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Week 12 Games Discussion
- By Jaxbuck
- 2022 Football Season Capsule
- 866 Replies
I was going to say that was one of the worst calls ever.
Then, I remembered this bad boy.
What are you talking about? There was clearly no PI there.
Upvote
0
LGHL Column: What I am grateful for heading into The Game
- News
- 0 Replies
Column: What I am grateful for heading into The Game
meganhusslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
There sure is a lot to be thankful for surrounding this Buckeye football team, especially during rivalry week leading up to The Game.
Rivalry Week is officially upon us... as well as Thanksgiving (I think The Game might be a bigger holiday). This week is a time to pause and reflect on all that we are grateful for this year. Buckeye fans are supremely blessed with an 11-0 season, filled with breakout players and dominant wins. That all culminates on Saturday.
Here is a list of what I am thankful for as we head into The Game.
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Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
How painful was it to hear “Pump it Up” after every single touchdown at The Big House last year? Six dreadful times of hearing that song along with the crowd going absolutely bananas. I am extremely grateful that this year, if the Shoe’s DJ decides to be petty and plays it, it will be for a Buckeye TD and not a Wolverine one.
If it isn’t played, I will be equally as happy. That song permanently scarred me. It is such an advantage that in one of the most important games in the series history, it will be played in Columbus. The Buckeyes have definitely had their fair share of struggles on the road this season with Penn State, Northwestern and Maryland. However, they are dominant at home.
Personally, this will be my first ever Ohio State-Michigan game that I am attending. I am ecstatic. The stadium was electric during the Penn State game last year and the Notre Dame game this year, but I expect the crowd to be dialed up about 10 notches. It’s going to be loud and there’s going to be a lot of scarlet. Buckeyes- 1, Wolverines- 0.
2. Dallan Hayden
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Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Obviously, I am thankful for everyone in the running back room. However, Hayden is stepped up big time when needed, especially against Maryland this past Saturday. It seems like either Miyan Williams or TreVeyon Henderson is out every week, making Hayden the backup. He has gotten a lot more snaps than initially anticipated this season, but he has made the most with the time he has gotten on the field.
It is nice to have him as a security blanket. Unfortunately, there seems to be a theme of a starting running back getting injured each week, and the other starter has to shoulder the majority of the load. That’s where Hayden comes in to share some of the snaps, and experiencing massive success while doing so. I feel like he will be a major key in The Game.
3. Marvin Harrison Jr.
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Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
I feel like this one is pretty self-explanatory. He’s the GOAT. He should be the Biletnikoff Award recipient. He’s been damn near perfect all year long. However, last Saturday’s game revealed why he is even more important than we think.
He’s clearly the best weapon on the team, making amazing plays for positive yardage and averaging one touchdown per game. However, he was being heavily defended against Maryland, even more so than usual, limiting him to just 68 receiving yards. This isn’t entirely a bad thing. When he gets double teamed, it frees up the other receivers to make great plays, as demonstrated by Emeka Egbuka on Saturday. This team is full of talent, and honestly, Marv makes a lot of great things possible.
4. A hungry defense in need of some food (I think Wolverine is their favorite)
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Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
This defense is READY!! This is the moment they have been training for all season long. They have skyrocketed in terms of their improvement, and this game I expect them to ball out. They are going to be amped up, they are going to jump from the line of scrimmage in search of someone wearing maize and blue to take down to the ground.
I see J.T. Tuimoloau and Tommy Eichenberg having big games. Eichenberg has been here before, so his leadership will be invaluable. Tuimoloau I think is just ready to erupt, and this will be the perfect opportunity. Yes, the defense had a bit of a blip against Maryland, but I think that was an anomaly. Will there be some nerves, and as a result some penalties? Probably. But I believe the good will outweigh the bad in this case, and their energy will be to their advantage.
Continue reading...
meganhusslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
There sure is a lot to be thankful for surrounding this Buckeye football team, especially during rivalry week leading up to The Game.
Rivalry Week is officially upon us... as well as Thanksgiving (I think The Game might be a bigger holiday). This week is a time to pause and reflect on all that we are grateful for this year. Buckeye fans are supremely blessed with an 11-0 season, filled with breakout players and dominant wins. That all culminates on Saturday.
Here is a list of what I am thankful for as we head into The Game.
- Home Field Advantage
How painful was it to hear “Pump it Up” after every single touchdown at The Big House last year? Six dreadful times of hearing that song along with the crowd going absolutely bananas. I am extremely grateful that this year, if the Shoe’s DJ decides to be petty and plays it, it will be for a Buckeye TD and not a Wolverine one.
If it isn’t played, I will be equally as happy. That song permanently scarred me. It is such an advantage that in one of the most important games in the series history, it will be played in Columbus. The Buckeyes have definitely had their fair share of struggles on the road this season with Penn State, Northwestern and Maryland. However, they are dominant at home.
Personally, this will be my first ever Ohio State-Michigan game that I am attending. I am ecstatic. The stadium was electric during the Penn State game last year and the Notre Dame game this year, but I expect the crowd to be dialed up about 10 notches. It’s going to be loud and there’s going to be a lot of scarlet. Buckeyes- 1, Wolverines- 0.
2. Dallan Hayden
Obviously, I am thankful for everyone in the running back room. However, Hayden is stepped up big time when needed, especially against Maryland this past Saturday. It seems like either Miyan Williams or TreVeyon Henderson is out every week, making Hayden the backup. He has gotten a lot more snaps than initially anticipated this season, but he has made the most with the time he has gotten on the field.
It is nice to have him as a security blanket. Unfortunately, there seems to be a theme of a starting running back getting injured each week, and the other starter has to shoulder the majority of the load. That’s where Hayden comes in to share some of the snaps, and experiencing massive success while doing so. I feel like he will be a major key in The Game.
3. Marvin Harrison Jr.
I feel like this one is pretty self-explanatory. He’s the GOAT. He should be the Biletnikoff Award recipient. He’s been damn near perfect all year long. However, last Saturday’s game revealed why he is even more important than we think.
He’s clearly the best weapon on the team, making amazing plays for positive yardage and averaging one touchdown per game. However, he was being heavily defended against Maryland, even more so than usual, limiting him to just 68 receiving yards. This isn’t entirely a bad thing. When he gets double teamed, it frees up the other receivers to make great plays, as demonstrated by Emeka Egbuka on Saturday. This team is full of talent, and honestly, Marv makes a lot of great things possible.
4. A hungry defense in need of some food (I think Wolverine is their favorite)
This defense is READY!! This is the moment they have been training for all season long. They have skyrocketed in terms of their improvement, and this game I expect them to ball out. They are going to be amped up, they are going to jump from the line of scrimmage in search of someone wearing maize and blue to take down to the ground.
I see J.T. Tuimoloau and Tommy Eichenberg having big games. Eichenberg has been here before, so his leadership will be invaluable. Tuimoloau I think is just ready to erupt, and this will be the perfect opportunity. Yes, the defense had a bit of a blip against Maryland, but I think that was an anomaly. Will there be some nerves, and as a result some penalties? Probably. But I believe the good will outweigh the bad in this case, and their energy will be to their advantage.
Continue reading...
LGHL Column: Come on, where’s our petty Jim Harbaugh?
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- 0 Replies
Column: Come on, where’s our petty Jim Harbaugh?
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
It’s only a matter of time.
Two decades ago, when Jim Tressel and Lloyd Carr faced off against one another, the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry was perhaps the classiest in all of sports. The two coaches never showed anything but the utmost respect for one another. And while other rivalries like the now defunct Backyard Brawl between Pitt and West Virginia or the Miami (FL) vs. Florida State games of old often resulted in fisticuffs, such occasions didn’t feel as common in the days of yore for the Buckeyes.
Then came the series of unfortunate events for Michigan that was Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke that eventually led to Jim Harbaugh, and the concurrent transition from Tressel to Urban Meyer and, finally, to Ryan Day.
And here we are, in 2022.
Things feel different now. But perhaps it’s just the passage of time and the warmth of nostalgia that makes me yearn for the rivalry of yore. Regardless, the rivalry we see today, from a coaching perspective, shows two men who are not fans of each other and don’t try to hide it.
That disdain may be because the pair are so different. Day is kind of a boring coach, all things considered. Obviously he has a great mind for coaching, but he’s about as anti-drama as they come. Generally, he’s calm, cool, collected and logical. It’s what made moments like his near-fight with Greg Schiano earlier this season so wild.
Harbaugh is Day’s foil. He is eccentric and, at times, downright absurd. See challenging a walrus to a pushup contest, having a sleepover at a recruit’s house and his obsession with milk. And that’s not even getting into the whole thing with his khakis. He’s a distraction in and of himself, and seemingly can’t get through a presser without either a weird or disparaging comment.
(We should give credit where credit is due: Harbaugh’s eccentricity is in many ways a shield for his players. As much as he’s blamed refs, opposing coaches and others for Michigan’s shortcomings, that blame has never publicly fallen on his players, which is more than can be said for a lot of coaches. Looking at you, Brian Kelly.)
Those personalities show themselves in perceptions of Ohio State and Michigan. Ohio State has a ton of flash (think Marvin Harrison Jr.’s Louis Vuitton cleats), but Day is very much the anchor behind the scene that keeps his stars flashing at their flashiest. When we think of the faces of Ohio State football, Day is probably not even in your top five.
On the other sideline, Harbaugh is Michigan’s brand all by himself — he’s undoubtedly the face and name that comes to mind when you think of Wolverine football.
Of course these opposites would clash over time. We all have that person who gets under our skin. For Day, that person is Harbaugh. For Harbaugh, it’s pretty much anyone who crosses his path, including Day. Seriously, he just doesn’t have the patience to maintain positive relationships with many opposing coaches, players and officials. See here and here for examples.
