The Early Signing Period is here! Where will Ohio State rank when all is said and done?
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes have the potential to walk away with the No. 1 ranked class.

We have finally reached the early signing period in college football. It’s uncharted territory, as something like this hasn’t been done before.

On the bright side, though, it seems like the Ohio State Buckeyes have a handle on things. Going into the the signing period, the Bucks are projected to have the No. 1 recruiting class in the country. According to 247sports, Urban Meyer’s squad is projected to get 17 recruits to submit their Letter of Intent over the course of the next few days.

We know some of the best will be coming to Columbus, however, there are still storylines unfolding. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

The Cali Kid


Five-star safety Jaiden Woodbey has the makings of an elite college football player to be. The question is simply: what program will he be playing for. Over the last few days, roughly nine Crystal Ball picks on 247sports have pointed to the five-star being part of either USC or Florida State.

Back on Sept. 8, Woodbey made his official visit to Ohio State. However, recents visits with the Trojans and Seminoles have put them at the forefront of the race for the defensive back. In his senior campaign on the high school circuit, the California native had 57 tackles, a fumble recovery, and two interceptions.

Woodbey was an Ohio State verbal commit, but now it looks like the tide has turned against the Buckeyes. If there is a silver lining, it’s that the Buckeyes would still have the No. 1 class if Woodbey in fact didn’t sign to be a Buckeye. USC and FSU have top-50 recruiting classes, but neither are in the top-25 right now.

Keeping talent in the state


With Woodbey being a West Coast kid, it wouldn’t be a shock if he stayed close to home for college. If we’re using that logic, then it wouldn’t be a surprise if the No. 1 prospect in Ohio, Jackson Carman, signed on to be a Buckeye.

USC is in the running for the five-star offensive tackle, too, and we’ll find out at 10 a.m. ET whether or not he will make the trek out west, or if he chooses Ohio State. (There’s also a slim chance he goes somewhere else).

Unlike Woodbey, a miss on Carman would be a huge blow to Ohio State, as they would’ve failed to keep the best player in the state. Meyer has made it a point to get Ohio prospects, and a potential miss on the best OT in the class would be a huge setback.

But let’s look on the positive. If Carman does come to OSU, he would be the highest graded prospect in the class, according to 247sports. If Woodbey does commit to another school, a Carman commitment to the Bucks would basically offset that from a class rankings standpoint.

A crowded QB room


At 11:30 a.m., we’ll also find out where four-star Emory Jones will be signing his Letter of Intent. Like Woodbey, he’s verbally committed to the Buckeyes, but recent developments have shifted toward the Georgia native staying in SEC territory.

Florida is seen as a very real landing spot for the dual threat QB. The overwhelming majority of Crystal Ball predictions for Jones have him headed to the Gators—with the latest of those predictions coming on Dec.18.

The saga of whether or not Jones was actually going to stay with the Buckeyes has been going on for quite some time. He’s been verbally committed to the program since Sept. 30, but his visit to Alabama back in October sparked a belief that he was looking to go elsewhere when the signing day actually arrived.

The quarterback room at OSU is already packed. Joe Burrow, Dwayne Haskins and Tate Martell already occupy room, with Haskins looking to be the starter heading into next season.

If Jones does in fact sign somewhere else, how bad does this affect OSU’s ranking in the recruiting race? According to the 247sports calculator, it’ll have a small effect, considering Jones was a top-6 commit for Ohio State. But, if Woodbey, Carman and Jones all decide to not become Buckeyes and all things stay equal with the other schools, then it appears that Ohio State would have a slim lead for the best recruiting class through the early signing period.

Recruiting is a very fluid situation. We’ll see how it all breaks down over the next 72 hours.

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Ohio State men's basketball | Former Buckeye JaQuan Lyle attends Citadel game - The Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State men's basketball | Former Buckeye JaQuan Lyle attends Citadel game
The Columbus Dispatch
After two seasons in uniform, JaQuan Lyle was back in Value City Arena on Tuesday night – albeit with a different view. Lyle, who quit the program during the spring and ultimately signed with New Mexico, was in the stands as a spectator as the Buckeyes ...


