LovelandBuckeye said:

Scooby Dooby Doo!!!

Click to expand...

Ruh Roh Roner....

Let me check,

“Hey honey! How long we been married?”


Uh, 26, yeah, definitely, twenty-six stitches.

It seems one of the Jingle Cats is now in a cover band.

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There will be a 2020 Ohio State Football season at Land-Grant Holy Land
George Eisner via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
It may not happen quite the way people thought it would, but the Buckeyes will play their full schedule this season thanks to the magic of video games.

What if instead of arguing daily about when Ohio State football should come back, we could just watch the Buckeyes play all their originally scheduled opponents this fall?

What if we could still see Justin Fields compete for a Heisman trophy this season? What if we could still witness Chris Olave complete his metamorphosis from three-star prospect into first round NFL draft pick? What if we could still watch Built Ford® Tuf Borland lead the Ohio State defense as the only three-time defensive captain in school history?

What if the COVID-19 pandemic — and while we’re at it, injuries and Kevin Warren — simply didn’t exist?

The universe is what you make it, so we made a college football universe where all of this can take place.

Personally, I don’t want to accept that our reality won’t include Ohio State football for the next three months of Saturdays. As the saying goes in Hang On Sloopy, “it’s called tradition,” and I intend on doing whatever I can to keep that tradition alive.

So I dug up my copy NCAA Football 14 — the last college football video game ever made (for now) — installed a 2020 roster update, tweaked the sliders to reflect as close to an authentic college football viewing experience as possible, and set up a channel to stream it on.

In other words...

Land-Grant Holy Land will be streaming the (virtual) 2020 Ohio State Football Season on Twitch!



The idea is to stream a virtual broadcast of each game that was on Ohio State’s original 2020 schedule. The order won’t quite be the same, and the home/away designation will be off for some conference match-ups, but here’s what our adjusted schedule will look like for the fall:



Bowling Green was the original opponent set to open Ohio State’s season, but due to virtual scheduling conflicts, Buffalo will take their place instead this coming Saturday. Fortunately, Oregon can still make it for the following weekend.

Each week, we will have a preview of Ohio State’s match-up that includes all the other story lines, important details, and hilarious upsets from around the college football universe that houses the Buckeyes’ 2020 season. We will also have game recaps, and we will do our best to provide replays of the stream itself as well as clips on our social media platforms.

That’s a lot more Buckeye football than you probably thought you were getting this soon! Justin Fields sure seems happy about it:



Assuming Ohio State earns a trip to the Big Ten Championship, we will also stream that game on December 5th. From there, our own College Football Playoff committee will determine the four teams that qualify for a shot at the National Championship. The game was created back in the days of the BCS system, so we will have to get a little creative for those matchups.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. The important thing is, you’re going to get an Ohio State football season starting this weekend, just like you were supposed to all along. And with the exception of the BYE at the end of this month, you’ll have a Buckeye game to look forward to on Saturdays every week for the next three months. Before you know it, you’ll be watching Chris Olave embarrass Michigan for the second time in Ohio Stadium:



Not only will you have the chance to watch all the big-name starters leave their mark on college football, but you’ll also get to witness the rise of new Buckeye legends as well. Zach Harrison will be the latest to step into the Buckeyes’ spotlight for premier pass rushers. Sevyn Banks will finally wear the number seven on his jersey! Plus, an entire platoon of underclassmen receivers from Garrett Wilson to Mookie Cooper can’t wait to make Big Ten defenses look foolish all season long:



So come follow our Twitch channel LandGrantHolyLand, and keep an eye out on our Twitter for updates throughout the season. We’ll have a preview of the Buffalo game later this week, and yours truly will call the game live at noon ET this Saturday.

Come get your Buckeye football fix! We can’t wait to tune in with you!

Continue reading...

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

2022 Allatoona TE Bennett Christian | Rusty Mansell, 247Sports
One of the Buckeyes’ top TE targets in the 2022 recruiting class is scheduled to commit later tonight.

Ohio State’s football program has found a way to excel in the virtual recruiting world under head coach Ryan Day — even without a Big Ten football season in the near future.

With 19 verbal commitments, the Buckeyes 2021 recruiting class currently sits atop the college football landscape. However, Alabama has been gaining ground as of recent, so don’t expect the team to take the foot off the gas anytime soon.

While focus remains on closing out this year’s class as strong as possible, the Buckeyes have been able to gain an impressive head start in the 2022 class. Ohio State already holds five verbal commitments in next year’s class, highlighted by outside linebacker and “Captain Buckeye” C.J. Hicks, five-star LB Gabe Powers and four-star athlete Dasan McCullough.

The class already sits at No. 2 in the 247Sports Class Rankings. LSU currently sits atop the rankings, but Ohio State is doing its best to overtake the Tigers, and may close the gap even more today.

Ohio State 2022 tight end target Bennett Christian (Acworth, GA/Allatoona) is set to announce his collegiate school of choice on Tuesday night.


The three-star prospect looks to be choosing between Tennessee and the Buckeyes, and while they don’t offer any sort of guarantee, Ohio State holds all of the 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions with a confidence score of eight.

Tight end has been a well-known position of need for the Buckeyes as the team was only able to secure one commitment in the 2020 recruiting class, and holds just one commitment in the 2021 class as well.

If Christian were to decide to spurn the Buckeyes, which seems unlikely at this point, expect the team to increase their focus on four-star TE Donovan Green, whom OSU appears to have lost some steam with, as well as fellow four-star TE Benji Gosnell — either of which could wind up at Ohio State alongside Christian, as well.

