Chasing History: Ohio State on doorstep of becoming 3rd winningest FBS program
Jim Baird via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


With a win Saturday, OSU will tie Nebraska as the third winningest program in FBS history

Eight-hundred ninety two. That’s the number of all-time wins Nebraska has earned since they first lined up for a game of tackle football against Omaha YMCA on Thanksgiving day in 1890. The Buckeyes enter Saturday’s contest as 24-point favorites — and with a win, will move into a tie with the Cornhuskers for 892 all-time victories. In the FBS ranks, only Texas (893 wins), and Michigan (939 victories) have won more games.

The Cornhuskers have one of college football’s richest winning traditions: 46 conference titles, 5 national championships, 3 Heisman Trophy winners. But despite their long, storied program history — there have been only five previous matchups with Ohio State. And the Buckeyes have been dominant. OSU has won by an average margin of 22 points per contest against Nebraska. Ohio State holds a 4-1 all-time edge in the series, and a 2-1 advantage since the Cornhuskers joined the Big Ten in 2011. It's also the case that the home team is a perfect 5-0 in the series, and this marks only OSU’s second trip ever to Lincoln. Below is the short history between two of college football’s winningest programs.

2016: Ohio State 62, Nebraska 3 — The only top-ten matchup of the series also proved to be its most lopsided contest as No. 6 Ohio State dominated the No. 10 Cornhuskers. In one of his best games of the season, Buckeye quarterback J.T. Barrett accounted for 329 total yards, four touchdowns and zero turnovers. The win improved the eventual playoff bound Buckeyes to 8-1 and marked OSU's first win over a ranked team after a setback on the road against Penn State two weeks earlier.

2012: Ohio State 63, Nebraska 38 — OSU’s Braxton Miller broke his own school record for a quarterback, rushing for 186 yards as No. 12 Ohio State took down No. 21 Nebraska. The win moved the Buckeyes to 6-0. OSU would finish the season 12-0 and win the Big Ten Leaders Division. NCAA sanctions from ‘tattoo-gate’ banned the Buckeyes from participating in the postseason.

2011: Nebraska 34, Ohio State 27 — Freshman Braxton Miller left the game with an injured ankle in the third quarter, and Nebraska rallied behind quarterback Taylor Martinez to score 28 straight points as the No. 14 Cornhuskers notched their only victory of the series. Down three touchdowns, the win marked the biggest comeback in Nebraska history. Ohio State would finish the season 6-7 under interim coach Luke Fickell. Nebraska would end the year with a 9-4 mark, falling to South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl.

1956: Ohio State 34, Nebraska 7 — Sophomore OSU halfback Don Clark ran for two scores of 35 and 38 yards as the No. 8 Buckeyes opened the season victorious. The Buckeyes would finish with a 6-3 record — and were ineligible for postseason play after an NCAA investigation found coach Woody Hayes loaned several players money.

1955: Ohio State 28, Nebraska 20 — Senior halfback Howard ‘Hopalong’ Cassady ran for three scores as No. 6 OSU prevailed in their first ever matchup with Nebraska. Cassady would go on to win the Heisman and lead the defending national champion Buckeyes to a 7-2 record.

Continue reading...

Ohio State will need more than just big hits from CB Denzel Ward against Nebraska
Ian Hartitz via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


This week’s defensive player to watch isn’t your everyday corner.

Ohio State faces a Cornhuskers offense this Saturday that finds themselves without an identity. Quarterback Tanner Lee’s 11/10 touchdown/interception ratio doesn’t inspire much optimism, while the team’s rushing game is expected to be split between bruiser Devine Ozigbo and scat-back Mikale Wilbon — neither of whom is averaging over 5.0 yards per carry this season.

Nebraska isn’t ranked inside the top 10 this time around, as their 3-3 start has included close losses to Oregon and Northern Illinois (!!!) along with a Badger-induced beat down last week in Lincoln, Neb. We’ve seen the Buckeyes shut down opposing rush offenses for the better part of this season, but there have been issues defending the downfield pass. The onus will once again be on the secondary to keep the Buckeyes perfect in Big Ten play, and the secondary’s success largely hinges on the play of No. 1 cornerback Denzel Ward.

The Man Can HIT


Last week saw Ward become the victim of the most-atrocious targeting call of the past 100 years (probably). There’s no other way to justify the decision other than to conclude Ward hit the receiver too hard:


This isn’t anything too new for Ward, as he’s flashed his willingness to lay big hits throughout his career on kickoff coverage, as well on Oklahoma’s 6-foot-5, 250-pound tight end in 2016. Cornerbacks aren’t supposed to hit like safeties, and Ward is actually small for the position by Ohio State’s standard at 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds. Still, it sets the tone for the entire defense when the little guy delivers the big hit, and a confident Buckeyes secondary will be needed against a Cornhuskers offense undoubtedly looking for redemption after scoring just three points against the Buckeyes last season.

Ward needs to win the 50/50 balls


A common thread from Ohio State’s opponents this season has been the decision to take the game outside. Opposing coaches realize that attempting to battle with the Buckeyes’ maulers on the defensive line isn’t a great plan, so they’ve often decided to take their one-on-one chances against the Ohio State corners. The Buckeyes have some of the most-talented defensive backs in the nation, but there are plenty of talented receivers who can make plays without enough opportunities. Take Indiana’s second touchdown, for example, when Kendall Sheffield and Ward were tasked with defending three straight end-zone fades:


The Buckeyes ask their corners to read the receiver’s eyes and shoot their arm to the sky upon the ball’s arrival. A well-placed back-shoulder fade is pretty much impossible to stop, so playing the receiver’s reaction gives the defensive backs about as good a chance at making a play as they’ll get. Ohio State’s front seven makes the idea of methodically moving the ball downfield a tall task. The easiest way for Nebraska to give themselves a shot at creating explosive plays is to target the one-on-one matchups Ohio State gives the opposition’s wide receivers on a snap-by-snap basis. Ward and company will need to shut down their side of the field to allow the rest of the Buckeyes to do what they do best: Get after the quarterback.


Ohio State is currently a 24.5-point favorite with a 58-point over/under. Vegas is roughly implying a 36-12 victory for the Buckeyes.

The Ohio State offense has been a much-improved unit since the Oklahoma game, but will face their second-biggest test of the season Saturday. How Ohio State's secondary manages to set the tone will go a long way towards deciding how much close of a contest this game ends up being.

Continue reading...

