4-star Ohio State target sets commitment announcement
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Tyreke Smith will let the world know where he’s going to school at the Under Armour All-American Game.

4-star OSU target schedules commit announcement


Ohio State football is still in the hunt for another top prospect in the 2018 class. In-state product Tyreke Smith (Cleveland, OH/Cleveland Heights) will make his commitment announcement at the Under Armour All-American Game on Jan. 4, 2018.


While he isn’t officially listed as a Buckeye commit, the recruiting world believes that the four-star defensive end will stay in Ohio, and play for the Buckeyes. All 20 predictions that have been filed in the 247sports Crystal Ball point to Smith going to Ohio State.

On Tuesday, Smith posted an image on Twitter that reinforces what the recruiting followers have believed.


Smith is considered by 247sports to be the No. 3 weak-side DE, the No. 3 player in the state of Ohio, and the 55th-best prospect in the whole 2018 class. With the high rating comes a high amount of offers. Thirty-eight schools have made it official that they want Smith to be part of their program—and that includes the likes of Alabama, Oregon, Penn State, and USC.

Over the summer, Smith made unofficial visits to Penn State. The Nittany Lions are one of the five programs that are still in the game for Smith’s commitment. The Crimson Tide, Ducks, and Trojans are joined with the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions in that hunt.

While nothing is set in stone yet, we’ll keep you posted if any more news breaks on Smith.

2018 center has Ohio State in Final 5


Right now, the Ohio State basketball team has zero commits in the 2018 recruiting cycle. They had one commit in 2018 guard Torrence Watson; however, on Aug. 28, the St. Louis native decommitted from the program.

But good news may be on its way for Chris Holtmann’s ‘18 class. Center Morris Udeze (Montverde, FL/Montverde Academy) put the Buckeyes in his Final 5. Udeze made the announcement by putting up a pretty slick graphic on Twitter.


OSU has some stiff competition for the Montverde, Fla., native. TCU, Wichita State, LSU, and Butler are all in the mix to land the three-star prospect. Already, Udeze has visited with Butler (Aug. 26) and Wichita State (June 12), according to his profile page on 247sports.

The next visit for Udeze will be with the Buckeyes on Sept. 15. Expect Holtmann and his staff to pull out the stops to try and get the 6'8 center to make his college plans run through Columbus. Plenty of schools have made an offer to Udeze; so far, he’s picked up 20 scholarships. 247sports has rated Udeze as the 21st-best center in his class, 24th-best player in the state of Florida, and the 252nd-best player in the entire 2018 cycle.

For the Bucks to be in the final five, it bodes well. Udeze still has two more official visits to take, if he wishes. But if the Buckeyes can make a good impression on the official visit in September, then Holtmann may (once again) get a commit for the 2018 class.

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Big Ten East predictions: Buckeyes are best of The Big Three | Star ... - Minneapolis Star Tribune
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Big Ten East predictions: Buckeyes are best of The Big Three | Star ...
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Spartans have much to prove after last season's three-win debacle. Still chasing top three. 5. Maryland. DJ Durkin is gifted recruiter but needs more time for ...

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Hoosiers face opening week challenge against No. 2 Buckeyes - Washington Post
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Hoosiers face opening week challenge against No. 2 Buckeyes
Washington Post
A slip up this time would be much more damaging for the defending Big Ten East Division co-champs, who are seeking more than just another appearance in the conference championship game. Indiana hasn't beaten the Buckeyes since 1988. A win in what ...
Ohio State football: Buckeyes hope offensive changes can fuel a championship runNCAA.com
Ohio State at Indiana: Hoosiers looking for historic victory over the Buckeyes to start the 2017 campaignThe Crimson Quarry
Surprise, surprise: Buckeyes top Big Ten preseason power rankingsLincoln Journal Star
Eleven Warriors -247Sports -Landof10.com
all 225 news articles »

