Terrelle Pryor takes snaps at quarterback in Week 3 of the NFL
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 quarterback-turned-wide receiver did a little bit of everything Sunday.

Almost half of the NFL rookie class out of Ohio State were inactive in Week 3, most due to injury but others due to the depth chart. Some former Buckeyes are really starting to make a name for themselves at the next level, and not just rookies, with a second year player making his career debut and Terrelle Pryor taking snaps at quarterback.

This is the time of year players start going down, but fortunately, most of the former Buckeyes who are sidelined this week are expected to be back relatively soon. In the meantime, there were plenty of playmakers out of Ohio State in Week 3.

Terrelle Pryor goes off


If people weren’t already convinced that the former Buckeye quarterback was going to find success at his new position, Pryor went off against the Dolphins Sunday. Not only did he take snaps in his regular role, but he took five snaps at his old position, and even one on defense as a safety. He finished the day with 144 receiving yards, 21 rushing yards — including a rushing touchdown from the shotgun -- and 35 passing yards.


Pryor became the first player since the 1980s to have 2 receptions, 2 rushing attempts, and 2 completions in a game. In only the third week of the season, the Buckeye has found his spot with the Browns, and — now that rookie receiver Corey Coleman is out — will see a much bigger role for the coming weeks.

Carlos Hyde breaks out


The running back has returned for the 49ers after a concussion earlier in the season, and went on to rush for 103 yards and two touchdowns Sunday. This made him the first person to rush for over 100 yards against the Seahawks’ defense since Jamaal Charles in 2014. Hyde was expected to have a bigger workload with Chip Kelly as the team’s new head coach, and this certainly proved it.

Jeff Heuerman makes debut


After missing his rookie season with an ACL injury that kept him out the entire year and then some, the former Buckeye tight end finally made his NFL career debut back in his home state. Despite playing for the visiting Broncos, Heuerman got a roar of cheers after his first career catch in Cincinnati, for 29 yards.

Darron Lee stays winning


The Jets may have lost mightily to the Chiefs on Sunday, but rookie linebacker Darron Lee looks better each week. The Buckeye earned the starting role in Week 3 with Erin Henderson sidelined and didn’t waste the extra snaps. In the opening 30 minutes of the game, Lee had already recorded 3 solo tackles — 2 for loss — and half a sack.

Plays of the week


Ezekiel Elliott

Zeke’s early season has been a mixed bag, with a pair of touchdown runs to go with a pair of fumbles heading into Sunday night’s tilt with the Chicago Bears. The former No. 4 draft pick got in the action early and often against the Bears, rushing for 140 yards on 30 carries, his first time hitting the century mark in the league. He added a few pro-level pass blocks, too. Oh, and then there was this:


Malcolm Jenkins

The veteran has always been a leader on and off the field, and he showed up big for the Eagles against one of the league’s biggest offensive weapons — Antonio Brown. He was able to shut down the receiver early in the game, almost coming up with the interception, his first of two almost-picks on the day.


Nate Ebner

Just weeks after finishing up living out his dream at the Rio Olympics, the former Buckeye is back to making special teams plays for the Patriots. With quarterbacks going down in New England at a jarring rate, the team can use all the help it can get from the other position groups.


Jalin Marshall

The rookie has shown glimpses of greatness is his short career thus far, but there have been a few moments that were eerily similar to those he had at Ohio State. He can be a very good return man. But Marshall can also have questionable ball security on those returns, resulting in points for the other team.