Christian, a Georgia native, is listed as 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds. He is the No. 19 TE in the country and the No. 370 overall prospect in the 2022 class.

Quick Hits:

• Ohio State 2021 four-star WR commit Marvin Harrison Jr. revealed his updated height and weight on Monday. The future Buckeye now checks in at nearly 6-foot-4 and 203 pounds, up from his most recent listing on 247Sports at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds.

• Pickerington, Ohio native Sonny Styles has seen his recruitment pick up steam recently. The 2023 safety picked up official scholarship offers from Ohio State and Indiana over the weekend, and received another one from Toledo on Monday. As these things generally go, once a big name like the Buckeyes join the mix, other top programs will soon follow suit.

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Buckeye Bits: Haskell Garrett released from hospital, Buckeye parents frustrated and hurt, 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

Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images
All of the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond

Happy Monday and, more importantly, happy Last Day of August.

From having a full-blown 10-game schedule set to begin Sept. 3, to having no college football season at all six days later — the events that unfolded in August 2020 will forever haunt Big Ten football fans. If you’d like to reminisce on said events before we step into what will hopefully be a much better month, I recommend this timeline:


Before we officially move on for good, can we just...


Six. Days.

Nevertheless, it’s time to stop dwelling on that which we cannot change, no matter how many times we angry-tweet at the powers that be. The Big Ten has made it abundantly clear that a season with a September start-date is not happening. As things currently stand, there have been reports that the conference is discussing a 2020 season beginning Thanksgiving weekend, however, that is just one of many options under consideration. I have more on that below, along with the rest of today’s headlines and updates for your perusal. Let’s get into it.

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...


2022 standouts name Ohio State among leaders

Charles Doss, LGHL

The Buckeyes made two more top-schools lists because Recruiting. Is. Not. Dead.

Column: Don’t be mad about sports getting moved

Meredith Hein, LGHL

Right now, there’s a whole lot more to be mad about.

From around the gridiron...


On Saturday, Randy Wade and other football parents at Ohio State gathered at the Ohio Stadium Rotunda, along with more than 100 Buckeye fans, to speak out against the Big Ten’s decision to cancel the season.


And still, the Big Ten remains silent, leaving parents frustrated and hurt.

Frustration continues without answers for Buckeyes parents

Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

In Lettermen Row’s interview with Gee Scott Sr. on Saturday, Holbrook notes the pain in his voice when discussing the Big Ten’s lack of transparency.


Every last one of Scott’s questions deserves an answer. The Big Ten’s decision to cancel? It stinks. It’s heartbreaking. But... I get wanting to keep players safe. However, the Big Ten’s decision to keep players, coaches and parents so out of the loop that they resort to PROTESTING? That’s pretty inexcusable.


Haskell Garrett will be released from hospital, recovering from shooting

Austin Ward, Lettermen Row

Ohio State defensive tackle Haskell Garrett was found by police early Sunday morning with a gunshot wound to his face. Fortunately, he was released from the hospital on Monday morning.


Additional information about the shooting has not been provided.


91 students test positive on August 27, bringing the total number of positive COVID-19 tests among the Ohio State community up to 511 in updated testing data

Avery DePaola, Eleven Warriors

This most recent testing data (updated on Saturday) comes after Ohio State began its fall semester on Aug. 25. Meanwhile, Alabama, who began classes on Aug. 19, and who had reported 560 positive cases this time last week, now has more than 1,000 positive cases two weeks into their fall semester. Hopefully we don’t see a similar spark in Ohio State’s numbers at their two-week mark.


Don’t count on the College Football Playoff waiting for an Ohio State football season in November

Doug Lesmerises, cleveland.com

Like I said in the intro, Ohio State is not playing football in September. They’re not playing football in October. Right now, the two options that have gained the most traction around the Big Ten rumor mill is a season starting on Thanksgiving weekend or a “spring” season kicking off in January.


While the Big Ten is doing whatever it can to make a football season happen one way or another, they might be wasting their time. For one, the conference won’t qualify for the College Football Playoff, even if they do start in November. And two, the season will mean virtually nothing to fans and players, especially when it comes to the Buckeyes. Ohio State fans are too greedy and the players have too much at stake to play for anything less than a national title. Will we all tune in to support our teams? Sure. But in the back of our minds I think we’ll all be wondering: what’s the point?


And the players risking their lives so that the NCAA can profit won’t see a dime of it.


It’s worth noting that Ames and Iowa City are two hours away from each other.


Another one bites the dust.


Sources told CBS Sports that Chase’s decision is not specifically related to COVID-19. Rather, his agents may have convinced Chase to leave before his third season to prepare for the draft. Chase is expected to be the first wideout selected in the 2021 NFL Draft and could be a top-five pick.


Our own recruiting expert Gene Ross calls Bennett’s decision 60/40 Ohio State over Tennessee.

From everywhere else...


2020, man.


You can read more about Boseman’s legacy here.


ESPN announces 2020 college football TV broadcasting teams

Dave Biddle, Bucknuts

Phew, it’s gonna hurt like hell watching Alabama and Clemson play college football while the best team in the nation is at home.

Continue reading...

Column: Don’t be mad about sports getting moved
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
Be mad that systemic racism is still a thing.

Sports are back. Sports are delayed. Sports are done. Sports are back. Sports are boycotted. Sports are back again.

Don’t get too comfortable.

