Week 10 primer: Nebraska at Ohio State highlights full slate
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

All 14 Big Ten teams are in action on the first Saturday in November. And, no doubt, a big focus will be on Columbus, Ohio, where Nebraska travels to play Ohio State.

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The Ohio State offense was a roller coaster ride against Northwestern
Christopher Jason via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


It started good, looked bad and then finished off the game.

After a disappointing performance against Penn State, the Buckeye offense was back on track against Northwestern... But not for long.

The opening drive was a thing of beauty. It featured five J.T. Barrett completions on six dropbacks, with one overthrow and zero pressures. It was a perfectly executed nine play, 94-yard drive that only took 2:56 off the clock. The second drive resulted in a field goal, due to a poor third down call — when Dontre Wilson took the reverse into the boundary — but the third drive was immaculate. It was a 15 play, 80-yard drive that took 8:34 minutes off the clock.

After the third drive, Ohio State led Northwestern 17-7 with 6:17 remaining in the first half. At that time, Barrett dropped back 18 times and completed 12 passes. They only called two designed runs, and the offensive line did their jobs. He was pressured only twice and was sacked once on those 18 dropbacks.

Then it got stagnant.

J.T. Barrett’s passing chart vs Northwestern


The thing about this week’s chart is that it’s actually not bad. On the negative side, the designed runs were up from six against Penn State to 10 — mostly in the second half when the Wildcats cut into the lead and they needed to move the chains. During the early successful touchdown drives, they let Barrett throw the ball on third down and used creativity in their play calls.

The major positive was the offensive line play. As we know from last week, the offensive line allowed 26 pressures, seven hits and six sacks on 51 dropbacks. They rebounded mightily against the Wildcats, allowing only four pressures, two hits and one sack on 35 dropbacks.

Here’s the pocket they gave Barrett on the key 3rd-and-7, that allowed him to find Noah Brown for a first down. Looks like night and day from last week:



Overall, I thought Barrett played well, but once again, do not believe the staff put him in the correct position to play to his full potential. He showed flashes of how he looked against Oklahoma during the first three drives, then before halftime and up until the final drive, the play calling went stagnant and conservative again.

This throw on 3rd-and-12 is excellent. Barrett hung in the pocket, surveyed the field, took a hit and found his third option. Dangerous, but great throw to Marcus Baugh to move the sticks.



If one were to look at the boxscore, they would be pleased with Curtis Samuel’s 14 total touches. But when looking at the tape, they were once again not up-to-par. They came out of the gates throwing the ball to Samuel twice, but he only had one carry in the first half. He then carried the ball on the first snap of the second half resulting in a 23-yard gain. Ed Warinner then dialed up a few option plays -- which were sniffed out quickly — to get Samuel the ball, but Samuel doesn’t need gimmicky plays or creativity to gain yardage. Mike Weber should be the main ball carrier, but Samuel is more talented than just a change-of-pace back. He needs carries that go with the flow of the offense.

Here’s an example of a third down speed option. Northwestern was very prepared for this play and they didn’t think for a second that Ohio State would pass the ball on 3rd-and-6. Samuel was stuffed for a loss and the Buckeyes were forced to punt.



The final drive to ice the game was the most unconventional, successful drive of the Urban Meyer era. After holding Northwestern to a field goal inside the 10-yard line, the Buckeyes received the ball with a chance to finish the game. Northwestern had enough confidence in their defense that they were fine settling for a field goal, rather than going for the tying touchdown. The Buckeyes needed two first downs to end the game and they decided to PASS the ball on first down with 3:31 left in the game. They clearly didn’t trust the ball in the air after the third drive, but they decided to throw the ball — which resulted in an incomplete pass and the clock stopping. After Barrett ran for 3-yards, he found Brown for 16-yards. Barrett threw the ball with confidence and Brown got separation on the defensive back.

After gaining no yards on a designed run, Barrett threw an incomplete pass into traffic. Then on 3rd-and-10, one would expect either a designed QB run out of empty or a quick pass to keep the clock running, or force Northwestern to call a timeout if they didn’t gain 10-yards.

