Ohio State vs. Oklahoma 2016: Start time, live stream, TV schedule and Game Thread
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 two wins under their belt, the young Buckeyes head to Norman for a huge non-conference test.

With a 48-3 win over Tulsa, the Ohio State Buckeyes seem to have found a rhythm on both sides of the ball. However, that groove will be tested in what was, before the season, thought to be the Buckeyes biggest test of the year against the No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners. The Buckeyes are 1-1 all-time versus Oklahoma, with the last matchup played in 1977. Oklahoma comes into the game having handily defeated Louisiana Monroe after falling in week one to Tom Herman’s sixth-ranked Houston Cougars, dropping once-third-ranked Oklahoma out of the top-10 entirely.

While the odds seem to have shifted in Ohio State’s favor, the Buckeyes will face a tough road match against an Oklahoma squad that is 41-2 in non-conference matchups under Bob Stoops at home. The Sooners return quarterback Baker Mayfield, who finished fourth in the Heisman voting last season and led his team to an appearance in the College Football Playoff. Mayfield already has five touchdowns with no interceptions on the season, and that is without playing the second half against Louisiana Monroe. Oklahoma has also put together a strong rushing attack, piling up 358 yards on the ground through two games.

For the Buckeyes, what began as an unexpected flurry of offensive and defensive firepower against Bowling Green in week one was solidified against Tulsa, with key playmakers on both sides of the ball continuing to perform at a high level. J.T. Barrett seems to be more on his 2014-form, while Curtis Samuel, Mike Weber and Malik Hooker have stepped up into their new roles.

In some aspects, this game is a must-win for the Buckeyes, who need the non-conference credibility for the College Football Playoff committee before heading into Big Ten play. It will also be a reality check for the young team for the level of play that they can expect down the road against the likes of Wisconsin, Michigan State and Michigan.

When is the game and how can I watch?


Game Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m.

Location: Norman, OK

TV: FOX

Online: FOX Sports Go

Radio: 97.1 FM/1460 AM

Where is GameDay this weekend?


Though many would have thought Gameday would head to Norman this week, the crew is going to Louisville for the first time in the show’s history as the 10th-ranked Cardinals face off against the No. 2 Florida State Seminoles (interestingly, Lee Corso, who graduated from Florida State, coached Louisville from 1969-72). Louisville opened the season with massive wins over both Charlotte and Syracuse, while Florida State already has a big win over No. 19 Ole Miss.

What’s the rest of the Big Ten up to today?


In a potential sleeper, No. 13 Iowa takes on FCS champion North Dakota State at noon on ESPN2. Elsewhere in the Big Ten, No. 9 Wisconsin faces Georgia State at noon, while No. 4 Michigan faces Colorado at 3:30, both on BTN. In a rematch from last year’s upset, Penn State plays Temple at noon on BTN. Nebraska faces No. 22 Oregon at 3:30 on ABC. In the conference’s other premiere night game, No. 12 Michigan State takes on No. 18 Notre Dame on NBC.

Join the conversation


Below is your Ohio State-Oklahoma GameThread. Be respectful, be kind and as always, keep it classy. If you like GIFs, lay ‘em on us. In all, be good fans, cheer for your teams, be cool to each other (even if somebody else isn’t) and everyone wins. Let’s keep the season going strong. Go Bucks.

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View From the Fan – Oklahoma
Ben van Ooyen via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


(This article originally appeared at ohiostate.scout.com)

Thoughts on Last Week


Well, the result on the scoreboard certainly didn’t reflect what I saw on the television last week. Ohio State’s bland offense let Tulsa hang around for too long, and the defense forced turnover after turnover, yet the Buckeyes settled for punting or field goals? The weather might’ve worsened just before halftime, but the skies became brighter for the Buckeyes. Malik Hooker led the charge when he made a stunning read on Dane Evans’ pass and ran it in for six points. In the waning moments, some questionable play-calling on Tulsa’s end resulted in Marshon Lattimore snagging any easy interception. He followed a convoy of Buckeyes into the end zone to give the Scarlet and Gray some breathing room going into the second half.

Thankfully, the Buckeye offense got it together during the lengthy rain delay. Ohio State put up four touchdowns in the second half, but I’m still concerned with the play at wide receiver. Besides Curtis Samuel and Dontre Wilson, the wide receivers had five receptions, and the longest was only for 16 yards. The Buckeyes are going to need a deep threat this season if they’re going to be a national title contender, and someone needs to step up so J.T. Barrett has a target downfield.

As far as the defense goes, you can’t even tell the team lost eight starters to the NFL. Sure the wins are against Bowling Green and Tulsa, but, when the stats are tallied at the end of the season, those two teams will have two of the better offenses. The Buckeyes have yet to allow an offensive touchdown, and their bend-but-don’t-break attitude has been spectacular so far this season. The Buckeyes are winning the turnover margin by huge numbers each game, and even when the offense struggles to find its identity, Ohio State can rely on Raekwon McMillan and company to hold opposing offenses to almost nothing on the scoreboard.

On Oklahoma


First road game of the season, in a hostile environment, with a really young football team – I’m concerned, yeah. Talent-wise, Ohio State is as good as anyone in the country, but when you take a young team on the road, all bets are off. Oklahoma comes into the game with gun-slinging quarterback Baker Mayfield and a two-headed monster at running back in Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine. Although Preine has gotten off to a slow start this season, he has the potential to hit his stride at any time and shouldn’t be underestimated. I expect Oklahoma to bring a balanced attack by establishing the run early and testing Ohio State’s defensive backfield down field. The Buckeyes have yet to see a backfield like this, so shutting them down will be a big test.

What am I looking for out of this game? I want to see this team grow up before my eyes on Saturday night. I want them to embrace this challenge head on and put it all out there on the field for Ohio State. I want Mike Weber to pound the rock and the offensive line to push Oklahoma around all night. Ohio State needs the wide receivers to step up and make some plays downfield – guys like Noah Brown and Terry McLaurin must get more involved in the game and catch more passes if Ohio State wants to have a chance. Samuel and Wilson coming out of the backfield and lining up at the H will cause matchup problems for Oklahoma, and the Buckeyes need to take advantage.

Ohio State’s defense has held tough so far, but Oklahoma’s offense has me a little worried. If Ohio State continues to shut down the run game like it has the first two weeks, I really like its chances of making Oklahoma one dimensional. To up the odds, the defensive line and linebackers need to get to Mayfield early and often. Ohio State’s defensive backfield was an area of concern for me going into this season, but its play over the last two weeks has been spectacular. If the Buckeyes can rattle Mayfield into making some mistakes, then maybe they can throw off the Sooners’ passing game as well.

This will not be an easy game for either team, and I think it’ll come down to the fourth quarter. Somehow the Buckeyes will find a way to escape Norman with a 31-27 victory.

A Fan’s Playoff Predictions


Alabama – The Crimson Tide’s last game against Western Kentucky wasn’t anything to write home about, but we’ll see a true test of their mettle this week. Alabama travels to Ole Miss – its nemesis for the last two seasons. Should be a good one.

Houston – The Cougars soundly defeated Lamar despite inclement weather and a backup quarterback, and they toppled Cincinnati easily Thursday night. I didn’t see any letdown after their big win against Oklahoma.

Florida State – Sure they beat up on a depleted Charleston Southern team, but their week 1 win vs. Ole Miss looked good, and redshirt freshman quarterback Deondre Francois looks the part. Between him and Heisman candidate Dalvin Cook, the Seminoles hope to keep up their winning ways when they travel to Louisville this week.

Ohio State – Last week’s game wasn’t the Buckeyes’ best, but they showed resiliency and promise in the second half. Buckeye Nation invades Norman this week, and with a win there, Ohio State will be in the driver’s seat for one of these four spots.

A Fan’s Heisman Standings


Christian McCaffrey – Although Stanford had a bye last week, I’m keeping McCaffrey here because his performance was good enough to remain No. 1. We’ll see how he does this week against a USC team that wants to prove their early loss to Alabama was a fluke.

Barrett – He certainly didn’t look like a Heisman candidate during the first half against Tulsa, but he was able to shake it off. Barrett went on to lead the Buckeyes on four second half scoring drives and ran in two himself.

Lamar Jackson – Jackson has tallied 13 touchdowns for Louisville in two games, and last week he threw for 411 yards and ran for another 199. Let’s see how he does this week against a quality defense in FSU.

Nick Chubb – Georgia struggled against Nicholls last Saturday, but Chubb still had a decent game with 80 rushing yards and a touchdown. He faces Missouri this week, which has been a sieve for opposing running games, giving up over 200 yards per game on the ground. Expect Chubb to have a big game.

The post View From the Fan – Oklahoma appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Buckeyes win 200th TVC game - Athens Messenger (registration)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes win 200th TVC game
Athens Messenger (registration)
BIDWELL — Alex Mount made the most of his attempts, and the Nelsonville-York Buckeyes made some history in the process. Nelsonville-York won at River Valley, 46-6, in its Tri-Valley Conference Ohio Division opener on Friday. For the Buckeyes, not only ...