Years from now, when we look at the charts and graphs indicating statistics for games or players or teams or what have you, there will be an inevitable blip in the year 2020 — a forever asterisk next to the bar or dot that is way out of line compared to its 2019 and 2021 (we hope) peers. Players and teams won’t have played as many games. In some cases, statisticians may have “no data available” for a given time period.

Hopefully, someday, when we see these charts and graphs, we’ll think “man, what a strange time that was.” And I also hope that we follow up that thought with “We’re better for it now.”

That’s because we have an opportunity. A challenge to emerge better.

Let’s back up. Last week, the Milwaukee Bucks boycotted their playoff game against the Orlando Magic, initially scheduled for Wednesday, in light of the recent shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year old Black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The other NBA playoff teams followed suit, as did several baseball teams, tennis stars, NFL teams and, eventually, the NHL.

The airtime originally scheduled for the Bucks’ playoff game was instead used for Milwaukee’s George Hill and Sterling Brown to read a statement. That means - literally - that people who have no visibility or concept of the protests happening in Wisconsin and across the country, who meant to tune in for a basketball game, were forced to hear the same message others have been awoken to for months. Or, for the Black community in the U.S., for centuries.

COVID-19 took away sports this year, which is a minor point compared to the 180,000-plus lives lost nationwide. But it made us sit at home and think without distractions. It gave us an Opening Day with no actual baseball, a March without the Madness, an April without a spring game, a June without NBA playoffs. Those things we so often resort to, where we channel our passion or simply have a slightly better alternative to staring at a wall after a long day at work, were gone.

Instead, we were left with the horrors of our thoughts, the reality that we’re maybe not as interesting as we thought we were, or that maybe we can’t talk to people if we don’t have sports to talk about, or the hollow emptiness that we realized our lives don’t have as much meaning as we thought they did when we were “busy” watching sports on a random Tuesday.

It meant that when George Floyd was killed in May that we had nothing better to do than sit back and examine ourselves. Looking back, even in the busiest of times, nothing should have been more important than sitting back and examining ourselves. That’s something I learned.

As a privileged white lady living in Chicago, I had to go through my own reckoning and recognize that being my own definition of a good person is not enough to battle racism. I couldn’t turn on the TV and distract myself from that reality even for a few hours. It was a terrible awakening, but it was the ice cold bucket of water we needed to douse out of the complacent stupor we’d fallen into. Given my love of sports, the most salient moment for me was recognizing that I cheered for Black athletes on the field and court and ice, but wasn’t taking action to support them, simply as humans, off the field and court and ice.

I know I wasn’t alone. Given the blogs, the articles, the posts, the guidance, the sharing — it felt like we’d turned a corner. It felt like we were getting on the same page and would make some serious and much needed lemonade out of the sour as f*** lemons 2020 handed us.

And yet here we are today. After weeks of thoughtful messaging on social media, the balance of content on Instagram was slowly dialing back to brunch plates and cheersing cocktails. And another Black man was shot by another white cop.

Adding fuel to the fire, this shooting came days after video was released showing a white cop shoving Toronto Raptors’ president Masai Ujiri as Ujiri attempted to make his way to the court following the Raptors’ win in the NBA Finals last year. Making matters worse, the video only surfaced after news came that the cop was attempting to sue Ujiri. Sports, and the NBA in particular, were primed to bring the conversation back the top of peoples’ minds.

The Bucks weren’t having it. The players from the Milwaukee, less than an hour from Kenosha, recognized they had a story to share. In fact, Sterling Brown had his own story of being a victim of police violence after being shoved by a cop over a parking violation. That movement extended all the way up to the Bucks’ ownership, as owners Wes Edens, Marc Lasry and Jamie Dinan released a statement expressing their allyship with the players.

The response was swift and emotional. NFL exec Troy Vincent broke down when thinking about his three children that he is “trying to prevent from being hunted.” Mets first baseman Dom Smith brought an emotional message about how being Black in America isn’t easy. Players, coaches and others are speaking out, no longer content to “stick to sports.”

Hero might be a strong description for these individuals, but it’s not far off. If you’ve listened to the Play Like a Girl podcast, you probably know that I believe athletes should not be considered heroes simply because of their superhuman feats on the field. Athletes are mortal and fallible. The records they set in the books are meant to be broken. But those individuals who go above and beyond for their fellow man — they do things that stand the test of time and warrant recognition.

As we discussed on the pod last week, LeBron James is getting pretty damn close to that hero status, given his work with the LeBron James Family Foundation and I Promise School. Other young leaders in the NBA, WNBA and elsewhere are following suit.

But back to what happened last week. Even after everything we went through collectively as a nation in May, the NBA recognized we hadn’t thought hard enough. That’s why, after months of being unable to play due to COVID-19, they voluntarily chose not to — to force the rest of us to continue the conversation.

So don’t blame them. Don’t be mad at the athletes who are quickly emerging as heroes for their actions off the court, for their courage in fighting a system which has oppressed them. A system which allows them to be praised by white fans while on the court and dismissed as something less than human the second they step off.

This year is tough for all of us. Not having our favorite stress relief in sports made a challenging year more challenging. But remember that iron is forged in fire, and we have an opportunity to become stronger and better people as a result. Also remember that it was never about you. Sports are about all of us, and unless we support the players as people as much as we do players as players, we certainly don’t deserve them.

Recognize that as quickly as sports can come back (not that they’ve come back quickly), they can be taken away. So wear a mask. And if you’re really so upset that you didn’t have basketball for two days last week, be extra, extra mad that police violence against Black Americans exists today, and do everyone a favor, and take action to ensure systemic racism is squashed in this generation.