Former Ohio State basketball big man Trevor Thompson signs with the Golden State Warriors
Matt Brown via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Another Buckeye will be getting checks to play professional basketball

Trevor Thompson raised a fair amount of eyebrows amongst Buckeye fans when he decided to leave college early for the NBA Draft. After all, nobody projected him to be drafted...and then he wasn’t drafted.

But Trevor Thompson is going to get paid to play basketball by an NBA team, so it looks like that bet on himself paid off.

The Golden State Warriors announced today that they signed Thompson, although, as Bay Area News Group’s Dieter Kurtenbach points out, he’s almost certainly headed to the G-League.


Thompson was productive at Ohio State, nearly averaging a double-double, while establishing himself as one of the better big men in the conference. He was also one of the few Ohio State players who demonstrably improved each year while with the Buckeyes.

Thompson, already 23, is old for an NBA prospect, having already redshirted thanks to having to sit out from a transfer from Virginia Tech. Whether he sticks around long-term in the NBA or not, he’s going to get a legitimate shot at the G-League, under the banner of the probable best team in the NBA. That’s not bad.

Congrats to Trevor. Here’s hoping he gets lots of buckets.

Continue reading...

Ohio State heads to Nebraska in Week 7’s Big Ten College Football betting lines
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes look to head into their bye week on a high note

Last week ATS: 7-5 (4-2 National, 3-3 B1G)

Season ATS: 47-38-1 (18-13 National, 29-25-1 B1G)

In case you missed yesterday’s national picks for six games, including the Red River Showdown, you can find them here.

B1G games:


No. 17 Michigan (-7) v. Indiana - 12:00 PM EST - ABC

Another big game, and another big loss for Jim Harbaugh. It is becoming all too familiar for Michigan fans, and it is glorious. Last week Michigan couldn’t muster much of anything against Michigan State, turning the ball over five times on their way to a 14-10 loss to the Spartans.

Last week Peyton Ramsey got his first start at quarterback for Indiana against Charleston Southern, throwing for 321 yards and two touchdowns. The freshman won’t have things so easy this week against a very tough Michigan defense. It’ll be interesting to see if Ramsey lasts the whole game if he struggles to find traction against the Michigan defense, or if the Hoosiers turn back to Richard Lagow.

Indiana isn’t Michigan State on defense, but they still won’t give up much to the Wolverines. John O’Korn is going to be under pressure for much of the game since Michigan’s offensive line is so bad. The Hoosiers keep it close, but fall short of their first victory against Michigan since 1987.

Michigan 17, Indiana 14

Rutgers v. Illinois (-2) - 12:00 PM EST - Big Ten Network

I’m trying to imagine just how bad this game is going to be and I know I’m not even scratching the surface of the levels of terrible it will approach.

Illinois 13, Rutgers 7

Purdue v. No. 7 Wisconsin (-16) - 3:30 PM EST - Big Ten Network

The Boilermakers have turned things around a lot faster than many expected under Jeff Brohm, and it’s very likely Purdue ends the season in a bowl game. Last week the Boilermakers scored with just over a minute to go to take a 24-17 lead over Minnesota. Elijah Sindelar threw for 248 yards and a touchdown after David Blough was ineffective and tossed two picks.

Wisconsin had little trouble in Lincoln against the Cornhuskers last week, scoring 21 unanswered points in the third and fourth quarters on their way to a 38-17 win. Freshman running back Jonathan Taylor was a beast for the Badgers, rushing for 249 yards and two touchdowns.

Purdue has made significant strides this year, but they are still pretty poor against the run. Last week Minnesota ran for over 220 yards against the Boilermakers, so who knows what kind of numbers Wisconsin will be able to rack up. Purdue may keep things tight for a bit, but much like their game against Michigan, they’ll wear down and the Badgers will be able to bust some big runs as the game goes on.

Wisconsin 41, Purdue 17

Northwestern (-3) v. Maryland - 3:30 PM EST - ESPN2

It is possible Max Bortenschlager might not be able to play after suffering a head injury last week, which could leave fourth-string junior quarterback Caleb Henderson as the starter. That’s all I need to know when taking Northwestern here. The Wildcats feast on a wounded Maryland team.

Northwestern 30, Maryland 20

No. 21 Michigan State (-5) v. Minnesota - 8:00 PM EST - Big Ten Network

P.J. Fleck’s boat is taking on a bit of water in Minneapolis. That doesn’t mean the Golden Gophers are going to can their new coach or anything, but Minnesota has now dropped two games in a row after a 3-0 start. There are questions at quarterback for the Golden Gophers, but at least they still have a strong run game to lean on.

Michigan State got their biggest win in a couple years last week with a 14-10 victory over rival Michigan. I’m still not exactly sure how the Spartans are doing it, but they are 4-1 so far this year. Brian Lewerke has thrown for nine touchdowns, and added another three rushing touchdowns.

This game screams letdown for the Spartans. Even though they are struggling of late, Minnesota is still a tough team to beat, and they’ll be even more fired up with this game being under the lights. Last week, Michigan State feasted on five Michigan turnovers. This week the Golden Gophers are careful with the football and grind out an upset win.

Minnesota 24, Michigan State 21

No. 9 Ohio State (-24.5) v. Nebraska - 7:30 PM EST - FOX

This will be just the second trip ever to Lincoln for the Buckeyes. In 2011, Ohio State jumped out to a huge first half lead over the Cornhuskers, only to see Joe Bauserman personally toss a football to every single fan in the crowd as Nebraska rallied for a 34-27 win. At least this year the quarterback position is in J.T. Barrett’s hands, so Ohio State fans won’t have to worry about seeing so many footballs sent into the seats.

Nebraska put together a decent effort against Wisconsin for about two and a half quarters, but the Badgers eventually wore the Cornhuskers down. Quarterback Tanner Lee has been erratic this year, throwing 10 interceptions, which has to have Ohio State defenders ready to make some plays to help their offense. At least Lee won’t have to deal with Damon Arnette for the first half, after the cornerback was called for targeting in the second half against Maryland last week.

Last year Ohio State threw 62 points on the board against Nebraska in Columbus, and it might not be too crazy to think they might approach that number again this week. Nebraska’s defense has improved of late, but they haven’t exactly been playing offenses that can move the football like Ohio State.

I know Lincoln can be a tough environment to play, but I really do think Ohio State puts together another complete game on Saturday night. With the bye week coming up before a showdown with Penn State at the end of the month, Urban Meyer is going to want a strong performance from his team heading into the bye. Meanwhile, Nebraska shows the effects of playing Wisconsin last week and the Buckeyes this week.

Ohio State 49, Nebraska 20

Continue reading...

