe
Buckeye block party has moved this one to a 15-point gap with just under 15:00 to play #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/sVBESeJsvu
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) December 30, 2017
After starting the season in a rather rocky manner, Jackson had one of his best games of the year.
Coming off of a timeout four minutes into the half, Jackson drove into the lane, and delivered a slick no-look pass to Bates-Diop underneath to extend the lead to 12. Then on the following Buckeye possession, Williams hit his second three-pointer of the afternoon to get the lead to 47-32, forcing Owens to call a timeout.
After the Buckeyes took a 17-point lead, the RedHawks’ defense tried to get them back in the game. Ringo picked up a pair of steals, leading to his own layup and a monstrous throwdown by Sibande, and in-between, Bowman hit his third triple of the game. The 58 second-run cut the OSU advantage to 49-39, and Holtmann called a timeout in hopes of stemming the RedHawk tide.
Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, their next possession ended in a turnover (their fourth in about two and a half minutes). A few possessions later, Bowman, who does not look like a traditional sharpshooter, hit a corner three to cut the lead to seven. From there, missed layups and unsuccessful rebounds continued to pile up for Ohio State and Sibande hit another three to bring Miami to within two possessions, 50-45.
On the subsequent offensive trip, Bates-Diop took the ball into the lane and hit a jumper, OSU’s first field goal in 4:25. The next time OSU had the ball saw Williams hit another shot to give the Buckeyes a bit of a cushion. However, Brown hit another thunderous dunk for Miami, and KBD responded with a tip-in to extend the lead back to nine, 56-47.
After the sluggish first 15 minutes for both teams, the action in the second half became fast and furious, and Bowman kept it going with his fifth basket from downtown, and Ringo led a fastbreak and found Sibande for the dunk.
Another three-pointer from Jackson got the Buckeyes back to a six-point lead with 5:30 remaining, but the RedHawks were not going away. However, in addition to his strong offensive outing, Jackson drew offensive fouls on consecutive Miami possessions, with the second leading to a Williams three-pointer, which got the OSU lead back to nine points.
Another block for KBD and a second-chance basket from Tate put the Buckeyes back up by double-digits, 65-54, with just 3:31 remaining. A minute and change later, Jackson found Tate in the corner with no one between him and the basket. So, shoulder strain or not, the senior drove and threw down an emphatic two-handed dunk to extend the lead to 69-56.
The Ohio State Buckeyes will return to action as they begin the Big Ten slate in earnest on Thurs. Jan. 4, as they travel to Iowa City to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes at 7:00 p.m. ET. The contest will be broadcast on ESPNU.
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Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
It wasn’t easy, but C.J. Jackson and Keita Bates-Diop held off a furious RedHawk comeback attempt.
In their final non-conference game of the season, the Ohio State Buckeyes (11-4, 2-0) held on against the Miami (OH) RedHawks (7-6), 72-59, after an evenly played first half at the Value City Arena. The Buckeyes took a commanding 17-point lead midway through the second half only to see Miami eventually cut the advantage to three points before OSU ran away with the victory.
OSU senior Jae’Sean Tate started the game, but reportedly has been dealing with a left shoulder sprain. Apparently head coach Chris Holtmann thought about sitting the senior forward for the game, with the Buckeyes returning to the Big Ten portion of their schedule next week. However, Tate, who is left handed, did play, and turned in one of his traditionally well-rounded performances.
The game opened with both teams fairly cold from the floor. The Buckeyes hadn’t played since last Saturday’s loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels, and the RedHawks hadn’t been on the hardwood since Dec. 21 against DePaul. At the first media timeout at 15:25 in the first half, the teams were a combined 2-13 from the floor. The Buckeyes were 1-8 (12.5%) and Miami was 1-5 (20%).
From there, OSU began to build a modest lead thanks to their stifling defense. Miami was forced to settle for shots from distance as eight of their first 11 attempts came from behind the arc. The Buckeyes also were able to turnover the RedHawks five times in the first nine minutes of the game. Those turnovers led directly to five points, which was the margin of Ohio State’s early advantage at the second media timeout, 12-7.
After the under-12 media timeout, the Buckeyes began to find their stroke as they went on a six-point run in 30 seconds, thanks to an old-fashioned three-point play from Kaleb Wesson and a more traditional triple from C.J. Jackson to go up 18-9.
on the floor! Buckeyes on a run ... break out to a 18-9 lead with under 9 to play in the first #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/AY6e2XTjnk
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) December 30, 2017
Sandwiched around a great give-and-go from Kaleb Wesson and Tate, Miami forward Bam Bowman hit back-to-back three pointers to cut into the OSU lead. After RedHawk Dalonte Brown missed a three that would have given his team a one-point lead, guard Darrian Ringo picked up his third first-half foul. As one of Miami’s best offensive weapons, head coach Jack Owens allowed his junior leader to stay on the floor for a few extra minutes. The risk paid off as he hit a layup in the lane to cut the OSU lead to 23-21.
However, from there, Ringo headed to the bench, and the Buckeyes opened up their lead as Keita Bates-Diop hit a jumper, and Kam Williams followed up with a three-pointer to go up seven, 28-21.
Holding onto a 30-26 lead, Jackson poked the ball free from Isaiah Coleman-Lands, and Bates-Diop found the guard streaking towards the basket. Jackson laid it up, and Logan McLane blocked it off of the backboard, resulting in a goaltend and a bucket. OSU freshman Musa Jallow hit a three-pointer with 00:43 left in the period to bring the halftime score to 35-28 in favor of the home team.
At the intermission, the Buckeyes were getting incredibly balanced scoring; Jackson and KBD led with eight apiece, Kaleb Wesson had seven, and Tate had six.
Similarly, 26 of Miami’s 28 points came from four players; Ringo and Nike Sibande each had seven, and Bowman and Jake Wright had six apiece.
As was the individual scoring, most of the first half stats were fairly close. Miami had a one board lead on the glass (17-16), while the Buckeyes led just 12-10 in terms of points in the paint. Both teams shot 10-for-26 (38.5%) in the first 20 minutes.
On Miami’s first offensive possession of the second half, Bates-Diop picked up two blocks on shots down low, but after a Kaleb Wesson fall-away miss, Wright and KBD traded jumpers, before Jackson hit a three-pointer to get the Buckeye lead to double-digits for the first time on the day, 40-30.
KBD-ikembe Buckeye block party has moved this one to a 15-point gap with just under 15:00 to play #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/sVBESeJsvu
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) December 30, 2017
After starting the season in a rather rocky manner, Jackson had one of his best games of the year.
