Column: Ryan Day is okay with Justin Fields getting sacked and you should be too
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 Steve Nurenberg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
If the Buckeyes are going to reach their potential this season, it’s going to have to involve some risks.

Man, 2020 has been a weird year, huh? Working from home, virtual school, Zoom parties, we’ve all had to accept things that in the before times we would have been uncomfortable with. But, such is life, right?

That philosophy of rolling with the punches during this global pandemic should apply to how we watch our favorite college football team as well. For example, I know that as fans, we are conditioned to hate seeing our team’s quarterback get sacked, and when said QB is as otherworldly talented as Justin Fields is, you doubly (triply?) hate the idea that any sack could potentially lead to a season-ending injury.

But, to paraphrase one of the sterling examples of the now nearly extinct genre of television theme songs, “You take the good, you take the bad, and there you have the sacks of Fields.”

One of the few complaints that fans had about Fields’ play in 2019 was that he had a tendency to hold onto the ball too long, leading to far too many sacks for a quarterback of his athleticism and with as many weapons as the Buckeyes deploy on each play. I certainly was one that would scream, “Just get rid of it,’” at the TV anytime a defender chased him down in the backfield.

But, as Ohio State head coach Ryan Day explained on Tuesday during his weekly press conference, he doesn’t mind the sacks too much, because they are a byproduct of Fields doing what he does best, making plays.


Day said, “For every sack, you’re going to get two or three extended plays,” meaning that If Fields is sacked three times in a game — like he was by the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday — there are another six to nine nice plays that he is also making, because he is extending plays beyond what a normal QB would be able to do.

So for every sack, Fields is finding a late-breaking wide receiver, scrambling for a first down, and/or letting a route develop long enough so that he can hit a WR deep; and for Day that tradeoff is worth it.

Obviously, we all love seeing the crazy plays that Fields’ scrambling can create, but a lot of us are also terrified of what could happen if his knee is tweaked again like it was last year and he has to miss a drive, a quarter, or (Woody forbid) a game. Worse yet, what if he is hit in the head and sent into the concussion protocol for weeks on end?

With all due respect to Gunnar Hoak, Jack Miller III, and C.J. Stroud, the shape of the season would be irrevocably changed by having them behind center instead of Fields. So, there are ample reasons why hating Fields getting sacked makes sense. But, while I’m sure Day doesn’t particularly like it either, he’s comfortable with the risk, and honestly, that’s all we should need to know.

You might be thinking to yourself, “Self, isn’t there a happy medium between a Justin Fields sack-fest and him making insane street ball plays on the reg?” And, if you are smart, you might reply, “Self, that’s kind of what we are getting now, isn’t it?”

Fields was only sacked three times in the season opener, and if you trust him to make game-defining decisions on designed plays, you should trust him to do it when those plays break down as well.

For most of the last two decades in Ohio State football history, the program has played things safe. Whether that was Jim Tressel’s punt-focused approach or Urban Meyer’s obsession with J.T. Barrett right/J.T. Barrett left/J.T. Barrett up the middle. Now, don’t get me wrong, both of those coaches won national titles for which I am eternally grateful, but they both also underachieved more times than they would likely prefer to admit.

Winning 11-12 games per year and dominating the Big Ten is great, and there’s nothing wrong with that being A goal, but it shouldn’t be THE goal. To be able to not only get to the playoffs, but to actually play for and win College Football Playoff titles on a regular basis, you can’t take the safe, easy route.

Whether it’s Nick Saban changing quarterbacks at halftime in the title game, or Dabo Swinney hitching his wagon to a true-freshman, you have to be willing to take risks to chase the ultimate prize, and this is what Day is doing with Fields. Between scrambles and designed runs, OSU’s QB1 ran the ball 12 times on Saturday for a sack-adjusted 75 yards and a touchdown.

Conventional wisdom (and many on the OSU beat) would say that that’s too much; that the coaches are putting Fields in danger and jeopardizing Ohio State’s season every time he holds onto the ball sack or otherwise. And, if you are looking at it from the safe, old school mentality that we grew up on, sure, that makes sense. But we are living in a different era of football now.

By playing things as close to the proverbial vest as possible, what teams and players are actually doing is limiting their ceiling, putting a cap on their potential. Day knows that this year’s Buckeyes have the potential to be truly special, and he doesn’t want to do anything that could prevent them from achieving each and every one of their incredibly lofty goals.

Wherever the Buckeyes end up this season, there is no doubt that Justin Fields will be the one driving them; and sure, injuries could end up derailing the enter thing, and that would suck. But, if we want to see Ohio State reclaim the crown as college football’s best team, we have to trust both Fields and Day and get used to the idea that sacks happen, and that’s okay.


After some unexpected start and stops, I am back to posting a column every single day from preseason camp until whenever Ohio State’s football season ends. Some days they will be longer and in depth, some days they will be short and sweet. Let me know what you think of this one, and what you’d like to see me discuss in the comments or on Twitter. Go Bucks!

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#MOTSAGRising: Studs and Duds
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

1-0! Yes, there are still games going on, but the Buckeyes are done for the day and we here at The Men of the Scarlet and Gray need something to accompany Mike’s post game review. His analysis was spot on and I have a few tidbits to add to it! Here we go!

1. STUD: Justin Fields was efficient and poised for the entirety of the game amid getting off to a slow start and being sacked four times. Fields finished the game with 2 passing touchdowns after slinging it 21 times, with a single incomplete pass. He rushed 15 times for 54 yards and a score as well. Coach Day would need to prevent that many rushing attempts, but the line collapsed and his receivers were covered tightly during those plays–so lets see if they will improve against Penn State. For now lets enjoy the win!
2. STUDS: Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba were balling out today! The duo of Wilson and Olave were a given, but toe-tapping action Jaxon stole the show! We all heard the hype about the inbound group of elite receivers, but wow is all we can say. For contrast, this catch and debut reminds me of Olave’s explosive debut against TTUN, but with less usage and just a splendid catch that made an impact. The future of Zone 6 is definitely bright, but the dangerous duo of Wilson and Olave grabbing 13 catches for 233 yards and a score will a staple of this years offensive attack.
3. DUDS: A combination of the Slobs, Sermon and Teague started off too slow, landing them on the dud-side of things. Not by a lack of effort or talent, but they did not fare too well and it limited the offense as a whole during the first half. Let me explain before I get blown up–the offensive line got beat up early and often before turning it around in the second half. While it is true that their line is elite, they are still bringing along two new starters at Left Guard and Right Tackle and they look like they need additional time to gel. The thunder and lightning combination of Sermon and Teague need to be better too as they looked hesitant to hit the holes aggressively when they had them. Sermon looked good late while Teague had little to no wiggle and looks to hulk-smash defenders with his style of play. I have faith that they’ll get better, but this is just a minor setback for a major comeback.
4. DUDS: Linebacker tackling, D-Line pass rushers, and tackling. Linebacker has always been a problem for the Buckeyes, but this week featured the trio of Borland, Browning, and Werner leaving tight ends open in the seams and the flats–and it is infuriating as always. The tackling could be better, but they did enough to stop the bleeding during the second half. The D-Line needs to provide consistent pressure and they need to do better with containing and stopping the quarterback runs. For the defense as a whole–they need tackle better, but again–they shut them down late. Overall great showing and promise. They need to fine tune things a bit, but the promised return of the vaunted Silver Bullets is achievable this early in the season and we are just a game into this short season.
5. STUD: Haskell Garrett’s return. Garrett attempt to stop a fight this offseason resulted in him getting shot in the face and it seems like he has recovered. Garrett finished game one with a sack and a forced fumble that led to a Banks touchdown–which ultimately shifted the momentum toward Ohio State and halted the Nebraska offensive attack. Hopefully his stellar performance in week one will pave it forward because the confidence is there, but they need more people to step up in the absence of a dominant pass rusher like Joey and Nick Bosa and Chase Young. They have the pieces but they need to step up against Penn State.

#GoBucks




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#MOTSAGRising #NewBlood Amid Slow Start, Buckeyes Roll, and Impress Late by Mike Scharf
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

No. 5 Ohio State officially started their quest in its pursuit of another second-straight College Football playoff run, pulling away with a 52-17 win against Nebraska. Although the Buckeyes led after every quarter, they only led 24-14 at halftime, but ended taking control of the game, dominating the second half out scoring Nebraska 28-3.

As the fifth-ranked Buckeyes opened their season against Nebraska things were looking interesting early. As noted, the ability to run the ball with dual-threat quarterbacks Adrian Martinez and Luke McCaffrey was going to be a key factor heading into the game and the duo showed up poised and confident. Nebraka took advantage of an Ohio State defense that lost seven starters to the NFL draft and marched 75 yards in four plays for a game-opening touchdown drive, a drive that took less than 2 minutes. As Nebraka stuck with the ground game, the Buckeyes defense tightened up over the course of the game, allowing one touchdown and causing a couple of second-half fumbles.

The Justin Fields Heisman campaign is officially underway and it didn’t disappoint. The Junior quarterback had a flawless 2020 debut. Fields completed 20-of-21 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns along with 54 yards on the ground and one touchdown. Along with Fields his wide receiver core did not let down. Garrett Wilson (seven catches, 129 yards, and one touchdown), Chris Olave (six catches, 104 yards), and notably an incredible highlight toe-tapping touchdown catch by freshman Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the back of the endzone in the fourth quarter.

Going forward, the Buckeye coaches have stressed enough not relying on Fields in the running game. Fields was two yards shy of being the team’s leader in today’s game with 54 yards on 15 attempts. Though Nebraska defense came to play and looked very much improved from a year ago. The effort to replace JK Dobbins’ was on full display as three running backs saw quality time on different drives. The trio of Master Teague, Oklahoma transfer Trey Sermon and redshirt freshman Steele Chambers combined for 128 yards on 27 carries.

