Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for September 13, 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


Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.

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

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

You’re welcome!

For your Earholes...


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Ask LGHL


Introducing ‘Ask LGHL,’ asking and answering questions throughout the football season
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land

LGHL Asks: Ohio State fans reassess season expectations following Notre Dame win
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land

On the Gridiron


Harrison Jr. is Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week
Ohio State Athletics

Ohio State opens as 31.5-point favorites over Toledo
Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land

Buckeyes draw primetime kickoff in B1G opener against Wisconsin
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

It’s only two games, but what a difference a year makes.


Film Review: Ohio State’s passing attack stole the show, tackling from the corners raises concerns
Chris Renne, Land-Grant Holy Land

Snap Counts: 63 Buckeyes See Playing Time as Ohio State Expands Rotations Against Arkansas State
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

Ohio State: Key takeaways as Buckeyes handled Arkansas State
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes

The Monday After: Taking closer look at Buckeyes win over Arkansas State
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Ohio State names three players of the game following Arkansas State win
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts


Ohio State Rewatch: Thoughts on tight ends, Caden Curry, Jack Sawyer (paywall)
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes

Grumpy Old Buckeye: Ohio State vs. Arkansas State
Michael Citro, Land-Grant Holy Land

Five Ohio State players who stood out vs. Arkansas State
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Buckeye Stock Market Report: Stroud, Harrison Jr. pace OSU past Arkansas State
David M. Wheeler, Land-Grant Holy Land

Scientifically ranking all six of Ohio State’s touchdowns against Arkansas State
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land


How Steele Chambers and Ohio State football’s defensive front are playing downhill and dangerous (paywall)
Nathan Baird, cleveland.com

OSU safety Josh Proctor relishes ‘second shot’ against Arkansas State
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch

Dallas Gant Says Leaving Ohio State Was “Hardest Decision I’ve Ever Made,” but Thinks He’s “Exactly Where I Need to Be” at Toledo
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

Five Things to Know About Toledo Before It Tries to Upset Ohio State on the Road
Griffin Strom, Elevn Warriors

Should be an interesting test this week.


You’re Nuts: What was your favorite Week 2 upset?
Josh Dooley and Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land

B1G Thoughts: Major upsets for the B1G West, goodbye Scott Frost
Jordan Williams, Land-Grant Holy Land

Column: This Ohio State team is still a work in progress, and that’s ok
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land

On the Hardwood

Outside the Shoe and Schott


Women’s Golf: Buckeyes In First Place After 36 Holes Of Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational
Ohio State Athletics

Women’s Ice Hockey: Ohio State Voted No. 1 in Preseason USCHO.com Poll
Ohio State Athletics

Women’s Cross Country: Engel Selected USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week
Ohio State Athletics


Women’s Volleyball: Londot and Podraza Earn Big Ten Weekly Awards
Ohio State Athletics

Men’s Soccer: Dowling Makes the Most of Final Year as a Buckeye
Gaurav Law, The Lantern

And now for something completely different...


This is disturbing...


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Silver Bullets Podcast: Arkansas State Rewind & Toledo Preview
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Steve Helwick from Hustle Belt stops by to give us the 4-1-1 on the Rockets.


Ohio State had little trouble dispatching Arkansas State in a 45-12 win. Even though the Buckeyes still had some hiccups and didn’t cover the spread, things weren’t too far off from what we expected out of Saturday’s game. C.J. Stroud, Marvin Harrison Jr., and TreVeyon Henderson were explosive on the offensive side of the ball. The linebackers and defensive line are still playing well, and the defense is forcing field goals instead of allowing touchdowns. Although the Buckeyes need to clean up the penalties and perhaps start forcing a few turnovers, things are on schedule. We look into the scores and stats of Ohio State’s win.

Of course, we checked in to see how our predictions and our picks to click fared, and we are seemingly better on the offensive side than the defensive side so far this season. Ohio State’s defensive ends aren’t putting up big numbers even when they’re playing well, so we’re seeing some patterns emerge in the statistical breakdowns of the games.

To get us prepped for the Toledo Rockets, we enlisted the help of Steve Helwick from SBNation’s Hustle Belt blog, which covers all the MACtion. Steve got us caught up with familiar face Dallas Gant’s exploits with the Rockets this season, told us what to expect from the Toledo offense and defense, and let us know what the team’s expectations are for the 2022 Mid-American Conference season. Big thanks to Steve for both his expertise and his time.

After bidding goodbye to our guest, we dug into the results around B1G football in Week 2, which was filled with blowouts, but there were a few close games and one that we didn’t expect to be close ended up being the last straw for Scott Frost at Nebraska. We threw around some names that the Huskers might turn to in order to right the ship.

We’ll be back next week to analyze the Toledo matchup, check on our picks and predictions, and get ready for a Big Ten-opening war with Wisconsin. In the meantime, feel free to reach out with your feedback and questions below in the comments section or send us an email.

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Ohio State trending for Ohio four-star athlete
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


2024 four-star ATH Garrett Stover via Mick Walker of 247Sports

The Buckeyes are trending for an Ohio 2024 four-star athlete, and the men’s basketball team continues its hot recruiting stretch.

Ohio State had a much less exciting game this past weekend, but it provided the Buckeyes with the opportunity to show off more of their offensive firepower. With the majority of the headlines surrounding the football team revolving around the current roster, Ryan Day and the Ohio State coaching staff continue to make the recruiting headlines. But don’t forget about Chris Holtmann and the men’s basketball Buckeyes, as they are on an impressive recruiting run as of late.

Ohio State trending for Ohio 2024 four-star athlete


The Buckeyes are hard at work finishing up their 2023 recruiting class. The group currently sits at No. 6 overall with 20 verbal commitments. The Buckeyes will continue to try to add to this class, but the coaching staff is also moving a lot of its attention to next year’s cycle — one that is already off to a bang.

Ohio State has just one commitment in 2024 thus far, but five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola is a huge get for the Buckeyes, and is already doing his part to recruit his peers to join him in Columbus. Raiola may not be the sole Ohio State commitment for long though, as the Buckeyes appear to be trending for one of Ohio’s best recruits in next year’s class.

2024 four-star athlete Garrett Stover (Sunbury, OH / Big Walnut) is certain to be very familiar with Ohio State as his cousin, Cade Stover, currently plays tight end for the team. He received his official scholarship offer from the Buckeyes on June 1 after impressing at one of Ohio State’s June recruiting camps. The offer seemed jump-start his recruitment, as he received offers from Cincinnati, Notre Dame and Northwestern to go along with his other offers from schools like Michigan State, Kentucky, Iowa State, Minnesota and Duke.

Stover was able to return to Ohio State’s campus for its home-opener versus Notre Dame, and told Stephen Means of Cleveland.com that Ohio State was his “dream school” following the visit, saying the following:


Fast-forward to Monday, and there have now been two 247Sports Crystal Ball Predictions for Stover to commit to Ohio State. These predictions are far from guarantees, but when Steve Wiltfong and Dave Kurelic agree, the smoke usually means fire.

Stover has not yet mentioned he is ready to commit, but the Buckeyes have to like where they sit in his recruitment. Ryan Day has made it known he wants to prioritize winning in-state recruitments, and this trend appears to be the same for 2024.

Stover is the No. 39 ATH in the 247Sports Composite Rankings, and is the No. 244 overall prospect. He is also the No. 9 recruit from Ohio.

Men’s Basketball Buckeyes continue red-hot recruiting run


Chris Holtmann and the Ohio State men’s basketball coaches have been busy on the recruiting trail. The team offered 2025 combo guard Jalen Haralson over the weekend, and continued to hit the recruiting trail head-on Monday. First, the team made a follow-up visit with the aforementioned Haralson.


Haralson was not the only recruit the Ohio State coaching staff visited with Monday, as they also visited with 2024 four-star small forward Darren Harris (Fairfax, VA / Paul NI Catholic) and 2024 three-star power forward Tyler McKinley (Branson, MO / Link Academy).

Quick Hits

• Ohio State also sent out a pair of new offers in the 2024 class on Monday. On the receiving end were four-star wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan and four-star edge rusher Colin Simmons. McClellan is the No. 38 WR in country as well as the No. 5 player out of his home state of Missouri, while Simmons is the No. 51 player overall in the 2024 cycle and the No. 6 EDGE.

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LGHL Uncut Podcast: Ryan Day discusses Ohio State’s victory over Arkansas State
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

The Buckeye football coach meet the media following Saturday win.

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:

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On this episode of “Land-Grant Holy Land Uncut,” Ohio State head football coach Ryan Day spoke to the assembled media following the Buckeyes’ 45-12 victory over the Arkansas State Red Wolves. In a fairly short postgame session, Day discussed his team’s improved passing performance following an uncharacteristically muted performance in the opener against Notre Dame.

The head coaches also talked about the continued improvement of the team’s defensive unit under new coordinator Jim Knowles, the impressive performance of true freshman Caden Curry on the defensive line, and the large holes and running lanes that TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams were given by the offensive line.


Contact Matt Tamanini
Twitter: @BWWMatt

Music by: www.bensound.com

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Ohio State opens as 31.5-point favorites over Toledo
Gene Ross 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

The Buckeyes are big favorites for the second week in a row.

DraftKings Sportsbook odds: Betting Line: Ohio State -31.5 | Over/Under: 61

Ohio State is once again favored by over 30 points as they head into their Week 3 matchup against in-state Toledo. The Buckeyes are coming off a 45-12 win over Arkansas State in a sleepy afternoon game that clearly lacked the same fire from the home team — understandably so — from the Week 1 tilt against Notre Dame. Toledo is coming off a 55-10 win over UMass as the Rockets have also begun their 2022 campaign 2-0.

Ryan Day’s squad looked good against an overmatched Red Wolves squad led by Butch Jones and Florida State transfer QB James Blackman. C.J. Stroud put up big numbers as expected, finishing completing 16 of his 24 pass attempts for 351 yards and four touchdowns. It was a coming out party for Marvin Harrison Jr., catching seven passes for 184 yards and three touchdowns. The run game didn’t have to do a whole bunch, but TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams combined to average over seven yards per carry, led by Henderson’s 10 carries for 87 yards and two scores.

