What exactly is Ohio State getting itself into against UCLA?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


UCLA tests the theory if the best defense is a good offense.

On this Ohio State basketball episode of "The Hangout in the Holyland," LGHL’s Matt Tamanini chats with BruinsNation.com Managing Editor Joe Piechowski about this Saturday's matchup between Ohio State and UCLA. The game will tip at 3:00 p.m. EST from Las Vegas, NV, and is part of the 2016 CBS Sports Classic.

So far this season, the Bruins are an impressive 11-0 and are scoring nearly 98 points per game. The Buckeyes on the other-hand are a frustratingly sloppy 8-2.

We ask Joe what he thinks the Buckeyes have to do to pull off the upset, whether or not Las Vegas will give the Bruins a home-court advantage, and look at what makes this team so special.

We also discuss...

• Steve Alford’s sorted coaching past.
• whether or not the best defense is a good offense.
• whether or not UCLA has any weaknesses.
• what the difference is between this season’s squad and previous teams.

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The Las Vegas Bowl and Boca Raton Bowl headline early bowl season’s college football best bets, odds
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


With 41 bowl games over the next three weeks, we give you picks for the first eight bowl games.

Last week ATS: 4-3 (4-2 National, 0-1 B1G)

Season ATS: 84-87-4 (38-38-1 National, 46-49-3 B1G)

After a week off to recharge the batteries for bowl season, MC&J is ready to toss up a lot of winners for the holiday season. The regular season ended up being pretty much a wash in terms of record, so bowl season will determine if this year was a failure or success.

New Mexico Bowl: UTSA v. New Mexico (-7) - 12/17 2:00 PM EST - ESPN

The bowl season kicks off on Saturday with the New Mexico Bowl. UTSA will be making their first bowl appearance in their sixth FBS season. What type of present do the Roadrunners get for their first bowl appearance? They get to place New Mexico on the Lobos home turf.

New Mexico will be playing in the New Mexico Bowl for the fourth time in school history, compiling a 1-2 record so far. Last year the Lobos opened up the bowl season as well, falling to Arizona 45-37. New Mexico has a ridiculous rushing offense, averaging 428 yards per game on the ground. Teriyon Gipson leads the Lobos with just over 1,200 rushing yards, while Tyrone Owens has added 1,084 rushing yards.

UTSA played Arizona State and Texas A&M tough this year, but I see the Roadrunners, who are giving up 190 yards per game on the ground to opponents, having trouble slowing down New Mexico. Not only should their potent rushing attack allow New Mexico to control time of possession, but it also should put UTSA in a hole they won’t be able to climb out of.

New Mexico 41, UTSA 27

Las Vegas Bowl: Houston (-4) v. San Diego State - 12/17 3:30 PM EST - ABC

It’s undeniable the Las Vegas Bowl is the most intriguing matchup of the early bowl schedule. Houston had dreams of other destinations during the bowl season, but losses to Navy, SMU, and Memphis thwarted those plans. The Cougars also recently lost head coach Tom Herman to Texas, leaving Todd Orlando as the interim head coach before he joins Herman at Texas.

San Diego State also had thoughts that they might have a shot at the New Year’s Six Group of Five bid, but a loss to South Alabama in the beginning of October dashed any of those hopes. There is no question that running back Donnel Pumphrey is what makes the San Diego State offense tick. The senior has rushed for 2,018 yards and 16 touchdowns this year. Last time out the Aztecs were able to avenge a loss a couple weeks prior to Wyoming to take home the Moutain West Conference Championship.

With Houston having designs of a bigger bowl game this year, along with the departure of Herman, backing the Cougars could be a dangerous proposition. Pumphrey is just over 100 rushing yards away from breaking Ron Dayne’s FBS career rushing record. The Aztecs find their way by Houston in this one.

San Diego State 34, Houston 31

Cure Bowl: Arkansas State v. UCF (-6) - 12/17 5:30 PM EST - CBS Sports Network

The Cure Bowl is fitting since if you are invested in this bowl game in anyway, you’re probably sick. Luckily there is a couple other games on that can make it so you don’t have to pay too much attention to this one.

The biggest story from this game is how much Scott Frost has turned around Central Florida in just a year. Last year the Knights were 0-12, and now they are bowling. On the other side, Arkansas State has now made a bowl game in six straight seasons. Last year the Red Wolves were handed their first loss during that stretch when they played Louisiana Tech in the New Orleans Bowl.

This is a home game for Central Florida since they are playing in Orlando, and while I’m not crazy about laying the points here, I think the Knights are the better football team.

UCF 28, Arkansas State 20

Camellia Bowl: Appalachian State v. Toledo (-1) - 12/17 5:30 PM EST - ESPN

Another fun matchup on Saturday will be between a couple teams that have scored wins over Michigan in the last 15 years. Not really relevant to anything, it’s just fun to remember that both Appalachian State and Toledo have beat Michigan in Ann Arbor. It will be interesting to see which style will win out in this one, as Toledo’s high-powered offense goes up against a stout Appalachian State defense.

