Palpie said:

what kind of cock munch coach avoids the gatorade bath? Unless its freeing fucking cold.

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If this gets wet then my hair just ain’t gonna look right.

Indiana keeps shooting themselves in the foot.

(Reuterrs) Citing "clear irregularities" and "widepsread fraud" Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney has filed suit in Circuit court looking to overturn Ohio State's Sugar Bowl victory over Clemson. "There was fraud everywhere" Swinney told the Clemson Post and Courier, "we're the best football team in the country, it's impossible that we lost by 3 Touchdowns to the 11th best team, it's common sense." Senator Lindsey Graham (R, SC) filed suit on behalf of Clemson in South Carolina's 3rd Circuit Court looking to remove 4 TDs by Ohio State that appeared to "no way in hell happened".
Reaction was swift. Tiger fans took to social media supporting Swinney. On Twitter: "I dun seen a dead guy score a TD in the 3rd qwarter" posted "Clemson #1 Fan". "GoTigers1346579 added "We can't have them win, they're un Amricun and dangeros"
Elected officials weighed in as well. Ohio Governor Mike Dewine (R) told the Columbus Dispatch that there were procedures and protocols in place to prevent irregularities from happening. "The referees were vetted by both sides before the contest. Plus, the thing was televised" a clearly perplexed Dewine remarked. When asked about the suit President Trump said "it's clear Clemson lost, they need to get over it"

Lurker11 said:

Uhhh...check the thread title

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How embarassing. I’ve had quite a bit.

This kid is all over the place in the 1st Q against ND. Seeing him make play after play stings when you look at our DB performance so far.

He has to be pissed though, doing it all on his own, Oline sucks ass.

May the last post of 2020 be “Fuck Michigan.”

Earned! Buckeyes Selected For Playoff Matchup Against A Familiar Foe Clemson
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

We made it Buckeye Nation! We got the matchup against the team that we wanted and in an odd COVID season, we can say we earned this spot after running past and shutting down a surprisingly potent Northwestern offense to zero points in the second half en-route to a 22-10 win.

Flash forward to January 1st and the matchup against Clemson and remembering the loss from a season ago, you know that final score is still around the weight room. The circumstances and the end result was tragic and what better way to slay your demons than this? Another shot at the demon is needed and it could have a cascading effect and it could propel this team toward greater things.

This year has been crazy, but the committee definitely got things right. I’m not just saying that cause of my affinity for the Buckeyes, I am saying it from an objective viewpoint. Why penalize a team for playing less? Why perceive our players having fresher bodies with the mental and sometimes physical toll while dealing with such odd circumstances? Everyone dealt with things different but let’s be real, the season wouldn’t have started without the fight our team showed. Yes, we were late to the party but this year has been incredibly hard for all team in the big dance.

This seeding has an eerie feel to it and think about the 2014 run. Ohio State became the only #4 seed to win it all. They find themselves at the #3 seed and history could repeat itself but they definitely need to take care of business. Winning it all in a COVID-ridden year would be a testament to the coaching staff and the players for Ohio State—the ultimate comeback/success story in the making. It’ll come down to implementing a good plan moving forward against Clemson and executing, being intensely interested in winning at all costs.

To be intensely driven and motivated is key for an Ohio State miracle run at a championship and a win against top-tier teams in Clemson and Alabama. Not saying that they aren’t but they need to be more driven than ever to accomplish what they want to and this team is built to do just that.

Save all the hate and anger for January first Buckeye coaches and players, Buckeye Nation hope and pray a sharp, motivated team shows up from start to finish, and let’s get ready to take care of business in the Sugar Bowl.

#GoBucks




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Four and Into The Playoff Door
Mike via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

BUCKEYES ARE IN:

Ohio State have been the most talked about team ranked in the top four of the playoff rankings because of its lack of games. Saturday’s Big Ten championship win was the Buckeyes’ sixth game this season.

No. 5 Texas A&M beat Tennessee on Saturday 34-14 and will finish the season at 8-1, but it’s hard to imagine the Aggies will jump an undefeated, conference champion with this Buckeye team.

Two components the playoff committee keys in on are the eye test and a conference championship. The Buckeyes are Big Ten Champions and have two quality wins against No. 11 Indiana and No. 14 Northwestern. When looking at Texas A&M, their best win came against a Florida team who fell to 5-5 LSU last weekend. The Aggies also faced No. 1 Alabama early in the season and ended up losing 52-24.

The Buckeyes controlled the second half of the Big Ten Championship, making a statement as their defense pitched a shutout and Sermon had one of the performances we’ve seen this college football season, breaking Ohio State’s rushing record with 331 yards.

This Buckeye team making a playoff appearance will be a huge victory for the Big Ten as it was one of the first conferences to cancel the season in August, deciding to overrule that and start a season in late October. Ohio State had three games canceled due to COVID-19 (Maryland, Illinois, Michigan).

Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields met with the media after winning the Big Ten title, saying it’s a no brainer the Buckeyes deserve a playoff spot.

“We’re one of the top four teams in the country,” said Fields.

THE REMATCH:

The Clemson Tigers took control against Notre Dame in the ACC championship winning 34-10 setting up a potential back-to-back playoff meeting with the Buckeyes. Last year the Buckeyes faced off with the Tigers in the Fiesta Bowl and left with a bad taste in their mouths as Justin Fields was picked off in the final moments as Chris Olave fell down in the endzone running a route, leading to a 29-23 victory for the Tigers.