It looks like Northwestern didn’t get the memo. They were in man coverage on 3rd-and-10, which gave Ohio State numbers in the box. They motioned Samuel out of the backfield — which allowed them to recognize man coverage when the linebacker followed -- and it was up to the offensive line to win a five-on-four battle. I’m thinking this was a packaged play, where they would have thrown a swing pass to Samuel if the linebacker sat in the box, since they would have had the blocking advantage on the perimeter. Instead, there were no unblocked defenders within 10-yards of the line of scrimmage. First down. Game over.



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Ohio State football: A better look at the throwbacks the Buckeyes are wearing vs. Nebraska - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: A better look at the throwbacks the Buckeyes are wearing vs. Nebraska
cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State is wearing an alternate uniform Saturday for its night game against Nebraska to honor the 1916 Buckeyes. Some pictures have been on the Internet, but ESPN sports business reporter Darren Rovell posted better pictures of ...
Ohio State football | Meyer positive things aren't so badColumbus Dispatch
Dotting the 'Eyes: Wyatt Davis feels at home, Bama's loss could be Buckeyes' gain and more updates from the weekendLandof10.com
Buckeyes outlast Northwestern: The Good, The Bad, and The UglyWaiting For Next Year
BT Powerhouse (blog) -Point Pleasant Register -Scarlet and Game
all 83 news articles »

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Ohio State to wear 1916 throwback vs. Nebraska on Saturday night
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

No. 6 Ohio State will wear a throwback uniform vs. No. 9 Nebraska on Saturday night. The design honors the 100th anniversary of the program's undefeated 1916 team.

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Ohio State alternate uniforms for Nebraska game unveiled
Luke Zimmermann via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Your official first look at these hot alternate threads.

Though the uniforms existence comes as no surprise, we finally get our first official look at the fauxback alternate uniforms Ohio State will be wearing this coming weekend against Nebraska.

Leaked by ESPN’s Darren Rovell, the Buckeyes will be donning this look which celebrates the 100th anniversary of the undefeated 1916 Ohio State Buckeyes team. That team did not play Michigan but some of its members would be part of the first ever OSU team to beat Michigan in 1919.

Here’s a look at the duds Urban Meyer’s Bucks will suit up in this weekend:


Courtesy of Nike, here are additional looks at the finer points of the jerseys:





Now that you’ve seen the full look, what are your thoughts on the latest Ohio State alternate uniforms?

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Polls: It’s time to pick your Week 10 Big Ten football winners
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

Who wins Week 10 Big Ten football games? Jump inside to pick your winners for all seven games, including a trio of games on BTN/BTN2Go.

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Buckeyes in the NFL: Week 8 - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes in the NFL: Week 8
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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4-star inside linebacker sets Ohio State visit
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


ILB Anthony Hines will be taking his last official visit with Ohio State this weekend.

It comes as no surprise that Anthony Hines (Plano, TX / Plano East) will be using his final allocated official visit with the Ohio State Buckeyes. The elite inside linebacker has reportedly been considering taking an official visit to Columbus for the last couple weeks, but scheduling has seemed to be a problem. However, the elite linebacker confirmed with Scout.com that he will be finally in town this weekend when Ohio State hosts Nebraska – in what should be a great recruiting environment.

Hines is one of the most sought-after prospects in the 2017 recruiting class. The four-star holds nearly 90 offers and is seen as the No. 2 ILB overall, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. Ohio State has been highly active in his recruitment and it seems to have paid off, earning one of his five official visits.

As previously mentioned, the visit this weekend will be the fifth and final official visit, as he has already used one with Texas A&M, Penn State, Florida and UCLA. It is also believed that the Under Armour All-American will be making a decision soon after his visits are completed.

This will not be the first visit to Columbus for Hines, as the 6-foot-2.5, 222-pound backer spent three days in a row at Ohio State this past summer leaving some to believe Ohio State was becoming the favorite in his recruitment. Unfortunately, it seems that momentum has died down and the favorite looks to be Texas A&M.

