Saints re-open Ohio State Buckeyes pipeline in 7 round mock draft 4.0 - Canal Street Chronicles
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Saints re-open Ohio State Buckeyes pipeline in 7 round mock draft 4.0
Canal Street Chronicles
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Michael Thomas (3) celebrates with offensive lineman Pat Elflein (65) after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the 2016 Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium ...

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Ohio State football preview: Buckeyes 2017 schedule, roster and three things to watch - Sporting News
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Ohio State football preview: Buckeyes 2017 schedule, roster and three things to watch
Sporting News
Urban Meyer enters his sixth year at Ohio State after compiling a 61-6 record the past five seasons, and the coach has the Buckeyes in familiar territory heading into 2017. Ohio State will be among the favorites to win the Big Ten East Division and ...
Ohio State Recruiting Notebook: The latest in Buckeyes recruiting ...Landof10.com
OL interested in following in brother's footsteps to Ohio State247Sports
8 Ohio State Buckeyes invited to 2017 NFL Combinecleveland.com
Eleven Warriors -Land-Grant Holy Land -Scarlet and Game
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Big Ten: Buckeyes NIT Bound? Wildcats Close To NCAA ... - FOXSports.com
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Big Ten: Buckeyes NIT Bound? Wildcats Close To NCAA ...
FOXSports.com
Have things turned around in the Big Ten this year or what? For years Ohio State usually was pretty much assured of making the NCAA Tournament at this point ...
Ohio State looking NIT bound, Buckeyes will be well represented at NFL combine and moreLandof10.com
Ohio State basketball clinging to NCAA Tournament hopes while looking NIT-bound againcleveland.com
Ohio State a 3 seed in latest NIT bracket projections - Land-Grant ...Land-Grant Holy Land

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Myers already making inroads as freshman at Ohio State - 247Sports
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Myers already making inroads as freshman at Ohio State
247Sports
According to Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, early enrolling freshman offensive lineman Josh Myers is already making an impact in the program. The Buckeyes signed two of the nation's top offensive line prospects in California's Wyatt Davis (ranked 24th ...


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Bump for the immortal "Hammer."

Buckeye target commits to Notre Dame - 247Sports
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Buckeye target commits to Notre Dame
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! The 6-foot-1 and 185-pound Allen is a 4-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite. He is the country's No. 52 overall 2018 ...

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Must-win and trap games of 2017: Ohio State Buckeyes - ESPN (blog)
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Must-win and trap games of 2017: Ohio State Buckeyes
ESPN (blog)
The 2017 season is still several months away. But we never stop looking forward here at the Big Ten blog. It might be ridiculously early, but we're examining what will be the must-win game and the potential trap game for each league team this fall. Up ...
Loss to Maryland may have burst Ohio State's bubble, Buckeyes dominating spring sports and moreLandof10.com
Buckeyes siblings are improving, both returned to team247Sports
Shorthanded Buckeyes show some heart in road loss at MarylandABC6OnYourSide.com
Waiting For Next Year -Scout -The News Center
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Ohio State looking NIT bound, Buckeyes will be well represented at NFL combine and more - Landof10.com
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Ohio State looking NIT bound, Buckeyes will be well represented at NFL combine and more
Landof10.com
ESPN released its initial preseason Football Power Index (FPI) rankings Monday, and Ohio State fans are going to be happy with the results. The Buckeyes were No. 1 in the FPI rankings, and the analytic system rated both Ohio State's offense and defense ...
Big Ten: Buckeyes NIT Bound? Wildcats Close To NCAA ...Scarlet and Game
Ohio State basketball clinging to NCAA Tournament hopes while looking NIT-bound againcleveland.com
Ohio State a 3 seed in latest NIT bracket projections - Land-Grant ...Land-Grant Holy Land

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How to watch Ohio State vs. Michigan State: Preview, game time, live streaming online
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes hope to sweep the Spartans in East Lansing.

After a disappointing and potentially bubble-bursting 86-77 loss to No. 21 Maryland in College Park, the Ohio State Buckeyes head to East Lansing to take on Michigan State in their second matchup against the Spartans this season.

Ohio State won the first game against Sparty 72-67 in January, giving the Buckeyes their first Big Ten win of the season after starting out conference play 0-4. Sophomore point guard JaQuan Lyle led the Buckeyes with 22 points on the night as all five of Ohio State’s starters scored in double figures.

After the game, Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo was so impressed with Ohio State’s play that he expounded a passionate defense of Thad Matta to questioning Ohio State fans. “If they’re complaining here, they should really be complaining in East Lansing,” he said.

Now, Ohio State hopes to turn their up-and-down season upwards once more following a close loss to Maryland. The matchup was made more complex when both Lyle and Keita Bates-Diop missed the trip to Maryland due to family emergencies (both Lyle’s sister, who experienced complications following childbirth, and Bates-Diop’s brother, who experienced a heart attack while at high school basketball practice, are doing much better).

Senior forward Marc Loving led the Buckeyes with 24 points on the night against Maryland, and while Loving, junior center Trevor Thompson and junior forward Jae’Sean Tate all contributed significantly, it was not enough to overcome the Terps, especially being down Lyle’s presence. The lack of depth was apparent, as Maryland’s bench outscored Ohio State’s by a 33-0 margin. Combined with severe foul trouble, it was difficult for the Buckeyes to remain aggressive throughout the entirety of the game.