Next weekend is possibly the Buckeyes biggest test of the season as they travel to Happy Valley. The Buckeyes and Nittany Lions will clash in a 7:30 primetime game on ABC.




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The Clash of Allies: Nebraska Cornhuskers vs #5 Ohio State Buckeyes by Mike Scharf
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

After the Big Ten cancelled the 2020 football season in August, and then reversed that decision last month, Ohio State’s pursuit for another CFB Playoff trip starts this week as Nebraska comes into Columbus to take on the Buckeyes.

The Buckeyes and Cornhuskers are meeting for the seventh time since Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011. The Buckeyes have won seven of eight matchups including five straight. This Buckeye team is starting their season in October for the first time since 1939.

The Big Ten was the first power 5 conference to cancel its fall schedule, only for the decision to be backpedaled due to constant strategies within the conference along with an eight week schedule that features eight games with no off dates. The Buckeyes and Cornhuskers both voiced their opinions strongly on the desire to play so it’s only right these two face off in Ohio stadium this weekend.

Ohio State fell just short of a visit to the national championship game last season losing to Clemson 29-23 in the CFB semifinal, but this Buckeye squad led by Head Coach Ryan Day reloaded for another run at it this season. Day returns a Heisman Trophy Finalist at quarterback in Justin Fields, one of the best offensive lines in the country, along one of the most talented wide receiver groups in recent years, and a stout defense.

The Buckeyes will also have some new faces displaying their ability this weekend with Oklahoma transfer running back Trey Sermon and a talented freshman recruiting class led by the receiving core of Julian Fleming, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Gee Scott.

Like Day, Nebraska coach Scott Frost also re-establishes some key members for his squad. Notably starting quarterback Adrian Martinez along with a returning offensive line. Martinez was in a fight for the starting job as redshirt freshman Luke McCaffrey, who offers a unique, similar skill set as a dual-threat quarterback for the Cornhuskers. So the Buckeyes defense needs to have their focus on both quarterbacks come game time as both could see snaps. The offensive front for the Cornhuskers is experienced as they get returning all five starters from last year including three seniors in tackle Brenden Jaimes, and guards Boe Wilson, Matt Farnoik.

There’s no denying the notable talent gap between the two programs as the Buckeyes have won its last five games against the Cornhuskers in dominating fashion and is 7-1 all-time including a 48-7 matchup in Lincoln last year. Many are expecting Ohio State’s high-powered offense to blow the doors off Nebraska. Although it shouldn’t be eye opening if Nebraska makes some plays on the offensive side of the ball as Ohio State’s defense is playing its first game without seven starters who were all drafted into the NFL including two of the top three picks in Chase Young, and Jeff Okudah.

SCORE PREDICTION: 52-20




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Fans Interact: Pre-Season Roundtable; Todd, Brad, Abe and Elizabeth Take on the pre-season
Chris 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 will do some various fans interacts this season and we kick things off with a roundtable that our staff had already answered earlier on. Please click on there link in their names and give them a follow! They did an awesome job answering some difficult questions.

Who do you believe had the best offseason considering all of the COVID issues they had. Explain why this player exceeded your expectations.


Easy Pick

Elizabeth – Justin Fields elevated himself as one of the leaders for the team during the unpredictable off season. His leadership in social issues in the country has engaged him in a unique way. His drive to reinstate Buckeye football was relentless. His resilience through the adversity cemented his image as a leader in multiple ways. He has dedicated himself to a strong year on the field as quarterback. He by far exceeded what I expected from a player as the Big Ten cancelled the season. He is set to lead the team and teach the next generations of players. It is exciting what we have witnessed to this point.

Brad – Obviously It’s Justin Fields , I wouldn’t say he exceeded my expectations however he did step up to be the Leader I thought he could be. Harry Miller is definitely going to be a future leader of this team. Anyone who has watched his Twitter post would agree.

Todd – I think it’s a toss up for me between Justin and Wade, Justin had taken on a bigger leadership role and wants that Natty, Wade didn’t want his last game in a buckeye uniform to end like it did…both will play lights out this year

Abe – I gotta go with Fields. By all accounts he has become the vocal leader that he was not last year. Faced with sitting and watching the games play out after the interception and then in the delay due to C19 (that’s the new cool way to refer to it), he has used that fire just like he should. Drive others and push yourself.

What defensive player is going to shock the world and why?


Think the Buckeyes will miss this guy?

Elizabeth – I’m going with junior safety Josh Proctor to be a defensive player to shock college football. Last season he had four tackles with three solo in the College Football Playoff Semifinal against Clemson. I think he returns with that drive and energy.

Brad – Zach Harrison is definitely going to have to step up to be the next in line for a dominating Defensive End. Pete Werner could actually wind up being an All-American & a first round draft choice with another solid season & I’d really like to see Kerry Coombs turn Josh Proctor Loose this season he has a potential to be like Jack Tatum or Antwan Winfield Sr. A freshman to watch is going to be Cameron Martinez . How Captain Khaki let him get out of the state up north is going to haunt him for years.

Todd – I also think Browning, I feel the same as Abe, he has a year under him now and a year of the best coaching in CFB, look for him to step up and make plays

Abe – I typically like to figure out freak athletes or someone that has all of the skills and manages to put it together, last year I said that Arnette was going to have a very solid year and that Browning would emerge as a playmaker. Arnette did have a very good year, albeit with a broken wrist. Browning was steady, although not a playmaker. This year, after a year under his belt watch for Browning to shine and make those big plays. My sleeper is a backup that could be thrust into the rotation with an injury at LB, Terdja Mitchell. Took too much speed to leave on the bench..

What offensive player is going to shock the world and why?


Elizabeth – I’m taking sophomore wide receiver Garrett Wilson as the offensive player to shock the world. He made extraordinary catches with amazing balance and agility as a freshman. I know he’s been taking reps in the slot and Hartline likes him in this position to add to the receiving plays. He learned from K. J. Hill has increased his time watching films. I predict an exciting year offensively.

Brad – Take your pick of any of the Freshman members of Zone 6 Fleming,Scott Jr, Cooper ,Smith -Njigba will all add depth. The outside duo of Olave & Williams are going to cause a lot of problems for defenses when Ohio State goes over the top & with Wilson moving to the slot is going to be a nightmare for B1G DC’s.

Todd – Master…kids gonna run angry and has a chip on his shoulder to prove he can do it, and he’ll do it

Abe – How did I know you were going to ask this question now? The popular pick will be Wilson, but I don’t think he is a shocker, he is just a stud. Someone that comes out of nowhere and has a chance to really surprise people is what I am thinking of….. And in this case, another receiver is the pick. Not one of those super freshmen that this class contains, but a super-sophomore, Jameson Williams. Not only does his first name resonate with good times, but that kid is faster than….. well, I don’t know, he is just fast. I think he could fill the Parris Campbell role on crossing patterns using that blazing speed. Rumors are swirling that he might return punts…… please let us have someone return punts that can take it to the house each and every time they touch it! I mean Ted Ginn and Santonio Holmes style…..As it is written, so let it be done.

What will be the average score during the season, and will it be because Coombs and Johnson are back together or because Ryan Day wants to hang a hundred on everybody?


This is a “friendly” rivalry and good teammates for getting B1G back on, but will Day score a lot of points Saturday?

Elizabeth – The Buckeye team is poised and motivated to take care of the unfinished goal of winning it all last year. With all sides of the ball feeling the motivation and drive and the crew of premier coaches, I can see them scoring 35-42 points a game. Ryan Day may just outshine the entire NCAA in coaching successes this year. The way he fought for his players will produce amazing results from the team to #Fight. I don’t think I’ve been more excited for a season to begin.

Brad – 42 points per game average.Offensively they will be able to score at will. My Concern is Defensively & the Middle of the defensive line Tommy Togiai is going to be an absolute beast but are Taron Vincent (shoulder) & Haskell Garrett going to be healthy enough to give him a rest instead of playing 50 snaps a game if they have to use Cormontae Hamilton (true freshman) or Darrion Henry-Young also a true freshman could be a huge issue.

Todd – 35-42 probably, I’m not sure Ryan will hang a ton of points on teams because he’s not that guy, now when it come to the last game, watch for him to go all out and hang 70+ on them

Abe – This entire team should be angry the way the game ended with Clemson. Not just Fields and Olave. The running back, the O-line, the defense….. Every…single….unit. That being said, I look for the margin of victory to be high, probably 40 as an average.

What is your prediction for the season and will there be games lost due to COVID?


Elizabeth – This is the greatest question we all wonder about with the start of the 2020 season a week away. The Buckeye team of players, coaches, and family members are making tremendous sacrifices to finish a complete season healthy. We have the depth to have a team on the field if players test positive. My greatest hope is we all stay healthy. I believe there will be interruptions to teams in the conference. Hopefully nothing happens to keep Buckeyes and TTUN from playing each other for the 116 time. I know the safety protocols will be a possible reason for lost games.

Brad – I honestly don’t know, let it play out. One thing for sure is the Genuses who run this conference left no room for error. At the time of this round table The NFL , & S.E.C are having Issues. Even Saban has Covid ( False Negative) & Florida has over 20 players Including Mullen that have tested positive , they have to move their game with L.S.U to December 12th. Cincinnati also has to move their game with Tulsa. With all that said anything short of a National Championship is going to be a major disappointment.