Whichever program ends up landing this blue-chip prospect will be getting a proven talent. Hines has racked up 584 tackles in his high school career and already has 189 this season.

Look for the Buckeyes to roll out the red carpet for Hines, as the program has been unsuccessful at locking up a recruit at the linebacker position in 2017. While OSU may be the underdog in his recruitment, having a chance to make a lasting impression on Hines could be key.

Buckeyes have a big recruiting weekend


As mentioned, Ohio State will be hosting Nebraska Saturday night, setting up a prime recruiting environment in Columbus. So it is not surprising that there will be multiple recruits in attendance.

One of the bigger names that will be on campus is four-star safety Bubba Bolden (Las Vegas, NV / Bishop Gorman). While it was already known Bolden would be attending the event, it was not known that his current teammate and current Buckeye commit Tate Martell would also be in attendance.


Martell has been active in recruiting other elite prospects to join him at Ohio State and is a big reason why the Buckeyes have been able to achieve the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in the country. Because Martell will now be there with him, the Buckeyes should be seen as the heavy favorite to land Bolden. Make sure to keep up with Land-Grant Holy Land for any updates in his recruitment.

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Ohio State football | Meyer positive things aren't so bad - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football | Meyer positive things aren't so bad
Columbus Dispatch
A nail-biter against Northwestern after an upset loss to Penn State is not the way Buckeyes fans wanted to enter pivotal November. Inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, though, the vibe is decidedly more upbeat. Coach Urban Meyer even joked during ...
Dotting the 'Eyes: Wyatt Davis feels at home, Bama's loss could be Buckeyes' gain and more updates from the weekendLandof10.com
Ohio State football: Buckeyes focusing on Nebraska, not first playoff rankingsAkron Beacon Journal
Buckeyes outlast Northwestern, 24-20Point Pleasant Register
Columbus Business First -cleveland.com -Scarlet and Game
all 59 news articles »

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Dotting the 'Eyes: Wyatt Davis feels at home, Bama's loss could be Buckeyes' gain and more updates from the weekend - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Dotting the 'Eyes: Wyatt Davis feels at home, Bama's loss could be Buckeyes' gain and more updates from the weekend
Landof10.com
The country's top-ranked guard committed to the Buckeyes just one week after his first visit the campus back in June. This past weekend he returned for the first time since offering that verbal pledge. “It was great,” Davis said of his official visit ...
Ohio State football: Buckeyes focusing on Nebraska, not first playoff rankingsAkron Beacon Journal
Buckeyes receive votes in preseason AP pollColumbus Dispatch (blog)
Buckeyes outlast Northwestern, 24-20Point Pleasant Register
Columbus Business First -cleveland.com -247Sports
all 59 news articles »

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Opinion: How former Buckeyes are exceeding in the NFL - OSU - The Lantern
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Opinion: How former Buckeyes are exceeding in the NFL
OSU - The Lantern
It's halfway through the NFL season, but former Ohio State Buckeyes have already asserted their NFL dominance. With half of the season still remaining, here are a few former Buckeyes who have been top performers around the league. Ezekiel Elliott has ...
Ezekiel Elliott meets two NFL legends247Sports

all 209 news articles »

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McCoy happy to be practicing with Buckeyes - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


McCoy happy to be practicing with Buckeyes
Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette
Parkland's Dalia Santana (#9) kicks the ball away from Lewis and Clark's Nina Breuer (#11) in the first half. Parkland Women's Soccer takes on Lewis and Clark in the Region 24 Tournament title match, Sunday, October 30, 2016 at the Parkland Field.


