Column: Hey, ESPN, bring ‘College GameDay’ to Columbus to highlight the No. 3 Ohio State women’s basketball team
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns / USA TODAY NETWORK

After waiting 13 years, ESPN is ready to consistently bring College GameDay to women’s basketball, and Ohio State needs to be part of those plans

On Jan. 16, 2010, ESPN did something revolutionary for the time — they brought their famed “College GameDay” franchise to a women’s basketball game. The No. 1 UConn Huskies humbled the No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 70-46 and went on to win their seventh NCAA title a few months later. ESPN repeated the idea in January 2011 but waited 11 years to do it again. Now, in 2023, ESPN has three women’s basketball “College GameDay” trips planned, and Columbus, Ohio is a natural pick.

Tuesday, The Tennessean reported the news, and dropping the first matchup with the Worldwide Leader in Sports heading to Knoxville, Tennessee on Jan. 26. It pits the No. 4 UConn Huskies against the unranked Tennessee Volunteers. The other two games will be announced later in the season.

On paper, the matchup makes total sense. They’re two teams with the strongest histories in women’s college basketball, winning a combined 19 Division I titles out of 40 tournaments. UConn’s 11 championships made them media darlings, plus their proximity to the ESPN Bristol, Connecticut campus didn’t hurt either. Tennessee has the legend of Pat Summit and a rowdy fanbase.

All of that is great and will draw in fans and probably get ESPN the ratings numbers they want. Hear me out though, one of those two remaining, unannounced, games needs to be in Columbus, Ohio. It’s a no-brainer.

After all, who better for “College GameDay” to go to than Columbus? The school has a fanbase that’s been weaponized for GameDay on the football side for years. Ohio State’s hosted the show 22 times in football, and throw in a 23rd if you count the one game they came to for the men’s basketball team.

Tell fans of the Scarlet and Gray that ESPN is coming to Columbus and the Block O Women’s Basketball student section will get the people you need in the stands. Also, the team isn’t so bad either.

The Buckeyes are No. 3 in the country with wins against four ranked teams, including the Volunteers who will play in their third of four overall women’s College GameDay events this month. Ohio State beat the Vols like they did the Louisville Cardinals, Oregon Ducks, and Michigan Wolverines.

Ohio State also feature a type of blistering full-court press that gets people excited. Then they have players like guard Taylor Mikesell who can hit a three from the fifth row and freshman Cotie McMahon who won four Big Ten Player of the Week awards in a row.

They’re one of three undefeated teams in the entire country in arguably the strongest conference in the nation. The Big Ten features six teams in the AP top-25 poll. Ohio State plays games, in Columbus, against the No. 6 Indiana Hoosiers and No. 9 Maryland Terrapins (this one falling on the last day of the conference schedule for both teams with potential championship implications).

Another fantastic reason for choosing Brutus Buckeye over any of the other teams within the ESPN family of conference contracts is some diversity that shows the growth of the game.

No offense to UConn and Tennessee but featuring the two of them is like featuring another human-interest piece on Tom Brady. Ew.

UConn hasn’t won a title since 2016. Tennessee is a top team in the SEC in a year where only two SEC teams are actually good and nobody, not even the No. 5 LSU Tigers who haven’t played anyone of interest is close to the No. 1 North Carolina Gamecocks.

This won’t likely be the first time you’ve read this, but women’s college basketball is on a meteoric rise in popularity. All rounds of the NCAA women’s tournament grew 81% in viewership, compared to their y-chromosomed counterparts on the men’s side.

So why not help that grow in other areas of the country? College GameDay in Columbus could create a whole slew of new fans for head coach Kevin McGuff’s Buckeyes. Also, it could help fill the cavern that is the Schottenstein Center. Which is a win regardless of the result on the court when ESPN comes and visits Central Ohio.

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Column: Is next season national title or bust for Ryan Day?
meganhusslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Four seasons and no ring... what will happen in the fifth?

It’s been a long time since Ohio State has won the National Championship. A whopping eight years! I say that honestly with only a bit of sarcasm. Since Ryan Day became the head coach of the Buckeyes, they have come close to hoisting up that trophy, but have fallen short each year. So, what does that mean for this next season?

Since Day took the reins in 2019, he has complied a 45-6 record. He’s only beaten TTUN once, back in his first season, with Justin Fields at quarterback. They didn’t play each other in 2020, and then lost to them the past two years. In 2019, Day and the Bucks lost to Clemson in the CFB Playoff. It was, at the time, a great run for his first season.

In 2020, he got redemption against the Tigers as Ohio State prevailed in the Sugar Bowl against them before getting creamed by Alabama in the title game. So, a step forward was made that year, as even with all of the craziness of the pandemic, the Buckeyes still advanced to the National Championship game.

Then 2021 happened. Ohio State lost to Oregon in the second game of the season. This was Day’s first big upset as head coach, but personally I didn’t take the loss too hard. I just was hoping that would be the only loss of the season, just like 2014 against Virginia Tech. Unfortunately, it wasn’t, as the Bucks lost to TTUN which officially put them out of the playoff conversation. The season ended with a thrilling Rose Bowl win against Utah, but still an overall disappointing season for Buckeye nation.

I’ll allow the fact that 2021 happened. Day had phenomenal first two seasons as head coach and was bound to slip up a bit at some point. All good though, 2022 would be the rebound year, right? The Buckeyes absolutely had to beat TTUN this year, as they had home field advantage. This would be the year they returned to the playoff and made a championship run.

Well, one of those things happened. Day is now 1-2 against that team up north. It’s very difficult to accept this loss. The entire season leading up to that game, the whole team and coaching staff was adamant that it wouldn’t happen again. There was absolutely no way they would lose two years in a row. But it happened. And one of the main reasons why was because of the coaching. That was definitely one of the worst games of his career.

Yet, Ohio State still made the playoffs. Okay, redemption time. It wasn’t Day’s fault that they lost. He did redeem himself, in my eyes, with his play calling. Yes, they did lose, but that doesn’t fall entirely on Day.

So, what does next year mean for him? He’s had an impressive first four seasons, but unfortunately the first two were better than the last two. With the talent this team has, and the offseason Jim Knowles will have to get the defense into shape, there is no reason why the 2023 team can’t win it all. The QB is unknown, yes, but with the veterans coming back that are hungry for a trophy, I don’t think it will matter who is behind center.

Let’s play some hypotheticals. If Day loses to TTUN for a third time, is he out? Is 1-3 against the rival too much to bear? I honestly don’t know. In my eyes, yes. That is your first and foremost goal every season, and if you fail to meet that goal three years in a row, I think you gotta go.

But, say he does beat TTUN, and assuming Ohio State is undefeated heading into the conference championship, say they win that too. Let’s assume the Buckeyes are in the playoff. If the Buckeyes get embarrassed in whichever bowl game they play in, you would think there would have to be some changes. If they lose like they did to Georgia this year, well, you can’t really blame Day once again.

It’s tough to say right now what Day’s fate will be. In simple terms, I think if he loses to TTUN again he’s out. You just can’t be the head coach of Ohio State and put a team on the field that is that unprepared in the biggest game of the season. But, is it natty or bust for him? Not necessarily. He just can’t have play-calling blunders like he did against Penn State and TTUN.

I think this season he certainly learned a lot, so let’s see what next season holds.

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Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for January 10, 2023
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.

Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.

Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.

You’re welcome!

On the Gridiron


OSU TE Stover announces he is returning to Buckeyes
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch

What return of captain, tight end Cade Stover means for Buckeyes
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Analyzing what Cade Stover returning means for Buckeyes (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes


Ohio State Wide Receiver/Running Back Xavier Johnson Indicates Return for Sixth Year with Buckeyes
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

Buckeyes safety Tanner McCalister declares for NFL Draft
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row

Ohio State’s Tanner McCalister, Jerron Cage accept Hula Bowl invitations
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts


Denzel Burke enters offseason with a new “perspective” after up-and-down 2022 season (paywall)
Cameron Teague Robinson, The Athletic

Column: What questions face the Ohio State Buckeyes as they head into the offseason
Chris Renne, Land-Grant Holy Land


While Ryan Day Hoped Ohio State Would Be at Full Strength by the Peach Bowl, Injuries on Offense Impacted End Result
Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors

You’re Nuts: Which celebrity should Ohio State bring in to run its S&C program?
Josh Dooley and Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land

On the Hardwood


Zed Key expected back ‘relatively soon,’ considered day-to-day
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row

Buckeyes captain Justice Sueing takes blame for rough second half
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch

Listen to Chris Holtmann’s Radio Show from Monday:


Taylor Mikesell wins Big Ten Player of the Week award
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land

Game Notes: No. 3 Ohio State stays unbeaten, beats Illinois
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land

Column: I think the women’s basketball team can win it all
Megan Husslein, Land-Grant Holy Land

Outside the Shoe and Schott


We’ll talk about this later: Toys for everyone, an apropos touchdown and nothing but love
Meredith Hein, Land-Grant Holy Land

And now for something completely different...


We all feel the same way watching the National Championship Game, Mark.


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Ohio State makes top schools for 2024 DB
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


2024 safety Edrees Farooq via @EdreesFarooq21 on 247Sports

With only a couple days remaining in the recruiting dead period, Ohio State made the cut for a 2024 safety.

For the second year in a row, Ohio State’s football team was at home last night — like the rest of us — watching the College Football Playoff Championship game. This is something Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day does not want to become a reoccurring event. Day knows the best way to ensure future success is through recruiting, and he is one of the best in the country at it.

This is why, despite the big game yesterday, Ohio State still found themselves in the recruiting headlines.

Ohio State makes top 10 for 2024 safety


Monday was a rather quiet day for college football recruiting, as we are currently in the midst of a recruiting dead period. A time where college football coaches are unable to make contact with recruits, this dead period will come to an end Thursday, but the open contact period will only be open for a couple of weeks.

During the contact period, Ohio State is able to host recruits on unofficial visits and are able to make in-home visits as well. Because the contact period will only be open for a short window, things will easily heat up for the Buckeyes on the recruiting front.

However, just because things are slow, does not mean Ohio State is not making headlines. The Buckeyes are one of the best college football programs at recruiting for a reason. The coaches are great at building long-term relationships with prospective recruits. This is why on Monday, despite the dead period, Ohio State still made recruiting news.

2024 three-star safety Edrees Farooq (Baltimore, MD / St. Frances Academy) announced his top-ten schools on Monday, and Ohio State made the cut.


Alongside Ohio State, Pitt, Cincinnati, Michigan, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Penn State and USC all made the cut for Farooq. Ohio State certainly has competition for Farooq, which shows that despite his lower star-ranking, college football coaches around the country think he has the potential to excel at the college level.

Ohio State offered Farooq in December of last year, and seem to be serious about adding him to their team given their standing on his list. Because of this, his name immediately gets added to any watch lists for Ohio State to visit when the dead period comes to an end.

The Buckeyes are certainly contenders in his recruitment, but they are not alone. Michigan, Maryland and Penn State all seem to have built solid-standing relationships with Farooq and it certainly appears the Maryland native will stay within Big Ten Country.

