Ohio State-Michigan State 2016 depth chart: No changes heading into final road game
Ian Cuevas via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The last road game of the season has no changes in the lineup for the Buckeyes.



As expected, Ohio State rolled over Maryland to a 62-3 win last Saturday following their blowout victory over Nebraska. Now the Buckeyes head to East Lansing in hopes to avenge last season’s stunning defeat against Michigan State. The next two games, the Spartans and Michigan, could potentially be the last games for the Buckeyes before the bowl game season is upon us if Penn State wins out and takes the Big Ten championship game spot from the East division. Let’s see how the depth chart is looking this week.

J.T. Barrett is the starting quarterback and will be for the entirety of the season, barring injury. Barrett was rocking and rolling against the Terrapins, throwing for 253 yards and two touchdowns on 18-of-27 passing. He also rushed for 47 yards and two more touchdowns on 11 carries. Joe Burrow remains the backup and added a passing touchdown of his own in mop up duty.

At running back, Mike Weber remains the starter with OR in between he and Samuel. Despite a lingering shoulder injury, Weber rushed for 93 yards on only 12 carries with an average of 7.8 yards per carry though was kept out of the endzone. Samuel added four carries on the ground and amassed 38 yards and two touchdowns to his name. These two are essential to Ohio State’s success over the next two weeks.

The starters are the same as in previous weeks, as the receiving core continues its growth. Noah Brown starts at X, K.J Hill OR Corey Smith OR Johnnie Dixon all slotted for the third wide receiver spot, and Terry McLaurin OR James Clark at Z. Austin Mack and Binjimen Victor are the third-string options. 10 different players caught passes on Saturday, with K.J. Hill having perhaps the biggest day, with five receptions for 62 yards. Victor was the only true receiver to catch a touchdown, the first of his young career.

The H-back spot remains with Curtis Samuel OR Dontre Wilson. Samuel continues to be one of the more electrifying players in the country, rushing for 38 yards and two touchdowns on four carries. He also hauled in five receptions for 74 yards and two touchdowns. Wilson again had another solid outing, accounting for three catches for 47 yards and a touchdown.

The tight end spot is firmly locked down by Marcus Baugh with A.J. Alexander listed as the backup. Baugh caught two passes on Saturday for 19 yards but was mostly quiet beyond that.

The offensive line starters are listed as Jamarco Jones, Michael Jordan, Pat Elflein, Billy Price, and Isaiah Prince (from left to right). The offensive line continues their improvement with several good games coming from them in a row. If there was ever a time to be at the top of their game, these next two games would be perfect timing.

On the defensive side of the ball, Sam Hubbard OR Jayln Holmes and Tyquan Lewis remain listed as the defensive end starters. The backups at defensive end are Nick Bosa OR Jonathon Cooper. In the middle, Michael Hill anchors the defensive line alongside Dre’Mont Jones who replaced Tracy Sprinkle and Davon Hamilton is listed as the co-starter with Jones.

The linebacking core continues to be a strong unit. Raekwon McMillan is still slotted in at middle linebacker. Surrounding him are outside linebackers Chris Worley and Dante Booker OR Jerome Baker. Booker suffered a slight MCL sprain early on against Bowling Green and a combination of Joe Burger and Jerome Baker have stepped in very well in his place. Rashod Berry, Joe Burger, and Craig Fada are your backups. Baker has been the one to fill in for Booker most of all season, and has played well.

At cornerback, Gareon Conley is the starter on one end and Marshon Lattimore OR Denzel Ward on the other for the second corner spot. For safeties, Damon Webb slides over this season with Malik Hooker getting the other safety spot. Erick Smith is listed as the backup to Hooker, while Jordan Fuller is the backup to Webb. The secondary had another good performance, with Marshon Lattimore stealing the day with his interception.

For special teams, sophomore walk-on Tyler Durbin continues to be the starter at kicker for both kickoffs and field goals as Sean Nuernberger recovers from a groin injury that forced him to miss most of camp. Durbin connected on all eight of his extra points against Maryland, and knocked in two field goals with a long of 45, the longest of his career thus far.

Senior Cameron Johnston remains as the punter, and that’s no surprise considering he’s been a mainstay since his freshman season and has done a tremendous job. Punting for the first time in November this year, Johnston had three punts for an average of 43.7 yards.

