Nike relationship with Kyrie Irving likely over, Phil Knight says

The relationship between Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving and Nike is likely severed for good, the shoe giant's co-founder told CNBC.

"I would doubt that we go back," co-founder Phil Knight said in an interview that aired Thursday. "But I don't know for sure."

Nike announced last Friday that it has "suspended" its relationship with Irving and canceled its plans to release his next signature shoe, part of the massive fallout that followed his tweeting a link to a film containing antisemitic material.

The Nets also suspended Irving for at least five games; he has missed four already.

Irving signed with Nike in 2011 and has had a signature line of shoes since 2014, with his annual endorsement deal believed to be worth at least $11 million.

"Kyrie stepped over the line," Knight said. "It's kind of that simple. He made some statements that we just can't abide by and that's why we ended the relationship. And I was fine with that."

Entire article: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34994728/nike-relationship-kyrie-irving-likely-phil-knight-says

OK, he's already financially set for life and doesn't actually need the money; but still $11M a year is a good chunk of change. He does have a K.A.I. Family Foundation that supports several charities that could undoubtedly do a lot of good with the extra $11M a year.

Play Like a Girl podcast: Justin Fields is finally figuring it out
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

Alexis also shares her thoughts on if the Eagles could win it all, plus a recap of this weekend’s best games.

On LGHL’s Play Like a Girl podcast, Alexis 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, Alexis and Meredith caught up on NFL news, including an update on Alexis’ undefeated Philadelphia Eagles and her thoughts on completing the season undefeated, making it to the Super Bowl, and winning the Super Bowl.

Plus, the pair talk about our resident favorite quarterback Justin Fields’ record-breaking rushing performance Sunday — and how another Ohio State quarterback performed on the ground in Chicago Saturday.

They also review how Team Cat did vs. Team Dog this week and talk about what we expect from Ohio State this weekend against Indiana. Hopefully more offense.


Contact Alexis Chassen
Twitter: @lovelybuckeye

Contact Meredith Hein
Twitter: @MeredithHein

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MC&J: TCU will try and stay undefeated when they take on Texas on Saturday
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 G Fiume/Getty Images

Plus, picks for six other interesting games outside the Big Ten on Saturday.

Last week ATS: 11-3 (4-3 B1G, 7-0 National)

Season ATS: 75-75-3 (35-39-1 B1G, 40-35-2 National)

If only I could make picks every week like I did last week. Thanks to the huge week, our record is back to even with a month of games left to go, as well as bowl season.

National games:


(All lines courtesy of Draftkings Sportsbook.)

No. 7 LSU (-3.5) v. Arkansas - 12:00 p.m. - ESPN

LSU enters this matchup coming off the emotional win over Alabama last week. After a tough start to the season, Jayden Daniels has become more comfortable in the LSU offense. Not only has Daniels recorded 24 total touchdowns this year, the Arizona State transfer has done a great job at limiting mistakes, only throwing one interception.

After starting the season with a ton of promise, Arkansas has fallen apart, losing four of their last six games The most recent loss came last week when they were defeated in Fayetteville by Liberty. KJ Jefferson has the ability to match Daniels on the ground and through the air, the Arkansas quarterback just isn’t getting much help.

Normally I’d say this game is a textbook scenario to take the Razorbacks. While the idea of taking an unranked home underdog hosting a ranked team coming off a huge win sounds great, this LSU team feels a little different. The Tigers look like they are buying into Brian Kelly’s coaching. Arkansas could make things interesting for a while, I just think LSU ends up winning this game by 7-10 points.

LSU 31, Arkansas 21


Louisville v. No. 10 Clemson (-7) - 3:30 p.m. - ESPN

Are we really sure that Clemson is that much better of a team than Louisville right now? The Cardinals have found a bit of a rhythm, winning their last four games. Malik Cunningham isn’t going to wow anybody with his passing, but he can keep opponents off balance with his ability to run the football. The Louisville offense is pretty balanced, throwing for 221 yards per game, while running for 202 yards per contest.

Clemson is in a lot of trouble right now. The Tigers looked listless in a 35-14 loss to Notre Dame last week. Even though the Tigers are still in the driver’s seat to make the ACC Championship Game, it is obvious they had a bigger goal for this season. It’ll be interesting to see if Dabo Swinney sticks with D.J. Uiagalelei, or turns to freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik.

Some may think the loss to the Fighting Irish might wake the Tigers up. I’m not so sure since Clemson has a number of problems. The Tigers don’t have playmakers on either side of the football that they have had in the past. A dynamic quarterback like Cunningham could cause fits for the Tigers, who are already dealing with confidence issues.

Louisville 28, Clemson 24


No. 9 Alabama (-11.5) v. No. 11 Ole Miss - 3:30 p.m. - CBS

We have all seen this snuff film before. Alabama drops a game and Sabanbot2000 has his team ready to murder in their next game. The Crimson Tide obviously don’t have the receivers that we have seen from them over the last few years. What they do have is Bryce Young. Even though the quarterback isn’t in the Heisman Trophy conversation after winning last year, he is still one of the most dangerous players in college football.

Ole Miss is one of the best teams in the country at running the football. Unfortunately for the Rebels, Alabama doesn’t give up much on the ground, with opponents averaging 104 yards per game rushing against the Crimson Tide. If Alabama is able to slow down Quinshon Judkins, that puts more pressure on Jaxson Dart, who has thrown seven interceptions this year.

Even though Ole Miss has just one loss this year, they haven’t really played anyone aside from LSU. I’m not convinced the Rebels are ready to win, or even keep a game like this close. The Crimson Tide keep themselves in position in the SEC West in case LSU falters down the stretch. Alabama wins their six straight against the Rebels by at least 15 points.

Alabama 45, Ole Miss 23


No. 22 UCF v. No. 17 Tulane (-1.5) - 3:30 p.m. - ESPN2

If at the beginning of the year you told me I’d be writing about this game in November, I would have thought you were crazy. Saturday’s contest in New Orleans will go a long way at determining the New Year’s Six Group of Five representative.

UCF has an offense that is averaging over 500 yards per game. What we don’t know is who is going to be taking the snaps for the Knights. Last week, John Rhys Plumlee missed the 35-28 win over Memphis with a concussion. In Plumlee’s place, Mikey Keene threw for 219 yards and three scores, while running back RJ Harvey rushed for 151 yards and a touchdown.

Tulane does a lot of little things well. The Green Wave are allowing just over 300 yards per game this year, while scoring 33 points. I’m just not convinced this is a good matchup for them. UCF has a lot of tough wins over the last few years, while Tulane hasn’t been tested all that much. I feel like Plumlee will be back, which makes things even tougher for the Green Wave in this game.

UCF 34, Tulane 30


No. 1 Georgia (-16) v. Mississippi State - 7:00 p.m. - ESPN

Under Mike Leach, Mississippi State seems to make a name for themselves by putting up a bunch of points against bad teams, and then folding like a cheap tent against good team. Hell, Leach was even folding chairs himself on the sidelines because he didn’t think his wide receivers deserved to sit in them.


Aside from a road game against Missouri last month, Georgia hasn’t really been tested this year. The Bulldogs destroyed Oregon in the opener, and in the last two weeks they’ve easily handled Florida and Tennessee. Even though Georgia lost a lot of the stars from last year’s title team to the NFL, Stetson Bennett is still in Athens, running an offense that doesn’t make many mistakes.

While there will be plenty of cowbells ringing in Starkville, Georgia is too good to be effected by the road trip and the Mississippi State fans. As we saw last week, Kirby Smart’s team can shut down the pass. It’s not like Mike Leach’s squad can hurt you any other way when you take away their air attack.

Georgia 38, Mississippi State 14


No. 25 Washington v. No. 6 Oregon (-13.5) - 7:00 p.m. - FOX

After dropping games to UCLA and Arizona State, Washington has rebounded with wins in their last three games. The victories might have not been runaways, with the Huskies winning the games against Arizona, Cal, and Oregon State by a combined 20 points, but wins are wins. Amazingly, last week against the Beavers saw Michael Penix Jr. fail to throw for at least 300 yards in a game for the first time this season. Penix finished with 298 yards passing in the win.

If you take away the 49-3 loss to Georgia in the opener, and there is no way the Ducks would be outside the top-four in the CFP rankings. Oregon has scored at least 40 points in each of the eight games following the drubbing by the Bulldogs. With four total touchdowns last week against Colorado, Bo Nix now has 35 scores on the season.

Oregon has largely dominated this series of late, winning 15 of the last 17 meetings with their neighbors to the north. The only two Washington wins during that span came in 2016 and 2017. I feel like the Ducks are going to earn another win on Saturday night, I’m just not sure it will be by two touchdowns. The last three games between the rivals have been decided by a combined 17 points. Washington has the firepower to at least keep the Ducks from running away with the game.

Oregon 41, Washington 31


No. 4 TCU v. No. 18 Texas (-7) - 7:30 p.m. - ABC

Honestly, I’m not even sure why they are playing this game. All I’m hearing is how it is a lock that Texas is going to win, and the College Football Playoff committee is going to be so relieved when the Longhorns hand the Horned Frogs their first loss of the season. I must have missed where Texas became such a reliable team.

Not that I don’t get why people are already burying TCU. The Horned Frogs have been playing with fire for the last month, with all five of their wins coming by 10 points or less. In most of those games, TCU was trailing in the second half. While some might knock the Horned Frogs for needing so long to get things together in games, I actually credit them for never giving up.

Texas certainly is a different team with Quinn Ewers at quarterback. Let’s not kid ourselves though, Bijan Robinson is what makes the Longhorn offense tick. Robinson has 1,129 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground this year. Even with Robinson and Ewers, Texas still has to work way too hard to win games. The Longhorns almost lost to Iowa State and Kansas State, while dropping an extremely winnable game against Oklahoma State.

I know Austin is going to be rocking on Saturday. It’s not anything TCU can’t handle, though. It just seems like everybody and their mom is on the Longhorns in this game, which makes it hard to pass up taking the touchdown with the Horned Frogs against a Texas team that loves making a meal out of everything they do.

TCU 37, Texas 34

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

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Jacy Sheldon leads Ohio State’s toppling of Rocky Top
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Dublin, Ohio guard’s defensive play is the foundation of Ohio State’s signature win against the University of Tennessee.

There was an electricity about Tuesday’s Ohio State Buckeyes game even before the clock started to run. In the weeks leading up to the game, Ohio State pushed to get their fans into the Schottenstein Center on Election Day, while Tennessee Volunteers orange stood out throughout the arena. There were pyrotechnics, a loud student section, and a small part of the Best Damn Band in the Land heightening the atmosphere. Once the game began though, it was guard Jacy Sheldon pulling in the collective attention.

The Vols started the game as expected, getting to the hoop. Tennessee featured a starting lineup including transfer student Rickea Jackson who led the SEC in points per game last season, 6-foot-6 center Tamari Key in the paint and local Columbus-area high school star Jordan Horston leading head coach Kellie Harper’s side.

Tennessee struck first, going up four points. Combine that with a tough start for the Scarlet and Gray, missing their initial three shots and earning an early turnover and foul. In response, the Schottenstein Center was reduced to the cavernous multipurpose arena that it is, instead of a sixth player in the stands. In stepped an unforgiving Sheldon.

Why unforgiving? All night Sheldon made the Vols regret any small mistake within her reach.

Down four, Sheldon earned two quick steals turned to assists to Taylor Mikesell and Taylor Thierry. The first, Sheldon anticipating a pass from Jackson beyond the arc, creating a fast break. The second, the guard making even a simple inbound pass difficult for the visitors, quickly finding the outlet to Mikesell. It was the start of a defensive performance that surprised everyone but Sheldon’s teammates.

“I’m used to Jacy being a defensive player,” said Mikesell after the 87-75 victory. “I think we’ve gotten used to playing with each other in our little press and then bringing Madison (Greene) back, it’s good to have three defensive players in the back. We got a lot of stops that helped us on our offense.”

