Ohio State moves up to No. 4 in latest Coaches Poll Top 25
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


A good week for the Bucks and some losses in front of them lead to a higher rank.

The Ohio State Buckeyes started off the 2016 season in great fashion. J.T. Barrett threw for six touchdown passes, and the offense looked great. Malik Hooker made his presence felt on the defensive end with a pair of interceptions in a 77-10 win over Bowling Green.

That has led the Buckeyes to a No. 4 ranking in the latest Coaches Poll. The Buckeyes were No. 1 this time last season, but as we know the expectations and the team are much different this time around. That doesn’t mean there isn’t reason to be excited for what is to come in the following weeks.

The Buckeyes will have one more warm up game against Tulsa this week, before facing off against Oklahoma, who is coming off of a loss against Tom Herman’s Houston Cougars. Hopefully the former Buckeye coach’s success against the Sooners is a good forecast of what is to come for the Buckeyes on September 17.

Here’s the Week 2 Coaches Poll Top 25:





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Thump said:

Assuming Ferentz gets a 15 year extension.

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The View From Beyond The Shoe: Michigan Fans, Know your Role and Learn how to Troll
Mike Meals via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Unless you live under a rock, you know the NFL season kicks off this weekend. Prior to the final cuts, there were 48 former Buckeyes on NFL rosters (not counting guys like Noah Spence, who did not finish their college career in Columbus). Via OhioStateBuckeyes.com 8/19/16.

“Dateline: Aug 29, 2016 11:38 AM – The Denver Broncos have announced Trevor Siemian will be their starting quarterback”

Who is Trevor Siemian? He is the 7th round draft pick quarterback Denver selected in the 2015 draft out of Northwestern. Why am I telling you this? I am not a Broncos fan. I clearly am not a Northwestern fan.

I bring this up because I saw this news along with a tidbit from a Walmart Wolverine that “Northwestern now has more starting QBs in the NFL than Ohio State”. That got me thinking…not about if the statement was true, but if it was relevant.

It’s not.

But that lead me to another thought. I know this #GoBlow fan was trying to stir the crap pot, but was this a good insult. Was he able to put his 3rd grade education to work enough to make people made. Did his troll job catch any fish?

I looked. He didn’t.

So why do I love college football? The passion? The pageantry? The excitement? The history? All of the above and then some? Yes, every answer is correct. I love everything about college football, and even more so, everything about the Buckeyes. But in today’s society, where people can use social media to post things they wouldn’t have the guts to say in person, the trolls have come to the forefront.

And I LOVE it.

Now, let me make sure to point out, I am not saying you need to resort to things being sad in bad taste. I am not talking about crossing lines that can not and should not ever be crossed. I am talking about the zing that burns someone up inside, but still allows you to speak to your own mother.

The thing about insulting a rival fan is this: there are good insults that work, but there are way more that don’t. Either they don’t make sense anymore, they are tired and worn out, or they lack best part, the intelligence.

We have heard them all, haven’t we? Nerdwestern. Free Shoes University. Barners. Calling Miami the “Convicts”. My personal favorite for the Rolling Tide (alaBama, because that’s how they emphasize it). Calling Texas A&M “aTm”. It goes from coast to coast, and every rivalry has some form of a derogatory name they use to describe the lowlifes that play for/root for/support their biggest rivals.

There are a few classics we tend to use for Michigan: scUM, TTUN, TSUN, Walmart Wolverines, #GoBlow. We’ve heard them about Ohio State: O-H-N-O, OhHowIHateOhioState, simply calling OSU “Ohio”. (PS: if anyone can explain why that one is an insult, I would love to know. It never made sense to me.)

There is a recipe for a good troll job, a good insult, or a good burn. It has to be intelligent enough that it makes sense. It has to cut deep enough it is more than a throwaway comment. It needs to be relevant and timely. The FSU one above is not timely, in case you needed an example.


Hey Michigan fans, How did this impeccable throwing form not make it in the NFL? (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)


What does this all have to do with Trevor Siemian? The “School X has more starters in the NFL than School Y” statement is used a lot. But it doesn’t pass the test laid out above. In fact, it misses on all accounts. Michigan fans like to hang their hat on Tom Brady…but they forget that for every 1 Brady, they have 10 Drew Hensons, Devin Gardners, and Denard Robinsons. The math here is simple: Lacking intelligence, lacking relevance, doesn’t really hurt anything = a bad troll job.

You see, the NFL and NCAA are completely different brands of football. 2 of the greatest college players of the last 20 years, Tim Tebow and Vince Young, couldn’t cut it in the NFL. Add in that these men are ending up on other teams, and now you look like a bandwagon fan. Look, I loved EZE in Columbus. I live in Texas. You could pay me all the oil money in the state, I am not rooting for the Cowboys. So telling me that your school has more starting RBs than anyone else means nothing to me.

I am not saying we need to stop the trash talk. In fact, I say keep it up.

I am just suggesting that you use a little thought in what you are saying before you do. Otherwise, you end up sounding like an idiot. And as George Carlin taught us all, “Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.”