For Day, that frustration boiled over in 2020 during a Big Ten coaches conference call, when Harbaugh interrupted Day while he was speaking to accuse Day of breaking rules. Day responded by telling Harbaugh to worry about his own team while Day worried about Ohio State. Later that week, Day famously told his team they’d hang 100 on the Wolverines. (That was in 2020 and Michigan backed out of the regular season finale due to COVID). It was reminiscent of that time Woody Hayes said “because I couldn’t go for three” in response to why he went for a two-point conversion against his rivals in 1968, but without any of the genial ribbing.
For Harbaugh, things came to a head with Day in 2021 when he made his now worn statement: “Sometimes, people that are standing on third base think they hit a triple.” The words came in the post-game presser after, *gulp* Ohio State fell on the road to the Wolverines and, while not said directly in reference to Day, were a clear statement about the well-oiled program Day inherited from Meyer.
Neither of these statements was kind hearted or friendly needling. Both were incredibly mean spirited.
When asked in his Monday presser about Ohio State and Ryan Day, Harbaugh deflected the question and even said there was “No need to hate.” It’s a break from the drama we’ve grown accustomed to.
But it’s still early in the week, and Harbaugh has time.
Continue reading...
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
It’s only a matter of time.
Two decades ago, when Jim Tressel and Lloyd Carr faced off against one another, the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry was perhaps the classiest in all of sports. The two coaches never showed anything but the utmost respect for one another. And while other rivalries like the now defunct Backyard Brawl between Pitt and West Virginia or the Miami (FL) vs. Florida State games of old often resulted in fisticuffs, such occasions didn’t feel as common in the days of yore for the Buckeyes.
Then came the series of unfortunate events for Michigan that was Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke that eventually led to Jim Harbaugh, and the concurrent transition from Tressel to Urban Meyer and, finally, to Ryan Day.
And here we are, in 2022.
Things feel different now. But perhaps it’s just the passage of time and the warmth of nostalgia that makes me yearn for the rivalry of yore. Regardless, the rivalry we see today, from a coaching perspective, shows two men who are not fans of each other and don’t try to hide it.
That disdain may be because the pair are so different. Day is kind of a boring coach, all things considered. Obviously he has a great mind for coaching, but he’s about as anti-drama as they come. Generally, he’s calm, cool, collected and logical. It’s what made moments like his near-fight with Greg Schiano earlier this season so wild.
Harbaugh is Day’s foil. He is eccentric and, at times, downright absurd. See challenging a walrus to a pushup contest, having a sleepover at a recruit’s house and his obsession with milk. And that’s not even getting into the whole thing with his khakis. He’s a distraction in and of himself, and seemingly can’t get through a presser without either a weird or disparaging comment.
(We should give credit where credit is due: Harbaugh’s eccentricity is in many ways a shield for his players. As much as he’s blamed refs, opposing coaches and others for Michigan’s shortcomings, that blame has never publicly fallen on his players, which is more than can be said for a lot of coaches. Looking at you, Brian Kelly.)
Those personalities show themselves in perceptions of Ohio State and Michigan. Ohio State has a ton of flash (think Marvin Harrison Jr.’s Louis Vuitton cleats), but Day is very much the anchor behind the scene that keeps his stars flashing at their flashiest. When we think of the faces of Ohio State football, Day is probably not even in your top five.
On the other sideline, Harbaugh is Michigan’s brand all by himself — he’s undoubtedly the face and name that comes to mind when you think of Wolverine football.
Of course these opposites would clash over time. We all have that person who gets under our skin. For Day, that person is Harbaugh. For Harbaugh, it’s pretty much anyone who crosses his path, including Day. Seriously, he just doesn’t have the patience to maintain positive relationships with many opposing coaches, players and officials. See here and here for examples.
For Day, that frustration boiled over in 2020 during a Big Ten coaches conference call, when Harbaugh interrupted Day while he was speaking to accuse Day of breaking rules. Day responded by telling Harbaugh to worry about his own team while Day worried about Ohio State. Later that week, Day famously told his team they’d hang 100 on the Wolverines. (That was in 2020 and Michigan backed out of the regular season finale due to COVID). It was reminiscent of that time Woody Hayes said “because I couldn’t go for three” in response to why he went for a two-point conversion against his rivals in 1968, but without any of the genial ribbing.
For Harbaugh, things came to a head with Day in 2021 when he made his now worn statement: “Sometimes, people that are standing on third base think they hit a triple.” The words came in the post-game presser after, *gulp* Ohio State fell on the road to the Wolverines and, while not said directly in reference to Day, were a clear statement about the well-oiled program Day inherited from Meyer.
Neither of these statements was kind hearted or friendly needling. Both were incredibly mean spirited.
When asked in his Monday presser about Ohio State and Ryan Day, Harbaugh deflected the question and even said there was “No need to hate.” It’s a break from the drama we’ve grown accustomed to.
But it’s still early in the week, and Harbaugh has time.
Continue reading...
LGHL Silver Bullets Podcast: Maryland Rewind and Michigan Preview
- News
- 0 Replies
Silver Bullets Podcast: Maryland Rewind and Michigan Preview
Michael Citro 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
The Buckeyes overcame another stressful road game, and now it’s time for The Game.
Ohio State’s win at Maryland was a bit stressful, but in the end the Buckeyes did enough to get the job done on a day when other favored teams needed late scores to win — or didn’t survive at all. We dive into all the good and bad of Ohio State’s 43-30 win in College Park. Hopefully the team will be a lot more focused and amped up for an iteration of The Game between a pair of unbeaten top-five teams. We look back at our picks to click and our score predictions to see how reality stacked up against our imaginations, too.
After the Maryland talk, we welcomed in David Woelkers from SBNation site Maize N Brew to get us prepped on the Wolverines prior to their trip to the Horseshoe this Saturday. David gave us the scoop on what’s up with Michigan, but no one seems sure what to make of Blake Corum’s knee injury at this point. That is an important knee for the Wolverines. Big thanks to David for stopping by and helping us preview The Game.
We took our weekly walk through the rest of the Big Ten results from Saturday, and the West finally came into a little more focus with one weekend remaining. Meanwhile, Penn State has quietly rolled through everyone not named Ohio State or Michigan, and the Spartans almost certainly threw away their shot at bowl eligibility in the second half and overtime against Indiana at home.
Finally, we discussed the importance that Steele Chambers has in stopping J.J. McCarthy in the run game on Saturday, and we dove into Michigan’s stats a bit before making our predictions and picks to click for this weekend’s battle of the titans in Columbus.
We’ll be back next week to talk about Ohio State’s matchup with the Wolverines and to preview... well, whatever’s next, which we won’t know until after the game. It’s a little strange not having that next opponent set, but that’s what the end of the regular season brings. In the meantime, feel free to reach out with your feedback and questions below in the comments section or send us an email. Be sure to subscribe, rate, review, and share!
Continue reading...
Michael Citro 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
The Buckeyes overcame another stressful road game, and now it’s time for The Game.
Ohio State’s win at Maryland was a bit stressful, but in the end the Buckeyes did enough to get the job done on a day when other favored teams needed late scores to win — or didn’t survive at all. We dive into all the good and bad of Ohio State’s 43-30 win in College Park. Hopefully the team will be a lot more focused and amped up for an iteration of The Game between a pair of unbeaten top-five teams. We look back at our picks to click and our score predictions to see how reality stacked up against our imaginations, too.
After the Maryland talk, we welcomed in David Woelkers from SBNation site Maize N Brew to get us prepped on the Wolverines prior to their trip to the Horseshoe this Saturday. David gave us the scoop on what’s up with Michigan, but no one seems sure what to make of Blake Corum’s knee injury at this point. That is an important knee for the Wolverines. Big thanks to David for stopping by and helping us preview The Game.
We took our weekly walk through the rest of the Big Ten results from Saturday, and the West finally came into a little more focus with one weekend remaining. Meanwhile, Penn State has quietly rolled through everyone not named Ohio State or Michigan, and the Spartans almost certainly threw away their shot at bowl eligibility in the second half and overtime against Indiana at home.
Finally, we discussed the importance that Steele Chambers has in stopping J.J. McCarthy in the run game on Saturday, and we dove into Michigan’s stats a bit before making our predictions and picks to click for this weekend’s battle of the titans in Columbus.
We’ll be back next week to talk about Ohio State’s matchup with the Wolverines and to preview... well, whatever’s next, which we won’t know until after the game. It’s a little strange not having that next opponent set, but that’s what the end of the regular season brings. In the meantime, feel free to reach out with your feedback and questions below in the comments section or send us an email. Be sure to subscribe, rate, review, and share!
Continue reading...
LGHL BOOOOM!! Four-star athlete Garett Stover commits to Ohio State
- News
- 0 Replies
BOOOOM!! Four-star athlete Garett Stover commits to Ohio State
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 four-star ATH Garrett Stover via @GarrettStover2 on Twitter
Ohio State lost a member in its 2023 recruiting class, but added to its 2024 class on Monday.
Rivalry Week is finally here, and the Buckeyes are gearing up for their biggest game of the season. The ‘Shoe will be full Saturday when Ohio State plays host to Michigan, and most of the college football landscape will have their eyes on the game. ESPN, FOX, and many other media outlets will be setting up shop in Columbus Saturday, but they will not be the only ones making the trek to Ohio Stadium this weekend.
The visitor list for the game this weekend will likely be one of the largest of the season, and many of those making the visit are priority targets for the Buckeyes. While many of the Ohio State headlines this week will focus on the current roster, Ryan Day and his staff will also be heavily featured in the recruiting headlines as well.