Other notes

• Braxton Miller (Texans) missed Week 3 with a hamstring injury, and Eli Apple (Giants) left early with the same issue. Joey Bosa (hamstring) and Nick Vannett (ankle) have yet to see playing time during the regular season. The Bills’ Cardale Jones, Chargers’ Joshua Perry, and Seahawks’ Tyvis Powell were listed as inactive in Week 3 as well.
• Mike Nugent left the Bengals game after injuring his shoulder trying to tackle a returner and Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier seemed to tweak his injured knee, but returned to action. Alex Boone had to be carted off the field during the Vikings game Sunday with a hip injury; he did return to the sideline, but never returned to the game. Jack Mewhort went down late in the Colts game against the Chargers when a player rolled over his knee, but he was able to walk off the field.
• Former Buckeyes Vonn Bell, James Laurinaitis, and Michael Thomas will all suit up for the Saints on ‘Monday Night Football’ against their division rival, the Falcons.
• He might not be as big a factor yet this season, but Carolina Panthers wide receiver Philly Brown finds ways to stay entertained before games:

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College football | Notre Dame sacks defensive coordinator after 1-3 start - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


College football | Notre Dame sacks defensive coordinator after 1-3 start
Columbus Dispatch
As the Ohio State Buckeyes get ready for training camp, Dispatch beat reporters Tim May and Bill Rabinowitz discuss which players might have an edge at various positions. Recruiting update. Tim May and Bill Rabinowitz talk about the highly rated 2016 ...

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What Les Miles' firing and the coaching carousel means for Ohio State
Matt Brown via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The silly season is firing up early this year, and it might impact the Buckeyes.

We’re not even to October yet, and for most college football programs, this season is still in the early stages. But a few programs have already started to look to next year.

The biggest, of course, was LSU, who made the somewhat surprising decision to move on from the Les Miles era. Florida International also fired Ron Turner Sunday, so there are officially two open FBS head coaching positions (besides Baylor). More will likely open up in the coming weeks.

Ohio State isn’t scheduled to face either team in the near future, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t potential ramifications for the Buckeyes.

What LSU’s coaching search means for Ohio State’s coaching personnel


As far as personnel is concerned, LSU’s search doesn’t look like it will directly impact Ohio State. Urban Meyer isn’t going to leave for the Tigers, and while the Buckeyes have plenty of assistants that could potentially be hired as head coaches this offseason (Luke Fickell, Ed Warinner, and of course, Greg Schiano), the odds that any of them would be considered LSU coaching candidates is exceptionally low.

But Ohio State fans will probably still be following the outcome, as one of LSU’s top candidates will almost assuredly be former Ohio State assistant and current Houston head coach Tom Herman. Whether Herman will be interested remains to be seen, but coaching prowess coupled with LSU’s talent and recruiting advantages could be formidable. Ohio State doesn’t really recruit against Tom Herman now, but if he took the LSU job (or a few other high profile gigs), Meyer and Herman might be butting heads more regularly on the recruiting trail.

How LSU’s coaching search impacts 2017 recruiting


Ohio State’s 2017 recruiting class is somewhat close to being full, but there are a few prospects whose recruitment may be altered by this decision. The most prominent is Dylan Moses, the top rated linebacker and a top five prospect in the entire country.

Moses plays at IMG Academy, but he started high school on LSU’s campus, and was assumed to be a heavy LSU lean. Ohio State is not favored in this recruitment by any means, but he is currently scheduled to take an Ohio State visit, and anything that weakens LSU makes this a more open recruitment, which could help the Buckeyes.

Ohio State and LSU are also battling for top defensive tackle Marvin Wilson, of Bellaire, TX. Wilson was on hand for Ohio State’s thrashing of Oklahoma, and came away very impressed with the Buckeyes, but Ohio State is still swimming uphill in this recruited. Texas is currently the 247Sports Crystal Ball favorite, but Alabama, Florida State and others will be involved if LSU falters.

The other big mutual target is Clinton, MS running back Cam Akers. Once thought to be an Ohio State lean, the Buckeyes may have faded a bit, as Florida State has picked up some steam. LSU was also thought to be a contender here, along with Ole Miss.

It’s possible that a few players currently committed to LSU may decommit. Historically, Ohio State hasn’t had much success recruiting in Louisiana, and that probably won’t immediately change, even if the Tigers struggle more this season. If the Buckeyes stand to gain from a downturn in LSU’s recruiting fortunes, it will most likely be with prospects from other states.