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"Mad" Huskers eager to run and take a leap at Buckeyes' high bar - Lincoln Journal Star
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"Mad" Huskers eager to run and take a leap at Buckeyes' high bar
Lincoln Journal Star
Even though Michigan State took the championship crown a year ago, and even though the Buckeyes came into the season with a young team, OSU was still a big favorite in a preseason media poll to win the league. It's not just because of their success on ...
Video: Mike Riley says Huskers will be playing 'mad' against BuckeyesOmaha World-Herald
Northwestern comes close, but Buckeyes survive upset bid to improve to 7-1Comcast SportsNet Chicago

all 469 news articles »

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Tomcats, Buckeyes back in the playoffs - Athens Messenger (registration)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Tomcats, Buckeyes back in the playoffs
Athens Messenger (registration)
Not only will the Nelsonville-York Buckeyes and the Trimble Tomcats return to the playoffs, both schools will do so on their home fields. Both the Buckeyes and the Tomcats have qualified for the Ohio High School Athletic Association football playoffs.


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Ohio State football: Buckeyes focusing on Nebraska, not first playoff rankings - Akron Beacon Journal
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: Buckeyes focusing on Nebraska, not first playoff rankings
Akron Beacon Journal
A rather upbeat Meyer took to the podium Monday in advance of the Buckeyes' game with Nebraska on Saturday and insisted what comes out in the rankings won't affect him. “I'd be disappointed if that was even brought up anywhere around here,” Meyer ...
Decision 2016: Examining Ohio State's championship chancesESPN

all 171 news articles »

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Week 8: Buckeyes in the NFL - Scarlet and Game
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Week 8: Buckeyes in the NFL
Scarlet and Game
Out of the 32 teams in the NFL, 24 of them have an active Buckeye on the roster. In week 6 of the NFL season, 4 of those 24 teams are on a bye. Current New York Giant and former Ohio State CB Eli Apple was able to relax on Sunday because of the team ...


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Check out the only Ohio sophomore the Buckeyes have offered - 247Sports
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Check out the only Ohio sophomore the Buckeyes have offered
247Sports
The Buckeyes have already offered a scholarship to a number of 2019 prospects. However, to this point they have offered just one 2019 Ohioan, Cincinnati Walnut Hills defensive lineman Jowon Briggs. The 6-foot-2 and 275-pound Briggs also has offers from ...

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Ohio State football: What would you give the Buckeyes as a Halloween gift? - cleveland.com
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Ohio State football: What would you give the Buckeyes as a Halloween gift?
cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State football comes knocking on your door for Halloween (do people still knock on doors?) What are you giving the Buckeyes? What's something they need most with four games remaining on the schedule? Bill Landis, Doug ...


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Meyer confirms Pridgeon out for year - 247Sports
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Meyer confirms Pridgeon out for year
247Sports
Offensive lineman Malcolm Pridgeon, who signed with Ohio State as a JUCO transfer in February, was expected to be able to help the Buckeyes this season. However, the 6-foot-7, 315-pound Pridgeon injured his knee (meniscus) in training camp in August ...


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Former Ohio State great Mike Conley is not daunted by pressure from his new contract
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


With the largest contract in NBA history comes a lot of pressure, but Conley isn’t buying into it.

“There’s gonna be a lot of talk about it all season, no question. But it’s already here. I almost look forward to playing on the road, for that very reason.”

-Mike Conley Jr., via Mitch Lawrence, SportingNews


Though Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley Jr. has a “big target on your (his) chest,” according to his former coach Lionel Hollins, the former Ohio State Buckeyes standout is using all of the animosity being thrown at him as motivation heading into the NBA season. Over the summer, Conley signed the largest contract in the history of the league, valued at $152.6 over five years. Though many of the NBA’s biggest stars got their payday in recent months, owing to a massive increase in the salary cap, none seem to be under as much of a microscope as Conley.

Conley was limited during the Grizzlies’ loss to the Knicks Saturday, where he was berated with heckles from the crowd. And while he knows that the jeers will only get tougher down the road in rivalry games and tough arenas, Conley says that the criticism pushes him to be better, even to the point where he is looking forward to those challenging road games later in the season.