Coming off of a timeout four minutes into the half, Jackson drove into the lane, and delivered a slick no-look pass to Bates-Diop underneath to extend the lead to 12. Then on the following Buckeye possession, Williams hit his second three-pointer of the afternoon to get the lead to 47-32, forcing Owens to call a timeout.
After the Buckeyes took a 17-point lead, the RedHawks’ defense tried to get them back in the game. Ringo picked up a pair of steals, leading to his own layup and a monstrous throwdown by Sibande, and in-between, Bowman hit his third triple of the game. The 58 second-run cut the OSU advantage to 49-39, and Holtmann called a timeout in hopes of stemming the RedHawk tide.
Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, their next possession ended in a turnover (their fourth in about two and a half minutes). A few possessions later, Bowman, who does not look like a traditional sharpshooter, hit a corner three to cut the lead to seven. From there, missed layups and unsuccessful rebounds continued to pile up for Ohio State and Sibande hit another three to bring Miami to within two possessions, 50-45.
On the subsequent offensive trip, Bates-Diop took the ball into the lane and hit a jumper, OSU’s first field goal in 4:25. The next time OSU had the ball saw Williams hit another shot to give the Buckeyes a bit of a cushion. However, Brown hit another thunderous dunk for Miami, and KBD responded with a tip-in to extend the lead back to nine, 56-47.
After the sluggish first 15 minutes for both teams, the action in the second half became fast and furious, and Bowman kept it going with his fifth basket from downtown, and Ringo led a fastbreak and found Sibande for the dunk.
Another three-pointer from Jackson got the Buckeyes back to a six-point lead with 5:30 remaining, but the RedHawks were not going away. However, in addition to his strong offensive outing, Jackson drew offensive fouls on consecutive Miami possessions, with the second leading to a Williams three-pointer, which got the OSU lead back to nine points.
Another block for KBD and a second-chance basket from Tate put the Buckeyes back up by double-digits, 65-54, with just 3:31 remaining. A minute and change later, Jackson found Tate in the corner with no one between him and the basket. So, shoulder strain or not, the senior drove and threw down an emphatic two-handed dunk to extend the lead to 69-56.
The Ohio State Buckeyes will return to action as they begin the Big Ten slate in earnest on Thurs. Jan. 4, as they travel to Iowa City to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes at 7:00 p.m. ET. The contest will be broadcast on ESPNU.
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Google Ohio State football: What Sam Hubbard declaring for NFL draft means for Buckeyes - Landof10.com
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Ohio State football: What Sam Hubbard declaring for NFL draft means for Buckeyes - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Ohio State football: What Sam Hubbard declaring for NFL draft means for Buckeyes
Landof10.com
Ohio State football-Ohio State Buckeyes-Sam Hubbard-NFL draft Sam Hubbard finished his career on a high note in the Cotton Bowl. (Land of 10/file photo). The Buckeyes still will have the services of Nick Bosa, which is about as sizable of a head start ...
Buckeyes Sam Hubbard, Denzel Ward declare for NFL draftNBC4i.com
Sam Hubbard turns pro, while other Buckeyes (like Dre'Mont Jones) ponder NFL decisionscleveland.com
Buckeyes Discuss Upcoming NFL Draft Decisions, Seniors Reflect on Final Win at Ohio StateEleven Warriors
Los Angeles Times -Land-Grant Holy Land -247Sports
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via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Ohio State football: What Sam Hubbard declaring for NFL draft means for Buckeyes
Landof10.com
Ohio State football-Ohio State Buckeyes-Sam Hubbard-NFL draft Sam Hubbard finished his career on a high note in the Cotton Bowl. (Land of 10/file photo). The Buckeyes still will have the services of Nick Bosa, which is about as sizable of a head start ...
Buckeyes Sam Hubbard, Denzel Ward declare for NFL draftNBC4i.com
Sam Hubbard turns pro, while other Buckeyes (like Dre'Mont Jones) ponder NFL decisionscleveland.com
Buckeyes Discuss Upcoming NFL Draft Decisions, Seniors Reflect on Final Win at Ohio StateEleven Warriors
Los Angeles Times -Land-Grant Holy Land -247Sports
all 83 news articles »
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LGHL What does Ohio State lose with Sam Hubbard declaring for the NFL Draft?
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What does Ohio State lose with Sam Hubbard declaring for the NFL Draft?
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Hubbard has been a tour de force on the Buckeye defensive line for three seasons.
After winning the Cotton Bowl against USC, Ohio State learned that they wouldn’t have another one of their defensive leaders for next season.
Sam Hubbard announced on Twitter that he is forgoing his senior season in Columbus, and will enter into the 2018 NFL Draft.
What does Ohio State lose by having Hubbard leave early?
Well, they lose one of the most experienced and productive lineman from the past three seasons.
Hubbard entered the Cotton Bowl as the tackle leader on the defensive line. His 38 tackles helped pave the way for the Buckeyes to dominate offenses, and Hubbard even picked up Defensive Player of the Week honors in the Big Ten after getting 2.5 sacks against Michigan.
In the Cotton Bowl, the Cincinnati native duplicated his sacking ability by bringing down Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold 2.5 times. (His career best for sacks is 2.5.) He also had 3.5 tackles for losses—and ended the game with four tackles.
Career wise, Hubbard recorded 116 tackles throughout three years. In the last three years worth of bowl games (Notre Dame, Clemson and USC), Hubbard was able to record at least .5 sacks in each game. Against the Fighting Irish, he had one sack; in the semifinal loss last season to Clemson, he had .5 of a sack; and Friday night’s 2.5 sack effort against the Trojans.
Only one time did Hubbard get an interception (Maryland 2015), and three times he forced a fumble.
Who fills the void?
Jonathon Cooper and Chase Young seem like prime candidates to go into Hubbard’s role for next season. Especially with Tyquan Lewis and Jalyn Holmes being seniors, either Cooper or Young will have to step into the exact same spot that Hubbard had for the last three seasons.
Nick Bosa may very well be the best person on the line next season—following in the footsteps of his brother Joey Bosa. The DE had 1.5 sacks against USC, and has appeared to be unstoppable at times this season.
The 2018 class features one defensive end prospect in three-star Alex Williams, so there may be an issue where someone will have to fill into that position—assuming OSU doesn’t pick up another DE commitment by the time its 2018 recruiting class is finalized.
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Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Hubbard has been a tour de force on the Buckeye defensive line for three seasons.
