NFBuck said:

Apparently ended up at UAB. Gotta say, though...watching the show, I'll be surprised if he's ever able to keep himself eligible academically. He showed zero interest in doing even the bare minimum in the classroom.

Click to expand...

Well, unless he gets some "help."

wink wink nudge nudge

Morning Roundup: Buckeyes No. 5 in coaches' poll, bundle up for another cold winter, how Used Kids Records is ... - Columbus Business First
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Morning Roundup: Buckeyes No. 5 in coaches' poll, bundle up for another cold winter, how Used Kids Records is ...
Columbus Business First
Ohio State lost a boatload of talent to the NFL, but that has barely diminished Urban Meyer's squad in the eyes of his fellow coaches. USA Today reports the Buckeyes are ranked No. 5 in the preseason coaches' poll, prompting one of the paper's ...
Biddle chat transcript: Predicting all 22 starters for Buckeyes247Sports
Ohio State football 2016 fall camp schedule: Here's when the Buckeyes will practicecleveland.com
Buckeyes No. 5in coaches pollentering seasonLima Ohio
ABC6OnYourSide.com -Eleven Warriors -The Daily Iowan -NCAA College Football - Associated Press
all 122 news articles »

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Dienhart: Your Big Ten football team’s toughest 2016 stretch
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

Every coach looks at a schedule, scanning the list of games. Which ones figure to be tough ones? Even more vital: Which stretch of games figures to be the most daunting, a potential make-or-break run of contests? [ MORE: Best chance to pull upset | Best chance to be upset | Toughest non-conference games | Toughest conference game ] I have identified the toughest stretch of games on each Big Ten schedule. Illinois. The last four games are daunting. The season-ending run begins with a visit from Michigan State on Nov. 5 followed by a trip to Wisconsin, a visit

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Heard Around the ‘Shoe – 8/5/2016
Ben van Ooyen via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Welcome to your tri-weekly dose of all things Ohio State recruiting! Let’s get started.

Another 2018 offer out in Florida:



Xavier Williams is a 5-star athlete from Hollywood, Florida who holds 35 offers to date. He plays wide receiver and cornerback for his high school team, and could probably play either side of the ball in college. He is ranked as the 28th overall prospect in the country, and the 6th best from the state of Florida. He holds offers from almost every big school across the country, so building a relationship with the coaching staff and getting him on campus will be key if they want to have a chance with him.

The Jaylen Harris Saga continues:

The Buckeyes are going to find out relatively soon if they have Tyjon Lindsey and Trevon Grimes on board as both are making their college choices known at the end of August. With the scholarship numbers so tight, it is going to be difficult to find room in this class for any extra pieces, and Jaylen Harris might find himself on the outside looking in. He released his top-5 yesterday and the Buckeyes made the list.



In any other year, I would think that Urban takes the in-state kid, but this isn’t any other year and Ohio State is recruiting at an unseen level. If I had to guess right now I would say that Harris will likely end up at either Penn State or Tennessee, as the Buckeyes just do not have room for him this year.

2019 Offer, Let’s Get Started Early:

While the Buckeyes look to wrap up the rest of their 2017 class, and get a jump start on 2018, apparently they are looking well into the future as offers for kids in the 2019 class are already going out. These kids are merely going to be sophomores this coming season, so their body of work is limited. Yet, schools are offering kids earlier and earlier from what little tape and game action they have seen. Ohio State offered a 2019 wide-receiver prospect out of Florida named Jashawn Sheffield yesterday.



Sheffield holds 15 offers to date, and already holds 3 crystal ball projections to the Florida State Seminoles. Sheffield told 11W, that he was excited by the offer, and that he has always been a fan of the Buckeyes.

Latest ESPN rankings out:

Ohio State continues to dominate the ESPN rankings, sitting at the top again for the 12th straight release of the 2017 class rankings. The Buckeyes have 16 commitments currently, and 14 of them are listed among the ESPN top 300 players in the nation. The Buckeyes are followed by Alabama (21 commits), Georgia (14 commits), LSU (18 commits) and Notre Dame (17 commits).



The Big Ten is represented by Michigan at #7, Iowa at #17, Maryland and #19, Penn State at #22, Rutgers at #24, and Michigan State at #25.

Expect Ohio State to hold on to the top spot for quite a while, as the end of August should bring good news to Buckeye fans, and bolster an already top loaded class.

North Carolina Love:



The Buckeyes reached into my home state of North Carolina yesterday and offered Ricky Sandidge, a 4-star defensive tackle from Concord. Sandidge lists 19 offers on 247, though he says the Buckeye offer was his 20th. He is ranked as the #10 defensive tackle in the class of 2018, and the #3 prospect out of the state of North Carolina.