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Gameday+ | Ohio college spotlight: QB Logan Woodside back in ... - Columbus Dispatch
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Gameday+ | Ohio college spotlight: QB Logan Woodside back in ...
Columbus Dispatch
Those with sketchy short-term memory might wonder why Toledo quarterback Logan Woodside is among the players on the watch list for the Archie Manning ...

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OU football: Sooners vs. Buckeyes also about two iconic coaches - NewsOK.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


OU football: Sooners vs. Buckeyes also about two iconic coaches
NewsOK.com
Former Florida coach Urban Meyer, left, and Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops shake hands in front of the BCS championship trophy during a press conference before the 2008-09 title game. Stoops and Meyer, now with Ohio State, will square off again Saturday.
How the Sooners and Buckeyes become preeminent recruitersTulsa World
Urban Meyer found his next great playmaker Curtis SamuelSporting News
Road warriors: How has Urban Meyer pushed the right button 18 times in a row?ESPN (blog)
Land-Grant Holy Land
all 17 news articles »

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Gameday+ | Across the ball: Stoops getting defense ratcheted up for Buckeyes - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Gameday+ | Across the ball: Stoops getting defense ratcheted up for Buckeyes
Columbus Dispatch
A great defensive performance against the Buckeyes won't absolve the unit of its mistakes against Houston, but it will at least give Stoops more confidence in his defense going forward. No doubt Stoops wants — and needs — a stronger defense capable ...

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Gameday+ | Ohio State spotlight: Malik Hooker - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Gameday+ | Ohio State spotlight: Malik Hooker
Columbus Dispatch
The Ohio State player already making his case as breakout performer of the year is safety Malik Hooker. With three interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, he certainly caught the eye of Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops. “Malik Hooker is just an ...

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Gameday+ | Ohio State vs. Oklahoma: Key factors | Buckeye Xtra ... - Columbus Dispatch
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Gameday+ | Ohio State vs. Oklahoma: Key factors | Buckeye Xtra ...
Columbus Dispatch
The Buckeyes have been road warriors under coach Urban Meyer, but this is the biggest nonconference test they have faced under him.

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Jahsen Wint's road to becoming an Ohio State Buckeye is unique - Land-Grant Holy Land
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Jahsen Wint's road to becoming an Ohio State Buckeye is unique
Land-Grant Holy Land
Working his way up the recruiting ladder, Wint was able to grab the attention of former Buckeye defensive coach Chris Ash, who came to see Wint at practice – and to determine if he had what it took to play at one of the nation's best college football ...


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Because Barrett is SO easy to copy.

Gameday+ | Rob Oller commentary: Buckeyes, Sooners step into ring for rubber match - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Gameday+ | Rob Oller commentary: Buckeyes, Sooners step into ring for rubber match
Columbus Dispatch
One of the loudest crowds at Ohio Stadium history moped away disappointed in 1977 when the No. 4 Buckeyes erased a 20-0 deficit by scoring 28 unanswered points, only to watch the No. 3 Sooners win 29-28 on a 41-yard field goal by Uwe von Schamann ...
Urban Meyer found his next great playmaker Curtis SamuelSporting News
Road warriors: How has Urban Meyer pushed the right button 18 times in a row?ESPN (blog)
Urban Meyer pleased with strong start by Ohio State's secondaryLand-Grant Holy Land

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Jahsen Wint’s road to becoming an Ohio State Buckeye is unique
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


A fantastic look into the road that led Wint to Columbus, Ohio

“I didn’t think a school like that would come all the way to Brooklyn, to come see me,” Wint, 18, said. “It was nerve-racking because the way I performed that day would determine whether I would go here or not — or get the offer.”

– Joseph Swide, The New York Times


Earlier today, The New York Times released a marvelous and insightful look into Jahsen Wint’s journey to Ohio State. Starting as a recruit in Brooklyn, Wint did whatever it took to become a scholarship player on the D1 level.

Working his way up the recruiting ladder, Wint was able to grab the attention of former Buckeye defensive coach Chris Ash, who came to see Wint at practice – and to determine if he had what it took to play at one of the nation’s best college football programs.

Swide’s feature delves into the life aspect of being a college football recruit, ranging from Wint learning how to drive his aunt’s car, to bouncing from house to house to play video game with his neighborhood friends, to going to prom.

All of this culminated with Wint suiting up for the Buckeyes against Bowling Green, but only as part of the special teams unit. The whole article is definitely worth the read, and gives one of the better peeks into the life of a recruit fighting to make it to the big stage of college football.

“When the season began, the Sooners were across-the-board favorites to defend their home turf against the Buckeyes on Saturday, but their stumble out of the gates in Houston has changed that belief.”

– Derek Peterson, OU Daily


With the showdown against Oklahoma on Saturday, the college football odds machine is still cranking out projections. As of now, the Oklahoma Sooners – who were once favorites to win against Ohio State earlier in the week – now find themselves as two-point underdogs.

It has been nearly 16 years since the last time the Sooners took the field in Norman, Okla. as the underdog. The last time was on Oct. 28, 2000, as the then-No. 3 Sooners hosted the No. 1 team in the country, the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Recently, being the underdog has proved well for coach Bob Stoops. The last time OU wasn’t the favorite, they defeated Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, according to OU Daily.

On the flip side, Oklahoma was the favorite against the Houston Cougars earlier this season, and wound up losing to the Tom Herman coached team. So far this season, Ohio State was favored in their first two games – and one both convincingly.

We’ll see tomorrow how true the odds and predictions are, as the Sooners and Buckeyes kick off at 7 p.m. Eastern.

“Against Tulsa [Lewis] had a sack and a forced fumble that teammate Jerome Baker recovered. He and Sam Hubbard will be crucial if the Buckeyes hope to get pressure on Oklahoma star Baker Mayfield.”

– Stewart Mandel, FOX Sports.com


FOX Sports took the time to breakdown which Buckeyes could have a breakout time against the Sooners.

Stewart Mandel wrote that Malik Hooker, Curtis Samuel, Tyquan Lewis, Marshon Lattimore and Mike Weber were the breakout stars to watch as the Scarlet and Gray take on the Crimson and Cream.

While the obvious players to watch, Hooker and Samuel, were listed as the No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, Mandel elaborated on the importance of Lewis at the defensive end. Because of Lewis’ big game against Tulsa, which included a forced fumble, he has become a force to be reckoned. If Lewis, as well as the rest of the D-Line can put pressure on Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, then not only will Lewis became more recognized force, but the Buckeyes may find a way to come back to Columbus with a ‘W’.

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Big Ten West Recruiting Round-Up – September
Ben van Ooyen via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Welcome to the September edition of the Big Ten Recruiting Round-up. We normally focus on all things Ohio State here at The Buckeye Battle Cry, but today we are going to branch out and take a look at where all of the other teams in the Big Ten West stand as far as recruiting goes for the class of 2017. We are a little less than six months from signing day, and while we know a lot about the class that the Buckeyes will be bringing in, what do the classes that the rest of the Big Ten West look like right now and how might they finish?

Iowa Hawkeyes – Class Rank #18 – 16 Commitments


1 – 5-Star

2 – 4-Star

13 – 3-Star


Photo via Des Moines Register


Iowa is building on last year success of winning the Big Ten West, and right now are by far have the best recruiting class on that side of the conference. The class is headlined by 5-star A.J. Epenesa, a defensive end out of Edwardsville, Illinois. Epenesa is listed as the #1 defensive end in the country and the #1 overall prospect in the state of Illinois. He made a few unofficial visits last year before deciding for Iowa in January of this year. The Hawkeyes have also received commitments from Chevin Calloway and Eno Benjamin who are both 4-star recruits from the state of Texas. Calloway is a defensive back and he committed back in July over Arkansas and Baylor. He is listed as the #11 cornerback in the nation and the 14th best prospect in the talent-rich state of Texas. Eno Benjamin is a running back who chose the Hawkeyes over Michigan, Texas and Baylor. He ran the ball 366 times last year for 2652 yards and 41 touchdowns for Wylie East High School.

The Buckeyes had offers out to Epenesa, Calloway and Benjamin but were never really in the mix for any of them. Iowa also has no recruits from the state of Ohio this recruiting cycle. They have one recruit that is not from the mid-western part of the country in Joshua Turner from Florida, other than that they are staying in-state and down in Texas for the majority of their recruiting class.

Other names out there that could pull the trigger for the Hawkeyes are 3-star defensive end Andrew Van Ginkel out of Rock Valley, Iowa. He currently has a 66% crystal ball projection to the Hawkeyes. Scott Nelso is a 3-star safety out of Detroit, Michigan who right now holds a slight crystal ball lead over Michigan State. And Zamari Maxwell is a 3-star cornerback out of Largo, Florida who right now holds a 100% crystal ball projection to the Hawkeyes.

Iowa has had one decommitment for the class of 2017 and that was Juan Harris a 3-star defensive tackle out of Janesville, Wisconsin. Harris committed to the Hawkeyes on June 25th of 2015, and then decommitted on June 15th of this year. He then verbally committed to the Indiana Hoosiers on July 25th.

