Ohio State Buckeyes Players Suspended By NCAA After Kneeling For National Anthem Is Fake News - Business 2 Community
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State Buckeyes Players Suspended By NCAA After Kneeling For National Anthem Is Fake News
Business 2 Community
Four players from Ohio State Buckeyes being suspended by the NCAA for kneeling during the National Anthem is fake news. there is no truth to a story that Buckeyes were suspending as they participated in the kneeling of the National Anthem much like NFL ...

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BH: Still missing point | Second fiddle(s) - 247Sports
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BH: Still missing point | Second fiddle(s)
247Sports
One of the big storylines from the Buckeyes' game Saturday was Dwayne Haskins replacing J.T. Barrett at quarterback 'rather' than Joe Burrow, who entered late for a possession. One of our team sources that spends a good amount of time around the Woody ...

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Pass-interference penalties plague Buckeyes - MyDaytonDailyNews
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Pass-interference penalties plague Buckeyes
MyDaytonDailyNews
Tougher games await in October and November for Ohio State, but if this season was a water park, the Buckeyes would be floating down the lazy river right now with few cares in the world. They'll be a big favorite as well when they return to Ohio ...
Buckeyes drop to No. 11The News Center
2 Ohio State players high-fived during a passing route, but there's an actual football reason whySB Nation
Ohio State Buckeyes in the NFL (Week 3)OSU - The Lantern
Landof10.com -247Sports -cleveland.com
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Dienhart: Best of 2017 non-conference play … with one peek ahead
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

The non-conference season is over. Well, there is one more non-league game, as Charleston Southern plays at Indiana in October. Still, essentially, non-conference season is finished for Big Ten squads, and here's Tom Dienhart's best of the non-con season.

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Ohio State releases depth chart for Week 5 against Rutgers
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


With some injury news earlier this week, the roster looks a little different for Saturday.

After putting on a clinic against UNLV, Ohio State is heading into their main slate of conference games on Saturday. The Buckeyes will face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and their super familiar head coach Chris Ash. Despite winning 54-21 against the Rebels, the Buckeyes dropped one spot in the AP Poll, losing their Top-10 ranking for the first time in years.

Now, as they prepare to hit the road for their second away game of the season, they’ll be without Malik Barrow after the DT tore his ACL last weekend. During his presser earlier this week, head coach Urban Meyer noted that LB Chris Worley is probable heading into this matchup, and that running back Mike Weber has finally been cleared for action. Interestingly, Meyer said Michael Hill’s suspension from the team is a week-to-week decision, and even though they lost Barrow, Hill won’t be suiting up against Rutgers.

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"UNLV’s 21 points were tied with Indiana for the second-most allowed by Ohio State’s defense this season". Uh, the defense allowed 14 points.

Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett was on point against UNLV
Christopher Jason via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


J.T. Barrett accounted for five touchdowns against the Rebels.

It’s tough declare that the Ohio State offense is “back” after putting up 54 points against the same UNLV defense that made Howard’s Caylin Newton look like his older brother, but it was still a step forward for J.T. Barrett and the ever-developing passing game.

One could tell on Barrett’s first passing attempt that there was a clear talent discrepancy between the Buckeyes and the Rebels, but it was what came after Parris Campbell’s 69-yard untouched screen (aided by a terrible angle from the UNLV defender) that should give Buckeye fans hope for the rest of the season.

• After completing 12-of-12 passes on or behind the line of scrimmage against Army, Barrett’s lone pass attempt on or behind the line of scrimmage came on Campbell’s touchdown. It’s clear Kevin Wilson wanted to work on Barrett’s progressions and accuracy in the intermediate and deeper passing game, rather than just taking advantage of Ohio State’s talent advantage in space.
• Outside of Barrett’s first downfield attempt — which happened to be Barrett’s lone overthrow -- the quarterback showed solid poise, mechanics and smarts in the pocket. But that throw (as shown below) needs to be completed on the regular. He had a clean pocket, stepped into the throw and the receiver found a hole in UNLV’s zone. On that incompletion, Barrett fell to 2-of-12 on throws of 20-plus yards this season, per the broadcast.