At punt return, Curtis Samuel OR K.J. Hill take over after Dontre Wilson’s struggles. Handling kickoff returns will be Parris Campbell OR Dontre Wilson. The long-snapping duties are given to Liam McCollough, and holding for kicks is Cameron Johnston.

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Buckeyes rout Maryland: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly - Waiting For Next Year
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Buckeyes rout Maryland: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Waiting For Next Year
With the Ohio State Buckeyes dominating win over the Maryland Terrapins, 62-3, on Saturday, they were able to jump up to No. 2 in the polls after the craziness that took place around college football after the Buckeyes game. For the second consecutive ...
What's Ohio State's new path to the playoff? Final observations from the Buckeyes' win vs. MarylandLandof10.com
J.T. Barrett record confusion, more Ohio State interceptions: Buckeyes notes, quotes and nuggetscleveland.com
Ohio State Buckeyes do 'Mannequin Challenge' on flight home from MarylandNBC4i.com
ESPN (blog) -Columbus Dispatch -Dayton Daily News
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College Football Playoff mock committee: Are the Ohio State Buckeyes a lock at No. 2? - cleveland.com
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College Football Playoff mock committee: Are the Ohio State Buckeyes a lock at No. 2?
cleveland.com
The Buckeyes are likely, and probably should be, No. 2. These are our College Football Playoff mock committee rankings, meant to give you a preview of what we think will happen tonight. As you'll see below, we're predicting a jump from No. 5 to No. 2 ...
Buckeyes didn't root for rival Wolverines despite CFP scenariosESPN
Ohio State: Buckeyes trying to keep focus on next gameChronicle Telegram
Ohio State football | Buckeyes' philosophy? Just winColumbus Dispatch
CBS Local -OSU - The Lantern -Landof10.com
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Listen to your Big Ten coach’s Week 12 teleconference
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

Each Tuesday morning during the Big Ten football season, the 14 Big Ten football coaches hold a Big Ten teleconference with reporters from around the country. We post the audio for each segment of the call here.Filed under: Audio Tagged: Teleconferences

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Ohio State’s versatile Demario McCall is proving he’s capable of more than mop-up duty
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Assuming MSU doesn’t shock the world, the young back should be fun to watch on Saturday.

After showing impressive potential against Bowling Green and Rutgers early in the season, freshman running back Demario McCall was left on the sideline as the going got tough for the Buckeyes during the four-game stretch in October. However, with Ohio State’s back-to-back 62-3 victories over Nebraska and Maryland, the North Ridgeville grad has again struck the fancy of the Buckeye faithful. With H-back Curtis Samuel on pace to have a record-setting season, many have already penciled him into the 2017 NFL Draft. If that’s the case, McCall just might be the next explosive playmaker for OSU.

While recent memory is more than enough to remind Buckeye fans of Michigan State’s ability to spoil the Scarlet and Grey’s postseason hopes, S&P+ rankings forecast a comfortable 30-point victory for Ohio State. While fans shouldn’t count their victories before their hatched, if that is in fact what happens, this could be an opportunity to see what McCall is able to do against a tough-nosed defense that head coach Urban Meyer says on film still looks as tough as ever.

With their season almost certainly over after their game against Penn State a week from Saturday, there should be no underestimating the motivation of a proud team looking to play spoiler after figuring out how to win, beating Rutgers 49-0 last weekend. So, just keep in mind that whether is was 1998 or 2015, the Spartans have a knack for upending the Buckeyes’ postseason plans.

So, for the curiosity and entertainment value of seeing how the young back does against the Spartans, McCall is the offensive player to watching against Michigan State this weekend.

The stats


Name: Demario McCall
Number: 30
Position: Running Back
Year: Freshman
Height: 5’9
Weight: 182 lbs.
Rushing: 273 yards, 3 TDs
Receiving: 84 yards, 1 TD



In his limited playing time this season, most long after the game has been decided, McCall has proven that he has the speed and elusiveness to be a difference-maker at the collegiate level.

Coming out of high school, he is a little undersized for the pounding of a full Big Ten schedule, but strength coach Mickey Marotti will certainly work to improve that, and as a recruit, McCall was clocked in the 40-yard dash at 4.54 seconds. Needless to say, this back has the makings of a special player.