After winning the Cotton Bowl against USC, Ohio State learned that they wouldn’t have another one of their defensive leaders for next season.
Sam Hubbard announced on Twitter that he is forgoing his senior season in Columbus, and will enter into the 2018 NFL Draft.
What does Ohio State lose by having Hubbard leave early?
Well, they lose one of the most experienced and productive lineman from the past three seasons.
Hubbard entered the Cotton Bowl as the tackle leader on the defensive line. His 38 tackles helped pave the way for the Buckeyes to dominate offenses, and Hubbard even picked up Defensive Player of the Week honors in the Big Ten after getting 2.5 sacks against Michigan.
In the Cotton Bowl, the Cincinnati native duplicated his sacking ability by bringing down Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold 2.5 times. (His career best for sacks is 2.5.) He also had 3.5 tackles for losses—and ended the game with four tackles.
Career wise, Hubbard recorded 116 tackles throughout three years. In the last three years worth of bowl games (Notre Dame, Clemson and USC), Hubbard was able to record at least .5 sacks in each game. Against the Fighting Irish, he had one sack; in the semifinal loss last season to Clemson, he had .5 of a sack; and Friday night’s 2.5 sack effort against the Trojans.
Only one time did Hubbard get an interception (Maryland 2015), and three times he forced a fumble.
Who fills the void?
Jonathon Cooper and Chase Young seem like prime candidates to go into Hubbard’s role for next season. Especially with Tyquan Lewis and Jalyn Holmes being seniors, either Cooper or Young will have to step into the exact same spot that Hubbard had for the last three seasons.
Nick Bosa may very well be the best person on the line next season—following in the footsteps of his brother Joey Bosa. The DE had 1.5 sacks against USC, and has appeared to be unstoppable at times this season.
The 2018 class features one defensive end prospect in three-star Alex Williams, so there may be an issue where someone will have to fill into that position—assuming OSU doesn’t pick up another DE commitment by the time its 2018 recruiting class is finalized.
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LGHL Sacks, turnovers, and an inefficient run game made for a strangely low-scoring Cotton Bowl
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Sacks, turnovers, and an inefficient run game made for a strangely low-scoring Cotton Bowl
Chad Peltier via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
It didn’t go as expected, but Ohio State nevertheless got a 17-point win over a top-10 team
It feels like the end of an era at Ohio State with J.T. Barrett playing his last game and a significant percentage of the Rushmen moving on to the NFL.
But it was a fitting end to the era, and largely representative of Ohio State football since the end of the 2014 season: an underwhelming offensive performance, lots of J.T. running, and still a double-digit win over a top-ten team.
It was also a surprising snoozer of a game. Despite both offenses ranking in the top-15 of the offensive S&P+ rankings, all points but one Ohio State field goal — or 90.3% — followed turnovers. And the second half was entirely scoreless.
Ohio State’s win can be described almost entirely by three stats:
In the table above, scoring opportunity efficiency looks at the average points scored per scoring opportunity -- drives with a first down past the opponents' 40-yard line. Drive efficiency looks at the percentage of drives that were scoring opportunities. Rushing opportunity rate is the % of runs that gained five or more yards. Rushing stuff rate is the % of runs that were for no gain or a loss. Explosive plays are those that gain 15 or more yards. The entire fourth quarter was filtered out due to garbage time adjustments kicking in, with Ohio State up by 17 points.
Here are my takeaways from the Cotton Bowl preview:
Ohio State should be able to run on the Trojans defense, which ranks 53rd in rushing S&P+.
The Buckeye offense should also create some big plays, since the Trojans rank 115th in plays of 20+ yards allowed.
The Trojans pass defense is good though, as they rank 12th in opponent-adjusted passing S&P+.
Sam Darnold is a great quarterback leading the 8th-ranked passing S&P+ offense in the country, so the key to stopping the Trojans offense might be in creating negative run plays (USC is 54th in stuff rate and Ohio State is 15th).
Forcing field goals should be a top priority, as USC is just 74th in red zone touchdown percentage.
Ultimately though, Ohio State has been highly volatile this season. So while on average the Buckeyes have been the better team, motivation to be there should be the game’s deciding factor.
Offense: What happened to the run game?
The most obvious mismatch seemed to be the Ohio State rushing offense vs. the USC defense. It seemed like the Buckeyes could just run the ball all day and be in good shape. And maybe that would have happened, but the run game, like the offense overall, was incredibly disjointed all night.
Ohio State had a sub-40% rushing success rate. Barrett had 16 carries while Weber and Dobbins combined for 18. Parris Campbell had 42 rushing yards, more than either Weber or Dobbins.
Part of that lack of success is due to the USC defense focusing on stopping the run. But the offensive line also failed to open big holes, and so Ohio State’s base run plays never really got established. Without establishing the basic inside zone, the run game morphed into the familiar Barrett-centric offense.
Barrett was easily the most reliable runner in the game, averaging 4.1 yards per carry to Dobbins’ 3 and Weber’s 3.6. Dobbins and Webers’ longest carries were for just 7 yards, while Barrett ripped off that 28-yard touchdown run. But without a reliable run game from Ohio State’s running backs, the offense as a whole couldn’t build drives by layering on constraint plays. That was very surprising given that USC ranked 53rd in rushing S&P+.
The end result was an offensive performance that saw just two converted third downs, despite averaging only 5.3 yards to go, a 38.6% overall offensive success rate, and only creating scoring opportunities on a third of offensive drives.
One final note — Barrett actually had a slightly better passing success rate than Darnold: 37.5% to 35.5%.
Defense: Dominant performance from the Rushmen
This was the most dominant that the Ohio State front seven has ever been. According to Eleven Warriors, Ohio State recorded more sacks than any game since the 2007 season. Overall, the Buckeye defense created a havoc play on 32% of USC’s offensive snaps — an incredible percentage.
The defensive line’s pressure on the USC offensive line — which ranked a solid 26th in adjusted sack rate heading in to the game — was responsible for the turnovers. From the fire-zone blitz that resulted in Damon Webb’s pick-6, to Tyquan Lewis’ and Jalyn Holmes’ strip-sacks, the Buckeye defensive line played an absolutely elite game. Without going back and charting each defensive play, I’d guess that this was the most blitz-heavy defensive gameplan that Greg Schiano has called since coming to Ohio State (at least until the fourth quarter when the Buckeyes mostly stuck to just 4 pass rushers).