Iowa has a chance to finish out their class with a few 3-star guys and with Kirk Ferentz signing a new extension, recruits have to know that the coaching staff will remain intact for quite some time. That is always a concern of high school kids, getting to college then having your head coach decide to leave or be let go.

Projection – Top 25 Recruiting Class

Nebraska Cornhuskers – Class Rank #27 – 14 Commitments


0 – 5-Star

4 – 4-Star

10 – 3-Star


Photo via Campus Insiders


Nebraska or as recruits have been calling it this year “Calibraska”, is trying to gain a foothold in the state of California this season. They have received verbal commitments from two 4-star guys out of Calabasas High School in Tristan Gebbia and Keyshawn Johnson Jr. Gebbia is a quarterback and is the 8th ranked pro-style quarterback in the class of 2017. He will be joined by one of his favorite targets in Johnson who is the 41st ranked wide receiver in the country. The Cornhuskers have also received commitments from 4-star linebacker and the #1 prospect from the state of Delaware Avery Roberts and from 4-star wide receiver Jaevon McQuitty out of Columbia, Missouri.

Ohio State had an offer out to Keyshawn Johnson Jr., whose cousin Michael Thomas was a star at Ohio State and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in last years draft. Johnson chose to forge his own path not choosing his dad’s Alma Mater USC or Ohio State. Nebraska has one commitment from a player from the state of Ohio in Matt Sichterman an offensive tackle from Kings Mills. He is the 18th ranked prospect in the state, and 41st ranked offensive tackle overall. Sichterman did not have a Buckeye offer but, did have 30 others before choosing the Cornhuskers.

Nebraska is still in the running for a few more high-value targets, especially Darnay Holmes who is a teammate of Gebbia and Johnson from Calabasas. Holmes is a 5-star cornerback prospect and while he is expected to stay on the west coast, there is a slight chance that he joins his teammates at Nebraska. Rahyme Johnson is another 4-star linebacker from the state of California that is high on Nebraska and right now has a 100% crystal ball projection to the Huskers. He joins Jamire Calvin a 3-star wide receiver from Los Angeles with a 75% crystal ball projection leading the California to Nebraska movement.

Nebraska has not suffered a decommitment so far in this recruiting cycle, and I don’t see any on the horizon for them.

If the Huskers can land Holmes, then they can certainly finish with a top 25 class, however, I feel its unlikely that he selects them so I think they stay right outside the top 25 when all is said and done.

Projection – Top 30 Recruiting Class

Northwestern Wildcats – Class Rank #31 – 18 Commitments


0 – 5-Star

0 – 4-Star

18 – 3-Star


Photo via 247 Sports


The Wildcats are hanging right outside the top 30 in recruiting rankings, and that is without a four or five-star recruit. Pat Fitzgerald has to not only find quality athletes to play football but because of the academic standards of Northwestern, he also has to find quality students as well. Currently, the Wildcats have 18 kids committed and they are all 3-stars, including their highest rated in Sam Miller out of Houston, Texas. Miller is a defensive tackle who had offers from Texas Tech, Indiana and UCF before settling on the Wildcats back in January. Trevor Kent is their second highest rated recruit and he is the #1 recruit from the state of Kansas for the class of 2017. Kent is a defensive end that had 13 offers from the likes of Kansas, Kansas State, Michigan and Nebraska.

The Buckeyes and Wildcats only crossed paths on one recruit in the current class and that is Earnest Brown out of Ryan, Texas. Brown had 24 offers as a defensive end, and it was thought that he would stay closer to home as experts pegged him to TCU or Texas A&M, but he chose Northwestern in March. Brown is rated as the #16 overall defensive end in the class of 2017. The state of Ohio is providing plenty of the talent to Northwester in this recruiting cycle as they have five guys from Ohio currently committed to them. The highest rated player they have from Ohio is tight end Trey Pugh out of Plain City.

Northwestern is not currently crystal balled to any current prospects right now, but they will certainly have their hand in the mix on a number of kids during and after the season.

The Wildcats suffered one decommitment from 3-star tight end Bryce Wolma who committed to Northwestern, and then 3 days later decommitted and committed to Arizona.

I don’t see Northwestern gaining any big name recruits, and if they continue to struggle this season, they could lose a few of these guys that are committed as well. Fitzgerald needs to right the ship quickly and they can salvage the season and keep their recruiting class intact.

Prediction – Top 45 Recruiting Class

Wisconsin Badgers – Class Rank #46 – 11 Commitments


0 – 5-Star

1 – 4-Star

10 – 3-Star


Photo via Bleacher Report


Seeing Wisconsin this low on the recruiting rankings initially shocked me, but then I realized that they only had 11 commitments so far so they can and will climb higher. They are led by their only 4-star recruit Kayden Lyles out of Middleton, Wisconsin. Lyles is an offensive guard who is the #1 prospect from the state of Wisconsin. The Badgers usually lock up most of their in-state talent, and this year is no different. Along with Lyles they have the top 5 kids from the state locked up in Tyler Beach (OT), Jake Ferguson (TE), Logan Bruss (OG), and Aaron Vopal (DE).

Again the Buckeyes and Badgers did not cross paths many times in this recruiting cycle and only Kayden Lyles was offered a scholarship by the Buckeyes. It was always going to be a tough pull for the Buckeyes, but Wisconsin was always going to be the likely home for Lyles. Right now the Badgers do not have any commitments from the state of Ohio, which is unusual as they usually pluck a few from the Buckeye State.

The outlook for future Badgers right now doesn’t look all that great, but Wisconsin usually makes something out of nothing. They are high up on the list of Kennedy Brooks a 4-star running back out of Texas. He currently has an 80% crystal ball projection putting him with the Badgers. They also have a 5% crystal ball projection for Scott Nelson a 3-star safety prospect out of Detroit, Michigan.

The Badgers have not had any decommitments this recruiting cycle, and they will likely hold on to all of their current recruits.

With Paul Chryst now in his second year at Wisconsin, he is getting more and more of his own guys into the system. The Badgers always seem to land quality offensive and defensive lineman from the midwest, and they are continuing to do so in this class. They will need a running back to replace Corey Clement when he leaves, and they could always use a stud quarterback.

Illinois Fighting Illini – Class Rank #58 – 11 Commitments


0 – 5-Star

0 – 4-Star

11 – 3-Star


Photo via Scout


The Lovie Smith era in Champaign has begun, yet recruiting has not taken off because of it yet. The goal for Illinois should be to wrap up as many of the in-state prospects as possible and to get a few from other talent rich areas. Six of the current commitments are from the state of Illinois, while the others are from Florida and Missouri. Their current commitments are heavily offensive in nature with only three of the eleven playing on the defensive side of the ball. Illinois top recruit so far is Carmoni Green a 3-star wide receiver out of Miami, Florida. Green held 10 offers and chose to leave the state of Florida for his college ball.

Ohio State and Illinois have not clashed on any recruits so far this season, and none of the current commitments are from the state of Ohio.

Illinois has a few prospects to keep an eye on in Boe Tufele out of California, Faion Hicks out of Florida, and Calvin Tyler out of Texas. All three are 3-star recruits and Tufele and Hicks would help solidify the defensive side of recruiting if they committed.

Illinois has had one decommitment from Ryan O’Malley out of Libertyville, Illinois. O’Malley committed back in February but then reopened his recruitment in April. He has three offers from Illinois, New Mexico and Buffalo.

Given that Lovie Smith has been in the NFL for the past few decades, relating to high school kids might not come natural to him. However since he does have an NFL pedigree, he knows what it takes to get to the next level and can sell that fact to these high school recruits. While I don’t expect immediate dividends from the hire, I do expect that Illinois will get back to respectability within a few years and become a thorn in the side of the Big Ten yet again.

Prediction – Top 60 Recruiting Class

Purdue Boilermakers – Class Rank #63 – 13 Commitments


0 – 5-Star

0 – 4-Star

11 – 3-Star

2 – 2-Star


Photo via Max Preps


Purdue has been struggling to compete in the Big Ten for quite some time now, and their lackluster recruiting probably has something to do with it. When Darrell Hazell was brought in as head coach, many thought that he would be able to turn things around for the Boilermakers, but now in his 4th season at the helm, Purdue has won seven games and finished last in the Big Ten West every year. It certainly isn’t going to help win over recruits if you are bringing up the rear every year in the conference and never getting a chance to play in a bowl game. Purdue has 13 commitments right now for the class of 2017, and their highest rated commitment is Nick Sipe a 3-star pro-style quarterback out of Villa Park, California. Sipe is the 32nd ranked pro-style quarterback in the class, and the 65th best prospect out of the state of California. Purdue has to battle Notre Dame and Indiana for in-state kids and so far they haven’t been able to land a single one. In order to recruit better, they need to start landing some of these in-state kids. They do have a commitment from legacy recruit Griffin Alstott, who is the son of longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneers fullback Mike Alstott. Griffin is a dual-threat quarterback and committed about a month after he received his offer.