How LSU’s coaching search impacts future Ohio State recruiting


We’re a long way from the 2018 National Signing Day, but instability with LSU could potentially be a bigger issue for Ohio State’s 2018 class, given how little room remains in 2017.

It’s still very early, but there are a few bigger targets where Ohio State may go head to head with LSU. Four-star TE Mustapha Muhammad of Missouri City, TX, five-star defensive back Anthony Cook of Houston, TX and five-star defensive back Patrick Surtain Jr. of Ft. Lauderdale all have Ohio State and LSU offers. There’s a long way to go here, but a shakeup might give Ohio State even a slight advantage in their recruitment.

What about the other new opening?


Ohio State obviously doesn’t recruit against FIU, but smaller Group of 5 programs could be potential landing spots for Ohio State assistants. At this point, it seems less likely a Buckeye ends up at FIU though.

Per the USA TODAY Coaches Salary database, FIU coach Ron Turner made just $604,000. Somebody like Luke Fickell would potentially have to take a pay cut to move there as a head coach.

The first list of prospective FIU head coaching candidates from Bruce Feldman did not include any Buckeyes, and was heavy on names with more South Florida connections, but it is also very early in that process. A Buckeye being considered for this position would be a little surprising, but not unheard of. Still, there are other mid-major positions likely to open this offseason that are probably more likely to turn towards Ohio State for a possible candidate.

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Dryden said:

Nebraska has fumbled twice into the end zone for touchbacks in the half. Somebody check on @alexhortdog95

Click to expand...

Still alive, although I was thinking of driving to Evanston to start kicking some arse.

I made it through the game. Can't say the same for Les, though, LOL

Buckeyes drop Big Ten openers to Wisconsin and Nebraska - OSU - The Lantern
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes drop Big Ten openers to Wisconsin and Nebraska
OSU - The Lantern
17 Buckeyes first traveled to Madison, Wisconsin, to battle the No. 3 Badgers. OSU didn't have much time to recoup after the three-set loss before they took off for Minneapolis, where the team played the No. 2 Minnesota Golden Gophers in less than 24 ...


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Ohio State opens as a whopping 37-point favorite vs Rutgers
Luke Zimmermann via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Vegas likes the Buckeyes big on homecoming.

Ohio State’s homecoming this coming weekend isn’t just an invitation to former students (and fans) to make the pilgrimage back to the holy land.

Rutgers head coach Chris Ash, arguably the most important hire Urban Meyer’s ever made with the Buckeyes, returns to town as a head coach for the very first time.

His early tenure with the Scarlet Knights hasn’t exactly been short on drama. Rutgers was darn near blown out of the stadium in Week 1 against a top 10 team in Washington. The team needed a huge comeback to beat a bad FCS team in Howard the following week. The Knights needed another big come from behind win to take down a New Mexico team that lost the previous week to transient program New Mexico State.

About the best moment so far in Ash’s short tenure came this past weekend when they played Iowa, fresh off a loss to defending four-time FCS champions North Dakota State in their own right, to a tight 14-7 loss.

Given how mature for their age Ohio State, one of the youngest teams in college football, looked against a preseason Top 3 team in Oklahoma, bookmakers think the Buckeyes are going to follow in Washington’s footsteps and really take it to the State University of New Jersey.

With OSU slotted as 37-point opening favorites, Vegas projects to get a favorable amount of action on both sides of a massive six plus score spread. Even to the most fervent Buckeyes, given how well Ash knows the Buckeyes’ personnel and scheme, you’d almost have to think that 30 would’ve been a more sane starting point.

With such a large spread, you should expect to see plenty of action on Rutgers, which could bring the spread back to earth. Of course if the Bucks come out anywhere near the way they played against the Sooners, maybe 37 won’t be enough either.

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AP Top 25: Buckeyes Hold Down No.2 Spot; Louisville Closes Gap - Eleven Warriors
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


AP Top 25: Buckeyes Hold Down No.2 Spot; Louisville Closes Gap
Eleven Warriors
Alabama hangs onto the #1 spot in the AP Poll after blanking Nick Saban's alma mater. Louisville grabbed a few more votes to slightly narrow the distance between the Cardinals and the Buckeyes. The rest of the poll is below. Ohio State hosts Chris Ash ...