And honestly, they kind of needed to, given how explosive Sam Darnold was through the air. Darnold had just a 35.5% passing success rate, but 55% of Darnold’s successful passes were explosive. If you include 14-yard completions (explosive plays are typically counted as 15+), then that percentage grows to 91% (and with a 32% overall passing explosiveness rate). Essentially, if Darnold completed a pass at all, then it was for more than 14 yards, and about a third of Darnold’s passing attempts overall were for 14 or more yards.
When Darnold did have time to throw, the Ohio State secondary often looked mismatched. USC has a very talented group of receivers, but Okudah and Arnette were successfully targeted multiple times. It will be important for the secondary, and those two especially, to regain some confidence over the offseason.
Finally, the defense was incredible at bending but not breaking. USC had a respectable 45.5% drive efficiency (the percentage of possessions that result in a scoring opportunity), but only averaged 1.4 points per scoring opportunity — one touchdown after five trips inside the Ohio State 40-yard line.
Looking to 2018
We have an entire offseason to talk about whether Ohio State can make the playoff and contend for a national championship again in 2018, but here are my big questions heading in to the offseason:
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Chad Peltier via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
It didn’t go as expected, but Ohio State nevertheless got a 17-point win over a top-10 team
It feels like the end of an era at Ohio State with J.T. Barrett playing his last game and a significant percentage of the Rushmen moving on to the NFL.
But it was a fitting end to the era, and largely representative of Ohio State football since the end of the 2014 season: an underwhelming offensive performance, lots of J.T. running, and still a double-digit win over a top-ten team.
It was also a surprising snoozer of a game. Despite both offenses ranking in the top-15 of the offensive S&P+ rankings, all points but one Ohio State field goal — or 90.3% — followed turnovers. And the second half was entirely scoreless.
Ohio State’s win can be described almost entirely by three stats:
- +3 turnover margin
- 32% defensive havoc rate
- 1.4 points allowed per USC scoring opportunity
In the table above, scoring opportunity efficiency looks at the average points scored per scoring opportunity -- drives with a first down past the opponents' 40-yard line. Drive efficiency looks at the percentage of drives that were scoring opportunities. Rushing opportunity rate is the % of runs that gained five or more yards. Rushing stuff rate is the % of runs that were for no gain or a loss. Explosive plays are those that gain 15 or more yards. The entire fourth quarter was filtered out due to garbage time adjustments kicking in, with Ohio State up by 17 points.
Here are my takeaways from the Cotton Bowl preview:
Ohio State should be able to run on the Trojans defense, which ranks 53rd in rushing S&P+.
The Buckeye offense should also create some big plays, since the Trojans rank 115th in plays of 20+ yards allowed.
The Trojans pass defense is good though, as they rank 12th in opponent-adjusted passing S&P+.
Sam Darnold is a great quarterback leading the 8th-ranked passing S&P+ offense in the country, so the key to stopping the Trojans offense might be in creating negative run plays (USC is 54th in stuff rate and Ohio State is 15th).
Forcing field goals should be a top priority, as USC is just 74th in red zone touchdown percentage.
Ultimately though, Ohio State has been highly volatile this season. So while on average the Buckeyes have been the better team, motivation to be there should be the game’s deciding factor.
The most obvious mismatch seemed to be the Ohio State rushing offense vs. the USC defense. It seemed like the Buckeyes could just run the ball all day and be in good shape. And maybe that would have happened, but the run game, like the offense overall, was incredibly disjointed all night.
Ohio State had a sub-40% rushing success rate. Barrett had 16 carries while Weber and Dobbins combined for 18. Parris Campbell had 42 rushing yards, more than either Weber or Dobbins.
Part of that lack of success is due to the USC defense focusing on stopping the run. But the offensive line also failed to open big holes, and so Ohio State’s base run plays never really got established. Without establishing the basic inside zone, the run game morphed into the familiar Barrett-centric offense.
Barrett was easily the most reliable runner in the game, averaging 4.1 yards per carry to Dobbins’ 3 and Weber’s 3.6. Dobbins and Webers’ longest carries were for just 7 yards, while Barrett ripped off that 28-yard touchdown run. But without a reliable run game from Ohio State’s running backs, the offense as a whole couldn’t build drives by layering on constraint plays. That was very surprising given that USC ranked 53rd in rushing S&P+.
The end result was an offensive performance that saw just two converted third downs, despite averaging only 5.3 yards to go, a 38.6% overall offensive success rate, and only creating scoring opportunities on a third of offensive drives.
One final note — Barrett actually had a slightly better passing success rate than Darnold: 37.5% to 35.5%.
Defense: Dominant performance from the Rushmen
This was the most dominant that the Ohio State front seven has ever been. According to Eleven Warriors, Ohio State recorded more sacks than any game since the 2007 season. Overall, the Buckeye defense created a havoc play on 32% of USC’s offensive snaps — an incredible percentage.
The defensive line’s pressure on the USC offensive line — which ranked a solid 26th in adjusted sack rate heading in to the game — was responsible for the turnovers. From the fire-zone blitz that resulted in Damon Webb’s pick-6, to Tyquan Lewis’ and Jalyn Holmes’ strip-sacks, the Buckeye defensive line played an absolutely elite game. Without going back and charting each defensive play, I’d guess that this was the most blitz-heavy defensive gameplan that Greg Schiano has called since coming to Ohio State (at least until the fourth quarter when the Buckeyes mostly stuck to just 4 pass rushers).
And honestly, they kind of needed to, given how explosive Sam Darnold was through the air. Darnold had just a 35.5% passing success rate, but 55% of Darnold’s successful passes were explosive. If you include 14-yard completions (explosive plays are typically counted as 15+), then that percentage grows to 91% (and with a 32% overall passing explosiveness rate). Essentially, if Darnold completed a pass at all, then it was for more than 14 yards, and about a third of Darnold’s passing attempts overall were for 14 or more yards.
When Darnold did have time to throw, the Ohio State secondary often looked mismatched. USC has a very talented group of receivers, but Okudah and Arnette were successfully targeted multiple times. It will be important for the secondary, and those two especially, to regain some confidence over the offseason.
Finally, the defense was incredible at bending but not breaking. USC had a respectable 45.5% drive efficiency (the percentage of possessions that result in a scoring opportunity), but only averaged 1.4 points per scoring opportunity — one touchdown after five trips inside the Ohio State 40-yard line.
Looking to 2018
We have an entire offseason to talk about whether Ohio State can make the playoff and contend for a national championship again in 2018, but here are my big questions heading in to the offseason:
- Can Ohio State’s secondary rebuild after losing another first-round draft pick at corner and a senior safety? There was a big dropoff between Ward and everyone else this year.
