J.T. Barrett and the Ohio State passing game went horizontal versus Army
Christopher Jason via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Simplifying the offense will only make the quarterback better in the long run.

We’ve been asking for changes to Ohio State’s offense for what seems like years now, and although it may not have necessarily been those exact changes...we finally got a new look on offense against Army.

After two weeks of the same vanilla play-calling that has plagued Ohio State’s offense since Tom Herman moved on, it looks as though new offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson has been handed over the reins of the offense.

As mentioned when Urban Meyer hired Wilson in the offseason, he would make life easier for the once-accurate J.T. Barrett and get him back to what he’s best at: making quick and smart decisions with the ball in his hands. Wilson would do this by calling higher percentage throws and route combinations to his highly touted perimeter players. Ohio State’s wide receiver room is not what it once was from a future NFL wide receiver standpoint; it’s mostly a group of athletes who aren’t precise route runners, but they’re arguably more dangerous with the ball in their hands.

Enter Week 3 versus Army.

• Wilson made it a point to get Barrett going by establishing the perimeter screen game and shorter route combinations. Army was playing a soft zone coverage that placed their defensive backs eight-to-ten yards off the line of scrimmage — and Wilson took advantage of it. In the first quarter alone, Barrett was 9-of-13 passing with all four incompletions coming over 10 yards and he finished 5-of-5 on passes thrown at or behind the line of scrimmage. Barrett finished the game 12-of-12 on passes thrown at or behind the line of scrimmage.
• When scanning through Twitter, most Buckeye fans on my timeline were complaining about the lack of deep passing attempts and asked whether or not this quick-hitting screen game would work against the better teams in the country. In my opinion, yes it would work against the upper echelon teams if it’s read correctly by Barrett — and we know how well Barrett reads defenses in the read option.
• Here are similar looks that Ohio State got against both Army and Oklahoma. Against Army, they threw the bubble screen to K.J. Hill before he made one defender miss on the perimeter. I personally would take Hill or Parris Campbell in a one-on-one situations with the ball in their hands against a cornerback in space just about every time. If Ohio State has the numbers on the perimeter, get the ball out quickly to the elite athletes and let them try to make a defender miss in space, while Terry McLaurin or Binjimen Victor block downfield.

• These run-pass options and horizontal plays open up the running game (keeping the defense spread out) and shots downfield (when the corners begin to tighten up on the receivers). This was evident in the second half when J.K. Dobbins was able to gash the Army defense and when Terry McLaurin was able to take advantage of a defense that continued to give up chunks of yardage on run-pass options.
• Below, the Army defense was so used to the bubble screen from the slot that they fell asleep on McLaurin. McLaurin did a great job of jogging out to a defensive back, mimicking a stock block and then catching the defense flat-footed. If Ohio State continues to lull teams to sleep on RPOs, a deep shot will come out of it. It’s just up to Barrett to finish the play.

• J.K. Dobbins had another great game, but this offense will be even more dynamic with the one-two punch of Dobbins and Mike Weber. Weber didn’t get enough credit last season, especially as a pass blocker and also in short yardage. I could see a two-headed monster similar to Oklahoma’s 2016 running back stable of Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon.
• As has been the case, this offense comes down to smart play-calling and J.T. Barrett’s accuracy. Barrett missed a few times downfield against Army, but establishing his confidence and rhythm early on will only help him as the game progresses. Expect two more tune-up games for the offense before they face potential back-to-back shootouts against Maryland and Penn State.

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K.J. Hill, Ohio State receivers could feast on a struggling UNLV defense
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 Rebels likely won't be able to muster much resistance to a rebounding, loaded offense.

Advance notice: this discussion of Ohio State football is going to veer quickly into a discussion of some gross body stuff before we right the ship and get into the Xs and Os. Consider yourself warned.

This past week, my side job had us do a team-building exercise in which we made our own sauerkraut. (Or started to make our own sauerkraut; the good stuff takes three weeks to ferment.) But before we did that, the two nice women guiding us through the session started talking about the various benefits of fermented foods, including their proven track record at restoring the various flora and micro-biomes in people's guts and GI tracts.

