‘Ball Hell Broke Loose: Chaos Roundup Week 10
JamiJurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

The games that left us gasping across the NCAA.

Something was in the air yesterday in college football. We saw undefeated teams fall. We saw undefeated teams struggle in games that should have been easy wins. We saw undefeated teams lose their game and still have their playoff chances get boosted. It was a day for underdogs, undercats, and underleprechauns.

These were the games and moments that sent ripples, waves and gasps through the NCAA in Week 10.

Ohio State at Northwestern


For the Buckeyes, something was quite literally in the air – winds so bad they grounded flights out of O’Hare. However, I doubt the playoff selection committee would deem that a valid excuse to lose to a 1-win team, so thankfully the Buckeyes pulled it together despite Pat Fitzgerald’s Northwestern team putting up an excellent fight.

Northwestern managed to fluster the Buckeyes on both sides of the ball, with CJ Stroud throwing for just 76 yards. Yes, you read that number correctly. The man who has been the Heisman favorite for so much of the season managed to throw for just 76 yards against a team whose only win came in the first week of the season. And don’t get me started on the defense, who looked like the JV version of whatever the 2021 defense was. Northwestern looked hungry.

We can certainly blame the wind for part of it. It became clear at one point that it was impacting the players’ ability to hear play calls or communicate, not to mention its actual impact on the ball itself. But the Buckeyes looked shaken in a way they haven’t really, even in Week 9, which wasn’t an easy win for them. That they remain undefeated feels like a bit of a miracle considering how some of the other games went down, but they will certainly need to work these kinks out before they face Michigan in a few weeks, or their playoff chances could be kaput.

Tennessee at Georgia


If you’d told Tennessee fans a New Year’s Six bowl was on the table at the beginning of this season, they’d have told you to lay off the drugs. If you’d told them they could lose to Georgia and still have a playoff chance? They might have had you committed.

And yet, that’s where the Vols found themselves yesterday. Georgia looked like the dominant force that terrified people at the end of last season and the start of this one. Despite a few early season struggles, the undefeated Bulldogs seemed to find their stride right when it counts, as they woofed in the faces of these Vols.

But the chaotic part of this game wasn’t the end result (a 27-13 Georgia win). It was the fact that even though this loss most likely bumps Tennessee from the SEC title game (Georgia would have to absolutely collapse in the next 3 weeks), their playoff dream is still alive, thanks to LSU and Notre Dame. A TCU loss would be helpful as well, but their strength of schedule and impressive performances through now could be just enough to edge them into that No. 4 spot at season’s end.

Alabama at LSU


We love free football! We love free football that results in a Nick Saban loss! We love free football that upends the SEC Championship game everyone expected to see. We love free football that seems to be putting the final nail in Alabama’s playoff coffin.

Alabama and LSU hung neck-and-neck the whole game, and honestly, this is the kind of football game you want to watch. The great thing about the Tide is that win or lose, they require their opponents to play 60 (or in this case more) minutes of football. Ultimately, it was a delightful overtime 2-point conversion that sealed the deal for the Tigers, giving Brian Kelly some annoying bragging rights and control of their own fate in the SEC West.

Clemson at Notre Dame


If you saw me talking smack about Notre Dame at any point this season, no you didn’t (OK fine, yes you did and I still hate their fans). But for one day only, I was glad they had the luck of the Irish on their side in their win against the previously undefeated Clemson. It’s a beautiful thing to see an overrated team come crumbling down, especially when that team has made the playoffs so many times in the last few years that we’re getting bored with them.

This wasn’t just a small upset. Notre Dame CRUSHED them. It looked like amateur hour. They absolutely demolished Clemson’s O-line. They forced major turnovers. It exposed every hole the Clemson naysayers had complained about. Since the modern playoff era began, there has never been a season in which neither Clemson nor Alabama made the playoffs. In many cases, both teams made it. And yet, this year is for new beginnings and new playoff teams (let’s just hope the Buckeyes are the exception there).

Michigan at Rutgers


The Buckeyes’ last real challenge of the season (barring any bananas outcomes against Indiana or Maryland) will be when the Wolverines come to the ‘Shoe in three weeks, and yesterday, the Buckeyes exposed some holes in their game.

Thankfully, they weren’t the only ones to do so. The 52-17 final score of the Michigan-Rutgers game was an impressive victory for TTUN, but it doesn’t indicate that Rutgers was leading 17-14 at the half. Now, they didn’t score again, but for two quarters of football, Michigan wasn’t the impressive force they’ve been til now, leaving some windows open for the Buckeyes to peer in at their weaknesses ahead of The Game.

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Ohio State opens as 40.5-point favorites over Indiana
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

The Buckeyes return home after a two-game road trip.

DraftKings Sportsbook odds: Ohio State -40.5

It was incredibly ugly, but Ohio State managed to escape Evanston with a 21-7 win on Saturday in a game plagued by rain and heavy winds. While the Buckeyes played perhaps their worst football of the year thus far, things certainly could have been worse. At the end of the day, Ryan Day’s group advanced to 9-0, and avoided similar fates to that of Alabama, Illinois, and Clemson — all of whom lost outright this weekend as the favorite (double-digit favorites in terms of the Tide and the Illini). A win is a win, and Ohio State’s national title hopes are still very much alive despite a poor performance.

Nothing went right for the Buckeyes on offense against the Wildcats. Any throw for more than a few yards was simply a no-go in the awful weather conditions, and as a result C.J. Stroud had his worst performance as the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback, completing just 10 of his 26 pass attempts for 76 yards with no touchdowns. It was the first start in Strouds career that he did not complete a TD pass, and he got no help from his wide receivers as they uncharacteristically dropped a handful of passes. The run game continued to be an issue as well, despite the final stats looking okay, as Ohio State failed to pick up a first down on the ground in short yardage on multiple occasions.

Defensively, it was just sort of a meh day for the Buckeyes. They held Northwestern to just 3.5 yards per carry on the day, but still allowed over 200 yards on the ground. It was frustrating to see the Wildcats pick up yardage on multiple occasions out of the wildcat formation, as they never did anything besides run left or run right when lined up that way. They also allowed far too many conversions on 3rd-and-long against an offensive challenged Northwestern team. We’ve seen much worse defensive performances from Ohio State in recent years, as they still only allowed seven points on Saturday, but it wasn’t an afternoon that really jumped off the page.

Indiana wasn’t expected to do much this season, so it was a bit surprising when they got off to a 3-0 start, including a Big Ten win over Indiana in the opener. The Hoosiers have crashed back down to earth since then, as they now sit a 3-6 following a six-game losing streak. Things went from bad to worse recently, as starting quarterback Connor Bazelak, who transferred in from Missouri this offseason, was in street clothes for the game against Penn State. Starting in his place was Jack Tuttle, who is already in the transfer portal but decided to stick out the remainder of the year with Indiana.

The Tuttle-led offense wasn’t able to do much of anything against the Nittany Lions, as Tom Allen’s group lost its sixth-straight affair in a 45-14 blowout in Bloomington. Tuttle himself was efficient, but his numbers didn’t jump off the page, finishing the afternoon completing nine of his 12 passes for 82 yards and a touchdown. As has been the case for some time now, Indiana got mostly nothing from its running game, averaging just 1.9 yards per carry on 34 carries. Overall, the Hoosiers rank near the bottom of the Big Ten in both scoring offense (11th) and yards per game (12th), making their win over the Illini earlier in the year look more and more curious.

It has not been much better defensively for this group. Indiana is allowing a Big Ten-worst 32.2 points per game. They’ve allowed at least 35 points in four of their last five games, with the one outlier being a 24-17 loss to Rutgers. This defense is really feeling the loss of a guy like Micah McFadden, who was a mainstay in the middle of the Hoosier defense for years before moving on to the NFL. Linebackers Aaron Casey and Cam Jones have led the way thus far, as well as star corner Tiawan Mullen, but they are not getting a ton of help around them.

Ohio State will be looking for a bounce back performance after a lackluster showing against Northwestern. The Buckeyes need to get things righted in these next two games before the massive season finale against Michigan, and getting the Hoosiers at home is a great opportunity to do just that. Both sides are dealing with injury issues, with the status of guys like Bazelak and TreVeyon Henderson unclear, but that shouldn’t really impact the outcome of this one. Ryan Day has heard the doubters these last few weeks, so expect him to look to make a statement in front of the home crowd this week.

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

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Miami's thread title change (whenever it happened) is pure genius.

So... Vandy's last conference title is approaching its centennial.

Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: Ohio State played and won a football game this weekend
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Buckeyes defeated Northwestern, but it wasn’t pretty.

The latest episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s flagship podcast ‘Hangout in the Holy Land’ is here! Join LGHL’s co-managing editor Gene Ross alongside his co-host Josh Dooley as they cover everything from football to basketball to recruiting and more!

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

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


Despite their worst offensive performance of the season, Ohio State defeated Northwestern on Saturday, 21-7, in a windy and rainy afternoon in Evanston. The final stats indicate the Buckeyes ran for over 200 yards, but nothing came easy on offense as C.J. Stroud completed just 10 of his 26 passes for only 76 yards with no touchdowns. The weather certainly played a factor, but Ohio State looked really unprepared and underwhelming against a Wildcats team that has now lost eight games in a row.

“Hangout in the Holy Land” will be posting two episodes per week during the regular season, with an episode before and after each Ohio State game to give you all the preview and recap content you may need. Be sure to download and listen in wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple to let us know your thoughts and how we can make things even better!

You can also follow us on Twitter @HolyLandPod, where we will want to hear from you guys even more! If there’s anything you’d like us to talk about on the show, @ us and let us know!

As always, Go Bucks.


Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @HolyLandPod

Connect with Gene:
Twitter: @Gene_Ross23

Connect with Josh
Twitter: @jdooleybuckeye

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Buckeye Stock Market Report: Wind, rain, Northwestern defense stymie Ohio State
David M Wheeler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Player of the game: punter Jesse Mirco | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Quarterback C.J. Stroud experiences worst game as a Buckeye.

After each Ohio State game during the 2022 football season, LGHL will offer its market analysis of the Buckeyes’ performance. Using a standard bond rating system, we’ll evaluate the offense, the defense, and the special teams, according to this formula:

AA: Very Strong
A: Strong
BBB: Adequate
BB: Facing Major Uncertainty

Then, we’ll take a look at any individual players whose performance stood out (in one way or another!) and assign them a stock rating: Blue Chip, Solid Performance, Penny Stock (akin to a junk bond, dangerously high risk).

Quick Overview


Just a couple of weeks ago I was thinking that nothing could stop – or even slow down – the magnificent Ohio State passing attack. That was then. Before the trip to the Windy City (I know that Chicago, and not Evanston, is the “Windy City,” but I also know that the wind doesn’t stop at Howard Street.) The offensive line played badly, and the weather conditions did a mind job on C.J. Stroud. He lost his confidence; he lost his patience; he lost his cool.

The OSU offense couldn’t get going at all, finally scoring a touchdown on its seventh drive of the first half to knot the score 7-7 at the intermission. The expected second-half fireworks didn’t happen, fizzling in the wind and rain, I guess. After the third consecutive game with a struggling offense, the Buckeyes have some serious regrouping to do in their next two games.

