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LGHL A blowout win vs. Michigan State (plus a little bit of chaos in the ranks) puts Ohio State...
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A blowout win vs. Michigan State (plus a little bit of chaos in the ranks) puts Ohio State back in the playoff hunt
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The death of Ohio State’s playoff chances has been greatly exaggerated.
Wildness. That’s what happened in last week’s slate of college football games. Notre Dame was absolutely smashed by Miami, who made their return to national prominence. Auburn took down the No. 1 team in the nation, and Alabama survived.
In all this, the Ohio State Buckeyes bounced back from a stunning loss to Iowa by securing a stunning win against Michigan State. A 45-point margin of victory versus the Spartans opened up the conversation that maybe OSU isn’t out the playoff chase just yet.
This week in the bowl prediction roundup, that sentiment looks to carry some weight. A couple of the outlets have Ohio State in a playoff contest. Let’s take a look at who’s all aboard the Buckeye playoff hype train, and who isn’t.
Who’s ready for a (real) rematch with Miami?
Jason Kirk of SB Nation has the Hurricanes running the table and heading into the postseason as the No. 1 team in the land. However, he has The U’s postseason run stopping in New Orleans at the Sugar Bowl against Ohio State.
To go one step even further, Kirk believes that the Buckeyes will play a rematch game for all the marbles. In the Rose Bowl semifinal, he’s projecting Oklahoma taking down Auburn—and punching their ticket for an Atlanta grudge match with OSU.
Erick Smith of USA Today also believes the Bucks are back in business when it comes to the playoff picture; he has them in the Sugar Bowl semifinal versus Alabama. Unlike Kirk’s prediction, Smith doesn’t have Ohio State winning their predicted playoff game.
While New Orleans would be the site of Meyer-Saban II: Playoff Boogaloo, the Rose Bowl would feature another matchup we’ve seen in playoffs past: Oklahoma vs. Clemson.
Two years ago, Clemson trounced Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, advancing to the national title. Three years ago, Ohio State, a team some believed should’ve never been in the playoffs in the first place, shocked the college football world by taking down the No. 1 ranked Crimson Tide in a practical home game at the first ever Sugar Bowl semifinal.
In both these cases, would we see revenge? Smith thinks so, as he has a Sooners-Crimson Tide meetup in Atlanta for the CFP National Championship.
Eric Single of Sports Illustrated isn’t buying into the Buckeyes’ reemergence in the CFP just yet. He has OSU in the Peach Bowl against UCF—a prediction he has now held for two weeks straight.
In his projections, only one other Big Ten school cracked the New Year’s Six slate of bowls: Wisconsin. He has the Badgers in the Sugar Bowl semifinal battling Alabama.
New Year’s Six bowls are the belief right now with ESPN’s writers Kyle Bonagura and David Hale.
Last week, Bonagura wrote in a prediction for a Cotton Bowl matchup with USC—so his prediction is remaining steady with OSU taking on the Pac-12 institution.
For Hale, it’s not a Miami-OSU matchup in the Orange Bowl, it’s an OSU-Clemson showdown in South Beach.
Both members, for what it’s worth, have a Miami-Oklahoma Rose Bowl, and an Alabama-Wisconsin Sugar Bowl.
He was one of the first ones on the OSU to CFP train when it came to tracking the bowl projections, but for another week, Jerry Palm of CBS Sports seems to be off that train—at least for now.
A date with Mississippi State in the Citrus Bowl is where Palm has Ohio State. Penn State, a team the Buckeyes beat, is projected in his Cotton Bowl outlook; Wisconsin is in his prediction for the Sugar Bowl.
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
The death of Ohio State’s playoff chances has been greatly exaggerated.
Wildness. That’s what happened in last week’s slate of college football games. Notre Dame was absolutely smashed by Miami, who made their return to national prominence. Auburn took down the No. 1 team in the nation, and Alabama survived.
In all this, the Ohio State Buckeyes bounced back from a stunning loss to Iowa by securing a stunning win against Michigan State. A 45-point margin of victory versus the Spartans opened up the conversation that maybe OSU isn’t out the playoff chase just yet.
This week in the bowl prediction roundup, that sentiment looks to carry some weight. A couple of the outlets have Ohio State in a playoff contest. Let’s take a look at who’s all aboard the Buckeye playoff hype train, and who isn’t.
Who’s ready for a (real) rematch with Miami?
Jason Kirk of SB Nation has the Hurricanes running the table and heading into the postseason as the No. 1 team in the land. However, he has The U’s postseason run stopping in New Orleans at the Sugar Bowl against Ohio State.
To go one step even further, Kirk believes that the Buckeyes will play a rematch game for all the marbles. In the Rose Bowl semifinal, he’s projecting Oklahoma taking down Auburn—and punching their ticket for an Atlanta grudge match with OSU.
Erick Smith of USA Today also believes the Bucks are back in business when it comes to the playoff picture; he has them in the Sugar Bowl semifinal versus Alabama. Unlike Kirk’s prediction, Smith doesn’t have Ohio State winning their predicted playoff game.
While New Orleans would be the site of Meyer-Saban II: Playoff Boogaloo, the Rose Bowl would feature another matchup we’ve seen in playoffs past: Oklahoma vs. Clemson.
Two years ago, Clemson trounced Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, advancing to the national title. Three years ago, Ohio State, a team some believed should’ve never been in the playoffs in the first place, shocked the college football world by taking down the No. 1 ranked Crimson Tide in a practical home game at the first ever Sugar Bowl semifinal.
In both these cases, would we see revenge? Smith thinks so, as he has a Sooners-Crimson Tide meetup in Atlanta for the CFP National Championship.
Eric Single of Sports Illustrated isn’t buying into the Buckeyes’ reemergence in the CFP just yet. He has OSU in the Peach Bowl against UCF—a prediction he has now held for two weeks straight.
In his projections, only one other Big Ten school cracked the New Year’s Six slate of bowls: Wisconsin. He has the Badgers in the Sugar Bowl semifinal battling Alabama.
New Year’s Six bowls are the belief right now with ESPN’s writers Kyle Bonagura and David Hale.
Last week, Bonagura wrote in a prediction for a Cotton Bowl matchup with USC—so his prediction is remaining steady with OSU taking on the Pac-12 institution.
For Hale, it’s not a Miami-OSU matchup in the Orange Bowl, it’s an OSU-Clemson showdown in South Beach.
Both members, for what it’s worth, have a Miami-Oklahoma Rose Bowl, and an Alabama-Wisconsin Sugar Bowl.
He was one of the first ones on the OSU to CFP train when it came to tracking the bowl projections, but for another week, Jerry Palm of CBS Sports seems to be off that train—at least for now.
A date with Mississippi State in the Citrus Bowl is where Palm has Ohio State. Penn State, a team the Buckeyes beat, is projected in his Cotton Bowl outlook; Wisconsin is in his prediction for the Sugar Bowl.
Continue reading...
LGHL The Illibuck is one of the most lopsided rivalry trophy series in the Big Ten
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The Illibuck is one of the most lopsided rivalry trophy series in the Big Ten
Jim Baird via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
There are 15 rivalry trophies in the Big Ten. Few of those series are more lopsided than Ohio State’s regular dominance over Illinois for the Illibuck.
It was a big game whenever Red Grange walked into the Horseshoe. But this Saturday in November of 1925 would be different; it would be Grange’s last in a collegiate uniform. Neither team was spectacular — Illinois and Ohio State were not in contention for a conference title. And while the Galloping Ghost was en-route to another All-American year at halfback, the Illini entered the contest with a ho-hum 4-3 record. Ohio State sat at 4-2-1.
But the greater legacy of that day wouldn’t be the performance of Grange, who snagged two interceptions — including on the last play at midfield to seal the game. It wouldn't be that the Illini triumphed 14-9. It wouldn’t be the huge crowd of 84,295 that jammed The ‘Shoe to see the last go of the Ghost on senior day. It would be a turtle who made its first-ever appearance.
That turtle, alive at the time, was Illibuck. And that season, in Grange's last collegiate game, was the first time the victor of OSU-Illinois received the prize. Chosen to represent the long life of the rivalry, Illibuck died two years later. And with Grange graduated, the competitiveness of the rivalry soon suffered the same fate.
Including pre-trophy era games, Ohio State has dominated the all-time series with Illinois with a mark of 67 wins, 30 losses, and four ties. To put that in perspective, in the Big Ten there are 15 rivalry trophies — and comparing the all-time series histories, Ohio State-Illinois is the third most lopsided among them.
With the Buckeyes winning 68% of the time against Illinois, only the Little Brown Jug between Michigan and Minnesota, and the Old Brass Spittoon between Indiana and Michigan State have been more one-sided.
Ohio State has not lost to Illinois since 2007. With the Buckeyes favored by more than 40 points Saturday, the series is set again to live up to form with Illibuck remaining a long-time resident of Columbus.
Continue reading...
Jim Baird via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
There are 15 rivalry trophies in the Big Ten. Few of those series are more lopsided than Ohio State’s regular dominance over Illinois for the Illibuck.
It was a big game whenever Red Grange walked into the Horseshoe. But this Saturday in November of 1925 would be different; it would be Grange’s last in a collegiate uniform. Neither team was spectacular — Illinois and Ohio State were not in contention for a conference title. And while the Galloping Ghost was en-route to another All-American year at halfback, the Illini entered the contest with a ho-hum 4-3 record. Ohio State sat at 4-2-1.
But the greater legacy of that day wouldn’t be the performance of Grange, who snagged two interceptions — including on the last play at midfield to seal the game. It wouldn't be that the Illini triumphed 14-9. It wouldn’t be the huge crowd of 84,295 that jammed The ‘Shoe to see the last go of the Ghost on senior day. It would be a turtle who made its first-ever appearance.
That turtle, alive at the time, was Illibuck. And that season, in Grange's last collegiate game, was the first time the victor of OSU-Illinois received the prize. Chosen to represent the long life of the rivalry, Illibuck died two years later. And with Grange graduated, the competitiveness of the rivalry soon suffered the same fate.
Including pre-trophy era games, Ohio State has dominated the all-time series with Illinois with a mark of 67 wins, 30 losses, and four ties. To put that in perspective, in the Big Ten there are 15 rivalry trophies — and comparing the all-time series histories, Ohio State-Illinois is the third most lopsided among them.
With the Buckeyes winning 68% of the time against Illinois, only the Little Brown Jug between Michigan and Minnesota, and the Old Brass Spittoon between Indiana and Michigan State have been more one-sided.
Ohio State has not lost to Illinois since 2007. With the Buckeyes favored by more than 40 points Saturday, the series is set again to live up to form with Illibuck remaining a long-time resident of Columbus.
Continue reading...
Google Oddsmaker: If Buckeyes, Bama win out, Ohio State is in CFP - 247Sports
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Oddsmaker: If Buckeyes, Bama win out, Ohio State is in CFP - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Oddsmaker: If Buckeyes, Bama win out, Ohio State is in CFP
247Sports
Ohio State currently sits at ninth in the College Football Playoff Rankings, and after a weekend of mayhem across the country last week, their chances of getting back into the playoff mix went from "unlikely" to "possible". One oddsmaker in Las Vegas ...