- Does Ohio State have enough depth at defensive end? This may be somewhat answered by how they can close out the recruiting class, but outside of the top 3 of Bosa, Young, and Cooper (all former five-star recruits), there’s pretty much no one. Does Ohio State move a slimmer tackle outside or try to bulk up an outside linebacker? Or will a freshman get immediate playing time?
- Will Haskins, Burrow, or Martell grab hold of the starting job in the spring or will the competition continue into fall camp? How will the offensive playcalling change to suit the new quarterback?
- What will the offensive line look like next season and can the Buckeyes be dominant enough up front to call non-read running play to running backs and still be effective?
- Is there a dominant, go-to receiver on the roster?
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BTN Ohio State All-America CB Denzel Ward sits out Cotton Bowl
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Ohio State All-America CB Denzel Ward sits out Cotton Bowl
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network
Ohio State All-America cornerback and NFL prospect Denzel Ward did not play in the Cotton Bowl on Friday night, and will not return for his senior season.
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Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network
Ohio State All-America cornerback and NFL prospect Denzel Ward did not play in the Cotton Bowl on Friday night, and will not return for his senior season.
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LGHL Ohio State’s defense shines in Cotton Bowl victory against USC
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Ohio State’s defense shines in Cotton Bowl victory against USC
Max Littman via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Sam Hubbard, Nick Bosa, Tyquan Lewis, and more decimated the Trojan offense.
For Ohio State, going into this game was more of a question of what could have been rather than a reflection on the season itself. One spot out of the College Football Playoff (despite a Big Ten Championship Trophy) made this game feel a bit hollow, but also somewhat of a consolation prize. With nothing but pride to play for, the Buckeye defense demolished the University of Southern California, while the offense mostly watched.
The Buckeyes showed flashes of the team that, at times, could beat anyone, and flashes of a team not deserving of a playoff spot with a turnover-filled extravaganza that included a scoreless second-half. While they did struggle mightily on offense, to their opposite was USC, who may have struggled more, including dismal offensive line play which gave up 8 sacks to the vaunted OSU defense, and 3 turnovers from their star quarterback, Sam Darnold.
At the end of the day, the Buckeyes locked up another likely top-5 finish, another 12-win season, another New Year’s Six bowl win, and a capstone on the long and storied career of signal-caller J.T. Barrett. J.T. may not have had the best game of his career but he still managed two touchdown runs and broke the record for offense accounted for in the Big Ten and touchdowns accounted for in a season. It was a game for the record books and a somewhat fitting end for one of the best to ever do it for Ohio State.
Blue chip stocks
Damon Webb, Saf: Playing in his last game, and with OSU star CB Denzel Ward sitting out, the Buckeye secondary needed something from one of its veterans and Webb delivered. Webb came up with an early fumble recovery off USC’s Deontay Burnett who was stripped of the ball after running and catching for what would have been a first down. Webb was not done yet as he read a second-quarter Darnold pass and stepped in front of it, and taking it untouched into the end-zone for a 23-yard touchdown. All that on top of 5 solo tackles made this a night to remember for Webb, and was a big part of the defensive shutdown that ensued.
Sam Hubbard, DE: Hubbard has been a defensive line standout his entire career and playing in his likely last game, the Junior continued to make his mark with the D-Line. Almost certainly leaving early for the NFL Draft, and a likely early-round draft pick, Hubbard dominated the line and recorded one of his best career games statistically. He finished with 2.5 sacks with another tackle-for-loss on top of that and was consistently wreaking havoc in the backfield. This defensive-line for Ohio State’s is undoubtedly one of the best assembled for the school, and this performance was yet another mark in their storied legacy, led by Hubbard.
Solid investments
Drue Chrisman, P: Chrisman has proven himself to be a very solid punter and he further solidified that, flipping the field when needed and booting some excellent punts. He finished with 7 punts and a 45.9 yard average, with three of those landing inside of the 20-yard line. The harrowing part was how often USC defenders seemed to come unblocked towards him during punts, but he managed to successfully get each one off and played a significant part of the consistent bad field position that USC maintained throughout the game.
Billy Price, C: Throughout his Ohio State career Billy Price had a remarkable achievement, he never missed a game. The senior-center started every single game of his career, and performed remarkably well throughout. This trend didn’t stop yesterday as the Rimmington Trophy Award Winner (best center in the country) continued to be a consistent anchor of the offensive-line, and continued the tradition of Pat Elflein before him. The line will no doubt be different next year without him as he embarks on what should be a very long and successful NFL career. In his last game, he continued his tradition of being consistent and protecting J.T. Barrett, in a position that isn’t the flashiest but one of the most important. Hats off to Price for a fantastic Buckeye career and 4 years of consistent and solid O-Line play.
Junk Bonds
The Running Game: For some reason the running backs just could not get it going this game, and J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber both struggled mightily at times. This could be for a variety of reasons including offensive-line play, but the most consistent running-back was Parris Cambell who ran off a few excellent shovel pass speed runs. If the game had been closer, the backs play could have proved costly, but in the end, it was just another game to move on from. With both Weber and Campbell having decisions to make about returning this could be the last time we see all three on the same field.
Buy/Sell
BUY: The Secondary. This was a question mark coming into the game with Denzel Ward, a likely first-round NFL draft pick, sitting out to protect his health. This forced Kendall Sheffield, Jeffrey Okudah, and Damon Arnette to step up and stop the likely second-best quarterback they had faced all year. Despite giving up 356 yards of passing by Darnold, the secondary would consistently bend but did not break, and allowed no truly big plays for USC. They forced Darnold to have pinpoint accuracy, which he largely did, and for the most part, they held strong and seem to be still getting better, a good sign heading into next season.
SELL: The Offense. Coming into this game many expected the high-powered OSU offense to feast on the 23rd ranked nationally Trojan defense. The Trojans had looked weak against the run and were expected to overcommit stopping it, thus freeing up passing lanes. Instead the Buckeyes couldn’t get anything going on offense, passing or running, and managed just a dismal 3 points off drives they didn’t start coming off turnovers. Without 4 USC turnovers, this game easily could have ended differently due to the ineptitude of the offense. The saving grace was most likely J.T. Barrett, who in his last game had enough left in the tank, and in his legs, to propel the team to victory with his 2 rushing touchdowns.
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Max Littman via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Sam Hubbard, Nick Bosa, Tyquan Lewis, and more decimated the Trojan offense.