On defense, the Buckeyes’ front seven once against put on show, holding the Red Wolves to just 1.6 yards per carry and just 53 total rushing yards on 34 attempts on the ground. Mike Hall Jr. continued his standout start to the season, registering a sack and a three tackles for loss. Steele Chambers had the team’s other sack, looking like he was shot out of cannon on a blitz up the middle. The secondary was shaky at times, but at the end of the day Ohio State was able to bend and not break as they held Arkansas State out of the end zone all game.

As previously mentioned, Toledo has started off the season 2-0, beating up on perennial powerhouses Long Island University and UMass. In this past weekend’s 55-10 win over the Minutemen, the Rockets were led by their ground game. Toledo toted the rock 37 times for 234 yards, topped by quarterback Dequan Finn’s seven carries for 74 yards and two TDs. Finn was not at his best through the air, but completed 12-of-26 for 177 yards and another touchdown. Jerjuan Newton led the way through the air, hauling in four balls for 106 yards.

Defensively this year, Toledo has been led by a familiar face in Ohio State transfer Dallas Gant, who has registered a team-high 20 tackles through his first two games with his new squad. Defensive end Desjuan Johnson has looked good to begin the campaign, as the senior leads the Rockets with 4.5 tackles for loss. The Toledo defense has forced three fumbles thus far this season, including one by the aforementioned Gant. Overall, Jason Candle’s team is ranked 5th in the country in scoring defense, allowing just five points per game, but the level of competition hasn’t exactly been stellar.

Toledo’s strength this season has been running the football — something the Ohio State defense has excelled in stopping. They will need Finn to make some plays through the air if they want to keep things competitive against the Buckeyes. On the flip side, C.J. Stroud and Company will be a far cry from the offenses Toledo has faced thus far this season, but this defense is certainly a significant step up from Arkansas State’s this past week. It also remains to be seen if Jaxon Smith-Njigba and/or Julian Fleming will suit up for Ohio State. The Buckeyes likely won’t need them to come away with a win, but 31.5 points is a lot to cover against a solid MAC program.

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

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B1G Thoughts: Major upsets for the B1G West, goodbye Scott Frost
JordanW330 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

Nebraska gave Scott Frost his $15 million and showed him the door, while half the Big Ten West got upset on Saturday

Every Monday after the Big Ten slate of games, I will bring you some B1G thoughts on everything that happened! This will include analysis, stats, key players, moments, and maybe a joke or two. Be sure to check out the I-70 Football Show in the Land-Grant Holy Land podcast feed for more in-depth analysis and to preview the next week of B1G games.

Goodbye Scott Frost


The Scott Frost era ended the only way it could — with a disappointing loss in a one-score game. It is a fitting end to a miserable coaching tenure that saw Frost go 16-31 in four-plus years. Nebraska, under Frost, has gone 5-22 in one-score games, including 12 of their last 13 losses coming by one score or less. The only loss with a margin larger than eight points was a nine-point loss to Ohio State. Nebraska is 4-11 in their last 15 games going back to last season.

Trev Alberts tried to give Frost a chance to prove that things could change, allowing him to fire and replace coaches while bringing in 20-plus transfers. As I’ve said before, nothing could fix the true issue, which was simply the fact that Scott Frost was the head coach.

After an undefeated season at UCF, Frost was deemed one of the best coaches in the country. He spurned multiple job offers to come home and return Nebraska to the glory of the 90s, but instead he broke the program. Frost will collect his $15 million buy-out as Alberts decided that waiting three weeks for the buy-out to be cut in half was too long. After firing Frank Solich and Bo Pelini for “only” winning nine games, the Cornhuskers will be on the search hoping to find a coach who can at minimum get this team to bowl eligibility after not reaching one since 2016.

Mickey Joseph and the elusive first


After the firing of Frost, a former Nebraska quarterback, Trev Alberts tapped Mickey Joseph, another former Nebraska quarterback, as interim head coach. Joseph, who joined the staff this year after serving as LSU’s wide receivers coach, is the first black coach at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. To clarify, he is not the first black football coach, he is the first black coach period.

I’m happy for Joseph, but it’s ridiculous that in the year 2022 Nebraska has never employed a black head coach for any sport. It gets sadder when you realize that Joseph is only an interim head coach and will most likely be replaced by whichever white coach has the name, recognition and desire that will impress the fanbase. Here’s hoping Joseph is given a legitimate chance to keep this job, but Nebraska needs to take a look at its history and hiring practices when it comes to athletics.

Braelon Allen: Under 100 yards = loss


Wisconsin was upset by Washinton State 17-14 on Saturday in an embarrassing showing. There were many reasons Wisconsin lost this game, starting with three turnovers — two fumbles, and an interception. Couple that with 11 penalties for 106 yards and it’s hard to win a game against anyone. Add in the fact that the Wisconsin kicker missed two field goals, and the Badgers were doomed to lose this game against a Washinton State team that prides itself on its defense under head coach Jake Dickert.

Despite all of this, Wisconsin should have won this game, but since star running back Braelon Allen stepped foot on campus, the Badgers have lost every game in which he runs for less than 100 yards. Allen ran for 98 yards on Saturday, and it’s hard to say that two more yards would have led to a win, but this is a trend that can’t be ignored. Allen is the engine for this program. If he doesn’t get loose then expect a long day and most likely a loss.

Iowa, please end our suffering


Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Iowa’s offense is a disgrace, Brian Ferentz should be out of a job, and Spencer Petras didn’t throw a touchdown in this game. Iowa’s offense once again didn’t show up, and it’s fair to question if they even have an offense. At this point, I would just let the defensive players play both ways and let the defensive coordinator call plays, because this is ugly.

Iowa lost to their in-state rivals Iowa State, 10-7, marking the first time Matt Campbell has won this game in his six years at Iowa State. Petras, in his last eight games, has thrown one touchdown and nine interceptions, yet Ferentz has stubbornly stuck by him while seemingly not considering a chance at quarterback. It’s time for Kirk Ferentz to be shown the door. His loyalty to Spencer Petras and his son Brian has sent Iowa into a downward spiral that he is not capable of recovering from.

Heartbreak in the Windy City


Let’s face it, Northwestern is not a good team. Their win against Nebraska was more of a statement about Nebraska and less a sign of things to come for the Wildcats. Enter Duke, a program that has been the dregs of college football for years but is trying to turn it around under new head coach Mike Elko.

Duke got out to a big lead early, but Northwestern fought back and had a chance to win the game twice. Both times, Elko’s team came up with back-breaking takeaways helping to secure the victory. It is going to be a long season for Northwestern. A win here would have provided confidence towards conference play. Instead, the Wildcats must find a way to regroup after a heartbreaking loss.

The Blue Devils secured the win with these takeaways late:

Ohio State’s receiver depth is scary


Ohio State entered this season with one known commodity and a bunch of high four and five-star wide receivers after losing two first-round draft picks in Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. If that wasn’t bad enough, star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba left early in the first game of the season with a lower leg injury, and former five-star receiver Julian Fleming couldn’t suit up due to injury. By my count thats four wide receivers who would start at any school in the country who are not able to play. Oh well. No problem, because here comes the next wave of five-star receivers in Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr.

After a slow start against Notre Dame, Egbuka and Harrison Jr. broke out against Arkansas State to the tune of 11 combined catches for 302 yards and four touchdowns. Route Man Marv showcased his route running ability on his way to 187 yards and three touchdowns, with a fourth inaccurately taken away by a bad decision by the review crew. The Ohio State receiving corp is the most dangerous group in America, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba hasn’t played more than two quarters this season. RIP to any secondary that has to face these three studs and the next wave of players waiting for their turn.

Check out Marvin Harrison Jr. three touchdowns:

A Silver Bullets sighting


After holding Notre Dame to 10 points, Jim Knowles’s defense held Arkansas State to 12 points, once again stiffening on multiple red zone trips and forcing field goals instead of touchdowns. Despite multiple stupid penalties and a few bad plays from the corners, the defense dominated in the trenches and made big plays when needed. They held their opponent to 54 rushing yards on 34 carries — a measly 1.6 yards per attempt.

Knowles’ defense racked up 12 tackles for loss, two sacks and three quarterback hurries. After two games, Ohio State is 19th in 3rd down conversions, allowing eight first downs on 33 attempts. They’re also tied for 14th in tackles for loss and 23rd in total defense. The cornerback group needs to get better, but under Knowles, this defense has the chance to be special and remind Buckeye Nation of the Silver Bullets of old.

Welcome to the McCarthy era


Jim Harbaugh has ended his quarterback charade by announcing J.J. McCarthy as the starting quarterback moving forward after choosing not to announce a starter before the season. Instead, he continued the sham competition by starting Cade McNamara in Week 1 against Colorado State and J.J. McCarthy in Week 2 against Hawaii.

After going 11-for-12, including a wide receiver drop, for 229 yards and two touchdowns, it is abundantly clear that McCarthy has a much higher ceiling and has the best chance of leading Michigan past Ohio State and back into the playoffs. It’s easy to look good with Michigan’s easy out-of-conference slate, and I fully expect McCarthy to make mistakes due to his high-risk high-reward style of play. But for Michigan to reach its ceiling, they need McCarthy under center.

The Chase for the Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year award


Chase Brown is chasing the Big Ten running back of the year award — pun intended. Brown ran past Virginia en route to a 24-3 Illinois victory to the tune of 146 yards on 20 carries. That’s good for 7.3 yards per attempt. After three games, Brown has 496 yards and two touchdowns on 75 rushing attempts. There are a lot of big names in the Big Ten collective running back room, but Brown is staking his claim as the best of the best. Illinois should be 3-0 on the season, but even at 2-1 with the way Brown is running, I expect the Illini to grind out a few Big Ten wins and reach a bowl game in Bret Bielema’s second season.

Multiple goose eggs + 50-point victories


After four Big Ten teams were upset, a win is a win. But Michigan State and Purdue left no doubt in their victories on Saturday. Michigan State beat Akron 52-0, while Purdue put up 56 points against Indiana State in another shutout. Both teams played severely overmatched opponents, but a shutout is always noticeable, especially in a season where three Sun Belt teams upset three Power 5 opponents on the same day. Not sure these wins mean anything in the big picture, but MSU and Purdue deserve some acknowledgment at the bare minimum.

