Audio: Listen to your Big Ten coach’s Week 3 teleconference
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

The Big Ten coaches took the podium for the Week 3 teleconference before taking the field this weekend. Listen in here.

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Dwayne Haskins mania and how Ohio State's offense needs to change: Buckeye Talk Podcast - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Dwayne Haskins mania and how Ohio State's offense needs to change: Buckeye Talk Podcast
cleveland.com
Doug, Bill and Tim discuss the Ohio State quarterback situation and the Buckeyes' offense in a new edition of our Buckeye Talk Podcast. Doug, Bill and Tim discuss the Ohio State quarterback situation and the Buckeyes' offense in a new edition of our ...
Ohio State Buckeyes verbal commitments, recruit targets like Dwayne Haskins over JT Barrett at QBWKYC-TV
BM5: Meyer more conflicted about QB deal than he's letting on?247Sports
What's wrong with Ohio State's offense? - Yahoo SportsYahoo Sports
Gwinnett Prep Sports -Eleven Warriors -Land-Grant Holy Land
all 37 news articles »

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Polls: It’s time to pick your Week 3 Big Ten football winners
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

Who wins Week 3 Big Ten football games? See BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart's Week 3 game predictions inside, plus cast your winners.

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Ohio State's passing game, preseason to real season, what happened? It's man vs. zone - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State's passing game, preseason to real season, what happened? It's man vs. zone
cleveland.com
Immediately after Saturday's 31-16 loss to Oklahoma, J.T. Barrett said the reason the Buckeyes felt so good and talked so positively during camp was that they were facing their own man-to-man defense each day. That's the defense the Buckeyes run, so ...
Ohio State Buckeyes verbal commitments, recruit targets like Dwayne Haskins over JT Barrett at QBWKYC-TV
Opposing coaches on what's wrong with Ohio State: 'It's the offense, not the QB'Yahoo Sports
BM5: Meyer more conflicted about QB deal than he's letting on?247Sports
Gwinnett Prep Sports -Land-Grant Holy Land -FanRag Sports (blog)
all 29 news articles »

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Ohio State Buckeyes verbal commitments, recruit targets like Dwayne Haskins over JT Barrett at QB - WKYC-TV
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State Buckeyes verbal commitments, recruit targets like Dwayne Haskins over JT Barrett at QB
WKYC-TV
Urban Meyer likely expected some of the criticism he's received via Twitter, from Ohio State Buckeyes fans and some college football analysts (including USA TODAY Sports' George Schroeder) for sticking with J.T. Barrett as his starting quarterback ...
Ohio State's passing game, preseason to real season, what happened? It's man vs. zonecleveland.com
2018 RB Commit Master Teague Enjoys Official Visit To Ohio StateScout

all 13 news articles »

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Ohio State captains speak out on recruits on Twitter, Buckeyes add DT to top-ranked recruiting class - Landof10.com
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Ohio State captains speak out on recruits on Twitter, Buckeyes add DT to top-ranked recruiting class
Landof10.com
Ohio State football is the No. 1 topic in Wake Up Sloopy every day — but we cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Ohio State football, recruiting, ...
Why Ohio State for Antwuan Jackson, Buckeyes continue to impress Noah CainMyAJC
What Antwuan Jackson's commitment means for Ohio State ...cleveland.com
247Sports Take: Jackson to Ohio State247Sports
247Sports -The Columbus Dispatch -Land-Grant Holy Land -SECcountry.com
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Letter: In victory and defeat, Buckeyes were winners - The Columbus Dispatch
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Letter: In victory and defeat, Buckeyes were winners
The Columbus Dispatch
Thank you, Columbus. Great tradition respects great tradition, and it was never more evident than in Oklahoma's home-and-home series with the Buckeyes. We spent three days in Columbus and had nothing but a good time, from the ride in from the airport ...


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Commitment of 4-star Antwuan Jackson pushes Ohio State’s lead in the 2018 recruiting class
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes increase their lead against the college football world.

As Ohio State football moves on from the Oklahoma loss on Saturday, the Buckeyes received some good news on Tuesday afternoon as four-star defensive tackle Antwuan Jackson (Ellenwood, GA/Cedar Grove) committed to the program.

Jackson, originally an Auburn Tiger, transferred to JUCO power Blinn College before committing to the Buckeyes.