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The BIG10 4-Peat Is Complete
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo From: FBSschedules.com

In a roller-coaster type of year, the Buckeyes were nearly held out of visiting Indianapolis due to a rule that required teams to play a minimum of six games to play in the Big Ten Conference Championship game. Flash forward after the decision (a terrible one at that!) the Buckeyes face a familiar opponent in the Northwestern Wildcats, an opponent who stood in the way of their second consecutive shot at the conference crown. Now, two years later these two teams will face each other again for the title of Big Ten Champs and another tough battle against a solid defensive-driven team.

The Buckeyes and Justin Fields took it straight down the field on their opening possession and took it in for a touchdown, but a holding call by Harry Miller quickly negated it and the Buckeyes settled for three. They Buckeyes took a lot of time off the clock and Northwestern responded with six in a drive that took 2:32. The Buckeyes began to look sluggish as time went on with questionable play-calling that resulted in a pair of Buckeye punts before they surrendered a field goal to put the Wildcats up 10-3. The Buckeyes kicked it for three and forced a punt, but Fields was picked off before the half came to a close.

To open the second half, Justin Hilliard picked of Ramsey, and Fields was picked off for the second time in a game that he largely struggled in. The Buckeyes forced a punt and both teams had shots at points, but they both missed their respective shots at additional points to keep the contest at 10-6. The Buckeyes came alive as Trey Sermon channeled his inner Zeke and they fed him in what became a career game for him as a ran past Eddie George’s record that has stood for quite some time until today. Sermon finished with 29 carries and a Big Ten/Conference Championship FBS record 331 yards and 2 TDs.

Sermon and the Buckeye defense stepped it up in the second half. After Sermon went off the defense responded with timely turnovers that turned the tide. For context, the Buckeyes surrendered 167 yards on 5 Northwestern offensive possessions. In the second half, they had 7 total offensive possessions and they surrendered 181 yards. Yes, they gave up a little more yardage, but couldn’t get into position to score. The second half adjustments worked and it showed how resilient this team is when the pressure is right in front of them.

This was not a perfect game for Justin Fields, but maybe it is what he needs to move forward. He seemed to sprain his throwing hand thumb and that might be a story to follow as we move forward. For now, we have to enjoy the gutty win minus the gaudy offensive passing stats. Another off day doesn’t mean its all over for us. Enjoy the win and hope for the best.

MOTSAGRising Heroes of the Game:

Trey Sermon, RB – 29 carries 331 yards and 2 TDs

Justin Hilliard, LB – 9 tackles, 5 solo, 2 TFL, 1 INT

Zach Hoover, P – 3 punts, 118 yards, 2 in 20

#GoBucks




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BIG10 Championship Week Preview: Buckeyes-Wildcats Showdown by Mike Scharf
Mike via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Championship Week

After a long, abnormal College Football season, championship week is finally here. With the Big Ten Conference changing the six-game qualifying rule, the Buckeyes are seeking a back-to-back College Football Playoff berth as No. 4 Ohio State faces off with No. 14 Northwestern in the 2020 Big Ten Conference championship game.

Ohio State will be heading into their fourth consecutive Big Ten Championship. The Buckeyes have won three straight conference titles and look to continue that trend come Saturday. Last Season Ohio State, led by Heisman finalist Justin Fields defeated Wisconsin, 34-21, earning an appearance in the College Football Playoffs against the Clemson Tigers.

The Wildcats

Northwestern led by head coach Pat Fitzgerald is making its second appearance ever in the Big Ten title game. The Wildcats’ last conference title win came in 2000.

Offense

The offensive spark for the Wildcats is led by quarterback Peyton Ramsey and running back Drake Anderson.

Ramsey has controlled the offense all year for the 6-1 Wildcats throwing for 1,218 yards, and nine touchdowns.

Anderson led the ground game with 256 yards and two touchdowns averaging 4.1 yards per carry.

Defense

The Wildcats seconday has the second-highest rate of interceptions per game this season in the FBS with 12.

Brandon Joseph, a sophomore defensive back has carried the load for the Wildcat secondary with 23 tackles, and 5 interceptions (tied for 1st in the nation). Joseph and the rest of the secondary will have their hands full Saturday with Chris Olave, and Garrett Wilson.

Starting linebackers, Paddy Fisher and Blake Gallagher are experienced and true leaders within this Wildcat defense. Fisher and Gallagher have a combined 65 total tackles this season while Gallagher leads the team with 9.5 tackles for loss.

The Buckeyes

The Buckeyes didn’t get a chance to play in “The Game,” this past weekend but is hungry for a second straight playoff visit.

Offense

Justin Fields and this high-powered offense have been clicking on all cylinders this season. Fields has been leading the way in the five games played, throwing for 1,407 yards and 15 touchdowns.

The dynamic duo of Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson has been on full display all year long. Olave and Wilson have a combined 70 receptions, 1,100 yards, and 10 touchdowns in just five games played and look to continue their dominance Saturday.

The running back duo of Trey Sermon and Master Teague is starting to click as Sermon ran for a season-best 112 yards and one touchdown two weeks ago against the Spartans, and Teague having two 100 plus yard games this season against Penn State and Indiana.

The offensive line will be at full strength as Josh Myers, Nick Petit-Frere, and Thayer Munford are back in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center this week.

Defense

The Silver Bullets looked dominant two weeks ago against Michigan State as they steam rolled to a 52-12 victory.

The secondary, led by Shaun Wade looks to be more in sync and will come prepared for Saturday’s championship showdown with the Wildcats.

The defensive line led by senior Jonathan Cooper has been showing out the past few weeks in the most important time of the year. The Buckeyes have a team total of 14 sacks on the season, with Tommy Togiai leading the way with three.

The linebacker trio of Tuf Borland, Baron Browning, and Pete Warner has been a force all season. Borland wasn’t able to participate in the game against the Spartans due to COVID but is looking to cap his Buckeye career off with a Big Ten Championship Saturday afternoon.