It wasn’t necessarily a surprise that Sheldon was strong defensively. After all, she was named to the B1G All-Defensive Team in 2021-22 on top of her unanimous First Team All-B1G honor. The surprise was how Tennessee couldn’t stop it.

Sheldon met her career high in takeaways Tuesday, in the first half alone. Then in the second she doubled it. The Naismith watch list player’s eight steals came in a variety of ways. Outside of a couple anticipated passes, Sheldon dived to the ground, forced drops and wrestled the ball away from players seven to 12 inches taller.

There was no hesitation. Sheldon was laser-focused on the court, which is nothing new. After making her 1,000th career point last year in another marquee victory, against the Maryland Terrapins, Sheldon appeared annoyed when the announcer shared her accomplishment with the crowd, and pushed attention away following that highlight 21/22 win. On Tuesday, she shifted the focus again.

After a team shooting half of 10% from deep and 39% overall in the first half, Mikesell scored 15 third quarter points and forward Rebeka Mikulášiková’s game-tying three turned the decibel levels up to the ceiling. As every Buckeye began finding their shots, making timely blocks and frustrating the Vols, Sheldon quietly had eight points, four assists and four steals in the second half to maintain the firm foundation she built in the first half.

Tuesday could have been a star player finding a new level to meet an occasion or this season’s Sheldon is different.

“She plays so hard,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “I don’t think people realize how good of an athlete she is, she’s so quick up the court. She’s got a great first step. She just seemed to make some timely plays on both ends of the floor.”

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How the College Football Playoff picture looks from here
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


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The 9-0 Buckeyes are ranked No. 2, right in the thick of things.

Coming into the 2022 season – or any season, for that matter – it was easy to say of Ohio State’s team, if they win all of their games, including the Big Ten Championship game, they’re in the playoffs. Sure. The Bucks are in a power conference, play a decently strong schedule, and carry a big reputation. After nine games, that mandate of winning every game still holds. Beat Indiana, beat Maryland, beat TTUN, beat whatever the Big Ten West sends to Indianapolis, and they’re in.

We’re now well into November, and we have a much clearer look at the playoffs — who’s likely to participate and who’s not. The four unbeaten teams occupy the top four positions in the CFP rankings released Tuesday night. That seems right, but what else can we say about the playoff picture?

We can laugh at Oklahoma and Texas A&M, preseason contenders who fell by the wayside long ago. We can at least smile at the recent misfortunes of perennial playoff participants Alabama and Clemson. And when it comes to the Buckeyes, we can certainly smile at the season so far. But we’d better also cross our fingers, because there’s football left to play. Let’s look at how the playoffs stack up.

Any non-Power Five conference teams this year?


The short answer is “no.” In 2021 Cincinnati became the first such team to participate in the CFP, which has been in place since the 2014 season. Cincinnati had a multi-season history of success, they were undefeated, and they had the big win at Notre Dame. There’s nobody this year who meets those criteria, and, let’s face it, an independent (not named Notre Dame) or a team from the Sun Belt, All-American Conference, Conference USA, MAC, or Mountain West would have to be unbeaten with a jaw-dropping win against somebody.

There are currently three one-loss teams: independent Liberty, Coastal Carolina from the Sun Belt, and surprising Tulane, leading the AAC. Although the Green Wave are the only team in this week’s CFP rankings (at No. 17), all three of these teams are engaged in great seasons. For me, Liberty is the most intriguing because of its schedule and because it’s one point away from being undefeated, having lost to a ranked Wake Forest team, 37-36. Liberty has wins over BYU and Arkansas and will face Virginia Tech in a couple of weeks. Not giants, you say? True, but a legitimate schedule that makes Liberty the best of the rest.

What about a two-loss team in this year’s playoffs?


It’s never happened and I’m counting on precedent to keep the Crimson Tide out. But there is a scenario, and one that’s not really unlikely, that would place two-loss LSU in the playoffs. Let’s say that Georgia and LSU win out over their final three games (although LSU must play at Texas A&M, a team desperate, I would think, to have something redeeming to point to). The Dawgs and Tigers would meet in the SEC Championship. While we all might expect Kirby Smart’s guys to keep rolling, what if LSU beat Georgia? Surely, the SEC champs (with wins over Georgia, Alabama, and Ole Miss) are in and, I would think, Georgia too.

I don’t see any other two-loss team with any chance of making the playoffs. Unless, of course, something really weird happens to all of the frontrunners.

So, who’s likely to get in?


The SEC champ, and, if that is LSU, then Georgia as well. If Georgia wins, a one-loss Tennessee, with wins over LSU and Alabama, would also get a berth, I think. The Vols have a pretty easy final three games, with only a trip to Columbia, SC posing any threat. Without unforeseen upsets, I predict two SEC teams from among Georgia, Tennessee, and LSU. Sorry, Bama.

Oops, did I overlook Ole Miss? No. The Rebels are 8-1 (4-1 in the SEC) and play Alabama this weekend. The game is in Oxford, but I think that the Tide will win pretty big. Even if Ole Miss wins – a very big win, no question – they would lose the SEC West tiebreaker to LSU, who beat them by 25, and be shut out of the championship game. The Rebels’ only chance is to win out and have LSU stumble. Then, of course, beat Georgia for the title. As the Brits are so fond of saying, “not bloody likely.”

The winner of the Ohio State vs. Michigan game. We assume that the winner will also win the Big Ten Championship, but what if they lose to, say, Illinois or Wisconsin? I think that OSU or Michigan, with one loss, still gets into the playoffs unless they somehow get blown out in Indianapolis.

That leaves only one spot available for the other three Power Five conferences (and maybe the loser of the Ohio State-Michigan game). TCU is the only unbeaten in this group, and if they win out, they’re in the playoffs. An undefeated conference champ is in. The Frogs have a tough stretch, however, playing at Texas (a team clearly on the rise) and then at home against Baylor and Iowa State. I think that they’ll lose to Texas and maybe one of the others. A one-loss TCU isn’t that appealing. While their strength of schedule is a very respectable No. 42, their wins over then-ranked Oklahoma, Kansas, Oklahoma State, and Kansas State don’t look as impressive as they once did.

Ah, Clemson. Can Dabo sneak in once again? Although they looked bad against Notre Dame and barely beat Syracuse, Florida State, and Wake Forest, I fear that Clemson with one loss and an ACC Championship trophy would get into the playoffs. But it won’t be easy for this not particularly strong team. While their final three games are all at home, Louisville, Miami (FL), and South Carolina won’t be cakewalks. Clemson could also lose to North Carolina in the ACC Championship game.

What about the Tar Heels? Well, they’re sitting at 8-1, 5-0 in the conference. Their one loss was to Notre Dame, 45-32, but they haven’t really got a top-quality win. UNC, too, has a pretty tough finish to their season: at Wake Forest, Georgia Tech in Chapel Hill, and NC State also at home. Winning those three and then beating Clemson for the title would put them in probably. In short, they still have a shot.

The PAC-12 is, as usual, a bit of a mess. No one is undefeated. Oregon, USC, and UCLA are all 8-1; Utah is 7-2. All are good teams. And they’ve all got tough games to go. UCLA has the best chance, with the easiest schedule. If they beat USC, they could claim that fourth playoff slot. The Trojans, on the other hand, would have to beat UCLA and Notre Dame. USC’s one loss was to Utah, by one point. Oregon closes out the regular season against two ranked teams, No. 13 Utah and No. 25 Washington, both at home, and then at rival Oregon State. I wouldn’t be surprised if, when the dust clears out west, there aren’t any PAC-12 teams remaining with a single loss. Oregon is the best of the teams, with its 45-30 win over the Bruins.

Here’s my take, with current CFP rankings in parentheses.

Playoff prediction


1. Georgia (1)
2. Ohio State (2)
3. Tennessee (5)
4. Oregon (6)

But nobody wants to see a replay of the Georgia-Oregon game (49-3, if you don’t remember), so I going to change it.

Second playoff prediction


1. Georgia (1)
2. Ohio State (2)
3. Tennessee (5)
4. Clemson (10), with Oregon (6), Michigan (3), USC (8), in that order, as the next likely teams in

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Pair of under-the-radar prospects ready to see game day
Evaluation is a steady theme in the recruiting realm, and while the Buckeyes typically have their eyes set on the top players nationally, under-the-radar recruits still attract a solid amount of attention. Whether it’s their position or the prep programs they suit up for, many times these prospects that don’t have all of the high rankings turn out to be great players in their own right without all of the accolades.

In the current cycle, the staff is all set when it comes to player evaluations this late in the game, but with the future classes that are down the road, evaluations are constantly being made. Not in any rush, the Buckeyes can take their time seeing various younger players and make their early assumptions and two of those younger players will be on hand this weekend for game day visits.

First on the list, class of 2025 defensive lineman Brendon Rice (Farmington, Michigan/North Farmington) is set to arrive on Saturday to see Ohio State, and the state up north native will have an up close and personal look at Larry Johnson’s defensive line.

A 6-foot-3, 260 pound prospect, Rice is only a high school sophomore and though he doesn’t currently hold any offers to his name, there are programs taking notice of his play on the field which bodes well for his future recruitment. Additionally, taking these game day visits based on an invite shows that schools are interested and a solid junior campaign next season could be all coaches need to see before throwing their names into the mix.


https://www.landgrantholyland.com/2...-buckeyes-football-recruiting-visits-columbus

CHILES HOPES TO VISIT OSU AGAIN
A 2024 linebacker with an Ohio State offer is hoping to return to Columbus sometime soon.

Four-star Maryland prospect Aaron Chiles told On3 this week Ohio State is one of several programs showing continued interest in him and that the interest is mutual on his end. Chiles, a top-100 prospect who picked up his OSU offer on May 16, played a high school game in Ohio on Sept. 10 against Archbishop Moeller, a game Our Lady Good Counsel (Olney, Maryland) lost 39-31. But before that contest, which happened the same day OSU played Arkansas State, Chiles and his teammates stopped by Ohio State.

“I definitely want to get back to Ohio State for a real visit or a game,” Chiles told On3. “We got to tour the facilities and see a little bit of the campus, but it was quick and we couldn’t really do a lot. I liked what I saw, and I like their style of play. They transform guys into monsters at Ohio State, and I will be back there.”