The timing of his list gives some indication that his recruitment is further along than many others in his class. However, a commitment date has not yet been mentioned, maybe not even thought about.

Expect Farooq to make multiple visits in the coming months, and a commitment could come before the start of his senior season. Farooq is the No. 46 S in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and is the No. 599 overall prospect. He is also the No. 19 recruit from Maryland.

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billmac91 said:

Just one point of correction, Day said he went with the run play anticipating a blitz. He was hoping the run play would catch the blitz wide and the RB would pop it out the backside.

Which frustrates me a bit. He knows way more about football than me, but if he anticipated the blitz I feel like there were much better calls than a run into a stacked defense bringing the blitz. Actually would’ve been a great time for one of his patented WR screens….I still hate that run call….hasn’t gotten any better since the game either.

Click to expand...

You are correct. I definitely remember now him saying he anticipated blitz.

The 3rd down play is the one that makes me sick. I wish CJ would have thrown it in the flat. Would have been a 42 or 43 yard attempt had he just let it fly. Oh well.

Column: What questions face the Ohio State Buckeyes as they head into the offseason?
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ohio State will need to replace a quarterback and other key contributors with national championship expectations still in mind.

Ohio State’s football season is over, which means the offseason is officially here. Before we fully transition to recruiting, basketball, and the other fantastic sports teams at Ohio State, there are some significant questions for the Buckeyes heading into 2023.

On the surface, the Buckeyes went 11-2 and made the College Football Playoff. To many schools and their fans, this year would be seen as a resounding success. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, Ohio State fans aren’t like most, because the Buckeyes have different expectations than most. Losing to Michigan, not winning the Big Ten, and failing to win a national championship means the Buckeyes were 0-3 in their public goals that define the season.

Finishing up the year 0-2 is not the way any one wants their season to end. The Georgia loss gave a shot of confidence into the arm. Even with that, there were some glaring issues that arose at the end, including giving up over 1,000 yards of offense and 97 points in those final two games. But just looking at the last two games would be disingenuous.

The defense improved significantly in every statistic, the offense showed it can compete with the best defenses in the country, and in spite of all the injuries the Buckeyes dealt with through the year they were still just a field goal going through the uprights away from having a chance to win it all.

What is Ryan Day’s future as the play-caller?

This year there were a larger number of complaints about Ryan Day as a play-caller. After the Oregon and Michigan games last year his reputation came into question. Too many bad games against the better teams on his schedule made it feel like the time had past him by. Gone were the clinical and dynamic games that defined his time as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator and in his first two seasons as head coach. The lasting glimpse was his playoff win over Clemson, in which Justin Fields’ arm was put on full display.

After not keeping up with Oregon, having long stretches of stagnancy in tougher matchups, and not having the same inventiveness, the questions really came to light. Day was still doing a passable job as the play-caller, but the responsibilities of being a head coach and play-caller adds a lot of weight to the headset. It felt like a time to pass the torch was here, and this was realized in the lead up to Ohio State’s matchup against Georgia during Day’s production meeting with ESPN.

“Ryan Day mentioned in our production meeting, he’s going to stop calling plays next year, because he needs to become more of a manager as a head coach. And when you’re prepping a game plan, there’s a lot more that goes into it Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday to be ready to call those plays on Saturday. So he’s thinking about maybe relinquishing those (play calling duties),” said Kirk Herbstreit in regards to Day’s play-calling future.

In a world where Day gives up play-calling, the question of how that looks will define the offseason. The voice making the decision on a play-by-play basis will be different. This is not a light decision for Day. Giving up that control takes away a defining strength of Day, and that strength is what made him the head coach at Ohio State.

Ryan Day will still be the architect of what the offense looks like, but the game day operation changes entirely. The new offensive coordinator and play-caller is likely already on staff due to the 10-coach rule, but the new voice will have the responsibility of running Ryan Day’s offense to his standards. Whether that’s run game coordinator and offensive line coach Justin Frye, or pass game coordinator and wide receiver coach Brian Hartline.

Whoever is calling the plays will be responsible for bringing along a first-year starting quarterback and building a run game that can be dominant in power run and short-yardage situations. This will come with a lot of pressure, and a lot of questions as the season approaches.

Quarterback Competition

C.J. Stroud played his final game as a Buckeye, and although his legacy at Ohio State left a little on the table, he proved he can lead a team to a playoff while leading an explosive offense. The next quarterback is following up four record-setting QBs, multiple playoff appearances, and three-straight Heisman finalists. Stroud leaves with 8,123 yards and 85 touchdowns — second in Ohio State history in both categories — leaving a lot of production needing replaced.

The contenders for the job are third-year quarterback Kyle McCord and second-year quarterback Devin Brown. Both come with elite recruiting pedigree like their predecessors, but they both come with a different skill set. McCord brings a more traditional pocket-passing style, staying in the pocket and using his arm strength to stretch the field. On the other side is Brown, who is able to create off schedule and has an incredible ability to layer his throws even when he is off platform.

McCord has a start under his belt and a year of experience in the offense, which should give him the edge entering camp. Brown was an early-enrollee and did get snaps under his belt this season, so he could make it interesting. Their play styles are different enough that it can impact how the entire offense looks.

On top of that, there will be plenty of questions and a deep-dive into whoever wins every throw as they enter their career as the starter. The pressure is meant to create the best possible player, and this leads to the expectation that there will be no drop off, even though it is a major transition. There will be tons of questions along the way, and even more when the decision is made — including questions about transfer possibilities. This is the first time in two years, so let’s buckle up.

Offensive Line Depth

On the offensive line this year, there were two All-Americans and two more All-Conference selections. Four out of five starters receiving end of year accolades is no small feat, and shows the talent the Buckeyes had.

This year they will be replacing both tackles in Paris Johnson Jr. and Dawand Jones. These two accounted 1590 snaps played last season. Ohio State has looked in the transfer portal at a few linemen, and zoned in on Washington State’s Jarrett Kingston, who would come in and be able to start immediately. On the roster, Josh Fryar held up well in his one start this season and in heavy tight end duty in the Bison packages.

Center Luke Wypler was the 5th rated center in the country and has a major decision coming up. With many draft sites having him in the 3rd round range, it is unlikely he can raise that status much higher given the position he plays. If he chooses to go, that leaves arguably the largest hole to fill on the team. Matt Jones may have another year of eligibility and can slide over. If not, then Jakub James was the only other player to take snaps at center.

The only full lock to return next season is right guard Donovan Jackson. This gives you a strong foundational player who can play at left guard or left tackle. If you’re Ohio State, the hope would be to keep him at his natural position. Outside of Jackson, there are tons of questions ahead for the offensive line, and year two will be a real test to what Justin Frye can do as an offensive line coach.

Second Corner

This unit struggled this year under new corners coach Tim Walton. The level of play and injuries led to a disappointing season for the third consecutive year. The lack of development could be blamed on the missed time from every corner on the roster. Starters Cam Brown and Denzel Burke both missed times and battled injuries from Fall Camp well into the season, and the young corners struggled at times when thrown into the fire. Jordan Hancock was the third corner coming into the year, and never got going due to injuries.

The health alone raises a lot of questions for the team, and the lack of success should lead to a wide open competition. There are two four-stars coming in Jermaine Mathews and Calvin Simpson-Hunt. With Burke likely being one of the starters, that second spot will be wide open.

For this group, there is continuity going from this season into next with Walton entering year two, and his second year with Jim Knowles should add to his ability to coach what Knowles needs. Developing in year two can define the defense, and if they improve, the defense will have the ability to be even more creative.

The level of corner play is a huge question entering the offseason, and the answers to these questions will have a lot of ramifications on what this Ohio State team can accomplish.


These aren’t the only questions heading into the offseason. The Buckeyes have some key contributors they’ll be replacing and are still waiting on some key players making decisions about their NFL futures. Once the Buckeyes get their answers on the draft front, we’ll have a full idea of what the team will likely look like in 2023.

Ohio State is expected to reload and take another shot at a national championship, and looking across the country they are not alone. They will once again have one of the most-talented rosters in the nation, so expectations will be high. With the additional pressure of ending the losing streak against Michigan, winning the Big Ten Championship, and winning a national championship, these questions will need to be answered early and emphatically.

There is no time to waste for Ryan Day, and every decision will define the next steps for Ohio State as the conference expands with the playoff. Other Big Ten foes have shown they’re not sitting around any more with their recent coaching hires. If Ohio State falls short again, the rest of the conference can make more strides.

That is why asking these questions now is important, and whatever the answers to these questions are will define the season ahead.

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You’re Nuts: Which celebrity should Ohio State bring in to run its S&C program?
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Pablo Cuadra/WireImage

The Buckeyes could use some help in the strength and conditioning department.

Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.

In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.

This week’s topic: Which celebrity should Ohio State bring in to run its S&C program?

Josh’s Take


Ohio State football recently lost two members of its strength and conditioning staff, with Niko Palazeti and Quinn Barham leaving the program to take elevated positions at Cincinnati and Coastal Carolina. This is a common occurrence in the S&C world, as there are only so many Mickey Marotti-level prestige jobs to go around.

But OSU also lost Chris Fenelon after last season, which means they have now watched at least three S&C staffers leave in the past 12(ish) months, all of whom had spent three or more years working under Marotti.

For some, including my man Gene, this means that all the wrong people are leaving Ohio State’s S&C program. He has long been on the “Fire Marotti” bandwagon, so recent developments have presumably left him less than enthused. But in all seriousness, these men and women are beyond critical to any team’s success. Because S&C staffers typically spend more time with athletes than their coaches do, and that relationship goes beyond simply lifting weights together.

S&C assistants are trainers, dieticians, life coaches, mentors, and much more. Palazeti and Barham also played football in the Big Ten, so their experience and ability to relate – specifically to Ryan Day’s team – should not be understated.

However, this could turn out to be a net positive for Buckeye football. OSU dealt with significant injuries throughout the 2022 season, and for whatever reason, could never get guys back to 100 percent. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, TreVeyon Henderson, Michael Hall Jr... The list goes on.

There have also been questions and complaints regarding how players’ bodies are developed and maintained in Columbus, and whether that approach has led to players getting too big, sacrificing speed and/or quickness, and potentially becoming even more prone to injury. Those questions and concerns have little or nothing to do with Palazeti and Barham, but significant staff losses could force Ohio State to re-evaluate its approach and philosophy.

To begin moving forward, Marotti must first fill the open positions on his S&C staff. It takes a village, as they say, and with the offseason being of the utmost importance, there is no option to leave spots vacated. So where does he go? Who does he target? These are questions I found myself asking internally, with no real endgame in mind.

But then it came to me... An idea/question I just had to present to Gene: What if Ohio State could hire anybody to join the S&C staff? We’re talking real human beings, but salary, schedule, possibility of it actually happening — none of that stuff matters.

He (Gene) laughed and asked if I was under the influence of anything in particular, to which I responded: “Not at this time.” This might sound like a silly premise, but the next few S&C hires could very well dictate the future of Buckeye football. So I was deadly serious when coming up with my answer...