Toledo quarterback Logan Woodside leads the FBS with 43 touchdown passes this year, but the Rockets can also run the football. Kareem Hunt has the third-most rushing yards amongst active FBS players with 4,855 yards. Just ahead of Hunt on that list is Appalachian State’s Marcus Cox, who has 4,960 rushing yards. Cox only has 847 yards this year since he has missed four games due to injury. Jalin Moore has stepped up in Cox’s absence, rushing for 1,367 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Appalachian State has only allowed 10 passing touchdowns this year, but I can see Woodside tossing a few in this one. The Mountaineers have put together a fine season, but they won’t be able to secure their second bowl win in as many seasons over a team from Ohio.

Toledo 38, Appalachian State 31

New Orleans Bowl: Southern Mississippi (-5) v. Louisiana-Lafayette - 12/17 9:00 PM EST - ESPN

Southern Miss and Louisiana-Lafayette will close out the first day of bowl season in the New Orleans Bowl. The Golden Eagles have to be wondering what could’ve been after starting with season with four wins in their first five games. Quarterback Nick Mullens missed a few games due to a thumb injury and a concussion, which Southern Miss.

The key for the Golden Eagles in this one will be to try and slow down running back Elijah McGuire, who has recorded three straight seasons of at least 1,000 rushing yards for the Ragin’ Cajuns. College football fans will also see a familiar face at quarterback from Louisiana-Lafayette, as LSU transfer Anthony Jennings will be taking the snaps.

This marks the fifth time in six years that the Ragin’ Cajuns have played in the New Orleans Bowl, with Louisiana-Lafayette winning four straight before not playing here last year. It’s hard to deny that Southern Miss is the better team, especially with Mullens healthy.

Southern Miss 37, Louisiana-Lafayette 28

Miami Beach Bowl: Central Michigan v. Tulsa (-13) - 12/19 2:30 PM EST - ESPN

Tulsa might be even better than their 9-3 record might indicate. Aside from their blowout loss when they came to Columbus early in the season, the only other two losses for the Golden Hurricanes came at the hand of Houston (38-31) and Navy (42-40). Tulsa comes into this game with one of the best offenses in the country, and have won five of six games.

On the other hand, Central Michigan is really struggling as they come into Miami, with the Chippewas having lost four of their last five. Cooper Rush has been solid as quarterback for Central Michigan this year, throwing for 3,299 yards and 23 touchdowns, but he won’t be able to keep pace with Dane Evans, James Flanders, and the rest of the Tulsa offense.

Tulsa 45, Central Michigan 27

Boca Raton Bowl: Memphis v. Western Kentucky (-5) - 12/20 7:00 PM EST - ESPN

Points will be aplenty in South Florida on Tuesday night. Memphis and Western Kentucky have two of the best offenses in the country, which should make this lower-level bowl game quite entertaining. Memphis is coming off a big win over Houston to close out the regular season. Quarterback Riley Ferguson has been strong in taking over for Paxton Lynch, throwing 28 touchdowns this year. Ferguson’s favorite target has been Anthony Miller, who caught 84 passes for 1,283 yards, and 11 touchdowns.

Western Kentucky’s Mike White has been even better than Ferguson this year, throwing for 4,027 yards and 34 touchdowns. It helps that White has a couple of stud wide receivers in Taywan Taylor and Nicholas Norris. The Hilltoppers can run the football as well with Anthony Wales, who rushed for 1,376 yards and 24 touchdowns.

In a game that is likely to go back-and-forth, I like grabbing the points here. Who knows where Western Kentucky will be at with Jeff Brohm already having left for Purdue. Memphis can match Western Kentucky on the scoreboard, and I feel like this will come down to a late field goal to win.

Memphis 41, Western Kentucky 38

Poinsettia Bowl: BYU (-8.5) v. Wyoming - 12/21 9:00 PM EST - ESPN

BYU has had the hardest luck of any FBS team this year. The Cougars have four losses by a combined eight points, and just lost 13th year senior Taysom Hill to an elbow injury. At least BYU has some experience at backup quarterback, as Tanner Mangum will be taking the snaps for the Cougars. And it certainly doesn’t hurt BYU has running back Jamaal Williams to shoulder some of the load.

Craig Bohl has done a tremendous job in Laramie since taking over, taking a team that went 6-18 in his first two seasons and turning them into a 8-5 team this year. Running back Brian Hill is the star of the Cowboys offense, rushing for 1,767 yards and 21 touchdowns this season. Wyoming has slowed a bit in the stretch run though, losing three of their last four.

Even though Wyoming is a great story, their defense still leaves a lot to be desired. The combination of Mangum and Williams should be able to have no problems putting points up on the board, while the stingy BYU defense should be able to put the clamps on Hill and the rest of the Wyoming offense.