C.J. Jackson has started at point guard the last three games, averaging 9.3 points in wins over Michigan and Rutgers and the loss to Maryland. While he hasn’t scored on Lyle’s level (Lyle averages 11.4 points per game), what the Buckeyes truly miss with Lyle’s absence is his ability to assist. Jackson has averaged just two assists per game to Lyle’s five.

The Spartans, meanwhile, are now coming off an 11-point win over Iowa in East Lansing. Carried by their defense, Michigan State is 15-10 overall and sitting at fifth place in the Big Ten as Tom Izzo aims to avoid a series sweep from the Buckeyes for the season.

After a tough loss without key personnel on the court, the Buckeyes will need to refocus their efforts against an equally inconsistent Michigan State squad in a tough environment in East Lansing.

Numbers to know

1.2


While Ohio State certainly has had some serious turnover issues over the course of the season, averaging 13 per game, Michigan State is 302nd in the NCAA with 14.8 turnovers committed per outing and a turnover margin of -3.2. What is remarkable, however, is the fact that Michigan State’s assist-to-turnover ratio, as a team, sits at 1.2 on the season, with the Spartans averaging 17.5 assists per game. In fact, junior guard Lourawls Nairn Jr. personally has a 3.1 assist-to-turnover ratio, which is good for second in the Big Ten (Lyle’s assist-to-turnover ratio currently sits at 1.9).

38.6%


Michigan State boasts the second-best three-point field goal percentage in the Big Ten, hitting nearly 39 percent from behind the arc. Leading in that effort is freshman guard Joshua Langford, who is hitting nearly 47 percent from three-point range. Freshman guard Miles Bridges has also made an impact in the category, hitting 40 percent of his attempts. The Buckeyes are mediocre on three-point defense, allowing 34.5 percent of shots from behind the arc while hitting just over 34 percent themselves on offense. Ohio State will need to defend strong outside shooters and keep Michigan State from spreading the floor in order to keep the three-point shot at bay.

40.3%


Michigan State is one of the best teams in the country in field goal defense, allowing just over 40 percent from the field (31st nationally). Ohio State is no slouch either, allowing 40.9 percent. Still, Michigan State’s extremely physical defense has helped the Spartans to overcome other mental errors on the court, including their significant turnover issues. Especially most recently in the second half against Iowa, Michigan State held Peter Jok, the Big Ten’s leading scorer, to just 2-for-11 from the field and 13 points on the night. Ohio State will need to be aware of Michigan State’s physical brand of defense in order to control the ball and avoid turnovers on offense.

Cast of characters

Ohio State

Trevor Thompson


Maryland did their best to contain the seven-foot center, but that also meant swarming up to three players on him at any given point. Thompson (as well as center Micah Potter) fouled out with more than five minutes remaining in the second half even as the Buckeyes were pulling back against the Terps, and there is no doubt that his presence was missed in those final few minutes. In his last outing against Michigan State, Thompson scored 10 points, pulled down eight rebounds and two blocks, but also recorded four personal fouls. Given Thompson’s physicality--and the way that Maryland used it against him--the Buckeyes will need to spread the ball and the Michigan State defense in order to keep Thompson effective throughout the game.

Jae’Sean Tate


The junior forward became the 54th Buckeye to score 1000 career points Saturday in his 20-point effort against Maryland. Most of Tate’s scoring came in the second half, as he was just 2-for-8 in the first. He will need to provide a more consistent, 40-minute effort along with Thompson and Loving against the Spartans--a team which allows under 69 points per game. Tate tied Loving with 12 points against Michigan State earlier this season. Tate leads the Buckeyes in scoring on the season, averaging 14.3 points per game while shooting nearly 55 percent from the field to go along with 6.1 rebounds.

Michigan State

Miles Bridges


The freshman guard scored 24 points against Ohio State in January (the only Michigan State player to hit double figures in the matchup) and leads the team with 16.2 points per game on the season. In the Spartans’ most recent matchup against Iowa, Bridges scored a team-high 16 points, with 14 coming in the first half, and was one of four freshman to score in double figures against the Hawkeyes. He also recorded 11 rebounds and four blocks in the effort--a testament to his skill on both ends of the court. Bridges is one of the best individual players the Buckeyes have faced this season, and is projected as a top-15 NBA Draft pick. Ohio State will need to contain Bridges (and the other freshmen coming off the bench) in their matchup.

Nick Ward


The 6-foot-8, 250-pound forward is the de facto big man on a roster which, despite its tall lineup, features no true center. The freshman is second on the team in scoring with 13.1 points per game, though he recorded only nine points against Ohio State in their previous meeting. However, Ward’s most recent performance, a 14-point effort against Iowa, came off the bench in an effort by Izzo to make his freshman forward focus more on the game at hand: “I think it’s different because we’re aware of Nick going MIA, and I think Nick’s still becoming more consistent,” Izzo said. “He’s still a work in progress.” Whether Ward starts or comes off the bench, he has had a hot hand as of late, and the Buckeyes will need to contain the big man as effectively as they did the last time the two teams squared off.

How to watch


Game time: 9 p.m. ET

Radio: 97.1 WBNS-FM

TV: ESPN

Streaming: WatchESPN

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5-star safety reaffirms Ohio State commitment
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


A Buckeye commit shuts down his recruitment.

