The good, the bad and the ugly from Ohio State’s last 30 years of non-conference football
Ian Hartitz via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


From John Cooper to Urban Meyer, how have the Buckeyes’ done against ranked non-conference opponents?

The Buckeyes’ win over Oklahoma marked the first time an Urban Meyer coached Ohio State team had faced a ranked non-conference opponent. This was less a result of Meyer loading up on cupcake schools and more a consequence of scheduling opponents 10+ years in advance. California and Virginia Tech were both national powers in the 2000s, but by the time 2012 rolled around, things just weren’t the same.

Since John Cooper took over as the Ohio State coach in 1988, the Buckeyes have faced 24 non-conference opponents who were ranked in the AP poll at the time of the matchup. Ohio State has won 16 of these contests, but many of those games are remembered for more than just a win or a loss. Let’s take a look at some of Ohio State’s most memorable non-conference games since the Cooper-era.

1988: (#18) Ohio State 36 — (#7) LSU 33


In Cooper’s third game as a head coach he managed to take down the LSU Tigers in a 36-33 thriller at the Horseshoe. It took 19 4th-quarter-points to get the job done, but quarterback Greg Frey and running back Carlos Snow made enough plays to get the victory. The reason why this game is worth remembering is due to its impact 20 years later.

During the later Tressel years there was nothing more unbearable than hearing how the Buckeyes hadn’t beaten an SEC opponent in their last 10 or so matchups. Well, without this victory back in 1988, that stretch of losses would have gone all the way back into the 1930s. As someone who loves the fact that Notre Dame hasn’t beaten Ohio State since 1936, I can’t imagine the angles ESPN would have exploited to point out the Buckeyes’ hadn’t beaten an SEC opponent in 80 years. Thank you for saving Buckeye nation from this horrific fate, Frey and Snow.

1996: (#4) Ohio State 29 — (#5) Notre Dame 16


The Buckeyes waxed the Fighting Irish by 19 points in 1995, but the 1996 rematch would be held in South Bend. This didn’t make a difference, as Ohio State controlled the game from the start. Chicago Tribune writer Teddy Greenstein described the game perfectly:

“Fourth-ranked Ohio State strolled into South Bend and bench-pressed No. 5 Notre Dame all afternoon. The manhandling was cut short only by the sound of the gun.”


A strong effort from Stanley Jackson and Pepe Pearson led the way, but it was Terry Glenn who set the tone early with an electrifying 85-yard return on the opening kickoff:


Ohio State would go on to win 29 to 16 and secure the sweep of the Irish in their two-year series. These two powerhouses will meet up again in 2022 and 2023, though another Fiesta Bowl massacre matchup is always on the horizon.

2005: (#4) Ohio State 22 — (#2) Texas 25


The talent in this game was absolutely unbelievable. Vince Young and Jamaal Charles faced off against Troy Smith and A.J. Hawk, but it will always be remembered by Ryan f#!$-ing Hamby, who helped decide the game with a critical dropped touchdown in the third quarter. A strong performance from Santonio Holmes wasn’t enough to save the day for the Buckeyes and Young sealed the victory with a 24-yard touchdown pass with just two-and-a-half minutes remaining. Luckily, Ohio State didn’t have to wait long to return the favor...

2006: (#1) Ohio State 24 — (#2) Texas 7


It was a close game early on, but just when Texas was driving late in the first quarter and seemed poised to take their first lead of the game, James Laurinaitis introduced himself to Buckeye nation:


Anthony Gonzalez would catch a touchdown from Troy Smith six plays later and the Buckeyes never looked back on their way to a 17-point victory. Though the 2006 season didn’t end the way Ohio State fans hoped, the team was incredibly talented and showcased the most entertaining offense seen in years. Plus, there’s nothing better than getting revenge in one of very few “games of the century”.

2008: (#5) Ohio State 3 — (#1) USC 35


This game probably wasn’t even as close as the scoreboard indicated. It marked the last time Todd Boeckman could call himself Ohio State’s starting quarterback and officially ushered in the Terrelle Pryor era. The Buckeyes were without Chris Wells and were severely outplayed by a loaded Trojans team led by Mark Sanchez. Revenge still hasn’t been issued for this game, as the Trojans beat Ohio State in Columbus in 2009 as well, but it set the precedent for the type of talent Ohio State would need to deal with if they wished to return to the top of college football.

2016: (#3) Ohio State 45 — (#14) Oklahoma 24


The Buckeyes were robbed of a #2 versus #3 matchup thanks to Houston’s win over the Sooners in Week 1, but this victory showed that while Ohio State is young, they’re still one of the best teams in the country. Noah Brown had a big day, not only by getting a t-shirt made in his honor, but also by pulling down had a pretty decent touchdown catch:


The victory was Ohio State’s fifth-largest over a ranked opponent since 1988 and marked the moment the rest of the country realized that Urban Meyer doesn’t rebuild, he reloads.

Honorable Mention


1995: (#12) Ohio State 38 — (#22) Boston College 6 — Ohio State’s largest win over a ranked non-conference opponent since at least 1988.

1995: (#7) Ohio State 45 — (#15) Notre Dame 26 — Jump-started Eddie George’s Heisman season.

2003: (#2) Ohio State 28 — (#17) Washington 9 — Craig Krenzel looked like 2004 Madden Mike Vick and the Buckeyes’ chances at repeating looked great.

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Cougars Battle Buckeyes Wednesday - SIUE Cougars Official Athletic Site
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Cougars Battle Buckeyes Wednesday
SIUE Cougars Official Athletic Site
SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES: Ohio State is 3-6 and 2-2 in their last four games. The Buckeyes are 3-2 at home this season. Danny Jensen has three goals and three assists to lead the team with nine points. Parker Siegfried has played all nine games in goal ...