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I’m on Hulu live tv on a fire stick.

multiple times a day when in use..it just goes back to the fire stick home screen.

Super awesome during things like a buckeyes game…

You’re Nuts: What was your favorite Week 2 upset?
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Lots of choices from the second full week of college football action.

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

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

This week’s topic: What was your favorite Week 2 upset?

Josh’s Take


While not expected to be a pivotal week in the college football landscape, Week 2 provided plenty of drama, and plenty of fireworks. A number of ranked teams dropped non-marquee matchups, and a few of the teams that did win were forced to hang on for dear life. Such is life in the often crazy world of CFB, and that is why we love it... as long as our team is unaffected, and somehow manages to avoid the upset shrapnel.

Ohio State did exactly that. The Buckeyes were on the outside looking in, at least when it came to the chaos that was Week 2. They took care of business during a sleepy noon kick against an inferior opponent, and came out none the worse for wear. As fans, we’ll take it. Because on the other end of the spectrum, we could have been cheering for a once-storied program that has completely lost its way, or another that has recently attempted to buy its way into CFB’s VIP lounge. In this case, the latter is a reference to Texas A&M, and I can’t say I feel bad for the Aggies. Their upset at the hands of mighty Appalachian State was my favorite chaotic moment of the past weekend.

A&M hired Jimbo Fisher in 2018 with hopes that he would lead them to a national title. Fair enough I guess, given that he had won it all with Florida State recently... if we’re calling 2013 recent. Fisher enjoyed another great season in 2014, but dropped three games in back-to-back seasons after that, and bottomed out with a 5-6 record in 2017. So why exactly did A&M hire him away from Tallahassee with a 10-year deal? And let’s not forget: That deal was signed on Dec. 1, 2017 — the day before FSU was scheduled to finish their regular season. Fisher left that program high and dry, which is another reason I enjoyed watching the Aggies fall on Saturday.

Since Ol’ Jimbo joined the SEC, A&M has been... relevant? Maybe I have a lower opinion of the team than most, but nobody can argue that the Aggies have been great. Far from it, actually. They have not exceeded nine wins in any of his four seasons, and only once did they finish the season ranked inside the top-15. That was in 2020, also known as the fluky pandemic season. A&M is 3-0 in bowl games, and they did upset No. 1 Alabama last year, but aren’t you just getting into Iowa territory at that point? On the precipice of competing, pulling off the occasional upset, with a coach fans generally know of, but never really making it beyond that? However, relevancy is clearly not enough for the A&M program, so they have attempted to spend their way to the top.

Because not coincidentally, the school landed 2022’s top recruiting class. AKA, the first class really eligible (wink, wink) to enjoy the benefits of NIL. And good for them. Same goes for the players who chose to attend A&M. But let’s not act like it comes down to anything other than money. It’s not coaching. It’s not recent success. It’s not the sights and sounds, although I’m sure College Station is awesome. A&M just has greater bandwidth for recruiting, as well as more NIL incentives to offer. But what is that “currency” backed by? No proven track record, no history of success. The school went big on promises, and now we’ll see if they can keep it all together. But don’t try to tell me that A&M’s 2022 class is/was anything other than some anomaly.

During Fisher’s time at the school, their recruiting classes were ranked 17, 5, 6, and 9 prior to 2022. Their 2023 class is currently ranked No. 24. So was it Fisher and the campus that enticed this year’s signees, or was it something else? And A&M can’t even lean on Texas being a talent-rich state as the reason, because six of the top ten signees hail from outside of the Lone Star State. The program cast a wide net, made a bunch of promises, and they will now hope that their investment pays off. But last Saturday, it certainly did not.

Appalachian State was too physical for No. 6 A&M. Too physical! The Sun Belt darlings controlled the ball, rushed it 52 times, played strong defense, and won the turnover battle in their 17-14 upset. And this is a team that gave up damn-near 100 to North Carolina in Week 1. They imposed their will on the Aggies, knocking off the SEC’s third or fourth best team. Again, how’s that ROI looking for A&M?

I love to see a good upset. Said upset is made even more enjoyable when a team like App State, which has worked their way up from the FCS and built a program the right way, takes down a “powerhouse” program attempting to take a shortcut. So go Mountaineers, and please stay the hell away from Columbus!

Gene’s Take


As Josh and I discussed on the podcast this week, so many times its the seemingly lackluster college football slates that lead to the most chaos. When previewing the Week 2 schedule, it was hard to ignore the lack of ranked matchups and the hefty betting lines. Outside of the Alabama-Texas game and the pair of AP Top 25 showdowns — Kentucky-Florida and Baylor-BYU — it sure seemed like we were headed for a week of some lackluster football. Instead, we got quite the opposite.

The biggest upset of the day, as Josh discussed, was App State stunning No. 6 Texas A&M in College State as 18-point underdogs. It was far from the only upset of the day, however. We also saw the likes of No. 8 Notre Dame fall to Marshall, No. 12 Florida lose to No. 20 Kentucky in the Swamp, No. 19 Wisconsin come up short against Washington State. In addition, No. 9 Baylor lost a thriller to No. 21 BYU, however its tough to call that an upset when the Cougars were favored in the game despite being the lower-ranked team. All of these results are enticing to choose from, but my favorite Week 2 upset came between two unranked teams.

For that we look to the Big Ten, where Nebraska was defeated — at home — by Georgia Southern, leading to the subsequent firing of Scott Frost. The Huskers entered the matchup as 23.5-point favorites, but it was yet another one-score loss for Frost, and despite his buyout dropping significantly at the start of October, the administration could not wait another second before letting the failed head coach go.

I can’t say that I watched all of this game, but it was definitely one that caught my eye while scrolling through the box scores, and eventually I put it on to watch another Nebraska meltdown in the fourth quarter. Tied 35-35 entering the final frame, the Eagles quickly got on the board with a field goal to take a 38-35 lead. It wasn’t until there were about three minutes remaining that Nebraska finally answered with a score of their own, with Casey Thompson’s 1-yard touchdown scamper giving the Huskers a late lead, 42-38. It was at this point that seemingly everyone knew what was about to happen.

Georgia Southern put together an 11-play, 75-yard drive in 2 minutes and 29 seconds, capped by a 8-yard touchdown run from Kyle Vantrease with just 36 seconds remaining in the game. It was at this point that everything started to become real. It was happening again. The Scott Frost one-score game nightmare was taking shape in front of our eyes. Nebraska was able to work the ball down to the Eagles’ 34-yard line with 1 second left on the clock. However, the 52-yard field goal attempt to tie the game was no good, and the Huskers fell to 1-2 on the season with an embarrassing loss in their own stadium.

It was a perfect way for the Scott Frost era to end. Frost went 5-22 in one-score games during his time at Nebraska. In that same timespan, no other FBS team suffered more than 16 one-score losses. Overall, Frost never put together a winning season with the Cornhuskers, never winning more than five games in a single year and finishing with an overall record of 16-31 (10-26 in Big Ten play).

It’s nothing against Frost personally, but watching Nebraska continue to lose the exact same game week after week for multiple seasons with different personnel and coaching staffs was simply a sight to behold. I was actually excited to see the Huskers take on Oklahoma this week, a game that would be even more hilarious if they were able to win. The Nebraska administration has robbed us of that possibility, but the move had to be made before things really spiraled out of control.

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Grumpy Old Buckeye: Ohio State vs. Arkansas State
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Here’s what made my face do that thing as if I’d eaten a lemon.

Week 2 of the Ohio State football schedule pitted the Buckeyes against the Red Wolves of Arkansas State. Butch Jones brought his team into Ohio Stadium for its paycheck and its beating, the latter did happen, although it was at times a bit more annoying than expected. How dare the Red Wolves not roll over and allow Ohio State to play every guy on the roster by the end of the third quarter!

Here are the things that yucked my yum Saturday in the Buckeyes’ 45-12 win over Arkansas State. (And remember, much of this is a kernel of truth saturated in 36 layers of sarcasm. I won’t say not to “@” me about it, but at least keep that in mind if you do.)

Don’t Be Unsportsmanlike


After the first touchdown, Xavier Johnson committed a completely unnecessary penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Johnson, the hero of last week’s game, is a guy who is supposed to be seen as a leader on the team, and although passion is a good thing to show, there’s no need for Goliath to antagonize David. Just take away David’s stones and pummel him good, and that’s it. The former walk-on should know better than that. The only good thing about that penalty was that it gave me something to write about the opening drive in this column. So, thanks Xavier, I guess.

Penalties: Still Bad


A week after committing seven penalties for 75 yards against Notre Dame, the Buckeyes apparently thought that was an area where more was necessary. Ohio State committed nine fouls for 85 yards against Arkansas State, and that would have been more but a Red Wolves receiver was able to haul in a pass despite being interfered with, and two fouls were committed on one play with Arkansas State only allowed to take one of them.

One of the most egregious fouls was a Teradja Mitchell leaping violation on a punt play. Now, I will give Mitchell a bit of a break, since every player jumps to try to block a punt and not every player who does so gets hit low and flipped over the top of the shield like that, which makes it a pretty obvious call. It extended the Red Wolves’ drive, as did one of multiple Denzel Burke pass interference penalties. That isn’t to say that the referees were calling a consistently tight game. After all, Emeka Egbuka was hit three yards out of bounds a drive after those earlier fouls I mentioned.

Several of Ohio State’s penalties were pre-snap, like last week. But this week it was the defense jumping offside that was the bigger issue, whereas last week it was Dawand Jones trying to get a head start.

Harrison Got Hosed


Marvin Harrison Jr. had a terrific game, with seven catches on nine targets for 184 yards and three touchdowns. However, it should have been four and a crime was committed in stealing one of them from him. Harrison caught the ball short of the goal line, dove, and the ball crossed the plane just before it was punched out of his hands. The ruling on the field was incomplete, but the replay seemed just as conclusive as the live action.

Since Harrison did not go to ground while making the catch, the play should have been dead once the front of the ball broke the plane of the goal line, which it apparently did — if cameras are at all to be trusted. He did not have to “make a football move,” because he already did that when he pulled the ball in and dove for the goal line. Diving is a football move. The replay was inexcusably not looked at by the referee on the field and the Buckeyes kicked a field goal.