The post The View From Beyond The Shoe: Michigan Fans, Know your Role and Learn how to Troll appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Ohio State’s Curtis Samuel and Dontre Wilson were dynamic against Bowling Green
Christopher Jason via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


J.T. Barrett spread the ball around to a tune of 7 total touchdowns on the day.

Were last year’s scapegoats — Ed Warinner and Tim Beck — calling the plays on Saturday, or was Tom Herman back in Columbus? Up in the coaches box to start the season, Warinner and Beck called a masterful game. 12 different players recorded a reception or carried the ball on offense and J.T. Barrett showed trust in all of his playmakers.

Let’s see how it looked on tape:

J.T. Barrett

• Here’s the breakdown of Barrett’s major mistake:Going off the chart above, the offensive line — which has a true-freshman and three new starters — did a tremendous job. Barrett was only hit three times behind the line of scrimmage and was not sacked. When Barrett has time to throw, his decision making is typically unrivaled.​
• Heading into the season, one would believe that the coaching staff would rely on Barrett’s legs early and often, and that does not look to be the case. The ball was spread around to nine different players through the air and the playcalling was extremely creative. It’s only one game —against poor defense — but they showed little to no tendencies and kept the defense off-balanced.​

• On Barrett’s first touchdown pass, he was given maximum time in the pocket (3.16 sec) to let the play develop. Barrett could not ask for a cleaner pocket to throw from:​

• At the 5:29 mark of the 1st Quarter on 3rd-and-6, Barrett faked the toss to Samuel — which made the linebackers flow— and opened up a hole for Barrett to gain enough to move the chains. On the ensuing play, they faked the toss again, but this time Barrett stayed in the pocket and hit Dontre Wilson on a pretty post-corner route for six.​
• The quarterback got lucky at the 11:23 mark of the 2nd Quarter when he attempted a pass into very tight coverage on 4th-and-2, intended for Johnnie Dixon. Once again, Barrett displayed a slight hesitation — while keeping his eyes on his intended receiver-- which allowed the defensive back to get his hands on the ball.​
• On Barrett’s touchdown pass to Noah Brown, he stayed in the pocket and delivered a perfect ball to Brown’s back shoulder, where only his guy could get it:​

Running backs/ H-backs​

Wide receivers​

Tight ends​

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College football odds 2016, Week 2 lines: Buckeyes, Tide among big betting favorites - SB Nation
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


College football odds 2016, Week 2 lines: Buckeyes, Tide among big betting favorites
SB Nation
The Ohio State Buckeyes are 3-0 straight up and against the spread over their last three games after blowing out Bowling Green 77-10 at home last week. The Buckeyes will try to follow that performance up with another win against the Tulsa Golden ...

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ScriptOhio said:

Another lion on the lose.....

VIDEO: Large cat spotted in Powell

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Entire article: http://www.10tv.com/article/city-powell-advises-unknown-animal-sighting

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I love how the reporter says that if the viewer thinks they know what type of cat this is, to call the Powell police. I am sure the police love getting a thousand calls from people opining on the breed of the cat.

It's pretty obviously a freaking cat. "Cat sighted in Columbus! More at Eleven. We don't report the news, we make it!"

MACTASTROPHE: INSIDE THE BIG TEN'S WORST YEARLY TRADITION



Northwestern won ten games last season and has arguably the Big Ten's best defensive player. It even got one media pick to win the Big Ten West over Iowa and Nebraska.

It started this season with a loss at home to Western Michigan. This means the Big Ten's 10-year streak of at least one conference member losing to a MAC squad became an 11-year streak after the first kickoff slot (noon ET) on the first Saturday of the season.

This is the "MACtastrophe", a portmanteau with only a little hyperbole. No MAC player seriously evaluates a MAC offer over one from even a bottom-feeder Big Ten program like Purdue. Yet, the dregs of the Big Ten, and even some programs in the mid-tier, still manage to lose to a MAC squad every year. This streak started in 2006 with a mid-season Illinois loss to Ohio and continued on Saturday into its 11th year.

These MACtastrophes matter the extent to which they become cherry-picked observations to assert statements about a conference maligned in the recent past for its poor quality demonstrated elsewhere. It's fitting the ongoing streak of MACtastrophes starts the same season in which Ohio State and Michigan crashed and burned in the 2006 post-season, taking perceptions of the Big Ten south with them for several years.
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continued

Actually I didn't realize that the B1G lost so many games to the MAC; however, you don't see Ohio State on the list......

Around the B1G: Week 2 Edition
Brandon Zimmerman via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Week one of the season was a resounding success for not only the Buckeyes but also the Big Ten. We know how the Buckeyes did but if you haven’t read Shannon’s recap you are missing out. Around the B1G, things went pretty well as only two teams lost. This is us shaming you Northwestern and Rutgers!