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Beyond Buckeye Lines: Taking Over HTown
Mike Meals via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


This week on Beyond Buckeye Lines, I sat down with Travis (@Shrek84 on twitter) to talk the University of Houston Alum about Tom Herman, Greg Ward Jr., and the mini-Ohio State program that the Cougars have developed in Houston. There obviously are a lot of stories circulating about the Coogs this season, from Big 12 expansion, a potential Group of Five College Football Playoff team, to the potential landing spot for Coach Herman, either staying at UH or moving on to larger NCAA pastures.

As I mentioned, Travis graduated from UH where he spent a couple years working in Houston Athletic Department while in school. Travis started out as an LSU fan, back during the John David Booty era, as many people in the Houston area are. He was converted while in college, where a professor informed him that wearing anything other the UH gear to class would cause him be expelled. I told you guys last week, football is a serious event here in Texas.

Previewing and Reviewing the Coogs

Last week, Houston took on one of Coach Herman’s former coaching stops, the Texas State Bearcats. Houston put a woodshed whooping on TSU, winning 64-3, being highlighted by true freshman D’Eriq King becoming the first player in Houston history to catch a touchdown, throw a touchdown and return a kickoff for a touchdown in the same game.

This week, on Thursday Night, Houston looks to get revenge on the only loss of their magical season in 2015 against the UCONN Huskies. When asked, Travis tells me his prediction is that UH wins by double digits. I know from hearing Herman talking earlier this week on local sport radio, this UH team is ready to enact their revenge, making up for all the issues last year with the travel plans, etc. Personally, I am looking forward to this game myself, and I think Travis is being too nice. UH should win by 3 scores or more.

Houston’s Future

There are so many stories flying around Herman’s program and the next steps for Houston. The first and biggest is Big 12 expansion. We are all expecting an announcement in October regarding if the conference will expand or not, and who will get in if they do. The overwhelming belief in this area is UH will get in.

When talking to Travis, he mentions in his mind the biggest story is simply being able to retain Tom Herman as coach. Travis tells me that keeping Herman is his main priority, but he thinks it hinges completely getting into the Big 12, getting the Power 5 TV money, and being able to increase his pay. If the Big 12 doesn’t coming calling, he thinks Herman will be in Baton Rouge next year along with UH Offensive Coordinator Major Applewhite. If this happens, the big question is if UH can pay T. Orlando (current UH Defensive Coordinator) enough to keep him on the sidelines at TDECU Stadium as Head Coach.

I mentioned last week’s interview with Rott, the UT fan, about how a lot of Texas fans think UH doesn’t pull the City of Houston market in. Travis mentioned and showed me the top TV ratings for college football in Houston in 2015. UH was in the Top 10 for 2 games, Texas was in the rankings twice also. Of note, Ohio State – Michigan was 12th here. And the rest of the Top 10 were all SEC games. Travis points out that Herman to LSU would kill off Houston to the Big 12.

Personally, I think UH would bring in a lot to the Big 12, at least until the conference comes up for the next TV contract. Many people in this area think that contract will end the Big 12, as Texas and Oklahoma will probably leave to chase bigger TV money.





Houston’s View of Ohio State

When questioned on the fanbase’s view on Ohio State and the B1G, Travis mentioned he and most people think Ohio State is a great school which has a great tradition, but UH fans are thankful for Tom Herman. He thinks UH fans “Have a lot of respect for Ohio State”. As for the B1G, he thinks most UH fans would think the conference is boring, old, slow football. But he says even with the good football played this year, the B1G is still underrated. Travis did sound a lot like most B1G fans too, in saying his view is the SEC is very overrated. The SEC “has Alabama, and then everyone else”.

When asked for a B1G conference champion, he thinks “Ohio State will win, but it will come down to the OSU – Michigan game”. I asked if he would rather play Ohio State or Michigan, and he says OSU. The story line of Meyer vs. Herman, Master vs. Student, would be amazing. When asked if he would rather play in the CFP or regular season, he says he would like to play in the CFP, because of the story of a Group of Five team in the playoffs, can they compete with a top tier team, and the student – teacher story line. I had to tell him I didn’t want to play Herman when he has a month to prepare. That scares me personally, but Travis did point out that means Meyer has a month too, and that would make the game even better.

As for Urban, Travis tells me that, in his opinion, “Urban Meyer is a great coach…top 5 easily, could be the number one coach in the country, at worst, number two behind Saban”. It is something I have been hearing a lot recently regarding how much respect the rest of the country seems to have for Meyer.

Prediction Time

For Houston and the American Athletic Conference, he thinks they should be able to slow down Louisville, and go undefeated. He also thinks Houston should be able to change the national thought on a Group of Five team being in the playoff.

For this week’s OSU tilt with Rutgers, Travis tells me “Since they are playing someone from Jersey, I think Ohio State goes Sopranos on their ass, making Rutgers sleep with the fishes”. I think everyone reading this will agree, as much as we like Coach Ash, Rutgers is not ready to compete with the Ohio States of the world.

When picking the College Football Playoff teams, Travis is thinking it will be Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, and Houston, or the non-homerism answer would be Stanford. I thought it was pretty funny to get these, as this seems to be about the consensus for picks so far on Beyond Buckeye Lines.

Travis thinks the Heisman Trophy this year goes to Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey, who gets to pat his stats playing Pac 12 football, and all his all-purpose yards.

When asked for anything else he predicts for the year, he thinks the Big 12 actually does not expand. He thinks Herman goes to LSU with Applewhite, and Todd Orlando is names the new Houston head coach.

Wrap Up

Travis did mention that he was still surprised that LSU fired Les Miles, expecially when the State of Louisiana can’t afford to pay for education. And he, like many colleg football fans, takes exception to the fact that college coaches can break their contracts to chase bigger paydays, but college kids can’t do things like signing autographs or something to earn money.