He has one crystal ball for the home state Tar Heels, but his recruitment is wide open currently. He has visited South Carolina a few times to visit the Gamecocks program, and also made it to Alabama for their junior day.

Lamont Wade Drama:

If you missed it the other day, Lamont Wade tore into Michigan’s coaching staff the other day on twitter.







Wade, basically states that he would have been a Wolverine if the coaching staff would have offered him without first seeing him in camp. He now has a top 5 that does not include the Wolverines, and told all Michigan fans on twitter to please stop tweeting at him. He did receive an official scholarship offer from the Buckeyes, but I am not sure there will be room in the class unless something happens with a current commitment in the class.



He said in a tweet before all the Michigan bashing that him and Donovan Jeter had something cooking, and both hold offers to the Buckeyes, Pitt Panthers and Penn State Nittany Lions. I expect both of them to either end up at Pittsburgh or Penn State, although there is a slim outside shot at both ending up at Ohio State if the cards fall correctly.


The post Heard Around the ‘Shoe – 8/5/2016 appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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BM5: What questions would you ask Urban Meyer? - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


BM5: What questions would you ask Urban Meyer?
247Sports
One year after Ohio State rolled up 568 yards total offense in a 49-37 win over MSU in East Lansing, the Buckeyes endured their worst offensive performance in the Urban Meyer era. OSU mustered just 137 yards total offense in a rainy 17-14 loss to MSU.
How They Compare: 2014 Defense vs. 2016 DefenseThe Buckeye Battle Cry
Random Statements Likely To Be Proven Wrong By End of SeasonEleven Warriors

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Buckeyes set to open camp this weekend - The Fan
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes set to open camp this weekend
The Fan
Ohio State's players move into to the team hotel on Saturday, and the Buckeyes will hold the first practices of training camp on Sunday. Let's take a look at the main storylines for OSU entering camp. Who will be the starting running back? Redshirt ...


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How the Big Ten inspires works of art: BTN LiveBIG
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

Spoiler alert: This story involves an awesome painting of fish.

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Officially Many Offensive Options At True Freshmen For OSU
chipminnich via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

August 7th marks the beginning of Ohio State’s fall camp. While expectations are always high for Ohio State football, what type of expectations await the true freshmen who will be Buckeyes? Considering how young Ohio State is across the board, are there any true freshmen who will possibly be able to make an impact?

On offense, Ohio State has several options. Some of these players’ names will not surprise you, as Buckeye fans have been hearing about some of these names since February, when the players signed their letters of intent with Ohio State.

The most obvious name for playing time is at a position that gets little fanfare, but is crucial in the success of the overall offensive unit. True freshman Michael Jordan enrolled early in February, and has been cited by Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer as “probably” going to be in the starting lineup at one of the offensive guard spots. For historical perspective, this has not happened at Ohio State since 1994, when a young offensive lineman by the name of Orlando Pace lined up as a starter in the opener versus Fresno State.

Fr. Michael Jordan is likely a starter on the Ohio State offensive line, Urban Meyer says.https://t.co/SX9nFPeQa8 pic.twitter.com/bZhKhfLgJN

— Ozone Communications (@theOzonedotnet) July 26, 2016​

Austin Mack gets my second vote as a true freshman who will make an impact on Ohio State’s offense in 2016. Wide receiver is well-stocked with many talented players, but Mack was turning heads as a true freshman throughout the spring. While Mack may not start, look for Mack to earn playing time this season.

My last selection should not come as a surprise to anyone who remembers the 2014 season and what played out at the quarterback position. While I am not suggesting that true freshman quarterback Dwayne Haskins is going to play a lot, it will not surprise me if Haskins earns playing time, especially at the beginning of the season. With J.T. Barrett as the starter, and Joe Burrow as the backup, Haskins may have opportunities at the end of games to come in and play. Considering how the 2014 season involved at least three quarterbacks, one would hope the coaching staff would try to ensure Haskins is ready to go, in the event something happens to Barrett or Burrow.





The post Officially Many Offensive Options At True Freshmen For OSU appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Ohio State football: How does Noah Brown compare to past Buckeyes No. 1 receivers? - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: How does Noah Brown compare to past Buckeyes No. 1 receivers?
cleveland.com
Noah Brown hasn't played much as an Ohio State Buckeye. As a true freshman in 2014, there was that one grab in 11 games. Last year, Brown broke his leg in August and missed the entire season. Now, entering the 2016 season? Here are Meyer's ...
Biddle chat transcript: Predicting all 22 starters for Buckeyes247Sports
Buckeyes ranked fifth in coaches pollABC6OnYourSide.com
Buckeyes No. 5in coaches pollentering seasonLima Ohio
Eleven Warriors -Today's U (blog) -OSU - The Lantern -NCAA College Football - Associated Press
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Ohio State football: Can J.T. Barrett, Mike Weber perfect Buckeyes most important offensive concept? - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: Can J.T. Barrett, Mike Weber perfect Buckeyes most important offensive concept?
cleveland.com
J.T. Barrett and Ezekiel Elliott formed a deadly connection in Ohio State's backfield. Can Mike Weber follow suit now that Elliott is gone? (Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer). Print Email · Bill Landis, cleveland.com By Bill Landis, cleveland.com The ...
How Ohio State will get the football in Curtis Samuel's hands in 2016Land-Grant Holy Land