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Big Ten East predictions: Buckeyes are best of The Big Three - Minneapolis Star Tribune
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Big Ten East predictions: Buckeyes are best of The Big Three
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Spartans have much to prove after last season's three-win debacle. Still chasing top three. 5. Maryland. DJ Durkin is gifted recruiter but needs more time for blueprint to take shape. 6. Indiana. Hoosiers are respectable on defense. Scoring points was ...

and more »

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Big Ten East predictions: Buckeyes are best of The Big Three - Minneapolis Star Tribune
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Big Ten East predictions: Buckeyes are best of The Big Three
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Spartans have much to prove after last season's three-win debacle. Still chasing top three. 5. Maryland. DJ Durkin is gifted recruiter but needs more time for blueprint to take shape. 6. Indiana. Hoosiers are respectable on defense. Scoring points was ...


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Twitter Tuesday: Lawrence vs. Fields, Buckeyes, Barkley - Rivals.com (press release)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Twitter Tuesday: Lawrence vs. Fields, Buckeyes, Barkley
Rivals.com (press release)
The Buckeyes are off to a great start, but at this stage it's more important to look at average star ranking than it is to look at the points total because some teams have more commitments than others. When you focus on average star ranking, the ...


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Buckeye related Crystal Ball picks: Like, love, or leave them - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeye related Crystal Ball picks: Like, love, or leave them
247Sports
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! Today I do the same with five more top Ohio State related recruits. Be sure to enjoy VIP access to Bucknuts.com with our 7 ...


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Ohio State’s Branden Bowen won a starting job and there’s a reason why
Ian Cuevas via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Thanks to his hard work, Branden Bowen won a starting job on the offensive line, a surprise to many.

“He's the most improved guy, one of the most improved players on our team. Something clicked with him in the early summer, I heard it from (strength) Coach Mick (Marotti), and I saw it. It really wasn't that close to be honest with you. (Matthew) Burrell was very close to him. But Bowen did a very nice job.”

- Urban Meyer via Bill Landis, Cleveland.com


It was a bit of surprise when it was announced that Branden Bowen was going to be named the starter at right guard on the offensive line this season. The most expected outcome would have been either Demetrius Knox or even Malcolm Pridgeon, who is listed as Bowen’s backup. As you can see above, though, coach Meyer said the competition wasn’t really all that close, and that part might be even more shocking. Still, Bowen appears to have made enough improvements from last season to earn this spot and with the talented individuals behind him on the line, it must speak to how highly the coaching staff thinks of his progress.

That leaves the starting line with (from left to right) Jamarco Jones, Michael Jordan, Billy Price, Branden Bowen, and Isaiah Prince to open the season against Indiana. Whether that remains the starting line for the whole season remains to be seen, but it seems solid nonetheless.

“Somebody said something slick about it on Twitter, but that just shows we got a lot of leaders on the team. All of us lead in different ways. J.T. and Tyquan can be more verbal, I try to do it by example and with my personality, try to be relatable to everybody.”

- Jalyn Holmes via Bill Landis, Cleveland.com


Ohio State went a little unorthodox with its captain selections this season, announcing nine captains for the Buckeyes. Tyquan Lewis, Sam Hubbard, Jalyn Holmes, Tracy Sprinkle, Terry McLaurin, Parris Campbell, Chris Worley, Billy Price, and J.T. Barrett were all bestowed the honor of being a captain. In previous years, normally the Buckeyes have about three or four captains selected and that’s that. However, Meyer learned from talking to Mike Vrabel that Vrabel was never a captain, at least not by name. He was however a leader on and off the field, embodying what a captain is.

So with that, Meyer held it to a player vote and these nine captains were chosen to represent the team this season. Barrett’s selection was a no brainer, now becoming a three-time captain. There’s some interesting conversation in the article about whether naming so many captains takes away from the honor a bit, sort of watering it down. But like some of the comments in the article, it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal and maybe Chris Worley said it best when he said all the people named absolutely deserve the honor.

“The Buckeyes are poised for redemption this coming season. Former Indiana coach Kevin Wilson takes over the offense, and former Rutgers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano is back to direct the defense. If the Buckeyes can survive their early home game against Oklahoma, they probably won't be tested again until they host Penn State on Oct. 28 and play at Michigan on Nov. 25. And yes, Meyer will beat Jim Harbaugh again.”

