You’re Nuts: What schools would you like to see the Big Ten add next?
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 Gaelen Morse/Getty Images

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

The last couple weeks have been wild for the Big Ten after it was announced that USC and UCLA would be joining the conference in 2024. Even though the announcement of the addition of the Trojans and Bruins is huge as the conference tries to keeps pace with the SEC, it seems obvious that the Big Ten isn’t done adding schools yet.

While we all know that the Big Ten is likely to add even more schools to the conference, what we don’t know is what schools those future additions will be. There has been speculation that academic powerhouse Stanford could be one of those additions. Another thought is state schools Oregon and Washington could be headed to the Big Ten, but if that happens it’s hard to see those schools leaving rivals Oregon State and Washington State behind. Then there is Notre Dame, who could finally be coming to the realization that they’ll have to join an actual conference.

What we want to know today is who are the schools that you’d like to see the Big Ten add next? Aside from Notre Dame, a lot of the big name schools have found a home, so you’re not really going to get any more splash moves like the addition of USC and UCLA, or Texas and Oklahoma. Still, there are plenty of additions that could really bolster the depth of the conference and create some fun matchups.

Today’s question: What schools would you like to see the Big Ten add next?

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

Brett’s answer: Oregon and Oregon State


A lot of my reasoning for wanting these two schools to be added to the Big Ten is personal. My dad and my uncle live in Medford, my cousin did some graduate work at Oregon State, and I have friends that live in Portland. I’m begging the Big Ten to give me more reasons to travel out to Oregon. Honestly, if I didn’t live in Ohio, the state that I would want to be living in is Oregon.

Also, I would like to see Oregon added to the conference after they beat the Buckeyes in Columbus last year. As of now, the Ducks and Bucks aren’t scheduled to meet again until 2032 in Eugene and 2033 in Columbus. We all know the schools could meet before that though, as we have seen them matchup in bowl games twice since 2010.

Oregon is obviously the more desired school when it comes to Big Ten expansion, but it’s hard to see the Ducks coming and the Beavers going somewhere else. I’ve been through Corvallis and it’s definitely better than going to some of the dumps in the Big Ten like West Lafayette, Bloomington, or Champaign. It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if the Big Ten added the Beavers along with the Ducks.

I’m sure that the Big Ten might be a little hesitant to add these two when it comes to the academics. Honestly though, academics are falling in the order of importance for conference expansion, especially when the Big Ten has to try and keep pace with the SEC. I just know if the Beavers and Ducks were added to the conference, fans would love it. I can speak from experience since I’ve loved the time I’ve spent in the state, and I know Buckeye fans would really enjoy trips out there.

Meredith’s answer: Notre Dame and Stanford


For starters, I love the move of adding West Coast teams to the Big Ten. As much as I hate the idea of possible 10 p.m. ET kickoffs for conference games, the benefits of geographic expansion — in terms of recruiting, media markets and more — are too good to pass up.

That being said, the teams that I’d like to see added next don’t bring as much new strategic value so much as brand recognition and rivalry opportunities.

Notre Dame has felt like the obvious choice for Big Ten expansion since Penn State joined the conference in 1990, but the Fighting Irish seem to still be smarting from their rejection from the Western Conference (the predecessor to the Big Ten) more than a century ago.

While it’s so easy to get annoyed by Notre Dame and their relentless bend toward exceptionalism, the program does have deep historical roots aligned with the likes of Ohio State and Michigan. Geographically, South Bend is firmly in Big Ten territory. Furthermore, many of Notre Dame’s historical rivals, including Michigan, Purdue and Michigan State, are current Big Ten teams. That list grew with the announcement that USC would be joining the Big Ten.

Selfishly, I also like Marcus Freeman as head coach in South Bend, which further positions Notre Dame as a Big Ten program in practice.

The other team I’d choose to add would be Stanford. This pairing makes sense especially considering recent history, which has seen Notre Dame and Stanford facing off most years since the late 1980s.

