Column: Ohio State patented a word and that’s fine
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Columbus Dispatch-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Content Services, LLC

How manufactured shock at Wednesday’s announcement is exactly what it looks like.

On Wednesday, Ohio State landed another long-pursued prospect. It wasn’t yet another top-ranked wide receiver or a shot-blocking forward to give guard Taylor Mikesell more room to shoot. Instead, Buckeye officials landed an article of speech. This noun-defining word was a tough commitment to land, with Scarlet & Gray leaders first receiving a “no” from patent office civil servants in Sept. 2019. Now Ohio State owns a word, a commonly used word, and everything is fine.

Why is it fine? Scouring through endless social media threads and message boards tells a story of Ohio State flexing muscles of arrogance and making a decision based solely on making money. Both of those points are actually valid and correct, but isn’t that what today’s NCAA world is all about?

Although there’s little confusion between Ohio State University and Ohio University, its use has grown over decades of collegiate rivalry. Ohio State’s word has been used to differentiate themselves and give fuel to rivals. Now, it’s finally been elevated to a higher calling of a marketing chip.

Imagine you’re a fan of a competing conference university like Michigan or an SEC powerhouse like Alabama, and maybe you actually are a fan of one of those two sides. On June 8, Buckeye football coach Ryan Day announced an astronomical $13 million needed to keep a roster together in a post-Name, Image and Likeness world.

Also, every other year it seems like another outlet is warning of a doomsday NCAA scenario where a stretching financial bubble is about to burst, with subsequent responses that everything is fine. Owning a word gets Ohio State what every school, and every fan (consciously or subconsciously) wants: more money.

Ohio State has free reign to add this word to any and every piece of sports apparel produced from June 21, 2021 until Earth — or America — ceases to be. It removes any chance of small, non-Nike, clothiers from adorning this famous article. Speaking of swoosh, securing rights is their expertise. They single-handedly (footedly?) broke Olympic marketing with a golden pair of shoes for track star Michael Johnson at Atlanta’s 1996 Olympic games.

There’s also merit in Ohio State’s claim. After all, Scarlet & Gray apparel shops have featured clothing with this word for 15 years, as Ohio State’s 2019 claim for this word states. Expensive sweatshirt designer Marc Jacobs tried taking Ohio State’s word for a sweater, and lawyers for Columbus, Ohio’s landmark pounced.

More money also benefits NCAA athletics far beyond its most popular asset of college football. More money for a school means less cuts to soccer, field hockey and women’s programs.

So, banter will never cease in a connected and ceaseless world, but an elephant on a crimson shirt would get similar focus. Universities protect individual letters, so what’s wrong with adding a couple more?

If you haven’t stopped watching this billion-dollar industry that just recently allowed players to receive compensation for their involvement in these billions now, I doubt a word’s addition to a history of stuffing pockets will trigger a tipping point. If anything, this will only motivate other schools to pursue similar avenues.

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Bucketheads Podcast: Talking NBA Draft with Ohio State Hoops’ Joe Gemma
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images

Plus, rest in peace Caleb “Biggie” Swanigan.

Land-Grant Holy Land’s newest podcast, ‘Bucketheads’ takes you on a journey across the college basketball landscape every episode. The only basketball-focused podcast in the LGHL family of podcasts, co-hosts Connor Lemons and Justin Golba give the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes as well as all the other happenings in the college hoops world. ‘Bucketheads’ will be released every Thursday throughout the regular season and every other Thursday during the off-season.

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


For the 40th episode of the “Bucketheads” podcast, Connor and Justin talk a little bit about their memories of Caleb Swanigan and the adversity he overcame to make it big in college basketball and ultimately the NBA. Also, the guys talk about the 2022 NBA Draft and where they think Malaki Branham and E.J. Liddell could wind up.

Plus, an interview with Ohio State social media guru Joe Gemma. Joe will have boots on the ground in New York for the draft, so we talked about what he’ll be doing at the draft as well as why teams need to draft E.J. Liddell and Malaki Branham on Thursday night.

Make sure to subscribe wherever you get your music and podcasts.


Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGHL

Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor

Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba

Connect with Joe:
Twitter: @JoeDGemma and @OhioStateHoops

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Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz says, 'I'll get on my knees' and 'do whatever you want,' pleading with workers to return to the office
Bethany Biron
Jun 11, 2022, 2:14 PM
https://www.businessinsider.com/starbucks-ceo-howard-schultz-begs-workers-return-office-2022-6

• Howard Schultz, Starbucks' CEO, said he's been unsuccessful in getting employees back to the office.
• The company offers hybrid and remote work options for eligible, non-retail staffers.
• "I've pleaded with them," Schultz said at a New York Times event. He added, "Whatever you want."

Despite doing "everything" to get employees to return to the office, Starbucks' CEO said, they're not returning "at the level" he wants.

Speaking at The New York Times' DealBook policy forum in Washington, DC, on Thursday, Howard Schultz — who returned as interim CEO in April after Kevin Johnson stepped down from the role — said swaying staffers away from remote work and back to the office hasn't been productive.

"I have been unsuccessful, despite everything I've tried to do, to get our people back to work," Schultz, 69, said. "I've pleaded with them. I said I'll get on my knees. I'll do push-ups. Whatever you want. Come back."

He continued: "No, they are not coming back at the level I want them to. And, you know, we're a very collaborative, creative group. I realize I'm an old-school person, and this is a different generation."

Despite his frustration, Schultz has not mandated that corporate employees return to the office. Instead, the company has offered "flexible options for eligible, non-retail roles" in the form of hybrid and remote positions, Starbucks' website said.

"Hybrid workplace options depend on the individual role and are identified in our job postings," the website said. "Roles that do not have to be based in a specific location are labeled as 'remote' while roles that can be fulfilled in multiple locations, such as a combination of home and office, are indicated as 'hybrid.'"

A representative for Starbucks said the company didn't have further comment on Schultz's statements or the company's remote work policies.

Schultz's hesitancy to demand full-time office work runs counter to recent efforts among other executives, including Elon Musk, who told staffers to return to the office or resign, reports say. Musk, Tesla's CEO, has been openly critical or remote work, tweeting that employees who are against working in the office "should pretend to work somewhere else."

Schultz appeared to acquiesce to the idea of hybrid and remote work options and said at the DealBook event that though he personally went into the office at 7 a.m. and left at 7 p.m. regularly, flexible workplaces are now "the way it is."

"I think people will come back two to three days a week, and that's the way — that's the way it is," he said. "But the thing that I am evaluating is, what's the level of productivity? And, you know, it appears that people are working at home."

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Candy was either 100 Grand or frozen Charleston Chew.

Favorite snack was homemade Chex mix.