Ohio State and Purdue have not grappled over a recruit so far this recruiting cycle, and it is highly unlikely that they will do so. The Boilermakers do have two commitments from kids out of Ohio in Malcolm Robinson and Brevin Harris. Robinson is a 3-star offensive guard from Massillon who is the 46th best player in the state of Ohio. Harris is a 3-star receiver out of Creston and is the 39th best player in the state.

Purdue will still look to find some more two and three-star kids to fill out this class, but they currently don’t have any player with a single crystal ball pick in for them. They have as of now not received any decommitments from anyone in their class, so there is that.

Depending on how the rest of the season plays out, this might be Hazell’s last rodeo in West Lafayette, and if he is out and the end of the season what does that do for the recruiting class he already has? It really depends on who they would bring in to replace him, but I still think it will be a struggle for Purdue to contend in the Big Ten with all of the big time programs recruiting around them.

Projection: Top 75 Recruiting Class

Minnesota Golden Gophers – Class Rank #73 – 11 Commitments


0 – 5-Star

0 – 4-Star

9 – 3-Star

2 – 2-Star


Photo via Twitter


The Golden Gophers are coming off a year when their head coach had to step away for medical reasons, leaving the team in the hands of Tracy Claeys who had been the defensive coordinator under Jerry Kill since 2011. Kill had done a decent job on the recruiting trail after starting his career at Minnesota 3-9 in 2011. He built the program back up to respectability guiding them to bowl games in every season he coached but that first one. Claeys took over last year after the team had gone 4-3 and finished 2-5 to guide them to the Quick Lane Bowl which they won over MAC champion Central Michigan. Recruiting so far for the 2017 class has been a little stagnant so far, yielding the lowest ranking class in the Big Ten overall. They finished 48th last year in the recruiting rankings, and were looking to build on that this year, but so far they are far off that pace. The Golden Gophers highest ranking recruit is 3-star offensive tackle Blaise Andries out of Marshall, Minnesota. Andries is the #1 player out of the state of Minnesota and the 34th overall tackle in this class. The Gophers also have the #2 recruit from their home state in Eric Abojei who is also an offensive tackle.

The Buckeyes and Gophers have not overlapped in this years recruiting cycle, unlike last season when Carter Coughlin was thought at times to be a Buckeye lean but, ended up in Minnesota. There are also no current recruits from the state of Ohio on the Gophers commitment list which isn’t uncommon, as they usually pull from the area right around Minnesota for the majority of their kids.

Minnesota still has a chance to nab a few more 3-star guys especially Josh Samuel and Ezekiel Ott. Samuel is a 3-star running back out of Lawrenceville, Georgia who has a 100% crystal ball projection to the Gophers. Ott is a 3-star defensive end out of Caledonia, Minnesota who also has a 100% crystal ball to the Gophers. Kendrick Green is an offensive guard out of Peoria Illinois who right now is split 50/50 in crystal ball projections between Minnesota and Iowa.

Minnesota has also not suffered from any decommitments from the class of 2017, and I honestly don’t see any coming.

The Gophers are obviously going to nab some more quality kids to fill out this class, I just don’t see them getting enough to move up the rankings that much. I see them passing Purdue in the end, but not ending up much higher in the rankings.

Projection: Top 75 Recruiting Class

The post Big Ten West Recruiting Round-Up – September appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Friday Night Slights; Kirk Barton, Staff Slights, Fan Slights and Weekly Funny
WVaBuckeye via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


We live in a world where tomorrow is truly uncertain to a lot of human beings. The nice thing about having the freedom to say what you want and cut loose on some of these topics is that it is good for the soul! Huge shout-out to those not afraid to express their fears and also to those who help take care of those who cannot care for themselves. We can always count on @Kirk_Barton to lead us off each week!



Staff Slights


Scott – Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News is an AP voter. He had OSU No. 1 preseason and dropped the Bucks to 9 after week one, saying it wasn’t a great win. He has OSU 10 this week. Meanwhile, Alabama is No. 1 in his poll even though the Tide was vanilla it an unimpressive win in week 2.



WVa – Have to take my shot at how the whole untimed down debacle unfolded during the Oklahoma State versus Central Michigan game. Not everyone knows these rules which includes an exception for extending a game.Fundamentally speaking they extended the game due to an accepted penalty and that’s probably how it should go. The problem is the exception! You will not extend a period or a game for an accepted penalty that carries the loss of down provision or an unsporting or non-player foul(high school). The fact that this crew, the replay crew and evidently the MAC supervisor who saw it unfold did not stop the play from happen takes away the NCAA’s right to reverse the result of the game. So now Oklahoma State will run the table and get an exception because they got messed over by this.





Ben v. – Michigan recruiting. Yes it happens to every school, they recruit athletes and then they find better athletes and may not honor the commitments of the previously committed athlete. Michigan has taken it to a whole new level. Three decommitments over the last few days and for pretty much the same reason, the coaching staff has decided to ignore them hoping that they decommit so that they can pursue other athletes. If you don’t want the kid to come to your school, don’t offer him in the first place. For Harbaugh he is getting these kids to commit knowing he will have something in the bank if he can’t get the bigger fish. Hopefully more kids start to see through this and realize what a tool he is.



Brandon – My Friday Night Slight is going to the biggest idiot on the planet, Brandon Zimmerman. You see, Brandon is an editor for a website which is trying to gain some traction in a giant mud puddle full of Buckeye websites. Brandon videoed an interview which would cause a lot of conversation leading up to the Oklahoma game. Brandon, instead of writing an article for our website, decided to simply tweet it out from his personal account. Every other major website uses the video to write a post and receives much praise. Brandon’s website is left sitting to the side. Brandon is a Friday Night Failure.





JC – I would like for TTUN to admit that Harbaugh is suffering from chromosome abnormalities and that they should have went with Scott Satterfield. But that would be like Danny DeVito’s penguin character in “Batman” getting a slow dance with Michelle Pfeiffer’s Cat-woman. I am saying my novena now for Colorado and the upset….



Mike Meals – Every single person on twitter who has been sharing that video of Coach Khaki eating his nose pickings…That has been all over my feed this week and it makes me sick every-time I see it. Of course, dear Jim…STOP PICKING YOUR NOSE AND EATING IT! I shouldn’t have to tell a grown man that. I guess we have it better than you, since we learned that at a young age.





Fans Slights




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Ohio State’s history with Oklahoma is awesome
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Earle Bruce beat Barry Switzer in the sea of crimson and cream. Meyer looks to do the same to Stoops.


With the Ohio State-Oklahoma looming, the college football world is about to embark on the third edition of the Buckeye-Sooner showdown. Already, we’ve seen a backup quarterback trying to trash talk, and the ensuing repercussions of said trash talk.

Let’s look back at the other matchups these two programs shared, and how this game on Saturday will be another clipping for the college football history book.

The Sooner Schooner’s great escape out of Columbus


1977. That’s the first time Ohio State had ever played Oklahoma – and the Buckeyes had the luxury of playing at home. Woody Hayes brought in a squad that was off to a fast 2-0 start after beating Miami (FL) and Minnesota; Barry Switzer came into Columbus, Ohio with a Sooner squad that was also 2-0, but escaped out of Week 1 with a two-point victory over Vanderbilt.

Oklahoma, who was ranked No. 3 at the time, was as advertised. Billy Sims rushed the Sooners to an early lead, which came out to 17-0 after the first quarter. After Uwe von Schamann netted a field goal, the visiting squad had pulled away to what seemed like an insurmountable 20-0 lead.

However, the Buckeyes had the patented Hayes rushing attack – three yards and a cloud of dust – and were out to fight the Sooners until the clock hit all zeros. Ohio State rattled off three straight rushing touchdowns, and found themselves leading the game midway through the third quarter. But the Buckeyes weren’t done; Greg Castignola passed for his first touchdown of the game and put the Scarlet and Gray up 28-20. Castignola only passed the ball twice against Oklahoma, but this completion put momentum squarely into the Ohio State corner.

Here is where things got interesting. With under 90 seconds left in regulation, the Sooners fought back and scored a touchdown – but the conversion failed. Down 28-26, the Sooners had no option but to attempt a squib kick on the ensuing kickoff. Because of a deflection off a Buckeye, the Sooner snatched the ball, and started their final drive from midfield.

Oklahoma took four plays to put themselves into field goal range for von Schamann. With three seconds left, von Schamann connected with a 41-yard field goal and lifted the Sooners to a nail-biting victory in Columbus, 29-28.


The Oklahoma loss was the only regular season ‘L’ for the Buckeyes in 1977. Ohio State ended up in the Sugar Bowl against Alabama – where they would collect their second loss as the Crimson Tide blew out Hayes’ squad, 35-6.

On the other side, Switzer lead the Sooners to a 4-0 start before losing to Texas. Like the Buckeyes, the Sooners only suffered one setback in the regular season, but equaled that tally in the postseason with a blowout bowl game loss.