Stanford would bring a different kind of prestige to the Big Ten. As regular winners of both the Director’s Cup and Capital One Cup, the Cardinal are the shining example of how athletic departments can support a portfolio of sports that goes beyond football and basketball, which also serves to improve equity especially in women’s sports. (We’ll ignore here that one time Stanford announced they’d be cutting 11 varsity sports due to the impacts of COVID-19.)

Further, Northwestern, as the only private school in the 14-team conference (well, until USC joins officially), has always been something of an outlier compared to the rest of the Big Ten. It’s significantly smaller and significantly more rigorous academically compared to an already rigorous conference. Stanford (or Notre Dame) would give Northwestern a true peer within the Big Ten, because who doesn’t love a good pairing?

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Ohio State will travel to Louisville for the 2022 ACC/B1G Challenge
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by John Korduner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

How the defending B1G co-champions have done in the annual challenge and their recent history against the Louisville Cardinals.

On June 16, the Ohio State Buckeyes learned their home and away conference opponents for the upcoming 2022-23 basketball season. Monday, a small piece of the remaining schedule was announced, when the ACC/Big Ten Challenge announced its schedule of games between Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 of 2022. The defending B1G Conference Champion Buckeyes travel south to face the University of Louisville on Nov. 30.

The 2022 season marks the 15th time the two predominantly eastern United States conferences have competed in a mid-season competition, with ACC winning 10 of the previous 14 seasons. This year also marks the second season in a row in which the Buckeyes are the away team.

That Nov. 30 game is the first non-conference matchup announced for the Buckeyes, and it's hard to imagine them getting more difficult than Louisville. Last season, the Cardinals went 29-5, beating ranked teams like UConn, the University of Kentucky, and Notre Dame. Louisville also beat the University of Michigan twice — once in the regular season by 22 points and in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament by 12 points — before falling to the South Carolina Gamecocks, the eventual tournament champions.

However, the Buckeyes had a season that surpassed what many in college basketball expected. Also, Ohio State has Challenge history on its side when it comes to facing Louisville. In 2019, Ohio State beat the Cardinals 67-60.

In 2021-22, the Scarlet & Gray traveled to Syracuse, New York to face the Orange. It was the first non-conference game away from the Schottenstein Center, and the Buckeyes and Orange battled to a 97-91 Syracuse victory.

During the offensive battle, guards Jacy Sheldon and Taylor Mikesell led Ohio State with 23 and 21 points, respectively. Also, forward Rebeka Mikulášiková contributed 16 points and seven rebounds. But the Buckeye’s collective effort wasn’t enough to stop guard Teisha Hyman, who scored 30 points, playing every minute for Syracuse in the win.

Overall, in the challenge’s history, Ohio State has a tough record. In 14 games, the Scarlet & Gray have only four wins, but on the bright side, two of the four have been in the last three years where the challenge has taken place. The only year the ACC and B1G haven’t scheduled this midseason event was 2020, when COVID-19 put a halt to normal scheduling of games.

Elsewhere around the 2022-23 challenge are other exciting matchups. On Dec. 1, the Maryland Terrapins travel to South Bend to face Notre Dame, even though some shine is lost with Maryland stars Angel Reese and Ashley Owusu transferring away from the Terrapins in the offseason.

Also, the same night, the Indiana Hoosiers welcome the North Carolina Tar Heels, the Nebraska Cornhuskers travel to Virginia Tech and the Iowa Hawkeyes and Elite Eight side NC State tip off in Iowa City, Iowa.

Here’s the full list of games over the span of two days:


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Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for July 12, 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


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

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...


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

On the Gridiron


Gary Moeller, former Ohio State football player turned Michigan coach, dies at 81
Nathan Baird, cleveland.com

You’re Nuts: Biggest Ohio State burning question
Josh Dooley and Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land

Film Study: Paris Johnson Jr. finally gets to show off his full arsenal of skills
Blake Brockermeyer, 247Sports

Ohio State listed as early favorite in five critical regular-season games
Matt Parker, Lettermen Row

Black Out vs. the Badgers!


Ohio State records TreVeyon Henderson could break in 2022
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Ohio State to honor 2002 national championship team against Notre Dame
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch

Big moments in Ohio State football history: Tressel Ball
David M. Wheeler, Land-Grant Holy Land

Five Questions as Buckeyes aim to reclaim elite status in secondary
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Did you get your slushie on Monday?