This is what happens when you hire an officiating crew from the dollar store.

Maybe Burke is…Bad Now?


A lot is expected of cornerback Denzel Burke after a breakout season last year. It’s only been two games so far, but Burke doesn’t look like the same lockdown cover man as last year. He’s been repeatedly burned in space, has allowed catches when his coverage is good, and he’s panicked and taken pass interference penalties when he’s got things pretty well handled.

Other than looking a bit more bulked up than last year, I haven’t seen any physical reason for this. Yeah, Notre Dame is expected to make plays, but Arkansas State is not a team that should be able to pick on your lockdown corner for chunk plays. His penalties were a problem, and he also gave up a big play right after the Noah Ruggles field goal — the one above that should have been a Harrison touchdown…Grrr! — that allowed the Red Wolves to pull those points right back on their next drive.

Muff and Stuff


It was late, with lots of backups in, but the muffed punt late in the game was another aggravation. There was insufficient communication between the return man and his blockers, and the ball hit a Buckeye and was recovered by Arkansas State, giving the visitors another opportunity to get points. It was the only turnover of the first couple of games, but it happened and I don’t have to like it.

Two and Counting


I’ll let everyone else proclaim the defense has been fixed. Sure, it’s been more physical and has been much more reliable through two games against the run than last year. It remains to be seen if that trend holds after Notre Dame’s home loss to Marshall, which might indicate the Irish are less good than expected. The issue that galls me is the number of four- and five-star athletes running around out there not taking the ball away.

Jim Knowles’ defense has forced no turnovers through two games, and one of them is allegedly the easiest one on the schedule. I realize it’s only been two games, but if the Silver Bullets are indeed back, let’s see some forced fumbles and interceptions.


Those are the things that burned my bacon on Saturday. What ticked you off? Let me know in the comments section below. Let’s get our collective gripe on!

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USNWR: Ohio State stays at #49. Given that this would cover the post-pandemic class where we screwed up our yield estimate and ended up with a freshman class of 8K, I thought for sure we'd slip out of the top 50 a bit. Still 5th in the B1G after NW, tsun, UW and UI. Case was 44th and no other Ohio schools made the top 100.

Film Review: Ohio State’s passing attack stole the show, tackling from the corners raises concerns
Chris Renne 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 Buckeyes showed up, took care of business, and got into the win column. That story looks a little different on each side of the ball.

On Saturday, Ohio State took care of business in its 45-12 win over Arkansas State. The game was an example of the emotional challenges that come for heavily favored teams after playing in a primetime environment the week before.

Throughout the game, Ohio State’s offense was in cruise control. The receivers had an excellent performance, and Stroud made throws that showed his NFL ceiling. When needed, the running backs were reliable and made a few big plays themselves. In a game like this, not hearing much about the offensive line is a good thing.

Defensively, the Buckeyes had some trouble in the secondary at times. There were some issues that can be easily resolved, but fundamental shortcomings like tackling in space should at least raise eye brows. The front seven picked up where they left off, and Arkansas State’s quarterbacks were never really able to get comfortable. Outside of penalties, there really aren’t any areas to complain about with the linebackers or the defensive linemen.

The game itself was simple and straight forward — a pay game the Buckeyes never really fully woke up in and still ended up winning comfortably. In this review, we’re going to see how the Ohio State receivers took another step this week, as well as take a look at what the defense will be trying to clean up when the Buckeyes take on Toledo in Week 3 before the start of conference play.


Receiver Play

College football is fun to watch, and players like Marvin Harrison Jr. are why Saturday’s against Arkansas State can be special. After a solid performance against Notre Dame, Harrison Jr. took this opportunity to show the world the tools that make him such a special talent. The speed, strength, and catch radius was on full display, with Harrison Jr. scoring three touchdowns – should have been four – and hauling in seven catches for 184 receiving yards.

The effectiveness by Harrison Jr. started early in the game. The Buckeyes were on their first offensive series. Harrison Jr. lines up as the lone single receiver to the top of the screen, and he gets one-on-one coverage. His route starts when his stem takes him onto the screen. His inside route stem takes the leverage away from the cornerback. Coming out of his break on a “Dig” route – a rounded 15-yard in-breaking route – Harrison Jr. explodes to create separation, and Stroud hits him in stride. The rest is Harrison Jr. showing off his speed and getting to the end zone for six points.


In the next play, we see just how easy this game came to Harrison Jr. The Buckeyes had a 2nd-and-2 on the Arkansas State 42-yard line. This is “take a shot” territory, and that has air quotes around it because announcers love to point that out every time a team is in this exact situation.

The Buckeyes oblige. Stroud sells a hard run fake and then takes a drop back to give the receivers time to get down the field. Harrison Jr. is running a Go-route, and he once again has one-on-one coverage. Harrison Jr. runs by the cornerback and Stroud drops the ball into the basket. The ease of this throw-and-catch shows the chemistry being built by the quarterback and his receiver. This will go a long way for the Buckeyes down the road, especially once they get Smith-Njigba back into the fold.


In the next play, we see the throw and catch of the day for the Buckeyes. Arkansas State is running “Cover-2 man under” meaning they have two-high safeties and the rest of the defenders have man responsibilities. This coverage is one of the few that make it hard to push vertically, and the windows to complete vertical throws are much smaller to the outside receivers.

This is where the term “hole-shot” comes into play. The space behind the corner and before the safety in coverage over top is the hole. In Cover-2 Man, this is an even tighter window with the corner in a trail technique. Harrison Jr. runs a vertical route, and Stroud throws the ball into the only spot this pass would be completed. The timing by Stroud is undermined by the incredible athleticism and concentration Harrison Jr, needed to make the tough catch down the sideline for a touchdown.

Overall, this is just that high level execution that Ohio State quarterbacks and receivers have made look effortless over the last few seasons.


Harrison Jr. wasn’t alone on Saturday, and Emeka Egbuka had a big game in his own right. Egbuka had four catches for 118 yards and a touchdown catch. The play below shows high level receiving and quarterback play.

If the route Egbuka ran here was a designed play, it was drawn up perfectly. That being said, I do not think that was play that was designed. Egbuka was running a drag route across the formation, and once the defender cut off his path, he turned up field vertically. Stroud saw this and delivered a perfect touch pass over top to Egbuka, who ran the rest of the way for six. This play is not made without Miyan Williams’ elite blitz pick up, which gave Stroud time to adjust to Egbuka turning up field. Without that block, the Buckeyes probably don’t score on this play.


The results of this game were an expectation, but with limited experience the receivers showed growth with how they were able to dominate. Jaxon Smith-Njigba has shown this ability, and now Harrison Jr. and Egbuka showed their reliability as well as their explosiveness this week. As they continue to build their relationship with Stroud, their level of play should keep rising.


Fundamental Issues in Secondary

Defensively the Buckeyes were far from perfect, the secondary having the most issues. There was an early intensity, but the Buckeyes had a propensity for undisciplined penalties on Saturday which took that early edge away. The Buckeyes definitely settled in, and to make up for their mistakes they tightened up in the red zone, forcing Arkansas State into settling for field goals.

The penalties started with a pass interference on corner Denzel Burke. This was exasperated by a second penalty, which started the day off on the wrong foot. In the play below, we see Burke get lost in his coverage with the technique he was playing. Once he lost position and feel of the receiver, rather than trusting his rules of getting back to the defenders hips and turning when the receiver shows his hands, he panicked. This led to a poor close out and another 15-yard penalty.


Burke had a rough day, and this film article could have singled out quite a few of his errors. That being said, there were more fundamental issues to look at from the defense than just the few plays by Burke. In the play below, we see Arkansas State in a 3rd-and-1 situation.

The Buckeyes are lined up straight up in their base defense against 12-personnel. Arkansas State motions a receiver across the formation, and the goal is to get their athlete the ball quick in space to gain the one yard. Ohio State’s defenders read the play immediately and have the receiver caught in the backfield if they use proper technique. Cam Martinez (No. 13) and Jakailin Johnson (No. 4) over-pursue the player, who cuts back and picks up just enough for the first.

This is a small thing, but the difference in a tackle for a loss and giving up a first down is the angles taken by the defensive backs when they were trying to make a play in space.


The last play builds on what we just looked at. The defensive backs really struggled on Saturday with their tackling in space – most notably the corners and young safeties. In the next play, we see Cam Brown playing off man coverage in a 2nd-and-19 situation.

Arkansas State runs a quick hitch to the outside receiver Brown has in coverage. Brown takes a bad angle to close out on the receiver and gives up a move inside after the catch. By taking a bad angle, what should have been a short gain forcing a third-and-long, the Buckeyes ended up allowing a first down. This was a common theme throughout the game for the corners, and this will be on position coach Tim Walton to get this issue fixed as the Buckeyes prepare for Toledo.


The emotional aspect of the game of football can not go underrepresented, and going from a huge non-conference home opener against an AP Top-5 team to playing Arkansas State at noon is significant difference. For the Buckeyes to go in and never relinquish control of this game at any point shows some maturity for a young team at a lot of key positions.

On offense, Stroud and the receivers stole the show, and Marvin Harrison Jr. officially announced to the country that he has arrived in 2022. The growth of Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka can not go under appreciated. The amount of game reps they are getting will only make them more dangerous as Smith-Njigba and Julian Fleming return to the fold. Add that to a running game that’s finding their identity, the Ohio State offense got a lot of this pay game against Arkansas State.

The same can not be said for the secondary, more specifically the corners who had lapses in coverage and tackling techniques. This poor play took away from a relatively strong defensive performance from the rest of the groups on that side of the ball. If the corners can learn from their mistakes and grow from them against Toledo next week, Ohio State should head into their match up against Wisconsin with a lot of confidence.

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I-70 Football Podcast: The Scott Frost era has mercifully ended
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

After another disappointing loss, Nebraska has parted ways with Scott Frost. Plus, a review of a wild and wonderful Week 2.

Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s I-70 podcast. On this show, we talk all things Big Ten football and basketball. After every week of action, we will get you caught up on all the conference’s games and look ahead at the matchups, storylines, and players that you should be paying attention to in the next week. My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host Dante Morgan.