BYU 34, Wyoming 24

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Ohio State football: Could Malcolm Pridgeon play for the Buckeyes in the Fiesta Bowl? - cleveland.com (blog)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: Could Malcolm Pridgeon play for the Buckeyes in the Fiesta Bowl?
cleveland.com (blog)
Asked about Pridgeon's status on Thursday, Urban Meyer said he has been practicing to a limited extent and won't be ready even if the Buckeyes needed him in the playoff semifinal against Clemson. "He's going to be a very good player here," Meyer said.
Ohio State Buckeyes hold media day to talk about Fiesta BowlDayton Daily News
Ohio State football | Clemson loss brought change to BuckeyesColumbus Dispatch
Fiesta Bowl: Bold Predictions For Ohio State Buckeyes Vs. Clemson Tigers In College Football PlayoffThe Inquisitr
ESPN (blog) -Landof10.com -Eleven Warriors
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Torrance Gibson signed a letter of intent with Mississippi Gulf Coast, but Ohio State coach Urban Meyer isn't giving ... - ESPN
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Torrance Gibson signed a letter of intent with Mississippi Gulf Coast, but Ohio State coach Urban Meyer isn't giving ...
ESPN
It appears Gibson's next chapter in college is likely going to be away from the Buckeyes, though, after Mississippi Gulf Coast coach Chad Huff welcomed him publicly to his program earlier in the week. "We are looking forward to having Torrance join our ...
Urban Meyer: Keeping Luke Fickell 'one of the greatest things I've ever done'Landof10.com
Urban Meyer fears Clemson's multiple defense, says Torrance Gibson's fate's not decided yetLand-Grant Holy Land
Urban Meyer addresses Torrance Gibson's situation and future with Ohio Statecleveland.com (blog)

all 13 news articles »

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BH: 'Kwon gone? | Inside Wilson's camp - 247Sports
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BH: 'Kwon gone? | Inside Wilson's camp
247Sports
We talked to one of our team sources to get the latest he has heard on current Buckeyes and their status when it comes to leaving early for the NFL. The first player he brought up was middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan. “The thinking all along this ...

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Clemson’s Mike Williams will test the physicality of Ohio State’s defense
Christopher Jason via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The big bodied wideout presents a physical challenge for the Buckeye secondary.

Clemson possesses the best wide receiver corps in the country. We told you about their slot receiver, Artavis Scott, who presents a serious matchup problem against Ohio State’s biggest weakness of their defense — covering the slot. What makes Scott even more dangerous, is that a lot of defensive attention goes to his teammate, Mike Williams.

Williams has the most NFL-ready wide receiver body in college football — as he stands at 6’3”, 225 lbs — and he plays like it. After suffering an unfortunate season-ending neck fracture in 2015, he bounced back in a big way in 2016. Per CFB Film Room, Williams has recorded 85 receptions for 1,170 yards and 10 touchdowns on 123 targets.

Looking at those statistics, most would think Williams is a slick slot receiver, who uses his speed and precise route running to gain separation. But in fact, the Clemson wideout is in the mold of Anquan Boldin, as he uses his frame to box out defenders to utilize his extensive catch radius and pluck the ball from poor defensive backs. He’s primarily an outside receiver, who stays outside the hashes, as you can see below:


What makes Williams stand out from the rest of the receivers in college football, is his physicality. He is legitimately a man amongst boys on the perimeter. Of his 85 receptions, 14 of those were contested by the defensive back. To give context, Jordan Leggette has the second most contested receptions with 5. Deshaun Watson clearly trusts Williams to come down with the ball, since he targeted Williams 31 times with the defense back draped over his receiver. The second most contested targets on the team are Deon Cain’s eight.

Here are two routes that are borderline unstoppable, due to Williams’ size, strength and reliable hands.

Fade


First of all, this is a dime by Deshaun Watson. South Carolina played soft man-to-man coverage on the outside, respecting Williams’ deep threat ability. As Williams took off from the line of scrimmage, the corner shaded to the inside, most likely taking away a deep post. Williams got onto the cornerback’s toes and got a step on the outside. As the ball hung up in the air, the defensive back got into good position to make a play on the ball. Williams went up and snatched the ball at its high point -- fighting through the corner’s arm -- and brought it down for six. You can’t guard this.




Back shoulder


The back shoulder throw has turned into one of the more reliable throws in football -- especially when a team possesses a legit quarterback and a big perimeter receiving option. The Patriots execute this play to perfection with Rob Gronkowski split wide with Tom Brady throwing him the ball. It’s based off the quarterback’s accuracy and the receiver’s body type and catch radius.

With Watson and Williams, this route is borderline unstoppable. Going up against Auburn’s biggest corner in Carlton Davis — who checks in at 6’1”, 195 — the Tigers still weren’t wary of trying this play. Williams runs a basic 9-route (vertical), looks inside at the quarterback near the sticks and then flips his body towards the sideline to box out the defender to make the grab. Watson places the ball where only his guy can get it and it’s an automatic first down. Since the Buckeyes do not possess a corner that can matchup size wise with Williams, they’ll just have to pray for an errant throw from Watson.



Yards after contact


Per CFB Film Room, 46 of Williams’ 85 grabs have moved the chains and 316 of his yardage has came after contact. He is the type of receiver who looks for contact and will run through you after the catch.

Against South Carolina, Mike Williams looked like a man possessed. After doing his best Randy Moss impression (above) on the fade route, Watson hit Williams on a simple 10-yard slant -- that wasn’t ran precisely, he just took advantage of soft coverage — and was hit immediately by the corner at the 8-yard line. The safety decided to make a business decision by not hitting Williams, while he took the corner on a piggy back ride into the end zone. This touchdown is one of the most beastly plays in recent memory and it displays his strength and physicality after the catch.