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2 touchdowns or 2 sacks? Who is your Ohio State commit of the week?
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Which future Buckeye is your MVP?

For the second week in a row Ohio State class of 2017 verbal commit Tate Martell rolled past a few of his soon-to-be Buckeye teammates to walk away with the Land-Grant Holy Land MVP of the Week award.

Locking in 61% of your votes, the dual threat quarterback landed his second MVP of the season over Danny Clark (14%), Brian Snead (13%), Antjuan Simmons (7%), and Brendon White (5%).

Most of the Ohio State commits were back in action over the weekend. Which OSU pledge will be the Week 5 MVP? The poll is now open. Let your voice be heard:

Tyjon Lindsey


Back on the field after missing time due to injury, Lindsey sure didn’t disappoint during Bishop Gorman’s (NV) big 42-0 win over Bonanza (NV) on Friday evening.

Hauling in a pair of receptions from future Buckeye Tate Martell, the shifty wide out raced to pay dirt for Bishop Gorman touchdowns. To kickoff the scoring for the Gaels, Lindsey raced 40 yards to endzone, only to later to score from 30 yards out.

Emory Jones


Jones once again proved why is he considered one the top quarterback prospects in the entire junior class on Friday against Temple High (GA).

Leading his Heard County (GA) team to an easy 41-0 victory, the four-star standout completed 16 of his 21 passing attempts for 259 yards and two touchdowns.

Blake Haubeil


For the first time all season Haubeil is up for the MVP award and for good reason.

In the 55-13 Canisius (NY) win over St. Francis (NY), Haubeil booted all seven extra points and kicked seven touchbacks on Friday.

Brian Snead


The 2018 running back didn’t rack up the numbers like he did last Friday, but still had a pretty stellar game overall.

Al though Snead, and his Armwood (FL) squad took one of the chin from Plant High, 29-27, the four-star junior rushed for 60 yards, and three touchdowns for the Hawks.

Chase Young


In DeMatha Catholic’s (MD) 56-12 route of St. Mary’s Ryken (MD), Young and the Stags defense came to play.

Fighting double teams almost every play, Young finished with two quarterback sacks in the win.

Poll
Who is your Week 5 MVP?

• Tyjon Lindsey
• Emory Jones
• Blake Haubeil
• Brian Snead
• Chase Young

0 votes | Results

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Future Buckeyes in action: Jones, Lindsey, Haubeil others shine - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Future Buckeyes in action: Jones, Lindsey, Haubeil others shine
247Sports
Every Sunday during football season I wrap up the weekend that was in high school football in Ohio and elsewhere, focusing on those who will continue their careers playing for the Buckeyes. Over the weekend a number of future Buckeyes played in big ...


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Buckeyes hold at No. 2 in latest AP poll - OSU - The Lantern
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes hold at No. 2 in latest AP poll
OSU - The Lantern
OSU redshirt sophomore defensive end Sam Hubbard and OSU junior defensive end Jayln Holmes (11) celebrate after Hubbard's sack during the first quarter against Tulsa on Sept.10. The Buckeyes won 48-3. Credit: Alexa Mavrogianis | Photo Editor.


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Buckeyes hold second spot in Coaches Poll - 247Sports
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Buckeyes hold second spot in Coaches Poll
247Sports
The Amway Coaches Poll heading into week five of the college football season has been released, and to no surprise, the Buckeyes hold at the number two spot. What's next for the Buckeyes? Make sure you're in the loop -- take five seconds to sign up for ...
Youthful defense has fun but keeps focusColumbus Dispatch
Are the Buckeyes ready for the Sooners?Cosumnes Connection (subscription)
Sunday Morning Coffee: September 18, 2016The Buckeye Battle Cry

all 21 news articles »