As you might imagine (especially if you live on the crunchy-granola west coast, like I do, and such discussions are more commonplace), this conversation spiraled off into side chatter about the repair to human systems that can be done by—and I am not making this up—DIY fecal transplants, among other things. I'll spare you the gory details about how that's done, but a quick Google search done in a browser that your employer can't see will fill in the blanks for you.

Here's the basic idea that governs the success of both processes—kraut and the DYI stuff—in restoring the functions of the human body: various parasites, like Giardia and cryptosporidium, wreck all your digestive functions, and the medicines we use to kill those parasites also kill way more bacteria in your gut than they need to. For your system to function properly again, healthy and diverse bacteria have to be reintroduced so they can rebuild the little ecosystem of your innards.

All of this is to say that I sat in this seminar thinking about, uh, Ohio State football. The debacle that was the Oklahoma game destroyed the system, top to bottom. On-field play, off-field tweeting, enough message board exclamation points to last a lifetime—everything was broken all at once, with seemingly no hope for recovery.

For a week, anyway. The Army game kickstarted the system again, like eating 15 Chobani yogurts might do. On the near horizon is Rutgers, a metaphorical organic-matter transplant if ever there was one. And here, to let the Ohio State system repair its core functions, is a big damn bowl of sauerkraut: the UNLV Rebels and their abysmally-performing defense.

Here's a look at just one of the guys poised to take advantage of that matchup.

The stats


Name: K.J. Hill

Number: 14

Position: WR/H-back

Year: RS Sophomore

Height/Weight: 6'0, 198 lbs.

Stat line: 15 catches, 124 receiving yards

Hill, nominally Parris Campbell's backup at the H-back position, has rushed just once all season. His primary function in the Buckeye offense is as a receiver, where he's reeled in 15 catches in 2017, including a team-high eight against an overmatched Army secondary. He'll get just as many chances to feast this Saturday, as UNLV might offer even less resistance than the Black Knights did.

Opposition research


The reason that Hill and his teammates in the Buckeye receiving corps look due for a big day is that UNLV's defense is compromised everywhere, including the secondary. The Rebels' pass defense had to replace three of its top four tacklers from 2016, but even those losses came from a unit that wasn't good: UNLV finished last season 106th nationally in passing defense by S&P+.

Through two games in 2017, the Rebels have managed to get the bleeding in the secondary somewhat under control, allowing 401 total passing yards so far. But those stats came in a historic upset loss to Howard and in a trouncing of perennial doormat Idaho, so take them with a grain of salt.

A few names to know as the Buckeyes look to have a second-consecutive field day through the air (thanks to what J.K. Dobbins and co. open up for them on the ground): junior safeties Dalton Baker and Tim Hough, who have combined for nine solo tackles, and Chauncey Scissum, a Syracuse transfer who had the best day of any player in the secondary during the Idaho game.

What to watch for


Even with the resurgence of the Buckeye passing game against Army, Urban Meyer's offense will be run-first for the foreseeable future. That's easy enough to do when you have all-world talent like J.K. Dobbins and J.T. Barrett getting a high volume of carries; it's hardly surprising that Ohio State's first three touchdowns came on the ground against the Black Knights.


What that does, especially when a player like Dobbins is a threat to rip off a 50+ yard touchdown run at any moment, is force opposing teams to stack the box to try to stop the run. When that happens, the passing unit gets to see a lot more single coverage. For burners like Hill, Parris Campbell, and Johnnie Dixon, who aren't particularly crisp route runners, that's an ideal scenario.

UNLV's got a few bright spots on both sides of the ball, but they have a multi-year rebuild ahead of them. This one will hopefully be ugly by halftime.

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Ohio State releases depth chart for Week 4 against UNLV
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Not surprising, but the Buckeyes depth chart seems set.

Despite a heavy-handed win over Army in Week 3, the Ohio State Buckeyes dropped two spots—to No.10—in the AP Poll. That doesn’t mean that Urban Meyer and staff are throwing caution to the win, however. They’ve stayed true to the depth chart that has, by and large, stayed the same since the first release this season.

A few names moved around, with Josh Myers being added as the No. 3 left guard, and Joe Burrow made his way back on the depth chart—although, is still recovering—and Tuf Borland is now an “or” for the starting MLB position.