For those interested. Kinda of sad actually.

Former NFL Player Shane Olivea's Cause of Death Revealed (yahoo.com)

According to documents obtained by E! News on June 21, the 40-year-old San Diego Chargers star died from "hypertensive heart disease," with the contributory cause of death attributed to "obesity." The former athlete's manner of death has been ruled as natural.

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MADD has long stopped being about drunk driving and, today, is essentially a religious neo-prohibitionist organization seeking to criminalize any social drinking. The day the limit was lowered to .08, their website was changed to start demanding a .05 limit. That's absurd. A small woman could literally be considered drunk after a single drink. For an average sized man, that's two.

And keep in mind that well over 90% of all drunk driving accidents and fatalities are caused by a repeat offender with a BAC well over a .1 limit.

Los Angeles Lakers to hire Atlanta Hawks assistant Chris Jent as Darvin Ham's top assistant, sources say

The Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to hire Atlanta Hawks assistant Chris Jent as Darvin Ham's top assistant coach on his staff, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Ham, a first-time head coach, made Jent a priority and recruited him hard after getting the Lakers job, sources told Wojnarowski.

Ham and Jent coached with the Hawks together in 2017-18 and Jent -- who played collegiately at Ohio State before playing briefly in the NBA as well as overseas -- also has ties to Lakers star LeBron James, having served as an assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2006 to 2011.

Entire article: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...ris-jent-darvin-ham-top-assistant-sources-say

Former Ohio State LB Justin Hilliard suspended two games by NFL

Hilliard posted on his personal Twitter page that he was aware of the suspension, explaining that he was "informed by the NFL that I tested positive for a banned diuretic - Spironolactone (Canrenone). After investigation, it became clear that I mistakenly took my partner's prescription medication instead of my own anti-inflammatory prescription. I am well aware of the NFL's zero-tolerance policy, and I take full responsibility for having a banned substance in my body."

Entire article: https://247sports.com/college/ohio-...EUaHd22DMbjWFUFPGgzqTSOIa5UCibUuAu47rsUjRgUCw

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In all, 16 teams had perfect 1,000 scores for 2020-21 – baseball, women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, football, men’s fencing, men’s golf, men’s gymnastics, men’s soccer, wrestling, women’s golf, women’s ice hockey, women’s swimming, women’s track, women’s volleyball and rifle.

BB73 said:

Those were much lighter than the stone tablet programs in my early years.

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Those Roman numerals were a bitch too, weren't they?

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SET THE OHIO BOBCATS REGULAR SEASON WIN TOTAL AT … 6

There are too many good players on this year’s team to have a second straight clunker, but can the lines be better? Can the defense show up? Can the offense start to take over games with the ground attack like it used to?

The Bobcats are going to be better.

They should be able to get by Buffalo, Bowling Green, and Fordham at home. Right there that matches last year’s win total, and then throw in a likely win at Akron, a lean-win home date with Florida Atlantic, and enough 50/50 games against teams like Kent State and Ball State and Miami University to get to at least six wins.

5 STAR U-G-A said:

Clicked the article to see what Kelly/Christina Applegate looked like in 2022....

Found out that she was diagnosed with MS.

That's depressing.

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Kinda sad how all the hot sluts from the 80's aged so badly

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Ohio State has been the most consistent non-Alabama producer of elite talent. Each of its 2013-17 recruiting classes manufactured at least one first-round pick among Top247 players, and its drafted percentage (58.7%) is the fourth highest among all teams included in this study.

Man there are too few of these kinds of talks with all the snowflake everyone gets a trophy shit going on. This is as much a life talk as it is sports. Outstanding by Mr Gee Scott

Awful news for Coach Anthony Grant and his family. Cannot imagine the pain, I hope he finds peace.

Friendly reminder to reach out to someone if you’re feeling “off” mentally. And if you’re good, it doesn’t hurt to check in on someone who may not be. A lot of people deal with a lot of battles while we float around on this rock. Worth doing whatever it takes to keep spinning while we can.

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In just one NFL season, Pete Werner flashed potential to be Ohio State’s most productive NFL linebacker since A.J. Hawk or James Laurinaitis
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Initially blocked on the depth chart, the former Buckeye was forced to play a waiting game in New Orleans. When his number was eventually called, Werner took full advantage of the opportunity.

Pete Werner was a standout high school linebacker in the state of Indiana, and gave an early verbal commitment to Notre Dame. Fortunately for Ohio State, he flipped his commitment to the Buckeyes, and the rest – as some would say – is history.

But will Werner’s OSU career really go down in history? With any sort of infamy? Would you (or I) call it memorable? Because while his individual play was often better than that of the linebackers as a whole, I think he became guilty by association. And the general disappointment in that group’s performance may have overshadowed Werner’s stellar play.

Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Werner became a starter for the Buckeyes in 2018, and spent most of his time playing alongside Tuf Borland, Baron Browning, and/or Justin Hilliard. The four of them took up a vast majority of the snaps at linebacker for three consecutive seasons, and while each guy had his moments, the entire unit was heavily criticized. Fair or not, Werner was one of those who took heat, but I would argue that he was far and away the most consistent performer. More than adequate against the run or as a blitzer, he often excelled in pass coverage, despite the fact that he never snatched an interception.

The New Orleans Saints saw through the occasional struggles and/or questionable coaching at Ohio State, and identified Werner as a versatile, high-upside linebacker. They took him with the 60th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and after just one season, they have to be thrilled with their return on investment. Werner began the year behind Demario Davis and Kwon Alexander, only seeing limited snaps in the Saints’ nickel-heavy defense. But when Alexander got banged up, Werner was inserted into the lineup and according to one NFL.com writer, became the team’s most underappreciated player.

Werner’s stats do not jump off the page, primarily due to the fact that he only started eight games. And even in those eight games, he was still subbed out in various packages — he was a rookie after all. But certain metrics paint the picture of a great rookie season. PFF gave Werner a 79.9 grade for his rookie campaign — a score that put him above the likes of San Francisco’s Fred Warner and Indianapolis’ Darius Leonard.

Nobody is saying the former Buckeye is better, relax. PFF graded him even higher solely against the run, dishing out a 91.0! Werner’s stop percentage (8.3) was the highest on the Saints defense in 2021, and despite not making a real impact until the halfway mark of the season, he finished 14th among rookies in total tackles.


Interestingly enough, Werner experienced more than a few growing pains in the passing game. He was targeted 29 times as the primary defender, and gave up 21 receptions (72% completion rate). He certainly has the background of a strong coverage linebacker, but it is something he will just need to work on moving forward. His teammate, Davis, is one of the better coverage linebackers in the league, so there is no shortage of resources when it comes to learning the tricks of the trade.