PERDICTION

The Buckeyes will be looking for its 39th Big Ten Championship coming out focused showing the committee they are truly deserving of a playoff spot and one of the top four teams in the country even though they only participated in six games this season.

Buckeyes: 52-20




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Buckeyes dominate Spartans on the road: by Mike Scharf
Mike via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

No. 4 Ohio State is back and let everyone know they are the team to beat in the Big Ten and evidently a top four team in the country — even if not eligible to play for the Big Ten championship — after routing Michigan State with a 52-12 victory in East Lansing.

The Buckeyes played like an angry team, coming out firing, scoring on three of their first four drives to take control of the game early.

Passing Game

Justin Fields didn’t miss a beat even with a diminished offensive line in front of him due to COVID issues (Josh Meyers, Nicholas Petit-Frere, Thayer Munford). Fields was unstoppable through the air and on the ground as he combined for 303 yards, and four touchdowns.

Fields’ main target was wide receiver Chris Olave who recorded a career-high 10 receptions, 139 yards, and a touchdown. Garrett Wilson was second in receiving with 59 yards, and a touchdown.

Running Game

With Fields having a career day in rushing yards (104), Oklahoma transfer Trey Sermon didn’t bat an eye and had his best game as a Buckeye. Sermon carried the ball 10 times for 112 yards, and a 64-yard touchdown that put the Buckeyes up 35-0 in the third quarter.

Fellow running back Master Teague had 46 yards on 14 carries, and Freshman quarterback C.J Stroud got into the game late and blasted a 48-yard touchdown run.

Defense

With all the criticism and question marks the Buckeyes defense faced from their play in the second half against Indiana two weeks ago, they dominated the Spartans without captain Tuf Boland. The Buckeyes held Michigan State to 261 total yards and just 81 yards on the ground. Senior Pete Warner led the team with eight tackles. Junior, top NFL prospect Shaun Wade had 3 tackles, and an unbelievable diving interception which came right after a Buckeye turnover.





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Ohio State vs. Clemson: 2021 Sugar Bowl game preview and prediction
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

The Buckeyes and Tigers meet on Friday night in New Orleans in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Sugar Bowl. This will be the fifth time the schools have faced each other, with Ohio State still looking for their first win over the Tigers.

After a season that saw Ohio State play just six games, the Buckeyes impressed the College Football Playoff selection committee enough to earn a second straight trip to college football’s Final Four. There’s no question that when healthy the Buckeyes are one of the four best teams in the nation, some just felt Ohio State wasn’t worthy of a spot because the Buckeyes were only able to play six games this year.

A look back


Last time Ohio State took the field was just under two weeks ago in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Buckeyes were missing nearly two dozen players heading into the game because of positive COVID-19 tests, contact tracing, or injuries. Key players like wide receiver Chris Olave, linebacker Baron Browning, and punter Drue Chrisman were all unavailable for the game against the Wildcats, but all are expected to be ready to go for the Sugar Bowl.

As if those inactives weren’t enough for Ryan Day to deal with, quarterback Justin Fields suffered a sprained thumb against Northwestern, and Master Teague III left the game with an injury. The loss of Teague meant Trey Sermon would have to shoulder more of the load for the Buckeyes, and the Oklahoma transfer was more than up to the task. After rushing for 271 yards in the second half, Sermon’s 331 rushing yards broke Eddie George’s school record of 314 rushing yards, which George set back in 1995 against Illinois. The 271 rushing yards in the second half also eclipsed Ezekiel Elliott’s school record of 243 rushing yards in a half.

For the second straight year, an undefeated Ohio State team trailed their opponent in the Big Ten Championship Game. And just like last year, the Buckeyes shut their opponent out in the second half to secure their spot in the College Football Playoff. Ohio State would go on to beat Northwestern 22-10, marking their fourth straight Big Ten Championship Game win, and their 39th overall Big Ten title.

Series at a glance


Now the Buckeyes will head to New Orleans to take on a familiar foe on New Year’s Day. Ohio State will square off with the Clemson Tigers, who defeated the Buckeyes 29-23 in the Fiesta Bowl. Friday’s meeting will be the third time the schools have met in the College Football Playoff, and the fifth time overall. Clemson has won all four of the previous meetings with Ohio State. The only other teams to play at least four games against Ohio State and hold a winning record are USC, Stanford, and Alabama.

Painful memory


Ohio State jumped out to a 16-0 lead in the first half of last year’s College Football Playoff semifinal against the Tigers before a controversial targeting call on a Shaun Wade hit to Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence turned the tide of the game. After thinking they had initially forced the Tigers to punt, the penalty not only gave Clemson a first down, but also deprived the Buckeyes of the services of Wade for the rest of the game. Clemson would go on to cap off the drive with a Travis Etienne touchdown, giving the Tigers their first points of the game.

The other call by the officials that was heavily scrutinized came with Clemson holding a 21-16 lead with less than five minutes left in the third quarter. It looked as if Jeffrey Okudah had stripped Clemson wide receiver Justyn Ross of the football, and safety Jordan Fuller had picked up the fumble and returned it for the touchdown. The officials felt otherwise though, ruling the pass incomplete after review.

The Buckeyes would go on to strike early in the fourth quarter to take the lead when Justin Fields found Chris Olave for a 23-yard touchdown. Ohio State would hold the lead for nearly 10 minutes before Lawrence found Etienne for a 34-yard touchdown pass. The Buckeyes were able get the football down to Clemson’s 23-yard line with 40 seconds to go before Ohio State saw their season end when Justin Fields was picked off for the second time in the game.

Fields finale?