Continue reading...

2022 standouts name Ohio State among leaders
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Guess what? Recruits are still really interested in playing for the Buckeyes.

Spending time with family and friends over the weekend you might’ve missed out on some of the latest recruiting news surrounding your Ohio State Buckeyes. Don’t worry! Land-Grant Holy Land is here to help you get caught back up with things.

Buckeyes make the cut


Currently sitting pretty in both the 2021 and 2022 classes, Ryan Day and crew still have a shot at landing numerous other highly sought after recruiting targets. While Ohio State might not know exactly when they will take the field this season, what they do know is two more top notch juniors are still interested in suiting up for the Buckeyes when it’s their turn to sign on the dotted line with a college.

Taking to Twitter on Friday to share his newly trimmed leader list, four-star linebacker Jalon Walker cut things down from around 25 potential college destinations to 10. Considering schools from across the country, Ohio State, North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Notre Dame, Clemson, LSU, Auburn, Arizona State, and Texas A&M are still in the mix for the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Salisbury, North Carolina native.


Walker, the No. 2 outside linebacker, and 41st overall prospect in the class of 2022, according to the 247Sports Composite, put up some rather eye-popping numbers last season as a sophomore. Always around the ball for Salisbury High, he finished the year off with 121 total tackles, three forced fumbles, and two quarterback sacks for the Hornets.

Just a few hours later five-star 2022 wide receiver Luther Burden let the world know where he might be calling his future home. Picking up 40 offers throughout the process, Burden is now taking a closer look at 12 programs.

Rated a top-15 prospect in his class, either OSU, Auburn, Missouri, Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Penn State, Illinois, Baylor, Florida State, Oklahoma, or LSU will land the 6-foot-2 playmaker from Cardinal Ritter College Prep (MO) — the same program the produced current Buckeye wide out Jameson Williams.


A big time talent on the gridiron as well as the basketball court, recruiting analyst Allen Trieu had the following to say on how Burden’s skills translate to the college level:

Quick Hits

• The Ohio State basketball staff offered 2023 in-state standout Rayvon Griffith over the weekend. Still three years away from the college level, the Buckeyes join the likes of Oklahoma State, Alabama State, and Grambling State on the hunt for the Taft High sophomore. There are not yet ratings for the sophomore class, so we will have to wait and see how the Cincinnati native stacks up later in the process.

• Ohio State offered another 2023 in-state product on Sunday, this time of the football variety. Pickerington North safety Sonny Styles announced his latest offer via Twitter, as the Buckeyes joined Indiana as the two earliest entries for the sophomore. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound safety does not yet have a rating, but he is an OSU legacy, as his father Lorenzo Styles Sr. played his college ball in Columbus.

Continue reading...

Surprised there aren't anymore home brewers here than this.

My brother's been brewing for 15 years or so. I've recently started dabbling. Have done two batches so far. The first turned out pretty decent - the 5 gallon keg only lasted 2 weeks or so. I've got a pineapple coconut hazy ipa in the keg right now. Planning to tap it this weekend.

Doing a lot more rewatching now while the Great Waffling occurs over B10 football. This game was certainly a sign of things to come.

A team full of great players and athletes that had about 5 huge plays and sputtered the rest of the night. Honestly, as much as it might hurt, this is the season that I want more insight into. I really want to know the reasoning behind Beck and Warriner and how Meyer thought the offense could run smoothly with 2 over promoted position coaches and a very talented but raw pro-style QB.

This was the season in one game.

Ezekiel Elliott had 11 carries. 11. Totally forgot that. Dude had just run for ~700 yards in the 3 biggest games. Michael Thomas only had 2 catches. Curtis Samuel had 3 touches. But Jones had 13 carries. I think part of that was due to the option being run against the bear front, but those stats remain unforgivable. And much of the same magical thinking kept being replicated all year.

The best way I can describe the offensive gameplan for this game and the whole season is hopeful. The WR depth was shockingly bad, so they plugged in a raw QB that struggled with a short and intermediate passing game and hoped he'd make a play downfield. And most of the time he couldn't.

The frustrating thing is though, we still saw sparks that showed why they could play with and beat any team in the country. Soundly. I almost understand why Meyer was tempted to make the decisions he did. He knew he had a hammer in Elliott and how dynamic Miller, Samuel and Marshall were. The highlight plays against VaTech probably reinforced his decisions in his mind. Miller was going to be a Heisman candidate and Jones would figure it out.

Problem is, you can only run QB power and pop passes so many times before the defense figures it out. And they never got past that in the planning stage.

Huh?

Not all hero's wear cape's lmaoo thank you!

Bucks still seeing BOOMS, get decision date for another prospect
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Will Ohio State be able to bring a Kentucky native north?

The beat goes on even in the midst of uncertainty. Ohio State is still recruiting at the highest level. Landing their 19th commitment in the 2021 class yesterday, thanks to the addition of four-star defensive tackle Tyleik Williams, the Buckeyes have once again climbed back into the top spot for the No. 1 overall class in the country after being leapfrogged by Alabama just earlier this week.

A big time addition to an already incredible class, receiving this commitment just further proves that even in what may feel like the toughest time for the Ohio State football program, Ryan Day and his crew are not only able to continue business as usual, but use even the negatives to their advantage, which seems to be added attention to recruiting with the lack of on-field work going on.