Entering the 2022 season, Werner should be penciled in as a starter, and if his eight-game sample size is any indication, he is likely to be a very productive linebacker. Perhaps the most productive former Buckeye since Hawk or Laurinaitis. Now, before the Jerome Baker hive comes for me: I get it, Baker has been solid for four consecutive seasons. And he adds a pass rush element that Werner does not. I’m just talking potential here. The hive and I should at least be able to agree that – despite the recent reputation – Ohio State squads have produced some nice talent at linebacker.

But there have been many lean years since Hawk and Laurinatis finished their NFL careers in 2016. More than a few stud Buckeyes entered the league at LB, but unfortunately, they have not had the opportunity or staying power to produce consistently. Ryan Shazier suffered a career-ending injury, Darron Lee was a bust, and Raekwon McMillian has been unable to stay on the field. Here is hoping that Werner (and Baker) can change or at least influence the recent narrative.

The reason I see higher upside with Werner is that he is almost always in the right spot at the right time. Every linebacker gets blown up or finds themselves out of position from time to time, but what sets the good ones apart is their ability to recover quickly and/or take a different angle of pursuit. Werner does both very well. In the run game, he will get bullied by the occasional lineman or tight end, but he attempts to counter with quick, decisive routes to the ball. Baker (no offense) will sometimes freelance or get lost in the shuffle, which is part of the reason his combined PFF grade is below 60 for the past two seasons.

Furthermore, where Werner struggled as a rookie was in pass coverage. But it was a strength of his while at Ohio State, so I expect him to adapt. His 4.6 speed is not tops in the league for his position, but it is more than enough to keep up with tight ends and/or most pass catchers across the middle. If Werner is able to marry his strong performance in the run game with improved awareness and positioning in coverage, we could be talking about an all-around stud sooner than later.

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You’re Nuts: Which team do you want to see Ohio State men’s basketball schedule a home-and-home with?
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

Would you want to see an inter-state matchup, or perhaps a battle with one of the blue bloods?

After a one-week detour last week to share some of our sports trauma, we are back this week to give our thoughts on Ohio State basketball in this week’s edition of “You’re Nuts.” Ohio State’s schedule is still taking shape, and we won’t know the full schedule for quite some time. We do know the Buckeyes’ opponent in the CBS Sports Classic, the North Carolina Tar Heels. UNC ended last season as the national runner-up and is returning the core of that team that nearly won the title.

We also know that the Buckeyes will participate in the Maui Invitational from Nov. 21-23, where they’ll play three games. The bracket will be finalized at a later date, but Ohio State will play three of Arizona, Arkansas, Cincinnati, Creighton, Louisville, San Diego State, and Texas Tech. OSU will have a great chance to pick up some elite wins early in the season, but these early matchups could also sour their nonconference resume if they’re not able to pick up a few wins.


But first, a recap.

Last week, Connor and Justin shared their most painful sports memory. Connor picked the 2013 NLCS, where the Giants walked-off his beloved Cardinals. Justin picked the entire year of 2007, when Ohio State men’s basketball lost to Florida in the NCAA Tournament title game, Ohio State football lost to Florida in the BCS National Championship game, the Cavaliers were swept by the Spurs in the NBA Finals, the Browns missed the playoffs, the Penguins lost to the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals, and the Indians lost to the Red Sox in the ALCS.

The people sided with Justin’s thoroughly miserable 2007, winning him 95% of the vote. Justin is within one win of tying it up with Connor after one year of nuts.

After 52 weeks:

Connor- 22
Justin- 21
Other- 7

(There have been two ties)


This week we’re talking about Ohio State’s nonconference schedule and who we would love to see the Buckeyes schedule for a home-and-home series. With our picks, the Buckeyes would host that team and travel to their house. Additionally, it does not need to be realistic. Would Duke, for example, ever agree to a home-and-home just for fun? Absolutely not, because they are cowards. But if that’s your choice, go for it.

Today’s question:

Which team do you want Ohio State to schedule for a home-and-home?

Connor: Kentucky

Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Ohio State and Kentucky is one of the juicier rivalries that’s quietly simmering under the surface. It’s not a rivalry based on how frequently they play (only 21 times in 80 years), but geographically and between fans, this is a rivalry.

With Kentucky bordering Ohio to the south and Columbus only being about three hours from Lexington, there’s a decent amount of crossover amongst fans. There are plenty of UK fans that live in Ohio, and there are plenty of Ohio State fans that live in Kentucky. We all know someone who loves Ohio State football and Kentucky basketball — which is morally corrupt in my opinion. But it happens!

These two programs have faced off 21 times, with Kentucky leading the all-time series 11-10. Ohio State is currently riding a two-game winning streak over Big Blue, having beat them in the CBS Sports Classic in 2015 and 2019. The 2019 was a battle between two top-10 teams, with Ohio State winning 71-65. The 2015 game pitted the 4th-ranked Wildcats against the unranked Buckeyes, with Ohio State winning 74-67. Keita Bates-Diop, Marc Loving, Jaquan Lyle, and Trevor Thompson all scored in double-digits for an Ohio State team that did not make the NCAA Tournament that season.

These two teams were supposed to meet in the CBS Sports Classic this past season in Las Vegas, but — as we know — the Buckeyes dealt with some COVID-19 issues in December. The game was cancelled, in part because any players that tested positive in Las Vegas would not be allowed to fly back home for 10 days.

The two teams discussed rescheduling during the season, including playing the very next week, but Chris Holtmann and John Calipari weren’t able to work out a date. The two head coaches have said they would be willing to some sort of home-and-home series in the future, potentially as soon as this upcoming season. On his weekly radio show back on March 21, Holtmann said that “his guess” is that Kentucky will be on Ohio State’s schedule this upcoming season. Far from a guarantee, and this was also before they knew they’d also be playing North Carolina (on top of Maui).

And of course, Holtmann grew up in Nicholasville, Kentucky — 15 miles from Rupp Arena. He still has family living in Kentucky, and he donated $50,000 to the Kentucky United for Tornado Relief Telethon on Dec. 14, 2021. The head coach has personal ties to the area, so it looks pretty likely that the two programs will come to some sort of agreement here in the next year or two.

Justin: Gonzaga

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Hard to argue against Kentucky, and I might be the biggest fan of the CBS Sports Classic out there — just wanted to put that on the table. College basketball needs more events and tournaments like the CBS Sports Classic. Rant over.

I want the Buckeyes to play Gonzaga more. I went in between Gonzaga and Duke on this one, but I chalked Duke up to the moment and recency bias. Even with Coach K gone, a game versus Duke would still be huge because it’s still Duke, but they may never be able to live up to the magic that was Nov. 21, 2022 (that was when Ohio State played Duke in basketball, just to clarify).