Bill Kurelic: 5-star Ohio State Buckeyes' target Zach Harrison looks ... - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Bill Kurelic: 5-star Ohio State Buckeyes' target Zach Harrison looks ...
247Sports
Posting live with 5-star Ohio State DE target Zach Harrison in action; top safety talks Buckeyes' offer; D-tackle looks to visit Buckeyes again.

and more »

Continue reading...

Early BH: Offensive trust fund | No. 9 a No. 1? - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Early BH: Offensive trust fund | No. 9 a No. 1?
247Sports
In fact, the same source who happens to know Cox told us Cox has been recruiting for the Buckeyes. In particular, Cox continues trying to recruit fellow Georgian and current 2019 Bradenton (Fla.) IMG 5-star defensive end Nolan Smith to join him at Ohio ...


Continue reading...

I Got Five on it: Ohio State returns to Lincoln for the ghost of Joe Bauserman
Colton Denning via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


It’s Friday the 13th, so let’s revisit that terrible game from 2011!

With today being Friday the 13th, this week’s I Got Five on it is the perfect avenue for us to go back in time, and revisit one of the weirdest nights in Ohio State Football history.

On October 8, 2011, Ohio State traveled to Lincoln for the first time, for what happened to be Nebraska’s first Big Ten home game. Unless you’ve completely repressed that game/the whole 2011 season from your memory, I’m sure you can recall what a terrible experience it was. It didn’t start off all that bad, though!

Thanks to the freshman duo of quarterback Braxton Miller and running back Carlos Hyde —there’s a sentence for you, if you’re looking to feel old— the Buckeyes jumped out to a 27-6 lead, and looked like a completely different team than the one who had managed 178 total yards against Michigan State the prior week. It was looking like a season-changing win, but then Miller got hurt, and all hell broke loose.

In one of the most infamous performances in recent program history, Joe Bauserman came into the game, went 1-10 passing for 13 yards, threw an interception, and had some of the most hilariously bad incompletions you’ll ever see:


SOMEONE GRAB THE JETPACK

To be fair, it wasn’t all Bauserman’s fault. Ohio State’s defense cratered, and blew a 21-point lead, which allowed Nebraska its biggest comeback in school history. I’ll go ahead and put 90 percent of it on Bauserman, though. Ultimately, his dreadful game has taken on a somewhat legendary status among the fanbase, and now Ohio State is back in Lincoln for the first time since.

(Side note: Ohio State had games that season where they completed one, four, and seven passes. AS A TEAM. IN A COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME. IN 2011. It takes a special kind of bad to make people gloss over those games, and Joe Bauserman delivered. Joe Bauserman forever.)

Does any of this matter for tomorrow’s game? Absolutely not, but looking back on that game is a pretty stark reminder of how quickly everything can change in college football. Imagine how terrible it would be if people were still complaining about Ohio State’s passing ga- nevermind.

With our trip in the wayback machine over, here are five things to watch for as Ohio State takes on Nebraska:

Austin Mack: Penalty magnet


Lost in the shuffle of Binjimen Victor’s recent emergence has been the quiet rise of fellow sophomore wide receiver Austin Mack. While his numbers are still relatively pedestrian, Mack is seeing lots of redzone targets, and the offense is benefiting even when they aren’t completed. Through six games, Mack has generated four pass interference/holding calls in the endzone:



It’s unlikely that Mack will keep generating nearly a flag per game, —and in the endzone, no less— but it’s worth keeping an eye on No. 11 tomorrow when Ohio State gets inside the 20. He has ideal size (6’2”, 215), and his continued emergence alongside Victor can give Ohio State it’s first legitimate one-two punch at receiver in quite some time.

Tanner Lee comes bearing gifts


Nebraska quarterback Tanner Lee might want to consider dressing as Santa Claus for Halloween, given how often he’s lobbed presents to opposing defenses this season:


With starting corner Damon Arnette out for the first half due to last week’s targeting call, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Lee test Ohio State’s young secondary early and often. Nebraska’s wide receivers are too talented to not make some plays, but Ohio State’s aggressive secondary, paired with its fierce pass rush means that opportunities for turnovers will be plentiful.

I sure hope this game doesn’t come down to special teams


Here’s a list of the bad things Ohio State’s special teams unit did last week:

• Gave up a kick return touchdown
• Fumbled an extra point (Although it did result in this awesome Rashod Berry stiff arm)
• Had a kickoff go out of bounds
• Missed a 29-yard field goal
• Had a 22-yard punt
• Had a kick blocked, which also nearly happened on several other kicks:

I don’t even have any real analysis here, other than hoping that tomorrow’s game, or any other game this season don’t come down to a kick. We already saw that movie last year.

A special shoutout goes to Parris Campbell and the kick return group for being one of the best in the country (6th in Kick Return Success Rate), and punter Drew Chrisman has been great for the most part, but Ohio State could sure use a bounceback game from everyone else involved in the 3rd phase.

Playing strong into the bye week


Ohio State hasn’t just been good since losing to Oklahoma; they’ve been damn-near perfect. Chalk it up to an easy slate of opponents, or whatever else you want, but the last four weeks have been much more of what we all expected heading into the season. With the bye week on deck, I’m interested to see how the Buckeyes close out essentially what is the first half of their season before the real tests begin.

Nebraska isn’t a pushover, but there’s a reason why the Buckeyes are the biggest road favorites in Lincoln since 1948. This isn’t a particularly good matchup for Nebraska, and even in what should be a charged up atmosphere in Memorial Stadium, a lot of things are going to have to break their way for this to be a game late in the second half.

I’m not saying to expect another 60 point outburst, but Ohio State is rolling right now, and should be able to keep that momentum going tomorrow as they head into a bye week.

J.T. Barrett surpasses Bauserman’s passing numbers fairly quickly


You didn’t actually think I was going to end this without bringing up Bauserman again, did you? Seriously, it’s going to take J.T. less than two minutes of game time to have more completions and yardage than Bauserman did in that 2011 game. That’s how bad it was. Let’s take one last look:



Good night, sweet prince of Bauserbombs.

Continue reading...

Buckeyes make late night scholarship offer to Georgia star - Bucknuts - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes make late night scholarship offer to Georgia star - Bucknuts
247Sports
There is no rest when it comes to the Ohio State staff and recruiting. They have made a Thursday night scholarship offer to a Georgia star.

and more »

Continue reading...

The Friday List: Five coordinators ready to be head coaches
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

The Big Ten has some of the hottest coordinators in line for head coaching jobs, if they want them. Tom Dienhart lists the top five head coaches-in-waiting.

Continue reading...