For the Buckeyes, the commitment raises their lead in the 2018 recruiting class. According to the 247sports composite rankings, Ohio State holds a score of 298.70. To get that score, the Buckeyes have reeled in four five-star commits, 12 four-star commits, and two three-star commits.

By having Jackson’s commitment, the Buckeyes have two members of the 2018 class who play defensive tackle. The other is five-star Taron Vincent (Bradenton, FL/IMG Academy), who pledged to the program back in April.

Ohio State holds a lead on the competition for the 2018 class. The second highest team score-wise, according to the 247sports composite, is Tom Herman’s Texas Longhorns; the Longhorns hold a 279.36 overall score in the 2018 recruiting cycle. Behind the Longhorns are the Penn State Nittany Lions, who come in with a 272.35.

Billy Price speaks on recruits tweets after Oklahoma visit


The loss to Oklahoma drew criticisms from all fronts. Some called for play-calling changes, others called for a quarterback change. The latter, centering around putting another quarterback in for J.T. Barrett, was voiced by recruits on the Twittersphere.

Five-star offensive tackle Jackson Carman (Fairfield, OH/Fairfield) was one of the Buckeye targets to make their opinion known on Twitter advocating for Dwayne Haskins to see time at quarterback.


The tweets still picked up notoriety entering Tuesday night, and after OSU football practice, an opinion was brought to the surface by Billy Price.

Another high-profile recruit who lent a voice on the quarterback situation was five-star defensive end Micah Parsons. Parsons quote tweeted 247sports writer Patrick Murphy after he made a tweet mentioning Urban Meyer would not make a change at QB.


Parsons went back on Twitter to apologize the following morning about the tweet.


In an article by Jeremy Birmingham of Landof10.com, Price said that he made comments about teams while on he was on recruiting visits, but reiterated that unless they were part of the team and put in all the hours getting ready for games, “your opinion and sometimes some of your voices don’t need to be heard.”

Price is one of the nine captains on the team, so the opinion came from one of the leaders on this edition of the OSU football team.

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Why Ohio State for Antwuan Jackson, Buckeyes continue to impress Noah Cain - MyAJC
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Why Ohio State for Antwuan Jackson, Buckeyes continue to impress Noah Cain
MyAJC
Recruiting never stops, and if you take a day off, you fall behind. Join us every night for a daily recap of Ohio State recruiting news, insight on what's happening behind the scenes, and for a glimpse at what's coming next. In case you missed it ...
Ohio State recruiting: Buckeyes land JUCO DT, former Auburn Tiger ...Landof10.com
What Antwuan Jackson's commitment means for Ohio State ...cleveland.com
247Sports Take: Jackson to Ohio State247Sports
247Sports -The Columbus Dispatch -Land-Grant Holy Land -SECcountry.com
all 28 news articles »

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Men's Soccer: Ohio State Buckeyes drown out the Penn State Nittany Lions, 3-0 - OSU - The Lantern
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Men's Soccer: Ohio State Buckeyes drown out the Penn State Nittany Lions, 3-0
OSU - The Lantern
The Buckeyes ended the game with 15 shot attempts, Bluem said the first goal opened up the Penn State defense and allowed for more opportunities. “It was a hard game when they were able to sit back defensively, they had a lot of numbers behind the ball ...

and more »

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Buckeye NFL Rookie Report: Week 1 - 247Sports
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Buckeye NFL Rookie Report: Week 1
247Sports
That did not change with this year's draft class as eight former Buckeyes are currently on NFL rosters. **Follow Patrick Murphy on Twitter for up-to-the-second Ohio State news and analysis!**. We know that not everyone follows the NFL as closely as ...


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Breaking down Ohio State's newly released 2020 & 2021 schedules - 247Sports
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Breaking down Ohio State's newly released 2020 & 2021 schedules
247Sports
What makes 2021 difficult is the conclusion, as the Buckeyes finish with a home game against Penn State followed by the trip to Ann Arbor to take on the Wolverines. A mid-season bye week means it will be six in a row to end the season before a ...

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Ohio State’s Urban Meyer still confident in J.T. Barrett
Ian Cuevas via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Despite many calling for a change to be made at quarterback, coach Meyer is sticking by Barrett.

“The term 'game ready' is used quite often around here. Is Dwayne game ready to go help us win a game? If we feel he is, then he'll go in the game. That opportunity has not presented itself.”