With Ohio State and Michigan showing their dominance and Wisconsin pulling off the upset against LSU, things are starting to look up around B1G country. Let’s take a look at how everyone did:

Illinois (1-0 overall, 0-0 conference)

Last Week: Beat Murray State, 52-3. Don’t look now but Illinois looked like a full-fledged football team on Saturday. We haven’t seen that for about ten years. Quarterback Wes Lunt completed 15 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn struggled to 49 yards on 17 carries but Reggie Corbin (7-71-1) and Kendrick Foster (4-118) picked up the slack. On


CHICAGO, IL – NOVEMBER 28: Wes Lunt #12 of the Illinois Fighting Illini passes under pressure from Deonte Gibson #13 of the Northwestern Wildcats at Soldier Field on November 28, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)


defense, the Fighting Illini’ held Murray State to 165 total yards.

This Week: Illinois welcomes North Carolina who is coming off of a tough loss against Georgia.

Indiana (1-0 overall, 0-0 conference)

Last Week: Beat Florida International, 34-13. Running back Devine Redding paced the Hoosier offense rushing for 135 yards on 22 carries. At his first game at the helm of the high-powered Hoosier offense, Richard Lagow threw for 240 yards and one touchdown while completing passes to eight different players.

This Week: The Hoosiers host Ball State which sounds more like a horrible high school joke than a football team.

Iowa (1-0 overall, 0-0 conference)

Last Week: Beat Miami of Ohio, 45-21. C.J. Beathard was in prime Beathard form as he Craig Krenzel’d his way to 192 passing yards and one touchdown en route to a victory. Running backs Akrum Wadley and LeShun Daniels Jr. dominated the ground game as they combined for 204 yards on 22 carries and added four touchdowns. The most shocking part of the game was how easily the Miami passing offense moved the ball against the vaunted Hawkeye secondary. Billy Bahl was able to complete 19 passes for 266 yards and two touchdowns. This was supposed to be the Hawkeyes strength.

This Week: The Hawkeyes have their annual rivalry game against the Iowa State Cyclones.

Maryland (1-0 overall, 0-0 conference)

Last Week: Beat those pesky Howard Bison, 52-13. In the first game of the D.J. Durkin era, Maryland came out firing on all cylinders as they went into halftime leading 35-0 before shutting things down. Offensively, the Terrapins were actually led by their rushing attack where nine players joined forces Power Rangers style and led the team to 315 rushing yards. Defensively, the Terrapins held the Bison to 269 total yards.

This Week: The Terrapins head south to take on the same Florida International team who lost to Indiana last weekend.

Michigan (1-0 overall, 0-0 conference)

Last Week: Allegedly the greatest football team ever assembled, the 2016 Michigan Wolverines started off their latest rendition of the September championship and September Heisman hype machine as they beat those pesky Hawaiian Islanders, 63-3. Wilton Speight received the nod at quarterback where he completed 10 passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns in limited action. As a team, Michigan was able to put up 306 yards rushing by 11 different players. Michigan did a great job of rotating some of those young guys in early.

This Week: Michigan hosts the UCF Knights.

Michigan State (1-0 overall, 0-0 conference)

Last Week: Beat Furman, 28-13. This was not a very good performance for the Spartans but a victory is all they needed. Tyler O’Connor received the start at quarterback and threw for 190 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Ohio native LJ Scott received a bulk of the carries at running back gaining 105 yards on 20 carries. Defensively, the Spartans held the Paladins (yes that is real) to 87 yards on 33 carries.

This Week: Sparty travels to South Bend to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Minnesota (1-0 overall, 0-0 conference)

Last Week: Beat Oregon State, 30-23. Minnesota was in for a dog fight against the Beavers but was able to rally back from six down in the fourth to score 13 unanswered points. Quarterback


MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 01: Mitch Leidner #7 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers looks for an open receiver in the second quarter against the Oregon State Beavers at TCF Bank Stadium on September 1, 2016 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)


Mitch Leidner had a solid but not spectacular game throwing for 130 yards, rushing for 76 yards, and adding two rushing touchdowns. Running back Rodney Smith added 125 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

This Week: Minnesota hosts Indiana State.

Nebraska (1-0 overall, 0-0 conference)

Last Week: Beat Fresno State, 43-10. Nebraska looked impressive as they rattled off 29 unanswered points to pull away from the Bulldogs in the second half. In the most shocking thing on Saturday, quarterback Tommy Armstrong did not turn the ball over. Nebraska relied heavily on their ground game, running the ball 51 times for 292 yards while only throwing the ball 13 times for 114 yards. The Cornhusker rush defense was superb holding the Bulldogs to 31 yards on 26 carries.

This Week: The Cornhuskers hosts Wyoming.

Northwestern (0-1 overall, 0-0 conference)

Last Week: Lost to one of the directional Michigan’s (the western variety), 21-22. Quarterback Clayton Thorson (196 passing yards) and running back Justin Jackson (124 rushing yards and three touchdowns) played great but did not receive much support from their offensive teammates.

This Week: The Wildcats look to get their first win as they welcome Illinois State.

Penn State (1-0 overall, 0-0 conference)

Last Week: Beat Kent State, 33-13. The Trace McSorley era has begun in College Station as the team tries to move on from Christian Hackenburg while refusing to move on from the Joe Paterno era. McSorley combined for 256 yards (209 passing/47 rushing) and added two touchdowns through the air. Running back Saquon Barkley was held to 105 yards on 22 carries.