Continue reading...
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Oddsmaker: If Buckeyes, Bama win out, Ohio State is in CFP
247Sports
Ohio State currently sits at ninth in the College Football Playoff Rankings, and after a weekend of mayhem across the country last week, their chances of getting back into the playoff mix went from "unlikely" to "possible". One oddsmaker in Las Vegas ...
Continue reading...
LGHL I Got Five on it: Can Ohio State stay focused with The Game on deck?
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I Got Five on it: Can Ohio State stay focused with The Game on deck?
Colton Denning via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Plus, sticking with the run game, and celebrating JT Barrett’s career.
It’s been a wild two weeks for Ohio State.
After the blowout loss to Iowa, the Buckeyes responded with one of the best performances of the Urban Meyer era, beating perpetual thorn-in-the-ass Michigan State 48-3, solidifying their place at the top of the Big Ten East, and keeping their College Football Playoff hopes alive.
Things should be more calm this week, as Illinois heads to Columbus as 41-point underdogs on an eight game losing streak, with a winless conference record, and very little optimism from the fanbase.
Should be an easy win for the Buckeyes, right? Probably, but that doesn’t mean this game means nothing. There’s still plenty on the line, with it being senior day, a spot in the Big Ten title game still up for grabs, and another chance to impress the playoff committee.
With that in mind, here are five things to watch as Ohio State plays its final home game of 2017:
Staying focused with Michigan on deck
The further we get from the Iowa game, the more it looks like the biggest letdown in college football this season. After the emotional win versus Penn State, Ohio State went into Kinnick Stadium with another huge game against Michigan State on the horizon, and literally everything that could go wrong did. So, with The Game next week, can the Buckeyes avoid another letdown against Illinois?
The good news is that they might be the worst Power-5 team in the country (you don’t count, Kansas), and Ohio State hasn’t had any trouble trashing bad teams. In four games against opponents 90th or worse in S&P+, the Buckeyes have won by an average score of 57-12, and there’s really no reason to think that tomorrow should be different, other then bad weather playing a factor. If Ohio State can avoid the slow start that doomed them against Iowa, this should get out of hand pretty quick.
Sticking to the power run game
One thing —among many— Ohio State did well last week was keep the offense simple. After throwing 30 or more times in nine straight games, the Buckeyes went back to their roots, running 42 times compared to 23 passes, and featuring —surprise!— the running backs. The old school approach yielded 335 rushing yards and arguably the best offensive performance of the season. Will they stick with that formula going forward?
At its core, Ohio State is a program that runs the damn ball. As important as the passing game is, the Buckeyes are better than 98.9999999% of the college football universe when they utilize the running game that’s made them so successful under Urban Meyer.
They could probably beat Illinois by 30 running any offense, but I think it’ll say a lot about the offense’s direction for the rest of the season if they stick to what worked against Michigan State, and let J.K. Dobbins, Mike Weber and the offensive line carry the team.
Tuf Borland is the truth
Speaking of things that make Ohio State better, how about Tuf Borland at middle linebacker? With injuries keeping Jerome Baker and Dante Booker out last week, Borland wreaked havoc on Michigan State, recording 11 tackles, a sack, and another non-sack TFL. It’s clear that the defense is at its best with him on the field:
Fun with stats, knowing that stat are sometimes damn liars: By my count, with Tuf Borland in the middle for 4.5 games, OSU has surrendered just 8.4 PPG. The other 5.5 games? 28.9 PPG.
— Jeremy Birmingham (@Birm) November 13, 2017
Baker and Booker are back in the lineup, and the whole linebacker group is listed as co-starters, so how will Greg Schiano divie up playing time? Will Borland start at middle linebacker, or will Chris Worley take the majority of snaps in what is his final home game?
Worley appears to be a much better fit on the outside, where he can use his superior playmaking and speed, but its hard to imagine the staff not playing him at MLB on Senior day in favor of a freshman, no matter how good he is. Keep an eye on the linebacker rotation early on though, and how the Buckeyes perform on the snaps with Borland in the middle.
The Illibuck, I guess?
I’ll be real with you; It’s hard coming up with five things to preview about this game since Illinois is so bad, so I’m going to squeeze a #hottake in here:
The Illibuck is the worst Big Ten rivalry trophy.
We talked about it at length on this week’s podcast, and I feel like I need to reiterate it here. While other schools play for something cool, like an axe, or better yet, a pig, Ohio State is stuck playing for a wooden turtle against a school who isn’t even in their division, and quite honestly, isn’t a rival.
In an age where the internet can make The $5 Dollar Bits of Broken Chair Trophy a real thing, it’s time for Ohio State to have a better rivalry trophy with someone they play every year. /endrant
J.T. Barrett’s last game in Ohio Stadium
There are better writers who can more eloquently quantify what J.T. Barrett has meant to Ohio State than I, so here’s a few things that come to mind about Barrett’s career.
He’s set a bevy of school and conference records, and will finish his career with more awards than he’ll know what to do with. He’s the only three-time captain in school history. He has a chance at going 4-0 against Michigan, and has a 34-6 career record as a starter. He’s broken his damn ankle, taken place in a high-profile quarterback battle, been at the center of the most controversial play in school history, and has taken the brunt of criticism whenever Ohio State’s lost.
I’m not going to try and tell you how to feel about J.T. Barrett’s career. He’ll probably never be as beloved as Troy Smith, or looked upon as fondly as Craig Krenzel, and that’s OK. There’s no denying the impact he’s had on the program though, and his place as one of the best quarterbacks in program history. (And, for what it’s worth, the best, in my opinion.)
Who knows how Ohio State’s season will end. Maybe go on a miraculous run, make the College Football Playoff, and win the national championship, with Barrett cementing himself in college football history. Maybe they lose to Michigan next week, end up in the Outback Bowl, and we have to read tweets about how he actually sucked for four years.
No matter what, it’s been a pleasure watching No. 16 the last four seasons, and I know that I’ll be emotional watching him take the field in Ohio Stadium for the final time.
Continue reading...
Colton Denning via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Plus, sticking with the run game, and celebrating JT Barrett’s career.
It’s been a wild two weeks for Ohio State.
After the blowout loss to Iowa, the Buckeyes responded with one of the best performances of the Urban Meyer era, beating perpetual thorn-in-the-ass Michigan State 48-3, solidifying their place at the top of the Big Ten East, and keeping their College Football Playoff hopes alive.
Things should be more calm this week, as Illinois heads to Columbus as 41-point underdogs on an eight game losing streak, with a winless conference record, and very little optimism from the fanbase.
Should be an easy win for the Buckeyes, right? Probably, but that doesn’t mean this game means nothing. There’s still plenty on the line, with it being senior day, a spot in the Big Ten title game still up for grabs, and another chance to impress the playoff committee.
With that in mind, here are five things to watch as Ohio State plays its final home game of 2017:
Staying focused with Michigan on deck
The further we get from the Iowa game, the more it looks like the biggest letdown in college football this season. After the emotional win versus Penn State, Ohio State went into Kinnick Stadium with another huge game against Michigan State on the horizon, and literally everything that could go wrong did. So, with The Game next week, can the Buckeyes avoid another letdown against Illinois?
The good news is that they might be the worst Power-5 team in the country (you don’t count, Kansas), and Ohio State hasn’t had any trouble trashing bad teams. In four games against opponents 90th or worse in S&P+, the Buckeyes have won by an average score of 57-12, and there’s really no reason to think that tomorrow should be different, other then bad weather playing a factor. If Ohio State can avoid the slow start that doomed them against Iowa, this should get out of hand pretty quick.
Sticking to the power run game
One thing —among many— Ohio State did well last week was keep the offense simple. After throwing 30 or more times in nine straight games, the Buckeyes went back to their roots, running 42 times compared to 23 passes, and featuring —surprise!— the running backs. The old school approach yielded 335 rushing yards and arguably the best offensive performance of the season. Will they stick with that formula going forward?
At its core, Ohio State is a program that runs the damn ball. As important as the passing game is, the Buckeyes are better than 98.9999999% of the college football universe when they utilize the running game that’s made them so successful under Urban Meyer.
They could probably beat Illinois by 30 running any offense, but I think it’ll say a lot about the offense’s direction for the rest of the season if they stick to what worked against Michigan State, and let J.K. Dobbins, Mike Weber and the offensive line carry the team.
Tuf Borland is the truth
Speaking of things that make Ohio State better, how about Tuf Borland at middle linebacker? With injuries keeping Jerome Baker and Dante Booker out last week, Borland wreaked havoc on Michigan State, recording 11 tackles, a sack, and another non-sack TFL. It’s clear that the defense is at its best with him on the field:
Fun with stats, knowing that stat are sometimes damn liars: By my count, with Tuf Borland in the middle for 4.5 games, OSU has surrendered just 8.4 PPG. The other 5.5 games? 28.9 PPG.
— Jeremy Birmingham (@Birm) November 13, 2017
Baker and Booker are back in the lineup, and the whole linebacker group is listed as co-starters, so how will Greg Schiano divie up playing time? Will Borland start at middle linebacker, or will Chris Worley take the majority of snaps in what is his final home game?
Worley appears to be a much better fit on the outside, where he can use his superior playmaking and speed, but its hard to imagine the staff not playing him at MLB on Senior day in favor of a freshman, no matter how good he is. Keep an eye on the linebacker rotation early on though, and how the Buckeyes perform on the snaps with Borland in the middle.
The Illibuck, I guess?
I’ll be real with you; It’s hard coming up with five things to preview about this game since Illinois is so bad, so I’m going to squeeze a #hottake in here:
The Illibuck is the worst Big Ten rivalry trophy.
We talked about it at length on this week’s podcast, and I feel like I need to reiterate it here. While other schools play for something cool, like an axe, or better yet, a pig, Ohio State is stuck playing for a wooden turtle against a school who isn’t even in their division, and quite honestly, isn’t a rival.
In an age where the internet can make The $5 Dollar Bits of Broken Chair Trophy a real thing, it’s time for Ohio State to have a better rivalry trophy with someone they play every year. /endrant
J.T. Barrett’s last game in Ohio Stadium
There are better writers who can more eloquently quantify what J.T. Barrett has meant to Ohio State than I, so here’s a few things that come to mind about Barrett’s career.
He’s set a bevy of school and conference records, and will finish his career with more awards than he’ll know what to do with. He’s the only three-time captain in school history. He has a chance at going 4-0 against Michigan, and has a 34-6 career record as a starter. He’s broken his damn ankle, taken place in a high-profile quarterback battle, been at the center of the most controversial play in school history, and has taken the brunt of criticism whenever Ohio State’s lost.
I’m not going to try and tell you how to feel about J.T. Barrett’s career. He’ll probably never be as beloved as Troy Smith, or looked upon as fondly as Craig Krenzel, and that’s OK. There’s no denying the impact he’s had on the program though, and his place as one of the best quarterbacks in program history. (And, for what it’s worth, the best, in my opinion.)