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...ncludes-ohio-state-in-his-top-10-schools-list

QB:
Luke Fahey: 6'1" 185 lbs; Mission Viejo (CA) Mission Viejo

RB:
Favour Akih: 6'0" 190 lbs; Delaware (OH) Hayes
Savion Hiter: 5'11" 180 lbs; Woodberry Forest (VA) Woodberry Forest
Derrek Cooper: 6'1" 200 lbs; Hollywood (FL) Chaminade Madonna

WR:
Chris Henry Jr.: 6’3” 170 lbs; Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei
Jaeden Ricketts: 6'0" 187 lbs; Pataskala (OH) Watkins Memorial
Brock Boyd: 6'2 183 lbs; Southlake (TX) Southlake Carroll
Kayden Dixon-Wyatt: 6'2" 180 lbs; Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei
Jerquaden Guilford: 6'1" 174 lbs; Ft. Wayne (IN) Northrop

TE:
Corbyn Fordham: 6'4" 215 lbs; Jacksonville (FL) The Bolles School
Evan Jacobson: 6'7" 220 lbs; Waukee (IA) Waukee
Jude Cascone: 6'2" 190 lbs; Marietta (GA) Walton

OL:
Maxwell Riley: 6'5" 265 lbs; Avon (OH) Avon Lake
Sam Greer: 6'8" 290 lbs; Akron (OH) Hoban
Tucker Smith: 6'5' 280 lbs; Phoenix (AZ) O'Conner
Aaron Thomas: 6'7" 290 lbs; Phoenix (AZ) Mountain Pointe
Da'Ron Parks: 6'5" 280 lbs; Sarasota (FL) Cardinal Mooney
Darius Gray: 6'2" 277 lbs; Richmond (VA) St. Christopher's School
Breck Kolojay: 6'5" 295 lbs; Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy

DL:
Khary Wilder: 6'4" 250 lbs; Gardena (CA) Juniper Sierra
Damari Simeon: 6'3" 275 lbs; Richland (NJ) St. Augustine Prep
Cameron Brickle: 6'2" 305lbs; Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy
Jamir Perez: 6'3" 330 lbs; Cleveland (OH) Glenville
Deuce Geralds: 6'3" 265 lbs; Suwanee (GA) Collins Hill
Elijah Golden: 6'4" 260 lbs; Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy
Jake Kreul: 6'3" 230 lbs; Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy
Emanuel Ruffin: 6'5" 290 lbs; Bessemer (AL) Bessemer City

LB:
CJ Sanna: 6'3" 225 lbs; Lewis Center (OH) Olentangy
Cincere Johnson: 6'3" 225 lbs; Cleveland (OH) Glenville Academic Campus
Anthony Jones: 6'3" 240 lbs; Mobile (AL) St. Paul's Episcopal
Anthony Davis: 6'2" 200 lbs; Loganville (GA) Grayson
Jaiden Roper: 6'1" 207 lbs; Hollywood (FL) Chaminade Madonna

DB:
Blaine Bradford: 6'2" 195 lbs; Baton Rouge (LA) Baton Rouge Catholic
Simeon Caldwell: 6'3" 185 lbs; Jacksonville (FL) The Bolles School
Jordan Thomas: 6'1" 185 lbs; Oradell (NJ) Bergen Catholic
Corey Sadler: 5'11" 185 lbs; Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
Bralan Womack: 6'0" 185 lbs; Flowood (MS) Hartfield Academy
Nassir McCoy: 6'2" 180 lbs; Buford (GA) Buford
Amari Sabb: 5'9" 165 lbs; Glassboro (NJ) Glassboro


Committed Elsewhere:
Messiah Mickens: 5'11" 185 lbs; Camp Hill (PA) Trinity (Penn State)
Tony Cumberland: 6'5'" 250 lbs; Scottsdale (AZ) Desert Mountain (Oregon)
Will Griffin: 6'3" 215 lbs; Tampa (FL) Jesuit (Florida)
Efrem White: 6'3" 155 lbs; Vero Beach (FL) Vero Beach (Florida St.)
Carson Sneed: 6'6" 230 lbs; Nashville (TN) Donelson Christian Academy (Tennessee)
Faizon Brandon: 6'4" 191 lbs; Greensboro (NC) Grimsley (Tennessee)
Jonas Williams: 6'3" 195 lbs; New Lenox (IL) Lincoln Way East (USC)
Troy Huhn: 6'4" 205 lbs; San Marcos (CA) Mission Hills (Penn St.)
Jaden O'Neal: 6'3" 215 lbs; Harbor City (CA) Narbonne (Oklahoma)
Dia Bell: 6'2" 195 lbs; Ft. Lauderdale (FL) American Heritage (Texas)
Noah Grubbs: 6'4" 188 lbs; Lake Mary (FL) Lake Mary (Notre Dame)
Ryder Mix: 6'4" 220 lbs; Frisco (TX) Lone Star (Oklahoma)
Xavier Griffin: 6'4" 210 lbs; Gainesville (GA) Gainesville (Alabama)
Shadarius Toodle: 6'3" 210 lbs; Mobile (AL) Cottage Hill Christian Academy (Auburn)
Trashawn Ruffin: 6'3' 307 lbs; Mount Olive (NC) North Duplin (North Carolina)
Aaron Gregory: 6'2" 170 lbs; Douglasville (GA) Douglas County (Texas A&M)
Samu Moala: 6"3" 200 lbs; Lawndale (CA) Leuzinger (Texas A&M)
Camdin Portis: 6'0" 165 lbs; Charlotte (NC) Myers Park (Miami, Fla.)
Thomas Davis Jr.: 6'2" 220 lbs; Matthews (NC) Weddington (Notre Dame)
Lincoln Keyes: 6'6" 220 lbs; Saline (MI) Saline (Georgia)
Will Conroy: 6'3" 275lbs; Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy (North Carolina)
Denairius Gray: 6'2" 184 lbs; Hollywood (FL) Chaminade Madonna (Auburn)
Ben Nichols: 6'5" 315 lbs; Davison (MI) Davison (Notre Dame)
Peyton Dyer: 6'1" 195 lbs; Duluth (GA) Duluth (USC)
Victor Singleton: 6'0" 167 lbs; Toledo (OH) Central Catholic (Texas A&M)
Tomuhini Topui: 6'3" 320 lbs; Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei (USC)
Tyler Merrill: 6'5" 305 lbs; Mechanicsburg (PA) Cumberland Valley (Notre Dame)
Zechariah Fort: 5'11" 180 lbs; Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy (Georgia)
Devin Carter: 6'0" 165 lbs; Douglasville (GA) Douglas County (Auburn)
Madden Williams: 6'1" 185 lbs; Bellflower (CA) St. John Bosco (Texas A&M)
Kendre Harrison: 6'7" 237 lbs; Reidsville (NC) Reidsville Senior (Oregon)
Xavier Tiller: 6'4" 205lbs; Fairburn (GA) Langston Hughes (Texas A&M Decommit)
Gabriel Osenda: 6'7" 320 lbs; Chattanooga (TN) Baylor School (Tennessee)
Zion Elee: 6'5" 225 lbs; Baltimore (MD) St. Frances Academy (Maryland)
J'Zavien Currence: 6'3" 210 lbs; Rock Hill (SC) South Pointe (South Carolina)
Adam Guthrie: 6'7" 285 lbs; Washington Court House (OH) Miami Trace (Clemson)
Kaden Gebhardt: 6'2" 200 lbs; Lewis Center (OH) Olentangy (Clemson)
Storm Miller: 6'3" 220 lbs; Strongsville (OH) Strongsville (Texas A&M)
Zaiden McDonald: 6'1" 190 lbs; Newark (NJ) Malcolm X Shabazz (Stanford)
Elbert Hill: 5'10" 161 lbs; Akron (OH) Hoban (U$C)
Jakobe Clapper: 6'2" 196 lbs; Cincinnati (OH) St. Xavier (Notre Dame)
Derek Coleman-Brusa: 6'4" 230 lbs; Seattle (WA) Kennedy Catholic (Washington)
Keenyi Pepe: 6'7" 295 lbs; Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy (USC)
Jabari Brady: 6'3" 185 lbs; Ft. Lauderdale (FL) Chaminade Madonna (Missouri)
Mark Bowman: 6'4" 215 lbs; Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei (USC)
Micah Smith: 6'6" 295 lbs; Ft. Pierce (FL) Vero Beach (UCLA)
Jackson Cantwell: 6'8" 300 lbs; Nixa (MO) Nixa (Miami, Fl)
Justice Fitzpatrick: 6'0" 165 lbs; Ft Lauderdale (FL) St Thomas Aquinas (Georgia)
Brady Palmer: 6'3" 195 lbs; San Diego (CA) Cathedral Catholic (Cal)
Brady Smigiel: 6'5 205 lbs; Newbury Park (CA) Newbury Park (ttun)
Jared Curtis: 6'3" 210 lbs; Nashville (TN) Nashville Christian (Georgia)
Brodie McWhorter: 6'2" 195 lbs; Cartersville (GA) Cass (Mississippi St.)
Javian Mallory: 6'0" 200 lbs; Boca Raton (FL) West Boca Raton (Miami, Fl.)
Jonaz Walton: 5'9" 200 lbs; Carrollton (GA) Central (Notre Dame)
Deshonne Redeaux: 5'10" 195 lbs; Westlake Village (CA) Oaks Christian (USC)
Ja'Michael Jones: 5'11" 185 lbsl Montgomery (AL) Pike Road (Ole Miss)
Jonathan Hatton Jr.: 6'0" 205 lbs; Cibolo (TX) Steele (Texas A&M)
Damarius Yates: 5'9" 180 lbs; De Kalb (MS) Kemper County (Ole Miss)
Brody Keefe: 6'3" 185 lbs; Waxhaw (NC) Myers Park (Duke)
Jabari Mack: 6'0" 190 lbs; Destrehan (LA) Destrehan (LSU)
Connor Salmin: 6'1" 190 lbs; Purcellville (VA) Woodgrove (Clemson)
Mike Brown: 5'11" 175 lbs; Spring (TX) Legacy School of Sports Sciences (Texas A&M)
Naeem Burroughs: 5'11" 160 lbs; Jacksonville (FL) The Bolles School (Clemson)
Ryan Mosley: 6'2" 196 lbs; Carrollton (GA) Carrollton (Georgia)
Brock Harris: 6'6" 238 lbs; Saint George (UT) Pine View (BYU)
Grant Wise: 6'4" 310 lbs; Milton (FL) Pace (Clemson)
Sam Utu: 6'4" 295 lbs; Orange (CA) Orange Lutheran (Alabama)
Tommy Tofi: 6'7" 340 lbs; San Francisco (CA) Archbishop Riordan (Oregon)
Cameron Brooks: 6'4" 225 lbs; Thomasville (GA) Thomas County Central (Cal)
Jermaine Kinsler: 6'7" 260 lbs; Oradell (NJ) Bergen Catholic (Texas A&M)
Carter Luckie: 6'5" 250 lbs; Norcross (GA) Norcross (Georgia)
Aiden Harris: 6'3" 240 lbs; Matthews (NC) Weddington (South Carolina)
Andrew Harris: 6'2" 220 lbs; Matthews (NC) Weddington (South Carolina)
Shaun Scott: 6'3" 230 lbs; Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei (USC)
Rodney Dunham: 6'4" 225 lbs; Charlotte (NC) Myers Park (Notre Dame)
Alexander Haskell: 6'3" 230lbs; Philadelphia (PA) St. Joseph's Prep (Penn St.)
Ebenezar Ewetade: 6'4" 230 lbs; Garner (NC) South Garner (Notre Dame)
Zavion Griffin-Haynes: 6'6" 220 lbs; Rolesville (NC) Rolesville (North Carolina)
Keenan Harris: 6'1" 200 lbs; St. Louis (MO) University (Missouri)
Jamarion Phillips: 6'0" 220 lbs; Dallas (TX) South Oak Cliff (Baylor)
Chancellor Campbell: 6'8" 290 lbs; St. Petersburg (FL) Lakewood (Florida)
Tyson Bacon: 6'4" 260 lbs; Hoover (AL) Hoover (Miami, Fl.)
Damon Ferguson: 5'11" 190 lbs; Baltimore (MD) Milford Mill Academy (Pitt)
Jorden Edmonds: 6'3" 180 lbs; Marietta (GA) Sprayberry (Alabama)
Gordon Sellars: 6'3" 195 lbs; Charlotte (NC) Providence Day School (Clemson)
Camren Hamiel: 6'1" 175 lbs; Goodyear (AZ) Desert Edge (Texas A&M)
Messiah Hampton: 6'0" 170 lbs; Rochester (NY) James Monroe (Oregon)
Carsyn Baker: 6'1" 195 lbs; Fairburn (GA) Langston Hughes (Florida)
Samuel Roseborough Jr.: 6'5" 285 lbs; Clearwater (FL) Clearwater (Texas A&M)
Luke Wafle: 6'4" 230 lbs; Princeton (NJ) Hun School (USC)
Jett Washington: 6'5" 200 lbs; Las Vegas (NV) Bishop Gorman (Oregon)
Carter Meadows: 6'6" 215 lbs; Washington (DC) Gonzaga (ttun)
Drew Evers: 6'3" 285 lbs; Flower Mound (TX) Flower Mound (SMU)
Evan Goodwin: 6'7" 320 lbs; Bauxite (AR) Bauxite (SMU)
Jae Lamar: 6'0" 205 lbs; Moultrie (GA) Colquitt County (Georgia)
Mack Sutter: 6'5" 225 lbs; Dunlap (IL) Dunlap (Alabama)
Zaden Krempin: 6'5" 270 lbs; Prosper (TX) Prosper (Texas A&M)
Deacon Schmitt: 6'5" 320 lbs; Windsor (CO) Windsor (Oklahoma)
Day'jon Moore: 6'3" 305 lbs; Willis (TX) Willis (Pitt)
Jerimy Finch Jr.: 6'2" 240 lbs; Indianapolis (IN) Warren Central (Alabama)
Elijah Littlejohn: 6'3" 215 lbs; Charlotte (NC) West Mecklenberg (Penn St.)
Dre Quinn: 6'4" 220 lbs; Norcross (GA) Greater Atlanta Christian School (Clemson)
Jackson Ford: 6'4" 240 lbs; Phoenixville (PA) Malvern Prep (Penn St.)
Vodney Cleveland: 6'4" 308 lbs; Birmingham (AL) AH Parker (Texas)
Richard Wesley: 6'5" 250 lbs; Chatsworth (CA) Sierra Canyon (Texas)
Talanoa Ili: 6'4" 215 lbs; Orange (CA) Lutheran (USC)
Bryant Junius: 6'0" 190 lbs; Hollywood (FL) Chaminade Madonna (Appalachian St.)
Isaiah Williams: 6'0" 190 lbs; Missouri City (TX) Fort Bend Marshall (Illinois)
Joey O'Brien: 6'3" 185 lbs; Glenside (PA) La Salle College (Notre Dame)
Danny Odem: 6'2" 180 lbs; Orlando (FL) The First Academy (Nebraska)
Noah Sidan: 5'11" 170 lbs; Hollywood (FL) Chaminade Madonna (FIU)
Ryder Lyons: 6'3" 215 lbs; Folsom (CA) Folsom (BYU)
Legend Bey: 6'0" 185 lbs; Forney (TX) North Forney (Tennessee)
Bowe Bentley: 6'3" 200 lbs; Celina (TX) Celina (Oklahoma)
Jasen Lopez: 5'11" 170 lbs; Hollywood (FL) Chaminade Madonna (Florida St.)
Preston Carey: 6'4" 282 lbs; Huntington (NY) St. Anthony’s (Georgia)
Pierre Dean: 6'5" 305 lbs; Clemmons (NC) West Forsyth (Georgia)
Landon Barnes: 6'4" 240 lbs; Duncanville (TX) Duncanville (Ole Miss)
Immanuel Iheanacho: 6'6" 345 lbs; Rockville (MD) Georgetown Prep (Oregon)
Ethan Feaster: 6'2" 180 lbs; Desoto (TX) Desoto (USC)
Brayden Robinson: 5'8" 160 lbs; Red Oak (TX) Red Oak (Notre Dame)
Cederian Morgan: 6'5" 210 lbs; Alexander City (AL) Benjamin Russell (Alabama)
Felix Ojo: 6'6" 285 lbs; Mansfield (TX) Lake Ridge (Texas Tech)
John Turntine III: 6'3" 305 lbs; Ft. Worth (TX) North Crowley (Texas)
Kelvin Obot: 6'5" 285 lbs; Fruitland (ID) Fruitland (Utah)
Bryce Perry-Wright: 6'3" 255 lbs; Buford (GA) Buford (Texas A&M)
Earnest Rankins: 6'6" 285 lbs; Decatur (GA) Southwest Dekalb (Florida St.)
Kosi Okpala: 6'1" 215 lbs; Katy (TX) Mayde Creek (Texas)
Kenneth Goodwin: 6'1" 205 lbs; Las Vegas (NV) Desert Pines (SMU)
Theron White: 6'3" 220 lbs; Jackson (MS) Jackson Academy (Tennessee)
Dorian Barney: 6'1" 175 lbs; Carrollton (GA) Carrollton (Alabama Decommit, ttun)
Donovan Webb: 6'0" 175 lbs; Frisco (TX) Panther Creek (Texas Tech)
Jalen Lott: 6'0" 170 lbs; Frisco (TX) Panther Creek (Oregon)
Jamarion Carlton: 6'4" 238 lbs; Temple (TX) Temple (Baylor)
Keysaun Eleazer: 6'5" 190 lbs; Raleigh (NC) Southeast Raleigh (Stanford)
Lamar Brown: 6'4" 285 lbs; Baton Rouge (LA) University Lab (LSU)
Brayden Rouse: 6'3" 208 lbs; Marietta (GA) Kell (Tennessee)
Jireh Edwards: 6'2" 192 lbs; Baltimore (MD) St. Frances (Alabama)
Tyriq Green: 6'0" 195 lbs; Marietta (Ga) Kell (Georgia)
KJ Ford: 6'4" 240 lbs; Duncanville (TX) Duncanville (Florida)
Jacob Eberhart: 6'3" 210 lbs; Kirkwood (MO) Kirkwood (Illinois)
Kaiden Prothro: 6'6" 210 lbs; Bowdon (GA) Bowdon (Georgia)
Heze Kent: 6'5" 250 lbs; Brunswick (GA) Brunswick (Florida)
J.B. Shabazz: 6'7" 295 lbs; Kernersville (NC) East Forsyth (Tennessee)
Samari Matthews: 6'0" 180 lbs; Cornelius (NC) William A. Hough (Texas)
Jakob Weatherspoon: 5'11" 175 lbs; Avon (OH) Avon (North Carolina)
Tyler Atkinson: 6’3” 190 lbs; Loganville (GA) Grayson (Texas)