My name is Earle


Redemption is a marvelous entity. After being the man in charge for four seasons, Earle Bruce had a chance to do what Woody could not: beat Oklahoma. Going into the 1983 season, the Buckeyes were fresh off a 9-3 campaign that ended with a win in the Holiday Bowl against Brigham Young. Similarly, the Sooners ended 1982 with an 8-4 record, but managed to lose in the Fiesta Bowl to Arizona State, even though running back Marcus Dupree had a record night for Oklahoma.

The second meeting between Ohio State and Oklahoma happened on Sept. 17, 1983. Both sides faced one other opponent, and both entered the contest in Norman, Okla. at 1-0. Like the meeting this Saturday, both teams were highly ranked. The Buckeyes entered ranked No. 6, while the home team Sooners came in as the No. 2 team in the country.

Unlike the first time, Ohio State opened up with the lead. Quarterback Mike Tomczak launched the first score to John Frank in the waxing minutes of the first quarter. After leading 7-0 to end the first, Tomczak went back to Frank again for another touchdown in the beginning of the second frame.

Spencer Tillman brought the Sooners back with a 37-yard touchdown run, which ended up being the longest scoring play of the game. The one-score lead wouldn’t last for the long, though. Coming back off halftime, the Buckeyes went back to their scoring ways. Roman Bates punched the ball in from two yards out around the midway point in the third quarter. Ohio State went up 21-7, and were in control of the contest.

From there, the Sooners really didn’t have an answer to Bruce’s Buckeyes. Dupree hobbled to only 30 yards rushing on the ground, but the team collectively came close to the Buckeyes on the ground, 191-189. A stat where the Sooners came nowhere close to the Buckeyes: third down conversions. Switzer’s play calling on the penultimate down was abysmal (3-for-13) while Bruce’s went a modest 10-for-17.

Ohio State’s 24-14 victory in Norman paved the way for a Fiesta Bowl trip. On the flip side, Oklahoma’s season included a few more losses, and a postseason at home.

Meyer-Stoops: Round 2


The will be the first time Meyer faces Bob Stoops since the 2009 National Championship game – a game that Meyer won, 24-14.

Stoops and his Sooners found their way into the BCS National Championship Game, hosted by the Orange Bowl, by way of surviving a turbulent season in the Big XII conference – where Texas beat Oklahoma, then Texas Tech beat Texas on a last second Michael Crabtree (remember him?) touchdown, followed by Oklahoma plastering Texas Tech. Oklahoma walked away as the higher rated of the teams, thus gaining a spot in the conference championship game.

On the other side, Meyer’s Florida Gators squad overcame an early season loss to Ole Miss before running the table. In the SEC Championship Game, Nick Saban and his No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide fell to the No.2 ranked Gators. Fun fact: this was the first time that a conference championship featured the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the AP Poll.

The 2009 national championship featured a pretty even first half. Meyer’s defense contained Stoops’ offense, which featured Heisman quarterback Sam Bradford. However, the Gators’ offense turned on the points in the second half, and closed the game on a 10-0 scoring run.

Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images
The last meeting: Stoops and Meyer after the 2009 National Championship Game

Saturday’s meeting mirrors that of the last one. Oklahoma has a pretty decent quarterback in Baker Mayfield, while the Buckeyes bring J.T. Barrett, a rushing and passing threat, and Curtis Samuel – a clone of Percy Harvin from Meyer’s Gator years.

Ohio State’s last outings in Big XII country


The Buckeyes last three meetings with a Big XII institution have all been against Texas. Which means the last time the Scarlet and Gray played in a true Big XII stadium was back in 2006 when Jim Tressel had a No. 1 ranked squad. In that game, Troy Smith and the Buckeyes rodeoed the No. 2 ranked Longhorns, 24-7, in Austin, Texas.

Ohio State hasn’t made a slew of trips into Big XII territory throughout the program’s history. Before the 2007 meeting in Austin, the Buckeyes last trip to a current member of the Big XII came against West Virginia in the first week of 1998. If you don’t count the current conference alignment, the Missouri Tigers hosted the Buckeyes in 1996.

In total, Ohio State has played a current member of the Big XII conference 24 times. Of those 24 contests, the Buckeyes have won a staggering 18 of them. Kansas and Iowa State haven’t had the chance to play against the reigning Fiesta Bowl champions, but one would have to figure that with the way Meyer has guided the Buckeye program, it would be a tall order for either the Jayhawks or Cyclones to secure a win.

One thing has been common when either Bruce, Cooper or Tressel were in charge of the program: they won in true road games against the Big XII. Urban Meyer looks to add to that list on Saturday.

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Ohio State-Oklahoma, Florida State-Louisville highlight CFB Week 3 - Dayton Daily News
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State-Oklahoma, Florida State-Louisville highlight CFB Week 3
Dayton Daily News
LOUISVILLE, KY - SEPTEMBER 01: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Louisville Cardinals scrambles out of the pocket during the game against the Charlotte 49ers at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium on September 1, 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville defeated ...

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Gameday+ | Big Ten spotlight game: Michigan State at Notre Dame - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Gameday+ | Big Ten spotlight game: Michigan State at Notre Dame
Columbus Dispatch
Neither team looks back fondly on its opener, but Michigan State at least has the benefit of a win and the opportunity to spend an open week learning from a humdrum performance against Furman. But Notre Dame is still looking for answers that an easy ...

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What the Ohio State offense can learn from the Houston-Oklahoma game
Christopher Jason via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Curtis Samuel and Dontre Wilson can exploit Oklahoma’s secondary.

As we know by now, Urban Meyer’s spread offense is dictated by a power running attack. Whether it was with Tim Tebow’s QB power runs, Carlos Hyde and Ezekiel Elliott destroying the A-gap, and now Mike Weber; Meyer wants to set the tone by running the ball before mixing in finesse play calls.

After the well-known 2014 debacle against Virginia Tech — where Virginia Tech DC Bud Foster deployed the Bear front to clog up the A-gap — Ohio State began to attack the perimeter in the run game, and that was the key to the 2014 and 2015 offenses. Remember the 85-yard Sugar Bowl-sealing run? Of course you do. After Alabama’s big and talented defensive line began to shutdown the inside zone (A-gap), former offensive coordinator Tom Herman dialed up the sweep to end the Crimson Tide’s season.


When looking at Oklahoma, they have a gigantic defensive line and two legit inside linebackers who are going to cause problems for Ohio State’s inside zone. Defensive end (No. 97) Charles Walker is listed at 6’2”, 304 lbs, defensive tackle (No. 93) Jordan Wade is listed at 6’3”, 305 lbs and defensive end Matt Dimon (No. 94) is listed at 6’2”, 285 lbs. The Sooners run a base 3-4 defense, but against spread offenses, they’ll play a lot of 3-3-5 and 4-2-5 (below) with nickel personnel. We’ll dive into more of this later.



When looking at Oklahoma’s schedule prior to this season, most saw the Houston match-up and just chalked it up to a good game being played on Week 1. Buckeye fans soon realized that Oklahoma and Bob Stoops will have excellent preparation for their Week 3 clash with the Buckeyes, because they have already played a version of Ohio State’s offense, against Tom Herman’s Houston Cougars. Oklahoma’s defense let up 321 yards through the air to Herman’s offense, en-route to a 33-23 loss.

If you don’t think Urban Meyer and J.T. Barrett have been in contact with Herman to find tendencies and talk about Sooner personnel, you’re nuts.

"We did talk to Tom. We got their thoughts on personnel. Because you see what you see on videotape," Meyer said on Monday. "It was more about personnel because they have a couple of new players in the back end of their defense. Schematically, not as much because we get the same videotape that they have. It was more about personnel."

When watching the Sooner defense against the Houston offense, here are a few things the Buckeyes should be able to exploit and avoid, in order to be as successful as Houston:

The Oklahoma secondary had difficulty covering Houston’s big wide-outs:

Houston boasts two of the bigger receivers that Oklahoma will face this season — both standing at 6’3”, 210-plus lbs. The Sooner corners ran into massive trouble defending these two receivers, and were beat a few times on back-shoulder throws and vertical routes.

Below, this is about as easy of a back shoulder throw as a quarterback can complete and this is only one of many examples:


From an Ohio State standpoint, it looks like Barrett should target Noah Brown and Marcus Baugh vertically. Both are big, athletic targets who can go up and make plays. Oklahoma’s secondary really lacks a true ball-hawk, as they only defended one of Greg Ward Jr.’s 40 pass attempts.

The Oklahoma secondary misses a ton of tackles:

Not only can the Sooner secondary not cover, but they really can’t tackle or get off blocks. Houston’s receivers and their backs constantly broke tackles on the perimeter, which led to a ton of yards after contact.

When looking at Oklahoma’s secondary, their two starting corners (No. 7 Jordan Thomas and No. 27 Dakota Washington), and their starting strong safety (No. 10 Steven Parker), combined to miss 9 tackles. Not good.


They also had an extremely tough time getting off stalk blocks — something that Tom Herman and Ohio State WR coach Zack Smith stress:


This is where Curtis Samuel and Dontre Wilson (if healthy) will do damage. As mentioned above, when Ohio State has trouble gaining yardage with their inside zone and controlling the A-gap, they’ll run sweep, jet-sweep and speed option to get outside, and then counter trey once the Sooner defense starts to flow with jet motion.