For me, I was mostly shocked by the College Football Playoff Teams. It seems most people are looking at Ohio State and Alabama being locks, and the next group of Stanford, Clemson, Houston, and/or Louisville being in the running for those last 2 spots.

I want to thank Travis for taking the time to sit down with me. He is a passionate Houston fan, and that earns a little more respect to me. Being a season ticket holder for a Group of Five school shows some serious dedication. Take a minute and go follow him on twitter, he’s a good dude and worth the time.



(And sorry Travis, I want Herman to stay at UH, but I think he’s gone after Bowl Season).



The post Beyond Buckeye Lines: Taking Over HTown appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Louisville-Clemson is the best of the bunch of Week 4’s college football bets, odds
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The ACC showdown will give a winner an early marquee victory in the race for the College Football Playoff.

Last week was not good. Not good at all. It’s probably best we try and forget about the horrible picks I posted and just move on to this week and hope this week’s picks are a lot better.

Last week ATS: 4-9 (2-4 National, 2-5 B1G)

Season ATS: 27-34-1 (11-14 National, 16-20-1 B1G)

National games (All games Saturday unless otherwise noted):


No. 7 Stanford v. No. 10 Washington (-3) - Friday 9:00 PM EST - ESPN

Both Stanford and Washington got Pac-12 scares on the road last week, but were able to prevail in the end to setup this week’s undefeated showdown. Stanford looked terrible for most of the game against UCLA, but were saved by a game-winning touchdown drive by quarterback Ryan Burns. Christian McCaffrey was quiet for most of the game, but still ended up with 138 yards on 26 carries. There’s no doubt who Stanford’s workhorse is, as McCaffrey has 91 touches on offense through three games.

Washington was taken to overtime by Arizona, but were saved by a Jake Browning touchdown pass in overtime. The sophomore quarterback has impressed so far, throwing 14 touchdowns and only two interceptions. If Washington is able to handle pressure from Solomon Thomas and the rest of the Cardinal defense, Browning could have a big day against a Stanford secondary that will be without their two starting cornerbacks.

Injuries are also piling up for Stanford on offense, as wide receiver Francis Owusu and starting fullback Daniel Marx will be out for the game. If the Huskies can keep McCaffrey from hurting them too badly, I think they have a great shot to win this game.

Washington 31, Stanford 24

No. 11 Tennessee (-4) v. No. 25 Georgia - 3:30 PM EST - CBS

I’m sure this game will end up being one of the strangest of the weekend because SEC East gonna SEC East. After digging themselves an early 21-0 hole against Florida, Tennessee rattled off 38 unanswered points to beat the Gators for the first time in forever. It would be such a Tennessee thing if the Vols followed that up by laying an egg this week.

Georgia also found themselves in an early hole last week, but they didn’t have nearly as much success digging themselves out of it. Ole Miss gave Kirby Smart his first loss with authority, as the Rebels won 45-14. Nick Chubb injured his ankle in the game, and even if he plays against Tennessee, it remains to be seen just how effective he will be on Saturday. If Chubb is ineffective or doesn’t play it will put more pressure on quarterback Jacob Eason, something he doesn’t need right now.

It has been a decade since Tennessee won in Athens, so they might as well end that streak after more than a decade of losing to Florida. Last week Joshua Dobbs totaled nearly 400 yards of offense and five touchdowns. I like Tennessee to be able with this game by having the more balanced attack, something that Georgia doesn’t have at this time.

Tennessee 28, Georgia 20

North Carolina v. No. 12 Florida State (-11.5) - 3:30 PM EST - ESPN

There’s no question Florida State has an offense that many teams in the country would have a hard time stopping, but right now their biggest problem is their defense. Of course the Derwin James injury was a big blow, but the talent the Seminoles has on the defense just isn’t playing up to expectations.

North Carolina has also had their issues on defense, allowing at least 23 points in all four games this year. Last week the Tar Heels needed a furious comeback, where quarterback Mitch Trubisky threw a touchdown with two seconds to go, to take down Pitt.

Florida State is going to have their hands full trying to stop Trubisky and wide receiver Ryan Switzer, but I think we see a similar performance to last week when the Seminoles played South Florida. Dalvin Cook might not run for 267 yards, but Florida State finds a way to win by at least two touchdowns.

Florida State 45, North Carolina 28

Oklahoma (-3.5) v. No. 21 TCU - 5:00 PM EST - FOX

I’m sure not a lot of people expected Oklahoma to be unranked after three games, and TCU to just barely be inside the Top 25. It’s not like rankings end up meaning all that much in this matchup, since I usually end up getting this game wrong when picking it. Last year without Trevone Boykin, TCU nearly rallied from 30-13 down to pull the upset on the Sooners in Norman.

The Horned Frogs won’t have Boykin this year, but they will have Texas A&M transfer Kenny Hill, who has had little trouble finding his groove with TCU. Hill has thrown for over 375 yards in three of four games, with a season-high 452 yards passing in the 33-3 win over SMU last week. After seeing what J.T. Barrett was able to do to the Oklahoma defense, the Sooners could be in for a long game.

Following their loss to Ohio State, Oklahoma had a bye week to try and regroup, but I don’t think it will be enough. It isn’t like TCU has had their own defensive issues that Baker Mayfield and company could exploit, but the Horned Frogs getting points at home is very tasty. They add to Oklahoma’s early season misery.

TCU 42, Oklahoma 31

No. 3 Louisville (-2.5) v. No. 5 Clemson - 8:00 PM EST - ABC

The early season matchup of the decade of the century game of the year happens on Saturday night in Clemson. It should be quite a quarterback show between Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson, with the winner setting his team up in great position in the ACC for the rest of the year.

