Audio: Listen to your Big Ten coach preview Week 1
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

Each Tuesday morning during the Big Ten football season, the 14 Big Ten football coaches hold a Big Ten teleconference with reporters from around the country. We post the audio for each segment of the call here. Listen to your coach below.Filed under: Audio Tagged: Teleconferences

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What you need to know about Northwestern before Ohio State plays them
Matt Brown via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Last year, the Wildcats were more lucky than good. What about this season?

The Ohio State football season will be here before you know it, and even if you’ve only been paying semi-close attention this offseason, you’re probably aware of the major storylines with the program. This is going to be an exceptionally young, but talented and athletic team. There’s a lack of proven production at wideout, running back, and defensive back. They return the best QB in the conference, and should at least compete for a Big Ten title.

But you may not know a lot about the specific teams on Ohio State’s schedule. We’ll get into a lot more detail before the actual games, but you may want a primer so you can sound smart at the bar, or at the barbecue, or in the grocery store checkout line.

So take a look at Ohio State’s opponents this year. Next up, a battle with the Northwestern Wildcats.

What was the deal with Northwestern last year?

BODY CLOCKS BODY BLOCK BODY CLOCKKKKKKKKKKSSSSS

The most interesting thing that happened to Northwestern was their devious invention of body clocks, the justification used to explain why Stanford could have played so poorly in Northwestern’s unlikely Week 1 upset. Northwestern spent the rest of the season winning close games against mostly uninspired opposition, and then getting blasted by the quality teams on their schedule. When the dust settled, Northwestern had an impressive looking 10-3 record, even though they didn’t even crack the top 50 of the S&P+. Mentioning this is a good way of making Northwestern fans mad on the internet.

How’s Northwestern going to look on offense?


Probably at least a little better than they looked last year, but that is hardly high praise. The Wildcats finished a horrible 113th in offensive S&P+ last season, thanks to inexperience at skill positions, bad quarterback play, and a revolving door of offensive linemen.

If you’re an optimistic sort, you’d note that almost everybody of consequence is back. Clayton Thorson, a former blue-chip recruit, is back for his sophomore season at quarterback. Justin Jackson, another blue-chipper, is back at running back, and should be one of the very best in the conference. Six linemen with starting experience are coming back. There are some pieces there.

But Thorson was also awful last season, and even if he takes a big step up, that might just be a step towards being average. The pass-catching options are thin, and depth all along the offense isn’t great. If Northwestern is unlucky with the injury bug again, this unit could struggle mightily. And even if they stay healthy, it’s hard to see this being a legitimately good group, outside of Jackson’s heroics. If anything happens to him ... woof.

Okay, but what about the defense?


That’s better! Actually, that’s selling it short. It was really damn good (11th overall in S&P+), thanks to exceptional secondary play and huge steps forward up front. Anthony Walker at linebacker is the name you’ll want to know here, as he morphed into a complete tackling machine that will challenge for end of year hardware as one of the best linebackers in the Big Ten, if not beyond.

Northwestern’s pass rush may take a step back (their top two defensive ends are gone), but Ifeadi Odenigbo returns, and he can certainly get after a quarterback. Godwin Igwebuike headlines a solid group in the defensive backfield, a unit that returns some contributors from last year, but may lack in depth a little bit.

What’s the Ohio State-Northwestern series like?


Nothing but pain for our purple-clad friends in Evanston. Historically, Ohio State holds a massive 60-14-1 edge, a trend that has continued in recent memory. I was born in 1987. Northwestern has beaten Ohio State exactly once in my lifetime. In fact, they’ve only won once since 1972.

Sometimes those games are close, like Ohio State 40-30 win in 2013, but most of the the time, they haven’t been, even when Northwestern has been decent.

Is Northwestern going to be any good this season?


Feel pretty good about stepping out on this ledge: Northwestern isn’t winning 10 games again in 2016. Their schedule is tough, with road trips to Ohio State and Michigan State, and a season opening game against a solid Western Michigan team (not to mention a rematch with Duke on the road). Their defense is highly unlikely to replicate their performance last season, and their offense, while likely to improve, still hinges on the significant improvement of an underclassman who was very, very bad last year.

I think they’re probably still a bowl team. But this should not be a team that seriously challenges Ohio State unless the Buckeyes give them lots of opportunities.

So, not really feeling an upset here, huh?


There’s always a risk that this paragraph will come back to haunt me. But as a fan, I am not very concerned about this game unless Ohio State is nursing some serious injury problems. Northwestern is highly unlikely to score enough points to win, especially at Ohio State, after the Buckeyes finished an emotionally exhausting road trip. It would take a lot of luck, a lot of Buckeye miscues, and flawless defensive execution for the Wildcats to spring a rare Buckeye upset. I don’t see it happening this season.

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NFL notebook | Chargers sign former Ohio State star Joey Bosa - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


NFL notebook | Chargers sign former Ohio State star Joey Bosa
Columbus Dispatch
The Buckeyes rolled up more than 500 yards in total offense against Western Michigan, but Urban Meyer still sees room for improvement. Tim May and Bill Rabinowitz talk about that game and Ohio State's upcoming Big Ten opener against Indiana.
Skull Session: Buckeyes Demand to Play Special Teams, NFL Laughing at Chargers for Bosa Fiasco, and Cowboys ...Eleven Warriors
Former Buckeye Joey Bosa ends holdout, signs contract with ChargersWKYC-TV
Joey Bosa Signs Four-Year Contract with the ChargersChargers.com

all 217 news articles »

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It’s Curtis Samuel’s time to shine at H-back for Ohio State
E.L. Speyer via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Seems like no one player’s been talked about more on the offensive side of the ball.