For one, these two teams have only played three times. Ohio State won in 2011-12 and then they played twice in 2017-18, first in the super fun PK80 Invitational (I am at least consistent) where Gonzaga won and then Gonzaga knocked out Ohio State in the NCAA tournament that same year.

All of their matchups outside of the PK80 one were entertaining and fun to watch, as both teams can get out and run and score at high levels. Not to mention Gonzaga is consistently a top-five team in the country, incredibly well coached, and is very fun to go play on the road. What else do you need? Kentucky makes sense, but this one is a little outside of the box that could be a lot of fun.

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B1G Thoughts: Five running backs to watch in 2022
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Big Ten is full of top tier running backs. Which should you look out for in 2022?

The “slow” part of the offseason is here as college football is finally at a standstill. The NFL draft is over, the transfer portal is closed, and spring ball has come to an end. It is officially time to think about the 2022 season. Now is your chance to gather your surroundings, buy a few magazines and figure out who is on which roster and what players to key on. If you don’t know where to begin, B1G Thoughts is here to give you five players at each position to watch in the 2022 season.

Running back is somehow one of the most important and most underrated positions in football. Many coaches, analyst and fans will tell you that running back is replaceable, but a great running back is a difference maker. What would Michigan State be without Kenneth Walker III or LeVeon Bell before that? Ohio State’s dominance has been built off the backs of Archie Griffin, Maurice Clarett and Ezekiel Elliott. Wisconsin has won the West on the backs of Jonathan Taylor and Melvin Gordon.

2022 may be a running back resurgence in the Big Ten. There are more than five to watch, but here are the top five running back to watch in 2022.

TreVeyon Henderson

Sophomore - Ohio State


TreVeyon Henderson broke out in 2021 as a true freshman, rushing for 1,248 yards and 15 touchdowns on 183 carries. He also showcased his versatility in the passing game with 312 yards and four touchdowns on 27 receptions. With a total on 19 touchdowns, Henderson broke Ohio State’s record for TDs in a season by a freshman, a record held by Maurice Clarett.

Henderson has a lot of hype behind him — deservedly so — but he did not finish 2021 as strong as he started. That’s fair for a true freshman, but entering his sophomore season, Henderson will need to be ready to carry the Buckeyes through a 15 game season if he hopes to win a national championship. He is one of the best running backs in the nation, and will be a must-watch in the 2022 campaign.

Check out Henderson’s 2021 highlights:

Mohamed Ibrahim

Sixth-year senior - Minnesota


If there is anyone who can contend with TreVeyon Henderson for the title of best running back in the Big Ten, it’s Mohamed Ibrahim. Ibrahim was on a tour de force against Ohio State in week one before he suffered a season ending injury. In three quarters against a national championship contender, he had 30 carries for 163 yards and two touchdowns. You could argue this was a sign of things to come for Ohio State’s defense but Mo Ibrahim almost single handedly upset the Buckeyes.

Without him, Minnesota went 9-3 and was in the running for the Big Ten West championship until the end. With Ibrahim carrying the rock, maybe they would have won. He’s coming back for a sixth season and hopes to lead Minnesota to a breakthrough and a Big Ten West title.

Check out Ibrahim’s 2021 highlights:

Braelon Allen

Sophomore - Wisconsin


Braelon Allen saved the Wisconsin Badgers’ season in 2021, and that is not hyperbole. Wisconsin struggled early in the season due to issues at running back and a quarterback that did not take the expected step up. Then Braelon happened. After a 1-3 start, Wisconsin won seven straight games on the back of Allen, ultimately winning every game where he rushed for 100 or more yards.

Allen finished the 2021 season with 1,268 yards and 12 touchdowns on 186 carries despite being a non-factor in the first couple of games. Wisconsin is at its best when it has a game breaking running back, and Allen has all the makings to be one of the best they’ve ever had. He’s must-see TV, and will look to bring Wisconsin back to the mountain top.

Check out Allen’s 2021 highlights:

Chase Brown

Junior - Illinois


Illinois was not the most interesting team to watch in 2021, so it’s okay if you’ve never heard of Chase Brown. Heading into 2022, Illinois will be looking to build on a season that saw them lose a bunch of games but set a foundation for the future. Brown is one of the key pieces they’re looking to build upon after rushing for 1,005 yards and five touchdowns on 170 carries.

Illinois under Bret Bielema is a throwback to Big Ten days of old, built off big tough guys in the trenches, a staunch defense, a grind it out running back and a quarterback who does just enough. With Brown carrying the rock, Illinois has a chance to get to bowl eligibility and scare a few Big Ten contenders.

Check out Brown’s 2021 highlights:

Blake Corum

Junior - Michigan


Blake Corum was the lightening to Hassan Haskins’ thunder. While Haskins got the bulk of the carries and much of the shine for leading Michigan past Ohio State and into the playoffs for the first time under Jim Harbaugh, Corum was a major factor to their success. He ran for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns on 144 carries and made it tough on opposing defenses.

If you load the box and key on the inside run, then Corum would sub in the game and run past the whole defense. He comes into the 2022 season hoping to hold off upcoming underclassman Donovan Jackson for the No. 1 running back spot. Michigan has lost a lot of talent from last year’s squad. If they hope to build on last year’s success, Corum will need to have a monster season.

Check out Corum’s 2021 highlights:

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Buckeyes catching the attention of newly offered target, tight end camper to watch moving forward
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

A Michigan native impacted by new OSU offer and tight end recruiting continues in the 2023 class.

With Wednesday’s first camp of the summer, nearly 10 new offers being sent out proved how busy the coaching staff is going to be this entire month of June. A bit of a slower day on Thursday, it was an opportunity to let the dust to settle. Surely it won’t be long for things to ramp up again, and with how many elite level prospects are coming to Columbus over the next few weeks, the only goal is to add to both the 2023 and 2024 classes.

Cass Tech product impacted by latest offer


An Ohio State offer doesn’t come that easily. Sure, some programs dish out offers in droves in each cycle, but the Buckeyes are more the type to offer players they’re truly serious about and would accept a commitment from. Wednesday’s several new offers being sent out in one day isn’t a common practice for the staff, but after seeing the performances from those players, the evaluations gave the reasoning behind each one.

In one case, Jalen Thompson is proof to how much an Ohio State offer means to prep talents. The Cass Tech product is the No. 212 player in the nation per 247Sports, and has most closely been linked to Michigan State. Having five predictions in favor of the Spartans on the 247Sports Crystal Ball feature, Thompson is basically what you’d call a heavy lean to Michigan State, and while they may still be in the lead, Ohio State is certainly giving him a lot to think about.