As plans (hopefully) come about to give direction for the Big Ten’s potential spring season, the Buckeyes will as mentioned have additional time to continue to their force on the recruiting trail. With multiple targets still out there in the current 2021 class still yet to decide on the school of their choice, Ohio State will not only look to hammer down their remaining spots, but also continue their strong momentum in the future classes — such as the 2022 class, which is already off to a fantastic start.

Decision is near for Jager Burton


The original plan for Ohio State in their 2021 class was to take as many as four offensive linemen. With the current roster having elite players like Wyatt Davis, who is sure to leave early for the NFL, depth is always a concern. Especially along the offensive and defensive lines, you can’t be left out in the cold with these positions of tremendous need and importance.

This far into the cycle though, the Buckeyes sit with only two offensive line commits, but what they may lack in quantity, they sure make up for it with quality. Five-star guard Donovan Jackson and high four-star guard Ben Christman are locked in and holding down the fort, but Ohio State’s staff remain on the trail still looking to add to the position group.

One prospect who has been on the Ohio State radar since the beginning is Kentucky native Jager Burton. The eighth-best offensive guard in the country, Burton is a player not far from the Ohio border, and someone the staff kept in communication with regularly whether it was via Zoom calls or over the phone.

The issue here is the affinity Burton has with his hometown program, Kentucky. Going to high school in Lexington, the Wildcats are right in his back yard, and Burton hasn’t minced for words how he feels about Kentucky as his home and the university. Typically, when the Buckeyes want a player from the Bluegrass State, it’s not hard to convince the prospect why he should spend his years in Columbus playing at a historically stronger program. However, this recruitment with Burton isn’t quite the same.


Yesterday, Burton took to his Twitter account to announce that this coming Sunday (Aug. 30) he intends on making his final decision regarding his college of choice. In the running for his pledge includes Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon, Clemson, and of course, Kentucky. It’s not out of the question that the Buckeyes may stand a chance in landing this commitment, but if you’re betting on it, Kentucky keeping Burton within the state lines for the next three to four years looks to be the safest of bets. Time will tell, but Ohio State may need to continue looking elsewhere if they want to add another offensive lineman in the 2021 class.

Quick Hits

• On Thursday, Ohio State made the cut for four-star 2021 shooting guard Blake Wesley. The 6-foot-4, 170-pound Indiana native released his top 12 schools via Twitter, which included the Buckeyes alongside Creighton, Louisville, Notre Dame, Purdue, Texas and others. Currently listed as the No. 29 SG and the No. 108 player in the country in the 247Sports Composite, Chris Holtmann would surely love to add the talented hooper to his No. 7-ranked 2021 class.

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Buckeye Bits: Nebraska gets legal on the Big Ten, players to benefit from extra eligibility
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 Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
All of the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond.

Well, if yesterday was a crazy news day in the world of sports, today wasn’t much different as we saw a handful of Big Ten players suing the conference for canceling fall football, the Buckeyes got a BOOM to put them back in first place, and (almost) all of the pro sports leagues decided to shut down their games for tonight.


We will run you through it all of it in Thursday’s Buckeye Bits!

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...


Ohio State closing in on three major prospects

Tia Johnston, LGHL

One down. Two to go.

12-for-12: Ohio State’s Perfect Season - Game 1 vs. Virginia Tech

Gene Ross, LGHL

Look, we aren’t going to have real games to watch this fall, so we might as well create a season based on the best games from the recent past. Gene kicks us off with a great opener.

Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann working with other Big Ten coaches on a plan to play

Brett Ludwiczak, LGHL

The day after the Big Ten presidents canceled the fall football season, Ohio State football coach Ryan Day was out promoting his plan to play a winter season beginning in January. Similarly, it appears that Ohio State men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann is also stepping into the leadership void and trying to figure out what the future looks like for his team.

BOOOOM! Four-star defensive tackle Tyleik Williams commits to Ohio State

Gene Ross, LGHL

With this commitment, the Buckeyes move back into first place in the 2021 247Sports composite rankings after Alabama temporarily supplanted them thanks to a recent Rivals ratings update. Still a ways to go to get that “top-class ever” crown, but these days, I will take whatever wins I can get!

From around the gridiron...


Forget the Parents, Eight Nebraska Football Players File Lawsuit Against the Big Ten

Nate McHugh, Corn Nation


In a fairly stunning move, eight Nebraska Cornhuskers players officially filed a lawsuit against the conference office today for their handling of the cancelation of the fall football season. The players are officially looking to have the decision reversed and the fall schedule (presumably the conference-only version) restored.

The players; Garrett Snodgrass, Garrett Nelson, Ethan Piper, Noa Pola-Gates, Alante Brown, Brant Banks, Brig Banks, and Jackson Hannah; are sighting “tortious interference with business expectancies,” “breach of contract,” and “declaratory judgement” as the reasons for their suit.

The first complaint is in regard to the Fair Pay to Play Act that was passed by the Nebraska legislature and signed by the governor last month that allows college athletes in the state to financially benefit from their name, image, and likeness. This one is complicated, because until 2023, the school has to approve these payments before players are allowed to receive the financial benefits — which Nebraska has not yet done — but this strategy is likely the players’ best legal argument according to lawyers.

The next two complaints center around the widely discredited assertion that the university presidents did not in fact hold a vote to cancel the season, as is required by conference bylaws. This is likely less of a way to try and return the canceled fall season to the schedule, and more of a legal maneuver to make public the votes of the individual university presidents.