This Week: The Nittany Lions travel to Pittsburgh.

Purdue (1-0 overall, 0-0 conference)

Last Week: Beat Eastern Kentucky, 45-24. Quarterback David Blough had a good game as he threw for 245 yards with three touchdowns (one passing/two rushing) and an interception. Running back Markell Jones ran for 145 yards on 24 carries. As a team, the Boilermakers ran for 261 yards and four touchdowns.

This Week: The Boilermakers welcome the B12 hopeful Cincinnati Bearcats.

Rutgers (0-1 overall, 0-0 conference)

Last Week: Lost to Washington, 13-48. It was not a surprise how this game turned out as the Chris Ash era started off pretty roughly. Running back Josh Hicks had 70 yards on 14 carries to lead the ScarLoLet Knight offense.

This Week: Rutgers welcomes the Howard Bison.

Wisconsin (1-0 overall, 0-0 conference)

Last Week: Beat LSU, 16-14. In one of the biggest upsets of the day, another one of Alabama’s dingelberries took an out-of-conference loss. Finally healthy, Corey Clement ran for 86 yards and a touchdown as the Badger offense did just enough to take the victory. Quarterback Bart Houston was very inconsistent but threw for 205 yards and had a few huge throws down the stretch. On the


GREEN BAY, WI – SEPTEMBER 03: A Wisconsin Badgers fan celebrates during the game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the LSU Tigers at Lambeau Field on September 3, 2016 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)


defensive side of the ball, the Badgers “held” Leonard Fournette to 138 yards but zero touchdowns.

This Week: Wisconsin welcomes Akron to town led by former Buckeye Warren Ball who had 110 yards rushing in his first start.

CURRENT STANDINGS:

EAST CONF. OVERALL WEST CONF. OVERALL
Ohio State 0-0 1-0 Iowa 0-0 1-0
Michigan State 0-0 1-0 Nebraska 0-0 1-0
Michigan 0-0 1-0 Minnesota 0-0 1-0
Penn State 0-0 1-0 Wisconsin 0-0 1-0
Indiana 0-0 1-0 Northwestern 0-0 0-1
Maryland 0-0 1-0 Illinois 0-0 1-0
Rutgers 0-0 0-1 Purdue 0-0 1-0



The post Around the B1G: Week 2 Edition appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Bowling Green Highlights
Kade via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here




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Troy Brown, 5-star 2017 PG from Vegas, recaps visit with Buckeyes: Ohio State basketball recruiting - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Troy Brown, 5-star 2017 PG from Vegas, recaps visit with Buckeyes: Ohio State basketball recruiting
cleveland.com
It will take more than that for the Buckeyes to land one of the premier talents in this cycle, but that relationship can't hurt their chances. The Ohio State football team recently landed a pair of commitments from Las Vegas products Tate Martell and ...


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Ohio State a 27.5-point favorite over Tulsa: Buckeye Breakfast - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State a 27.5-point favorite over Tulsa: Buckeye Breakfast
cleveland.com
Las Vegas doesn't think the Buckeyes will do it again. Why would it? It's not like 77-point games are normal. But Ohio State is still a heavy favorite in its week-two matchup with Tulsa on Saturday in Ohio Stadium. A 28.5-point favorite, to be exact ...
Ohio State opens season with record-setting dayMyDaytonDailyNews
Buckeyes grade card: OSU gets high grades in openerLima Ohio
Ohio State's Mike Weber Compares Backfield Partnership With Curtis Samuel To USC GreatsScout

all 37 news articles »

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Ohio State 5-star RB target suffers injury
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


5-star RB target Jaelen Gill suffered a lower leg injury over the weekend that will keep him out for the remainder of the season.

Unfortunately, crucial Ohio State 2018 recruiting target, Jaelen Gill (Westerville, OH / Westerville South) fell victim to a lower leg injury over the weekend. Gill is a five-star RB from in-state and has quickly become one of Urban Meyer and the rest of the Buckeye recruiting staff’s favorite prospects.

Gill's injury will sideline him for the remainder of his junior season, as reported by Frank DiRenna of the Westerville News. The running back is easily one of the most-recruited athletes in the state of Ohio, as 247Sports has him slated as the No. 24 overall prospect in his class and the No. 2 overall player from the state.

Gill was entering his junior season with the Wildcats – along with big expectations. After gaining more than 1,500 yards on the ground his sophomore season, to go along with 19 TDs, Gill had already made a name for himself in college football recruiting circles; he has racked up offers from some of the best football programs in the country from institutions like Michigan, Michigan State, Tennessee, UCLA, USC and Notre Dame.

Ohio State is the current favorite to land the 6-foot-1, 182-pound back. Expect Meyer and the Buckeyes to continue to pursue Gill.

Country's No. 1 DT nearing decision?


Marvin Wilson (Bellaire, TX / Episcopal) is regarded as one of the best players in the 2017 class. Because of the immense talent Wilson possesses, he has received an offer from pretty much every school in the country, including Ohio State.

While the Buckeyes don't have much room in their 2017 recruiting class compared to their competitors, the coaching staff has made it more than clear they would force an open spot if Wilson were to choose Ohio State.