Larry Johnson’s ability to land top defensive line targets is incredible, and many times the players he brings in come later in the process than other positions. Not to say commitments come early each cycle, often the quantity comes later on. In the 2023 class, the Buckeyes currently only have one player committed along the defensive line, and while there’s several top players strongly considering Ohio State, Thompson looks to be a name that’s already feeling the impact of the Buckeyes being in his recruitment.

Moving forward, it’s not going to be a surprise if Ohio State and LJ are able to make him at least slow things down a bit. After Thompson has made it clear that he intends to get back to Columbus for another visit, and an official visit for that matter. This is just one instance that shows how valuable it is when the Buckeye’s coaching staff sends out an offer.

A new tight end name worth watching?


The first commitment in the 2023 class for Ohio State was tight end Ty Lockwood. The Tennessee native has been an incredible leader in the class when it comes to peer recruiting other top targets on Ohio State’s board, but the staff has every desire to pair him with another player at the position as depth is definitely needed. Moving players to the position doesn’t always happen at a program like Ohio State, but that’s been needed to ensure there’s healthy depth. That said, there’s every reason to take two tight ends in this current cycle.

With offers out to elite players at the spot, the Buckeyes would love to land a player such as Walker Lyons, but not banking on anything right now, the staff looks like they’ll be casting their nets a little bit wider and new names should pop up.

On Wednesday, Vance Bolyard (Greensboro, North Carolina/Northern Guilford) was in attendance for Ohio State’s one day football camp and the 6-foot-5, 230 pound tight end was able to work with position coach, Kevin Wilson during his time on campus. Going through drills and testing, Bolyard, who currently has over 20 offers to his name, was taking in every bit of coaching he could as he looked to develop his game and get better on the field.

The No. 831 player in the country per the 247Sports Composite, Bolyard isn’t the highly ranked player the Buckeyes typically go after. While he doesn’t have an Ohio State offer to this point, this could be a name worth watching if the staff continues to look for tight ends. Schools such as North Carolina, Maryland, Duke, Pitt, Michigan State, and several more have already entered the mix, and it’s not a guarantee that Ohio State follows suit. But definitely a recruitment that with further attention, it could be one worth paying attention to as potential for another new offer.


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Previewing the 2022 Memorial Tournament presented by Workday
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images

Two weeks before the U.S. Open, some of the best golfers in the world head to Jack’s place to try and tame Muirfield Village.

The eyes of the golf world will be on Central Ohio this week, as Muirfield Village Golf Club will host The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday. The annual tournament falls two weeks after the PGA Championship, and two weeks before this year’s U.S. Open, which will take place this year at The Country Club in Brookline, MA. This week’s tournament will likely be the last time we see some of the top golfers in the world in action before golf’s next major in two weeks.

How it all started


Unless you were born under a rock, you know that Jack Nicklaus not only was born in Columbus, he was a standout at The Ohio State University. Nicklaus designed Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, which opened in 1974. The first Memorial Tournament was held in 1976, with Roger Maltbie taking home the inaugural title. Nicklaus won the second edition of the tournament in 1977, earning the first of his two wins at the event that he created.

While it’s not one of golf’s major tournaments, The Memorial is one of the most notable annual events on the PGA Tour. What makes The Memorial so special is that it is one of five “invitational” tournaments on the tour, meaning it has a field of only 120 players, where normal tournaments have 156 players entered. While most tournaments have open qualifying, The Memorial Tournament does not.

Last year’s tournament


After Muirfield Village hosted two events in 2020 in back-to-back weeks, the tour’s schedule returned to normal last year. Even though COVID-19 wasn’t seen as serious enough to keep spectators from taking in the tournament in Dublin, it did have a huge impact on the event. After finishing up his third round with a six-shot lead, defending champion Jon Rahm was informed that he tested positive for COVID-19, which meant he wouldn’t be able to play in the final round of the tournament.

Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

With Rahm out of the tournament, Patrick Cantlay and Collin Morikawa were both left to fight for the title, as both entered the final round at -12. 18 holes weren’t enough to settle things between the golfers. On the first playoff hole, Cantlay was able to record a par on the 18th hole, earning him the second Memorial Tournament title of his career. Cantlay joined Nicklaus, Hale Irwin, Greg Norman, and Tom Watson as two-time winners of the event. If Cantlay wins again, he’ll be tied for second with Kenny Perry for most wins at The Memorial, and be two wins behind Tiger Woods for most all-time.

This year’s notable players


Jon Rahm

With Scottie Scheffler not playing this week, Rahm will be the highest ranked player in this year’s field. Had it not been for his positive COVID-19 test last year, Rahm would be entering this year’s Memorial Tournament as a two-time defending champion. Rahmbo will be looking for his second victory in just over a month after winning the Mexico Open. A strong performance this week will give Rahm momentum heading into the U.S. Open, where he is the defending champion.

Cameron Smith

The Aussie hasn’t had much success at Jack’s Place, missing the cut in two of the last three years at Muirfield Village. After winning the Players Championship this year, it feels like Smith is close to busting through and winning his first major championship. A strong showing at The Memorial would give the third-ranked golfer in the world a boost heading into the U.S. Open in two weeks.

Collin Morikawa

It’s hard to remember that Morikawa is just 25 years old, since he already has two major championship wins under his belt. Morikawa hasn’t had much trouble figuring out Murifield Village in his young career, winning the Workday Charity Open in 2020, and taking Cantlay to a playoff last year. Morikawa is still looking for his first win in 2022.

Patrick Cantlay

Patty Ice will be looking to make it back-to-back wins at Muirfield Village, and three wins in his last four trips to Dublin. Cantlay’s only win of 2022 came at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where he teamed with Xander Schauffele to win by two strokes in late April. That doesn’t mean Cantlay hasn’t been in contention in other events though, as he lost in playoffs at the Phoenix Open and the RBC Heritage.

Rory McIlroy

The golfer from Northern Ireland is knocking on the door of a tournament win. Even though he hasn’t claimed victory in 2022, McIlroy is playing some of the best golf on the tour this year, finishing second at The Masters, and following that performance up with an eighth place finish at the PGA Championship. Even though he has an incredible list of tournaments won during his career, McIlroy is still looking for his first victory at The Memorial.

Jordan Spieth

After starting off his career with 11 wins between 2013 and 2017, Jordan Spieth has had a hard time earning victories since, with just two victories since the start of the 2018 season. Spieth has been better over the last two years though, winning the Texas Open last year, and posting the low score at the RBC Heritage in April. Spieth enters this week’s tournament as the 10th-ranked golfer in the world.

Where to watch?