Film Preview: Ohio State takes on Indiana creating a huge bounce back opportunity for the Buckeyes
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 Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Ohio State’s struggles have been well-documented, despite having Indiana on the schedule next they still have a lot to prove as the season approaches its end.

Ohio State has survived a relatively tough stretch over the last with matchups at home against Iowa, on the road for Penn State, and finishing off the three-game stretch with a trip to Northwestern. The first two games there were expected to be physical battles, but the latter with Northwestern tested the Buckeyes more than expected.

The Northwestern game exasperated the run game issues for Ohio State, and after the third week in a row, all eyes will be on the Buckeyes’ ground game. There is not a lot that went right against Northwestern due to the weather, but the Buckeyes did find success in running quarterback C.J. Stroud. With Indiana on the horizon, there is an opportunity for Ohio State to regain its dominant form.


Indiana’s Offense


Ohio State has played well defensively the last three weeks with some incredible individual performances intertwined. The Hoosiers offense has struggled to find consistent success this season, making this a favorable matchup for the Buckeyes. Indiana has struggled to establish any semblance of a run game, this weighs on the offense, especially their downfield passing principals.

Like many teams across the country Indiana tries to establish the run using zone run game philosophy. They run a variety of inside zone and outside zone from different looks in the backfield. In this 3rd-and-1 situation, Indiana is in a two-back set in 20-personnel. This formational look widens out the defensive backs and if teams overcommit numbers to the box, Indiana will try to hurt teams throwing the ball from this formation. In this case, they run inside zone with the receivers each running a route.

The RPO game for Indiana is a significant part of their identity, and they rarely run without a passing look off of it. In this case, they choose to hand the ball off because Michigan plays man-coverage on the outside and they have enough numbers to make the run action work to gain the needed yard.


Moving on to Indiana’s matchup against Penn State, backup quarterback Jack Tuttle was running the show with starter Connor Bazelak out with an injury. Tuttle is a much more willing runner and has the ability to get out into space. Whether this is something Indiana has a package for this week or not is still to be determined.

Given Ohio State’s struggles last week stopping the quarterback keep, this is something Ohio State needs to have on its radar. Indiana runs the read option off their inside zone look, and Penn State crashes down on the running back giving Tuttle the opportunity to pull the ball. Tuttle makes a big play with his feet off a scheme that gave the Buckeyes fits last week, so it’ll be interesting to see if this look finds its way into the game plan for the Hoosiers.


In the last play on the offensive side of the ball for Indiana, the Hoosiers are down in the red zone. The next play shows how Indiana utilizes their running back as a pass catcher, but before looking at the final play, Indiana does have a solid foundation for downfield passing. Indiana tries to attack defenses vertically, this is done off RPOs and vertical passing concepts. Ohio State’s corners will be challenged this week off Indiana’s philosophies, but a strong showing can build a lot of confidence for Ohio State’s secondary.

When that vertical passing game is taken away, the Hoosiers find creative ways to get their running backs and tight ends involved in the passing game. Michigan does a good job of limiting the vertical passing game, but Indiana was keyed in on a tendency the Wolverines show in the red zone. Indiana pushes the tight end up the field vertically knowing the safety will carry him up the field and then take him in man-coverage.

The tight end breaks inside taking the safety away from that part of the field opening up space for the running back wheel route. For the running back he now just has to beat the linebacker who takes a bad angle starting the play moving toward the line of scrimmage, this gives the running back the space needed to make the catch and score. Ohio State will have to be disciplined and strong in their coverage responsibilities to limit plays like this one.

What Ohio State will look to attack in Indiana’s defense?


A good offensive performance against Indiana – just like the bad offensive performance against Northwestern – will not be an indictment of how Ohio State will fair the rest of the season. Indiana ranks a lowly 105th in opponents' yards per game and 107th in opponents' points per game defensively. Any gains made this week will need to be taken with a grain of salt.

The Buckeyes have scored more than 30 points in 18 consecutive games against the Hoosiers, so this is a great opportunity for Ohio State to have a get-right game. Indiana has struggled in keeping teams off the scoreboard. The Hoosier defense gives up scores on 80.64% of opponents trips to the red zone and 33.5 points per game. A perfect opportunity for Ohio State’s offense to find success and regain some confidence.

Looking at Indiana in the red zone to get started, they are playing Penn State who has a 1st-and-10 from the 11-yard line. Penn State is in a full house pistol look, which Ohio State doesn’t run, but the 12-personnel is a grouping that the Buckeyes run. Indiana lines up with six players on the line of scrimmage, they bring down a linebacker to the field side and a safety to the short side. Penn State runs an inside zone, they are able to equate numbers – something Ryan Day has mentioned a lot – and they get up to the second level. Indiana loses the battle and Penn State is able to find the end zone.


Indiana’s head coach Tom Allen brought an aggressive philosophy to Indiana when he was brought in as the defensive coordinator. Now as the head coach, this is a defining characteristic of his program. This shows up in short-yardage situations, and on 3rd/4th down looks as well. Indiana plays Cover-0 and brings everybody except the corner into the box. They shoot off the line at the snap and this type of aggressiveness allows them to get a tackle in the backfield. This is going to provide a huge challenge for Ohio State this week, and based on the last few weeks this might be a thorn in the side of the Buckeyes again.


Indiana runs a wide variety of coverages willing to throw basically any look, they lean on Cover-3, Cover-2, and Quarters primarily. In the first coverage look, Indiana is running Cover-3. Penn State tries to attack the coverage by running verticals, they run a tight end up the seam creating a window in between the linebacker and safety. This is an area of the field Ohio State has attacked successfully in their recent matchups against Indiana.


In the next play, Indiana is lined up in a 1-high shell trying to give the impression they will have a single high safety. Indiana rolls their safeties to 2-high and is running Cover-2, against this defense the middle of the field is the weakness of the defense and on the outside, the hole shot is where quarterbacks will look to attack. Michigan runs a switch concept to the field side crossing up the corner and forcing the safety out wide. On the backside, they run a delayed crossing route, this comes open in the middle of the field. The Michigan receiver is able to catch the ball for the big game.


There are aspects of Indiana’s team that should give Ohio State some challenges, but the overall feeling of this game should be a comfortable win. Indiana does not have a dynamic quarterback or a reliable run game which allows opposing teams to limit them offensively from base personnel packages. For the Hoosiers to find success, they will need to find a run game and pass protection to allow for their offense to push the ball downfield.