On the positive side, Ohio State is very much still in the thick of things, still capable of meeting its season goals. Undefeated at 9-0, the Bucks have won every game by double digits. Two of the six unbeaten teams bit the dust yesterday, and LSU probably erased Alabama’s playoff hopes. Georgia looks to me to be (maybe by far) the best team in the country. If the Buckeyes keep winning, maybe they’ll catch the Dawgs in the national championship game – where anything goes.

Offense


Overall rating: BB Facing Major Uncertainty

In the two years that I’ve been doing this Stock Market Report, I don’t recall giving the offense this lowest possible rating. But they deserved it yesterday. Look at the first half. The Buckeyes had only 118 total yards and converted none of their eight third-down attempts. The second half was really more of the same, though a little better running game allowed the team to pick up the two TDs that provided the game’s final margin.

Stroud was bad. Granted, he had plenty of help. The line allowed Northwestern rushers into the pocket, forcing Stroud to scramble and pass on the fly. The receivers, normally sure-handed, dropped passes, including a sure TD that Emeka Egbuka flubbed. For the game, Stroud was 10 for 26 (about 38%) for a measly 76 yards. No touchdowns. The most telling stat, I think, is his yards per passing attempt – 2.9. Customarily, that number is in double digits. As I’ve said before, when Stroud’s day isn’t going well, his frustration and impatience take over. You can see it plain as day, as he starts forcing his passes, hoping for the big play that will set things straight.

Stroud didn’t get much help either from the play-calling. The rushing plays were largely predictable, both when they were called and where they were going. Little imagination there. Nor did Ryan Day provide Stroud help with “easy” pitch-and-catches to build confidence. Maybe in that weather, there wasn’t anything easy.

And then there was some imagination, finally. Stroud carried the ball! Six times actually for 79 yards, including the game’s biggest play, a 44-yarder. Having a second potential runner in the game freed Miyan Williams, who finished with 111 rushing yards.

The bottom line, however, for yesterday’s offense is that it simply won’t do. 283 total yards. Against Northwestern, the worst team in the Big Ten. 4/15 on third down conversions. Only 23:34 in time of possession. Not many plays. Not many yards. Not many points. Lots of punts.

Defense


Overall rating: BBB Adequate (i.e., good enough to win)

It’s tough to rate the OSU defense against the Wildcats. On one hand, they allowed only seven points. Zero after the midway mark of the first quarter. They allowed fewer than 300 total yards and, importantly, 0/4 in NU fourth-down attempts. The longest Wildcat passing play netted 13 yards, the longest run 19 yards. It seemed throughout the game that star running back Evan Hull was really gouging the Buckeye D, especially from direct snaps in the wildcat formation. In fact, though, Hull gained 122 yards on 30 carries, an average of 4.1, less than Miyan Williams’ average for the game.

On the other hand, the Buckeye defense couldn’t get off the field, allowing Northwestern to convert nearly half (9/20) of their third-down attempts and to dominate the time of possession 36:26 to 23:34. The Bucks had only one sack (granted, NU didn’t pass much) and did not get a turnover. They gave up 200 yards rushing. To Northwestern.

Recently, we have been saying that the Buckeye defense was getting better every week. Then, it was winning games when the offense struggled. What to say about it now? Nothing to brag about, but good enough. Barely.

Special Teams


Overall rating: A Strong

In a game where the weather conditions were as they were yesterday, a game where field position (OSU scored all three touchdowns with a short field) mattered, the punting game is crucial. Had it not blown away, I would have awarded the game ball to punter Jesse Mirco (see below). Buckeye special teams avoided mistakes and penalties.

Egbuka had a nice, 18-yard punt return, and Xavier Johnson looked pretty good on his kickoff return. Here’s my only question: after OSU’s final touchdown, with 4:21 left in the game, what was going on with that squib kick? A deliberate play? What the hell?

Individual Performances

Blue Chip


Jesse Mirco. Having your punter as your offensive star tells you all that you need to know about this game. Mirco kicked seven times for a 50.3-yard average (10 yards more per punt than the Northwestern punters). He downed one on the NU four-yard line, and another one at their 11. He would flip the field, giving his team controlling field position. A really good game.

Tommy Eichenberg. Eichenberg sometimes gets by under the radar as he plays his usual fine game. But yesterday he was dominant and recorded a game-high 13 total tackles.

Steele Chambers, Ronnie Hickman, Lathan Ransom. Notice that there aren’t any defensive linemen here; tackles, unfortunately, were made by linebackers and backs. And these guys had a bunch: Chambers had eight, Hickman 10, Ransom nine.

Solid Performance


Miyan Williams. Three or four times in my notes, I have, after a crucial third down (or even fourth down) play, “Williams stopped short.” He often was. He didn’t have much in the way of holes, but, as the game went on, he ran harder and harder, refusing to go down. Keeping his balance on his 27-yard touchdown run was a real feat. The third quarter play gave the Buckeyes their first lead of the game and shifted the momentum in their favor. Williams finished with 111 yards on 26 carries (4.3 average). In the second half, though, he ran 15 times for 89 yards and a six-yard average.

C.J. Stroud, the runner. I’m separating Stroud’s performance here. It was great to see him running the ball, and he seemed to take to it, to get better at it, once he had a couple of runs under his belt. The fake to Williams and 44-yard run around the edge turned the game around. It will be interesting to see if Stroud running will become a feature of the OSU offense.

J.T. Tuimoloau. Well, Tuimoloau didn’t have the game that he had last week. How could he? but he was still pretty good. He collected his team’s one sack and batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage. He finished the game with four total tackles.

Penny Stock


J.K. Johnson. Watching, over and over again, Johnson whiffing as the Northwestern running back blew by him for a score, made me wince. It looked as though he didn’t even try, just stood there and waved. Johnson lost his man in coverage a couple of times but didn’t really get burned, saved by bad passes and dropped balls. Against a better passing team?

The offensive line, especially Matt Jones. I’m singling M. Jones out because of his holding penalty on the Buckeyes’ first play. X Johnson returned the opening kickoff to the 30. Then Williams gained seven on a nice run. But Jones was called for holding, and it was first and 20. Not where you want to be in a game like this. The play, sadly, set the tone for the offense.

The line, generally, wasn’t very good on either passing or running plays. While not giving up any sacks, the line couldn’t protect Stroud very well either. The coverage was good, and Stroud had to scramble on most plays. On runs, the line didn’t succeed in moving people out of the way until late in the game. Against Northwestern, they shouldn’t have had any trouble. But they did.


Against an even slightly better team, Ohio State might have lost this game. Pat Fitzgerald should have opted for punts a couple of times, rather than going for it. NU receivers dropped some balls that would have made a difference. But the Buckeyes won. And the prizes are still out there waiting. Go Bucks!

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We’ll talk about this later: The Scott’s Tots game of the year
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Your dose of lighthearted takes from yesterday’s games.

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

I don’t want to talk about anything related to this game—now, later, maybe ever. Ohio State’s win over Northwestern was the ugliest game of the season played on an ugly day in Chicago. I mean, look at how windy it was.


This game is the Scott’s Tots of Ohio State’s football season. For those unfamiliar with The Office, Scott’s Tots is an episode in the middle of season six of the series.


Years before the events in the episode, Michael Scott had promised college tuition to a group of underserved kids (the Scott’s Tots) if they graduated from high school. Obviously, Michael could not keep this promise. The group, set to graduate, repeatedly invited Michael to their school to say thank you, and Michael had to eventually accept their invitation with the firm direction of Pam, who admonished him for doing a “terrible, terrible thing.”


What followed was a horrendously awkward scene where the kids perform an impassioned song and give heartfelt speeches, only to have Michael tell them that he cannot afford to pay for school but CAN offer them lithium laptop batteries.


While the episode resolves with Michael offering to pay for the books of one of the students and Erin relaying that Scott’s Tots had a higher graduation rate than the rest of the school, it was not enough to make up for the absolute cringe of the cringiest episode of a series that has so, so many cringey moments.

For Ohio State, the Buckeyes escaped with a win and this episode of the season ended with a W, even if the conclusion was not as satisfying as we might have hoped for. The Buckeyes matched their lowest point total of the season (21 points in their season opener against Notre Dame). For the second-straight game, the Buckeyes were outgained on offense (yes, by Northwestern) and were held under 300 total yards for the first time this year. On a windy, rainy day where it was tough to pass, Ohio State’s backs struggled to run against the Wildcats.


And the one bright spot of the day offensively was an upside-down moment where C.J. Stroud nearly rushed for a touchdown.


In the case of Scott’s Tots, this episode was not necessary to move the plot of the season along. For fans of the series, it’s one we often skip when rewatching. Ohio State fans similarly will hope to forget this windy day in November, walk away with the win and hopefully move toward the College Football Playoff with their same trajectory.

Still, the cringe factor does not abate. So hopefully we will not talk about this later.


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Visiting Locker Room: Previewing Indiana Hoosiers women’s basketball with Crimson Quarry
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Head coach Teri Moren has new and existing weapons to choose from for 2022-23, so we asked an expert about what to expect this season.

The Indiana Hoosiers were a team that started last season with promise, but ended without any trophies to show for it. Although they beat Ohio State twice, injury, upsets and the Iowa Hawkeyes all kept Indiana back. This season, Indiana retooled to hopefully do what they couldn’t do in 2021-22.

To learn more about the changing roster of a team predicted to challenge for the conference, Land-Grant Holy Land reached out to fellow SB Nation site Crimson Quarry. Editor L.C. Norton talked about the impact of center Mackenzie Holmes, which new transfers to look out for and their weakness exploited by the Hawkeyes.

Land-Grant Holy Land: Indiana is a team who returns key role players in their starting lineup. One member of that group is center Mackenzie Holmes. Last season, she worked through an injury but still rebounded to make Second Team All-B1G. How important is Holmes staying healthy for Indiana this season? What does she bring that makes Indiana so dangerous?


LGHL: When it comes to roster changes, the Hoosiers notably lost Nicole Cardaño-Hillary but added freshmen and transfers. How much of a role do you see transfers Sydney Parrish and Sara Scalia playing within the guard group?


LGHL: Continuing the roster talk, are there any freshmen who can make an impact in their first seasons?


LGHL: Last season, the Hoosiers were in the fight for the regular season conference title until the last few games. It was Iowa who did them in, losing twice to end the conference schedule, then again in the Big Ten Tournament finale. What made the Hawkeyes so difficult for the Hoosiers, and how do you see them faring this season?


LGHL: Finally, what are your way-too-early predictions for where the Hoosiers end on the final conference standings, and how far do they make it in the NCAA Tournament?


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Scientifically ranking all three of Ohio State’s touchdowns against Northwestern
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

We are using a scientific set of rules to systematically rank all of OSU’s touchdowns by degree of difficulty, athleticism, entertainment value, and anything else we want to judge them by.

There were a painfully low number of touchdowns scored by the Buckeyes against the Northwestern Wildcats, five of them to be exact. So, since we live in a listicle world, we are breaking them down, scientifically, of course.