If you’re not going to Muirfield Village to take in this year’s tournament, you’ll be able to watch the action from the comfort of your own home. Thursday and Friday’s coverage will be provided by The Golf Channel and ESPN+, while Saturday and Sunday will have CBS handling the action. Usually CBS has Jack Nicklaus on for at least some of this weekend’s coverage. It will be interesting how much CBS has Nicklaus on considering his recent comments about the PGA Championship being moved from a Donald Trump course, as well as Nicklaus being sued by his own company.

What’s the weather going to be like?


Normally it seems like The Memorial is a magnet for rain. While this year’s tournament will likely feature some rain on Thursday, the weather should clear out nicely for the rest of the weekend. Along with sunny conditions, the temperatures should be perfect for the weekend as well, with highs around 80 in the forecast.

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Ohio State women’s basketball adds forward Eboni Walker from Syracuse University
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Rob Schumacher/The Republic via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Former Arizona State and Syracuse forward is the second to join the Buckeyes from the transfer portal in 2022

The 2021-22 Big Ten Conference Championship winning Ohio State Buckeyes added their second forward from the transfer portal on Thursday. Syracuse forward Eboni Walker announced on Instagram that she’s now a Buckeye.

Walker dons Scarlet & Gray after a season at Arizona State University before transferring to Syracuse for the 21/22 season. In six appearances, Walker averaged 22.3 minutes off the bench where she averaged 4.2 points and 3.2 rebounds. Walker’s best performance came in her final game on Nov. 11 where the forward scored 12 points.

After that game, Walker didn’t play again. Syracuse medically ruled her out for the rest of the season, although details of the injury were never made public.

The Orange were a team in flux last season, with head coach Quentin Hillsman resigning on Aug. 2, 2021 after allegations of improper behavior and bullying from players. Those allegations led to 12 players entering the transfer portal.

Even so, Syracuse defeated Ohio State in the 21/22 season, during the B1G/ACC Challenge. In an offensive explosion, the Buckeyes lost their first game of the year, and only non-conference regular-season game, 97-91. The Dec. 1 game didn’t include Walker who already sustained her season-ending injury.

In Walker’s sophomore season with Arizona State, she started nine games and averaged 7.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. The 2019 Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year-winning forward entered Arizona State and averaged 6.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

For the Buckeyes, Walker’s addition is big. Ohio State played with three primary forwards in 2021-22: starter Rebeka Mikulasikova, and backups Tanaya Beacham and Taylor Thierry. Mikulasikova and Thierry both return but Beacham played her final year of eligibility, holding the title of the sixth player on the Buckeyes.

The Scarlet & Gray were 10th in the B1G in rebounding margin, being outrebounded on an average of 1.3 rebounds per game. Ohio State struggled mostly on the offensive boards. Head coach Kevin McGuff’s side was 11th in offensive rebounds. This is after the offseason in which Dorka Juhasz (UConn) and Aaliyah Patty (Texas A&M), both starters, transferred out of McGuff’s program.

It’s too early to know where Walker lands on the roster, but returning from an injury to a new team is a challenge. Thierry came on strong as one of the most athletic players in the B1G and Mikulasikova started every game during the championship season. Wherever Walker lands, there’s a strong chance that her experience gets her minutes on the court for the 22/23 season.

Walker has a third forward to compete against in Karla Vreš. Like Walker, Vreš announced her transfer to the Buckeyes this offseason from American University on May 10.

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Column: SEC-only playoff idea is nothing more than political leverage for CFP expansion talks
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Gregg Pachkowski/[email protected] / USA TODAY NETWORK

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey has plans for an SEC-only playoff if the College Football Playoff expansion doesn’t happen soon.

The SEC is hosting their annual meetings in Destin, FL to discuss the current state and future plans of the conference. As the coaches and administrators convene in the Sunshine State, there are tons of questions that only effect the SEC, but there are also a few conversation topics will have national implications.

After the media got through their questions about NIL, conference scheduling, and the realignment plans coming in the near future, there came some interesting remarks from one of the SEC coaches. New LSU head coach Brian Kelly was asked about Greg Sankey’s plans about the expanded playoff field.

In those comments Kelly said there was talk about an SEC-only playoff that may come in the future. When pressed further Kelly stated that, “(Sankey) left it open to when he gets to June where they begin some conversations with other conference commissioners.”

This comes as no surprise to anybody who has followed college football realignment, but over the last few months, Sankey has shown his hand in his aggressive nature of expanding the SEC footprint. After gaining the commitment of Texas and Oklahoma to join the conference, a conversation exploded surrounding other possible realignment fits around the country. When it comes to the SEC playoff comments, this only says that if the other conferences don’t play ball, the SEC will once again act in the best interest of the SEC.

When Sankey was asked about this later, he said that, “It’s still in a folder someplace. I’m not offering that as leverage. We were talking about our own reality.”

The second part sounds like a quote from one of the Matrix films, but Sankey is not wrong to think about only his conferences reality as the commissioner. Now, this statement can be taken at its word, but many of the conference leaders also did not believe that Sankey would make the move he did stealing Texas and Oklahoma from the Big 12. Maybe this is not leverage, but the second part about their own reality should raise everybody’s eyebrows. The current reality for Sankey and the SEC is that if the other conferences don’t play ball, the SEC will once again take matters into their own hands.

This all comes at the precipice of the annual conference commissioner meetings coming up in June this year. There is no question this is a political ploy to get playoff expansion in place sooner than some other leaders might envision. Despite most of the leagues being in agreement that playoff expansion benefits everyone, there are still disagreements on the timetable, number of teams, and automatic bids. Not even every commissioner is open to expanding in the next couple of years.

The ACC commissioner Jim Phillips went on record and said, “(The ACC) is very much aligned in its position that now is not the time to expand the College Football Playoff.”

This position is arguably the sole reason Sankey made those comments with these meetings on the horizon. If this position is still held at the end of June and there is no progress made on getting playoff expansion in place, this could make the thinly veiled threat a reality.

Should these comments be taken seriously?


No. The reason these comments should not be taken seriously is because the regionalization of the sport has already impacted ratings on major games. As we can see in the chart below, the highest rated games include teams from different conferences and fresh faces.

We see that the more regionalized the games, the lower the ratings. The only outliers are games with wide scoring margins. If Sankey is willing to regionalize the sport, it may pay off in the short term, but would be very harmful for his conference’s product long term. When conference powers play for the first time at the national championship stage, there is an increase in the ratings.

An SEC-only playoff would be one region playing football and would take away from the unpredictability factor that makes college football so great. The money is made when the big brands play, and by isolating yourself to a conference-only world, you lose a big chunk of potential revenue.