While the lawsuit did prompt a response from the league office, it was another one in which the B1G hid behind vagaries and did little to provide substantive information to the questions posed by the people who the conference is theoretically supposed to be serving, the student-athletes.


Because of the immediacy of the request to restore the fall season, an introductory hearing was held on Thursday afternoon, in which the B1G’s lawyer laid out this doozy:


Since 13 of the Big Ten’s 14 institutions are public universities, I would imagine that they have very little legal ground to stand on when it comes to keeping this information private (do not take my opinion as legal advice, I am not a lawyer, not all that intelligent). But, what is most surprising from this statement is that the league attorney is claiming that something involved with this decision-making process is so damning that it would fundamentally destroy an individual or institution if it was made public.

What could that info possibly be? Did a university president suggest literally killing football? Like, finding a way to anthropomorphize the sport and then murdering it? Short of that, grow up, release the documents, and stand by your decision.

Now, to be clear. While the Big Ten member institutions are mostly public universities, the conference itself is not; it is a not-for-profit organization, so it is not subject to the same laws that the schools themselves would be. Therefore, the lawsuit is likely to have little actual impact, at least in a legal sense. This probably isn’t going to for the conference to release information, let alone reverse course on playing this fall.

However, the audacity of the lawsuit will almost certainly continue to apply pressure to a B1G that is very much on the ropes and trying to regain even the slightest semblance of the leadership mantle that it, until recently, occupied in the college sports landscape.

On a related note, the Nebraska parents organization also indicated early on Thursday that they have been in contact (and presumably coordination) with 11 of the other 13 parent groups in the Big Ten.

Apparently great ideas can occur to multiple people at the same time as two illustrious Buckeye beat writers wrote on the same topic over the past 24 hours:

Ohio State players who can capitalize on postponed fall football season

Bill Landis, The Athletic (paywall)

10 Ohio State Players Who Could Benefit Most From Receiving An Extra Year Of Eligibility From the NCAA

Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

Interestingly enough, their lists only shared two players — neither of whom have ever played a down of college football, and not so coincidentally play the same position. But strong cases made for all Buckeyes mentioned.

Cool. What t-shirt is he gonna wear to the first day of camp?


Attorney Tom Mars working closely with Big Ten football parent movement

Phil Harrison, Buckeyes Wire

While this is not directly related to the Nebraska players’ lawsuit mentioned earlier, it does highlight that the B1G’s lame attempts at either ignoring or placating the growing anger from players, parents, and fans is not doing the job, and is likely only continuing to fuel the fire of their determination to get information and make an example of the conference’s leadership.

Botched Big Ten postponement will always follow Kevin Warren

Austin Ward, Lettermen Row

In the article, Ward makes a similar point to what I have been arguing from the LGHL Twitter (@LandGrant33) account for weeks: Kevin Warren is not ultimately, or even predominately, responsible for the cancelation of the B1G’s fall season. That responsibility falls on the shoulders of his bosses, the university presidents.

However, his piss poor handling of the decision and its aftermath will likely haunt his entire tenure as conference commissioner, however long or short it might be.

Presented without comment.

From around the hardwood...


If we start getting excited about Ohio State basketball is that going to eventually get ripped away from us too?


One of the all-time OSU greats still out representing the Buckeyes with pride. And he’s even talking to Jim Jackson as well.

From everywhere else...


For the second night in a row, the WNBA will not be playing tonight.


A half an hour later, the boys joined the ladies.


And — fairly surprisingly — so did the NHL.


Baseball’s still playing though, however multiple individual teams have decided to join their fellow sports leagues and postpone their games tonight as well.

Congrats, Franklin County. Don’t screw it up.


Continue reading...

BOOOOM! Four-star defensive tackle Tyleik Williams commits to Ohio State
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Four-star Unity Reed DT Tyleik Williams | Don Callahan, Inside Carolina/247Sports
The Virginia native becomes the 19th member of the Buckeyes’ No. 1-ranked 2021 class

It’s pretty much been nothing but doom and gloom for Ohio State fans these last few weeks. Between the Big Ten’s decision to cancel the fall football season and the lack of transparency that has followed, really the only beacon of light Buckeye Nation has had going for them is recruiting.

Ryan Day has been setting the trail on fire despite all of the challenges that have been thrown at him in his early tenure as Ohio State’s head coach, and he and his staff have been able to keep up that momentum through it all. Just last week, the Buckeyes secured a commitment from 2022 athlete Dasan McCullough, and on Thursday he and his guys got it done yet again.

This time, it was four-star defensive tackle Tyleik Williams, who today announced his commitment to Ohio State. The latest BOOOOM in this loaded 2021 class, Williams becomes the 19th pledge and the third defensive lineman to join the nation’s No. 1 group.


Williams, a product of Unity Reed High School in Virginia, is the No. 5 player in his home state, and comes in as the No. 10 DT in the country and the No. 160 player in the class overall according to the 247Sports Composite.

Officially holding over 30 scholarship offers from some of the nation’s top programs, he chose Ohio State over the other five schools he listed in his Final Six back at the end of June — which included Alabama, LSU, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia Tech. He is the third member of the 2021 class to be recruited by Larry Johnson, joining fellow defensive linemen Jack Sawyer and Mike Hall.

