2019 blue-chipper Zach Harrison set to visit Buckeyes - Scout
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


2019 blue-chipper Zach Harrison set to visit Buckeyes
Scout
2019 blue-chipper Zach Harrison set to visit Buckeyes. Allen Trieu. Thursday at 4:43 AM. Ohio State gets the next crack at arguably the best athlete in the Midwest's 2019 class, Olentangy (Ohio) Orange defensive end Zach Harrison. One of the Midwest's ...


Continue reading...

2017 NBA Profile: Marc Loving (Ohio State Buckeyes) - BT Powerhouse (blog)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


2017 NBA Profile: Marc Loving (Ohio State Buckeyes)
BT Powerhouse (blog)
Marc Loving has been a rock to the Ohio State men's basketball program since he arrived on campus in the summer of 2013. After four successful seasons with the Buckeyes, he now is trying to pursue a career in the NBA. Loving was a consistent player in ...


Continue reading...

Ohio State has talent at the skill positions, but advanced stats also raise questions
Chad Peltier via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The potential is there. Will the production follow?

Bill C has expanded his skill player advanced stat coverage this offseason, looking at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver advanced stats. Here we’ll take a look at Ohio State’s returning players from Bill’s data.

The numbers

• The quarterback stats are going to largely conform to your expectations: J.T.’s year was so-so and Joe Burrow looked good in his limited time. It’s worth pointing out that these numbers aren’t opponent-adjusted, so while you could look at these advanced stats and argue for Burrow starting over Barrett, Burrow’s yards came in complete blowouts — 77-10 against Bowling Green, 58-0 over Rutgers, and 62-3 over both Nebraska and Maryland in consecutive games.
• Even still, Burrow was accurate (78.6% completion rate) and efficient running the ball (54.5% opportunity rate). Those are incredible numbers, even if his playtime was essentially a glorified practice.
• Bill classified QBs by type using a stat weighting system he details here. Barrett was classified as a “runner” (as opposed to a statue or dual-threat), and rated as the 32nd-best runner. The running quarterback list gets weird fast, but Bill’s top-5 Power 5 running QBs is pretty solid: Josh Dobbs, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Jerrod Evans, and Justin Thomas.

• Ohio State’s leading receivers next season may be totally different from our list here, but if there’s one guy on paper that looks like he’ll be at the top of the rotation, it’s KJ Hill. Hill had a 75% catch rate, 14.6 yards per catch, and 75% catch and success rates. His overall profile put him in the 91st percentile of wide receivers. For comparison, in 2015 Michael Thomas averaged 14 yards per catch, had a 66.7% catch rate, and a 59.5% success rate on 84 targets compared to Hill’s 24.
• There aren’t many reasons for optimism from the other returning receivers. As a group, they all average less than a 54.5% catch rate (high from Johnnie Dixon), 10.4 yards per catch (from Terry McLaurin), and a 46.2% success rate (from Parris Campbell). It’s probably also not great that a different receiver is best in each of those three stats. Note that these numbers exclude players like Binjimen Victor and Austin Mack, who many expect to be the receiving leaders in 2017. At least there are opportunities!
• The big buzz out of spring practice was around Parris Campbell, who was looking like the most explosive player on offense after his move to the slot. The position switch and another year in the system might be enough to break out, but I’d put money on KJ Hill if I were betting just based on last season’s advanced stats.

• I’ve already done a deep dive into Mike Weber’s advanced stats from last year. The takeaway? Based on Weber’s first year, he was between Hyde and Zeke in explosiveness, but less efficient than either one. He was also lighter for his height than either. Generally only elite running backs have top-line efficiency and explosiveness — they tend to maximize one style of running versus the other. Zeke, though he didn’t look like it when he first got to Columbus, managed to be do both.
• The advanced stats also weren’t kind to Demario McCall, who theoretically should have been firmly on the explosive > efficient side of the spectrum. But he averaged just 4.18 highlight yards per opportunity and a 40.8% opportunity rate. On 49 attempts, he had 6 10+ yard runs and 2 20+ yard runs, almost exclusively in garbage time. That’s a 12% rate of 10+ yard runs and a 4% rate of 20+ yard runs. For comparison, Mike Weber had a 17% 10+ yard run rate and a 6% 20+ yard run rate. Again — he probably had some backup linemen blocking for him, and there were a few plays where he looked electric, but the overall stats on his freshman season weren’t as explosive as you’d imagine. It’ll be interesting to compare J.K. Dobbins this season with McCall, who will likely spend more time at H-Back. McCall showed promise as a receiver, catching four of his five targets and averaging an extremely explosive 21 yards per catch on limited data.
• Somewhat lost in the conversation is Antonio Williams, who is comparable to Weber size-wise and got just six carries last season. It’s impossible to make anything resembling a definitive analysis based on such limited data, but he showed a tendency towards efficiency over explosiveness, averaging just 1.13 highlight yards per opportunity, but managing a 66.7% opportunity rate.

Continue reading...

Buckeye assistant coaches salaries released - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeye assistant coaches salaries released
247Sports
Two days ago, details were released for new Ohio State men's basketball head coach Chris Holtmann's contract where he will make slightly less than former coach Thad Matta. On Friday, just one day after naming his three new assistants, their contract ...

and more »

Continue reading...

Jagdaddy said:

On a similar note, I just started seeing billboards for this:

Click to expand...

Mix it with Champagne, and you get Champipple!

Login to view embedded media

Pierre Dorion Speaks: ‘In the Box’ Appearance #thoughtsinbold
T6S via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



Following his media availability, Senators general manager Pierre Dorion was on TSN 1200’s ‘In the Box’ yesterday to follow up and elaborate on a number of news items that were reported on throughout the week.

To listen to the full interview, you can use the embedded audio player at the bottom of this post.

As always, my thoughts are in bold.

On Karlsson requiring surgery and it being a more serious injury than what it was previously considered to be…

“Yeah, he did unfortunately. We just felt that after he got seen by the doctors, everyone felt good, but didn’t feel 100-percent that we (didn’t) do an MRI. He left a few days after to go (away for a week’s vacation) which every player should have a right to do. Through that week, we consulted with doctors and we talked to someone in Ottawa here – I think it’s Dr. Lalonde, who’s very good – and I think we talked to a Dr. Lau in Toronto, who’s probably one of the best in the world also. It was recommended that we do a surgery with a Dr. Anderson in Charlotte and finding out more details just probably tells us how much character Karlsson (has) to play through the pain of having tendons that were cut. I’m not sure exactly on the details, but it happened we think in the Rangers series and it was just probably from the wear and tear and I think the crack in the bone could have hurt the tendons. Again, I’m not a surgeon or a doctor, but I think it tells us a lot about Erik’s character and his willingness to win.”

There aren’t enough words to describe just how great a generational talent like Erik Karlsson is, but to think about the level of play he demonstrated throughout now that the full extent of his injuries are known, it’s remarkable.

On there being a specific play where the injury was sustained…

“We’re not sure.”

On Karlsson freezing his foot to deal with the two bone fractures and possibly creating the problem of not understanding when or where it happened…

“Yeah and that could be it also. We’re not exactly sure how and when. We think it was during that series and we think that’s what happened. We know he played through tremendous pain and to play at that level through pain on one leg, I think that just shows us that we have something special here.”

He didn’t need to play through pain for people in Ottawa to recognize that, but it’s kind of sad that he needed this kind of playoff performance for others around the league to finally give him credit where credit was due.

On believing that Karlsson will be back to full strength by the start of next season…

“Yeah, we hope that he’ll be back for the regular season. I made a joke upstairs that he doesn’t even like to play in exhibition games, so this worked out to be perfect.”

As a team that lives and dies on the margins, the Senators can ill afford to have Karlsson miss games at the beginning of the season.