It’s common knowledge that there isn’t much time left in the Justin Fields era at Ohio State. The question is whether there will be one game left or two games. For the second straight season, Fields was named both Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Big Ten Quarterback of the Year. Fields has thrown for 15 touchdowns this year, pushing his Ohio State total to 56 passing touchdowns, tying him with Joe Germaine for third-most in school history. One more touchdown will tie Fields with Bobby Hoying, but J.T. Barrett’s school record of 104 passing touchdowns is out of reach for the junior quarterback.

Take ‘em to church


Ohio State definitely owes their latest Big Ten title to Oklahoma transfer running back Trey Sermon, whose exploits against the Wildcats were highlighted earlier in the preview. The Buckeyes were able to find plenty of success on the ground last year against the Tigers, with J.K. Dobbins rolling up 174 yards and a touchdown on Clemson. After his performance against Northwestern, expect to see Sermon receive most of the carries. Don’t sleep on Master Teague if he’s healthy, though. Teague has something to prove after rushing for just nine yards on seven carries against the Tigers last year.

Dynamic duo


Before Sermon’s monster game against Northwestern, Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave had been the main source of offense for Ohio State this year. Wilson and Olave are both averaging over 100 yards receiving per game, making them the only teammates to average triple digits this season. Wilson and Olave have each posted four 100-yard receiving games this year.

Redemption song


Ohio State doesn’t quite have the same pop when one part of the duo is missing, as evidenced by the Big Ten Championship Game. Without Olave, the Buckeye passing attack wasn’t able to gain any traction. The junior wide receiver will be raring to go on Friday, not only because he was forced to miss the Big Ten Championship Game, but also because of the way last year’s Fiesta Bowl ended. With three more receptions, Olave will reach 100 catches in his Ohio State career.

Trench warfare


The most important area Ohio State has to win against Clemson is the battle in the trenches. Clemson has created havoc for opposing offenses, registering 44 sacks and 103 tackles for loss this year, both of which rank second nationally. The Buckeyes have one of the best offensive lines in the country, they’ll just need everyone healthy, which wasn’t the case against Michigan State and Northwestern. Center Josh Myers is a finalist for the Rimington Award, while guard Wyatt Davis has been named a first-team All-American for the second year in a row.

Everybody eats


On the other side of the football, Clemson has to be relieved they won’t have to deal with Chase Young this year. That doesn’t mean the Tigers won’t face some pressure from the Buckeyes. Haskell Garrett was named a first-team All-American by CBS Sports and Pro Football Focus just months after being shot in the face. Defensive tackle Tommy Togiai leads the Buckeyes with three sacks this year, Jonathon Cooper has added 2.5 sacks, and Zach Harrison has two sacks on the season.

The Baron


Ohio State is going to need their senior linebackers to step up and steady the defense against Clemson. The Buckeyes will receive a boost with the return of Baron Browning, who missed the Northwestern game. While leading tacklers Pete Werner and Tuf Borland will look to keep the action in front of them, Browning has the speed and athleticism to slow down Travis Etienne. Browning can also keep eyes on quarterback Trevor Lawrence, much like Malik Harrison did last year.

Wade has been waiting


There’s no question where the weak area on Ohio State’s defense has been this year. The Buckeye secondary has been shredded at times this year. Even with some uneven play, Shaun Wade was still named a first-team All-American this year. Wade has two interceptions on the season, including a pick-six against Indiana. Much like Olave, Wade knows he has unfinished business to take care of after his time in last year’s game was cut short after the targeting call on his hit on Lawrence in the first half.

Ready to breakout


The x-factor in the secondary for Ohio State is safety Josh Proctor. The junior played one of the best games of his Buckeye career against Northwestern, picking off a pass and also dropping an interception that likely would’ve resulted in a touchdown for Proctor. Ohio State has yet to find the steadying force at safety like they’ve had the last few years with Jordan Fuller, but there’s no question that Proctor is improving as he sees more playing time.

A playoff fixture


They might as well change the name of the College Football Playoff to the Clemson Football Playoff. After missing out on the fun in the first year of the playoff, the Tigers have made the four-team playoff in each of the last six years. Clemson has won six playoff games, made four title games, and earned two championships, all of which are tied for the most in college football with Alabama. Aside from the Tigers and Crimson Tide, no other school has won more than two playoff games.

Clemson’s concerning bowl streaks


For all of the success Clemson has had in bowl games over the years, the Tigers will be trying to exercise some New Orleans demons. One bowl Clemson hasn’t been able to win is the Sugar Bowl. The Tigers last appeared in the Sugar Bowl in 2018, losing to Alabama 24-6 in the College Football Playoff semifinal. Overall Clemson is 3-8 in New Orleans, with their last appearance in the Crescent City coming 12 months ago in the 2020 College Football Playoff Championship Game against LSU. Clemson fell to Joe Burrow and the Tigers 42-25 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

The Tigers will also be looking to snap a five-game New Year’s Day bowl losing streak. The last time Clemson appeared in a New Year’s Day bowl was back in 2018 in the Sugar Bowl loss to Alabama. The last win on New Year’s Day for Clemson came all the way back in 1990 when they defeated Illinois 30-0 in the Hall of Fame Bowl.

Terrific T-Law


Heisman Trophy finalist Trevor Lawrence will be making his fifth start in the College Football Playoff, winning his first three starts before the Tigers lost to LSU last year. The loss is the only blemish on Lawrence’s 34-1 record as a starting quarterback. Even with the loss, Lawrence still has yet to throw an interception in a College Football Playoff game, throwing for 1,167 yards and eight touchdowns in 141 pass attempts.