Who knows how Ohio State’s season will end. Maybe go on a miraculous run, make the College Football Playoff, and win the national championship, with Barrett cementing himself in college football history. Maybe they lose to Michigan next week, end up in the Outback Bowl, and we have to read tweets about how he actually sucked for four years.
No matter what, it’s been a pleasure watching No. 16 the last four seasons, and I know that I’ll be emotional watching him take the field in Ohio Stadium for the final time.
Continue reading...
Google Ohio State football: Urban Meyer says Buckeyes won't look past last-place Illini - Akron...
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Ohio State football: Urban Meyer says Buckeyes won't look past last-place Illini - Akron Beacon Journal
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Ohio State football: Urban Meyer says Buckeyes won't look past last-place Illini
Akron Beacon Journal
The Buckeyes (8-2, 6-1, CFP No. 9) likely dropped out of the national championship race when they lost to Iowa. But last week's 48-3 drubbing of Michigan State has led to suggestions that the Buckeyes could climb back into the final four at the end if ...
Ohio State on course to play Wisconsin in Big Ten Championship after big win over Michigan StateThe Daily Cardinal
Ohio State Football: How the Buckeyes can clinch the Big Ten East in 2017Saturday Blitz
Michigan and Wisconsin clash in College Football's Week 12 Big Ten action, while Ohio State is a huge favoriteLand-Grant Holy Land
The Detroit News
all 120 news articles »
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via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Ohio State football: Urban Meyer says Buckeyes won't look past last-place Illini
Akron Beacon Journal
The Buckeyes (8-2, 6-1, CFP No. 9) likely dropped out of the national championship race when they lost to Iowa. But last week's 48-3 drubbing of Michigan State has led to suggestions that the Buckeyes could climb back into the final four at the end if ...
Ohio State on course to play Wisconsin in Big Ten Championship after big win over Michigan StateThe Daily Cardinal
Ohio State Football: How the Buckeyes can clinch the Big Ten East in 2017Saturday Blitz
Michigan and Wisconsin clash in College Football's Week 12 Big Ten action, while Ohio State is a huge favoriteLand-Grant Holy Land
The Detroit News
all 120 news articles »
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LGHL Michigan and Wisconsin clash in College Football’s Week 12 Big Ten action, while Ohio State...
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Michigan and Wisconsin clash in College Football’s Week 12 Big Ten action, while Ohio State is a huge favorite
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ahead of The Game next week, Michigan looks to upset Wisconsin, while Ohio State should crush Illinois.
Last week ATS: 8-5-1 (4-2-1 National, 4-3 B1G)
Season ATS: 73-76-4 (32-32-2 National, 41-45-2 B1G)
Miss out on yesterday’s national game picks? You’re in luck since you’re still able to find them here.
B1G games:
No. 24 Michigan v. No. 5 Wisconsin (-7.5) - 12:00 PM EST - FOX
Michigan’s season hasn’t gone exactly the way they planned, but at least the Wolverines have rebounded with three straight wins after losses to Michigan State and Penn State earlier this season. Freshman quarterback Brandon Peters will be making his third straight start, but hasn’t been asked to do a whole lot yet since Michigan’s running game has been going crazy in wins over Minnesota and Maryland.
Karan Higdon, Chris Evans, and a returning Ty Issac will have their work cut out for them in cracking a Wisconsin rush defense that is allowing just 81.5 yards per game on the ground. Last week the Badgers held Iowa to just 66 total yards in a 38-14 victory.
Running back Jonathan Taylor continues his strong freshman campaign, as he ran for 153 yards against the Hawkeyes, bring his total to 1,525 rushing yards this year. Taylor has rushed for over 100 yards in all but three games this year, but he could have problems against a tough Wolverine defense. Michigan will put a scare into the Badgers, but Wisconsin finds a way to stay undefeated.
Wisconsin 23, Michigan 20
Minnesota v. No. 23 Northwestern (-7.5) - 12:00 PM EST - Big Ten Network
Minnesota has a tough task ahead of them if they want to become bowl eligible in P.J. Fleck’s first season in Minneapolis. The Golden Gophers either have to beat one of the hottest teams in college football this week, or take down Wisconsin in their regular season finale next Saturday.
The Golden Gophers showed some signs of life last week, as they smoked Nebraska. Quarterback Demry Croft rushed for 183 yards and three touchdowns, and Kobe McCrary added another three rushing touchdowns.
Since losing to Penn State earlier in the year, Northwestern has rattled off five straight wins. If the Wildcats can shut down Minnesota’s rushing attack they shouldn’t have too much trouble earning their sixth win in a row. I don’t really like either side here, but since I have to pick a side, I’m a little more confident in Northwestern.
Northwestern 31, Minnesota 21
Rutgers v. Indiana (-11) - 12:00 PM EST - Big Ten Network
After making some positive gains with three conference wins, I feel like Rutgers peaked with their win against Maryland. Indiana isn’t going to demolish Rutgers quite like Penn State did last week, but the Scarlet Knights won’t be able to keep Saturday’s game within 11 points.
Much like last week against Illinois, Indiana has just enough offense to cover the point spread. Tegray Scales and the rest of the Hoosier defense won’t give up more than 14 points to a Rutgers offense that is pretty limited.
Indiana 27, Rutgers 14
Purdue v. Iowa (-8) - 3:30 PM EST - Big Ten Network
How things can completely change in just one week. After throwing up 55 points against Ohio State two weeks ago, last week Iowa only was able to record 66 total yards in a 38-14 loss to Wisconsin. The only offense for the Hawkeyes came from cornerback Josh Jackson, who returned two interceptions for touchdowns. Over the past two weeks, Jackson has five interceptions.
Purdue has an outside shot at becoming bowl eligible, but somehow they’ll need to beat Iowa this week, and then Indiana next week. With the way the Boilermakers have been playing lately, winning those two games isn’t looking likely. It’s just hard to see Purdue getting much done on offense against an Iowa defense that is very tough to crack in Iowa City.
Iowa 30, Purdue 17
Maryland v. No. 17 Michigan State (-16) - 4:00 PM EST - FOX
Despite getting injured last week against Michigan, quarterback Max Bortenschlager is expected to make the start on Saturday afternoon against the Spartans. The third-string quarterback might want to ask to sit this one out, since Sparty is going to be mad after the beating they suffered at the hands of Ohio State last week.
After coming into last week’s game as one of the best rushing defenses in the country, Ohio State gashed Michigan State for 335 yards on the ground. The Terrapins have some good running backs in Lorenzo Harrison III and Ty Johnson, but they won’t have anywhere close to the success the Buckeyes had.
It’s hard to trust the Spartans to cover such a big spread when their offense can disappear at times, but I think Michigan State will respond after what happened to them last week. Brian Lewerke had found a rhythm at quarterback before the loss to the Buckeyes, and while he won’t throw for 400 yards like he did against Northwestern and Penn State, he has a strong performance.
Michigan State 34, Maryland 14
Nebraska v. No. 10 Penn State (-27) - 4:00 PM EST - FS1
How ready must Saquon Barkley be for this game? The junior running back will likely be playing his last game at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, and will get to carve up a defense that is allowing 200 yards per game rushing on the ground. Barkley has struggled mightily of late, and while he has likely lost the Heisman Trophy, a big performance could possibly earn him an invite to New York City.
Nebraska is a mess right now. It seems like only a matter of time before Mike Riley gets canned, and it looks unlikely the Cornhuskers will have enough wins at the end of the season to become bowl eligible. After watching Minnesota destroy Nebraska last week, it’s hard to see the Cornhuskers being competitive against the Nittany Lions on Saturday.
Penn State 48, Nebraska 17
Illinois v. No. 9 Ohio State (-41) - 3:30 PM EST - ABC
Ohio State can name their own score in this game. Forty-one points might seem like a lot, but just remember the Buckeyes just beat a pretty good Michigan State squad by 45 points last week. Add in that it’s Senior Day at Ohio Stadium, and Urban Meyer will likely want to see J.T. Barrett put up some big numbers in his final game in front of the home crowd.
It’s no secret just how bad Illinois is. Over the last four games the Fighting Illini haven’t scored more than 17 points in a game. It’s hard to see Illinois getting to even 10 points on Saturday afternoon. They just have no offense at all, and their defense is pretty terrible too, so expect another game with big rushing numbers from J.K. Dobbins, Mike Weber, and the rest of the Ohio State rushing attack.
With so many moving parts in the College Football Playoff ranking, Ohio State can’t even afford to let a terrible Illinois team hang around on Saturday. Juice Williams and Rashard Mendenhall aren’t walking through that door for the Fighting Illini. Ohio State covers and adds a few more points for good measure.
Ohio State 58, Illinois 7
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Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Ahead of The Game next week, Michigan looks to upset Wisconsin, while Ohio State should crush Illinois.
Last week ATS: 8-5-1 (4-2-1 National, 4-3 B1G)
Season ATS: 73-76-4 (32-32-2 National, 41-45-2 B1G)
Miss out on yesterday’s national game picks? You’re in luck since you’re still able to find them here.
B1G games:
No. 24 Michigan v. No. 5 Wisconsin (-7.5) - 12:00 PM EST - FOX
Michigan’s season hasn’t gone exactly the way they planned, but at least the Wolverines have rebounded with three straight wins after losses to Michigan State and Penn State earlier this season. Freshman quarterback Brandon Peters will be making his third straight start, but hasn’t been asked to do a whole lot yet since Michigan’s running game has been going crazy in wins over Minnesota and Maryland.
Karan Higdon, Chris Evans, and a returning Ty Issac will have their work cut out for them in cracking a Wisconsin rush defense that is allowing just 81.5 yards per game on the ground. Last week the Badgers held Iowa to just 66 total yards in a 38-14 victory.
Running back Jonathan Taylor continues his strong freshman campaign, as he ran for 153 yards against the Hawkeyes, bring his total to 1,525 rushing yards this year. Taylor has rushed for over 100 yards in all but three games this year, but he could have problems against a tough Wolverine defense. Michigan will put a scare into the Badgers, but Wisconsin finds a way to stay undefeated.
Wisconsin 23, Michigan 20
Minnesota v. No. 23 Northwestern (-7.5) - 12:00 PM EST - Big Ten Network
Minnesota has a tough task ahead of them if they want to become bowl eligible in P.J. Fleck’s first season in Minneapolis. The Golden Gophers either have to beat one of the hottest teams in college football this week, or take down Wisconsin in their regular season finale next Saturday.
The Golden Gophers showed some signs of life last week, as they smoked Nebraska. Quarterback Demry Croft rushed for 183 yards and three touchdowns, and Kobe McCrary added another three rushing touchdowns.
Since losing to Penn State earlier in the year, Northwestern has rattled off five straight wins. If the Wildcats can shut down Minnesota’s rushing attack they shouldn’t have too much trouble earning their sixth win in a row. I don’t really like either side here, but since I have to pick a side, I’m a little more confident in Northwestern.
Northwestern 31, Minnesota 21
Rutgers v. Indiana (-11) - 12:00 PM EST - Big Ten Network
After making some positive gains with three conference wins, I feel like Rutgers peaked with their win against Maryland. Indiana isn’t going to demolish Rutgers quite like Penn State did last week, but the Scarlet Knights won’t be able to keep Saturday’s game within 11 points.