Garrett Stover commits to Ohio State
Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class is in the midst of the final touches. While the Buckeyes will look to add a few more commitments to the class, a lot of focus has been put on next year’s class as well.
The Buckeyes entered the week with two verbal commitments in the class, good for the No. 11 group in the country. However, late Monday night that total rose to three, as 2024 four-star athlete Garrett Stover (Sunbury, OH / Big Walnut) announced his commitment to Ohio State.
After a lot of thought I’ve decided to commit to The Ohio State University! I’d like to thank everyone that has supported me throughout this process and all of the programs that recruited me! #gobucks #BOOM pic.twitter.com/BRBwXn7ODF
— Garrett Stover (@GarrettStover2) November 22, 2022
Ohio State has long shown interest in Stover, who is cousins with current Ohio State tight end Cade Stover. He visited with the Buckeyes in the spring, and that was just the beginning of what grew to be a strong relationship with the Buckeyes coaching staff.
Stover took another visit to Ohio State for a June summer camp, and left with an official scholarship offer. The summer visit was not his last, however, as he made another return visit to Ohio State on Sept. 3 for the team’s home-opener versus Notre Dame.
Following his first visit for an in-game environment, multiple 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions started coming in, pegging him to Ohio State. Those predictions came true Monday when he made the decision official.
Stover spoke with Bill Kurelic of 247Sports following the commitment and had the following to say on Ohio State and his decision:
“It’s always been a dream of mine to be a Buckeye,” Stover told Bucknuts “It feels amazing. It’s awesome that it’s close to home and It really just shows all the work I have put in has paid off. It is all around the perfect fit for me and it just feels like home. That place is filled with amazing people that I have built relationships with and I have a great relationship with the staff as well. I’m excited to get developed and join the brotherhood.”
Stover chose to commit to Ohio State over a long list of impressive programs including Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwester, Iowa State, Kentucky, Duke, Pitt, etc.
Stover is the No. 17 ATH in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and is the No. 168 overall prospect in the 2024 class. He is also the No. 6 prospect from the state of Ohio.
Brock Glenn de-commits, Ohio State to host four-star QB
Rivalry Week may have just arrived, but flip-season has been heavily active. Ohio State has had a rough go of things of late, seeing 2023 four-star running back Mark Fletcher (Fort Lauderdale, FL / American Heritage) de-commit from the program last week. On Monday, the Buckeyes lost another verbal commitment when four-star quarterback Brock Glenn (Memphis, TN / Lausanne Collegiate School) decided to leave the program in favor of Florida State.
Committed! Go Noles @FSUFootball @Coach_Norvell @Coach_Tokarz @CoachAAtkins pic.twitter.com/lDGlj82jMO
— Brock Glenn (@Brock1Glenn) November 21, 2022
Glenn committed to the Buckeyes on July 30, 2022 over LSU and Florida State. Both the Tigers and the Seminoles looked like the favorites at points late in his recruitment, but it was Ohio State that landed the blue-chip prospect. However, Florida State never stopped recruiting Glenn, and recent rumblings about a de-commit started to make noise. Those rumors quickly showed as true, as Glenn is now a member of the Seminoles’ class.
The move certainly hurts the Buckeyes class, as the team currently has no commit at the position. The class is still impressive, viewed as the No. 6 class in the 247Sports rankings as things stand, but the better news is the Buckeyes may already have a contingency plan.
One of the many recruits scheduled to be visiting Ohio State this weekend is 2023 four-star quarterback Lincoln Kienholz (Pierre, SD / T.F. Riggs). The blue-chip QB has seen an uptick in contact from Ohio State as of late, and he will now be using one of his five official visits with the team.
UPDATE: Ohio State will receive an Official Visit From 2023 Washington 4
️QB Commit Lincoln Kienholz For THE GAME
Kienholz is a late riser who Ohio State is really high on and would be a big pickup at the QB position
With the rumors of Brock Glenn decommitting this is hugeee pic.twitter.com/pLqnPutdCB
— Recruiting Edits (@614EditzDSGN) November 21, 2022
While the visit is good news for the Buckeyes, the coaching staff has plenty of work ahead of themselves if he is to play football in Columbus. Kienholz committed to the Washington Huskies on June 29, 2022 after using an official visit the week prior.
Despite being committed to Washington, Kienholz is deciding to visit with Ohio State late in the season. This compounded with the news on Glenn’s de-commitment certainly looks promising for the Buckeyes, but as the team has learned the hard way, nothing is a guarantee in college football recruiting.
Glenn is the No. 22 QB in the 247Sports Composite and is the No. 378 overall prospect. He is also the No. 12 prospect out of Tennessee. Kienholz is the No. 24 QB in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and is the No. 404 prospect. He is also the No. 1 recruit out of South Dakota.
While Kienholz may be ranked lower in the above metrics, he is far from a falloff at the position. The blue-chip prospect had an incredible season that led to a South Dakota state title. He also produced the below career stats:
Career Stats !!
️9,100 passing yards
️104 passing touchdowns
️3,502 rushing yards
️44 rushing touchdowns
️3 year starter
️3x All Conference
️3x First Team All State
️3x Joe Robbie MVP
️4x State Champion
— Lincoln Kienholz (@LincolnKienholz) November 21, 2022
Continue reading...
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 four-star ATH Garrett Stover via @GarrettStover2 on Twitter
Ohio State lost a member in its 2023 recruiting class, but added to its 2024 class on Monday.
Rivalry Week is finally here, and the Buckeyes are gearing up for their biggest game of the season. The ‘Shoe will be full Saturday when Ohio State plays host to Michigan, and most of the college football landscape will have their eyes on the game. ESPN, FOX, and many other media outlets will be setting up shop in Columbus Saturday, but they will not be the only ones making the trek to Ohio Stadium this weekend.
The visitor list for the game this weekend will likely be one of the largest of the season, and many of those making the visit are priority targets for the Buckeyes. While many of the Ohio State headlines this week will focus on the current roster, Ryan Day and his staff will also be heavily featured in the recruiting headlines as well.
Garrett Stover commits to Ohio State
Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class is in the midst of the final touches. While the Buckeyes will look to add a few more commitments to the class, a lot of focus has been put on next year’s class as well.
The Buckeyes entered the week with two verbal commitments in the class, good for the No. 11 group in the country. However, late Monday night that total rose to three, as 2024 four-star athlete Garrett Stover (Sunbury, OH / Big Walnut) announced his commitment to Ohio State.
After a lot of thought I’ve decided to commit to The Ohio State University! I’d like to thank everyone that has supported me throughout this process and all of the programs that recruited me! #gobucks #BOOM pic.twitter.com/BRBwXn7ODF
— Garrett Stover (@GarrettStover2) November 22, 2022
Ohio State has long shown interest in Stover, who is cousins with current Ohio State tight end Cade Stover. He visited with the Buckeyes in the spring, and that was just the beginning of what grew to be a strong relationship with the Buckeyes coaching staff.
Stover took another visit to Ohio State for a June summer camp, and left with an official scholarship offer. The summer visit was not his last, however, as he made another return visit to Ohio State on Sept. 3 for the team’s home-opener versus Notre Dame.
Following his first visit for an in-game environment, multiple 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions started coming in, pegging him to Ohio State. Those predictions came true Monday when he made the decision official.
Stover spoke with Bill Kurelic of 247Sports following the commitment and had the following to say on Ohio State and his decision:
“It’s always been a dream of mine to be a Buckeye,” Stover told Bucknuts “It feels amazing. It’s awesome that it’s close to home and It really just shows all the work I have put in has paid off. It is all around the perfect fit for me and it just feels like home. That place is filled with amazing people that I have built relationships with and I have a great relationship with the staff as well. I’m excited to get developed and join the brotherhood.”
Stover chose to commit to Ohio State over a long list of impressive programs including Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwester, Iowa State, Kentucky, Duke, Pitt, etc.
Stover is the No. 17 ATH in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and is the No. 168 overall prospect in the 2024 class. He is also the No. 6 prospect from the state of Ohio.
Brock Glenn de-commits, Ohio State to host four-star QB
Rivalry Week may have just arrived, but flip-season has been heavily active. Ohio State has had a rough go of things of late, seeing 2023 four-star running back Mark Fletcher (Fort Lauderdale, FL / American Heritage) de-commit from the program last week. On Monday, the Buckeyes lost another verbal commitment when four-star quarterback Brock Glenn (Memphis, TN / Lausanne Collegiate School) decided to leave the program in favor of Florida State.
Committed! Go Noles @FSUFootball @Coach_Norvell @Coach_Tokarz @CoachAAtkins pic.twitter.com/lDGlj82jMO
— Brock Glenn (@Brock1Glenn) November 21, 2022
Glenn committed to the Buckeyes on July 30, 2022 over LSU and Florida State. Both the Tigers and the Seminoles looked like the favorites at points late in his recruitment, but it was Ohio State that landed the blue-chip prospect. However, Florida State never stopped recruiting Glenn, and recent rumblings about a de-commit started to make noise. Those rumors quickly showed as true, as Glenn is now a member of the Seminoles’ class.
The move certainly hurts the Buckeyes class, as the team currently has no commit at the position. The class is still impressive, viewed as the No. 6 class in the 247Sports rankings as things stand, but the better news is the Buckeyes may already have a contingency plan.
One of the many recruits scheduled to be visiting Ohio State this weekend is 2023 four-star quarterback Lincoln Kienholz (Pierre, SD / T.F. Riggs). The blue-chip QB has seen an uptick in contact from Ohio State as of late, and he will now be using one of his five official visits with the team.