As evidenced in the above highlight, he has both the speed to run away from defenders, the fast-twitch muscles to move laterally, and the vision and decision-making to find holes.

Opposition research

Mike Granse-USA TODAY Sports

There is no doubt that since former OSU defensive coordinator Mark Dantonio took over as the head coach in East Lansing in 2007, the Michigan State Spartans have been one of college football’s best defensive units, finishing in the Top-10 nationally in Total Defense in four of the last five years. However, this season has not been nearly as positive, having given up 30 points or more in five games, the most since 2009.

The decline in productivity is especially startling when comparing the 2015 team to this year’s. Last year, MSU ranked 12th in Defensive Passing S&P+ and 15th in Rushing. Through 10 games in 2016, they currently rank 105th and 63rd.

On both sides of the ball, Dantonio has been forced to rely on unproven players more than he has with his traditionally veteran-laden teams of the past, and that has led to an uncharacteristically high number of penalties; 67 flags accounting for 641 yards in 10 games, which ranks as 106th in the country out of 128 teams. While the inexperienced squad has caused both penalty and productivity issues for the Spartans this season, it could set them up nicely to rebound next year.

This season, junior linebacker Chris Fry leads the team in tackles with 57, and senior LB Riley Bullough, who missed time with injury earlier this season, has turned in double-digit tackles in three of the five Big Ten games that he’s played in, Northwestern (12), Michigan (14), and Illinois (11). With the Spartans all but eliminated from bowl consideration, certainly the All-Big Ten performer would like to make his mark in one of his last high-profile games.

What to watch for


If this Saturday’s game is anything like the last two (which there is no guarantee that it will be), McCall should start seeing playing time at some point late in the second quarter or early in the third. After the Nebraska game, Meyer said that in addition to a lack of physical strength and experience, the one thing keeping the freshman from the field more often is a lack of ball security in practice.

However, the coach noted that he is already seeing improvements on that front. “He's a very want-to guy,” Meyer said. “He's not defiant. So he will play. He's earning the right to play around here.”



On the first offensive play after halftime against Maryland, McCall took a swing pass from quarterback J.T. Barrett, and turned it into a 32-yard gain. While he was racing past defenders on the sideline, it is noticeable that he was keeping the ball high and tight, but in his exposed right arm. While the technique was sound, switching the ball to his outside arm might have prevented a turnover had the tackle knocked the ball loose. Correcting small things like this could get McCall more touches in the season’s home-stretch.



If McCall continues to work on taking care of the ball, there’s no doubt that he has the potential to contribute to future Buckeye squads, but also to this one as a possible playoff berth unfolds. With senior Dontre Wilson leaving the Maryland game due to injury, and still struggling to figure out how to be most productive, McCall’s speed and escapability could prove to be valuable against teams who haven’t yet considered him one of the team’s major weapons.

Ohio State will take on the Michigan State Spartans this Saturday at 12 p.m. from East Lansing. The game will air on ESPN, and Land-Grant Holy Land will have all of your coverage before, during, and after the game.

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‘The Game’ looms, but Ohio State focused on Michigan State
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

The giant video screen in Ohio State's indoor practice facility ran a loop of MMA fighters beating each other senseless, coach Urban Meyer's way of reminding players that they have one swing to knock out Michigan State this week and keep their championship dreams alive.

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Polls: It’s time to pick your Week 12 Big Ten football winners
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

Who wins Week 12 Big Ten football games? Select your winners for all seven games, including a trio on BTN/BTN2Go.

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The Ohio State offense continued to click on almost all cylinders against Maryland
Christopher Jason via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


62 points is always good, but it wasn't perfect.

The Buckeye offense continued where they left off against Nebraska, by putting up a mirror image on the scoreboard — 62-3 in favor of Ohio State. The offense continued to be called in a way that allowed J.T. Barrett to get into an early rhythm, which included getting the ball to their premiere play maker, Curtis Samuel. The offense came out and showed an empty set on multiple occasions throughout the first drive, which allowed Barrett to make easy reads and get into a flow.

Barrett did miss a couple of deep throws again, but he was more consistent in the intermediate game and in the deep game than he has been so far this season. The staff seems hell-bent on improving his deep ball. If the Buckeyes were to make it to the playoff, they can’t run the ball the majority of the time or just throw quick stuff — they need to make opposing defenses respect them downfield, which will then open up more running lanes.