- Urban Meyer via Mitch Sherman, ESPN


Following the embarrassing loss at home to Oklahoma, in which Ohio State got bludgeoned to a tune of 31-16 after a second-half collapse, there were many calling for a change at quarterback. Mainly, for backup quarterback Dwayne Haskins to take over for Barrett, who struggled mightily against the Sooners. Barrett completed only 19 of his 35 passes for 183 yards and had no touchdowns to one interception. This isn’t the first time fans and recruits have called for a change, but with Kevin Wilson coming in as the offensive coordinator, many believed it would finally fix the problems that the offense has had for the past two seasons.

While it’s hard to wave a magic wand and instantly fix all of the problems with an offense, Urban Meyer still believes that Barrett is the guy. The senior quarterback has unquestioned success in terms of wins and losses, but despite that, his offensive production seems to be lacking, especially when it comes to throwing the ball. He’s not getting much help from his receivers, and his offensive line hasn’t been fantastic thus far either. But when push comes to shove, most people will blame the quarterback first and foremost. And as you can see above, it appears Haskins simply doesn’t compare to Barrett in terms of game readiness.

“I think the evolution of defenses, especially the ones that have given us trouble over the last couple of years ... it's the multiplicity of defenses that have given us (problems). So, yeah, we're reevaluating that. It's constant change, and (the offense) is much different than it was in 2012. There are a lot of people in that room working on it to keep it moving forward.”

- Urban Meyer via Bill Landis, Cleveland.com


Speaking of the Ohio State offense, what’s up? Adding Kevin Wilson in the off-season was supposed to make a much larger difference than what we’ve seen so far from the Buckeyes. Outside of JK Dobbins having some sparks against Indiana and Oklahoma, the offense generally looks the exact same as previous seasons. And that’s not a good thing, as anyone that watches the games can attest to. So what’s the problem? Urban Meyer has often been considered one of the innovators of the spread offense, and yet, since about 2015, the Buckeyes offense has been severely lacking in firepower.

In the article above and in the quote, Meyer claims that defenses are simply improving to the point where the offense that was putting up big numbers in the early seasons of Meyer’s tenure with the Buckeyes, just simply might be a bit outdated. Defensive coordinators have essentially caught on to what Ohio State is putting out and it’s up to Wilson and the coaching staff to figure out how to keep the Buckeyes ahead of the game. Luckily they’ll have a few easier games in the weeks ahead to practice, going against Army, UNLV, Rutgers, and Maryland.

“It's a six-man rotation. There's not a differentiation from No. 1 through No. 6, and I think they're going to be all fine players. They're continuing to grow. It's not -- Johnnie Dixon to Ben Victor and Austin Mack -- there's not that Michael Thomas right now where you say he's your go to all the time. Ben Victor, we tried a couple with him. I think Terry got behind (the defense) one time.”

- Urban Meyer via Bill Landis, Cleveland.com


One of the other problems plaguing the Ohio State offense has been the play of the wide receivers. While there were certainly some highlight plays against Indiana, there were also missed opportunities for touchdowns against the Hoosiers and Oklahoma as well. Dropped passes that were put right on the money for would-be touchdowns changed the course of the both games, and McLaurin’s drop against the Sooners was especially haunting considering the timing of the play and the opponent.

So, Coach Meyer was asked straight up if some receivers should simply be staying in the game for most if not all of the minutes instead of a loose rotation. The answer was interesting to say the least, as you see above. It’s clear that Meyer doesn’t think there’s a true star among the receivers quite yet, and although we’ve seen flashes of great plays from Binjimen Victor, Austin Mack and Johnnie Dixon, there clearly isn’t trust that one of them is worth having out on the field for the entire game, which is surprising.

STICK TO SPORTS

• Salt Bae is now in the most anticipated video game of the year.
• Watch three new crew members launch to the International Space Station.
• Looks like J.J. Abrams will direct Star Wars IX.

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Big Ten continues schedule experiment with Ohio State: 7 Buckeyes schedule thoughts - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Big Ten continues schedule experiment with Ohio State: 7 Buckeyes schedule thoughts
cleveland.com
The Buckeyes opened at Indiana this season as part of a Big Ten experiment with playing a conference game the opening weekend. Next year, Northwestern opens at Purdue. In 2019, there's no conference game the first week. Those schedules were ...
Ohio State football: Buckeyes drop spots in Land of 10 Power PollLandof10.com
Ohio State learns Big Ten opponents for 2020-21 seasons247Sports
Ohio State loss, Michigan struggles leave Penn State, Wisconsin ...PennLive.com
The Columbus Dispatch -Land-Grant Holy Land -BCSNN - Best College Sports News Network
all 98 news articles »

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The Good, and Mostly Bad and Ugly, from Ohio State’s loss to Oklahoma
Ian Hartitz via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Hey Oklahoma, remember when Kevin Durant left you?