- Mark Schlabach, ESPN


Mark Schlabach of ESPN gave his bold predictions for the 2017 season, and his second prediction has a Scarlet and Gray hue to it. Schlabach believes Urban Meyer has set his team up perfectly for a revenge year after being demolished by Clemson in the College Football Playoff at the end of last season. With J.T. Barrett returning and Kevin Wilson joining the team as the offensive coordinator, there are high hopes that the Buckeyes could emerge victorious when the final seconds tick off the clock in the national championship game.

In fact, Schlabach states that he believes the Buckeyes will enter the postseason as the No. 1 seed for the College Football Playoff, where they will face off against No. 4 USC. From there, Ohio State takes care of business and meets No. 2 Alabama in the national championship game where the Buckeyes edge out the Crimson Tide 24-20. I, for one, would be happy with an outcome similar to that and it’s safe to say Ohio State fans in general would be too.

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Ohio State forward, Andre Wesson, reportedly medically cleared to return
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Andre hopes to join his brother Kaleb on the court as soon as this week.

According to the Columbus Dispatch’s Adam Jardy, Ohio State sophomore forward Andre Wesson has been medically cleared to return to the basketball court after sitting out most of the summer due to an undisclosed medical condition.

Wesson’s father, Keith, told the Dispatch, “He was cleared to play this last Friday. Everything’s been resolved and cleared to play. He’ll be back at it this week. Truly a blessing.”

While that is positive news for Wesson, Ohio State still needs to sign off before he can rejoin his teammates. A team spokesperson told Jardy, “We are completing the medical evaluating process and anticipate having Andre back on the court shortly.”

Accounting for 2.3 points and 1.2 rebounds per game, Wesson didn’t have a tremendous impact on the team as a freshman last season, but with the significant roster turnover that occurred this summer, before and after Chris Holtmann became the program’s new head coach, having 10 scholarship players on the roster would be a bonus for the Buckeyes.

Andre’s younger brother, Kaleb, is a highly-recruited true freshman center who is expected to contribute immediately for the Buckeyes this season.

Jardy explains that Wesson’s medical issue is something that he has been dealing with for most of his life, and that it doesn’t require ongoing attention. During his time away from the game, his father said that Wesson rested his body in anticipation of being a larger part of the team’s plans this season.

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Surprise, surprise: Buckeyes top Big Ten preseason power rankings - Lincoln Journal Star
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Surprise, surprise: Buckeyes top Big Ten preseason power rankings
Lincoln Journal Star
2 Buckeyes return a Heisman hopeful at quarterback in J.T.Barrett and perhaps the most fearsome defensive line in the country. They had seven players taken in the 2017 NFL Draft — 19 the past two years — but they keep plugging in elite talent across ...
Ohio State might be the Big Ten's best team, but Wisconsin and Penn State have easier paths to an undefeated seasonLand-Grant Holy Land
A Big Ten battle right off the bat spices up Week 1 for Ohio StateLandof10.com
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Roar Lions Roar -Big Ten Conference -Off Tackle Empire
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Tom Archdeacon: Sprinkle's life, career back on track with Buckeyes - MyDaytonDailyNews
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Tom Archdeacon: Sprinkle's life, career back on track with Buckeyes
MyDaytonDailyNews
He said being a captain is “a real honor” for him and he will draw on the examples set by previous Buckeye captains he's known, especially Michel Bennett, the defensive lineman who prepped at Centerville High and now plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars, ...

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Audio: Listen to your Big Ten coach’s Week 1 teleconference
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

On Tuesday, Big Ten coaches held their first weekly teleconference of the 2017 season. Click here for audio from each coach.