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Ohio State thumps The Citadel behind Bates-Diop’s 17
Alex Roux, BTN.com editor via Big Ten Network

Keita Bates-Diop dropped 17 points and Ohio State had no trouble with The Citadel Tuesday, winning 94-65.

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Ohio State rolls past The Citadel, 94-65
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Chris Holtmann has the Buckeyes on a 5-game winning streak following their Tuesday night victory.

The Ohio State Buckeyes (10-3, 2-0) kept up with their winning ways on Tuesday night, as they defeated The Citadel Bulldogs, 94-65, inside the friendly confines of Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Keita Bates-Diop has been on a tear this season for the Scarlet and Gray, and he kept that up in their latest victory. He scored 17 points on 7-of-11 shots, with nine of his points coming in the second half. In addition to the points, the forward pulled down four rebounds and four assists.

Another Buckeye that sparked the huge win was C.J. Jackson. The junior poured in 13 points, hitting five shots from beyond the arc. While Bates-Diop was the leader in scoring, Jackson led the team with seven assists.

Kam Williams also got into the scoring party against the Bulldogs, too. He put up 17 on the stat sheet—including a nice jumper from the baseline in the second half. For Williams he had a 10-point second half on 4-of-8 shooting. That second half surge propelled him to having a team-high in scoring for the evening.

For the game, OSU shot 50 percent of the field, making 37 of their 74 (yes, 74) shots. From beyond the arc, they were 13-of-35. Not too far behind them were the Bulldogs, who put up 71 shots. However, the visitors made only 32 percent of the attempts. From the land of three, The Citadel made the same amount of shots as Ohio State, but they did it on 43 attempts, not 35.

All those missed shots from the Citadel cost them on the other end, as Ohio State converted those misses into the (very) occasional fast break. On the night, the Scarlet and Grey secured 22 points of the fast break variety, while the Bulldogs had just two.

Even though the Buckeyes ran away with the win, they committed 12 turnovers—four less than their counterparts. Those Scarlet and Grey giveaways cost them 19 points, but they compensated that by cashing the 16 Bulldog turnovers into 24 points.

A big area where the Buckeyes outgained the Bulldogs was in the paint points. Forty of Ohio State’s points came in under the basket, while The Citadel didn’t even score half that; they put 18 points up on the inside.

Since the loss to Clemson on Nov. 29, the Buckeyes have been on a hot streak. They’ve won five games in a row, including a blowout win over Wisconsin on the road, and a come-from-behind win against rival Michigan.

The next time OSU comes back to The Schottenstein Center for a game will be on Dec. 30. Before that, they’ll be in New Orleans on Dec. 23 for a contest against North Carolina.

Here’s how this all went down.

Twelve seconds into the game, Bates-Diop hit a jumper to give the Buckeyes a 2-0 lead. Not long after that, though, Tate turned the ball over—leading to an equalizer by forward Zane Najdawi. Tate would atone for his turnover by making a layup on the next possession.

A coupled missed shots by the Bulldogs (and a couple makes by the Buckeyes) would take us to a 9-4 score at the 17:11 mark of the half. Jackson and Matt Frierson traded three-point shots, and not long after that, the score was 14-9 in favor of the Buckeyes as the first media timeout arrived.

So far in the month of December, OSU was shooting 58 percent from the field. In the first six minutes against The Citadel, they connected on 78 percent of their shots. Behind a Kam Williams layup via half-court pass from Jackson, and a Bates-Diop mid-range basket, the home team was putting on a shooting clinic—holding an 18-9 lead with 12:21 left.

On the other end, The Citadel was having a not-so-good half. Open looks from the corner clanked off the rim, as did three pointers from the wing. At the next media timeout, the Bulldogs were in the midst of a 3:34 scoring slump which included five-straight missed shots.

However, this game was about to get out of hand. The Citadel broke the scoring slump, but hitting a stretch of 1-for-11 from the field, combined with the Buckeyes dunking and making threes, pulled the Scarlet and Gray up 40-20 with 3:00 left in the first half.