Lamar Jackson has been unbelievable so far this season, and has already clinched the Denard Robinson September Heisman Trophy. Good news for Louisville fans is Jackson won’t disappear in October and November like Robinson did. After accounting for 23 touchdowns last year, Jackson already has totaled 25 touchdowns in just four games.

Last year it was Watson who was putting up ridiculous numbers, and while Watson hasn’t been bad this year, he hasn’t been quite the same. The junior quarterback hasn’t been running as much, totaling just 120 yards on the ground through four games after rushing for over 1,100 yards last year. The good news is, Clemson looks to be putting things together after struggling on offense the first two games of the season.

With these two talented quarterbacks going at it, one of the defenses is going to have to step up and be the deciding factor in this game. I really think the Clemson defense will be able to slow Jackson a little more than the Louisville defense will be able to slow Watson down. Plus I like getting the points at home with the Tigers. Clemson hasn’t lost an ACC game since November 2014 and has won 18 home games in a row, two streaks they’ll keep alive on Saturday night.

Clemson 35, Louisville 31

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Here’s what we think we know heading into Week 5 of Big Ten Football
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

Penn State must win. Something's going on with Iowa's C.J. Beathard. Purdue has become ... intriguing. And Nebraska is flying low on the radar. BTN.com's Tom Dienhart rolls out 10 things he thinks he knows before Saturday's games.

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Men's soccer: SIU-Edwardsville pounces on OSU, Buckeyes drop to 3-7 - OSU - The Lantern
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Men's soccer: SIU-Edwardsville pounces on OSU, Buckeyes drop to 3-7
OSU - The Lantern
Just eight minutes into the match, sophomore midfielder Abdi Mohamed floated a cross from the right side of the net to the left that allowed senior forward Danny Jensen to slide in and bury just past the goalkeeper, giving the Buckeyes an early 1-0 lead.


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Watch: Barrett believes Buckeyes better after bye week - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Watch: Barrett believes Buckeyes better after bye week
247Sports
Last year, the Buckeyes rolled to a 49-7 win at Rutgers. The top-ranked Buckeyes improved to 8-0. Barrett was making his first start of the year. He was 14 for 18 passing for 223 yards and three TDs. He also ran for 101 yards and two scores on 13 carries.

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Chris Ash has Urban Meyer and Tom Herman’s fingerprints all over Rutgers
Christopher Jason via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Their offensive scheme will look familiar on Saturday.

When watching Rutgers play, it is quickly apparent that former Ohio State co-defensive coordinator and new Rutgers’ coach Chris Ash is attempting to turn the Scarlet Knights into Ohio State east -- and rightfully so.

One could argue that Chris Ash — not Tom Herman — was the most important hire that Urban Meyer has made during his time in Columbus. In 2013, the Ohio State defense under Luke Fickell and Everett Withers was not particularly impressive, especially for a team with eight-plus NFL guys listed in the two-deep. They played soft and lackadaisical in the secondary — which included Bradley Roby and Doran Grant at cornerback — and it showed often. They gave up 34 points to a bad California team, 30 points to Northwestern, 24 to Iowa, 35 to Illinois, 41 to a bad Michigan team, 34 to Michigan State and 35 to Clemson. A change needed to be made.

With Everett Withers accepting the head coaching job at James Madison, there was an opening at co-defensive coordinator and in the secondary. Urban Meyer then made the move and poached a great defensive mind off of Brett Bielema’s staff at Arkansas, Chris Ash.

Ash brought an aggressive, attacking style and a Quarters scheme in the secondary — a scheme that Meyer was very familiar with, from Michigan State’s Pat Narduzzi. All Ash did was immediately transform the passing defense from 112th in the country against the pass, to 29th. Not to mention bottling the Alabama and Oregon passing game, en-route to the national title. Without Ash, Ohio State does not win the national title in 2014 and the defense wouldn’t have bailed out the sputtering offense as many times as they did in 2015.

Make no doubt about it, when Ash left in the offseason and accepted the Rutgers’ head job, Meyer made an excellent hire with old friend Greg Schiano. But the Buckeyes would not be where they are now if Ash didn’t change the scheme and the philosophy of Meyer’s defense in 2014.

***

Fast forward to Ash’s hire at Rutgers. Right away, he hired Drew Mehringer, an up-and-coming offensive coordinator who came right out of Tom Herman’s coaching tree. He started as a graduate assistant under Tom Herman’s Iowa State team, followed Herman to Ohio State, then left to become a co-offensive coordinator under Withers at James Madison and then he traveled to Houston to become Herman’s receivers coach.

Meyer had nothing but good things to say about his former GA, "I just saw his relationship with Tom," Meyer said of Mehringer, "and Tom is like a lot of us: You don't trust much to anybody -- and this guy proved himself over and over again. A lot of respect to Drew."

Ash’s offensive coordinator is extremely young, only 29, and he’s going through some growing pains. Mehringer is trying to implement a Herman-like spread offense with a bunch of guys who were recruited to play in Rutgers’ old and slow, pro-style offense. It looked as advertised against lowly Howard and New Mexico — putting up a combined 89 points in those two games. But not so much against Washington and Iowa — putting up only 20 combined points in those two games.

When watching the Rutgers’ offense, the lack of athletes and the lack of strength on the offensive line — that Mehringer has been used to at Ohio State and Houston — definitely sticks out, but the play-calling and scheme is nearly identical.

Just take a look at their opening drive of the season against Washington:

1st-and-10

The Rutgers’ offense came out in 11 personnel, with the tight end flexed. They then ran inside zone — a staple of Meyer and Herman’s offense. It was apparent right away that Mehringer was a Herman protege.


2nd-and-5

It was crazy to see a Rutgers’ offense run with tempo. Once the ball was set by the referee, it took them only five seconds to hike the ball for the ensuing play.