In the passing game, Barrett uses Samuel and Wilson as check-downs on the perimeter and they’ll get chunk yardage that way.


If the Oklahoma secondary can’t tackle or get off blocks, Samuel might be a Heisman candidate — or at least a household name — after the game.

See how Houston gets to the edge with ease, when running the speed option. Imagine Samuel or Wilson taking this pitch:


The Sooners possess a strong front-seven:

When charting the Houston-Oklahoma game, Oklahoma’s mammoth defensive line and linebackers held Houston in check in the A and B gaps. I recorded 14 Houston rushing attempts that were stopped at or before the line of scrimmage. The defensive line does a great job of clogging up the A and B gaps, which result in many run stuffs and unblocked linebackers to make plays.

CFB Film Room credited ILB (No. 26) Jordan Evans with zero misses tackles on 10 attempts, OLB (No. 12) Will Johnson with three run stuffs and OLB (No. 31) Ogbonnia Okoronkwo with two QB hits, two QB hurries, one sack and one missed tackle on eight attempts.

***

Since Ohio State is still going to have to run inside zone to open up play-action and the perimeter run game, Mike Weber is going to have to earn every yard that he gains on Saturday. After the inside zone was completely nullified in the first half by Tulsa’s front-seven, one should expect a big bounce-back from the offensive line and Weber.

Overall, for Ohio State to win this game, they’ll need to take advantage of their superior athletes and players that they have on the perimeter. If Ed Warinner and Tim Beck decide to use their 2015 Michigan State game plan, the Buckeyes have no chance. If they ride Samuel, Wilson and Zone 6, they should walk out of Norman, victorious.

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Making The List: George Chaump
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Football is still here, thank God! So as we progress into the season it only appears appropriate to me that in are undertaking for Making the List we remain within the great names from the Scarlet and Gray’s gridiron.

This week, with Oklahoma being our big focus, I wanted to pull into attention someone that is deserving of notice that just does not seem like someone on any of our top three prospects for inclusion. In those words, I am merely suggesting that there are so many roses in the garden to pick, why is it that we reach for the ones in the front – well, that’s because they are more in our pivotal sphere. So allow us to pick one from the back, one just as beautiful in the lore of our wondrous school – The Ohio State University.

George Chaump was born April 28, 1936. He would play football for Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania. His coaching career began in the ranks of High School in 1961 – Shamokin High School in Pennsylvania – which was followed for six seasons at John Harris High School. It was at the latter that brought positive attention – going 58-4 in those six seasons.

George was brought onto the staff of the great Woody Hayes and the Ohio State University in 1968. What a great time to join a team. The Buckeyes went 10-0 (7-0 in the Big 10) and would end the season with a victory over the USC Trojans and Heisman winner OJ 27-16 in Pasadena on New Year’s Day in front of 102, 068 people.

That team would be loaded with what would be termed as the Super Sophomore Class: Rex Kern, Jack Tatum, Jim Stillwagon, John Brockington, Mike Sensibaugh, Leo Hayden, Bruce Jankowski, and Jan White. It, of course, was the play calling of George Chaump that accelerated the talents of those “Super Sophomores.”



Woody’s Offense Coordinator would remain with him and the Buckeyes until the day following that dreadful Gator Bowl against Clemson on December 29, 1978.

From there Coach Chaump would venture into the NFL where he served as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the helm of Coach John McKay from 1979-1981. Coach Chaump left the NFL and went back to his home state of Pennsylvania where he’d head up the Indiana University of Pennsylvania from 1982-1985. He’d end there with a 24-16-1 record.

Thereafter, 1986 to 1989, Chaump coached Marshall, concluding with a 33–16–1 record. In the seasons of 1987 and 1988 Marshall, under Coach Chaump, had 10-win seasons. And from 1990 to 1994 he headed to Annapolis where he’d serve as Head Coach of the United States Naval Academy. Those years weren’t so grand – 14–41 record.

Chaump would eventually head back to where he started – High School Football – in Harrisburg, PA at Central Dauphin in 1997 where he’d generate a 57-14 record through 2002. In 2003, he would take over as Head Coach at Harrisburg High School – eventually ending his time there in 2010. He hung up his coaching cleats in 2012 at 76 years old.
His overall Head Coaching record would be 190-66.

During his tenure with the Buckeyes as the Offensive Coordinator, the Buckeyes would win the National Title once and have 98 wins versus 20 losses and 3 ties – with no losing season. Offensively the Buckeyes under Chaump would score 3,721 points and produce two Heisman trophies – both for Archie Griffin.

George Chaump is absolutely deserving of notice and inclusion of our Making the List. He is a guy that flies under the radar of notables, but arguably was a major force in some of the greatest times of Buckeyes Football history. I could add that our current Offense Coordinators in Columbus could learn tremendously by dabbling into the history for which they hail within the same walls of – and their predecessor(s) – but I won’t offer such personal observation. This is not the purpose of our Making the List. The purpose is to acknowledge the greats of past Buckeye sports…and George Chaump is indeed one.

The post Making The List: George Chaump appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Ohio State-Oklahoma and Michigan State-Notre Dame are the best of the Big Ten’s Week 3 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


After some slim pickings last week, there are some great games out there on Saturday involving Big Ten teams.

If you missed this week’s national game picks, you can find them here.

Last week ATS: 6-9 (1-4 National, 5-5 B1G)

Season ATS: 15-18 (7-6 National, 8-12 B1G)

B1G Games:


Temple v. Penn State (-9) - 12:00 PM EST - Big Ten Network

Who can forget last year’s game between these two teams? I certainly can’t. Temple sacked Christian Hackenberg 10 times and ended a 31-game losing streak against the Nittany Lions. Sadly, I’m not expecting history to repeat itself this year. Temple lost their season opener to Army before shutting out Stony Brook 31-0 last week.

Even though Penn State wasn’t able to take down vaunted rival Pitt last week, it looks like they found themselves a quarterback. Trace McSorley passed for 332 yards and almost engineered a game-winning comeback. Saquon Barkley was also impressive, scoring five touchdowns in the game.

The Nittany Lions seem to be taking to their up-tempo offense so far this year, it’s just their defense they need to get in order. They could catch a break this weekend as Temple running back Jahad Thomas could miss his third straight game. Hard to see Temple keeping it within double-digits, especially with Penn State having revenge on their mind.

Penn State 27, Temple 14

Georgia State v. No. 9 Wisconsin (-35.5) - 12:00 PM EST - Big Ten Network

Last week Georgia State gave up about a billion yards to Air Force and the Falcons had the football for 45:14. Wisconsin is leading the country in time of possession, averaging 38:54 per game where they have the football. Corey Clement is questionable for the game (pretty much the story of the last couple years for him) but it’s not like Wisconsin will need him to play here. The Badgers should win this one big.

Wisconsin 56, Georgia State 14

New Mexico v. Rutgers (-5.5) - 12:00 PM EST - ESPNews

This is the game you shouldn’t be watching this weekend, even if you are a degenerate like me. Nothing good can come from it. Just go against the team from out west that has to play at noon. Add in New Mexico’s top running back and linebacker are out since they are in concussion protocol. It won’t be pretty, but Rutgers wins by at least a touchdown.

Rutgers 38, New Mexico 28

Colorado v. No. 4 Michigan (-20.5) - 3:30 PM EST - Big Ten Network

What a trip down memory lane this game will be. The hail mary in 1994 by Colorado is still one of the best finishes in college football, and even more memorable since it happened to Michigan. This week won’t feature anything that suspenseful, but at least Colorado should give the Wolverines more of a challenge than Hawaii and UCF have been able to so far this year.

At least it should be a fun quarterback matchup between Colorado’s Sefo Liufau and Michigan’s Wilton Speight. Liufau has Colorado on the road back to respectability and the Buffaloes could be contenders to make a bowl game this year. Last week Speight was the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after passing for 312 yards and four touchdowns.

The Wolverines will likely win this one, but at least Colorado should keep it within the number. Michigan isn’t fully healthy yet either, so I’m not expecting a blowout like their first two games.

Michigan 37, Colorado 21

No. 22 Oregon v. Nebraska (-3) - 3:30 PM EST - ABC

Mike Riley will see a familiar foe on Saturday afternoon in Lincoln. The Nebraska head coach used to be a part of the “Civil War” when he was at Oregon State, and he didn’t find too much success against the Ducks. Before leaving for Nebraska, Riley had lost his last seven games against Oregon.

Riley will have a better shot at a win on Saturday, since he does have Tommy Armstrong Jr. as his quarterback. The senior threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns last week, setting the school record with 57 career touchdown passes. Credit Nebraska’s defense too with some strong play, as they are +7 in turnover margin.

Imagine what Oregon could be if their defense didn’t resemble a dumpster fire. Sure Oregon is winning, but they are 82nd in total defense. Against a team like Nebraska that isn’t gonna fly. Soon enough the efforts Royce Freeman and Dakota Prukop are giving them on offense isn’t gonna be enough, and I feel like this is that game.