Woof. Despite retaining largely the same front seven and offense that gave the Sooners fits in 2016, Ohio State was soundly beaten by Oklahoma 31-16. The Buckeyes were tied at three going into half time, but the defense wilted before the offense could ever find its groove. A few notes:

• Last season Ohio State won the time of possession battle 35:49 to 24:11. This season the Sooners came out on top 35:17 to 24:43. Even a defense as good as Ohio State’s will eventually lose their edge if left on the field for too long, and it’s safe to say the Sooners’ 72 offensive plays were a few too many for the Buckeyes to handle.
• The Buckeyes largely held the Sooners ground game in check, as they converted their 37 carries into just 104 yards and a short touchdown. The issue: pass defense. The Buckeyes have allowed more passing yards than any FBS team through two weeks. DBU sounded a lot better this time last month.
• Ohio State forced two timely turnovers to keep the game close in the first half, but ultimately struggled to force negative plays and get the Sooners off the field: The Buckeyes forced just one three-and-out out of Oklahoma’s 11 drives.

Yes, there are more than a handful of mistakes for Ohio State to learn from, but there also some stellar moments sprinkled in here and there. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

Chris Worley is filling in just fine for Raekwon McMillan


McMillan started for the better part of his three seasons in Columbus, and the switch to the 6’2, 225 pound Worley raised some eyebrows considering how physical the interior of any Big Ten defense can be. Through two games, Worley has flashed sideline-to-sideline tackling ability, while also proving to be more than stout holding up the middle of the Buckeyes defense:


It’s not like Ohio State is playing with the smallest guys in college, but they prioritize speed over size in a player. The evolution of spread offenses makes it difficult to have run-only defenders on the field anymore, and players like Worley who can provide a physical presence without being a liability in coverage are invaluable. The Buckeyes have some work to do on the outside, but the middle of their defense is in good hands with Worley.

Nick Bosa is making his case as the best defensive lineman on the country’s best defensive line


Bosa’s freshman season was far from disappointing, but it still seemed as if we hadn’t seen the best from 2016’s No. 8 overall recruit. This year he’s recorded a sack during each game and proven to be nearly unblockable wherever the Buckeyes line him up:


Expecting a pulling center to block Bosa was a borderline insult and #97 was sure to make the Sooners pay. Bosa just missed a sack on Mayfield last season, and he wouldn’t let the opportunity go to waste this time around. Bosa joins Sam Hubbard and Tyquan Lewis as Ohio State defensive ends with two sacks, and the season-long race for the team lead should be a joy to watch.


Aside from a painful memory of an unfamiliar double-digit loss in the Horseshoe, not much as changed for the 2017 Buckeyes. Eleven consecutive wins (including the Big Ten Championship) will likely lead Ohio State back into the College Football Playoff, but the team that showed up last Saturday night will need to improve. The Buckeyes have the talent, coaching, and experience to thrive in all phases of the game, now they just have to go out there on Saturday and put it all together.

The final: 31-16, Oklahoma

Defensive player of the game: Chris Worley (11 tackles, 1 forced fumble)

Defensive play of the game: Chris Worley forced fumble.

Next Victim: Army. Remember to put your camouflage and American flags away for the week. Keep it classy, Columbus.

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Ohio State's J.K. Dobbins is poised to run all over Army
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 Black Knights made enormous improvement in 2016, but they're a long way from slowing down a top-tier rushing attack.

There was a moment on Saturday night when it looked like the Ohio State offense had finally turned the corner. J.K. Dobbins, the freshman phenom running back, cruised into the end zone from six yards out and unleashed the cockiest, most Ohio celebration on the books: LeBron James' "silencer." From there, it was easy to see how the rest of the game would play out: the Buckeyes would control the ground game, eat up yardage and clock, and slowly but surely suffocate the life out of an Oklahoma team that had made a good-but-not-great effort.

That's what was going to happen, until it didn't. You know how the rest of the game went, with a million and one designed rollout throws to nowhere, uninspired route-running that was laughably easy to cover, and a 15-point loss that should probably have been two scores bigger.