I also cheated a little bit, choosing to identify two candidates. But OSU has two open positions, so I don’t really see a problem. These two men are well known within the football community, which adds to their credibility. They also have different training methods, which is just as important (in my opinion) as credibility. Marotti surely wants people from various backgrounds and with different perspectives to have a voice within the Buckeyes’ program, and bringing both of these men in will help accomplish that. Who are they? Let’s get into it.

First, I suggest that Ohio State brings in Dwayne Johnson AKA The Rock. A former college and USFL football player himself, The Rock knows what it takes to compete at this level. He also knows what it takes to compete on the world’s biggest stage(s), in front of millions (and millions!) of fans. The Buckeyes do that every week, so like, how much more relatable could The Rock possibly be?

From a strength training perspective, this former WWE megastar and current Hollywood movie star brings anything and everything to the table. Literally. Have you seen the man’s personal, traveling gym? I am pretty sure his equipment costs more than The Woody, which means The Rock would be welcome to bring his “iron paradise” to Columbus. And have you seen his physique? The proof is in the pudding. He is absolutely jacked to the gills, even after turning 50 years old. I am sure it is completely natural, and that dedication to training helped turn him into a full-on superhero. Imagine what it could do for the Buckeyes.

But don’t worry about The Rock only whipping these OSU candy asses into big, brawny meatheads. No sir. He knows how to find a perfect balance. Wrestling matches and 12-hour days of shooting movies also take an incredible amount of cardio and endurance – in addition to raw strength and functional power – all of which then needs to be supplemented by a perfect recovery diet. Some of The Rock’s epic cheat meals would be perfect for a postgame celebration dinner, reserved only for winners. You know, really dangle the carrot in front of Ohio State players and coaches.

So what do you think of my first candidate, Gene? Wait... Wait... It doesn’t matter what you think!

As for who will (or should be) joining The Rock on OSU’s S&C staff, look no further than Alex Guerrero. That’s right! This alternative medicine practitioner and co-creator of the TB12 lifestyle is bringing his unorthodox training method and questionable dietary restrictions to Columbus in this wildly warped and made-up scenario I have created. While he might intend to wait until Tom Brady is retired, I think the allure of joining the Buckeye Nation of Domination would be too much to walk away from.

Guerrero’s insistence on pliability could act as a good counterbalance to both Marotti and The Rock preaching 600-pounds bench presses. His diet, while restrictive, would certainly help Ohio State players avoid inflammation. And as for his other qualifications or traits? Well, Brady is going to play until he’s 62 years old. Guerrero has essentially turned him into a White Walker. That’s all I need to see.

There you have it, Gene. Two completely normal, reasonable options for this OSU S&C staff. Good luck topping that! If ya smell-lalala.... what Josh is cookin’.

Gene’s Take


I wasn’t prepared for Josh to really go all in on this topic when he first suggested it to me, so now I feel as if I also have to pick two candidates for the job. I think my co-host picked two pretty darn good choices, and I like the two-man approach he went with where one guy is more on the strength and bodybuilding side while the other focuses on diet and nutrition — an area I think Ohio State’s current S&C program is greatly lacking.

For my first pick, I wanted to go with someone who has ties to the university. Someone who both understands what it takes to get an athletes body in peak condition while also understanding the competitive nature that comes along with building up players to play a sport — not just getting big for the sake of looking big and lifting heavy weights. I wanted this person to be an accomplished athlete in a sport that focuses on strength and technique. Who better to fill that role than one of the greatest and most successful athletes in the school’s history: Kyle Snyder.

Currently just 27 years old, Snyder became the youngest Olympic and World Champion wrestler in United States history when he took home the gold medal at the 2016 Rio Summer Games. His list of accolades would take up an entire article just to write them all out, but the highlights include: three-time NCAA Champion, three-time Big Ten Champion, U.S Olympic Male Athlete of the Year (2017), two-time Ohio State Male Athlete of the Year — and it goes on and on. When it comes to competitive excellence, Snyder embodies that and then some.

He also understands that strength training must be functioning rather than just for show. All too often it seems these past few years that a handful of players on Ohio State’s roster have gotten bigger in the weight room, but it has not shown improved results on the field. In fact, in many cases it has actually hampered these players, making them slower and taking away from some of their natural abilities that made them highly-touted recruits in the first place. Snyder may not know all the ins and outs of putting together a detailed training program for specific position groups on a football field, but he does understand that working out to be an athlete is different than working out to be a body builder.

To pair with Snyder, I want a proven sports dietician to help Ohio State’s athletes maximize themselves through the help of their diet. For that, I'm looking to the NFL, and specifically Kansas City Chiefs dietician Leslie Bonci.

Bonci has been an NFL dietician for the last 32 years, spending the first 25 years of her career with the Pittsburgh Steelers before joining the Chiefs in 2015. While it obviously isn’t all because of her procedures and eating techniques, it is worth mentioning that the Chiefs have made the playoffs in every single year of her tenure. In addition to her work in the NFL, she has also worked with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL as well as the Washington Nationals in the MLB, while also functioning as a sports nutritionist for the WNBA. Needless to say, her methods seem to work.

A big part of her diet plan, and a big reason why I think her methods would be perfect for college players especially, is making traditionally unhealthy foods in healthy ways so that athletes can still enjoy the food they are eating. Bonci takes foods like fried chicken and pizza and tweaks them slightly to cut out most of the unhealthy fats and sugars. For example, making chicken in an air fryer to to cut out trans fats and making whole-grain pizza crust that contains ground-up beans. This style of eating also encourages players to eat meals together, which is good for team chemistry and morale as an added benefit.

So thats my big plan. It might not be as flashy as The Rock and Alex Guerrero, but I like the dynamic duo style of S&C that Josh went with. Give me the tremendously successful athlete mixed with the professional football dietician to run the Buckeyes’ strength and condition program and let’s see how many fewer soft tissue injuries Ohio State winds up with under their tutelage.

Continue reading...

Reportedly in the portal. Is this the receiver going to USC?

The transfer portal has been a whirlwind to monitor with all of the players coming and going. We had some good news recently with the arrival of former Syracuse safety Ja’Had Carter. Now comes the bad news: an announcement that freshman receiver Blaize Exline is looking for a new home

Click to expand...

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Ohio State receiver enters transfer portal (yahoo.com)

Taylor Mikesell wins Big Ten Player of the Week award
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Ohio State graduate senior guard wins the award for the first time

Sunday, the Ohio State women’s basketball team played a second half to remember. After going down 17 points with 6:56 left in the third quarter, the competitive character of the Buckeyes hit a new level, and the Scarlet & Gray erased the deficit in just under five game minutes. Then, they went on to win 87-81 against the now No. 24 ranked Illinois Fighting Illini.

Monday, a key name in that win, guard Taylor Mikesell, won her first Big Ten Player of the Week award.

In two games this past week, Mikesell averaged 26.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. Sunday especially, Mikesell was big.

Against the Illini, Mikesell hit 7-for-14 from deep and led the Buckeyes with her top scoring game of the season, putting 31 points on the board. Her performance made Sunday’s win the largest second-half comeback in program history.

This season, Mikesell is picking up where she left off in the 21/22 campaign. The guard from Jackson High School, in Massillon, Ohio averages 18.8 points this season, leading the Buckeyes. Last year, Mikesell’s 18.6 was good for second on the team behind fellow guard Jacy Sheldon.

An impressive feat considering last season was Mikesell’s first with the Scarlet & Gray. The guard who started at Maryland transferred to the Oregon Ducks for a season before coming back to Big Ten country, and her home state.

While Mikesell’s season last year was important, helping lead the Buckeyes to a share of the regular season conference title, there’s an argument to be made that the 22/23 season is even better.

That’s because Mikesell is doing it without Sheldon or fellow guard Madison Greene. Playing with three different point guards, Mikesell’s all-around impact has increased. Mikesell’s assists, steals and blocks are up compared to last year, with the graduate senior stepping into the point guard role now, alongside Rikki Harris, with both starters at the position out long term.

Sunday was Mikesell’s second 30+ point game, after getting 30 against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights to start the Big Ten calendar on Dec. 4. Against her former Oregon Ducks team, Mikesell scored 25 points with six assists and five rebounds.

Thursday, against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Mikesell scored 22 points with seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals in another Buckeyes comeback. Until Sheldon returns from her lower leg injury, Mikesell’s taking on multiple roles and excelling across the board.

Mikesell is crucial for the upcoming stretch of games. After this weekend’s trip to Nebraska, Ohio State welcomes the Northwestern Wildcats before a main event-style pair of matchups against the No. 12 Iowa Hawkeyes followed by a trip to Bloomington, Indiana three days later for a game against the No. 6 Indiana Hoosiers.

The win is the second weekly honor that the guard’s won, after earning a Freshman of the Week honor back in her freshman season with the Maryland Terrapins.

Continue reading...

Column: I think the women’s basketball team can win it all
meganhusslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

This team needs to be talked about more!

Don’t look now, but the Ohio State women’s basketball team is currently having its best start to the season in program history. I simply don’t see them being talked about enough, and I am guilty of it too. So, I’m here to share my two cents on why I think that they can win the National Championship.

They have played 17 games so far and have lost ZERO. When a team starts off the season this hot, you know that they have something special going on. The women proved themselves last season after having an impressive finish to their year, ending with a phenomenal tournament run.

The end of the last year has carried into the start of this year. Clearly, the women worked even harder in the offseason to ensure they would make it even further in the postseason tournament. The same core group remains, besides the loss of Braxtin Miller and the addition of Cotie McMahon.

Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

This team has been battle tested in many ways, yet has not let difficulty knock them down. Their best player, Jacy Sheldon, went down early in the season with an injury and hasn’t played since Nov. 30. Additionally, the Buckeyes’ other guard, Madison Greene, who tore her ACL last season, suffered another knee injury this season and has been out since Dec. 20.

So, two of the best players go down, yet this team keeps winning! That is impressive and definitely a quality of a championship team. They certainly have the next woman up mentality, and that is needed especially late in the season. No matter who plays, they find their groove and find a way to win.

Players getting injured isn’t the only challenge these women have faced. Their schedule has not been easy, and that started with their very first game of the year — a top-five matchup against Tennessee. This game put the Buckeyes on the map, as they took down the Vols to show they are the real deal.

Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

So, they had no games to just ease into the season, but they didn’t need those games. They proceeded to take down top-20 ranked Louisville fairly comfortably just a couple weeks later. After beating two Big Ten opponents, their first test came against USF — the game where Greene went down. Yet, they pulled it together and won in overtime. An unranked team can always be a sneaky threat, and while the Buckeyes faltered, they did not fall.

They ended 2022 with a bang after beating No. 14 Michigan on New Year’s Eve in front of a sellout crowd in the Covelli Center. Carrying that energy into 2023, the Buckeyes defeated Minnesota in their first game of the year, and then had to play Illinois on Sunday.

While the Fighting Illini aren’t ranked, they are 14-3 on the season and a very solid team. So much so, they had the Buckeyes down by 10 at the half, and 17 at one point in the third quarter. However, Ohio State does not back down, and came all the way back for the largest second-half comeback in program history to take dub No. 17.