Ohio State forced four turnovers in the final few minutes, and hit outlet passes for quick points. Kaiden Rice heaved up a corner three to pull within 19. With 29 seconds left, Andrew Dakich was fouled—sending him to the line for a couple free throws. He would connect on both, and OSU went into the intermission with a 44-23 lead.

Even though the Bucks cooled off from the field, they shot just a touch better than their December average. They hit 19-of-32 from the field, good enough for a 59 percent mark. Their counterparts had a vastly different percentage; Citadel connected on just 23 percent, and carried a 5-for-25 mark from the land of three.

Stat wise, the Bulldogs were carried by Tariq Simmons and Rice. Simmons had seven points, while Rice led the team with nine. Outside of those two, only two other Bulldog members scored points. In comparison, OSU had five players break the 7-point mark in the first 20 minutes. Tate and Bates-Diop both had eight points, while Dakich, Williams and Kaleb Wesson had 7-point totals.

Coming back from the break, both teams missed shots and turned the rock over. After a few minutes, though, order was restored on the floor—as shots began to find the bottom of the net. Bates-Diop, for example, knocked down a pair of three-pointers, helping OSU to a 54-31 lead with 16:01 left.

As it seemed like the Bulldogs were about to complete a quality possession (i.e. a highlight reel worthy series of events) the Buckeyes stepped up to deny them. Quayson Williams stole the ball, and passed it to a streaking Rice. Rice had a prime layup opportunity, however, Wesson came flying in behind him and swatted the ball off the rim—crushing The Citadel’s chance of a highlight reel possession.

The first media timeout of the second half arrived not too long after that, and presented a 56-33 lead for the Scarlet and Gray.

Continuing on, the Buckeyes kept the status quo, and held onto a lead of around 20 points as the clock reached the under-10 minute mark for the game. The Citadel still managed to fight for quality looks, but misses led to quick points on the other end. Compounding the issues in the waning portion of the half was when Quayson Williams left the floor after sustaining an apparent leg injury.

By the time the under-8 minute timeout came, the Bulldogs hit a silver-lining mark. They cranked 33 three-point attempts, which was the most the Buckeyes have allowed all season. Unfortunately for them, they only made 10 of those triples. At the same point, Ohio State had 11 three-point makes on 25 attempts.

Turnovers and missed baskets put the visitors in an even deeper hole. After a timeout with 5:08 left in regulation, Ohio State had a commanding 49-88 lead.

With most of the starters on the bench, the Buckeyes still worked the ball inside with success. Kyle Young put home a basket underneath, and powered his way above the Citadel defense.

Since Bates-Diop and the starters sat down, OSU went on five-shot miss streak. On the bright side: Joey Lane came in and knocked down a couple free throws. (He even launched up a three-pointer, much to the delight of the crowd.) Ohio State may have ended the game on a cold streak, but they still picked up the win.

Ohio State is back in action on Dec. 23 against North Carolina. This game is part of the CBS Sports Classic, and will take place from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Tipoff is slated for 1:30 p.m. ET with CBS broadcasting the game.

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5 former Ohio State players voted to 2018 Pro Bowl rosters
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


There were 20 Buckeyes on the ballot, accounting for nearly half of the Ohio State alumni in the NFL.

There are only two weeks left in the 2017 NFL regular season, and with the playoff picture getting clearer by the day, the 2018 Pro Bowl rosters were announced Tuesday night. With 20 former Ohio State players making the initial Pro Bowl ballot, five were honored with roster spots in the annual contest.

Joey Bosa was the only former Ohio State player voted to be a starter, with the other four designated as second-team players or alternates. Those alternate roster spots often wind up in a starting role as some players decline the invitation due to an extended postseason run or injuries.

Notably, this would have been the case for Steelers LB (and Buckeye legend) Ryan Shazier, who two weeks ago went down with a serious back injury. In the time since, he’s flown from the hospital in Cincinnati to Pittsburgh, underwent spinal stabilization surgery, and yet was still able to attend — from a suite — last weekend’s Steelers-Patriots matchup. Shazier was on pace for a career-best season in 2017, and being voted to the Pro Bowl is absolutely deserved — it’s just a shame he wont be able to participate.