Nebraska 44, Oregon 37

Western Michigan (-3.5) v. Illinois - 4:00 PM EST - ESPNews

Western Michigan will be looking to clinch their B1G West crown with a win over Illinois on Saturday in Champaign. The Broncos already took down Northwestern in the opening weekend of the season, and a win over the Fighting Illini would give them two wins over Big Ten teams in a season for the first time in school history.

Illinois looked bad on Saturday against North Carolina. Really bad. Sure, North Carolina is a good team, but Lovie Smith has some work to do. I don’t think a week is quite enough to fix all those problems. P.J. Fleck’s team is one of the better Group of Five teams, and wide receiver Corey Davis seems to always put up huge numbers. The Broncos win this by a touchdown.

Western Michigan 31, Illinois 24

Maryland (-9.5) v. Central Florida - 7:00 PM EST - CBS Sports Network

This whole D.J. Durkin thing is working out pretty well so far for the Terrapins. Now Durkin can try and see if he can get some insider tips from Jim Harbaugh after the Wolverines played Central Florida last week, but who knows how Harbaugh would respond to that.

Somehow Central Florida gained 275 yards on the ground against Michigan. If Maryland gives that much up it’ll be a lot closer than I think it will be. Maryland hasn’t turned the ball over so far this year, and that’s pretty huge after how bad they were with turnovers last year. I like what Maryland is doing so far under Durkin and I think they continue their hot start. On the other hand, Scott Frost has a lot of work to do in Orlando.

Maryland 34, Central Florida 21

No. 12 Michigan State v. No. 18 Notre Dame (-7.5) - 7:30 PM EST - NBC

Michigan State didn’t look all that impressive against Furman in their season opener but the Spartans had a bye week to try and fix some issues. It isn’t like Michigan State quarterback Tyler O’Connor doesn’t have experience hitting the road to take down a ranked team. Sorry for the sad trip down memory lane Buckeye fans.

At least Notre Dame has settled on DeShone Kizer as their quarterback. Nothing against Malik Zaire, but the Fighting Irish just look a lot better with Kizer at the helm. I don’t really think it would matter who Notre Dame has going tomorrow night though since they’ll have issues against the Michigan State defense. I think Notre Dame wins this one, but the Spartan defense keeps things tight.

Notre Dame 24, Michigan State 21

Duke v. Northwestern (-4) - 8:00 PM EST - Big Ten Network

Duke just lost to Wake Forest while Northwestern lost to Illinois State last week. Why on earth would you be watching this game when there are so many other good games going on at this time? I think Northwestern could end up fixing their issues sooner than Duke can. Take the Wildcats at home.

Northwestern 27, Duke 21

No. 3 Ohio State (-2) v. No. 14 Oklahoma - 7:30 PM EST - Fox

Through the rain drops last week, Ohio State didn’t show all that much against Tulsa and still wound up with a 48-3 victory. You can’t blame Urban Meyer for keeping the gameplan pretty vanilla with a trip to Norman on deck. The Buckeye defense has been outstanding so far this year, not allowing Bowling Green and Tulsa to score an offensive touchdown.

After a loss to Houston to start the season, Oklahoma had a little cupcake feast last week to restore some of their confidence. Oklahoma’s offense will be the most dynamic the young Ohio State defense has faced so far this year, with Baker Mayfield capable of breaking the game opening through the air, while Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon can do the same on the ground.

If Ohio State is going to win this game their are going to need the offense to be balanced. J.T. Barrett needs to be able to keep the Oklahoma defense on their toes with his unpredictability of whether he is going to pass or keep it on the ground. Some big runs from Mike Weber in his first true road game wouldn’t hurt either.

For me this game comes down to coaching. Urban Meyer hasn’t lost a true road game at Ohio State, while Bob Stoops’ Sooners have lost six games at home since 2011. Meyer gets a little extra help because of his friendship with his former offensive coordinator Tom Herman, who took down Oklahoma to start the year. This game will be back-and-forth, everything we expected it to be, but somehow the Buckeyes end up pulling out the victory late.

Ohio State 35, Oklahoma 31

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One big collection of Week 3 stats from the @BTNStatsGuys
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

In my weekly research of Big Ten football, I come across plenty of information. Here's my look at few gems ahead of Saturday's actiopn, which includes four games on BTN/BTN2Go. They are Colorado at Michigan, Duke at Northwestern, Georgia State at Wisconsin, and Temple at Penn State.

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The Buckeyes vs. Sooners Quiz
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Ohio State University and the Oklahoma Sooners are two storied programs. They have only met twice prior to this coming Saturday in their playing history. Between these two dominant programs they have won 15 National Titles and presented to the world of sports 12 Heisman Trophy Winners. This weekend is a big deal in College sports. Bragging rights among powerhouses carry their weight in gold.

So I have decided to challenge all of you to see just how much you know of the history between these two schools and their football meetings. Do your best to not peek at the bottom for the answers. Do not Google or Bing, whatever your search engine may be, and then take a crack.

At the end we will figure out your score. We all know 100% is genius material. 90% is pretty damn good. 70% is just passing – but nothing to brag about. And below 70% – don’t tell anyone – keep it to yourself.

Ready?

1). What was the first year that the Buckeyes and Sooners met up?
Where was it?
a) 1972 in Columbus.
b) 1977 in Norman
c) 1977 in Columbus
d) 1972 in Norman

2). What was the final score of the first game? Who was the winner?
a) 32-30 Oklahoma
b) 32-30 OSU
c) 29-28 OSU
d) 29-28 Oklahoma

3). Who was the star of that game?
a) Pete Johnson – OSU – FB – 2 TD’s with 49 yards.
b) Uwe von Schamann – OK – K – 41 yard FG in final seconds.
c) Greg Pruitt – OK – RB – 2 TD’s with 118 yards.
d) Neal Colzie – OSU – CB – 2 INT’s with 1 TD – 28 yards.

4). When was the next time they played? Where was it?
a) 1983 – Norman
b) 1983 – Columbus
c) 1976 – Norman
d) 1976 – Columbus

5). What was that score and who was the winner?
a) 21-17 – Oklahoma
b) 21-17 – OSU
c) 24-14 – OSU
d) 24-14 – Oklahoma

6). In this 2nd meeting who was the Ohio State QB?
a) Pandel Savic
b) Mike Tomczak
c) Greg Castignola
d) Rod Gerald

7). Between the two schools who had the last Heisman Trophy
winner?
a) The Ohio State University
b) Oklahoma

8). Who was that player?
a) Troy Smith
b) Sam Bradford

9). Which Coach had the pleasure of coaching in both games?
a) Woody Hayes
b) Bud Wilkinson
c) Barry Switzer
d) Earle Bruce

10. Arguably who was the biggest “Ohio” star born in Oklahoma?
a) Ulysses S. Grant, President
b) Eddie Rickenbacker, WWI fighter pilot
c) Johnny Bench, Cincinnati Reds
d) Archie Griffin, The Ohio State University

ANSWERS:
1. (2 answers here) C
2. (2 answers here) D
3. B
4. (2 answers here) A
5. (2 answers here) C
6. B
7. B
8. B
9. C
10. C (allow me to explain further: A – Ulysses S. Grant, president was born in 1822 in Point Pleasant, Ohio. Oklahoma never became a state until 1907. So put 2+2 together there! B – Eddie Rickenbacker – WWI fighter ace was born in 1890 in Columbus, thus the honorary naming of the Air Force Base down in Lockbourne, Ohio (just south of Scioto Downs Race Track & Columbus) called Rickenbacker AFB. Again, Oklahoma wasn’t even entered into the Union until 1907. D – Archie Griffin – we know he went to Eastmoor High School in Columbus, but what does that mean? Where was he born? If I had you thinking Oklahoma for a moment you should step back a few feet and run your head into the wall. Archie is through and through a Buckeye – born and raised in Columbus. And, yes, finally the correct answer – C – Johnny Bench – who is thought of as nothing other than a Cincinnati Red. Period. He was born in Oklahoma City.

So what was your score? The correct number of answers (14 possible) can be divided by 14 (the actual number of answers) or, better yet – just go by the chart below:

14/14 = 100%
13/14 = 92.9%
12/14 = 85.7%
11/14 = 78.6%
10/14 = 71.4%
9/14 = 64.3%
8/14 = 57.1%
7/14 = 50%
6/14 = 42.9%
5/14 = 35.7%
4/14 = 28.6%
3/14 = 21.4%
2/14 = 14.3%
1/14 = 7.1%

Share with us your score – either in the comments. Our Facebook or Twitter page will love to know as well.

Go Buckeyes!

The post The Buckeyes vs. Sooners Quiz appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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What are the recruits saying about Ohio State vs Oklahoma?
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


You’re not the only excited for Saturday. So are the recruits.

Ever since Ohio State and Oklahoma scheduled their match-up, college football fans have had this date circled. The long wait is finally over.

Fan bases aren’t the only ones sitting on the edge of their seat, so are many of the recruits on Ohio State and Oklahoma’s big board.