Ohio State back to No. 1 in recruiting rankings (paywall)
Bill Landis, The Athletic

You’re Nuts: What If the Big Ten goes to 20 teams? What would that look like?
Matt Tamanini and Jami Jurich, Land-Grant Holy Land

On the Hardwood


EJ Liddell injured in New Orleans Pelicans NBA Summer League game, report says
Nick Kosko, 247Sports


Ohio State women to face Louisville in ACC/Big Ten Challenge
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch

With plenty of new faces, will Ohio State’s defense step up this season?
Connor Lemons, Land-Grant Holy Land

Trey Burke Was “Very Impressed” with Brice Sensabaugh After Stellar Kingdom League Performance, Says Ohio State “Has a Gem” in the Freshman
Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors

#DevelopedHere


Nick Kellogg ‘thrilled’ to be newest assistant with Buckeyes hoops program
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Outside the Shoe and Schott


Wrestling: Three Buckeyes Claim Gold Medals at 2022 U20 Pan American Championships
Chase Brown, Buckeye Sports Bulletin

Women’s Golf: McGinty, Seumanutafa, Bourdage Excel
Ohio State Athletics

Men’s Hockey: Buckeyes at NHL Development Camps
Ohio State Athletics

And now for something completely different...


Well, I loved this more than “The Book of Boba Fett” and a large part of “Obi-Wan Kenobi”:


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Ohio State four-star TE target set commitment date
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


2023 four-star tight end Jelani Thurman via @jelani3345 on Twitter

The Buckeyes will soon learn if a four-star tight end will join their 2023 recruiting class. The team is also hoping to steal a four-star LB from Alabama later today.

Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class is quickly coming together. The program has earned 18 verbal commitments thus far, good for the top class in the 247Sports Class Rankings. However, the team is not done adding to the haul, and on Monday they learned they may soon be adding a second tight end to the class.

Four-star TE to commit this month


As mentioned above, the Buckeyes have hold of the nation’s top recruiting class. With limited spots remaining, the team will put more of a focus on the defensive side of the ball, mainly at linebacker and along the defensive line.

Despite focusing on the defense for filling out the remainder of the class, the Buckeyes next commitment may be another offensive skill player. On Monday, the team learned four-star tight end target Jelani Thurman (Fairburn, GA / Langston Hughes) will be making his decision known to the public this weekend on July 17th.


Thurman has not released a top schools list, but judging by his official visits, Ohio State, Alabama, Auburn and Michigan State look to be the contenders to earn his commitment. No team sticks out from the others as the favorite, but the Buckeyes were the most recent visit he completed, with him on campus June 24-26, and should be the freshest in his memory.

Ohio State has already earned a commitment at the position in four-star TE Ty Lockwood but adding a second tight end has always been the plan, making Thurman more of a priority than a desire. Additionally, Lockwood took to Twitter Monday to share that not only is he on board with adding another commitment at the position to this class, but he is excited for Thurman especially.


Lockwood was not the only future Buckeye to try and sway Thurman to choose the Buckeyes. Ohio State 2024 five-star quarterback commit Dylan Raiola (Chandler, AZ / Chandler) showed Thurman some love on Monday.


Ohio State 2023 five-star wide receiver commit Brandon Innis (Fort Lauderdale, FL / American Heritage) also showed Thurman some love on Monday.


As Thurman has kept his recruitment pretty close to the vest, his decision Sunday will be one for Buckeye Nation to keep a close eye on. It is obvious that Ohio State’s coaching staff and current commitments have Thurman at the top of their list, and they are doing everything they can to land him. Thurman is the No. 9 TE in the 2023 class and he is the No. 135 overall prospect. He is also the No. 11 recruit from the talent-rich state of Georgia.