Urban Meyer is a coach known for fielding high-octane offenses. Ohio State has an offense composed of mostly unknown talent. Something will have to give in 2016.

The Buckeyes replace eight starters from last year’s offense, including four players selected in the first three rounds of last spring’s NFL Draft. Meyer likes to patrol the sidelines equipped with a list of his top playmakers. Many on the list will be playing for an audience of 100,000 screaming fans for the first time in their life when the Buckeyes host Bowling Green on Saturday.

Curtis Samuel has performed in the shadow of giants. Listed as an athlete during his recruiting cycle, the Brooklyn native sporadically flashed elite playmaking ability as a freshman running back in 2014. Still, he could not outshine Ezekiel Elliott’s 1,878 rushing yards, second-best in the program’s storied history.

With Elliott set to return in 2015, Samuel was moved out wide to H-back in the spring. The plan was for the talented sophomore to be an integral weapon in Ohio State’s passing and rushing attack. Those plans changed that summer when Braxton Miller, a two-time conference player of the year, moved from quarterback to H-back himself.

Miller and Elliott are now preparing to play football on Sundays. So is Jalin Marshall, the Buckeyes’ starting H-back in 2014. It finally appears to be Samuel’s time to shine in Columbus. By all accounts, he’ll be one of the first names on Meyer’s vaunted list.

You’ll be hard pressed to listen to an interview and not hear a player or coach sing the junior’s praises. But with just over 100 career touches to his name, it’s fair for Buckeye Nation to ask, just how good is Curtis Samuel? Better yet, what is Curtis Samuel?

Is he a running back? Is he a receiver? Truth is, Samuel is a little bit of both. The H-back position has been a staple of Meyer’s offense throughout his career, a hybrid role best suited for fast-twitch athletes capable of scoring from anywhere on the field. Samuel seems to be an ideal fit to not just contribute, but be a game-breaker in this role.

Of all the H-backs that Meyer has coached, none is more celebrated than Percy Harvin. Harvin was a human highlight reel at Florida, and Meyer fed him the ball in every conceivable fashion. As a junior in 2008 Harvin was second for the Gators in both rushing and receiving yards and scored a total of 17 touchdowns. Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey were used similarly as his successors, albeit to a lesser degree of success.

“At Florida, H-back kind of became the Cadillac position,” Meyer said in July at Big Ten Media Days.

Through four years in Columbus, the H-back has been more of a hood ornament for Meyer. More often than not, the position has been used as a decoy to open lanes for Ohio State’s running backs. Against Oregon in the 2014 National Championship Game, Jalin Marshall was consistently brought into motion for a fake jet sweep, moving the Ducks’ over aggressive defense out of position to defend Ezekiel Elliott counters. Ohio State’s tailback feasted on this play, rushing for a then career-high 246 yards.


It could be argued that the H-back is better suited for a southern school like Florida, where the weather is warm and the track is fast. In Big Ten country a Cadillac Coupe might not be pragmatic on a cold, wet, slippery afternoon in November - especially when there’s an SUV in the form of a bruising tailback like Elliott ready to tote the rock 25 times a game.

At the same time, Ohio State’s redshirt freshman tailback Mike Weber has never taken a snap in college, let alone suffered the punishment of a grueling conference battle. Meyer and offensive coordinator Ed Warinner are also searching for more offensive balance, after relying on the run 64% of the time a year ago. Ideally, the OSU offense should generate as many passing yards as it does rushing. What better way to achieve this goal than through the versatile Samuel?

“Curtis is a very skilled athlete, a very elite player with the ball in his hands,” Warinner told the media Monday. “We’re just going to try to find as many ways to use him as possible.”

It will be interesting to see just how creative Warinner gets when utilizing Samuel. The offensive play calling was at its most imaginative when Warinner was moved to the press box for the final two games last season, in which the Buckeyes unleashed several new ways to feature their H-backs.

Facing third-and-three in the third quarter of the Michigan game, J.T. Barrett lined up in the shotgun with an H-back behind each offensive tackle. At the snap the H-back to Barrett’s left, Samuel, darted backwards to run a speed option with his quarterback. At the same time fellow H-back Jalin Marshall moved toward the A-gap, making himself available for a shovel pass. Barrett read the defensive end perfectly, pitching the ball to Samuel at the last moment, which allowed the speedster to race for a first down.


Later in the drive the Buckeyes faced another third-and-short. This time Warinner sent Samuel in motion out of the backfield, first a few paces to the left of Barrett, and then dashing to the right toward the strong side of the formation. This action exposed Michigan’s man defense, and the plodding linebacker tasked with chasing Samuel.


Even with so many new starters seeing action for the first time, Ohio State shouldn’t need any one particular player to step up against the Falcons this Saturday. Instead, the opener will serve as a lens into what the Buckeyes’ offense will look like in 2016, and how Meyer and Warinner plan to achieve balance.

No one epitomizes this better than the Buckeyes’ all-purpose H-back. Chances are we see more sets like the ones used against Michigan to take pressure off Weber in the run game, and to give Barrett a safety-valve as a passer.

“He’s been kind of in the shadows, with the talent we have at Ohio State,” said Barrett last week on ESPN’s Russillo & Kanell radio show. “This year he’s going to be a major part of our offense.”

We’ll get our first glimpse into exactly what that means this Saturday.

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Countdown To Kickoff: Best Buckeye Ever To Wear No. 7 - Ohio ... - Scout
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Countdown To Kickoff: Best Buckeye Ever To Wear No. 7 - Ohio ...
Scout
As the countdown to Ohio State's season opener against Bowling Green gets closer, the Buckeye Sports staff is continuing its Best Buckeye Ever series.

and more »

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Week 1 Depth Chart: Ohio State
Brandon Zimmerman 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 depth chart was released on Tuesday and there weren’t very many surprises at all. In a fall where there was supposed to be competition everywhere, all the favorites from the end of last season were named starters. Like many OSU depth charts, week one of the 2016 season features a bunch of “OR” starters or backups at various positions.