On how difficult it was to have the conversation with Chris Neil about not being able to continue his playing career in Ottawa…

“It was one of probably my top three toughest things I’ve had to say. I’ve talked about having to speak on behalf of the Anderson family, having to fire Dave Cameron and probably that one were my top three. It was not something that I was looking forward to. I pretty much begged Randy Lee to come with me and the conversation went even better than I thought. We talked about a potential role next year and if he would be willing to live with that role. It wasn’t something that he felt he would be comfortable in and it was something similar to this year. You wouldn’t want to do that to Chris if this was going to be his last year or even if he plays the next two years. And the conversation went well and Chris means so much to this organization. I think if you look at the character, the respect, the ability to be physical, the ability to be just a presence out there at the same time as contributing and doing probably what is one of the hardest jobs in hockey – fighting and taking on probably younger, bigger and stronger guys and still always be willing to do it. I think that speaks a lot about Chris and his family, Caitlyn. I had the chance to serve on the Sens Foundation board with Caitlyn and they’re just great human beings. They’re great people, so at the same time, it was tough but we both understood that we probably need to go in our separate directions for the upcoming year.”

Chris Neil will unquestionably go down as one of the most popular figures in Senators history. The duality of him being a professional fighter whose work ethic and dedication are only matched by his off-ice contributions and community involvement just resonated with the fans.

On heading into that meeting believing that Chris Neil wanted to play another year…

“Yes, I talked to Todd Reynolds probably 15-minutes before the conversation. I just said, ‘This is what we’re going to do and Chris will probably talk to you afterwards.’ That’s my respect for Todd and I just felt that I had an idea. With some players you have an idea of what’s going to happened and with others, you don’t but this one I could see it coming.”

Neil raised some eyebrows with his comments that were featured in a Don Brennan article and shed some light on his decision behind playing another year.

“I have a lot of respect for Randy and Pierre … I think, if it was up to them, I’d be back,” said the right-winger who turns 38 on Saturday. “But they kind of put it in the coach’s hands and that had a lot to do with it. For whatever reason, Guy never really gave me the chance to show I can play.”

It certainly reads like Neil is blaming Boucher for the Senators’ decision to move on. Keep in mind, Pierre Dorion acquired some forwards at the behest of his coach to address and bolster the team’s bottom-six depth.

But at the same time, Neil needs to take responsibility for his season. I get that he’s got a chip on his shoulder and will be out to prove everyone wrong because he’s an unemployed hockey player who’s expressing self-confidence in hopes that he can land another gig. It get that. But there’s also the fact that he’s a soon-to-be 38-year old who was an anchor each and every time he stepped on the ice. I don’t think it was Guy Boucher’s fault that Neil is coming off a season in which he set career lows in goals and points.

On how it became clear throughout the year that Neil was no longer a fit in Guy Boucher’s system…

“Yeah, I think the fit changes for a player, but that doesn’t mean that Chris didn’t help us. I think you look back at the Rangers series, if not for Chris Neil I’m not sure we win that series. Chris still feels that he can probably contribute on higher level than we were expected to provide for him and things change. Things change as far as ice time and role, but that’s always in the coach’s hand. And people always think that the coach probably has a bigger say on first liners than fourth liners, but I think it’s the opposite way around. Coaches really probably have a bigger say personnel-wise when it comes to your role players than probably your first line guys.”

That the coach had that much of a say in the personnel decisions probably irked Neil. It essentially cost him a spot as a regular in the lineup.

On what the status of contract negotiations are with impending UFA Chris Kelly…

“We told Chris that he wouldn’t be offered a contract on July 1st or beforehand. I think Chris was a bit disappointed with his play this year. He felt he could have given more, but coming off a broken leg and everything that he’s gone through we told Chris it was the complete opposite. I think what Chris brought in our dressing room as far as culture change, work ethic, accountability amongst the players, his ability to play the PK were all things that we were very happy with. But as things evolve, he still wants to play and we haven’t completely turned the page because we don’t know exactly what’s going to happen with Derick Brassard. I have a lot of respect for Chris Kelly as a human being and as a hockey player, he’s someone who knows the game and has gone through battles. We still left the door open and we signed him a bit later in the summer last year and that could be the same case this year.”

I’d like to believe the Senators could do better than Chris Kelly on the open market. If they can’t, that’d be depressing.

On the status of the other impending UFAs…

“I’ve had a conversation with every one of them. I’ve had conversations with Mike Condon. I’ve had conversations with Mike Condon’s agent. That’s progressing much better than originally intended. Tom Pyatt I’ve had conversations with his agent, so we’ve had conversations with Viktor Stalberg’s agent and conversations with Tommy Wingels’ agent. At least they’re all conversations. I think without disputing any secrets, we’ve made offers. They seem to be hesitant and I think I know why, expansion because they’ve all been told that they wouldn’t be protected. As I gave breaking news upstairs, we will protect Erik Karlsson in expansion. (We’re protecting) two guys now: (Craig) Anderson and Erik Karlsson. So we’re just waiting. I’m not afraid to make deals, but I think a lot of people forget that people like playing in Ottawa and with the fact of signing and being exposed, they don’t like that as much so it’s their choice to wait. And maybe they don’t want to sign with us and are just waiting for a better offer. If July 1st comes around and they haven’t signed, maybe they go somewhere else.”

Just a week ago, Dorion was talking about there not being much progress made on the Condon front, but realistically, the Senators do not need to bend over backwards to bring any of these players back into the fold. The last thing a club with a strict budget should do is overspend on third and fourth line players simply because they have familiarity with them. The Senators, like every team, need to get the most bang for the buck and Dorion needs to keep an open mind and explore all of the options on the market.

On the RFAs being put on the backburner…

“Uh, no. Obviously talks with Don Meehan on (Ryan) Dzingel are preliminary. We’re talking term more now than dollars and then we’ll get to dollars. And Pageau, again I spoke about that upstairs, but Craig (Oster) and did Mika Zibanejad and Mark Stone (contracts) in Vegas two years ago, so I’ve got a lot of faith that Craig and I will get a few minutes and we’ll sit down Pageau. I said (to Pageau), ‘You can’t ruin my summer,’ and he said, ‘I won’t.’ We’ll see what happens, but both are (arbitration) cases so in the worst-case scenario they’re both one-year deals and we go through the same process again next year.”

If I had to bet on Pageau’s future, I’m guessing a three-year deal that pays him $7.2-million.

On there being any preference when it comes to term with Pageau…

“He’s a UFA in three years, so if you get into a fourth year obviously the money is going to be significantly more. That’s just the trend if you’re looking at contracts, but we’re open to one to seven or eight (years). We’re always open. I think you’ve always got to explore all options. Everything you do, you’ve got to explore all options.”

Due diligence, it’s a beautiful thing.

On having no problem committing term to Pageau…

“I have personal affections for Jean-Gabriel Pageau. He’s probably one of my favourite players on the team. I think the way he performs and the way he plays the game, I think is something that our players can all aspire to. But at the same time, we always have to be fiscally responsible, not because you like someone that you’re going to give him more money.”

I like Pageau too, but the fact that the Senators have had a difficult time finding possession-driving wingers or offensively talented players has posed problems for Pageau’s even strength production. Without that production, it’s hard to justify a big pay day even if Pageau’s developed the label or reputation as a shutdown centre.

On concerns about the goalie position moving forward…

“No, not at all. We’ve got Andrew Hammond, we’ve got Craig Anderson, we’re going to qualify Chris Driedger and we’ve signed Marcus Hogberg. (I’m) not at all worried. There are other things that worry me way more than our goaltending position. No, as long we’ve got Craig Anderson and hopefully we can find a way to sign Mike Condon, that’s the direction we’re going to go to. If we can’t sign Mike Condon, I feel confident that Andrew Hammond can play for us. He never felt comfortable from about the first game he played last year because of the hip and he’s back healthy. He’s ahead of schedule and if that’s who are goaltending tandem is – Anderson and Condon or Anderson and Hammond – I feel comfortable.”