Conclusion


Mike Williams is the best receiver that the Ohio State defense will face all year and frankly, it’s not very close. He’s a potential top-10 draft selection and is the most NFL-ready wideout in this class. Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley have been excellent on the perimeter, but they have yet to be truly tested deep or by a receiver as big and skilled as Williams. Since getting burnt for 14 receptions in the Orange Bowl by Sammy Watkins, the Buckeyes have found creative ways to shutdown top tier receivers (Amari Cooper). The problem with this Clemson team though, is that Williams is not their only elite option at receiver. Do they man-up Lattimore on Williams, push Conley inside on Scott and let Damon Webb cover Deon Cain? Lattimore vs. Williams could be the battle two future top-10 draft picks and the individual matchup of the College Football Playoffs.

The Clemson receivers present a serious matchup problem and one would expect the Heisman runner-up to test it early and often.

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Bates-Diop is "feeling good" but won't be rushed back - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Bates-Diop is "feeling good" but won't be rushed back
247Sports
COLUMBUS – It's been a rough last eight months for Keita Bates-Diop. The Buckeye junior forward missed both of Ohio State's NIT games to end last year with an illness that turned out to be mononucleosis. Entering preseason, Bates-Diop was sick again ...
Bates-Diop feeling good again, Paul Keels is the greatest, and moreLandof10.com

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Urban Meyer fears Clemson’s multiple defense, says Torrance Gibson’s fate’s not decided yet
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Before heading to Arizona, the Ohio State coach spoke to the media.

Urban Meyer spoke to the media Thursday as part of the Fiesta Bowl media day. The head coach has just over three weeks to get his staff and team prepared for their postseason rematch with Clemson, and he’s running on all cylinders. Meyer addressed Luke Fickell’s new position with the University of Cincinnati, and how his team is progressing to being ready for the College Football Playoff semifinals.

• To open the presser, Meyer was asked about the transfer rumors about Torrance Gibson. The head coach did note that Gibson came to see him to talk about his decision, but nothing is in stone. Meyer called it an “unfortunate situation” but he plans on doing what is best for the student athlete.
• The transition from Luke Fickell should be a lot easier given he’s only moving an hour and a half away. Meyer noted as long as both parties are professional, they just put together a calendar with set expectations for the rest of OSU tenure and there shouldn’t be a problem. Meyer also pointed out another good thing is the recruiting calendar is “user friendly” and that “Luke’s a pro”.
• Meyer was asked about the development of his relationship with Luke Fickell. He admitted, “I did not want to keep him when I first got here” despite being a good guy. But then their initial meeting went over the top and the head coach has immense respect for him and his family, saying now, Fickell is a “very good friend of mine”.
• The head coach was asked about the number of quarterback runs, especially on fourth down. He admitted he tends to have a “guy”, citing examples being Braxton Miller, Tim Tebow, Ezekiel Elliott and would add J.T. Barrett to the list. He continued, “I know one thing about J.T., if he has a chance he’ll get it [fourth down conversion].”
• On how Meyer and staff are preparing for the Clemson defense, which has multiple looks. He admitted it’s hard to get ready to see three different defenses from one school, but says the first two series usually gives some kind look into their approach on that day.
• Meyer and staff have not only studied Clemson’s schemes, but also noted that the team had the best social media approach to recruits a few seasons ago, which was incorporated into the way Ohio State did things. He noted, “I like to study winners, we certainly know what they do.”
• The head coach was asked his feelings about an 8-team College Football Playoff, but his concerns are mostly with what having an extra game would do for the students class schedule and practice time. He even quipped that several players were given unexcused absences the day after the national championship game against Oregon.
• Meyer was also asked if he’d rather have an 11 game season with a conference championship, or a 12 game season with no championship. The coach answered with “Clemson” before expanding that he isn’t trying to be disrespectful, but he hasn’t given that scenario any thought.
• Usually during bowl practices, young guys have a chance to step up and maybe get some notice. Meyer noted it’s different this year with so many of the young guys already in the fold.
• On Raekwon McMillan’s career as a Buckeye, Meyer didn’t hold back, “Probably one of the top 2 or 3 I’ve ever been around — he handles his business, has a great family” and even touched on his strong involvement with the OSU community. The head coach said McMillan’s reputation is “solid as gold”. He hedged a little before confidently stating the defender has exceeded expectations.
• The coaching staff had previously mentioned getting some help for freshman Isaiah Prince, by bringing in a tight end or someone else to back him up. When asked how that plan is going, Meyer said that the first priority is improving the player, but that he’s “never seen a player work harder” since the last game of the season.
• On the importance of having Billy Price and Pat Elflein on the offensive line, Meyer said he was proud these two would have their own trees in Buckeye Grove and without any hesitation said the team wouldn’t be where they are without those two. He went on to say they were the “backbone or where we are and what we do, on top of that the greatest people you will ever find”.
• When asked about improving the passing game of the quarterbacks, Meyer noted that the term “gunslinger” will never be used to describe their quarterbacks because that’s just not what they do — that’s not Ohio State’s goal on offense. But it is what makes Barrett one of the most efficient passers in the country.
• Finally, Meyer was asked what the team needed to do to recapture the Noah Brown magic from the Oklahoma game. He claimed that they need to get him more targets, Brown needs to get separation more and they need to protect Barrett better. He did note that Brown is back to full speed after his tough injury.