• A big positive that can be taken from this game was the receiver’s awareness to find the open holes in UNLV’s zone defense. Johnnie Dixon did a great job of this on a spot pattern, when he settled in the soft spot and quickly turned up-field for six.

• The spread offense gurus over at Spreadoffense.com pointed out a wrinkle that the Buckeyes used off a run-pass option. A RPO typically runs off one read, but Barrett got to a second progression on this play — which resulted in a nice effort from Austin Mack.

• The Buckeyes have struggled in the red zone leading up to this game against UNLV, and Wilson (and Urban Meyer) got aggressive and made some changes. Twice they went for it on fourth down and both times they converted on tough throws from Barrett. The first throw to Binjimen Victor on the fade and the second to Terry McLaurin on the corner pattern will only add to Barrett’s confidence that he can make accurate throws in small windows and on the pressure of turning the ball over on downs.

• Overall, it’s clear that the key to this season and the success of this offense will be based on Barrett’s ability to complete the intermediate and deep throws. The implementation of RPOs and the horizontal passing game will put the offense in a better position to run the ball effectively and open up the deep passing game. The Buckeye offense will face Chris Ash this week who knows how to defend Barrett better than anyone, so it will be a solid test for Wilson, Barrett and the receivers.
• During the bye week I will breakdown Dwayne Haskins’ extended performance and if he truly is the quarterback of the future.

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brodybuck21 said:

Wonder if Emanuel "Book" Richardson was involved in the recruitment of Mr. Simmons...............

Click to expand...

Actually, I just put it together reading this. At this point it's archival premium info. Nevadabuck on Rivals alluded that OSU backed out of the Simmons recruitment because Thad didn't play the impropriety game. Nevada also has a strong connection in the U of A basketball program.

Sad thinking about it now. Thad's no snitch, stayed true to what was right, and paid for it with his job. Sure there's a lot more to it, but I'd imagine he could have opened the Nike coffers for some 5 star handouts.

BM5: Dwayne's World? - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


BM5: Dwayne's World?
247Sports
Where do you see QB spot going over rest of the season? Spend 5ish with us this a.m.! What's next for the Buckeyes? Make sure you're in the loop -- take five seconds to sign up for our FREE Buckeyes newsletter now! FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE.

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Recruits list for Ohio State-Penn State game already very strong - 247Sports
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Recruits list for Ohio State-Penn State game already very strong
247Sports
... State game already very strong. The huge Ohio State-Penn State game is still over a month away, but the recruit visit list is already very impressive. Bill Kurelic - 2 hours ago; 3; Tools. Edit; Slot to 247Sports Home; Slot to Ohio State Buckeyes ...


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Buckeyes add another preferred walk-on to the program - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes add another preferred walk-on to the program
247Sports
The Buckeyes currently have 18 commitments in a 2018 recruiting class that is expected to number between 23 and 25 come National Signing Day. It is the country's No. 1 recruiting class in the 247Sports Composite recruiting rankings. With seven to nine ...


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Breaking down the 3 biggest points from Urban Meyer’s press conference
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 biggest point of them all: Mike Weber is ready to play (and run over defenses).

Once again, another Monday passed, and another Urban Meyer press conference at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center got completed. All the non-conference regular season games are in the books, meaning the road to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship Game is now full speed ahead.

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are the team the Buckeyes will face this week, and Meyer divulged some tidbits about his program as we head into Week 5 of this college football season.

Let’s break down three of the biggest points Meyer made at the podium, and figure out what this means for the Scarlet and Gray as they try to make their way back to the top of the conference (and college football) mountain.

1. “Weber is cleared, and he'll play”


By far the most important words uttered by Meyer on Monday were in that quote above. Mike Weber didn’t play in the Buckeyes' 54-21 win against UNLV, played sparingly against Army, had three rushes in the loss to the Oklahoma Sooners and didn’t even play in the season opener against Indiana.

Hearing that he’s clear is going to make the OSU running game infinitely better. J.K. Dobbins has been holding down the fort and J.T. Barrett has always been utilized as a potential runner in the read-option. With Weber in the fold, he becomes the guy that bulldozes past defenses on those third-and-short scenarios.