But Conley is, perhaps, the player in the NBA best equipped to handle such talk. He has been one of the top scorers for the Grizzlies since his arrival in Memphis in 2007, and has been a key factor in the team making the playoffs each of the last six seasons. Ed Stefanski, the Grizzlies’ VP of player personnel, said “I wish I had 15 Mike Conleys on the roster...He’s the real deal, on and off the court.” He has been solid, but never considered a superstar of the likes of Lebron or Kobe, never even having made an All-Star game. But, in many ways, Conley’s massive contract is what was needed to keep him in Memphis, and will also provide the often-underrated point guard the chance to prove himself with all eyes on him.

“What made Smith so adept at being a deep-ball guy was his combination of track speed and ball-tracking skills. Ohio State’s receivers have plenty of speed, but seem to lack those inherent skills that make an elite deep-ball catcher.”

-Bill Landis, Cleveland.com


The first few games of the season aside, a major component of the Ohio State offense has been distinctly lacking over the course of the past two years: the vertical passing threat. Ever since the departure of Devin Smith for the NFL following the Buckeyes’ 2014 national championship, the Ohio State coaching staff has been searching for someone to fill the void, but to no avail: the current receiver rotation for the Buckeyes simply does not have that downfield threat.

While Meyer has said that Ohio State should be a “shot” team, making downfield throws consistently, the only season where this was actually the case under his tenure was in the 2014 season, with Smith leading the charge. In that season, the Buckeyes recorded 32 passes of 30 or more yards--one of the top-teams in the country in that category--but have not hit more than 18 in any of Meyer’s other seasons in Columbus. Ohio State is sitting at nine-such completions this year, with just four games left on the season.

Even those big passing plays that do turn into significant yardage, such as K.J. Hill’s 34-yard reception Saturday against Northwestern,was really just a 15-yard pass followed by a 19-yard run. J.T. Barrett has acknowledged that defenses are effectively covering the downfield passes, but that the short and intermediate routes remain options to gain smaller chunks of yardage. It is a credit to the offense to be able to make those adjustments and continue to move the ball, in spite of not having their preferred method of passing open.

The problem seems to be a combination of defensive coverage and the receiver’s individual talent. While defenders are playing tight and not allowing for separation on passing plays, the receivers have been unable to make the necessary adjustments to their routes to make the catch--which is, perhaps, the biggest differentiator for Devin Smith, who had both the speed and the ability to adjust and make the reception.

“The ACC and Big Ten are tied for having the most ranked teams with five apiece. The Big 12 has four, while nine conferences have at least one team ranked.”

-Brendan F. Quinn, M Live


There are high expectations for the Big Ten as a conference heading into the 2016-17 men’s college basketball season. While no school in the conference cracked the top five, five Big Ten teams were ranked in the AP’s preseason poll, with two others receiving votes:

• No. 9: Wisconsin
• No. 11: Indiana
• No. 12: Michigan State
• No. 15: Purdue
• No. 25: Maryland

Ohio State earned 18 votes, while Michigan came in with eight. The ACC was the big winner in the early poll, with Duke (No. 1), North Carolina (No. 6) and Virginia (No. 8) all cracking the top 10. Louisville (No. 13) and Syracuse (No. 19) also made the list.

Last year, seven Big Ten schools made the NCAA Tournament. Wisconsin, who made it to the Sweet 16 last year despite head coach Bo Ryan retiring midseason, returns all five of last season’s starters.

“Dude is a Great Hooper, but I don’t respect a snitch.”

-Brandon Jennings, via CBS Los Angeles


Former Ohio State point guard D’Angelo Russell’s rookie season was riddled with drama that just won’t end, though the second-year Laker’s on-court play has at least seemed to improve from last season through three games. Already this year, Russell made waves by stating that he has found “freedom” without shooting guard Kobe Bryant in the mix in L.A., acknowledging that the Lakers are able to play as a team now rather than focusing on one individual. Last season, Russell was widely criticized for inconsistent play on the court, as well as his attitude and behavior off the court, which included a video of Russell asking teammate Nick Young about his potential infidelity with (at the time) fiance Iggy Azalea. Azalea ultimately broke off their engagement in June, citing the infidelity scandal which Russell was inherently tied to.