Playoff Expansion


From a playoff expansion standpoint, where the SEC stands is pretty clear. They want to be in control, and they want expansion to happen their way. This is why conference leadership is so important. New commissioners Kevin Warren, Jim Phillips, and George Kliavkoff will need to be able to negotiate in their best interests. Many of them will feel pressure from some of their conference members — especially with this added wrinkle.

For the Buckeyes, Gene Smith stated in an interview earlier this offseason that, “I would be surprised if we don’t go to 12 (teams) at some point.”

Smith did not give a timetable, but this echoes that most leagues are close to meeting on requirements and demands. The main disagreement between the B1G’s proposal and Sankey’s comes with how the auto bids are dulled out. The Big Ten wants the Power-5 champions and highest ranked Group of 5 champion to get the auto-bids, while the SEC’s proposal stated the highest six ranked conference champions and highest six ranked at large teams would be included.

This is only a small part of the hold up, and one of the criteria that can be compromised on. The ones that may be harder are the bowl tie-ins and network(s) that will be hosting the playoff games. The B1G’s television deal is about to expire as well as the PAC-12’s and Big 12’s, which has already led to a huge bidding war on the newly available TV products. This might be the biggest hold up in the end.

All of this coming after Gene Smith said in an interview that there might be change in the governing body of the sport. In this conversation, Smith discussed the possibility of a new entity that’s not the NCAA, going as far as saying he could see a future where the College Football Playoff is the main governing body for college football.

Conclusion


There will hopefully be more on the playoff expansion side of the news come June, but until then, comments made by Sankey will be circulating all over the internet. Pieces about playoff expansion are about to be all over your Twitter feeds, and the discussions of how real of a possibility an SEC-only playoff would be will fill the void of the offseason.

If you take Sankey at his word (you shouldn’t), these plans are on the back-burner if nothing is accomplished in the upcoming meetings. Once again, we are all in our own reality here, and as fans of the sport we should hope the SEC doesn’t make a rash decision about the future landscape of college football. The comments made this week were definitely planned, and if they aren’t taken seriously, we can be in for an incredible battle between conference leaders. Outside of ego, there is no reason this threat should become a reality.

All the conferences want a future of expansion, but as we learned this week, the pressure is on to get this done — and soon. If progress isn’t made in June, we will see people in charge start to make their own progress happen.

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Column: Frustrating as the CFP can be, at least it’s an incremental improvement in the postseason
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

A moment of appreciation.

The College Football Playoff is far from perfect. Hardly a week goes by during the regular season when I don’t lament the inadequacy of the four-team format, the politics of the committee and the jockeying of Power Five conferences for dominance as Cinderellas from the Group of Five struggle for recognition.

And yet, the Playoff format remains a marked improvement over the days of yore. Remember once upon a time when there was no College Football Playoff, BCS title game (or BCS at all)? Some older millennials might even remember a time when the championship game wasn’t even determined on the field of play, instead being appointed by a selection committee.

In actuality, the Playoff system we have today is just a blip on the timeline of college football overall. It’s not even a decade old, as Ohio State fans well remember, with the first iteration being played at the conclusion of the 2014 regular season.

To get a taste of how far we’ve come, let’s go back all the way to the beginning, when the National Championship Foundation (NCF) retroactively named champs following the regular season — no postseason required. Remember? It was when Princeton, Harvard and Yale won all their titles, starting all the way back in 1869.

During this period, there was possibly even less parity than we see in college football now. The aforementioned trio won a share of the first 25 granted national titles. (Of course, Rutgers won a share of the first-ever title in 1869.)

However, this period of history had its perks. We all (or at least fans of Big Ten and Pac-12 programs) know the history of how the college football postseason began: the Rose Bowl game in 1902. While the Tournament of Roses Parade had been around for more than a decade, the parade organizers had the brilliant idea that establishing a football game could bring in additional revenue (if only they could see the current ticket prices for Rose Bowl games…). In that first game in 1902, originally titled the Tournament East-West football game, Michigan beat Stanford 49-0.

The Tournament of Roses took a break from football until 1916, but at that point, the game returned for good, breaking only once at the height of World War II. The pageantry and glamor of the Rose Bowl served as a model for the proliferation of bowl games that would follow — though none quite capture that magic of the original.

The Helms Athletic Foundation (HAF) joined the fun in 1883, largely naming the same champs year in and year out as the NCF, similar to the AP and Coaches Poll champs we might be familiar with from more recent years.

Things started to get wild in 1919, when the College Football Researchers Association began naming national champions. It didn’t help that in that same year, Harvard, Illinois, Notre Dame and Texas A&M all got title nods. Except, fun fact, the CFRA was founded in the 1980s and retroactively named these champs from 1919-1981 — way retroactively.

The NCF and HAF (and I guess the CFRA) collectively named champions until 1936, when the Associated Press (AP) began naming national champions all by itself, with the title going to the first-place team in the final AP Poll of the season. Ohio State earned its first national title under the AP in 1942. The Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl made their debuts during this time as well, each holding their opening games on Jan. 1, 1935. The Cotton Bowl started two years later in 1937.

However, the AP’s monopoly on championship titles didn’t last long. United Press International (UPI) — predecessor of the Coaches Poll — started making its own title calls in 1950, also retroactively.

Interestingly, these early polls picked their champions before bowl games were even played each season.

Other organizations — the Football Writers Association of America, National Football Foundation, USA Today/CNN and ESPN — also began naming national champions from 1954-1997, with up to five organizations at a time naming teams for the title. While those groups largely agreed upon who would be the champ, there were some years where things seemed to go awry, like when three different teams won titles (Alabama, Arkansas and Notre Dame in 1964; Nebraska, Texas and Ohio State in 1970). The final two would-be New Year’s Six bowls also kicked off during this period, with the Peach Bowl debuting in 1968 and the Fiesta Bowl in 1971.

It was obvious that a change would be needed to sort out all the chaos and name one champion to rule them all.

Thus began the Bowl Coalition (1992-1994) and Bowl Alliance (1995-1997), the predecessors to the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) we all know and love. The Bowl Coalition was the first time a postseason game was used to determine who would be the national champion (there had, of course, been occasions where the top-two teams in the nation found themselves paired in bowl matchups, but the game itself had not been scheduled for that purpose).

Granted, neither the Big Ten nor the Pac-12 was not part of this new phenomenon, given their contractual obligation with the Rose Bowl game. That flaw was particularly poignant in 1997, when Michigan, who finished the season No. 1 with a Rose Bowl win over Washington State, shared a title with Nebraska, who beat Tennessee in the Orange Bowl.

Things got more familiar after that with the advent of the BCS following the 1998 season, which brought together the Rose, Sugar, Orange and Fiesta bowls under the same postseason umbrella, with the national title game rotating among these four major bowls. The BCS was in some ways better than previous systems because it relied on unbiased computer rankings, but the lack of a human element often led to some head scratching results in the final polls.