Offensively, the two main challenges will be in protecting C.J. Stroud against the blitz and picking up first downs in obvious run situations. The addition of Stroud as a runner can put Indiana’s backside EDGE defenders into a bind which should help the play side. Indiana has found success in those short-yardage situations against some talented football teams, so the Buckeyes will need to be at their best Saturday to keep drives alive.

If the Buckeyes can establish the run, protect Stroud, and play sound defense this game should never be in doubt on Saturday. For Indiana following the game plans of some previous opponents is where they should start. If the Hoosiers can stop the run, it won’t help them win, but it will tell us a lot about the Buckeyes.

For the Buckeyes, it’s time to show just how dominant a team they can be in all facets against a familiar opponent. A dominant win Saturday won’t change the prognostications of Ohio State’s season but will get them headed in the right direction to close out the year.

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LGHL Asks: How do you feel about Northwestern, TTUN, Saturday’s Indiana game?
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

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.

I don’t know about you, but I’m still trying to shake off the funk that was last weekend’s game against Northwestern. Coming out of the house of horrors that is Ryan Field, undoubtedly the Ohio State fanbase has thoughts about that game, The Game, and this weekend’s Indiana game, so we have a set of questions to figure out exactly where Buckeye fans stand.

Question 1: On a scale of 1-10, how concerned were you after the win over Northwestern?


One of the themes of this college football season for me has been how emotionally volatile we are as a fan base. We here in Buckeye Nation love our team and that can manifest as anything from unbridled pride and passion to unfettered fear and frustration. So, coming out of the weird weather in Evanston last weekend, we want to see how you are processing the game.

On Twitter last Saturday, we saw everything from dismissive rationalizations to complete and utter meltdowns, but I would imagine that with the benefit of nearly a full week’s distance, some of those extreme emotions have mellowed a little.

So, let us know what your emotional takeaway was from the game as the Buckeyes head into the final quarter of the regular season.

Question 2: What best describes your feelings about The Game?


In addition to Ohio State fans’ regular emotional swings, another truth about as a collective fan base is that we are never not thinking about That Team Up North. While the Buckeyes remain ahead of the Skunk Bears in the College Football Playoff rankings and all forms of Las Vegas odds, the Corn and Blue continue to look like a team worthy of worry heading into the final game of the regular season.

Do you think that OSU is on the verge of back-to-back losses to its rival? Or, are the Harboys vastly overrated? Let us know.

Question 3: What do you think the outcome of Saturday’s game against Indiana will be?


The last time that the Hoosiers came to Columbus, Tom Allen’s squad gave the Buckeyes a little bit of a scare thanks to a fourth-quarter comeback. While that 2020 IU team was significantly better than this year’s version, Ryan Day and company will undoubtedly be on the lookout for upset potential given that history and what they dealt with last week.

So, do you think that the Buckeyes will bounce back to their true form in (hopefully) normal weather this weekend? Or, will their struggles continue against another one of the Big Ten’s bottom teams?


Have your voice heard and share your thoughts on the Buckeyes here:


Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate.

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Ohio State men’s basketball vs Charleston Southern: Game preview and prediction
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

Following Monday night’s win over Robert Morris, the Buckeyes return to the court tonight at Charleston Southern.

Following a season-opening 91-53 win over Robert Morris on Monday night, Ohio State is back on the hardwood tonight, hosting the Charleston Southern Buccaneers. This will be the second of three home games to open the season for the Buckeyes before they head to Hawaii to play three games in the Maui Invitational.

Ohio State couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season with the victory over Robert Morris on Monday night. After a back-and-forth first nine minutes of the game, the Buckeyes took the lead for good when Zed Key hit a three-pointer with 11:11 left in the first half to give Ohio State a 16-15 lead. The Buckeyes would extend the lead to 42-28 at halftime, and building on that lead in the second half to earn the 38-point victory.

The best story to come out of the opener was the return of Justice Sueing, who only played in two games last season. After playing a total of 31 minutes and scoring 12 points in those two games last year, Sueing scored 20 points and recorded three steals in 24 minutes on Monday night. The 20 points by the guard was his second-highest scoring output in an Ohio State uniform, with his high mark with the school coming in the 2021 Big Ten Tournament Final against Illinois, where he scored 22 points in the overtime loss.

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Sueing is going to be a crucial piece to the Buckeyes this year, since he is familiar with the style of basketball head coach Chris Holtmann wants to play, and he knows exactly what Holtmann expects out of his players on and off the court. This year’s Ohio State team has a ton of new pieces between the crop of talented freshmen that have joined the team, along with a number of transfers.

A couple transfers that asserted themselves on Monday night were Issac Likekele from Oklahoma State and Tanner Holden from Wright State. Likekele nearly notched a double-double in his first game with the Buckeyes, finishing with nine points and nine rebounds, as well as six assists. Likekele was in the starting lineup for Ohio State against Robert Morris, while Holden came off the bench and hit all five of his field goal attempts, finishing with 12 points in 18 minutes.

The freshmen were led by Brice Sensabaugh, who showed why he was Florida’s Gatorade Player of the Year, scoring 17 points in 18 minutes off the bench. Sensabaugh almost recorded a double-double in his first collegiate game, adding nine rebounds to his scoring output. Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle Jr., and Felix Okpara also saw a healthy amount of time in Monday’s victory, with the trio each playing at least 13 minutes.

Along with Sueing, the other key returning player for Ohio State this year is Zed Key. After playing mostly down in the paint during his first two years in Columbus, Key used the offseason to expand his range. After not taking a three-pointer in his first 60 games in the scarlet and gray, Key attempted three triples on Monday, hitting two of his long distance shots. Key finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds, marking the third double-double of his career. Key’s first two double-doubles came against Cleveland State in 2020 and at Rutgers in February.

Preview


Tonight’s opponent is the Charleston Southern Buccaneers, who won their season opener on Monday, beating Division-II Toccoa Falls 83-52. Claudell Harris Jr. led the team with 26 points in 28 minutes off the bench. Cheikh Faye, Taje’ Kelly, and Kalib Clinton were the other three Buccaneers that were able to reach double digits in the scoring column in the easy victory. Even though Charleston Southern won by 31 points, they didn’t exactly light it up from the field, hitting 38% of their field goal attempts, and just 23.5% of their three-point attempts.

The Buccaneers are now in their 18th season under head coach Barclay Radebaugh, who has a 217-299 record during his time at the school. Radebaugh was named the Big South Coach of the Year in 2012 and 2015, but Charleston Southern has struggled recently, posting just a 9-43 record over the last two seasons. The Buccaneers are working to try and earn their first, and only, NCAA Tournament appearance since 1997 when they lost to UCLA 109-75 in the first round.

Despite their recent struggles, Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann is familiar with the Charleston Southern head coach, who he faced during his time at Gardner Webb, posting a 4-2 record against the Buccaneers. Holtmann said in Wednesday’s press conference that Radebaugh “does a really good job” and that they “have a young group with a couple all-conference-caliber players who are really tough.” Charleston Southern beat Missouri a couple years ago, so the Buckeyes can’t take anything for granted.

Not only will Ohio State have to keep tabs on Harris, who was second the team last year with 10.3 points per game, the Buckeyes will look to lock down Tahlik Chavez. The junior guard struggled in the opener, going 1-12 from the field and scoring just five points. Last year Chavez was the team’s leading scoring with 11.7 points per game. Chavez is a big threat from behind the arc, as he was able to hit at least five three-pointers in seven games last season.

Holtmann is well aware of just how dangerous Chavez is when it comes to scoring. Taje’ Kelly is another player that Ohio State will have to keep tabs on in tonight’s game. Holtmann described Kelly as “a big kid and is a load down low”. Listed at 253 pounds, Kelly is going to give the Buckeyes a physical test in the paint.

Prediction


Much like Monday night’s game, Ohio State shouldn’t have too much trouble with Charleston Southern tonight. While we have seen the Buckeyes struggle in games against lesser competition in the past, Ohio State looked pretty locked in for the final 30 minutes of the game earlier this week.

With so many new parts on the team between freshmen and transfers, Holtmann knows how important these games are, even if they don’t have any value come March when the selection committee is deciding the NCAA Tournament field. What Holtmann’s goal is with these first three games of the year is to get all the new faces to gel with returning starters Justice Sueing, Zed Key, and Eugene Brown III, who missed Monday night’s game due to a concussion. Ohio State’s first game in Maui is less than two weeks away, and the Buckeyes will see a serious step up in competition when they take on San Diego State.

Even though the opponent is one of the weaker ones Ohio State will take on this year, the Buckeye players are hungry to state their cases for playing time. It wouldn’t be surprising to see tonight’s game look a lot like Monday’s game, especially if Charleston Southern struggles from the field, which they did at times in their opener against Toccoa Falls.


ESPN BPI: Ohio State 96.2%
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
TV: BTN

LGHL score prediction: Ohio State 86, Charleston Southern 51

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Bucketheads Podcast: Analyzing trends from Ohio State’s first game of the 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


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

After moving past Robert Morris with ease, the Buckeyes take on their next daunting challenger — Charleston Southern.

‘Bucketheads’ is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. Every episode they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in the college hoops world.

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


Following Ohio State’s 91-53 win Monday night, Connor and Chris — who is pinch hitting for Justin — discuss what trends we can pull from the Buckeyes’ season-opening win. Will the speed with which they played on Monday night carry over for the rest of the season? Could we see Ohio State make big leaps in tempo and defensive efficiency this season, based on what we’re seeing early?

The guys also briefly discuss Chris Holtmann’s comments from Wednesday regarding the 2023 class. Could the Buckeyes add another piece to the 2023 late in the cycle — a la a Bronny James? This would largely depend on how many players transfer out in the spring.

Which lead them into another topic — after one game, is Ohio State’s nine-man rotation already established? If not, how can the three players who currently sit on the outside of that top-nine break in?


Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGHL

Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor

Connect with Chris:
Twitter: @ChrisRenneCFB

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Ohio State returns home with visitors on tap
Caleb Houser 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 are continuing to bring in several recruits for game day visits.

Ohio State is back at home this weekend after a couple week hiatus, meaning the coaching staff is once again using the opportunity to host some of their top national and in-state targets in multiple classes. As they have all season long to this point, the game day visits have been plentiful, and this weekend will be no different as more than a couple of guys have made it known that theywill be on site to see the Buckeyes take on Indiana on Saturday for the noon kickoff.

Only three regular season games left on the calendar, the end isn’t too far off and that means signing day for the 2023 class is quickly approaching. Though majority of the class is of course locked in, crunch time has been in full effect for weeks and the coaches are certainly still doing their best to add additional elite talent to the fold. Only a few more limited spots up for grabs, it’s going to be an interesting couple of weeks to see if Ohio State is able to land the few more targets that they’ve long been after.

Top in-state receiver in town this weekend to see OSU


The receiver position at Ohio State continues to not only be one of the more successful position groups in Columbus, but nationally as well. Whether it’s the current guys on the roster or position coach Brian Hartline’s efforts on the recruiting trail, receiver production is really at an all-time high for the Buckeyes. Fortunately, those efforts look to be continuing not only in the present classes, but even the future cycles as well.

Heading to Columbus this weekend, class of 2026 receiver Chris Henry Jr. shared via Twitter that he’d be making the trek from Cincinnati to see the Buckeyes in action. Son of the late Chris Henry Sr., the 6-foot-3, 170 pound in-state target already holds an Ohio State offer which he received this past summer. A handful of other offers to his name from the likes of Miami, UCONN, Marshall, and a few more, the Buckeyes are certainly the biggest suitor currently in the mix, but surely more will follow suit.