Clearly, this team hasn’t had an easy path. Two of their best players went down and the schedule hasn’t gotten any easier. Yet, it doesn’t matter. This team has grit and depth, two crucial things in order to make a deep postseason run. McMahon, a freshman, has transitioned seamlessly from high school to college. She’s already recorded six 20-point games.

I could go on and on about each player on this team. Everyone plays an important role, because they never know when they’ll be called upon. The best part about this team is that they are having so much fun. When your work doesn’t even feel like work, that’s when you know you are truly winning.

Hopefully that carries them all the way to the National Championship.

Continue reading...

I totally forgot about this game while watching Red Zone. I think the Bucks beat Purdue and Maryland with Zed, but stuff happens. Hope he can return soon.

Game Notes: No. 3 Ohio State stays unbeaten, beats Illinois
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

It wasn’t just the Cotie McMahon and Taylor Mikesell show on Sunday.

The Ohio State women’s basketball team has made a living this season out of coming back to win. On Sunday, they added another example when the Illinois Fighting Illini came to Columbus.

In an eventual 87-81 Buckeyes win, the Scarlet & Gray came back from seemingly insurmountable odds, and redefined the word insurmountable in the process.

Here are notes from the impressive victory.

Playing with Fire


The old adage goes that if you play with fire you get burned. Multiple times this season, it looked like the Scarlet & Gray were scorched. Against then-No. 5 ranked Tennessee, the Buckeyes were down 12 in the second quarter. In a trip to then-No. 16 Louisville, it was 14 in the first half. Just three weeks ago, it was at the San Diego Invitational, down 18 in the second quarter.

Even three days ago, in Minnesota against the Golden Gophers, the Buckeyes were down 10 points in the third quarter.

Sunday’s win marks the largest second half comeback in program history when Ohio State was down 17 points to Illinois with 6:56 left in the third quarter. Head coach Kevin McGuff called a timeout 10 seconds later, and said this to his team:

“‘Stay level headed. Keep playing how we know how to play and everything will work out if we do what we’re supposed to do,” forward Cotie McMahon revealed following the win. “That was really it, there was no yelling. We know what we’re supposed to do we just gotta do it.”

McMahon and the Buckeyes did that following the timeout to the tune of a 25-8 third quarter run and eventual 50-34 run by Ohio State in the second half. Winning is great, but going down double-digits consistently might not always go in the Buckeyes favor.

“We have to be a four quarter team,” said McMahon. “Not just two. I feel like we always end up, you know, being the ‘hero team’ in the second half and have to stop doing that. Soon it’s going to bite us in the butt.”

Mikesell and McMahon Come Up Big Again


Because of the play of McMahon and guard Taylor Mikesell especially, that didn’t happen. McMahon cut the Illini’s 17-point lead to 10 in under a minute of the third quarter by herself. Then Mikesell scored five in the Buckeyes’ subsequent 11-point run.

The third quarter was the only quarter where Mikesell didn’t lead Ohio State in scoring. Mikesell finished the night with 31 points on 7-for-14 three-point shooting. The shots from deep were falling for Mikesell, leading to a dub chain performance.


McMahon was second on the team, scoring 22 points, but added four rebounds, four assists and two blocks on the night. The emotion from both was evident in the second half after the entire Buckeyes roster looked demoralized — especially compared to a rowdy Illinois team making noise on every play in the Illini’s favor, which there were a lot of examples in the first half.

The win was another step in the development of the freshman McMahon.

“Cotie played really hard, she usually does and I think as the season goes on, every game you can see just a little more understanding of what we do and how we do it,” said McGuff. “She’s practicing really hard, that’s been a big part of her growth. Her practice habits are really good.”

Illinois is the Real Deal


The Fighting Illini weren’t ranked when they faced the Buckeyes, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t a top team in the country. Illinois took it to Ohio State for most of the game. While the Scarlet & Gray went blow for blow with the team from Champaign in the first quarter, it was Illinois’ game to win.

New Illinois head coach Shauna Green has a team of transfers, and few returners from last year, playing with passion and intensity. In her first year, Green’s leading the Illini in their best start in program history.

Sunday’s win was Illinois’. Forward Kendall Bostic had 27 points and 15 rebounds — her third double-double in a row and a new career scoring high for the junior. Guard Genesis Bryant scored 15 points in the first half on 6-for-8 shooting, missing only one of her four shots from deep in the game.

“I thought Illinois played great, in the first half especially,” said McGuff. “They were playing harder and executing better and doing a really good job and we were not playing hard or executing, and they were making us pay.”

It’s their third loss of the season, but also their largest margin of defeat after losing by a combined seven points to the Indiana Hoosiers and University of Delaware. The starting five for Illinois features no seniors either, so the future of the Big Ten might go through Illinois.

Team Basketball


The play that personifies the Buckeyes’ comeback is a three-point shot by Mikesell. It’s not the shot that made it important, but how the play turned into the Mikesell make.

With 7:25 left in the fourth quarter, Ohio State had a three-point lead. Substitute guard Hevynne Bristow, who had a great game off the bench with eight rebounds in under 18 minutes, went towards the basket.

In most cases, a college player with the room Bristow had would go for the layup, especially in the lead. Instead, Bristow found McMahon charging the baseline on her right. McMahon received the pass and went towards the basket too, but like Bristow she decided to pass.

Guard/forward Taylor Thierry got the pass near the basket and without hesitation passed back to Bristow who went around the arc to pass to a wide open Mikesell. The guard from Massillon, Ohio extended Ohio State’s lead to five, and it never went under four in the rest of regulation.


“That was a big point of emphasis at the half, we weren’t moving the ball in the first half, and we were one or two passes and trying to dribble dribble dribble,” said McGuff. “Second half, I thought we moved the ball around quite a bit better and really kind of spread them out, we got them spread out and just led to a lot more good shots.”

It was nothing new to the players on the court.

“We work on that every single day, driving and kick,” said Mikesell. “Find the open person being super unselfish at that point. We had started to see shots fall and we were getting a lot of different momentum swings while there was defense turning into offense.”

For the Fans


An element that doesn’t get talked about more than a blurb or two for ambiance is the crowd. Ohio State had 6,273 fans in attendance for the game. In the grand scheme of the Schottenstein Center’s attendance it isn’t much, but it was a loud and energetic crowd for youth night.

Coach McGuff felt it, and used it to the Buckeyes’ advantage giving the team an added boost in the third quarter.

“I said ‘Hey, we’re either going to fight right now and hit back or we’re going to get embarrassed,’ said McGuff to his team. “We were getting embarrassed. We have a great crowd today here and we’re playing like this its embarrassing. I feel bad for the fans who came out, at that point.”

Also in attendance was arguably the Buckeyes’ No. 1 fan — Landon McChesney. The six-year-old boy with genetic disorder TBCD was honored at halftime with his family in tow. McChesney is one of only a handful of children in the world with the rare disease, and through the LandOn a Cure foundation, they’ve teamed up with the Ohio State basketball team.

Thomas Costello - Land-Grant Holy Land
The Buckeyes saying hi to Landon McChesney on the court following their win over Illinois.

Maybe it’s a coincidence that the Buckeyes fought back shortly after he was honored at halftime, but maybe it wasn't?

Continue reading...

National Championship Game TCU vs. Georgia: Game time, TV schedule, streaming, more
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Just in case you are a glutton for punishment.

Sometimes pain can be good. In its basest form, it can be an instantaneous indication that trouble lies ahead. But, in more cathartic instances, it can serve as a way to harden the more sensitive portions of ourselves to prevent even more extensive damage long-term.

While pain, by definition, hurts in the moment, what’s left behind — be it scars, calluses, or a heretofore unacknowledged truth — can protect us the next time that danger approaches. Thus is the case with tonight’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

The No. 3 TCU Horned Frogs will face off against the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs on ESPN beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET, and for Ohio State football fans, this is an opportunity to either embrace the ultimately fortifying benefits of pain or to practice self-care in avoiding the heartache that will inevitably result by tuning in.

All too often in recent years, there has appeared to be something lacking with our beloved Buckeyes; be it any semblance of a reliable defense, or something more ethereal like toughness, a killer instinct, or late-game leadership. Nonetheless, the Buckeyes came up just ever-so-slightly short of playing in tonight’s contest, but still, as a result, feels miles away from where they (and we) want them to be,


Let’s be clear, Ohio State should be playing in this game; should be playing for a national championship tonight were it not for key offensive injuries, were it not for a stupifying reversal on a targeting call, were it not for absolutely horrific play by the defensive secondary, were it not for highly questionable play calling on both sides of the ball down the stretch, were it not for a split-second timeout called by Kirby Smart, were it not for a blown field goal attempt.

If even one of those things above does not happen, Ohio State is likely favored by double digits over the Horned Frogs tonight and Ryan Day is making like Steve Young and miming pulling an invisible monkey off of his literal and proverbial back as he hoists the trophy pictured at the top of this article. Instead, we, as Buckeye fans, are now subjected to another offseason of hand-wringing, concern trolling, and uncertainty as opportunity, optimism, and goodwill have seemingly dissipated from the collective conscience of the vocalist of minorities online.

So, if you are a glutton for punishment, some sort of college football masochist, or an unrepentant college football obsessive, there is one more game to watch tonight. But, if you do watch, just make sure to check in with your sponsor in the morning and embrace the benefits of the pain that you are voluntarily subjecting yourself to.

When is the game and how can I watch it?


Game Date/Time: Monday, Jan. 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Los Angeles, Cali.
TV: ESPN
Online: Sling TV

DraftKings Sportsbook line: Georgia -12.5 | o/u 63

SP+ Prediction: Georgia 34.9, TCU 24.0

Official LGHL Prediction: We don’t care

Matt’s Official Prediction: I predict I will not be watching

Join the conversation


Below is your College Football National Championship GameThread. Be respectful, be kind and — as always — keep it classy, BuckeyeNation. If you like GIFs, lay ‘em on us. In all, be good fans, cheer for your teams, be cool to each other (even if somebody else isn’t) and everyone wins. Let’s finish the season strong!

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

Continue reading...

Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for January 9, 2023
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.

Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.

Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.

You’re welcome!

For your Earholes...


Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio

On the Gridiron


National Championship Game TCU vs. Georgia: Game time, TV schedule, streaming, more
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land

You’re Nuts: Best thing to do instead of watching the National Championship game
Jami Jurich and Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land

Ohio State has three signees named Gatorade State Players of the Year
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

This seems promising:


Which Ohio State football 2023 recruits are expected to enroll early?
Stephen Means, cleveland.com

What Miyan Williams returning means for Buckeyes (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes

What Miyan Williams return means for tailback room, Buckeyes offense (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

What Ohio State is getting in former Syracuse safety Ja’Had Carter
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Check out the latest episode of “PLAG”:


Watch: After biding his time, McCord ready to compete for OSU starting QB job
Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts

Storylines to track for Buckeyes after busy first week of offseason (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Ryan Day’s big-game record took a hit on New Year’s Eve, but bad luck is at least partially to blame
Josh Dooley, Land-Grant Holy Land

Despite Finishing as a top-25 Scoring Defense in 2022, Job One for Jim Knowles in 2023 Is Limiting Big Plays
Chris Lauderback, Eleven Warriors

Three desired 2023 resolutions for Ohio State football
Chip Minnich, Land-Grant Holy Land

#DevelopedHere


Ex-Ohio State WRs Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, make NFL history with 1,000-yard seasons
Cameron Salerno, 247Sports

Across the Shield: Cameron Heyward Dominates in Season Finale, Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson Make History and Nick Bosa Secures NFL Sack Title
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

On the Hardwood


No. 24 Ohio State men fight back, but fall to Maryland 80-73
Justin Golba, Land-Grant Holy Land

Felix Okpara, Ohio State struggle with Zed Key sidelined at Maryland
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch

Here’s something good that’s OSU MBB related:


No. 3 Ohio State women come back from 17 down to beat Illinois 87-81
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land

Hear the full postgame press conference following the WBB win on Sunday:

Outside the Shoe and Schott


Men’s Ice Hockey: No. 12 Ohio State Completes Sweep, Shuts Out No. 14 Spartans 6-0
Jacob Benge, The Lantern

Wrestling: Pair Earn Second-Place Finishes in Edinboro Sunday
Ohio State Athletics

Women’s Gymnastics: Buckeyes Win Season Opener in Front of Sold Out Covelli Crowd
Ohio State Athletics

And now for something completely different...


Continue reading...

National Championship Game TCU vs. Georgia: Game time, TV schedule, streaming, more
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Just in case you are a glutton for punishment.

Sometimes pain can be good. In its basest form, it can be an instantaneous indication that trouble lies ahead. But, in more cathartic instances, it can serve as a way to harden the more sensitive portions of ourselves to prevent even more extensive damage long-term.

While pain, by definition, hurts in the moment, what’s left behind — be it scars, calluses, or a heretofore unacknowledged truth — can protect us the next time that danger approaches. Thus is the case with tonight’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

The No. 3 TCU Horned Frogs will face off against the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs on ESPN beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET, and for Ohio State football fans, this is an opportunity to either embrace the ultimately fortifying benefits of pain or to practice self-care in avoiding the heartache that will inevitably result by tuning in.

All too often in recent years, there has appeared to be something lacking with our beloved Buckeyes; be it any semblance of a reliable defense, or something more ethereal like toughness, a killer instinct, or late-game leadership. Nonetheless, the Buckeyes came up just ever-so-slightly short of playing in tonight’s contest, but still, as a result, feels miles away from where they (and we) want them to be,


Let’s be clear, Ohio State should be playing in this game; should be playing for a national championship tonight were it not for key offensive injuries, were it not for a stupifying reversal on a targeting call, were it not for absolutely horrific play by the defensive secondary, were it not for highly questionable play calling on both sides of the ball down the stretch, were it not for a split-second timeout called by Kirby Smart, were it not for a blown field goal attempt.

If even one of those things above does not happen, Ohio State is likely favored by double digits over the Horned Frogs tonight and Ryan Day is making like Steve Young and miming pulling an invisible monkey off of his literal and proverbial back as he hoists the trophy pictured at the top of this article. Instead, we, as Buckeye fans, are now subjected to another offseason of hand-wringing, concern trolling, and uncertainty as opportunity, optimism, and goodwill have seemingly dissipated from the collective conscience of the vocalist of minorities online.

So, if you are a glutton for punishment, some sort of college football masochist, or an unrepentant college football obsessive, there is one more game to watch tonight. But, if you do watch, just make sure to check in with your sponsor in the morning and embrace the benefits of the pain that you are voluntarily subjecting yourself to.

When is the game and how can I watch it?


Game Date/Time: Monday, Jan. 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Los Angeles, Cali.
TV: ESPN
Online: Sling TV

DraftKings Sportsbook line: Georgia -12.5 | o/u 63

SP+ Prediction: Georgia 34.9, TCU 24.0

Official LGHL Prediction: We don’t care

Matt’s Official Prediction: I predict I will not be watching

Join the conversation


Below is your College Football National Championship GameThread. Be respectful, be kind and — as always — keep it classy, BuckeyeNation. If you like GIFs, lay ‘em on us. In all, be good fans, cheer for your teams, be cool to each other (even if somebody else isn’t) and everyone wins. Let’s finish the season strong!

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

Continue reading...

We’ll talk about this later: Toys for everyone, an apropos touchdown and nothing but love
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Your dose of lighthearted takes from this week’s happenings. Or, in this case, just a lot of heart.

Each week, we’ll break down something that happened during the Ohio State game (and occasionally other games and events) that we’ll be talking about for a while—you know, the silly sideline interactions, the awful announcing and the weird storylines that stick with us for years to come. We’ll also compare each of these happenings to memorable moments in pop culture, because who doesn’t love a good Office reference?

Sorry folks, this one isn’t exactly lighthearted, but it’s got a lot of heart.

Last Monday night, the world stopped for a moment as Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field in the Bills’ Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The game stopped. Nothing else in sports mattered for days.

As we anxiously sat refreshing our news feeds, hoping for good news on Damar’s condition, another story began to emerge. Damar had started a GoFundMe to purchase toys for kids in his community. He had hoped to raise $2,500. As folks searched for news and found this page, thousands and thousands of people began donating. Within hours, the fundraiser had pulled in more than $3 million in donations.


The gifts kept coming in as Buffalo fans, non-Buffalo fans, sports fans and non-sports fans alike rallied for a way to do anything to support the 24-year old laying in critical condition in Cincinnati. Many fantasy football leagues, whose final weeks were left undecided with the game’s cancellation, donated their collective purses to the cause. As of Sunday afternoon, folks had donated nearly $8.5 million.


We collectively rejoiced when we heard Damar was awake and communicating through writing. We cheered when we heard his breathing tube was removed and he was making steady progress. We continued to hope and pray for a continued recovery. And we probably cried a little as tributes poured in throughout the weekend from NFL teams honoring Damar in their own ways, including in Cincinnati, where Damar was still hospitalized.


And then Sunday, in a moment of absolute poetry, Nyheim Hines ran back the opening kick for Buffalo against New England.


And it was clear who everyone was thinking of.


From the absolute terror we felt last week, it’s been beautiful to see once again how sports have the power to unite and bring love and kindness into the world. From all the kids who will eventually benefit from Damar’s charity to the unity we’ve seen throughout the NFL and beyond — there’s nothing but love for Damar.


Continue reading...

LGHL Uncut Podcast: McGuff, Mikesell and McMahon discuss marquee win over Illinois
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The mood wasn’t all smiles following the 17-point comeback.

Throughout the year, Land-Grant Holy Land will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.


Following a program record-breaking 17-point second half comeback victory over the Illinois Fighting Illini, the Ohio State women’s basketball team wasn’t in the celebrating spirit. The 87-81 win had its positives, but there are reoccurring areas to improve, as highlighted after the game with head coach Kevin McGuff, guard Taylor Mikesell and forward Cotie McMahon.

Coach McGuff is up first. He didn’t mince words when he discussed how the Buckeyes were embarrassing the program in front of a raucous crowd at the Schottenstein Center in the first half. Also, the key factor in what changed in the second half, the performance of McMahon and defining a favorite phrase for the coach — “competitive character.”

Then, Mikesell talks about how Ohio State needs to stop needing to come back like they have this season, but taking value in learning that lesson in a win over a defeat.

McMahon finishes availability off talking about similar items to her teammate and coach, but also goes into more detail about competitive character. Specifically, going out on the hunt in the second half against teams.

The freshman also shares what Coach McGuff said in the second half to get the team prepared to go on a 25-8 run in the third quarter, on the Buckeyes’ way to a perfect 17-0 record on the year.


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Four-star DL from Chicago includes Ohio State among top group
Bret Favachio via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Justin Scott | 247Sports

The Buckeyes have put themselves in striking distance for a highly-regarded interior defensive lineman from Illinois.

Ohio State and defensive line coach Larry Johnson saw their efforts for a highly-coveted defensive tackle pay off after he included them in his group of finalists. Plus, the Buckeyes officially jump into the picture for an Arkansas signal-caller with their latest offer.

Scott reveals top schools list


It was just a handful of months ago that Ohio State was prepared to begin their pursuit of 2024 four-star defensive lineman Justin Scott of St. Ignatius (IL), as evidenced by their offer that came about in early September.

The Buckeyes aren’t just another team on the offer sheet for Scott, and he showed as much on Sunday when he narrowed his recruitment and will move along with focus on eight teams in specific. The 6-foot-5, 310-pounder garnered nearly 30 offers, and has since determined that these eight schools are in the best position to land his services.


Scott, along with Ohio State, included Alabama, Colorado, Miami (FL), Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, and USC as the competition for the Chicago native. The Buckeyes welcomed the Illinois standout to campus for a visit in October, and a return visit for Scott would likely go a long way for the chances of ultimately bringing him into the fold.

Despite falling outside of the Top 50 prospects overall for the time being, Scott does grade out as the eighth-best defensive lineman in the class. The Ohio State target also ranks as the second-highest graded player in the cycle from the state of Illinois.

Buckeyes offer Murphy


While Scott including Ohio State as a finalist was the big recruiting story of the weekend, the Buckeyes also made sure to get active on the trail by dipping into the state of Arkansas for their latest offer.

On Saturday, it was 2025 athlete Quentin Murphy of Joe T. Robinson (AR) that picked up an offer from Ohio State, and could be setting himself up to be a top target at the quarterback position along with Ryan Montgomery and Bryce Underwood.


The Buckeyes joined Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and a few other programs as early offers for the 6-foot-3, 180-pounder.

Quick Hits

• Ohio State welcomed a host of early enrollees in the 2023 recruiting class to campus this weekend. Among the near dozen that arrived on Sunday include Malik Hartford, Jermaine Mathews, Luke Montgomery, Joshua Padilla, Bryson Rodgers, Noah Rogers, Austin Siereveld, Will Smith, Carnell Tate, Jelani Thurman, and Miles Walker.
• The Buckeyes saw arguably their top safety target in 2024 come off of the board when four-star safety Peyton Woodyard of St. John Bosco (CA) announce his pledge to Georgia. With Woodyard off to Athens, expect Ohio State to ramp up their pursuit of five-star safety KJ Bolden of Buford (GA) — the No. 4 player in the country.
• A pair of former Ohio State defensive backs found their new homes this weekend, as Jaylen Johnson is headed to Memphis — where he will reunite with former Buckeye assistant Matt Barnes — and JK Johnson is off to Baton Rouge in a move reminiscent to that of Sevyn Banks last offseason. According to David Johnson of Inside The Rebels, defensive end Javonte Jean-Baptiste, who entered the portal early last week, is scheduled to take a visit to Ole Miss.

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Maybe this is exactly what is supposed to happen. Just saying.

Transferring to Memphis:

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By transferring to Memphis, Johnson reunites with former Ohio State safeties coach Matt Barnes, who was his position coach at OSU in 2021 and is now entering his second year as the defensive coordinator at Memphis. He becomes the second Buckeye in two years to transfer to Memphis, joining former Ohio State defensive end Cormontae Hamilton, who recorded 46 tackles with six tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in his first year at Memphis after playing only sparingly in three years as a Buckeye.

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No. 24 Ohio State men fight back, but fall to Maryland 80-73
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Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images

A 14-0 Maryland run to start the second half doomed the Buckeyes after leading by five at halftime.