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Ohio State Buckeyes hold media day to talk about Fiesta Bowl - Dayton Daily News
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State Buckeyes hold media day to talk about Fiesta Bowl
Dayton Daily News
Landers was on the sideline when the Buckeyes beat Notre Dame last season in the Fiesta Bowl. This time, he'll be on the field. He and all the players can't wait. It's the same for their family members. Asked if his mom was going to the game, Landers ...
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Season review: Ohio State reloads in a hurry to get back to College Football PlayoffESPN (blog)
247Sports -Landof10.com -Eleven Warriors
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Born a Buckeye, Michigan commit Joel Honigford now bleeds blue - MLive.com
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Born a Buckeye, Michigan commit Joel Honigford now bleeds blue
MLive.com
"My whole childhood, I was an Ohio State fan - a huge Ohio State fan," said Honigford, whose dad played basketball for the Buckeyes and his mom also attended Ohio State. "I knew everything about them. I loved the Buckeyes and always hated Michigan, ...


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Here’s our first look at Ohio State’s 2016 College Football Playoff uniforms
Luke Zimmermann via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The same hot look from the 2014 playoff run is back.

Ohio State’s no stranger to alternate uniform looks.

After beating Michigan in a classic The Game wearing alternating lids and the same jerseys the Buckeyes beat Oregon in, OSU’s going back to the look that helped him get past Alabama, win the 2014 Sugar Bowl, and set the table for the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

We already knew OSU would be rocking Nike’s latest slight iterative take on the 1968 Ohio State Buckeyes’ jerseys, and now, courtesy of Buckeye running back Mike Weber posing with the team’s last playoff championship trophy, we can better visualize what to expect OSU looking like underneath the bright lights December 31 against Clemson:


That ‘diamond’ swoosh is back in full effect.

What do you think of OSU’s latest College Football Playoff look?

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Ohio State football: Resetting the Buckeyes' 2017 recruiting class as we enter the December 'dead period' - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: Resetting the Buckeyes' 2017 recruiting class as we enter the December 'dead period'
Landof10.com
Though he's expected to select the Buckeyes' archrivals in Ann Arbor, if Peoples-Jones were to shock the recruiting world — and that's not hyperbole) —he'd be the third Ohio State pledge in December, joining 5-star linebacker Baron Browning and 4 ...
Ohio State football: Buckeyes 2017 season opener at Indiana changed to Thursdaycleveland.com (blog)
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Ohio State football | Academic All-American Sam Hubbard balances football, schoolColumbus Dispatch
BuckeyeGrove.com (subscription) -Las Vegas Review-Journal -SB Nation
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What Clemson’s worst games mean for Ohio State
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 Buckeyes haven’t been the only great team to play up and down this season.

Clemson, like Ohio State, has looked dominant in some games and vulnerable in others. The Tigers had seven one-score games this season, with especially narrow wins over Louisville, NC State, and Virginia Tech, as well as the loss to Pitt. On the other side, they also have four wins over S&P+ top-25 opponents and four wins by more than 40 points.

But not every one of Clemson’s close games was the result of a poor performance. Sometimes, like in the Louisville game, for instance, Clemson performed well but just played a difficult opponent who also performed well. Other times the score may not be close, but it’s easy to tell watching the game that the team underperformed. You could argue Clemson vs. Wake Forest is an example of that. The adjusted scoring margin and S&P+ percentile performance help to quantify instances where the final score doesn’t necessarily match the two teams’ performances.

Clemson has had 3 games with an S&P+ performance under 50% — against Pitt, Wake Forest, and Virginia Tech — and another — against Florida State — with a negative adjusted scoring margin. So what did Clemson’s opponents do in those three games to make Clemson look bad, and what lessons can Ohio State take away?



A couple of general notes about Clemson’s four worst performances:

• The S&P+ percentile performances don’t list these among Clemson’s worst, but I think many would put the games against Troy and NC State in there as well.
• In all four games the main problem was the Tigers’ defense. Overall, the Tigers are 6th in defensive S&P+, so they’re clearly an elite unit, but Clemson’s worst S&P+ games were all primarily due to defensive breakdowns. In three of the four poor games the Tigers allowed 34 or more points, averaging 37.3 points to Pitt, Florida State, and Virginia Tech — in their ten other games the Tigers allowed an average of just 12.7 points.
• The 71% defensive performance against Wake Forest doesn’t look too bad relative to the other teams on this list, but the Deacons were astoundingly poor on offense, ranking 112th in S&P+, with the 124th ranked passing S&P+ offense. But Wake Forest still managed 13 points and 4.3 points per scoring opportunity against Clemson.
• Two opposing teams had top-25 passing S&P+ offenses — Pitt and Florida State. Only FSU had a top-25 rushing S&P+ offense. Wake’s offense is poor across the board, and Virginia Tech’s offense was much more effective through the air than on the ground. Ohio State’s offense is essentially FSU’s rushing attack, but a little more efficient and less explosive, along with Virginia Tech’s passing attack, but less efficient.
• Clemson’s offense has had a few slow games, scoring just 19 against Auburn, 26 on Georgia Tech, and 24 on NC State. But Deshaun Watson and the offense have been rolling ever since that narrow win over NC State. That’s important — Clemson’s worst statistical performances have come despite good games from the offense.
• Finally, Clemson has faced five top-30 S&P+ opponents (Ohio State has faced four, though all were top-16). Three are on this list of worst games (FSU, Pitt, and Virginia Tech), while the other two (Auburn and NC State) Clemson won by one score in each. That’s not too surprising — of course the Tigers’ toughest games would be against their best opponents — but it’s also telling that Clemson doesn’t have a blowout win over a top opponent, either.

