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LGHL The good, bad and ugly with Ohio State's J.T. Barrett’s 2016 season

The good, bad and ugly with Ohio State's J.T. Barrett’s 2016 season
Christopher Jason
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


usa_today_9656393.0.jpeg

The Ohio State quarterback had his ups and his downs.

Throughout the 2016 season, the Ohio State offense as a whole had many highs and and many lows. J.T. Barrett had his good games and his bad games at quarterback and his supporting cast was not always there to bail him out. Like most quarterbacks, Barrett excelled when he was given time to throw, but he also overthrew his fair share of open receivers that should have resulted in touchdowns. They struggled in poor weather against lesser opponents and they also had their way with two top ten teams. Overall, the numbers were very good, but the offense as a whole was sporadic and unpredictable against the better teams on the schedule.

Luckily, they’ll get their shot against Clemson and possibly against the most dominant front seven in college football — the Alabama Crimson Tide.

J.T. Barrett 2016 Passing Chart

Designed runs
Dropbacks
Completions
Incompletions
Total TD
Scrambles
Overthrows
Throwaways
130​
404​
205​
127​
32​
36​
35​
16
Pressured
Sacked
Hit
Pass break-up
Batted at LOS
Drops
Turnovers
Defensive PI
101​
25​
36​
23​
12​
19​
7​
9​


Let’s start with the offensive line. Barrett was pressured 101 times on 404 dropbacks. An absurd 44 of those 101 pressures came against Penn State and Michigan. According to the guys at Pro Football Focus, right tackle Isaiah Prince has allowed a nation worst 45 pressures on the season. Out of those 404 dropbacks, Barrett was sacked 25 times and hit 36 times. With the high amount of pressures, it shows that Barrett has pretty good pocket awareness and ability to avoid the rush if he was only hit 36 times and sacked 25.

Also according to Pro Football Focus, Barrett completed 66.9 percent of his passes when he was given a clean pocket, along with a 21 touchdown passes to only 3 interceptions. When facing pressure, his completion percentage dipped to 46.8 percent and threw only 3 touchdowns to 1 interception. When facing the blitz, the quarterback was sensational — completing 59.8 percent of his passes and recording 10 touchdowns to 0 interceptions. For all of the negatives that are pointed out about his game, Barrett is quite accurate when facing a clean pocket or one less defender in the secondary. The blitz numbers show that he makes quick decisions and can easily dissect the blitz.

Along with the better pocket awareness, he did a good job of mostly keeping his eyes downfield while under duress and only scrambling if he needed to. Surprisingly, he scrambled for gains on just as many plays (36) as he had hits. He was very reluctant to tuck the ball and run, and always seemed to want to make a play with his arm — even though his receivers had their issues with gaining separation. Barrett also threw the ball away 16 times, and he could have done this a little more to keep his sack and hit numbers a little lower.

This is an example of Barrett evading the rush, keeping his eyes downfield and completing a pass to move the chains:


Here’s Barrett somehow gaining 20-yards on a scramble from this situation:

10_24_2016_4_31_33_PM.jpg


Out of Barrett’s 127 incompletions, his intended receivers dropped 14.9 percent of his passes — or 19 total. That’s not a terrible number, but it could definitely get better. One could also pin a majority of the 23 pass break-ups on the receivers for not getting enough separation. Errant throws that were touched by the defender were not charted as pass break-ups.

The biggest issue that is square on Barrett’s shoulders is his lack of deep ball accuracy. 27.5 percent of his incompletions came on overthrows and a handful of those could have resulted in touchdowns. Not all of these were deep ball overthrows, but more than half definitely were. Per CFB Film Room, Barrett was 18-51 (35.3%) for 561 yards downfield. He threw 8 touchdowns to 0 interceptions but it’s tough to throw interceptions when the majority of those balls are uncatchable.

Against Nebraska — where Ohio State blew out the Cornhuskers — six of Barrett’s 11 incompletions came on overthrows, three of which should have been completed for scores.