And since this is my column, I reserve the right to change my judging criteria week to week, heck, even touchdown to touchdown. In some cases, I will judge a play by its importance in the grand scheme of the game, others will be by the degree of difficulty, backstory, and sheer entertainment value.

If you disagree with my ranking (which my six+ years here at LGHL tells me you absolutely will), feel free to share your list in the comments below.

Ok, now, without further ado, drumroll, please.........

Third Place: Touchdown No. 2
Miyan Williams 2-Yard Run


Northwestern scored first, but only once. So, Ohio State’s third touchdown was effectively window dressing, but that doesn’t mean that going up two touchdowns was not important. So, I gave a few percentage points to Miyan Williams for this run and took a few away too.

Pretty simple two-yard run, but Mitch Rossi did do a good job picking up a second-level block to make sure that Chop got into the end zone.

Second Place: Touchdown No. 1
Emeka Egbuka 15-Yard Run


It was obvious early on that throwing wasn’t going to be easy/possible at Ryan Field on Saturday afternoon. On Twitter, I was advocating (only somewhat hyperbolically) that the Buckeyes should completely abandon the pass altogether and just empty the playbook with creative and weird run play calls.


Now, this is neither all that creative or weird, this is one of the few somewhat out-of-the-box plays that Ryan Day is willing to call on a regular basis, but this worked perfectly and couldn’t have come at a better time.

There obviously weren’t a lot of touchdown options today, so normally this wouldn’t have been the second-best score, but we work with what we’re given.

The initial blocking on this rush was good from anyone not wearing No. 34. Mitch Rossi ignored what likely should have been his initial blocking assignment, which fortunately didn’t cost Egbuka. But then, Rossi gave a half-hearted block on the second level and the defender would have been in position for a stop if Egbuka had broken back inside.

Fortunately, he didn’t and instead put a shoulder into a DB to get across the goal line. I still wish we had seen even more creativity in Ryan Day’s play-calling, but I will take this over short-yardage stretch plays any day of the week.

First Place: Touchdown No. 2
Miyan Williams 27-Yard Run


Williams looked out of sorts through most of the first half; whether it was dealing with his hand injury, trying to acclimate to the weather, or frustration with the offensive execution, he just didn’t look like the game and tackle-breaking wrecking ball that we’ve all grown to love. However, this play proved that that specific dog is still very much in there.

This play had everything that you want to see from Miyan; he did not hesitate to run north and south through the hole, he refused to go down and bounced outside, he turned on the jets to run away from defenders, and ran through an arm-tackle attempt to get into the end zone.

I honestly don’t know if Ohio State is a good, average, or awful running team, but if they want to continue to move up that continuum, they will need to keep having runs like this. The Buckeyes have obviously been hurt this season by seemingly dealing with different running back injuries each and every game, but to me, the issue isn’t really Williams or TreVeyon Henderson, the issue is the offensive line. This was relatively well blocked and Willaims gave everything he could to make the most of the opportunity.

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Digging deeper into Ohio State’s streak of 70 straight games with at least 20 points
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

With their 21-7 win today over Northwestern, the Buckeyes now have scored at least 20 points in a record 20 straight games.


Even though today’s game against Northwestern was one Ohio State fans would like to forget, the Buckeyes did make a bit of history today, scoring at least 20 points for the 70th game in a row. For a while it was looking like Ohio State would see their streak end on a #nice number, as they went into the halftime break having scored only mustered seven points in the wind and rain that dramatically altered play in Evanston.

Way back when


Prior to the beginning of their current streak, Ohio State did have a few games under Urban Meyer where it was a grind to put points on the scoreboard. Michigan State really gave the Buckeyes fits in 2015 and 2016, beating Ohio State 17-14 in Columbus in 2015, and holding the Buckeyes to 17 points the next year in East Lansing. At least Ohio State scored points in those games, though. At the end of the 2016 season, the Buckeyes were shut out by Clemson 31-0 in the Fiesta Bowl.

The last time Ohio State failed to score at least 20 points in a game came early in the 2017 season when they lost 31-16 in Columbus against Oklahoma. The Sooners certainly got some payback for J.T. Barrett and company dropping 45 points on them the previous season in Norman. Even if the Buckeyes had been able to reach 20, it would have only extended the streak by two games, meaning the record would have been broken against Iowa in the 54-10 victory a couple of weeks ago.

Closest call


During this 70-game streak, Ohio State has had 16 games where they have scored in the 20s. The one game where the Buckeyes scored exactly 20 points is one that fans are still trying to forget. During the 2018 season, Ohio State was crushed by Purdue 49-20 in West Lafayette.

Heading into the fourth quarter of the blowout, Ohio State had only put six points on the scoreboard against the Boilermakers. Johnnie Dixon scored with just under 10 minutes to go to make the score 28-13, and five minutes later Terry McLaurin hauled in a 34-yard pass from Dwayne Haskins to get Ohio State to 20 points.

Eerie similarities


This marks the second game this year where Ohio State has scored 21 points in a game. The first came in the season opener against Notre Dame. There were obviously some differences in the opponent, setting, and weather conditions, but Ohio State was able to extend the streak in similar ways.

Against the Fighting Irish, Ohio State also scored just a touchdown in the first half. After adding a touchdown in the third quarter against both Notre Dame and Northwestern, Miyan Williams scored on 2-yard touchdown runs in both games. Against Notre Dame, Williams scored with 4:21 left on the clock, while today he scored with 4:51 left in the fourth quarter.

64-6


Since the last time they failed to score at least 20 points in a game, Ohio State has posted a 64-6 record. Just imagine how many schools would kill for a record like that over the last five years. For some segments of Buckeye Nation, it almost feels like this stretch has been a failure since Ohio State hasn’t won a national title.

Since 2017, Ohio State has gone to four Big Ten Championship Games, winning them all. Two of those wins came over Northwestern, with the other two coming against Wisconsin. The Buckeyes have appeared in the College Football Playoff twice, advancing to the title game in 2020. The three years Ohio State didn’t make the CFP, they went on to win the New Year’s Six bowl game they appeared in.

50


Over the last 70 games, Ohio State has scored at least 20 points in a quarter 50 times. So far this year the Buckeyes have scored at least 20 points in a quarter six times, with the most recent coming last week against Penn State when they scored 28 points to beat the Nittany Lions. In both 2019 and 2021, Ohio State recorded at least 20 points in a quarter 12 times throughout the season.

42


The most points Ohio State scored in any quarter over the last 70 games came back in 2019 against Miami (OH) when the Buckeyes hung 42 points on the RedHawks in the second quarter. Justin Fields accounted for six touchdowns in the quarter, throwing for four scores, and adding two more on the ground. Ohio State was actually trailing early on in the game after the RedHawks jumped out to a 5-0 lead before the Buckeyes scored 76 unanswered points. The 42 points were the most Ohio State has ever scored in a quarter in school history.

19


The most popular group of numbers that Ohio State has scored during this streak is 50-59, which the Buckeyes have hit 19 times over the 70-game span. So far the Buckeyes have scored in that range twice this season, putting 52 points on Wisconsin to open up Big Ten play, and following it up with 54 points against Iowa a couple of weeks ago.

Last year was the season during the streak where Ohio State had the most games where they scored between 50 and 59 points. To close out their non-conference schedule the Buckeyes hung 59 points on Akron, and followed it up with 52 against Rutgers the next week. Following their bye week, Ohio State scored 54 points at Indiana. Then in November at home against Purdue and Michigan State, the Buckeyes hit 59 again against the Boilermakers before scoring 56 the next week against the Spartans.

77


Amazingly enough, the 76 points Ohio State scored against Miami (OH) weren’t the most points the Buckeyes have scored in a game during their 70-game streak. Ohio State actually scored 77 points in a game on two occasions over the last five years. In Ryan Day’s first game as interim head coach back in 2018, the Buckeyes scored 77 points against Oregon State. 77 points hit again this season when Ohio State beat in-state foe Toledo 77-21. The Buckeyes have reached 70 points four times since the streak began in 2017.

34


Since the loss to Oklahoma, the Buckeyes have not only done a great job at scoring at least 20 points in games, but they have also been able to keep opponents to less than 20 points in almost half of those contests. Teams facing the Buckeyes have failed to reach 20 points in 34 games in Ohio State’s last 70 contests. 16 of those games saw Ohio State’s opponents fail to score at least 10 points. The Buckeyes have recorded two shutouts during the streak, blanking Rutgers 56-0 in 2017 and Cincinnati 42-0 in 2019.

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Irrational Overreactions(?): It’s time to reassess Ohio State’s position in the CFP hunt
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 Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Not only was that game ugly, but it was also pretty telling.

Ohio State fans live in the extremes, whether good or bad. As they say, we have no chill. So, I am going to give voice to those passionate opinions by running through my completely level-headed, not-at-all over-the-top, 100% unbiased takeaways from Saturday’s 21-7 win over the Northwestern Wildcats.

It’s time to reassess Ohio State’s position in the CFP hunt


The Buckeyes of today looked very much like the Buckeyes of last year; struggling to stop the run and struggling even more to run it themselves. The relative easiness of the first six games of the season — and all of the offseason talk about toughness — lulled us into a false sense of security; a false sense of confidence; a false sense of superiority, not over other teams (although that too), but over the 2021 version of the Ohio State football team.

Has there been improvement in the toughness department? Sure, I suppose, especially on defense, but it has been no where near the level that I think many fans and media members thought it was as recently as 11 this morning.

I think that if we are being honest with ourselves, the more objective amongst us knew this was the case. But it’s so easy to get swept away by the impressive early-season stats when you’re wearing scarlet and gray-colored glasses. But, weather or not (pun intended), today’s victory over Northwestern should force everyone who covers and cares about this team to reasses just how good it actually is and what the expectations should realisticaly be for the rest of the season.

An undefeated Big Ten champion will obviously make the College Football Playoff, but if that does prove to be Ohio State, they would almost certainly enter as — at best — the third most likely team to take home the title. As I’m writing this, Georgia is up 24-6 over Tennessee early in the third quarte, but you have to really question if OSU has the dudes to keep up with either of these teams. We’ll see if Alabama and Clemson are able to beat LSU and Notre Dame respectively tonight, but it just feels like there is a considerable gap between the more well-rounded top tier of college football and where Ohio State actually is at this point in the season.

The Buckeyes might still be a top-four team nationally, but man does it feel like there is an ever-growing chasm between where they are and where we thought they were. And, oh boy, I am not yet emotionally ready to even contemplate the question of who should legitimately be the favorite in the regular season finale. That’s a really troubling question that I’m just not up for broaching today.

Where is the toughness we heard so much about?


I am in no way, shape, or form going to discount how difficult it is to play in the conditions that Ohio State endured at Ryan Field this afternoon. When you are a pass-first offense, no matter how strong-armed your quarterback is (and C.J. Stroud very much is), those types of winds are going to be nearly debilitating.

Of course, that doesn’t excuse all of the passing issues that the Buckeyes had today; the wide receivers dropped at least a half dozen catchable balls and Stroud looked hesitant and gun-shy throughout. But the passing game woes are not what has me most concerned.