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Buckeyes take the No. 1 spot in Joel Klatt's Preseason Poll | FOX COLLEGE FOOTBALL - FOXSports.com
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Buckeyes take the No. 1 spot in Joel Klatt's Preseason Poll | FOX COLLEGE FOOTBALL
FOXSports.com
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas will be without one of its prized recruits after junior college running back Octavius Matthews was found to have an undisclosed, career-ending medical condition. Jayhawks coach David Beaty declined to specify the ailment, but ...

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Hoops & Scoops | Buckeyes send requested relief to Houston - The Columbus Dispatch
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Hoops & Scoops | Buckeyes send requested relief to Houston
The Columbus Dispatch
As Hurricane Harvey has flooded the city, University of Houston coach Kelvin Sampson took to Twitter on Sunday night to ask for help. The former Indiana coach encouraged basketball programs across the country at all levels to send 20 of their school's ...

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A closer look: Examining Ohio State’s biggest weakness
Kyle Sumner McKinnon via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Scarlet and Gray are not without their flaws heading into the season.

Ohio State is known as one of the few programs in all of college football that doesn’t rebuild, but instead reloads every season.

Star players have proven to be easily replaceable for the most part. There’s no better example of that than the Buckeyes platoon swaps in the secondary of recent years.

Questions surrounded the unit before the 2016 season began due to the departures of first-round draft pick Eli Apple, second-round draft pick Vonn Bell, and NFL free-agent signee Tyvis Powell.

Those questions were quickly answered as Malik Hooker, Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley all surprisingly showed to be upgrades. But that’s life at OSU, and the standout trio went on to be first-round selections in this year’s draft after electing to take their talents to the pros.

Those departures left coach Urban Meyer and Co. with another set of enormous shoes to fill.

Week One is almost here and the top three cornerbacks in rotation are returning starter junior Denzel Ward, redshirt sophomore Damon Arnette, and junior college transfer Kendall Sheffield.

Ward has the look of a breakout candidate and is already projected to be a future first-round pick. The Buckeyes will lean heavily on him as the secondary works through some growing pains early on in the season.


Opposite of Ward is Arnette, the fourth corner in rotation in 2016. He’s held the edge over the freak athlete Sheffield, but cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs plans to rotate at least three this year. The fourth cornerback spot is up for grabs and former five-star Jeffrey Okudah might be the one to take it.

Thought of as the weak link in the Buckeyes secondary last season, Damon Webb returns as the lone starter. Webb knows he must improve if OSU’s defensive backs are going to be an elite unit again.


The senior safety was okay in 2016, compiling 57 total tackles and a pick-six. There won’t be many moments where he leaves the field this season, and Isaiah Pryor – the second freshman to lose his black strip this year – will see minutes when Webb does hit the sideline.

Lining up next to Webb will be either senior Erick Smith or sophomore Jordan Fuller. They’re both battling it out and defensive coordinator Greg Schiano has yet to announce a starter.


The younger Fuller also seems to have a leg-up on Smith given his 6-foot-2, 207-pound frame. It could be the deciding factor in a competition that has been neck-and-neck up to this point.


Smith’s three years of experience is tough to ignore, but both safeties will likely split time through the first couple games of the season.

Final Thoughts


Meyer and his coaching staff have handily dealt with turnover in the secondary before, as demonstrated last year.

But this season is different. Nearly an entire new group of defensive backs is taking center stage. While there’s obviously still plenty of talent in place to meet expectations, you just don’t know until you, well, know.

Ward and Webb’s leadership should help smooth over whatever struggles the backend of the defense experiences. And with Columbus being home to one of, if not the best front seven in the country, the opportunities to make plays will certainly be there.

Patience is key for the Buckeyes secondary, who’s potential is limitless.

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Ohio State’s inexperienced secondary will be challenged by Indiana’s strength on the perimeter
Christopher Jason via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Hoosiers return two top receivers and their starting quarterback.

The Buckeyes finally got their offensive wizard to replace Tom Herman and he just so happens to begin his career as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator at the Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN, where he called home since 2011.

When Wilson was forced out, or “stepped down” from the head coaching job at Indiana due to “philosophical differences,” he left the program in a very good position from where it was when he arrived. Out went Wilson, one of the nation’s best offensive minds, while defensive coordinator Tom Allen was named his successor.