That won't happen again, at least not this week. This week the Buckeyes play Army, a team that—despite its steady and intentional improvements—shouldn't be able to hang with Ohio State for more than a quarter. And the man who might blow the doors off the Black Knights? None other than J.K. Dobbins himself.

The stats


Name: J.K. Dobbins

Number: 2

Position: RB

Year: Freshman

Height/Weight: 5'10, 208 lbs.

Stat line: 42 carries, 253 yards, 1 TD

Dobbins had such an world-wrecking Buckeye debut (181 rushing yards...pretty good) that he was named Ohio State's starter for the Oklahoma game even with Mike Weber's return from injury. Weber got carries against the Sooners, but his nagging hamstring problem took him back off the field, and Dobbins will almost certainly be the Buckeyes' primary back again this Saturday.

(That's not to say that they can't both eat. Would you bet against the Dobbins-Weber combo rushing for, say, 2,100 yards this season?)

Opposition research


Army is an option team, meaning that on their good days, the Black Knights keep their offense on the field for a loooong time. They finished third nationally in time of possession last season, averaging almost 35 minutes per game. That's a great recipe for keeping your defense healthy and rested during games. Seriously, they run a lot of option:


They'll need that rest against the Buckeyes. While this year's team returns 10 of the 15 most productive defensive players from 2016, the Knights lost a linebacking duo that accounted for 24 TFLs and 6.5 sacks. That's not great news for Army, given what Ohio State is capable of in the ground game.

What to watch for


That is, if Ohio State even has a ground game, because good LORD, I cannot watch another 60 minutes of football where the team's best unit is ignored, so help me,

Ahem. J.K. Dobbins should get his share of looks against a defense that has yet to face a real test, no disrespect to Fordham and Buffalo. The Black Knights were 48th in rushing defense by S&P+ last season, which is plenty respectable for a team whose recruiting is generally limited to two- and three-star recruits.

Whether or not Army can keep up that level of production remains to be seen. But the Buckeyes will likely run early and often, both to set the tempo and to give the lackluster passing game a little breathing room.

One matchup to look for: Dobbins (or Weber) looking for running room against Army LB Alex Aukerman. Aukerman was third on the team in tackles last season, and is the leading returning tackler for the Knights; the former two-star recruit made hay in 2016 to the tune of 15 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. The Buckeyes should still win this one handily, but the backs will still have to work early against a formerly-awful team on a quick rise.

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Big Ten announces 2020, 2021 conference football schedules for Ohio State
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Buckeyes to open 2021 season at Minnesota.

Today, the Big Ten released its conference football schedules for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. As is the new normal for the B1G, the schedule includes nine conference games, and as they did this season with Indiana, the Buckeyes will open the 2021 season on the road against conference foe Minnesota on Sept. 4.

The Buckeyes already had Bowling Green penciled into their 2020 schedule on Sept. 5, and the away-leg of a home-and-home with Oregon the following week on Sept. 12. In 2021, OSU is currently scheduled to host the Ducks on Sept. 11 and Tulsa on Sept. 18.

In both seasons the Buckeyes will have their open date in mid-October leaving a difficult stretch of conference games down the stretch. Ohio State will cross-over with West Division opponent Nebraska in both seasons, Illinois and Iowa in 2020, and Purdue and the aforementioned Gophers in 2021.

As always, OSU will conclude the season against Michigan.



To see the 2020 and 2021 schedules for all 14 Big Ten teams, click here.

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See your team’s 2020, 2021 Big Ten conference schedules
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

The Big Ten released its conference schedules for 2020 and 2021 on Tuesday afternoon. Let's take a look at each season's schedule, and highlight some of the interesting aspects.

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J.T. Barrett comes up short again in Ohio State’s loss versus Oklahoma
Christopher Jason via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Looking at Ohio State’s film from Saturday, Barrett still struggles with overthrown passes

It seems as though one could replay all five losses during J.T. Barrett’s 38 career games and they would all look the exact same. They would be highlighted by a talented defensive front getting pressure, a jittery Barrett in the pocket, an inaccurate Barrett, questionable play calling that got away from their bread-and-butter run game and the opposing quarterback making more plays than Ohio State’s three-year captain. To the surprise of no one, Oklahoma’s dismantling of the Buckeyes looked no different than the prior four losses under No. 16.