Let’s take a look:

OFFENSE

POS NAME HT WT CLASS
QB J.T. BARRETT 6’2” 225 JR (R)
JOE BURROW 6’3” 208 FR (R)
RB MIKE WEBER OR 5’10” 215 FR (R)
CURTIS SAMUEL 5’11” 200 JR
WR1 NOAH BROWN OR 6’2” 222 SO (R)
PARIS CAMPBELL 6’0” 205 SO (R)
WR2 COREY SMITH OR 6’1” 195 SR (R)
JOHNNIE DIXON 5’11” 198 SO
H-BACK CURTIS SAMUEL OR 5’11” 200 JR
DONTRE WILSON 5’10” 195 SR
TE MARCUS BAUGH 6’5” 255 JR
AJ ALEXANDER 6’2” 254 FR (R)
LT JAMARCO JONES 6’5” 310 JR (R)
EVAN LISLE 6’7” 308 JR (R)
LG MICHAEL JORDAN 6’7” 310 FR
MATT BURRELL 6’4” 305 FR (R)
C PAT ELFLEIN 6’3” 300 SR (R)
BRADY TAYLOR 6’5” 300 SO (R)
RG BILLY PRICE 6’4” 315 JR (R)
DEMETRIUS KNOX 6’4” 308 SO (R)
RT ISAIAH PRINCE 6’7” 310 SO
BRANDEN BOWEN 6’7” 315 FR (R)
WR-Z TERRY MCLAURIN OR 6’0” 204 SO (R)
JAMES CLARK 5’10” 186 JR (R)

The offense had the biggest questions because we didn’t know who would start at running back and the second wide receiver spot. Spoiler alert, we still don’t. Expect to see a lot of mix-and-matching the first two games.

DEFENSE

POS NAME HT WT CLASS
DE TYQUAN LEWIS 6’4” 266 JR
RASHOD BERRY 6’4” 252 FR (R)
DT TRACEY SPRINKLE 6’3” 293 JR
DRE’MONT JONES 6’3” 280 FR (R)
DT MICHAEL HILL 6’3” 295 JR (R)
DAVON HAMILTON 6’4” 297 FR (R)
DE SAM HUBBARD OR 6’5” 266 SO (R)
JALYN HOLMES 6’5” 274 JR
SLB CHRIS WORLEY 6’2” 228 JR (R)
JEROME BAKER 6’1” 225 SO
MLB RAEKWON MCMILLAN 6’2” 243 JR
CRAIG FADA 6’1” 225 SR
WLB DANTE BOOKER 6’3” 236 JR
JUSTIN HILLIARD 6’1” 230 FR (R)
CB GAREON CONLEY 6’0” 195 JR (R)
DAMON ARNETTE 6’0” 195 FR
CB MARSHON LATTIMORE OR 6’0” 195 SO (R)
DENZEL WARD 5’10” 185 SO
S MALIK HOOKER 6’2” 205 SO (R)
ERICK SMITH 6’0” 202 JR
S DAMON WEBB 5’11” 193 JR
JORDAN FULLER 6’2” 205 FR

On defense, the biggest question mark was who would start at corner opposite of Conley. It appears Lattimore is in the lead but the depth chart still lists both he and Ward. As Meyer alluded to earlier this week, Holmes earned himself an “OR” with Hubbard.

SPECIAL TEAMS

POS NAME HT WT CLASS
P CAMERON JOHNSTON 5’11” 195 SR
K TYLER DURBIN 6’3” 210 SR
LS LIAM MCCULLOUGH 6’2” 210 FR (R)
PR DONTRE WILSON OR 5’10” 195 SR
COREY SMITH OR 6’1” 190 FR
CURTIS SAMUEL OR 5’11” 200 JR
KR DONTRE WILSON OR 5’10” 195 SR
JAMES CLARK OR 5’10” 186 JR (R)
JOHNNIE DIXON 5’11” 198 SO

The special teams is listed with even more “ORs” which is fantastic. Expect Wilson to be the main returner. Durbin is starting at kicker in place of the injured Nuernberger.

The post Week 1 Depth Chart: Ohio State appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Ohio State-Bowling Green 2016 depth chart: New starters emerge
Ian Cuevas via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The first depth chart of the season has arrived as the Buckeyes prepare to host Bowling Green.



After a long offseason, college football is finally back in Columbus. Ohio State prepares to host Bowling Green as the Buckeyes set out to prove their talented team can compete with the best in the country. With Urban Meyer and his staff losing 16 starters from both sides of the ball, there will be plenty of inexperience on the field Saturday. But the stage has been set for many of the freshman and other players who haven’t seen the field yet, and there’s no greater opportunity to shine.

There wasn’t any question about who would be the starter at quarterback for Ohio State, unlike many times last season where every other week it seemed to be leaning in someone’s favor. This time around, J.T. Barrett holds the keys to the offense and barring injury, this won’t change all season. Barrett is looking for another breakout season after a sophomore campaign was hindered by splitting time with Cardale Jones in 2015. Barrett has proven he’s more than capable in 2014 where he led the Buckeyes to a 11-1 record while shattering school records of his own before getting injured. Joe Burrow won the battle for second-string over Dwayne Haskins.