It was never addressed, but I’d love to know whether Dorion would consider buying out Andrew Hammond’s final season provided that Condon signs an extension with the club. Considering his health, Hammond’s probably not going anywhere and like Dorion mentioned, the Senators are going to want to give as many games to Hogberg and Driedger as they can. On the other hand, maybe Hammond is fully healthy and can placate concerns about losing Condon as a free agent. We already know that Senators goaltending coach Pierre Groulx staunchly supported acquiring Condon, but I have a hard time believing the Senators will be happy to pay Hammond and Condon’s freight.

On whether he’ll explore a contract extension with Craig Anderson…

“I can tell you my thoughts right now if you’re ready to pay the fine.”

This is Dorion’s go-to joke right now. Dorion’s dad humour is reaching epic levels. The jokes come so often now that I keep hoping that TSN 1200’s producers will pipe in fake crowd laughter so his segments come off as early 90’s or late 80’s TV sitcoms.

On whether there’s any chance the Senators will commit to protecting seven forwards, three defencemen and a goalie or eight skaters and a goalie…

“We’re looking at all of our options. We’re looking at 7-3-1 and looking at 8-1 and we’re looking at multiple options. You can’t show your hand too much. We’ve had a lot of dialogue between our counterparts. I think I counted in the first three days this, (I’ve talked to 23 general managers). So there’s a lot of discussion because everyone wants to know what you’re doing. But at the same time, Las Vegas paid a lot of money to come into this league. We’re going to lose someone. I’m not sure I’m going to be forced into doing a deal and losing two assets. Take one asset. That’s okay, that is your right and as an organization, we have to accept that. Now at the same time, there are always things that you have to look at. What is the second asset to lose (when you lose the first asset)? In your discussions, okay, ‘You don’t take this guy, but you’ll have to take someone else,’ and you’ve got to give them something so that’s giving the price for three assets. So at the same time, I’m not saying that we’re going to stay status quo, but if we don’t do anything until Saturday at 3:00 (pm ET) and submit our list by 5:00, I feel more than comfortable with this team. I feel more than comfortable that we’ve taken a step in the right direction. I feel more than comfortable that if we lose a defenceman or a forward, we’ve got a lot of depth. Especially on defence we’ve got a lot of depth – we’ve got (Thomas) Chabot coming up; we’ve got (Ben) Harpur who played in the playoffs and played great; Shean Donovan and Randy Lee swear to me that (Christian) Jaros is closer than we think to the NHL; and (Andreas) Englund had a great first half, but he slowed down in the second half. But, that’s understandable with the way playing so many games coming over from Europe and we had seven guys who almost played for us on a regular basis last year, so defence is really the last thing I’m worried about. I’m not worried about goaltending and I’m not worried about defence, so maybe that tells you where I’m worried about.”

The issue shouldn’t be the fear of losing players. Teams always lose players. It’s all about how you replace players and get the most bang for your buck. Ottawa shouldn’t be afraid to lose two players from his blue line simply because it creates a hole. It’s not like Ottawa’s blue line was a strength last season. If you can find replacement level (or ideally better) talent at a lower cost, it allows the Senators to address and fill different holes on the roster.

On whether calls picked up after it was reported that Dion Phaneuf would not waive his NMC…

“No, it was about the same. I had a lot of calls before and I had a lot of calls this week, so… I’ve had a lot of calls this week and it’s been a very active week and it’s been busy. It’s been interesting.”

Dorion’s no stranger to making a splash, so I hope that’s the case over the next week.

On no-trade clauses and how often players change those lists…

“You’re allowed to change them once a year. For the most part, it depends. Some teams they require a list of (teams) and in Dion’s case, it’s 12 teams that you will accept to be traded to and that was an inherited contract from Toronto. In Ottawa, what we do – except for Erik Karlsson – is give us a list of 10 teams that when you’re a pending UFA that you will accept or 10 teams that you do not want to be traded to. And that’s really what our standard is. A guy like Marc Methot has that and a guy like Zack Smith is going to come and have one. Who else have we done in the last few years that’s a UFA? We don’t give it to goalies. Clarke (MacArthur) has it. It’s always been that way and it won’t change, but a lot of times, those players have earned it. Those players have earned it. They’ve had a career and sometimes they’ll give up some money to have a certain clause like that and there’s no problem. We always tell players, ‘When you’re going to sign on the dotted line, make sure you’re happy and we’re happy.’”

I didn’t know about the Senators’ policy on movement clauses to goalies, it’s a good one to adhere to.

On how much trade activity he expects league-wide before Saturday…

“It’s like every other thing, I think there’s more hype around all the trades and everything that was going to happen. Everyone thought that Monday at 9:00 am that Vegas would announce 17 trades, so I think there’s still a lot of discussions going on but at the same time, I don’t think it’s going to come to fruition as far as how many trades are going to happen.”

I hope he’s wrong.

On how much trade interest there is for Marc Methot, Cody Ceci and Dion Phaneuf…

“Guys are calling on all three, but that doesn’t mean that any one of the three will get traded because you have to think, ‘I trade then what am I getting back?’ Because of expansion, where does that come into play? If I take a forward then I have to leave someone else exposed and then you’re risking the chance of losing two assets and that’s where you say to yourself, ‘What is the best thing for the organization? What is going to help the Ottawa Senators field the best team next year – losing one asset or two assets? Are the two assets that you’re going to lose more important than the one asset that you’re going to lose?’ So that’s where it comes into play and I know people think I’m going to be crazy with this statement, but we have to think about the cap situation moving forward. We have to think about in a few years that we have guys that are going to be UFAs after this following year. The one more year after that (with Karlsson’s impending UFA status) is huge. And then you look at a guy like Mark Stone, he’s in the last year of a contract – his last year as an RFA and then possibly a UFA. So that’s where you have to think, ‘What do we have to do to also look at what we can do to field the best team next year? But at the same time, to field the best team within two, three or four years.”

It’s interesting to hear the organization is exercising caution with its contracts now that expansion is upon us. Considering how the bulk of Ottawa’s young core has an expiring first or second contract, the pressure on Dorion to get his players not only under contract but to manageable deals that allow his team to be competitive moving forward is going to be difficult thanks to the complications created by the burdensome Ryan and Phaneuf deals.

We’ve already seen an uptick in the volume of Phaneuf trade chatter since his unwillingness to waive his NMC was reported earlier this week. Whether that’s a reflection of Ottawa’s aggressiveness in trying to get out from his deal remains to be seen, but it would hardly be a surprise to see Ottawa do everything within their power to get out from under these two contracts. Between the playoff run and the better than anticipated play during this run, if there’s ever an offseason to move either player, now is the time.

On having discussions and trying to find the balance between making deals and worrying about losing too many assets…

“Between our group, I’ll phone the coach and talk to him. ‘Do you like this guy? Do you not like this guy?’ We’ll talk amongst our management group and at the end of the day, I know the responsibility falls on my shoulders but there’s a lot of internal discussions on what other teams are doing too. The reason why you do mock drafts is to say who can be available. Now, teams could be in a similar situation: teams might want to lose a guy that we think they don’t want to lose and we’ll all find that out Saturday. The lists have to be in by 5:00 (pm ET), so you figure the league goes through it so probably not until 9:00 or 10:00 is when we’ll get the lists and the league just might make them public on Sunday. And the other thing is, even if we were to make a deal with Las Vegas, the kibosh has been put on us. We had a conference call Tuesday and I respect the league’s position on that. Again, Vegas paid a lot of money. They want to make a splash on Wednesday night in Last Vegas at the award show when they’re going to announce their expansion team. The only people I feel bad about, sometimes if you have got a deal in place, you can’t even tell the player. I have a lot of respect for the players. This league is a lot about the players and what they achieve and that is a bit difficult, but at the same time, I think the league is going about it the right way and so is Vegas.”

That Dorion is empathetic towards the players in this situation is nice, but I’m just hoping this is foreshadowing a few unexpected trades. With the rumours and anticipation of a ton of trades, it’s an exciting time of year.