With injuries plaguing the running back corps, it’s not surprising to see so many “or” designations for first and second team players. Mike Weber is healthy enough to see snaps, but not enough to be a three-down back, and Demario McCall is still dealing with a lingering issue from last season. Until they’re all healthy, freshman phenom J.K. Dobbins will likely get the majority of carries Saturday.

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What Jaedon LeDee Brings To Ohio State
Patrick Mayhorn via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ohio State just landed a top 100 point guard.

After four decommitments in the last few months following Thad Matta’s departure, Ohio State has once again picked up a 2018 commitment, this time from Houston wing Jaedon LeDee. Thanks to those aforementioned decommitments from Justin Ahrens, Dane Goodwin, Torrence Watson and Darius Bazley, LeDee is the only commit in the class as of the writing of this article.

LeDee’s name first started to pop up just a few weeks ago, as he was in Columbus on September 9th for an official visit. He took a visit to Texas A&M, the previous presumed favorite in his recruitment just six days later. After that visit, LeDee announced that he would be taking no more visits, and would be committing just a few days after his visit to College Station.

Surprisingly, last night, LeDee started trending away from the Aggies, and towards Chris Holtmann and the Buckeyes. As it turns out, where there was smoke, there was definetly fire, as LeDee committed to the Buckeyes over A&M, LSU, Houston, and UCLA among many others.

Jaedon is unlike any current Buckeye player in terms of skill set and play style. Lets take a look at what makes him such an intruiging prospect.

ON THE COURT


LeDee, after adding roughly 60 pounds onto his frame over past few years to get up to 230, brings a much needed skill set to Columbus. He’s a pure scorer, both as a shooter and a slasher, as well as a physical and tenacious rebounder. At 6-foot-7, 230, he’s very similar in size to former Michigan State star and NBA All-Star Draymond Green, though LeDee is far more athletic, and dangerous with the ball than Green was in East Lansing.

LeDee’s play style is fairly similar, however, to former Buckeye David Lighty. They’re both athletic, long wings that can attack the hoop, pass, rebound, and really just do it all. LeDee’s defense is serviceable, and he has a knack for swatting shots, so he’ll be a welcome addition to the team, likely at power forward.

He may take a little while to get up to speed at the next level, but from his smooth jumper to willingness to drive or pass, LeDee should be a huge part of Ohio State’s team in a few years.

IN THE CLASS


While LeDee is currently the only commit in Ohio State’s 2018 class, likely won’t be for long, though he may be the only at his position. Guards Elijah Weaver and Luther Muhammad are both expected to announce soon, and could join LeDee, making one of the top 2018 classes.

Former commit Justin Ahrens may rejoin the class as well, but as of right now, a class with LeDee, Weaver, and Muhammad should be very exciting for Buckeye fans.

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4-star SF Jaedon LeDee commits to Ohio State
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes add a solid piece to the 2018 recruiting class puzzle.

When four-star shooting guard Torrence Watson recently decommitted from the Ohio State basketball program, it left Chris Holtmann and crew searching the recruiting trail for another face of their class of 2018.

Those days are now behind the Buckeyes' coaching staff, as they’ve finally found their man for the job.

Dishing out his pledge to Ohio State on Tuesday over chances to attend universities such as Texas A&M, LSU, UCLA, and many other top-notch programs, four-star small forward Jaedon LeDee is now a Buckeye verbal commit.


A threat to score inside and out, LeDee will add another much-needed stat sheet stuffer to the Ohio State basketball roster. Showcasing his many talents on the court last season, the future Buckeye averaged over 20 points and 10 rebounds a contest as a junior at The Kinkaid School in Houston, Texas

Choosing to continue his education and playing days at Ohio State after having a chance to visit the campus and meet with the staff earlier this month, LeDee is currently considered the 31st small forward and 115th overall prospect in the class of 2018, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Want to know more about Jaedon LeDee and his commitment to Ohio State? The Land-Grant Holy Land recruiting team will have much more on his pledge coming soon.