Allen then hired Mike DeBord away from Tennessee as his offensive coordinator. DeBord might be familiar to Buckeye fans because he was Michigan’s offensive coordinator from 1997-1999 and then again from 2006-2007. He coached Brian Griese, Tom Brady and Chad Henne, while guiding them to a national title in 1997.

Flash forward to 2015-2016, when DeBord called the plays in Knoxville, TN. His offensive talent was loaded with stars such as Josh Dobbs, Alvin Kamara and Jalen Hurd. Tennessee put up numbers — especially during his final five games, where the Vols averaged 48 points per game. DeBord unleashed the Swiss-Army knife that was Dobbs, and most importantly they converted in the red zone — something that DeBord wants to improve for the Hoosiers.

The new head coach was quick to call out Wilson’s deficiencies, pointing out that although the offense racked up yardage in 2016, they failed to finish drives.

“It’s about scoring touchdowns,” Allen said. “I’ve said it before: Yards are what they are. I really don’t care what we’re ranked in yards. It’s about points. It’s the same way on defense. You’ve got to keep them out of the end zone, and you’ve got to put it in the end zone on offense.”

DeBord runs a similar zone-blocking scheme as Wilson and has been known to run a one-dimensional rushing attack, but Allen stated that they’ll still run an up-tempo offense that will continue to stretch the field vertically. Although returning quarterback Richard Lagow does not possess a dynamic skill set like Dobbs, DeBord is looking to utilize Lagow’s strengths to throw the ball more, especially in the red zone.

“You’ve got to be able to put the ball in the end zone throw-wise,” DeBord said Saturday. “We actually threw the ball a little bit more (at Tennessee). That’s why we were a little bit more successful in the red zone, so that’s what we’re looking to do.”

The Hoosiers don’t have a Jordan Howard, or a Kamara, Dobbs or even a Hurts to lean on this season, so it looks like they’ll be forced to rely on Lagow’s arm and two terrific receivers in Simmie Cobbs Jr. and Nick Westbrook. Cobbs racked up 1,035 yards and four touchdowns on 60 receptions in 2015, while Westbrook totaled 1,064 yards and seven touchdowns on 60 receptions in 2016.

So although DeBord wants to rely on a strong running game, his strength and experience at quarterback and receiver might be able to take advantage of Ohio State’s youth in the secondary. The Buckeyes return arguably the best defensive line in the country and three studs at linebacker, while the Hoosiers lost the top offensive lineman in the Big Ten, Dan Feeney. As we know, Damon Webb is the lone full-time starter returning in the secondary, and it would be smart for DeBord to challenge them early.

Cobbs is a 6’4, 220-pound beastly receiver who primarily plays on the outside and is returning from an ankle injury that forced him to sit out the 2016 season. He’ll be a size mismatch on the perimeter with Denzel Ward, Damon Arnette and Kendall Sheffield standing at 5’11 and 6’0 respectively. Cobbs has speed to beat the defense vertically and has the strength to make plays after the catch, as shown below.


Westbrook is similar to Simms, as he stands at 6’3, 216 lbs and will flank the opposite side of the field on the perimeter. Westbrook is a burner who roasted Denzel Ward on a 50-yarder last season. He has the ability to also take a screen or a shallow crosser to the house. He has great acceleration which has allowed him to exceed 15-yards on a reception 22 times and 25-plus yards 12 times. He’s a real burner who will test a secondary that just lost the best single-high free safety in the country, Malik Hooker, and will have two new corners on the outside who will likely play a lot of man-coverage.


As mentioned above, new offensive coordinator Mike DeBord would ideally like to run the ball, but it would make the most sense to go out of his element a bit to challenge the new Ohio State secondary with his game-breaking receivers.

When you’re coordinating your first game at a new school and you happen to be a 20.5-point underdog at home on national television, one would expect some fireworks. Indiana has nothing to lose and they possess the talent to make some plays on the perimeter against an inexperienced positional group.