Here is what 247Sports national recruiting analyst Brian Dohn had to say about William’s abilities:


Williams’ commitment allows Ohio State to stave off surging Alabama to regain the nation’s No. 1 class in 2021. The Crimson Tide have been rapidly gaining on the Buckeyes, even passing them by less than two points after their latest commitment. The addition of Williams to Day’s group pushes OSU back up over 300 points once again, and provides a bit of an edge for now. Both schools have a handful of five-star prospects on their radars, and so the battle for the recruiting crown will likely not be decided until signing day.

Check out Williams’ highlights from his junior season with the Raiders as a precursor to what he will bring to the Buckeyes:

Continue reading...

Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann working with other Big Ten coaches on a plan to play
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
The Buckeye basketball head coach has been meeting with the other basketball head coaches in the conference via Zoom and they have put together a plan to return to the court.


With the 2020 Big Ten football season already have been delayed to January at the earliest,—if it will even be played at all—now Ohio State will turn their attention to seeing basketball played this winter. Ohio State men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann and the rest of the coaches around the Big Ten are working together to put together a plan that will allow for college basketball to be played, even though it will look completely different from what we are used to.

Holtmann is extremely optimistic we will see college basketball in the Big Ten this year because he has been working with other head coaches in the conference on a plan that would see teams in a natural bubble after students on campus leave after Thanksgiving, and those teams would stay in the bubble to mid-January.

What has the plan moving forward and working to figure out more of the logistics and questions that will arise is support from players and administrators. At least it sounds like there is momentum towards playing college basketball this year, which is especially welcomed after not only being denied the NCAA Tournament in the spring, but also college football this fall.

The NBA, NHL, and The Basketball Tournament have already shown this summer that bubbles work when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic and sports. Putting a college basketball team in a bubble is a lot easier than bubbling a college football team, especially considering the size of a college basketball team compared to a college football team.

No matter the protocols the Ohio State basketball has to follow when it comes to COVID-19, the team is going to have quite a different look from last year. Gone are Kaleb and Andre Wesson, D.J. Carton, Alonzo Gaffney, and Luther Muhammad. To fill some of those holes, transfers Seth Towns, Justice Sueing, Jimmy Sotos, and Abel Porter will be looking to make an instant impact.

A few returning players who have made big strides in Holtmann’s eyes over the summer have been E.J. Liddell, C.J. Walker, and Justin Ahrens. Liddell will likely try and fill some of the production lost by the departure of Kaleb Wesson. Liddell showed improvement late in the year, and many thought he was primed to carry that momentum into the Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Tournament, had the COVID-19 pandemic not canceled those events.

With a team that is going to feature so many transfers and underclassmen, Holtmann is going to need experienced players like Walker and Ahrens to lead the team. Even though Walker has only had one year of eligibility when it comes to playing with the program, he does garner some respect for his previous experience with a tough Florida State team. Walker will undoubtedly be one of the players Holtmann leans on on the court, especially in close games.

The news about Ahrens being the breakout player of the summer for the Buckeyes is especially intriguing. So far Ahrens has been a threat from behind the three-point line, but not really anywhere else. If Ahrens has been able to add more to his game inside the arc, it could open up the offense for the Buckeyes, which is needed when considering how tough the Big Ten is defensively.

Hopefully we get a chance to see the improvement of Ahrens, as well as how the new pieces fit on the court for the Buckeyes. Chris Holtmann teams always come to plan, no matter where and when they have to play. All Ohio State needs is a chance this year to show their talent, and it sounds like their head coach, along with the other coaches around the Big Ten, might make that happen.

Continue reading...

12-for-12: Ohio State’s Perfect Season - Game 1 vs. Virginia Tech
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Putting together the Buckeyes’ ultimate season using one game from each of the last 12 years.

Unfortunately, Ohio State will not be taking the field this fall after the Big Ten decided to cancel the 2020 fall season. While we here at Land-Grant Holy Land are equally as upset about it as all of you in Buckeye Nation, that isn’t going to stop us from providing you with the football content you crave over these next few months.

This is 12-for-12: Ohio State’s Perfect Season. In lieu of an actual football season this year, we have put together a full 12-game schedule for the Buckeyes using one game from each of the last 12 years. The docket is complete with three non-conference opponents, nine Big Ten showdowns, and will also include a three-game postseason with a Big Ten title game and College Football Playoff matchups. We tried to use the best games from each of the 12 years to fill the slots, but some had to be left out to avoid duplicate opponents in the regular season.

We will also be keeping a running total of the regular season’s stat leaders as if all of these games were occurring over one full season. There are many different players that have come through the program during this 12-year span, so only the top three guys in each category will be listed. In the end, we’ll have an interesting concoction of who led the Buckeyes over this 12-game Frankenstein season.

Game one on the schedule: Ohio State at Virginia Tech (2015).

Tale of the Tape


In 2014, the year Ohio State went on to win the National Championship, the Buckeyes hit a massive road block when they lost at home to Virginia Tech in Week 2. Thrust into action following a preseason injury to Braxton Miller, J.T. Barrett’s first home start was one to forget. The freshman QB completed just nine of his 21 pass attempts for 219 yards with three interceptions, ultimately leading to the team’s 35-21 defeat.

Fresh off a national title, Ohio State traveled to Blacksburg to kick off their 2015 campaign, looking to avenge their lone downfall from the year prior. The Buckeyes returned nearly their entire starting roster from the team that had won it all, but brought into the season a quarterback controversy between Barrett and Cardale Jones. Playing in front of a tough home crowd under the lights, Ohio State trailed at halftime. Would Urban Meyer’s team once again fall victim to Frank Beamer’s Hokies?