Until recently, the five-star's recruitment has been up in the air, mainly because he can basically play wherever he wants. This past weekend, Wilson was in town for the Texas vs. Notre Dame game and it seems the Longhorns may now be the team to beat.

Wilson seemed to enjoy his visit to Austin, TX and the game he attended was nothing short of spectacular. Because of this, Texas has already received three crystal ball predictions on 247Sports. While this doesn't solidify anything, it does make the Longhorns appear as the clear leader in his recruitment.

While things are looking up for Texas, Ohio State can never be counted out. Earlier in the summer, Wilson released his top ten and Ohio State was one of the schools listed.


Wilson will also likely wait until National Signing Day to make an announcement. Expect him to visit multiple other schools by then, with Ohio State likely to be one of them.

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Beavers go 2 OT to edge Buckeyes, 2-1 - The Register-Guard
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Beavers go 2 OT to edge Buckeyes, 2-1
The Register-Guard
The Beavers (3-0-1) outshot the Buckeyes (0-4) 19-7, inclulding 5-3 on shots-on-goal. Ohio State scored first when Nate Kohl scored off a Marcus McCray assist at the 27:30 mark. Oregon State evened the match at the 63:56 mark when Jordan Jones scored ...

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STAT WATCH: Buckeyes' 77 Vs BG Their Most Points Since 1950 - ABC News
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


STAT WATCH: Buckeyes' 77 Vs BG Their Most Points Since 1950
ABC News
The Buckeyes' 77-10 rout of Bowling Green was their largest margin of victory over an FBS opponent since a 72-0 win over Pittsburgh in 1996 and the most points they've scored since an 83-21 hammering of Iowa in 1950. The dismantling of BG was more ...
Buckeyes DT Tracy Sprinkle carted off with patella tendon injuryESPN
Ohio State Insider | Barrett, Samuel lead offense's spectacular dayColumbus Dispatch
Urban Meyer: Buckeyes 'Good, not great.'Morrow County Sentinel
Factory Of Sadness -Scout -247Sports
all 91 news articles »

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I would still have it:
1. Ohio State
2. Michigan
3. Michigan State
4. Wisconsin
5. Iowa

If last season taught me anything, it's that lackluster early season performances should generally be taken with a grain of salt. Did they struggle? Absolutely. Ohio State had their own fair share of struggles, and you wouldn't have convinced me at any point last year that Ohio State was any lower than the second best team in the Big Ten. If MSU loses a terrible game at some point in the next two or three weeks, obviously they will drop, but until then, they get my respect no matter how embarrassing that performance last week may have been.

Logan Greszler | Buckeyes' offense has bright future - Norwalk Reflector
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Logan Greszler | Buckeyes' offense has bright future
Norwalk Reflector
It was their first game after losing workhorse running back Ezekiel Elliott in the backfield, but they sure didn't need him. In case you missed it, the Buckeyes romped Bowling Green (as was expected) 77-10 on Saturday. But it was the manner in how the ...


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Mangham impressed with Buckeyes offense - BuckeyeGrove.com (subscription)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Mangham impressed with Buckeyes offense
BuckeyeGrove.com (subscription)
The Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech program continues to churn out elite talent. In the 2019 class, running back/athlete Jaren Mangham is emerging as one of the next stars of the future at the program. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound prospect was in Columbus on ...


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Buckeyes offer Moeller defensive tackle Aeneas Hawkins - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes offer Moeller defensive tackle Aeneas Hawkins
247Sports
Cincinnati Moeller 2018 defensive tackle Aeneas Hawkins was a guest of the Buckeyes at the Ohio State spring game. He has been to Ohio State other times as well and had been hoping for a scholarship offer from the Buckeyes. Now that has happened.
Bob Hunter commentary | Openers show that college football polls are only guessesColumbus Dispatch
@OhioFieldHockey Loses To Ohio StateOhio University Athletics

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NFL Preseason Review: Top Storylines & Highlights from Former ... - Eleven Warriors
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


NFL Preseason Review: Top Storylines & Highlights from Former ...
Eleven Warriors
We take a look at the top storylines and highlights from former Buckeyes this NFL Preseason.
Future Ohio State Buckeyes in action, Emory Jones, Tate Martell and ...247Sports

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Womens soccer falls one goal short in redemption game against Buckeyes - Virginia Tech Collegiate Times
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Womens soccer falls one goal short in redemption game against Buckeyes
Virginia Tech Collegiate Times
Additionally, Virginia Tech consistently forced pressure on Ohio State's half of the field, accounting for double the Buckeyes' corner kick opportunities (12-6). Despite these convincing numbers, it was the Buckeyes who capitalized on the Hokies ...
Around the Oval: Women's volleyball goes 2-1 in the D.C. Koehl Classic and women's soccer knocks off No. 14 Virginia ...Eleven Warriors