Unranked as of now on his 247Sports profile, it’s only a matter of time before the freshman is one of the higher ranked prospects in all of his class. The beneficial aspect for the Buckeyes is having yet another in-state elite player who plays the position where Ohio State is seeing some major success. Odds are this will be a recruitment that is highly talked about for the next couple of years, and with Hartline already fast at work, the likelihood of him being closely linked to the Buckeyes is pretty good.

At any rate, this is a recruitment that the staff will look to keep at home when the time comes.

Pair of under-the-radar prospects ready to see game day


Evaluation is a steady theme in the recruiting realm, and while the Buckeyes typically have their eyes set on the top players nationally, under-the-radar recruits still attract a solid amount of attention. Whether it’s their position or the prep programs they suit up for, many times these prospects that don’t have all of the high rankings turn out to be great players in their own right without all of the accolades.

In the current cycle, the staff is all set when it comes to player evaluations this late in the game, but with the future classes that are down the road, evaluations are constantly being made. Not in any rush, the Buckeyes can take their time seeing various younger players and make their early assumptions and two of those younger players will be on hand this weekend for game day visits.

First on the list, class of 2025 defensive lineman Brendon Rice (Farmington, Michigan/North Farmington) is set to arrive on Saturday to see Ohio State, and the state up north native will have an up close and personal look at Larry Johnson’s defensive line.

A 6-foot-3, 260 pound prospect, Rice is only a high school sophomore and though he doesn’t currently hold any offers to his name, there are programs taking notice of his play on the field which bodes well for his future recruitment. Additionally, taking these game day visits based on an invite shows that schools are interested and a solid junior campaign next season could be all coaches need to see before throwing their names into the mix.


Also attending this weekend, in-state offensive tackle Mark Nave will be making the trip south from Toledo to see all the Buckeyes have to offer. A massive high school junior, Nave is an impressive 6-foot-4, 325 pounds which clearly is a college level frame at the position. Holding nearly double-digit offers from many of the MAC schools, Nave is a player that the Buckeyes will keep their eyes on because of his in-state ties for one, but also the size that was mentioned.

A Toledo Central Catholic product, Nave is being coached by a solid Ohio prep program and getting the development there is worth keeping tabs on. Position coach Justin Frye was able to use Ohio well in the 2023 class and though a more national approach in 2024 is expected, in-state players like Nave are not only worth having on campus, but really keeping in communication with as well.


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I was at that 2014 game. There was a lot of "wtf is happening" well into the 3rd quarter until Jalin went nuts.

Dryden said:

Very cool. Despite this seller having an incredible Feedback rating, the thought of buying autographed memorabilia online leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Click to expand...

I followed a particular WTA player for many years until she retired. I began writing her on Instagram and we became something like pen pals.

I showed her a supposedly autographed item of hers from ebay and she told me, Nope...not my signature. I showed her several other autographed items of hers over the years and every time she's claimed they weren't her signature.

Buyer beware indeed.

Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: Ohio State looks to return to form against 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


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Buckeyes are back home on Saturday.

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:

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In hindsight, Ohio State’s 21-7 performance against Tennessee wasn’t all that bad considering what happened around the rest of the college football world. The Buckeyes remained undefeated on a weekend that saw the likes of Clemson, Alabama and Tennessee all take L’s while Michigan trailed at halftime to Rutgers. Ohio State now returns to the friendly confines looking to make a few tweaks as its season continues to hurtle rapidly towards a date with the Wolverines in the finale with all of its goals still on the horizon. On deck: the Indiana Hoosiers.

“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:
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Indiana Defensive Player to Watch: Linebacker Bradley Jennings Jr.
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

This veteran linebacker has stepped up and filled in admirably when called upon, becoming an unexpected leader for the Hoosiers’ defense.

Ohio State is set to face Indiana on Saturday, and for the Hoosiers’ defense, this particular game could turn out to be a classic example of bringing a knife to a gun fight. I say that because IU is not – and has not – been in the business of slowing many opponents down this season, which is less than ideal with C.J Stroud and company on the schedule. The Buckeyes will not be looking to spare any feelings in The Shoe, as they continue their march toward Big Ten supremacy. So buckle up, Hoosier fans.

The most frustrating part for Tom Allen and his team has to be the fact that they absolutely do have talent on the defensive side of the ball. Tiawan Mullen was an All-American cornerback in 2020. His partner on the other side, CB Jaylin Williams, earned All-Big Ten recognition the same year. Safeties Bryant Fitzgerald and Devon Matthews have more experience than arguably any other duo in the Big Ten, Dasan McCullough is likely a Freshman All-American up front, and linebacker Aaron Casey is a tackle-for-loss machine.

And yet, Indiana’s defense is a turnstile! They have given up at least 20 points in every game, and allow an average of 32.2 per, good for 114th (!) in the country. Closing out the season with Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan State, and Purdue certainly will not help matters, but such is life in the Big Ten East (I do realize that Purdue is in the West, keep it movin’).

Regardless of how or why this concerning trend has continued – IU finished No. 109 in PPG allowed last season – it is now fair to question whether or not Allen will be around (employed) to witness a potential Hoosier-sance. I, for one, believe that he has earned the benefit of the doubt... for another year or two, at least. But the respected head coach likely felt walls closing in around him, so he took multiple actions to address last year’s poor performance. Much of his coaching staff is comprised of new faces, including new defensive coordinator Chad Wilt.

The program also brought in a number of experienced transfers from notable P5 schools. One of those players was Bradley Jennings Jr. The sixth-year linebacker experienced a mini-breakout for Miami (FL) in 2020, but took a major step back during the 2021 season. Now in Bloomington, he has become a jack of all trades, earning this week’s title of Defensive Player to Watch.

Photo by Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Jennings Jr. was a three-star recruit all the way back in 2017, out of Jacksonville, Florida. He saw limited action from 2017-2019, but made great strides for the Hurricanes in 2020. While starting 11 games at middle linebacker, he totaled 39 tackles, with 7.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. A far cry from elite production, but Jennings Jr. had seemingly turned a corner. However, 2021 did not go according to plan, and the super duper senior found himself in search of a new college football home. He eventually settled in Bloomington, and although not a full-time starter right away, has made a significant and much-needed impact for this Indiana football team.

After a six-tackle, one-sack performance in his Hoosier debut, Jennings Jr. went radio silent for much of September. He totaled just six tackles in three games against Idaho, Western Kentucky, and Cincinnati, while (Aaron) Casey and Cam Jones dominated snaps at linebacker. Unfortunately, Jones suffered an injury during IU’s game at Nebraska, knocking the three-time captain and Big Ten’s leading tackler (at the time) out of the lineup. Jennings Jr. has taken the majority of those snaps, and played very well ever since.

Against TTUN, Indiana gave up 31 points, but held their opponent to 10 in the first half. The Wolverines put up three scores after halftime, all of which came through the air. Blake Corum was held to “just” 124 yards rushing, and Jennings Jr. was one of the players who made it tough(er) sledding for him. The former Miami Hurricane racked up 13 tackles against Corum and company, limiting the star RB to his lowest rushing total (at the time) in Big Ten play. Was it an award-worthy performance for Jennings Jr. and his teammates? No, but I’m sorry, this Hoosiers defense just doesn’t have much to hang their hat on.

The veteran LB continued his strong play for the duration of October and into November. At Rutgers on Oct. 22, he totaled 10 tackles and three pass breakups, giving him five PBU on the year. After his team’s bye, Jennings Jr. returned to the field last week and added five tackles against Penn State. All things considered, he has been one of IU’s unsung heroes on defense, even if the team stats do not reflect that of a heroic effort. And it is unfortunate that it took a Cam Jones injury for Jennings Jr. to receive additional playing time, but he is certainly making the most of his opportunity.

Jennings Jr. might not be most talented defender on his team. He might not even crack the top-5, but he has arguably been one of Indiana’s most influential and consistent players on that side of the ball, since taking over as a FT starter. The 6-foot-1, 210 pounder is averaging 8.5 tackles per game over the Hoosier’s last four, while adding four of his five PBU. And while his play might not dictate the outcome of the game, it is always great to see a player perform well after sticking with it for so long. I will have an eye on Jennings Jr. come Saturday, but hopefully as he is making downfield tackles against a successful Ohio State rushing attack.

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You’re Nuts: What was the biggest positive to come out of the Northwestern game?
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

Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.

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

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

Today’s Question: What was the biggest positive to come out of the Northwestern game?

Jami’s Take: Miyan Williams Can Shoulder the Load


There was ugly weather and an even uglier win in Evanston last Saturday, but hey guys — it’s not all bad. Adversity is good — it builds character (or so I hear).

But this game was a good opportunity for the Buckeyes to work out some kinks and to really hone in on our weak spots just weeks before the Michigan game. Because if we play the way we played Saturday against the Wolverines? It’s goodbye, Big Ten Championship.

But one positive takeaway from Saturday’s game was the knowledge that even a banged-up Miyan Williams is a good Miyan Williams.

With TreVeyon Henderson out with a foot injury, Williams, a junior running back, has done the bulk of the leg work for this year’s running game (and to that end, he couldn’t have chosen a better time to have a breakout season).

However, he left the Penn State game in the first half with a right hand/arm injury and did not return, so Saturday gave us a chance to see how well he has recovered since he left the field.

And it was particularly good to see that even coming off an injury, Williams is still capable of putting up 100+ yards and two touchdowns.

Given how critical the run game is likely going to be against Michigan, it was good to see Williams put up some decent numbers in a game where very few Buckeyes did. And while it was nice to see CJ Stroud run the ball, it will likely be Williams doing the heavy lifting against TTUN.

We already know he’s good – he’s put up insane numbers including one game with five touchdowns (against Rutgers, who led Michigan at the half before being blown out this past week), so in many ways, Saturday might have felt like an underwhelming performance. And by no means will Saturday’s numbers be good enough against Michigan.

But we can also hope that OSU won’t be facing winds so bad they had to ground planes at the nearest airport when the Wolverines come to the ‘Shoe, and Williams still has a few more weeks to get back to tip-top shape. At least we know there will be some semblance of a run game as long as he’s on the field.

Matt’s Take: C.J. Stroud ready, willing, and able to run the ball


Despite the fact that C.J. Stroud’s first career touchdown was a 48-yard touchdown run, fans have been clamoring for the Buckeye quarterback to run the ball more ever since. However, given the elite wide receiving corps that he has had at his disposal since becoming Ohio State’s starter, running the ball hasn’t really been necessary for him.

Granted, I will admit that there are generally a handful of times each game that Stroud could probably have scampered for first downs rather than sitting in the pocket and waiting for WRs to get open. However, I have never been too worried about Stroud’s lack of rushes — either designed or via scramble — mainly because they are rarely necessary with all of the other playmaking talent that he has around him.

But, given how awful the weather was last week, it was obvious that the passing game wasn’t going to be effective, so the Buckeyes needed to focus on the ground game. However, much like we have seen in recent weeks, for a large portion of the game, the rushing attack was pretty bland and uncreative, so the threat of a Stroud run was effective.

On the day, he ran the ball six times for 79 yards — with the help of a 44-yard, fourth-quarter rush. Of course, I don’t expect the Buckeyes to play in weather like that again this season (or likely even this decade), but knowing that Stroud is still capable of making a difference with his legs is incredibly valuable. The Mitten Men’s defense leads the country in rushing yards allowed per game giving up only 72.44. So, if Ohio State wants to have anything resembling a balanced offensive attack in The Game, it would certainly be aided by the possibility of a Stroud keeper here and there.

Just the fact that the Buckeyes got that on film means that the Harboys will have to account for it in some form or fashion on Nov. 26. On Saturday, Ryan Day called more designed QB runs than he probably has since his first season in Columbus working with J.T. Barrett, so his willingness to open the playbook and throw in that wrinkle shows that the option is on the table when things aren’t going according to plan offensively.