This year’s Pro Bowl will keep with tradition (despite the few-year hiatus) of an AFC vs. NFC matchup, with each team featuring 44 of the best (or in some case most popular) players from their division. Rosters are filled by consensus voting by fans, players, and coaches throughout the league.

Chargers’ DE Joey Bosa was the only Buckeye to land in the top 20 among fan votes (406,873 votes), and Saints CB Marshon Lattimore is the only Buckeye rookie to make the cut.

Here’s the full list of the Ohio State alumni on the Pro Bowl rosters:


The NFL will host an entire week of activities in the Orlando area leading up to the big game, including the Pro Bowl Skills Challenge and NFL Pro Bowl Experience (a free football festival). The 2018 Pro Bowl game will kick-off on Sunday, Jan. 28 at 3 p.m. ET, and will be televised on ESPN.

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Ohio State recruiting: Projecting Buckeyes' early signing period additions - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State recruiting: Projecting Buckeyes' early signing period additions
Landof10.com
Let's start with some bad news. According to several reports, 4-star quarterback Emory Jones is not going to be signing with Ohio State. That development is not entirely unexpected, especially after Jones visited Florida and Florida State on the final ...
3-star DE Alex Williams will sign with Ohio State: Buckeyes football recruitingcleveland.com
Ohio State Football: Negative recruiting hurting the Buckeyes?Scarlet and Game
Ohio State men's basketball | Checking in on former BuckeyesThe Columbus Dispatch
Waiting For Next Year -247Sports -Land-Grant Holy Land
all 63 news articles »

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Ohio State defensive linemen glad Johnson isn't going anywhere - MyDaytonDailyNews
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State defensive linemen glad Johnson isn't going anywhere
MyDaytonDailyNews
That's how it is every day with Ohio State's defensive line and Johnson. He leads one of the most talented position groups in the country, and he may be Ohio State's most valuable assistant coach. That's one reason he issued a statement last week when ...

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Ohio State’s Jordan Fuller helped highlight the path to becoming a starter
Ian Cuevas via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


From special teams to starter, Jordan Fuller followed the blueprint and there’s plenty of candidates to replicate it.

“Stick with it. Do whatever you can for the team. Once you have that mindset, stuff will start happening for you.”

- Jordan Fuller via Tim Bielik, Cleveland.com


Jordan Fuller’s story isn’t a new one to Ohio State or any other major college football program, but it does give a nice view into the blueprint that helps commits see what it takes to get onto the football field as a starter. Fuller came to the Buckeyes as a well-regarded recruit, mainly as a safety, but he wasn’t an immediate starter. Instead, Fuller worked from the ground up, starting his career on special teams and proving to the coaching staff he could make plays and do the dirty work. This season, Fuller grew into a starting spot at safety and has made an important impact on the Buckeyes defense.

Ohio State has plenty of players waiting in the wings to follow in Fuller’s footsteps, and many of them are names that should be familiar. Perhaps the best chance at replicating the same success Fuller has had this season is cornerback Jeffrey Okudah, who has had plenty of hype surrounding him since he joined the Buckeyes. Okudah has been all over the field on special teams and even got some game time at his true position — where he should make a real name for himself next season. Other candidates include linebacker Baron Browning, and Isaiah Pryor.

“He's [Emory Jones] expected to sign his National Letter of Intent on the first day of the new early signing period, and enroll early.

Just don't expect that letter to be faxed to Ohio State.”

- Bill Landis, Cleveland.com


With the early national signing about to take place, Ohio State fans are eager to see who will become the next set of Buckeyes. But one name might not be among those that sign early. 2018 quarterback Emory Jones has been a commit since July of 2016, but for the majority of the 2017 season, the rumors have swirled that Jones was thinking of flipping to Alabama or another school altogether.

Now that decision time is here, it’s seemingly come down between the Buckeyes, Florida, Florida State, Alabama, and Auburn. The Gators are considered the favorite, despite Jones being committed to the Buckeyes through all of his official visits to other schools.

Still, most experts are picking Florida, but regardless a vast majority agree that Jones isn’t likely to end up at Ohio State. It would be a tough loss for Urban Meyer, as Jones has been one of the centerpieces of the 2018 recruiting class.