Throughtout the entire offseason and all of fall camp, all we heard from the Buckeyes was how they needed to be tough this season, how they were going to redeem themselves along the lines of scrimmage, and how they were taking what happened against Oregon, to a lesser degree Utah, and especially in The Game personally and how they were not going to let is happen again.

Um... not only has it happened again, but it’s happened again three weeks in a row. As I said before, I do think that the defense has made significant and substantive improvements, but have those improvements come in the toughness department? Recent results would indicate otherwise.

As much as I tried to convince myself of the contrary, I don’t know if this is something that can be changed in a single offseason, let alone in the two weeks before OSU’s rivals come to Columbus. I suppose that we just have to hope that the non-toughness-related defensive improvements and the passing game will be enough to get them back in the win column against TTUN — but if you are a prayer-person, maybe start saying some “Hail Marys” and lighting some candels for good weather on Nov. 26.

Quick Thoughts

• This game will obviously hurt (if not torpedo) Stroud’s Heisman chances, but his 79 yards rushing on six carries should prove that he is willing and able to do whatever is needed to put his team in the best position to win. There are far too many people online who routinely question his (physical and mental) toughness at even the slightest sign of imperfection, but when the passing game was never going to work today, he found other ways to step up and deliver and I think that says a lot about him as a player and a leader.
• Quarterback runs will apparently never not be kryptonite for the Ohio State defense. In a game in which the threat of passing was negligible, the Buckeyes still struggled to keep Brendan Sullivan contained. Now, I don’t actually think that J.J. McCarthy is a Michael Vick-level runner (he’s only averaging 5.6 yards per carry non-sack adjusted), but he does have the ability to pull it down and given the fact that OSU has historically had no means to stop it, this will almost certainly be a problem in the regular season finale.

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Instant Recap Podcast: Ohio State wins 21-7 against Northwestern in a burn the tape game
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

The weather was bad, the football was worst, but Ohio State moves to 9-0

Ohio State traveled to Northwestern to take on the Wildcats in an ugly weather matchup that the Buckeyes won 21-7. Jordan Williams is joined by Chris Renne to bring you the Land-Grant Holy Land “Instant Recap Podcast.”

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

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To get the show started, the guys discuss why Ohio State just needs to bur the tape from this matchup and move on to next week.

In the first discussion, the guys discuss the run game struggles again for a third week in a row. The conversation moves forward to Miyan Williams’ lack of juice running the ball, and if the issues came from scheme or the execution. Then the duo gets into why it takes so long for Ryan Day to get creative with his run designs as a play-caller.

The defense played a huge game, despite giving up some run yards they came up huge multiple times. In the trenches, Ohio State had to battle and the linebackers came up with enough plays at the second level to keep Northwestern from doing anything explosive.

After that, Jordan and Chris discuss C.J. Stroud’s performance and why the grittiness was something they were excited to see. The trust the coaching staff had to let him win the game was there as always.

To conclude, the show they give their final thoughts on the performance, discuss injuries, and what’s next for the Buckeyes.


Connect with Chris Renne:
Twitter: @ChrisRenneCFB

Connect with Jordan Williams
Twitter: @JordanW330

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LGHL Asks: Ohio State fans predict what will happen against Northwestern today
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 Andy Lyons/Getty Images

You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.

Every day for the entirety of the Ohio State football season, we will be asking and answering questions about the team, college football, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.

We are back, friends. Back into a period in which the outcome of Ohio State games is never going to be in doubt and the only questions that will remain are whether or not they look dominant or perfect. A three-game stretch of fine-tuning begins against the Northwestern Wildcats in Evanston, Ill. on what appears to be a rainy and windy day.


Question 1: Which opponent before The Game worries you the most?



I mean, if the answer to this was anything but the Terps, I would have been shocked, and frankly more than a bit disappointed. Maryland’s six wins on the season are 33% more than Northwestern and Indiana combined. I am actually looking forward to that game in a couple of weeks because it is going to be the only real opportunity for Ohio State’s secondary to test itself against a pass-focused offense with a really talented group of wide receivers.

Obviously, TTUN is going to be the game to really show how good the Buckeye defense is, but that will be primarily focused on running the ball, so having the opportunity to gauge where Jim Knowles’ secondary is will be informative, especially if OSU can secure the win the following week in The Game.

If the Buckeyes are to win the national championship, their defensive backs — primarily their corners — are going to need to step up and against the Terps in College Park will be the first real chance for us to see how much progress they’ve made.

Question 2: What is most likely to happen on Saturday against Northwestern?



This one is tough for me. I officially picked Ohio State to win 55-6, so not by 50 points, but I could still argue that putting up half a hundred is most likely. However, given the weather conditions and how awful Northwestern’s rushing defense is, I think I am going to go with the Buckeyes putting up over 300 yards on the ground.

The Wildcats are currently 109th nationally and 13th in the Big Ten in rushing yards allowed per game at 186.38. If the wind and rain are as bad as the meteorologists believe it will be, passing could be difficult meaning that the Buckeyes will need to stick to the rushing game. And coupled with how poorly the ground attack has played against Iowa and Penn State respectively, I think this is a good bet.

On Saturday morning, we learned that TreVeyon Henderson will be unavailable for the game for undisclosed reasons, but he wasn’t available to the media during midweek interview sessions on Wednesday, so it is possible that he has been dealing with something since the Penn State game. However, Miyan Williams will be back, but today could also be an opportunity for Dallan Hayden and Chip Trayanum to put up some big yards as well.

Question 3: How many points do you think Ohio State beats Northwestern by this week?



I’ve already told you that I’ve got the Buckeyes by 48, and to be honest, I could see it being more than that. Northwestern isn’t just bad this year, they are bad-bad. I think that any four-touchdown or better win is fine today, but if we start getting into situations where it is 42-21 for OSU, that is a really bad sign considering that NU’s offense is only scoring 17.9 points per game.

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Bold Predictions: The highest-scoring affair for the Buckeyes yet this season
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 Matthew Holst/Getty Images

Plus, more bold predictions for today’s matchup against Northwestern.

Before each Ohio State game this year, LGHL is going to bring you some “bold predictions”. This will include somewhere a few hot takes for the game, whether it be passing yards, points scored, sacks, or some other things that we could see happening during the game.

We’d love to hear your bold predictions. Either respond to us on Twitter at @Landgrant33 or leave your bold predictions in the comments.

Ohio State will top 80 points


The Buckeyes will certainly have an opportunity to blow out a conference opponent this afternoon. Northwestern is allowing almost 29 points per game (12th in the Big Ten and 83rd in the FBS) while Ohio State is scoring 49 points per game (1st in-conference, 2nd in the FBS).

While the average is a far cry from 80, the Buckeyes did drop 77 against Toledo earlier this season. The Wildcats also gave up a relative offensive explosion against Iowa last week (33 points). The question remaining is when the Buckeyes’ starters will stick around and keep dropping scores through the fourth quarter.

JT gets another touchdown


The hero of the Buckeyes’ win against Penn State, sophomore defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau has to be thirsty for another major defensive play, and possibly one which ends with him once again in the endzone. Tuimoloau scored the Buckeyes’ final touchdown against the Nittany Lions last week after he intercepted Sean Clifford to seal the win for Ohio State.

It was a breakout game for the sophomore, and one we’re all keen to see repeated.

Special teams score?


The time might be now. Northwestern’s special teams are averaging under 37 net punting yards per attempt. Admittedly, Ohio State is not doing great when it comes to the return game, averaging seven yards per attempt. However, the Buckeyes will likely be getting a lot more attempts this afternoon, which should increase the odds of success that one gets returned. Maybe. Then again, we’ve been calling for this one for literal years.

Notre Dame beats Clemson


Admittedly, my bold predictions for upsets have not gone well this season (see here and here). However, the third time might be the charm. Notre Dame is coming off a huge win over Syracuse. The Fighting Irish are also winners of five of their last six. Clemson, meanwhile, has looked vulnerable in the last couple of weeks. Plus, the game is in South Bend. The recipe might be just right for an upset.

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OHIO STATE GAMEDAY: It’s a bad day to be a Northwestern Wildcat
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Buckeyes hit a lighter part of the schedule leading up to the season finale against Michigan.

Wake up, everyone. It’s Ohio State game day!

The Ohio State Buckeyes struggled through three quarters last weekend, but ultimately took care of business in a double-digit win over Penn State, which in turn has earned them the No. 2 spot in this season’s first College Football Playoff rankings. With the Nittany Lions in the rearview mirror, Ohio State will now take on Northwestern — a team they are favored over by nearly 40 points. The Buckeyes’ next few contests leading into The Game should be a lot less stressful than the one in Happy Valley.

Over the past week, our talented group of writers and podcasters have put together preview pieces, analytical breakdowns, and everything in-between.

If you missed out on any of the coverage, we have you... well, covered. Below, each type of story is categorized. If you’re looking for podcasts and previews we’ve done, you can find them; if you’re looking for the betting lines and film studies, they are there, too.

Enjoy the day everyone. As always, Go Bucks!

Football Podcasts

• I-70 Football: A weekend full of horror
• Silver Bullets: Penn State Rewind and Northwestern Preview
• LGHL Uncut: Day, Knowles, Hartline discuss playcalling, injuries
• Hangout in the Holy Land: Northwestern preview
• Buck Off: A conversation about Northwestern, OSU’s run game, and presser bullets

Previews

• Ohio State vs. Northwestern: 2022 game preview and prediction
• Three Things To Watch from the Northwestern Wildcats
• Defensive Player to Watch: Linebacker Bryce Gallagher
• Offensive Player to Watch: Running back Evan Hull

Sports Betting

• Ohio State opens as 36.5-point favorites over Northwestern
• Week 10 National Games
• Week 10 Conference Games

Film Studies

• Penn State Film Review
• Northwestern Film Preview

Basketball

• Full Big Ten preview, award predictions for the 2022-23 season
• Five things we learned from Ohio State’s 101-57 victory over Chaminade
• Game Notes: No. 14 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. Notre Dame College
• Big Ten men’s basketball team preview: Minnesota Golden Gophers
• Ohio State women’s basketball player preview: Kaia Henderson
• Ohio State women’s basketball player preview: Hevynne Bristow
• Ohio State women’s basketball player preview: Karla Vreš
• Who will be Ohio State men’s basketball’s most valuable player?
• Jacy Sheldon and Taylor Mikesell named on Naismith Watch List

Recruiting

• BOOOOM! 2023 four-star DL Kayden McDonald commits to Ohio State
• Four-star Georgia DL set to make his decision Monday
• Ohio State makes the cut for four-star tight end from Georgia
• 2025 Ohio quarterback to visit the Buckeyes later this month
• A top edge rush target in the 2023 class sheds light on decision timeline
• Another top targets sets visit plans, in-state prospect high on the Buckeyes

Ask LGHL

• Is C.J. Stroud still the Heisman Trophy frontrunner?
• Tell us what you think is going to happen against Northwestern on Saturday

Other Podcasts

• Bucketheads: Big Ten men’s basketball preview
• Play Like a Girl: Don’t make us choose between Uga and Smokey
• LGHL Uncut: Holtmann, Holden, Gayle, Thornton discuss win vs. Chaminade

Other Columns

• Big Ten stat leaders through Week 9
• Reviewing the Big Ten at the two-thirds mark
• What did we learn from the Penn State game?
• Ohio State’s run game is back to being incredibly predictable
• New month, new goals for the Buckeyes
• A look at Buckeyes who have played tight end under coach Ryan Day
• What Ohio State player had injury issues that hit you the hardest?
• The Big Ten is not good enough for two College Football Playoff teams

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


Adam Cairns via Imagn Content Services, LLC

This one could get ugly in a lot of different ways.