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Ohio State makes offer to 2019 wide receiver
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes are looking to the future

It's here. Fall camp for Ohio State starts tomorrow and we are officially under a month until the Buckeyes kick off the 2016 season in front of a packed out house as they take on the Bowling Green State Falcons. While the staff has it's eyes set on the start of fall practice, recruiting continues to stay at the top of their priorities as both the 2018 and 2019 classes had a new offer handed out by the Ohio State staff.

2019 top WR receives OSU offer


Only a sophomore to be in high school, 2019 receiver Jashawn Sheffield (Saint Simons Island, GA / Frederica Academy) has only one season of high school football under his belt, but that does't seem to be a factor as the youngster already possesses 15 scholarship offers. Yesterday, via his Twitter account, Sheffield announced that his latest offer came from Ohio State.


An incredible talent, Sheffield is currently considered by 247sports to be the top ranked receiver prospect for the 2019 class. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound athlete possesses the tall and lengthy frame to be the outside target, but also the speed to be a true deep threat. With three full seasons still to be played in his prep career, the sky is truly the limit for the Georgia star.

The Buckeyes put themselves in a race that has seen Florida State, Florida and Clemson receive much of the early attention, but Ohio State has done exceptionally well in Georgia in the past; so anything is possible.

Buckeyes offer North Carolina stud


The second of the two offers dished out by the Ohio State staff yesterday went to Rick Sandidge (Concord, NC / Concord), a 2018 defensive tackle was given his 20th scholarship offer up to this point.


Sandidge, a 6-foot-5, 273-pound defensive tackle is currently ranked by 247sports as the third best prospect in the state of North Carolina for the 2018 class and also the 10th best defensive tackle prospect in the country.

A composite 4-star, the Concord stud holds offers from schools such as Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, Michigan, Duke. However, the North Carolina Tar heels currently hold one-hundred percent of the predictions in the 247sports crystal ball picks. With the number of top 2018 defensive tackle prospects already holding Ohio State in high regard, this recruitment could be no different for Sandidge.

Harris places OSU in final 5


Jaylen Harris (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland Heights) is the top receiver prospect in the state of Ohio and currently ranked by 247sports as the fifth best prospect in all of the Buckeye state for the 2017 class. While Ohio State already has commitments from the top four Ohio prospects, to be a perfect five for five, they would need to earn a pledge from the Cleveland star.

Yesterday, Jaylen gave an update in his recruitment as he narrowed down his list of schools he is considering to a final five before his final decision.


Making the cut, Harris included Alabama, Tennessee, Michigan State, Penn State and Ohio State. While Ohio State is the clear favorite to land Harris according to the 247 sports crystal ball predictions, and many others, Tennessee has rumored to be in the mix to land Jaylen. The Buckeyes seem likely to add two 5-star receiver products to the 2017 class in both Trevon Grimes and Tyjon Lindsey, but Urban Meyer certainly wouldn't say no to this elite in-state talent.

Basketball Bucks send out offer


Switching things to the hardwood, yesterday saw a new offer go out from Thad Matta's Buckeyes. On the receiving end of the latest offer, Thomas Allen (Garner, NC / Brewster Academy) a 2017 shooting guard made his offer total tally up to 18. Checking in at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, Allen is a new name to Ohio State basketball recruiting, but could easily see his name start to gain serious attention as the Buckeyes are easily the most notable school to throw their hat into the ring for his services.

With still a senior season to be played in his prep career, look for Allen's recruitment to continue to take off.


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NCAA Football Rules Changes for 2016
Charles via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Each season the NCAA rules committee tinkers and makes changes to the rules of the game. Sometimes these are major rules changes that have are very noticeable to the majority of fans while other times they are minor tinkering to rules that pretty much everyone but the officials will fail to notice; these minor changes often even go unnoticed by the players and coaches. This year the NCAA made 14 rules changes that are a mix of major and minor things. In this article I will go over these new changes and offer my perspective as a high school football official on how they will likely impact the game.