UPDATE: Ohio State will receive an Official Visit From 2023 Washington 4
️QB Commit Lincoln Kienholz For THE GAMEKienholz is a late riser who Ohio State is really high on and would be a big pickup at the QB position
With the rumors of Brock Glenn decommitting this is hugeee pic.twitter.com/pLqnPutdCB
— Recruiting Edits (@614EditzDSGN) November 21, 2022
While the visit is good news for the Buckeyes, the coaching staff has plenty of work ahead of themselves if he is to play football in Columbus. Kienholz committed to the Washington Huskies on June 29, 2022 after using an official visit the week prior.
Despite being committed to Washington, Kienholz is deciding to visit with Ohio State late in the season. This compounded with the news on Glenn’s de-commitment certainly looks promising for the Buckeyes, but as the team has learned the hard way, nothing is a guarantee in college football recruiting.
Glenn is the No. 22 QB in the 247Sports Composite and is the No. 378 overall prospect. He is also the No. 12 prospect out of Tennessee. Kienholz is the No. 24 QB in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and is the No. 404 prospect. He is also the No. 1 recruit out of South Dakota.
While Kienholz may be ranked lower in the above metrics, he is far from a falloff at the position. The blue-chip prospect had an incredible season that led to a South Dakota state title. He also produced the below career stats:
Career Stats !!
️9,100 passing yards️104 passing touchdowns️3,502 rushing yards️44 rushing touchdowns️3 year starter️3x All Conference ️3x First Team All State️3x Joe Robbie MVP️4x State Champion— Lincoln Kienholz (@LincolnKienholz) November 21, 2022
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LGHL Three things from Ohio State’s 88-77 loss to San Diego St. at the Maui Invitational
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Three things from Ohio State’s 88-77 loss to San Diego St. at the Maui Invitational
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images
It might have been the Buckeyes’ first loss of the season, but there’s lots of positives to take from the defeat.
In the quarterfinals of the 2022 Maui Invitational tournament, the Ohio State men’s basketball team just flat-out lost to a better team. The No. 17 San Diego State Aztecs handed the Buckeyes their first loss of the season Xx-Xx on Monday night, but — call me a homer — I think that there were actually quite a few positives to take away from the game.
First and foremost, Sean McNeil is a scorer. The former West Virginia Mountaineer had 19 points through three games as a Buckeye, and dude went out and put on a show in the second half for OSU, nearly single-handedly keeping his team in the contest. McNeil ended the game with 22 points, just four off of his career-high.
It was also probably really good for the young Buckeyes to play a team early in the non-conference schedule that had the ability to push them around and show them what level of physicality will be needed to play college basketball.
Despite the fact that the Aztecs built a 14-point lead with 8:01 left to play, the Buckeyes continued to fight, eventually cutting the SDSU lead to just seven with 3:57 remaining. While Chris Holtmann’s team was never able to get any closer than that, the heart and perseverance that the team displayed have to build a little bit of confidence moving forward for the Buckeyes.
San Diego State is one of the best teams in the country and the experience of grinding it out in a respectable early-season game should pay dividends throughout the rest of the campaign.
In addition to McNeil’s game-high 22, true freshmen Brice Sensabaugh and Bruce Thornton contributed 17 and 13 respectively, and the latter freshman fouled out with just under two minutes remaining in regulation.
In his return home to Hawaii, Justice Sueing struggled a bit at times but ended up with 6 points and 6 rebounds.
Zed Key has to avoid foul trouble for this team to compete
The Ohio State veteran big man picked up his second personal foul just 5:21 into the game and ended up playing only three more minutes in the first period. With Key out, the Buckeyes first went with an all-guard/small-forward lineup with true freshman center Felix Okpara mixed in.
That is when the wheels started to fall off a bit for the Buckeyes. Not only does Key present a legitimate offensive threat inside, but just his presence on the court also allows the rest of the offense to have extra space to operate. Without a true inside scorer, San Diego State’s defense was able to gum up just about everything that OSU tried to do in the first half.
While it wasn’t exactly night and day, with Key back in the game in the first five minutes after halftime, the OSU offense found a bit of a rhythm with McNeil capitalizing on the increased room to operate. Key picked up his third foul (coincidentally enough) 5:21 into the second half. He did stay in the game this time but came out after a few more minutes.
I think that the Buckeyes have a number of veterans that can provide leadership — especially as the season goes on — but Zed Key is the guy who provides both the on-floor stability for the squad to be able to run its best offense and also the experience to keep his guys under control and focused on the task at hand.
Key ended the game with just 7 points and 3 rebounds in 21 minutes of action, but he was the leading Buckeye in terms of +/- at +5. The only other OSU player to have a + number was Sean McNeil; speaking of which...
Buckeye Nation, meet Sean McNeil
West Virginia transfer Sean McNeil did not score in 29 minutes of action against Eastern Illinois last Wednesday. Coming into Maui, he had 19 points on the season. He had 22 against San Diego State, one of the best, toughest defenses in the country.
At one point early in the second half, McNeil scored 11-straight points for Ohio State, keeping the Buckeyes in a game that could have gotten out of hand quickly coming out of the intermission.
Not only was McNeil showing his ability to connect on spot-up jumpers from distance, but what impressed me most about McNeil was his ability to come off of screens and create his own shots.
While so much of the conversation about this year’s squad has been rightly focused on the highly-rated recruiting class, Ohio State is going to need contributions from transfers McNeil, Ice Likekele, and Tanner Holden. So seeing what McNeil is capable of doing — turning into an absolute microwave — is definitely a positive.
It’s going to take a while for this team to gel
If you have watched the Buckeyes in their first four games this season, you know that there are a lot of new faces playing big-time minutes for Holtmann’s squad. Against San Diego State, the only returning contributor from the 2021-22 season to play was Key. Of course, Justice Sueing was injured for nearly the entire season, but the rest of the rotation for OSU currently is made up of true freshmen and transfer players.
During their first three games of the season, the Buckeyes beat up on Robert Morris (this is actually a school, not just one dude who tried to take on the entire OSU team), Charleston Southern, and Eastern Illinois. So, Monday night’s game against the No. 17 Aztecs was really the first time that this new configuration of Buckeyes has played against anyone of substance.
There were certainly things to be excited about from the game — obviously, McNeil, Bryce Sensabaugh, Bruce Thornton — but the lack of cohesion was pretty obvious in the game. The offense felt more than a little disjointed, which is probably just as much a function of Ohio State’s lack of time together as it is San Diego State having the No. 7 rated defense in the country according to Ken Pomeroy.
In the first half, the Buckeyes were 9-for-30 from the floor (including 1-for-11 from distance) and with Key out, there just wasn’t much flow on the offensive end of the floor.
In the second half, thanks to McNeil’s hot hand and some impressive defensive possessions, the Buckeyes cut what was a 15-point hole to just four at the 13:28 mark in regulation. Then, thanks to back-to-back triples and a turned-over in-bounds play, San Diego State had pushed the lead back up to 59-47 just 51 seconds later.
It’s moments like that where a more experienced group might have been able to slow down the action and keep the deficit to seven instead of 12.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images
It might have been the Buckeyes’ first loss of the season, but there’s lots of positives to take from the defeat.
In the quarterfinals of the 2022 Maui Invitational tournament, the Ohio State men’s basketball team just flat-out lost to a better team. The No. 17 San Diego State Aztecs handed the Buckeyes their first loss of the season Xx-Xx on Monday night, but — call me a homer — I think that there were actually quite a few positives to take away from the game.
First and foremost, Sean McNeil is a scorer. The former West Virginia Mountaineer had 19 points through three games as a Buckeye, and dude went out and put on a show in the second half for OSU, nearly single-handedly keeping his team in the contest. McNeil ended the game with 22 points, just four off of his career-high.
It was also probably really good for the young Buckeyes to play a team early in the non-conference schedule that had the ability to push them around and show them what level of physicality will be needed to play college basketball.
Despite the fact that the Aztecs built a 14-point lead with 8:01 left to play, the Buckeyes continued to fight, eventually cutting the SDSU lead to just seven with 3:57 remaining. While Chris Holtmann’s team was never able to get any closer than that, the heart and perseverance that the team displayed have to build a little bit of confidence moving forward for the Buckeyes.
San Diego State is one of the best teams in the country and the experience of grinding it out in a respectable early-season game should pay dividends throughout the rest of the campaign.
In addition to McNeil’s game-high 22, true freshmen Brice Sensabaugh and Bruce Thornton contributed 17 and 13 respectively, and the latter freshman fouled out with just under two minutes remaining in regulation.
In his return home to Hawaii, Justice Sueing struggled a bit at times but ended up with 6 points and 6 rebounds.
Zed Key has to avoid foul trouble for this team to compete
The Ohio State veteran big man picked up his second personal foul just 5:21 into the game and ended up playing only three more minutes in the first period. With Key out, the Buckeyes first went with an all-guard/small-forward lineup with true freshman center Felix Okpara mixed in.
That is when the wheels started to fall off a bit for the Buckeyes. Not only does Key present a legitimate offensive threat inside, but just his presence on the court also allows the rest of the offense to have extra space to operate. Without a true inside scorer, San Diego State’s defense was able to gum up just about everything that OSU tried to do in the first half.
While it wasn’t exactly night and day, with Key back in the game in the first five minutes after halftime, the OSU offense found a bit of a rhythm with McNeil capitalizing on the increased room to operate. Key picked up his third foul (coincidentally enough) 5:21 into the second half. He did stay in the game this time but came out after a few more minutes.
I think that the Buckeyes have a number of veterans that can provide leadership — especially as the season goes on — but Zed Key is the guy who provides both the on-floor stability for the squad to be able to run its best offense and also the experience to keep his guys under control and focused on the task at hand.