If Weber is at 100 percent, a running duo of Dobbins and Weber will be OSU’s version of ‘Thunder and Lighting.’ Really, if things start to click, it’ll be next to impossible to stop Ohio State on the run. Going up against an Iowa or a Penn State, teams will need to have some sort of running game that can fight on through the physicality; having just one back, especially one that has speed being his claim to fame, won’t cut it.

Also, having Weber gives Barrett another passing option. Especially since Barrett throws a fair amount of passes at or behind the line of scrimmage, it’s another option to have. Last season, Weber hauled in 23 passes for 91 yards.

Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Put me in, Coach: Last season, Mike Weber became just the third RB in OSU history to rush for 1,000 yards as a freshman

Holding the Detroit native out of the UNLV contest gave him that extra week to get healthy. In pressers past, Meyer has mentioned the importance of his returning 1,000-yard rusher. At this point of the season, how healthy the team is becomes a storyline in itself—title hopes can nosedive after a star player goes down with a long-term injury.

Chris Worley was said to be probable for Rutgers, and Malik Barrow has an ACL tear, rendering him out for the season. Right now, that’s two key members of the defense who are out; on offense, with the return of Weber, there really isn’t a big injury on the first line of the depth chart.

We’ll see how healthy Weber is on Saturday. But either way, expect him to be weaned back into the swing of things, and fully back by the time Penn State rolls into Columbus.

2. “You can see we're working on it very hard. Obviously the game changes a lot down there [the red zone] and we haven't been good the last couple of years. So we're working our tails off at that.”


In the first few weeks of the season, Ohio State struggled to operate a touchdown driven offense when they got to the red zone. (Who remembers the Oklahoma game, where the Buckeyes screwed around deep in OU territory, and had to settle for three? Feeling frustrated by that memory?)

Well, times are changing—and that’s a good thing.

Passing TDs off of quality throws and catches were the theme in the win against UNLV. Binjimen Victor went up for a jump-ball toward the edge of the end zone, and Terry McLaurin caught a ball in the northeast corner of touchdown land that probably made the Rebels wonder, “man, why are we even playing this game?”


It wasn’t a fluke that Barrett was cranking gems; they’ve been working on it. It took four games to get to this point, but Meyer said that the offense has been working to get better with the short field in front of them. This problem hasn’t been a 2017 season problem, it’s existed for quite some time. Meyer said it goes back a couple years; however, go back to the Sugar Bowl against Alabama, and you’ll see the Buckeyes struggle—albeit early in the game—to get into the end zone while in the Crimson Tide’s red zone.

Opening up the playbook down in the red zone might be one of the biggest tidbits Meyer has given us about how his offense operates. If you’re an opposing coach, specifically, a defensive coach, you could always bank on OSU doing a run play, a rollout with a throw direct to the corner of the end zone, or the always-predictable read-option when they got close to the goal line. If teams played their cards right—which some did a little too well—then you held the Buckeyes to three points.

Granted, Meyer reduced the Rebels defense, which already lost to Howard this season after giving up 43 points, to swiss cheese. His offense needed these kinds of cupcake games to basically act as a research and development section of the football operations. Even though you may run those red zone passing plays in practice, it’s a whole different story when you gotta do it in an actual game.

(Real talk: Practice is wayyy different than doing the actual thing. I remember a time when I was trying out for my high school golf team, and I was hitting the ball well at the driving range. However, when I went to like hole No. 4, a hole that basically had the pin on an island surrounded by water, it’s like I didn’t know how to golf. Long story short: I lost like 5 Callaway golf balls on that hole.)

The execution of touchdown passes in the red zone are a sign that 1) Kevin Wilson and co. are utilizing more options when they get close to the land of six, and 2) the receivers can make plays when the ball is on the money—which was sorta suspect against IU and OU.

3. “So they have to develop and grow. And I thought we'd be a little further ahead in pass defense. I thought our corner development would be a little bit further ahead, but they are making strides.”


Even though they got two picks against Rebels quarterback Armani Rogers, the Buckeyes’ pass defense is still a work in progress. The two picks were great, but they came against a redshirt freshman. I will admit, though, I thought there were more than a few glimpses that the Buckeyes’ claim of being ‘Defensive Back University’ was on its way to coming back into the national conversation after the Rebels drubbing.