Coach Ejections

Perhaps the most notable rule change is football coaches can now be ejected (Rule 9-2-6). Most of us are familiar with the rule that if a college basketball coach picks up two technical fouls in a game, they are ejected. However, while football coaches could draw unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, they wouldn’t be ejected no matter how many times an official throws a flag on them. Under the new rule, a coach will now be ejected if he gets two unsportsmanlike conduct flags in a game; this change brings football coaches in line with coaches in other college sports and the football players themselves.


Then San Francisco 49ers head coach and current Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh protests a non-call by the officials after a fourth down play during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gene Puskar) ORG XMIT: SB475


I am a big fan of this rule change. We’ve all seen plenty of coaches yelling and screaming at officials over a call they didn’t like, going well beyond what is reasonable and at times bordering on a temper tantrum. This behavior is not only unprofessional, it encourages players and especially fans to treat the officials in a disrespectful and abusive manner. It also has a trickle-down effect to lower levels of the sport, causing many high school and youth league coaches to think that the proper way to coach and interact with officials is to be abusive and while college officials can earn decent money, lower level officials are doing it mostly for the love of the game and working with kids and having to deal with abuse keeps many potentially great officials away from the sport. Thus, I’m in favor of a rule that provides greater punishment to coaches who behave inappropriately and the possibility of being ejected may cause a coach to take a step back and try to control themselves.

While this rule change has the potential to cause the most controversial decisions, in all likelihood we will never see it used. How often have you actually seen a college football coach get one unsportsmanlike conduct flag thrown on him let alone two? College football officials give coaches far more leeway than coaches in other sports get. Some of this has to do with the size of the field and the stop and start nature of play which allows a coach to pitch a fit while having less direct impact on what else is going on but a lot of it has to do with the culture of college football. While schools and coaches have no direct say in whether a specific official works their games, they can have some influence via politics as the head of officiating for each conference is hired by the conference commissioner who of course is hired by the member schools. Thus, there is always a bit of a disincentive for an official to penalize a coach for their behavior and in reality coaches in all sports are given unsportsmanlike conduct penalties far less often than they should based on how the rules are written. For a football coach to actually be ejected, we would have to see some extremely inappropriate behavior that probably everyone but the most biased homer fans would agree deserves an ejection.

Tripping the Ball Carrier

The general rule has always been that players cannot intentionally trip an opponent but there had been an exception that stated that “tripping the runner is not a foul”; that exception is now gone and tripping an opponent is not allowed period (Rule 9-1-2c). When we talk about tripping, we mean a player intentionally sticking out or raising a leg in an attempt to trip an opponent, not a player making a low tackle around the legs; the intentional nature of the act is also important as it is not a foul if a player accidentally gets his feet tangled with another player while running side-by-side or negotiating their way through a crowd.

This rule change is mainly for safety reasons and shouldn’t have a big impact on the game as we rarely see tripping called. Getting rid of the exception relating to a ball carrier actually should make things easier for officials as all players are now treated the same.

Defenseless Players

Traditionally ball carriers who have secured possession of the ball are never considered defenseless players as long as they still have the ball and are in the field of play. Under the new rule, any ball carrier who slides feet-first is considered to have given themselves up and are now a defenseless player as soon as the slide starts (Rule 2-27-14). This means that the sliding ball carrier will now be protected by the targeting rules which do not allow a defender to make forcible contact to the head or neck of a defenseless player with the penalty for doing so being a 15-yard penalty and ejection.

The targeting rules have been some of the most controversial new rules in recent years but they are vital to the safety and continuation of the game of football. With the increase in knowledge of the danger posed by blows to the head which can cause concussions and CTE, steps must be taken to reduce these kind of hits in order to protect the safety of players and to make sure that people will still let their kids play football in the future. Once a player has given themselves up by sliding, there is no reason for a defender to hit them anymore, especially to the head or neck area.

The biggest reason that targeting rules have been controversial to most fans is that they are often very close, judgement calls where an official has to decide if the hit was initially to the head or neck and if it was caused by the defender or the ball carrier. This rule change will increase the number of those judgement calls that need to be made and these are tough calls, especially in the case of a sliding player as an official has to determine when the slide began and when the defender was unable to shift where he was aiming for. The important thing to remember with all the targeting rules is that by rule “when in question, it is a foul” (Rule 9-1-4). Thus, while the extreme slow motion replay from camera angle #5 that you are seeing at home may not agree with the call, if there is any doubt, the official is supposed to call the foul.

Instant Replay

Instant replay has received a ton of praise and criticism since it was instituted but no matter what their opinion is about the quality of replay, most people seem to want more plays to be reviewed. One of the areas where this has been demanded the most is in regard to targeting. In the past the replay official could review a targeting call and decide that the action wasn’t enough to warrant the player being ejected; the team the penalty was called on would still be assessed the 15 yards. However, the replay official could not do anything about targeting if it hadn’t been called on the field first. This is changing though.