Much like last week against Illinois, Indiana has just enough offense to cover the point spread. Tegray Scales and the rest of the Hoosier defense won’t give up more than 14 points to a Rutgers offense that is pretty limited.
Indiana 27, Rutgers 14
Purdue v. Iowa (-8) - 3:30 PM EST - Big Ten Network
How things can completely change in just one week. After throwing up 55 points against Ohio State two weeks ago, last week Iowa only was able to record 66 total yards in a 38-14 loss to Wisconsin. The only offense for the Hawkeyes came from cornerback Josh Jackson, who returned two interceptions for touchdowns. Over the past two weeks, Jackson has five interceptions.
Purdue has an outside shot at becoming bowl eligible, but somehow they’ll need to beat Iowa this week, and then Indiana next week. With the way the Boilermakers have been playing lately, winning those two games isn’t looking likely. It’s just hard to see Purdue getting much done on offense against an Iowa defense that is very tough to crack in Iowa City.
Iowa 30, Purdue 17
Maryland v. No. 17 Michigan State (-16) - 4:00 PM EST - FOX
Despite getting injured last week against Michigan, quarterback Max Bortenschlager is expected to make the start on Saturday afternoon against the Spartans. The third-string quarterback might want to ask to sit this one out, since Sparty is going to be mad after the beating they suffered at the hands of Ohio State last week.
After coming into last week’s game as one of the best rushing defenses in the country, Ohio State gashed Michigan State for 335 yards on the ground. The Terrapins have some good running backs in Lorenzo Harrison III and Ty Johnson, but they won’t have anywhere close to the success the Buckeyes had.
It’s hard to trust the Spartans to cover such a big spread when their offense can disappear at times, but I think Michigan State will respond after what happened to them last week. Brian Lewerke had found a rhythm at quarterback before the loss to the Buckeyes, and while he won’t throw for 400 yards like he did against Northwestern and Penn State, he has a strong performance.
Michigan State 34, Maryland 14
Nebraska v. No. 10 Penn State (-27) - 4:00 PM EST - FS1
How ready must Saquon Barkley be for this game? The junior running back will likely be playing his last game at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, and will get to carve up a defense that is allowing 200 yards per game rushing on the ground. Barkley has struggled mightily of late, and while he has likely lost the Heisman Trophy, a big performance could possibly earn him an invite to New York City.
Nebraska is a mess right now. It seems like only a matter of time before Mike Riley gets canned, and it looks unlikely the Cornhuskers will have enough wins at the end of the season to become bowl eligible. After watching Minnesota destroy Nebraska last week, it’s hard to see the Cornhuskers being competitive against the Nittany Lions on Saturday.
Penn State 48, Nebraska 17
Illinois v. No. 9 Ohio State (-41) - 3:30 PM EST - ABC
Ohio State can name their own score in this game. Forty-one points might seem like a lot, but just remember the Buckeyes just beat a pretty good Michigan State squad by 45 points last week. Add in that it’s Senior Day at Ohio Stadium, and Urban Meyer will likely want to see J.T. Barrett put up some big numbers in his final game in front of the home crowd.
It’s no secret just how bad Illinois is. Over the last four games the Fighting Illini haven’t scored more than 17 points in a game. It’s hard to see Illinois getting to even 10 points on Saturday afternoon. They just have no offense at all, and their defense is pretty terrible too, so expect another game with big rushing numbers from J.K. Dobbins, Mike Weber, and the rest of the Ohio State rushing attack.
With so many moving parts in the College Football Playoff ranking, Ohio State can’t even afford to let a terrible Illinois team hang around on Saturday. Juice Williams and Rashard Mendenhall aren’t walking through that door for the Fighting Illini. Ohio State covers and adds a few more points for good measure.
Ohio State 58, Illinois 7
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Ohio State football: Can Buckeyes avoid emotional letdown or looking ahead to The Game?
Landof10.com
All week long, our Land of 10 reporters following the Buckeyes will address pressing questions on the minds of the Ohio State fan base with our new daily feature. To ask Austin Ward a question, follow along on Twitter and suggest a topic right here.
Musa Jallow looks like the Ohio State basketball cornerstone the Buckeyes didn't know they hadcleveland.com
Buckeyes finish strong after suspending Kaleb WessonRecord-Courier
Ohio State Basketball: Buckeyes move to 3-0 without WessonScarlet and Game
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via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Ohio State football: Can Buckeyes avoid emotional letdown or looking ahead to The Game?
Landof10.com
All week long, our Land of 10 reporters following the Buckeyes will address pressing questions on the minds of the Ohio State fan base with our new daily feature. To ask Austin Ward a question, follow along on Twitter and suggest a topic right here.
Musa Jallow looks like the Ohio State basketball cornerstone the Buckeyes didn't know they hadcleveland.com
Buckeyes finish strong after suspending Kaleb WessonRecord-Courier
Ohio State Basketball: Buckeyes move to 3-0 without WessonScarlet and Game
247Sports -Land-Grant Holy Land -The Columbus Dispatch
all 104 news articles »
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Musa Jallow looks like the Ohio State basketball cornerstone the Buckeyes didn't know they had
cleveland.com
First, he got to be the social media model for the new alternate uniforms the Buckeyes will wear next week as part of Nike's PK80 Invitational. Then he found out he'd be making his first career start. Then he filled the stat sheet with 13 points, six ...
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via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Musa Jallow looks like the Ohio State basketball cornerstone the Buckeyes didn't know they had
cleveland.com
First, he got to be the social media model for the new alternate uniforms the Buckeyes will wear next week as part of Nike's PK80 Invitational. Then he found out he'd be making his first career start. Then he filled the stat sheet with 13 points, six ...
and more »
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LGHL Ohio State vs. Illinois: Game preview, prediction and 6 things to know
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Ohio State vs. Illinois: Game preview, prediction and 6 things to know
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
After a blowout against Michigan State and ahead of a showdown with Michigan, the Buckeyes face the Illini in Columbus.
The Ohio State Buckeyes played what was, perhaps, their most complete game of the season as they routed Michigan State 48-3. It was the largest margin of victory ever in 46 iterations of the rivalry, and was Mark Dantonio’s worst loss at the helm of Michigan State. It was, quite possibly, the worst time that any team could have faced Ohio State, after Urban Meyer himself experienced the worst loss of his career at the hands of Iowa the week prior. Nothing was going to stand in the way of a Buckeye victory last week, and the squad is looking to carry that momentum forward all the way to their regular season finale next week against Michigan in Ann Arbor.
A string of upsets over the weekend--and the release of the most recent College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday--breathed new life into an Ohio State team that had all but lost hope of making the playoff for a second-straight season. Entering last weekend at No. 13 in the rankings, the dominating win over Michigan State allowed the Buckeyes to leap four spots to No. 9. While it certainly cannot be said that the Buckeyes control their own destiny, finishing the regular season strong and earning a convincing win in the Big Ten Championship game over Wisconsin would definitely get them close to another playoff berth.
As a first step toward that goal, the Buckeyes face Illinois in the 102nd edition of the historic rivalry, playing for the second-oldest trophy in the Big Ten--the famed Illibuck. Though Ohio State is currently riding a seven-game winning streak, the Illini have earned a victory as recently as 2007 under Ron Zook. Ohio State has not faced off against Illinois since 2015, when the Buckeyes took home a 28-3 win in Champaign. Such an upset does not seem likely this season, as Ohio State opened as 41-point favorites over Illinois this week.
Illinois, meanwhile, is sitting on an eight-game losing streak that, unfortunately for the Illini, probably won’t end before the conclusion of the season, as they will face No. 23 Northwestern next weekend. In the second year of his tenure, head coach Lovie Smith has led Illinois to a 5-17 overall record, with just two wins this season over Ball State and Western Kentucky.
Ohio State’s biggest advantages
Senior moments. Saturday, Ohio State will honor 19 seniors on the football team. Let’s not get emotional here, but this weekend will be the last time that J.T. Barrett plays a game in Ohio Stadium (sniff). Some may critique a handful of performances including, but not limited to, last year’s playoff loss to Clemson, Oklahoma game two of this season and Iowa only two weeks ago, but the fact remains that Barrett has been one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play at Ohio State, and he will be missed when he is gone. He holds all-time records in pretty much every major passing category, and has led some of the most prolific, high-scoring offenses in program history on his way to two berths in the College Football Playoff. Even this season, despite so much early criticism surrounding the passing attack, the Buckeyes are still averaging 44.2 points per game--good for fifth in the nation. A lot of that credit goes to Barrett.
Beyond Barrett, center Billy Price started for a program-record 51st-straight game Saturday against Michigan State. Price, along with fellow offensive lineman Jamarco Jones, will also be playing his final home game for the scarlet and grey. Tight end Marcus Baugh, a fifth-year senior, will likewise be playing his final game in Columbus. On defense, defensive end Tyquan Lewis, linebacker Chris Worley, linebacker Dante Booker, defensive end Jalyn Holmes, defensive tackle Tracy Sprinkle and safety Damon Webb will be playing for the last time in the Horseshoe. It is rare to see so many seniors stick with the program for so long
You better believe this group won’t disappoint its home crowd in this final outing. Michigan may be just around the corner, but there is something special about playing for the last time in the Horseshoe.
Gaps you could drive a truck through. The Ohio State offensive line has been great all year. Credit a number of veterans on the line, like aforementioned center Billy Price and left tackle Jamarco Jones, who have, for the most part, played the last two seasons together with right tackle Isaiah Prince and left guard Michael Jordan. Only right guard Branden Bowen was a newcomer to the starting line entering the season, but he stepped up to his role in exemplary fashion until breaking his leg in the Buckeyes’ win over Maryland. However, Demetrius Knox, consistent with the “next man up” mentality, has provided a seamless transition for the past four games.
The line has allowed just 15 sacks all season, or 1.5 per game. That mark is tied for 32nd in the NCAA (Army, incidentally, is the best in the category, allowing just one sack all season), and is a far cry from last season when the Buckeyes allowed 28 sacks through 13 games. Ohio State is also sixth nationally in tackles for loss allowed, giving up just 38 tackles for loss--and 134 yards on those losses--all season.
But what stood out beyond the extraordinary protection Saturday was the offensive line’s sheer ability to dominate up-front a defensive line that, previously, had given up just 87 yards rushing per game. The line paved the way for 335 yards rushing by the Buckeyes, headlined by J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber. Both backs went over 100 yards rushing on a team that had not allowed a 100-yard rusher all season. And the line did not just open up gaps for the running backs--it opened up gaping holes that led straight to the end zone.
Don’t bend, don’t break defense. The Ohio State defense is allowing just 310 yards per game this season, and that is including utter disasters against Oklahoma and Iowa. The defense is relentless against mediocre offenses like Maryland, Rutgers and Nebraska, with the first team giving up minimal points. The unit in particular is among the best in the country in producing negative plays, recording 27 sacks (T-23rd in the nation) and 83 tackles for loss (ninth in the country) on the season.