Barrett had ample time here to set his feet and hit a wide open Mike Weber, but overthrew him pretty badly:

weber_1.jpg

weber_2.jpg


Barrett missed Parris Campbell here, after the receiver got behind the entire ‘Husker secondary:

Campbell_overthrow.jpg


In conclusion, Barrett’s redshirt junior season will be remembered by 130 designed runs, a bunch of should-be touchdowns on deep balls, up-and-down offensive line play, inconsistent wide receiver play and a ton of points on the scoreboard. The Ohio State quarterback was the best signal caller in the Big Ten and has a chance to win his second national title in three seasons. After outplaying and defeating one Heisman finalist earlier this season, Barrett will get a chance to do the same again on New Years Eve.

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Google Week away double-edged sword for Buckeyes - Toledo Blade

Week away double-edged sword for Buckeyes - Toledo Blade
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Week away double-edged sword for Buckeyes
Toledo Blade
COLUMBUS — Make no mistake: Ohio State wanted a rematch with Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game. Now that everything worked out in the Buckeyes' favor anyway — Ohio State still qualified for the College Football Playoff despite missing the ...


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Google How are the Buckeyes injury-wise entering CFP? - 247Sports

How are the Buckeyes injury-wise entering CFP? - 247Sports
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How are the Buckeyes injury-wise entering CFP?
247Sports
Entering the College Football Playoff, what is the health status of the Ohio State Buckeyes? Every team is dealing with injuries at this late stage of the season, but is OSU healthier than the average squad? That is the question Dave Biddle answered ...

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LGHL How to watch Ohio State vs. Florida Atlantic: Preview, game time, live streaming online

How to watch Ohio State vs. Florida Atlantic: 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


usa_today_9046110.0.jpeg

The Buckeyes look to keep their undefeated home record against the Owls.

With a rebound win against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights Saturday, the Ohio State Buckeyes men’s basketball team has risen to a 7-1 record on the season, including a 6-0 mark at home in Columbus. Tonight, the team hopes to make it two-straight as they face the Florida Atlantic Owls of Conference USA for the first time in program history.

After a narrow, two-point loss against then-No. 6 Virginia, Ohio State experienced somewhat of a letdown against the Knights, with junior guard Kam Williams pointing out that “we don’t have that sense of urgency” in that the team plays down to its opponents. And while players like Marc Loving stepped up, scoring a team-high 18 points on the night, others--namely JaQuan Lyle--left the team wanting. Free throws and turnovers remained a problem for the Buckeyes, as they missed 9-of-21 from the line and gave the ball up on 14 occasions. Still, the team had some positive points on the day, shooting 40 percent from behind the arc Saturday, with Kam Williams hitting three of the team’s six three-pointers.

Florida Atlantic sits at 2-5 on the season. The Owls are on a two-game skid, most recently losing an eight-point heartbreaker to Hofstra in which five Florida Atlantic players scored in double figures. The team is 0-2 on the road so far this season, including a one-point loss to UT-Martin in the final seconds of play. While the Owls were able to effectively spread the ball around, head coach Michael Curry cited a lack of “toughness and attitude”--mental mistakes--in costing his team the game.

Ohio State will need to take care of business against Florida Atlantic before turning their attention to a tough, two-game stretch featuring Uconn Saturday and No. 2 UCLA next week. Both games will be at home in Columbus.

Numbers to know

8-4


Ohio State’s record versus current members of Conference USA, which includes a win over the Marshall Thundering Herd earlier this season (which brought Ohio State’s all-time record against Marshall to 2-0). The conference itself has been no pushover, and the Buckeyes have all-time losing records against two of its members. While it is the first time the Buckeyes have faced the Owls, who have been a member of the conference since 2013, half of Ohio State’s Conference USA matchups have been with Western Kentucky (2-1) and Louisiana Tech (1-2). Last season, Florida Atlantic finished 12th in the 13 team conference, and lost following the play in round of their conference tournament.

29.25


The Buckeyes are pulling down an average of more than 29 defensive rebounds per game, which ranks among the best in the country in the category. Unfortunately, Ohio State ranks near the bottom of the NCAA in terms of offensive rebounds per game, averaging just 10.38 per game (good for a tie for 204th in the country). Thus far this season, Ohio State has been relying on defensive prowess as opposed to offensive finesse in staying in and winning games, with much of that originating with winning at the boards defensively. This stat will prove crucial down the line in keeping the Buckeyes in close games as Ohio State faces tough competition in the Big Ten.