Under the new rule (12-3-5b) “The replay official may create a targeting foul, but only in egregious instances in which a foul is not called by the officials on the field. Such a review may not be initiated by a coach’s challenge.” This gives the replay official the power to stop play, review the footage, and assess a targeting call on a player even if the hit was not seen/called by an official on the field; the result targeting penalty would be treated like any other and include the ejection of the offending player.

I have mixed feelings about this rule change. On one hand, player safety is important and officials can miss seeing hit a from time to time, or at least not get a good angle on it, due to the large amount of field to cover and the number of players flying around. Thus, the new rule allows for these penalties to be assessed by replay official and will hopefully cut down on players making stupid hits because they think they can get away with it. On the other hand, it is rare that a replay official can create a penalty that was not called on the field and I worry that this could turn into a slippery with an ever increasing range of penalties that can be created by the replay official. In general, I think penalties should be left up the officials on the field who are a crew working together all season and thus hopefully have knowledge about how each other call things resulting in more consistency. This wouldn’t be an issue if the replay official could actually see and catch everything but they cannot and thus I worry that allowing the replay official to create too many penalties would damage the consistency that we should be going for in terms of how things are called.

Another change to the powers of the instant replay official is that they may now stop the game in order for an injured player to be removed at the request of the medical observer (Rule 12-3-6-f). I like this new rule and suspect that it will mostly be applied to concussion-like symptoms. It is easy for a coach to miss concussion-like symptoms if a player stays out in the middle of the field and many coaches still have an old school mindset that a player should just shake it off and keep going even though this is dangerous. This new rule provides another way to get injured players out of a game for their safety though I don’t expect we will see it used much.

Protecting Passers

Another rule change concerning player safety has to do with protecting passers against low hits. Last year a rule was added (Rule 9-1-9-b) that made it illegal for a defensive player who was rushing unabated to forcibly hit an opponent at the knee or below if the opponent had the ball and was in a passing posture; note that this applies to all players who are looking to throw, not just quarterbacks. There were exceptions to this rule that kept the defender from being penalized if they were blocked into the passer or if they were attempting to make a conventional tackle. This year, the conventional tackle exception has been modified to ready “It is not a foul if the defender grabs or wraps this opponent in an attempt to make a conventional tackle without making forcible contact with the head or shoulder.” The head and shoulder part is new to the rule and is another move to discourage dangerous hits and actions by defenders. I am in favor of this modification and don’t see it being an issue for the officials on the field to call.

Fake Kicks

Most people know that there are rules concerning how many players an offense may have in the backfield and how many players the offense must have on the line. One thing that many fans do not realize is that the number that the players were on their jersey matters and plays a role in whether a formation is legal or illegal. According to rule 7-1-4-a-3, the offense must have at least five linemen wearing jerseys numbered 50-79. This seems like a rather arbitrary and silly rule to many people but it is mainly done to help identify eligible receivers as these five players are never eligible.

The exception to the numbering rule occurs when the offense is in a scrimmage kick formation in which case they may have fewer than five lineman numbered 50-79. Coaches would sometimes take advantage of this loophole to line up players in unconvential ways either to confused defenders as to who they needed to cover or to try and disguise the fact that a kick was coming. In the past, an offense was defined to be in a scrimmage kick formation if one player was at least 7 yards behind the neutral zone and it was obvious that a kick might be attempted. This year the definition of the scrimmage kick formation has changed to read (new stuff in bold):


The first change to the rule won’t really matter other than the fact that it moves a punter further back from the neutral zone if the coach wants to utilize the numbering exemption; if they don’t want to utilize the numbering exemption the punter may line up any distance from the neutral zone. The second change, rewording things from “kick may be attempted” to a “kick will be attempted” could be a big deal as it opens up a huge gray area. It doesn’t rule out fakes when you want the numbering exemption but it seems like it means that you are run the fake really, really well; or muff the snap and then pick up the ball. This rule leaves a lot of things up to the officials and I am not a fan on the lack of guidance as to wear to draw the line when it comes to determining if it is obvious that a kick will be attempted; it is possible that additional guidance is given in the casebook or in other communications to officials but I have not looked into that yet. I suspect that you will see officials being very lenient in terms of determining whether it was obvious that a kick will be attempted, at least until the NCAA or their conference gets upset and comes down on them.