They came out in the same personnel and the same look. They were able to gain 4-yards on another inside zone run.


3rd-and-1

Once again, when the ball was set by the referee, it took them only five seconds to snap the ball. Unfortunately for the Scarlet Knights and Mehringer, they were unable to convert on 3rd-&-1, after gaining 9-yards on the first two downs.

They used 11 personnel, but showed a different look — with the tight end on the line of scrimmage and the receivers lined up in bunched trips formation — and tried to set the tone by running the inside zone on back-to-back-to-back plays, but were stuffed.


Ash and Mehringer are used to watching a bullying offensive line and a talented power back to move-the-chains, especially in short yardage situations. But even though they were stuffed on their first possession of the season, it’s clear that Mehringer intended to set the tone of the season by running Meyer’s bread-and-butter, the inside zone.

Right now, Rutgers is not a good football team. They lack the talent to effectively run the offense that they want, but they’re going to take the 2016 season to install a mindset and Mehringer’s scheme and tempo. The offense been proven to be more than effective at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida, Ohio State, James Madison and Houston. Once they get their recruits at Rutgers, it will eventually work, but not right now.

Buckeye fans will be watching the (extremely) less-talented version of Tom Herman’s offense on Saturday, but once Ash and Mehringer get the athletes they need, Rutgers should be on the ascension.

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Ohio State football | Q&A with former Buckeye Bill Armstrong - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football | Q&A with former Buckeye Bill Armstrong
Columbus Dispatch
Billy Joe Armstrong played center and linebacker for the Buckeyes during the era of single-platoon football, and he also could punt and kick, as coach Woody Hayes found out too late. Armstrong was first-team All-Big Ten in 1962 and later managed cattle ...

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Ohio State football | Cornerback depth a boon for defense | Buckeye ... - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football | Cornerback depth a boon for defense | Buckeye ...
Columbus Dispatch
At some positions in football, a rotation system is accepted as the norm. “We rotate defensive linemen and nobody ever asks about it,” Ohio State cornerbacks ...
Ohio State's Cornerbacks Limiting Big Plays in Passing Game at an ...Eleven Warriors

all 7 news articles »

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Volleyball: Buckeyes sweep Northwestern in home opener - OSU - The Lantern
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Volleyball: Buckeyes sweep Northwestern in home opener
OSU - The Lantern
The Buckeyes held the Wildcats to an .085 attacking efficiency. OSU also dominated Northwestern's blocking game, more than doubling their total team blocks, 7.5 to 3.0. It was freshman Madison Smeathers who would lead the team in hitting percentage ...
Women's Volleyball Secures Big 10 Victory Vs. NorthwesternThe Buckeye Battle Cry
Volleyball: Northwestern drops road match to No. 19 Ohio StateThe Daily Northwestern

all 3 news articles »

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Gameday+ | Recruiting: 'Athlete' Brendon White wants to be like Darron Lee at Ohio State - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Gameday+ | Recruiting: 'Athlete' Brendon White wants to be like Darron Lee at Ohio State
Columbus Dispatch
Enlarge Image Request to buy this photo Joshua A. Bickel | ThisWeek Newspapers Brendon White is playing quarterback for Olentangy Liberty this season, but he will switch to defense in college at Ohio State, in what he hopes will be a role similar to ...

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Women’s Volleyball Secures Big 10 Victory Vs. Northwestern
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The 19th ranked Buckeyes women’s volleyball team stopped Northwestern in a three-set victory to pick up their first Big Ten win, 11th overall (11-4 & 1-2 Big 10). Playing in Columbus to a well-received crowd of enthusiastic supporters, the Buckeyes would not disappoint.

Valeria León dominated defensively as she averaged over seven digs per set, having 22 in total as the Buckeyes out-dug the Wildcats (7-8, 0-3 Big 10) by 50% (60-40).

León has now upped her career digs total to 1,494 – just 78 away from matching the school record held by Stacey Gordon (1,572 digs; 2001-04).
A formidable blocking unit produced six stuffs before intermission and helped to keep Northwestern at bay with a .085 attack percentage. The Buckeyes commanded with a .257 along with a 14-kill advantage (44 to 30). Luisa Schirmer and Taylor Sandbothe would each terminate 13 kills. Schirmer notched her third double-double of the year with 10 digs while Sandbothe accounted for 4.5 more points with her five block assists as she also produced a pair of service aces.

The Buckeyes seemingly owns Northwestern in their overall match-up(s), 53-20. In St John’s the advantage is quite remarkable, 28-6 mark. The Buckeyes have won the last four consecutive matches against the Wildcats.

SET 1: The Buckeyes came out of the gates with an impressive run, a 5-1 surge. But the Wildcats would not be so slack as they battled hard to go ahead 9-8. The Buckeyes then would turn it around with four tallies in a row. Before this set concluded the Buckeyes would knock-off three consecutive points or more on five separate occasions – the last breaking an 18-18 stand-still. It raised the Buckeyes to a 22-18 advantage, keeping them ahead for good. OSU won the set 25-21.

SET 2: It quickly seemed as if, for some odd reason, Northwestern lost some gas in this set. The back and forth that represented Set One – wasn’t in the making here. The Buckeyes owned 16 of the final 22 rallies as they strolled to a 25-12 whitewashing. The Buckeyes stuffed the Wildcats five times and dug 22 balls. Northwestern showed a negative hitting efficiency by the ending buzzer, -.077. A six-point stretch for freshman Camry Halm at the service stripe locked the set to the Buckeyes favor late in the set.

SET 3: This would be different – as Northwestern came out with the intent to express that they were no push-over – building an edge as large as 11-5. But the Buckeyes took a deep breath and stepped up to their potential after burning a timeout in order to recover. And recover they in fact did – bring it to an even 22-22. The door was closed on the Wildcats with a thrilling final set as the Buckeyes posted a 28-26 set win.