Following a last-second loss to the Purdue Boilermakers on Thursday, the No. 24 Ohio State Buckeyes (10-5, 2-2) traveled to College Park to take on the Maryland Terrapins (11-5, 2-3). After leading by five at the half, the Buckeyes fell to the Terrapins to record an 0-2 week.

Maryland has had a roller coaster start to their season, as the team went from unranked in the preseason AP Poll all the way to 13th in the country after a 20-point win over Miami. However, Maryland came into this one 1-3 in conference play and scored just 96 points in their last two games combined.

Ohio State is coming off a heartbreaking loss to No. 1 Purdue after leading 69-66 with 40 seconds left and Purdue scored the final five points to win the game 71-69.

Both teams came into this one looking for a win to get back on track.

The buckets were flowing early, as Sean McNeil picked up where he left off and had six early points for the Buckeyes. McNeil had the three-pointer that gave Ohio State a 69-66 lead against Purdue with 40 seconds left on Thursday night.


As basketball is, this one was a game of runs early. Maryland jumped out to a lead early with the Buckeyes answering and taking a tie of 12-12 to the first media timeout behind two early three-pointers from Sean McNeil. McNeil injured his ankle early in the first half against Purdue but was able to tough it out.

However, that same ankle was stepped on early in this contest as well and he left the game with 12 minutes remaining in the first half.

Maryland was able to take a 23-16 lead after a Donta Scott three-pointer, but Ohio State answered with a 7-0 run over two minutes and 17 seconds, including five points from star freshman Brice Sensabaugh.


After some fairly ugly basketball and fouls, Maryland took a 31-26 lead after back-to-back offensive rebounds and four points by Maryland guard and Charlotte transfer Jahmir Young.

The Buckeyes answered out of the Chris Holtmann timeout with a quick five-point run after two free throws from Tanner Holden and another three-pointer by Brice Sensabaugh. Sensabaugh is shooting the three at a 46 percent clip to start the season.

This run forced a Maryland timeout with just under three minutes remaining in the first half.

Justice Sueing got a putback basket on the Sensabaugh miss and two free throws from Young tied the score at 33.


The Buckeyes closed the half on a 6-1 run after the tie game and on a 13-3 run total to take a 39-34 lead into the half.

Justice Sueing and Brice Sensabaugh led the way for the Buckeyes in the opening half, both recording 11 points. Sensabaugh added four rebounds and Sueing added three rebounds.


For Maryland, Jahmir Young recorded 13 points and eight rebounds in the first half, including four offensive rebounds.

Julian Reese recorded six points and five rebounds in the first half. The Buckeyes held leading scorer Donta Scott to just three first-half points and 1-for-5 shooting from the field.

Maryland outrebounded the Buckeyes 24-16 in the first half.

In quite possibly the worst two minutes of basketball of the season for the Buckeyes to open the second half, Ohio State had four turnovers in the first 1:42 of the half and Maryland went on a 6-0 run to take a 40-39 lead.

After back-to-back three-pointers from Donta Scott and Don Carey and the Terrapins pushing the lead to 46-39, Ohio State was forced to use a timeout. Maryland started the second half on a 12-0 run.

With the score at 48-39, Isaac Likekele stopped the bleeding for the Buckeyes after getting an offensive rebound and put back. It took the Buckeyes over five minutes to score to open the second half. After three more made baskets from Maryland, the Buckeyes trailed 56-45 with 11:45 remaining in the game.

Maryland started the second half 10-for-13 from the field after finishing the first half just 2-for-17 from the field. Ohio State started the second half 3-for-11 from the field.

Maryland was able to keep the Buckeyes at arm's length, holding a 60-50 lead with 8:55 left in the second half.

Sueing drilled a three-pointer to make the score 60-53 and give Ohio State a 7-0 run over the span of just one minute. This run also came with Ohio State's leading scorer Brice Sensabaugh on the bench.


Two free throws from Brice Sensabaugh cut the Ohio State deficit to just three and Maryland held a 62-59 lead with 5:56 left. Two free throws from Maryland’s Hakim Hart gave Maryland a 64-59 lead.

Sueing recorded a basket after a three-point play by Jahmir Young for Maryland and Ohio State took a timeout down four with 4:27 left in the game.

Roddy Gayle went on a 5-0 run after a three-pointer and a floater in the lane, but Maryland continued to get to the free-throw line and make the Buckeyes pay for it. The Terrapins led 72-68 with 1:29 left in the game.

With a 74-68 lead, Justice Sueing missed a good look at a three-pointer and Sensabaugh fouled out with 46 seconds left in the game.

Maryland clinched the game at the free throw line and won the game 80-73.

Maryland’s Jahmir Young had a career game, scoring 30 points and grabbing 11 rebounds to lead the Terrapins. Maryland finished with five players in double figures, all starters and only recorded six bench points.

Brice Sensabaugh had 22 points but fouled out and Justice Sueing had 21 points to lead Ohio State.

Bouncing back


This season, the Buckeyes are 3-0 coming off a loss. They took down Cincinnati after losing to San Diego State, took down St. Francis (PA) after losing to Duke, and defeated Maine after falling to North Carolina.

The Buckeyes have also won those three games by an average margin of 33 points, leaving little doubt in any of those games.

Best in the country


After the game against Purdue, the Buckeyes rose to the number one spot on KenPom.com in adjusted offensive efficiency at 119.0. The Buckeyes have been high on the list in offensive efficiency over the last three seasons with guys like E.J. Liddell, Duane Washington, and Malaki Branham, but have yet to hit the top mark.

The Buckeyes still have work to do on defense, as they currently rank 77 in adjusted defensive efficiency at 97.2.

College Park is no friend to Ohio State


It has been tough sledding for the Buckeyes at Maryland since the Terrapins joined the Big Ten.

The Buckeyes entered this contest just 1-5 at the Xfinity Center and an average margin of defeat of 16.2 points per game. The Buckeyes also suffered a 100-65 loss to Maryland in College Park in Chris Holtmann’s first year during the 2016-17 season.

It has been a different story against Maryland in Columbus, as the Buckeyes are 3-0 against Maryland at home.

Okpara gets first start


For the first time this season, freshman center Felix Okpara recorded his first start of the season and of his career. Zed Key had previously started in all 14 games this season.

The rest of the starting lineup was the same, as Bruce Thornton, Sean McNeil, Brice Sensabaugh, and Justice Sueing received the start.

Quick to the bench


While Okpara got his first start of the season, it only took two minutes and 39 seconds for head coach Chris Holtmann to go to the bench to replace him. Junior guard Eugene Brown was subbed in for Okpara and the Buckeyes went with a small ball lineup with Maryland’s tallest player being Julian Reese, who is listed at 6’9.

Foul trouble early


In the first five minutes of the game and before the first media timeout, Maryland forward and top scorer Donta Scott was charged with two fouls and had to spend some early time on the bench.

For the Buckeyes, freshman center Felix Okpara had three fouls in the first half, Bruce Thornton had two fouls in the first half and picked up his third early in the second half and Eugene Brown had two fouls in the first half.

You get a tech, you get a tech


In one of the weirder moments in the game, Maryland head coach Kevin Willard received an early technical foul for leaving the coach's box and use not so nice language toward the officials.

Then, towards the end of the first half, Maryland’s Ian Martinez and Ohio State’s Tanner Holden received double technical fouls after Holden put his knee into Martinez's back during a loose ball, and Martinez took exception, pushing Holden. Those technical fouls offset.

Julian Reese also received a technical foul for Maryland in the second half for taunting Ohio State's Eugene Brown after making a basket over him and that led to a quick four points for Ohio State.

Maryland rolls to start the second half


Ohio State led 39-34 at the half, but the Terrapins took full control of the game to start the second half, opening up an 11-point lead in the first seven minutes of the half and going on a 22-6 run to take a 56-45 lead.

Ohio State had six turnovers in that stretch and just three baskets.

Up Next:


As we get into the heart of conference play, the Buckeyes will come back to Columbus and take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Thursday, January 12 at 6:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

Minnesota has struggled this season and sits at 6-8 overall and 0-3 in conference play.

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No. 3 Ohio State women come back from 17 down to beat Illinois 87-81
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ohio State University athletic department

The Buckeyes faced another test, and needed to cram for a strong second half comeback.

The Ohio State women’s basketball team overcame every challenge they’ve faced so far in the 2022-23 season, including four wins against ranked opponents and losing two starting point guards. On Sunday, a season seemingly full of tests welcomed one of the largest against an unlikely opponent — the Illinois Fighting Illini.

In a battle between No. 1 and No. 2 in the Big Ten, Ohio State continued to show they’re up for the challenges that come their way, beating the Illini 86-81.

There was deserved hype entering Sunday’s game, with Ohio State sitting at 16-0 and Illinois starting 14-2. Both teams were in the middle of the best starts to a season in their respective program histories. In the first quarter, the game matched the hype.

Illinois got things going off the jump, with guard Genesis Bryant — the back-to-back B1G Player of the Week — hitting a three-point shot. It was Bryant’s first of 10 points she scored in the first quarter.

The Buckeyes had an answer for the Illini at every turn. Ohio State attacked the basket and got to the free throw line 10 times in the first quarter, hitting nine. In the run of play, they were hitting big shots too.

Guard Taylor Mikesell and forward Rebeka Mikulášiková made a combined three shots from deep. On the boards, guard/forward Taylor Thierry cleaned up. Thierry grabbed three in the first quarter, the best coming near the end of the quarter. After getting the defensive rebound, Thierry found Mikesell charging down the court alone for a Hail Mary pass and layup.

Unfortunately for the Buckeyes’ defense, they had difficulties going up against Illinois forward Kendall Bostic. The leader in the Big Ten in rebounds per game scored eight points and had four rebounds in the first quarter. Those Bostic points came off teammates finding the forward in the paint and grabbing their misses, with two of her four rebounds coming offensively. The game was tied 22-22 at the end of one quarter, in an evenly-matched start to the game.

Bostic continued her reign of terror induced on the Ohio State defense in the second quarter. The forward continued getting the ball under the basket and making easy layups. So much so, that Buckeyes head coach Kevin McGuff called a timeout as a Bostic layup put the visitors up 32-24 with much of the second quarter left.

The rest of the game leading into halftime was the Scarlet & Gray trying to keep the deficit manageable for the final two quarters. Point guard Makira Cook didn’t give the Buckeyes much of a chance. Cook, the former Dayton Flyer, played a strong second quarter, scoring six points and breaking through the Buckeyes' defense.

Ohio State’s shooting wasn’t helping. The Buckeyes were outshot 73.3% to 40%. For every two points the home team scored, the visitors had four to five. Illinois outscored Ohio State 25-15 in the second quarter and went into halftime down 47-37.

Off the second-half inbound, Mikesell hit a three to pull the Ohio State deficit down to seven, but indicative of how the game went to that point, Bryant scored a three of her own on the next possession, with Mikesell’s hand in her face. Then it got worse for the home team.

Illinois started the third quarter outscoring Ohio State 10-3, increasing their lead to 17 points. Coach McGuff called another early-quarter time-out to collect his team and regroup for the 16 minutes of basketball remaining.