Michigan State’s defense has been its calling card this season, as in previous years, but Brian Lewerke and the offense have still managed to find the end zone throughout the season. The Buckeyes, however, allowed Lewerke just 131 yards passing and two interceptions. L.J. Scott, the leading rusher for the Spartans, had just 30 yards on the ground. And all that came without having linebackers Dante Booker or Jerome Baker in the lineup.
Illinois has found the end zone just 17 times this season. Nine touchdowns have come on the ground via a running back-by-committee combination of Mike Epstein, Kendrick Foster and Ra’Vonn Bonner. The Illini rank 121st in rushing offense, averaging just 108 yards per game. Their passing attack, also by committee, is not much better. The Ohio State defense should not have a problem shutting the offensive attack down.
Illinois’ biggest advantages
30-67-4. This stat may come as a shock, but, behind Michigan, Illinois has the most wins in program history against Ohio State, racking up 30 victories between 1902 and now. While historical significance does not directly translate to on-field success in the modern game, Illinois has managed some unlikely upsets of the Buckeyes. In 2007, the unranked Illini, led by quarterback Juice Williams, came to Columbus and spoiled the top-ranked Ohio State’s perfect season on senior day by a score of 28-21. The loss came just a week ahead of the Buckeyes’ matchup with a ranked Michigan squad, and ended a 28-game regular season win streak. While Ohio State did go on to play in the national championship game against LSU later that season, it took a lot of upsets ahead of them to make it happen.
Perhaps there is something about a trophy game that makes even a lopsided game competitive, but Illinois has managed to play the Buckeyes close for the Illibuck. Only the Little Brown Jug, the prize played for by Michigan and Minnesota, is older than the famed wooden turtle. For many of the early years of the Ohio State football program, prior to the establishment of Michigan as chief rival, the Buckeyes ended their season with a matchup against Illinois. While the Illibuck used to be an actual live turtle which was passed between the two schools starting in 1925, it eventually evolved into the carved wooden version fans are familiar with today.
An air of mystery. When the Ohio State defense takes the field Saturday, they could face any number of quarterbacks at the helm of the Illini offense. Illinois, 10 games into the season, has not yet settled on a starting quarterback. Junior Chayse Crouch began the season as the starter, but was phased out in favor of sophomore Jeff George, Jr. Then, as the season wore on, freshman Cam Thomas began to see more playing time. The Illini are ranked 91st nationally in passing offense, averaging just 194 yards per game through the air. In Tuesday’s Big Ten coaches teleconference, Lovie Smith relayed that he was not sure who if his three quarterbacks would see the field Saturday against the Buckeyes.
Crouch, for the most part, has transitioned to more of an H-back role. Early in the season, the junior threw for 427 yards on 41 completions for a touchdown and four picks. His 53 percent completion rate is the highest on the team. The junior has also rushed 46 times for 93 yards and one touchdown, and has caught one pass for seven yards.
George has been the go-to quarterback for the bulk of the season, completing 94 passes for 1273 yards. Unfortunately, his seven passing touchdowns came at the expense of 10 interceptions. Thomas, who has been more of a running threat, racking up 187 yards on the ground this season, has thrown for just 236 yards and three picks without scoring a touchdown.
Beyond who is doing the actual passing of the ball, they will likely be sending it the way of freshman receiver Ricky Smalling, who has racked up nearly 500 yards receiving on the season.
The hangover and the look ahead. This idea is still too fresh in the minds of Ohio State players, so it may not even be relevant to the discussion given that it has already occurred during conference play this season. After an epic comeback win over Penn State, the Buckeyes fell flat against Iowa in Kinnick Stadium in typical hangover fashion. It was disgusting to watch, frankly, as every unit that had seemed so finely tuned against the Nittany Lions fell apart in succession against the Hawkeyes.
Now, flush with a massive win over a ranked Michigan State team and looking ahead to a showdown with Michigan, Ohio State will need to remain laser-focused on the opponent at hand Saturday.
While Meyer has his locker room focused on Illinois and only Illinois, the Illini seem like the tiniest of hurdles compared to what this Ohio State team will most likely face in coming weeks: a ranked Wolverines squad, a top-10 Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship, a potential top-four playoff opponent (maybe). Illinois can take advantage as a young team with nothing to lose and everything to prove behind a coach that has years of NFL head coaching experience. No, it is not likely--ESPN is giving Illinois just 0.8 percent odds in the matchup--but the Illini’s 2007 victory didn’t seem likely either.
Summary
F/+ Projection: Ohio State 43, Illinois 11
Win Probability: Ohio State 99.2%
Ohio State showed that they are in fact a complete team against a very good Michigan State squad last week, dominating on both sides of the ball and even showing improvement on special teams.
The Illini, meanwhile, are overmatched in almost every category against the Buckeyes. With no identity at quarterback, combined with an inconsistent running game, the Ohio State defense should not struggle to get off the field.
There is a long way to go if the Buckeyes have any hope of getting back into the serious College Football Playoff talk, but this week, it has to begin with a dominant win over Illinois.
How to watch, stream, listen to Ohio State vs. Illinois:
Game time: Saturday November 18th, 3:30 PM ET
TV: ABC
Streaming: WatchESPN
Radio: 97.1 WBNS-FM
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Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
After a blowout against Michigan State and ahead of a showdown with Michigan, the Buckeyes face the Illini in Columbus.
The Ohio State Buckeyes played what was, perhaps, their most complete game of the season as they routed Michigan State 48-3. It was the largest margin of victory ever in 46 iterations of the rivalry, and was Mark Dantonio’s worst loss at the helm of Michigan State. It was, quite possibly, the worst time that any team could have faced Ohio State, after Urban Meyer himself experienced the worst loss of his career at the hands of Iowa the week prior. Nothing was going to stand in the way of a Buckeye victory last week, and the squad is looking to carry that momentum forward all the way to their regular season finale next week against Michigan in Ann Arbor.
A string of upsets over the weekend--and the release of the most recent College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday--breathed new life into an Ohio State team that had all but lost hope of making the playoff for a second-straight season. Entering last weekend at No. 13 in the rankings, the dominating win over Michigan State allowed the Buckeyes to leap four spots to No. 9. While it certainly cannot be said that the Buckeyes control their own destiny, finishing the regular season strong and earning a convincing win in the Big Ten Championship game over Wisconsin would definitely get them close to another playoff berth.
As a first step toward that goal, the Buckeyes face Illinois in the 102nd edition of the historic rivalry, playing for the second-oldest trophy in the Big Ten--the famed Illibuck. Though Ohio State is currently riding a seven-game winning streak, the Illini have earned a victory as recently as 2007 under Ron Zook. Ohio State has not faced off against Illinois since 2015, when the Buckeyes took home a 28-3 win in Champaign. Such an upset does not seem likely this season, as Ohio State opened as 41-point favorites over Illinois this week.
Illinois, meanwhile, is sitting on an eight-game losing streak that, unfortunately for the Illini, probably won’t end before the conclusion of the season, as they will face No. 23 Northwestern next weekend. In the second year of his tenure, head coach Lovie Smith has led Illinois to a 5-17 overall record, with just two wins this season over Ball State and Western Kentucky.
Ohio State’s biggest advantages
Senior moments. Saturday, Ohio State will honor 19 seniors on the football team. Let’s not get emotional here, but this weekend will be the last time that J.T. Barrett plays a game in Ohio Stadium (sniff). Some may critique a handful of performances including, but not limited to, last year’s playoff loss to Clemson, Oklahoma game two of this season and Iowa only two weeks ago, but the fact remains that Barrett has been one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play at Ohio State, and he will be missed when he is gone. He holds all-time records in pretty much every major passing category, and has led some of the most prolific, high-scoring offenses in program history on his way to two berths in the College Football Playoff. Even this season, despite so much early criticism surrounding the passing attack, the Buckeyes are still averaging 44.2 points per game--good for fifth in the nation. A lot of that credit goes to Barrett.
Beyond Barrett, center Billy Price started for a program-record 51st-straight game Saturday against Michigan State. Price, along with fellow offensive lineman Jamarco Jones, will also be playing his final home game for the scarlet and grey. Tight end Marcus Baugh, a fifth-year senior, will likewise be playing his final game in Columbus. On defense, defensive end Tyquan Lewis, linebacker Chris Worley, linebacker Dante Booker, defensive end Jalyn Holmes, defensive tackle Tracy Sprinkle and safety Damon Webb will be playing for the last time in the Horseshoe. It is rare to see so many seniors stick with the program for so long
You better believe this group won’t disappoint its home crowd in this final outing. Michigan may be just around the corner, but there is something special about playing for the last time in the Horseshoe.
Gaps you could drive a truck through. The Ohio State offensive line has been great all year. Credit a number of veterans on the line, like aforementioned center Billy Price and left tackle Jamarco Jones, who have, for the most part, played the last two seasons together with right tackle Isaiah Prince and left guard Michael Jordan. Only right guard Branden Bowen was a newcomer to the starting line entering the season, but he stepped up to his role in exemplary fashion until breaking his leg in the Buckeyes’ win over Maryland. However, Demetrius Knox, consistent with the “next man up” mentality, has provided a seamless transition for the past four games.
The line has allowed just 15 sacks all season, or 1.5 per game. That mark is tied for 32nd in the NCAA (Army, incidentally, is the best in the category, allowing just one sack all season), and is a far cry from last season when the Buckeyes allowed 28 sacks through 13 games. Ohio State is also sixth nationally in tackles for loss allowed, giving up just 38 tackles for loss--and 134 yards on those losses--all season.
But what stood out beyond the extraordinary protection Saturday was the offensive line’s sheer ability to dominate up-front a defensive line that, previously, had given up just 87 yards rushing per game. The line paved the way for 335 yards rushing by the Buckeyes, headlined by J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber. Both backs went over 100 yards rushing on a team that had not allowed a 100-yard rusher all season. And the line did not just open up gaps for the running backs--it opened up gaping holes that led straight to the end zone.
Don’t bend, don’t break defense. The Ohio State defense is allowing just 310 yards per game this season, and that is including utter disasters against Oklahoma and Iowa. The defense is relentless against mediocre offenses like Maryland, Rutgers and Nebraska, with the first team giving up minimal points. The unit in particular is among the best in the country in producing negative plays, recording 27 sacks (T-23rd in the nation) and 83 tackles for loss (ninth in the country) on the season.
Michigan State’s defense has been its calling card this season, as in previous years, but Brian Lewerke and the offense have still managed to find the end zone throughout the season. The Buckeyes, however, allowed Lewerke just 131 yards passing and two interceptions. L.J. Scott, the leading rusher for the Spartans, had just 30 yards on the ground. And all that came without having linebackers Dante Booker or Jerome Baker in the lineup.
Illinois has found the end zone just 17 times this season. Nine touchdowns have come on the ground via a running back-by-committee combination of Mike Epstein, Kendrick Foster and Ra’Vonn Bonner. The Illini rank 121st in rushing offense, averaging just 108 yards per game. Their passing attack, also by committee, is not much better. The Ohio State defense should not have a problem shutting the offensive attack down.