On the other hand, there were a few times when the coverage fell apart, and Rogers was able to make a few plays happen. In the end, let’s call a spade a spade: UNLV wasn’t really that good of an example to see how the OSU pass defense was performing. The Hoosiers and Sooners were two good tests, and the Buckeyes barely passed IU—and flunked the Baker Mayfield exam.

Meyer is one of the more open coaches in college football; some coaches, you’d be lucky to get more than a sentence fragment for an answer like this. With that being said, I’m inclined to believe that when Meyer says strides are being made, strides are being made.

While Meyer may see the strides being made on the practice field, we’ll only see them during the games. The question now proposed is: will we see enough of it against Rutgers? This season, against their two Power 5 conference opponents, Washington and Nebraska, the Scarlet Knights aired out the ball for 178 yards and 126 yards, respectively. Against the Huskies, the squad from New Brunswick, N.J. threw 35 times.

It will be safe to expect that Chris Ash will have his QB take some chances down the field. That’s when we’ll find out if the Buckeyes have gotten better preventing teams from marching down the field via the air. While Rutgers may be a better team this season—Meyer said it himself during the presser—they’ll be hard pressed to have a functional offense against OSU’s defense.

More strides will be made before the team takes of for New Jersey. Expect a pick (or two) from the secondary when all is said and done on Saturday night.

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Elite CB lists Ohio State as a top school
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes are still in the running for one of the top cornerbacks in the country.

The Ohio State football team is set to enter its in-conference schedule this weekend, and with that comes an additional focus on watching tape and fixing issues. With one loss already, the Buckeyes will likely have to win the rest of their games in hopes of securing a College Football Playoff appearance in back-to-back years.

In order to accomplish this goal, the Buckeyes will need to approach the back half of their schedule with a week-by-week mindset. However, while trying to remain focused on only the game ahead, Meyer and the coaching staff are also tasked with preparing for the future. Meyer has seemed to find the perfect balance between the two and this is what has vaulted Ohio State to elite status when it comes to recruiting.

This nonstop focus on recruiting continues to pay off for the Buckeyes, as the program learned it inched one step closer to acquiring one of the best recruits in this year's class.

Four-star CB Isaac Taylor-Stuart (San Diego, CA/Helix) announced his top 12 schools Monday afternoon and Ohio State made the cut. The Buckeyes have stiff competition for Taylor-Stuart as the other schools included were Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma, Georgia, Oregon, Washington, Michigan, Illinois, USC, Texas A&M, and Texas.


Taylor-Stuart is one of the top recruits in the 2018 recruiting class. The 6'2, 187-pound CB is rated No. 4 at his position, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, and is the No. 26 overall prospect in the entire class, regardless of position.

The Buckeyes currently sit with just one CB commit in this year's class and he has a familiar name: Marcus Hooker, the brother of former Ohio State star safety Malik Hooker. However, the team is looking to add one more and Taylor-Stuart would make for an amazing addition.

However, Ohio State has some ground to make up in his recruitment if it is to outlast all of the other programs included in his list. An official visit is almost certainly a must as he has yet to visit Columbus. Currently, USC is viewed as the clear favorite, with 89 percent of the 247Sports Crystal Ball Predictions, with Alabama being the only other school seen as having a chance.

That being said, if Meyer and the Buckeyes are able to get him on campus, anything is possible.

Holtmann looking to continue hot streak


Chris Holtmann is doing all he can to bring Ohio State basketball back from the dead. After becoming the head coach of the program, he made quick work of the recruiting landscape, vaulting the Buckeyes' 2017 recruiting class to the No. 2 class in the Big Ten and the No. 22 class in the entire country.

However, now that he has had more time to show recruits what Ohio State can offer, his recruiting prowess is really beginning to shine.

Following a week in which the Buckeyes earned four commitments, which included two guards and two forwards, the program now boasts the No. 9 recruiting class for 2018 and is now looking to round the class out with a big man.

Three-star center prospect Morris Udeze (Montverde, FL/Montverde Academy) will reportedly be making his collegiate decisions tomorrow, and the Buckeyes could be the selection. According to Jake Weingarten of Rivals.com, his recruitment has come down to three schools; Ohio State, Wichita State, and Holtmann’s former program, Butler.