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Ohio State at Indiana: Hoosiers looking for historic victory over the Buckeyes to start the 2017 campaign - The Crimson Quarry
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State at Indiana: Hoosiers looking for historic victory over the Buckeyes to start the 2017 campaign
The Crimson Quarry
Indiana has hung tough with the Buckeyes for over the past few seasons, typically taking the perennial Big Ten favorites into the fourth quarter before letting the game get away with them. Last year, the Hoosiers closed the gap to just one touchdown ...
Ohio State football: Buckeyes hope offensive changes can fuel a championship runNCAA.com
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Trio of Buckeyes Heading Back Home to the Hoosier State for Season OpenerEleven Warriors
The Columbus Dispatch -Youngstown Vindicator
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Michigan football is thriving, but won’t take the next step until they beat Ohio State
Colton Denning via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Maize N Brew joins us to break down the 2017 Wolverines

Regardless of what you think of Jim Harbaugh’s antics, there is no denying that he has Michigan Football in the best place its been in at least a decade. The Wolverines have won 10 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2002-03, broke a program record with 11 players taken in the 2017 NFL Draft, and have the seventh highest blue-chip ratio in the nation heading into this season. While Harbaugh has yet to win a Big Ten title, he at least has the program a long way removed from these days.

Another thing he hasn’t done? Beat Ohio State. Harbaugh is 0-2 against the Buckeyes, including last year’s thriller, which we should take a moment to remember right quick:



While that game will be remembered for The Spot being good, it also serves as a reminder to Michigan on how close they were to finally beating the Buckeyes.

On this episode of the Hangout in the Holy Land, Maize N Brew’s Anthony Broome discusses the importance of beating Ohio State, why he thinks this is the year it happens, and everything about the 2017 Wolverines, including:

• Why the team’s youth makes projecting this season tough.
• The next step in Quarterback Wilson Speight’s development.
• Whether UM’s defensive identity (read: attack the hell out of everything) will remain the same with so many new pieces involved.
• Expectations for the season, and more!

You can find the podcast on our iTunes page, and we encourage reviews, comments, criticisms, etc. to help us deliver the best possible audio product. The more we hear from you, the better we can make it. We’re also on Soundcloud, and you can subscribe via RSS on your Android and Windows Phone devices here.

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Young Buckeyes On The Rise Heading Into Indiana Matchup - Eleven Warriors
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Young Buckeyes On The Rise Heading Into Indiana Matchup
Eleven Warriors
Kickoff in Bloomington, Ind. is so close you can almost hear the ball being kicked into the air. Our weekly Stock Up/Stock Down feature returns for the 2017 football season, giving you our picks for the teams, coaches and players that are trending in ...


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Betting preview: Win total, title odds for Ohio State Buckeyes - ESPN
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Betting preview: Win total, title odds for Ohio State Buckeyes
ESPN
Betting preview: Win total, title odds for Ohio State Buckeyes. Will a new offensive coordinator bring back the old J.T. Barrett? Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images. Facebook · Twitter · Facebook Messenger · Email; comment. 7:00 AM PT. CFB Vegas ...

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End game: Buckeyes' defense deep in talent up front - Mansfield News Journal
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End game: Buckeyes' defense deep in talent up front
Mansfield News Journal
COLUMBUS – Ohio State made NFL draft history in 2016 with 12 Buckeyes being taken in the first four rounds. This year, three members of OSU's defensive ...
Ohio State Buckeyes football defensive end Sam Hubbard talks ...247Sports

all 2 news articles »

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Ohio State will have to avoid several potential trap games in 2017
Kyle Sumner McKinnon via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


An improved Big Ten conference means the Buckeyes must watch their backs.

Ohio State has rarely skipped a beat during the regular season since Urban Meyer’s arrival in Columbus six years ago.

Meyer’s 61-6 record with the Buckeyes proves as much. The one no longer with the beard doesn’t lose often, especially when he’s not supposed to. His teams are 28-1 in August and September, with that single loss coming at the hands of Virginia Tech in 2014 (I was also at that game dumpster fire).