Key ended the game with just 7 points and 3 rebounds in 21 minutes of action, but he was the leading Buckeye in terms of +/- at +5. The only other OSU player to have a + number was Sean McNeil; speaking of which...
Buckeye Nation, meet Sean McNeil
West Virginia transfer Sean McNeil did not score in 29 minutes of action against Eastern Illinois last Wednesday. Coming into Maui, he had 19 points on the season. He had 22 against San Diego State, one of the best, toughest defenses in the country.
At one point early in the second half, McNeil scored 11-straight points for Ohio State, keeping the Buckeyes in a game that could have gotten out of hand quickly coming out of the intermission.
Not only was McNeil showing his ability to connect on spot-up jumpers from distance, but what impressed me most about McNeil was his ability to come off of screens and create his own shots.
While so much of the conversation about this year’s squad has been rightly focused on the highly-rated recruiting class, Ohio State is going to need contributions from transfers McNeil, Ice Likekele, and Tanner Holden. So seeing what McNeil is capable of doing — turning into an absolute microwave — is definitely a positive.
It’s going to take a while for this team to gel
If you have watched the Buckeyes in their first four games this season, you know that there are a lot of new faces playing big-time minutes for Holtmann’s squad. Against San Diego State, the only returning contributor from the 2021-22 season to play was Key. Of course, Justice Sueing was injured for nearly the entire season, but the rest of the rotation for OSU currently is made up of true freshmen and transfer players.
During their first three games of the season, the Buckeyes beat up on Robert Morris (this is actually a school, not just one dude who tried to take on the entire OSU team), Charleston Southern, and Eastern Illinois. So, Monday night’s game against the No. 17 Aztecs was really the first time that this new configuration of Buckeyes has played against anyone of substance.
There were certainly things to be excited about from the game — obviously, McNeil, Bryce Sensabaugh, Bruce Thornton — but the lack of cohesion was pretty obvious in the game. The offense felt more than a little disjointed, which is probably just as much a function of Ohio State’s lack of time together as it is San Diego State having the No. 7 rated defense in the country according to Ken Pomeroy.
In the first half, the Buckeyes were 9-for-30 from the floor (including 1-for-11 from distance) and with Key out, there just wasn’t much flow on the offensive end of the floor.
In the second half, thanks to McNeil’s hot hand and some impressive defensive possessions, the Buckeyes cut what was a 15-point hole to just four at the 13:28 mark in regulation. Then, thanks to back-to-back triples and a turned-over in-bounds play, San Diego State had pushed the lead back up to 59-47 just 51 seconds later.
It’s moments like that where a more experienced group might have been able to slow down the action and keep the deficit to seven instead of 12.
Continue reading...
LGHL ‘Ball Hell Broke Loose: Your Week 12 College Football Chaos Roundup
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‘Ball Hell Broke Loose: Your Week 12 College Football Chaos Roundup
JamiJurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images
The moments that left our jaws on the floor this week.
Has anyone told OSU Halloween was a few weeks ago and it’s time to stop scaring us? Other than the mild heart attack they gave Buckeye fans, this weekend in college football seemed to have it all. Underdogs annihilating favorites. Rivalry matchups with playoff implications. Snowball fights. Actual fights.
The fun started early in the day and continued all the way through Pac-12 after dark, leaving us with no shortage of moments that were scary, fun, or entertaining as hell. Let’s unpack the weekend that was in college football.
Ohio State vs. Maryland
This dumb team has really aged me lately, and yesterday’s chaos perhaps took more years off my life than any game up to this point. Let’s be clear – if we play like this next week, we are going to get absolutely creamed. I’m sure this was a fun game to watch for someone with no stakes in the game, but for me personally, it was very stressful. Flirting is fun, but flirting with disaster is not.
I’ll be naming my gray hairs after Ohio State’s defensive backs, who looked a total mess yesterday. We’ve had close calls before, but suffice it to say this felt like the first real test – against a team that was shut out by Penn State last week.
It wasn’t that we were down 13-10 at halftime that had me a little panicked. OSU tends to be a second-half team, after all. I was much more concerned when we turned the ball over on downs about halfway into the Fourth Quarter while we held onto a marginal 33-30 lead. But a three-and-out seemed to shift something, and from there, the Buckeyes we know and love seemed to take the field.
It wasn’t all bad. TreVeyon Henderson returned, and while his performance was underwhelming, it was great to see him on the field again after sitting out the last two with an injury. But this was the second-most points the Buckeyes allowed this season (topped only by Penn State), and the performance we saw this weekend won’t be enough to smash through to victory next week.
Illinois vs. Michigan
The good news is OSU wasn’t the only one who had a tough time in the week going into The Game. Illinois gave Michigan a very solid run for its money on the road in Ann Arbor, with Michigan’s victory coming down to the final drive of the game.
With that said, it’s not much consolation for me, as the Wolverines were missing running back Donovan Edwards, and then Blake Corum – a Heisman contender – went down with a knee injury early in the second.
There were so many ways for this game to have ended poorly for the Wolverines in what was an unpredictable and chaotic game, and yet, they came out victorious. And I can’t really tell you why, but the fact that they walked away with this win given how these four quarters went? Well, it leaves me a little nervous about this Saturday.
TCU vs. Baylor
Baylor unexpectedly made TCU work for their win this week, which perhaps makes TCU’s win even more frustrating. I don’t particularly think TCU is the real deal, and perhaps the real deal wouldn’t have gotten themselves into such a sticky situation in the first place, but as a Buckeye fan, we can’t really be one to talk after yesterday. Perhaps what makes a team the real deal is the ability to walk away with the win in spite of many, many missteps.
Which is what happened yesterday, when TCU – down 28-26 to Baylor with mere seconds left in the game, positioned themselves to kick a field goal on 4th down for the win. Did I make it sound like a seamless late-in-the-game comeback? Oh, I’m sorry. This was after a botched 2-point conversion and a strange run-play call from Baylor on a 3rd down where they could have run the clock out. TCU got the ball back with only 1:34 left on the clock and managed 45 yards in 9 plays, leaving me to wonder whether maybe they are the real deal after all.
Did Baylor roll over and hand them this win, or did TCU fight it out to the last second? No matter which way you spin it, this was once again a game that reminds us why we love this dumb sport. It was exciting. It came down to the final seconds. A team that was expected to get blown out nearly walked away with an upset victory that would have sent ripple waves through the college football playoff rankings. And still, this “little team that could” keeps “coulding” to victory.
Lehigh vs. Lafayette
Here are two names you don’t see making headlines all that often in the college football world, unless you live in Pennsylvania and pay close attention to this annual matchup, apparently known simply as The Rivalry.
Though The Rivalry has been fairly evenly matched since it began in 1884, Lehigh has dominated in recent years, winning 10 of the last 14 matchups, including 5 on the road. But the real story yesterday wasn’t about wins and losses (for what it’s worth, Lafayette did win 14-11). But people aren’t talking about that. We’re talking about the fight on the field after the final play.
Because after the game ended, as Lafayette fans, cheerleaders and players started to celebrate, a tussle broke out between members of the Lafayette team and the Lehigh team, which then had to be broken up by coaches. I can’t express to you how many times in my life I’ve wanted to sock a Michigan player, but that doesn’t mean you can go around acting on it!
Michigan State vs. the Snow
A very different kind of fight broke out in MSU’s stands on Saturday.
During the Spartans’ matchup at home against Indiana, their fans turned East Lansing’s snowy nightmarish weather into a way to have a little fun – with a good, old-fashioned snowball fight.
The lighthearted battle among spectators in the fan section was captured on video, and it perfectly encapsulates the unadulterated joy of being a college student cheering on your team no matter the weather.
SNOWBALL FIGHT IN EAST LANSING pic.twitter.com/EeVZsv8rWJ
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 19, 2022
Fans also crafted a snowman (snow-fan?) who parked it in the bleachers and probably wished he could melt away, along with the Spartans’ lead. Because it’s not Big Ten football without a little wildness, and Indiana delivered by edging out the favored MSU (who led 21-7 at halftime), 39-31 in a game that went into double overtime after a brilliant 3rd quarter performance by Indiana.
We have another college football snowman fan in the stands. pic.twitter.com/MmMg2a9UxN
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) November 19, 2022Tennessee vs. South Carolina
Three days ago, I was arguing Tennessee still had a good chance to make the playoffs. Those dreams were dashed Saturday when they were absolutely annihilated by the Gamecocks, 63-38.
The Gamecocks have been a very middle-of-the-road team all season ... average enough to be forgettable. Boy, did they change the narrative on Saturday night? It was a heartbreaker for Vols fans who saw a real path to glory after years of being the SEC laughing stock. Their win against Alabama was the apex of a season that felt a bit like a dream ... until Saturday reminded them that often, being a Vols fan is actually just a nightmare. Smoky, the goodest boy, did not deserve that.
To add insult to injury, Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker went down with a torn ACL and will miss the remainder of the season, likely ending his Heisman hopes if the two losses hadn’t already done so.
On the other side, you have to hand it to the unranked Gamecocks for this victory. They looked fantastic, and it was their coach Shane Beamer’s first win over a top-five team. If shocking underdog wins are your thing, this was the game for you.
Pac-12 After Dark
USC and UCLA delivered a bar fight of a rivalry game. While USC looked like a burly, brawny guy who could knock you out with one right hook, UCLA was the scrappy guy who just keeps swinging until something connects.
And the result was a game that ultimately came down to UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s interception on the Bruins’ final drive, positioning USC to win this game by a mere three points.
Though the margin of victory was small, the implications were huge, as this game put the Trojans in a genuine position to sneak into the playoffs.