While Udeze’s recruitment has seemed to go in Wichita State’s favor, Holtmann has been rolling out the red carpet for him in the month of September. The Ohio State coach has visited Udeze twice this month and the school hosted him on an official visit Sept. 15.

While the Shockers should still be seen as the favorite to land Udeze, don’t be shocked if Holtmann is able to secure his fifth commitment in less than 10 days.

Quick Hits:

• Ohio State three-star RB commit Master Teague may miss the rest of his senior season with a reported ankle injury. Teague was off to a quick start, racking up 709 yards and 11 TDs in just four games.
• Ohio State earned a second preferred walk-on commitment in less than a week. This time it was two-star OLB Ben Schmiesing (Piqua, OH/Piqua). What makes this an even stronger commitment is that Schmiesing had been offered a scholarship to play at Dayton, yet chose to take his chances with Ohio State.

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Buckeyes drop to No. 11 - The News Center
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes drop to No. 11
The News Center
(WTAP)- The Ohio State Buckeyes rolled past UNLV 54-21 but they dropped a spot in the Associated Press poll to 11th. J.T. Barrett was phenomenal, throwing touchdown passes to five different receivers and collected 209 yards, all in the first half alone.
Ohio State football: Why 2 Buckeyes high-fived during a play ...SB Nation
Campbell a 'dynamic' force for Ohio State BuckeyesMyDaytonDailyNews
First Look: Buckeyes resume Big Ten play at Rutgers247Sports
cleveland.com -Dayton Daily News -Land-Grant Holy Land
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Meyer, Harbaugh in lock step on treatment of Big Ten road teams - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Meyer, Harbaugh in lock step on treatment of Big Ten road teams
247Sports
... encountered some poor conditions in visiting locker rooms at Big Ten venues. Michigan's Jim Harbaugh raised that issue earlier on Monday. Steve Helwagen - 12 hours ago; 19; Tools. Edit; Slot to 247Sports Home; Slot to Ohio State Buckeyes Newsletter ...

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First Look: Buckeyes resume Big Ten play at Rutgers - 247Sports
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First Look: Buckeyes resume Big Ten play at Rutgers
247Sports
The Scarlet Knights come into this game a respectable 24th nationally in total defense. But OSU seems to be putting some of its offensive pieces together. The Buckeyes are 28th nationally in scoring offense (39.3 ppg) and ninth in total offense (549.0 ...
3 questions for Ohio State as it heads back into Big Ten play at RutgersLandof10.com
Free Sports Picks: Ohio State Buckeyes vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights College Football Picks 09/30/17Vernon Croy Sports
Ohio State football insider | Passing game rolling entering Big Ten playThe Columbus Dispatch
Land-Grant Holy Land -Eleven Warriors -The Fan
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Kurelic: Surtain, Campbell update; Tuliaupupu key - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Kurelic: Surtain, Campbell update; Tuliaupupu key
247Sports
“Absolutely,” American Heritage coach Patrick Surtain Sr. said when asked about his son and an official visit with the Buckeyes. “Most likely it will be in January.” Surtain Sr. has previously told me Ohio State, LSU, Florida State, Alabama, and ...


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Ohio State Buckeyes in the NFL (Week 3) - OSU - The Lantern
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Ohio State Buckeyes in the NFL (Week 3)
OSU - The Lantern
OSU junior H-back Curtis Samuel (4) celebrates as he scores a rushing touchdown in second overtime to win the game for the Buckeyes on Nov. 26 at Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes won 30-27. Credit: Mason Swires | Former Assistant Photo Editor.