Listen to the episode and subscribe:


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It has finally happened: the Scott Frost era is over, and we are all victors. The first of many names on Jordan’s list of fireable coaches has been crossed off after Nebraska suffered a 45-42 loss to Georgia Southern — a Georgia Southern team led by Clay Helton, who was last year’s Scott Frost. It is a fitting end to a miserable coaching tenure that saw Frost go 16-31 in four-plus years. The guys get into Nebraska’s firing of Frost and who should be next on the list. We’re looking at you, Kirk Ferentz.

Next up the guys review a weekend in which the Big Ten West had a miserable showing, as four teams lost, all of which could be considered upsets. Wisconsin continues the trend of losing games where Braelon Allen doesn’t run for 100 yards, losing 17-14 to Washington State. Iowa’s offense again failed to show up as Spencer Petras continued his streak of games without throwing a passing touchdown. Without the defense providing some scoring, the Hawkeyes lost 10-7 to their in-state rival Iowa State. This makes the first time in six years under Matt Campbell that Iowa State has beaten Iowa. After a week off, Northwestern lost to Duke, which is not surprising and should serve as the second to last nail in Scott Frost’s coffin.

It’s time for Kevin Warren to announce the end of divisions effective for the 2024 season. With the false confidence allowed by being competitive in a weak West division, many of these programs will never get better until they start catching annual beatings at the hands of “lesser” Big Ten East teams.

After a brief stint of complaining about the AP Top 25, which once again fails to capture a realistic picture of the good teams in college football, the guys begin their preview of Week 3. There are some sneaky good games, as Penn State faces Purdue, Michigan State plays Washington and Nebraska goes to Lincoln to face the Oklahoma Sooners. In their weekly pit stops, Jordan is tired of the NFL already as the Colts found a way to tie against their much worse division foe in the Houston Texans. Dante celebrates the Steelers’ win over the Bengals, but acknowledges the season may be over with injuries to TJ Watt and Najee Harris


Connect with us on Twitter:

Jordan: @JordanW330

Dante: @DanteM10216

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Ohio State offers 2025 shooting guard from Indiana
Bret Favachio via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Jalen Haralson | 247Sports

The Buckeyes and hoops coach Chris Holtmann send an Indiana standout home with an offer after his weekend visit to Columbus.

While most of the weekend focus came on Saturday as the Buckeyes took care of business on the gridiron, it was the basketball program who made most of the headlines on the recruiting trail in recent days. Ohio State had their eyes set on a prospect from Indiana and gave him the invitation to claim a spot in Columbus. Plus, a Cincinnati prospect briefly talks his visit to the Buckeye campus last weekend.

Buckeyes send offer to Haralson


After a jam-packed visitor list for the contest against Notre Dame, it was a bit less of a recruiting weekend in Columbus this weekend. However, the Buckeyes did welcome a prospect that gets in done on the hardwood in 2025 combo guard Jalen Haralson of Fishers (IN).

The visit would ultimately end in Haralson securing an offer from the Ohio State and pushing his current total to 11 scholarship opportunities.


Ohio State joined Auburn, Florida State, Indiana, Iowa, IUPUI, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, and Purdue as the early programs to get in an offer to the 6-foot-7, 205-pounder.

According to his 247Sports profile, Haralson has an upcoming visit scheduled to check out Michigan State prior to end of this month.

Another Crystal Ball prediction for Moore


After receiving a Crystal Ball prediction last weekend prior to Ohio State’s contest against the Irish, it was 2024 four-star interior offensive lineman Ian Moore of New Palestine (IN) who received yet another crystal ball forecast in favor of the Buckeyes on Saturday courtesy of Bill Kurelic.

Moore was indeed in attendance last weekend against Notre Dame and much like Wiltfong, Kurelic also feels as if it is Ohio State who is out in front for the coveted pledge of the Indiana standout.

The 6-foot-5, 295-pounder currently slots in as a Top 100 prospect overall at No. 91 and is the highest graded player from the state of Indiana. Moore also finds himself inside of the top five prospects at his position as he ranks as the fourth best interior offensive lineman in next years cycle.

While the Buckeyes are seemingly out in front for Moore, it won’t be an easy pull as programs like Iowa and Wisconsin are also considered real options for the Dragons mammoth, highly-touted offensive lineman.

Quick Hits

• In Friday nights contest against Wayne (OH), 2024 four-star cornerback Aaron Scott of Springfield (OH) was spotted sporting Ohio State gloves, as shown on Twitter by Marc Givler of Buckeye Huddle. Scott, a top-10 in-state prospect next cycle, already holds an offer from the Buckeyes and is considered a top target for the program.
• According to Jake Weingarten of Stockrisers.com, Dayton was in to visit 2023 four-star shooting guard and former Ohio State pledge George Washington II of Chaminade Julienne (OH) this weekend. Weingarten also notes that the Dayton prospect will also see Virginia in the coming days.
• After securing offers from both Old Dominion and Penn State this weekend, 2024 small forward Jadyn Harris of Bishop O’Connell (VA) is expected to have numerous schools stop in to visit in the next few weeks including Ohio State, according to the aforementioned Jake Weingarten of Stockrisers.com. Georgetown, Maryland, Syracuse, and Vanderbilt are also expected to see the Arlington native.
• Weingarten also revealed that along with Haralson, who was offered on his weekend visit, the Buckeyes also welcomed 2025 shooting guard EJ Walker of Lloyd (KY) to campus this weekend. Walker currently holds offers from Duquesne, Northern Kentucky, Ohio, Toledo, and Youngstown State.

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Column: This Ohio State team is still a work in progress, and that’s ok
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 Gaelen Morse/Getty Images

Have they been perfect this year? No. Do they need to be? Also no.

I admit — either because I am a massive Ohio State homer, or because I know very little about college football (or perhaps some combination of both) — I expected the 2022 Buckeyes to look more like a finished product to start the season than they have through their first two games. I obviously understood that there would be adjustments and growth throughout the season, especially on the defensive side of the ball as those players adapted and adjusted to the new scheme implemented by first-year defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.

However, I foolishly expected Heisman Trophy finalist C.J. Stroud to immediately fall into a rhythm with a nearly entirely new slate of starting wide receivers without skipping a beat. I expected the Buckeye offense to pick up exactly where it left off as the No. 1 unit in the country last season. While both the OSU defense and offense have been sturdy in wins against Notre Dame and Arkansas State in their first two games, they certainly haven’t been perfect; perhaps partially because of the injury to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the offense has looked more disjointed at times than the well-oiled “Greatest Show on Turf” that I anticipated.

But you know what? That’s on me. Ohio State is 2-0 and has played really well in its first two games of the season; it was unreasonable to expect them to be perfect right out of the gate. I did not appreciate how hard it would be to replace two top-11 NFL Draft picks at wide receiver. I didn’t give credit to how important in-game reps would be to get Knowles’ reconfigured secondary to gel. I did not give much credence to the need to build up to mid-season form.

Being a Buckeye fan is always an exercise in managing unreasonable expectations and uncontrolled rage when even the slightest thing doesn’t go perfectly. However, watching Saturday’s full slate of games reminded me of something that I’ve always known intellectually, but often forget emotionally in the moment: College football is built on chaos, and even if your team isn’t perfect, surviving any test should be celebrated, instead of taken for granted.

As someone who covers the team, I clearly need to be a bit more analytical about OSU’s on-field performance than I would if I was strictly watching the games as a fan, but it is important to not become too myopic when focusing on a single team. If I get too far into the weeds on the Buckeyes, it becomes incredibly easy to miss the forest through the trees, to mix my flora metaphors.

Yesterday alone was a perfect example of how special every win is in college football:

No. 1 Alabama nearly (re: should have) lost to unranked Texas
No. 6 Texas A&M lost to unranked Appalachian State
No. 8 Notre Dame lost to unranked Marshall
No. 9 Baylor lost to No. 21 BYU
No. 12 Florida lost to No. 20 Kentucky
No. 17 Pittsburgh lost to No. 24 Tennessee in overtime
No. 19 Wisconsin lost to unranked Washington State
No. 25 Houston lost to unranked Texas Tech

But No. 3 Ohio State beat unranked Arkansas State 45-12. Was it the 60-6 outcome that I predicted? Nope. Were there things that the Buckeyes need to clean up before they start playing better competition? Yep. Should I still be happy with the performance and the team’s continued growth and development? Absolutely.

Because we as fans build our entire weeks around the 3+ hours that the Buckeyes are on the field each Saturday, and the team’s accomplishments play such an out-sized role in our day-to-day moods, we can forget that football is an incredibly complicated sport and that the players that we are hanging our happiness on are 17 to 23-year-olds; it is foolish for us to expect perfection out of the gate and we need to recognize that things take time.

This is already a really good football team in a sport where there are very few of those to go around. And what’s exciting is that they will undoubtedly get better the further they get into the season.

More so than I have in a really long time, I have a ton of faith in this coaching staff to get guys in the right spots and to put them in the best positions to be successful. Yes, there are still things that need to be fixed, but I truly believe that Ryan Day, Knowles, and the rest of the coaching staff can get those issues figured out in time to accomplish all of the team’s goals (and — more importantly — meet my incredibly high expectations).

The passing game still needs to be tightened up, especially when Smith-Njigba and (presumably) Julian Fleming return, position coach Tim Walton needs to get something figured out at the cornerback position, and Parker Fleming needs to sure up the punt return operations. But, to steal a phrase from a franchise that was not ultimately successful, we Buckeye fans need to “Trust the process.”

This team is more than talented enough to beat their rival, win the Big Ten, and take the national title for the first time in eight years. So, while we shouldn’t ignore poor play and coaching decisions if/when they happen, context is always important, and — even with ample room to improve — the Buckeyes are better than just about every other team in the country and have plenty of time to get even better.

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Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: Ohio State wins on a very normal college football Saturday
Gene Ross 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

The Buckeyes defeated the Red Wolves as chaos ensued across the sport elsewhere.

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

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

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


On this episode, Gene and Josh recap Ohio State’s 45-12 win over Arkansas State on Saturday. After a huge under-the-lights matchup against Notre Dame, the Red Wolves coming to town at noon didn’t exactly have the same feel to it, but the Buckeyes took care of business and continued to improve on both sides of the ball. At the same time, the rest of the college football world around them suffered a number of upsets, including the likes of Texas A&M, Wisconsin and of course Scott Frost’s Nebraska. All that and more on this Sunday show.