4


Ohio State center Trevor Thompson recorded his first double-double of the season following his 10-point, 13-rebound performance coming off the bench against Fairleigh Dickinson. He also had five blocks and two assists on the day to round out quite a solid stat line on the day. Thompson is the first Buckeye since Shannon Scott in 2012 to record a double-double coming off the bench. It was the fourth career double-double for Thompson at Ohio State. His performance Saturday was also matched by fellow Buckeye Jae’Sean Tate, who had a double-double of his own with a dozen points and rebounds, each.

Cast of characters

Ohio State

Trevor Thompson


The seven-footer’s performance Saturday elevated an Ohio State team that had largely been struggling to pull away from Fairleigh Dickinson in the first half. With the Buckeyes only leading by one at the break, Thompson started the second half in place of freshman center Micah Potter, who finished the game with two points and two rebounds. Thompson has been a key factor off the bench for the Buckeyes this season, averaging 9.6 points along with 7.8 rebounds and leading the team with 2.3 blocks per game.

JaQuan Lyle


With five of the team’s 14 turnovers, the sophomore point guard has struggled immensely in the past two games for Ohio State, and has officially overtaken Marc Loving as the team’s leader in turnovers. While C.J. Jackson has managed some strong performances off the bench, Lyle has been the unquestioned starter at point guard, and needs to begin to bring more consistency to the position which has been severely lacking in his time at Ohio State. Lyle’s seven points and five assists against Fairleigh Dickinson won’t cut it when it comes time for conference play.

Florida Atlantic

Ronald Delph


Though his scoring has been inconsistent--ranging from four points in the team’s opener against Texas State to 22 points in their loss to Hawaii--he remains Florida Atlantic’s leading scorer, rebounder and blocker with 12.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. He is also the team’s most consistent shooter from the field, hitting 62.7 percent of field goals. However, he tends to get into foul trouble, recording four personal fouls in four games so far this season. The seven-foot center earned a starting role for the Owls in the middle of last season, when he was also the team’s leading scorer.

Jailyn Ingram


The freshman forward has blossomed into one of the leading scorers for Florida Atlantic this season. A star wide receiver in high school, Ingram received football scholarship offers from the likes of Florida State, Mississippi State and N.C. State, but opted instead to play basketball for Florida Atlantic. After opening the season scoring just six points total in his first three games, he has scored in double-digits in four-straight matchups, shooting nearly 69 percent from the field in the process. He led the Owls in scoring against Hofstra Saturday with 19 points, recording seven rebounds in the process.

How to watch


Game time: 7 p.m. ET

Radio: 97.1 FM

TV: ESPN3

Streaming: WatchESPN

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Google The Wake-Up Call: Buckeyes need to 'play like our hair is on fire,' winter is coming and...

The Wake-Up Call: Buckeyes need to 'play like our hair is on fire,' winter is coming and more - Landof10.com
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The Wake-Up Call: Buckeyes need to 'play like our hair is on fire,' winter is coming and more
Landof10.com
We hope you'll start your day with us here at Landof10.com as we work to prepare you for everything that you need to know — Monday through Friday — around the world of Ohio State sports. Whether it's football, basketball, wrestling, hockey, baseball ...
How to go see the Buckeyes play in the Fiesta BowlColumbus Dispatch
Ohio State Buckeyes: We belong in College Football PlayoffWKYC-TV
Fiesta Bowl: No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. No. 2 Clemson TigersESPN (blog)
Dayton Daily News -Mansfield News Journal
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Google Here's the free stuff the Buckeyes will get from the Fiesta Bowl - Dayton Business Journal

Here's the free stuff the Buckeyes will get from the Fiesta Bowl - Dayton Business Journal
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Here's the free stuff the Buckeyes will get from the Fiesta Bowl
Dayton Business Journal
As we reported when the Buckeyes went to the Fiesta Bowl last season, many of college football's 40 bowl games provide the gift suite option, in which players, and often bowl VIPs, are given an order form and allowed to select gifts – electronics ...