They have one more game to iron out the passing game before they face a legitimate defense and it looks like they are on the right track.

J.T. Barrett’s passing chart versus Maryland


Once again, the offensive line did an excellent job protecting Barrett, allowing him to stay comfortable in the pocket. After allowing 26 pressures, seven hits and six sacks against Penn State, the offensive line has allowed 14 pressures, five hits and two sacks during the following three games. As mentioned above, Ed Warinner is working extremely hard to get the passing game ironed out before they play Michigan and possibly the playoff. They came out in an empty set on the first drive and hit some short stuff to keep the defense honest, before unleashing Mike Weber and Curtis Samuel.

On deep balls, Barrett was able to cut his overthrows to just one on the day — which should have resulted in a touchdown — but he was also helped by three defensive pass interference calls, which were caused by inaccurate throws. Samuel also dropped a would-be touchdown on a slightly underthrown deep ball by Barrett — still, it should have been caught. Overall, Saturday was a step in the right forward for Barrett’s deep ball accuracy, as he showed shades of his consistent 2014 season.



Even if his deep ball accuracy has been off lately, his movement in the pocket has continued to be one of his better traits. Barrett has to be one of the best in the country at sensing pressure, evading the rush, keeping his eyes downfield and making a throw. One thing I noticed recently (in the video below) is when they motion the running back into the flats, Barrett will run the ball if a linebacker follows the running back — which signifies man coverage — and he will look to throw if he sees they are in zone. Something to keep an eye on in the future.


ESPN #blessed us with the All-22 during the third quarter, which is something they should do more often. On one of the plays that was shown, Barrett was extremely late on a throw, which should have resulted in an interception. He seems to miss a couple of throws in the middle of the field per game, and on this play, Barrett waited for K.J. Hill to get to the area, rather than throwing to the spot on his break.

Maryland had a linebacker spying Barrett in the middle, while lined up in man coverage on Hill. Hill is running a simple 10-yard in pattern.



Hill jab-steps to the left, turning the defender’s hips to the outside. Hill breaks inside and has already beaten the defender. The spying linebacker has moved off his spot in the middle of the field to help with another route — reading Barrett’s eyes. Barrett needs to throw the ball right now to where Hill will be and not wait for the linebacker to get back into the passing lane.



Barrett waited for Hill to be completely open, which then allowed the linebacker to move into the passing lane and tip the ball into the air. If the quarterback threw to the open spot on Hill’s break rather than waiting for him to gain complete separation, this play had touchdown potential. It’s the little things that Barrett is seeming to miss this season, compared to his 2014 campaign.



Plays like this don’t matter much in a 59-point blowout, but they will matter when they lose a one possession game against Michigan, Alabama or Clemson. A play like this could have went for six, or could have been picked off by an NFL-bound linebacker from a playoff team.

I’m sure a play like this will be replayed in the film room.

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Buckeyes in the NFL: Week 10 - 247Sports
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Buckeyes in the NFL: Week 10
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! With so many Buckeyes gracing the rosters of NFL teams, each Tuesday, Bucknuts will take a look at how each former Ohio ...

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The Wake-Up Call: D-line led by veteran Lewis, Buckeyes never cheer for Michigan and more - Landof10.com
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The Wake-Up Call: D-line led by veteran Lewis, Buckeyes never cheer for Michigan 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 ...

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College Football Playoff mock committee: Are the Ohio State Buckeyes a lock at No. 2? - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


College Football Playoff mock committee: Are the Ohio State Buckeyes a lock at No. 2?
cleveland.com
2 for the Buckeyes. It seems clear cut to our three-man mock committee. If it's a conversation about who among Ohio State, Michigan, Clemson, Washington and Louisville should be the No. 2 team in the country, We feel pretty strongly that it should be ...
Buckeyes didn't root for rival Wolverines despite CFP scenariosESPN
With Michigan looming, Buckeyes focus on Michigan StateNBC4i.com
Ohio State football | Buckeyes' philosophy? Just winColumbus Dispatch
MyDaytonDailyNews -OSU - The Lantern
all 250 news articles »

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Gary Johnson, the nation's top JUCO LB, includes Ohio State on new list: Buckeye Breakfast - cleveland.com
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Gary Johnson, the nation's top JUCO LB, includes Ohio State on new list: Buckeye Breakfast
cleveland.com
Ohio State hasn't had a long history of recruiting junior college players under Urban Meyer, but the Buckeyes did take Malcolm Pridgeon in the 2016 recruiting class. Johnson could make sense for Ohio State in the 2017 class because he plays linebacker, ...