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

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

As always, Go Bucks.


Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @HolyLandPod

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Twitter: @Gene_Ross23

Connect with Josh
Twitter: @jdooleybuckeye

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Buckeye Stock Market Report: Stroud, Harrison Jr. pace OSU past Arkansas State
David M Wheeler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Maybe not the total blowout that we expected, but a nice return to form for the passing game, while there is still some work to do elsewhere.

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

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

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


Quick Overview


The first thing that we noticed against Arkansas State was that the Buckeye big-play offense, missing against Notre Dame last week, is back. Long passing touchdowns, long running plays, almost a long punt return. Marvin Harrison, Jr. and Emeka Egbuka had no trouble getting behind the defense, and quarterback C.J. Stroud was accurate as usual.

But the game was closer, and more contested, than we would have thought. The Buckeyes did manage to insert some of the players from the second or third slots on the depth chart – but not until the middle of the final quarter.

Additionally, there were plenty of mistakes, like missed tackles and penalties, that caused problems. Did the Bucks play better this week than they did against Notre Dame? I don’t think so. The deep passing game was certainly better; the running offense, the pass defense, and the special teams play was poorer. Perhaps Arkansas State, a team that I figured to be the weakest on the Buckeye schedule, is better than expected. Clearly the Sun Belt Conference – Marshall, Appalachian State, Georgia Southern – shone for the day. Whatever the case, Ohio State still has work to do if it hopes to make the playoffs this season.

Offense

Overall rating: A Strong


The offensive numbers were right about at Ohio State’s average last year. 45 points was one shy of the average, and 538 total yards were not that far off of last year’s 561. The team passing offense against Arkansas State was 370 yards (380 average last year), and the rushing offense was 168 (180 in 2021). Since the OSU offense was the best in the country last year and the Bucks were still missing starting wideouts Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Julian Fleming, we shouldn’t have much to complain about. Right? Well, the opponent was Arkansas State. I expected more.

The Buckeyes started off strong in both halves, registering touchdowns on the first two possessions in the first and third quarters. But then they would occasionally bog down, go three and out, and be forced to punt. TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams both had good rushing games, but the Buckeyes didn’t seem as dominant on the ground as they did in the fourth quarter against the Irish.

The passing attack looked nearly back to normal. Harrison, Jr. and Egbuka had monster games, with long gains and great catches. Stroud completed 67% of his passes (16/24) for 351 yards and four TDs. No interceptions. With the quick strikes, the Buckeyes didn’t run many plays and lost the time of possession battle convincingly: 37:44 to 22:16.

Overall, the offense was good but not mind-boggling good. A bit of a disappointment, in fact.

Defense

Overall rating: A Strong


I almost gave the Buckeye D only an “adequate.” Missed tackles, penalties, and the inability to cover wide receiver Champ Flemings surely gave me pause. The opponent was, I repeat, Arkansas State. But the OSU defense didn’t allow any touchdowns, forced eight punts (and one out on downs), and yielded only 53 net rushing yards on 34 carries for a 1.6 yard per carry average. That average was lowered by the Buckeyes' 12 tackles for loss in the game. Pretty good.

There were a number of defensive players that played really well (see below) and a few who didn’t. I’m a little concerned that the OSU defense hasn’t yet gotten a takeaway this season. Two games in, I’m not sure what to make of this defense. Better than last year’s? Certainly. Really good? Maybe, but it’s too early to make that call.

Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Special Teams

Overall rating: BBB Adequate


I’d almost modify this rating into “barely adequate.” The special teams didn’t make any errors that put the game in jeopardy, but there were mistakes galore. When it appeared that the Red Wolves’ second series of the game would end just like the first one – with a three and out – the Buckeye special teams gave them a new possession.

It was actually worse than that because Egbuka had a long punt return for a touchdown, a really beautiful run, negated by two penalties. One would have canceled the return and moved the Bucks back, but it was declined. The Wolves accepted the second penalty, a jumping over the offensive line call against Teradja Mitchell before the kick, and Arkansas State kept possession, a possession that, with the help of more penalties, resulted in a field goal.

There were other issues. Like last week, an OSU punt returner let the ball bounce instead of getting under it for a fair catch. In the fourth quarter, Buckeye punt returner Cam Martinez got out of the way of a bouncing ball but didn’t communicate with his blocker, J.K. Johnson, who was knocked into the ball for an ASU recovery. Sloppy play on the punt return team throughout the game.

Individual Performances

Blue Chip


Marvin Harrison, Jr. The Red Wolves simply couldn’t cover him. He’s too big, too quick in separation, too fast down the field. He pulled in seven passes for 184 yards (26.3 yds/catch average!) and three TDs. He became only the second Buckeye in team history to twice record three touchdown receptions in a single game. Joey Galloway was the other in 1993 and 1994.

Emeka Egbuka. Egbuka also had more than 100 receiving yards against the Red Wolves, catching four passes for 118 yards (29.5 average). Although he had the punt return called back, Egbuka also ran an end around for a 27-yard rushing gain. Get him the ball!

Mike Hall, Jr. For the second week in a row, Hall was awesome. He wasn’t always in the game, but all three of his tackles were behind the line of scrimmage, and one was one of the two Buckeye sacks for the game.

Steele Chambers/Cody Simon. The two linebackers both played well. (And so did Tommy Eichenberg, actually.) Combined, Chambers and Simon had 12 tackles, three TFL, and one sack. They were really rough on the ASU running game.

Solid Performance


C.J. Stroud. He looked sharp the whole game, especially on the long passes. He had fewer underthrown balls than last week and seemed more comfortable throwing to the receivers that he had in the game.

TreVeyon Henderson. A solid game: 10 carries for 87 net yards and a couple of TDs. He got nearly half of his yardage on a 41-yarder on the first Buckeye possession.

Josh Proctor. Last week, Proctor missed a tackle early in the contest and sat out most of the rest of it. Against Arkansas State, he redeemed himself. Credited with only three tackles, he seemingly was all over the field and taking charge of the defense.

Penny Stock


Denzel Burke. Burke is supposed to be one of the best corners in the country. But he couldn’t handle Champ Flemings. Maybe Flemings will be an All-American. I don’t know. But I do know that Burke got burned several times by Fleming and also committed two interference penalties. I thought that Cam Brown played better on the other side.


As we head into Week 3, I still have questions about both the Buckeye offense and the Buckeye defense. It’s early yet and plenty of time for the talented Bucks to settle down, but the Notre Dame win lost some of its luster yesterday. On the other hand, Wisconsin looks a lot less menacing than it did a couple of days ago. Let’s hope that JSN and Fleming are back for Toledo.

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


Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

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

While it wasn’t a perfect exhibition of offensive prowess in The Horseshoe on Saturday, C.J. Stroud and the Ohio State offense did put on an impressive scoring display en route to a 45-12 victory.

Sophomore wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. stole the show becoming only the second Buckeye receiver in history to have multiple three-TD games. In the illustrious history of Ohio State receiving, Marv joins only Joey Galloway, and friends, he’s going to do it again, likely many, many times.

So, to celebrate the historic day in Buckeye scoring history, I am going to rank all six of the team’s touchdowns. Now, they are all impressive and fun, but some were more impressive and fun than others.

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

And, as is my prerogative, I am automatically deducting a quarter point from every touchdown solely because of the competition. This is no disrespect to Arkansas State, it is just how this works.

The International Rules of Touchdown Rankings does not allow for full credit to be given on plays in the first three weeks of the season against a team who ranked 129th in total defense the previous season.

If you have a problem with that, take it up with the touchdown ranking governing body: the International Society of Interesting Touchdowns in Games Of Obvious Distinction (I.S.I.T.G.O.O.D).

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

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

Sixth Place: Touchdown No. 1
C.J. Stroud to Marvin Harrison for 42 yards


The degree of difficulty on this one is in how easy it looked. Once Harrison catches the ball, there is no one within three yards of him the final 26 yards into the end zone. The receiver does make a pretty nice move around the 27 before cutting across the field, and he does run a pretty long way for a 42-yard touchdown, but it was a pretty standard pitch and catch.

They do get some bonus points for it being Harrison’s first touchdown in Ohio Stadium, but, while it was impressive, it’s coming in sixth in this week’s rankings.

Score: 6.4- 0.25 opponent deduction = 6.15
High marks: Impressive preparation and athleticism
Deduction: Low degree of difficulty

Fifth Place: Touchdown No. 4
TreVeyon Henderson for 23 yards


Similar to Harrison’s first touchdown, this was not an easy score, by any means, but it wasn’t exactly difficult, at least not for Henderson. The heavy lifting on this one was done by the offensive line and tight ends who absolutely obliterated the Arkansas State defensive line, giving the back multiple holes that he could have picked to take it to paydirt.

Henderson does show impressive acceleration once he gets to the second level, so that does work in this TD’s favor, but there were better scores on the day.

Score: 6.8- 0.25 opponent deduction = 6.55
High marks: Team blocking and straight-line speed
Deductions: Massive holes made run fairly routine.

Fourth Place: Touchdown No. 5
C.J. Stroud to Emeka Egbuka for 51 yards


Like the previous two TDs, Egbuka gets in the end zone with essentially no one even coming close to laying a hand on him, however, I am giving this one the benefit of the doubt because of how he caught it.

I’m not sure if he was expecting the ball to be lofted a bit more, or perhaps he turned over the wrong shoulder, but he turned what looked like an awkward catch into a silky smooth

Score: 7.0 - 0.25 opponent deduction = 6.75
High marks: Catch degree of difficulty
Deductions: No one within five yards to challenge play.

Third Place: Touchdown No. 3
C.J. Stroud to Marvin Harrison for 42 yards


This was an absolute dime. Stroud placed the ball perfectly in Harrison’s hands, traveling exactly 50 yards in the air. In two of the last three games that the Buckeyes have played, these two have connected on three touchdown passes, and while I know that the target distribution will change once Jaxon Smith-Njigba is healthy and back in the lineup, it is clear that these two have developed a chemistry that I don’t see changing anytime this year.