On players finding out next week when everyone else does that they’ve been selected in the expansion draft…

“I think Las Vegas has to submit their list at 10:00 am ET, so I think the reason for that is that they might try and fly some guys in. And let’s say you’re from the east coast, you can gain time going to Vegas. I remember talking to Bobby Ryan and he found out through someone else that he got traded here. Sometimes because there’s league protocols, until a trade call is made, you can’t tell the player. Now you’re watching TV and the trade deadline and you see that they’ve announced a trade and we haven’t even made the trade call. I haven’t even told the player and now the player is mad at you, but you’re just following league rules. One person is big on league rules: I follow them to the letter.”

In other words: don’t expect any leaks out of Ottawa beyond news that Dion has resubmitted his list of teams that he cannot be traded to.

http://proxy.autopod.ca/download/podcasts/chum/179/54394/pierre dorion.mp3





Continue reading...

2019 offensive lineman talks Ohio State visit, why Buckeyes are in final 7 for Houston Griffith, and more - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


2019 offensive lineman talks Ohio State visit, why Buckeyes are in final 7 for Houston Griffith, and more
Landof10.com
Land of 10's Tyler Donahue, who covers Penn State recruiting, spoke with Griffith on Thursday night about his cut-down list and why Ohio State remains in the mix. So why are the Buckeyes still on that list? “I have had a relationship with Ohio State ...
Kurelic: Quick-hitters for huge recruiting weekend; plus more247Sports
IU football buzzing about Ohio State openerNews Sentinel

all 3 news articles »

Continue reading...

For most of the teams in the Big Ten, Ohio State will be their toughest game this year
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes were named as the toughest opponent for seven of their nine Big Ten foes this year.


Tom Dienhart of the Big Ten Network released his list of toughest Big Ten conference games for each team, and Ohio State is highlighted often. Dienhart names the late November clash against Michigan in Ann Arbor as Ohio State’s toughest Big Ten game this season, and the Buckeyes are named as the toughest conference game for seven other Big Ten schools. The only Big Ten schools Ohio State plays in which they weren’t named the toughest conference opponent this year were Nebraska and Rutgers, with Dienhart selecting games at Penn State as the toughest for the Cornhuskers and Scarlet Knights.

Yesterday Dienhart also released the best non-conference game for each Big Ten school and ranked them from 1-14. The obvious top pick for the list was the showdown in early September in Columbus between Ohio State and Oklahoma. Even though Michigan and Florida squaring off in Arlington in one of the marquee matchups of the first full weekend of college football will be interesting, it just didn’t have quite the same intrigue as the Sooners and Buckeyes squaring off.


Olentangy Liberty product Brendon White played safety, linebacker, receiver, and quarterback in high school, with his versatility drawing comparisons to Darron Lee. Head coach Urban Meyer gave White a shot at wide receiver in spring practice, but it appears he is better suited on the defensive side of the football, as evidenced by the early enrollee announcing last night on Twitter that he was now a safety. In 2015, White was named Associated Press all-state defensive back after hauling in six interceptions.

With Ohio State’s lack of depth at wide receiver, Meyer allowed White to work with the receivers in spring practice, but apparently something didn’t click or else White wouldn’t be moving to one of the deepest units on Ohio State’s football team. Meyer might have recognized early on in White’s college career that safety is in his blood, as his father is former Ohio State and NFL safety William White. Along with the position change, White also said he will be getting a new jersey number soon as well.


Wide receivers coach Zach Smith challenged freshman wide receiver Trevon Grimes on whether Grimes was really a “hometown legend” in Fort Lauderdale. To test this Smith called a barbershop in Fort Lauderdale to see if the employees there could name Grimes. After struggling to come up with Grimes’ name early on in the phone call, the employees were finally able to provide Smith with Grimes’ name, helping the young wide receiver to truly prove that he is a “hometown legend”.

“The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel on Tuesday approved extending the coach’s box to 38 feet for the 2017-18 men’s basketball season.”

NCAA.com


The NCAA approved a number of rule changes earlier this week, with the most notable being extending the coach’s box from 28 feet to 38 feet. The change was made to allow for better communication between coaches and their teams, especially when the team is at the opposite end of the court.

Another rule that was passed by the NCAA was the reset of the shot clock to 20 seconds when the ball is inbounded into the front court after a foul on the defense. If there was more than 20 seconds on the shot clock at the time of the foul, the shot clock will not be reset.

The NCAA also approved the use of instant replay by referees in the final two minutes of the second half and overtime to determine if a secondary defender is in or outside the restricted area-arc when a call is made. A mandatory minimum of 0.3 seconds will be taken off the game clock when the basketball is touched and an official immediately blows his whistle. Along with these changes, the NCAA also approved changes of legal screen and cylinder rules that are aimed at improving the game.

STICK TO SPORTS

• Dogs could be allowed on restaurant patios in Ohio soon.
• Jeni’s Ice Cream is adding a bunch of new flavors.
• Cincinnati and Columbus top the list as best cities for new college graduates.
• The “unicorn pizza” is a thing and it looks terrible.
• The soup company made famous by Seinfeld has filed for bankruptcy.

Continue reading...

Kurelic: Quick-hitters for huge recruiting weekend; plus more - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Kurelic: Quick-hitters for huge recruiting weekend; plus more
247Sports
1) On Thursday in this column I switched gears a little and went with a number of quick hitters going into the final 1-day Ohio State camp for the summer and what will be a huge recruiting weekend for the Buckeyes. I want to go with the same approach ...


Continue reading...

Chris Holtmann’s assistant coaches will be making bank at Ohio State
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 trio of assistants will make a combined total just north of $1 million.

“Moving the Big Ten tourney will also have an effect on the regular season. Delany confirmed that teams will play a pair of regular-season games the first week of December.”

— Jeff Goodman, ESPN.com


It’s been mentioned before about the Big Ten moving the men’s basketball tournament to the Madison Square Garden in New York City. Now, we are starting to see more coach feedback on the repercussions of holding the event a week earlier — and how that affects the regular season schedule.

Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com talked to Tom Izzo, basketball coach at Michigan State, about his thoughts on the whole tournament matter, and Izzo said the scariest thing about the schedule change is the “unknown”. With the B1G Tournament happening a week earlier than it usually is, there could be a two week gap for teams that get bounced from the tournament to when the actual NCAA Tournament begins. Nobody knows for sure if the added rest would hurt (or improve) a team’s ability to make a run in March.

Additionally, to make the schedule work, the conference slate of games will have to start earlier. Beginning in early December, teams will have to play a couple conference games. This all comes at a time when teams are still figuring out their gameplans, and are now thrust into games that carry actual weight — a couple early losses puts a team in a hole before consistent conference games take place in late December/early January.

Not every coach liked the decision, but these are now the cards that are on the table. We’ll probably hear more about this matter as basketball season gets closer to tipping off.

“Ryan Pedon will be [Chris] Holtmann's highest-paid assistant at $395,000 per year. Mike Schrage will make $325,000. Terry Johnson will make $300,000.”

— Bill Landis, cleveland.com


As Holtmann walks through the doors at Ohio State with a multi-million dollar deal, he’s also bringing his assistants — who are also going to make bank each year.

Bill Landis of cleveland.com wrote about the trio of coaches Holtmann has brought from Butler, and the salaries that have been negotiated with the University.

All three of the assistants will make over $300,000 per year, with Ryan Pedon leading the pack with a $395,000. Behind Pedon is Mike Schrage, who is set to make $325,000, and Terry Johnson is right behind Schrage at $300,000 per year. When all is settled, the trio will make a combined total just north of $1 million per year.

Even though these are big raises compared to what they got at Butler, there is still a possibility to make more money over the course of their two-year deals. Incentives include the usual: winning the conference, reaching the Final Four and winning the national championship.


Here’s hoping that the coaches bring home all the bacon — and some trophies/ banners to The Schottenstein Center.