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Ohio State Buckeyes No. 2 in this week's AP football Top 25 poll - cleveland.com
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Ohio State Buckeyes No. 2 in this week's AP football Top 25 poll
cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State didn't play this week and Alabama won, so nothing changed: The Buckeyes were still No. 2 in the latest Associated Press Poll. Alabama remained in the top spot with 50 first-place votes while Ohio State earned four, which ...
Ohio State remains No. 2 in the latest AP and Coaches PollsLand-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State remains No. 2 in AP Top 25 poll, Amway Coaches PollNBC4i.com

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Ohio State football: Who has been the Buckeyes defensive MVP through three games? - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: Who has been the Buckeyes defensive MVP through three games?
cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Through four weeks of the college football season, Ohio State is ninth in the country in scoring defense (12.3 points per game) and No. 13 in total defense (278.3 yards allowed per game). Considering one of Ohio State's three games ...
In The Dean's Office247Sports

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No. 2 Ohio State, No. 5 Michigan pace Big Ten in Coaches Poll
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

Coaches’ Rankings Rankings as of 9/25/2016 Rank School Votes Prev 1 Alabama (4-0) 1597 (61) 1 2 Ohio State (3-0) 1506 (2) 2 3 Clemson (4-0) 1440 (1) 3 4 Louisville (4-0) 1411 4 5 Michigan (4-0) 1333 5 6 Stanford (3-0) 1269 6 7 Houston (4-0) 1250 7 8 Wisconsin (4-0) 1127 10 9 Washington (4-0) 1049 9 10 Texas A&M (4-0) 1016 13 11 Tennessee (4-0) 986 12 12 Florida State (3-1) 843 14 13 Baylor (4-0) 797 15 14 Miami (FL) (3-0) 664 19 15 Nebraska (4-0) 649 20 16 Michigan State (2-1) 597 8 17 Ole

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Ohio State remains No. 2 in the latest Coaches Poll
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 Bucks were off, and saw the same result in the Coaches Poll

The Ohio State Buckeyes had this Saturday off, but were able to hold on to their No. 2 ranking in the latest Amway Coaches Poll.

As far as the rest of the top 10 goes, it went largely unchanged, as Michigan State was the only team to lose, as they fell to Wisconsin at home 30-6.

The Buckeyes bye week comes before a pretty easy two-week stretch of games against Rutgers and Indiana, both at home in Columbus. They’ll serve as warm up games before the Buckeyes travel to Madison to take on the Wisconsin Badgers, who are riding high after a big win in East Lansing Saturday.

Next week boasts plenty of good matchups across college football, with games between Stanford and Washington, as well as Louisville against Clemson. We’re already ready for Saturday to be here.

The entire Coaches Poll will be posted here shortly.

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Sunday Morning Coffee: September 18, 2016
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Inside of Room 17 on the second floor of Gould Hall off Asp Avenue on the Oklahoma University Norman campus sat a surly Austin Kendall. His roommate had not returned from the day before – off elsewhere while the heat died down.

Austin had made a statement earlier in the week calling The Ohio State University’s defense was “Basic” and that Baker Mayfield would light them up. It turned out to be enough for the Buckeyes Defensive unit (needless to mention the offensive unit) to use it as a springboard to come to Norman with an edge – ready to play.

He stood from the couch that he had slept on after arriving at his dorm room early morning following the game in which the Buckeyes dominated the Sooners 45-24; and Baker Mayfield, hardly lit up the Buckeyes “Basic” Defense. He made his way to the small kitchen counter and began to prepare a pot of coffee.

He just couldn’t get it out of his head. How could he be so ‘silly’ to say what he did? Of course he had believed every word of it. But was it truly an avenue to share publicly? The entire Oklahoma Sooners Football team knew this was a big game, and that the Buckeyes would not roll over. They would have to show them what Sooners Football was … and what happens when you come to Norman. Austin was now wondering if he had aided the enemy in motivation by spewing the ‘silliness’ that he had. Reality – he just would never know.
The night before at the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium things started off unwelcomingly – with a severe weather delay. Austin now wondered if things would have been different for the Sooners had the game started as it had been scheduled to. But again he just would never know.