Illinois’ biggest advantages
30-67-4. This stat may come as a shock, but, behind Michigan, Illinois has the most wins in program history against Ohio State, racking up 30 victories between 1902 and now. While historical significance does not directly translate to on-field success in the modern game, Illinois has managed some unlikely upsets of the Buckeyes. In 2007, the unranked Illini, led by quarterback Juice Williams, came to Columbus and spoiled the top-ranked Ohio State’s perfect season on senior day by a score of 28-21. The loss came just a week ahead of the Buckeyes’ matchup with a ranked Michigan squad, and ended a 28-game regular season win streak. While Ohio State did go on to play in the national championship game against LSU later that season, it took a lot of upsets ahead of them to make it happen.
Perhaps there is something about a trophy game that makes even a lopsided game competitive, but Illinois has managed to play the Buckeyes close for the Illibuck. Only the Little Brown Jug, the prize played for by Michigan and Minnesota, is older than the famed wooden turtle. For many of the early years of the Ohio State football program, prior to the establishment of Michigan as chief rival, the Buckeyes ended their season with a matchup against Illinois. While the Illibuck used to be an actual live turtle which was passed between the two schools starting in 1925, it eventually evolved into the carved wooden version fans are familiar with today.
An air of mystery. When the Ohio State defense takes the field Saturday, they could face any number of quarterbacks at the helm of the Illini offense. Illinois, 10 games into the season, has not yet settled on a starting quarterback. Junior Chayse Crouch began the season as the starter, but was phased out in favor of sophomore Jeff George, Jr. Then, as the season wore on, freshman Cam Thomas began to see more playing time. The Illini are ranked 91st nationally in passing offense, averaging just 194 yards per game through the air. In Tuesday’s Big Ten coaches teleconference, Lovie Smith relayed that he was not sure who if his three quarterbacks would see the field Saturday against the Buckeyes.
Crouch, for the most part, has transitioned to more of an H-back role. Early in the season, the junior threw for 427 yards on 41 completions for a touchdown and four picks. His 53 percent completion rate is the highest on the team. The junior has also rushed 46 times for 93 yards and one touchdown, and has caught one pass for seven yards.
George has been the go-to quarterback for the bulk of the season, completing 94 passes for 1273 yards. Unfortunately, his seven passing touchdowns came at the expense of 10 interceptions. Thomas, who has been more of a running threat, racking up 187 yards on the ground this season, has thrown for just 236 yards and three picks without scoring a touchdown.
Beyond who is doing the actual passing of the ball, they will likely be sending it the way of freshman receiver Ricky Smalling, who has racked up nearly 500 yards receiving on the season.
The hangover and the look ahead. This idea is still too fresh in the minds of Ohio State players, so it may not even be relevant to the discussion given that it has already occurred during conference play this season. After an epic comeback win over Penn State, the Buckeyes fell flat against Iowa in Kinnick Stadium in typical hangover fashion. It was disgusting to watch, frankly, as every unit that had seemed so finely tuned against the Nittany Lions fell apart in succession against the Hawkeyes.
Now, flush with a massive win over a ranked Michigan State team and looking ahead to a showdown with Michigan, Ohio State will need to remain laser-focused on the opponent at hand Saturday.
While Meyer has his locker room focused on Illinois and only Illinois, the Illini seem like the tiniest of hurdles compared to what this Ohio State team will most likely face in coming weeks: a ranked Wolverines squad, a top-10 Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship, a potential top-four playoff opponent (maybe). Illinois can take advantage as a young team with nothing to lose and everything to prove behind a coach that has years of NFL head coaching experience. No, it is not likely--ESPN is giving Illinois just 0.8 percent odds in the matchup--but the Illini’s 2007 victory didn’t seem likely either.
Summary
F/+ Projection: Ohio State 43, Illinois 11
Win Probability: Ohio State 99.2%
Ohio State showed that they are in fact a complete team against a very good Michigan State squad last week, dominating on both sides of the ball and even showing improvement on special teams.
The Illini, meanwhile, are overmatched in almost every category against the Buckeyes. With no identity at quarterback, combined with an inconsistent running game, the Ohio State defense should not struggle to get off the field.
There is a long way to go if the Buckeyes have any hope of getting back into the serious College Football Playoff talk, but this week, it has to begin with a dominant win over Illinois.
How to watch, stream, listen to Ohio State vs. Illinois:
Game time: Saturday November 18th, 3:30 PM ET
TV: ABC
Streaming: WatchESPN
Radio: 97.1 WBNS-FM
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Google Buckeyes finish strong after suspending Kaleb Wesson - Record-Courier
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Buckeyes finish strong after suspending Kaleb Wesson - Record-Courier
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Buckeyes finish strong after suspending Kaleb Wesson
Record-Courier
With freshman center Kaleb Wesson suspended for a failure to meet team expectations and underdog Texas Southern within two points in the final moments of the second half, the Buckeyes answered with a 13-0 run and closed out the Tigers 82-64.
Ohio State: Buckeyes up for national football awards; basketball team rallies past Texas SouthernLandof10.com
Kaleb Wesson suspended for Ohio State's game vs. Texas Southern ...cleveland.com
Ohio State Basketball: Buckeyes move to 3-0 without WessonScarlet and Game
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Buckeyes finish strong after suspending Kaleb Wesson
Record-Courier
With freshman center Kaleb Wesson suspended for a failure to meet team expectations and underdog Texas Southern within two points in the final moments of the second half, the Buckeyes answered with a 13-0 run and closed out the Tigers 82-64.
Ohio State: Buckeyes up for national football awards; basketball team rallies past Texas SouthernLandof10.com
Kaleb Wesson suspended for Ohio State's game vs. Texas Southern ...cleveland.com
Ohio State Basketball: Buckeyes move to 3-0 without WessonScarlet and Game
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Ohio State: Buckeyes up for national football awards; basketball team rallies past Texas Southern
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Ohio State football is the No. 1 topic in Wake Up Sloopy every day — but we cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Ohio State football, recruiting, ...
Kaleb Wesson suspended for Ohio State's game vs. Texas Southern ...cleveland.com
Men's basketball | Buckeyes finish strong after suspending Kaleb WessonThe Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State Basketball: Buckeyes move to 3-0 without WessonScarlet and Game
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Ohio State: Buckeyes up for national football awards; basketball team rallies past Texas Southern
Landof10.com
Ohio State football is the No. 1 topic in Wake Up Sloopy every day — but we cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Ohio State football, recruiting, ...
Kaleb Wesson suspended for Ohio State's game vs. Texas Southern ...cleveland.com
Men's basketball | Buckeyes finish strong after suspending Kaleb WessonThe Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State Basketball: Buckeyes move to 3-0 without WessonScarlet and Game
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Ohio State seniors on their favorite thing about playing for the Buckeyes - cleveland.com
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Ohio State seniors on their favorite thing about playing for the Buckeyes
cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Nineteen seniors will take part in Ohio State's Senior Day before the Buckeyes host Illinois at 3:30 on Saturday. Eleven of those Buckeyes are active members of the team who arrived on scholarship. Of those 11, nine are regular ...
Ohio State isn't being unfairly targeted, but targeting rule needs to be fixedLandof10.com
Highlights from the Urban Meyer Show: OSU has to win Illibuck247Sports
Ohio State's Price establishes new school record with 51st straight startMartins Ferry Times Leader
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Ohio State seniors on their favorite thing about playing for the Buckeyes
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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Nineteen seniors will take part in Ohio State's Senior Day before the Buckeyes host Illinois at 3:30 on Saturday. Eleven of those Buckeyes are active members of the team who arrived on scholarship. Of those 11, nine are regular ...
Ohio State isn't being unfairly targeted, but targeting rule needs to be fixedLandof10.com
Highlights from the Urban Meyer Show: OSU has to win Illibuck247Sports
Ohio State's Price establishes new school record with 51st straight startMartins Ferry Times Leader
Eleven Warriors
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LGHL Ohio State looks to beef up its all-star defensive line
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Ohio State looks to beef up its all-star defensive line
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The Buckeyes may have the next great DL headed to Columbus
Last Saturday, the Buckeyes looked like the team fans had been expecting since day one of the 2017 season. A team that at times is a roller-coaster of emotions put together maybe its most complete game on both sides of the ball all season. When a heated match-up against a stingy Michigan State team leads to a 48-3 trouncing, that’s the type of result that obviously everyone is happy with.
Coming off of arguably the worst performance in the Meyer era thanks to Iowa, Buckeye fans may have been on one or two sides of thinking: either they’re going to play flat and continue the skid, or the loss at Iowa will wake the masses and force this squad to play as angry and as dominantly as possible. With Illinois traveling to town, Urban Meyer and his staff will hope for the second type of performance from the team, as they do still control their own destiny in the Big Ten East with a trip to Indianapolis on the line. As always, when the Buckeyes are hot, so is their recruiting trail. This week of course has been no different.
Let’s try this one again please
It feels like just yesterday we were watching class of 2016 stud Antwuan Jackson Jr. spurn Ohio State fans and choose Auburn as the college of his choice. The missing link in a chain known as the inability for the Buckeyes to sign an elite defensive tackle continued as Jackson was set to head to Auburn, staying in the south. But fast forward to present day, and any true Ohio State recruiting fanatic can tell you what has gone on here with Jackson.
After his Auburn selection, we know things didn’t go quite as planned. With his decision to transfer, the Tigers decided to low-ball Jackson and block a transfer request to Ohio State, seemingly his runner-up in the original recruiting process. Why? Nobody truly knows, but thankfully, Jackson chose to take the JUCO route as he enrolled at Blinn College and dominated on the scene all season for the Buccaneers. With this domination, Jackson began to see the recruitment take off for a second time when once again Ohio State offered him to be a part of their class just two seasons later. This time, the relationship between Antwaun and Ohio State stuck as he committed to the Buckeyes on September 12.
Grateful to be in this position I️ am in
️ #OhioState #BuckeyeNation 
️ pic.twitter.com/N9wW6Vc3ip
—
️Antwuan Jackson️ (@Hercules__52) November 16, 2017
Things weren’t derailed by any means, but an October visit to Alabama had fans a little worried that maybe they’d be left behind yet again concerning Jackson, but with 5-star IMG Academy stud Taron Vincent already in the fold for the 2018 class at defensive tackle, the addition of Antwuan is just the icing on the cake. Loading up in the trenches is a goal for this Ohio State program and the best news is Jackson knows he’s coming soon. The road may have been a little bumpy, but this one seems meant to be, as finally Antwuan Jackson Jr. will be suiting up as an Ohio State Buckeye.
Will it be enough?
Let’s stay with the hot topic and keep things on the defensive line. It’s no secret how vital it is to keep the best talent in Ohio within the border and get them to Columbus for their collegiate careers. Especially with how well this staff recruits nationally, it’s almost a do-or-die situation if an in-state kid goes elsewhere, knowing how important it is for Ohio prep stars to become Buckeyes historically.
Consider Cleveland native Tyreke Smith and you have a scenario that Buckeye fans would think is all but a done deal. Unfortunately, this deal isn’t even close to done. The Cleveland Heights product is ranked currently as the fourth-best weak-side defensive end in the country. Not only is he the third-best prospect in the loaded state of Ohio, but he also checks in as the 62nd-best prospect in the country, giving him a more than well deserved 4-star ranking.