The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes (8-0, 5-0) enter the final month of the regular season with a game against the hapless Northwestern Wildcats (1-7, 0-5). The next three games — against Northwestern, Indiana, and Maryland — should provide the Scarlet and Gray an opportunity to get healthy and work out any kinks before facing their rival and the postseason.


The Buckeyes head to Evanton, Ill. on a day that is expected to be a bit of a mess — both in terms of weather and Northwestern’s chances to win. At publication time, there will be projected wind gusts of 20-25 mph during the game and there is roughly a 25% chance of rain throughout most of the contest.

The weather, coupled with the fact that the Wildcats gave up 33 points and 393 yards — including 173 on the ground— to the offensively-challenged Iowa Hawkeyes last weekend and it could be a very big day for the OSU ground game.

The rushing unit is expected to get a bit of a boost as Miyan Williams is expected to return to the rotation following last week’s Penn State game which saw him get tangled up with the first down chain and injure his hand. While C.J. Stroud will likely still get in his share of pass attempts, expect Williams, Treveyon Henderson, Dallan Hayden, and recently re-converted running back Chip Trayanum to have plenty of chances to tote the rock today.

On offense, Northwestern enters the game with the 89th ranked offense, picking up an average of 362.6 yards per game; OSU is sixth nationally with 509.3. In recent weeks, NU has gone with redshirt freshman quarterback Brendan Sullivan who is completely 73.2% of his pass attempts, but only for 5.9 yards per attempt.

Coming into the game today, the Buckeyes are 33-1 against Northwestern in the last 50 years and it would take a completely unforeseeable upset to prevent them from leaving the Chicagoland area as anything other than 34-1.

When is the game and how can I watch it?


Game Date/Time: Saturday, Nov. 5 at 12 noon ET
Location: Evanston, Ill.
TV: ESPN
Online: Sling TV
Radio: 97.1 FM | 1460 AM

DraftKings Sportsbook line: Ohio State -38 | o/u 55.5

Official LGHL Prediction: Ohio State 52, Penn State 10

Matt’s Prediction: Ohio State 54, Penn State 6

Join the conversation


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

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Play Like a Girl Podcast: Don’t make us choose between Uga and Smokey
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

We just want all the dogs to have fun. Plus, recapping Ohio State’s win over Penn State

On LGHL’s Play Like a Girl podcast, Tia and Meredith talk everything from Ohio State sports to advocacy for women in sports and all the happenings in between.

Check out the podcast below, and make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts:


Welcome back to the Play Like a Girl podcast! This week, Tia and Meredith are in their element, because the big game of the week is a matchup of two of the cutest mascots in the FBS, Uga and Smokey and frankly they just don’t know who to pick.

Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images


Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images

They also review how Team Cat did vs. Team Dog this week and talk about what we learned about Ohio State’s resilience in a nail-biter against Penn State last week.

Plus, the pair talk about the emerging College Football Playoff picture and marvel at the fact two teams can tie in the AP Poll.

Check out the full pod for more.


Contact Tia Johnston
Twitter: @tiajohnston_

Contact Meredith Hein
Twitter: @MeredithHein

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Northwestern Offensive Player to Watch: Running back Evan Hull
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


USA TODAY Sports

Hull is a one-man band and the Wildcats’ biggest threat to score. With little help around him, all Buckeye eyes should be on the dynamic running back in Evanston.

Ohio State travels to Evanston, Illinois this weekend to play the first of (what should be) two layups scheduled in November. No offense to Northwestern, but the spread is 30+ for a reason. And this is not 2020, when Pat Fitzgerald had one of college football’s best defenses and made a surprise run to the Big Ten Championship Game.

Instead, this year’s Wildcats own a 1-7 record, with losses to Southern Illinois and Miami (OH) during non-conference play. The NU program has struggled immensely since 2018, with 2020 seeming more and more like an aberration with each passing week. I expect their struggles to continue this week, for a variety of reasons. Chief among them is the Northwestern offense.

For lack of a better, more eloquent term, it stinks. And I understand that this is not some new phenomenon. The Wildcats have never been a scoring juggernaut under Fitzgerald, which makes sense given his successful defensive background. Since 2014, they have regularly finished outside the top-100 in points per game... But it wasn’t always like this. Nor should it be viewed as acceptable. Not for a program which has benefitted from having hundreds of millions of dollars pumped into facility upgrades.

Affluent alumni base or not, I would assume that return on investment matters at some point — whether that be financial gain or simply enjoying the product. Not to mention the fact that Fitgzerald is currently the 14th-highest paid coach in CFB. You want three wins per year? I’ll give it a go for far less than $5.5 million, just give me a call.

Now that I have gone on my Fitzgerald tirade – I think he is a good coach by the way, but in the same vein as Kirk Ferentz (comfortable, low ceiling, already peaked) – it is time to start shifting our attention toward the players. Specifically those on the offense, which I so rudely called out. But there is talent on that side of the ball. More than they’ve had in recent years, if you ask me. It just comes down to whether or not offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian can figure out how to use said talent. Unfortunately, I would venture a guess than many (like myself) have serious doubts.

Because Northwestern is two and a half years into the Baja Experience, and points are still nowhere to be found. The Wildcats averaged 16.6 PPG in 2021 to finish 125th nationally. This season, they have improved to 17.9, “good” for 120th. All this after Bajakian’s predecessor was let go despite putting up 24+ PPG in three of his last four seasons.

Which leads me to ask: Where is the upgrade!? You recently had a five-star quarterback in Hunter Johnson, as well as Rashawn Slater and (now) Peter Skoronski, arguably the two best offensive lineman to ever come through your program. There is no reason to be this bad. Coaching is one thing. Gameplan and execution are another. It has all been bad for NU recently.

But one thing you will not hear from me is Evan Hull slander. The fourth-year running back is a bright bulb in an otherwise dark room, and often times carries the Wildcat offense on his back. He is a physical runner and skilled pass catcher, making him a threat on each and every down. One of the signs of a truly special player, is when they are able to make plays with the entire opposition focused on stopping them. Hull can do just that, earning him the title of this week’s Offensive Player to Watch.


The 5-foot-11, 210-pounder hails from Maple Grove, Minnesota, where he was a stud wrestler and running back in high school. Ranked as the No. 6 overall recruit in MN, he chose Northwestern over a number of other schools, and saw the field as a true freshman for the ‘Cats. It took until late in the 2019 season (October), but Hull was eventually sprinkled into the gameplan as a depth piece at RB, before breaking out in a major way against Massachusetts.

After totaling eight carries for just 15 yards during his first two appearances, the freshman was thrown feet-first into the fire against UMass, and passed that test with flying colors. Hull racked up 240 (!) yards and four TD, on 24 carries, for an average of 9.2 YPC. He then settled back into a rotational role for NU’s last game of the season, but by that time, the tone had been set. This guy was likely going to be a workhorse in the not-so-distant future.

But Hull was not given the keys to the proverbial car in 2020. Instead, there was a five-way timeshare in the Wilcats’ backfield – six, if you include QB Peyton Ramsey – and the second-year back from Minnesota finished fourth among Northwestern RB with 25 carries. Despite his limited opportunities, Hull finished just 124 yards behind the team’s leading rusher, who finished the season with 81 carries. That was because Hull averaged 8.4 YPC, at least doubling the mark(s) of those ahead of him in the pecking order. You know what they say in Evanston: When you have an explosive RB, it is best to bury him on the depth chart.

Hull was finally handed the reins last season, and wouldn’t you know it, performed exceptionally for the Wildcats. He rushed for 1,009 yards (5.1 YPC) and reeled in 33 receptions (for 264 additional yards), finishing as the team’s leading rusher and third-leading receiver. In total, Hull accounted for 1,273 scrimmage yards and nine TD, at least tripling the total of every other skill player. He was a one-man offense, even with 11 defenders on the opposite side having him in their crosshairs. That is Darnell Autry or Justin Jackson-type stuff, referring to past Northwestern greats. And Hull has continued his strong play thus far in 2022.

USA TODAY Sports

Through eight games this season, the All-Big Ten candidate has accumulated 1,040 total yards — 579 rushing and 461 receiving. Hull’s yards per carry are down, but he has made up for the drop in efficiency by transforming into NU’s version of Christian McCaffery or Alvin Kamara. Meaning, he is not only the team’s bell cow RB, but also (arguably) its biggest receiving threat. In fact, he leads the Wildcats with 45 receptions and is only nine yards off the team lead for receiving yards. Hull also has three 100-yard rushing games and a 14-catch, 213-receiving yard performance in Week 2.

Despite Evan Hull’s borderline greatness, his team is likely staring down the barrel of a 1-8 record come Saturday. Their defense is not what it has been in years past, and the offense struggles to score points. And again, this is nothing new for Northwestern. Until they are able to achieve balance on that side of the ball, many of their games will resemble a copy-and-paste version of the previous one. But that should not minimize Hull’s achievements. He has the odds (more like the box) stacked against him on a weekly basis, yet all he does is produce. Keep your eyes on him this weekend, as he looks to run past the Buckeyes and up the NU career leaderboards.

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Jacy Sheldon and Taylor Mikesell named on Naismith Watch List
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

The dynamic guard duo now enter the season with even higher expectations

The Ohio State Buckeyes women's basketball team starts their 2022-23 season on Tuesday in front of home fans against the Tennessee Volunteers. On the court for Ohio State will be a pair of guards who had electric seasons last year, leading the Buckeyes to a co-share of the Big Ten conference championship. Now they’re both on the Naismith Player of the Year watchlist.

Their additions shouldn’t come as a surprise. Last year, both Scarlet & Gray splash sisters were named to award watch lists. Sheldon was on the Wade Trophy’s watch list given to best player in the country, awarded by coaches. Mikesell was a finalist for the Ann Meyers-Drysdale award for best shooting guard in the nation, but lost to UConn’s Christyn Williams.

Also, both were named First Team All-B1G in the title season, with Sheldon being only one of two unanimous selections across coaches and media, alongside Iowa’s Caitlin Clark. Sheldon also added a spot on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team.

Last season, the Naismith Award went to Aliyah Boston of the National Championship-winning South Carolina Gamecocks. Boston was a finalist alongside Clark before Boston won it all. This season, both Boston and Clark are listed on the watch list for obvious reasons, but there are some Big Ten names on the 50-player list, making up 10 of the 50.

Indiana guard Grace Berger and forward Mackenzie Holmes, Michigan guard Leigha Brown, Iowa’s Clark and forward Monika Czinano, Nebraska guard Jaz Shelley and forward Alexis Markowski and Maryland guard Diamond Miller round out the list for the conference.