The Buckeyes started off the scoring when Curtis Samuel in the first ran to the left and went 36 yards into the end zone for the opening score. With 4:46 remaining in the first LB Jerome Baker intercepted (Lights-out) Mayfield and carried it 68 yards for the TD. That moment of depression for the Sooners team and fan base though only lasted momentarily, as Joe Mixon on the kick-off scampered 97 yards for the return.

Sooner Football was about to back up Kendall’s pregame claim.
But it just wouldn’t be.



JT Barrett of the Ohio State Football showed why conversation is building for him to be in the Heisman talk. He would go 14 of 20 with 152 yards in the air, having 4 TD’s – all to Noah Brown, one of which, and he hated to acknowledge this, was perhaps the best catch he ever saw. JT would add 74 yards on the ground too.

The Buckeyes quiet wonder – Curtis Samuel, would have a touchdown and 98 yards on the ground and two receptions adding up to 20 yards from the air. But his unnoticed and unselfish block that aided in Mike Weber’s 35 yard run in the 3rd only showed just how good and unselfish these Buckeyes were.
The coffee was ready. It smelled great. Austin knew he needed it more than anything else. He poured himself a cup, deciding to drink it black, figuring perhaps change would help. He sat in the rocker next to the table where his cell phone rested, deciding to check messages – again.

There was the one from Coach Stoops – “Kendall – come Monday we will have a sit down about why you figure your opinion warrants public sharing. Be in my office 30 minutes before practice.”

There was the one from Baker Mayfield – “Austin. Don’t beat yourself up! They got lucky. I can light ‘em up …. (pause) just not last night.”

OT Orlando Brown had called too – “Your 2nd String there – buddy! Shut up until you, yourself, prove something!”

DT Jordan Wade also weighed in on his voice mail – “Learn not to motivate the opposition. Just play your game. Let that do the talking.”

But the most telling call was from his Mother – “Honey, your father wants to thank you. He never said anything, not even to me, but he made a substantial bet with a co-worker who gave your father the Buckeyes and 20. They covered too! I must say I was initially not pleased with him. But then he showed me how much he won – and, well – honey thank you! I love you. We will call before next weekend. If we don’t answer our cells we are sipping cool ones down on Galveston Beach. See you honey, and again Thank you. Go Buckeyes!”

The post Sunday Morning Coffee: September 18, 2016 appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Bowling Green rolls past Buckeyes on the road - OSU - The Lantern
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Bowling Green rolls past Buckeyes on the road
OSU - The Lantern
In the 67th minute, the Buckeyes made an errant pass deep in their own zone. The Falcons gained control of the ball and Bowling Green freshman forward Robert Miller III buried it into the back of the net from 12 yards out, giving Bowling Green a 2-0 lead.


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Ohio State football: Who has been the Buckeyes defensive MVP through three games? - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: Who has been the Buckeyes defensive MVP through three games?
cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Through four weeks of the college football season, Ohio State is ninth in the country in scoring defense (12.3 points per game) and No. 13 in total defense (278.3 yards allowed per game). Considering one of Ohio State's three games ...


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Big Ten Power Rankings: Wisconsin jumps up to No. 2 this week
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

Wisconsin’s big win at Michigan State has shaken up my latest Big Ten Power Rankings, presented by ArcelorMittal. Things don’t get any easier for the surging Badgers, as their October schedule looks like this: at Michigan; vs. Ohio State; at Iowa; vs. Nebraska. See my latest list below: 1. Ohio State (3-0, 0-0). The Buckeyes were off, fine-tuning a program that is humming along. Can this team be beaten? Last week: 1 Up next: vs. Rutgers 2. Wisconsin (4-0, 1-0). The Badgers suddenly look like a very dangerous team after demolishing the Spartans in East Lansing. Last week: 5 Up