OSU again hits the road. They now travel to Lincoln, Nebraska, meeting up with the nations # 1 team, Saturday (Oct., 1st @ 8:30 p.m. ET.)

See you there!

The post Women’s Volleyball Secures Big 10 Victory Vs. Northwestern appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Buckeyes face Marauders on Homecoming - Athens Messenger (registration)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes face Marauders on Homecoming
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In order for that to still be the case after Friday night, the Marauders will have to corral Alex Mount and the Nelsonville-York Buckeyes. Friday's matchup between the Marauders and Buckeyes has major league-title implications on the line. Kickoff is ...

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4-star LB Anthony Hines to officially visit Ohio State next month
Bret Favachio via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Texan will travel to Columbus in October.

Hines to make OSU official


As it pertains to the defensive side of the ball for this years recruiting class, Ohio State has their eyes on a handful of prospects that are undoubtedly very high on the board. One of those is 2017 linebacker Anthony Hines of Plano East (TX), and the Buckeyes received good news from the 6-foot-2, 222-pounder on Wednesday.

247Sports’ Bill Kurelic revealed via his Twitter account that Hines has scheduled an official visit to check out the Ohio State campus in October. The four-star linebacker has already made two officials to both Oklahoma and Penn State. So, unless Hines makes another stop from now until his Buckeye visit, it looks like Ohio State will get the third official visit from the Lone Star State standout.

Hines currently finds himself listed as the No. 2 inside linebacker in the entire 2017 class and the No. 11 prospect in the state of Texas. As for his overall ranking, the Plano native is 85th overall. If the Buckeyes can out-recruit some of the other programs pursuing the Under Armour All-American, they would create an intriguing duo with Hines and ‘17 OLB Antjuan Simmons. Not to be forgotten, ‘17 OLB Baron Browning is another hopeful for Ohio State at the linebacker spot.

Moses pushes back commitment date


With all of the aftermath that occurred on Sunday at LSU — the departure of Head Coach Les Miles and Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron— 2017 LB Dylan Moses decided to take a step back in regards to his commitment date. Originally, the five-star linebacker from IMG Academy (FL) was prepared to announce in December. But now, with the uncertainty of his likely choice in LSU (89% on the 247Sports Crystal Ball), Moses will now announce on Jan. 1 of next year.

With that being said, will Ohio State try to take advantage of the situation and make a major move for the 6-foot-2, 235-pounder by ramping up their recruiting efforts? As of now, Moses is already scheduled to visit campus in November. We’ll see if more comes about between the two parties with the latest developments surrounding the Tigers football program.

Moses, the No. 1 OLB in the class and the No. 4 prospect in the country, will be in Tuscaloosa, Ala. this weekend to check out the Crimson Tide. Also, former Ohio State offensive coordinator turned Houston Head Coach Tom Herman was able to secure a visit from Moses which is currently penciled in for Dec. 9.

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Buckeyes considered top contenders for 'RB U', 'WR U' titles - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes considered top contenders for 'RB U', 'WR U' titles
247Sports
As far as running backs go, the Buckeyes currently have two starting in the NFL, with Carlos Hyde in San Francisco and Ezekiel Elliott in Dallas, with the site also mentioning the possibility for OSU to rise up this list with Michael Weber and Curtis ...


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Jambga Strikes Twice as Cougars Drop Buckeyes - SIUE Cougars Official Athletic Site
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Jambga Strikes Twice as Cougars Drop Buckeyes
SIUE Cougars Official Athletic Site
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Devyn Jambga scored twice, including netting the game-winner in the 89th minute Wednesday as SIUE men's soccer defeated Ohio State 3-2 at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. "To go on the road and get the win at Ohio State is great for ...

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Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator Greg Schiano given ... - ESPN
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Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator Greg Schiano given ...
ESPN
Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Greg Schiano was issued a ticket for failure to obey a traffic control device for his part in a car crash that involved hitting a ...
BuckeyeGrove.com - Buckeyes want more than turnoversBuckeyeGrove.com (subscription)
Urban Meyer Says Ohio State Co-Defensive Coordinator Greg Schiano Was 'Devastated' After Traffic Collision Injured ...Eleven Warriors
Ohio State DC Greg Schiano Issued Misdemeanor Citation After CrashScout
ABC6OnYourSide.com
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Urban Meyer knows Chris Ash's Rutgers team is a chip off the old block
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The head coach knows he will see a lot of familiar plays on Saturday.

Urban Meyer met with the media just days ahead of Ohio State’s Homecoming game against Rutgers.

Meyer wants recruits to commit later, not earlier a sentiment he has echoed several times. He notes that it’s hard, not just athletically but academically to try and make a fit so early on. He stressed how important honest conversations throughout the recruitment process is in making sure the fit is right for both the team and player when the time comes to sign their letter of intent.

When asked about the depth chart for the secondary, Meyer noted they need to play at least 3 corners because they play so much man coverage, but it allows for a lot of different players to get plenty of playing time. They’re able to rotate so much because there’s no drop-off in talent between players, it’s just a matter of keeping them healthy.

The head coach know he’s going to see a lot of familiar playcalling on Saturday when facing Chris Ash. He quipped, he saw the No. 2’s running a Rutgers play and thought “shit, that’s our play”.

Meyer said Chris Ash had a few head coaching offers, but when Rutgers came to the table, Meyer and him sat down to talk seriously about taking the offer.

Donte Booker is questionable for the game with an MCL injury, but he was practicing Wednesday.

Defensive Coordinator Greg Schiano was cited Wednesday for “failure to control device” according to Bill Rabinowitz. Meyer noted Schiano is “devastated” about the accident.

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Ohio State’s defense has been focusing on scoring defensively, and it’s working
Harry Lyles Jr. via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes defense is scoring at a historic rate.