Just a week ago, Ohio State landed its third member of the 2018 recruiting class. Five-star safety Jaiden Woodbey (Upland, CA / St. John Bosco) committed to the Buckeyes shortly after visiting the University for its junior day event.

Woodbey, who fielded offers from 20 schools including USC, Washington, Alabama, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Florida State and many more, chose the Buckeyes with nearly a year left in his recruitment. Because of the large amount of time before National Signing Day, many believed his commitment might not be 100 percent.

While rumors began to arise that USC could flip the elite DB, Woodbey never publicly questioned his commitment to the Buckeyes. Yesterday, he put those rumors to rest himself when he put the following on Twitter.


Not only did Woodbey solidify his commitment, he shut down his recruitment all together.

His message comes as a relief to Buckeye Nation, as the blue-chip prospect is a crucial member of the Buckeyes’ next recruiting class. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder is currently seen as the No. 26 overall prospect in the class, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, and is the fourth best target from California, a state that produces some of the best talents year after year.

Woodbey joins five-star quarterback Emory Jones and four-star running back Brian Snead as the third member of Ohio State’s 2018 class. He will also join his high school teammate Wyatt Davis, an important member of this year’s class for Ohio State.

Ohio State offers elite Florida State DT commit


Urban Meyer has become notorious for flipping recruits and it seems he is looking to continue that trend into next year’s recruiting class.

Since verbally committing to Florida State in June 2016, four-star defensive tackle Robert Cooper (Snellville, GA / South Gwinnett) still has an active recruitment. While he has stated he is still committed to the Seminoles, he has still been fielding offers from top programs and visited Alabama in January for its junior day event. Yesterday, Ohio State joined in on the fun.


Ohio State has missed out on multiple blue-chip DTs in the last couple years. Most recently were five-star Marvin Wilson and four-star Jay Tufele, who committed to Florida State and USC, respectively, instead of the Buckeyes.

Because of this, the position will continue to be a need in next year’s class and the Buckeyes would love to add Cooper, who is the No. 83 overall prospect and the eighth best DT in the land.

While Florida State remains the favorite to land Cooper on National Signing Day 2018, Meyer and the Buckeyes cannot be counted out. Look for the program to try and get him on campus sometime in the next year.

Quick Hit

• One of the country’s best wide receiver prospects in next year’s recruiting class released a highlight video of his visit to Ohio State for junior day. CJ Moore (Tulsa, OK / Union) is one of the top 100 recruits in 2018 and is the 15th best WR. While Oklahoma is seen as the current favorite, it looks like Moore certainly enjoyed his time on campus.

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Georgia star has Buckeye offer, Ohio background - 247Sports
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Georgia star has Buckeye offer, Ohio background
247Sports
Georgia star has Buckeye offer, Ohio background. One of the top prospects in Georgia has a scholarship offer from the Buckeyes, an Ohio background, and a very definite interest in Ohio State. Bill Kurelic - 4 hours ago; VIP; 3; Tools. Edit · Slot to ...


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How to watch tonight's Michigan State Spartans-Ohio State Buckeyes game - Detroit Free Press
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How to watch tonight's Michigan State Spartans-Ohio State Buckeyes game
Detroit Free Press
And with games against Purdue, Wisconsin and Maryland to come, one might consider hosting the middle-of-the-Big-Ten Buckeyes a must-win. But it was Ohio State drawing first blood this season, beating MSU, 72-67, on Jan. 15. And the state of desperation ...
PREVIEW: Spartans seek redemption as Buckeyes roll into townThe State News

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PREVIEW: Spartans seek redemption as Buckeyes roll into town - The State News
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PREVIEW: Spartans seek redemption as Buckeyes roll into town
The State News
With just three home games remaining in the regular season and the NCAA Tournament quickly approaching, MSU will host the Ohio State University Buckeyes on Tuesday for a rematch of the Jan. 15 matchup where the Buckeyes used 10 3-point field goals ...
Michigan State vs. Ohio State - 2/14/17 College Basketball Pick, Odds, and PredictionSports Chat Place (blog)

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Eight Buckeyes invited to the NFL Combine - 247Sports
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Eight Buckeyes invited to the NFL Combine
247Sports
Last year, the NFL might as well have had its annual draft combine in Columbus with the number (14) of Buckeyes present. This year, it's not quite the same Ohio State takeover, but the Scarlet and Gray did have eight players invited to participate. The ...
Ohio State recruiting notebook: The latest in Buckeyes recruiting newsLandof10.com
Ohio State dishes out scholarship offers to 2018 standoutsLand-Grant Holy Land

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Pierre Dorion Speaks: Colorado Trade, Pyatt/Condon Extensions, Lazar’s Struggles
T6S via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



Thanks to the Montreal Canadiens recent stretch of ineptness that puts their hold on first in the Atlantic Division in a precarious position, Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion joined Steve Lloyd and Todd White on TSN 1200’s ‘In the Box’ to talk about his team and the advantageous situation that they’re in.

I didn’t transcribe all of the interview, so if you want to give it a listen, you can do so by scrolling down to the embedded audio player at the bottom of this post.

As always, my thoughts are in bold.