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What does a healthy Mike Weber mean for Ohio State's offense? Buckeyes football analysis - cleveland.com
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What does a healthy Mike Weber mean for Ohio State's offense? Buckeyes football analysis
cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Last week Urban Meyer said running back Mike Weber isn't "a lost soul" in Ohio State's running back pecking order. He's been nursing an hamstring issue, and has been brought along slowly. Weber has played in two games this year ...
Mike Weber cleared and will play against Rutgers247Sports
Landers probable Saturday for Ohio StateDayton Daily News
3 questions for Ohio State as it heads back into Big Ten play at RutgersLandof10.com
Eleven Warriors -Vernon Croy Sports -The Columbus Dispatch
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Examining the odds of Emory Jones flipping from Ohio State, Buckeyes in top 12 for No. 4 cornerback - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Examining the odds of Emory Jones flipping from Ohio State, Buckeyes in top 12 for No. 4 cornerback
Landof10.com
This just happens to be the 2017 version of Shaun Wade, at least that's the hope if you're a Buckeyes fan. Jones has said repeatedly he's just wants to enjoy himself a bit and see some places he'd otherwise not see. That includes Alabama, the only ...
Future Buckeyes in action: Jones, Mitchell, Gill, others star247Sports

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Receivers are coming out of nowhere for the Ohio State offense
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Walk-on C.J. Saunders scored his first touchdown with the Buckeyes Saturday.

“It’s the best feeling in the land, easily. When I got in the end zone, I just wanted to make sure I got in that red (turf). When I heard the screams from the fans, I knew it was a touchdown. That was unreal the roar I heard.”

-Ohio State wide receiver C.J. Saunders, via Steve Helwagon, 247Sports


The Ohio State Buckeyes set both a program and conference record Saturday, with seven different receivers catching touchdown passes. Among those receivers was junior walk-on C.J. Saunders, who caught the Buckeyes’ sixth passing touchdown of the game from Dwayne Haskins in the second quarter. The catch set the Ohio State record for number of different receivers to catch a touchdown. Tight end Rashod Berry’s third quarter score set a new Big Ten record in the same category with seven different receivers catching a touchdown pass. Saunders finished the game with a team-high six catches for 102 yards, while Berry ended the day with three receptions for 57 yards. The walk-on from Dublin Coffman, who received no FBS offers coming out of high school, is seeing his first on-field action this season, with his only previous reception coming last weekend against Army.

Initially invited to walk-on by former co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell, Saunders spent the previous two seasons in the defensive secondary before switching over to receiver in the spring, the position he played in high school. After earning high praise from both Urban Meyer and Zach Smith, Saunders was part of the travel roster for the Buckeyes’ opener against Indiana. Still, Saunders is the smallest wide receiver listed on the roster at 5-foot-11, 176-pounds, and Meyer has acknowledged that he has been doing some serious work with strength coach Mick Marotti to get bigger. While mentioning problems that the program has had previously with small receivers, Meyer mentioned Saunders’ strong hands and his courage in setting himself apart.

Senior quarterback J.T. Barrett also got in on the praise for Saunders: “He’s just a hard-working dude,” he said. “He goes out there every day and tries to get a little better. It doesn’t matter what it is. Those are the guys you want to be around--guys who are about their business.”

“On paper, the Buckeyes may still have a few chances to experiment ahead of them. But as they dive back into the Big Ten slate, every game the rest of the way will have championship implications.”

-Austin Ward, Land of 10


It seems as though Ohio State has come a long way in two short weeks following their devastating loss to Oklahoma. Now, as the Buckeyes dive back into their Big Ten schedule, they still have a few weeks to tweak things before facing off against No. 4 Penn State. This weekend, Ohio State is set to face 1-3 Rutgers after opening as 28.5-point favorites. After beating enormous spreads the past two weeks against Army and UNLV, the offense looks poised for more fireworks against the embattled Scarlet Knights. Still, even after throwing for five touchdowns in less than a half, questions remain around the Buckeyes’ offense in general and J.T. Barrett’s passing attack in particular.

After facing significant criticism following the loss to Oklahoma, Barrett and the offense have gotten back to their true identity. By opening up the run game and being efficient with short passes, the vertical passing game began to fire against UNLV this weekend. Barrett threw for 209 yards and five touchdowns through the first half, and did not need the “big arm” that has been so questioned in the last few weeks. With speedy receivers like Parris Campbell and Binjimen Victor, short passes proved plenty effective, as those receivers were able to get out in space.