Highlights

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Buckeyes' pass defense in focus vs. UNLV - Toledo Blade
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes' pass defense in focus vs. UNLV
Toledo Blade
COLUMBUS – Each Monday at his news conference, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer opens the proceedings by noting which players graded well in the following week's game. The Buckeyes say the high-scoring players graded as “champions,” and Meyer ...
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Warren Tribune Chronicle -247Sports -ABC6OnYourSide.com
all 104 news articles »

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Jaedon LeDee commits to Ohio State: Buckeyes land 4-star SF - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Jaedon LeDee commits to Ohio State: Buckeyes land 4-star SF
Landof10.com
The Buckeyes lost one when 3-star SF Justin Ahrens decommitted from the school after it fired Thad Matta, and 4-star SG Dane Goodwin, who had been committed since 2014, announced his decommitment not long after. The 4-star SG Torrence Watson ...
4-star forward Jaedon LeDee commits to Ohio State basketball: Buckeyes recruitingcleveland.com
BH: LaDee luck? | Early returns247Sports
2018 Houston Forward Jaedon LeDee Commits To Ohio StateScout
Eleven Warriors -OSU - The Lantern -Land-Grant Holy Land
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Best Buckeye said:

Solid game by the Buckeyes as the defense shone for the second game in a row.

Click to expand...

do you still happen to have this game

Ohio State’s defense got back to their dominant ways against Army
Ian Hartitz via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Last Saturday USA was spelled OSU.

The Buckeyes are back above .500, improving to 2-1 through three games for the first time since 2014 (foreshadowing?). The silver bullets were disciplined and limited big plays all afternoon, holding the nation’s leading rushing offense to 259 yards on 58 carries (4.45 yards per rush). Aside from one well-executed 18-play 99-yard touchdown drive, the Black Knights were thwarted for the better part of 60 minutes last Saturday.

A few statistical notes:

• Army didn't go into this game expecting to move the ball through the air, and they unsurprisingly averaged a meager 2.4 yards per pass attempt on just eight passes.
• The Buckeyes defense wasn't able to add to their sack total, but still managed to hurry the Black Knights on two of their eight passes and rack up five tackles for a loss.
• Though the Black Knights converted 3-4 fourth-down attempts, they converted just 4-15 third-down attempts and only managed to snap the ball twice from inside the Buckeyes 20-yard line.

Army prides themselves on not turning the ball over and becoming something they’re not, so it’s not super surprising to see a lack of splash plays from the Ohio State defense. Still, several standouts helped make this game a healthy 31-point victory for the Buckeyes. Let’s check out a few notable plays.

Jerome Baker is the defense’s No.1 playmaker


Baker's nine tackles were tied for the second-most on the team and his speed consistently caused problems in the Army backfield. Whether it was running down the quarterback from behind on a slow-developing option, or scraping over the top to get after a running back on a sweep: Baker was everywhere.

Baker’s most-prominent moment came on an early 3rd-and-10 in the first quarter. It can be difficult to get option offenses off the field if they find a rhythm and consistently keep themselves in manageable situations, so it was imperative for the Buckeyes to get off the field when they did force Army into obvious passing situations. A well-designed blitz from Greg Schiano sprung Baker to the quarterback and he didn’t waste the opportunity:


The Buckeyes’ speed at linebacker was always going to be a tough obstacle for Army to overcome. Baker, Chris Worley, Tuf Borland, and Dante Booker did a great job all afternoon of not overrunning plays, and the Black Knights offense never quite got going as a result.

This game may have been a lot closer if it wasn’t for Erick Smith


The Buckeyes secondary allowed the most passing yards in the country through two weeks, but they may have found at least one answer in Smith. The only defensive player to play every snap of the game, Smith made two crucial diving stops in the contest. While his touchdown-saving tackle on an Army kick return was huge, Smith’s acrobatic pass deflection to save a deep touchdown was what the fan’s paid to see:


Overall, Smith’s nine tackles were tied for the second-most on the team, but more importantly he provided a stabilizing presence to the backend of a defense that was anything but stable the first two weeks of the season. The Buckeyes will likely continue to rotate their secondary, but it looks like Smith has forced his way into a full-time role.

The defensive line is still pretty good too


None of the rushmen managed to tally a sack last Saturday, but they still took over the game like always. The only thing scarier than big-athletic linemen are big-athletic linemen that hustle, and Ohio State has about six of those players. Any misstep in option typically led to some crushing hits and plenty of bodies around the football:


The fullback dive can cripple a defense if not consistently defended, and Ohio State was more than fine with Army trying to win with perimeter runs. The Buckeyes defense was forced to play for nearly 37 minutes Saturday, but they got stops when it mattered and allowed their fewest points of the season.