On whether his peers still perceive him as an inexperienced hand who can be taken advantage of in trade talks…

“I think they try and do everyone favours all the time. A lot of these guys have been my counterparts. You know Jarmo Kekalainen and I scouted for many years. Tim (Murray) and I scouted for many years. Stan Bowman was an assistant GM and scouted for many years. I’ve gotten to know John Chayka quite a bit over this year. I know Peter (Chiarelli) from Ottawa. Jim Benning was a scout and a lot of us came along the same path. (Brent Flahr and Chuck Fletcher in Minnesota as well), exactly. The list goes on, so that’s not an issue at all. They phone you and they try and get the best out of you.”

Who cares about how much experience one has when you can target and victimize bad GMs.

If your regular day does not involve calling Peter Chiarelli to offer him bum deals in the hopes that he’ll accept one, you’re not doing your job properly.

On whether the way the season has gone has changed his philosophy heading into March 1st…

“No, not at all. I think we’re always going to look to improve our team. For us, our first goal is to try and make the playoffs. We’re happy with where we stand right now, but we’ve still got 29 games left and we can’t take our foot off the pedal. I think getting (Craig Anderson) back, will definitely be, we saw it the other day, it was big boost to our team. However Guy (Boucher) decides to use his goaltenders for the rest of the year, we’ll leave it up to him, but I feel that we’re in a good position now.”

As I mentioned in the introduction to this post, the Senators are in a great spot. They are six points back of the first-place Canadiens with five games in hand. Although a recent lull congested the Atlantic Division standings and allowed a few teams behind them to close distance, the Senators have an excellent opportunity now that Craig Anderson is back to give themselves a bit of a point cushion.

Whether or not it’s advantageous to finish at the top of the Division for matchup purposes is open to debate. The Senators may be playing more conscientiously, but it’s not translating well in the underlying numbers and their offence has taken a bit of a hit. Rivals like the Bruins are the opposite. Despite some strong underlying numbers, they haven’t enjoyed as much success, but maybe they’re due for some better luck.

The Leafs and Canadiens feel like coin flips, but if the Habs fire Michel Therrien, I’d take them a little bit more seriously, but it would be devastating to win the Atlantic Division and face a more talented wild card team from the Metropolitan who stumbles down the stretch. Although the Rangers and Blue Jackets don’t really invoke that much fear, I’d really hate to line up against the defending Stanley Cup champions in a seven game set.

The NHL trade deadline can change things, but here’s my list of preferred opponent in the first round from most desirable to least:

1. Toronto Maple Leafs – From a pure entertainment and rivalry perspective, this series would be fantastic. Sure, the inferiority complex towards everything Toronto can be a little much, but hey, fuck the blue and white! I’d love to see the Senators knock them off in the first round, humble Mike Babcock, make players like Marner and Matthews wait a little longer to experience postseason success and give the fans in Maple Leafs Square something new to mourn besides a blown 4-1 lead.
   • Columbus Blue Jackets – I love Cam Atkinson, but this team lacks high-end talent up front and Bobrovsky’s hips/groin can come unhinged faster than his team’s coach, John Tortorella. Besides, a great sub-plot to the series would be counting the number of times Mark Stone strips Jack Johnson of the puck.
   • Montreal Canadiens – This series gets extra marks for the rivalry angle, but the Habs do have some strong underlying numbers. They have become unraveled of late, so the possibility of Marc Bergevin shitcanning Therrien could be real. If he stays, it could really bode well for the Senators. Fortunately, it seems like the Habs are content to continue their longstanding tradition of relying heavily on Carey Price to carry their relatively average team.
   • New York Rangers – Going up against the handsome Henrik Lundqvist is never really fun, but the Rangers could be a good matchup for the Senators. Sure, the Rangers have some speed and size up front, but their blue line is a mess and they get by riding the percentages. Not only are the Rangers in the conversation with teams like the Coyotes, Avalanche, Devils and Sabres as having some of the worst underlying numbers in the league, they are the one team that the Senators have better possession numbers than. On paper, their record may portray the Rangers as heavy favourites, but they could be ripe for the picking.
   • Boston Bruins – This is probably the most boring series on paper. Sure, Brad Marchand is a twat, but what else is there to get worked up about here? The Bruins have some excellent underlying numbers, but weren’t lucky enough to get the saves and goals to save Claude Julien’s job. Bruce Cassidy’s short-term success probably won’t carry over for the long-haul after Julien’s firing, but it’s hard to get excited about this matchup against an aging Bruins squad.
   • Pittsburgh Penguins – Would you want to face Sidney Crosby and the defending Stanley Cup champions? To borrow a phrase from Daniel Alfredsson, ‘Probably not.’ Ottawa hasn’t won a series against the Penguins since 2007 and they have been outclassed in each of their three playoff matchups since.