Forward Cotie McMahon wasn’t as impressed with the run. Out of the timeout, McMahon went on a seven-point run single-handedly. Illinois helped with two turnovers in consecutive offensive possessions and suddenly the game was back to a 10-point Illinois lead.

The Buckeyes had a response of all responses, outscoring the Illini 25-8 in the last 6:56 of the third quarter. Ohio State got rid of the entire 17-point deficit thanks to all five starters getting on the scoresheet in the quarter.

Outside of McMahon’s 10, Mikesell had eight with two threes. Thierry had four points and three rebounds of her own.

At the end of three, the Buckeyes tied the game at 65 apiece with 10 minutes remaining. It took Ohio State a little over four minutes to cut away the lead too.

Starting the fourth quarter off for Ohio State was guard Rikki Harris. The starting point guard hit a three to put the Buckeyes up three, their largest lead of the game to that point.

Ohio State kept rolling. Mikesell took the torch from McMahon and became the catalyst of the Buckeyes’ offense. The guard shot perfectly for the first four minutes of the quarter, scoring seven points.

Of those seven, three came from impressive team basketball. In a play where every Buckeye touched the ball, players went to the basket and found open teammates. Then repeated it three times before passing around to find an open Mikesell who drained the deep shot.

After the three, Mikesell stole the ball on the inbound and hit a layup.

It put the Buckeyes up eight with just over half the quarter to go, but Illinois fought back. The visitors brought the lead down to five after two Buckeye offensive possessions ended in misses by McMahon and Mikesell.

Even so, Ohio State held on with big play by the entire team, beating the Illini 87-81.

Cotie McMahon Battles


McMahon’s 22 points aren't her NCAA high, but Sunday was a top performance of her freshman career.

The Centerville, Ohio native was the spark that got the Buckeyes going in the third. McMahon shot 60% from the floor and hit 10-13 free throws. Also, the energy she brought propelled the Scarlet And Gray.

Taylor Mikesell Rises Up


Following the win against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Minnesota media asked Mikesell what she does to improve her shooting after having a couple less than average performances. Paraphrasing Mikesell, she said she’s not changing a thing and she’ll keep shooting.

On Sunday, that shooting was on display. Mikesell went on a 7-2 run in the fourth quarter for Ohio State. Part of a 31-point night for the Northeast Ohioan.

What’s Next


Ohio State doesn't play again until Saturday when they travel west to Nebraska. The Buckeyes face a Cornhuskers’ side that’s looked good, bad, and great throughout the 2022-23 season. That game tips off at 2:30 p.m. ET

After the Scarlet & Gray return to Columbus, they have a two-game streak at home. It starts against the Northwestern Wildcats on Jan. 19 before Ohio State plays a game circled on the schedule for many Big Ten fans, Jan. 23 against the No. 16 Iowa Hawkeyes.

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No. 3 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. Illinois: Game preview and prediction
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Twitter | @IlliniWBB

It’s a game that suddenly feels like one of the biggest challenges of the season for the Buckeyes

Sunday, the Ohio State women’s basketball team is back home for the first time since New Year’s Eve. Like that game, Sunday’s matchup carries excitement and features a tough challenge for the Buckeyes. While it doesn’t include a rivalry like the Scarlet & Gray’s victory over the Michigan Wolverines, the Illinois Fighting Illini travel to Columbus playing the best basketball for their program in over 20 years.

Preview


In recent history, the Buckeyes and Fighting Illini hasn’t been the most exciting of games on the women’s basketball calendar. Ohio State enters the game with five-straight wins, and is 27-5 overall against Illinois in games played in Columbus. This year has all the makings of Illinois making it a contest.

That’s because the Illini are an all-new team. In the offseason, Illinois hired former Dayton Flyers coach Shauna Green to the same role with the team from Champaign, Illinois. Since then, Illinois is 9-0 at home, won 11 games before Christmas for the first time in program history and upset guard Caitlin Clark and the then No. 12 Iowa Hawkeyes.

Green has won with only five returning Illinois players from the 2021-22 season. She has Illinois sitting at 14-2 with transfers, former players from Dayton and a couple standouts from the preview Illini roster.

In the returning player department are forward Kendall Bostic and guard Adalia McKenzie.

Bostic’s name isn’t up there with the likes of Indiana’s Mackenzie Holmes or Monika Czinano, but it should be. The former Michigan State underclassman transferred to Illinois last season. Bostic’s debut season ended with the 6-foot-2 forward leading the Big Ten in rebounding, grabbing 11.4 boards per game.

What put her out of the conversation was scoring. Last year, Bostic averaged 7.4 points, starting all 27 games for the Illini. In two games against the Buckeyes during 2021-22, Bostic had 16 rebounds per game, for 32 alone against the Scarlet & Gray, hitting a double-double in each.

This season, Bostic has four double-doubles, with two in a row heading into Sunday. Illinois gets her the ball as her teammates attack the basket. Once the extra defender joins in to stop the layup attempt, Bostic’s teammates know that the forward is waiting in the paint and get her the ball. Not only is her scoring increasing, defensively she’s thriving.

After getting 19 blocks all of last season, Bostic has 29 this year. Creating issues for players trying to get into the paint.

The other returning Illini is Adalia McKenzie. While her teammate, guard Genesis Bryant, is garnering a lot of deserved attention lately, McKenzie’s performances stand out too.

Thursday, against the Northwestern Wildcats, McKenzie scored 14 points, but went strong towards the basket, something Ohio State struggled with at times against the Golden Gophers, and found open teammates.

That’s another thing about the Illini, they move the ball quickly and find open teammates fast. That gives Illinois a lot of chances from beyond the arc, and they hit them better than anyone in the country.

Currently, Illinois leads NCAA Division I women’s basketball hitting 41.9% of their three-point attempts. Scoring those baskets are guards Bryant, Jada Peebles and Dayton transfer Makira Cook.


For more on Bryant, the back-to-back B1G Co-Player of the Week since starting for the Illini in December was highlighted in the latest Land-Grant Holy Land B1G women’s basketball update. Ohio State won’t have any time to rest when the NC State transfer is on the court.

Peebles leads the conference shooting 51.6% from deep, and Bryant and Cook aren’t far behind. The work of those three guards grabs attention, but that attention means Bostic gets open more often than teams would like.

If Ohio State wants to neutralize their shooting once they get into their half court defense, the speed and athleticism of forward Cotie McMahon and guard/forward hybrid Taylor Thierry will be crucial. The two, plus forward Rebeka Mikulášiková, have their hands full, but the Buckeyes’ half court defense has looked better in the last two weeks, especially in their 66-57 win over the Michigan Wolverines.

Should Illinois handle the Buckeyes press well, Ohio State won’t have much time to get back on defense. Illinois moves quickly in transition too, not giving the Buckeyes much rest, although Ohio State is likely the best conditioned team in the conference based on how they defend in the full court.

For all the warranted accolades of the Illini’s offense, their defense can be broken. Although they allow less points than the Buckeyes per game, Thursday against the Wildcats, at home, an 18-point third quarter lead dwindled down to two with 5:18 left in the game. Northwestern did that by attacking the basket. Throwing layup after layup at the Illini, something that wasn’t clicking for them in the first half, even though the Wildcats had their chances.

Projected Starters

Lineup Notes

• Mikulášiková returned to double-digit scoring, putting up 15 points against the Gophers Thursday — all on three-point shots.
• Guard Rikki Harris has 21 assists in four games since becoming the starting point guard. She had 26 in her first 12 games.
• Thierry passed her rebound total from last year (103), reaching 104 rebounds this season after grabbing 12 against the Gophers.

Lineup Notes

• Guard Makira Cook and forward Brynn Shoup-Hill both came to Illinois with Green from the Dayton Flyers.
• Bryant’s 14.6 points per game is the best of her NCAA career after two seasons playing a substitute role with the NC State Wolfpack.
• All five starters hit double-digit points for the Illini in their 85-79 win over Northwestern.

Preview


This game, like the Michigan game, seems evenly matched and anything could happen. Ohio State’s strength is their experience, and it’ll show again on Sunday. Even if the Buckeyes go down, the expectation is that they fight back and claw their way into the game again.

With a veteran Buckeyes team, with only one new player in their starting lineup compared to last season, they’ll have the advantage in chemistry over the Illini.

Thierry will get her first double-double of her NCAA career, and have a strong offensive performance.

However, it’s going to be tight. Ohio State hasn’t shown they can stop Bostic after the Buckeyes’ two wins last season. The Scarlet & Gray’s shots will fall and allow the press to force turnovers.

It also wouldn’t be a surprise at all if that clawing back falls short and Ohio State loses their first game of the season.

How to Watch


Date: Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Where: Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio
Stream: B1G+

LGHL Prediction: 88-84 Ohio State Buckeyes

Still No Sheldon


Most questions surrounding the Buckeyes women’s basketball team are about point guard Jacy Sheldon. The team’s defensive press leader, grabbing 30 steals in just five games to star the year, hasn’t played since Nov. 30 against the Louisville Cardinals.

Don’t expect her back for Sunday’s game. Sheldon was still in a boot in Minneapolis this week, but one less crutch — so maybe that’s progress? Even so, head coach Kevin McGuff’s made it clear that there’s no timetable on her return, outside of saying she’ll return this season.

Ohio State is playing the long game with this injury. Also, being undefeated and the No. 3 in the country doesn’t take up a lot of real estate in the coach’s brain. With that said, he’s not going to rush Sheldon back and make her lower leg injury worse.

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No. 24 Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Maryland: Game preview and prediction
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The Buckeyes and Terps are both looking to bounce back from Big Ten losses last week.

The grind of conference play has officially begun and the No. 24 Ohio State Buckeyes men’s basketball team (10-4, 2-1) is looking to bounce back from a loss to the top-ranked team in the nation when they face the Maryland Terrapins (10-5, 1-3) this afternoon in College Park.

The Buckeyes fell to 2-1 in Big Ten play after their heartbreaking loss to No. 1 Purdue in Columbus Thursday night. The Boilermakers emerged with a 71-69 victory while Ohio State had to stomach its second home loss of the season.

Ohio State led 36-33 at the break, but the two teams kept things at a razor-thin margin throughout the second half. And unfortunately for the Buckeyes, their elite, clean performance against possibly their toughest opponent of the season came up short after a costly Justice Sueing turnover late in the game that gave Purdue the ball, a shot and a three-point play to stay ahead for good.

Freshman forward Brice Sensabaugh continued his phenomenal run with a team-high 21 points and five rebounds on the evening. The only other player in double-figures was the senior forward Sueing, who had 15 points on the night. It didn’t help that junior forward Zed Key left the game with zero points in four minutes after suffering a shoulder sprain. In a two-point game, his scoring volume was definitely missed.

Freshman center Felix Okpara filled in effectively from a defensive perspective (guarding Purdue’s 7-foot-4 center and the conference’s best scorer Zach Edey, no less). It was an impressive performance in 31 minutes from a player who’d been averaging under 14 this season. In all, Ohio State had eight steals and four blocks against Purdue.