Lawrence started nine games this year for Clemson, missing contests against Boston College and Notre Dame after testing positive for COVID-19. The junior passed for 22 touchdowns this year, and added seven scores on the ground. Not only will three more touchdown passes tie Deshaun Watson’s school record of 90 passing touchdowns, 302 more passing yards will make Lawrence the third Clemson quarterback to pass for 10,000 yards in his career. Lawrence has thrown three touchdown passes or more in 18 games during his Clemson career, with the Tigers winning all 18 of those games.

Clemson’s offensive coordinator Tony Elliott will miss the Sugar Bowl after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier this week. The positive result would be a little more concerning for Clemson if they didn’t have a quarterback like Lawrence in the fold. Quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter will move up to the press box to call the plays, and while there possibly be a few early hiccups, expect Lawrence and his position coach to fall into a rhythm rather quickly.

Etienne’s final act


As if having to deal with Lawrence wasn’t tough enough, Clemson also forces opponents to gameplan for running Travis Etienne. The Paul Hornung Award finalist is the only FBS player with 850 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving this year. Etienne is 118 rushing yards away from becoming the first Clemson running back with three seasons of at least 1,000 yards rushing. The senior has 4,920 career rushing yards, and if he gets 80 more rushing yards he would become the first ACC running back to reach 5,000 yards rushing, and the 23rd player to reach that mark in FBS history.

A-one Amari


Ohio State will get a little bit of a break because they won’t have to deal with wide receivers Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross this year. Higgins has moved on to the NFL, while Ross suffered a spinal injury which has sidelined him for the season. Stepping up as Lawrence’s favorite target this year has been Amari Rodgers, who has 69 catches for 966 yards and seven scores this year. If Rodgers adds 34 more receiving yards to his season total, he’ll become the 12th Clemson receiver to reach 1,000 yards in a season.

The Buckeyes did see Rodgers last year in the Fiesta Bowl, but he wasn’t the same receiver as they’ll see on Friday. Rodgers suffered a torn ACL in the spring last year, and somehow was able to return to the field against Texas A&M early in the season. Even though Rodgers was healthy enough to play, his quick turnaround time didn’t allow him to fully recover from the injury, something he has been able to do this year in the offseason.

Joining Rodgers at wide receiver is Cornell Powell, who has hauled in 45 catches for 743 yards and five touchdowns this year. If the Tigers are able to get into the red zone, Ohio State is going to have to keep tabs on tight end Davis Allen, who has just 14 catches on the season, with four of them going for touchdowns. In a way, Allen is like Clemson’s version of Jeremy Ruckert.

Clemson’s colossais


Clemson has done a great job of keeping their quarterbacks clean this year, allowing just 18 sacks in 11 games. A familiar name to Ohio State fans lining up at left tackle for the Tigers is Jackson Carman. The junior was rated as the best collegiate prospect coming out of high school, and originally was an Ohio State target before he signed with Clemson. After earning third-team All-ACC honors last year, Carman moved up to second-team All-ACC this year.

If the Buckeyes want to put some pressure on Lawrence, they’ll likely need to do so on the right side of the offensive line. Right tackle Jordan McFadden and right guard Will Putnam are both sophomores. Even though the duo doesn’t have as much experience as Carman, left guard Matt Bockhorst, and center Cade Foster, together the five form a strong unit.

Sack attack


Clemson doesn’t have a big star on the defensive line like Ohio State did with Chase Young last year. Instead, the Tigers have a bunch of guys who can create pressure. The Tigers have 44 sacks on the season, but the Tigers don’t have a player with more than four sacks on the season.

Fabulous freshmen


If you wanted to identify the best player on the Clemson defensive line, it would have to be freshman defensive end Myles Murphy, who has a team-high four sacks this year. Even more impressive is Murphy has forced three fumbles this year, which is the most by a player under Dabo Swinney, and the most by a Clemson freshman since Ed McDaniel in 1988.

Joining Murphy as a freshman force on the defensive line is Bryan Bresee. The defensive tackle has four tackles for loss, three sacks, and a forced fumble so far this year. With the combination of Murphy and Bresee making noise early on in their careers for the Tigers, Clemson is going to continue being a force on the defensive end for the foreseeable future.

Bruise Brothers


Leading Clemson in tackles this year is Baylon Spector, who has 67 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks this year. Spector has combined with James Skalski, with Swinney naming the combination the “Bruise Brothers”. Skalski did miss some time earlier in the season with a groin injury, but should be healthy for Friday’s game. The Tigers are going to need Skalski as close to 100% as possible since backup linebacker Jake Venables was lost for the season after suffering a broken arm against Pitt.

Nolan & friends


There is no question who the quarterback of the Clemson secondary is. Senior Nolan Turner is second on the team with 61 tackles this year, and the safety has three of Clemson’s 13 interceptions this season. Turner earned first-team All-ACC honors, along with cornerback Derion Kendrick. Aside from Turner and Kendrick, expect to see the Tigers shuttle in a number of defensive backs, since there is plenty of talent on the roster, and Swinney and defensive coordinator Brent Venables try and maximize the talent by getting a number of players involved.

Summary


This game is so tough to call because of how different the seasons were for both teams. Clemson was able to play nearly a full schedule, while Ohio State only played six games in a schedule that featured a number of stops and starts. Will the 13 days between the Big Ten Championship Game and the Sugar Bowl for Ohio State to iron out some of the inconsistencies? Who will be back for this game that was missing against Northwestern? These are just a few of the many questions that are weighing on the minds of Buckeye Nation.

There’s no question that Ohio State can match Clemson’s talent. Motivation shouldn’t be a problem for the Buckeyes, either. As if losing to the Tigers last year wasn’t hard enough to stomach, Dabo Swinney is throwing fuel on the fire with some of his comments about Ohio State not belonging in the College Football Playoff. While Ryan Day is certainly going to use this to fire up his team, he can’t allow Swinney’s disrespect to get his team overhyped.