But trap games are a part of college football and crucial for both teams involved. OSU received another reminder of that last season in Week 8 when then-unranked Penn State – a 20-point underdog – erased a four-point deficit in the final 5 minutes to secure the upset.

There are more than a few meetings on the Buckeyes schedule this year that could end in similar fashion.

Let’s take a look at OSU’s biggest trap games.

Aug. 31, Indiana


We have mere days until this one kicks off in Bloomington. The pressure rides mainly on the shoulders of mistake-prone Hoosier quarterback Richard Lagow, who’s reportedly really taking to Indiana’s new offensive scheme. Completely counting out the Hoosiers on a Thursday night before OSU has broken in their secondary and receiving targets would be unwise.

Oct. 14, Nebraska


The entire country watched OSU absolutely embarrass then-No. 10 ranked Nebraska by a score of 62-3 last season. While the Cornhuskers were almost blanked on the scoreboard, don’t expect the same this October in Memorial Stadium.


Nebraska’s defense has regrouped, led by defensive end Freedom Akinmoladun. With Tommy Armstrong Jr. long gone, lining up under center on offense is the steady, experienced Tanner Lee.

Nebraska increased its win totals in 2016 and the next step is a conference championship.

Nov. 4, Iowa


The Scarlet and Gray start off November with a trip to Iowa City. The Hawkeyes aren’t a perfect team but they’re a talented dark horse to win the Big Ten under Kirk Ferentz, who’s in his 19th (!!) season as Iowa’s head coach.


Star tailback Akrum Wadley gained nearly 1,400 yards from scrimmage in 2016 and should help break in whoever’s starting at quarterback for the Hawkeyes. With All-America caliber linebacker Josey Jewell heading up a strong front seven on defense, it’s easy to why this is a trap game for the Buckeyes.

Nov. 11, Michigan State


The last thing you want to do is overlook Mark Dantonio and the Michigan State Spartans. Sure, they just turned in a dud of a season in 2016, but did it mean anything when OSU barely squeaked by Sparty back in November? No, it didn’t. And the same goes for this season, regardless of how many games the Spartans win.

Honorable Mention: Army West Point (Sept. 16)


I’d love to give Army an official spot on the list. I really would. After all, they’re coming off an incredible record-breaking season and return a very, very solid team. But even with the predictable early scare they’ll give the Buckeyes, don’t bet on this being the game that puts a dent in OSU’s national title hopes.

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BM5: Buckeyes back in the saddle again! - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


BM5: Buckeyes back in the saddle again!
247Sports
Duane Long joins us for his final appearance before the opener in Bloomington to break down the recently released depth chart, the youth movement afoot and what to expect against the Hoosiers. Spend 5ish with us this a.m.! What's next for the Buckeyes?

and more »

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2017 bold predictions: Look out for Urban Meyer's revenge in 2017 - ESPN
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2017 bold predictions: Look out for Urban Meyer's revenge in 2017
ESPN
The Buckeyes are poised for redemption this coming season. Former Indiana coach Kevin Wilson takes over the offense, and former Rutgers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano is back to direct the defense. If the Buckeyes can survive their early ...

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Breaking down the 4 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


From the offensive line to the receivers, Meyer’s quotes on Monday shined light on what we’ll see from the Buckeyes.

It’s finally here: Game Week.

With that being said, Monday brought another Urban Meyer press conference at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center in Columbus, Ohio. Meyer answered questions surrounding the look of his offense, as well as what to be expecting on Thursday night when Ohio State battles Indiana.

Let’s breakdown the four biggest points from Meyer’s presser.

1. “At the X, it's going to be Ben Victor and Austin Mack. At the H, it's Parris and K.J. Hill and at the Z, it's Terry and Johnnie Dixon. So there's six in the rotation.”


If there were any questions about how the receiving corps were going to operate in the opener, Meyer gave us the answer: six guys are being incorporated in the game plan.

This strategy may seem like the football version of too many cooks in the kitchen, but this concept may be the better option right now for the offense. Last season, the passing game struggled; it seemed that the further the passes were from the line of scrimmage, the more mistakes, overthrows and interceptions that occurred.