Now, it’s not fair to put 100-percent of the blame on Barrett. But, it’s a quarterback driven game and being a three-year captain with 38 games under his belt, he needs to sometimes put the team on his back in these big games, and it just hasn’t happened in a very long time.

To the #BenchBarrett people, there are a few things that need to be addressed. First, it’s not happening unless they get upset within the next five weeks or they get embarrassed by Penn State at home. Urban Meyer will not bench his three-year captain and potentially lose the locker room — especially the upperclassmen — with the potential of still making the College Football Playoff. You don’t just start experimenting with a redshirt freshman quarterback with a team that’s in win-now mode.

Second, although Barrett has regressed both statistically and with the eye-test, and should probably be benched due to his play, it’s throwing up the white flag on the season. Will the offensive line suddenly block better with Dwayne Haskins under center? Nope. Will the receivers suddenly learn how to run crisper routes and gain more separation? Nope. Would Haskins be more accurate and make quicker decisions? Maybe, but it would likely not be instant success.

Once again, even though Barrett has put himself in a position where he should be benched — especially with the talent behind him — it’s just not going to happen in 2017 as long as the team continues to win, which they should, and will, in the mediocre Big Ten.

Now, on to the game.

Notes

• Barrett was pressured on 10 of 43 dropbacks (23-percent)
• The offensive line held their own against a talented Oklahoma front, allowing three sacks on those 43 dropbacks, including one when the game was pretty much over
• The 10 designed runs were scripted when the game was close, which is too much when both J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber were having success running the ball
• Barrett had one killer overthrow (that we’ll expand upon later) that should have resulted in six, and another inexcusable overthrow that we’ll also touch on
• Terry McLaurin had a big-time drop in the end zone on a beautifully thrown ball, reminiscent of Parris Campbell’s drop from a week ago. Inexcusable.
• Mike Weber looked very good on limited touches and his experience should allow him to get at least a few more touches than J.K. Dobbins in the near future
• The game-changing series came at the 9:35 mark of the third quarter when Ohio State had a first-and-goal from the Oklahoma 7-yard line, following Austin Mack’s acrobatic catch. The score was tied at 10 and the Buckeyes had all the momentum. So what did they do? They called an option to the right side which went nowhere, then a designed quarterback run off of jet motion, setting up a third-and-goal from the 6-yard line. Why not run Weber on an inside zone on first down? He’s a bowling ball in short yardage and averaged 9.7 yards per carry during the game (on only three carries).
• Then on third down, Barrett’s inaccuracy ended the drive. K.J. Hill ran a corner route from the left slot and easily beat the two Sooners’ defensive backs. Barrett had a clean pocket to keep his eyes downfield and overshot the open receiver. A little more air under the ball and it’s an easy touchdown reception. These are the types of throws that make-or-break a game in a battle against a top team in the country. Instead of being up seven and quickly getting the ball back near midfield with a chance to put the game away, they were forced to settle for a field goal. Baker Mayfield makes that throw.

The game was over at this point, but this is a throw that Barrett has consistently missed the last few seasons. He has a clean pocket, he stepped into the throw and he overshot the open receiver by a few yards. Barrett should be able to make this throw with his eyes closed by now, but it’s a throw he misses on the regular.



This interception was J.T. Barrett in a nutshell.


Johnnie Dixon runs a five-yard inside curl pattern and has a good five yards of separation on the Oklahoma defender. Barrett sees the linebacker shooting up the A-gap, but decides to not pull the trigger. Barrett needs to stop waiting for the receiver to be completely open and ready, and start throwing to the receiver at the end of his break. Dixon is open right now for an easy five yard gain.



Instead of throwing the ball, Barrett waits another second to feel the pressure from the linebacker and starts to scramble to the right. With the defender coming down hill at the receiver, Dixon is no longer open. Barrett has to either throw the ball away, or attempt the Y-Corner pattern to Marcus Baugh, who’s running down the seam and will be open on his break with the defender coming downhill at Dixon.



Barrett waits until the last second before throwing the ball to the inside shoulder — the same shoulder that the defender is coming through — and it’s an easy pick for the defense, which ultimately ends the game.



The lack of quick and sound decision making by Barrett has been his fatal flaw as a quarterback.

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Ohio State releases depth chart for Week 3 against Army
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Despite last week’s embarrassing loss, there aren’t many changes to the Week 3 depth chart.