Other Rule Changes

There are several other rule changes taking affect that will be far less noticible as they either 1. have little to impact on the game or 2. only apply to very rare or weird circumstances. These changes are:

• The title sponsor of neutral-site games may now advertise on the field; in the past this was limited to postseason games (this probably wins the award for being the most “who cares” change).
• Hand-held cameras operated by television partners may now be between the limit lines and the sideline, i.e. within 12 feet of the sideline, for short periods of time when the ball is dead and the clock is stopped. (Another who cares unless you really want more angles for pointless shots of players standing around between plays).
• The mascot name may now appear on the jersey. (I’m sure Oregon will find a way to use this to make even more hideous uniforms somehow.)
• Rule 3-3-3-c now addresses what happens if the athletic directors of both schools involved in a suspended game cannot reach an agreement as to whether to resume the game at a later date, end the game with a determined final score, forfeit the game, or declare the game a “no contest”. If the ADs cannot reach a decision, the rule now states that the conference policy of the home team will decide the outcome. (Has the scenario addressed by this rule ever actually happened?)
• During a televised game, each coach may request one of their timeouts in each half be a full 60-second timeout as opposed to the 30-second timeouts that are used in televised games. (I’m sure the tv networks are looking forward to selling more ads.)
• If there is two minutes or less remaining in a half and the game clock is stopped solely to assess a penalty against the winning team, the losing team may choose to have the clock restarted on the snap as opposed to the ready-to-play signal. (I like this one, you shouldn’t be able to burn time and/or gain an advantage by committing a penalty.)
• If either team substitutes, the ball will not be allowed to be snapped unless the opposing team is given a chance to substitute. (I like this rule though it will annoy hurry-up offenses.)
• A player that is suspended for the first-half of a game, due to being suspended in the second-half of the previous game, may participate in pre-game warm-up activities but must remain out of sight of the field of play during the first-half.
• A safety will be called if the kicking team commits a foul in its own end zone during a scrimmage kick.

The post NCAA Football Rules Changes for 2016 appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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The Hurry Up: Texas Lineman Calls Ohio State Weekly, Buckeyes Offer Pair of 5-Star Athletes and Staff All-In on ... - Eleven Warriors
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


The Hurry Up: Texas Lineman Calls Ohio State Weekly, Buckeyes Offer Pair of 5-Star Athletes and Staff All-In on ...
Eleven Warriors
He's not sure when he'll make it back to campus, but will have a front row seat for the Buckeyes' tilt with Oklahoma in September. Considered the No. 11 offensive tackle in his class and the No. 58 player overall, Simpson has 16 scholarship offers from ...


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Buckeyes offer elite defensive tackle - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes offer elite defensive tackle
247Sports
The Buckeyes had previously offered a scholarship to the No. 1 North Carolina class of 2018 prospect running back Zamir White. They have now also offered the No. 3 prospect in the state, Concord defensive tackle Rick Sandidge. What's next for the ...


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Despite departures, Buckeyes ranked preseason No. 5 - BuckeyeGrove.com (subscription)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Despite departures, Buckeyes ranked preseason No. 5
BuckeyeGrove.com (subscription)
The Buckeyes check in as the No. 5 ranked team according to the panel of league coaches. Ohio State finished the 2015 season ranked No. 4 overall after defeating Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. Ohio State opened the 2015 season as the No. 1 team with ...
Ohio State ranked No. 5 in preseason Amway coaches pollAkron Beacon Journal (blog)
Ohio State ranked No. 5 in preseason Coaches PollNBC4i.com
Ohio State ranked No. 5 in first 2016 Amway Coaches PollLand-Grant Holy Land
cleveland.com
all 151 news articles »

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Ex-Buckeyes bullish on current crop of football players - Marion Star
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ex-Buckeyes bullish on current crop of football players
Marion Star
So the Buckeyes are set at quarterback. But with record numbers being drafted into the NFL this offseason, the Buckeyes and Barrett are surrounded by a bunch of question marks. “I think for the first time we're going to see what Urban (Meyer) and his ...


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How Ohio State will get the football in Curtis Samuel's hands in 2016
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


After just 39 touches a year ago, the junior should get the football early and often in 2016.

"I know Curtis Samuel is gonna get the ball. Curtis Samuel needs to get the ball and it doesn't matter how he gets it."

- Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett via Doug Lesmerises, Cleveland.com


After being able to rely on offensive weapons like Ezekiel Elliott, Michael Thomas, and Braxton Miller in 2015, Urban Meyer's Buckeyes need to find some new standouts on offense in 2016. One of those players Meyer is hoping can step up this year is Curtis Samuel. After Samuel broke onto the scene as a freshman with six touchdowns on 69 touches in 2014, he saw his numbers dip a bit last year, with just three touchdowns on 39 touches. Some of the drop in production can be attributed to not only Ohio State's reliance on Elliott in 2015, but also Miller switching from quarterback to H-back last season. It's likely Samuel will equal his 2015 total for touches in the first few games of 2016, as J.T. Barrett will likely rely on Samuel to keep the offense moving.