Gabe Brooks of 247Sports has more information on what Ohio State could be getting in Thurman, if he were to choose the Buckeyes:

Quick Hits

• Ohio State 2023 four-star linebacker target Raul Aguirre (Fayetteville, GA / Whitewater) announced over the weekend he be deciding on his collegiate school of choice earlier than expected, and will be making his decision public at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Aguirre is currently projected to Alabama, and if he were to spurn them, it would come as a big surprise to everyone except recent Ohio State cornerback commit Kayin Lee (Ellenwood, GA / Cedar Grove) who has been doing some last-second recruiting.

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This might be my favorite story since Tim Donaghy was accused of fixing games.

TDanford said:

Can you re-seed the 2006 Ohio State - MSU game. I have a copy, but my disk has a flaw at 3:24 of the 2nd quarter, through the end of the 1st half?

Thanks.

Click to expand...

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I know for a fact this was the chillest, most enjoyable vacation these guys have ever been on.

Dudes continue to rock

IMO, losing on Reed as as big of a deal, as to me he plays identical in size and game to Will Smith Jr. Best of luck to him in Baton Rouge

Well I specifically bought them to fish on lake Erie. Basically stumbled across them as a dusty pair of Smith Techlites. They are polarized, but its not distracting while driving. So without the light transmissibility chart in front of me, I ended up liking them for everything short of daytime skiing to late afternoon. For bright days that I don't need polarization I tend toward red mirror. I might get green next go round, but unscientifically I probably trend a little darker lens than most. I used to keep cheapy all condition lightly mirrored cycling glasses for summer rain storms, fog etc to cut glare.

@sparcboxbuck

BOOOOM! Four-star athlete Jermaine Mathews commits to Ohio 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


2023 athlete Jermaine Mathews | Mick Walker

The Buckeyes land their third defensive back commitment of the week.

Ohio State has been landing commitments in droves coming off of two massive recruiting weekends in a row. After the Buckeyes landed three top-100 receivers last week, this week it was time for them to load up on the secondary. With Kayin Lee and Calvin Simpson-Hunt both joining Ohio State’s 2023 class in the last few days, Friday brought the third defensive back commitment of the week.

Making things official this afternoon, four-star in-state athlete Jermaine Mathews announced his commitment to Ohio State.


A product of Winton Woods High School in Cincinnati, Mathews comes in as the nation’s No. 24 athlete and the No. 9 player in Ohio. The Buckeyes were able to outlast the close-to-home Bearcats as well as Jackson State, LSU, Oklahoma and Penn State to round out Mathews’ top six schools heading into his decision. Ohio State had the luxury of being his most recent official visit on June 17, and clearly it was enough for Mathews to decide to suit up in the scarlet and grey at the next level.

While listed as an athlete, Mathews projects as a defensive back — most likely a corner. The 6-foot, 175-pounder picked up an offer from Ohio State after impressing at a camp in early June. He looked so good, in fact, that Eleven Warriors’ Dan Hope listed him as the No. 2 prospect he saw at Ohio State’s summer camps, which is saying a lot given some of the other big names in attendance. This comes after Mathews rose over 100 spots in the 247Sports rankings to earn that fourth-star, and the Buckeyes certainly took notice of a potential diamond in the rough as a late-bloomer.

Here is what 247Sports national recruiting analyst Allen Trieu had to say of Mathews’ abilities:


Mathews becomes the 16th member of Ohio State’s No. 1 overall class in 2023, and the sixth player from the state of Ohio. He is the sixth defensive back to commit to the Buckeyes in this cycle, joining the aforementioned Lee and Simpson-Hunt as well as fellow corner Dijon Johnson and safeties Malik Hartford and Cedric Hawkins — quite the impressive haul for the two new assistants leading those rooms in Tim Walton and Perry Eliano. Mathews’ addition bumps Ohio State’s class up to 269.08, which is six points ahead of Notre Dame for that top spot with the same amount of commitments.

Mathews will be the final cornerback in this class for Ohio State, but the program is still very much in the hunt for a number of big pieces on defense, and perhaps two or three more additions on offense. The Buckeyes are still very much in the hunt for five-star safety Caleb Downs and five-star defensive lineman Matayo Uiagalelei, as well as their top target at linebacker in Tackett Curtis, among others. They would also still like to add another offensive lineman or two in addition to a quarterback and maybe a second running back. Either way, Ryan Day and his staff will be looking to keep their hot streak rolling after adding six new names to their 2023 class in just the past two weeks.