The BCS added a fifth game starting in 2006 to allow for two more teams in the major bowls, especially given the 2003 season where there was disagreement over the title for the first time in the BCS era (USC vs, LSU). We try not to think about those first two championship games as Ohio State fans.

Of course, the rest is history. The BCS era lasted 16 seasons before folks gave up on the computers and called in a committee, thus bringing the Playoff to life.

As much as we like to poke holes in the current CFP system, we must acknowledge that things could be worse — because they have been. Most of college football’s historical champions were named retroactively, and it took many of the puzzle pieces — the advent of bowl games, the establishment of polls, actually playing a title game, the search for a consensus champion — to lead to the College Football Playoff being able to be established this century, and possibly soon paving the way for the next great iteration of the postseason.

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Who will be the breakout stars for the Buckeyes in 2022?
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


J.T. Tuimoloau | Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Taking a close look at the candidates

Declaring a player a “breakout” is easy once the season is over. Predicting a breakout season before a player establishes himself as a legitimate star is another matter entirely. Freshmen are harder to predict than returning players for the obvious reason that, while we may have watched hours of film, we’ve never seen them on the field facing big-time college competition.

For the Ohio State Buckeyes last season, I’d easily hand the freshman offensive breakout award to Treveyon Henderson. Not a surprise. After all, he was the top-ranked running back in his class, and everyone thought that he was likely to break into the starting lineup pretty fast. He did — and took it from there. On the other side of the ball, cornerback Denzel Burke was the breakout and, to me at least, he was a surprise. A very pleasant one, indeed.

As for returning players, again it’s pretty easy in retrospect: Jaxon Smith-Njigba on offense and Ronnie Hickman on defense. We all knew that JSN had the goods. The problem for him was that Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson were likely to get most of the targets, and Smith-Njigba would be somewhat of an afterthought. Hardly. On the other side, it seemed that Hickman came out of nowhere to become the team’s leader in tackles, flying all over the field. At the end of the year, Hickman’s 99 total tackles dwarfed Tommy Eichenberg’s second-place total of 64.

Predicting freshman breakout candidates for 2022


Again, predicting freshman play is really tough. You don’t know how much anyone is going to play or how they will perform. That said, here I go.

On offense, I like wideouts Kyion Grayes and Kaleb Brown. I realize that there are a lot of guys ahead of them on the position depth chart. But some of those guys – Jayden Ballard, Emeka Egbuka, Kamryn Babb, even Julian Fleming – haven’t really proven themselves yet. There’s room.

I think that there are several players to choose from on the defensive side as candidates for having breakout seasons. I’ll start with defensive backs. As we all know, last year the secondary was often shaky, and some of those players are gone. Again – there’s room for newcomers to see some snaps.

Five-star Sonny Stiles has gotten most of the publicity, and I have no doubt that, in the long run, he’ll turn out to be a good one. On the other hand, he’s young, having foregone his senior year in high school to jump into this year’s class. Consequently, he missed spring practice and all of the experience that freshmen gain there. He will enter fall practice a bit behind, I’m afraid. It’s hard to say how long it will take him to catch up and show his stuff.

So, I actually like another freshman safety, Kye Stokes. Stokes, 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds out of Seftner, Florida, starred in the Buckeye spring game, picking up nine tackles and a couple of pass breakups. Additionally, he was the first member of his recruiting class to have his black stripe removed from his helmet. He, too, will be a good one. Also having a very good spring game was redshirt freshman cornerback Jordan Hancock. Burke and Cameron Brown have the starting slots nailed down, but look for Hancock to see a lot of action.

Another defensive freshman possibility is linebacker C.J. Hicks, who emerged early on as the acknowledged leader of this class. His spring game was less impressive than Stokes’, and he has a lot more people sitting in front of him in competition for playing time. I’m not sure how all of the linebackers will end up being positioned in the new scheme, but Steele Chambers, Eichenberg, Teradja Mitchell, and Cody Simon are likely to be ahead of him. Arizona State transfer Chip Trayanum might be too, as well as Reid Carrico and Palaie Gaoteote. Jim Knowles can use anywhere from two to four linebackers in a defensive set, so we’ll have to wait and see who gets the playing time.

2022 Breakout candidates among returning players


On offense, wide receiver Marvin Harrison, Jr., is the likely choice. But I consider him already “broken out.” His three-touchdown Rose Bowl performance did it for me. So – he’s ineligible this year. At least one, and maybe more, of his position room colleagues look likely. I’ve been waiting quite a while now for Julian Fleming to live up to his billing and break out. I think, however, that Egbuka is more likely to shine and is a legitimate breakout candidate. So, too, is tight end Cade Stover. Moving back and forth between offense and defense, Stover may now have an opportunity to be the marquee tight end.

While I hope that all of the receivers above have outstanding seasons, my prediction for offensive breakout player is lineman Donovan Jackson. Jackson was a five-star recruit in the 2021 class but did not enroll early or play in the 2021 spring game. It took him nearly half the season to come up to speed, but he wound up playing 103 snaps last year and should start at guard this year.

Here’s why Jackson is important. Last year, the Buckeyes didn’t have any guards. They started Luke Wypler at center and put four mammoth tackles on the line. Jackson, at a svelte 300 pounds, is lighter and quicker. I’m looking for him to play like a guard on running plays – to pull out in front on runs wide and to be able to get out on linebackers on other runs. OSU had trouble getting their run game going against good defenses. If Donovan Jackson has a breakout season, that run game will improve considerably.

On defense, I also have a couple of favorite candidates. I’ve liked defensive tackle Tyleik Williams ever since I’ve seen him play. Williams, playing behind Taron Vincent, probably won’t start, however. Linebackers Steele Chambers and Tommy Eichenberg are other possibilities. I expect both of them to be really good LBs this year as the defense gets better and better.

My prediction, though, for defensive breakout player is edge rusher J.T. Tuimoloau. Like Jackson, Tuimoloau got a late start last year. And I admit that I expected more from him than the 17 total tackles and 3.5 sacks he got on his 285 defensive snaps. In fact, I expected much more from the whole team in the way of sacks and tackles for loss. Obviously, making plays in the opponents’ backfield will be one of Knowles’ primary goals, and I think that Tuimoloau is the man. So highly touted out of high school, so quick, so big. Jack Sawyer, though, is right behind him and is also a breakout candidate.

So, I picked former five-star linemen on both offense and defense. You bet. It’s on the line where games were lost last year. Of course, I expect there to be more than two breakout players. In fact, there’s no limit. May all Buckeyes break out for the 2022 season!

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