Touchdowns, not field goals


On the season Clemson allows just 3.81 points per scoring opportunity, which ranks 20th in the country. That’s solid — far more often than not, the 6th-ranked overall S&P+ defense keeps opposing offenses’ promising drives from reaching the end zone. But against these four teams, Clemson allowed an average of 5.4 points per scoring opportunity, despite allowing just a 36% offensive success rate overall.

The numbers were mixed in terms of how the opposing offenses found their success. In general, the Clemson defense has been incredible at generating havoc, early in games, against the pass, and on third downs. Nathan Peterman lit up the Clemson secondary with 8.3 yards per attempt and FSU’s Deondre Francois averaged 8.2, but Dalvin Cook ran for 169 and 8.9 yards per carry with a 70-yard run, and James Connor added 132 yards on 20 carries.

This is more or less what you’d expect — Wake couldn’t manage much besides capitalizing on a few scoring opportunities, and Virginia Tech has absolutely no ground game, but running backs from the two top-40 rushing S&P+ offenses both over 100 yards and 6.6 yards per carry.

Turnovers


As we noted above, Clemson’s worst games happened when the defense faltered. But there’s more to the story, as the four games have two other shared factors: offensive turnovers and limited rushing production.

If there’s one knock on Deshaun Watson this season, it’s that he’s struggled with interceptions. The Tigers have the 19th-most interceptions this season with 15. And turnovers play a big role in Clemson’s close games this season. In three of the four games Clemson lost the turnover battle, and they’re 67th in turnover margin (at a net zero on the year) despite ranking 20th in total takeaways and 7th in total interceptions.

For reference, Ohio State is tied for fourth in the country with 19 interceptions and is 3rd in turnover margin this season at +16.

Limit Wayne Gallman


Deshaun Watson had multiple interception games against both Pitt and FSU, throwing five total against the Seminoles and Panthers, and a total of 6 across these four games. Multiple interception games are correlated with two other factors: an incredibly prolific passing game from Watson, and more importantly, almost no production from the Tigers’ ground game.

Against Florida State, Gallman was held to 4.1 yards per carry on 20 carries, with a long run of just 12 yards. Pitt completely made Gallman a non-factor, holding him to 18 carries for 36 yards and a long run of 8 yards. Against Virginia Tech a few weeks ago, Gallman was held to 3.5 per rush, recording fewer yards than Watson on the ground. It wasn’t for lack of trying either, as the Tigers offense gave him 17+ carries in each of the four games. His only productive game of the four was against Wake Forest, where he had 22 for 161 yards following a 42-yard run.

The lesson for the Ohio State defense is clear: stop Gallman, which forces Watson to pass, and then create turnovers.

In the shootout with Pitt, Watson set a career high with 580 passing yards, but he also had an astounding 70 passing attempts because the ground game was held to just two yards per carry. Similarly, against Florida State, Watson had 378 passing yards on 43 attempts while the run game averaged just 3.5 per attempt.

All in all


This post intentionally singled out Clemson’s worst performances to find any common ways that opponents were able to limit the country’s 4th-ranked S&P+ team.

All in all, the Tigers’ worst S&P+ performances were because of defensive breakdowns, particularly against Pitt, FSU, and Virginia Tech. Both the Panthers and Seminoles had strong rushing attacks, and all three were able to maximize their scoring opportunities and completely shut down Wayne Gallman. Shutting down Gallman seemed to force Watson to bear too much of the burden, because while he was prolific in terms of passing yards, he also managed six interceptions across those three games. The blueprint for Ohio State’s overall gameplan is there: trust the run game on offense, shut down Gallman, and force interceptions out of Watson.

Looking just at Clemson’s struggles gives the impression that this will be a cakewalk for the Buckeyes. As we looked at earlier, I don’t think that’s the case at all. So next we’ll take a look at Clemson’s strongest attributes.

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Ohio State sitting well with 5-star CB
Bret Favachio via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes are in a fight with Bruins to win over the Californian.

Bucks trending for Holmes


As of today, Ohio State has a healthy lead in the race for the top spot in recruiting in the Big Ten conference, even with Michigan adding a four-star receiver on Wednesday. However, the Buckeyes are currently looking up to Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide in the national race.

Perhaps the Buckeyes will soon be inching closer to overtaking that top spot before everything's signed, sealed and delivered. That is because Ohio State may very well be on the cusp of grabbing their SEVENTH five-star recruit in the 2017 class with cornerback Darnay Holmes. The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder from Calabasas (CA) all but seemed to be a Bruin for a while now. However, as of late, the Buckeyes have gained some serious momentum in this battle and may have very well taken the lead.