And it wasn’t just USC and UCLA delivering excitement late into the night. Oregon and Utah delivered a defensive showdown that also ended in a mere three-point victory. Now, if Oregon wins against Oregon State next week, they could be USC’s final roadblock to the playoffs. Assuming both teams win out (but as a chaos monger, I am obligated to remind you what they say about people who assume), they’ll meet in the Pac-12 Championship in two weeks in a game that could determine whether USC gets to return to postseason conversations for the first time since Pete Carroll was running the show.
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JamiJurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images
The moments that left our jaws on the floor this week.
Has anyone told OSU Halloween was a few weeks ago and it’s time to stop scaring us? Other than the mild heart attack they gave Buckeye fans, this weekend in college football seemed to have it all. Underdogs annihilating favorites. Rivalry matchups with playoff implications. Snowball fights. Actual fights.
The fun started early in the day and continued all the way through Pac-12 after dark, leaving us with no shortage of moments that were scary, fun, or entertaining as hell. Let’s unpack the weekend that was in college football.
Ohio State vs. Maryland
This dumb team has really aged me lately, and yesterday’s chaos perhaps took more years off my life than any game up to this point. Let’s be clear – if we play like this next week, we are going to get absolutely creamed. I’m sure this was a fun game to watch for someone with no stakes in the game, but for me personally, it was very stressful. Flirting is fun, but flirting with disaster is not.
I’ll be naming my gray hairs after Ohio State’s defensive backs, who looked a total mess yesterday. We’ve had close calls before, but suffice it to say this felt like the first real test – against a team that was shut out by Penn State last week.
It wasn’t that we were down 13-10 at halftime that had me a little panicked. OSU tends to be a second-half team, after all. I was much more concerned when we turned the ball over on downs about halfway into the Fourth Quarter while we held onto a marginal 33-30 lead. But a three-and-out seemed to shift something, and from there, the Buckeyes we know and love seemed to take the field.
It wasn’t all bad. TreVeyon Henderson returned, and while his performance was underwhelming, it was great to see him on the field again after sitting out the last two with an injury. But this was the second-most points the Buckeyes allowed this season (topped only by Penn State), and the performance we saw this weekend won’t be enough to smash through to victory next week.
Illinois vs. Michigan
The good news is OSU wasn’t the only one who had a tough time in the week going into The Game. Illinois gave Michigan a very solid run for its money on the road in Ann Arbor, with Michigan’s victory coming down to the final drive of the game.
With that said, it’s not much consolation for me, as the Wolverines were missing running back Donovan Edwards, and then Blake Corum – a Heisman contender – went down with a knee injury early in the second.
There were so many ways for this game to have ended poorly for the Wolverines in what was an unpredictable and chaotic game, and yet, they came out victorious. And I can’t really tell you why, but the fact that they walked away with this win given how these four quarters went? Well, it leaves me a little nervous about this Saturday.
TCU vs. Baylor
Baylor unexpectedly made TCU work for their win this week, which perhaps makes TCU’s win even more frustrating. I don’t particularly think TCU is the real deal, and perhaps the real deal wouldn’t have gotten themselves into such a sticky situation in the first place, but as a Buckeye fan, we can’t really be one to talk after yesterday. Perhaps what makes a team the real deal is the ability to walk away with the win in spite of many, many missteps.
Which is what happened yesterday, when TCU – down 28-26 to Baylor with mere seconds left in the game, positioned themselves to kick a field goal on 4th down for the win. Did I make it sound like a seamless late-in-the-game comeback? Oh, I’m sorry. This was after a botched 2-point conversion and a strange run-play call from Baylor on a 3rd down where they could have run the clock out. TCU got the ball back with only 1:34 left on the clock and managed 45 yards in 9 plays, leaving me to wonder whether maybe they are the real deal after all.
Did Baylor roll over and hand them this win, or did TCU fight it out to the last second? No matter which way you spin it, this was once again a game that reminds us why we love this dumb sport. It was exciting. It came down to the final seconds. A team that was expected to get blown out nearly walked away with an upset victory that would have sent ripple waves through the college football playoff rankings. And still, this “little team that could” keeps “coulding” to victory.
Lehigh vs. Lafayette
Here are two names you don’t see making headlines all that often in the college football world, unless you live in Pennsylvania and pay close attention to this annual matchup, apparently known simply as The Rivalry.
Though The Rivalry has been fairly evenly matched since it began in 1884, Lehigh has dominated in recent years, winning 10 of the last 14 matchups, including 5 on the road. But the real story yesterday wasn’t about wins and losses (for what it’s worth, Lafayette did win 14-11). But people aren’t talking about that. We’re talking about the fight on the field after the final play.
Because after the game ended, as Lafayette fans, cheerleaders and players started to celebrate, a tussle broke out between members of the Lafayette team and the Lehigh team, which then had to be broken up by coaches. I can’t express to you how many times in my life I’ve wanted to sock a Michigan player, but that doesn’t mean you can go around acting on it!
Michigan State vs. the Snow
A very different kind of fight broke out in MSU’s stands on Saturday.
During the Spartans’ matchup at home against Indiana, their fans turned East Lansing’s snowy nightmarish weather into a way to have a little fun – with a good, old-fashioned snowball fight.
The lighthearted battle among spectators in the fan section was captured on video, and it perfectly encapsulates the unadulterated joy of being a college student cheering on your team no matter the weather.
SNOWBALL FIGHT IN EAST LANSING pic.twitter.com/EeVZsv8rWJ
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 19, 2022
Fans also crafted a snowman (snow-fan?) who parked it in the bleachers and probably wished he could melt away, along with the Spartans’ lead. Because it’s not Big Ten football without a little wildness, and Indiana delivered by edging out the favored MSU (who led 21-7 at halftime), 39-31 in a game that went into double overtime after a brilliant 3rd quarter performance by Indiana.
We have another college football snowman fan in the stands. pic.twitter.com/MmMg2a9UxN
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) November 19, 2022
Three days ago, I was arguing Tennessee still had a good chance to make the playoffs. Those dreams were dashed Saturday when they were absolutely annihilated by the Gamecocks, 63-38.
The Gamecocks have been a very middle-of-the-road team all season ... average enough to be forgettable. Boy, did they change the narrative on Saturday night? It was a heartbreaker for Vols fans who saw a real path to glory after years of being the SEC laughing stock. Their win against Alabama was the apex of a season that felt a bit like a dream ... until Saturday reminded them that often, being a Vols fan is actually just a nightmare. Smoky, the goodest boy, did not deserve that.
To add insult to injury, Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker went down with a torn ACL and will miss the remainder of the season, likely ending his Heisman hopes if the two losses hadn’t already done so.
On the other side, you have to hand it to the unranked Gamecocks for this victory. They looked fantastic, and it was their coach Shane Beamer’s first win over a top-five team. If shocking underdog wins are your thing, this was the game for you.
Pac-12 After Dark
USC and UCLA delivered a bar fight of a rivalry game. While USC looked like a burly, brawny guy who could knock you out with one right hook, UCLA was the scrappy guy who just keeps swinging until something connects.
And the result was a game that ultimately came down to UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s interception on the Bruins’ final drive, positioning USC to win this game by a mere three points.
Though the margin of victory was small, the implications were huge, as this game put the Trojans in a genuine position to sneak into the playoffs.
And it wasn’t just USC and UCLA delivering excitement late into the night. Oregon and Utah delivered a defensive showdown that also ended in a mere three-point victory. Now, if Oregon wins against Oregon State next week, they could be USC’s final roadblock to the playoffs. Assuming both teams win out (but as a chaos monger, I am obligated to remind you what they say about people who assume), they’ll meet in the Pac-12 Championship in two weeks in a game that could determine whether USC gets to return to postseason conversations for the first time since Pete Carroll was running the show.
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LGHL LGHL Uncut Podcast: Walker, Bristow, McGuff on lopsided win over McNeese State
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LGHL Uncut Podcast: Walker, Bristow, McGuff on lopsided win over McNeese State
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 took it to the McNeese State Cowgirls, here’s what they said after the game.
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.
It’s difficult to predict the winner of some basketball games. Ohio State women’s basketball’s Sunday game was not one of those tough predictions. The McNeese State Cowgirls, who lost their last five Power Five games, each giving up 100 points and losing by an average of 63 points, came to Columbus and from the jump were outmatched.
After the game, two players who played big minutes in the second half, and helped turn around Ohio State’s rebounding deficit, spoke with the media. As did head coach Kevin McGuff.
Transfer forward, Eboni Walker, talked about how she feels getting more minutes with the Buckeyes. Also, after playing at two different schools, each going through its own situations, Walker talks about her transfer to the Scarlet and Gray and how fortunate she is playing in Columbus.
Guard Hevynne Bristow discussed her team-leading eight rebounds, her highlight reel passes, and the team’s chemistry. On top of that, the emotion she felt winning the dub chain after Sunday’s game and what it means to her after a tough season in 2021/22 where she fought injuries all year.
Also, both Walker and Bristow go into more detail about the growth of forward Taylor Thierry, who once again increased her NCAA career high in scoring and showed more confidence.
Up last is coach McGuff. He discusses Emma Shumate’s third-quarter injury, taking away positives from a game that wasn’t a tough challenge, grading the half-court defense of the Buckeyes and more.
That and more on the latest edition of “Land-Grant Holy Land Uncut.”
Connect with Thomas:
Twitter: @1ThomasCostello
Theme music provided by www.bensound.com
Continue reading...
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 took it to the McNeese State Cowgirls, here’s what they said after the game.
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.
It’s difficult to predict the winner of some basketball games. Ohio State women’s basketball’s Sunday game was not one of those tough predictions. The McNeese State Cowgirls, who lost their last five Power Five games, each giving up 100 points and losing by an average of 63 points, came to Columbus and from the jump were outmatched.