At running back, Ezekiel Elliott’s departure certainly made for an interesting battle at first for the spot, but redshirt freshman Mike Weber has emerged as the starter. Curtis Samuel is also listed with an “OR” between them as he’s likely to get some burn as well carrying the ball. Weber had a strong spring game performance and after the dismissal of Bri’onte Dunn, the spot is his to lose despite Samuel getting some carries. Dontre Wilson is listed as third-string.

Even with the recent suspension of Torrance Gibson, the wide receiving depth is still talented from top to bottom. Right now, the starters are listed with Noah Brown OR Parris Campbell at X, Corey Smith OR Johnnie Dixon, and Terry McLaurin OR James Clark at Z. Austin Mack and Binjimin Victor seem to be the third-string options.

The H-back spot left by Braxton Miller will be held by Curtis Samuel OR Dontre Wilson. Wilson’s career has been in search of that breakout season as he’s always seemingly one broken tackle away from breaking long touchdown runs, so there’s a room for excitement with Wilson slotted in to H-back.

The tight end spot is firmly locked down by Marcus Baugh with A.J. Alexander listed as the backup. No surprise there, as Baugh comes into the season ready to shine as the starter with Vannett heading to the NFL.

The offensive line starters are listed as Jamarco Jones, Michael Jordan, Pat Elflein, Billy Price, and Isaiah Prince (from left to right). A very green unit with only two returning starters in Elflein and Price.

On the defensive side of the ball, Sam Hubbard OR Jayln Holmes and Tyquan Lewis are listed as the defensive end starters, which is what was expected with Meyer mentioning Holmes has had a great camp. Hubbard and Lewis should be one of the best defensive end pairings in the Big Ten this season. The backups at defensive end are Nick Bosa OR Jonathon Cooper. In the middle, Michael Hill anchors the defensive line alongside Tracy Sprinkle who backed up Adolphus Washington last season. The backups at tackle include

The linebacking core should be one of the stronger units on the defensive side of the ball. Raekwon McMillan is slotted in at middle linebacker, returning from last season as the team’s leading tackler and is the leader of the defense. Surrounding him are outside linebackers Chris Worley and Dante Booker. Worley has had high praise from teammates over the past couple of seasons and should be a good one to watch. Rashod Berry, Jerome Baker, and Craig Fada are your backups.

At cornerback, Gareon Conley is the starter on one end and Marshon Lattimore OR Denzel Ward on the other for the second corner spot. For safeties, Damon Webb slides over this season with Malik Hooker getting the other safety spot. Erick Smith is listed as the backup to Hooker, while Jordan Fuller is the backup to Webb.

For special teams, sophomore walk-on Tyler Durbin will be starting as the kicker for both kickoffs and field goals as Sean Nuernberger recovers from a groin injury that forced him to miss most of camp. Durbin apparently hit a 62-yard field goal at one point during fall camp, so a big leg could be in play. Senior Cameron Johnston returns as the punter, and that’s no surprise considering he’s been a mainstay since his freshman season and has done a tremendous job. At punt return, Dontre Wilson OR Corey Smith OR Curtis Samuel are all in play. Handling kickoff returns will be Dontre Wilson OR James Clark OR Johnnie Dixon. The long-snapping duties are given to Liam McCollough, and holding for kicks is Cameron Johnston.

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Marshon Lattimore is finally a Buckeyes starter: Ohio State football depth chart analysis - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Marshon Lattimore is finally a Buckeyes starter: Ohio State football depth chart analysis
cleveland.com
He's a starting cornerback for the Buckeyes. OK, technically there's an "OR" on the depth chart between Lattimore and Denzel Ward at the corner spot opposite Gareon Conley. But when Ohio State released its first depth chart of the 2016 season on ...


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Countdown To Kickoff: Best Buckeye Ever To Wear No. 4 - Scout
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Countdown To Kickoff: Best Buckeye Ever To Wear No. 4
Scout
As the countdown to Ohio State's season opener against Bowling Green gets closer, the Buckeye Sports staff is continuing its Best Buckeye Ever series. We stand just four days from kickoff, so it is time to reveal our pick for the Best Buckeye Ever to ...
What to expect from a new look Ohio State vs Bowling GreenLand-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State a 27.5-point favorite over Bowling Green in season-opener: Buckeye Breakfastcleveland.com
Ohio State vs. Bowling Green Preview: Three Keys to VictoryScarlet and Game

all 15 news articles »

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From The Podium: Coaches Speak
Shannon Sommers via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Monday’s on college campuses across America head coaches stand at their podium in front of the cameras to discuss their team and opponents during the season.

Week 1 pits The Ohio State University hosting Bowling Green State University.




(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)




Here is the audio from Urban Meyer press conference:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/menofthescarletandgray/Record_2016-08-29_at_15h53m34s.wav
The Buckeyes head man stepped to the podium discussing the team picking four captains, Torrence Gibson’s suspension (he said it wasn’t an athletic department or a football team suspension). He enjoyed talking about his time coaching Bowling Green. During his press conference, he basically laid out the starters going into the upcoming game.


You can find the transcript from Meyer’s discussion with the media here.




(Bowling Green University Photo)




The opponent coach Mike Fink trip to the podium had him discussing his players, coming into Ohio Stadium to play.


You can take a listen to his press conference here:

http://www.bgsufalcons.com/custompages/audio/2016/Aug/Jinks_Mike082916.MP3



Interested in some more of what Mike Finks has discussed? Below we have his teleconference audio for you all to enjoy.

http://mac-sports.com/custompages/teleconferences/82916FB/Jinks82916.mp3



We are just days away from kick-off. You can feel the excitement in the air as the new season is just about ready to go.