Todd – tough to answer that 1, I don’t think there will be any lost games at least not because of us, these kids are on a mission to get that Natty and are doing whatever it takes to keep from getting sick….it’s National Champs or bust this year

Abe – I don’t think there will be lost games….at least I hope not. I think we need to figure out how to play with this virus. By that, I mean using our 2nd team player when and if someone comes down with it. At their age and condition, they should only need 10 days according to the CDC, once they are fever free. Why the B1G chose 21 days is beyond me…. Hopefully they will revisit it as these kids need each and every game to display their abilities.




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#MOTSAGRising Depth Chart Preview: The Specialists
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

For the last position group available, I will tackle the vaunted specialist group that is leaned upon during crunch time. Whether it is to flip the field position or to score field goals, either group can be crucial to the team’s overall success against opposing teams. Not only are they viable weapons in the kicking game, the Long Snapper position and the returners are also a part of this group.

First the kicker, Blake Haubeil is the leading leg that is on his fifth year with the program. He is as experienced as any, but there could be some room for improvement. He was nearly automatic making 23 of 28 field goals for a respectable 81%. He also has made all of his extra point attempts, making 122 total through two seasons. Total points so far? 258 is the current number, but that could grow into a larger one after this season due to the sheer explosiveness of this years offense.

The bottle flipping champion of the world Drue Chrisman will re-engage the team as their starting punter. Like he flips his bottles, he will flip the field with his leg to trap teams inside of their 10-yard line or deeper during games. A weapon like this is useful for a defensive-minded team like Ohio State that forces teams to take the entirety of the field to possibly score. The field position battle will be important and this aspect is in capable hands to turn the tide in tight games.

The back-ups for both of the previous positions would be Dominic DiMaccio and Jake Seibert at the #2 and #3 positions respectively. DiMaccio, a walk-on at Missouri is doing the same for this years team. He will compete with Siebert, a signee from the 2020 class for the top spot after Haubeil departs for the NFL. Either way, the talent is definitely there for the not-so-distant future.

The same could be said for the punter position. Behind Chrisman there Zach Hoover and a class of 2021 commit, Jesse Mirco from Australia. Same situation from the kicker position, the punters have good competition behind Chrisman and they too will duke it out the following off-season for the starting gig.

For the long snapper position, Roen McCullough continues the family tradition of long snappers. His brother Liam was the 2019 seasons long snapper and he will look to continue in the Scarlet and Gray. Behind McCullough, Bradley Robinson is right there.

Finally, the returners. Returners can be used to score and to flip the field–and Garrett Wilson and Demario McCall are the kick and the punt returners respectively. Sure, there can be other people behind them, but they have established themselves a season ago. Sure, both have botched or muffed a few, but that is the exciting part about special teams. You just never know where it’ll leave a mark.

I am hoping for a lot of fireworks, but I am hoping for special teams type of fireworks. The last three special teams touchdowns? The most recent was in 2014, where Jalin Marshall took it to the house against Indiana. There was also the time where Jordan Hall did the same thing against The Team Up North in 2010.

If Ohio State wants to succeed, they might want to get back to returning kicks and punts for scores, but it’ll come in time and this offense is potent enough to do without. BUT, I won’t be too upset if they start tearing it up from this aspect either. They have plenty of ammo and weapons to field two full squads of “starters” waiting in the wings, but until they are asked to step up, we will just have to hope that they wait and be patient as they bide their time.

And there you have it folks! All aspects of this years teams broken down by Chris and I–and I really hope that you all enjoyed it! Thank you for the love and support. As we look ahead, I personally cannot wait to do more content for the Buckeyes and my team is also itching to get back to the best part of the year.

#GoBucks

#BeatNebraska




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Buckeye Bits: Ryan Day previews Penn State, Chris Olave’s availability, more
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
All of the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond.

I don't know about you guys, but there’s just a different feeling in the air the week after an Ohio State win. There isn’t all that much going right in the world as we speak, but the return of the Buckeyes has brought at least some semblance of normalcy to a crazy period of time.

If there were any questions as to just how excited Buckeye Nation is to have football back, the TV ratings from this past weekend give a pretty clear-cut answer. With nearly 6.2 million viewers, the Ohio State-Nebraska game was the second most-watched college football game on any network this season, trailing only the Alabama-Georgia game.


We will likely see an even larger number this weekend, as despite the Nittany Lions’ stumble in their season opener against Indiana, the Ohio State-Penn State Halloween showdown still has massive implications for the rest of the Big Ten season.

Speaking of that matchup, let’s get to today’s headlines.

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...


Looking back at five key factors in Ohio State’s win over Nebraska
(Matt Tamanini, LGHL)

Before the game on Saturday, Matt highlighted five things he would be looking for in Ohio State’s season opener. With the game now in the rearview, he looks back at those factors and how they played out.

Basketball Buckeyes host virtual visit with 2022 PG
(Dan Hessler, LGHL)

The Ohio State football team has taken over 99.9% of the headlines these past few weeks — understandably so — but that doesn’t mean Chris Holtmann isn’t still putting in work.

Podcast: Talking Ohio State-Nebraska analytics with College Football Nerds
(Matt Tamanini, LGHL)

On the latest episode of In Conversation, Matt sits down with Josh from College Football Nerds to dive into Ohio State’s performance on Saturday, as well as preview the upcoming battle with Penn State.

Buckeye Clips: NFL Week 7 highlights
(Gene Ross, LGHL)

It was a great weekend for the Buckeye alum showcasing their talents in the NFL, as Terry McLaurin showed up an opposing DB and Denzel Ward created new ways to be awesome.

Firsthand Look: Black Shoe Diaries previews Penn State
(Tia Johnston, LGHL)

We will have more coming in terms of collabs with SB Nation’s Penn State blog Black Shoe Diaries later this week, but for now we take a look back at their preseason preview of the Nittany Lions — although some things have already changed since then.

From around the gridiron...


Ryan Day kicked off Penn State week with a press conference on Tuesday, wherein he talked about some key aspects of the Nebraska game as well as looking ahead to Saturday night’s primetime contest.

Of course one of the main storylines from game one was the return of Haskell Garrett, who returned just two months after being shot in the face. Day had lots of praise for Garrett, who recorded a sack in the 52-17 blowout.


He was asked a bit about the run game, both in terms of the two-back system as well as his feelings on Justin Fields carrying the ball as much as he did. Day admitted he wants to see more out of the running game moving forward, but isn’t overly concerned about it, and isn’t worried about them not being able to get into a rhythm as a result of the rotation.


In terms of Fields, he says you will live with taking a few sacks as he tries to extend plays, because a lot of the times his scrambling allows you to pick up yards you wouldn’t have gotten otherwise if he just threw the ball away.


Speaking about Chris Olave, who left Saturday’s game with an injury, Day was not clear about the status of the talented wide receiver, saying they will “see how it goes as the week goes along.”


Moving forward to Penn State, Day says good teams show big improvements from Week 1 to Week 2, so this weekend will be a real test for the Buckeyes. Despite their loss to Indiana, Day thinks very highly of the Nittany Lions, saying that they looked excellent and that the final score did not really tell the story of the game.


Finally, Day is not yet ready to choose a winner in the battle for the backup QB job, and that Jack Miller’s appearance as the first man off the bench is not an indication he is ahead in that area.


Haskell Garrett was up next to the podium, and he talked about the great help he got from the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center as well as Ohio State’s training staff in the aftermath of the shooting. He did not want to go back and detail any of the events that went on that night, and instead just wants to focus on football.

Garrett has undergone multiple surgeries in the road to recovery, including a bone graft in his mouth. He is missing five teeth from the incident, and he has been mostly on a liquid diet as a result.


Garrett was incredibly happy to get back on the field and contribute the way he did. He lauded the work of the defensive tackle group as a whole, and said he has been able to lean on his teammates a lot throughout this process.


Josh Myers was up next, and he admitted there are things that need to be fixed along the offensive line after their first performance. He isn’t worried about anything, however, as he says any issues they had in that game are fixable.


Myers had lots of praise for Wyatt Davis and Harry Miller, and also firmly believes in Ohio State’s running back room. He said Nicholas Petit-Frere did very well in his first start as well. Myers was also very impressed with Garrett’s return to practice right from the initial play.


Garrett Wilson was the last person to speak on Tuesday, and he began by talking about how the extended offseason allowed he and Justin Fields to get really comfortable together. While Day wasn’t very upfront about Olave’s injury, the sophomore wide receiver feels “super confident” that his running mate will play against Penn State.


Wilson likes his new role in the slot, but is comfortable bouncing back and forth as well. He says his previous experience playing basketball has made him a better receiver.

From around the Big Ten


Usually the last segment of Buckeye Bits is a mixed bag of miscellaneous news stories, but there are a lot of big topics to discuss from around the rest of the conference today.

For starters, things are not looking so great in Wisconsin. Quarterback Graham Mertz has officially tested positive for COVID-19, and will have to sit out for the next 21 days as per Big Ten protocols. Mertz was filling in for the injured Jack Coan, and looked awesome in his debut. Mertz’s backup, Chase Wolf, also reportedly tested positive for COVID-19, but is still awaiting confirmation.


More bad news for another Big Ten program, Penn State will be without running back Noah Cain for the remainder of the season after suffering an injury against Indiana. Cain was already starting in place of Journey Brown, who is out with a medical condition.

From everywhere else...


Florida continues to struggle with COVID-19 — both the state and the football program.


The Michigan fan who threatened Ohio State players in coaches back in 2018 has been sentenced to jail time. Good riddance.


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Firsthand Look: Black Shoe Diaries previews Penn State
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 Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Here’s what SB Nation’s Penn State site had to say about the Buckeyes’ second opponent

In preparation of the (super weird) 2020 college football season, the Big Ten blogs of SB Nation joined forces, providing each other with previews of our respective teams. We all answered the same questions with the goal of informing our opponents what they’re up against this season.