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J.T. Barrett thinks potential one-loss Buckeyes belong in Playoff even without Big Ten title - Comcast SportsNet Chicago
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J.T. Barrett thinks potential one-loss Buckeyes belong in Playoff even without Big Ten title
Comcast SportsNet Chicago
Ohio State will likely hold the No. 2 ranking in the College Football Playoff rankings when the new batch is released Tuesday thanks to the current Nos. 2, 3 and 4 teams all losing this past weekend. The Buckeyes, which have won their last two games by ...

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Ohio State need not fret on 4-star OLB commit
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Despite a recent visit to Michigan State, the Buckeyes seem to still be the school to beat for Antjuan Simmons.

Buckeye commit Antjuan Simmons (Ann Arbor, MI / Pioneer) surprised many when he decided to take an official visit to Michigan State this past weekend. While having a commitment visit another school is not uncommon in this day and age, it was reported that Simmons had not informed the Buckeye coaching staff prior to the visit, which left many questioning the strength of his commitment. But surprises are nothing new when it comes to Simmons’ recruitment.

The four-star linebacker caught the college football recruiting world off guard when he committed to the Buckeyes back in March. While the decision was not necessarily surprising, the timing was, as many expected him to visit hometown schools Michigan and Michigan State before making any sort of decision.

Ohio State has also continued to actively recruit top-level prospects at the position, most notably five-star OLB Baron Browning (Kennedale, TX / Kennedale) who is set to visit the Buckeyes for the Michigan game and plans to announce his decision soon afterwards.

Because of this, there has always been an underlying feeling that Simmons’ commitment was not set in stone. This feeling was only enhanced when the news arose about his unexpected official visit to East Lansing.

However, it seems Ohio State may not have anything to worry about, as the 6-foot-1, 215-pounder took to Twitter Monday afternoon to shed some light on the situation.


Bill Kurelic of BuckNuts went even further and spoke to Simmons’ trainer, Darryl Graham, on Monday. Graham told Kurelic that the visit to Michigan State has not changed anything and that the four-star OLB “is still 100 percent committed to Ohio State.”

While this certainly doesn’t make it official, this has to make Ohio State feel better about keeping the commitment.

Buckeyes still in play for 5-star RB


Cam Akers (Clinton, MS / Clinton) is one of the few recruits on the offensive side of the ball still in play for the Buckeyes, and the next two weeks will be telling in his recruitment.

Akers, who included Ohio State in his list of his top-10 schools back in May, is in the middle of taking his official visits. He first visited Florida State on Oct. 28 and has two more already scheduled – Ohio State and Michigan.

Akers is planning on making the trip up to Ann Arbor this weekend as the Wolverines host Indiana and will visit the Buckeyes the following week for “The Game.”

While it is obviously concerning that Akers will get a chance to see Michigan play in person two weeks in a row, the Buckeyes are still the favorite to land the No. 2 running back in the 2017 recruiting class. The U.S. Army All-American took a two-day unofficial visit to Ohio State back in March but hasn’t been back since.

Akers hasn’t provided much information as of late on his recruitment status and will likely wait until after completing both visits before he provides any kind of update. So be sure to follow Land-Grant Holy Land during the coming weeks as we follow his recruitment.

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With Michigan looming, Buckeyes focus on Michigan State | WTOP - WTOP
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With Michigan looming, Buckeyes focus on Michigan State | WTOP
WTOP
Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett greets fans after an NCAA college football game against Maryland in College Park, Md., Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016.
Big Ten Week 11 Power Rankings: Buckeyes back on topESPN (blog)
Ohio State opens as 22-point favorite for Michigan State: Buckeye Breakfastcleveland.com

all 184 news articles »