After the game, two players who played big minutes in the second half, and helped turn around Ohio State’s rebounding deficit, spoke with the media. As did head coach Kevin McGuff.
Transfer forward, Eboni Walker, talked about how she feels getting more minutes with the Buckeyes. Also, after playing at two different schools, each going through its own situations, Walker talks about her transfer to the Scarlet and Gray and how fortunate she is playing in Columbus.
Guard Hevynne Bristow discussed her team-leading eight rebounds, her highlight reel passes, and the team’s chemistry. On top of that, the emotion she felt winning the dub chain after Sunday’s game and what it means to her after a tough season in 2021/22 where she fought injuries all year.
Also, both Walker and Bristow go into more detail about the growth of forward Taylor Thierry, who once again increased her NCAA career high in scoring and showed more confidence.
Up last is coach McGuff. He discusses Emma Shumate’s third-quarter injury, taking away positives from a game that wasn’t a tough challenge, grading the half-court defense of the Buckeyes and more.
That and more on the latest edition of “Land-Grant Holy Land Uncut.”
Connect with Thomas:
Twitter: @1ThomasCostello
Theme music provided by www.bensound.com
Continue reading...
LGHL Women’s Basketball Game Notes: No. 8 Ohio State vs. McNeese State
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Women’s Basketball Game Notes: No. 8 Ohio State vs. McNeese State
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
Looking back at some things that stood out in Sunday’s Buckeyes victory
The Ohio State Buckeyes women’s basketball team won Sunday’s game against McNeese State in a staggering 99-43 score line. It was one of those non-conference games where one team benefits from extra practice and another team gets to play against a Power Five school, and give their team an experience and likely get the school compensation.
Even though the game wasn’t putting anyone on the edge of their seat, competitively, and it won’t be remembered much as the conference season approaches, there are items to take away.
Included are key performances by two forwards, ample substitute minutes and feeling sympathy for the McNeese State Cowgirls.
Taylor Thierry’s Continues Trending Upwards
Every game this year brings a new career high for sophomore forward Taylor Thierry. Sunday was no different, with Thierry scoring 15 points, five more than her previous high of 10. Thierry scored those points inside and from deep, hitting the lone three she attempted on the day.
The forward also grabbed five rebounds (three on offense) and two steals and assists. Even if performances, statistically, carry a little less weight against McNeese than against a ranked team, or Big Ten side, it still shows the increasing confidence that Land-Grant Holy Land wrote about leading into the game.
Cotie McMahon Energy
Freshman forward Cotie McMahon had an impressive game that didn’t show up on the stat sheet. McMahon was 1-for-4 from the field but where she came up big was in the backcourt.
Although McMahon was picked up three steals, if pressuring players into turnovers was a statistic she’d lead the Buckeyes by a mile. McMahon was in the face of McNeese State players and causing issues in passing, as evidenced by the highlight below where guard Jacy Sheldon technically gets the steal but it was McMahon who made the poor pass possible.
Q3| Starting off the half with a steal + a layup from @JacySheldon #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/J2gDrlz2xZ
— Ohio State WBB (@OhioStateWBB) November 20, 2022Three-Pointers Help and Hurt
The Buckeyes were diverse in their three-point shooting, Sunday. Six players hit at least one with guard trio Taylor Mikesell, Madison Greene, and Rikki Harris each hitting multiple from deep. Ohio State won all offensive stat battles except one: three-point percentage.
McNeese State, led by the game’s top scorer Kaili Chamberlin’s 4-for-6 from deep, hit 8-for-18 from beyond the arc. Maybe it’s a lack of motivation being up so big or maybe it's an area to watch as the season progresses, but the Buckeyes didn’t do well closing down shooters deep, with many shots going in without a hand in the shooter’s face.
The Cowgirls' 44.4% was better than their overall 36.2% from the floor.
Monitoring Minutes
No Ohio State starters played 20 minutes, allowing minute mules like Sheldon and Mikesell time off the court. Instead, head coach Kevin McGuff increased minutes for two players who missed most or all of last season in forward Eboni Walker and guard Madison Greene.
Greene led the Buckeyes playing 26 minutes, and Walker was not too far behind playing just under 22. Both made an impact, with Greene scoring eight points on top of six assists and four steals, including one that made Mikesell turn back and laugh before going on one of many fast breaks on the day.
Walker, whose integration into the Buckeyes roster is key for the team who needs depth in the paint, had seven points, six rebounds, and three steals. Points-wise, Walker had ample chances but her shot was a bit off, likely from lack of time on the court with competitive minutes. Walker did play strong in the paint and showed an ability to battle for rebounds and find teammates under the basket.
Hevynnely Performance
Another player getting deserved minutes on Sunday was guard Hevynne Bristow. The junior, who spent most of last year on the bench due to injury, had eight rebounds and seven points. Also, her two assists were better suited for a highlight reel than in writing.
Bristow won the team’s “dub chain” after the game. After winning the honor, Bristow spoke with the media and shared how it felt.
“I admit it, I cried a little,” said Bristow. “Last year, I was hurt all season, so it just meant a lot that my work paid off and my teammates trusted me and my coach trusted me.”
Thursday Repeats Itself
Against the Ohio Bobcats, Thursday, freshman guard Kaia Henderson grabbed a steal and ran the court for a layup, getting fouled in the process. Sunday, the same thing happened to fellow freshman guard Mya Perry.
The 2022 Ohio girls high school champion out of Reynoldsburg, Ohio basically recreated Henderson’s first NCAA points for her first. After receiving the Buckeyes' defensive pressure and forcing a bad pass, Perry fought for possession and ran down the court for a layup. Although Perry missed the free throw, it was a momentous occasion for the promising freshman guard.
Q4| First career bucket for @mya_1perry #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/QRygx1yxZo
— Ohio State WBB (@OhioStateWBB) November 20, 2022Feeling for McNeese State
Sympathy for the Cowgirls isn’t because of the final score. Both teams likely knew the outcome of this game when it was scheduled, and Ohio State played the team in front of them. No harm, no foul.
Feelings of sadness towards McNeese State is how they traveled to the game. After losing to the Buckeyes on Sunday, Bradley University on Saturday, in Peoria, Illinois, and a 100-38 defeat at the hands of the Fighting Illini on Wednesday, Nov. 16, the Cowgirls didn’t load into their bus to go home.
Instead, the team loaded into three mini-vans and an SUV for the 1088-mile trip back to Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Could they be driving to an airport? Maybe the rental car company gave four vehicles with Louisiana license plates? That’s a heck of a coincidence.
McNeese State doesn’t have the budget of an Ohio State, not many schools do, but cramming a basketball team into minivans isn’t a way to treat a student-athlete. If playing games against Power Five schools every year is the means to more money for the program, then at least give the athletes a better arrangement where they could possibly stretch their legs and do school work comfortably.
Continue reading...
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
Looking back at some things that stood out in Sunday’s Buckeyes victory
The Ohio State Buckeyes women’s basketball team won Sunday’s game against McNeese State in a staggering 99-43 score line. It was one of those non-conference games where one team benefits from extra practice and another team gets to play against a Power Five school, and give their team an experience and likely get the school compensation.
Even though the game wasn’t putting anyone on the edge of their seat, competitively, and it won’t be remembered much as the conference season approaches, there are items to take away.
Included are key performances by two forwards, ample substitute minutes and feeling sympathy for the McNeese State Cowgirls.
Taylor Thierry’s Continues Trending Upwards
Every game this year brings a new career high for sophomore forward Taylor Thierry. Sunday was no different, with Thierry scoring 15 points, five more than her previous high of 10. Thierry scored those points inside and from deep, hitting the lone three she attempted on the day.
The forward also grabbed five rebounds (three on offense) and two steals and assists. Even if performances, statistically, carry a little less weight against McNeese than against a ranked team, or Big Ten side, it still shows the increasing confidence that Land-Grant Holy Land wrote about leading into the game.
Cotie McMahon Energy
Freshman forward Cotie McMahon had an impressive game that didn’t show up on the stat sheet. McMahon was 1-for-4 from the field but where she came up big was in the backcourt.
Although McMahon was picked up three steals, if pressuring players into turnovers was a statistic she’d lead the Buckeyes by a mile. McMahon was in the face of McNeese State players and causing issues in passing, as evidenced by the highlight below where guard Jacy Sheldon technically gets the steal but it was McMahon who made the poor pass possible.
Q3| Starting off the half with a steal + a layup from @JacySheldon #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/J2gDrlz2xZ
— Ohio State WBB (@OhioStateWBB) November 20, 2022
The Buckeyes were diverse in their three-point shooting, Sunday. Six players hit at least one with guard trio Taylor Mikesell, Madison Greene, and Rikki Harris each hitting multiple from deep. Ohio State won all offensive stat battles except one: three-point percentage.
McNeese State, led by the game’s top scorer Kaili Chamberlin’s 4-for-6 from deep, hit 8-for-18 from beyond the arc. Maybe it’s a lack of motivation being up so big or maybe it's an area to watch as the season progresses, but the Buckeyes didn’t do well closing down shooters deep, with many shots going in without a hand in the shooter’s face.
The Cowgirls' 44.4% was better than their overall 36.2% from the floor.
Monitoring Minutes
No Ohio State starters played 20 minutes, allowing minute mules like Sheldon and Mikesell time off the court. Instead, head coach Kevin McGuff increased minutes for two players who missed most or all of last season in forward Eboni Walker and guard Madison Greene.