On how quickly the Mike Condon trade came together…

“Very quickly. It’s funny. I got asked a question the other day, ‘How many calls does it take to make a trade?’ And just for example, with Tommy Wingels, it felt like it took like a hundred calls to make the trade. On Mike Condon, Jimmy (Rutherford) was probably one of the guys that I talked to the least at that point in time. I think Jimmy and I had two conversations. I saw him at the Board of Governors (meeting) and I congratulated him on (winning) the Cup and he congratulated me (on being named as the Senators’ new general manager). He was the last GM that I talked to at that point in time and I remember because I said, ‘I’ve talked to everyone, but Jim Rutherford and I had sent him a note.’ And then it took two calls or two or three calls, if I’m not mistaken, and the deal was done. I phoned and he phoned back. The day before, I asked, ‘Jim can I just hold off with everything going on?’ I wanted to talk to Craig (Anderson) that we were going to bring someone else in. Maybe it’s my sensitive side, but I felt it was the thing to do. I talked to Craig, phoned Jim back the next day and got the deal done. As I mentioned, with Wingels, it felt like it was one-hundred and fifty calls even. And it was a fairly simple deal, but it depends on the GM you deal with and sometimes they always want to get a bit more, a bit more and a bit more. Other times it’s just the right thing to do and sometimes, I want to get a bit more. At a certain point in time, you’ve just got to say, ‘Okay, the deal’s done.’”

Dorion’s got to be in a class of his own. I doubt Tommy Wingels’ family has called on him 150 times in the past year. I guess this is why San Jose general manager Doug Wilson has a reputation for moving slowly when it comes to trade talks.

On the Senators’ doing due diligence on the Colorado Avalanche’s players as they prepare to sell ahead of the March 1st deadline…

“Yeah, I’ve talked to Joe as I have talked to a lot of my other counterparts that maybe some names aren’t out there. I think it’s the right thing to do to kick tires, find out what’s available and not available from their team. I don’t think the reports are always accurate, so sometimes it’s better to hear from the horse’s mouth. Joe and I talked, but at this point in time, I can’t see us going in that direction. It wouldn’t make sense. We want to do something to try improve the team and making deals is very difficult to do. I think after July 1st, we’re second after Florida as far as number of deals (made). But, I can’t see us mortgaging everything in the future and some stuff in the present to get one or two or whatever players are out there. I think we have to be realistic that we want to improve, but to give up three, four or five assets would be something that would be very difficult to do.”

I don’t blame Dorion for balking at the asking price that Sakic is reportedly asking for. I don’t mind the Senators looking to use assets like Cody Ceci, Curtis Lazar or even a Logan Brown to improve their roster, but if Sakic insists on the inclusion of Thomas Chabot and or Colin White in any trade for Matt Duchene or Gabriel Landeskog, the conversation should end there.

I’ve already outlined my concerns for a prospective Duchene trade here, so I won’t rehash the reasons here. Give it a read instead.

On whether the team would like to add a forward or defenceman near the deadline…

“I think we would (like to add) both. We know we have three NHL-calibre goalies and one we assigned to Binghamton yesterday. I think it’s just, knock on wood, (we want to) try to avoid injuries and at the same time, if we can improve our depth or improve any position, it will be something that we look at. But, there’s nothing really specific at this point in time. We’ve been very fortunate so far on defence. We haven’t had that many injuries, but we all know that you need a certain number of defenceman. (Injuries) could happen against tomorrow against Buffalo where one or two guys go down and then you’re a bit shorthanded. Some of the play of our defence in Binghamton, some guys have been really impressive. I had the chance to watch, I mean, I watched it on my iPad and some of the guys have been really impressive in the last few games where I’m saying, ‘Wow, these guys are way closer than we thought they’d be.’”

Quality depth is always a good thing and judging by the Guy Boucher’s lineup decisions and the staff electing to dress seven defenceman instead of one of Chris Neil or Curtis Lazar, it seems like the coaching staff has finally recognized how much of a drag those two are to their linemates.

I’m not the biggest Mark Borowiecki fan, but (I’ll hold a door for him) and he’s actually had a decent year playing alongside Chris Wideman. It probably speaks to the strength of Wideman’s season more than anything, but credit where credit is due: they haven’t been awful. Obviously I’d still love to see the organization punt their second pairing and find an upgrade on Boro, but I’ll probably have to settle for the Senators finding player who can improve their fourth line and keep Fredrik Claesson on the bench.

On returning Andrew Hammond and whether management has talked to Kurt Kleinendorst about how they want to rotate Hammond in with prospects like Matt O’Connor and Chris Driedger…

“I let Randy (Lee) talk to Kurt about it. I think we don’t want Andrew, for now, playing back-to-back games. But, if he feels good in a week’s time or two weeks’ time to play back-to-back games, we’ll go ahead with it. No, just play the best guy. We know that Andrew is pretty good down there and he’ll get some game time. When it comes to the other two guys, well, both of you guys have had the chance to take the bull by the horns and be the number one guy. And no one has really done it for long sequences, so it’s a business. If you want to play, make sure you win and that hasn’t been the case all year.”

Binghamton’s been so excruciatingly horrendous as a team, it’s got to be hard to distinguish how bad Driedger and O’Connor have been. Both pseudo-prospects are impending RFAs, so there’s no guarantee that the organization will offer one or both players qualifying offers, so maybe this is just Pierre Dorion putting both players on notice and giving them a proverbial boot in the ass to get their games going.

It’s going to be a difficult juggling act for Kleinendorst. On one hand, the Senators desperately want to offload Hammond. On the other, they need to assess what they have before cutting ties permanently with their young goalies. I’m guessing the Senators care more about unloading Hammond’s salary more than anything and that will be what wins out.