Ohio State will undoubtedly need to be at least semi-efficient both running and passing to beat TTUN and to potentially win a national title, so when opposing defenses get better, having the threat of Stroud running the ball will be very valuable. While I still don’t want to see him running it 12 time per game or being a human battering ram, keeping those calls in the rotation and Stroud being more willing to take off could pay major dividends down the road.

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Column: Does a running C.J. Stroud have to become part of Ohio State’s repertoire?
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

The schemes will only get more complex.

When C.J. Stroud took off for a 44-yard run in the fourth quarter against Northwestern, it took everyone off guard: Ohio State fans, analysts and, most importantly, the Northwestern defense. He didn’t score on that play, but the drive did end in an Ohio State touchdown that effectively sealed the win for the Buckeyes in their ugliest game of the season.

Earlier in the game, Stroud also had a 16-yard run on 4th-and-1 in the second quarter to keep a drive going. That drive would eventually lead to another Ohio State touchdown.

It was shocking to see Stroud, the archetypal pocket passer, carry out a designed run so successfully. It was also surprising to see him execute the read-option on 4th-and-1 for 16 whole yards. It’s perhaps even more absurd that we are so in awe of a quarterback running for a total of 79 yards against a 1-7 opponent. But that’s also coming from someone who hadn’t hit 10 net rushing yards in a single game this season and who had -4 cumulative yards on the season heading into Saturday.

Those plays were necessary, and showed that the Ohio State offense in general and Stroud in particular may have more tools at their disposal than we’re giving them credit for. And the Buckeyes will need a sizable tool box heading into the remainder of their schedule.

Ohio State’s win over Northwestern is a microcosm of why. The weather Saturday was horrendous. Strong winds meant throwing was almost out of the question and the Wildcats could sell out to defend the run. The fact TreVeyon Henderson was a late scratch meant that the effectiveness of the Buckeyes’ two-headed monster at running back was attenuated. There had to be another way to score points, or at least get down the field.

As a result, the Buckeyes needed to retool their offense (and fast). That’s where Stroud’s legs came in.

In this case, the aforementioned factors helped to level the playing field for the Wildcats, but think ahead to what Ohio State has coming in its season finale versus Michigan. If the Buckeyes emerge with a win at home, it means a matchup in the Big Ten Championship possibly with Illinois which has put forward a really good defense for most of the season. And of course, then we have the College Football Playoff, where mediocrity has no place.

The fact Ohio State’s rushing game has stalled in recent weeks is troubling. And while weather will not always be a factor, Saturday was a demonstration of why a one-dimensional passing offense can be ineffective. This season, one of the Buckeyes’ biggest advantages is that its offense is so multidimensional when everyone is healthy. While it didn’t feel that way, that multidimensional aspect was a factor with both a traditional run game and a rushing quarterback.

Ohio State won’t always be able to count on good weather or a full-strength lineup, which makes building flexibility even more important.

For Stroud, Saturday’s performance could still improve his draft stock. He demonstrated an ability to make plays under duress when the pocket collapses—something he has generally not experienced with a strong offensive line at Ohio State, last year’s matchup against Michigan notwithstanding. And when it comes to the NFL, even Tom Brady has the occasional rushing play

For those critics who blasted Stroud for not being able to play in the wind, he was still able to make plays and get the job done.

Stroud’s performance in Evanston this weekend happened to coincide with that of another Ohio State quarterback in Chicago. Justin Fields broke the NFL regular season quarterback rushing record, tallying 178 yards and a touchdown.

With his success on the ground, it was easy to forget that Stroud did not have a single touchdown pass Saturday—the first time that’s been the case with Stroud as a starter.

Does that mean we’ll see more designed runs for Stroud as we get to the homestretch of the season? Perhaps not against Indiana or Maryland, but breaking out that extra layer of offense against Michigan or in the CFP might just be enough to overwhelm defenses the way we saw earlier this season for Ohio State.

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LGHL Uncut Podcast: Mikesell, McMahon, McGuff talk team victory over No. 5 Tennessee
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Following a key victory, two star performers and coach Kevin McGuff address the win and where they need to improve throughout the season.

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

Listen to the episode and subscribe:


The Ohio State Buckeyes women’s basketball team started their 2022-23 season in a big way. A night that saw the Scarlet and Gray down double-digits ended flipped, with the Buckeyes beating Tennessee for the first time in Columbus, Ohio.

After the 87-75 victory, Ohio State’s leading scorer Taylor Mikesell and dynamic freshman Cotie McMahon spoke to the media, along with head coach Kevin McGuff.

Mikesell, on top of a 25-point night, discusses how it was the defense that kept Ohio State calm as they continued to claw back against the visiting Vols. Also, the feeling of being part of a rare event in women’s college basketball — fans storming the court.

McMahon talks about shaking off first-game nerves at the start and continuing to battle as the game went on. The Dayton, Ohio forward also shares her feelings about two early fouls and how the Buckeyes are officiated sometimes.

Coach McGuff ends the media availability by praising a team victory. Also, where the team could improve, how the win went along with their game plan against a Tennessee team with the size advantage, and looking ahead to their game against Boston College on Sunday.

That and more on the latest “Land-Grant Holy Land Uncut.”

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Game Notes: No. 14 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Here’s what stood out in Tuesday’s marquee Buckeyes win.

Entering Tuesday’s game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Tennessee Volunteers, it looked like a game on paper that heavily favored the Vols. That’s why the games are played though, with the Scarlet & Gray silencing the orange of Rocky Top in an 87-75 win. Here’s what Land-Grant Holy Land took away from Tuesday’s win.

Matching Athleticism


Although it's hard to take a lot from an exhibition game against a small in-state school when talking about a game against a top-5 opponent, head coach Kevin McGuff kept the same starting five as he did playing Notre Dame College. McGuff opted to go with two guards in Jacy Sheldon and Taylor Mikesell, two forwards in Cotie McMahon and Rebeka Mikulášiková, and a guard who plays a lot like a forward in Taylor Thierry.

Ohio State couldn’t match the Vols in size, so going with this group was the closest they could get to matching Tennessee’s on-court athleticism. It wasn’t meant to directly compete with Tennessee on the boards or inside, but the Buckeyes didn’t need to. Each of the five starters played their roles well throughout the game and kept the game close before the Buckeyes pulled away in the third quarter.

Disrupting the Vols


It was evident from the start that Ohio State wasn’t going to compete one-for-one with Tennessee. Instead, their plan was to agitate the visitors and not let them settle into their half-court offense. The defense did exactly that, which allowed the Buckeyes to stay in the game despite tough shooting.

McGuff’s side forced 29 turnovers, three shy of Tennessee’s single-game record of 32. Leading the charge for the Bucks was Sheldon. Guard Madison Greene was second on the team with three, with 16 steals overall.

Another low-key name in the disruption was Ohio State’s Rikki Harris. When the guard entered the game off the bench, she was close to offensive players and didn’t allow easy looks.

Tennessee Confidence


The Vols had every reason to be confident and looked the part for the first half. Even with center Tamari Key getting into foul trouble, playing two minutes in the first half, Tennessee still went into the half up eight points.

After Ohio State began hitting shots in the third quarter, the Vols' confidence was shot, and it showed on the court. Coaches often talk about mental toughness, and Tuesday saw a Buckeyes team who might have lost a rebounding or shooting battle, but far outperformed their opponent in mentality.

Shooting Woes


Part of the reason Tennessee could be so confident was Ohio State’s shooting or lack thereof.

The environment and hype surrounding Tuesday seemed to cause nerves for the home team. Even with open looks, the Buckeyes shot 10%, 1-for-10, from three, 39% from the floor, 50% on free throws. Even so, Ohio State was only down eight points going into the half, coincidentally missing eight free throws, with uncharacteristic misses.

Ohio State stayed patient despite the problems, and once the looks began to drop the game flipped. The Buckeyes' 63% shooting overall and 6-for-13 three-point shooting in the second half showed that the game could’ve handily gone to the home side in the first half too.

Mikulášiková and Thierry’s Quietly Strong Performances


The Buckeye’s big night had two unlikely sources. Looking only at the stat sheet, Mikulášiková and Thierry show one player who missed six of their eight threes, and the latter fouling out. Below the surface is a different story.

Entering the second half, it was Thierry and Mikulášiková creating highlights before Mikesell’s 15-point quarter got going. Thierry’s 10 points are the sophomore’s career high for points, and her moves to the basket looked effortless. Also, the Northeast Ohioan had four rebounds but they came under pressure and won possession for the Buckeyes.

Even those fouls show a positive for Thierry. Even though she got into trouble with the officials, Thierry kept playing her game, which was a problem last year when fouls led to more timid performances.

Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

For Mikulášiková, missing those six three-pointers, all of them from open positions, allowed Tennessee to focus their defense elsewhere. In that third quarter, Mikulášiková looked defeated from deep. After a first half where she threw up chances that missed, Mikulášiková received the ball beyond the arc and would look to shoot but ultimately pass away. One move though helped turn the tide.

Down five with 4:33 left in the third, Mikulášiková again had the ball at the top of the key, with a defender far enough away to let off an unchallenged three. Instead, Mikulášiková faked the three, made a move around the defender, and attacked the rim.

Now only behind two points, Mikulášiková finally hit her shot. At the 4:07 mark, at the same spot where she opted for the lay-up, Mikulášiková hit the game-tying three. The arena erupted and the game wasn’t the same.

Listen to that crowd the moment the game was tied too.

Splash Sisters


Tuesday’s game recap covers how big of a night Sheldon and Mikesell had, with Mikesell’s 25 points leading the field and Sheldon’s defense almost leading to a triple-double with steals.

It should be stressed that Sheldon was why Ohio State stuck with the game in the first half. The first seven points all went through Sheldon with steals, assists, and the lone three of the first half.


For Mikesell, offensively she took over. The guard outscored the Volunteers in the third quarter 15-13 and missing shots early didn’t phase her. Mikesell also had rest, which she didn’t get much down the stretch last season. That’s due to the number of players who got onto the court Tuesday.

Greene Strengthens Guard Group


To match up with the Vols, Greene didn’t start the game, but when she came in her impact was felt. Greene was one of only two Buckeyes to have a positive +/- in the first half. When Greene stepped onto the court, her ball handling and defense made a difference.

In the first half, Greene only had three points but was able to dribble out of a Tennessee defense that towered above the 5-foot-8 guard. That same guard grabbed two rebounds and a steal in a solid bench performance in the first half. As the season continues, Greene has a strong chance to get back into the starting lineup and make more of an impact.

McMahon and Shumate Debut


Both McMahon and guard Emma Shumate made their NCAA debuts on Tuesday. The two ended the night with 11 combined points, 10 to McMahon, but they both were impactful.

McMahon fought back from two quick early fouls in the first quarter to contribute offensively and defensively. In the third, McMahon created her own steal and fast break opportunity, showing extreme confidence for a freshman playing her first game at the college level.

Shumate played 12 minutes off the bench, but the guard gave Ohio State energy and flexibility. At one point, Shumate switched to more of a forward because of her ability to jump and rebound.

Greene, Sheldon, Mikesell, and Shumate were on the court at the same time for her shift to forward, which is a group that allows the Buckeyes to be dangerous on offense. Shumate at forward has merit too, with the 6-foot-1 player leading everyone on the court with three blocks.


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Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for November 9, 2022
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ohio State’s Taylor Thierry lays it in against Tennessee | Ohio State Athletics

All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.

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

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

You’re welcome!

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Introducing ‘Ask LGHL,’ asking and answering questions throughout the football season
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On the Gridiron


Ohio State remains No. 2 in College Football Playoff rankings
Dave Biddle, Bucknuts

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Rankings Reaction: No point in Michigan debate ahead of The Game (paywall)
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Big Ten stat leaders through Week 10
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Watch Ryan Day and Jim Knowles’ Tuesday afternoon press conference:


Presser Bullets: Ryan Day Says C.J. Stroud Has “Embraced” Running the Ball, Run Game “Isn’t Good Enough,” Ohio State Working Michigan Game “Every Day of the Year”
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Once a Buckeyes, always a Buckeye:


Ohio State’s defense did ‘what you got to do to win the game’ vs. Northwestern
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Column: Two offensive improvements we need to see as Ohio State gears up for TTUN
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Looks like a great Thanksgiving table centerpiece to me.