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Buck Off Podcast: USC and UCLA set to join B1G, defensive back recruiting, and ACC preview
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Huge news week in college football with the Big Ten gaining two new members, and Ohio State stays hot on the recruiting trail

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

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


On today’s episode of “Buck Off with Christopher Renne,” I am joined by Jordan Williams, and this is a long one with the news of USC and UCLA joining the Big Ten.

To start, we discuss just how monumental USC and UCLA joining the B1G is, with the addition of the two Los Angeles schools, there are so many stories to follow. We discuss the impact on TV negotiations and how the B1G solidified itself as the most valuable conference. We also discuss what each school brings to the conference, how their football coaches rank, and how this realignment effects College Football Playoff negotiations.

When we get back from the break, we get into a rapid fire recruiting segment where we discuss the big week on the trail. We get into the two cornerback commitments for Tim Walton and how he might land a three-peat of his own on Friday. Rounding out the recruiting talk, we discuss the latest updates for Ohio State targets Tackett Curtis and Olaus Alinen.

For the last part of the show, we get into our first conference preview featuring the ACC. We discuss who we think will be contenders and why the ACC could be a really fun conference this season due to a lot of parity. We also discuss players to watch, coaches on the hot seat, and our conference champion predicition.


Connect with the Show:
Twitter: @BuckOffPod

Connect with Chris Renne:
Twitter: @ChrisRenneCFB

Connect with Jordan Williams
Twitter: @JordanW330

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The WNBA Buckeye Report: A Sad Week 7
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Tim Heitman/NBAE via Getty Images

The 2022 WNBA All-Star game is missing a star in Kelsey Mitchell

The weekly WNBA Report has a much less positive tone this week. Throughout the season, the play of former Ohio State basketball players in the United States’ top domestic women’s basketball league has been put under the spotlight in a positive way. On Tuesday, the WNBA took away a lot of the fun when they announced the 2022 WNBA All-Star Reserves.

On June 15, Land-Grant Holy Land shared the case for Indiana Fever guard and former Buckeye All-American Kelsey Mitchell to earn her first All-Star nod in five pro seasons. Mitchell was a long shot to make the 10 starters due to the nature of fan voting and the Fever’s struggles over the year, as well as a failure to break through the bubble of WNBA fan attention.

On June 20, the starters were unveiled with the usual suspects like 2021 WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones from the Connecticut Sun and league legend and Chicago Sky forward, Candace Parker. Also, a lifetime achievement award of an All-Star spot was awarded to the Seattle Storm’s Sue Bird, who’s having her worst scoring season of her 19 years in the league. Fortunately for Mitchell, there was hope with the reserve’s selection.

Fans vote is out the window for the remaining 12 all-stars, and it’s left to the coaches. A lone published stipulation of the coach vote is that they can’t vote for their own players. When the 12 were released Tuesday, Mitchell’s name was left off again.

The guard who, as of the announcement, was first in points scored (383), fourth in pointer per game (19.1), sixth in three-point field goals (45) and ninth in assists (82) misses out on the midseason exhibition in arguably her strongest season. Compare that to fellow backcourt player and reserve in Chicago’s Kahleah Copper, who played seven less games than Mitchell, but was still voted in from a stronger overall roster.

Unless the Fever’s experiment of fully loading their team with rookies pays off, and Indiana begins competing in the middle of the pack in 2023, it certainly feels like Mitchell doesn’t have a chance. Or another scenario of Mitchell leaving Indiana for a stacked team to earn the recognition and banter that the former Buckeye rightfully deserves.

Mitchell isn’t the only example of the coaches and fans getting it wrong. Washington Mystics’ Natasha Cloud, who is the best facilitator in the league averaging 7.3 assists per game on top of her best shooting season in a seven-season pro career with 11.0 points per game, also was left off the 22-player roster.