“There will be tons of attention on USC quarterback Sam Darnold as the draft hype builds, and if Ward succeeds in helping slow him down, that’s going to stick in the minds of decision-makers around the league.”

- Austin Ward, Land of 10


With the recent news of players sitting out of bowl games the past two seasons to save themselves from injury on their way to the NFL, Ohio State has popped up into the discussion this season with cornerback Denzel Ward. Ward seems likely to play in the bowl game, but it is a possibility that he could choose to skip it. Austin Ward of Land of 10 doesn’t think Ward will skip the bowl game, citing that the brotherhood between the players in Columbus is much too strong for that to happen.

Christian McCaffrey and Leonard Fournette were big names that decided to forego their bowl game last year, while this year Oregon’s Royce Freeman skipped his team’s bowl game against Boise State. It doesn’t appear that anyone on Ohio State (Sam Hubbard, Ward, or Jerome Baker) has made the choice to skip, but it’s still an outside possibility. Ward is likely a higher first round draft pick and could impress scouts even more against USC’s Sam Darnold, another hot pick for the NFL.

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4-star G Rikki Harris commits to Ohio State women’s basketball
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes just added a verbal pledge from the No. 6 guard out of the 2019 recruiting class.

It might almost be the Early Signing Period for incoming college football players, but Ohio State is BOOOOM-ing over on the basketball court, too. The women’s basketball team just secured a commitment from four-star guard Rikki Harris for the 2019 class.


The 5’9 (or 5’11 depending on where you look) guard out of North Central High School in Indianapolis is the No. 6 prospect at her position and No. 24 overall recruit from the 2019 class, according to ESPN. Those rankings should come as no surprise, as her game averages far exceed the national average in points (19.8), assists (3.2), rebounds (7.2), steals (2.4), and blocks (0.8). She has 99 points so far this season in five games played.

With Ohio State losing Kelsey Mitchell — quite possibly the best women’s basketball player in Buckeye history — to the WNBA after the season, Harris could be a good sign for the future of the position and the program.

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Ohio State football: How Buckeyes are balancing recruiting and Cotton Bowl preparations - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: How Buckeyes are balancing recruiting and Cotton Bowl preparations
Landof10.com
There is always going to be an acclimation period early where the Buckeyes focus primarily on conditioning with the strength staff, which is followed by some basic training-camp type work on individual skills. Only as the game draws closer will the ...
3-star DE Alex Williams will sign with Ohio State: Buckeyes football recruitingcleveland.com
Ohio State Football: Negative recruiting hurting the Buckeyes?Scarlet and Game
Ohio State men's basketball | Checking in on former BuckeyesThe Columbus Dispatch
Waiting For Next Year -MyDaytonDailyNews -247Sports
all 60 news articles »

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Ohio State stopped recruiting Micah Parsons after self-reported NCAA violations, per report - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State stopped recruiting Micah Parsons after self-reported NCAA violations, per report
Landof10.com
Micah Parsons is announcing his commitment on Wednesday, and Ohio State has reportedly ruled itself out as a potential destination for the 5-star recruit. The Lantern, Ohio State's student newspaper, obtained self-reported NCAA violations that mention ...
Self-reported NCAA violations prevent Ohio State from recruiting 5-star prospect Micah ParsonsOSU - The Lantern

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Ohio State announces tight end A.J. Alexander placed on medical scholarship
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The redshirt sophomore tight end injured his knee in June during a pickup basketball game.

After missing the 2017 season due to a knee injury suffered in a pickup basketball game in June that would ultimately require surgery, Ohio State announced Tuesday that redshirt sophomore tight end A.J. Alexander would finish out the rest of his time at the school on medical scholarship.

The Virginia native saw action in all 13 games during his redshirt freshman season in 2016, including the only start of his career against Penn State. Alexander’s best performance of his short career came against Nebraska where he hauled in three catches for 24 yards. The only other catch of Alexander’s college career came in the 2016 season opener against Bowling Green.

Alexander had put together a strong showing in spring practices as he received plenty of reps with the starters, as Marcus Baugh was recovering from shoulder surgery, but the knee injury in June halted any momentum Alexander had made during the spring.