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Ohio State Buckeyes do 'Mannequin Challenge' on flight home from Maryland - NBC4i.com
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Ohio State Buckeyes do 'Mannequin Challenge' on flight home from Maryland
NBC4i.com
COLUMBUS (WCMH) — Fresh off their 62-3 drubbing of Maryland, the Ohio State Buckeyes decided to have a little fun and do the “Mannequin Challenge” on the flight home. For those unfamiliar with this new viral trend, the Challenge goes like this: A ...
What's Ohio State's new path to the playoff? Final observations from the Buckeyes' win vs. MarylandLandof10.com
J.T. Barrett record confusion, more Ohio State interceptions: Buckeyes notes, quotes and nuggetscleveland.com
Ohio State 62, Maryland 3 | Road rompColumbus Dispatch
Dayton Daily News -Scarlet and Game -Ironton Tribune
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Buckeyes, Wolverines nearing clash - Toledo Blade
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Buckeyes, Wolverines nearing clash
Toledo Blade
Buckeyes, Wolverines nearing clash. Michigan faces uncertainty under center with Speight injury. BLADE STAFF. Published on Nov. 15, 2016. s3speight-2. Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight kneels after he was hit on the next-to-last possession at Iowa.
The curious case of Ohio State: Buckeyes are Big Ten's best, future No. 2, but could miss out on conference title gameComcast SportsNet Chicago
Wilton Speight Out For Regular Season | mgoblogMGoBlog
Source: Michigan QB Wilton Speight has broken collarboneDetroit Free Press

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Ohio State opens as 22-point favorite for Michigan State: Buckeye Breakfast - cleveland.com
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Ohio State opens as 22-point favorite for Michigan State: Buckeye Breakfast
cleveland.com
That's because the Buckeyes opened as 22-point favorite in its final regular-season road game of the season at Michigan State on Saturday, according to VegasInsider.com. Ohio State began the season with four-straight wins against the spread before ...

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Buckeyes, Wolverines nearing clash - Toledo Blade
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Buckeyes, Wolverines nearing clash
Toledo Blade
The million-dollar question for the Buckeyes: Will that be enough? For the first time this year, Ohio State faces the very real possibility that it might not win the Big Ten, no matter how well it plays during the rest of the season. Iowa's upset of ...
The curious case of Ohio State: Buckeyes are Big Ten's best, future No. 2, but could miss out on conference title gameComcast SportsNet Chicago
Wilton Speight Out For Regular Season | mgoblogMGoBlog
Source: Michigan QB Wilton Speight has broken collarboneDetroit Free Press

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Dotting the 'Eyes: Antjuan Simmons talks, Texas duo discussions and more Ohio State recruiting news - Landof10.com
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Dotting the 'Eyes: Antjuan Simmons talks, Texas duo discussions and more Ohio State recruiting news
Landof10.com
As we mentioned on Sunday night, three different Ohio State commitments visited other schools last weekend. Two of the visits were known about and not a surprise to the Buckeyes coaching staff. One – the visit of Antjuan Simmons to Michigan State – did ...
Michigan State visit doesn't change status of Buckeye commitment247Sports

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Recap: Ohio State holds on in sluggish showing vs. North Carolina Central - Landof10.com
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Recap: Ohio State holds on in sluggish showing vs. North Carolina Central
Landof10.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State basketball team improved to 2-0 on the season on Monday night with a 69-63 win over North Carolina Central. Much like their season-opening win over Navy, the Buckeyes overcame a closely contested second half ...
Buckeyes fall in opener to South CarolinaBuckeyeGrove.com (subscription)
Gamecocks' Kaela Davis scores 37 in season-opening winThe State
Women's basketball | Ohio State still can't solve South CarolinaColumbus Dispatch
247Sports
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Ohio State vs. North Carolina Central 2016 final score: OSU wins 69-63 in sloppy home opener
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Buckeyes pick up their second win, but don’t look good doing it.

After a season opening 78-68 win against the Naval Academy in Annapolis on Friday, the Ohio State Men’s Basketball team took to the Value City Arena floor for the first time this season on Monday night. Even though the game was painful to watch at times, the Buckeyes notched their second win of the young season by besting the North Carolina Central Eagles 69-63.

Neither team was especially sharp in their second game on the season; the teams combined for 43 fouls (OSU- 16, NC Central- 27) and 35 turnovers (OSU- 14, NC Central- 21). While head coach Thad Matta and his staff has been hoping to improve the team’s shooting from last season, the Buckeyes were at their offensive best when they were able to exercise their athletic advantage in the lane. The team shot only 6-21 from three-point land, while going 17-26 in the paint.