Onto the actual report for this week. Mitchell played only once last week, with the Fever losing their sole match of the seven-day stretch against the Dallas Wings. Dallas won big, by 26 points, but Mitchell did what Mitchell does. In just under 30 minutes on the court (backups came in towards the end due to the one-sided score line), Mitchell scored 22 points, assisted on four and added two rebounds.

In terms of fellow Buckeye Jantel Lavender, the forward continued earning only a few minutes to give starters on the Seattle Storm a rest. Lavender had seven total points and five rebounds across two games, a 14-point victory against the Washington Mystics and eight-point defeat to the Las Vegas Aces.

The Seattle roster, home to three 2022 WNBA All-Stars, added eight-time All-Star and 2012 WNBA MVP Tina Charles to their frontcourt. Charles and the Phoenix Mercury announced a “divorce” of Charles’ contract, who is looking to win a title before hanging up her basketball shoes. Phoenix, who are struggling without Brittney Griner, weren’t competing at the top of the league, a reason that many believe led to Charles’ move. With that move, it’s likely that Lavender’s minutes take a cut.

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Unpopular Opinion: 2022 will be Maryland’s best season since 2010
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

At least I'm pretty sure this is unpopular.

There is something intriguing about unpopular opinions, mainly because if you are right you look like a genius, and if you are wrong, you can just chalk it up to guessing out of right field. Feels like a win-win.

My unpopular opinion is one that is honestly hard to even narrow down to one sentence. But basically, I think Maryland is going to be good. There are some caveats here, and I am not saying they are heading to the College Football Playoff and taking down Alabama. Nonetheless, this could be a fun season for the Terrapins. Maryland has not had an eight-win season since 2010, since they went 9-4 in the ACC. I am predicting basically that.

First of all, they have a top-five quarterback in the conference. Alabama transfer Taulia Tagovailoa is coming off a season where he completed almost 70 percent of his passes for 3,900 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. As good as Tualia is, his options are absolutely not limited. Rakim Jarrett, Dontay Demus and Jeshaun Jones are all returning to their receiving core, and the Terps added Florida’s Jacob Copeland.

Last season, Jarrett recorded 62 catches for 829 yards and five touchdowns, Demus recorded 28 catches for 507 yards and three touchdowns and Jones recorded 18 catches for 224 yards. At his previous stop, Copeland recorded 41 catches for 642 yards and four touchdowns.

The big loss for the Terrapins’ offense is running back Tayon Fleet-Davis, who signed as an undrafted free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs. Fleet-Davis tallied 128 rushes for 721 yards and eight touchdowns, and also had 32 catches for 305 yards with a touchdown. But with this passing attack, they only need an average rushing game, and with guys like Jarrett and Copeland, they can be very creative with their rushing attack to throw teams off.



Maryland also had 12 guys get named to various preseason All-Big Ten teams, including Tagovailoa, Demus and Jarrett. Taulia is up for second-best quarterback in the conference with Aidan O’Connell and whoever Michigan sends out behind the obvious No. 1 in C.J. Stroud.



One of the issues that Maryland will always (maybe not?) have to deal with is conference divisions. If they were in the West Division, they would have a much better chance to pile up some wins, because it is no secret that the West is not as good as the East. Maryland has to play Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State this season.

However, some conferences — like the Big 12 and ACC — have already moved away from divisions, and the Big Ten could be one of the next ones to do so, since it is wildly agreed that the divisions are unbalanced. If that happens, Maryland will have a chance to have some simpler matchups. That is also irrelevant to my point, since my opinion is about this season and their season schedule is already set, but I digress...

So lets talk about this season. Their non-conference schedule is very doable, playing Buffalo, Charlotte and SMU — all winnable games. In conference, they do get to play Ohio State, Michigan State and Purdue at home. If you couple that with playing Northwestern, Rutgers and Indiana, their conference schedule does not look as daunting as it may seem.

It is still not easy by any stretch, and I don’t think they will contend for a title or anything, but the Terps getting to eight wins feels like something that can happen. And honestly, if it doesn’t happen this season, I am not sure when it will. The defense will have to hold stronger than they have before, but as long as they can help out Taulia and those receivers, they should be able to win some games.

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Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for July 1, 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


Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

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...


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

Business is Back to BOOOOOMing...