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Buckeyes report recruiting violation involving Micah Parsons, College GameDay visit - ESPN
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes report recruiting violation involving Micah Parsons, College GameDay visit
ESPN
Ohio State has agreed to no longer recruit five-star defensive lineman Micah Parsons after the Buckeyes self-reported a violation involving ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit during an official visit on Sept. 9, ESPN confirmed Tuesday. The Lantern.com first ...
Ohio State reportedly stops recruiting top prospect because of contact with ESPN's 'College Gameday'Washington Post
Report says Ohio State agreed to stop recruiting 5-star Micah Parsons due to self-reported recruiting violationPennLive.com
Self-reported NCAA violations prevent Ohio State from recruiting 5-star prospect Micah ParsonsOSU - The Lantern
SECcountry.com -CBSSports.com -Land-Grant Holy Land
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Josh Proctor National Signing Day 2018 player profile: Ohio State football recruiting - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Josh Proctor National Signing Day 2018 player profile: Ohio State football recruiting
cleveland.com
Proctor gave Ohio State two commitments in one day when he verballed to the Buckeyes during halftime of the spring game last April. Four-star tackle Max Wray committed that morning. That's when the somewhat uncertain relationship between Proctor and ...

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Ohio State football: How Buckeyes are balancing recruiting and Cotton Bowl preparations - Austin American-Statesman
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: How Buckeyes are balancing recruiting and Cotton Bowl preparations
Austin American-Statesman
There is always going to be an acclimation period early where the Buckeyes focus primarily on conditioning with the strength staff, which is followed by some basic training-camp type work on individual skills. Only as the game draws closer will the ...
Josh Proctor National Signing Day 2018 player profile: Ohio State football recruitingcleveland.com

all 2 news articles »

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Ohio State football: How Buckeyes are balancing recruiting and Cotton Bowl preparations - Access Atlanta
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: How Buckeyes are balancing recruiting and Cotton Bowl preparations
Access Atlanta
There is always going to be an acclimation period early where the Buckeyes focus primarily on conditioning with the strength staff, which is followed by some basic training-camp type work on individual skills. Only as the game draws closer will the ...
Josh Proctor National Signing Day 2018 player profile: Ohio State football recruitingcleveland.com

all 2 news articles »

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2018 DE Alex Williams flips from West Virginia, commits to Ohio State, per report
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes land a local defensive end.

When five-star prospect Brenton Cox decommitted from Ohio State, it left a big hole in the Buckeyes 2018 recruiting class at defensive end.

Fast forward a few weeks, and Urban Meyer and company might have found a local prospect to help fill the void left by Cox.

Pickerington North standout Alex Williams is reportedly flipping his commitment from West Virginia to Ohio State, as announced via press release. A Mountaineer pledge since May, Williams has decided his chance to suit up in the Scarlet and Gray was just too much to pass up and is now a future Buckeye.


A three-star prospect, Williams, the 32nd weakside defensive end, and 591st overall prospect in the class of 2018, per the 247Sports Composite Rankings, was a problem off the edge for Pickerington North all season long as a senior.

A tough matchup at 6’7 and 250 pounds, Williams racked up nearly 40 total tackles and four quarterback sacks to help pace the Panthers to an overall record of 10-3 and deep run into the state playoffs.

Williams should have a chance to see the field rather early on during his time at Ohio State. With just three returning defensive ends from 2017, he’ll have a good shot to snatch up a spot on Larry Johnson’s rotation of fresh bodies when he reaches campus.

Scouting Report

Highlights

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Ohio State reportedly stops recruiting top prospect because of contact with ESPN's 'College Gameday' - Washington Post
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State reportedly stops recruiting top prospect because of contact with ESPN's 'College Gameday'
Washington Post
According to the Lantern, Ohio State's student newspaper, the Buckeyes have agreed to stop recruiting Parsons after self-reporting a violation to the NCAA involving his official visit to the school on Sept. 9, the day of Ohio State's game against ...
Report: Ohio State stopped recruiting 5-star DE Micah Parsons after self-reported violations involving ESPN's ...SECcountry.com
Report says Ohio State agreed to stop recruiting 5-star Micah Parsons due to self-reported recruiting violationPennLive.com
Why did Ohio State really stop recruiting Micah Parsons?247Sports
Land-Grant Holy Land -Sportsnaut -CBSSports.com
all 22 news articles »