The post From The Podium: Coaches Speak appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Ohio State football: Urban Meyer expects Torrance Gibson back with Buckeyes next season - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: Urban Meyer expects Torrance Gibson back with Buckeyes next season
cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Urban Meyer wanted to move on from talk of the Torrance Gibson suspension, but he mentioned on the Big Ten teleconference that he expects the receiver back with the Buckeyes next season. Meyer said he has spoken with Gibson and ...


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waived by Tampa

waived by Dallas

Big Ten Mailbag: Tom Dienhart answers your Big Ten questions
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

Two days away from kickoff, I'm sorting through my mail bag on a hot August afternoon, answering your questions and wishing the season would get here quicker. Let’s go!

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Polls: It’s time to pick your Week 1 Big Ten football winners
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

Every week during the 2016 football season, the BTN.com team makes its Big Ten game predictions. [ MORE: Power Rankings | Best of Week 1 | Big Ten football, A-Z ] We also provide polls for Big Ten fans to select their winners, and to compete with BTN’s Tom Dienhart, Sean Merriman, the three-time reigning champ, and Brent Yarina all season long. See our Week 1 predictions below, and scroll down to vote for your winners. Tom Dienhart (@BTNTomDienhart) Week 1 picks: Indiana 29, FIU 27; Minnesota 24, Oregon State 19; Michigan State 38, Furman 7; Maryland 34, Howard 14;

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What to expect from a new look Ohio State vs Bowling Green
Colton Denning via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Previewing Week 1, Torrance Gibson’s suspension, and personal stories of failure.

With Ohio State’s 2016 season set to kick off in less than five days, Matt and I thought it would be a good idea to sit down and discuss the Buckeyes’ week one opponent, Bowling Green.

Despite a new head coach and turnover at the skill positions, the Falcons have an offense that should be a good litmus test for the new-look Buckeye defense, especially through the air. Will the Silver Bullets be able to attack Bowling Green’s experienced offensive line? How will the young secondary hold up against a team likely to throw the ball 40 (or more) times?

In addition, we broke down Urban Meyer’s Monday press conference, which included:

• Torrance Gibson’s suspension by the university
• Kicker Sean Nuerenberger’s injury, and what it means for Ohio State’s special teams
• Meyer’s comments about wanting balance on offense
• If Meyer will stick to his desire to run JT Barrett less this season

Lastly, we went away from football a bit, analyzing Ohio State basketball’s newest commitments, our favorite things about the NCAA Football video game series, and Matt telling a personal horror story about a high school crush gone wrong. (PRO TIP: ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOUR MIC IS OFF)

We’ve returned to Soundcloud, and you can now find all of our audio here, as well as subscribing to the podcast via our iTunes page. You can also find our audio on the SB Nation podcast page, and subscribe via RSS on your Android and Windows Phone devices here.

We’ve recently made a big push to overhaul our audio quality and it would help tremendously if you left a review via our iTunes page to let us know how we’re doing!

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Ohio State men's basketball | Top prospect aware of Buckeyes' recent recruiting victories - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State men's basketball | Top prospect aware of Buckeyes' recent recruiting victories
Columbus Dispatch
The Buckeyes offered him in mid-May, before a summer evaluation Cohill said got better during the back half. After putting up 500 shots a day in between summer evaluation periods, Cohill said, the final two weeks had him playing with greater confidence ...
Thomas Allen, 2017 shooting guard, has Ohio State basketball in ...cleveland.com
Ohio State uses in-state focus to land two 2018 prospectsToday's U (blog)
The Hurry Up: Texas Linebacker Sets Announcement Date, Bishop ...Eleven Warriors
Land-Grant Holy Land -247Sports
all 9 news articles »

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The View from Beyond the Shoe: Buckeye Superstition
Mike Meals via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Why are we superstitious? What was programmed into our brains at a young age to make us think that doing something now will ensure success in an event we have no real power over? Maybe Einstein was onto something when he defended insanity.

The world of sports is littered with stories of people that do certain things in certain ways…because they believe it will change the outcome of their upcoming game. In baseball, people avoid stepping on the chalk of the foul lines when they go into or out of the dugout. Boxers avoid spending the night with their significant others the night before a fight to avoid losing. NASCAR drivers for years would avoid green car paint jobs…because they were bad luck.

What about fans? What superstitions do you have to ensure your team wins this weekend? How are you going to make sure you do everything in your power to assist the Buckeyes in beating BGSU this weekend?

I’ve seen nearly every kind of superstition you can imagine. I will, on Thursday of this week, decide on the exact clothing I will wear every Saturday this fall. If I can’t wear the same shirt, Urban may forget the game plan he devised. I don’t know how he knows when I mess up but I know it happens. Ask Fickell…I lost my lucky shirt after his first game. You can thank me for the worst season at OSU in 100 years. I personally blaming myself for us ending up in the Gator Bowl that year.

For me, it starts before the first game. I pick out what jersey or shirt I will wear and I stick with it for the entire year. On Friday, I have the exact same Nike OSU Polo I will wear to work every week the day before the Silver Bullets take the field. On game day, I will watch the band take the field and I will watch the ball get teed up. I will then walk out of the room, turn my back, and/or plug my ears. I can’t watch the opening kickoff, no matter where I am watching the game.

Why do I do this? I have no idea. I know the polo shirt started with work. It’s casual Friday and I have to have my Scarlet and Gray on before I end my professional duties each week. I blame our own Brandon for the kickoff thing. It started years ago in California with him…if I see the kickoff…we lose the game. It has happened more than once and from then on it was set in stone.

I have actually gone to other people’s houses to watch games, and wore clothes other than my “lucky” shirt, only to watch the worst first half of a game ever. I had to leave a good friend’s birthday party once, at halftime, so I could get the correct shirt on.

I know I am not alone. I have watched a good friend take his shirt off at halftime…douse it in alcohol, and burn it because the thing was just not lucky enough.