“A number of recruits are reporting new scholarship offers from the Buckeyes, many of whom were being recruited by [Chris] Holtmann while he was at Butler.”

— Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch


Holtmann is continuing to stick to what he knows best, now that he’s in Columbus, Ohio. Already, he’s brought his assistant coaches to OSU, and now, he may attempt to bring the same recruits he was trying to get at Butler to Ohio State.

Adam Jardy of The Columbus Dispatch wrote up an article highlighting the recruiting targets that Holtmann has keyed in on. The recruits come from all over, but most of them are in the Midwest portion of the country.

One of the targets, four-star forward Darius Days, is one of the 100 players in the country, according to 247Sports. Additionally, four-star guard Ayo Dosunmu also has drawn the attention of Holtmann at OSU. Dosunmu is consistent top 100 player in the land, and was offered a spot at Butler when Holtmann was there.

Many of the new recruits that got Scarlet and Gray offers are from the 2018 class, which means Holtmann is wasting no time in assembling a competitive program. Right now, only one person (Dane Goodwin) is committed to the Buckeyes in 2018. So, Holtmann will have a handful of spots to work with moving forward.

Stick to Sports


• The most expensive issue campaign in the Buckeye State?

• Michael Phelps getting involved with Shark Week.

• Helmut Kohl, a reuniter of Germany, dies at 87.

• Trump says he is being investigated.

Continue reading...

Watch: How Real Life Wednesdays became Live Life Wednesdays - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Watch: How Real Life Wednesdays became Live Life Wednesdays
247Sports
When Urban Meyer came to Ohio State, he started brought with him a new program for his Buckeye players. He wanted them to be better prepared for life after football and created Real Life Wednesdays. Meyer brought in a variety of different speakers, ...


Continue reading...

Report: AJ Alexander lost for the season with knee injury - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Report: AJ Alexander lost for the season with knee injury
247Sports
With Alexander out, the Buckeyes likely turn to either Jake Hausmann or Luke Farrell, both redshirt freshmen. Hausmann was a four-star tight end in the 2016 class out of Cincinnati's Archbishop Moeller. He was rated the fourth-best at his position by ...
Report: Ohio State TE AJ Alexander to miss 2017 season with knee injuryLandof10.com
Ohio State tight end AJ Alexander reportedly out for the seasonLand-Grant Holy Land
Football: AJ Alexander suffered knee injury, will miss 2017 seasonOSU - The Lantern
Scout -Eleven Warriors
all 11 news articles »

Continue reading...

Dienhart: A look at 2017 cross-division draws
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

A schedule can make or break a team’s season. And a big part of the schedule equation is cross-division games. What three teams does your school play from the other division? Who does it miss? This fall, Big Ten West teams all get five home conference games, including two of three interdivision matchups.

Continue reading...

Baker Mayfield will play against Ohio State - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Baker Mayfield will play against Ohio State
247Sports
The Buckeyes defeated the Sooner in Norman last season, 45-24. In that game, Mayfield was 17-of-32 and threw for 226 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. This year, Oklahoma comes to Columbus and you can bet Mayfield would like to get one ...

and more »

Continue reading...

Pierre Dorion Speaks: Yesterday’s Media Availability #thoughtsinbold
T6S via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



Before leaving for Las Vegas for the NHL Awards and the upcoming expansion draft, Senators general manager Pierre Dorion had a local media availability to cover a variety of topics. There was a ton of Sens-related news that broke Wednesday: Chris Neil will move on from the only NHL organization he’s known to continue his career; Erik Karlsson successfully underwent surgery to repair tendons in his left foot; and Matt O’Connor (gasp!) would not be qualified as a restricted free agent.

The availability ran for approximately 15 minutes and it’s all been transcribed below. If you wish to listen to the audio, you can do so by scrolling down to the embedded media player at the bottom of this post.

As always, my thoughts are in bold.

On Chris Neil and the Senators mutually deciding to go in different directions…

“We should discuss or address the Chris Neil situation. As it was reported yesterday, both Randy Lee and myself met with Chris Neil on Monday… Tuesday, pardon (me). It was reported Monday, but it was Tuesday. We talked with Chris. We talked to him about his potential future in this organization as far as playing next year. Both (we) and Chris felt that that’s probably not a role that he would like and we decided mutually that it was probably best that we wouldn’t offer a contract to Chris for next year. First and foremost, the three toughest things that I’ve probably had to do in this organization: one was definitely speak on behalf of the Anderson family in late October, that was probably the toughest thing; I’d probably have to tell you that when we fired Dave Cameron, that was probably the second toughest thing; and I’d have to say that the conversation with Chris Neil was in my top-three toughest things that I’ve had to do as a general manager here. I have the utmost respect for Chris Neil. If we look as recently as the Rangers series in the past year, I don’t think we win that series without him. Chris, to me, represents everything that a lot of people would ever want us to be. His character, his leadership, his grit, what he’s ready to sacrifice and what he’s ready to do for his teammates (will be missed). I think Chris’ ability to take on way bigger and stronger guys and fight for his teammates is something that will never be forgotten on this team and in this organization. I think him and (his wife) Caitlyn are wonderful people. I’ve had the chance to serve on the Sens Foundation board with Caitlyn and we wish him the best of luck moving forward. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Chris Neil.”

Like Chris Phillips, Chris Neil was always one of those players that I just assumed would become a legacy player and spend his entire career playing for the Ottawa Senators.

It’s probably not the ending that Neil envisioned, but moving on for both parties is something that was absolutely necessary.

As I wrote the other day, injuries and ineffectiveness playing within Guy Boucher’s system pushed Neil to the fringe and when the organization went out towards the NHL trade deadline and picked up players like Tommy Wingels, Viktor Stalberg and Alex Burrows at the behest of Boucher, the writing was on the wall. The Senators wanted better bottom-six depth and the obviously felt that Neil wasn’t playing at a high enough level to be part of the solution.

On why he wasn’t a fit anymore…

“Well, I think with how this team evolved this year, his role as we saw, his role probably diminished and we talk about a potential similar role next year and Chris still feels that he can probably play more minutes than he was given here and we have to respect that. One thing about Chris Neil: he’s going to try to prove everyone wrong in this organization. And that’s okay because he’s such a great person to be around and after that, when you look up ‘character’ in the dictionary – if it was an Ottawa Senators dictionary – Chris Neil would be right beside it. So there were no hard feelings. It was mutual for both sides that this probably wouldn’t work out moving forward for next year and we shook hands. It was a really good conversation.”

For years, especially in the Murray era, there were times when Neil could have been moved at the trade deadline when the Senators were out of the playoff picture, but whether it was a lack of interest or not, the Senators always held onto Neil and then re-signed him to contract extensions. It always seemed like the organization valued his intangibles more than anything, so to see both parties move on now, it just seems weird.

I’m not complaining mind you, I wish the two parties went separate ways years ago, but the Senators’ loyalty fueled my belief that Neil would be a career Senator. To see it end like this just so he can get one more season under his belt, feels odd.

On having two days to get the expansion draft protection list submitted to the league and how close he is to having the final draft of it done…

“Feel pretty good. We’ve been preparing for this for over a year, so we’ve looked at every possible scenario. We haven’t had a surprise yet. We’re still looking at possibly going 7-3-1 or 8-1 and we’re not going to show our cards. I think when it comes to expansion, we have a good idea of what we’re going to do and unless we make some trades (between) now until Saturday at 3:00 (pm ET) is the trade freeze. I think I’ve talked to 23 out of my 30 counterparts in the last three days, so there’s a lot of chatter. But, as we see there, I don’t think there’s been a deal done except for… I think the Wild traded (Tyler) Graovac to Washington – former (Ottawa) 67 – so I don’t think there’s been much done, but I know there’s a lot of discussions between GMs.”

There’s no fucking way the Senators will elect to protect fewer skaters so that they can protect all the defencemen they want.