Ohio State at Nebraska: game preview, prediction, and 6 things to know
Chuck McKeever via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes head to Lincoln to take on the Cornhuskers.

There is no shortage of quotable personae in the college football universe. Hell, sometimes it feels like the game itself was created as sort of an afterthought, a publicly-engaging vehicle used as a front to get these guys' words out into the mainstream.

You've got your classics, like Woody Hayes' seminal "because I couldn't go for three." You've got your modern iterations, like Boston College's Steve Addazio, who fails the Hemingway test by a single word in this gem:


And then you've got first-year Nebraska defensive coordinator Bob Diaco (formerly of UConn and Notre Dame), who is on a galaxy brain meme-worthy level all by himself.

Diaco once half-jokingly (we think) proposed that UConn, in an effort to build its brand among younger players, "target six-year-olds to 16-year-olds, how about that? Eventually they're going to be 18 to 35. Let's broadcast our games on Nickelodeon."

As Calvin once said, it takes an uncommon mind to think of these things, Hobbes.

Unfortunately for Diaco and Nebraska, Ohio State has built one of the strongest recruiting brands of any school in the country, and it's paid dividends: the Buckeye roster is stacked with the kind of 4- and 5-star talent that Nebraska hasn't really sniffed since the 1990s.

The Huskers enter Saturday's matchup with a 3-3 record, having posted wins against Arkansas State, Illinois, and Rutgers. They've been beaten by a decent Oregon team, a top-10 Wisconsin team, and in a head-scratcher against Northern Illinois. The star-studded hire of Diaco to run the team's defense under head coach Mike Riley has yet to improve the Huskers in any meaningful way, and the former B1G West powerhouse is struggling to stay afloat in an evermore inequitable college football landscape.

The Buckeyes, meanwhile, look to have gotten themselves back on track in a big way since a stilted and embarrassing home loss to Oklahoma in the season's second week. While they've hardly faced top-flight competition, the Buckeyes have seized every opportunity to steadily build up their arsenal and beat a host of bad teams by about a million points each.

The last time Ohio State and Nebraska faced off, the Buckeyes walked out of the Horseshoe with a 62-3 win. The game's in Lincoln this year, but the result might look almost as lopsided again.

Ohio State’s biggest advantages


The Dobbins-Weber one-two punch. How do we put this lightly? Nebraska's run defense is...not good. Per S&P+, the Huskers are 87th in run defense efficiency, 48th in explosive run defense, and 105th in stuff rate. If you'd rather not bother with analytics, consider that just last week, the Wisconsin RB our friends at the Solid Verbal have dubbed "Jonathan Taylor Tailback" hit the ground to the tune of 249 yards and two TDs on just 25 carries.

Given that Mike Weber, though hobbled in 2017, was one of the conference's best running backs last year, and that true freshman J.K. Dobbins has lit the league on fire this year, the Huskers juuuuust might be in trouble here. The Buckeyes can flat out run—the ground game ranks 2nd, 51st, and 2nd nationally, respectively, in the categories listed for Nebraska's defense above—and they can do it with any of a half-dozen guys on the roster. Parris Campbell, Antonio Williams, Demario McCall, and J.T. Barrett are all threats to take it to the house outside of the every-down backs.

A hungry defensive front. The Buckeye defensive line is a talented one, and that's bad news for Huskers QB Tanner Lee, who has to deal with the combination of a shaky offensive line and his own questionable decision-making. Ohio State's DL is first in the country in the always-fun Havoc Rate stat, which compares sacks, forced fumbles, pass breakups, and tackles for loss to total plays run. Despite a quiet season for Tyquan Lewis (by his standards, anyway), the Buckeyes' line has been outstanding, paced by Nick Bosa's 4.0 sacks and 10 TFLs. Lee doesn't scramble well, instead often forcing throws from his back foot, and that won't help the Huskers much against a pass rush like this one.

A rapidly-improving secondary. After allowing Baker Mayfield to look like Tom Brady for four quarters in early September, the Ohio State pass defense has grown up in a hurry. Safety Damon Webb leads the team in both tackles and interceptions, while CB Denzel Ward has racked up nine pass breakups on his heavy volume of targets.

Given that Tanner Lee has thrown 10 interceptions to just 11 TDs this season (by comparison, J.T. Barrett has thrown just one pick to his 16 TDs), it feels like the odds of the Buckeye secondary forcing one or two more turnovers are pretty high.

Nebraska's biggest advantages


Stout linebackers. The Huskers have a very solid trio of linebackers in Chris Weber, Luke Gifford, and Dedrick Young II. The three of them have combined for 3.5 sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss, 13 run stuffs, and two interceptions this season. While those numbers don't necessarily jump off the page, they're nothing to sneeze at, and Weber, Gifford, and Young are a big reason Nebraska has climbed to 35th in defensive S&P+ despite the team's other shortcomings. If the Huskers are going to be able to slow down Ohio State's offense at all, it will start with these guys.

Tanner Lee's good side. Despite his disappointing stats, the Tulane transfer certainly does have moments where he shines. As my colleague Chris Jason breaks down here, Lee has a cannon and a knack for placing the ball right where it needs to be. Lee's bad turnovers are more a factor of his judgement than a lack of arm strength or accuracy—check the video linked above where Lee drops the ball into his receiver's breadbasket from 48 yards away—and if the Huskers' o-line does buy him a little time, Lee might make a few impressive plays downfield.

Go-to guys. While the last two seasons have been mired in questions about who the true No. 1 in the Buckeye receiving corps should be, Nebraska has faced no such difficulties. In Stanley Morgan and De'Mornay Pierson-El, the Huskers have a receiving tandem that's combined for nine TDs, 873 yards, and 54 catches. Pierson-El has a catch rate of 75% and is averaging more than 11 yards per target.

Given that Damon Arnette will be missing the first half of the game for Ohio State thanks to last week's targeting ejection, the Huskers probably have a better chance of moving the ball through the air in the game's first 30 minutes than they would normally. If a few things break the right way for Lee and his terrifying pair of receivers, Nebraska could stick around longer than most people are betting on.

Summary


F/+ Projection: Ohio State 38.2, Nebraska 16.5 Win Probability: Ohio State 90%

Ohio State is far from a perfect football team, and there are still so many kinks to be worked out for Urban Meyer and co. before Penn State rolls around. But the Buckeyes have some serious mojo to go with their ridiculously productive performances the last four weeks, and it's hard to see this one going any way other than "lopsided." Nebraska seems to be heading in the right direction as a program, and the Diaco hire is an exciting one, but they're not there yet. Ohio State should roll.