Tuesday’s game against the Tennessee Volunteers will feature five Naismith watch list players across both teams. The Vols have guard Jordan Horston, who played high school basketball in Columbus, forward Rickea Jackson and center Tamari Key.

Since the award’s inception on the women’s side in 1983, a Buckeye’s never won the trophy. Only once has a Big Ten women’s basketball player won. Iowa’s Megan Gustafson earned the honor for the Hawkeyes in 2019. Rutgers’ Sue Wicks won in 1988, but that was before the school joined the conference in 2014.

Head coach Kevin McGuff hasn’t coached a Naismith Award winner in his time as a college coach. The closest he came was Washington’s Kelsey Plum, who won the honor in 2017. Plum was with the University of Washington from 2013 to 2017, the same year McGuff left the Huskies to join the Buckeyes.

Ohio State has history with the award on the men’s side. Sheldon and Mikesell, should either of them win, will be the second in school history to lift the trophy after guard Evan Turner did for the Ohio State men’s team in 2010.

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Ohio State women’s basketball player preview: Karla Vreš
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


NCAA Photos via Getty Images

The Croatian transfer student adds depth to the Buckeyes forward core.

After adding only one player in the transfer portal for the 2021-22 season, the Big Ten regular season championship-winning Ohio State Buckeyes added three this offseason. A player in that group is a Croatian graduate student with NCAA experience with the Patriot League’s American University.

Karla Vreš is a 6-foot-3 forward who’s worked hard on and off the court, with international success. Can that success transfer to the Scarlet & Gray? Vreš is next on the Land-Grant Holy Land player preview series.


Name: Karla Vres
Position: Forward
Class: Graduate Senior
High School: Jensen Gymnasium Sodra (Stockholm, Sweden)
2021-22 Stats: 3.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.3 apg, .364 FG%, .308 3FG%, 1.000 FT%

Last Year


In three seasons with the AU Eagles, Vreš had mixed results. Last season, following a career sophomore year where the forward averaged 8.6 points and 2.4 rebounds in seven starts and 10 appearances, Vreš took a spot on the bench. That didn’t mean she didn’t make an impact.

While Vreš’ minutes per game were reduced to 11.4 per game, the three-time Patriot League Honor Roll honoree made 21 appearances (two starts) with a career high 240 minutes. On Feb. 19, in one of Vreš’ two starts, she hit a three at the end of regulation to send the game against the Army West Point Academy into overtime.

Although the Eagles lost that game, American University entered the Patriot League tournament as a No. 2 seed and beat Bucknell University in the championship game. Vreš didn’t see time on the court that game, but did play in the lopsided 39-74 defeat to the Michigan Wolverines in the NCAA tournament.

What to Expect


Vreš is what you’d expect from a European-based big. She can move in the paint and make the shots expected of a forward, but also threaten outside of the arc. Last season, Vreš hit a career high 16 threes out of 52 chances.

Prediction


Monday’s exhibition blowout for the Buckeyes did include Vreš. The forward came into the game and played the final 5:37 of the fourth quarter. She didn’t take a shot, but added two rebounds and a single assist.

Vreš joins a team that preaches speed and intensity. There’s no doubt that she can learn the system. At 15 Vreš moved from Croatia to Sweden without knowing the language and ended her schooling as valedictorian. Maybe it was because the game was so out of reach, but Vreš’ speed didn’t match starting forward Rebeka Mikulášiková, her positional competition in the paint. On top of that, fellow transfer Eboni Walker received the lion’s share of minutes at the five position off the bench and impressed.

Expect Vreš to not match the minutes she played last year with American, but she’ll push the forward group in practice. Also, like Mikulášiková, Vreš can hit a long shot. That alone could get the Croatian time on the court.

Highlights


Against Boston University, Vreš (15) had 12 points in 14 minutes. Watch Vreš hit from deep, a turnaround in the paint and a transition lay-up with the AU Eagles.


Miss any player previews? Here’s the list so far:

• Taylor Mikesell
• Eboni Walker
• Madison Greene
• Emma Shumate
• Cotie McMahon
• Rebeka Mikulášiková
• Rikki Harris
• Hevynne Bristow
• Kaia Henderson

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MC&J: Ohio State is a huge favorite over Northwestern in Week 10 Big Ten action
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

The Buckeyes will look to continue their domination of the Wildcats when the teams meet in Evanston on Saturday.

Last week ATS: 7-5 (3-2 B1G, 4-3 National)

Season ATS: 64-72-3 (31-36-1 B1G, 33-35-2 National)

Looking for some advice outside the Big Ten? I have picks for Tennessee-Georgia, Alabama-LSU, and five other national games on Saturday.

B1G games:


(All lines courtesy of Draftkings Sportsbook.)

Minnesota (-16) v. Nebraska - 12:00 p.m. - ESPN2

Following a three-game losing streak, Minnesota looked like the Golden Gophers team we saw at the beginning of the season. It didn’t hurt they were taking on lowly Rutgers. Mohamed Ibrahim carried the football 36 times for 159 yards and three touchdowns. The Golden Gophers are at their best when Ibrahim and the running game is working, allowing them to control the clock and wear out the defense.

Nebraska lost their second game in a row last week, falling to Illinois 26-9. Quarterback Casey Thompson was dinged up, and his status for this week’s game is up in the air. Because of the status of Thompson not being known, as well as Minnesota finding a bit of their mojo last week, I like the Golden Gophers here. Even though 16 points seems like a lot, the Cornhuskers can’t stop the run, which is an issue you don’t want to have against Ibrahim. Minnesota wears down the Cornhuskers, sending them to their third straight loss.

Minnesota 38, Nebraska 17


Iowa v. Purdue (-3.5) - 12:00 p.m. - FS1

Even though Purdue dropped their last game to Wisconsin, the Boilermakers still have a great shot at winning the Big Ten West. Next week Purdue takes on Illinois, which makes earning a win against the Hawkeyes even more critical. The Boilermakers didn’t play last week, allowing them to recharge their batteries and make sure they are ready for what they’ll see from the Hawkeyes.

It’s a miracle that Iowa is 4-4 this year, and it all can be attributed to their defense. Unfortunately for the Hawkeyes, we saw against the Buckeyes that they can be beaten through the air. Even though Purdue doesn’t have the depth of Ohio State at receiver, they do have former Hawkeye Charlie Jones, who has to be eager to take on his old team.

Purdue has been vulnerable at times with their passing defense this year. The Boilermakers shouldn’t have to worry too much this week since the Hawkeyes have a lot of issues moving the ball not only through the air, but also on the ground. As long as Aidan O’Connell doesn’t make too many turnovers against the Iowa defense, the Boilermakers should be in good shape.

Purdue 27, Iowa 14


Maryland v. Wisconsin (-5) - 12:00 p.m. - Big Ten Network

Both these teams will be rested headed into action since they didn’t play last week. The Badgers are coming off a win over Purdue, while the Terrapins beat Northwestern in their last game. After missing the game against the Wildcats, it sounds like Taulia Tagovailoa will return this week at quarterback for Maryland.

The Badgers have been up-and-down since Jim Leonhard took the reins as interim head coach. Wisconsin beat Northwestern and Purdue, with a double overtime loss to Michigan State sandwiched in between. Graham Mertz threw for two touchdown in the win over the Boilermakers, while Braelon Allen ran for 113 yards. Allen is 130 yards shy of reaching 1,000 for the season.

Even though Tagovailoa is returning for this game, I don’t like the Terrapins to go into Madison and score an upset. This Wisconsin team might not quite be the same as we have seen over the years, but they still have a workhorse at running back in Allen. I just think we see a Wisconsin team this week that is closer to what we have come to expect than the Wisconsin team we have seen for a good portion of this season. Plus, I still can’t trust Maryland, who you never know what you’ll get from.

Wisconsin 31, Maryland 21


Michigan State v. No. 16 Illinois (-17) - 3:30 p.m. - Big Ten Network

After such a positive season last year, Michigan State has been pretty embarrassing this year. At least the Spartans can tell themselves that it can’t get much worse after their disgusting display following last week’s game against Michigan. I feel like what they are going through right now might bring them closer together, since it will make the coaching staff ask a lot of tough questions about the team.

As bad as the season has been for Michigan State, this year has been that good for Illinois and Bret Bielema. The Fighting Illini are in the driver’s seat for the Big Ten West, and they have showdowns with Purdue and Michigan the next couple weeks. Chase Brown continues to be the offense for Illinois, carrying the football 32 times for 149 yards last week against Nebraska. Don’t sleep on quarterback Tommy DeVito though, as he can make plays when his number is called.

Illinois isn’t on upset alert, I’m just not liking the Fighting Illini laying this many points. Michigan State hung with Michigan last week, and even with the suspensions I think they can at least stay within shouting distance of Illinois. This feels like a 10-14 point win for the Fighting Illini.

Illinois 24, Michigan State 13


Penn State (-14) v. Indiana - 3:30 p.m. - ABC

Penn State is going to be very angry coming into this game. Not only because they lost to Ohio State last week after leading early in the fourth quarter, but also because they lost to the Hoosiers in Bloomington to open up the shortened 2020 season. The Nittany Lions showed they can hang with some of the best teams in the country, which Indiana certainly isn’t one of. Parker Washington had a breakout game against Ohio State, and should be primed for another strong game against an Indiana defense that allows nearly 260 yards through the air.

The Hoosiers have lost their last five games after a 3-0 start to the season. Even though they didn’t play last week, things have gotten even worse for Indiana since the last time they took the field, as leading receiver Cam Camper was ruled out for the rest of the season because of a knee injury. I’m just not sure how the Hoosiers keep pace against a Penn State team that wants to get the bad taste of last week out of their mouth.

Penn State 41, Indiana 17


No. 5 Michigan (-25.5) v. Rutgers - 7:30 p.m. - Big Ten Network

Honestly, I can’t see Rutgers reaching double digits in this game. It’s not going to be a 78-0 beatdown that we saw the Wolverines hang on the Scarlet Knights a number of years ago, but this game shouldn’t be competitive at all. Michigan will likely try and put as many points up as they can, since they were ranked behind Clemson in the initial College Football Playoff rankings.

Even though Rutgers does play hard under Greg Schiano and doesn’t give up, things are going to get ugly in this game for the Scarlet Knights. Maybe Rutgers gives Michigan a little bit of resistance early on, but this game shouldn’t be closer than four touchdowns by the end of the game.

Michigan 45, Rutgers 7


No. 2 Ohio State (-38) v. Northwestern - 12:00 p.m. - ABC

It looked for a few minutes last week that the Buckeyes were going to cover against Penn State. All that matters in the end though is Ohio State won, a cover would have been icing on the cake. The victory over the Nittany Lions can be attributed to J.T. Tuimoloau, who had one of the most memorable individual performances by a defensive player in college football history. Tuimoloau was involved in four Penn State turnovers, which led to 21 Ohio State points.