Well, folks. As the Buckeyes set their sights on the Week 3 contest against Army, Ohio State released their latest depth chart Tuesday. There weren’t too many changes on either side of the ball, aside from a few new “and/or” designations for first team defensive ends.

One of the biggest talking points is that head coach Urban Meyer kept his word, and J.T. Barrett is still the starter for the Buckeyes, with Dwayne Haskins behind him and Tate Martell at No. 3. There wasn’t much movement elsewhere on the depth chart, with the Scarlet and Gray coaching staff digging their heels in on this specific roster.

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2018 DT Antwuan Jackson commits 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


After some ups and downs, Jackson will now be a Buckeye.

Two years ago, in the midst of the 2016 recruiting class, the only real complaint Ohio State fans had about Urban Meyer’s tenure at Columbus on the recruiting trail was a lack of big time defensive tackles.

While the complaint was generally silly, and nit-picking at best, it was amplified when the Buckeyes struck out on their biggest targets in the class, with the top priority being Ellenwood, Georgia product Antwuan Jackson. After nearly a year of hard recruitment, Jackson picked Auburn over the Buckeyes, effectively ending his recruitment.

However, after a difficult freshman season at Auburn, and a number of schematic issues, Jackson announced his intentions to transfer from his original choice, to Blinn, a junior college in Texas, and the former home of current Buckeye cornerback Kendall Sheffield.

Despite the time lost, Ohio State was still very intrigued by the talented big man, and on August 29th, Urban Meyer extended an offer to Jackson, three years after the original offer. It didn’t take very long for Jackson to jump on that, as now, just two weeks later, Jackson has joined Ohio State’s 2018 recruiting class.


Jackson, once considered to be one of the best defensive tackles in the nation, was a top 60 player in 2016, and will likely be one of the top JUCO players in the country when 247sports updates their JUCO rankings.

Jackson is the 18th commitment in Ohio State’s 2018 class, and the second game changing defensive tackle, along with IMG product and five-star Taron Vincent. The two compliment each other very well, as Vincent’s technical skill and Jackson’s rare combination of size, strength and athleticism will strike fear into defensive coordinators for years to come.

Jackson may very well be a candidate to start as soon as he steps on campus, much like Sheffield was. He’s already spent time in a college weight room, and once he starts to learn from coach Larry Johnson it’s hard to imagine him being kept off the field.

Because he isn’t yet ranked, Jackson’s commitment doesn’t extend Ohio State’s lead in the 247 team rankings over Texas, but once he does get his new ranking it’s hard to imagine that he won’t be one of the top players in Ohio State’s excellent class.

Want to know more about Jackson’s contributions to the defense and in the class? Land-Grant Holy Land’s recruiting team will have much more on Jackson’s commitment shortly.

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Ohio State recruiting: Buckeyes land JUCO DT, former Auburn Tiger, Antwuan Jackson - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State recruiting: Buckeyes land JUCO DT, former Auburn Tiger, Antwuan Jackson
Landof10.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State football has been pretty good when it comes to second chances in recruiting. The Buckeyes landed acclaimed JUCO defensive tackle Antwuan Jackson on Tuesday after previously finishing second to Auburn for his initial ...
2018 DT Antwuan Jackson commits to Ohio StateLand-Grant Holy Land
The second time around: Four-star DT Antwuan Jackson commits to Ohio State as a JUCO transferThe Athletic
D-tackle Antwuan Jackson commits to Ohio State247Sports
Scout
all 10 news articles »

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Vegas: Ohio State title odds take a small slip
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Money was moving away from the Buckeyes throughout Monday.

After the Oklahoma Sooners rolled out of Columbus, Ohio with a win against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday night, Vegas took notice. Lincoln Riley’s OU squad moved up a tad in the recent batch of odds, while Urban Meyer’s Buckeyes took a small slip, according to the sports book Bovada.

The odds were shuffling around on Monday afternoon, as OSU went from 8/1 odds, to 9/1. Entering the contest with Oklahoma, the Scarlet & Gray held 6/1 odds of being the kings of college football again.

Oklahoma entered the Ohio State contest with 14/1 odds of winning the whole shebang, and with the 31-16 win, improved their odds to 8/1 early Monday. However, the money was moving toward the Sooners, as those odds closed in—and improved— to 7/1 by the late afternoon.

Both schools are still behind the reigning national champion runner-ups, the Alabama Crimson Tide. Leading the odds futures at 7/4 is warranted, as Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide defeated then-No.3 Florida State in Week 1.