I won’t ask what superstitions you have. Some of them are ones that you simply can’t or shouldn’t tell people. All I ask is…are you ready to do your part, no matter how stupid others think it may be?

The post The View from Beyond the Shoe: Buckeye Superstition appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Around the B1G: Week 1 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


We will have waited a painstakingly horrible 246 days from the time we saw the Ohio State Buckeyes leave the field against Notre Dame until we see them come through the tunnel against Bowling Green. The horror that is known as the off-season is over!

Now is the time of year where we sit back and watch the Big Ten flounder and be told how bad the conference is. It doesn’t help that we have Wisconsin taking on LSU to start the season. While everyone knows LSU is 100 times better, this will be the barometer the lazy national pundits will use to tell us why Ohio State, Michigan, and Michigan State have zero chance against the SEC. Never mind the fact that Wisconsin is probably the eighth best team in the B1G this year…NARRATIVE!!!!

Let’s go ahead and take a look at what is going on in the B1G heading into week one. As a special gift to you, I will add in my predicted record (overall and conference) for each team and your 2016 B1G champion.

Illinois (PREDICTED RECORD: 3-9 overall, 1-8 conference)

Last Week: Off-Season.

This Week: The Fighting Illini host Murray State as new head coach Lovie Smith looks to bring Illinois back to relevancy. Senior quarterback Wes Lunt and sophomore Ke’Shawn Vaughn will be key to keeping the Illini in games. I have the Illini struggling pretty bad this year but with 13 senior starters, I wouldn’t be surprised if they made a push for 6-6 and a bowl game.

Indiana (PREDICTED RECORD: 6-6 overall, 3-6 conference)

Last Week: Off-Season.

This Week: The Indiana Hoosiers and their high-flying offense travel to Miami and takes on Florida International. Redshirt Junior Richard Lagow will take over the reins at quarterback after transferring from Oklahoma State via Cisco (NSFW) Community College. As with always the case when talking about the Big 12 Hoosiers, the defense will be pretty bad and will ultimately be the key to any team success they have. If they can make a few stops here and there, it may be all the Hoosier offense needs.

Iowa (PREDICTED RECORD: 10-2 overall, 7-2 conference)

Last Week: Off-Season.

This Week: The Hawkeyes open up their season against Miami of Ohio. As many of you already know, the Hawkeyes are pretty old school and still rely heavily on the old fullback and a good defense. Offensively, they are led by Senior C.J. Beathard who exploded on-scene last year with 2,809 yards passing and 17 touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, they have the best cornerback in the nation senior Desmond King who shocked everyone by not going to the NFL.

Maryland (PREDICTED RECORD: 5-7 overall, 2-7 conference)

Last Week: Off-Season.

This Week: Maryland will be welcoming the Howard Bison to town after their long journey from Washington D.C. to College Park, Maryland (7.5 miles). First year head coach D.J. Durkin has decided to let redshirt senior Perry Hills be the starting quarterback. Buckeye fans may remember Hills running all over the Buckeye defense for a tune of 170 yards and two touchdowns while adding another 133 through the air last year.

Michigan (PREDICTED RECORD: 10-2 overall, 7-2 conference)

Last Week: Didn’t give a damn about them.

This Week: Michigan welcomes Hawaii. I’m not going to lie, obviously I am not anywhere as high on the Wolverines as most people are. I realize they have 16 senior starters and their experience is off the charts but let me bring you in on a secret…that doesn’t mean they are all good. I’m tired of the narrative that just because a team has returning starters it must mean they are good. I still think Michigan is behind MSU and OSU talent-wise but this is one of the last years we will be able to say that. It will be interesting to see what happens this year at quarterback for the Wolverines. No matter who plays the most, they will have three of the best pass catchers in the B1G as targets in seniors Jehu Chesson (50-764-9), Amara Darboh (58-727-5), and Jake Butt (51-654-3). I can’t talk about Michigan without discussing Jabrill Peppers…so here you go:



We will finish this up with this.

Michigan State (PREDICTED RECORD: 10-2 overall, 8-1 conference)

Last Week: Didn’t give a damn about them either.

This Week: Sparty will start off their season against Furman on Friday night. Redshirt senior Tyler O’Connor has been tasked with replacing Connor Cook as the quarterback to lead the Spartans back to the playoffs. Plan on the Spartans to run the ball a lot this year as running backs redshirt junior Gerald Holmes (540 yds, 8 TDs) and sophomore L.J. Scott (699 yds, 11 TDs) are both very capable of relieving some stress of the transition.

Minnesota (PREDICTED RECORD: 9-3 overall, 6-3 conference)

Last Week: Off-Season.

This Week: Minnesota will start off their season on Thursday against Oregon State. The Gophers defense will once again be solid enough to keep them in games but it all comes down to offensive production. Senior quarterback Mitch Leidner will have to be more consistent if the offense wants to be more successful. Last season he threw for 2,701 yards and 14 touchdowns but added in 11 interceptions.

Nebraska (PREDICTED RECORD: 9-3 overall, 6-3 conference)

Last Week: Off-Season.

This Week: The Cornhuskers start off with the always pesky Fresno State Bulldogs. Nebraska is a tough team to predict. They had a crazy amount of bad luck last year and I could see them finishing this year with anywhere from 1-5 losses. Senior Tommy Armstrong is the best worst quarterback in the history of the B1G. At times he looks dynamic but most of the time he appears to be a frazzled mess. In three years starting, Armstrong has thrown and run for almost 8,000 total yards and 69 touchdowns. Unfortunately, he also has thrown 36 interceptions with many of those coming at key moments.