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Ohio State men's basketball | Recruiting wins bode well for Buckeyes - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State men's basketball | Recruiting wins bode well for Buckeyes
Columbus Dispatch
But after what the Buckeyes have been through in the past several years, the dual decision from a pair of highly regarded Ohioans might represent more than just a pair of recruiting wins for the program. It could be the latest sign that Matta is ...
Ohio State Buckeyes Breakdown: BGSU Lessons, Tulsa PlansFactory Of Sadness
Logan Greszler | Buckeyes' offense has bright futureNorwalk Reflector
Ohio State hosts top prospectsLand-Grant Holy Land
247Sports -Eleven Warriors -Lima Ohio
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Ohio State football | Urban Meyer on opener: 'good, not great' - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football | Urban Meyer on opener: 'good, not great'
Columbus Dispatch
As for the Buckeyes' play, Meyer said none of the three starting wide receivers earned a winning grade from the opener, but backup K.J. Hill did, especially after hauling in the first of J.T. Barrett's six TD passes, which matched a school record. And ...
Ohio State Buckeyes Breakdown: BGSU Lessons, Tulsa PlansFactory Of Sadness
Ohio State hosts top prospectsLand-Grant Holy Land
LeBron James wishes Buckeyes good luck in season opener247Sports
Eleven Warriors -Lima Ohio -247Sports
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Urban Meyer is holding out for consistency from his young team
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Bowling Green was just the beginning.

"It’s one game. Let’s chat in about four weeks now see how we’re doing."

-Urban Meyer, via Eric Seger, Eleven Warriors


While Saturday’s performance by the Ohio State Buckeyes was impressive on the field, perhaps what is even more intriguing is the fact that, of all those who saw the field Saturday, 30 had never played in a Division I game previously. Even so, head coach Urban Meyer is reserving judgement as he waits for the team to prove their consistency in the upcoming weeks. While the team has proven itself time and again in practice, the matchup against Bowling Green was its first true test of the season, with many more challenging games upcoming, including in two weeks in Norman. So while it was a solid performance for the team, they will need to prove that they are able to consistently play at that high level, regardless of opponent.

With months of discussion over how this group would perform given the lack of starters and departure of players who had been leaders on the team last season, many speculated a rebuilding year until the young guns could get their feet under them at Ohio State. An impressive Spring Game was just a glimpse into the talent on the team, without any true freshman and with several players injured. Now, the talent would seem to be better than expected. With 10 offensive touchdowns scored, and a defense which allowed just three points, spirits were high following the game, but players recognized the need to continuously improve and to enact the "next man up" mentality in the wake of several key injuries. As position coaches work to increase the depth at their positions, especially on the offensive line, Saturday provided an opportunity for inexperienced backups to get more reps than they would otherwise. Moving forward, the team will need to continue to perfect its performance as it moves through non-conference play into a formidable Big Ten schedule.

"I knew the coaches were gonna feed me the ball. It was on me to be dynamic."

-Ohio State H-Back Curtis Samuel, via Bill Landis, cleveland.com


Comparisons to Percy Harvin aside, Curtis Samuel has--at least for one game--demonstrated what a truly effective hybrid role could look like for the Ohio State offense, akin to what Urban Meyer managed at Florida with Harvin. While he is neither true running back nor true receiver, Samuel showed that he can be the best combination of both, ultimately earning 84 yards on the ground and a team-high 177 through the air for a total of three touchdowns on 22 touches. Meyer even acknowledged that Samuel is the "first true hybrid I’ve had in a while where he’s big enough."

From a receiving perspective, Samuel plays the slot receiver role in particular very naturally. While he filled more of an outside role last year while Braxton Miller played H-back, Samuel was often looked over in 2015. Saturday, however, he was extremely effective from the slot, where he is able to stretch the field and get into space. All nine of Samuel’s receptions came from this position, leaving the outside open for the likes of K.J. Hill and Noah Brown.

He was equally successful from the backfield, gaining positive yardage on all 13 plays where he lined up either as running back or wildcat quarterback. The speed option beside J.T. Barrett worked particularly well, as the Falcons erred toward Barrett in most of these situations, leaving the outside open for Samuel. Even so, Samuel felt, after the game, that he could have done a better job reading blocks, which caused him to leave yards on the field.

"Ohio State reigns supreme in our first power rankings of the 2016 season after an impressive undressing of MAC opponent Bowling Green."

-Dan Murphy, ESPN


In an opening week in which the Big Ten finished an impressive 12-2, including a win over a top-five SEC opponent, the Buckeyes’ 67-point victory is still impressive enough to earn Ohio State the top spot in the inaugural conference power rankings of the season. Behind a seven-touchdown performance by J.T. Barrett, which earned him offensive player of the week honors in the Big Ten, the offense broke the school record for total yards with 776 (the previous record was 718, set in 1930 against Mt. Union). Curtis Samuel had three touchdowns and recorded a third of the offense’s total yards, including 177 receiving yards to lead the team. Freshman receiver KJ Hill and running backs Mike Weber and Demario McCall also silenced doubters with impressive performances on the ground and through the air, showing that the offense won’t miss a beat despite the loss of key starters from 2015. Defensively, the Buckeyes held Bowling Green scoreless for three of four quarters, recording three interceptions including one by freshman cornerback Rodjay Burns which was returned for a touchdown.