For Ohio State, going into this game was more of a question of what could have been rather than a reflection on the season itself. One spot out of the College Football Playoff (despite a Big Ten Championship Trophy) made this game feel a bit hollow, but also somewhat of a consolation prize. With nothing but pride to play for, the Buckeye defense demolished the University of Southern California, while the offense mostly watched.
The Buckeyes showed flashes of the team that, at times, could beat anyone, and flashes of a team not deserving of a playoff spot with a turnover-filled extravaganza that included a scoreless second-half. While they did struggle mightily on offense, to their opposite was USC, who may have struggled more, including dismal offensive line play which gave up 8 sacks to the vaunted OSU defense, and 3 turnovers from their star quarterback, Sam Darnold.
At the end of the day, the Buckeyes locked up another likely top-5 finish, another 12-win season, another New Year’s Six bowl win, and a capstone on the long and storied career of signal-caller J.T. Barrett. J.T. may not have had the best game of his career but he still managed two touchdown runs and broke the record for offense accounted for in the Big Ten and touchdowns accounted for in a season. It was a game for the record books and a somewhat fitting end for one of the best to ever do it for Ohio State.
Blue chip stocks
Damon Webb, Saf: Playing in his last game, and with OSU star CB Denzel Ward sitting out, the Buckeye secondary needed something from one of its veterans and Webb delivered. Webb came up with an early fumble recovery off USC’s Deontay Burnett who was stripped of the ball after running and catching for what would have been a first down. Webb was not done yet as he read a second-quarter Darnold pass and stepped in front of it, and taking it untouched into the end-zone for a 23-yard touchdown. All that on top of 5 solo tackles made this a night to remember for Webb, and was a big part of the defensive shutdown that ensued.
Sam Hubbard, DE: Hubbard has been a defensive line standout his entire career and playing in his likely last game, the Junior continued to make his mark with the D-Line. Almost certainly leaving early for the NFL Draft, and a likely early-round draft pick, Hubbard dominated the line and recorded one of his best career games statistically. He finished with 2.5 sacks with another tackle-for-loss on top of that and was consistently wreaking havoc in the backfield. This defensive-line for Ohio State’s is undoubtedly one of the best assembled for the school, and this performance was yet another mark in their storied legacy, led by Hubbard.
Solid investments
Drue Chrisman, P: Chrisman has proven himself to be a very solid punter and he further solidified that, flipping the field when needed and booting some excellent punts. He finished with 7 punts and a 45.9 yard average, with three of those landing inside of the 20-yard line. The harrowing part was how often USC defenders seemed to come unblocked towards him during punts, but he managed to successfully get each one off and played a significant part of the consistent bad field position that USC maintained throughout the game.
Billy Price, C: Throughout his Ohio State career Billy Price had a remarkable achievement, he never missed a game. The senior-center started every single game of his career, and performed remarkably well throughout. This trend didn’t stop yesterday as the Rimmington Trophy Award Winner (best center in the country) continued to be a consistent anchor of the offensive-line, and continued the tradition of Pat Elflein before him. The line will no doubt be different next year without him as he embarks on what should be a very long and successful NFL career. In his last game, he continued his tradition of being consistent and protecting J.T. Barrett, in a position that isn’t the flashiest but one of the most important. Hats off to Price for a fantastic Buckeye career and 4 years of consistent and solid O-Line play.
Junk Bonds
The Running Game: For some reason the running backs just could not get it going this game, and J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber both struggled mightily at times. This could be for a variety of reasons including offensive-line play, but the most consistent running-back was Parris Cambell who ran off a few excellent shovel pass speed runs. If the game had been closer, the backs play could have proved costly, but in the end, it was just another game to move on from. With both Weber and Campbell having decisions to make about returning this could be the last time we see all three on the same field.
Buy/Sell
BUY: The Secondary. This was a question mark coming into the game with Denzel Ward, a likely first-round NFL draft pick, sitting out to protect his health. This forced Kendall Sheffield, Jeffrey Okudah, and Damon Arnette to step up and stop the likely second-best quarterback they had faced all year. Despite giving up 356 yards of passing by Darnold, the secondary would consistently bend but did not break, and allowed no truly big plays for USC. They forced Darnold to have pinpoint accuracy, which he largely did, and for the most part, they held strong and seem to be still getting better, a good sign heading into next season.
SELL: The Offense. Coming into this game many expected the high-powered OSU offense to feast on the 23rd ranked nationally Trojan defense. The Trojans had looked weak against the run and were expected to overcommit stopping it, thus freeing up passing lanes. Instead the Buckeyes couldn’t get anything going on offense, passing or running, and managed just a dismal 3 points off drives they didn’t start coming off turnovers. Without 4 USC turnovers, this game easily could have ended differently due to the ineptitude of the offense. The saving grace was most likely J.T. Barrett, who in his last game had enough left in the tank, and in his legs, to propel the team to victory with his 2 rushing touchdowns.
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Google Cotton Bowl: Ohio State smothers USC en route to 24-7 victory - FOXSports.com
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Cotton Bowl: Ohio State smothers USC en route to 24-7 victory - FOXSports.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Cotton Bowl: Ohio State smothers USC en route to 24-7 victory
FOXSports.com
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Playoff-snubbed Ohio State got a bit defensive even without one of its best defenders in the Cotton Bowl. Damon Webb returned an interception for a touchdown after recovering a fumble to set up an early score and the No. 5 ...
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via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Cotton Bowl: Ohio State smothers USC en route to 24-7 victory
FOXSports.com
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Playoff-snubbed Ohio State got a bit defensive even without one of its best defenders in the Cotton Bowl. Damon Webb returned an interception for a touchdown after recovering a fumble to set up an early score and the No. 5 ...
and more »
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Google Ohio State men's basketball | Pregame Reading: Buckeyes host Miami - The Columbus Dispatch
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Ohio State men's basketball | Pregame Reading: Buckeyes host Miami - The Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Ohio State men's basketball | Pregame Reading: Buckeyes host Miami
The Columbus Dispatch
*The Buckeyes are 10-1 this season when they win the rebounding battle and 0-3 when they don't. *The RedHawks were picked to finish last in the six-member Mid-American Conference East preseason poll. *Even in the loss to North Carolina, Bates-Diop had ...