Although there’s definitely something to be said about how defencemen typically have more inherent value than forwards – especially if you’re negotiating a trade with Peter Chiarelli – but in Ottawa’s case, I would be hesitant to expose a player like Jean-Gabriel Pageau or Derick Brassard simply because you’re worried about losing a replaceable defenceman like a Cody Ceci or hell, even a Marc Methot.

On being disappointed if Dion Phaneuf elects not to waive his no-movement clause…

“No. No, I think we’re going about it all the wrong way about this in what I read and what I see. I think with Dion, Dion loves it here. He feels this team is headed in the right direction. He wants to be a part of it. He’s brought great leadership and great character. I think if you talk to Erik Karlsson, he’ll be the first to tell you that Dion has helped him a lot. I’m not going to deny the fact that we had discussions with Dion and his agents. I don’t think we should really elaborate on any of those discussions, but no, I think we always have to explore all options. If it would have been a forward, I think we would have asked any forward if they would have a (NMC and ask) if they were willing to move (their NMC) no matter who it is. I will give you a bit of breaking news as far as expansion today: we will be protecting Erik Karlsson, no matter (that he had) surgery.”

Since reports leaked that the Senators had asked Dion Phaneuf to waive his no-movement clause and subsequent reports suggest that he is unwilling to do so, trade chatter around him has certainly picked up.

From Pierre LeBrun mentioning that a number of teams have called on Dion to revealing some of the teams that he will accept a trade to, I’m kind of taken aback by how quickly we’ve gone from Dion’s refusal to waive to the possibility of him being moved. Granted, the Senators have a history of pushing information through the media in hopes of spurring the market and generating interest, so it’s probably fair to assume that’s what is happening now.

There’s no secret that the Senators are looking to dump salary. The team is already paying 18 skaters approximately $65.5-million and the team has to re-sign Pageau and Dzingel. They need to cut salary and getting out from under Phaneuf’s contract, even though he’s arguably better than some of the alternatives being mentioned as candidates for Las Vegas – Ceci, Wideman, Methot – would be a coup for the organization.

He had a decent season for the Senators, but it’s easy to recognize that he’s a declining asset offering diminished returns. Moving him might open a hole on the blue line, but with the presence of a Fredrik Claesson and a Thomas Chabot, maybe that hole could be filled internally.

The only downside to a Phaneuf deal in my mind is that it would probably force the Senators to double-down on a top-three that includes Methot and Ceci. It would be the same situation that necessitated the Phaneuf trade in the first place, but the move would give the Senators some desperately needed financial flexibility.

There’s value in that.

On what Phaneuf’s prospective refusal to waive could force him to do…

“It forces us that we’re in a situation where we felt that this could happen and is it a trade? It’s a possibility, but trades are way easier to talk about than to do. At the end of the day, Las Vegas is paying a lot of money to come into this league and be part of this great product that we put on the ice. They’re going to get someone from our team and from day one, we’ve been ready to accept that. I don’t think if we wouldn’t explore all of our options and do all of our due diligence and look at what we (could find) in the trade market… but at the same time, if you make a trade with a team, you risk the fact of losing another asset, so maybe just accept that you’re going to lose one asset. They can’t take two players. I’ve read the rules a lot of times. They cannot take two players. They can only take one player and maybe as an organization, we lose that player and we move forward. Whatever the position, I feel our depth is very good – whether it’s on defence with some of the kids we have coming in (Thomas) Chabot, in (Ben) Harpur who played in the playoffs. Randy (Lee) and Shean Donovan were really excited about Christian Jaros. I’m a bit more excited about Andreas Englund, so I know on the back end we’ve got some good guys and up front, Colin White played in the playoffs for us and he played a game at the end of the year. We feel comfortable with what we’ve got as far as depth. We’ve got Logan Brown and we’ve got a lot of good assets.”

For whatever reason, maybe it is recency bias or the feelings created by the extended playoff run, but the Senators really like their top-four. I would never run out superlatives describing Erik Karlsson, but it’s impossible to ignore how often the second-pairing was caved in by the opposition. Whether it was during the regular season or in the playoffs, the numbers were abysmal.

I understand the logic that says if the Senators trade one of Ceci, Methot or Phaneuf, it wouldn’t preclude Las Vegas from claiming another one of their defencemen in the expansion draft – thereby creating two holes – but this scenario wouldn’t preclude the Senators from filling these holes either.

Methot could be replaced by a Claesson or a Phaneuf. Phaneuf could be replaced by a Claesson or a Chabot. Ceci could be replaced by a mannequin that has a stick glued to its hands… I mean a free agent. Ceci could be replaced by a free agent and a name like Cody Franson could be cheap and of value to the Senators.

Hell, I could live with a blue line consisting of:

Claesson-Karlsson
Phaneuf-Franson
Chabot-Wideman

Not only would it be cheaper and create some payroll flexibility to address other roster spots, it may even be better than what we experienced last season.

On whether Las Vegas has tipped its hand as far as which player they would like to select…

“No, I’ve talked to George (McPhee). I’m not going to deny the fact that I’ve talked to George a few times in the past few weeks and why would they (tip their hand)? I think if you’re a good poker player, why would you show your cards? When it comes to expansion, you can’t say much. If any of you want to come to Vegas, I’ll be there and we can talk. I think I have to do a media availability on the day before (the expansion draft) and I might have a better idea because our list will be submitted by then, but they have not tipped their hand nor should they.”

But if you show your cards transparently through guys like Pierre LeBrun, it’s cooooool.

On having tough conversations and whether it was a tough decision to ask Dion Phaneuf to waive his no-movement clause…

“No, usually when a general manager phones, the player answers the phone. That’s always been my case, so no. We talked. Dion’s a pro. He’s been around the league for many years. I think when I took this job last year, I said one of the best exit interviews we had last year was with Dion Phaneuf. He’s been around and someone who’s been the captain of the (Maple) Leafs. He’s been through a lot and he’s played only in Canadian markets, so he understands the game. It was a man-to-man conversation and it was a good conversation. It was explained very well to him our request and why we were making this request. It wasn’t the fact that we felt that he was our fourth-best defenceman, it was the fact that we’d like to keep our top-four together and at (his) age and salary, the likelihood of maybe Vegas not taking (him) is a possibility, but who knows? I don’t know, maybe Las Vegas would have taken him, but at the same time, my respect for Dion hasn’t changed. It’s still the same. I still think he’s a big part of this team and the fact that he wants to be here tells me a lot about him.”

I don’t blame Dion Phaneuf for refusing to waive, but how do you think guys like Methot and Ceci feel right now knowing that this decision probably impacts their respective futures in Ottawa?

On possessing the 28th pick in the first round of the NHL Draft and whether he would be willing to move the pick in a trade…

“I haven’t picked 28 too many times in my career, so we’ll see, for sure. I’ve had discussions with other GMs about moving up or moving down. We don’t have a lot of picks, so if we go to 28 and we could get two picks in the second (round) to make a total of three picks that might be something we look at. If we feel that there’s someone who’s still there at… I don’t know, I’m going you the number 20 (overall selection) — and we feel that we maybe have to give up our second (rounder) and we’re getting an asset that we never thought we’d get, then we might look at that. You guys saw what we did last year. We weren’t afraid to give a third round pick up to pick Logan Brown and it could be the same situation this year. But, we don’t have as many picks, so we’ll really have to think it through. I’ve got to say that Trent Mann – in his first year as chief scout – I sat in a bit of the meetings. We were in the playoffs, so it was a bit more difficult (to participate), but he had a chance to come back and we went through the list – especially the top-50 with a lot of attention and detail. I feel really good about what this (amateur scouting) staff has done this year.”

I’ve seen some discussions concerning the possibility that the Senators grab a goaltender with one of their early picks, but these kinds of draft picks carry considerable value.

As Travis Yost articulated in an excellent article in 2016, teams and their scouts have struggled to assess amateur goaltenders efficiently.