Northwestern (PREDICTED RECORD: 7-5 overall, 4-5 conference)

Last Week: Off-Season.

This Week: Northwestern starts off the season against Western Michigan. Junior Justin Jackson may be one of the most underrated players in the B1G. In two seasons, Jackson has racked up 2,968 yards from scrimmage and 16 touchdowns. With him running behind four upper-classmen on the offensive line, I expect him to rush for over 1,600 yards this season.

Penn State (PREDICTED RECORD: 8-4 overall, 5-4 conference)

Last Week: Off-Season.

This Week: The Nittany Lions start off their season against Kent State. We expect to see an entirely new offense for Penn State with Christian Hackenberg graduating but make no mistake about it, the offense will center around sophomore Saquon Barkley. After accounting for 1,237 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns as a true freshman, Barkley is expected to explode onto the scene in 2016…much like he did last year against Ohio State (194 rushing yards).

Purdue (PREDICTED RECORD: 1-11 overall, 0-9 conference)

Last Week: Off-Season.

This Week: The Darrell Hazell farewell tour begins with Eastern Kentucky where I feel like the Boilermakers will pick up their only win on the season. In an effort to say something nice, I think sophomore David Blough can turn into a Mitch Leidner type of player someday. As a true freshman, being pulled in and out of the lineup, Blough threw for 1,574 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Rutgers (PREDICTED RECORD: 3-9 overall, 1-8 conference)

Last Week: Off-Season.

This Week: Rutgers and former OSU defensive coordinator Chris Ash start their season traveling to play a very good Washington team. For those that don’t know, Washington is going to be very good this year. People don’t really think about them but as a quarter Pac 12 fan on my wife’s side, I pay a lot of attention to that conference. I would not be surprised if they are playing in the Pac-12 championship.

As for Rutgers, I think Ash will wind up being successful but this year he will definitely have some growing pains. He is in a prime position to bring in good recruits but it will take some time which, unfortunately for him, he really doesn’t have unless Rutgers is able to switch to the B1G West. Being thrown into the fire against OSU, MSU, UM, and PSU every year will be tough.

Wisconsin (PREDICTED RECORD: 7-5 overall, 5-4 conference)

Last Week: Off-Season.

This Week: Wisconsin starts out their season against LSU who returns 18 starters from last year. The game will be played in Lambeau Field but I don’t think it will matter. Senior Corey Clement is a dynamic player but has not proven he can stay healthy and carry the load. As a back-up in 2014, Clement had 1,068 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns. Last year as the feature back, he managed to only stay healthy for four games. If he can stay healthy, he can singlehandedly keep the Badgers in the game against LSU…especially if Fournette isn’t healthy.

PREDICTED FINAL STANDINGS:

EAST CONF. OVERALL WEST CONF. OVERALL
Ohio State 8-1 11-1 Iowa 7-2 10-2
Michigan State 8-1 10-2 Nebraska 6-3 9-3
Michigan 7-2 10-2 Minnesota 6-3 9-3
Penn State 5-4 8-4 Wisconsin 5-4 7-5
Indiana 3-6 6-6 Northwestern 4-5 7-5
Maryland 2-7 5-7 Illinois 1-8 3-9
Rutgers 1-8 3-9 Purdue 0-9 1-11



PREDICTED B1G CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:

Ohio State vs Iowa

B1G CHAMPION:

Ohio State

The post Around the B1G: Week 1 Edition appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Are the Ohio State Buckeyes the most indestructible team in American sports? - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Are the Ohio State Buckeyes the most indestructible team in American sports?
cleveland.com
We checked the 65 power conference teams, and the lead the Buckeyes have on the next closest team without consecutive losing seasons is extreme. But the five top college football teams all have longer streaks like that than any NFL, NBA or Major League ...
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3-star SG puts Ohio State in his final 5
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Buckeyes get closer to landing their next member of the 2017 class

Allen down to final 5


Ohio State found themselves on the shortlist for Thomas Allen (Garner, NC /Brewster Academy), a three-star shooting guard product.

Via Twitter, Brewster Academy’s head coach listed where the 6-foot-2 guard would be visiting this fall. Allen’s trip to Columbus, Ohio will be second among the five locations, and will take place over the course of Oct.7-9.



As it stands, Kaleb Wesson (Westerville, OH / Westerville South) is the lone commit for the 2017 class. The addition of Allen would be a perfect accompaniment to Wesson – who is the third best player in the state of Ohio.

In Allen’s home state, he is regarded as the No.5 player in North Carolina and ranks in the top 50 for his position.

The other four places Allen will visit include Nebraska, Virginia Tech, St.Louis and NC State.

Four-star forward chooses Butler over Ohio State


Over the weekend, Thad Matta and the Ohio State Buckeyes' basketball team added two important members to its 2018 class. Both four-star forward Darius Bazley (Cincinnati, Ohio / Finneytown) and three-star forward Justin Ahrens(Versailles, Ohio / Versailles) are in-state prospects and are joined by 2018 three-star Buckeye commit Dane Goodwin(Columbus, Ohio / Upper Arlington.)

On Monday, another elite in-state Buckeye target made his collegiate decision. This time it was 2017 four-star forward Kyle Young (Massillon, Ohio / Jackson). Young had recently narrowed down his list of favorite schools and Ohio State was one of five schools that made the cut, along with Michigan, Clemson, Purdue and Butler.

In a surprising move, Young announced via Twitter that he will continue his basketball career at Butler. Losing out on Young is a significant blow to Matta's recruiting class for 2017. A combination of the Young and Wesson would have boosted Ohio State's rankings for 2017 immensely.

After having four members of last year's freshman class transfer from the program, losing out on Young hurts even more.