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Ohio State football podcast: Buckeyes are losing one commit, too soon to call on another - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football podcast: Buckeyes are losing one commit, too soon to call on another
Landof10.com
After taking a pair of official visits over the weekend, Ohio State quarterback commit Emory Jones might sign elsewhere on Wednesday. Land of 10/file photo. Kyle Lamb · @kylamb8. Posted 56 mins ago. COLUMBUS, Ohio — Get insight and reaction to Ohio ...
Will Jaiden Woodbey stick with the Buckeyes? Ohio State football recruiting mailbagcleveland.com
Ohio State football | Buckeyes stop pursuit of Georgia quarterbackThe Columbus Dispatch
Emory Jones will not sign a National Letter of Intent with Ohio State on WednesdayThe Athletic
SECcountry.com -Chat Sports
all 43 news articles »

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ant80 said:

7 straight.

Butt-Fuck USC.

Click to expand...

FIFY

Ohio State had to stop recruiting 5-star DE Micah Parsons due to a strange NCAA bylaw
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The interactions with media members during ESPN’s College Gameday on Sept. 9 seem to be the culprit.

Ohio State was in the lead to land five-star defensive end Micah Parsons for their incoming class of 2018, but a chance encounter with the cast of ESPN’s College GameDay would lead to the Buckeyes self-reporting a violation to the NCAA and ultimately sidelining their recruitment of Parsons, according to a report by The Lantern.

Back on Sept. 9 when Parsons was making his official visit to Ohio State, College GameDay was also on campus covering the Ohio State-Oklahoma game. The 2018 prospect wound up meeting former Buckeye Kirk Herbstreit, but it was getting his picture taken with the other members of the GameDay panel that was the problem. Since those other panel members aren’t alumni, the meeting goes against the rule that recruits are not to “have contact with members of the media associated with former student-athletes.”

According to The Lantern, Ohio State’s self-reported violation said, “As such, a violation of NCAA Bylaws 13.10.1 and 13.10.2.4 occurred, as members of the media may not be present during an institution’s recruiting contact with a prospect and a prospect may not participate in team activities that would make the public or media aware of the prospect’s visit to the institution.”

All of this doesn’t mean that Parsons won’t still end up at Ohio State. He’s expected to make his final decision on Wednesday, Day 1 of the Early Signing Period, and posted a top 6 list, which still includes the Buckeyes.


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Ohio State vs. Citadel: Preview, game time, and live streaming
Chuck McKeever via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Bulldogs head to Columbus to face the Buckeyes.

In ancient times, the citadel—literally, "little city"—was located at the heart of cities in great civilizations, built as the last line of fortified defense against invading armies. It was designed to be impenetrable, to withstand any attack.

Things have, uhh, changed in the last few millennia. The Citadel, home of the Bulldogs, has proven to be a little more generous to its foes this college basketball season. They rank just 349th in scoring defense across all of NCAA Division I hoops, giving up just shy of 90 points per game.

It's not all bad down in South Carolina, however. The Bulldogs are 5-6 on the year, having played a schedule featuring much bigger, better-funded schools like Florida State and Virginia Tech. They have a top-15 scoring offense, too.

Still, there's been some tough sledding for head coach Duggar Baucom and his team. After opening the season 3-2, they've dropped below .500, and the schedule doesn't look any kinder as they travel to Columbus to take on the 9-3 Ohio State Buckeyes.

Looking toward the other bench, it's been a gem of a year for new coach Chris Holtmann and his guys. They've won four straight games, including two against conference foes Michigan and Wisconsin, and are on something of a relaxing stretch before they have to face No. 7 UNC: their last two wins have come over William & Mary and Appalachian State, and The Citadel doesn't figure to put up much more of a struggle than either of those two did.

Led by Jae'Sean Tate and Keita Bates-Diop, the Buckeyes are an exciting team once more. The real tests start in earnest in a few days; in the meantime, Ohio State gets one more contest to iron out the kinks and make the bench a little stronger.