Urban Meyer has already said that he hopes to get Samuel 10 to 15 touches a game this year, but it's not known exactly how Samuel will be utilized in the offense. Running back Mike Weber is the favorite to get the majority of the touches in the running game, but that doesn't mean Meyer won't want to give Samuel some carries when they are giving Weber a breather. Where Samuel could be really dangerous in 2016 is in the passing game, especially after averaging 13.1 yards per catch in 2015. One thing that Samuel teammates know is that for the Buckeyes to be successful in 2016 they'll have to get the ball into the junior's hands, whether it be in the run game, through the air, or on special teams. If Ohio State is able to do that, they'll be hard to stop on offense this year.

"Year 1 was very difficult. I think Ohio State took us off the hook. If Ohio State hadn't beaten Wisconsin, or let's say hadn't won convincingly, we would've had a very, very difficult decision to make. ... My sense was we were really split on it."

- Former College Football Playoff committee member Mike Tranghese via Heather Dinich, ESPN.com


When the first participants in the College Football Playoff were announced in December 2014, there was plenty of questions as to why Ohio State was included over TCU or Baylor. Even though they were down to their third-string quarterback, the Buckeyes made the committee look like geniuses by winning the first College Football Playoff. So what's it like to be a part of the committee and have to make some of the tough decisions on who deserves to be included in the four-team playoff? Four former members of the committee who have been a part of the committee shared with ESPN what goes into making those choices.

The biggest takeaway from what the former members of the CFP committee shared was just how much time they had to spend each week watching football just to help them make their decision. Former Nebraska head coach Tom Osborne watched 40-50 hours a week of football, but he enjoyed doing so since he loves football. All the time spent watching football the first two years paid off, as the committee has felt like they put the best four teams in the country in the playoff in the first two seasons. While last year didn't quite have the debate like the first season on who should fill the last spot in the playoff, that doesn't mean a lot of work wasn't put into creating the final field. Now with some new members on this year's committee, we'll get to see if they can do as good a job this year putting together the playoff participants as the first two committees have.

"Columbus is home. We're integrated into the community. We have a great support system, a lot of friends."

- United States Olympic wrestler Tervel Dlagnev via Todd Jones, The Columbus Dispatch


The United States Olympic wrestling team will have a little bit of a scarlet and grey flavor, and it's not just because of Kyle Snyder. Heavyweight wrestler Tervel Dlagnev will be competing in Rio, looking to medal after finishing fifth at the 2012 London Games. Dlagnev was born in Bulgaria, but moved to the United States when he was four years old. After growing up in Arlington, Texas, and winning two NCAA titles at Division II Nebraska-Kearney, Dlagnev moved to central Ohio eight years ago to train at Ohio State with the Ohio RTC.

After the Olympics are over, Dlagnev will come back to Columbus as he will become an assistant coach for Ohio State's wrestling team. What will be critical for Dlagnev as he competes in Rio is staying healthy. In London on the day of the opening ceremonies, Dlagnev separated cartilage in his rib cage, which affected his preparation and performance. A year ago Dlagnev underwent back surgery, which has challenged him mentally as he has prepared for the games. At least if Dlagnev isn't able to medal, he'll get to bond with Ohio State junior wrestler Kyle Snyder, who traveled to Rio with Dlagnev. The two will certainly have some stories to tell the rest of the Ohio State wrestlers when the team gets back together in the fall.

STICK TO SPORTS

• The roundabout at S.R. 161 and Riverside Drive should be open in the next couple weeks.
• The 2003 Dodge Caravan is the most-stolen car in Ohio.
• A police officer in Maine tried to arrest some cows.
• This Matthew McConaughey supercut is everything.

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Biddle chat transcript: Predicting all 22 starters for Buckeyes - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Biddle chat transcript: Predicting all 22 starters for Buckeyes
247Sports
Who will be Ohio State's 22 starters on offense and defense when the Buckeyes kick off the 2016 season against visiting Bowling Green on Sept. 3? That was one of many questions Bucknuts editor Dave Biddle answered during his Thursday chat session.
The Hurry Up: Buckeyes Offer 5-Star 2019 Running Back, Elite Cornerback Target Throws Shade at Michigan and Pair ...Eleven Warriors
Color Buckeyes greenThe Daily Iowan
Ohio State football: The starting jobs up for grabs as Buckeyes enter fall campcleveland.com
OSU - The Lantern -Today's U (blog) -Columbus Business First
all 96 news articles »