Buckeye-lauded Bishop Gorman now No. 1 HS in the country


Bishop Gorman High School has been kind to Ohio State recently. Three key members of the Buckeye's 2017 recruiting class are currently playing for the Gales in Las Vegas, NV, and it is safe to say this is a relationship Urban Meyer is going to continue dedicating a lot of time into maintaining.

Tyjon Lindsey, Tate Martell and Haskell Garrett are all currently committed to the Buckeyes and after beating powerhouse Cedar Hill over the weekend, MaxPreps now has the school listed as the No. 1 school in the country. While Lindsey was out with an injury, both Martell and Garrett played significant roles in the impressive victory over the weekend.

BuckeyeNation will want to watch this team whenever possible as the three commits from this school all have playmaking potential. This week, Bishop Gorman's schedule doesn't get much easier, as the Gales will take on Florida powerhouse Cocoa, whom former Buckeye QB/RB commit, Bruce Judson plays for.

In case you were wondering how other future Buckeyes fared in their first week back on the field, don't worry, we have you covered.

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Kyle Young commits to Butler over Buckeyes: Ohio State basketball recruiting - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Kyle Young commits to Butler over Buckeyes: Ohio State basketball recruiting
cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Two days after an in-state recruiting win for Ohio State basketball, the Buckeyes lost out on one of Ohio's top 2017 prospects. Kyle Young, a four-star small forward from Massillon Jackson, announced on Monday his commitment to Butler.

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Ohio State football | Receiver Torrance Gibson suspended from school - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football | Receiver Torrance Gibson suspended from school
Columbus Dispatch
Receiver Torrance Gibson was suspended from Ohio State for the fall semester because of an unspecified violation of the university's code of student conduct, the university announced Monday. The ruling did not sit well with coach Urban Meyer. Neither ...


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Report: Lou Rosselli to be named new head coach of Oklahoma
Joe Dexter via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


One of the key people behind the resurgence of Ohio State Wrestling and the growth of the Ohio RTC is moving on to bigger things.

Ohio State Buckeye Associate Head coach and Ohio RTC headman Lou Rosselli has accepted the head coaching position at the University of Oklahoma. The former Edinboro wrestler and assistant, who just helped lead Kyle Snyder to a 97 KG Olympic title, will take over for Mark Cody, who stepped down earlier in the month.

Named the Freestyle Coach of the Year in 2013, Rosselli has worked alongside Head Coach Tom Ryan for all seven of his seasons at Ohio State.

Rosselli helped change the culture at Ohio State and made it one of the few destinations for Team USA wrestlers after graduation.

Names like Tervel Dlagnev, Angel Escobedo, Reece Humphrey, J.D. Bergman and many others have called Columbus home because of Rosselli’s influence. Its also helped blossom the upstart international careers of Logan Stieber and played a part in Kyle Snyder exploding on the scene after beating Jake Varner at the 2015 U.S. Open and advancing to the world championships and eventually the Olympics — where he became the youngest American wrestler to medal in wrestling history.

“Lou has been pivotal in my development,” said Dlagnov on VSporto’s Script Ohio in April after qualifying for the 2016 Olympics. “He’s become a really great friend over the years and I’ve watched him develop a lot of great athletes.

“He is the kind of the guy that demands a lot of respect and it’s easy to follow him because he’s a great leader.”

The former Nebraska-Kearney product made his way to the Ohio RTC after winning his second NCAA DII title in 2008 to be trained by Rosselli. He’ll join the Ohio State coaching staff on Sept. 12 after finishing fourth in the Men’s freestyle tournament at the 2016 Olympic games.

Dlagnev, who battled back issues heading into U.S. Olympic qualifying, said that it was Rosselli that helped him muster the motivation to compete for a spot in the Rio games.

“He never let me off the hook or gave me the easy way out, which at that point I wanted,” said Dlagnev.

“He loves all of his athletes, he cares about all of us and wants us to succeed. Lou Rosselli is a great coach and a great man and its been a blessing to be under him.”

One of the more underrated coaches in all of the sport of wrestling, Rosselli

“Lou is the man,” said 2008 National Champion Mike Pucillo on an April 2015 episode of tBBC Radio Hour. “He is one of the best technical coaches I’ve ever been around. He makes everything look easy. Its unbelievable how good he is technically and as a coach. He brings a lot to the table on the college and international level. He’s on par with being the top-international coach in the country if not already there.

“His presence at Ohio State from day one has been huge from day one.”

Up next for Rosselli is building a coaching staff at Oklahoma in short time. According to FloWrestling’s Christian Pyles the former Fighting Scot is looking to Virginia Tech Assistant Tony Robie to fill a spot on his staff.

Pyles also added that sources indicated that OSU wrestlers were told on Monday that their associate head coach wouldn’t return in 2016.

The Sooners, who have often been buried in the shadows of John Smith and the Oklahoma State Cowboys, are still one of the more storied programs in wrestling history.

Best known as the alma mater for wrestling legends Dave and Mark Schultz, Oklahoma has won seven national titles in school history — which is fourth most behind Oklahoma State (34), Iowa (23) and Iowa State (8).

Despite historic success, Rosselli’s new program hasn’t won a Big 12 title since 2002 and last brought a national championship back to Norman in 1974.

The post Report: Lou Rosselli to be named new head coach of Oklahoma appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Ohio State men's basketball | Guard recruit Thomas Allen schedules visit - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State men's basketball | Guard recruit Thomas Allen schedules visit
Columbus Dispatch
On the same day Ohio State lost out on an in-state prospect for the class of 2017, an out-of-state target included the Buckeyes in his top five and announced an official visit weekend. This afternoon, Massillon (Ohio) Jackson small forward Kyle Young ...
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