With all the trash talk and media hype surrounded around the Buckeyes and the Sooners, you know many of the top prospects in the country will have their eyes glued to their television sets. Land-Grant Holy Land caught up with the following recruits and grabbed their thoughts on what their excited to see on Saturday evening.

2017 Ohio State commit Antjuan Simmons


Thoughts: “The OSU defense is going to be lights out, and I see Mike Weber having a huge break out game.”

Prediction: Ohio State wins by 17

2017 Oklahoma commit Marquis Hayes


Thoughts: “I want to see Oklahoma beat Ohio State so they can get back on their way to the top and get that chance to win the National Championship like they need to be, and just execute like they always do.”

Prediction: Oklahoma, 48-45

2018 LB Christopher Oats


Thoughts: “I look forward to watching two great programs play and to see which defense is going to dominate. I look forward to see who is going to win.”

Prediction: No prediction

2018 DT Aeneas Hawkins


Thoughts: “I'm excited to watch the Buckeye defense go to work. I think they could be one of the best in college football. Their secondary obviously is doing a great job, but I'll be watching how their defensive line plays.”

Prediction: Ohio State, 31-14

2018 OL Colten Blanton


Thoughts: “I really want to see how Oklahoma has adjusted since the though loss to U of H and how Ohio State comes out and plays against a big opponent.”

Prediction: Ohio State wins by 3

2018 WR Joshua Moore


Thoughts: “I'm very excited for the game. It's going to be a great atmosphere and the fans will be crazy. It'll be great.”

Prediction: “I don't have a prediction right now. I'm just anxious to see how it turns out.”

2019 ATH Jaylin Simpson


Thoughts: “I’m excited to see OSU in a challenging game.”

Prediction: Ohio State, 24-10

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Ohio State heads to Oklahoma with a pocket full of house money
Colton Denning via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes don’t have much to lose tomorrow, but can gain a ton with a win.

Now that the appetizers have been consumed, it’s time for the main course on Ohio State’s non-conference menu we’ve all been waiting for: Oklahoma.

Despite the Sooners’ week one loss to Houston, Saturday’s game still has the feel of a prizefight, and will have the atmosphere to match. In terms of Ohio State regular season non-conference games, it certainly feels like the biggest one since USC came to Columbus in 2009.

With each program’s blueblood status, this is a matchup on the level of Notre Dame - Michigan, except between two teams that have actually won meaningful games the last decade. Add in the possible playoff implications, and it should be one hell of a time.

Interestingly enough, the Buckeyes are also a rare road favorite in Norman:


Lose 16 starters from last season’s team, stroll into Oklahoma as the first road favorite in 16 years. I think Urban Meyer might be good at this college football stuff, guys.

With all that in mind, here are five things to watch in the Buckeyes’ titanic showdown against Oklahoma:

Quick start


One of the more frustrating features of last season’s offense was its slow starts. Ohio State had a tough time finding an early groove, which was most evident during their opening drives. The Buckeyes scored a touchdown in only three of 13 opportunities, including none in conference play. It was a poor trend that unfortunately has continued in 2016.

Thanks to Bowling Green’s pick six to open the season, defenses have scored more points on Ohio State opening drives than their own offense has (7-3). Needless to say, that’s not going to cut it against a team the quality of Oklahoma.

An opening drive touchdown won’t necessarily make or break the game, but at the very least could quell what’s sure to be an electric Memorial Stadium crowd. Whether that means a little less read option into a stacked box, or more Curtis Samuel touches to open the game, a quick start from the offense would be a nice change.


“Coach, get Curtis Samuel the ball on the opening drive!”-Percy Harvin (probably)
Dropping dimes


Sticking with the offense, how far are Ohio State’s coordinators willing to get out of their comfort zone to test the OU defense, especially early on? Despite Tulsa consistently loading the box, Ohio State was content to run the ball up the middle, with little-to-no success. The run game eventually got going — thanks to some help from Samuel — but running in the first half was quite the struggle. You can bet Oklahoma will mimic Tulsa’s tactics — as Meyer aptly noted earlier this week — so moving the ball may hinge on the offense’s ability to produce explosive passing plays against a vulnerable secondary.

Through two games, Oklahoma’s defense has been quite generous, giving up seven passing plays over 20 yards, and four over 30. Against Houston, defensive coordinator Mike Stoops chose to sell out against the run with good results, but paid for it on the back end. The Cougars averaged nearly 14 yards per completion, and did major damage on roll-outs, deep strikes and back shoulder fades.

In the likely event that Stoops focuses on the Ohio State running game, JT Barrett and his cast of receivers must make their secondary pay. If they’re able to make good on these opportunities and force the defense to respect the whole field, it should leave things open for the ground game to thrive. If not, the Ohio State offense could look a lot like what we saw in 2015.

Rotation


Of the 52 tackles for loss by the defensive line last season, 50 came from Joey Bosa, Tyquan Lewis, Adolphus Washington, and Tommy Schutt. Injury luck was also kind, and allowed them the luxury of using an extremely small rotation for nearly the whole season. With the departures of Bosa, Washington, and Schutt, as well as Tracy Sprnkle’s season ending injury, much has changed, and the defense has opted for more of a committee approach.

Against Tulsa, 10 defensive linemen saw the field in the first half, and six of them already have at least one tackle for loss this season. They’ve been efficient against the run thus far, and have only given up four runs of 10-plus yards. The rotation has not only showcased how young the group is — seven of the 10 have freshman eligibility — but also their sky-high potential. That potential will be put to the test by Oklahoma’s offense.

Not only is this by far the best offensive line they’ve faced this season, but they’re also tasked with defending arguably the best running back duo in the country in Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon. And while both we’re only given a combined 12 carries versus Houston, you can bet their workload will be much heavier against the mostly unproven Ohio State defensive line.

Given the proficiency of the opponent, it will be interesting to see whether Ohio State’s preference for a larger rotation continues, or if the coaches put the clamps on throwing too many freshmen into the fire. Regardless of the strategy they choose, the line holds the key to slowing down the Sooners. If they play well enough on standard downs to keep Oklahoma’s talented backs in check, the secondary might feast on 2nd and 3rd downs.

Money downs


You don’t need me to explain how important it is for an offense to avoid too many passing downs. The more third-and-longs an offense finds itself in, the lower the odds are of them being successful. This is particularly true for the Oklahoma offense:

Last season, per S&P+, Oklahoma had the seventh best offense in the entire country. Their rushing and passing offense were in the top 20. But when you isolated their performance to passing downs (second/third-and-long), they fall to 61st, decidedly average.
This year, while again, using a limited sample size, the differences are even more stark.The Sooners are fifth in standard downs offense, and 27th in explosiveness from standard downs. But in passing down situations, Oklahoma ranks 83rd, and has one of the worst explosiveness rankings (118th).

If Ohio State can replicate the success Houston and other defenses have had putting Mayfield into those situations, the pass rush and secondary should thrive.

Despite not getting to quarterbacks as much as we thought they would before the season, the Buckeyes are still above average in passing downs sack rate, and it’s possible that co-defensive coordinators Greg Schiano and Luke Fickell have been playing coy the first two weeks with their minimal blitzing. At any rate, the more passing situations Ohio State forces, the more likely that things like this happen.

The moment


It feels like it’s been a while since Ohio State’s played a non-conference game like this, doesn’t it? Given the history of both programs, it’s a great matchup under any circumstance, but the current stakes take it to another level. Non-conference games don’t get much bigger than this.

After losing to Houston to open the season, Oklahoma has no margin for error. Not only would a loss probably mean curtains for their playoff hopes, but history isn’t on their side even with a win. Since the Big 12 adopted a round-robin format in 2011, no team has gone undefeated in conference play, and the Sooners’ still have the rest of their conference slate left. For a team that came into the season with such high hopes, that’s a precarious spot to be in before September is over. While not as drastic, there’s a lot at stake for Ohio State, as well.

With so much of last season’s team gone, Saturday marks the first big time game for a ton of important contributors. It’s not crazy to wonder whether the moment will be too big for such an inexperienced team, at least this early in the season. It’s a lot to ask of any team to go into Norman and win, but doing it at night, and with a group this young? Ohio State still hasn’t lost a road game in Meyer’s four seasons, and keeping the streak alive after Saturday would be quite the accomplishment given the circumstances.

Ohio State is essentially playing with house money on Saturday. There’s no shame in losing to Oklahoma in Norman, and ultimately, we’ve seen them rally from a early season loss and make the playoff before, so it’s not like that would be out of the question, anyway. This game also doesn’t have any effect on their Big Ten goals, either, so that’s still intact no matter what.

If they do manage to win, anything and everything is on the table. Regardless, we don’t get the privilege of watching too many games like this, so take time and enjoy the spectacle.

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5 Ohio State Buckeyes who could become breakout stars vs. Oklahoma - FOXSports.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


5 Ohio State Buckeyes who could become breakout stars vs. Oklahoma
FOXSports.com
So to help you prep for Saturday night's showdown, here's a rundown of five less-familiar (so far) Buckeyes who could turn themselves into nationally recognized names with a big performance against Oklahoma -- complete with jersey numbers to help you ...
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