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Buckeyes ranked fifth in coaches poll - ABC6OnYourSide.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes ranked fifth in coaches poll
ABC6OnYourSide.com
The Buckeyes, who finished 12-1 last season, are the highest-ranked Big Ten team in the poll. Michigan is eighth, defending Big Ten champion Michigan State 11th and Iowa 15th. Wisconsin, Northwestern, Nebraska and Indiana all received votes but didn't ...
The Hurry Up: Buckeyes Offer 5-Star 2019 Running Back, Elite Cornerback Target Throws Shade at Michigan and Pair ...Eleven Warriors
Color Buckeyes greenThe Daily Iowan
Potential Buckeyes populate 247Sports 2019 Top 100247Sports
OSU - The Lantern -cleveland.com -Today's U (blog)
all 96 news articles »

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Ohio State ranked No. 5 in first 2016 Amway Coaches Poll
Colton Denning via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes get the benefit of the doubt despite losing a ton of talent

Despite returning the fewest starters among FBS teams to begin the season (six), Ohio State comes in at number five in the first coaches poll of the season. The Buckeyes received 1321 total points, and are the highest ranked team from the Big Ten, followed by Michigan (8), Michigan State (11), and Iowa (15).

Of note, week three opponent Oklahoma comes in at number three, setting up a likely top 5 showdown in Norman on September 17, while 2016 opponents Wisconsin, Northwestern, Nebraska, and Indiana are in the, 'others receiving votes' section.

The full poll can be viewed here

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Kirk Herbstreit continues to believe in the Ohio State Buckeyes - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Kirk Herbstreit continues to believe in the Ohio State Buckeyes
247Sports
Kirk Herbstreit's sticking to his guns and repeating what he's been saying since spring practice — expect the Buckeyes to be one of the nation's best teams this season. The College GameDay analyst held an impromptu Q&A session Wednesday night on ...
Despite departures, Buckeyes ranked preseason No. 5BuckeyeGrove.com (subscription)
Ohio State ranked No. 5 in preseason Amway coaches pollAkron Beacon Journal (blog)

all 45 news articles »

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Dienhart: Best chance for each Big Ten team to get upset
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

No coach wants to lose a game that experts think he’s supposed to win. Upsets can set a season on its ear and prove ruinous. There are potholes on every schedule. And I have picked the one game on your school’s schedule in which it has its best chance to be—gulp–upset. Illinois: The visit from Western Michigan on Sept. 17 is dangerous. P.J. Fleck is an up-and-coming coaching fireball who always preaches to “row the boat.” He played at Northern Illinois, is a native of the state and has his Bronco program rolling. You know the 35-year-old would love to

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Ohio State paces 4 Big Ten teams in 2016 preseason Coaches poll
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

The preseason Coaches Poll was released Thursday, and four Big Ten teams land in the season’s first ranking. Ohio State, the 2016 Fiesta Bowl champ, paces the Big Ten, at No. 5, behind No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Clemson, No. 3 Oklahoma and No. 4 Florida State. Michigan, fresh off a 10-win season in Jim Harbaugh’s first season, comes in at No. 8, giving the Big Ten two preseason top 10 teams, while reigning Big Ten champ Michigan State (No. 11) and 2015 Big Ten West champ Iowa (No. 15) round out the Big Ten contingent. Wisconsin, Northwestern, Nebraska and

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AKAK said:

That might explain a lot about the goings on down there.

Click to expand...

LSU finished the '97 season 10-2 with the #11 ranked defense in the country.
replaced defense coordinator (Carl Reese) with Lou Tepper before the '98 season.

began season win the top 10 in preseason polls.
Teppers #91 ranked defense was a big reason for finishing 4-7 that year. and then 3-8 the following season.

Ohio State’s 2017 recruiting is on fire, but how big could their class get?
Matt Brown via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Will the Buckeyes have enough room?

The Buckeyes picked up two more elite recruits over the last few weeks, and they’re big favorites to land at least two more before the end of August, which could further cement their grip on the most elite recruiting class in Ohio State history. It stands a very good shot at being the top ranked class in the country, even better than a certain school in Tuscaloosa.

The key question at this point seems to be, “How many kids can they take?” After all, half of Ohio State’s team has freshman eligibility, and barring very significant roster attrition, the Buckeyes don’t have room to add too many more bodies.

To discuss this, Matt and Colton reluctantly close the Pokemon Go app for just long enough to record another podcast. They also talk about the potential logjam at quarterback going forward, and why you shouldn’t be upset with Ohio State’s place in Bill Connelly’s Big Ten power rankings.

You can find us on iTunes, thanks to our fancy iTunes page, or our fancy SB Nation podcast page. You can also subscribe via RSS on Android and Windows Phone devices. If you're listening on iTunes, writing us a nice review would certainly help other people find the show.

Or, you can just listen here:


Thanks for listening. Go Bucks.

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