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Updated: Wisconsin sweeps Buckeyes to open Big Ten play - The Daily Cardinal
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Updated: Wisconsin sweeps Buckeyes to open Big Ten play
The Daily Cardinal
From the moment they took the court, Wisconsin's defense stifled Ohio State, bombarding the Buckeyes with 15 blocks in total. Sophomore middle back Tionna Williams and junior outside hitter Kelli Bates lead the swat team with career-highs in blocks ...
Badgers crack the BuckeyesUniversity of Wisconsin Badgers
Gameday+ | Rearview mirror: Ohio State 28, Nebraska 20Columbus Dispatch
Big Ten's East Division the best race in college footballESPN (blog)
OSU - The Lantern -Big Ten Conference -CBSSports.com
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Dropped into this thread because it seemed the most likely place to find an explanation as to why Notre Dame began the 2016 season ranked 10th.

*sigh*

My futile quest continues...

Chris Ash might have been the most important hire of the Urban Meyer era
Grant Freking via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ohio State’s next contest will come against its former co-defensive coordinator.

Want to spark an interesting discussion among Ohio State fans? Pose the following question: who is the most important hire of the Urban Meyer era?

Tom Herman? Ed Warinner? Mickey Marotti?

What about Chris Ash? When Ash was hired away from Arkansas in January 2014 to become Ohio State’s co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach, the Buckeyes took a major step toward remedying a pass defense that struggled for most of the 2013 season before it morphed into a raging tire fire in Ohio State’s final three games against Michigan, Michigan State, and Clemson.

Ash’s reconfigured defense wasn’t great right away, but the Buckeyes improved as the 2014 season wore on and before reaching an elite level in both their run to the national championship and through the 2015 campaign. Last year, Ohio State was second in the nation in scoring defense, eighth in defensive S&P+, and ninth in total defense.

The Silver Bullets’ quick turnaround helped Ash land his first head coaching gig at Rutgers last December. Saturday, Ash gets his first shot at his former school. His Scarlet Knights are 2-2, and are coming off a 14-7 defeat to Iowa that saw Ash’s team outgain the visiting Hawkeyes.

Kickoff is slated for high noon Saturday in Columbus. And with that, let me hit you with the truth as we dive into the Bye (Bye Bye!) Week edition of Power Rankings!

Photo by George De Sota/Getty Images
1. Conquering fears


As I mentioned in the Week 2 rankings, I headed west for the Oklahoma game in a 30-foot, 7-person RV. (Many thanks to our Luke Zimmermann for filling for me last week.) I managed to stave off driving duties for the trip to Norman (via St. Louis), but I finally received my call from the bullpen Sunday afternoon when my group made the 13-hour journey from Norman to Cincinnati in one fell swoop.

The first 15 minutes I spent driving that gaudy monstrosity were terrifying. I struggled to separate my typically-solid driving skills from the the anxiety of possibly crashing an RV. But over the next three hours, I settled down and my nerves calmed. I made sure to triple-check my mirrors prior to changing lanes (the blind spots on RVs are unreal) and braked well in advance of any conceivable traffic stoppage.

But yeah, I hope I never have to drive one of those things ever again.

2. Being the bully on the block


My friends and I really enjoyed ourselves in Norman. The locals were very welcoming — not that they really had any choice; Friday and Saturday in Norman looked like three blocks of High St. in Columbus had been magically transported 800-plus miles to the west -- and tailgating with both Ohio State and Oklahoma fans Saturday morning/afternoon was a jolly good time.

As for the actual game, the atmosphere (at least in the first half) in Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium was positively invigorating. There’s no need for me to re-hash what Luke and the other LGHL writers covered extensively in the aftermath of the Buckeyes’ victory, but as I walked out the stadium, I thought to myself, “I don’t think Ohio State wins this game in the second half of the Tressel era.” In the latter five years of his tenure, Tressel’s teams failed to inspire much confidence in ‘big’ games, and the results (2007 & 2008 BCS title games, the USC series, the Fiesta Bowl vs. Texas) I think bear out my line of thinking.

Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

Urban Meyer has flipped that script. I now feel the same level of confidence Mark Titus does heading into every game. No matter the opponent, I know Ohio State has the right talent, the right mentality, and the right coaching to win. It’s a strange yet comforting feeling.

3. Forgot about Wisconsin


“Y’all know me, still the same OG, but I been low-key.”

Yeah, yeah, I know the sudden rise of Wisconsin is NOT college football’s equivalent of Dr. Dre’s beef with Death Row. But it feels like much of the focus on Ohio State’s schedule — even before the Oklahoma game — was centered around the tilts with Michigan State and Michigan to end the season — and for good reason! Both of those teams are very good, and the Big Ten East will almost certainly be decided on those last two weekends in November.

Plus, we all knew the Buckeyes’ tilt in Camp Randall on Oct. 15 was always going to be tough. Ohio State’s last two trips to Wisconsin resulted in an overtime victory in 2012 and 31-18 setback in 2010 as the No. 1 team in the country. Both of those contests took place at night, and the two teams’ mid-October showdown will kick at 8 p.m.

But on Saturday, Paul Chryst’s boys punked Michigan State 30-6 in East Lansing, a victory that came three weeks after the Badgers edged LSU at Lambeau Field. Chryst also appears to have found himself a quarterback—and it’s not even the same guy that started the LSU game. After he relieved fifth-year senior Bart Houston and directed three scoring drives to save Wisconsin’s skin last week against Georgia State, redshirt freshman Alex Hornibrook threw for a touchdown and nearly 200 yards in the Badgers’ shellacking of the Spartans.

Against Michigan State, Hornibook received heavy assistance from his defense; Wisconsin intercepted Tyler O’Connor three times, returned a fumble for a touchdown, and shut down the Spartans’ ground game (75 yards on 27 carries). But Hornibook was steady throughout and avoided any back-breaking mistakes. (If Hornibrook keeps this up, we’re on our way to some Matt Leinart comparisons, as Hornibrook is white, tall, left-handed, lacks a strong arm, and appears like a composed dude.) We’ll get to see right away if Hornibrook can repeat his collected performance — the Badgers host Michigan next weekend.

Once again, Wisconsin looks like the team to beat in the Big Ten West.

4. Early bye weeks


Bye weeks in general are lame, but the fact that Ohio State’s open date this fall comes before the calendar hits October will do no favors to a team that is looking at four games against currently-ranked opposition (three on the road) before the season ends.

Bright side: at press time, there’s been no repeat of last year’s bye week blues.

5. Michigan


Four games. Four wins. Points scored: 208. Points allowed: 55.

Not bad, Wolverines. Not bad at all. Penn State probably isn’t any good, but Michigan kept the Nittany Lions out of the end zone until garbage time in a 49-10 bulldozing, and Wilton Speight continues to look more than competent at quarterback.

Wisconsin-Michigan should be hella fun.

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John Switzer | From the Stump: Time to collect your lucky buckeye - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


John Switzer | From the Stump: Time to collect your lucky buckeye
Columbus Dispatch
A neighbor called the other day and said it was time for me to pick this year's lucky buckeye from his tree. I go down the street to his house every year and pick a nearly perfectly round buckeye that I carry in my pocket until I pick the next one. His ...


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Ohio State football | Youthful defense has fun but keeps focus - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football | Youthful defense has fun but keeps focus
Columbus Dispatch
Holmes also seemed to be celebrating the last 30 yards as Baker gave the Buckeyes their fourth interception return for a TD in the first three games. “I think I was more happy than he was; really, that's the funny thing,” Holmes said. “But I tell ...


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Big plays lead Buckeyes past Chieftains, 35-0 | Local Sports ... - Athens Messenger (registration)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Big plays lead Buckeyes past Chieftains, 35-0 | Local Sports ...
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LOGAN — Nelsonville-York coach Rusty Richards would admit he's not the biggest guy on the sidelines, but he was ready to go after his tailback Alex Mount ...
Big plays power Buckeyes past Chiefs | Sports | logandaily.comLogan Daily News

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