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Practice Report: How Buckeyes can improve running game, correct offensive issues
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On the Hardwood


No. 14 Buckeyes stun No. 5 Volunteers 87-75 in women’s basketball season opener
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Ohio State women’s basketball player preview: Mya Perry
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Outside the Shoe and Schott


Women’s Volleyball: ‘A Sister Away from Home’: Gonzales, MacNeill Reminisce on Journey from Georgia to Ohio State
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And now for something completely different...


I reeeeeeeeally hope this turns out to be true:


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LGHL Uncut Podcast: Day, Knowles on recent struggles, getting better for TTUN
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ohio State Athletics

Hear the uncut audio from Tuesday’s press conference.

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

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

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


On this episode of “Land-Grant Holy Land Uncut,” we have audio from Tuesday, Nov. 8’s afternoon football press conference that featured Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. The two coaches talked about what went wrong in the crazy weather on Saturday against Northwestern and how they are working to get better to take on their rivals at the end of the month.

At the presser, Day again declined to shed any insight on his team’s injury situation but did discuss recent issues along the offensive line. The head coach also said that while the team was focused on beating Indiana on Saturday, the Buckeyes do something to beat TTUN every day.

On the defensive side, Knowles indicated that cornerback Jordan Hancock did not play last Saturday out of an abundance of caution given his recent injury history and the less-than-ideal weather conditions.

You can watch the full press conference on the official Ohio State athletics website.


Contact Matt Tamanini
Twitter: @BWWMatt

Music by: www.bensound.com

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Four-star DL from Georgia includes Ohio State as a finalist
Bret Favachio via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Eddrick Houston | 247Sports

The Buckeyes found themselves among the top group for a defensive end prospect that has garnered well over 30 offers thus far.

As Ohio State found themselves slotted in as the No. 2 team in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, they also secured some positive news on the recruiting trail on the defensive side of the ball as a blue-chip pass rusher include the Buckeyes in his top group. Plus, one of the very best prospects in next years class could be back on campus later this month.

Houston narrows down recruitment


Back in January, Ohio State kicked off their pursuit of 2024 four-star defensive end Eddrick Houston of Buford (GA) when they sent out an offer to the 6-foot-3, 255-pounder.

Fast forward 11 months, and the Georgia standout decided that he was finally prepared to narrow things down in his recruitment after garnering over 35 self-reported offers on his Twitter account. Now, Houston is focused on ten programs and fortunately for defensive line coach Larry Johnson, the Buckeyes are among the finalists.


Ohio State will have their hands full if they hope to bring Houston to Columbus after the conclusion of his prep career. The Buckeyes will have to outlast the likes of Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, and Texas. The next big step for both Ohio State will be getting the standout defensive end on campus and perhaps his teammate visiting later this month, which we will talk about next, is an opportunity that makes sense for both parties.

Houston currently slots just outside of the Top 50 in next years cycle as he carries the No. 55 overall prospect tag. The Buford native, who 247Sports notes primarily played Tight End as a freshman, is also graded as the No. 7 EDGE and the 10th highest graded prospect from the state of Georgia.

Bolden “looks to return” to Columbus


The teammate that we discussed as a potential visitor later this month when talking about Houston is none other than 2024 five-star safety KJ Bolden of Buford (GA). According to Bucknuts, Bolden “looks to return” for the Michigan game towards the conclusion of the month.

While it sounds like the visit may not be set it stone yet, it would be a major recruiting win for the Buckeyes if they were able to get the 6-foot-1, 185-pounder back on campus. Bolden has previous made trips to Columbus for both a visit in April and a gameday visit in September. A third trip could speak to the interest the elite defensive back has in the Buckeyes.

To put into perspective how big of a visit it would be for Ohio State, they would be welcoming the No. 2 player in the class, only behind Buckeye QB pledge Dylan Raiola, to Columbus for a major recruiting weekend against what is shaping up to be a contest between two Top 5 programs. Bolden also is penciled in as both the top graded safety and the very best prospect that the state of Georgia has to offer next year.

Quick Hits

• 2023 four-star offensive tackle and Ohio State commit Luke Montgomery of Findlay (OH) hinted on Twitter that 2023 four-star defensive end Damon Wilson of Venice (FL) would be in attendance for the Buckeyes contest against Michigan later this month. Montgomery also made a pitch to 2023 five-star safety Caleb Downs, an Alabama commit, of Mill Creek (GA) and 2023 five-star defensive end Keon Keeley of Berkeley Prep (FL) to join Wilson on the visit.
• Ohio State is set to host a pair of in-state prospects this weekend as 2024 three-star interior offensive lineman Jake Wheelock of Stebbins (OH) and 2025 interior offensive lineman Jake Cook of Westerville North (OH) will take in the Buckeyes battle with Indiana.

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No. 14 Buckeyes stun No. 5 Volunteers 87-75 in women’s basketball season opener
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ohio State Buckeyes athletic department

After a rough first half, the Buckeyes hit an unseen level to send the Volunteers home with their first loss of the season

The Ohio State Buckeyes began their 2022/23 season in a vastly different way than last year. Instead of a smaller conference opponent like Bucknell University, head coach Fred McGuff went the opposite direction, inviting the No. 4 ranked University of Tennessee Volunteers to Columbus. In front of a home crowd, Ohio State overcame a tough two quarters plus of shooting to come back in a big way, beating the Volunteers 87-75.

Before the tip, an initial surprise was the lineup. McGuff opted to go with the same five the Buckeyes started in their exhibition victory over Notre Dame College. Instead of returning guard Madison Greene in the lineup, McGuff went with a group of three forwards in Taylor Thierry, Cotie McMahon, and Rebeka Mikulášiková. It was in hopes of going up against a strong Tennessee team in the paint, led by center Tamari Key.

From the jump, the nerves were evident from the Buckeyes and Tennessee owned the inside game, courtesy of former Columbus, Ohio high school star Jordan Horston. The guard had three rebounds to start the quarter and scored the Vols first four points of the game.

However, both teams got into foul trouble early. For the Vols, Key earned two fouls early and went to the bench after 1:41 into the first quarter. For Ohio State, it was freshman McMahon who made it 3:20 into the first before chalking up two fouls herself.

Keeping the Buckeyes in the game early was guard Jacy Sheldon. Down four after two minutes, Sheldon showed why she was Big Ten All-Defense Team last season. Sheldon created two early steals, one from anticipating a pass and a second in the Buckeyes' full-court press.

Each time, Sheldon found a teammate on the other side of the change in possession. The Dublin, Ohio guard followed it up with a three, keeping the Scarlet & Gray within striking distance, down four points six minutes into the first quarter.

The size advantage of the Volunteers was evident right away. In the first quarter, the visitors out-rebounded the Buckeyes 15-6. Ohio State’s chance to neutralize the rebounding was by forcing turnovers and agitating Tennessee.

Ohio State won the turnover battle in the first quarter, only giving away possession three times compared to the Vols' seven. Of the Buckeyes' 16 first-quarter points, nine came off turnovers. At the end of the first 10 minutes, McGuff’s side trailed 22-16.

In the second quarter, the Buckeyes started to make more of an impact and spread the ball around. Getting over a rough first quarter was McMahon. With Ohio State down 12 under three minutes into the second, Sheldon forced a steal, one of her six in the first half, finding McMahon on the fast break.

McMahon followed that up with four more points, including a steal and lay-up on her own individual break. Greene followed the play up with a jumper of her own, cutting Tennessee’s lead down to five.

It was the closest the Buckeyes got to the Vols, but the home team had opportunities to make it more of a game. Ohio State shot only 50% from the free throw line, leaving seven points off the scoreboard. In addition, their three-point shooting wasn’t there, shooting 1-for-10 in the first half.

Tennessee’s ability to create opportunities and score kept the game looking like a yo-yo, with Ohio State getting close and then the Vols would push it back near double-digits. The visitors did it without Key on the court either, with the center only playing two minutes during the first 20 minutes of the game. The Buckeyes entered the locker room down 41-33.

Coming out of halftime, Key emerged from the bench to start the second half. Right away, the Vols found Key but after missing a lay-up under the basket, it was the Buckeyes who came out first. It was Thierry, who wasn't known for scoring in last year’s freshman debut, who put in the first two baskets, getting the Buckeyes within four early.

Then, it was Mikulášiková and Mikesell who took over. Mikesell started a game-changing swing in momentum by hitting her first three of the night, after four missed attempts, which seemed to get the entire team shooting.

Mikulášiková followed Mikesell’s three up with her own moves. The forward took six threes up until midway through the third. Mikulášiková found herself open at the top of the key and turned another three-point attempt into a run to the basket, getting Ohio State within three. Then, less than 30 seconds later, Mikulášiková hit her first shot from deep, tying the game at 49-49.

Tennessee did what they’d done for most of the game up to that point, and got back into the lead. The Vols extended their lead thanks to Horston, going up three with 2:40 left in the third. That’s when the unpredictable happened, the Buckeyes took the game over.

McGuff’s team responded with an 18-point run, with Mikesell hitting 12 to end the quarter. Ohio State’s defense held Tennessee to 13 points in the third quarter, with Mikesell scoring 15 alone in the same 10 minutes.

There was still one quarter left though. Sheldon and McMahon had the first six points in the fourth quarter, keeping the Buckeyes run going with two steals to start the final quarter.

The Buckeyes extended their lead to 15, but Tennessee is a top-five team for a reason. It was Horston who continued to lead the way for the visitors. With 5:43 left in the fourth, the Vols cut Ohio State’s whiplash lead down to eight.

However, the Buckeyes seemed like a different team once the shots started to fall. The guard trio of Sheldon, Mikesell, and Greene each hit a shot to get back up to a 17-point lead with three minutes remaining.

Tennessee made the game interesting, but not enough to make the big Schottenstein Center crowd nervous. Ohio State pulled off the upset 87-75.

Mikesell Heats Up


For much of the game, Mikesell and the Buckeyes were cold from everywhere on the court. Once Mikesell hit her first three in the third quarter, Ohio State went on a tear. The guard went into the half with only five points but ended with 25.

Depth on Display


Last year, McGuff and the Buckeyes didn’t venture too far into their bench whenever there were games on the line. Ohio State rotated three players in games to keep their best players on the court.

Against the Vols, the Buckeyes used 10 different players, even bringing in Heyvnne Bristow and transfers Eboni Walker and Emma Shumate in key moments. Ohio State played a high-intensity game to slow Tennessee down, which makes sense having so many players receive minutes, but if that continues throughout the entire year, it’ll make the Buckeyes a stronger side.

A deep Ohio State side ended the night with 37 points off 29 Tennessee turnovers.

Sheldon Leads the Way


The senior guard Sheldon didn't look like a player who was going to allow her team to lose. Sheldon almost hit her first triple-double of her career but did it unconventionally than most college stars. Instead of points, rebounds, and assists, Sheldon almost hit it in points, assists, and steals.

While Sheldon didn’t, she still had an impressive stat line for the Scarlet & Gray. She ended the night with 14 points, 8 steals, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds to boot. It’s a line that doesn’t do her night justice.

Sheldon led with physicality and court presence. Beating the Vols was a steep hill to climb, but Sheldon rose to the occasion.

What’s Next


Ohio State goes on the road for a spell. Their first stop is on the East Coast, against Boston College on Sunday, Nov. 13. Following that ACC/Big Ten match-up, the Scarlet and Gray head back to Ohio to face the other Ohio college, the Bobcats of Ohio University on Nov. 17.

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