Here’s what Black Shoe Diaries’ Jared Slanina had to say about Ohio State’s second 2020 opponent, the Penn State Nittany Lions.

(Disclaimer: This was written before the season began, so some things— such as the mentioning of Journey Brown— no longer apply)

Overview of 2020 Nittany Lions


“Penn State returns its starting quarterback, 4 of 5 offensive linemen (with the new starter with extensive playing time under his belt), a stable of talented backs led by Journey Brown... and only one wide receiver with any practical experience. It will be crucial for at least two young wideouts to emerge early in the season and for Sean Clifford to quickly build a rapport with them as KJ Hamler is no longer around to bail out the offense like he did so often the last two seasons.

The strength of the defense will be the linebackers, even with the departure of Micah Parsons. The defensive line returns plenty of talent and should be deeper than in recent years, but will need to get after the quarterback with more consistency throughout the season. The secondary was exposed toward the end of the season and could again be a liability against opponents with a quality quarterback.”

Team’s key departures


KJ Hamler (WR)

Yetur Gross-Matos (DE)

Micah Parsons (LB)

Ricky Rahne (O)

Team’s key returnees


Journey Brown (RB) — has not played due to a medical condition discovered during the offseason, return is unknown but he could potentially miss the entire 2020 season

Sean Clifford (QB)

Shaka Toney (DE)

Pat Freiermuth (TE)

True freshmen or transfers that will make an instant impact


KeAndre Lambert Smith (WR)

Parker Washington (WR)

Curtis Jacobs (LB)

Lance Dixon (LB)

Biggest strength


“A stable of talented running backs guided by a veteran offensive line”

Biggest weakness


“A lack of experience at wide receiver”

How does your fanbase feel about your coach and his staff?


“The fanbase is largely happy with what James Franklin has done in Happy Valley, especially getting the program consistently in the top 10 and winning a Big Ten championship well ahead of schedule. The biggest questions are if he can ever get past Ohio State on a regular basis (tall order) and if those disturbing fourth quarter collapses in big games is behind him. With that being said, there is a vocal minority who think that he should be fired, every player cut, and the stadium torn down every time they lose a game — or heck, don’t win by 40+ points.”

Team’s MVP


“I’ll go with tight end Pat Freiermuth, who has an excellent shot at being a first-team All-American and winner of the Mackey Award. He will play an even more essential role as Penn State works to break in several inexperienced wide receivers.”

Predict your team’s record, its best win, and a potential surprise loss


(Again, this was written before Game 1, aka before Penn State’s loss to Indiana. I’m impressed.)

“7-1, win them all but Ohio State. However, I wouldn’t be shocked if they lose at Indiana, where they always seem to be stuck in slow motion, or drop one against Iowa or Michigan, who they play in back-to-back weeks.”

What else should we know about your team this year?


“Penn State is set up for success more so than the last two seasons, but it will be a moot point if they cannot get past Ohio State for the first time since 2016.”


Thanks to Jared of Black Shoe Diaries for giving great insight on Penn State ahead of the season opener. You can follow them on Twitter here.

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Buckeye Clips: NFL Week 7 highlights
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images
Terry McLaurin bullies people, Carlos Hyde steps up in Sunday’s NFL action

What a past few days of football it has been!

Sure, the NFL has been going for seven weeks now, but this weekend really felt like the true start of football season with the return of Ohio State and the rest of the Big Ten. We got to see the current crop of Buckeyes in action for the first time on Saturday, but OSU alum have been putting on a show in the league for nearly two months now, and that was no different this time around.

The Rookies


Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Davon Hamilton had himself an afternoon in an otherwise subpar performance for his team overall. The first-year man racked up eight total tackles — tied for second-most in the game — with one tackle for loss and two QB hits. He was recognized by Pro Football Focus for his efforts, finishing as the highest-graded defensive rookie of the week.


Speaking of former Ohio State defensive linemen, Chase Young was solid once again for the Washington Football Team. The No. 2 overall pick tallied a team-high six tackles on Sunday in WFT’s 25-3 win over the Dallas Cowboys, and was also credited with four QB hurries. According to PFF, Young ranks fourth in the NFL in run stop percentage, behind only T.J. Watt, Demarcus Lawrence and Cameron Jordan.

May I remind you that this man is only 21 years old?


Other miscellaneous news and notes for Buckeye rookies

• It was an especially quiet week for first-year Ohio State alum, as many find themselves either on the injured reserve (Damon Arnette, Jordan Fuller) or on a bye week (J.K. Dobbins, Malik Harrison).
• Jeff Okudah recorded four tackles and a pass breakup for the Detroit Lions. The rookie corner has struggled early in his NFL career, however he was rated the best run defending CB in the league in Week 7 by PFF.
• Jonah Jackson started at left guard for the Lions.

The Veterans


As if you needed any additional reasons to love Terry McLaurin, he had one heck of a weekend both on and off the field. For starters, he absolutely embarrassed Trevon Diggs with a 52-yard TD after the two had words before the play. He then celebrated by rocking the baby in his face. We stan Scary Terry.


Afterwords, he showed his leadership with a great postgame locker room speech.


After an injury to starting RB Chris Carson in the first half, the Seattle Seahawks turned to Carlos Hyde to shoulder the load the rest of the way. The former OSU back put in a solid performance off the bench, rushing for 68 yards on 15 carries, including this long TD in the second quarter.


Much like McLaurin, Joey Bosa looked great on Sunday both during and after the game. In the Los Angeles Chargers’ 39-29 win over the Jaguars, Bosa tallied three total tackles with one tackle for loss and half a sack.


After the game, he shared some of his pass-rushing wizardry with Jags defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson. If I had gone to another school to play football, I would also love to learn a few tips from a Larry Johnson disciple. Good to see Bosa paying it forward.


It wouldn’t be an NFL weekend without a former member of BIA making plays. Denzel Ward showed off a brand new trick in the Cleveland Browns’ 37-34 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, sliding past a blocker to pick up a TFL on a wide receiver screen. Ward finished the afternoon with six total tackles and three pass breakups.


Curtis Samuel continues to do a little bit of everything for the Carolina Panthers. In his team’s 27-24 loss to the New Orleans Saints, Samuel caught six passes for 48 yards while also rushing for a 5-yard TD. On the season, he now has 231 yards through the air to go along with 72 yards on the ground.


Other miscellaneous news and notes for Buckeye veterans

• Vonn Bell had a team-high eight total tackles for the Bengals.
• Ezekiel Elliott had 12 carries for 45 yards for the Dallas Cowboys.
• Dre’Mont Jones had two tackles and a sack for the Denver Broncos.
• Marshon Lattimore had a team-high six total tackles for the Saints.
• Kendall Sheffield had six tackles for the Atlanta Falcons
• Taylor Decker, Michael Jordan, Corey Linsley and Andrew Norwell all started along the offensive line for their respective teams.

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Basketball Buckeyes host virtual visit with 2022 PG
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Four-star PG Avery Brown | via Twitter @_averybrown3
Chris Holtmann and the Ohio State basketball program met with one of the top guard prospects in the 2022 recruiting class.

Following Ohio State’s first win of the 2020 football season, understandably all focus is centered around the football program — especially considering the season is one that not too long ago seemed unlikely to even take place.

However, Chris Holtmann and the basketball Buckeyes are determined to continue making progress with every new campaign. The first step in building on the recent success is recruiting. Holtmann has proven in his time at Ohio State that he is one of the nation’s top recruiters, and this pedigree has grown even more since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The work continued Monday when Holtmann and his staff visited with 2022 point guard target Avery Brown (Beacon Falls, CT/Northfield Mount Herman) as was first reported by Jake Weingarten of stockrisers.com.


Ohio State has yet to offer Brown, but one could be on the way following the virtual visit. If Holtmann and his staff do decide to offer, the Buckeyes will be throwing their name in an already crowded hat that only looks to get more crowded.

Brown has already received offers from the likes of Indiana, Nebraska, Penn State, Missouri, Kansas State, Virginia Tech and is receiving interest from Connecticut, Providence and now Ohio State.

While Brown has yet to name a leader, Big Ten foe Nebraska completed a virtual visit with Brown as well Monday, and after recently offering him, he appears to be a priority for them. Additionally, they would look to be the current leader in his recruitment.

Weingarten spoke with Brown about his recruiting interests and had the following to say about Ohio State.


The Buckeyes have been one of the hottest teams on the recruiting front in 2020. This offseason, Holtmann and Ohio State earned some of the top transfers eligible to play in the upcoming season, and the team currently holds claim to the No. 10 class in the nation for 2021 in the 247Sports Class Rankings.

Brown would be a big addition to Ohio State’s class, as he is current listed as the No. 18 point guard in the 2022 class and the No. 103 player in the nation overall in 247Sports’ rankings.

Quick Hits:

• A future Buckeye and one of the team’s top remaining prospects in this year’s class will receive their All-American Jerseys virtually this week in four-star RB commit Evan Pryor and five-star OT prospect Tristan Leigh.

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#MOTSAGRising Depth Chart Preview: Secondary
Chris 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

As deep and good as the front seven are the secondary may just be the best the Buckeyes have seen in recent years. The speed and talent covering opposing teams WR’s can be potent and led by one of the top prospects for next years NFL draft in Shaun Wade.

The starting line-up will more than likely not get a lot of breathers but they probably don’t need all that much with how quick the front seven will get after the opposing QB and give them time to help shutdown the run.

Wade is helped at CB on the other side by one of the coolest names in college football in Sevyn Banks. the safeties will probably be Junior Josh Proctor and Senior Marcus Williamson.

Red-shirt Sophomore Marcus Hooker is the one youngster everyone is hoping to see a lot of and most thing he has a lot of the same talent his older brother and former Buckeye Malik Hooker had when in the Scarlet and Grey.