How to watch, stream, listen to Nebraska v. Ohio State:


Game Time: Saturday, October 14, 7:30 PM
TV: FOX Sports 1
Streaming: FoxSportsGo
Radio: 97.1 WBNS-FM

Continue reading...

Ohio State recruiting: Update on Buckeyes' top-ranked 2018 recruiting class - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State recruiting: Update on Buckeyes' top-ranked 2018 recruiting class
Landof10.com
The Buckeyes lead Texas, which has surged into the No. 2 spot. Big Ten rank: Obviously, Ohio State ranks as the Big Ten's No. 1 class, outpacing No. 2 Penn State. The Nittany Lions have 23 commitments, but the Buckeyes' per-player average is more than ...
Buckeyes make late night scholarship offer to Georgia star247Sports
Ohio State Offers Wideout Alontae Taylor While Michigan Enters Race for Defensive End Jayson OwehEleven Warriors

all 6 news articles »

Continue reading...

Ohio State recruiting: How Michigan offer could affect Jayson Oweh; Woodi Washington to return to Columbus soon - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State recruiting: How Michigan offer could affect Jayson Oweh; Woodi Washington to return to Columbus soon
Landof10.com
“I've not been able to talk to them recently,” Jones said of the Buckeyes, understanding that NCAA contact rules prohibit them from reaching out to 2020 prospects whenever they'd like. “It's not been finalized yet, but I'm trying to visit soon. After ...
Scouting Ohio State: Breaking down the BuckeyesLincoln Journal Star
Country's No. 1 ILB says Buckeyes making strong pitch247Sports
Ohio State preview: Powerhouse Buckeyes experiencing 'Pete Carroll effect' with Urban MeyerOmaha World-Herald (blog)
cleveland.com -Mansfield News Journal -Land-Grant Holy Land
all 67 news articles »

Continue reading...

Ohio State offers 2019 DB Tyus Fields, looks to bolster secondary of the future
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


It's never too early to add another prospect to the country's most elite secondary.

Tomorrow night the Buckeyes square off in yet another road night game as they take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a conference showdown. While Urban Meyer and many other Ohio State football fans are feeling rather annoyed with the amount of road conference night games the team is being forced to play, it cannot be overshadowed that once again, the primetime eyes are on the Ohio State Buckeyes. When it comes to prime-time match-ups, recruiting is a never-ending story. The amount of stars on hand and viewing via television is always increased due to the time of the game. Whether Ohio State likes this or not, Urban has to at least enjoy the fact that his team is being seen by prospects all over the country. If it ends on the field as a win and off the field in a recruiting win, the more night games, the better.

DB offers don’t come easy


It wasn’t long ago that Urban Meyer was quoted for saying some schools hand out scholarships like “pop-tarts.” We know he meant that the rate scholarship offers go out is very different than in the past, and that’s not always a good thing. When you look at the Buckeye football program and their recruiting efforts, it’s not a program that hands out offers left and right. If a prospect has an offer from Ohio State, he is a legitimate candidate and a top player in the country. When it comes to the secondary, that is proven to be true with the amount of success Kerry Coombs and his cornerbacks are having year in and year out. A ton of high-profile student-athletes have received offers to play in Ohio State's secondary and gone on to become high NFL Draft picks. That's a huge selling point for recruiting new talent to Columbus.

Yesterday, Ohio State handed out their latest scholarship offer to Tyus Fields. The Cornelius, North Carolina native is a 5'10, 170-pound corner in the 2019 class. He currently ranks out as the seventh-best corner in the country for 2019 and the fifth-best player overall in the Tar Heel state. Easily deserving of his 4-star status, Fields also holds nearly 10 offers from schools such as Clemson, Penn State, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Tennessee, and Ohio State, among others.


With Fields still having the remainder of this season and all of next year to be played, this recruitment has started early. However, when you’re Urban Meyer and you boast one of, if not the best defensive backfield development program in the country, it’s never to early to recruit the nation’s top talent. With the past success of Buckeye DBs, you can guarantee Fields will pay close attention and entertain Ohio State's efforts. As always, if a visit occurs and the red carpet is laid out, Ohio State will certainly be a player in this recruiting saga.

But really, what’s going on?


The Ohio State 2018 recruiting class has no shortage of talent, and truth be told, doesn’t possess a weakness, which is exactly why they hold the nation’s best class according to every major recruiting site. However, their lone quarterback commit, Emory Jones, who has been a commit since the summer of 2016, has been shall we say nothing short of interesting. Taking visits to schools such as Alabama while he’s still “solid” to the Buckeyes has been the word, but with a loaded QB room in Columbus and guys ahead in line such as Joey Burrow, Dwayne Haskins, and Tate Martell, you can see why there may be some looking around.

With that said, Ohio State is no slouch in this game, as it seems a newer name has come onto the scene as of late. Basically, the staff is being as proactive as they can with their lone QB spot in the 2018 class. It’s no secret the program wants to keep Emory Jones in the fold, but if he’s steadily entertaining other options and at the very least visiting other schools, the Buckeyes have to be smart and also keep the door open.

Enter current Kentucky commit Jarren Williams, another Georgia native like Jones. Williams is the seventh-ranked dual-threat QB in the nation, with Jones coming in three slots higher as the fourth-best. While he may hold a lesser ranking, there are many out there that believe Williams is actually a better prospect with a higher upside. Playing in the top division of the talent-rich state of Georgia as well as being an Elite 11 finalist, Williams truly is one of the best in the country.

All in all, there’s still a long way to go before the pen hits the paper and the fax machine cements in stone the Buckeyes' 2018 signal caller, but until then, if Jones is going to continue to shop around, then the Buckeyes are going to stay in Jarren Williams’ ear.

Quick Hits:

• Current Ohio State 2018 commit L’Christian “Blue” Smith will take his official visit to Columbus when Penn State heads to town on October 28.

Continue reading...

No. 9 Buckeyes looking to keep rolling on trip to Nebraska - News & Observer
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


No. 9 Buckeyes looking to keep rolling on trip to Nebraska
News & Observer
The ninth-ranked Buckeyes (5-1, 3-0 Big Ten) beat Nebraska by 59 points last year in Columbus and have dominated four straight opponents since their loss at home to Oklahoma. They're bidding for a third appearance in the College Football Playoff in ...
Ohio State recruiting mailbag: Wide receivers, defensive linemen and quarterbacks, oh myLandof10.com
Huskers face tough challenge from BuckeyesGrand Island Independent
What to watch for in Nebraska Huskers vs. Ohio State BuckeyesDaily Nebraskan
247Sports -AthlonSports.com -MyDaytonDailyNews
all 127 news articles »

Continue reading...