For as quiet of a game as C.J. Stroud had, he still finished with over 350 yards passing and a touchdown while only missing on seven of his 33 passes. Hopefully the Ohio State offensive staff dump the bubble screen in the trash since it wasn’t working against the Nittany Lions. Really, Stroud should have just kept passing the football to Marvin Harrison Jr., who caught 10 passes for 185 yards, with all 10 of his catches resulting in first downs.

Much like Michigan’s game against Rutgers this week, there is no reason this game should be close. Northwestern is dreadful, having lost seven straight games after their season-opening win over Nebraska in Ireland. Brendan Sullivan has taken over for Ryan Hilinski at quarterback, but it shouldn’t matter in this game since neither quarterback is all that good. The only concern Ohio State should have is with running backs Evan Hull and Cam Porter, who have future NFL offensive lineman Peter Skoronski blocking for them.

We have seen Ohio State jump out on opponents this year and not let off the gas. The Buckeyes have handled their business against lesser opponents, only really struggling with teams that have a little bit of a pulse. Northwestern is definitely not one of those teams. The Buckeyes make it 10 straight wins over the Wildcats with another easy win in Evanston, much like they got in 2019.

Ohio State 52, Northwestern 10

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

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Welcome back, college hoops! Full Big Ten preview, award predictions for the 2022-23 season
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Connor’s fourth annual Big Ten preview is here just in time for the beginning of the 2022-2023 season.

Seven months ago, I sat in the back row of seats in the media room at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh and watched E.J. Liddell and Malaki Branham do their best to hold it together and discuss Ohio State’s second-round loss to the Villanova Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament.

Moments earlier in the locker room, they embraced their concussed teammate Kyle Young, who they both knew would never play on the same court with them again. A few months later, Young would retire from basketball. Now they had to speak up to explain what went wrong against the Wildcats, while simultaneously dodging questions about their own futures. Weeks later, they had both entered the NBA Draft.


After the Buckeyes spoke, I listened to hall of fame coach Jay Wright speak on how well-prepared Ohio State was for that game. Wright piled praise on his counterpart and close friend Chris Holtmann, while also giving copious amounts of credit to his veteran core, which included longtime Wildcats Jermaine Samuels and Colin Gillespie. Also unbeknownst to me was the fact that this would be Jay Wright’s final NCAA Tournament. Shortly after taking Villanova to the Final Four for the fourth time in 21 seasons, Wright announced his retirement.

I left Pittsburgh on March 20 understanding that the Buckeyes bowed out to a better, more well-balanced, better coached, and higher-seeded team. Although they failed to reach the Sweet Sixteen for the ninth-straight season, beating Villanova was not a hurdle they were likely to clear. Despite the loss, I hit the highway thinking Ohio State met expectations in the tournament.

Fast forward seven months, and that entire roster is more or less wiped away. Gone are Liddell and Branham, both off to the NBA. Jamari Wheeler, Cedric Russell, Kyle Young, Joey Brunk all got too old. Justin Ahrens and Meechie Johnson hit the transfer portal and moved on to greener pastures.

Zed Key, Justice Sueing, Gene Brown, and Kalen Etzler return, surrounded by four highly-touted freshmen and a three transfers who will try to be the glue that holds it all together. The Buckeyes were picked to finish anywhere from fourth to sixth in the Big Ten this season depending where you look, which is exactly how they ended last season — tied for fourth but sliding to sixth based on tiebreakers.


Despite being the home of nearly a dozen NBA draftees, the B1G sputtered out once again in the tournament, getting two teams to the Sweet Sixteen and none to the Final Four. With that huge surplus of talent gone, will the Big Ten lose its reputation as being one of the premier conferences in college basketball this season? I don’t have too high of hopes for the Big Ten this year, but the bottom four teams in the conference should be so bad that it could prop up the records of everyone else.

Just like I’ve done each of the last three seasons, here are my projected standings for the Big Ten, complete with a little blurb about each program. If standings bore you and you just want to check out awards predictions, those are at the bottom below the team profiles.

Cheers!

(1) Indiana

Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

The Indiana Hoosiers return over 80% of their minutes from a team that went 21-14 overall last season and 9-11 in Big Ten play. The earned a 12-seed in the tournament and won their play-in game vs Wyoming before getting shoved around by WCC stalwart St. Mary’s, 82-53. Some how, some way, they’ve fooled nearly everyone into picking them as the champions of the Big Ten. I am one of those fools.

Trayce Jackson-Davis, Xavier Johnson, Race Thompson, and Miller Kopp are all back. Diaper dandy Jalen Hood-Schifino will slide into the lineup as well, providing the Hoosiers with an all-around scorer and a potential perimeter threat that they so desperately need.

After going 9-11 in conference play and pretty much returning the same core, why do people seem to think they’ll make such a big jump? One reason is the return of TJD, who will make a strong case to be a first-team All American. Another is the fact that Hood-Schifinio has entered the fold. Another reason could be the fact that Xavier Johnson — formerly a Pitt Panther — was red-hot down the stretch for the Hoosiers last season. If he, Kopp, and Schifino can improve on Indiana’s perimeter shooting from last season (33.9%, 10th in the Big Ten) they’ll be just fine.

(2) Illinois

Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Unlike Indiana, Illinois lost pretty much their entire roster from last season to now. 10 players who donned orange last season have moved on, whether that was due to being too old or leaving via transfer. But Brad Underwood hit the transfer portal hard, picking up Terrence Shannon Jr. from Texas Tech, and both Matthew Mayer and Dain Dainja from Baylor. Shannon was an impact player for the Red Raiders on the offensive end, while also locking it down as one of the premier defenders in the nation on the other end of the court. Mayer is a skilled, multi-dimensional wing who stands 6-foot-9 and can score in a variety of ways.

After playing sparingly as freshmen, sophomore guards Luke Goode and RJ Melendez will be looked at to fill critical roles in the Illini’s rotation, as well as 6-foot-10 junior Coleman Hawkins, who could be poised for a breakout after averaging 6 points and 4 rebounds per game as a sophomore in just under 20 minutes per game.

The wild card is Skyy Clark, a former five-star recruit who may be asked to run point for the Illini right from the get-go. If Clark quickly shows that he’s one of the premier guards in the conference and lives up to his recruiting hype, he could take Illinois over the top.

(3) Michigan

Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

Like Indiana, Michigan desperately needed perimeter shooting last season and couldn’t get it from anyone consistently. They shot 34% from beyond the arc, which was 9th in the B1G. However, despite teetering into the NCAA Tournament with a 19-15 record, they made the dance and didn’t even have to play in a play-in game as an 11-seed. They made the Sweet Sixteen for the fifth-straight tournament, and they’ll have a good chance to do it again this year.

Hunter Dickinson, the villain of the Big Ten, is back for his third season in Ann Arbor. Like Jackson-Davis at IU, Dickinson will make a case for B1G POY and first team All-American. However, he can only carry the Wolverines so far. Juwan Howard will need Princeton transfer Jaelin Llewellyn (15.7 PPG, 38.6% 3PT) to facilitate the offense and continue to knock down perimeter shots like he did in the Ivy League.

Michigan will need at least one of their four four-star freshmen to step up and become a double-digit scorer if they want to tangle at the very top of the Big Ten. There’s been a lot of good feedback on Howard’s son Jett, who is expected to start this season for the Wolverines.

(4) Iowa

Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

Iowa was a five-seed in last year’s NCAA Tournament but were upset by Richmond in the first round. Fran McCaffery is still looking for that elusive Sweet Sixteen, and if he finally makes it it’ll be without Keegan Murray. However, his twin brother Kris — who averaged roughly 10 points and 4 rebounds per game last season — is expected to take a big jump this season with an expanded role.

Murray doesn’t have as high a ceiling as his brother Keegan did, but he very well could be in the mix for B1G POY and all-conference honors. The Hawkeyes operate the same fast-paced, efficient offense every single season, and I don’t see it falling too far back even without Murray and Jordan Bohannon, one of the greatest three-point shooters in college basketball history.

Tony Perkins (7.4 PPG, 1.6 AST) was a fine backup last season, but he’ll be tasked with running the offense this year and shouldering a larger offensive load. Perkins is one of the peskier on-ball defenders in the country, and his presence on the floor will help Iowa be much more than the all-offense, poor-defense team they’ve so often been the last few seasons. Additionally, both McCaffrey sons are both back. Patrick is the team’s leading scorer returning from last year, and will be a fine compliment next to Murray at nearly 6-foot-10.

(5) Ohio State

Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Nobody seems quite sure what to make of the Buckeyes yet. They were voted to finish sixth in the Big Ten media poll and fourth in the Field of 68’s basketball Almanac. Chris Holtmann’s team went 20-12 last season and 12-8 in the Big Ten, but lost their top-two scorers (Liddell and Branham) to the NBA Draft.

Justice Sueing is expected back after missing all but two games last season with a nagging groin injury he suffered at the tail end of the 2020-2021 season. He was a 14-15 PPG scorer at Cal from 2017-2019, and the Buckeyes will need him to revert to that aggressive state if they want to fight for a Big Ten title. Tanner Holden, a 6-foot-6 forward who transferred from Wright State, will play 20-30 minutes per game for the Buckeyes after averaging more than 20 PPG as a junior at WSU.

Freshmen Felix Okpara and Roddy Gayle will see minutes off the bench in the Buckeyes’ rotation, while Bruce Thornton and Brice Sensabaugh will likely start as true freshmen. Junior center Zed Key averaged 7.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game a season ago, but Chris Holtmann will need the big Long Islander to stay out of foul trouble and play more than the 19.8 minutes per game he played last season.

(6) Michigan State

Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK

Tom Izzo’s Spartans have reached 24 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, but this iteration of Michigan State men’s basketball does not look like one that has the juice to make a serious run in the dance when Izzo inevitably makes his 25th-straight tournament.

Michigan State went hard after West Virginia transfer Jaylen Bridges this off-season to replace some of the height that left with Marcus Bingham graduating, but when Bridges went elsewhere Izzo did not pivot and pursue other options. Instead, he’ll rely on the likes of Joey Hauser and Mady Sissoko down low, neither of which has blossomed even into double digit scorers with Izzo.

MSU has gone a combined 20-20 in the B1G over the past two seasons, and I think they wind up a little better than .500 this season. But I just don’t see Michigan State making a drastic jump from last year when they’re essentially running it back with — mostly — the same personnel.

(7) Wisconsin

Kayla Wolf-USA TODAY Sports

I’ll be brutally honest, I don’t love what Wisconsin returns this season and can’t give a very rational reason for why they won’t be towards the bottom of the Big Ten. Chucky Hepburn passed with flying colors last season as a freshman point guard, and should continue to improve. Steven Crowl was the definition of acceptable at the center position, and should improve a bit more with experience. Tyler Wahl would be a lot better if he could expand his range just a bit, but he’s one of the most slept on players in the Big Ten.

That probably won’t add up to winning a Big Ten title, but who the hell knows with these guys. Last season, most people (including myself) figured Wisconsin would finish in the 10th-12th range. Instead, they won the Big Ten. Wisconsin is inevitable.