Moreover, Ohio State has two viable options at running back. While Mike Weber was the workhorse last season as a freshman, true freshman J.K. Dobbins has taken over this year with Weber mostly sidelined with a hamstring injury. Dobbins already has 520 yards on the season on just 69 attempts. Weber, meanwhile, has had just seven carries on the season in two games, but could be back in full force behind Dobbins by the time the Buckeyes get rolling in conference play. Meyer and offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson have even toyed with the idea of playing both Weber and Dobbins in tandem.

“The Buckeyes were left for dead after their week 15-point loss to Oklahoma in week two, but history suggests Urban Meyer’s team will improve dramatically before season’s end.”

-Mark Schlabach, ESPN


While Ohio State, through four weeks of play, has not proven itself to be a likely threat to Alabama’s reigning dominance, history has shown that the Buckeyes are more than capable of getting to that point by the time the College Football Playoff rolls around. Urban Meyer, more than any other active coach, has Nick Saban’s number, as the only current FBS coach to have defeated the Tide under Saban on more than one occasion. Still, the Buckeyes will need to record solid wins over the likes of Penn State and Michigan before the end of the season to even have a shot at Bama.

The Crimson Tide currently sit in an unprecedented state of power after throttling Vanderbilt by a 59-0 margin, and have the best odds of any Power 5 team of winning their conference. It seems unlikely that anyone in the SEC could challenge them at this point, and there are few teams in the nation who would be able to present a threat to Saban and his mastery.

Chief among those threats, however, are the second-ranked Clemson Tigers, the team which toppled Bama in last season’s championship game behind quarterback Deshaun Watson. Watson may be gone, but the Tigers’ defensive line remains one of the best in the nation. Clemson has had some early wake up calls already, entering the fourth quarter of last week’s matchup tied seven-all with Boston College and narrowly defeating Auburn at home earlier in the month.

Oklahoma is the next likely candidate, behind quarterback Baker Mayfield. As Ohio State fans know, Mayfield brings a certain swagger to the quarterback position a la Johnny Manziel, and has the confidence to take down the top team in the nation.

Penn State, meanwhile, has the dual threat of Heisman-candidate Saquon Barkley at running back and Trace McSorley at the helm. USC and Georgia are also in the discussion.


The Ohio State Buckeyes men’s hockey team enters the season ranked No. 19 nationally. They are scheduled to open the 2017-18 season Saturday with an exhibition game at the Schottenstein Center.

Last year’s team made the NCAA Tournament with the nation’s third-best scoring offense, but were bounced in the first round by Minnesota-Duluth. It was the seventh time that Ohio State had made the NCAA Tournament, and the team’s first appearance since 2009.

The Buckeyes return 19 players from that squad heading into this season with two, junior Mason Jobst and senior Matthew Weis, named to the Big Ten Preseason watch list.

STICK TO SPORTS

• Ohio State’s receivers are taught to high five during plays
• At least the Browns have this guy…
• Although they could, perhaps, sign this squirrel, who went the length of the field versus Louisville
• In other news from the animal kingdom, here are some adorable animal facts

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Buckeyes remain in running for No. 4 prospect in California - 247Sports
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Buckeyes remain in running for No. 4 prospect in California
247Sports
On March 20, the Buckeyes offered a scholarship to the country's No. 4 cornerback, Isaac Taylor-Stuart from San Diego (Calif.) Helix. The offer was No. 32 for Taylor-Stuart and came right from Urban Meyer himself. A couple weeks later Taylor-Stuart ...

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Jim Harbaugh, Urban Meyer say Big Ten needs locker room reform
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and Ohio State coach Urban Meyer agree on one thing - something needs to be done about lousy locker rooms for visiting football teams in the Big Ten.

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Get ready for the Ohio State comic-con with “Sõl”: BTN LiveBIG
BTN.com LiveBIG Staff via Big Ten Network

Scholars and artists unite to share 'zines, cartoons, comics and digital animation.

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Future Buckeyes in action: Jones, Mitchell, Gill, others star - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Future Buckeyes in action: Jones, Mitchell, Gill, others star
247Sports
After every weekend during the football season I wrap up the weekend that was in high school football in Ohio and elsewhere, focusing on those who will continue their careers playing for the Buckeyes. Over the weekend most of the future Buckeyes were ...


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