USC has the second best title odds at 6/1. This week, the Trojans face Texas in a rematch of the 2006 Rose Bowl — the national championship that season.

With Alabama, USC, Oklahoma and Ohio State holding the top four odds, a couple Big Ten schools are knocking at the door. Penn State and Michigan, who are both on OSU’s schedule this season, and each hold 14/1 odds of regining supreme in college football.

Odds are a very fluid situation, and can change at a moment’s notice depending on the money that’s being put down/away from teams.

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Rookies out of Ohio State make their NFL debut in Week 1 of the 2017 season
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


We run down all the best Buckeye action from the NFL’s opening weekend.

Saturday didn’t go exactly as Ohio State would have liked, but there were plenty of former players still representing the hard-hitting, championship-winning Buckeyes on the next level. Week 1 of the 2017 NFL season saw a mix of good and bad performances by former members of the Scarlet and Gray, including some first-year players getting their first taste of go time.

Rookie debuts


It didn’t take long for the Minnesota Vikings to hand the starting center job to Buckeye rookie Pat Elflein. Not only did he get the start -- the first rookie center to start opening night since 1962 — but he had a great performance, putting the fan base solely in his corner for years to come.


The Colts were excited to debut their 2017 draft pick and interception magnet, Malik Hooker. The Buckeye saw some action with four total tackles (one solo) in Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams.


The Saints didn’t look that great against the Vikings, but there was one positive note: rookie CB Marshon Lattimore. He didn’t see much playing time early in the Monday night contest, but did manage to make four solo tackles in his NFL debut.


Curtis Samuel was on the field in Week 1 for the Panthers, but he didn’t record any stats on offense. He was open a few times, but fellow rookie Christian McCaffrey saw most of the focus in an evolving offense in Carolina.


Wideout Noah Brown was listed as inactive in Week 1 for the Dallas Cowboys, but with injuries, and various legal situations surrounding the Cowboys, the Buckeye should be getting his chance to shine any week now.

Pryor wasn’t exactly electric


There was a lot of chatter since the end of last season about Terrelle Pryor Sr. and his potential at the wide receiver position. After a rocky free agency with the Browns, he wound up signing with Washington and was expected to be the deep threat Kirk Cousins needed for both of them to get extended contracts following the season.

If Sunday’s debut of the duo was any indication, some of those expectations might have been a little bit premature. Pryor wound up with 66 yards on six receptions, keeping his yards per carry and first down stats consistent with last season, but failed to live up to the big-play hype people were expecting.

Heyward is back, baby


After missing most of the 2016 season, Cameron Heyward is back to bullying quarterbacks for the Steelers. The Buckeye snagged three tackles and this sack against the Browns on Sunday, on the way to a win for Pittsburgh.

Plays of the week


The Los Angeles Chargers made their way to Mile High Stadium to take on the Denver Broncos, and a pair of former Buckeyes made some big plays. It was the last game of the NFL’s opening weekend, kicking off late-night on Monday.

Chargers DE Joey Bosa picked up exactly where he left off in 2016 — obliterating quarterbacks. The second-year phenom recorded 1.5 sacks and six total tackles against the Broncos.


Despite those heralding stats, everyone is talked about when Denver QB Trevor Siemian juked his way into the endzone Monday, leaving Bosa eating dirt.

On the other side of the ball, Broncos CB Bradley Roby snagged himself an interception in Week 1, along with two pass breakups and five total tackles.

Injury report and suspensions

• Nate Ebner was sidelined with a shoulder injury during the “Thursday Night Football” kick-off to the 2017 season, featuring a New England loss to Kansas City.
• Rookie CB Gareon Conley has been battling a shin injury since early in training camp, missing most of the preseason, and was once again relegated to the sideline for what would have been his first official NFL game.
• Jaguars DT Michael Bennett has been battling injuries since he was drafted in 2015, and the streak continues, being sidelined in Week 1 with a groin injury.
• Jalin Marshall may have seen the field for the Jets during the preseason, but Week 1 started his four-game suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

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Gene Smith ready for double duty with Ohio State and the CFP - ESPN
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Gene Smith ready for double duty with Ohio State and the CFP
ESPN
As Ohio State prepared to face Oklahoma in arguably the most important nonconference game of the season, though, Smith was playing only one role -- the head Buckeye. He has quickly become an expert at separating his dual responsibilities, which is a ...

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