“I attribute a good portion of the blame to frequent changes in positional development, poor statistical measurements and generally poor scouting. But again, whatever theory you subscribe to, it doesn’t change reality: We as a hockey community, from general managers to fans, have done an exceedingly poor job at differentiating between skill sets of NHL-bound goalies.”

The Senators’ farm system is generally regarded as being a middle of the pack to a lower-third system, so with the Senators set to graduate some of their best blue chippers to the parent level, the system is going to be that much thinner. They’re not really in a position where they can afford to turn a first rounder into a goalie whose future outlook carries such a high degree volatility. It’s difficult enough to find a good skater at that level, but I just don’t believe it makes sense for the Senators to take on that degree of risk.

On how big of an impact the expansion draft can have on his plans for July 1st…

“It depends. Maybe George (McPhee) and I can work out a trade before then and maybe we don’t lose anyone. Maybe it turns out to be a prospect or a pick… I think July 1st… most of our core is here, so I can’t see us being overly active, but things change so quickly that you don’t want to set anything in stone.”

Come on, Cody Franson.

On whether the Senators can get a good prospect at 28…

“Yes, without a doubt. Going through the draft, I didn’t scout as much as I wanted to. I think with everything going on here and all the trades that we were trying to make. (It’s) probably me watching more NHL than probably any other league this year that at 28, I know we’re going to get a good player.”

Standard speak at this time of year.

On which restricted free agents the Senators will not give qualifying offers to…

“Matt O’Connor, Ryan Rupert, Jyrki Jokipakka and did I forget someone? I don’t think I did.”

No surprises here.

On whether he’s had any discussions with Chris Kelly…

“Yes, we met with Chris Kelly also on Tuesday. We indicated to Chris Kelly that a contract will not be offered leading up to July 1st. We’re not completely turning the page on Chris Kelly. If I can say anything about Chris Kelly, our biggest addition this year was Chris Kelly. As far as changing our culture in the room, leadership, character, accountability, I think Chris brought all those intangibles that we were looking for. We told him that this might only be a one-year thing, but on Chris, we’re not completely turning the page because as we saw, we signed him a bit later in the summer last year and it could be the same situation (this year). Not that I want to send some doubt, but we don’t know how (Derick) Brassard (will recover and return from injury). Brassard’s four to five months (from) when he got operated (on) and having Chris around might not be the worst thing.”

I’m trying to think of something less palatable than Brassard missing time and the Senators keeping Kelly in the fold simply because he’s a known commodity who offers some intangibles. Surely there are going to be better alternatives on the open market and hopefully the Senators find one, **cough, cough** Derek Ryan **cough, cough** who could help.

On how concerned he is about the surgeries to Karlsson and Brassard and how they could affect the team early in the season…

“Well, I texted with Erik and the surgery was successful. It went very well. It was exactly what they expected it to be, so on that front, we’re very hopeful that Erik will be able to play when the season starts. He doesn’t even like exhibition games, so it turns out perfect for him.”

I wish someone followed this up with a question concerning how interrelated these tendon injuries are to the Achilles injury he suffered to the same foot a few years ago.

On whether the organization discussed a role for Chris Neil once his playing days are over…

“I just told Chris that at this point in time, ‘You still want to play and if you play one, two, three or however long he wants to play after that…’ I think as an organization, we should always have the door open for Chris Neil.”

I think having Chris Neil serve in a community ambassador role once his playing days are over would be fantastic.

On whether there have been any contract discussions with the impending unrestricted free agents…

“Condon, Pyatt, Stalberg, Wingels’ agents I’ve all had discussions with in the last few weeks. Everything is progressing probably better than expected, but no one wants to sign right now. I think I have an idea why and I think it has a lot to do with expansion because I told all of them that, ‘None of you will be protected if you were to sign.’ They’re waiting and I’m hoping to continue conversations with all four of them.”

If I had to rank these players on the importance of signing, it’d probably be Condon, Stalberg, Pyatt and Wingels. For me, it’s not truly imperative that the organization bring all or any of these players back into the fold. I certainly wouldn’t overpay any of them in money or term, but I wouldn’t be adverse to seeing any of them come back either – provided that the role and cost is appropriate (ie. keep Pyatt buried on the fourth line and away from the skill guys and Pageau).

On contracts progressing with Jean-Gabriel Pageau…

“With Pageau, Craig (Oster) and I… he’s planning to be in Vegas. The last time Craig and I got to Vegas, we were able to (get contracts done with) Mark Stone and Mika Zibanejad, so I have a lot of faith. Brian Morris won’t like this, but over a craps table, we’ll be able to get a deal done (with Pageau).”

Neither Stone nor Zibanejad received long-term deals, so maybe that forecasts a two or three year pact for Pageau. Dorion has expressed a comfort in signing Pageau to a longer-term deal in the past, but considering how the Senators have used Pageau in a shutdown role and how poorly the Senators have augmented him with offensive skilled wingers or guys who can help drive possession since Erik Condra left, it may be best to sign Pageau to a short-term deal than risk overpaying him over the long haul.

On who is going to play a Chris Neil type role now that he is gone…

“It’s something that we’re going to have look for. Internally, I feel we have a guy like Michael Blunden. Even though he played just a game for us, he played that role in Binghamton. He’s still able to provide some quality minutes down there. I think that’s one of the reasons we looked at him signing (for) two years if things didn’t go well with Chris Neil. If not, we’ll have to look (for external solutions) on July 1st.”

Michael Blunden? Wut.

http://proxy.autopod.ca/download/podcasts/chum/179/54397/pierre dorion scrum.mp3



Continue reading...

Chris Holtmann’s staff officially in place at 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


The new Buckeye head man gets his assistants locked in.

When Chris Holtmann was hired to be the 14th Ohio State basketball coach just under a week ago, one of the biggest questions was what his staff would look like in Columbus. It was generally assumed that he’d be bringing his Butler staff, Ryan Pedon, Mike Scharge, and Terry Johnson with him, as long as they didn’t get the Butler head coaching job. Scharge to Columbus was announced earlier this week, and when the Butler job went to LaVell Jordan, rumors began to swarm about Pedon and Johnson joining Scharge and Holtmann at Ohio State.

Now, it’s official, Chris Holtmann will be joined by Ryan Pedon, Mike Scharge, and Terry Johnson at Ohio State. Pedon, a Columbus native, is especially excited to get a chance to return to his home state.


Holtmann had this to say about the three hires:


Ryan Pedon, from his new Ohio State bio:


Mike Scharge:


Terry Johnson:


There’s still no word if Holtmann will be changing up the strength and conditioning team, though according to Adam Jardy, Alan Major is no longer listed on the team’s website. Information on what Holtmann plans to do with the S&C team will likely be available soon.

Continue reading...

BH: Safety plan changes | Young not alone? - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


BH: Safety plan changes | Young not alone?
247Sports
Why the move? More in '17? Wilson's road to recovery? Start your weeked with a House visit! Bucknuts Staff Report - 120 minutes ago; 0; Tools. Edit; Slot to 247Sports Home; Slot to Ohio State Buckeyes Newsletter; Slot to Ohio State Links ...


Continue reading...

How soon does Ohio State football need to win another championship?
Chad Peltier via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Their recruiting has been on fire. But how long does the 2014 championship glow last?

College football championships have a three to four year afterglow effect on recruiting and brand perception. Assuming a team remains at least in contention for further championships during that post-championship window, the earlier national championship helps fuel more elite recruiting. The memory of the championship is implanted in younger high school players’ heads so that by the time they’re ready to commit, the national champions from two to four years ago are usually in their top group. The impact of national championships on recruiting generally isn’t immediate — there’s a short delay. Based on Ohio State’s recent recruiting efforts, I think Ohio State is still enjoying that afterglow.

But the afterglow doesn’t last forever. Eventually, the shine from the championship dims and the top-3 “elite” program fades into the larger group of 4-10 “very good” programs. Remember, recruits are really young, and have really short memories.