Ohio State was expected to crush Army; they won by 31 points. There weren’t any flashy pick sixes or strip sacks, but maybe 60 minutes of disciplined, sound football is what his team needed. On to UNLV.

The final: 38-7, Ohio State

Defensive player of the game: Erick Smith (9 tackles, 1 pass deflection)

Defensive play of the game: Erick Smith touchdown-saving pass defleciton.

Next Victim: UNLV. True fans will begin their tailgate Friday night at the Hollywood Casino. Keep it classy, Columbus.

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Ohio State recruiting: What are the 5 biggest battles left for the Buckeyes? - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State recruiting: What are the 5 biggest battles left for the Buckeyes?
Landof10.com
But the Buckeyes are still in contention for a number of other top-rated players, and that could put this class in the discussion as one of the most talented ever. As the months tick away and National Signing Day grows closer, here is a look at the ...
Sorting Out Ohio State's 2018 Defensive End RecruitingEleven Warriors

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Teague's big test: Buckeye RB commit will be challenged - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Teague's big test: Buckeye RB commit will be challenged
247Sports
The Blackman vs Oakland game will be streamed live on Stork Vision and we will be talking about it on our Bucknuts weekend thread as the game is being played. Some Buckeye fans have asked when Teague will be truly challenged this season and that ...


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Numbers knowledge: One post-Week 3 stat for each Big Ten team
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

Numbers, numbers, numbers. As we enter Week 4, here is a look at one for each Big Ten team that caught my eye from a packet of info from standout BTN researcher Harold Shelton.

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Breaking down 3 of the 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


Heading into a game with UNLV, Meyer elaborated on the Buckeyes’ pass defense, receiving game and Mike Weber.

Fresh off the win against the Army Black Knights, the Ohio State Buckeyes are now preparing for their last non-conference matchup of the regular season, the UNLV Rebels.

On Monday, Buckeye head coach Urban Meyer talked to the media, and gave insights into his program heading into Week 4. Below are the three biggest points from the press conference.

1. “Pass defense and continue growth on offense. And punt return has still been nonexistent. No one's fault. We just haven't had very many opportunities to return a punt.”


When asked what parts of the OSU game plan were the most critical to get, Meyer answered with the pass defense and growth on offense.

It’s been no surprise that the Buckeyes’ pass defense needs more work heading into conference play. But by playing Army West Point, a team primarily focused on the triple-option offense, Ohio State lost a week in getting the pass defense fixed. (Army rolled into Columbus with a whopping 17 yards worth of passing, and walked out of Ohio State throwing for 19 more.)

With the Rebels on the slate this week, it’s critical that the secondary makes some plays. UNLV has one of the best receivers in the Mountain West in Devonte Boyd, who’s leading the conference with an average of 104 receiving yards per game.

Shutting down quarterback Armani Rogers and receiver Boyd will also help give Ohio State more chances at fielding/returning punts. Through three games, only four punts have been returned—totaling a measly nine yards.

On offense, fixing the passing game is once again on the agenda. Against Army, passes were still off target/not caught, but the problems seemed to be getting ironed out. As Meyer pointed out, “continued growth on offense” is one of the big things OSU needs to work on as Big Ten play comes next week.

While Barrett is setting conference records—and is on the doorstep of moving up even more in the OSU record books—he can’t do it all. Yes, the quarterback has to make decent throws, but he can’t catch them, too. A solid receiving corps is needed for the pass attack to be effective.

That brings us to the next point...

2. On Demario McCall: “He certainly needs to improve. He has not been at full speed. He's much closer than he was.”


After having a freshman year that saw 270 rushing yards, Demario McCall hasn’t seen the field much in his sophomore campaign due to injury.

That could be changing shortly, as Meyer said on Monday that “I'm going to try to get him in a game and determine if he can go.” That’s big news for the Buckeyes and McCall, as he could be used as another threat for the OSU ground and air game.