Greene led the Buckeyes playing 26 minutes, and Walker was not too far behind playing just under 22. Both made an impact, with Greene scoring eight points on top of six assists and four steals, including one that made Mikesell turn back and laugh before going on one of many fast breaks on the day.
Walker, whose integration into the Buckeyes roster is key for the team who needs depth in the paint, had seven points, six rebounds, and three steals. Points-wise, Walker had ample chances but her shot was a bit off, likely from lack of time on the court with competitive minutes. Walker did play strong in the paint and showed an ability to battle for rebounds and find teammates under the basket.
Hevynnely Performance
Another player getting deserved minutes on Sunday was guard Hevynne Bristow. The junior, who spent most of last year on the bench due to injury, had eight rebounds and seven points. Also, her two assists were better suited for a highlight reel than in writing.
Bristow won the team’s “dub chain” after the game. After winning the honor, Bristow spoke with the media and shared how it felt.
“I admit it, I cried a little,” said Bristow. “Last year, I was hurt all season, so it just meant a lot that my work paid off and my teammates trusted me and my coach trusted me.”
Thursday Repeats Itself
Against the Ohio Bobcats, Thursday, freshman guard Kaia Henderson grabbed a steal and ran the court for a layup, getting fouled in the process. Sunday, the same thing happened to fellow freshman guard Mya Perry.
The 2022 Ohio girls high school champion out of Reynoldsburg, Ohio basically recreated Henderson’s first NCAA points for her first. After receiving the Buckeyes' defensive pressure and forcing a bad pass, Perry fought for possession and ran down the court for a layup. Although Perry missed the free throw, it was a momentous occasion for the promising freshman guard.
Q4| First career bucket for @mya_1perry #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/QRygx1yxZo
— Ohio State WBB (@OhioStateWBB) November 20, 2022
Sympathy for the Cowgirls isn’t because of the final score. Both teams likely knew the outcome of this game when it was scheduled, and Ohio State played the team in front of them. No harm, no foul.
Feelings of sadness towards McNeese State is how they traveled to the game. After losing to the Buckeyes on Sunday, Bradley University on Saturday, in Peoria, Illinois, and a 100-38 defeat at the hands of the Fighting Illini on Wednesday, Nov. 16, the Cowgirls didn’t load into their bus to go home.
Instead, the team loaded into three mini-vans and an SUV for the 1088-mile trip back to Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Could they be driving to an airport? Maybe the rental car company gave four vehicles with Louisiana license plates? That’s a heck of a coincidence.
McNeese State doesn’t have the budget of an Ohio State, not many schools do, but cramming a basketball team into minivans isn’t a way to treat a student-athlete. If playing games against Power Five schools every year is the means to more money for the program, then at least give the athletes a better arrangement where they could possibly stretch their legs and do school work comfortably.
Continue reading...
LGHL Column: Emeka Egbuka, nice to see you again; other positives from Maryland
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Column: Emeka Egbuka, nice to see you again; other positives from Maryland
meganhusslein 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
It was nice to see Egbuka finally get a decent amount of targets. Although it was an ugly game, I still have a few positive takeaways.
Wow, that was an ugly game. But a win is a win, right? That means the Buckeyes must have done at least one thing better than Maryland! In my eyes, they did a few things more successfully. I believe there are a good amount of positive takeaways from the game, which makes me feel more confident for The Game.
First and foremost, Emeka Egbuka looked like his normal self for the first time in about a month. He had the most yards — with 80 — since he had against Michigan State on Oct. 18, when he had 143. He had six receptions, which was his most since Penn State. In the prior two games, he only had two receptions in each.
This is exactly what I wanted to see from the receivers leading up to The Game. Marvin Harrison Jr. only had 68 receiving yards against the Terps, so it was nice to see Egbuka step up. I feel like he just hasn’t really been targeted that often the past few games, as the Buckeyes have either been relying on the run game or Marv. With Marv being heavily covered against Maryland, Egbuka became the leading receiver.
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Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
That’s the thing about this team: it’s always the next man up. There will always be another receiver that shines if needed. The same thing goes for the running backs. Now, in a perfect world, I obviously want all of them to be 100% healthy for Saturday. However, that is highly unlikely, and I’m honestly okay with it.
Dallan Hayden once again proved what a beast he is with his 146 yard performance. Miyan Williams should be good to go after having this past week off. TreVeyon Henderson has been struggling to find success and he is clearly not fully healthy, so if he can’t go on Saturday, I’m not too worried. The Buckeyes also have Xavier Johnson, who is has been a proven back, if they needed to go to a third string.
I have one more point about the offense that I’m happy with. C.J. Stroud didn’t have a great game, going 18-for-30 and 241 passing yards (obviously this is still a solid game, but Ohio State fans are spoiled and expect a 400 yard game each week from the Heisman frontrunner). However, the Bucks still found a way to put up 43 points.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24215599/usa_today_19468229.jpg)
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Obviously, three touchdowns on the ground from Hayden helped things tremendously. It has seemed like the run game has bailed Stroud out each time (there has been very few) he struggled to get the passing game going. For example, Northwestern was obviously the worst game all year offensively for the Buckeyes. Yet, Miyan Williams ran for 100+ yards and two touchdowns. Once again, against Rutgers when Stroud threw for only 154 yards, Williams ran for 189 yards and five TDs. This is a balanced team.
Lastly, the defense definitely looked rough in some areas. The corners were playing too far back, giving up seven or eight yards every other play it seemed like. There were a lot of missed tackles. 30 points were given up. However, the D came through when needed. This came in the form of two CRUCIAL turnovers. Good things happen when Ohio State forces turnovers.
The Lathan Ransom blocked punt and Johnson recovery combo has quickly become one of my favorite duos. I’m hoping we see it again this weekend. Big plays like that totally change the momentum, as this happened in third quarter, allowing the Buckeyes to score and put them ahead, 17-13.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24215601/usa_today_19416985.jpg)
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Arguably the biggest play of the game came when Steele Chambers recovered a fumble caused by Zach Harrison and scored the TD that sealed the deal at the end of the game. The linebacker play has just been outstanding this entire year, as Tommy Eichenberg is Mr. Steady Eddie and Chambers always makes pivotal plays.
In summary, I am choosing to be optimistic about what I watched against Maryland and heading into rivalry week. Receivers and running backs looked good, the team picked up Stroud’s slack and the defense came up big when needed. Buckeye Nation, let’s ride!
Continue reading...
meganhusslein 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
It was nice to see Egbuka finally get a decent amount of targets. Although it was an ugly game, I still have a few positive takeaways.
Wow, that was an ugly game. But a win is a win, right? That means the Buckeyes must have done at least one thing better than Maryland! In my eyes, they did a few things more successfully. I believe there are a good amount of positive takeaways from the game, which makes me feel more confident for The Game.
First and foremost, Emeka Egbuka looked like his normal self for the first time in about a month. He had the most yards — with 80 — since he had against Michigan State on Oct. 18, when he had 143. He had six receptions, which was his most since Penn State. In the prior two games, he only had two receptions in each.
This is exactly what I wanted to see from the receivers leading up to The Game. Marvin Harrison Jr. only had 68 receiving yards against the Terps, so it was nice to see Egbuka step up. I feel like he just hasn’t really been targeted that often the past few games, as the Buckeyes have either been relying on the run game or Marv. With Marv being heavily covered against Maryland, Egbuka became the leading receiver.
That’s the thing about this team: it’s always the next man up. There will always be another receiver that shines if needed. The same thing goes for the running backs. Now, in a perfect world, I obviously want all of them to be 100% healthy for Saturday. However, that is highly unlikely, and I’m honestly okay with it.
Dallan Hayden once again proved what a beast he is with his 146 yard performance. Miyan Williams should be good to go after having this past week off. TreVeyon Henderson has been struggling to find success and he is clearly not fully healthy, so if he can’t go on Saturday, I’m not too worried. The Buckeyes also have Xavier Johnson, who is has been a proven back, if they needed to go to a third string.
I have one more point about the offense that I’m happy with. C.J. Stroud didn’t have a great game, going 18-for-30 and 241 passing yards (obviously this is still a solid game, but Ohio State fans are spoiled and expect a 400 yard game each week from the Heisman frontrunner). However, the Bucks still found a way to put up 43 points.
Obviously, three touchdowns on the ground from Hayden helped things tremendously. It has seemed like the run game has bailed Stroud out each time (there has been very few) he struggled to get the passing game going. For example, Northwestern was obviously the worst game all year offensively for the Buckeyes. Yet, Miyan Williams ran for 100+ yards and two touchdowns. Once again, against Rutgers when Stroud threw for only 154 yards, Williams ran for 189 yards and five TDs. This is a balanced team.
Lastly, the defense definitely looked rough in some areas. The corners were playing too far back, giving up seven or eight yards every other play it seemed like. There were a lot of missed tackles. 30 points were given up. However, the D came through when needed. This came in the form of two CRUCIAL turnovers. Good things happen when Ohio State forces turnovers.
The Lathan Ransom blocked punt and Johnson recovery combo has quickly become one of my favorite duos. I’m hoping we see it again this weekend. Big plays like that totally change the momentum, as this happened in third quarter, allowing the Buckeyes to score and put them ahead, 17-13.
Arguably the biggest play of the game came when Steele Chambers recovered a fumble caused by Zach Harrison and scored the TD that sealed the deal at the end of the game. The linebacker play has just been outstanding this entire year, as Tommy Eichenberg is Mr. Steady Eddie and Chambers always makes pivotal plays.
In summary, I am choosing to be optimistic about what I watched against Maryland and heading into rivalry week. Receivers and running backs looked good, the team picked up Stroud’s slack and the defense came up big when needed. Buckeye Nation, let’s ride!
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Positives from Covid
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Bad for them. Good for everyone else.
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