Also look for Cameron Brown and true frosh Legond Cavazos to contribute when there’s opportunities.




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#MOTSAGRising Depth Chart Preview: Linebackers
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

Today friends we will be talking Linebackers and boy oh boy–they are deep at experienced at these positions! The Buckeyes have Captain Tuf Borland, Pete Werner, and Baron Browning taking up starting roles at the Linebacker. I am positive that Borland will take the lead at the Mike and both Werner and Browning would each be on the outside.

Behind them will be another talented group of back-ups in Dallas Gant, Teradja Mitchell, and Justin Hilliard. Behind them talent is still there and Tommy Eichenberg, Melton Mitchell, K’Vaughan Pope, Cody Simon, Craig Young, Trayvon Wilburn, and Cade Kacherski will be there to learn their own respective positions.

As starters, the collection of Borland, Browning, and Werner are one of the most experienced groups in the nation when considering both, the total downs being played and the impact plays they have made. Borland taking up middle will place a capable player to lead and call the audibles and the plays. Coming off a severe injury, he did well, but as a healthy body–I think he will do better this season.

Browning was playing at the Mike, but he will find himself on the outside and I think he will wreak havoc. Think how amazing it was to have Darron Lee–and I think it’ll be a similar fit scheme-wise and he will impact games for the Buckeyes. Browning was one of those players that has been buried by ballers ahead of him and this year will potentially be his last year with the program. He pondered leaving after last season, but like all others–he has returned for one last run.

Lastly, Pete Werner is like a missile that can cover and rush the passer. A Swiss Army Knife, Werner will also be used to disarm potent offenses that they will face this season within the conference. I think he will blitz more often than normal and he will do well against slot receivers, tight ends, and even backs out of the backfield. He may do it all this season in what also should be his last year with the program.

The Buckeyes second team are all great talents too! Hilliard has been through a lot, with injuries taking him out repeatedly but last year he was healthy and he balled out! This is his last season and he will make an impact with whatever role he is assigned. Dallas Gant is another star that was buried by the depth and talent ahead of him, but this is his season to shine to gain some consideration for next season. A speedy, coverage guy who is willing to get his nose dirty–he will be vying for time in the middle. Finally, for the second outside spot, I think talented thumper Teradja Mitchell is a shoo-in for that one.

Think about who could surprise us all too. I would think Pope will be that guy to make huge splash plays when asked to. Eichenberg and Young will also be leaned on once the starters are spelled when games get out of hand. Talented freshmen Mitchell and Simon could also be used on special teams to get a handle while the upperclassmen work. As I stated before I began, the talent is immense and they have a lot of it.

On the recruiting trail, ILB Reid Carrico will join the team in the summer. In the summer of 2022, a trio of talented player Dasan McCullough, C.J. Hicks, and Gabe Powers are all committed to uphold the tradition of being stellar players at their respective positions. This should excite us all and I cannot wait to see who the 2021 and 2022 classes finish off with. For now lets enjoy the season.

#GoBucks




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#MOTSAGRising Depth Chart Preview: Anti-Slobs(Rushmen)
Chris 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

Today we roll with the glue that has held the defense together for quite sometime thanks to Larry Johnson and his ever improving Rushmen packages. Anyone that has played for him the past several years stands a good chance of becoming a pro.

Lets start at the ends where the rotation should be all but set for this season.

DE – Jonathon Cooper backed up by Tyler Friday, then Tyreke Smith backed up by Zach Harrison and there should be plenty of plays for all four which will make things difficult on opposing QB’s.

DT – Is a different story altogether but we should see Tommy Togiai and Taron Vincent emerge as starts in this years defense which will see more of Togiai lined up over the C. He has proven to be a problem already and will shine as this years starter.

The rest of the group can produce but may not see as much time as the others. Haskell Garrett is a proven leader and will be a force after returning from an off-season shooting that left him needing to work his way back. As of late he is practicing and doing well. Antwuan Jackson is a graduate transfer that will see some time and opportunities to prove himself behind Togiai.

DE 18 Cooper, Jonathon RS SR 54 Friday, Tyler JR
NT 72 Togiai, Tommy JR 52 Jackson, Antwuan RS SR/TR
DT 92 Garrett, Haskell SR 6 Vincent, Taron RS SO




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#MOTSAGRising Depth Chart Preview: The Slobs
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

In today’s installment its all about the Slobs. This years offensive attack will be co-dependent on the ability of the entire offensive line to win their match-ups in the trenches. This group one of the most talented in the nation and Justin Fields will be hoping to rev things up when the season is officially underway. 10 more days left until Nebraska at home. This unit has definitely will have a championship-caliber team that can control games entirely, but again–we shall see.

The offensive line will return Wyatt Davis, who opted out due to the uncertainty of the 2020 season even happening. As the lone Captain on the offensive line at Right Guard, he will lead by example with Center Josh Myers and Left Tackle Thayer Munford also returning for what many consider “their last ride” in the scarlet and gray.

Although the trio of Davis, Myers, and Munford is wonderful, they have two available spots up for grabs at the Left Guard and Right Tackle spots, but they do not have a shortage in talent to fill them. At Guard, the Buckeyes have Harry Miller, Enokk Vimahi, Gavin Cupp, and Ryan Jacoby. The first three are in a competition for the two deep, while the latter falls behind. Davis in the depth chart.

If I were a betting man, I’d give it to Miller by virtue of setting up Vimahi as the back-up. Not a slight, but I can see Myers doing his thing and then leaving for the draft, and Miller either slides in at Center or he dukes it out with Matthew Jones. Vimahi would then slide into the starting spot or battle it out with Cupp next season. Either way, the talent for this spot is there for the Buckeyes.

At Right Tackle, Nicholas Petit-Frere gets the nod with Big Thanos Dawand Jones right behind him. Big Thanos had flashes at Left Tackle, but with his athleticism and agility he’d fit on either side, but for the future Right Tackle is his spot for now. Jones would have the nod over Max Wray, who would fall behind him for third on the depth chart.

If you are keeping score the first team would look like this, from the left side of the line to the right: Munford, Miller, Myers, Davis, and then Petit-Frere. The second team in the same order would be: Johnson, Vimahi, M. Jones, Cupp, and then D. Jones. So basically two versions of the Monstars that will basically maul people, but I will try not to get too ahead of myself.

With the Buckeyes in general, attrition would be a factor in this position as we’ve seen it over the past few years. Yes, the Buckeyes are loaded, but sometimes players look elsewhere for consistent playing time. They are developed and ready to go, but they haven’t received their shot yet. Hopefully that is not the case, but we won’t know.

Ahead of the 2020 COVID season, the Buckeyes have started much later than anticipated or expected, but we all know they are ready to go. We have all seen the videos and it hasn’t changed my mind about what I personally think the season would look like, but again–I am containing myself and reserving judgement until 10 days from now.

There are also a few studs in the 2020 class still in the fold too. The trio of Donovan Jackson, Ben Christman, and Zen Michalski currently committed, more talent is on its way. They may close out with the trio, but big names are still out there despite being close to being out of the running. Until it becomes official you just never know in recruiting. Stay tuned until either National Signing Days and just enjoy it.

#GoBucks




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#MOTSAGRising Depth Chart Preview; Tight Ends
Chris 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

I am honestly surprised that Richard didn’t steal the TE’s for his Zone 6 preview in yesterday’s article. I would imagine they spend a lot more time with Zone 6(Brian Hartline) than with the slobs(Greg Studrawa) or their position coach Kevin Wilson.

The nice thing about this group is there are many interchangeable parts and sometimes we might see three TE sets and still be just as dangerous up the middle of the field with returning lettermen Farrell, Hausmann and Ruckert. All three are very capable blockers and pass-catchers.

Look for it to be much of the same as it was all last season.

TE – 89 Luke Farrell or 88 Jeremy Ruckert or 81 Jake Hausmann

This writer believes that Jeremy Ruckert will blow up this season and provide a consistent hot route and that will equate into a lot of yards, maybe the most by a TE in a while for Ohio State. Seems we will all get our wishes this season as it’s the most experience they have enjoyed at TE.

Luke Farrell is no slouch when it comes to catching the football but his road grading mentality will help as much as needed on the edge this season. Look for him and Ruckert to be two of the leaders in the locker-room as well.

Look for true frosh Joe Royer out of Cincinnati Elder and Cade Stover who moved over from the defense to see some time on the field replacing the spot Rashod Berry help last season. The Buckeyes have tried to keep four in the rotation of late because of the physicality of the position!





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Podcast: What Week 1 analytics say about Ohio State-Penn State from College Football Nerds
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
We also discuss the mythical ‘bag of wins.’

On Land-Grant Holy Land In Conversation, we talk to people in and around Ohio State athletics, and the sporting world at large, to bring you a different insight and perspective to the teams, athletes, and university that you love.

Listen to the episode and subscribe:


In today’s episode I talk to Josh from College Football Nerds about what can be learned from a statistical standpoint from both Ohio State and Penn State’s very different season-opening games; how the weird, pandemic-altered schedules are impacting advanced analytics; and what Josh thinks will happen in Saturday’s primetime matchup between the Buckeyes and the Nits.

If you are unfamiliar with College Football Nerds, we have been including their computer model predictions in our game day “Tailgate” episodes since last season, and they put together great videos breaking down the biggest matchups every week from a statistical and analytical perspective.

Contact College Football Nerds

Twitter: @CFBNerds

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/CollegeFootballNerds

Contact Matt Tamanini

Twitter: @BWWMatt

Theme music provided by www.bensound.com

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Column: Looking back at five key factors in Oho State’s win over Nebraska
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 Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
I told you the five things that I was going to watch, and here’s what I saw.