Last season, McCall averaged 5.5 yards per carry and tallied three TDs on the ground, and caught four receptions for 84 yards and a TD. Getting McCall in the game against UNLV will be a good experiment to see how game ready the sophomore is at the moment. The recovery from a sports hernia has taken time—which, unfortunately, has gone into the first few weeks of the season.

When McCall does get back to 100 percent, finding a place for him may prove to be tricky. The running game is dominated with J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber, and there is a revolving door at the wide out spot. Against Army, eight different receivers caught the ball.

Parris Campbell is the No. 1 target for Barrett, and it shows in the statline. On the season, the wide out has 15 receptions for 217 yards and a touchdown. His longest catch was the TD haul against the Indiana Hoosiers that went for 74 yards—and busted the game open for the Buckeyes.


It’ll be interesting to see how McCall fits into the offense’s scheme. Best option may be at the receiving end, as there really isn’t a clear-cut No. 2 receiver in terms of receptions.

3. On Mike Weber: “He's very critical for us as we continue to move forward in conference play coming up in a few weeks. So we're going to need him at full strength. He's still not at full strength. We have to make sure we get him full strength.”


Keeping up on the theme of overcoming injury, Mike Weber still isn’t 100 percent. As Dobbins has taken off, going for 172 yards and two scores against the Black Knights on Saturday afternoon, Weber has been used sparingly.

In the last two games, the sophomore has been given the rock seven times, and picked up 42 yards. But, Meyer using Weber sparingly may be the best for both worlds. This enables Dobbins to get more experience, which isn’t a bad thing to have. Already, the La Grange, Texas native has 425 yards on the ground—good enough for eighth best in the nation.

For Weber, this let’s him get back to full health. Against the Oklahoma Sooners, Weber came up limping after getting wrapped up on his second carry of the night. Ohio State can afford to let Dobbins run the show for now, but there needs to be a second running back option available by the time conference play starts to take off.

If Weber gets over five carries against UNLV, that’d be surprising. Expect Dobbins to again go for another 150 plus yard performance this weekend.

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What will Ohio State football be like three years from now? Make your Buckeyes 2020 predictions - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


What will Ohio State football be like three years from now? Make your Buckeyes 2020 predictions
cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Three weeks into the season, with the Buckeyes favored by almost 40, we're not only looking to Saturday. We're looking into the future. With Ohio State cruising toward a blowout of a UNLV team that lost to Howard in its opener, we'll ...
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all 99 news articles »

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Can true freshmen Trevon Grimes and Jeffrey Okudah help the Buckeyes? Ohio State football analysis - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Can true freshmen Trevon Grimes and Jeffrey Okudah help the Buckeyes? Ohio State football analysis
cleveland.com
Not yet. The Buckeyes aren't looking for true freshmen to solve their problems. At cornerback, they're looking at junior college transfer Kendall Sheffield and veterans Denzel Ward and Damon Arnette, as they have been all season. "Sheffield is getting ...


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JK Dobbins' improved Heisman odds, five Buckeyes picked in early mock, top Michigan receiver needs surgery ... - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


JK Dobbins' improved Heisman odds, five Buckeyes picked in early mock, top Michigan receiver needs surgery ...
cleveland.com
Three games into his college career, Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins has 40/1 odds to win the Heisman Trophy per Bovada. (Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer). COLUMBUS, Ohio — Get all the news around Ohio State football and other important teams in ...

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Top Ohio State basketball target set to announce today
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Will Jaedon LeDee become the first commitment for the 2018 recruiting class later today?

Ohio State has had three recruits commit to its 2018 recruiting class. However, following a chaotic off-season, all three have since left the program, and the Buckeyes find themselves again looking for their first commitment.

Following Thad Matta’s departure from the program, three-star SF Justin Ahrens decided to reopen his recruitment and is now favored to commit to Buckeye arch-rival Michigan. Ohio State then quickly replaced Matta with Chris Holtmann, and soon after his arrival, four-star SG Dane Goodwin left the program and has since committed to Notre Dame. Holtmann and the coaching staff were then able to acquire three-star SG Torrence Watson, but due to personal reasons, Watson left the program last month to play closer to home and committed to Missouri.

Fortunately for the Buckeyes, it appears the program could finally earn that coveted commitment later today as four-star SF target Jaedon LeDee (Houston, TX/The Kinkaid School) is set to announce his collegiate decision.