Unfortunately for Russell, his actions last year have earned him a certain reputation which has continued on into this season. When asked if Russell could be an all-star, the Knicks’ Brandon Jennings acknowledged that, while Russell is a “Great Hooper,” he is still a snitch.

On the court, Russell has taken on more of a leadership role this season following the departure of Bryant and the introduction of new head coach Luke Walton. Though inconsistent shooting and poor defensive play marred much of his rookie year, he actually put up strong numbers for a rookie, including hitting 130 three-pointers on the season. This year, he is expected to continue to improve under Walton’s system and, alongside Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson, help to improve the Lakers into a winning squad.

STICK TO SPORTS

• Ohioans apparently prefer Milky Ways
• Clintonville is getting a new donut shop
• Bette Midler had the best Halloween costume
• How much Halloween candy would it take to kill you?

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Ohio State sets proposed ticket prices for 2017, including 2 premium games - Columbus Business First
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State sets proposed ticket prices for 2017, including 2 premium games
Columbus Business First
This year's most expensive ticket, at $195, is for the Nov. 26 visit by the University of Michigan Wolverines, a team so reviled by some in Columbus that Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer refuses to utter the school's name. It is the only game at that ...


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Ohio State’s Raekwon McMillan is making game-changing plays on a weekly basis.
Ian Hartitz via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Maybe if McMillan ran a few QB sweeps he’d be a Heisman contender.

It wasn’t pretty, but Ohio State improved to 7-1 this past Saturday with a win over Northwestern. Still, the Wildcats weren’t intimidated and were able to consistently move the ball all afternoon.

A few quick notes from the game:

• The Buckeyes allowed the Wildcats to rush for an average of 5.1 yards per carry. That’s just the second time they’ve allowed more than five yards per rush this season (Wisconsin).
• Malik Hooker led the team with 14 tackles and now has 21 total tackles over the past two games. He showed early in the season how dangerous he can be as a playmaker in coverage, now we’re just how good he is against the run as well.
• For the second-straight week the Buckeyes only managed to get one sack. They’re getting plenty of pressure with their four defensive linemen, but it will be interesting to see if they begin to bring more pressure in an effort to cause more negative plays.

Let’s take a look at some of the better individual efforts from Saturday.

Raekwon McMillan is still a baller


All McMillan has done this year is consistently make tackles in the middle of the defense, but big plays from the secondary have left Ohio State’s best defensive player out of the limelight through the first eight games of the season. That changed this past Saturday, as McMillan was responsible for creating the Buckeyes only turnover of the afternoon.



McMillan is lined up four yards from the line of scrimmage fully anticipating a run. Ohio State only has six defenders in the box to account for seven Wildcats, a strategy they’re able to deploy thanks to the defensive line’s ability to shed their blocks and handle the run game without safety help.



The Wildcats utilize play action to suck McMillan and Jerome Baker up to the line of scrimmage, but McMillan is able to keep his eyes on the quarterback and this keeps him in the play. The good thing about the Buckeyes’ defensive line generating so much pressure on their own is that it often causes opposing offenses to overcompensate and call a bunch of quick passes. McMillan recognizes this likely threat and positions himself in the quarterback’s passing lane.



McMillan is able to react and get a hand on the pass as the quarterback fails to squeeze the ball into the now-tight passing lane. Most linebackers would have been too close to the line of scrimmage to effect the slant route, but McMillan isn’t most linebackers. Clayton Thorson is not a small quarterback at 6’4”, but McMillan uses his vert to get up in the air and make a play on the ball.



After McMillan tipped the pass, Damon Arnette was able to cut in front of the receiver and intercept the ball. Arnette has gotten beat by deep-out routes over the past few weeks, but has remained around the ball and was rewarded here thanks to his middle linebacker. McMillan may not make the flashiest plays (though he has before), but there isn’t another Buckeye that is more important to the defense.

Malik Hooker erases angles


Hooker hasn’t made any ridiculous interceptions lately, but he’s still making extraordinary plays on a weekly basis. Last week, one of his more impressive plays came with the Buckeyes’ backs against the wall.