Buckeyes boast bold defense - WOWT
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes boast bold defense
WOWT
Buckeyes boast bold defense. Error loading player: No playable sources found. Posted: Thu 6:04 PM, Oct 12, 2017 |. Updated: Thu 6:20 PM, Oct 12, 2017. The Nebraska offensive line may have momentum after limiting Wisconsin to three tackles for loss last ...
Coach's Show Recap 10-12-17The Fan

all 3 news articles »

Continue reading...

Photo Gallery: Key prospects on campus for Maryland game - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Photo Gallery: Key prospects on campus for Maryland game
247Sports
New York offensive lineman Matthew Jones was on an official visit. Steve Helwagen - 7 hours ago; 2; Tools. Edit; Slot to 247Sports Home; Slot to Ohio State Buckeyes Newsletter; Slot to Ohio State Links. Show All Slides Start Slideshow Next Slideshow 1 ...
Maryland women's soccer falls, 2-0, at home vs. Ohio StateThe Diamondback

all 7 news articles »

Continue reading...

Grand jury indicts former Buckeyes running back on three counts of rape - The Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Grand jury indicts former Buckeyes running back on three counts of rape
The Columbus Dispatch
A Franklin County grand jury on Thursday indicted former Ohio State University running back Bri'onte Dunn on three felony rape charges. Columbus police said Dunn, 24, of Alliance, asked the female acquaintance for a ride home about 4:15 a.m. Aug. 20.

and more »

Continue reading...

Ozigbo, Wilbon return to rotation, look for consistency against Buckeyes - Lincoln Journal Star
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ozigbo, Wilbon return to rotation, look for consistency against Buckeyes
Lincoln Journal Star
The Buckeyes are allowing 2.9 yards per carry, the third-best mark in the Big Ten, and lead the league by a wide margin with 57 tackles for loss. “It's different (from UW) because it's a four-down front,” Cavanaugh said. “They've just got some really ...

and more »

Continue reading...

Ohio State Buckeyes Women's Energized Ripstop Windbreaker Jacket - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State Buckeyes Women's Energized Ripstop Windbreaker Jacket
247Sports
Check out the discussion on the team heading into the Nebraska game, the emergence of Binjimen Victor, the special teams disaster against Maryland, areas of improvement in recent weeks, how the Buckeyes will replace Damon Arnette in the first half ...


Continue reading...

Kurelic: LIVE with 5-star Harrison in action; top DB talks OSU - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Kurelic: LIVE with 5-star Harrison in action; top DB talks OSU
247Sports
The Buckeyes have seen Harrison play in-person this season. Urban Meyer was in attendance when Orange defeated Columbus Watterson in week two of the season. Meyer's son plays for Watterson. That is the game Harrison went down with the injury in ...
Maryland women's soccer falls, 2-0, at home vs. Ohio StateThe Diamondback

all 7 news articles »

Continue reading...

Bovada: Ohio State maintains third best National Championship odds
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Good news, though: The Buckeyes’ odds improved since last week.

Going into another primetime showdown, the Ohio State Buckeyes have the third best odds to win the national championship, according to Bovada. The online sportsbook has the Scarlet and Gray sitting at 15-to-2 odds to win the College Football Playoff National Championship. Throughout the week, those odds have stayed the same.

The same can’t be said for the team with the best odds, the Alabama Crimson Tide. Entering Monday, Nick Saban’s squad had 5-to-4 odds to win the title, however, as of Thursday evening, those odds went longer to 6-to-5. While the runner-ups to the title last season saw their odds get a tad longer, they’ve been hovering around the same area code. (On Oct. 2, ‘Bama had 7-to-5 odds.)

Once again, the Clemson Tigers have the second best odds in the FBS, coming in with 15-to-4 for the second week.

Below are the 10 teams with the best odds to win the whole enchilada:


In the race for the Heisman, Saquon Barkley still leads the pack with 5-to-4 odds. Those odds are the same as they were on Oct. 2.

Someone who doesn’t have the same odds as they did on Oct. 2: Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield. The Oct. 2 odds for Mayfield, who planted the OU flag at the 50-yard line after beating OSU in Columbus, were 9-to-4. After losing at home to Iowa State (and having a flag planted at their place), Mayfield’s odds took a hit, going to 13-to-4. Even with that loss, Mayfield still holds the second best odds—but Barkley’s holds a wider margin against the field.

For Ohio State, QB J.T. Barrett and running back J.K. Dobbins are on the Heisman odds board for another week. Barrett, who threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns last week against Maryland, saw his odds go up to 28-to-1. The week prior, the all-time OSU passing leader had 33-to-1 odds of bringing home the Heisman. Inversely, Dobbin saw his odds get longer, as he moved from 50-to-1 odds to 75-to-1 odds.

Continue reading...

Billy Price full video: Center is willing to do anything to win - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Billy Price full video: Center is willing to do anything to win
247Sports
And more. 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! Penn State Photo Gallery: Game Day Feel From NorthwesternStart SlideShow · Want the latest scoops and news on ...


Continue reading...

Ohio State’s offense has found their recent success by keeping it simple
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Less has been more for the Buckeyes during their four-game winning streak

“Put the ball down and go play. Quit thinking so much, because the minute you start thinking, you start playing slow. That’s when defenses have the upper hand.”

Ohio State center Billy Price via Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch


Sometimes simple is better. Just ask the Ohio State offense, since they have been thriving since simplifying things following the loss to Oklahoma. In the four games since the loss to the Sooners, Ohio State is averaging 52.5 points per game. What has helped Ohio State to find so much success on offense is the usage of more run-pass option plays.

Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson admits the Ohio State offense is complicated, but what he has been trying to do following the loss to Oklahoma is to remove the “clutter”, as he calls it. Wilson realizes that what slows a play down the most is when he has to think, and because of that he is working to simplify things.

So far the adjustments have worked, but it remains to be seen if the Buckeyes will be able to find the same success when they line up against Penn State, Michigan State, or Michigan, but at least Ohio State is working in the right direction to putting together a gameplan that could help them make it back to the College Football Playoff.

“I’m excited. I love a good hostile environment. Even though we lost, Penn State was pretty cool last year. Wisconsin was really cool. It’s just cool seeing so many fans wearing the same thing and going crazy.”

Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa via David Jablonski, Dayton Daily News


It might not quite have the mystique as in years past, but plenty of Ohio State players are excited to head to Lincoln for the atmosphere on Saturday night. The Buckeyes are more than three touchdown favorites over the Cornhuskers, but there’s no doubt the Nebraska fans will make themselves known at Memorial Stadium.