Ohio State shot 50% from the field, including 43% from three-point range. Unfortunately, the Boilermakers dominated the Buckeyes on the glass, out-rebounding Ohio State 37-27. Purdue also won the offensive rebounding battle, 16-9.

That last turnover was a painful way to end play, especially since the Buckeyes — who had been struggling with turnovers at various points this season — had just seven against Purdue compared to 14 for the Boilermakers.

It was an early look at two of the favorites for the Big Ten crown and, while Purdue came out on top in round one, the Buckeyes surely have February 19 circled on their calendars for their re-match in West Lafayette.

However, the Buckeyes can’t be looking for revenge too soon, because they have to take care of business this afternoon against a Maryland squad that’s struggled to gain traction with the start of conference play.

Preview

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The Terps can be a dangerous team, but the squad which started off 8-0 with wins over Miami (FL) and Illinois has now lost five of its last seven games. And Maryland is still seeking its first win of 2023, having lost to Michigan (81-46) and Rutgers (64-50) on the road. Overall, Maryland is 10-5, including 1-3 in conference play.

Maryland fits the vein of the defense-minded teams Ohio State has faced in Big Ten play so far this season. The Terps are particularly adept at defending the long ball, allowing just 29% of opponent three-point attempts. Offensively, Ohio State is making 38% of its attempts.

Maryland is fifth in the conference in scoring defense, allowing 63.3 points per game. Ohio State’s other conference opponents so far this season, Rutgers, Northwestern and Purdue, are first, second and fourth, respectively, in the category, so the Buckeyes at least have experience having faced similar defensive squads.

On the flip side, offensively, Maryland is averaging just over 71 points per game. In a troubling turn for the team, the Terps have scored just 96 points in their last two outings. And the Terps are 13th in the conference in three-point offense, connecting on just 31% of their shots from range.

Senior guard Jahmir Young, who came to Maryland after three seasons with Charlotte, leads the Terps in scoring with 13.9 points per game. Seniors Donta Scott and Hakim Hart are also averaging in double-figures for Maryland so far this season. Scott was particularly hot in the early season stretch but has cooled with the start of Big Ten play.

In Maryland’s most recent outing against Rutgers, the Terps shot just 41% from the field as Young led the team with 13 points. Senior guard Don Carey, a transfer from Georgetown, was the only other Maryland player in double figures with a dozen points on the night. While Maryland and Rutgers were neck-and-neck on rebounds and steals, the Terps had 20 turnovers to Rutgers’ 13.

The second-straight double-digit loss was a blow for the squad which has a tough stretch ahead (after Ohio State, the Terps go on the road at Iowa, return home to face Michigan again, then have to head to Purdue).

Leading Maryland from the bench is Kevin Willard, who is in his first season in College Park after spending 12 seasons at Seton Hall. Willard, who played his college ball at Western Kentucky and Pitt, has experience with turnarounds, having previously righted the ship during his time at both Iona and Seton Hall and winning conference coach of the year honors at both.

Prediction

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Yet again this season, the Buckeyes find themselves facing a solid defensive opponent in the conference. On two occasions already, Ohio State has emerged on top in two very different game flows (a narrow buzzer-beater versus Rutgers and a totally dominant win against Northwestern).

Maryland owns the overall series against the Buckeyes 10-9. Last year, Ohio State split its two games with Maryland with each team taking its home matchup. Donta Scott led the Terps in the first matchup, a loss in Columbus, with 25 points and six rebounds.

Despite coming off a loss against Purdue, Ohio State seems to be playing better and better basketball as a team. Leading the way is Sensabaugh, who has won Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors for three-straight weeks and is establishing himself as one of the top players in the conference. The newcomer is seventh in the conference in scoring, averaging more than 16 points per game, and has led Ohio State in scoring in six of the last seven games.

The Buckeyes have risen all the way to No. 11 nationally and No. 2 in offensive efficiency according to Kenpom. Importantly, the Buckeyes finally seemed to be back to full strength heading into 2023 with the return of Gene Brown and Isaac Likekele to the lineup, but it didn’t help to be without one of their leading scorers for most of the game Thursday. It was announced Saturday afternoon during the Michigan vs. Michigan State game on FOX that Key, who averages 12.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, will not play today against the Terrapins.

Maryland, meanwhile, is sitting at a still-respectable No. 41 per Kenpom. However, Maryland’s recent slump might be a right-sizing of sorts. With a first-year head coach and without its top scorer from last season, the Terps were picked to finish 10th in the conference in the preseason. They rose as high as No. 13 in the nation after their impressive early season run, but offensive struggles that have emerged in recent weeks have exposed some of the gaps that will only become more salient as conference play continues.

Recent trajectories would seem to favor Ohio State (yes, even with the loss to the Boilermakers) but, as we’ve seen, road games in the Big Ten are no joke. We also can’t ignore the fact that both of Maryland’s recent double-digit losses came in tough road environments.

And Ohio State cannot underestimate facing a reeling squad that’s desperate to get back to winning ways before things spiral out of control.

ESPN BPI: Ohio State 55.4%

Time: 1 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

LGHL score prediction: Ohio State 74, Maryland 67

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Game Notes: No. 3 Ohio State avoids upset in Minnesota
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Ohio State University Athletic Department

The Buckeyes 12-point win doesn’t reflect a tough night against the Golden Gophers.

The Ohio State women’s basketball team continues their record-breaking season on Thursday. Against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the Buckeyes won 83-71 thanks to key performances from multiple members of the Scarlet & Gray. However, it was anything but comfortable for head coach Kevin McGuff’s side.

Here are some takeaways from the Buckeyes’ 16th win in 16 games.

Ohio State Outperformed


Ultimately, all the matters is the final outcome. Ohio State won and stays atop of the early Big Ten conference standings, and has 13 games remaining in their regular season schedule.

The Buckeyes’ win was like other victories this season. Ohio State goes down, they go down some more and then make a second half push, leaving their opponents in the dust. Entering Thursday, the Scarlet & Gray was the clear favorite against a Minnesota Golden Gophers team starting four freshman and a sophomore.

Appearances aren't always what they seem.

“I thought they played harder, competed better than we did, certainly in the first half,” said coach McGuff.

Ohio State led by five points at the end of the first quarter, but went into halftime down 43-39. Minnesota took the lead through forcing turnovers and getting the ball into the paint. Those turnovers allowed the Gophers to shoot nine more shots than the Buckeyes, and Ohio State couldn't get their press going because of misses and losing the ball.

In the paint, Minnesota out-scored coach McGuff’s side 28-16. It got so bad in the second quarter that the Buckeyes’ coach called a timeout to regroup and bring in forward Eboni Walker to start slowing down the Gophers.

It worked, to an extent, but the home team didn’t relent. Playing the No. 3 team in the country didn’t phase the Gophers. If anything, it energized them.

Guard Rikki Harris and the Buckeyes did better defensively, even if the offensive side of the ball still struggled. The Scarlet & Gray held Minnesota to one three, and their lowest point total of the game for a quarter, up until that point. There’s one area that the Ohio State point guard identified that particularly helped.

“We have to trust each other on the defensive end,” said Harris. “Once we started trusting each other, we played better defensively and then defensive turned into offense.

The final quarter saw that offense shine through. With Minnesota tired from running 30 minutes, the Buckeyes scored the first 14 points of the final quarter, five of which came from the free throw line.

“We finally got the competitive character part right in the second half,” said McGuff. “We buckled down, got a little better defensively, we got some rebounds and I think we were way better running in transition and moving the ball side-to-side to generate quality shots going down the stretch.”

Harris Putting in Work


All the starters for Ohio State were important in the game in different ways. For Harris, she continued her consistent play on the court since jumping into the role with the season-ending injury to Madison Greene on Dec. 20. Harris raised her game though scoring on Thursday.

Harris scored a career-high 19 points. How she scored the points was also on a different level. Harris shot 53.8% from the field, her best in the current stretch of four starts. She also improved at the free throw line, hitting all four of her shots at the charity stripe.

What doesn’t jump out on her stats — but was key in a close game — was turnovers. Harris only gave the ball away once, showing the experience of an upperclassman. Her night won not only the game, but the dub chain.

Taylor Mikesell’s Growing Role


Leading Ohio State in scoring is no surprise, with Taylor Mikesell scoring 22 points. It’s what the guard is known for, but this season continues to show her strengths elsewhere on the court.

For the third time since the Buckeyes went down two starting point guards, Mikesell registered at least a five in three different categories on the scoresheet. Thursday it was seven rebounds and seven assists on top of those 22 points.

It joins a 25-point, five-rebound and six-assist night against the Oregon Ducks, and 16 points, nine rebounds and seven steals against the Northwestern Wildcats.

Mikesell was doing it all Thursday, and she made her teammates better with fellow splash sister Jacy Sheldon still out with a lower leg injury.


After the game, Mikesell was asked about one area that’s down for her this season — shooting. Especially against the Michigan Wolverines, where Mikesell shot 25% from the floor. Mikesell’s field goal, three-point and free throw percentages are all down this season, slightly. The question was about what she needed to improve, and her answer was classic Mikesell.

“Nothing, just keep shooting,” said Mikesell. “At the end of the day its going to go in, so you just gotta keep shooting.”

Thierry and McMahon the Foundation


For all the great guard play over the 40 minutes of the game, it was the play of forward/guard Taylor Thierry and forward Cotie McMahon that calmed the ship for Ohio State.

The Buckeyes entered the game down in rebounding margin to their opponents, which is no shock, but against the Gophers their 19 combined rebounds put the Buckeyes up 45-40 in the rebounding department.

It didn’t come up more than in the second half. Thierry had eight in the second half alone, split half-and-half defensively and offensively, even though her seven points scored was below her season average.

McMahon had a tough first half, giving up bad turnovers where it seemed like her timing was off from her teammates. The last 20 minutes of the game, McMahon made those early transgressions in the game disappear. McMahon scored seven points and grabbed five rebounds in the last two quarters, and led the Buckeyes in +/- on the day.

Forward Rebeka Mikulášiková also came up big, hitting five threes for 15 points on the night. To read more about the Slovakian’s performance, check out the game recap.

Record Broken


This year has been Ohio State adding new lines to the program record book. Sheldon’s 11 steals in a game were an individual mark, and up until Thursday the team tied for their best start of the season since they became an official NCAA program in 1965.

Against the Golden Gophers, the win is the Buckeyes’ 16th in a row to start the year, now all alone in the University’s women’s basketball history. After the game, McGuff was asked if it broke the record.

“I don’t know,” said McGuff. “I’m not good at that stuff.”

An Almost Loss


People say that losing creates valuable lessons, but Ohio State doesn’t have any of them to look upon and learn. Thursday was really only the second time Ohio State was in a position to lose a game late. The other coming against the USF Bulls in the San Diego Invitational.

While neither turned into a loss, the USF game, which needed overtime and a swing in the final minute of that overtime to pull out a victory, was a catalyst for improved play on the other side of the result.

There’s a lot to take from Thursday’s game, like finding better shots, playing better defense in the paint and trusting each other defensively. If there’s a time to take a step in those departments, its now with the 14-2 Illinois Fighting Illini and an away trip to the Nebraska Cornhuskers on the horizon.

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