Ohio State has their run assignments accounted for without Hooker, as his job on this play was to take away any passes in the middle of the field. Northwestern realizes they have a numbers advantage to the boundary and calls a read option.



It didn’t look like Thorson necessarily read Sam Hubbard, as Hubbard stayed home and didn’t “crash” to the running back. Still, Thorson keeps the ball and attempts to get outside with his only immediate threat currently occupied by the wide receiver. Meanwhile, Hooker deciphers the play from afar and begins to work his way to the line of scrimmage.



Thorson has a step on Hubbard and is about eight yards away from Hooker. Some might say Thorson has the angle to get outside and make it to the pylon, but then Hooker decided to open up the jets with the play call fully realized.



As it turned out, Thorson couldn’t outrun the best safety in college football. In fact, he barely made it back to the line of scrimmage. Hooker is still getting better at making his reads more quickly, but once he knows where the play is going, look out, because there are few players in the country with his acceleration and playmaking ability.

Tyquan Lewis is still pretty good, too


Lewis led the Buckeyes in sacks last year, but between the emergence of Nick Bosa, the beastly potential of Sam Hubbard and the big plays from Jalyn Holmes: Lewis has been rendered an afterthought on defense. It’s not due to his play, as he continues to get to the quarterback whenever teams dare block him with a single player.


Lewis is lined up as the defensive end at the top of the screen. He gets a good jump off the ball and is able to rip past the right tackle and clear his hips almost immediately. This is great, but if Lewis was the only person getting pressure on this play, the quarterback would be able to step up into the pocket to avoid Lewis. On this particular play, Nick Bosa manages to bull rush the left tackle nearly five yards deep into the backfield, leaving the quarterback no where to go but into the waiting arms of Lewis.

Even if the results haven’t been as pretty as most would have liked, it’s still easy to see that Ohio State boasts one of the most talented defenses in the country. This allows Ohio State to leave six defenders in the box and still hold up against most run games, a move that would lead to 60-plus points on your average Big 12 team. With the young group growing up fast, look for more sophistication to come out of the defense in the coming weeks. After all, the only thing scarier than facing a talented defense is not knowing where they’re coming from.

The final: 24-20, Ohio State

Defensive player of the game: Malik Hooker (team-high 14 tackles)

Defensive play of the game: Damon Arnette interception caused by Raekwon McMillan tip.

Next Victim: Nebraska. See you all next week.

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Ohio State men’s hockey ranked No. 11 in USCHO & USA TODAY/USA Hockey Magazine Top 25 polls
Matt Torino via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Puckeyes rise in both this week’s USCHO.com & USA TODAY/USA Hockey Magazine hockey polls.

The Ohio State mens hockey team didn’t have a number eleven on their roster until today as they move up four spots in the USCHO.com poll and three spots in the USA TODAY/USA Hockey Magazine poll to No. 11 in the nation in both. The 5-0-2 Buckeyes are the only team in the country with a zero in the loss column yet currently still lag behind other teams with multiple losses but more preseason hype.

OSU remained undefeated last weekend with a sweep of Niagara where they outscored the home team 16-4 over the two game series. Matt Tomkins has exceed hopes in goal while taking over for the injured Christian Frey while freshmen Tanner Laczynski and Ronnie Hein have helped one of last season’s best offenses rise to even greater heights.

This is the highest the Buckeyes have been ranked in the USCHO.com poll since 2008-09, when they rose to No. 11 for a week. Not coincidentally, that was OSU’s last 20 win season as well. The Bucks look well on their way to hitting that mark at the very least this week, and remain a popular pick to upset titans like Minnesota and take the Big Ten hockey title.


Keep in mind in this early start that Ohio State has only played one home game so far, a 6-1 obliteration of Bowling Green, so things could get even better.

OSU’s offensive skill and surprising goaltending will take on unranked Robert Morris this weekend in a home and home series, with Ohio State hosting the first game, Friday, in Columbus.

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