Saturday night’s game will mark just the second time ever the Buckeyes have made the trip to Lincoln. In 2011, Ohio State jumped out to a big first half lead, but they couldn’t make it stick, with Nebraska winning 34-27. Joe Bauserman decided the game needed some fan participation, as he threw numerous footballs into the crowd.

Ohio State will be hoping for a little better result than the last time they had to deal with a raucous crowd on the road in primetime game. Last year Ohio State slipped up against Penn State, and if the Buckeyes want to keep this year’s tilt with the Nittany Lions as a marquee game, they’ll need to add to Nebraska’s misery this year. The Buckeyes should be able to handle everything Nebraska and their fans throw at them, but at least it’ll give them some more experience on venturing into enemy territory for the rest of the season.

“I think he has a slight trust in me now. Come practice, we work on that all the time. Come the game, it comes easy because we work on it throughout the week. Come gametime, we’ve got to make it happen every week.”

Ohio State wide receiver Binjimen Victor via Tim Bielik, Northeast Ohio Media Group


Ohio State has a new target in the redzone and his name is Binjimen Victor. The sophomore wide receiver has four touchdown receptions this season, and all but one of those touchdown catches has come from inside the 20-yard line. The only touchdown from Victor that was longer than 20 yards came against Rutgers, where Victor was on the receiving end of a 23-yard touchdown from J.T. Barrett.

At 6-foot-4, Victor is an easy target inside the redzone for Barrett to try and find. With each week Victor not only is getting better, but his chemistry with Barrett becomes even stronger. The scary part about Victor as a wide receiver, is he still has plenty of room to improve. The Florida native is still pretty raw as a wide receiver, which is why he hasn’t seen more balls thrown his way. Also, Victor could add some weight to his frame, which would make him even harder for defenders to handle.

The wide receiver even knows that he isn’t where he wants to be right now, but if he is already this good then the Big Ten could be in trouble over the next few years. Victor has everything that teams are looking for as a wide receiver, he just has to put all the pieces together.

“The NCAA, there’s a couple of good guys, but internationally there’s still some guys that can wrestle pretty hard with me, and I want to compete against them and that’s where you learn the most about yourself.”

Ohio State wrestler Kyle Snyder via Jeff Helfrich, The Lantern


What more is left for Kyle Snyder to do? The Buckeye is already a NCAA champion, world champion, and Olympic champion. All those accomplishments and he is only just 21 years old. Now as Snyder preps for the 2020 Olympics, he is trying to challenge himself as much as possible.

Snyder is planning to not only wrestle at Ohio State this year, but he will also be a part of the World Wrestling Clubs Cup in December, as well as the Ivan Yarygin Memorial Grand Prix in Russia at the end of January. Unlike other sports, Snyder can take part in these classics because it won’t hurt Ohio State’s standing all that much when it comes to the NCAA Tournament.

Snyder isn’t the only Buckeye who will compete overseas this year, as junior Joey McKenna will be a part of the United States Under-23 World Team, which will compete in Poland in November. While Snyder is already at the top of his game, the experience will only help McKenna the rest of the season, as Ohio State looks to add another national title to their trophy case.

STICK TO SPORTS

• If you’re heading downtown on Sunday morning, be aware of these road closures for the Columbus Marathon.
• Down on campus and had a few too many? Anheuser-Busch has you covered with a ride home.
• Ohio is one step closer to legalizing the sale of fireworks.
• Target has teamed up with Google Home.
• The nominees for the 2017 American Music Awards have been announced.

Continue reading...

Can Tanner Lee and 2 dynamic receivers exploit Ohio State’s secondary?
Chad Peltier via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Nebraska would probably need to catch a few breaks to pull an upset, but the Huskers are still a pretty talented team.

Ohio State meets Nebraska riding a four-game high where the offense has been incredibly explosive, the passing game has shown real development, and the defense has been shut-down enough to allow second- and third-string players to get significant playtime.


A couple of things about Nebraska’s total stats right off the bat. First, Nebraska was second-to-last in the country in returning offensive production from last season. Mike Riley’s having a tough year but honestly 73rd in offensive S&P+ seems much more reasonable when you see how little the Cornhuskers returned on that side of the ball. They were 122nd in overall returning production from a year ago.

And if you’re going to lose that much production, then you’d better have an extremely high talent base to compensate (like Ohio State’s secondary has for the past three seasons). The Cornhuskers are 29th in overall talent according to the composite 247 rankings, but their blue chip ratio is still just a little over a quarter of Ohio State’s.

Finally, the Cornhuskers have struggled with interceptions this season, accounting for their poor turnover margin.

When Ohio State has the ball

• Nebraska’s opponent-adjusted stats are much better than their un-adjusted defensive rankings this year — 35th in overall defensive S&P+ compared to rushing and passing success rates ranked 87th and 116th. Going by the defensive S&P+ percentile performances, the Huskers have had three really solid games and three really poor games. Against Arkansas State, Oregon, and Wisconsin, their percentile performances were 37%, 8%, and 30%, while they were 82% and higher in the other three games against Northern Illinois, Rutgers, and Illinois. You get the sense that Ohio State is highly likely to fall into the first group of teams rather than the second.
• Ohio State has been a top-5 rushing offense this year (as we’ve come to expect under Meyer), ranking 2nd, 4th, and 2nd in rushing success rate, opportunity rate, and stuff rate, meaning that the Buckeyes’ run plays are efficient about 58% of the time, gain at least 5 yards roughly half the time, and are stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage about once in every ten runs. Nebraska has been one of the 25 worst defenses in rushing opportunity rate and in stuff rate, meaning that we’re likely to see some pretty efficient running once again. The one saving grace is that Nebraska is at least average in preventing big runs — ranking 48th in IsoPPP and allowing just 6 runs this year of 20+ yards (Ohio State has allowed 9). They don’t allow a ton of big runs, but they also rarely create negative plays and often allow 5+ yard plays. That perfectly matches Ohio State’s offensive rushing profile, suggesting we’ll see a lot of 5-12ish yard runs against the Huskers.
• J.K. Dobbins is averaging 1.3 yards per carry more, 1.3 highlight yards per carry more, and +1.6% opportunity rate more than Zeke did in 2015, but is on track for about 60% of his total carries that year.
• Ohio State has been throwing the ball a little more often the last few weeks — partly to work on the passing game, but also because it’s worked extremely well. In fact, the Buckeyes are 98th in standard downs run rate (but 38th in passing downs run rate), which shows that Ohio State throws the ball on early downs more often than most other teams, but then runs on later downs (because the Buckeyes have been successful on standard downs, ranking 4th in overall standard downs success rate). With Nebraska ranking 116th in passing success rate, expect to see more of the same from Ohio State in terms of run-pass balance.
• Like Nebraska’s run defense, their pass defense is poor in success rate but solid at limiting big plays (ranking 13th in passing IsoPPP and only allowing 11 passing plays of 20+ yards, 13th).