Smith's nearly 40 scholarship offers just further prove how good he really is. The scary part? It was originally thought that Tyreke would follow the basketball route concerning college. The athleticism and potential in Smith hasn’t gone unnoticed by nearly anyone and that of course includes Ohio State.
For some time now the Penn State Nittany Lions were thought to have been in the driver’s seat for Smith, and that doesn’t sit well with anyone in Ohio. Fortunately, a visit for the epic Penn State game at Ohio Stadium just two weeks ago gave Smith the opportunity to see Buckeye Nation in its prime which ultimately gave Ohio State the chance to make up some serious ground on James Franklin and Happy Valley. Smith does have a visit to Oregon planned for November 25, but his official visit to Penn State just days later on December 8 pretty much cements this recruitment as a two team race with the Buckeyes and Penn State.
Yesterday, Smith once again told his followers via Twitter that his decision is looming and January 4 is the date where it will all be said and done. Will the Buckeyes be able to make up the lost ground for this in-state prize? Urban Meyer and fans across Ohio will keep their hopes alive because losing a talent of this caliber to a rival conference foe is just unacceptable.
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Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The Buckeyes may have the next great DL headed to Columbus
Last Saturday, the Buckeyes looked like the team fans had been expecting since day one of the 2017 season. A team that at times is a roller-coaster of emotions put together maybe its most complete game on both sides of the ball all season. When a heated match-up against a stingy Michigan State team leads to a 48-3 trouncing, that’s the type of result that obviously everyone is happy with.
Coming off of arguably the worst performance in the Meyer era thanks to Iowa, Buckeye fans may have been on one or two sides of thinking: either they’re going to play flat and continue the skid, or the loss at Iowa will wake the masses and force this squad to play as angry and as dominantly as possible. With Illinois traveling to town, Urban Meyer and his staff will hope for the second type of performance from the team, as they do still control their own destiny in the Big Ten East with a trip to Indianapolis on the line. As always, when the Buckeyes are hot, so is their recruiting trail. This week of course has been no different.
Let’s try this one again please
It feels like just yesterday we were watching class of 2016 stud Antwuan Jackson Jr. spurn Ohio State fans and choose Auburn as the college of his choice. The missing link in a chain known as the inability for the Buckeyes to sign an elite defensive tackle continued as Jackson was set to head to Auburn, staying in the south. But fast forward to present day, and any true Ohio State recruiting fanatic can tell you what has gone on here with Jackson.
After his Auburn selection, we know things didn’t go quite as planned. With his decision to transfer, the Tigers decided to low-ball Jackson and block a transfer request to Ohio State, seemingly his runner-up in the original recruiting process. Why? Nobody truly knows, but thankfully, Jackson chose to take the JUCO route as he enrolled at Blinn College and dominated on the scene all season for the Buccaneers. With this domination, Jackson began to see the recruitment take off for a second time when once again Ohio State offered him to be a part of their class just two seasons later. This time, the relationship between Antwaun and Ohio State stuck as he committed to the Buckeyes on September 12.
Grateful to be in this position I️ am in
️ #OhioState #BuckeyeNation ️ pic.twitter.com/N9wW6Vc3ip—
️Antwuan Jackson️ (@Hercules__52) November 16, 2017Things weren’t derailed by any means, but an October visit to Alabama had fans a little worried that maybe they’d be left behind yet again concerning Jackson, but with 5-star IMG Academy stud Taron Vincent already in the fold for the 2018 class at defensive tackle, the addition of Antwuan is just the icing on the cake. Loading up in the trenches is a goal for this Ohio State program and the best news is Jackson knows he’s coming soon. The road may have been a little bumpy, but this one seems meant to be, as finally Antwuan Jackson Jr. will be suiting up as an Ohio State Buckeye.
Will it be enough?
Let’s stay with the hot topic and keep things on the defensive line. It’s no secret how vital it is to keep the best talent in Ohio within the border and get them to Columbus for their collegiate careers. Especially with how well this staff recruits nationally, it’s almost a do-or-die situation if an in-state kid goes elsewhere, knowing how important it is for Ohio prep stars to become Buckeyes historically.
Consider Cleveland native Tyreke Smith and you have a scenario that Buckeye fans would think is all but a done deal. Unfortunately, this deal isn’t even close to done. The Cleveland Heights product is ranked currently as the fourth-best weak-side defensive end in the country. Not only is he the third-best prospect in the loaded state of Ohio, but he also checks in as the 62nd-best prospect in the country, giving him a more than well deserved 4-star ranking.
Smith's nearly 40 scholarship offers just further prove how good he really is. The scary part? It was originally thought that Tyreke would follow the basketball route concerning college. The athleticism and potential in Smith hasn’t gone unnoticed by nearly anyone and that of course includes Ohio State.
For some time now the Penn State Nittany Lions were thought to have been in the driver’s seat for Smith, and that doesn’t sit well with anyone in Ohio. Fortunately, a visit for the epic Penn State game at Ohio Stadium just two weeks ago gave Smith the opportunity to see Buckeye Nation in its prime which ultimately gave Ohio State the chance to make up some serious ground on James Franklin and Happy Valley. Smith does have a visit to Oregon planned for November 25, but his official visit to Penn State just days later on December 8 pretty much cements this recruitment as a two team race with the Buckeyes and Penn State.
Yesterday, Smith once again told his followers via Twitter that his decision is looming and January 4 is the date where it will all be said and done. Will the Buckeyes be able to make up the lost ground for this in-state prize? Urban Meyer and fans across Ohio will keep their hopes alive because losing a talent of this caliber to a rival conference foe is just unacceptable.
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Google Buckeyes, Hornets meet in regional final - Athens Messenger
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Buckeyes, Hornets meet in regional final - Athens Messenger
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Buckeyes, Hornets meet in regional final
Athens Messenger
Nelsonville-York's Keegan Wilburn (left) and Shakim Williams (right) celebrate after a touchdown in a Division VI quarterfinal game against Shadyside. The Buckeyes travel to Jackson on Friday to face Dawson-Bryant in a Region 23 championship game.
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via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Buckeyes, Hornets meet in regional final
Athens Messenger
Nelsonville-York's Keegan Wilburn (left) and Shakim Williams (right) celebrate after a touchdown in a Division VI quarterfinal game against Shadyside. The Buckeyes travel to Jackson on Friday to face Dawson-Bryant in a Region 23 championship game.
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Google No. 11 Ohio State wallops No. 16 Michigan State - USA TODAY
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No. 11 Ohio State wallops No. 16 Michigan State - USA TODAY
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No. 11 Ohio State wallops No. 16 Michigan State
USA TODAY
Ohio State outgained Michigan State 524-195, and a Buckeyes defense that was smoked by unranked Iowa in the 55-24 loss limited Michigan State quarterback Brian Lewerke — who threw for 445 yards last week against Penn State — to 131 yards and ...
Ohio State football: Buckeyes gain votes in Land of 10 Power PollLandof10.com
Spartans incur 'meltdown,' bulldozed by BuckeyesThe Detroit News
Ohio State Buckeyes played like a top-four team again: Podcastcleveland.com
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No. 11 Ohio State wallops No. 16 Michigan State
USA TODAY
Ohio State outgained Michigan State 524-195, and a Buckeyes defense that was smoked by unranked Iowa in the 55-24 loss limited Michigan State quarterback Brian Lewerke — who threw for 445 yards last week against Penn State — to 131 yards and ...
Ohio State football: Buckeyes gain votes in Land of 10 Power PollLandof10.com
Spartans incur 'meltdown,' bulldozed by BuckeyesThe Detroit News
Ohio State Buckeyes played like a top-four team again: Podcastcleveland.com
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Hoosiers to battle Buckeyes at Dayton - Harnesslink
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Hoosiers to battle Buckeyes at Dayton
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DAYTON, OH. - With the Hoosier Park live harness racing season about to end and Hollywood Dayton Raceway's season in full swing through December 30, excitement is beginning to build in anticipation of the third annual "Hoosiers vs. Buckeyes Harness ...
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Hoosiers to battle Buckeyes at Dayton
Harnesslink
DAYTON, OH. - With the Hoosier Park live harness racing season about to end and Hollywood Dayton Raceway's season in full swing through December 30, excitement is beginning to build in anticipation of the third annual "Hoosiers vs. Buckeyes Harness ...
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Google Ohio State recruiting: Buckeyes offer Shocky Jacques-Louis, third visit coming for Michael...
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Ohio State recruiting: Buckeyes offer Shocky Jacques-Louis, third visit coming for Michael Tarquin
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Well, because Michael Tarquin is pretty serious about his interest in the Buckeyes. Oh, and because this weekend Mother Nature will drop temperatures and freezing rain in Ohio Stadium, and believe it or not, the 6-foot-5, 290-pound Tarquin and his ...
Ohio State Offers Former Tennessee Commit Shocky Jacques-Louis While Florida Offensive Tackle Michael Tarquin ...Eleven Warriors
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Ohio State recruiting: Buckeyes offer Shocky Jacques-Louis, third visit coming for Michael Tarquin
Landof10.com
Well, because Michael Tarquin is pretty serious about his interest in the Buckeyes. Oh, and because this weekend Mother Nature will drop temperatures and freezing rain in Ohio Stadium, and believe it or not, the 6-foot-5, 290-pound Tarquin and his ...
Ohio State Offers Former Tennessee Commit Shocky Jacques-Louis While Florida Offensive Tackle Michael Tarquin ...Eleven Warriors
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BTN Ohio State pulls away from Texas Southern, 82-64
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Ohio State pulls away from Texas Southern, 82-64
Alex Roux, BTN.com editor via Big Ten Network
Ohio State improved to 3-0 Thursday with an 82-64 win over Texas Southern at Value City Arena.
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Alex Roux, BTN.com editor via Big Ten Network
Ohio State improved to 3-0 Thursday with an 82-64 win over Texas Southern at Value City Arena.
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LGHL Four Buckeyes in double-digits propel Ohio State past Texas Southern, 82-64
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Four Buckeyes in double-digits propel Ohio State past Texas Southern, 82-64
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The Buckeyes move to 3-0 on the season.
The Ohio State Buckeyes men’s basketball team continued their early season run with a win over Texas Southern Thursday night, moving to 3-0 and keeping an unbeaten record for first-year head coach Chris Holtmann.
Jae’Sean Tate, Keita Bates-Diop and Micah Potter all scored 17 points, with freshman Musa Jallow adding 13, to give the Buckeyes their third-straight win to open the season. Ohio State finished the game shooting 46 percent from the field, including 32 percent from three-point range. Bates-Diop also led the Buckeyes in rebounding, pulling down a dozen on the night to earn his third-straight double-double.
With the win, the Buckeyes move to 7-0 against teams from the SWAC.
Here’s a recap of the win.
After winning the opening tip, Texas Southern, who was playing without their top-scorer, sophomore guard Demontrae Jefferson, opened up scoring on a quick alley-oop from junior center Trayvon Reed. But after a foul, Ohio State tied things back up from the free throw line. Texas Southern bounced right back with a three-point shot from senior guard Donte Clark.