Just about two weeks after Holmes made his official visit to Columbus to watch Ohio State secure their playoff berth by taking down Michigan in double overtime, predictions for the U.S. Army All-American to end up as a Buckeye began pouring in. On Wednesday, that trend continued when highly respected recruiting analyst Alex Gleitman from 247Sports.com followed suit.

As usual, despite the fact that Ohio State may very well be in the lead here, UCLA will not back away. Surely with Holmes attending a high school just under an hour away from the Bruins campus, he will hear and see plenty of things pro-UCLA. We will see if the Buckeyes can stand their ground and reel in Holmes when it’s all said and done.

Cooking with Eddie George


Yesterday, Buckeye quarterback commit Tate Martell (Las Vegas / Bishop Gorman) had quite the surprise waiting for him when he got home. In his kitchen was 1995 Heisman Trophy winner (and former Buckeye standout) Eddie George.


George wasn’t there just to make Buckeyes; there was a bigger reason. The Heisman winner presented Martell with the Gatorade Player of the Year.

Martell wrapped up his high school career with a 43-0 record, while also finding the endzone on 62 occasions.

Peoples-Jones set to decide


Moving on to ‘17 wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones from Cass Tech (MI), who is another big-time target for the Ohio State staff. The rumors for a potential landing spot for the 6-foot-2, 193-pounder will come to a close tonight; the five-star prospect from the state up north will make his decision live on ESPN around 8:30 p.m. EST.

My stance on this is that despite any murmurs about this being a Florida State-Ohio State battle, I just can not expect anything other than Peoples-Jones to ultimately select the in-state Wolverines. Despite all of the talk throughout the week, I just don’t realistically see any other outcome here. Could I be wrong? Of course.

I will say this: the fact that Urban Meyer, Kerry Coombs and Zach Smith headed to Detroit moments before the dead period began is a bit weird. The fact that they got in one last face-to-face meeting with the No. 1 WR in the country during a snowstorm is very interesting. One would think that if Ohio State knew Peoples-Jones was headed to Michigan or anywhere for that matter, they wouldn’t even bother to make the trip. However, like I stated, I just can’t see Peoples-Jones not selecting Michigan and suiting up for Jim Harbaugh in Ann Arbor. We shall see.

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The Buckeyes won the No. 1 game of 2016 - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


The Buckeyes won the No. 1 game of 2016
247Sports
The Buckeyes featured (and won) in the best game of the year.

and more »

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Two Buckeyes named unanimous All-Americans - WHIZ
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Two Buckeyes named unanimous All-Americans
WHIZ
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Senior center Pat Elflein and sophomore safety Malik Hooker became the 28th and 29th Buckeyes to earn unanimous first-team All-American honors Wednesday. Elflein won the Rimington Trophy awarded to the nation's best center.
Four Buckeyes named first-team All-Americans | NBC4i.comNBC4i.com
Football: Ohio State needs Hooker and Samuel more than ever in playoffOSU - The Lantern
Ohio State football | Price, Elflein, Hooker named first-team All America by coachesColumbus Dispatch
cleveland.com (blog) -The Spun (press release) (blog)
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http://www.underarmourgame.com/

Commits
Trevon Grimes
Isaiah Pryor
Marcus Williamson

Targets
Marvin Wilson
Markquese Bell (scheduled to announce)

Fiesta Bowl: Bold Predictions For Ohio State Buckeyes Vs. Clemson Tigers In College Football Playoff - The Inquisitr
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Fiesta Bowl: Bold Predictions For Ohio State Buckeyes Vs. Clemson Tigers In College Football Playoff
The Inquisitr
Before we get to the bold predictions, here are two interesting facts, if you will, about the Buckeyes and Tigers: (1) Clemson made the national championship last year, which was the College Football Playoff's second year of existence. (2) Ohio State ...
JT Barrett didn't have a Tim Tebow season: 5 wrong Ohio State preseason predictionscleveland.com

all 26 news articles »

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Buckeyes in the NFL: Week 14 - CBS sports.com (blog)
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Buckeyes in the NFL: Week 14
CBS sports.com (blog)
Ohio State set a record this year, having 12 players selected in the first 4 rounds of the NFL Draft. Those 12 players, as well as a few others that got picked up as free agents, added to an already long list of former OSU stars playing at the ...
Ex-Buckeye Gibson signs juco letter of intentESPN
Suspended Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver may transferDayton Daily News
What does Torrance Gibson's potential transfer mean for Ohio State?Landof10.com
Columbus Dispatch -Eleven Warriors -Toledo Blade
all 28 news articles »

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Another Buckeyes reunion week for Bucs DE Noah Spence - Tampabay.com
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Another Buckeyes reunion week for Bucs DE Noah Spence
Tampabay.com
TAMPA — This year's NFL rookie class has former Ohio State players making huge impacts all over the league, so Bucs DE Noah Spence has been reunited with many of his old Buckeyes teammates. Up next is Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott, who is leading the ...


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Kamryn Babb is one to watch for 2018, Marvin Wilson will narrow list soon and more Ohio State recruiting news - Landof10.com
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Kamryn Babb is one to watch for 2018, Marvin Wilson will narrow list soon and more Ohio State recruiting news
Landof10.com
If not DPJ, do Buckeyes move quickly for Jaylen Harris? We'll know in about a day whether or not Donovan Peoples-Jones pulls the recruiting surprise of the century and picks Ohio State over Michigan (which he probably won't, so let's make sure the ...