This is a game that is going to be another one that comes down to the wire. Trevor Lawrence gets the nod in the quarterback battle, but Justin Fields can still bring it. The difference is, Wilson and Olave this year could be what Higgins and Ross were for Lawrence last year. With the quarterbacks essentially canceling each other out, this game could come down to the running game.

Ohio State knows they are going to have their hands full trying to slow down Travis Etienne, who is one of the most dynamic players in ACC history. What remains to be seen is if Trey Sermon’s insane performance against Northwestern a one hit wonder, or will Sermon get even stronger with the Buckeye offensive line at full strength?

As enticing as it would be to take Ohio State here, another heartbreaking loss looks to be in order for the Buckeyes. The secondary isn’t quite as strong as we have seen in recent years, which has to been an area Clemson will target early and often. Even though he has said his thumb is fine, the injury Fields suffered in the Big Ten Championship Game is concerning. If somehow the injury gets re-aggravated early on, it could make for a long game, since Clemson can focus more on the run. The Buckeyes keep pace, they just don’t have quite enough at the end to top Clemson.

LGHL Prediction: Clemson 31, Ohio State 27

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Stick to Sports podcast: Our favorite parts of 2020
Tia Johnston via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Why, Hilaria Baldwin, WHYYYY?

Land-Grant Holy Land’s newest podcast series, Stick to Sports, will be unlike any podcast you’ve heard on the Ohio State beat. Your hosts, Tia Johnston and Matt Tamanini, will (of course) talk Ohio State football, but the primary focus of the show will be on what’s going on around the periphery, such as weird/funny happenings in college football and the sports world at large, as well as other things that keep us interested in between games, whether that’s pop culture, social media trends— you name it.

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Happy last day of this goshforsaken year, friends! We thought this day might never come, but also, it feels like March (aka the beginning of the end) was just yesterday.

While 2021 couldn’t possibly be worse than 2020 (right?....right?!!), for Ohio State fans, the new year could possibly begin with the biggest celebration the state has seen in some time, or it could begin with yet another crushing loss at the hands of the Clemson Tigers.

To begin the show, we tell each other the New Year’s resolutions we hope the Ohio State football team makes in 2021, and I give the Buckeyes exactly one day to complete mine— beat Clemson. Let’s start the year off strong, Buckeyes!

We then list all of our favorite things the year 2020 gave us*, because 2020, in fact, was not ALL bad (although it was mostly bad). Like for example, 2020 didn’t have to give us the Hilaria Baldwin saga, but it did. And for that, we are thankful.

*Just thought I’d note that in the podcast I say “I’m going to remember other good things about 2020 after we stop recording” and sure enough...I uhhh got married in 2020. Despite my forgetting this life event, it was my favorite part of 2020! I swear! Husband, if you’re reading this... I’m sorry!


Contact Tia Johnston

Twitter: @TiaJohnston_

Contact Matt Tamanini

Twitter: @BWWMatt, @LandGrant33

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Buckeyes make the cut for top Georgia 2022 wide receiver
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Kojo Antwi - 2022 4-star receiver | Dawg Post

Can Ohio State land yet another elite receiver cementing Brian Hartline as the GOAT of receiver recruiting?

We’re now only a day away from the highly anticipated rematch of Ohio State versus Clemson. With all of the headlines and trash talk, this game is setting up to be even more than imagined. After how last year ended, it was only fitting that these two prolific programs would see each other again, and while everyone is counting the Buckeyes out and not giving them much of a chance against the Tigers, Ryan Day and his crew are using it as momentum to spark a fire in hopes Ohio State will play it’s best game of the year.

In regards to recruiting, these two teams see each other numerous times a year off the field. With so many highly touted prospects considering both Clemson and Ohio State, the game tomorrow is not the only time the two foes want to win. Having the ability to recruit like both programs do is a huge reason why once again each team is back in the College Football Playoff. When you look at the recruiting rankings and the final four teams in the CFP, the correlation is telling. Playing in these game is simply due to having great players, and fortunately for Ohio State, they have that now and when looking to the future.

Buckeyes make top 8 for 2022 WR


When it comes to recruiting nationally, Ohio State is right there at the top of the leaderboard. Each cycle they are going into every region of the country and coming away with success, as the Buckeyes’ recruiting train has a full head of steam. Regardless of position, when top national recruits trim their offer lists down to the few still in the running for their commitment, Ohio State more times than not finds itself in the thick of things. A testament to their on-field success and how well they manage relationships, there really hasn’t been a better time than the present regarding Ohio State’s recruiting efforts.

Yesterday, Ohio State once again found themselves in the mix, this time for 2022 Georgia receiver prospect Kojo Antwi — the No. 19 wide receiver in the class and the No. 162 player overall nationally per the 247Sports Composite rankings. Another highly regarded receiver, it just further cements the incredible job both Brian Hartline and Ryan Day are doing in the pass game as well as recruiting the guys to continue it’s success. Down to eight schools after being offered by 30 of the nation’s best programs, it’s quite an honor for the Buckeyes to still be in it.

Making the cut alongside Ohio State includes Alabama, USC, Georgia, Florida, Texas A&M, South Carolina, and Oregon.


An interesting factor here will be to see if Ohio State even has the room to take Antwi in their 2022 class. Of course they are very much interested, but seeing their 2021 haul and already having Caleb Burton in the fold, as well as being on the brink of possibly landing another receiver or two in 2022, it does give you a slight pause to think if the Buckeyes can in fact take yet another wideout.