The only drawback here is the fact that the defensive back covering Big Marv gets absolutely burned and Harrison goes into the end zone with no real opposition.

Score: 7.5 - 0.25 opponent deduction = 7.25
High marks: Perfect ball, over-the-shoulder catch
Deductions: No defender in contention for catch.

Second Place: Touchdown No. 2
TreVeyon Henderson for 8 yards


Now I know what you’re going to say, “That is only an eight-yard run, and no one puts a hand on him, how can this be the second-best touchdown of the day?”

You are right, but I will tell you how. Find and watch No. 3 on Arkansas State. Cornerback Kenneth Harris is so sucked in by Jayden Ballard’s motion across the formation, that he literally ran away from the hole that Henderson ran through to paydirt. I’ve watched that video at least a dozen times and it never fails to make me laugh.

Score: 7.75 - 0.25 opponent deduction = 7.50
High marks: Entertainment value, team blocking
Deductions: Untouched by defenders, short-yardage.

First Place: Touchdown No. 6
C.J. Stroud to Marvin Harrison 30 yards


I honestly don’t even know what to say about this one other than it is practically perfect. First, the guts of Stroud to even throw that ball is something to celebrate, and then to put it inside the only three-foot window that would allow Harrison to haul it in is absolutely next-level.

And what was even more impressive is that the ball was effortlessly thrown on an absolute rope. It wasn’t that the velocity of the pass was all that impressive, but thanks to the spin of the ball, it flew on a direct line, no more than 12 feet off the ground for the 36 yards between QB and WR. That is a pro throw.

Then there’s the catch by Harrison; unlike the other five touchdowns in the game, there was competent defense being played on this one. The Red Wolves had a corner in good position in front him, and a safety coming from the middle of the field to help. However, Harrison went up in the air and was able to somehow secure the ball around the outstretched hand of defender Leon Jones.

The athletic ability, the vision, the hand strength, everything about the catch was perfect.

Score: 9.75 - 0.25 opponent deduction = 9.50
High Marks: As impressive a throw and catch as you will ever see.
Deductions: Lost a quarter point because of the score and point of the game (can’t be giving out perfect scores in a five-score game).

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Instant Recap Podcast: Ohio State takes care of business winning 45-12 against Arkansas State
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The game was not always pretty for Ohio State, but the Buckeyes’ defense and offense did enough for a big win

Ohio State won their Week 2 matchup against Arkansas State by a score of 45-12 in a convincing manner. Jordan Williams is joined by Chris Renne to bring you the Land-Grant Holy Land “Instant Recap Podcast.”

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

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To get the show started, the guys get into their initial reactions after looking at the stats of the game against Arkansas State. They talk about the main issues that plagued the Buckeyes early and how the team’s energy was the energy of a “pay game.”

After the initial discussion, the guys get into the explosive offensive performance from the receivers and C.J. Stroud. The Buckeyes' offense was consistent and never really needed to press to have success.

Then the guys get into some conversations about the defense today. The defense as a whole played well, but penalties and mistakes in the secondary stole the show. The guys discuss why they would rather have Denzel Burke have a bad performance now than later when the games really matter.

After that, Jordan and Chris discuss the Players of the Game as well as their favorite moments. Highlighted plays are Miyan Williams’ blitz pick-up and the greatest punt return that didn’t count. They also highlight their players of the game on offense and defense.

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


Connect with Chris Renne:
Twitter: @ChrisRenneCFB

Connect with Jordan Williams
Twitter: @JordanW330

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Wolves At The Shoe
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



This week, the #3 Ohio State Buckeyes will face an unranked Arkansas State team for the first time. Butch Jones will lead his team into The Shoe in a bid to upset the Buckeyes. Ryan Day will look to defend their home field and stay undefeated.

Both teams are coming off of wins. The Buckeyes downed the then #5 Norte Dame 21-10 to start the season off on a good note. The Red Wolves obliterated Grambling State with a final score of 58-3.

Offensive Woes

One of the best offenses in the nation was held to 21-points in the season opener and they will look to improve and regain their identity this week. With JSN and Fleming likely to sit out due to injuries, look for Stroud and his receivers to step up.

Enter Egbuka, MHJ, Ballard, and Johnson to be the next men up. Egbuka and Johnson were the only two receivers to catch passes for scores. With Johnson being an unknown.

To compliment the passing attack, look for Ohio State to establish the run early and often with Henderson and Williams. I think Hayden will see some time late, but not until late.

Can Stroud build rapport without JSN? Or will we see another week of out of sync offense? The O-Line played great and will also look to keep Stroud upright.

Defensive Momentum

The Silver Bullets might be back, but an old face will be on the other sideline again in RB Brian Snead. A former back from Florida, Snead left after an investigation and now he finds himself back in the Shoe.

The Buckeyes played lights out and will look to continue improvements on that side of the ball. The trenches can use added confidence, but it’ll be tricky against Blackman (former FSU QB).

It’ll be another test against a former D1 starter, but it’ll be another day at the office for all players in the trenches. Hall and friends will likely wreak havoc against an inferior team. Eichenberg will lead and make players at the second level.

This should be a decent test but look for the Buckeyes to put it away early and put in backups to keep their stars healthy on both sides of the ball.

Predictions:

1. The Buckeyes put it away early and starters sit at halftime.
2. The defense continues to improve with 3+ sacks and a pick or fumble recovery
3. There’s a Special Team and a defensive TD
4. McCord and Brown showcase their skills
5. Egbuka and MHJ combine for 100+ yards and two scores
6. Henderson and Williams combine for 160 yards and 3 scores
7. Stroud passes for 250 yards and 4 scores

Final: Ohio State defeats Arkansas State 42-13

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Tweeting Through It: Ohio State’s 45-12 win over Arkansas State
Gene Ross 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

The Buckeyes’ matchup against the Red Wolves through the lens of social media.

Ohio State took on Arkansas State on Saturday in the first ever meeting between the two programs. The Buckeyes took care of business as you would expect, taking down the Red Wolves by a final score of 45-12 to move to 2-0 on the season. C.J. Stroud was exceptional, throwing for 351 yards and four touchdowns. Marvin Harrison Jr. was the recipient of three of those, leading the way among the receivers with seven catches for 187 yards and the trio of scores.

While your eyes were on the field, we were checking out what everyone on social media had to say about Saturday’s game. Let’s relive Ohio State’s big victory through the Twitterverse.



Before things kicked off, we learned that Ohio State would once again be without its top two wide receivers.


After a big game in Week 1, the X-man got the nod in Week 2.


And we’re off!


After a quick three-and-out by Arkansas State, TreVeyon Henderson makes his presence felt.


That didn’t take long. Route Man Marv on the board!


Jim Knowles’ boys cooking early.


Emeka Egbuka returns the punt for a touchdown, but a flag takes it off the board.


Ohio State keeping Arkansas State’s offense on the field with flag after flag.


The Buckeyes gift the Red Wolves roughly 60 free yards on penalties. Alas, its 7-3 OSU.


Another HUGE gain for Marvin Harrison Jr. on a dime by C.J. Stroud.


Sets up an easy walk-in touchdown for Tre, and the Bucks are up 14-3.


Everyone stop what they’re doing immediately!!


Marvin Harrison Jr. scored but the refs said he didn’t. 17-3 Buckeyes anyway.


It has been a tough start to the year for CB1. OSU defense holds them to a FG, 17-6.


Some defensive subs getting in for Ohio State after some shaky play in the secondary.


After the Red Wolves tack on another field goal, Ohio State answers QUICKLY. 24-9.


Mike Hall comes up with the sack on 4th-and-1. No. 51 should never come off the field.


Ohio State heads into half up 24-9. Here is a raccoon with a hat on for some reason.


The Buckeyes begin the second half with a bang. Henderson finishes it off. 31-9 good guys.


Things have escalated quickly in Columbus. Ohio State has run 4 offensive plays in the second half and scored two touchdowns. It’s 38-9.


Nearly had a heart attack over here. Crisis averted, it would appear.


Harrison Jr.’s third touchdown of the day is beauty. Perfect throw, perfect catch. 45-12.


Check that one off your Bingo card, folks. Congrats to Caden for earning the nod.


and not too long after that...


With a little over eight minutes remaining, Ohio State has emptied the bench.


Seems pretty good, imo.


Thats a final. Go Bucks.


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LGHL Asks: Ohio State fans reassess season expectations following Notre Dame win
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Kyle Robertson-USA TODAY Sports

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.

As we do every week, we asked Buckeye fans for their thoughts following the big Week 1 victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. It was a somewhat surprising game as the OSU offense was stymied for much of the first half, but was carried by the running game after halftime.


However, the real story was how the defense practically shut down the Domers’ offense, especially in the second half. So, check out how your fellow Buckeye brethren are feeling about the team and their season heading into Week 2’s game against Arkansas State.

Question 1: How did you feel about Ohio State’s 21-10 victory over Notre Dame?



I think that this is the correct answer here. Was I anticipating a more impressive performance by the Buckeyes? Yes, yes I was. But if there was one thing that I am decidedly not worried about with this team, it is offensive production. So I would definitely not classify my feelings about the Notre Dame game as disappointment in the offense.

However, the defense was revelatory against the Fighting Irish. I knew that they would be better than they were in 2020 and 2021 — how could they not be? — and we’ve seen dramatic defensive turnarounds based solely on a new defensive coordinator in recent OSU history. When Jeff Hafley came to Columbus as the Buckeyes’ DC in 2019, he turned what was the 71st-ranked defense in 2018 into the best defense in terms of total yards allowed in 2019.

Despite that history and Jim Knowles’ resume of turning out great defenses, I still wasn’t sure exactly how stout they would be, especially given all of the schematic changes that he would be implementing. And while it was only one week, I have to say, I am ready to convert to the cult of Knowles, because that was an incredible performance and I can’t wait to see what they are able to do as they get more comfortable with the changes throughout the season.

Question 2: Did the Notre Dame game change your expectations for Ohio State’s season?



I don’t think that my expectations changed, because I picked them to win the national title, and I still think that they will. But I am perhaps a bit more confident about their ability to do so having seen the defensive performance against a solid — but not spectacular — Notre Dame offense.