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Buckeyes with total of four first-team All-Americans - 247Sports
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Buckeyes with total of four first-team All-Americans
247Sports
Later, the Buckeyes announced that fifth-year senior center Pat Elflein and third-year sophomore safety Malik Hooker joined Price on the AFCA's first team. Junior middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan was named to the second-team. In total, four Buckeyes ...

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Ohio State Buckeyes AP honors, 2017 schedule change - EndZoneScore
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Ohio State Buckeyes AP honors, 2017 schedule change
EndZoneScore
While the Ohio State Buckeyes get ready for the College Football Playoff semifinals, there is plenty of news involving the 2016 and 2017 scarlet and gray.
Ohio State football | Price, Elflein, Hooker named first-team All America by coachesColumbus Dispatch
Ohio State's Pat Elflein, Malik Hooker are unanimous All-Americans ...cleveland.com (blog)
Pat Elflein, Malik Hooker Make Ohio State Football HistoryThe Spun (press release) (blog)

all 7 news articles »

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More Buckeyes reunion as Bucs' Spence faces Cowboys' Elliott - Tampabay.com (blog)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


More Buckeyes reunion as Bucs' Spence faces Cowboys' Elliott
Tampabay.com (blog)
This year's NFL rookie class has former Ohio State players making huge impacts all over the league, and Bucs defensive end Noah Spence has been reunited with many old Buckeyes teammates firsthand, next being Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, ...


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Ohio State’s Orange Bowl loss to Clemson was a catalyst for change
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Changes were made on both sides of the ball following Meyer’s first postseason loss in Columbus.

“On both sides of the ball, the current Buckeyes can point to that Clemson game as a line of demarcation.”

- Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch


It was just a couple years ago that Urban Meyer and his Buckeyes faced Dabo Swinney’s Clemson in the postseason, with a result that led to big changes on both sides of the ball for Ohio State. The 40-35 loss in the Orange Bowl was the beginning of the end for quarterback Braxton Miller, who was injured late in the game requiring surgery, leading to the J.T. Barrett-Cardale Jones saga in Columbus in 2014 — and a National Championship.

Defense was a big struggle against a dynamic Clemson offense, that can go big like few else can. Ohio State was repeatedly beaten on bubble screens during the loss, which lead to a shift away from the nickel defense they were used to. When Meyer brought in Chris Ash, he along with Luke Fickell, reworked the defense to put the focus on covering the passing game first, and the run game second, while also introducing a hybrid linebacker — cue the emergence of Darron Lee.

“Nugent earned the ire of Bengals fans for his inconsistency on extra points. The 34-year-old kicker was second-worst among kickers with 10 attempted extra points (79 percent)...”

- Jeremy Bergman, NFL.com


After one of the worst seasons of his career, legendary Buckeye kicker Mike Nugent was cut by the Bengals with just three weeks left in the 2016 regular season. He started out rough in the preseason, but pulled it together the first few games of the year, before completely falling apart.

In last week’s in-state battle against the Browns, Nugent missed both a field goal and point after attempt, essentially sealing his fate. In 12 seasons, the reliable kicker has missed only 11 point after attempts — the problem is that six of those were this year alone. Whether it’s due to age or the new yardage rules on kicks, something has been off for Nugent all season and it could have lead to his last kick in the league.

“Seldom do hyped rivalry games meet their lofty expectations. This year’s edition of The Game wasn’t just the best game of the season, it was arguably the best regular-season game of the past decade.”

- Sports Illustrated


The staff at Sports Illustrated ranked the best college football games from the 2016 regular season, and atop their list was this year’s No. 2 Ohio State vs No. 3 Michigan rivalry game. This matchup had it all, big momentum shifts, questionable calls on both teams, overtime and postseason implications.

The Game also brought in another record-setting crowd to Ohio Stadium — with 110,045 in attendance — and saw Urban Meyer’s second win over Jim Harbaugh in as many years. With the rivalry reignited with the hiring of Harbaugh, he’s provided plenty of fodder, including the GIF of his broken headset and the fine he was issued for speaking out against the officiating. Coming away with a win and a playoff berth, it was a good day for the Buckeyes.

“Elflein and Hooker have now completed a sweep of being named to every All-America first team and will thus become Ohio State's 28th and 29th unanimous All-America selections.”

- Ohio State Buckeyes


Several Buckeyes will be getting a tree in Buckeye Grove after the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) released its All-America team — the last group to do so. Center Pat Elflein and safety Malik Hooker were the only two Buckeyes to be unanimous All-America selections, earning them a permanent honor on Ohio State’s campus.

Joining Elflein and Hooker, offensive guard Billy Price was also named to the first-team All-American. And linebacker Raekwon McMillan was named to the AFCA second-team.

STICK TO SPORTS

• You know you’ve always wanted to watch the chef at Steam make a White Castle Red Eye Gravy Sausage and Poached Egg Breakfast Slider.
• Buckeyes (the peanut butter and chocolate treats) made Uproxx’s power rankings of holiday cookies.
• What happens when a group collects over 12,000 copies of Jerry Mcguire on VHS? They make art with it ... duh.

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