How to watch Ohio State vs. Miami (OH): Preview, game time, live streaming onlineLand-Grant Holy Land
Miami (OH) at Ohio StateEleven Warriors
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via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Ohio State men's basketball | Pregame Reading: Buckeyes host Miami
The Columbus Dispatch
*The Buckeyes are 10-1 this season when they win the rebounding battle and 0-3 when they don't. *The RedHawks were picked to finish last in the six-member Mid-American Conference East preseason poll. *Even in the loss to North Carolina, Bates-Diop had ...
How to watch Ohio State vs. Miami (OH): Preview, game time, live streaming onlineLand-Grant Holy Land
Miami (OH) at Ohio StateEleven Warriors
all 6 news articles »
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LGHL 4 things we learned from Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl dismantling of USC
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4 things we learned from Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl dismantling of USC
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
In his swan song, Barrett guides the Buckeyes to one more bowl win.
It may not have been a College Football Playoff win, but the Ohio State Buckeyes got the job done against the USC Trojans, 24-7, in the 82nd edition of the Cotton Bowl Classic.
In J.T. Barrett’s swan song, he quarterbacked the Scarlet and Gray to a win inside AT&T Stadium—the place where he would’ve QB’d had he not been injured en route to OSU’s 2014 national championship.
For both Ohio State and USC, the focus shifts to next season. But, before we ride off into the offseason sunset, let’s take a look back and see what we learned from Friday night’s Cotton Bowl.
Defense Turnovers Wins Championships
Trojans’ QB Sam Darnold threw for 356 yards on 26-of-45 passing. That’s a pretty decent chunk of yardage against one of the best defenses in college football. USC also outgained OSU 413-277 on offense. However, Darnold threw a Pick-6 in the second quarter to eventual outstanding defensive player of the game Damon Webb, and fumbled the ball twice deep in OSU territory. Those turnovers led to 21 of Ohio State’s 24 points.
Only 1 other FBS player has more than Sam Darnold's 20 turnovers.
His latest turned into 6 points for the Buckeyes. pic.twitter.com/oandDIRPqF
— ESPN (@ESPN) December 30, 2017
There were a few more near interceptions from Darnold, too. Ohio State’s defense, who played without defensive back Denzel Ward, were ready for the bowl game—and it showed.
On the Buckeye side, one of their turnovers gave the Trojans life. K.J. Hill muffed a punt in the second quarter at the OSU 14. That costly turnover was converted into the only points for USC.
In total, a combined five turnovers were committed in the Cotton Bowl. Of the total 31 points both teams put up on the scoreboard, 28 of them came following a turnover. Holding onto the football is pretty important; let the Cotton Bowl be “Exhibit A” for how games can swing off of costly turnovers.
A successful homecoming
Not only did Barrett played in his final game as an Ohio State Buckeye, but he also got to do it in his home state in one of the biggest bowl games on the season against a traditional Rose Bowl rival for OSU.
While the Buckeyes weren’t a high-flying team in the final 30 minutes, the 24 first half points were enough to seal the deal. Barrett was responsible for both Buckeye rushing touchdowns, and threw three chunk passes in the first half. On one of the longest drives of the night, Barrett led the Buckeyes from their own eight yardline all the way down to the USC 9. The Wichita Falls, Texas native hit two big passes to wide out Austin Mack; one of those plays, a 33-yard completion, came off a third-and-8 from the OSU 10. Granted, the drive only netted three points, but Barrett meticulously moved the team across the field.
The second half didn’t feature drives (and points) as seen in the first 30 minutes of play, but the let down didn’t happen. Urban Meyer may have employed “Treeselball” tactics, but everything went without a hitch, and OSU walked away from Jerry World with their second Cotton Bowl trophy.
On top of that, Barrett broke Drew Brees’ Big Ten record for total offense. Barrett eclipsed the mark of 12,692 and put himself atop another all-time list. Arguably Ohio State’s most prolific quarterback, Barrett ends his career with 12,697 yards and another offensive MVP award in a bowl game—he was awarded the Sanford Trophy (outstanding offensive player of the Cotton Bowl). Back at the 2016 Fiesta Bowl, Barrett was the offensive player of the game in the Buckeyes’ 44-28 win against Notre Dame.
The streak is over (and others begin)
USC has been a bugaboo for Ohio State, with the Bucks losing their previous seven encounters with the Trojans. Jim Tressel dropped both his meetings to the Trojans, as did John Cooper. Earl Bruce lost both meetings to John McKay’s Trojans in 1979 and 1985 by a combined four points in Rose Bowl contests. Woody Hayes lost 18-17 in the Rose Bowl to USC in 1975.
Hayes secured the last win against USC in 1974, a 42-21 win.
It’s been such a long time since the Buckeyes claimed a victory against the Men of Troy, but, alas, it happened on Friday night. The win snaps a 7-game losing streak, and lifts the Big Ten a little higher this postseason.
So far, the first five bowl games that the Big Ten has played in have all been victories. Purdue won the Foster Farms Bowl in a thriller with Arizona, Michigan State rolled to a Holiday Bowl win, Northwestern hung on against Kentucky in the Music City Bowl, and Iowa fended off Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Like beating USC, it’s a weird feeling to see the Big Ten winning in the postseason. I’m not complaining about that—I think it’s muy bueno that the Big Ten is laying waste to the opposition so far.
While we’re on the topic of winning, the Buckeyes now improve to 2-0 all-time at AT&T Stadium. The last time that they were there, they defeated Oregon for the inaugural College Football Playoff national championship. Also, the Bucks are 2-0 in Cotton Bowls. They took down Texas A&M in 1987—a win that was fueled behind two(!) Pick-6s.
Ohio State’s 24-7 lead at the break was the ninth time they headed into halftime with the lead this season. In all nine games, they won.
And one last oddity: Since the Cotton Bowl moved from its namesake venue in Dallas to AT&T Stadium in Arlington in 2009, the nine winners have all been different. Three of them have come from the Big Ten. Michigan State beat Baylor in 2015, Wisconsin beat Western Michigan last season, and Ohio State won this season.
Tyquan Lewis is a good guy
In the waning moments of the game, drama ensued. Darnold rushed out of bounds but was hit by Malik Harrison. The play appeared to be a late hit, which then ignited pushing, shoving, and instigating from the USC bench—one of their players was eventually ejected from the game because of this kerfuffle.
On the initial hit, though, an ESPN parabolic microphone operator was clipped by Darnold as he was pushed by Harrison. As the pushing and shoving began, Buckeye defensive lineman Tyquan Lewis made sure to go over and check to make sure she was okay.