When Nebraska has the ball

• Everyone had high expectations for quarterback Tanner Lee this offseason. While the passing game hasn’t lived up to the hype set by some Nebraska fans, Lee has been fine — especially given the extremely low returning offensive production mentioned earlier. The passing game is 83rd in success rate, averaging 6.3 yards per pass, with Lee throwing ten interceptions on 202 attempts.
• There’s a very clear top receiver in junior Stanley Morgan Jr., with 27% of targets and 510 yards (17 yards/catch). De'Mornay Pierson-El is another strong option, and a few others have chipped in, including freshman JD Spielman and tight end Tyler Hoppes. With Arnette suspended for the first half and Okudah likely receiving the majority of his playing time, the first half especially might be a challenge for Ohio State’s pass defense. At least Nebraska does have multiple receiving options outside of Morgan Jr. to potentially target Ohio State’s backups in the secondary (alternatively, Okudah turns out to be every bit as good as he’s looked and was rated as a recruit, and we hardly notice Arnette’s absence). The passing game is really how Nebraska would pull an upset here: not throw interceptions, get a lead going into halftime while the Ohio State secondary is a little undermanned, and get some explosive plays from Morgan Jr. and Pierson-El.
• The Nebraska offensive line has been pretty solid in pass protection — Lee’s only taken 8 total sacks, and they rank 36th and 35th in standard and passing downs sack rates. Ohio State is first in the country in defensive line havoc rate, fifth in overall havoc rate, and 16th in sacks per game though, so I’d bet on Lee experiencing more pressure than usual. And like we mentioned before, Lee’s interceptions have been a problem for the Huskers this year — he threw four against Oregon and three against Northern Illinois (but only one to Wisconsin, so there’s progress). Multiple interceptions, forced by significant defensive line pressure and Ohio State’s evolving coverage patterns, would allow this game to get out of hand.
• The Nebraska run game isn’t much to write home about, ranking in the 70s in success rate, opportunity rate, and stuff rate. Like most of Ohio State’s opponents, negative plays will be the big concern here, as the Nebraska offensive line allows twice as many stuffed runs as Ohio State’s does (at 20.2% of runs), while the Buckeyes defensive line is 10th in the country in stuff rate. Devine Ozigbo has been solid, rushing for over 100 yards on 18+ carries per game, after not playing the first two games. Mikale Wilbon and Tre Bryant have gotten injured, with Wilbon missing the Wisconsin game and Bryant missing the last four after a stellar debut to the season. Wilbon looks closer to returning than Bryant, based on recent practice reports. They’re all pretty similar backs in terms of the advanced stats, averaging a little under 5 yards per carry (Bryant was 5.9), around 4.2 highlight yards per opportunity, and under a 40% opportunity rate (Bryant was at 49%). Ozigbo is a bigger back, at 6’0 and 230 pounds, but both Michael Hill and, importantly, Dre’Mont Jones are expected to return for Ohio State’s defensive line this week.
• One underrated set of stats: starting field position and finishing drives. Ohio State has been just average in terms of passing success rate this year (though improving!), ranking 49th because of the first two bad games against Indiana and Oklahoma. But the defense as a whole has been pretty incredible in non-garbage time largely because opposing offenses are often forced into extremely long drives (Ohio State ranks 4th in defensive average starting field position), and then even if they do get into the OSU red zone, the defense only allows 2.96 points per scoring opportunity (7th overall). Nebraska is 87th in starting field position and 63rd finishing drives, averaging 4.58 points per scoring opportunity.
• There are four big reasons for Ohio State’s great average starting field position. The first is that the offense rarely goes three-and-out. We don’t have FEI offensive stats until next week to give Ohio State’s actual first down rate, but they are ranked highly in both total first downs/game and in fewest total punts. Second, Ohio State rarely turns the ball over, with J.T. throwing just one interception all year. Third, Drue Chrisman is averaging a solid 42.6 yards per punt. Fourth, Ohio State’s kickoff return strategy works for the most part -- usually allowing opponents to return a kick results in worse starting field position for the opposing offense. Ohio State has more opponent kickoff returns than any team in the country with 40 (ultra-conservative Jimbo Fisher’s Florida State has allowed only 6!). And yes, it’s a riskier strategy because sometimes you allow a kickoff return touchdown, most of the time the kickoff coverage team significantly helps the defense through field position.

The 3 most important stats

1. Nebraska’s passing success rate. As J.T.’s passing success rate has improved over the last four weeks, the OSU secondary has become the biggest question mark for the 2017 Buckeyes.
2. Ohio State’s havoc rate. The defensive line should create a lot of stuffed runs. But if they can also pressure Lee and force an interception or two then that would be huge.
3. J.K. Dobbins’ rushing opportunity rate. Nebraska’s run defense especially struggled last week against Wisconsin, allowing freshman Jonathan Taylor to run for 249 yards on 25 carries. Can Dobbins similarly run wild despite getting probably half as many opportunities?

Picks

• S&P+: Ohio State 38, Nebraska 17. 89.5% winning percentage
• F/+: Ohio State by 15.7. 81.8% winning percentage
• Adj. S&P+: Ohio State by 18.6. 85.8% winning percentage
• Power Rank: Ohio State by 14.5. 85% winning percentage
• My pick: Ohio State 48, Nebraska 14

Here’s how the picks have performed to date vs. the actual margin of victory.

Continue reading...

Ohio State recruiting mailbag: Wide receivers, defensive linemen and quarterbacks, oh my - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State recruiting mailbag: Wide receivers, defensive linemen and quarterbacks, oh my
Landof10.com
Have Ohio State football recruiting questions? We've got answers. Join us every Thursday for the Land of 10 Ohio State recruiting mailbag. This week, we talk about whether the Buckeyes offering new wideouts will impact Kamryn Babb's recruitment and ...
Big Ten spotlight returns to Lincoln for Buckeyes-HuskersNews & Observer
Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers Preview and PredictionAthlonSports.com
Buckeyes expect 'hostile environment' at NebraskaMyDaytonDailyNews
Waiting For Next Year -Land-Grant Holy Land -Bleacher Report
all 97 news articles »

Continue reading...