On Colin White’s development this year…

“He’s been good. He’s been very, very good. He’s someone we’re really excited about. He’s someone that we know is going to be a part of this organization for a long time. He’s someone that we know has a good chance to (play) – whether he plays for us next year in October or whether it’s in December – we know he’s someone that’s going to be a long-term NHL player. When you have players of that calibre that have the skill, the drive, the character and the speed, they’re pretty special and you know that they’re only going to make you better and help you win down the road.”

I’d wager on White being an internal upgrade for the team’s third or fourth line down the stretch this season.

On what Curtis Lazar has to do to get the trust of the coaching staff and get back on the right developmental track…

“I think with Curtis, it’s just… sometimes when you’re playing golf and you’ve missed every four-footer for the last seven holes and you put one in and make everyone after, I think once he gets his first one, I think the weight will be lifted off his shoulders. Curtis cares a lot. I think he’s someone that is putting a bit too much pressure on himself, but I still have a lot of faith in what Curtis can do. Maybe Curtis won’t be a first line (laughs) player like we thought he might have been when we drafted him, but I still think at the end of the day that Curtis was a big part of us when we made that playoff run – when he played with (Jean-Gabriel) Pageau and (Erik) Condra. I still think he can definitely help us when he’ll be in the lineup.”

Curtis was successful on that third line in 2015 because Condra and Pageau were the ones driving its success. Without linemates who could successfully regain the puck in the defensive zone and efficiently transition it through the neutral zone, Lazar has been lost. Playing him with non-skilled guys hasn’t helped, but he’s fallen into the trap of playing too conservatively to mitigate his mistakes. He’s too predictable and blasé with his puckhandling and shot selection and now we’re left hoping that some general manager overpays to acquire Lazar’s intangibles and pedigree.

On how much contact he has had with agents regarding their impending restricted and unrestricted free agents…

“Well, we had a big one in Zack Smith. For us, we felt that this was someone that we needed to sign. We felt we got a good contract done. Zack was happy and we are happy to have him with us for the next four years. It’s been widely talked about that we have sat down and talked to Mike Condon’s agent. We’ve had discussions with Tom Pyatt’s agent. (Jean-Gabriel) Pageau we’ve talked to. A lot of times with those guys, I like to see where they finish at the end of the year or where they’ve put us as far as a playoff push and where their current contribution has come from. So with those guys, we’ve always had pretty much the team philosophy of wait until the end of year and see where we’re at so we can compare apples with apples. ‘This is what he did for the whole year’ compared with ‘this is what he did for 60 games’.”

I think it’s really dumb for management types to overemphasize or romanticize how a player performs in a “stretch drive” using arbitrary start and end points, especially when it’s at the expense of the larger sample size and the games that preceded it.

All that being said, Condon and Pyatt are two players I wouldn’t overexert myself trying to extend. They’re two relatively cost-efficient players who’ve been decent for the team this season, but they’re not the kind of players who are difficult to replace. Granted, I don’t know what kind of term or dollars either player would be looking for, so if they’re cheap, the familiarity factor will definitely play in their favour. The Senators do have a tendency to reward their own and as a result, the team doesn’t have a lengthy track record of walking away from impending UFAs who had some utility. In other words, it’s often easier for the organization to decide to bring them back than go into the market and look for cheap upgrades.

The problem that the Senators may have moving forward is the number of expiring contracts. They can’t continue to keep the same roster, give everyone raises and expect the team to improve. As the cost-efficient contracts to its best players come off the books, it can ill afford to overpay on superfluous talents like Condon or Pyatt. They’re the easy and cheap to replace.

On prospective extensions for Condon and Pyatt…

“We’re not going to move either one of them before the end of the year. It’s not big secret. We tease our coach that Pyatt is his favourite player of all time. At a certain point in time, we always think about the organization. If a player is happy here and if we can make a deal that can make it work, it’s the same thing with Mike Condon. Is he happy here? He seems very happy here. Both guys… when it came to Pyatt, our European scouts knew about him and they said he had been playing well there. Guy (Boucher) knew him. When it came to the case of Mike Condon, our pro scouts knew him. Our management knew him. We saw him a lot play with Montreal. Pierre Groulx felt good about him, so I think in both cases, I think both players are very happy to be in the NHL – even though Mike was there before – but (play) in situations where they’ve been allowed to thrive. Hopefully they can stay with us, but if we can’t get deals done, it’s not the end of the world. There are a lot of players out there.”

Bang fucking on with those last two sentences, Pierre. There will be a lot of players out there and every year, useful depth players enter September without contracts. The Senators shouldn’t feel any pressure to give term and more money to either of these players.

On whether the league has gone over and detailed every possibility with GMs leading up to the expansion draft…

“Oh, they’re pretty good. I’ve got to give the league a lot of credit. What we can do from my meeting (with the league) is that deals can be done, but no funny stuff. Let’s put everything transparent, legitimate and they’ll be okay with it. Make it pass the smell test and you know what, I think that’s the right thing to do. I think in previous expansions, there was a lot of stuff that maybe didn’t pass the smell test. For everyone that knows how we operate in Ottawa, we’re going to do things by the book. I’ve seen George (McPhee) scout out there, but I’ve never talked to him about deals or stuff like that. But, once March 1st comes along, I’ll reach out. ‘What are you looking to do? Can we help you, if you can help me?’ And stuff like that.”