“The offensive call in the defensive playbook fits on just one page.”

- Austin Ward, ESPN.com


You might have noticed this season that Ohio State’s defense has been pretty great so far. There were widespread expectations around the country for the Buckeyes to be experiencing growing pains on both sides of the ball, but especially defense, where the Buckeyes lost eight (!) starters. Somebody that was watching the Buckeyes this year for the first time might not recognize such a turnover, because they’ve been that good. But part of what’s made them so great is the turnovers, which to be fair, plenty of teams are good at. But the Buckeyes have been able to take those a step further, and capitalize immediately.

They’ve been working especially hard on what happens on the change of possession. As ESPN’s Austin Ward documents, it’s simply called “Sideline Return.” The name is pretty simple, just like the play. Get towards the sideline, and return the interception for a touchdown. Obviously that’s every team’s goal, but the Buckeyes have been doing it better than anybody else this season. According to Ward, they’ve tied the single-season school record by taking four turnovers back for scores in three games. To expect the Buckeyes to keep rolling at that clip isn’t realistic, but you have to believe the momentum that has been built up there helps. There’s no doubting that they truly believe every time they create a turnover, they’ll score and stay on the field for the next possession.

“Jantel Lavender, the former Cleveland Central Catholic and Ohio State basketball standout, today was named the 2016 WNBA Sixth Women of the Year.”

- Plain Dealer Sports, Northeast Ohio Media Group


Former Ohio State women’s basketball standout Jantel Lavender was on the receiving end of one of the better awards given out in professional basketball on Wednesday. The WNBA announced that the Los Angeles Sparks star was the league’s 2016 Sixth Woman of the the Year. This was her second season coming off of the bench, after starting at center for two seasons prior.

In 34 games this season, Lavender poured in 9.6 points and 3.6 rebounds off the bench, helping lead the Sparks to a 26-8 record, good enough for the No. 2 seed in the WNBA playoffs. Out of 29 sportswriters and broadcasters who had votes, Lavender received 26 of them. Lavender beat out Aerial Powers and Allie Quigley for the award, who tied for second place after splitting 6 votes at three apiece. It should come as no surprise that a Buckeye is having great success at the professional ranks, and Lavender has undoubtedly held her own.

“I think we can win all the rest of the games.”

- Terrelle Pryor, via Conor Orr, NFL.com


That’s a very bold statement from former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Pryor has been one of the more interesting stories in the NFL this year, as his transition to wide receiver has been pretty successful through the Browns’ first three games. This past Sunday he did a little bit of everything with 144 receiving yards, 21 rushing yards, 35 passing yards, and a touchdown. He was the first player since the 1980s to have 2 receptions, 2 rushing attempts, and 2 completions in a game. His resurgence on the gridiron has been very fun to watch, despite the Browns’ shortcomings.

This week, Pryor told the media that he felt that the Browns were close to “getting over that hump” He added that once they do, he feels that they could have a lot of success. So much, that he feels that they could win out. Surely this comes from a newfound confidence that the former Buckeye has from playing so well this season, but if we’re being realistic, nobody really expects the Browns to win out this season. They’ve had plenty of trouble staying healthy through the first three games, in which they’ve played three different quarterbacks. At that pace, we could see Pryor line up behind center, although he’s been too valuable at wideout so far to start considering that.

“The best punter in America is getting better.”

- Bill Landis, Northeast Ohio Media Group


Landis is, of course, speaking about Ohio State’s Cameron Johnston. Johnston has been one of the best punters in the nation since he stepped on the gridiron. He was up for Ray Guy Award consideration all of last season, before ultimately losing out to Utah’s Mitch Wishnowsky. What makes Johnston so good, is that he’s pretty much a perfectionist. Landis notes that Johnston is still torn up over a punt from two years ago against Kent State in a 66-0 win. That’s crazy! The punt went 28 yards from the line of scrimmage, and despite it having no effect on the game at all, he wasn’t happy about it. He has wanted to eliminate all bad punts since then, and has pretty much done so.

Johnston is second in the country right now in average punting yardage at 50.6 per kick according to Landis, with the Buckeyes second in the nation in net punting. This year, he’s used the boot 11 times, with eight of his punts being downed inside the 20. Giving the young Ohio State defense all that room to work has been a huge help this season, and they’ve likely grown from the slack Johnston has given them. It especially helped against Oklahoma, a game that was pretty dang complete in all three phases of the game. Hopefully for Johnston, this is the year he gets his Ray Guy Award. He’s put together a good resume thus far.

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Big Ten to use commemorative Sam Foltz-Mike Sadler coin in Week 5
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

A special commemorative Sam Foltz-Mike Sadler coin will be used at all seven Week 5 Big Ten games, it was announced Wednesday afternoon. The late Nebraska punter and former Michigan State punter died in a one-car accident in late July while returning from a kicking camp in Wisconsin. Foltz was the reigning Big Ten Punter of the Year, while Sadler was getting ready for Stanford law school. Watch Michelle McMahon’s tribute to Sadler in the video above, and check out both sides of the coin in the tweet below. This is awesome: @B1Gfootball to use commemorative Sam Foltz-Mike Sadler coin

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kinch said:

I can't report for everyone, but bouncy chair: fail with both boys. Swing: fail. Video monitor: fun for a day, really unnecessary. My kids could make a peep and I heard them and knew what was up.

It varies, but I bought every random thing you could imagine for kid 1. Kid 2, I was like, good luck dude.

Click to expand...

I guess we can let them play with the shotguns.