Jae’Sean Tate and Micah Potter led the way for the Buckeyes; the pair combined for 34 points, with Tate supplying 21 on 8-12 shooting. He also chipped in with nine rebounds.

Much like the game against Navy, OSU got out to a fairly slow start on Monday night. The game’s first two possessions served as a bit of an indication as to what would follow as the refs called back-to-back offensive fouls to open the game; there would be many more of them to follow. Then, Ohio State’s lone senior, Marc Loving, was forced to exit the game just 1:15 in, after picking up his second foul. He finished the game with only three points.

Both teams were sloppy early, with NC Central racking up six turnovers, and Ohio State five, in the game’s first 13 minutes, but after the Eagles took an early 11-9 lead, the Buckeyes went on a 12-0 run to take the lead. Potter started for the second straight game, and after being left alone on a switch, the 6’9” center hit a three-pointer to mark his first points in a Buckeye uniform. He finished the first half with nine.

However, over the next three minutes, the Eagles used a combination of transition buckets and drives to the lane to go on a 14-2 run to reclaim the lead at 25-23 with 4:20 left in the opening half. Throughout the night, the Ohio State offense appeared to be incredibly sedentary, with Buckeyes standing more often than not. Jae-Sean Tate kept the Buckeyes in the game in the final minutes, with 11 points and three rebounds at halftime.

With Ohio State leading 28-27 with under two minutes to play in the first period, head coach Thad Matta called for a full-court press that led to a shot-clock violation, the Eagles’ 10th turnover of the game. As the clock ran out on the first half, JaQuan Lyle hit a three-pointer to take a 31-29 lead into the locker room.

NC Central senior guard Patrick Cole led the way with 10 first half points on 4-7 shooting, including three buckets underneath the basket. The guard finished with 23.

The first-ever meeting between the teams was a bit of a double-header with the No. 7 OSU women’s team falling No. 4 South Carolina 92-80.

Early in the second half, Ohio State appeared to be focused on getting the ball in the lane through some inside cuts to the elbow. The first four Buckeye buckets after the half came inside the lane, as OSU extended the lead to 40-32. However, the team got away from that and began settling for shots from distance, as the offense became stagnant.

Two minutes into the second half, Tate picked Cole’s pocket at the top of the key and raced to a fast-break layup. On the next possession, he grabbed an offensive board and was hacked on the put-back before completing the three-point-play.

With 11:46 left in the game, NC Central senior guard Dajuan Graf picked up his fifth foul, exiting the game with 10 points and three boards. On the next possession, Loving picked up his first bucket of the game, a three-pointer to push the OSU advantage to 45-39.

With under 4:30 left in regulation NC Central guard Ron Trapps hit a three to make it a two-possession game at 61-55 in favor of the Buckeyes.

The Buckeyes will be back in action against Providence on Thursday night from the Schottenstein Center. The game will tip-off at 7:00pm EST and will air on the Big Ten Network.

3 things we learned:


1. Micah Potter can shoot. After going scoreless on two shots in his first collegiate game, Potter surprised Buckeye fans by hitting his first three shots, all from behind the arc. He proved that he was more than just a finesse big by being an active part of the offense competing on the glass and setting solid screens.

Potter finished the game with 13 points on 5-7 shooting, and three rebounds.

2. Ohio State’s still not very good at free-throws. After shooting 14-21 from the stripe against Navy, the Buckeyes regressed to the mean against NC State, shooting 11 for 23.

Last year OSU shot 68.4% from the line, which ranked 236 out of 351 Division I teams. With Chris Jent brought in to work on the team’s shooting, that number should improve as the season progresses, but if the offense is going to be as stagnant as it has been early, free-throws could prove to be extremely important in close conference games.

3. Jae-Sean Tate is OSU’s most reliable producer. With Loving shooting 1-6, Keita Bates-Diop 3-7, and JaQuan Lyle 2-6, Tate and Potter provided most of the team’s offense.

Despite four freshman transferring, Ohio State returned its top six scorers, however, in the home opener most of them seemed content to wait for the ball to find them in a scoring opportunity. Tate, and to a lesser degree Potter, was the exception for most of the game. If Ohio State is going to bounce back from a disappointing 2015-2016 season, the will need to have better efforts from across the roster.