Three teams have won a College Football Playoff — Ohio State, Alabama, and Clemson — and Florida State won the final BCS national championship. These are also the top-4 teams in Brian Fremeau’s weighted 5-year Program FEI ratings (FEI is half of the F/+ rating along with Bill C’s S&P+). We would expect to see at least Ohio State, Alabama, and (maybe to a lesser degree) Florida State at the top of the most recent recruiting rankings. And that’s exactly what we see:


And it’s continuing in the 2018 class, with Ohio State recruiting at even better pace than the 2017 class. Ohio State’s second-ranked class has an average 247 Composite rating of .9523, even with a recent three-star commitment, which is astounding. All but one of the current 13 commits are blue chip and 9 are in the top-90 players. The lone three-star commit, Master Teague, is expected to get a considerable ratings jump, and should be in the blue chip territory soon enough.

Ohio State’s recruiting has raised its floor to the point where the Buckeyes should at least contend for a national championship every year. Alabama’s talent accumulation has gotten to the point where a recruit can reasonably expect to win a championship or two during their time in Tuscaloosa.

So, as maybe the most first-world of all college football problems, when does Ohio State need to win another national championship before the afterglow of the 2014 championship wears off? Is there a chance that Ohio State drops back to the tier-2 of “very good” programs while Urban Meyer is in Columbus?

My point is not that there are any negative signs of that right now — it’s actually the opposite. Ohio State recruiting could hardly be better than it is right now. But with a 31-0 showing against Clemson in the playoff semi-finals following a disappointing non-playoff 2015 season, that national championship afterglow is a teensy bit more faint.

Given Ohio State’s strong record of sending players to the NFL, and their ability to remain in championship contention, any weakening of an “afterglow” could be pretty slow. But nothing lasts forever, after all.

The Buckeyes are currently the second-most likely team to win the championship in 2017 according to Vegas. It’s JT’s final season, and he’s got a new offensive coordinator. The freshman class may be the best Ohio State’s ever had. It’s all setting up for a championship run in 2017 or 2018.

And that’s good timing, because given the Buckeyes’ recent recruiting success and coaching stability, that should almost be expected. If not in the eyes of fans, than perhaps in the eyes of those impressionable football-playing teenagers.

Continue reading...

Ohio State tight end A.J. Alexander reportedly out for the season
Matt Brown via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


A knee injury will sideline Alexander, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

Ohio State’s depth at tight end will be tested this season, as one of their younger players with real experience will miss the entire 2017 season.

According to Tim May at the Columbus Dispatch, A.J. Alexander will miss the year thanks to a knee injury sustained while playing basketball.

Alexander, a redshirt sophomore, has been a pleasant surprise for the Buckeyes. A more under-the-radar three-star recruit on a roster full of blue-chippers, Alexander played in every game last season, standing out with his physicality.

Without him, the Buckeyes will likely turn to redshirt freshman Luke Farrell and Jake Hausmann, two blue-chip recruits from the 2016 class. Marcus Baugh will be the returning starter for the Buckeyes.

Under Kevin Wilson, it’s believed that the Buckeyes will utilize the tight end in the passing game more than they have over the last few seasons, so losing a player with game experience isn’t ideal. The Buckeyes have recruited well at the position and have a potential NFL Draft pick in Baugh, but if he gets hurt as well, things could get dicey.

Here’s hoping Alexander makes a full recovery.

Continue reading...

Two second-year Buckeyes in PFF's top 50 NFL players in 2017 - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Two second-year Buckeyes in PFF's top 50 NFL players in 2017
247Sports
It's been an impressive last couple of years for Ohio State in the NFL Draft. The Buckeyes had 12 players selected in the 2016 draft, including three in the top 10 picks, and seven players in 2017, a down year following a young OSU team. That 2016 ...


Continue reading...

“It was incredible,” Boomer told Land of 10 about his trip to Columbus. “It’s one of those places you don’t go to if you don’t want to work hard. That’s why they win.”

Click to expand...

“Not really, no. They’ve been sending mail for quite some time now,” he said when asked if Ohio State has been in his ear. “Me and my dad just wanted to come out and see The Ohio State University.”

Click to expand...

“I think what is holding many schools back is the fact that I live in Oklahoma,” he said, before joking. “And my last name is Boomer.”

Click to expand...

“[Kevin Wilson] was a great guy,” Boomer said. “He’s a very intense coach, which is what I like. Ohio State makes good players great. I watched their tight ends in the past and I like the way they use them.

“I definitely wanna go back, I just don’t know when. I’m going to Michigan on Thursday and Notre Dame on Friday.”

Click to expand...

Login to view embedded media

Ohio State football and basketball programs dish out scholarships to top prospects
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 entered the race for a number of elite recruits on Thursday.

Ohio State already has a solid group of signal callers on campus and 2018 quarterback Emory Jones verbally committed to suit up for OSU once he graduates from Heard County High School (GA), but that isn’t keeping the staff from searching the recruiting trail for other talented prospects to add to the fold down the line.

Always looking for top talent to bring in, the Buckeyes dished out an offer to one of the top quarterback recruits from the class of 2020 on Thursday afternoon. Locking in an offer from the Big Ten power, Harrison Bailey (Marietta, GA / Marietta) is the latest recruit to add OSU to his growing list of potential landing spots.

Sitting at over 15 offers now, the Buckeyes join programs like Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State and Georgia as some of the schools on the prowl for the 6-foot-4, 215-pounder.


As a freshman at Marietta, Bailey showed the skills you want behind center. Connecting on 208 of his 363 passing attempts, he accounted for over 2,800 yards and 21 touchdowns through the air, while only throwing seven interceptions.

OSU offers Texas defensive back


Bailey wasn’t the only prospect to receive an offer from the Ohio State coaching staff yesterday, as the Buckeyes also handed class of 2019 safety Jalen Catalon (Mansfield, TX / Mansfield Legacy) a chance to head north and line up from Urban Meyer and crew.

Catalon, like Bailey, isn’t new to picking up scholarship offers from big time programs. Currently considered the seventh safety and 139th prospect in the junior class, per 247Sports, Clemson, Oklahoma, Stanford and TCU are just a few of the schools Meyer and the Buckeyes now find themselves up against for the 5-foot-9, 180-pound Mansfield, TX native.

Holtmann sends out scholarships


Newly hired Ohio State basketball coach Chris Holtmann and staff handed out numerous offers. Handing out at least seven known scholarships, below are the recruits the former Butler boss and company reportedly have set their attention to bringing into the program:

4-star PF Darius Days


Class: 2018

Town: Gainesville,FL/The Rock School

Size: 6’7/218

Other offers: Memphis, USC, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Kansas, etc

4-star SG Luther Muhammad


Class: 2018

Town: Jersey City,NJ/Hudson Catholic

Size: 6’4/185

Other offers: Notre Dame, St. John’s, Seton Hall, UConn, UMass, etc

4-star SG Ayo Dosunmu


Class: 2018

Town: Chicago,IL/Morgan Park

Size: 6’4/172

Other offers: Illinois, Kansas, Cincinnati, Creighton, Wake Forest, etc

4-star PG Tre Jones


Class: 2018

Town: Saint Paul,MN/Apple Valley

Size: 6’2/171

Other offers: Duke, Arizona, Minnesota, UCLA, Baylor, etc

4-star SG Eric Hunter


Class: 2018

Town: Indianapolis,IN/Charles A Tindley Accelerated School

Size: 6’3/165

Other offers: Minnesota, Nebraska, Kent State, etc

4-star PG Robert Phinisee


Class: 2018

Town: Lafayette,IN/Mccutcheon

Size: 5’11/160

Other offers: Indiana, Purdue, Virginia

3-star SG Torrence Watson


Class: 2018

Town: Saint Louis,MO/Whitfield School

Size: 6’4/175

Other offers: Creighton, Kansas State, Marquette, Missouri, Vanderbilt, etc


Continue reading...