Dear George McPhee,

If we trade you Cody Ceci for nothing, will you take Bobby Ryan off our hands in the expansion draft?

Sincerely,

PR Dorion

On what the current crop of impending NCAA free agents looks like…

“Yeah, there’s… we’re after one forward and one defenceman. We just want the best guys. It’s an okay year and when I was in Boston, I got a chance to see a few of them. After the trade deadline, I’ll probably get a chance to see a few more just to make sure, but right now we’re… one forward and one defenceman that we’re higher on than the rest of them. It’s tough. Sometimes, a lot of these kids are American kids and they don’t want to come to Canada. Some want to come for the opportunity and some want to play in Canadian markets. So we’ll see how it goes. We’re in on a few guys, so we’ll see how it goes. At the end of the day, if we get two points against Buffalo, I’ll be happy.”

The Senators have 44 NHL contracts on the books and that will probably go up to 45 after Colin White signs his ELC. They have the room to add here and with the lack of quality prospects in Binghamton, they certainly could use an infusion of talent in their minor league system.

http://proxy.autopod.ca/podcasts/chum/179/50651/itb 4-1.mp3



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Another California star is interested in Ohio State, Buckeyes getting to know Pennsylvania offensive lineman - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Another California star is interested in Ohio State, Buckeyes getting to know Pennsylvania offensive lineman
Landof10.com
That school, as you recall, is the home of 2017 5-star Buckeyes signee Wyatt Davis and 2018 4-star defensive back commitment Jaiden Woodbey. So who is Demetrious Flowers? He's the country's 15th-ranked running back, according to the 247Sports.com ...
8 Ohio State Buckeyes invited to 2017 NFL Combinecleveland.com
Buckeyes siblings are improving, both returned to team247Sports
Eight Buckeyes to the NFL Scouting CombineBuckeyeGrove.com (subscription)
ABC6OnYourSide.com -Waiting For Next Year -Scout
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Buckeyes offer huge Florida State 1-technique commitment - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes offer huge Florida State 1-technique commitment
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! Cooper has been committed to the Seminoles since June 16, 2016. The 6-foot-1 and 350-pound Cooper is a 4-star prospect in ...


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Big Ten: Buckeyes NIT Bound? Wildcats Close To NCAA Tournament Bid - Scarlet and Game
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Big Ten: Buckeyes NIT Bound? Wildcats Close To NCAA Tournament Bid
Scarlet and Game
Have things turned around in the Big Ten this year or what? For years Ohio State usually was pretty much assured of making the NCAA Tournament at this point of the season. Northwestern was playing for an NIT bid instead. This season it's the other way ...
Ohio State a 3 seed in latest NIT bracket projectionsLand-Grant Holy Land

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Buckeyes siblings are improving, both returned to team - 247Sports
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Buckeyes siblings are improving, both returned to team
247Sports
Keita's back. I haven't seen him yet today." With all that has gone on with these two, on top of normal basketball activities, it's been rather hectic around the Buckeyes' practice gym. So much so that Matta wasn't even sure if Lyle would be back with ...


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Cardale Jones might be the Bills’ best quarterback option next season
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


With few veteran or rookie options available, the Bills may turn to Jones to fill the quarterback void.

“Jones, last year’s fourth-round pick from Ohio State, has plenty of talent, but only time will tell whether he has acquired much-needed maturity to understand the amount of time and effort it takes to prepare to play his best.”

-Vic Carucci, The Buffalo News


While it is apparent that Tyrod Taylor is not the quarterback of the future for the Buffalo Bills, what is less obvious is who will replace the two-year starter. The ball is in the Bill’s court to pick up Taylor’s contract extension, worth $30.75 million in guaranteed money, and with thin options on the bench in Buffalo, the best move might just be to accept Taylor as the starter for the time being.

The Bills have the 10th-overall pick in the NFL Draft this year, but there are not many first-round worthy quarterback prospects available, especially at such a high position, and the Bills have a lot of other needs at alternative positions that could be met with their premium picks.

Early feedback on North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky indicates that he will need significant improvement to his throwing mechanics before he can be a viable NFL quarterback, and while the Bills would have the option to trade up for him, it would be looked upon as a poor move for an unproven talent. Similarly, Deshaun Watson of Clemson has shown considerable skill in the college football arena, but many view his talents as being more suited to the college game.

Without a logical choice in the draft, a trade seems probable, but the most promising veteran option--Jimmy Garoppolo--would likely cost the Bills an exorbitant sum when trading with a division rival in the Patriots. Other options, including Tampa Bay’s Mike Glennon, Dallas’s Tony Romo and Chicago’s Jay Cutler are all far less likely veteran options that would not benefit Buffalo in the long run.

However, the answer may already be on the Bills’ roster. General Manager Doug Whaley has been supportive of former Buckeye Cardale Jones, whose only playing time in his rookie season came in the Bills’ final regular season matchup against the Jets (he went 6-for-11 for 96 yards and one interception). Given the dearth of draft and available veteran talent on the market, Jones might find himself in the de facto quarterback position for the Bills come next season.

“They have a lot of pride, great tradition and eight national titles, so anytime you can beat a team like that, it’s a great day.”