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Google Buckeyes hit break with eye on passing improvements - Barre Montpelier Times Argus

Buckeyes hit break with eye on passing improvements - Barre Montpelier Times Argus
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes hit break with eye on passing improvements
Barre Montpelier Times Argus
But too often this season, the Buckeyes' receivers have struggled to get open, or Barrett's passes have been off target. So even with one of the nation's most dynamic quarterbacks, Ohio State hasn't had much in the way of a downfield passing game ...

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LGHL 5-star Ohio State target will make college plans known

5-star Ohio State target will make college plans known
Dan Hessler
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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The Buckeyes will find out later today if they secured the No.3 prospect from Tennessee.

With the recent addition of linebacker Baron Browning (Kennedale, TX / Kennedale), six five-star prospects have verbally committed to Ohio State’s 2017 recruiting class and they could potentially add a seventh today.

Five-star offensive tackle Trey Smith (Jackson, TN / University School of Jackson) is set to announce his decision today on where he will continue playing football. His decision will likely come down to three schools: Ohio State, Alabama and Tennessee.

Rated as the fifth best tackle in the 2017 class, Smith is currently seen as a top 25 overall player, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, and would be another huge get for Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes.

Meyer has already been able to secure commitments from two other five-star offensive linemen and adding a third would help solidify the Buckeyes up front for the next four years.

Standing at 6-foot-5.5 and weighing 310 pounds, Smith is the real deal and all three of the above programs are showing him everything they have to offer in hopes of securing a commitment.

Smith is coming off an official visit to his hometown school, Tennessee, who is currently seen as the favorite to land the blue-chip prospect. However, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer are two of the best recruiters in all of college football and both traveled to Tennessee on Monday to visit Smith.

It appears that Smith appreciated the fact that Meyer took the time to visit him as he took to Twitter on Monday afternoon to voice his thanks.


Great visit with coach Meyer‼️ ️H- pic.twitter.com/kxoz3A4Pyb

— Trey Smith (@smithtrey98) December 5, 2016

While Meyer has done everything he can do to add Smith to this already impressive class, Tennessee will likely be the school of choice. However, we all know by now that Meyer can never be counted out and the Buckeyes are still very much in-play.

The Under Armour All-American is set to announce his decision today live during ESPNU’s College Football Daily at 4 p.m. Make sure to stay up-to-date with Land-Grant Holy Land as we will keep you updated on Smith’s recruitment and all other things Ohio State.

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Google Can Ohio State football win a national championship? Buckeye Talk Podcast - cleveland.com

Can Ohio State football win a national championship? Buckeye Talk Podcast - cleveland.com
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Can Ohio State football win a national championship? Buckeye Talk Podcast
cleveland.com
This is first blush conversation: Now that we know Ohio State is in the playoff, do we think the Buckeyes have a team capable of winning a national championship? We discuss that, and answer your Buckeyes questions in our latest Buckeye Talk Podcast.
Ohio State Buckeyes overcame lack of experience to make playoffsMyDaytonDailyNews

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Google After 2014, nothing bizarre for Buckeyes - The Newark Advocate

After 2014, nothing bizarre for Buckeyes - The Newark Advocate
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After 2014, nothing bizarre for Buckeyes
The Newark Advocate
Urban Meyer's Ohio State Buckeyes won the inaugural College Football Playoff in 2014 as a fourth seed with a third-string quarterback. Even by such a wacky measure, 2016 ranks right there at the top. "It was a bizarre year," Meyer said. Not to mention ...
Buckeyes to face Tigers in national semifinalsWDTN
The Buckeyes are in! Ohio State chosen for College Football PlayoffLandof10.com
Buckeyes Make Posteason Playoff, Will Face Clemson In SemifinalWOSU
BuckeyeGrove.com (subscription) -Comcast SportsNet Chicago
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Google Ohio State vs. Clemson: 3 reasons the Buckeyes can win the Fiesta Bowl - cleveland.com