Ohio State Buckeyes lead nation in turnover margin - MyDaytonDailyNews
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State Buckeyes lead nation in turnover margin
MyDaytonDailyNews
Baker, a sophomore linebacker from Cleveland Benedictine, raced 68 yards for a touchdown to give the Ohio State Buckeyes a 14-0 lead over the Oklahoma Sooners in the first quarter on Sept. 17. That paved the way for a 45-24 victory in Norman, Okla ...
BuckeyeGrove.com - Buckeyes want more than turnoversBuckeyeGrove.com (subscription)
Upcoming chances to see the Buckeyes | Buckeye Xtra SportsColumbus Dispatch (blog)
Ohio State Basketball's 'Buckeyes on the Blacktop' Event Scheduled ...Eleven Warriors
cleveland.com -ESPN (blog) -Cosumnes Connection (subscription)
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Sam Hubbard should set the tone for Ohio State’s defense against Rutgers
Chuck McKeever via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The sophomore DE is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the Scarlet Knights.

Look, it’s hard to find room for improvement for a defense that didn’t allow a touchdown until its third game of the season. The Ohio State Buckeyes have been suffocating their opponents, full stop.

But this young defense can get better, at least according to the advanced stats. That’s great news for Buckeye fans, and should be terrifying for everyone else. They’re already forcing turnovers at an astonishing clip, they’ve got a ballhawking secondary without much to be afraid of, and they’re stocked with blue-chip talent from top to bottom.

The Buckeyes get Rutgers this week, which is just about the best-case scenario for a Big Ten team coming off a bye. Ohio State should roll to an easy win here—they’re favored by a slim 37-point margin—but in order to do that, the defense is going to have to keep up the relentless pace they’ve been working at. And that could all start with one man.

The Stats


Name: Sam Hubbard

Number: 6

Position: Defensive end

Year: Sophomore

Height: 6’5

Weight: 266

One of the linchpins of Ohio State’s defense is second-year defensive end Sam Hubbard. The Buckeyes are so loaded on the edges that Hubbard, who would definitively start on just about every team in the country, has gotten an “OR” designation on the depth chart alongside junior Jayln Holmes all season. Hubbard and Holmes have Nick Bosa playing behind them as well, so it’s a position that gets a good deal of rotation for the Buckeyes. Hubbard is no stranger to this. He backed up Nick’s brother Joey last season, starting for the elder Bosa during a short suspension and then appearing down the line from him whenever the Buckeyes switched into their “Rushmen” package.

Despite not being an every-down player, Hubbard’s stat line is rock-solid through three games. He’s sixth on the team in tackles, and has recorded 2.5 TFL and 1.5 sacks. If QB hurries were an effectively recorded NCAA stat, you can bet he’d be near the top of the list there, too.

So what makes Hubbard an especially important component of the Ohio State game plan against Rutgers?

Opposition research


Chris Ash’s Scarlet Knights suffered some serious blows this past week, losing star players Janarion Grant and Quanzell Lambert for the season thanks to injury. Grant, in particular, is a heavy loss. He’s been the most effective and explosive playmaker on this otherwise-middling Rutgers team, and without him, the Knights lose much of their ability to take the top off of defenses and use misdirection to take advantage of Grant’s speed on running plays designed for the WR. He’s an incredible special teams player, to boot.


Here’s where Hubbard comes in. If there’s any category in which the Buckeye defense lacks, it’s stopping the run on passing downs, defined as second-and-8 or greater, third-and-5 or greater, and fourth-and-5 or greater. Offenses typically throw about 2⁄3 of the time on these downs; it’s the other third where the Buckeyes struggle, ranking a paltry 126th nationally against the run in these situations.

With their best wide receiver gone, it seems likely that the Scarlet Knights will look to make hay early on the ground in down-and-distance situations in which they might otherwise have elected to pass. More rushing attempts give Hubbard more opportunities to use his superior athleticism and skill set to make tackles. The former Notre Dame Lacrosse commit* and his line mates are uniquely positioned to be the ones doing the damage in this game, after taking a backseat to the incredible secondary in the early going this year.

*You are legally obligated to mention this bit of trivia in any conversation about Hubbard.

What to watch for


The advanced stats give Ohio State a 99% chance to win this game, if only because there are, technically, no absolute certainties in this world beyond death and taxes. That’s not really the issue here. The manner in which Ohio State wins this game—and the margin on the scoreboard when the clock hits all zeroes—is a far more important matter.

The Buckeyes have a firm hold on the No. 2 national ranking, sitting behind No. 1 Alabama (the next closest thing to death and taxes, reliability-wise). A huge win here is just about the only thing that will fend off the winner of No. 3 Louisville and No. 5 Clemson. The victor in that game will have five wins, including one versus another top five opponent; Ohio State’s best so far was a thorough drubbing of now-unranked Oklahoma. (Being a trendy preseason playoff pick can only get you—and the teams that beat you—so far.)

That all just might start with Hubbard. If the Buckeyes can dominate on the defensive front and keep Chris Ash’s squad off the board, and if the offense gets over the bye-week hump and keeps humming at the pace it was two weeks ago, there’s no reason this couldn’t or shouldn’t happen. Chris Laviano is an experienced QB, and it’ll be up to Hubbard and co. to make life miserable for him and junior RB Robert Martin all day.

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Ohio State athletics | Ask the Experts: Move Buckeyes vs. Wolverines to earlier in the season? - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State athletics | Ask the Experts: Move Buckeyes vs. Wolverines to earlier in the season?
Columbus Dispatch
Assuming Michigan continues its turnaround, what do you think the chances are The Game ceases to be the Buckeyes' and Wolverines' final game of the regular season? With late-season losses being so much more damaging to a team's chances to make ...
Ohio State football: Buckeyes, Rutgers know each other wellUPI.com
Danny Clark Decommits From Ohio State BuckeyesCampus Insiders
A different homecoming for the BuckeyesBuckeyeGrove.com (subscription)
Factory Of Sadness -cleveland.com
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