LeDee would be a big win for Holtmann and the Buckeyes’ coaching staff as he is seen as the No. 31 SF in the country and is the No. 115 overall recruit in the class, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

The blue-chip prospect has acquired a reported 23 scholarship offers from some of the top programs in the country but has trimmed his list down to eight finalists. Along with Ohio State, Texas A&M, LSU, UCLA, Houston, Cal, Iowa State, and Oklahoma all made the cut for LeDee.

LeDee took an official visit to Columbus earlier this month, following an unofficial visit to Oklahoma. However, the timing of his announcement may spell bad news for the Buckeyes, as he officially visited Texas A&M this past weekend. The Aggies are the presumed favorite to land LeDee’s services, with 50-percent of the 247Sports Crystal Ball Predictions favoring the program. However, things appear to be trending in Ohio State’s favor, as four experts chose the Buckeyes as the predicted outcome yesterday.

It appears to be a two dog race for LeDee’s commitment and the Buckeyes are in the thick of it. With Holtmann and co. looking for their first commitment, LeDee is priority recruit number one for the Ohio State basketball program.

Ohio State makes the cut for 2019 CB


Ohio State learned that it has moved one step closer to acquiring a blue-chip cornerback prospect in next year's class - and the name will be familiar for Ohio State fans.

Four-star CB John Dixon (Tampa, FL/Wharton) took to Twitter yesterday to announce his current top schools. Ohio State, Auburn, Alabama, South Florida, Oregon, South Carolina, Florida, Florida State, and Tennessee were listed as Dixon’s top nine schools.


Dixon is just a junior in high school but is already garnering attention from the top college football programs in the country. He is currently listed as the No. 24 CB in next year’s class and is the No. 276 overall recruit in the country.

However, Dixon is off to a fast start this year, already picking off one pass to go along with five pass breakups and four tackles, according to MaxPreps.com. If he continues to play at this level, expect his rankings to see a hefty increase.

Because it is still extremely early in his recruitment, home-state schools Florida and Florida State have to be seen as the favorites to land Dixon; however, South Carolina will likely remain a contender, as the school offered him in the spring of his freshman season, giving them a great head start at building a relationship with him.

Ohio State, though, is still jumping into Dixon’s recruitment early in the game and if the program continues to recruit him, it will likely remain a legitimate contender to earn his commitment.

Ohio State offers elite 2019 DE


With limited space in Ohio State’s top ranked 2018 recruiting class, Urban Meyer and the Buckeye coaching staff are beginning to focus on next year's class. The Buckeyes have just one commitment for 2019 in four-star OT Doug Nester (Huntington, WV/Spring Valley) and the staff is hoping to add to that after offering an elite talent yesterday.

Four-star defensive end Savion Jackson (Clayton, NC/Clayton) took to Twitter late Monday night to announce that he had received a scholarship offer from the Buckeyes.


Jackson is one of the top recruits in the country, ranked as the No. 5 SDE in his class and the No. 50 overall prospect, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

With the accolades comes competition for the Buckeyes. Jackson has already earned a reported 15 scholarship offers from the likes of Clemson, Louisville, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Penn State, and more.

It is early in Jackson’s recruitment and he has only taken two unofficial visits to date. He visited South Carolina for its Junior Day and was in attendance for Penn State’s spring game.

Ohio State will likely look to get Jackson on campus multiple times in the next two years if they are truly interested in him. With the team's recent success at producing NFL picks at the position, they will likely have a real shot in his recruitment.

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Sports Vault: In 2002, UC's football team nearly beat the OSU Buckeyes at Paul Brown Stadium - WCPO
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Sports Vault: In 2002, UC's football team nearly beat the OSU Buckeyes at Paul Brown Stadium
WCPO
Fifteen years ago this week, the University of Cincinnati's football team nearly defeated Ohio State before a record crowd at Paul Brown Stadium -- but two dropped touchdown passes in the final minute and a game-ending interception cemented OSU's 23-19 ...