Ohio State vs. Clemson: 3 reasons the Buckeyes can win the Fiesta Bowl - cleveland.com
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Ohio State vs. Clemson: 3 reasons the Buckeyes can win the Fiesta Bowl
cleveland.com
So we're jumping in early with some reasons why we think the Buckeyes can win this game and get to the national championship. Watch the video to hear our three reasons for why Ohio State can beat Clemson. We'll come back with three reasons Clemson ...
After 2014, nothing bizarre for BuckeyesThe Newark Advocate
Fiesta Bowl: No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. No. 2 Clemson TigersESPN (blog)
Buckeyes hit break with eye on passing improvements (Dec 5, 2016)FOXSports.com
WDTN -Landof10.com -WOSU
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Google Buckeyes win season opener - Athens Messenger (registration)

Buckeyes win season opener - Athens Messenger (registration)
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Buckeyes win season opener
Athens Messenger (registration)
Buckeyes win season opener. By Kevin Wiseman Messenger sports editor; 10 min ago; 0. Nelsonville-York coach Jay Kline had plenty to be happy about after the Buckeyes' season opener. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account ...


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Google Buckeyes Roundball Roundup: Just short at Virginia, withstand Knights - Waiting For Next Year

Buckeyes Roundball Roundup: Just short at Virginia, withstand Knights - Waiting For Next Year
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Buckeyes Roundball Roundup: Just short at Virginia, withstand Knights
Waiting For Next Year
For the Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team, last week had potential to be a good one. Unfortunately, it didn't come to fruition. The scarlet and gray came up just short at Virginia, who are considered one of the best teams in the country, and ...
Ohio State basketball: Sluggish Buckeyes hold off Fairleigh Dickinson 70-62cleveland.com
Ohio State 70, Fairleigh Dickinson 62 | Buckeyes wake up in second halfColumbus Dispatch
Loving leads Buckeyes to 70-62 win over Fairleigh DickinsonBig Ten Network
247Sports -Landof10.com -WHIZ
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Google Buckeyes climb in AP poll - Columbus Dispatch (blog)

Buckeyes climb in AP poll - Columbus Dispatch (blog)
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Buckeyes climb in AP poll
Columbus Dispatch (blog)
Ohio State is as close as it's been to the Associated Press top 25 since the 2014-15 season. Today, the Buckeyes received 40 points in the week five poll, which ranks them 28th nationally and fourth in the Big Ten behind Indiana (No. 9), Wisconsin (17 ...

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Google Recruits react: Confidence high as Buckeyes in vs Clemson - 247Sports

Recruits react: Confidence high as Buckeyes in vs Clemson - 247Sports
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Recruits react: Confidence high as Buckeyes in vs Clemson
247Sports
The Buckeyes went in to Norman in mid-September and defeated OU 45-24. In that game, Mayfield threw for just 226 yards -- his second-lowest output of the year -- and two touchdowns. He was intercepted by Buckeye linebacker Jerome Baker -- who ...

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Google Where to buy Buckeyes playoff tickets - ABC6OnYourSide.com

Where to buy Buckeyes playoff tickets - ABC6OnYourSide.com
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Where to buy Buckeyes playoff tickets
ABC6OnYourSide.com
Where to buy Buckeyes playoff tickets. By WSYX/WTTE 1480972446000. OSU fans celebrating.jpg. Ohio State players and fans celebrate their win over Michigan in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016, in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State beat ...
The Mailbox | Harbaugh's antics made for sideshow on sidelineColumbus Dispatch

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LGHL Ohio State well represented on the AP All-Big Ten squad

Ohio State well represented on the AP All-Big Ten squad
Meredith Hein
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


usa_today_9706361.0.jpeg

Ohio State’s biggest playmakers pick up yet another award.

“And we’ve been telling them the 13th data point matters, and we added a conference championship game because of that. We’ve always heard that conference championships matter and division championships matter, and now it’s confusing.”

--Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby, via Heather Dinich, ESPN


The Big 12 conference has serious questions for the 12 members of the College Football Playoff selection committee, especially after the announcement of the four teams who made the third iteration of the event this season. Commissioner Bob Bowlsby, though acknowledging that the conference really didn’t have a dog in the fight this season, with Oklahoma ending the year ranked No. 7 in the rankings, said that the selection of the teams this season was “confusing” given past precedent for the committee, adding that “It’s just another case in which we need to seek clarification.”

Bowlsby in particular took issue with the selection of Washington, which boasted one of the weakest nonconference schedules in the country with wins over Idaho, Rutgers and Portland State of the FCS. After Baylor was left out of consideration for the first two seasons of the playoff, owing partly to their exceedingly poor non-conference schedule (which included the likes of SMU, Northwestern State and Buffalo in 2014 and SMU, Lamar and Rice in 2015), the Big 12 revised its scheduling policy, requiring all teams to schedule at least one Power 5 non-conference opponent and limiting FCS opponents to one per season. Now, however, Bowlsby hopes to gain clarification for the conference on if, in fact, a strong non-conference schedule is required for a playoff berth.

Given how TCU was left out of the playoff in 2014, Bowlsby also had questions about the necessity of a conference championship in making the field of four, with Penn State being left out of the playoff in favor of Ohio State. In TCU’s case, the Horned Frogs fell from the No. 3 spot to No. 6 in the final rankings, which contributed to the Big 12’s decision to bring its conference championship game back starting next season. Now, however, with Ohio State placing second in the Big Ten East behind the Nittany Lions but still earning a playoff berth, the necessity of a conference championship is called into question.

“The thing that bothers me about all this process is I think having a brand matters as well. If you flipped the jerseys and took Penn State and Ohio State and flipped those jerseys around, I think you’re not even having this discussion.”

-ESPN analyst Danny Kanell, via Alex Putterman, Land of 10


Prior to the playoff field being set Sunday afternoon, the key question which remained to be answered was who, between Washington, Penn State and (hypothetically) Michigan, would earn the crucial No. 4 ranking and thereby a spot in the College Football Playoff to take on Alabama. To most, Ohio State was a shoe in for a playoff bid, though the particular ranking remained up for debate. Danny Kanell, however, took issue with the assumption that Penn State would be beat out by Ohio State in the first place, believing the Nittany Lions earned the berth owing to their head-to-head win over the Buckeyes and their Big Ten title.

After Ohio State was placed at the No. 3 spot, taking on Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl, and Washington nabbed the final position in the playoff, Kanell pointed out that the Buckeyes’ ‘brand’ likely made the difference in getting Ohio State in over Penn State. While he did not take issue with Washington making the field of four, even stating that the Pac-12 had been “undervalued all year long,” Kanell seemed to think that it was the Ohio State name that got them into the playoff, sans a conference championship or even a division title.

Others on the panel disagreed with Kanell, namely former Buckeye Joey Galloway, who pointed out that Penn State actually does have a very strong brand historically, which is making a comeback after recent scandal. With the first 10-win season since 2009 and a strong coach who has been able to rebuild the program in spite of sanctions imposed in 2012, Penn State has brought itself back into relevance on a national scale. David Pollack also discussed how Washington--who had not won a conference championship since 2000 and has been largely irrelevant for quite some time--itself does not have a strong football brand.


Ohio State has eight players on Associated Press' first All-Big Ten team https://t.co/6WVob7jpEO

— Ari Wasserman (@AriWasserman) December 5, 2016

Eight Ohio State players were named to the Associated Press’ first team all-Big Ten list this afternoon--the most of any school on the list--headlined by quarterback J.T. Barrett on offense:

  • QB J.T. Barrett
  • OG Billy Price
  • C Pat Elflein
  • WR Curtis Samuel
  • DE Tyquan Lewis
  • LB Raekwon McMillan
  • S Malik Hooker
  • P Cameron Johnston

Four Buckeyes also made the second team list:

  • RB Mike Weber
  • OT Jamarco Jones
  • All-Purpose: Curtis Samuel
  • CB Marshon Lattimore

Weber was also named the AP’s Big Ten newcomer of the year. Michigan had five players named to the first-team, including Jabrill Peppers on two occasions.