(8) Purdue

Mitchell Leff-USA TODAY Sports

On paper, Purdue had the best team in the conference last year and really fumbled the bag down the stretch to somehow not win a share of the conference crown. It’s going to get even harder this year with Jaden Ivey, Trevion Williams, and Sasha Stefanovic all gone — together they scored about 40 points per game.

Zach Edey — the most efficient player in America — returns, but simply throwing one giant man down low and hoping for the best is not going to yield the results some people think it may. Matt Painter will need SDSU/UNLV transfer David Jenkins Jr. to continue to score in the Big Ten at the same pace he did in his previous spots. He’ll need freshmen guards Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith to contribute right away. And he’ll also need guys like Mason Gillis and Brandon Newman to evolve from part-time contributors to all-around guys on both ends.

I don’t like much about this team aside from Edey, unfortunately. I think their potential is capped if some of the guys surrounding him don’t make big strides.

(9) Rutgers


The Scarlet Knights went dancing last season again, but they’ve got some work to do if they want to make their third-consecutive NCAA Tournament. Both Ron Harper Jr. and Geo Baker are gone, leaving Steve Pikiell with the trio of Paul Mulcahy, Cliff Omoruyi, and Caleb McConnell to pick up the pieces and carry on the momentum this program has been building over the past few seasons.

Mulcahy can score it (9 PPG last season) but is more of a distributor than a scorer. McConnell had a few solid games, but his real talent lies on the defensive end. Omoruyi (11.9 PPG, 7.8 REB) made huge strides this season, and looks like he’s becoming the next great center in the B1G. Even with some question marks, isn’t it impressive that we just give Steve Pikiell the benefit of the doubt now?

Rutgers sure has come a long way.

(10) Penn State


If you’re looking for a sneaky team to catch you off guard this season, look no further than the Nittany Lions. During the first year of Micah Shrewsberry’s tenure, Penn State went 7-13 overall in Big Ten play and also won two games in the Big Ten Tournament. Jalen Pickett really found his groove down the stretch for the ‘Nits, and he’s back to run the show at points. He’ll also be one of their more reliable scorers.

In addition to Pickett, both Seth Lundy (11.9, PPG, 4.9 REB) and Myles Dread (6.2 PPG, 2.7 REB) return to give Penn State a solid base. Shrewsberry also added two high-ceiling transfers in Andrew Funk (Bucknell) and Camren Wynter (Drexel). If one of the two transfers can carry their double-digit scoring with them to the Big Ten, Penn State could make their way to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011.

(11) Northwestern


Chris Collins might be on his last leg at Northwestern, but then again we’ve said that each of the past three seasons and it never seems to matter. Gotta go love job security!

Anywho, Northwestern brings back their starting backcourt duo from last season in Chase Audige and Boo Buie, both of whom are capable of winning games all on their own. Ty Berry (7.4 PPG, 2.3 REB) had a very good game in Columbus last season against the Buckeyes, scoring a season-high 23 points. He’ll come off the bench, but will more or less see starter’s minutes. Robbie Beran isn’t spectacular, but he brings size and consistency to Northwestern’s frontcourt that they no long have due to the transfer of Pete Nance, who left for Duke.

Northwestern will win a few games in the Big Ten, but their lack of size and experience in the post is looking pretty brutal. Nance’s unexpected transfer changed the entire outlook of this team.

(12) Maryland


Year one of the Kevin Willard era is probably going to be a slog for ‘Terps fans. Their dynamic (but sometimes frustrating) backcourt duo of Eric Ayala and Fatts Russell is gone, leaving Donta Scott and Hakim Hart as the most important holdovers from Mark Turgeon’s final Maryland team. Willard also brought in four transfers from the portal, although only one of them (Don Carey) played major minutes at a power-five program.

Donta Scott is a very good player, and his shooting numbers (29.1% from 3PT last season after shooting 43.8% the year prior) are bound to come back up. But for Maryland to make the NCAA Tournament, he would need to make a junior to senior jump that I don’t think we’ve ever seen before.

(13) Nebraska


Nebraska is a tough school to recruit to, which is why Tim Miles taking the Cornhuskers to the NCAA Tournament in 2014 was so impressive. Fred Hoiberg has certainly learned that by now, and unfortunately for him his first elite recruit — Bryce McGowens — was so good, he left after one season. The Cornhuskers will without a doubt be one of the bottom teams in the Big Ten this season because of the sheer talent gap between them and teams 1-10.

And if Hoiberg can’t pull off a miracle in Lincoln — which, let’s be honest, 7 Big Ten wins would qualify as a miracle — this may be his final season on the bench there.

(14) Minnesota


I’ll keep it short and sweet — Jamison Battle is one of the best players in the Big Ten, but even he won’t do enough to keep the Gophers out of the basement this season. It’s year two for Ben Johnson, so even an NIT appearance would probably be considered a successful season if Minnesota can get there.

Other Predictions


Aside from standings, here are forecasts for other accolades and awards that will be awarded at the conclusion of the 2022-2023 season:

All-Big Ten Selections: Jalen Pickett (Penn State), Terrence Shannon Jr. (Illinois), Kris Murray (Iowa), Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana), Hunter Dickinson (Michigan)

Big Ten Player of the Year: Terrence Shannon Jr. (Illinois)

Big Ten Freshman of the Year: Jalen Hood-Schifino (Indiana)

Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year: Tony Perkins (Iowa)

Big Ten Coach of the Year: Fran McCaffrey (Iowa)

Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year: Tanner Holden (Ohio State)

Big Ten Tournament Championship Game Final: Illinois over Michigan State

NCAA Tournament selections [seeding]: Indiana [2], Illinois [3], Michigan [4], Iowa [4], Ohio State [6], Michigan State [7], Wisconsin [9], Purdue [9], Rutgers [10], Penn State [11]

Coaches potentially on the “Hot Seat”: Chris Collins (Northwestern), Fred Hoiberg (Nebraska)

Team most likely to over-perform: Penn State

Team most likely to under-perform: Purdue

One Bold Prediction


To close it out, I’d like to present my hottest take for the upcoming basketball season. Feel free to comment/reply tweet with your hottest take.

Penn State makes their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 12 years.

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You’re Nuts: Who will be Ohio State men’s basketball’s most valuable player?
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Is it someone obvious, or could a new face come out of nowhere to carry the Buckeyes to glory?

Folks. The time is here. It was inevitable, and now it has come. College basketball is officially happening — it is alive and well. As always, the Bucketheads — Connor Lemons and Justin Golba — are back every week with the “Bucketheads” podcast and a weekly “You’re Nuts” article, where they debate different topics around college basketball.


Last week, we debated whether or not we thought the Buckeyes would finish in the top four of the conference this season. Optimistic Justin said yes, while Connor said they would finish just outside the top four and finish fifth in the conference.

The people agreed with Connor, and ‘no’ won more votes than yes.



After 74 weeks (which I am pretty sure is like five years), here are the updated standings.

After 74 weeks:

Connor- 32
Justin- 30
Other- 8

(There have been four ties)


In honor of the Buckeyes starting their season on Monday against Robert Morris, here is our question for this week. Who will be the team’s most valuable player?

Today’s question: Who will be the team MVP this season?

Connor: Justice Sueing

Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports

If Ohio State is going to realize their potential and compete at the top of the Big Ten and make it to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, Justice Sueing has to play like the best possible version of himself. If he doesn’t play at least 25 games and average somewhere in the neighborhood of 13-14 points per game, this team won’t come close to winning the Big Ten, and they probably aren’t making their first Sweet Sixteen in a decade.

That’s how important Sueing is to this team. Chris Holtmann was “recruiting” Sueing hard from the middle of the season onward to return for another year, because he knew how unsteady this team could be without a steadying force like Sueing bringing it all together.

It’s been so long, people probably forget that Sueing was a straight-up bucket when he played at Cal, averaging 14.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.6 steals (!) per game from 2017-2019. When he finally was able to play for Ohio State during the 2020-2021 season, he only averaged 10.7 points per game, but it was on an efficient 49.1% shooting and on only 7.2 shot attempts per game.

Back then, Ohio State also had Duane Washington and E.J. Liddell demanding the ball, which meant Sueing didn’t need to take nearly as many shots as he did when he was the best player on a bad Cal team. When you look at the numbers, Sueing has always been an efficient scorer, he just hasn’t needed to provide the volume since he got to Ohio State.

This season, Sueing will need to give Ohio State the same minutes and the same shots that he did back when he was at Cal, when he averaged 14.3 PPG on 10.5 shots per game as a sophomore in the PAC-12. The Buckeyes have plenty of players who can give them 8-10 PPG, but Sueing may be the only one who is capable of consistently scoring between 10-15 points each and every night. Ohio State has had “a guy” every year since Holtmann arrived in Columbus: Keita Bates-Diop, Kaleb Wesson, Duane Washington, E.J. Liddell....

Justice Sueing has to be the guy this year.

On top of what he brings offensively, Sueing is 6-foot-7 and 220 pounds. He’s not an elite defender, but he was one of the better thieves (evident by his 1.6 steals per game) in the PAC-12 while he was at Cal. He’s also good for 5-8 rebounds per game, and can switch on defense to guard pretty much anyone except quick, shifty guards.

It’s cliche because Holtmann has said it so many times since Sueing arrived, but he really does so much for Ohio State when he’s on the floor.

Justin: Isaac “Ice” Likekele

Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

I thought my optimism last week would be beneficial. Sadly I was wrong. Nevertheless, we move on.

I am going to take a slightly different route with this one. I agree with Connor that Sueing will be Ohio State’s best player. I have been on the “Sueing can be an all-conference player” since he announced he was coming back and was healthy. However, this question is about the MVP which means Most Valuable Player. I think the Buckeyes MVP will be Oklahoma State transfer and fifth year senior Isaac Likekele.

Likekele is coming in as a Swiss army knife for the Buckeyes and is a guy who can score, pass, rebound and guard the one through the five. Likekele is no stranger to playing an important role, playing in 114 games at Oklahoma State and starting in 110 games.

Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann talked about Ice and his importance to the squad at Big Ten media days.

“When we recruited him at Oklahoma State his coaches said, ‘Coach, he’s gonna be able to guard 1-5 unless you have a towering center in your league,’ which obviously we have a couple,” Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann said. “Outside of those towering presences, he’s going to be able to guard 1 through 5 so we’ve tried to evaluate that, and we’ve put him in positions.”

Likekele also is the ultimate “do anything” guy, as he will guard any position and play any role that he has too to help the team win.

“Honestly, we’ll see as time tells,” Likekele said at Big Ten media day. “I just go out there and do what’s asked of me, and that’s attack from multiple angles, from the perimeter, from the post. They just ask me to be aggressive and be who I am, which is do everything, all-around game.”

Last season, Likekele averaged 7.1 points, 5.5 rebound and 3.4 assists per game. Through his four seasons as a Cowboy, Ice averaged 8.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. He is also a leader, which will be needed on a team with three transfers and five freshman. He is just a guy that goes out and does whatever he needs to do to help his team win and that is what an MVP does.

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Bestbuck36 said:

By the way "Texas Christina" had me dying laughing!

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Wish I could say that was on purpose. I left it in after the first time I saw it because I too thought it was funny, but I just did edit it out while you were typing that post.