Every game day this season, I will be picking out five things to watch in that specific contest, and they will be the focus of that day’s column. Then, on Monday, I will go back and see what I learned (if anything) from keying in on those five points.


On Saturday, the now-No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes finally opened their 2020 college football season against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a 52-17 beating that provided our first look at this year’s OSU team. With the hindsight of about 48 hours, I’m looking back at the five areas of the contest that I wanted to focus on in Saturday’s game.

1) Trey Sermon


The former Oklahoma Sooner’s first day as an Ohio State Buckeye was... fine. It wasn’t anything special, but it also wasn’t as horrendous as some of the Chicken Littles amongst us might want to lead you to believe. On the day, Trey Sermon ran for 55 yards on 11 carries, and as you math whizzes know, that’s five yards per carry. For some context, in 2018, J.K. Dobbins averaged 4.6 yards per attempt while Mike Weber was at 5.5. However, I don’t think either would claim that was their best season running the ball as a Buckeye.

What I did see from Sermon confirmed what his film showed and what you would expect from a back who has played his entire career to this point in the Big 12; he is not going to be a traditional Big Ten, between-the-tackles power back. And yet, the way that Ryan Day and the offensive coaching staff decided to deploy their backs put him in the situation where that’s exactly who he was asked to be.

Throughout the game, Sermon and Master Teague alternated series. This is very similar to the philosophy that Day employed as co-offensive coordinator in 2018 with Dobbins and Weber, and — as evidenced by there middling per carry averages — it didn’t work out so great.


However, when Sermon was allowed to run outside the tackles, he displayed a burst and vision that demonstrated why he can be dangerous in space. For me, that’s how he should be used 3⁄4 of the time. Obviously you don’t want to telegraph that Sermon is going to always run outside and Teague is always going to run inside, but there is a reason that the NFL employs “third-down backs,” because they are built to pick up short yardage even (and especially) when the defense knows exactly what they are going to do.

We know that Teague can be that type of back, but I don’t think that Sermon can. So Day shouldn’t try and force him the OU transfer to morph into a B1G back. If you’re going to use both backs fairly equally, abandon the alternating series philosophy, and put both RBs in positions to succeed.

2) Defensive rotation


Of the five things that I watched on Saturday, this is the one that I learned the most from... or perhaps more accurately, the area in which my assumptions were most wrong. So, I’m going to run through just some of those areas.

1) Tuf Borland played the vast majority of snaps at middle linebacker. I thought that we would see a rotation similar to 2019 in which Borland would start, but would essentially split snaps with a backup. Last year it was Baron Browning (who is now starting at the Sam linebacker position), and this year I thought it would be Teradja Mitchell or Dallas Gant. We saw a little from each, but not nearly as much as I would have thought. But, I’ve got more thoughts on Borland in a bit.

2) Despite Haskell Garrett not appearing on Friday’s availability report, I did not expect to see him start, nor did I expect to see him be an immediate difference-maker in the middle of the OSU defensive line. His return to the lineup — especially if he continues to play like he did on Saturday — is a huge addition to the defense. Now I am left to wonder if this very vague tweet might mean that Taron Vincent is next.


3) Leading up to the season opener, we got the feeling that Marcus Hooker would be OSU’s single starting safety, and he was, but I didn’t have a good feel for what I thought Josh Proctor’s role would be in the defense. Sure, he would be the second-string safety, but would the Buckeyes play with two safeties at all? Would Proctor get any run as the “bullet”? Would Proctor and Hooker rotate in the back of the defense?

Without looking at the snap counts, I think that Hooker played the most snaps in the single-high position, but Proctor sure got a lot of PT in the other situations. There was more than a handful of times were you would see the junior DB flying around the line of scrimmage making a play on a ball carrier.

Hooker finished the day with four tackles, while Proctor had three, including one for loss. When I rewatch the game tomorrow, I am going to try and pay closer attention to how these two rotate, but on initial viewing, I felt that both played well enough that it might be time for Ohio State to move to a different defensive look, especially when playing against quarterbacks who provide a running threat.

Now, I have never claimed to be an Xs and Os expert, and obviously the OSU coaching staff doesn’t need to take advice from a blogger who also compares players to characters from “Hamilton” and the MCU, but if Ryan Day asked, I’d recommend mixing in some version of their “bullet”/nickel package as their base.


Play the the four lineman, Pete Werner and Baron Browning at linebacker, then Shaun Wade and Sevyn Banks as the outside corners with Marcus Williamson covering the slot. Let Hooker play the free safety position, since the coaches have told us that that position fits his skill set best, and then let Proctor roam a little bit.

I think this gives the defense a better chance at accounting for running quarterbacks, while also having a player whose athleticism can help eliminate chunk plays. Now, I know that the chances of three-year captain Borland basically being benched are pretty slim, but I think a move to get more athletic in his place is long overdue, whether that’s by going to the nickel, or finally letting someone else have a shot in the middle.

3) Wan’dale Robinson


As I mentioned in my Saturday story, Wan’dale Robinson came into the game on Saturday listed as questionable. He did end up playing, but his impact on the game was minimal. He was the Huskers’ leading receiver with six receptions for 49 yards, but 21 of those came on one catch.

The bulk of Nebraska’s offense came from their running quarterbacks, whether they were lined up at QB or not. The combo of Adrian Martinez and Luke McCaffrey combined for 164 yards on 21 carries, and they both ripped off a few sizable chunk plays (McCaffrey’s long was for 47, while Martinez’s was for 39).

Stopping running quarterbacks is difficult for everyone in college football, that’s why someone like Justin Fields is so valuable, but as I mentioned above, it is especially difficult when you don’t have athletic linebackers able to make one-on-one plays with the QB. Call me either optimistic or cynical — depending on how you want to view it — but I do think that OSU has players dynamic enough to make those plays, I’m just not sure if they are going to end up getting enough time to prove it.

4) When starters come out


When you look at the final score, Ohio State won this game handily. They covered, they hit the over (barely), if you didn’t watch the game, you’d think that Justin Fields and other first-teamers could have come out mid-third quarter, but they didn’t.


There was only one offensive drive that Fields didn’t lead. That honor went to true-freshman quarterback Jack Miller III who scored that final touchdown that either thrilled or depressed many “interested” viewers. But, despite the Buckeye defense holding Nebraska to just a field goal in the second half, the game never completely felt out of hand. Sure, it felt in control pretty early in the third quarter, but the margin was never enough for Day to feel comfortable calling off the dogs.

And despite Day apologizing to Nebraska head coach Scott Frost for scoring that final touchdown, I think that Day’s threshold of when he considers a game to no longer require the starters will be raised this year. One, with the weirdness of 2020, it is difficult to imagine that any lead is truly safe. And two, he’s going to want to impress the playoff committee, just in case they have any apprehension about putting a team in the final four who only played nine games.

Either way, I would love to see the starters play until the mid-fourth quarter more often than the mid-third this season... that is until one of them gets hurt.

5) How many targets tight ends get


For years, we have been hearing that this is the year that Ohio State’s tight ends would become a bigger part of the team’s offense. Well, if we are judging by the incredibly small sample size of just Saturday’s season-opener, then this year will be yet another in which that doesn’t happen.

On Saturday, TEs Jeremy Ruckert and Luke Farrell each caught a single pass and the two combined for an underwhelming 11 total yards. Fields did target Ruckert on one other pass; he threw a fastball well ahead of his intended target, but was bailed out by a suspect pass interference call against Nebraska’s Cam Taylor-Britt.

I would like to think that Day and company could get two talented athletes like Ruckert and Farrell into the offensive mix somehow, but, to be honest, I just don’t think that it’s a priority for them.

When Fields is so in sync with receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, and a defense doesn’t seem to have any ability or desire to stop those two playmakers, why go anywhere else? I do think that against a better defense like Penn State (an overtime loss to Indiana notwithstanding), Fields might rely a bit more heavily on his tight ends, but I certainly wouldn’t put money on it.


After some unexpected start and stops, I am back to posting a column every single day from preseason camp until whenever Ohio State’s football season ends. Some days they will be longer and in depth, some days they will be short and sweet. Let me know what you think of this one, and what you’d like to see me discuss in the comments or on Twitter. Go Bucks!

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Buckeye Bits: Frost has no issue with Miller’s late touchdown, primetime with the undefeated Rutgers(!), more
Tia Johnston via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
All of the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond.

The best thing about being 1-0? Not having a worse record than Rutgers!

What a wild college football Saturday, eh?! We have a lot to cover from over the weekend, so let’s get into it!

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...


Woody, Zeke, Brutus, Can’t Guard Mike, the Bosas spell O-H-I-O in new bobblehead series

Matt Tamanini, LGHL

For the first time ever, you can now display up to six of your favorite Ohio State icons to spell out “O-H-I-O.” All six of the bobbleheads are available for order now and you can purchase them for $35 a piece. Plus, Matt included a fun fact about the O-H-I-O chant!

Column: Why officiating is like the weather

Meredith Hein, LGHL

And why officiating can’t be like the weather when it comes to targeting calls — either get on the same page, or change the penalty.

Ohio State’s 2022 commits tease potential addition to the class

Gene Ross, LGHL

Something “huge” and “really big” is coming to the class of 2022, and Gene has a pretty good idea of who it’s going to be.

Column: Haskell Garrett’s performance against Nebraska is the feel good story we needed

Matt Tamanini, LGHL

If you read nothing else today, read this. It’s the perfect reminder that whatever you’re complaining about on this fine Monday, is probably not all that bad.