It shows how ridiculous the Buckeyes are recruiting at the position if they had to turn down what would be a gem in any other recruiting class, but that’s where they’re at right now. Then again, if Ohio State wants Antwi enough and he feels the same, of course room would be made. Until then, the Buckeyes are at least still in it.

The countdown is almost up


Whether New Years Day goes as planned or not for Ohio State, the Buckeyes are hoping that the day after will also bring great news or at least cheer them up a bit in the form of a new verbal pledge. Florida native five-star cornerback Jaheim Singletary makes his college commitment on Jan. 2nd, and all signs right now are pointing towards the Buckeyes landing yet another elite talent to their loaded 2022 class.

The fifth-ranked corner in the class would give Ohio State what looks to be the next in line to continue the BIA theme in the defensive secondary, and stealing him away from SEC country would make it that much sweeter.


Singletary was long thought to be a Florida lean, but out of nowhere Ohio State came in and gained all momentum for the Jacksonville native. Taking to Twitter yesterday to share his excitement towards his approaching decision, it’s the feelings from people in the know and the Crystal Ball status that should give any Ohio State fan tons of confidence that they will add their second top-10 player in the 2022 class and give them an incredible eight players already in the Top 247 player rankings.

Quick Hits

• Continuing on in this notion, it looks as if a commitment for four-star receiver prospect Kyion Grayes could be coming very soon. Hinting he could be one of the next in line to commit to the Buckeyes, the waiting doesn’t look as if it will be too much longer, as Grayes has told analysts such as Bill Kurelic that he will be announcing and “won’t wait long” to do so.
• The best creative team in America continues to pump out graphics to many of Ohio State’s top targets and yesterday, four-star running back Dallan Hayden took to his Twitter to show off the latest Buckeye love he had received. Hayden currently ranks as the 25th-best running back in the class and is thought to be a Tennessee lean, but Ohio State is definitely in the mix here.

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What we saw in Ohio State’s 90-54 win over Nebraska
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

The Buckeyes beat up on the Cornhuskers on Wednesday night to move to 2-2 in Big Ten play.

The Big Ten is an absolute dogfight from top to bottom this season. Ohio State’s schedule gets pretty brutal once the calendar flips to January, so when a team like Nebraska — who has begun the year 0-2 in conference — pops up on the schedule, you have to try and take advantage. Chris Holtmann’s squad was able to do just that on Wednesday night, easily dispatching the Cornhuskers 90-54 as the No. 25 Buckeyes moved to 8-2 overall on the year.

The Buckeyes were led in the scoring department by Justin Ahrens, who seemingly could not miss from deep in the second period as he racked up 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc. It was a great night for freshman forward Zed Key as well, who finished a perfect 5-of-5 shooting for a career-high 14 points to go along with four rebounds and a block. Ohio State out-scored Nebraska 52-33 in the second half as Holtmann was able to empty his bench down the stretch in a rare never-in-doubt win in-conference.

Cold as ice


Duane Washington Jr. is undoubtably one of the best shooters on Ohio State’s roster. When he gets it going, the basket looks like an ocean to him. In fact, his 55 total threes led the team a year ago. However, the junior’s biggest issue throughout his career with the Buckeyes has been consistency. Washington is incredibly streaky, and when he is not on one of his hot streaks, he has a tough time working his way out of a funk — which he is seemingly in the midst of right now. Last time out was by far Washington’s worst performance of the season.

Shooting just 1-for-9 from the field against Northwestern — including a 1-for-6 mark from beyond the arc — the guard finished the game with just seven points. His first time this year scoring in the single digits, Washington just could not get anything to fall, including what could have been the game-winning layup off a beautifully designed play out of a timeout at the end of the game. His numbers have taken a hit overall this season, with his field goal percentage dropping from over 41% a year ago to 37% this season, and his three-point percentage has fallen from 39% down to 33% as well.

It looked like we were in store for another shaky performance for Washington on Wednesday, as he missed his first three shots from the floor and started off 0-for-3 from 3-point range. However, he was able to turn things around a little bit and get some shots to go down. Finishing the contest with 13 points, Washington knocked down three attempts from range while hitting 5-of-11 from the floor overall. The 3-point shooting still isn’t where you would like it to be (3-of-7), but it was certainly a step in the right direction.

Playing big


What Ohio State has been able to do in the paint this season at both ends of the floor has been very impressive. They lost their tallest starter this past offseason when Kaleb Wesson decided to test the NBA waters, and without a true center on the roster, the Buckeyes are pretty undersized. Especially compared to some of the star bigs around the Big Ten, you would think Ohio State would struggle to both score and defend the paint, but that has not even been the slightest bit true.

Guys like E.J. Liddell (6-foot-7), Kyle Young (6-foot-8) and Zed Key (6-foot-8) have done a phenomenal job inside through the early goings of the season. Despite giving up a few inches to many opposing forwards that come their way, the physicality of this trio has paid massive dividends for the Buckeyes. Liddell has been a bruising body underneath, leading Ohio State in scoring (15.3 points per game) and second in rebounding (6.7 per game) behind only Young (7.0 per game). These three guys cumulatively have been able to out-muscle the opposition, leading to foul trouble for the other team and a points in the paint/rebounding advantage on most nights.

The Buckeyes continued to dominate in the paint on Wednesday, outscoring Nebraska 30-22 in the paint and out-rebounding the Huskers 45-35 as they once again won the battle on the glass. Ohio State also came away with five blocks, led by two apiece from Liddell and Eugene Brown III.

Nothing easy


Ohio State’s identity in the Holtmann era has been as a strong defensive unit, and that has certainly been no different to begin this season. Coming into tonight’s action, the Buckeyes ranked top-five in the Big Ten in points allowed per game at 66.3, and they clearly looked like a team firing on all cylinders at that end of the floor against Nebraska — especially in the first period, where they were able to open up a 17-point lead heading into the break.