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Google Ohio State Buckeyes overcame lack of experience to make playoffs - MyDaytonDailyNews

Ohio State Buckeyes overcame lack of experience to make playoffs - MyDaytonDailyNews
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Ohio State Buckeyes overcame lack of experience to make playoffs
MyDaytonDailyNews
Two years after winning the national title, the Buckeyes are back in the playoff, and it's as surprising they are here this year as it was that they didn't make it last year with a team full of future NFL players. This young team may be a year ahead of ...
Ohio State football | Meyer's joy: grandson's birth, playoff berthColumbus Dispatch
Can Ohio State football win a national championship? Buckeye Talk Podcastcleveland.com
Do the Buckeyes need to prove their CFP merit again?247Sports
The Steubenville Herald-Star -Akron Beacon Journal
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LGHL The matchups and playmakers that will determine Ohio State-Clemson

The matchups and playmakers that will determine Ohio State-Clemson
Chuck McKeever
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


usa_today_9722274.0.jpeg

That Tigers QB is pretty good, for starters.

Ohio State is one of the four teams that made this year’s College Football Playoff. Penn State is not. According to the internet, this is good and also bad. Nittany Lions? More like Schrödinger’s Cats, folks.

Anyway. The Buckeyes, who only lost one game this year instead of two, will take the field against Clemson on New Year’s Eve to determine a berth in the national title game. Both teams are stacked with dynamic playmakers, giving us a whole host of exciting things to watch for on December 31. Here, you’ll find a look at some of the matchups, players, and other CFB esoterica that make this game stand out as a surefire thrill ride.

Deshaun Watson v. the Buckeye pass rush


Don’t let Deshaun Watson’s season distract you from the fact that Notre Dame went 4-8 sleep on Deshaun Watson. The Tigers’ QB has had a tremendous year slinging the rock, finishing 2016 with 3,626 passing yards and an eye-popping 34 touchdowns. He’s often damned with faint praise as a “dual-threat quarterback,” but really, Watson has been a consistent and effective as a pocket passer in an explosive Clemson offense. He can run—he gained almost five yards per carry and scored four rushing TDs in the regular season—but make no mistake: Watson’s arm is far more deadly than his legs. He’ll be the second-best QB the Buckeyes have faced this year after Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield.

He’ll be tasked with staring down a formidable Buckeye front four. The seven OSU players who regularly line up in those four spots—Tyquan Lewis, Sam Hubbard, Dre’Mont Jones, Robert Landers, Michael Hill, Nick Bosa, and Jalyn Holmes—are more than capable of getting after quarterbacks and forcing them into bad throws (when they get the throw off at all). That group has accounted for 18.5 sacks and four pass breakups.

Advantage: push

J.T. Barrett’s arm v. the Clemson secondary


In 2016, Clemson quietly put together a phenomenal season in the secondary. The Tigers finished No. 4 in pass defense S&P+ (No. 6 overall defensively) thanks to a terrifying pass rush and a secondary that refused to give up long, explosive plays. Clemson’s defensive backs finished the regular season with 10 picks, five of those courtesy of ballhawking safety Jadar Johnson.

The Buckeyes, meanwhile, have been less-than-inspiring of late when moving the ball through the air. J.T. Barrett has recorded back-to-back games completing fewer than 50% of his passes, at times looking like he’s throwing a knuckleball rather than a football. The veteran QB has regressed as a passer, relying instead on his legs to get him out of trouble time after time down the home stretch.

Ohio State has a lot of talent at receiver and H-back, but Clemson is going to make it very difficult for them to get the ball.

Advantage: Tigers

Ohio State’s 4th-quarter terror squad


Thanks to their ridiculous depth along the front four, the Ohio State defense gets stronger as games wear on. The Buckeyes finished the season ranked No. 1 in 4th-quarter defensive S&P+, and it’s not hard to see why. They were consistently able to slam the door shut on opponents who insisted on hanging around beyond halftime (see: Michigan’s five total yards in the game’s final quarter), and it made all the difference in conference play.