In all this scrum of the @OhioStateFB game kudos to Tyquan Lewis who was trying to help the lady for @espn showing tremendous character. Those times r when character really shows. pic.twitter.com/qCYA6vNJBQ
— Steve Thompson (@EurekaAD) December 30, 2017
Lewis practically shielded the operator from the extracurricular activities. Personally, that is worthy of player of the game honorable mention.
What did you learn from the Cotton Bowl? Let us know in the comment section.
Continue reading...
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
In his swan song, Barrett guides the Buckeyes to one more bowl win.
It may not have been a College Football Playoff win, but the Ohio State Buckeyes got the job done against the USC Trojans, 24-7, in the 82nd edition of the Cotton Bowl Classic.
In J.T. Barrett’s swan song, he quarterbacked the Scarlet and Gray to a win inside AT&T Stadium—the place where he would’ve QB’d had he not been injured en route to OSU’s 2014 national championship.
For both Ohio State and USC, the focus shifts to next season. But, before we ride off into the offseason sunset, let’s take a look back and see what we learned from Friday night’s Cotton Bowl.
Trojans’ QB Sam Darnold threw for 356 yards on 26-of-45 passing. That’s a pretty decent chunk of yardage against one of the best defenses in college football. USC also outgained OSU 413-277 on offense. However, Darnold threw a Pick-6 in the second quarter to eventual outstanding defensive player of the game Damon Webb, and fumbled the ball twice deep in OSU territory. Those turnovers led to 21 of Ohio State’s 24 points.
Only 1 other FBS player has more than Sam Darnold's 20 turnovers.
His latest turned into 6 points for the Buckeyes. pic.twitter.com/oandDIRPqF
— ESPN (@ESPN) December 30, 2017
There were a few more near interceptions from Darnold, too. Ohio State’s defense, who played without defensive back Denzel Ward, were ready for the bowl game—and it showed.
On the Buckeye side, one of their turnovers gave the Trojans life. K.J. Hill muffed a punt in the second quarter at the OSU 14. That costly turnover was converted into the only points for USC.
In total, a combined five turnovers were committed in the Cotton Bowl. Of the total 31 points both teams put up on the scoreboard, 28 of them came following a turnover. Holding onto the football is pretty important; let the Cotton Bowl be “Exhibit A” for how games can swing off of costly turnovers.
A successful homecoming
Not only did Barrett played in his final game as an Ohio State Buckeye, but he also got to do it in his home state in one of the biggest bowl games on the season against a traditional Rose Bowl rival for OSU.
While the Buckeyes weren’t a high-flying team in the final 30 minutes, the 24 first half points were enough to seal the deal. Barrett was responsible for both Buckeye rushing touchdowns, and threw three chunk passes in the first half. On one of the longest drives of the night, Barrett led the Buckeyes from their own eight yardline all the way down to the USC 9. The Wichita Falls, Texas native hit two big passes to wide out Austin Mack; one of those plays, a 33-yard completion, came off a third-and-8 from the OSU 10. Granted, the drive only netted three points, but Barrett meticulously moved the team across the field.
The second half didn’t feature drives (and points) as seen in the first 30 minutes of play, but the let down didn’t happen. Urban Meyer may have employed “Treeselball” tactics, but everything went without a hitch, and OSU walked away from Jerry World with their second Cotton Bowl trophy.
On top of that, Barrett broke Drew Brees’ Big Ten record for total offense. Barrett eclipsed the mark of 12,692 and put himself atop another all-time list. Arguably Ohio State’s most prolific quarterback, Barrett ends his career with 12,697 yards and another offensive MVP award in a bowl game—he was awarded the Sanford Trophy (outstanding offensive player of the Cotton Bowl). Back at the 2016 Fiesta Bowl, Barrett was the offensive player of the game in the Buckeyes’ 44-28 win against Notre Dame.
The streak is over (and others begin)
USC has been a bugaboo for Ohio State, with the Bucks losing their previous seven encounters with the Trojans. Jim Tressel dropped both his meetings to the Trojans, as did John Cooper. Earl Bruce lost both meetings to John McKay’s Trojans in 1979 and 1985 by a combined four points in Rose Bowl contests. Woody Hayes lost 18-17 in the Rose Bowl to USC in 1975.
Hayes secured the last win against USC in 1974, a 42-21 win.
It’s been such a long time since the Buckeyes claimed a victory against the Men of Troy, but, alas, it happened on Friday night. The win snaps a 7-game losing streak, and lifts the Big Ten a little higher this postseason.
So far, the first five bowl games that the Big Ten has played in have all been victories. Purdue won the Foster Farms Bowl in a thriller with Arizona, Michigan State rolled to a Holiday Bowl win, Northwestern hung on against Kentucky in the Music City Bowl, and Iowa fended off Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Like beating USC, it’s a weird feeling to see the Big Ten winning in the postseason. I’m not complaining about that—I think it’s muy bueno that the Big Ten is laying waste to the opposition so far.
While we’re on the topic of winning, the Buckeyes now improve to 2-0 all-time at AT&T Stadium. The last time that they were there, they defeated Oregon for the inaugural College Football Playoff national championship. Also, the Bucks are 2-0 in Cotton Bowls. They took down Texas A&M in 1987—a win that was fueled behind two(!) Pick-6s.
Ohio State’s 24-7 lead at the break was the ninth time they headed into halftime with the lead this season. In all nine games, they won.
And one last oddity: Since the Cotton Bowl moved from its namesake venue in Dallas to AT&T Stadium in Arlington in 2009, the nine winners have all been different. Three of them have come from the Big Ten. Michigan State beat Baylor in 2015, Wisconsin beat Western Michigan last season, and Ohio State won this season.
Tyquan Lewis is a good guy
In the waning moments of the game, drama ensued. Darnold rushed out of bounds but was hit by Malik Harrison. The play appeared to be a late hit, which then ignited pushing, shoving, and instigating from the USC bench—one of their players was eventually ejected from the game because of this kerfuffle.
On the initial hit, though, an ESPN parabolic microphone operator was clipped by Darnold as he was pushed by Harrison. As the pushing and shoving began, Buckeye defensive lineman Tyquan Lewis made sure to go over and check to make sure she was okay.
In all this scrum of the @OhioStateFB game kudos to Tyquan Lewis who was trying to help the lady for @espn showing tremendous character. Those times r when character really shows. pic.twitter.com/qCYA6vNJBQ
— Steve Thompson (@EurekaAD) December 30, 2017
Lewis practically shielded the operator from the extracurricular activities. Personally, that is worthy of player of the game honorable mention.
What did you learn from the Cotton Bowl? Let us know in the comment section.
Continue reading...