Jae’Sean Tate quickly hit a two, and a three-point shot by Keita Bates-Diop gave the Buckeyes their first lead of the night.
Things remained 7-7 for a while, until Tate made a layup to put the Buckeyes up two. A three-pointer from Robert Lewis gave the Tigers a one-point lead. Freshman guard Musa Jallow, who earned his first start tonight, answered with a three of his own from the corner to swing things back in favor of Ohio State 12-10--a lead they would not relinquish the entire game. Bates-Diop then split defenders down low for a two-pointer to put the Buckeyes up four. In under eight minutes, the junior forward scored five points, pulled down five rebounds and had one block to dominate Ohio State’s early run as the Tigers were held scoreless for more than five minutes.
Texas Southern, meanwhile, got into foul trouble early, committing six team fouls in the first eight minutes, forcing the Tigers to put two starters on the bench. The Tigers also committed a number of turnovers during their scoring drought which helped pad the Buckeyes’ lead.
Jallow hit his second three of the game midway through the half to put the Buckeyes up seven before junior guard Derrick Bruce broke the Tigers’ five-minute scoring drought. After a foul, Bruce went 2-for-2 from the line to pull the Tigers within two. After a missed three, Jallow moved inside to grab the rebound and dunk to put the Buckeyes up 19-15. Tate then hit a quick two on an assist from junior guard C.J. Jackson before Jackson himself added a three of his own to stretch the Buckeyes’ lead to nine. The Buckeyes continued their run until senior forward Lamont Walker broke the 11-point run by the Buckeyes with a two-pointer with just over five minutes remaining in the half.
A quick two by sophomore center Micah Potter helped to rebound the offense in favor of Ohio State. Kam Williams, who came off the bench, hit his first three of the game to put the Buckeyes up 16. Guard Andrew Dakich, grad transfer from Michigan, hit five quick points as the Buckeyes traded points with the Tigers.
After a series of fouls late in the half, Texas Southern began to chip into the Buckeyes’ lead, narrowing Ohio State’s lead to 11. But a foul by the Tigers on Potter gave the Buckeyes two free throws and a 13-point advantage heading into halftime.
Despite starting off slow, shooting 4-of-12 from the floor, the Buckeyes finished the first half shooting 46 percent as the offense settled in against the Tigers’ zone defense. Ohio State also hit three three-pointers, led by Jallow, who had 10 first-half points. Clark led Texas Southern in scoring with nine points and five rebounds.
Texas Southern shot under 30 percent during the first half. The Tigers made up for it with perfect, 10-for-10 shooting from the free throw line, and wound up being out-fouled by Ohio State by a 10-8 mark. Ohio State out-rebounded the Tigers 22-16, including seven offensive rebounds. Bates-Diop led in the category, with seven first-half rebounds. Ohio State also led the first half with nine assists to the Tigers’ four.
Texas Southern opened the second half with a block of Tate, following the next possession with a dunk by Bruce. The teams traded points before Bates-Diop hit a three-point jumper to put the Buckeyes back up 14 early in the second half. After a 7-0 run by Ohio State, Reed managed two dunks to bring the score to 51-37. Sophomore Andre Wesson hit his first points of the game six minutes into the half on an offensive rebound, but committed a foul giving Clark two free throws on the next possession.
More fouls and free throws and, finally, a layup by senior forward Kevin Scott, who had been held scoreless in the first half, pulled the Tigers within nine as Texas Southern held an 8-0 run. Bates-Diop, who hadn’t had a touch in several minutes, finally hit a three-pointer to end the drought. Lewis answered with a three of his own to narrow the lead back to nine. Five points by Clark brought the Tigers within four before Tate slowed things down with a dunk, assisted by Jackson.
However, a three by Lewis pulled the Tigers within two, bringing the score to 59-57. In a quick transition, Tate found Potter for two points. A block by Jallow on the subsequent possession gave the Buckeyes the ball again with a quick-score opportunity. A foul by Lewis gave two free throws to Potter to give the Buckeyes some breathing room, up six. Bates-Diop and Jackson, after two defensive stops, each scored to bring the Ohio State lead to double digits. An 11-0 run by the Buckeyes helped to seal the deal for the win late in the second half.
Donte Clark led the Tigers in scoring and rebounds with 17 points and 7 rebounds on the night.
Up next, the Buckeyes face the 2-0 Northeastern Huskies Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.
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Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The Buckeyes move to 3-0 on the season.
The Ohio State Buckeyes men’s basketball team continued their early season run with a win over Texas Southern Thursday night, moving to 3-0 and keeping an unbeaten record for first-year head coach Chris Holtmann.
Jae’Sean Tate, Keita Bates-Diop and Micah Potter all scored 17 points, with freshman Musa Jallow adding 13, to give the Buckeyes their third-straight win to open the season. Ohio State finished the game shooting 46 percent from the field, including 32 percent from three-point range. Bates-Diop also led the Buckeyes in rebounding, pulling down a dozen on the night to earn his third-straight double-double.
With the win, the Buckeyes move to 7-0 against teams from the SWAC.
Here’s a recap of the win.
After winning the opening tip, Texas Southern, who was playing without their top-scorer, sophomore guard Demontrae Jefferson, opened up scoring on a quick alley-oop from junior center Trayvon Reed. But after a foul, Ohio State tied things back up from the free throw line. Texas Southern bounced right back with a three-point shot from senior guard Donte Clark.
Jae’Sean Tate quickly hit a two, and a three-point shot by Keita Bates-Diop gave the Buckeyes their first lead of the night.
Things remained 7-7 for a while, until Tate made a layup to put the Buckeyes up two. A three-pointer from Robert Lewis gave the Tigers a one-point lead. Freshman guard Musa Jallow, who earned his first start tonight, answered with a three of his own from the corner to swing things back in favor of Ohio State 12-10--a lead they would not relinquish the entire game. Bates-Diop then split defenders down low for a two-pointer to put the Buckeyes up four. In under eight minutes, the junior forward scored five points, pulled down five rebounds and had one block to dominate Ohio State’s early run as the Tigers were held scoreless for more than five minutes.
Texas Southern, meanwhile, got into foul trouble early, committing six team fouls in the first eight minutes, forcing the Tigers to put two starters on the bench. The Tigers also committed a number of turnovers during their scoring drought which helped pad the Buckeyes’ lead.
Jallow hit his second three of the game midway through the half to put the Buckeyes up seven before junior guard Derrick Bruce broke the Tigers’ five-minute scoring drought. After a foul, Bruce went 2-for-2 from the line to pull the Tigers within two. After a missed three, Jallow moved inside to grab the rebound and dunk to put the Buckeyes up 19-15. Tate then hit a quick two on an assist from junior guard C.J. Jackson before Jackson himself added a three of his own to stretch the Buckeyes’ lead to nine. The Buckeyes continued their run until senior forward Lamont Walker broke the 11-point run by the Buckeyes with a two-pointer with just over five minutes remaining in the half.
A quick two by sophomore center Micah Potter helped to rebound the offense in favor of Ohio State. Kam Williams, who came off the bench, hit his first three of the game to put the Buckeyes up 16. Guard Andrew Dakich, grad transfer from Michigan, hit five quick points as the Buckeyes traded points with the Tigers.
After a series of fouls late in the half, Texas Southern began to chip into the Buckeyes’ lead, narrowing Ohio State’s lead to 11. But a foul by the Tigers on Potter gave the Buckeyes two free throws and a 13-point advantage heading into halftime.
Despite starting off slow, shooting 4-of-12 from the floor, the Buckeyes finished the first half shooting 46 percent as the offense settled in against the Tigers’ zone defense. Ohio State also hit three three-pointers, led by Jallow, who had 10 first-half points. Clark led Texas Southern in scoring with nine points and five rebounds.
Texas Southern shot under 30 percent during the first half. The Tigers made up for it with perfect, 10-for-10 shooting from the free throw line, and wound up being out-fouled by Ohio State by a 10-8 mark. Ohio State out-rebounded the Tigers 22-16, including seven offensive rebounds. Bates-Diop led in the category, with seven first-half rebounds. Ohio State also led the first half with nine assists to the Tigers’ four.
Texas Southern opened the second half with a block of Tate, following the next possession with a dunk by Bruce. The teams traded points before Bates-Diop hit a three-point jumper to put the Buckeyes back up 14 early in the second half. After a 7-0 run by Ohio State, Reed managed two dunks to bring the score to 51-37. Sophomore Andre Wesson hit his first points of the game six minutes into the half on an offensive rebound, but committed a foul giving Clark two free throws on the next possession.
More fouls and free throws and, finally, a layup by senior forward Kevin Scott, who had been held scoreless in the first half, pulled the Tigers within nine as Texas Southern held an 8-0 run. Bates-Diop, who hadn’t had a touch in several minutes, finally hit a three-pointer to end the drought. Lewis answered with a three of his own to narrow the lead back to nine. Five points by Clark brought the Tigers within four before Tate slowed things down with a dunk, assisted by Jackson.
However, a three by Lewis pulled the Tigers within two, bringing the score to 59-57. In a quick transition, Tate found Potter for two points. A block by Jallow on the subsequent possession gave the Buckeyes the ball again with a quick-score opportunity. A foul by Lewis gave two free throws to Potter to give the Buckeyes some breathing room, up six. Bates-Diop and Jackson, after two defensive stops, each scored to bring the Ohio State lead to double digits. An 11-0 run by the Buckeyes helped to seal the deal for the win late in the second half.
Donte Clark led the Tigers in scoring and rebounds with 17 points and 7 rebounds on the night.
Up next, the Buckeyes face the 2-0 Northeastern Huskies Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.
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Four Buckeyes in double-digits propel Ohio State past Texas Southern, 82-64 - Land-Grant Holy Land
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Four Buckeyes in double-digits propel Ohio State past Texas Southern, 82-64
Land-Grant Holy Land
The Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team continued their early season run with a win over Texas Southern Thursday night, moving to 3-0 and keeping an unbeaten record for first-year head coach Chris Holtmann. Jae'Sean Tate, Keita Bates-Diop and ...
Kaleb Wesson suspended for Ohio State's game vs. Texas Southern: Buckeyes basketball newscleveland.com
Men's basketball | Buckeyes finish strong after suspending Kaleb WessonThe Columbus Dispatch
Buckeyes handle adversity, turn back upset-minded Texas Southern247Sports
Eleven Warriors -OSU - The Lantern -Scout
all 21 news articles »
Continue reading...
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Four Buckeyes in double-digits propel Ohio State past Texas Southern, 82-64
Land-Grant Holy Land
The Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team continued their early season run with a win over Texas Southern Thursday night, moving to 3-0 and keeping an unbeaten record for first-year head coach Chris Holtmann. Jae'Sean Tate, Keita Bates-Diop and ...
Kaleb Wesson suspended for Ohio State's game vs. Texas Southern: Buckeyes basketball newscleveland.com
Men's basketball | Buckeyes finish strong after suspending Kaleb WessonThe Columbus Dispatch
Buckeyes handle adversity, turn back upset-minded Texas Southern247Sports
Eleven Warriors -OSU - The Lantern -Scout
all 21 news articles »
Continue reading...
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