Podcast: ‘Hangout in the Holy Land’ recaps the Nebraska game

Gene Ross and George Eisner, LGHL

Podcast: Fields, Day, Koombs, Davis react to Nebraska victory

Matt Tamanini, LGHL

I don’t know about you, but I can’t get enough of all the analyses, columns, recaps and coverage of Saturday’s game. We’ve waited months and months for this season to arrive, and I’m soaking in every bit of it while it’s here. That being said, we’ve published two new podcasts recapping Ohio State’s win over Nebraska— one from two of our best X’s and O’s writers, Gene and George, and the other from the players and coaches themselves.

From around the gridiron...


Near the end of his opening comments following Ohio State’s 52-17 win against Nebraska, Ryan Day issued an apology to Huskers head coach Scott Frost.

“I just want to say it publicly and I’m gonna text (Frost), at the end of the game, if I could do that again I would have taken a knee,” Day said after the game. “I feel bad about that at the end of the game. I had a younger quarterback in the game, and I didn’t feel like we had the personnel to take the knee, and I probably should have done that. So I just want to publicly apologize for that to Scott.

Look Ryan Day, it’s time to stop being such a good guy. This is Ohio State. We stuff our talent down the world’s throat and we do so unapologetically!

On Monday, Frost acknowledged Day’s apology with an A+ response.


Okay, now where’s Frost’s apology for his defense playing like they were out for blood?

Ohio State is now ranked No. 3 in the Absolutely Pointless Poll.


The AP Poll is biased, has nothing to do with the CFP rankings and exists for no other reason than to get people fired up.

Exhibit A:


However its stupid-ness catapulted through the roof on Sunday when one of the Poll’s voters, Auburn beat writer Tom Green of Al.com, had Ohio State at No. 16.

Six. Teenth.

This professional sports reporter put the football team that Justin Fields plays for behind the likes of Marshall, Liberty and his No. 4-ranked BYU (!)

I —


Safe to say Nebraska fans are not taking this tweet well.


After reading George’s film study on how the hell Fields completed 95% of his passes on Saturday, check out Eleven Warriors’ Kyle Jones’ film study on Ohio State’s run game. You’ll be glad you did... especially if you’re worried about it.


Speaking of it being too early to panic...first-game jitters are very much a real thing.


Ohio State named 16 players of the game, one special teams player of the week and four scout team players of the week. We’re going into Week 2 with positive momentum, baby!


Ohio State’s game against the *checks notes* undefeated Rutgers will be a *checks notes* primetime game on Nov 7. at 7:30 p.m. ET.


However Ohio State has one game between them and their toughest opponent of the season. The Buckeyes are headed east this weekend to face the good ole Nittany Lions, who are coming off a pretty devastating (and by devastating I mean glorious) loss against Indiana.


Thoughts?


Considering Wisconsin QB Graham Mertz already tested positive for COVID-19, I’m on board with this. I don’t care if they have to move games to 7 a.m. ET on a school night.

From around the hardwood...


Here we go again.

Due to concern about some of the testing requirements for early-season tournaments, College basketball tournaments and events in what was supposed to similar to the NBA bubble in Orlando have been canceled.

The Athletic reports that there were “ongoing differences” between ESPN and the participating schools over COVID-19 health and safety protocols required for participation,

From everywhere else...


This moment was *chef’s kiss*


So was this one.


In case you missed it, Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf defied the laws of physics on Sunday.


It’s the Super Bowl/Cowboys meme for me.


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Film Room: How Justin Fields completed 95% of his passes vs. Nebraska
George Eisner 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 Ohio State passing game looked as prolific as ever in the season opener, with Fields hitting Buckeyes in the hands on all 21 of his throws.

Ohio State football is finally back. Thank goodness.

Two months ago, that idea seemed completely outside the realm of possibility given the tumultuous state of our world. So beyond reality, in fact, that I coped by streaming on Twitch with an Ohio State football dynasty in NCAA Football 14 featuring the original 2020 schedule and updated rosters.

Broken football simulations aside, in a year that has seen as much turbulence as any in my lifetime, consistency is always welcome in any form it takes.

If you watched the Buckeyes’ 52-17 thumping of the Nebraska Cornhuskers this past weekend, you already know it doesn’t get much more consistent than what fans saw out of Justin Fields.

Still widely regarded as a Heisman Trophy candidate despite playing fewer games than most of the other frontrunners for the award, Fields’ path to college football’s greatest individual honor was always going to be via efficiency. Given he threw just one interception in all of 2019 prior to the College Football Playoff, a similar systematic season for Fields absolutely appeared on deck heading into 2020.

But a 95% completion rate on over 20 throws in the first Ohio State football game in nearly ten months? No one saw that coming.

However, such alarmingly efficient numbers do not come without A+ efforts from every sector of the offense, so for this week’s film session, lets take a look at how a full team effort led to Fields shining through the air on Saturday:

First Completion: Chris Olave for 14 Yards


Play action served a crucial role in establishing the air attack for Ohio State last season, and before the running backs could get even one tote on the ground in the opener, Ryan Day was already dialing up fakes. What made this formation particularly interesting was having Chris Olave operate out of the slot, given how much hype Garrett Wilson had coming to the season as the firm occupier of that receiving role.

Instead, Wilson lines up on the outside and streaks up the far sideline, while Olave runs a deep out route to the newly open space. One of the key elements to observe that sets the tone for much of the rest of this game is the way Olave performs a softer and curvier break than the sharp cuts receivers typically perform on these routes. This results in a less robotic and predictable execution, which allows the receiver locate the safest placement for the incoming ball

Given Fields does not have time to set his feet on the rollout, Olave finding the area with the highest likelihood for a successful catch is critical. As a result, Fields is able to put the ball nearly five yards away from the nearest defender, and Ohio State converts a first down on their very first play of the season.

Second Completion: Garrett Wilson for 24 Yards


There are two different components of this play that should leave Buckeye fans feeling very encouraged about the progression of the offense from 2019, but let’s start with the obvious one.

Garrett Wilson’s first catch of 2020 immediately demonstrates why he is going to be an absolute headache for opposing defenses out of the slot. Wilson navigates three different defenders in the zone defense on this play by skillfully giving a brief cut back inside to continue what appears to be a streak out of the slot.

Right as the final defender commits to covering over the top, he perfectly times planting his outside foot to sharply cut into a deep in route. With Jameson Williams already flying down the near sideline and Luke Farrell forcing the underneath defensive back to commit to a delayed release, this leaves the same sideline area from the previous completion wide open once again. Fields doesn’t provide the cleanest placement of the ball, but Wilson’s catch radius thankfully allows for some flexibility with respect to execution.

More intriguing for me, however, is the way Fields adjusts the protection and the pass blockers deliver. Not even three minutes into the season or into the opponent’s territory for the first time in 2020, Fields is already making telepathic pre-snap reads of the forthcoming coverage and pass rush.

Fields motions Farrell over to the right and calls out the blitz from Nebraska SAM linebacker. After Farrell executes a solid chip on the defender before breaking into his delay route, Nicholas Petit-Frere adjusts from providing assistance to Wyatt Davis to picking up the blitz coming off the edge.

On the other side, Thayer Munford correctly dedicated his primary attention to the WILL linebacker, and after identifying that the defender is dropping into coverage, he shifts his focus back to helping Harry Miller. Miller got beat on a swim move at the beginning of this play, so the communication and senses of responsibility from both sides of the line were critical to this play’s success.

For all of the success the offense had last season, pass blocking mishaps frequently resulted in more sacks than perhaps should have taken place. Though the Buckeyes still gave up four this past Saturday, there were still plenty of instances such as this one that demonstrate their ability to pick up the rush has improved from last year.

Third Completion: Garrett Wilson for 14 Yards


Another example of a softer break on a sharp angle route as well as another great instance of blitz pickup. In a critical fourth down situation early on in the game, Wilson runs an in route to the opposite direction of his previous catch, and he gives a nice series of stutter-steps before curving back into the middle of the field.

On both catches already, Wilson has showcased his impeccable sense of timing when it comes to forcing a defender to commit to a direction, then turning them around to get open for safe placement of a ball. Combined with a catch radius and certain hands, Wilson is going to wreak havoc over the middle all season line.

Elsewhere, pass protection again saves the day for the Buckeyes on this play. Fields brings Master Teague III back into the backfield to provide extra blocking for the forthcoming blitz, and even with two delayed pass rushers coming from Nebraska’s linebackers, Wyatt Davis does a great job picking up the blitz from the strong side while Teague squares up and meets his man well in front of the pocket.

Fourth Completion: Chris Olave for 16 Yards


Another soft break from Chris Olave towards the far sideline, as he begins curving his out route roughly five yards downfield before finishing the change of direction another six yards later. That angling allows Olave to get open without losing speed as he heads towards the sideline, again creating a safer area for Fields to deliver the ball.

Fifth Completion: Garrett Wilson for a 42-Yard Touchdown


One of the classic abilities of an NFL-caliber quarterback is the ability to look off a safety to set up big plays. The best examples are normally more exaggerated than what takes place here, but Nebraska’s safety in the middle of the field also somewhat set himself up for failure by creeping up prior to the snap.

With the safety’s body already drifting to a shallower position, Fields gives a quick glance towards Jeremy Ruckert’s crossing route over the middle, which leaves the back half of the middle of the field completely open. Garrett Wilson—to this point now consistently putting defenders in helpless positions out of nearly every break thanks to incredible footwork— performs a great stutter on the outside corner to get separation over the top.

Even on a play where the play action fake did absolutely nothing to fool any members of the defense, Fields’ execution is so sharp elsewhere that Nebraska already finds themselves completely overmatched when it comes to guarding against Ohio State’s offense.

Ninth Completion: Luke Farrell for five Yards


Nothing particularly special about this play, but hopefully as the season progresses, we’ll see a bit more involvement from the tight end room than what transpired in this game. Coming off a season where all four tight ends for Ohio State caught 25 combined passes, it wasn’t very encouraging to see this serve as the only catch of the game between Luke Farrell and Jeremy Ruckert.