Numbers to know

2.91


The Citadel is averaging just under three blocks per game, which sits them at No. 231 nationally. The Bulldogs' inability to stop shots inside is a big part of why they've been so easy to score on this season. The bleeding probably won't stop against an Ohio State team whose leading scorer is 6'7 Keita Bates-Diop, who also makes his free throws at an 82.5% clip, in case they get any ideas about running a hack-a-KBD defense.

89.3


Despite the aforementioned generosity of the Bulldogs' defense, their offense has managed to almost completely keep pace. They're scoring 89.3 points per game, breaking the 100-point mark in five of 11 games this season, and have three different starters who average better than 40% shooting from deep. They might not find as much room to maneuver as they'd like against a Buckeye team allowing just 67.3 points per contest, but the potential is there.

165


One consistent struggle for the Buckeye offense has been ball security. They've coughed up 165 turnovers in their 12 games this season, putting them all the way down at 285th nationally in that category. It likely won't matter against a team they can outgun, but that's a stat that'll need to be cleaned up before they face the likes of UNC and Michigan State.

Cast of characters

Ohio State


C.J. Jackson

The do-it-all Buckeye guard is one of the most complete players wearing the Scarlet and Gray this season. He's in the top three on the team in points, minutes, assists, steals, free throw percentage, and three-point percentage. That combination of talents has come in handy: he scored 23 points against Stanford a few weeks ago in a game where the rest of the team totaled just 56, making four of his six attempts from deep in that one. At just 6'1, 175 lbs., Jackson isn't a physical force on the court, but he can take over games nonetheless.

Kaleb Wesson

Wesson, a freshman power forward, has already proven himself to be an impact player at the college level. At 6'9, he's a matchup problem, especially for a team like The Citadel that has struggled to contain big scorers inside. The advanced stats like Wesson, too: while he eats up the second-highest usage rate on the team, he makes the most of those possessions, posting the second-highest offensive rating and the third-best effective field goal percentage on the Buckeye squad.

The Citadel


Tariq Simmons

Simmons, a 6'0 freshman guard, has been the Bulldogs' most prolific scorer since the dismissal of Preston Parks from the team in late November. Despite this, Simmons averages just shy of 23 minutes on the floor per game—part of the deep, bench-building effort of coach Duggar Baucom. Seven Bulldogs play 14 minutes a game or more, but none play more than 23. This high level of rest also lets Simmons and co. play aggressive, high-tempo basketball, resulting in their absurd 12.0 steals per game stat. (Simmons himself gets 1.5 of those.)

Rob Johnson

Listed as a guard, Johnson stands an impressive 6'8, which certainly helps bolster his block numbers, the highest on the team in 2017. Johnson isn't a prolific scorer, tallying just about five points per game, but he makes his presence felt in other facets despite limited playing time: he's the Bulldogs' leading rebounder and has the best FG% of anyone on the team. Just a freshman, Johnson still has plenty of room to grow as a player, which should worry opponents in the years to come.

How to watch


Game time: 7:00 p.m. ET

TV: Big Ten Network

Radio: 97.1 The Fan

Streaming: BTN2Go

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Can she do TV? I'm sure Audrey Hasson on NBC4 is quite a nice person, but, she's not in her wheelhouse I don't think. At all. Period.

Seven hours of Early Signing Period coverage planned on BTN
BTN Communications via Big Ten Network

BTN will dedicate seven hours of programming to cover the all-new Early Signing Period on Wednesday with the B1G Football & Beyond: Signing Day Special airing from 9 a.m. ET to 4 p.m. ET. Signing Day coverage also will be streamed via the web, smartphones, tablets and connected devices on BTN2Go, BTN’s digital extension. Mike Hall will handle hosting duties with analysts Gerry DiNardo and Howard Griffith, and the trio will be joined by Midwest football recruiting analyst for 247 Sports, Allen Trieu, as they provide an in-depth analysis of each school’s class. BTN reporters will be on-site at six

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Ohio State football: Get to know Buckeyes' next class; players spread holiday cheer - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: Get to know Buckeyes' next class; players spread holiday cheer
Landof10.com
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