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Teradja Mitchell reflects on Ohio State; young quarterbacks emerging on radar for Buckeyes - Landof10.com
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Teradja Mitchell reflects on Ohio State; young quarterbacks emerging on radar for Buckeyes
Landof10.com
The Buckeyes welcomed in commit Teradja Mitchell, the country's second-ranked inside linebacker, over the weekend. Mitchell, who committed to the Buckeyes in June, says his first visit to Columbus as a commitment had an entirely different feel than any ...
Ohio State 38, Army 7 | Recovery process begins for BuckeyesAshland Times Gazette (subscription)
Ohio State opens as 39.5-point favorite against UNLV: Buckeyes football newscleveland.com
Buckeyes win big against ArmyWarren Tribune Chronicle
Waiting For Next Year -247Sports -News-Herald.com
all 55 news articles »

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Men's hockey: Buckeyes attend NHL development camps - OSU - The Lantern
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Men's hockey: Buckeyes attend NHL development camps
OSU - The Lantern
The Buckeyes have an exhibition game at home against Ryerson on Sept. 30, and then start the regular season on the road at Wisconsin on Oct. 6. Despite losing key contributors like Schilkey and goalie Christian Frey, the hockey team has continued to ...


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Chat Wrap: More Barrett questions plus rising recruiting worries - 247Sports
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Chat Wrap: More Barrett questions plus rising recruiting worries
247Sports
As expected, another week and more questions on J.T. Barrett ... as well as recruiting, Tuf Borland and much more. Steve Helwagen - 117 minutes ago; 1; Tools. Edit; Slot to 247Sports Home; Slot to Ohio State Buckeyes Newsletter; Slot to Ohio State ...
The Football Fever: Buckeyes find a tough guy as Tuf Borland spells Worley at linebackerABC6OnYourSide.com
Demario McCall's status, Chris Worley's health, Tuf Borland's relatives: Ohio State football daily nuggetscleveland.com
Buckeye Brief: Long drives the key for Ohio State, Tuf Borland replaces Chris Worley and moreOSU - The Lantern
Eleven Warriors -Landof10.com
all 20 news articles »

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Josh Byrne Goes No. 1 in NLL Draft, Three Buckeyes in First Round - US Lacrosse Magazine
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Josh Byrne Goes No. 1 in NLL Draft, Three Buckeyes in First Round
US Lacrosse Magazine
Jake Withers, Austin Shanks and Eric Fannell — all of whom played integral roles in the Buckeyes' run to the NCAA championship game — came off the board at No. 2, No. 5 and No. 6, respectively. (Another Ohio State graduate, Johnny Pearson, went in ...

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Kurelic: Going for another O-tackle; breaking down DE recruiting - 247Sports
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Kurelic: Going for another O-tackle; breaking down DE recruiting
247Sports
1) The Buckeyes have a commitment from one of the country's top offensive tackle prospects in Max Wray as well as a super guard or possibly center prospect in Matthew Jones. They also remain the big Crystal Ball favorite to land 5-star offensive tackle ...

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The Football Fever: Buckeyes find a tough guy as Tuf Borland spells Worley at linebacker - ABC6OnYourSide.com
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The Football Fever: Buckeyes find a tough guy as Tuf Borland spells Worley at linebacker
ABC6OnYourSide.com
He anticipated being in the mix but certainly didn't know he would play more than a half. "We pride ourselves on next man up around here," Borland told reporters after the game. "I'm thankful for the opportunity." The 10th ranked Buckeyes host UNLV ...
Demario McCall's status, Chris Worley's health, Tuf Borland's relatives: Ohio State football daily nuggetscleveland.com
BM5: Herbie vs recruits | Tuf call at middle 'backer?247Sports
Buckeye Brief: Long drives the key for Ohio State, Tuf Borland replaces Chris Worley and moreOSU - The Lantern
Eleven Warriors -Landof10.com
all 18 news articles »

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Ohio State-Army takeaways: Buckeyes are JT Barrett's team | Opinion - News-Herald.com
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Ohio State-Army takeaways: Buckeyes are JT Barrett's team | Opinion
News-Herald.com
Ohio State-Army takeaways: Buckeyes are J.T. Barrett's team | Opinion. Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett passes during the Buckeyes' victory over Army on Sept. 16 in Columbus. Jay LaPrete — Associated Press. By John Kampf, The News-Herald.


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