Through 20 minutes of play, the Cornhuskers managed to hit just six total field goals on 29 attempts. Nebraska was especially putrid from downtown, where Fred Hoiberg’s team knocked down only three triples despite taking 16 shots from beyond the arc. The Huskers struggled mightily in the latter half of the first period, where they went nearly 10 full minutes of game time without knocking down a single shot from the floor before Trey McGowens’ 3-pointer found the twine with 3:01 left until halftime.

In addition to the outside shots not falling, Nebraska managed just six points in the paint in the opening period, and turned the ball over seven times. Overall, the Cornhuskers would go on to shoot just 28% in the game, including an incredibly inept 5-of-33 (15%) from 3-point range. Ohio State’s defense forced 15 total turnovers, which directly led to 21 points the other way.

A better night from beyond


Ohio State could have really pulled away from Nebraska early on if they could hit their 3-pointers, but that is something the Buckeyes have struggled with all season long. The inability to hit from range has been one of the biggest problem areas for Holtmann’s team this year, ranking dead last in the Big Ten at just under 31% as a team heading into tonight. With Washington struggling with his outside shot this year, OSU does not have many guys that can really hurt you from deep, and it has proven costly.

While they were able to overcome these woes against the Cornhuskers, their performance from downtown was not any improvement. The opening period was another disaster, as Ohio State hit just four of their 14 attempts from beyond the arc — good for a less-than-stellar 29%. Justin Ahrens and Seth Towns have proven to be solid shooters from range this season, both hitting one apiece in the first half, but neither have played a ton of minutes or shoot with enough volume to make the numbers look any better as a whole.

The Buckeyes were much better from deep in the second half, thanks entirely to Ahrens and Washington. Hitting on 8-of-18 attempts (44.4%) from beyond the arc as a team, all eight of those makes came from that duo, as Washington hit on 3-of-4 while Ahrens was an unconscious 5-of-7 in the period. Overall, Ohio State finished with a season-high 12 total 3-pointers, while their 38% shooting clip was one of their highest of the year.

Filling the minutes


Heading into the night, we knew Ohio State would be without Musa Jallow, who was forced to miss the contest against Nebraska as a result of COVID-19 contact tracing. It is unclear how long Jallow will be held out of competition, but the guard has been a very valuable piece off the bench for the Buckeyes this season. Averaging 5.7 points per game, Jallow has brought a bundle of energy to the defensive side of the floor, and Holtmann had to find other ways to fill his usual 22 minutes per game against the Huskers.

A good chunk of these minutes instead went to Jimmy Sotos and Eugene Brown. While neither guy did much on the offensive end, they were both strong on defense, with the freshman Brown hauling in an impressive six rebounds and Sotos pulling down three and adding an assist. The extra minutes also allowed for Justice Sueing to play a bit of a bigger role, having his best performance over the last four games as he finished with 12 points and six boards.

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Buckeye Bits: Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott will miss the Sugar Bowl, Wyatt Davis is a consensus first-team All-American
Tia Johnston via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images

All of the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond.

I’m not even going to write an intro for today’s Buckeye Bits. Instead, I am just going to leave this here:


Now that you’ve run through a brick wall, let’s catch up on all of today’s headlines surrounding the Sugar Bowl, a positive COVID-19 test for Clemson, All-American updates, and more.

But first, here are all the goods you’ll find on our homepage:

Playoff news...


Clemson will be without its offensive coordinator and running backs coach Tony Elliott— who is a Broyles Award winner and is in his first season as the sole offensive coordinator for the Tigers— on Friday due to COVID-19 protocol. He will not be making the trip to New Orleans with the rest of the team and may not have any communications with the rest of the coaching staff during the game.


While this news is a sucker punch for Clemson, they certainly won’t be short-handed. QB coach and pass game coordinator Brandon Streeter or even Dabo Swinney himself will likely take over the offensive play calling for the Tigers.


Hypothetically, of course...


If this COVID-19 situation escalates, not all hope is lost. The playoff committee has put makeup dates in place for both the semifinals and the championship game if a postponement were to occur.

More All-American honors...


The Football Writers Association of America released their 77th annual All-America Team Wednesday afternoon, and Wyatt Davis made first-team All-American. Davis is on his way to becoming an unanimous All-American, as he was named a first-team All-American by both Sporting News and the AP as well. The Walter Camp Football Foundation and American Football Coaches Association have yet to release their teams.

Garrett Wilson and Shaun Wade were picked as second-team All-Americans. This is Wilson’s first All-American nod, while Wade was named first-team All-American by Sporting News and AP voters.

Worth noting...


Kirk Herbstreit announced on Tuesday night that he has tested positive for COVID-19, and is, thankfully, “feeling good.” He will still be on the call for the Sugar Bowl, announcing the game from his house.


Kirk Herbstreit, aka the Ohio State alum with two sons who play for Clemson and another who just committed to Ohio State, has many thoughts on this matchup, as you can imagine.


Wait, is it snowing in Columbus AGAIN?!

Tonight...


Don’t forget to catch the No. 25 men’s basketball Buckeyes host Nebraska this evening at 6:30 p.m. ET. Adam Jardy wrote about the lessons learned as well as what the team needs to fix to get back on track after their loss to Northwestern.


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DZ83CK said:

Sweet!! Glad you didn't get hosed by that fluke 6 TD game.

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It def wasn't looking good for awhile lol

Fungo Squiggly said:

TSUN to a Texas, eh? He does have a type....

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That's like jumping off the Titanic to grab a prime deck chair on the Lusitania.

In the transfer portal....

Committed to the Catholic school in Indiana… ND

Committed to UCLA