With six different receivers having a chance to catch the next J.T. Barrett pass, someone will have to rise up. That may’ve be the grand plan all along from Meyer and wide receiver coach Zach Smith. Going into 2017, the top three receivers from the 2016 campaign (Curtis Samuel, Noah Brown and Dontre Wilson) are gone. The next highest returner in receiving yards is Marcus Baugh, but he’s at the tight end position. Of the six that are in the WR rotation, K.J. Hill brought the most yards (262 yards) from last season.

The six receivers have experience, but none of them have been “the guy” for Barrett to throw to. That will change come Thursday. Expect all sorts of passes to be made, testing what this receiving corps can do.

It’s easy to take for granted the receiving prowess of guys like Devin Smith and Michael Thomas. Now, the Buckeyes are looking for the next great wide receiver. After Thursday night, we’ll have a good idea of the improvements Zone 6 (the nickname of the WR position) has made, as well as who the go-to guy may be heading into the showdown with Oklahoma in Week 2.

2. “Since that conversation I had with him, whoever deserves it is going to be captain, and it will be on the wall, down the hallway, and you'll forever be known on your resumé as a captain of the Ohio State University football program.”


While there will be a revolving door at who will be lined up at WR, the same can’t be said for who will be leading the team as captains. Nine Buckeyes got the honor as captain, and that raised a question: is nine too many?

Meyer’s take is, actually, a pretty good one: if the team selects the guy who they think should be a captain, then that person will be a captain. Whether that’s two or nine, the ones that are deserving will get the honor.

During the presser, Meyer said that he talked to Mike Vrabel, a former All-American at OSU and former member of the coaching staff, and learned that Vrabel was never named a captain. While he wasn’t named a captain, Vrabel was still a leader for the Buckeyes.

Flash forward to today, and it makes sense why there were nine guys picked to be captains. Meyer reinforced the fact that if you do the work and you are a leader, then you may get an honor bestowed.

Becoming captain wasn’t an overnight epiphany. These nine guys have put in the work, and now, they are leaders of an OSU team that has a real shot at becoming national champions again.

3. “[Branden Bowen’s] the most improved guy, one of the most improved players on our team. Something clicked with him,”


We touched on two big points: a passing game that is improving, and leadership. Now we focus on a third big point that will help the offense immensely if it goes well: a strong offensive line.

Branden Bowen was named the starting right guard for Thursday’s game, and he may be a name we hear more and more as the season progresses. Bowen put in some serious work in the offseason, as he’s skyrocketed up to the starting job at RG.

Last season, he saw action in 13 games. However, the games where he saw more extensive time on the field were in blowout contests like Nebraska and Maryland. Getting the starting job off the bat this season is a testament of the hard work paying off, especially considering that at one point there were seven guys in the running for the position.

The RG spot is the only position on the O-line that didn’t return a starter from 2016. Bowen has big shoes to fill, but with Meyer’s praise on Monday, it seems as if that won’t be a problem.

4. “To say that he mastered our offense, he's done that quite a while ago. It's just the timing, the execution and the trust.”


J.T. Barrett came up in the first point about the receiving corps. Now, he is the main point. Barrett is now heading into year four at the helm of the quarterback position at Ohio State—and enters his third year as a captain on the football team, a Buckeye first. However, his passing ability has been all over the place. He’s shown flashes of greatness for touchdowns, but also ill-advised passes that have been picked off.

A part of this may be because of the new receivers he’s had to deal with. Meyer hit the main points about timing, execution of the pass, and trust as being the components of what will make Barrett better at QB.

The rotation of six WRs may be tricky at first in the game setting, but Meyer may be foreshadowing the breakthrough needed to make Barrett an elite QB on the college level this season. It’ll take some time (i.e. games) for the problems to be ironed out, but if Barrett makes an improvement in the timing and execution of his passes, and increases his trust of the WRs, then expect a year of more records being broken—with a chance of a Heisman.

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