While Ohio State’s victory was certainly decisive, perhaps the most impressive win in the Big Ten over the weekend was Wisconsin’s 16-14 win over LSU, propelling the Badgers to the No. 3 spot in the power rankings. This win was a critical one for Wisconsin, who will open Big Ten play at No. 12 Michigan State, at No. 7 Michigan, home against Ohio State then at No. 17 Iowa. Michigan, meanwhile, held onto the No. 2 spot behind the Buckeyes with a 63-3 win over a Hawaii team returning from a loss to Cal in Australia last week. Iowa and Michigan State, with wins over Miami (OH) and Furman, respectively, round out the top five in this week’s rankings.

STICK TO SPORTS

• Thad Matta should probably try to recruit this kid
• Run, Curtis, run!
• ICYMI, check out the marching band’s halftime show!

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The Buckeye Battle Cry Weekly Big Ten Power Poll: Week 1
Shannon Sommers via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here












Here at the Buckeye Battle Cry offices, we tend to get into spirited debates on who is the best teams in the Big Ten behind The Ohio State. Each one of seems to have our favorite teams to hate besides the maize and blue – I think Penn State has recently outpaced everyone with their honoring Joe Pa. While going through all the bickering and squawking the decision was made to do a weekly Power Poll.

The way we have decided to do the scoring is each first place vote gets fourteen points down to one point for fourteenth place.

This week, much to the dismay of Patrick running into the conference room threatening the Nittany Lions better get all last place votes, shook out like this after the secret votes.

1. The Ohio State University Buckeyes (1-0, 0-0)


What needs to be said for the Homerism that we are afforded. We cover the Buckeyes, we love the Buckeyes but yet they still shocked us the way they completely dominated a MAC opponent the way did. Bowling Green is picked to be a top team in their conference which in our eyes made them a better opponent and win than the team that sits at number two.

Last Game: Defeated Bowling Green 77-10

2. Michigan Wolverines (1-0, 0-0)


Hooray, the mighty giant bully in the khakis destroyed a team that he had game tape of while refusing to give any insight into his mastermind of an offense. First game and fans are saying they have a stout defense already (yawn), no seriously have fun with that.



Last Game: Defeated Hawaii 63-3

3. Wisconsin Badgers (1-0, 0-0)


After that game on Saturday, we witnessed why the mighty SEC is afraid to travel north of the Mason-Dixon Line. The mighty LSU squad that lots of folks demeaned a national title contender having Leonard Fournette showed not so fast my fickle little friends. This game along with others this weekend really cemented the point of can we please stop with preseason rankings. Seriously.

Last Game: Defeated LSU 16-14

4. Iowa Hawkeyes (1-0, 0-0)


Iowa won convincingly against another MAC team on Saturday.

We see you Iowa and we are watching.



Last Game: Defeated Miami of Ohio 45-22





5. Nebraska CornHuskers (1-0, 0-0)


Hats off to the way Nebraska celebrated Sam Foltz on Saturday.



Last Game: Defeated Fresno 43-10





6. Michigan State Spartans (1-0, 0-0)Hey Sparty what was that?


Sparty what was that? Seriously I am asking for a friend.

Sparty trying to act like Big Brother and lose to an FCS school and have a bye week to get healthy after that tough game.

Last Game: Defeated Furman 28-13

7. Penn State Nittany Lion (1-0, 0-0)


No words for a team that wants America to stop talking about the child abuse scandal. Students at the school were even embarrassed at the honoring of Joe Pa. This isn’t about his guilt or innocence, it is just wrong on so many levels.



Last Game: Defeated Kent St 33-13

8. Minnesota Golden Gopher (1-0, 0-0)


Minnesota had a close call with having former Wisconsin coach trying to pull off the upset. Thankfully Oregon St was sent back to the west coast with a loss.

Dilly bars for everyone!!



Last Game: Defeated Oregon St. 30-23

9. Maryland Terrapins (1-0, 0-0)


DJ Durkin is turning the program around with a huge win.

“What’s that? They played Howard? OK, I’ll fix it.”

DJ Durkin is turning the program around by winning their first game.

Last Game: Defeated Howard 52-13

10. Indiana Hoosiers (1-0,0-0)


Turning a close game at the half into a romp the Hoosiers showed they still know offense.

Defense? yup still

Yup they still haven’t learned it yet.

Last Game: Defeated FlorInternationalonal 34-13

11. Northwestern Wildcats (0-1, 0-0)


Last season the Wildcats were the talk of college football by defeating Stanford.

This season they were part of the eight teams named Wildcats that all lost in the opening weekend of college football.



Last Game: Defeated by Western Michigan 22-21

12. Illinois Fighting Illini (1-0, 0-0)


New head coach Lovie Smith has his work cut out for him to rebuild the program – armed with players that he hasn’t even recruited.





Last Game: Defeated Murray St. 52-3

13. Purdue Boilermakers (1-0, 0-0)


Dear Purdue, you can please stop the dog and pony show. Go get P.J. Fleck NOW. He seems to know the Big Ten very well plus he is familiar with recruiting in the midwest.