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Buckeyes fall in opener to South Carolina - BuckeyeGrove.com (subscription)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes fall in opener to South Carolina
BuckeyeGrove.com (subscription)
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State Buckeyes women's basketball team kept Monday night's game with South Carolina close, despite getting out-rebounded for the entire night, for much of three-plus quarters but finally ran out of gas in the 4th quarter and ...
Gamecocks' Kaela Davis scores 37 in season-opening winThe State
Women's basketball | Ohio State still can't solve South CarolinaColumbus Dispatch

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Sparty Onlooker: Michigan State gets visit from Buckeyes OLB commit Antjuan Simmons, but not 3-star DE Jordan Wright - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Sparty Onlooker: Michigan State gets visit from Buckeyes OLB commit Antjuan Simmons, but not 3-star DE Jordan Wright
Landof10.com
On the banks of the Red Cedar, recruiting never stops. We're here every step of the way to keep you moving along with it. Any recruiting questions? Direct them to [email protected] and we'll do our best to get them answered.

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Ohio State women’s basketball falls to South Carolina in battle of top teams, 92-80
Ben Martens via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes couldn’t keep pace with the Gamecocks in Columbus, suffering their first loss of the season.

In a matchup between two of the top teams in the country, the 7th-ranked Ohio State women’s basketball team couldn’t overcome a spotty shooting night, a huge deficit in the paint, and 37 points from 4th-ranked South Carolina’s Kaela Davis, as the Buckeyes fell, 92-80, to the Gamecocks at Value City Arena in Columbus.

Head coach Kevin McGuff watched his team shoot just 40 percent from the floor, including a paltry 7-for-27 (25.9 percent) from three-point range, get outrebounded 48 to 36, and yield 44 paint points to the visitors.

The game also pitted two of the premier players in the land in Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell and South Carolina’s A’ja Wilson. That matchup ended in the scarlet and gray’s favor, as Mitchell paced the Buckeyes with 27 points while Wilson spent the majority of the night on the Gamecocks’ bench because of foul trouble, scoring just five in 16 total minutes.

The story early on was that of the two preseason All-Americans - Mitchell and Wilson - both running into early foul trouble with two apiece in the first quarter. Ohio State led 18-17 after the first 10 minutes on the strength of Stephanie Mavunga’s six points. Mitchell was 1-for-4 in the opening frame, but added five to the effort.

Wilson sat out the entire second quarter, but a field goal drought of nearly four minutes by the Buckeyes, coupled with two long-range makes by South Carolina’s Davis, a Georgia Tech transfer and former No. 2 recruit in the country, and strong interior play by Alaina Coates allowed the Gamecocks to streak out to a 33-25 lead with four minutes remaining in the half.

A Sierra Calhoun three-pointer and five straight points from Mitchell brought Ohio State back into close contact, and the two sides traded hoops at a frenzied pace until the intermission. South Carolina, behind Davis’ 15 points and Coates’ eight points and eight boards went to the locker room with a 44-39 lead.

Mitchell led the Buckeyes with 13 points in the half, but shot just 4-for-10 from the floor. As a team, Ohio State was a frigid 4-for-14 (28.6 percent) from beyond the three-point arc.

Another two fouls in the third quarter quickly sent Wilson back to the Gamecocks’ bench, and the Buckeyes forced seven turnovers in the period, but another field goal drought of nearly five minutes meant they couldn’t capitalize. 11 points in the quarter from Davis kept South Carolina on top, 67-59, headed to the fourth.

Ohio State’s third prolonged field goal drought of the game allowed things to get out of hand, as the Gamecocks went on a 10-0 run to push their lead out to 77-63 midway through the fourth quarter. Davis continued to get whatever she wanted, punctuating the run with a deep bomb from about five feet behind the three-point line.

Davis finished with a double-double, grabbing 10 rebounds, and also dished out five assists and grabbed three steals. Allisha Gray added 24 points for South Carolina, while Calhoun scored 18 of her own for the Buckeyes.

Up next for Ohio State as the squad tries to regroup is a home game against Cleveland State on Wednesday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET, and the game will be streamed live on BTN Plus.

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