Four-star cornerback Calvin Simpson-Hunt commits to Ohio State
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!


What Calvin Simpson-Hunt’s Commitment Means for Ohio State’s 2023 Recruiting Class
Garrick Hodge, Eleven Warriors

Calvin Simpson-Hunt a Buckeye: The impact
Bill Kurelic, Bucknuts

Analyzing impact as four-star cornerback Calvin Simpson-Hunt commits to Ohio State
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Twitter reacted after 4-star DB Calvin Simpson-Hunt flipped his commitment to Ohio State
Bill Kurelic, Bucknuts

Times, They Are A-Changin’...


USC, UCLA accepted as applicants to join Big Ten Conference, per report
Robbie Weinstein, 247Sports

University Statement: Big Ten Conference
Ohio State Athletics

The More the Merrier!


Big Ten planning to add USC and UCLA explained: How it could happen, when and what it means (paywall)
The Athletic College Football Staff

USC, UCLA will help Ohio State, bring Hollywood to Big Ten (paywall)
Rob Oller, The Columbus Dispatch

What potential Big Ten expansion would mean for Ohio State
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

SHOW ME THE MONEY!


How the move for USC, UCLA could impact the Big Ten, Ohio State
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Road trips will get longer in Big Ten
Chris Pugh, The Columbus Dispatch

On the Gridiron


Unpopular Opinion: Don’t expect an elite defense from the Buckeyes this year
David M. Wheeler, Land-Grant Holy Land

Ohio State football’s Kaleb Brown undergoes ‘smooth surgery’ to repair loose knee cartilage
Nathan Baird, cleveland.com

J.T. Tuimoloau taking full advantage of first offseason with Buckeyes
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Couldn’t be happier for Scary Terry!


Ohio State football’s receiver renaissance synching up with NFL’s salary explosion for wideouts
Nathan Baird, cleveland.com

Unpopular Opinion: Ohio State’s game day experience and home field advantage are overrated
Chris Renne, Land-Grant Holy Land

On the Hardwood


Report: Jae’Sean Tate agrees to three-year deal, $22.1 million deal with Houston Rockets
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Good god...

Outside the Shoe and Schott


Women’s Swimming & Diving: Olympic Bronze Medalist Hentschel Signs With the Buckeyes
Ohio State Athletics

Swimming and Diving: Trace Joins Coaching Staff, Hulme Promoted
Chase Brown, Buckeye Sports Bulletin

While NIL is good for college athletics, some areas of it are sketchy
Brett Ludwiczak, Land-Grant Holy Land

And now for something completely different...


“I don’t have friends, I have family.”


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ScriptOhio said:

Two shows with Jimmy Kimmel:

and

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Forgot he wasn't always a raging fist magnet.

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Four Crystal Balls for Da U.

How soon you forget Paul Warfield. Big Ten Champs Wisconsin came to Columbus with a dynamic pass combination of Ron Vander Kelen to Pat Richert. Woody asked Paul to play DB. He smothered Vander Kelen's main target, allowing him just one catch for something like 6 yards.

Next Bond movie at least 2 years from starting production.

https://www.ign.com/articles/next-james-bond-movie-will-be-a-complete-reinvention-for-the-series?amp=1

2023 NFL Mock Draft: Five QBs highlight top 10 in latest first-round projection from ESPN

2. CHICAGO BEARS: WR JAXSON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE


Smith-Njigba solidified WR1 status with his performance in the Rose Bowl Game, a scintillating win for the Buckeyes over Utah. He finished the instant-classic matchup with 15 catches for 347 yards — a new single-game Rose Bowl record for receiving yards — and three touchdowns after already going over the 1,000-yard mark in receiving yards during the regular season. The absence of future first-round picks Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson gave Smith-Njigba the national spotlight all to himself and he took full advantage. Here, he reunites with former Ohio State teammate Justin Fields.