Buckeye tight ends have gotten plenty of burn as blockers, decoys, and safety valves; but seldom to they get the spotlight or glory they probably deserve. That was again the case on this play, where all the Buckeye receivers run routes at least fifteen yards downfield while Farrell merely serves as a primary check-down on a buttonhook just shy of the sticks.

Farrell is a great all-around player for his position and Ruckert may be one of the most talented overall pass-catchers on the team. Fans can only hope as the season progresses and opposing defenses require more dynamic looks to find success against that the tight end room sees more involvement than it did last season.

10th Completion: Chris OIave for 29 Yards


More curvy route running from Chris Olave on what was arguably the best-schemed play of the day for Ohio State. With both tight ends serving as pass blockers on a play action disguised as an inside zone run, Olave is really the only player that has any chance to get open on this play. Garrett Wilson’s streak opens up the deep part of the left sideline, but the defensive back is playing too far off the ball pre-snap to get easily beat over the top, and Nebraska covers Trey Sermon’s route into the flat coming off the play action perfectly.

But Wilson’s previous success on the last touchdown forces the middle safety in cover 4 to turn away from Olave as the latter crosses the middle of the field. With both downfield defenders now focused on Wilson, Olave has a safe pocket in which to make an easy catch that puts the Buckeyes back in scoring range.

Roughly 30 yard completions against downfield zone coverage with one realistic target available are not easy to execute correctly against any defense. Fortunately, Ryan Day’s contextual play-calling skills appear sharp as ever in the infancy of Ohio State’s season.

12th Completion: Garrett Wilson for 11 Yards


More outstanding blitz pickup on both a stunt and disguised coverage from the Cornhuskers. Nebraska shows a five man rush before dropping both linebackers into coverage and sending the weak side defensive end on an inside rush, while also adding a near-side cornerback blitz for good measure. This is a pretzel of a pass rush on third down.

But Master Teague III shows why he’s probably going to get a few more snaps than Trey Sermon this season thanks to superior pass blocking skills. He completely takes the corner blitz out of the play by sealing off the edge, while Josh Myers does an excellent job of recognizing the inside stunt and picking up the defensive end right away.

The resulting protection gives Justin Fields plenty of time to find Garrett Wilson running a deep buttonhook in the middle of the field. A big part of Ohio State’s success on offense last year was their ability to convert third and long, and this was a crucial conversion in a two-minute drill scenario that helped set the Buckeyes up for points before the half.

14th Completion: Garrett Wilson for 16 Yards


Wilson has run streaks, outs, ins, posts, and buttonhooks already through two quarters. His infinitely-branching route tree continues to sprout here, as Ohio State simply runs a classic mesh concept that sees all four potential pass catchers perform crossing routes over the middle.

This is free cheese against a defense operating in man coverage, and Wilson’s footwork is so crisp that it doesn’t even appear he needs to run full speed to get open underneath. Farrell also does a good job of making sure he gets in the way of the defense without leaving himself in a position to make contact and get called for an OPI pick penalty.

Last Completion: Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 5-Yard Touchdown


I’ll conclude with this, as no quarterback finishes a game with only one incompletion across 20+ throws without a bevy of talented receivers at their disposal. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is perhaps WR5 on this team’s depth chart, and teams that get this kind of talent from the lower rungs of their skill players simply don’t come around very often.

When a true freshman receiver makes what might go down as the most impressive catch of the team’s season in the first game, it speaks volumes about the talent the Buckeyes are brimming with at just about every skill position.

We may not see Justin Fields complete 95% of his passes in a game again in 2020, but if the season opener is any indication of what’s to come, fans could very well be in store for one of the most efficient passing attacks college football has ever seen.

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Woody, Zeke, Brutus, Can’t Guard Mike, the Bosas spell O-H-I-O in new bobblehead series
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


I don’t know why we need three Os, but otherwise, these are pretty sweet.

For the first time in the illustrious history of those charming, head-nodding collectibles known as bobbleheads, thanks to FOCO and the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, you can now display up to six of your favorite Ohio State icons proudly using their bodies to spell our favorite word “O-H-I-O.”

Last week, on the eve of the Buckeyes’ season opening victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum released six gorgeous new bobbleheads featuring OSU legends Woody Hayes (O), Ezekiel Elliott (also O), Michael Thomas (H), Nick Bosa (another H), Joey Bosa (I), and Brutus Buckeye himself (yet another O for good measure).



All six of the bobbleheads are available for order now, and you can purchase them for $35 a piece (plus an $8 flat-rate shipping charge per order) or if you are a completist like me and need all six, you can get the set for $200. Not a bad deal when you consider that at the rate that our country is going, sports memorabilia might be our primary form of currency by the end of the calendar year.

Did you know (because I didn’t until I read it in the bobblehead press release) that originally, a chant of “O-H-I-O S-T-A-T-E” was done by sailors in World War II aboard the aircraft carrier USS Lexington to express their unbridled enthusiasm for Ohio State athletics?

After learning the chant as a member of the Navy, Matthew Sidley joined the cheerleading squad at Ohio State and taught the cheer to fans in Ohio Stadium in 1947. The second part was ultimately dropped (it is kind of hard to get your body to make an S), and the now famous chant that echoes throughout Big Ten stadiums during blowouts every fall was born.

“We’re excited to release this unique Ohio State Buckeyes O-H-I-O series for fans to add to their bobblehead collection,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “The O-H-I-O chant is one of the most notorious in all of college sports and a staple of the Ohio State gameday experience and we think fans will love these new bobbleheads.”

This one-of-a-kind bobblehead series is produced by National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum and manufactured by FOCO.

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Better than her rendition of Heart of Glass.

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Dam 2160p, cooo

Thanks

Some Post-Game Thoughts

1. After being tied 14-14 with 8:24 left in the 2nd quarter, Ohio State outscored Nebraska 38-3 over the rest of the game. Ohio State started slow and sloppy, Nebraska started hot and played hard. The talent gap between the two programs is literally amazing. There are plenty of third-stringers on Ohio State who would start (or see significant playing time) for Nebraska.

2. Justin Fields was 20/21 for 276 yards and 2 TDs. His only incompletion was a "drop" by Chris Olave on a 43-yard pass into the end zone. It was definitely a tough catch, but an All American caliber receiver should have come down with the ball. If Olave does so, then Fields is a perfect 21/21 for 319 yards, 3 TDs, and an off-the-charts QB rating.

3. Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave were the primary beneficiaries of Fields' outstanding performance, as Wilson had 7 receptions for 129 yards and a TD, while Olave had 6 receptions for 104 yards. The rest of the receiving corps didn't do much, although true freshmen Julian Fleming (1 reception, 13 yards) and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (2 receptions, 5 yards) each made the first reception of his Buckeye career. Smith-Njigba's second reception was a 5-yard TD where he was barely able to get his foot down in the end zone, a play reminiscent of Michael Thomas's famous catch against Alabama in 2014.

4. Fields also had 15 rushes for a team-high 54 yards and another TD. Those would be acceptable numbers if it were 2016 and our QB were JT Barrett. The Buckeyes need to find a running game from their tailbacks, none of whom had a good (or even a decent) game: Trey Sermon 11 carries, 48 yards, no TDs; Master Teague 12 carries, 41 yards, 2 TDs; Steele Chambers 4 carries, 32 yards, 0 TDs; Xavier Johnson (a walk-on who played on the final drive) 4 carries, 17 yards, no TDs. As a unit, the Buckeyes tailbacks had 31 carries for 138 yards (4.45 average), with 2 TDs, and a long run of just 17 yards. Are we going to miss JK Dobbins this season?

5. In an interesting move, true freshman QB Jack Miller relieved Fields at the end of the game and led the Buckeyes on their final scoring drive. Miller played before both Gunnar Hoak, who was on the team last season and played in 5 games, and fellow true freshman CJ Stroud, who was the much more highly-rated prospect. Miller did not attempt a pass, but he did have the Ohio State's longest run of the game (21 yards) and scored his first Buckeye TD on a 2-yard run with 18 seconds left in the game.

6. Ohio State was 10 of 15 on 3rd- and 4th-down conversions (66.7%), which is extremely good. On the other side of the field, Nebraska was 4 for 10 (40.0%). Ohio State also won the total yardage battle (491 to 370), first downs (28 to 17), and time of possession (33:14 to 26:46).

7. The Ohio State defense looked positively awful on Nebraska's first drive, then progressed to mediocre by the end of the first half. After the Buckeyes scored on their first possession of the second half to take a 31-14 lead, Nebraska's playbook shrunk and the Buckeye defense was able to tee off a bit. Still, the Buckeyes were killed by designed QB runs from Adrian Martinez (13 attempts, 85 yards, TD) and Luke McCaffrey (9 attempts, 80 yards), and passes to the tight end. Opposing offensive coordinators will not fail to notice these holes in the Buckeye defense, and good teams will exploit them much more so than a bottom feeder Big Ten team.

8. Defensive back Sevyn Banks scored on a 55-yard fumble recovery, which is tied for 5th-longest in Buckeye history. Banks also scored on a 33-yard blocked punt (longest in Buckeye history) against Michigan in 2018

9. Ohio State had only 3 penalties for 15 yards, while Nebraska had 8 penalties for 90 yards. Nebraska had four targetings - two called and upheld; one called and reversed; one obvious but not called that led to a concussion for Chris Olave. I understand that Scott Frost is trying to make Nebraska a tougher, meaner, more aggressive team, but headhunting isn't the way to do it in this era of college football.

I don’t mind the teal at Coastal Carolina. The rest of them are an ugly gimmick.