Again, I have no doubt that once quarterback C.J. Stroud and his new stable of wide receivers are able to establish a rapport between them, the passing game will return to the record-breaking heights that we have seen in recent seasons. Factor in an offensive line that seemed to gel before our very eyes throughout the season-opening victory, and I am pumped about the Buckeyes’ ability to have a more balanced offensive attack that is able to keep opposing defenses on their heals.

Question 3: Who impressed you the most in the Notre Dame game?



In this week’s “You’re Nuts” column, I argued for punter Jesse Mirco as the most impressive “under-the-radar” player from the Notre Dame win, and while that was slightly for the laughs, I do think that his performance was a pleasant surprise and something that will be valuable in crucial moments for OSU throughout the season.


However, the obvious answer here is Michael Hall Jr. He came in as a highly rated defensive recruit — No. 53 in the country in 2021 — but he was overshadowed by his two top-five linemates in that class in Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau. So, despite being a super-high four-star recruit, he was able to maintain a low profile heading into his second season in Columbus; not anymore though.

Hall announced himself as a force to be reckoned with against the Irish, and pairing him with Sawyer, Tuimoloau, Taron Vincent, Zach Harrison, Tyleik Williams, and Javontae Jean-Baptist in the defensive line rotation promises to be an exciting group for Larry Johnson.


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 Buckeyes fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate.

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Bold Predictions: TreVeyon Henderson cracks triple digits on the ground
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Kyle Robertson-USA TODAY Sports

Plus more bold predictions for today’s matchup against Arkansas State.

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

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

TreVeyon Henderson ends streak of six straight games without 100 yards rushing


After bursting onto the scene with three triple-digit rushing performances in his first eight games in scarlet and gray, TreVeyon Henderson has been quiet of late, failing to reach the 100-yard mark in each of his last six games. It hasn’t been like Henderson has been completely unproductive during that span, as he has rushed for at least 63 yards in each of those contests.

What has been hurting Henderson over the last six games has been his inability to break the big run. Henderson has just one run of 30 yards or more in his last six games, with that run being a 57-yard scamper against Purdue. Lately Henderson has been using a more physical style of running, where in the first half of last season he was using his speed to create separation from opponents.

This is a great game for Henderson to rediscover some of the big play ability that we saw from him against Tulsa, where he set an Ohio State freshman rushing record with 277 yards. Henderson has been trying to find yards against tough defenses like Notre Dame, Utah, and Michigan. Arkansas State isn’t going to be able to hold the talented running back in check.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba won’t play in today’s game


Ohio State fans feared the worst last week when it was announced that wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba wouldn’t return to the game after suffering an injury in the first half against Notre Dame. Luckily the injury wasn’t as serious as first thought, since head coach Ryan Day was saying there is a possibility that the wide receiver would be available to play against Arkansas State.

While it would be great to see Smith-Njigba on the field so he could work on some of his timing with quarterback C.J. Stroud, Ohio State doesn’t need Smith-Njigba to play today. Just look at what happened to Stroud when he sat out last year against Akron to rest a shoulder injury. Stroud went from being a quarterback that some fans wanted to see benched to a Heisman Trophy finalist.

Even though the wide receiver room is loaded at Ohio State, it is imperative that Smith-Njigba is healthy if the Buckeyes want a shot at the national title. There’s not much to gain by stacking up some numbers against Arkansas State if Smith-Njigba is returning to the field too soon. The Buckeyes will be just fine in this game without JSN, and it’d be better to protect his health so he is on the field against Wisconsin, Penn State, and some of the other Big Ten teams Ohio State will take on over the next couple months.

The Ohio State defense records at least five sacks in today’s game


The Buckeye defense looked completely different from what we have seen over the last few years. There’s no doubt that new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has brought some excitement into a defense that desperately needed a change. The way the Ohio State defense looked last Saturday night is exactly the type of defense that is needed to win a national title.

Ohio State recorded three sacks against Notre Dame. The Buckeyes should be able to improve on that number today. Notre Dame came into last week’s showdown with one of the best offensive lines in the country, and it didn’t matter since it felt like the Buckeyes were in Tyler Buchner’s face all night long. If the Fighting Irish can’t slow the Ohio State pass rush down, then it’s hard to imagine the Red Wolves having much success at keeping quarterback James Blackman clean.

Plus, since Arkansas State will likely be trailing in the game, it will force them to pass the football more to try and keep pace, which will leave Blackman more vulnerable to sacks.

Brian Snead will score a touchdown in his return to Ohio Stadium


Running back Brian Snead started his college football career at Ohio State, and looked primed to become a key running back for the Buckeyes. During his brief time in Columbus, Snead ran the football 11 times for 37 yards and a touchdown. Prior to the 2018 game against TCU, Snead was suspended from the team after allegations of rape were levied against him. Snead was dismissed from the team a couple months later.

Even though the victim declined to press charges against Snead, a university investigation found that Snead violated the student code of conduct. Following his dismissal from Ohio State, Snead went to Western Community College in Iowa, followed by spending two years at Austin Peay before transferring to Arkansas State.

Snead saw 12 carries for 57 yards and a score last week in a blowout win over Grambling. Getting Snead into the end zone feels like something that Arkansas State head coach Butch Jones will try and do just to give Snead a moment in what will likely be an Ohio State blowout.

Ohio State won’t have the biggest margin of victory amongst Big Ten teams on Saturday


The Buckeyes will put a lot of points on the board against a team that went 2-10 last season. The Ohio State win won’t be the most lopsided in games involving Big Ten teams, though. Michigan is a 52-point favorite against Hawai’i on Saturday night. It wouldn’t a surprise to see the Wolverines win by more than the point spread, since Hawai’i is terrible.

The Rainbow Warriors already have two games under their belt this season. In Week 0, Hawai’i hosted Vanderbilt and got destroyed by the Commodores, 63-10. If Hawai’i can’t keep the score against one of the worst Power 5 teams in the country within 50 points, what chance do they have against a Michigan team that loves to pad their stats on cupcakes. Just look at what Michigan did last week to a Colorado State team that is a few notches above Hawai’i. The Wolverines took it to the Rams 51-7.

While I could see Ohio State winning by 40-50 points, Michigan could win this one by 60 or more.

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LGHL Tailgate Podcast: Everything you need to know to watch today’s Ohio State vs. Arkansas State game from home or in person
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-USA TODAY Sports

The only Ohio State game day podcast you need.

Before every Ohio State football game, Matt Tamanini will get you ready with all of the information that you need for that day’s game on the “LGHL Tailgate” podcast.

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

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

No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes (-44.5) vs. Arkansas State | over/under 69


Game Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 10 at 12 noon ET
Location: Columbus, Ohio
TV: Big Ten Network
Online: Fox Sports Live
Radio: 97.1 FM/1460 AM

While today’s game might not come with all of the pomp and circumstance of last week’s season opener, there is a lot that can be accomplished in today’s game, primarily revolving around players getting opportunities to get in-game experience, be they backups or starters needing to build chemistry.

On today’s “LGHL Tailgate” podcast, we get you ready for the game from all angles from weather to betting lines, from injuries to advanced analytics. There is no other podcast that you need to listen to on an Ohio State game day in order to be as prepared as possible heading into the game.

In the Arkansas State episode, we discuss the poetic history in the Red Wolves’ visit to The Horseshoe in the stadium’s 100th anniversary season, catch you up on their opening week victory, and remind you of the checkered path of former OSU running back Brian Snead.

Matt’s Game Prediction: Ohio State 60-6


C.J. Stroud: at least 250 passing yards, 4 TDs
TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams: 100 yards rushing
Ohio State Defense: No touchdowns allowed


Contact Matt Tamanini
Twitter: @BWWMatt

Music by: epidemicsound.com

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Arkansas State vs. Ohio State: How to watch Week 2 matchup
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-USA TODAY Sports

The Buckeyes are back in action and are huge favorites against Butch Jones’ Red Wolves.

For the first time in program history, the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes will face the Arkansas State Red Wolves. Former Cincinnati and Tennessee head coach Butch Jones brings his squad to Columbus after they beat FCS opponent Grambling State 58-3.


Though the Wolves had an impressive Week 1 outing, in 2021, they were one of the worst defenses in all of FBS; ranking last in rushing defense and second to last in total defense. Those stats stand in stark contrast to Ohio State’s top-ranked offense from a season ago.

While the Buckeyes did not get off to the prolific start of the season that many — including me — predicted, today’s game should be an opportunity for them to put up some gaudy numbers while also getting some valuable game reps in for a large portion of the roster.

The Red Wolves are led by former Florida State quarterback James Blackman and their offense features Brian Snead, who was dismissed from the Ohio State team in 2018 following a rape accusation, not the running back’s first run-in with the law during his time as a Buckeye. Arkansas State is the fourth school in Snead’s collegiate career joining OSU, Iowa Western Community College, and Austin Peay.


Ohio State will likely take this opportunity to rest a few players who have been dealing with injuries. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba tweaked his hamstring against Notre Dame and even if healthy enough to go, it would be prudent to let the best wide receiver in the country rest at least another week.

Cornerback Jordan Hancock was technically active in Week 1, but was not in uniform, while WR Julian Fleming was a game-time decision, but was unable to give it a go. This game would be a good opportunity to get both some action, but head coach Ryan Day has not indicated whether either will be able to play against Arkansas State.

However, the coach has said that starting center Luke Wypler is not dealing with a major injury, despite being seen wearing a walking boot following the win over the Irish. So, expect Wypler to play, even if he gives way to Matthew Jones fairly early in the contest.

No matter who goes out there for OSU, this will likely be one of the biggest wins of the season in terms of point differential, so enjoy the scoring, Buckeye Nation!

When is the game and how can I watch?


Game Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 10 at 12 noon ET
Location: Columbus, Ohio
TV: Big Ten Network
Online: Fox Sports Live
Radio: 97.1 FM/1460 AM

DraftKings Sportsbook line: Ohio State -44.5 | o/u 69

Official LGHL Prediction: Ohio State 59, Arkansas 10

Matt’s Prediction: Ohio State 60, Arkansas 6

Join the conversation


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

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

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jwinslow said:

You have to hand it to Apple. Their ability to trot out features that have been around for awhile is something else:

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My brother’s photo quality on his new Galaxy is UNBELIEVABLE!!