5. ATLANTA FALCONS: QB C.J. STROUD, OHIO STATE


Stroud is the first quarterback off the board, ahead of Young. It is a debate that will only get more intriguing leading up to the start of the college football season. Stroud has the more prototypical NFL quarterback frame at 6-foot-3, 230 pounds. Stroud threw for 4,435 yards and 44 touchdowns last fall during his first season as the Buckeyes' starter and is one of the best deep-ball throwers in recent years. Marcus Mariota is not thought of as the long-term answer in Atlanta, and while the team took Desmond Ridder in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, that should not stop them from taking a quarterback near the top.

22. Arizona Cardinals: OT Paris Johnson, Ohio State

Entire article: https://247sports.com/college/ohio-...-for-2022-season-via-Athlon-Sports-189165679/

With the premium on QBs in the NFL I can't see the first QB going at #5, some team will likely trade up to get Stroud.

THREE-PEAT. David Lighty is claiming some hardware this summer, helping lead his team to the French League title for the third time in a row.

And of course, he's holding that trophy front and center.

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Lighty's squad has now won the league in 2019, 2021, and 2022 – a pandemic-separated three-peat. And he's been a key piece the entire time, winning the Finals MVP in 2019 and leading the team in minutes played during this season's finals.

There used to be this weird stigma that existed with players going to play overseas, and I think we're finally killing that – which is good because there's absolutely nothing wrong with balling out and being a star in France and Italy for a decade while comfortably making six figures a year.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/skul...e-had-a-well-rounded-offensive-line-and-david

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That pass had to be the 60 yard pass from Sarringhaus to Bob Shaw.

OSU-Michigan 1942: Paul Brown's Buckeyes, led by Les Horvath, take Wolverines, 21-7, to win Big Ten, national titles

Ohio scored its first touchdown on a 35-yard, three-play blitz in the second minute of the second quarter, with Les Horvath hurling a 10-yard scoring pass to Paul Sarringhaus.

All three of the Ohio touchdowns were by the air route on plays that the baffled Michigan defenders never did solve.

The second score was a terrific affair of 60 yards, with Sarringhaus hurling to end Bob Shaw, who raced 30 yards down the sideline.

This was in the third period. Michigan's only challenge came immediately after this. With the score 14-0, the Wolverines drove 64 yards and fullback Bob Wiese hammered over the line.

On the final Ohio touchdown, from 32 yards out, Sarringhaus reversed the aerial procedure of the second and hurled to Horvath, that brilliant 160-pound Clevelander, who sped over the line.

Entire article: https://www.cleveland.com/osu-michi...aul Brown's,, national titles - cleveland.com

Links with some information on he 1942 team:

https://americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/1942_Ohio_State_Buckeyes_football_team

https://americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/1942_Ohio_State_Buckeyes_football_team

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/ohio-state/1942.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1942_Ohio_State_Buckeyes_football_team

Do I see one of the fucks that ruined GoT? They didn't kick him out after that?

Heisman Trophy 2022: Top 10 candidates ranked for college football's biggest award by Athlon

1. CJ STROUD, QB - OHIO STATE


It’s pretty simple, Stroud is the favorite because he's going into Year 2 in Ryan Day’s system. Stroud was outstanding in his first year as a starter in 2021 and he can only get better. His 2021 numbers included 4,435 passing yards, 44 touchdowns tosix interceptions, and a 71.9% completion percentage. He has no shortage of weapons, either. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is back at wide receiver, running back TreyVeon Henderson roams the backfield and other receivers such as Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr. step up to bigger roles in the wide receiver department. Put your money on Stroud to walk away with college football’s biggest individual award, Athlon predicts.

7. JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, WR - OHIO STATE


Smith-Njigba benefits from playing with Stroud in Day’s offense. Despite being the No. 3 pass catcher on the depth chart behind Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson last year, Smith-Njigba put up big numbers and had the Rose Bowl of his life when the Buckeyes took out Utah. He is now the No. 1 option for Stroud in the passing game, with other talents such as Egbuka and Harrison Jr. lining up with him. He’ll draw more attention but it helps that he has other studs next to him. Smith-Njigba finished the 2021 season with 95 catches for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 16.9 yards per catch. He had 347 yards in the Rose Bowl.

Entire article: https://247sports.com/college/ohio-...iggest-award-by-Athlon-189218543/#189218543_1