-Ohio State director of tennis Ty Tucker, via The Ohio State University


Third-ranked Ohio State men’s tennis swept No. 10 Georgia yesterday 4-0 in their seventh sweep of the year. The Buckeyes now sit at a perfect 9-0 to start the season. Ohio State defeated the Bulldogs 3-0 in singles behind wins from senior Herkko Pollanen (6-2, 6-4), junior Mikael Torpegaard (6-4, 6-4) and freshman Kyle Seelig (6-2, 7-5). Earlier in the day, Ohio State had earned the hard-fought doubles point in three matches. Junior Hugo Di Feo and sophomore Martin Joyce won the first match 6-2 before junior Matt Mendez and sophomore Hunter Tubert were defeated by the same score--the Buckeyes’ first doubles loss of the season. Then, in the final doubles match, Torpegaard and Pollanen earned a break to win the doubles match 6-4 and earn the doubles point for the Buckeyes.

Thus far, all of Ohio State’s matches have been played at home, but the Buckeyes travel to their first away match Wednesday against Penn State in State College. They then have a quick turnaround before heading to the ITA Indoor Championships in Charlottesville.

The women’s team, meanwhile, just experienced its first loss of the season to second-ranked North Carolina in the semifinals of the ITA national women’s team indoor championship in a hard-fought, 4-3 loss. The Buckeyes lost the doubles point early by a 2-1 score. The two squads were tied 3-3 in singles matches with wins by Ohio State seniors Sandy Niehaus, Miho Kowase and Ferny Angeles Paz, but the Tar Heels clinched the match, with fifth-ranked Hayley Carter of North Carolina defeating sophomore Francesca Di Lorenzo--the top-ranked women’s player in the NCAA--in three sets. Di Lorenzo, a three-time ITA national champion, is now 3-1 versus Carter individually. Next up, the 7-1 women’s team faces Michigan in Columbus Friday in their first conference matchup of the season.


The fourth-ranked Ohio State wrestling team scored two big wins over the weekend over No. 6 Nebraska Friday in Lincoln and No. 12 Minnesota Sunday in Minneapolis to close out the regular season. The Buckeyes finished the regular season 11-2 overall and 7-2 in conference with wins over seven teams ranked in the top-25 nationally.

Earlier in the weekend, the Buckeyes earned a decisive 24-13 win over the Huskers--the first-ever win in Lincoln in program history. Ohio State boasts three top-ranked wrestlers in their respective classes, all of whom earned victories over Nebraska. Overall, the Buckeyes won seven of their 10 matchups, including four over opponents individually ranked in the top-10 nationally in their own weight classes.

After a short turnaround, Ohio State earned an extremely narrow 24-20 victory in bonus points after splitting 10 matches with Minnesota and winning four of five matches in bonus points. Two falls, a technical fall and a major decision helped to close the 20-14 deficit to give the Buckeyes their third-straight win, all of which have come over ranked opponents. It was the first Ohio State win in Minneapolis since 1993.

Last week, the Buckeyes earned a 23-18 win over No. 13 Rutgers to get back on track following consecutive losses against No. 3 Iowa and No. 2 Penn State. Kyle Snyder (heavyweight), Nathan Tomasello (133-pounds) and Bo Jordan (174-pounds) were undefeated in the regular season.

Next up, Ohio State is scheduled to face No. 9 Cornell in NWCA Championship Dual Series, in which Big Ten conference teams go up against out of conference teams in a national showcase. Following the duals, the Buckeyes head to the Big Ten Championships in Bloomington the first week of March.

STICK TO SPORTS

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Hoops: Spartans favored by just 4 over visiting Buckeyes - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Hoops: Spartans favored by just 4 over visiting Buckeyes
247Sports
Both teams are having down years for their standards. The Buckeyes are 15-11 and 5-8 in Big Ten play, while the Spartans are 15-10 and 7-5 within the conference. Ohio State defeated Michigan State 72-67 in Columbus on Jan. 16. Tuesday's contest will ...


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8 Ohio State Buckeyes invited to 2017 NFL Combine - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


8 Ohio State Buckeyes invited to 2017 NFL Combine
cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- It won't be a total Ohio State takeover like it was last year, but the 2017 NFL Combine will still have a strong Buckeye presence. Eight former Ohio State football players have received invitations to the annual scouting combine ...
Eight Buckeyes to the NFL Scouting CombineBuckeyeGrove.com (subscription)
NFL releases Michigan, Ohio State invitees to NFL combineLandof10.com

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Country's No. 1 O-tackle Carman talks Buckeyes, Bama, Clemson - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Country's No. 1 O-tackle Carman talks Buckeyes, Bama, Clemson
247Sports
The Buckeyes signed one Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco star, 2017 offensive lineman Wyatt Davis. When Davis' 2018 teammate, safety Jaiden Woodbey, last week announced an early commitment to the Buckeyes there was speculation by some the Ohio ...


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Loss to Maryland may have burst Ohio State's bubble, Buckeyes dominating spring sports and more - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Loss to Maryland may have burst Ohio State's bubble, Buckeyes dominating spring sports and more
Landof10.com
It's been a tough year for the Buckeyes basketball team and there is no way to deny that, really. On Saturday, facing the No. 21-ranked Maryland Terrapins in College Park, Ohio State found itself in a must-win game against one of the Big Ten's most ...
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