Clemson, meanwhile, played its best on offense before halftime throughout the year. The Tigers’ offensive S&P+, by quarter: 21, 2, 33, 28. A number of factors contribute to this, not least of which is that Clemson blew the doors off of several opponents and could afford to take their collective foot off the gas. Still, if you’re a Buckeye fan, you have to like your chances if you’re up by a touchdown or so heading into the fourth.

Advantage: Buckeyes

Buckeye rushers v. Clemson front 7


There’s no question that the Ohio State passing offense is on Shakey’s Pizza Watch.

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But it’s hard not to love what the Buckeyes have been able to do on the ground against opponents all season. Urban Meyer’s team is No. 2 nationally in rushing S&P+, thanks to an onslaught of explosive run plays and efficient moving of the chains. Mike Weber, J.T. Barrett, and Curtis Samuel have all recorded more than 700 rush yards and eight TDs, and when they’re firing on all cylinders, they look like world-beaters.

The Tigers are going to have their hands (paws?) full. They rank 28th against the run, a stat which disguises their No. 109 finish in explosive run plays. Translation: they’re pretty good most of the time, but have a real weakness when it comes to giving up home runs on the ground. The Buckeyes have killed teams with big run plays in 2016—more of the same could happen here.

Advantage: Buckeyes

Weird Dabo v. Weird Urban


It takes a certain kind of lunatic to successfully coach football at the highest levels, and the two men in the headsets for this one are no exception.

On the Clemson sideline, there’s Dabo Swinney, a grown man who goes by “Dabo.” That’s probably enough to qualify him from the jump, but there’s more: Dabo Swinney regularly talks about Dabo Swinney in the third person. Dabo Swinney loves naps, and once invited Jim Rome to take one at the Clemson facility. Dabo Swinney did not know his given name until he was in 3rd grade:


Dabo on his name: "This is honest to God truth. I had no idea my name was even William until like the 3rd grade because of those scantrons."

— Derek Phillips (@DerekPhillips89) January 5, 2016

Urban Meyer, meanwhile, is a more traditional coaching lunatic, in the sense that he cared so much about football that it literally almost killed him a few years ago. These days, the biggest knock on him seems to be that he’s at best indifferent toward the issue of whether or not grown men should drink milk. Oh, and he also starred in this College Football Playoff ad:


That commercial is remarkable for sooo many reasons, from the Boschian nightmare of Oregon’s mascot ruling all others to the fact that Mississippi State, Georgia, and Tennessee all appear unironically in an ad about, you know, the College Football Playoff. It takes a nut like Meyer to sell the whole thing with his uber-serious cadence and commanding voice.

Advantage: Tigers, by the Swinniest of margins

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Google Cowboys and Buckeyes fans will dig these absolutely crazy Ezekiel Elliott stats - CBSSports.com

Cowboys and Buckeyes fans will dig these absolutely crazy Ezekiel Elliott stats - CBSSports.com
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Cowboys and Buckeyes fans will dig these absolutely crazy Ezekiel Elliott stats
CBSSports.com
In 2013, the Buckeyes went 12-2. Their two losses came in neutral-site games, while they went 5-0 in true road games. In 2014, Ohio State went 14-1 and won the national championship. The Buckeyes' lone loss was at home against Virginia Tech, while they ...

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Google Buckeyes to face Tigers in national semifinals - WDTN

Buckeyes to face Tigers in national semifinals - WDTN
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Buckeyes to face Tigers in national semifinals
WDTN
The Buckeyes defeated No. 7 Oklahoma by 21 points on the road in September; it defeated No. 8 Wisconsin, champion of the Big Ten west division, on the road in overtime in October; and they defeated their rivals, No. 6 Michigan, in double overtime to ...
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First look at the College Football Playoff semifinalsESPN
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Google No, Ohio State's 'brand' isn't why the Buckeyes made the College Football Playoff -...

No, Ohio State's 'brand' isn't why the Buckeyes made the College Football Playoff - Landof10.com
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No, Ohio State's 'brand' isn't why the Buckeyes made the College Football Playoff
Landof10.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ever since the selection committee chose Ohio State as one of its four teams for this year's College Football Playoff on Sunday afternoon, a certain sentiment from Buckeyes' detractors has been shared by the likes of ESPN's Danny ...

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