It is ok you can change your team name to Boats when he comes on board. You can thank me later for this advice with a small finders fee.

Last Game: Defeated Eastern Kentucky 45-24

14. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (0-1, 0-0)


<copy and paste following> It is ok Rutgers fans. You have a very good head coach he will get you guys back to winning football soon. Chris Ash was a great hire.

Last Game: Defeated by Washington 48-13

The post The Buckeye Battle Cry Weekly Big Ten Power Poll: Week 1 appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Malik Hooker highlights a dominating Ohio State defensive performance
Ian Hartitz via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Heck of a performance by a young defensive corp.

Bowling Green is far from a powerhouse, but they also aren’t your typical early-season MAC opponent. The Falcons have totaled eight or more wins in each of the past four seasons, had college football’s sixth-best scoring offense in 2015 and have won two of the last three MAC Championships. Granted, Bowling Green was forced to replace their leading passer, rusher and receiver from a season ago, but still: the Falcons are a good football team that got beaten down by a flurry of silver bullets this past Saturday.

With no resemblance of a passing or rushing attack, Bowling Green didn’t have an answer for the Buckeyes’ consistently tight coverage. Malik Hooker looked a lot like Ohio State’s next elite safety, Gareon Conley showed he’s more than capable of being Ohio State’s new No. 1 corner, and the only real bad news on the day was the loss of starting defensive tackle Tracy Sprinkle - gone for the season due to an injury to his patella tendon.

Such a one-sided game left a lack of true “impact” defensive plays - it’s hard to sway the outcome on defense too much when you’re up by two-plus scores for 80 percent of the game. Still, there was plenty of action worth taking highlighted, starting with the very first play of the game.

Eric Glover-Williams is fast, man


The phrase “dominated from the opening kickoff” is probably overused, and not true in this game either due to J.T. Barrett’s ill-advised pick-six, but the opening kickoff of any season will inevitably mean a little bit more than others. The Los Angeles Rams opened up their remodeled home in LA by allowing a kick-off return for a touchdown. Ohio State took a slightly different course of action:


The Buckeyes have been on the forefront of the kick-off revolution that has substituted slower linebackers and full backs for smaller, but way faster, receivers and corners. Sophomore Eric Glover-Williams is one of many burners on the unit, and he took it upon himself to not only win the first kick-off race of the season, but also to make one helluva open-field tackle while he was at it. Glover-Williams was one of the few true-freshman to play in 2015, and as one of the more versatile secondary players on the roster, could see more of the field this year if he keeps making plays like the above.

Turns out everything we heard about Malik Hooker was true


We heard he could make plays. We heard he was an unreal athlete. Still, no amount of knowledge could possibly prepare you for the show Hooker put on Saturday. You’ve likely seen every angle of his ridiculous one-handed interception, but the one below truly demonstrates just how amazing of a play this was:


Hooker starts the play off on the left-hash, but rolls over to his position as Ohio State’s deep-middle safety at the snap of the ball. He never hesitates, however, as Hooker immediately reads the deep route from the slot-receiver, and proceeds to somehow run half-way across the field to make one of the more impressive interceptions you’ll ever see. Hooker obviously has the range and ball-skills to thrive as Ohio State’s deep center-fielder, but now that all of America also knows this, don’t be surprised if the deep middle of the Buckeyes’ defense isn’t tested for awhile.

Nick Bosa has arrived


With higher expectations than arguably any other true-freshman on the team, Nick Bosa had a great first game as a Buckeye, highlighted by his first sack. With Sprinkle out for the season Ohio State will need to rely on Bosa sooner than they might have planned, but this may not be an issue if he keeps making plays like this:



At this point in the game the Buckeyes weren’t sending many blitzes, so any pressure would have to be generated purely by the linemen. Bosa, lined up on the right side of the line, gets started with a quick first step, similar to his brother.



Showing off his strength, Bosa gets a great initial push that puts the Bowling Green left tackle in a compromising position. Ideally Bosa would have better arm extension here, but he is still able to keep his hands free regardless, which allows him to swim back to the inside and to the quarterback.



A great swim-move by Bosa frees him to rush the quarterback, but takes a risk by going inside. Defensive ends in almost any base-defense are tasked with not only rushing the passer, but also keeping contain in the pocket. If the Bowling Green quarterback was able to evade Bosa and get outside the pocket to his left, that would be Bosa’s fault for not keeping contain. However, most coaches will be content with their defensive ends going inside as long as they make the sack, which Bosa did. This excellent display of strength and quickness set up the moment Buckeye fans have been waiting for:



And he didn’t shrug! C’mon Nick. Any number of twitter-trolls who claim you aren’t allowed to use Joey’s celebration because you haven’t done enough yet will be outweighed by delirious Buckeye fans who are just happy to have another #97 wrecking havoc in opposing backfields. Perhaps Bosa was too caught up in the moment to pimp his first sack with his brother’s patented shrug, but either way it was a great play in the young Bosa’s first collegiate game.

The final: 77-10 Ohio State.

Defensive player of the game: Malik Hooker.

Defensive play of the game: Malik Hooker one-handed interception.

Next victim: Tulsa. See you all next week.

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