Game Recap


Ohio State came out hot in this one. After forcing an immediate three-and-out thanks in part to a combination sack from Tyquan Lewis and Gareon Conley of Virginia Tech QB Michael Brewer. The Buckeyes’ offense began their drive with good field position from around their own 35-yard line, and capped off an eight-play series with a gorgeous 24-yard TD pass from Cardale Jones to an interfered-with Curtis Samuel to take an early 7-0 lead.


It didn’t take long for Ohio State to find the end zone once again. After forcing another punt on the ensuing Hokies possession, it took just one play for the Buckeyes to increase their lead, courtesy of an 80-yard TD run by Ezekiel Elliott on his first carry of the game.


It looked as though Ohio State was about to run away with things early, but Virginia Tech caught a second wind. After the two teams traded possessions that ended on missed field goals, the Hokies scored their first points of the day on a huge 51-yard TD pass to Sam Rogers, cutting the Buckeyes’ lead in half. VT really began to seize momentum as the crowd got back into the game, and the ensuing interception thrown by Jones did not make matters any easier for the road team.

Virginia Tech would manage only a field goal after beginning with the ball in plus territory following the pick, but would add to the scoreboard again before things came to a close in the first half. Ohio State’s defense got a stop with under two minutes remaining in the period, but Elliott fumbled the punt return on his own 38-yard line. The short field set up yet another Hokies touchdown, and after the Buckeyes’ hot start to the night, they found themselves trailing 17-14 at the break.

Ohio State began the second half with a bang. A 20-yard keeper from Jones set the Buckeyes up around midfield, and former-QB-turned-receiver Braxton Miller did the rest. Jones found Miller in single coverage against the safety down the sideline, and the speedster burned the defense for a walk-in 54-yard TD to retake the lead.


Miller’s heroics for the night would not stop there. Both teams offenses were quiet for much of the rest of the third quarter as Ohio State clung to a 21-17 lead. After a number of punts back and forth, Virginia Tech fumbled near midfield, and the Buckeyes recovered. On their very first play of the ensuing drive, Miller hit the spin move heard around the world and was off to the races on what became a 53-yard TD run.


From there, Ohio State began to flex its muscle. An interception by Tyvis Powell on the Hokies’ next possession set up a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive by the Buckeyes, ending with a 10-yard TD scramble by Jones. Following another three-and-out by VT, J.T. Barrett entered the game for his first offensive series. His first keeper resulted in a gain of 40 yards, and on the very next play he hit Michael Thomas in the end zone for a 26-yard TD, OSU now coasting with a 42-17 lead.


It was the backups in for the remainder of the night, and Ohio State would go on to win 42-24. The Buckeyes struggled a bit early on after their first two scoring drives, but things really looked to be firing on all cylinders later in the second half. Overall, the team put up 572 yards of total offense against Virginia Tech, and the defense looked solid as they came away with four sacks, an interception and a forced fumble.

Ohio State begins the 2020 LGHL Season with a 1-0 record, coming away with a big road victory in the first game of the year.

LGHL Season Stat Leaders (OSU 1-0)

Passing

1. Cardale Jones: 187 Yds / 2 TD / 1 INT
2. J.T. Barrett: 26 Yds / 1 TD / 0 INT
3. N/A

Rushing

1. Ezekiel Elliot: 122 Yds / 11.1 Avg / 1 TD
2. Cardale Jones: 99 Yds / 7.6 Avg / 1 TD
3. Braxton Miller: 61 Yds / 12.2 Avg / 1 TD

Receiving

1. Braxton Miller: 3 Rec / 79 Yds / 1 TD
2. Michael Thomas: 2 Rec / 46 Yds / 1 TD
3. Curtis Samuel: 2 Rec / 32 Yds / 1 TD

Sacks

1. Tyquan Lewis: 1.5
2. Sam Hubbard: 1.0
3. Three tied at 0.5 (Gareon Conley, Darron Lee, Tommy Schutt)

Interceptions

1. Tyvis Powell: 1
2. N/A
3. N/A

Up Next


Ohio State will look to keep things rolling in the early goings of the season next week, when they take on yet another big non-conference opponent in No. 12 Miami (2010).

Continue reading...

Beer for "man's best friend":

Busch Beer launches Dog Brew, a beverage made specifically for dogs

Busch Dog Brew is non-alcoholic and safe for furry friends

Why should humans have all the fun?

Busch Beer introduced a new, non-alcoholic "brew" for dogs Wednesday, which not-so-coincidentally also happened to be National Dog Day.



The dog-friendly beverage is made from bone-in pork butt, whole corn, celery, basil, mint, turmeric and ginger, according to Busch. Dog Brew isn’t a meal replacement, but it can be served on its own or over food, and can be used to soften hard food.

Entire article: https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/busch-dog-brew-beer-for-dogs

Time for a thread title change. I looked up an IFL video on Youtube. Strange seeing Arena football using scatbacks and read options but better than just passing every play like the old AFL.

Wild Dogs selected as name of new Columbus Indoor Football League team

Jaxbuck said:

Nothing like every swinging dick you know rubbing one out to your sister every day (at the very least) and then telling you about it.

Click to expand...

If only it was that tame. To put it tactfully, stained printouts of his sister left in the latrine........everyday.

Ohio State offers 2022 linebacker, top-50 shooting guard
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 OLB Malaki Hamrick | Don Callahan/Inside North Carolina, 247Sports
Ryan Day and the Buckeyes offer another top OLB in the 2022 recruiting class.

Ohio State has quickly identified the linebacker position as one of great need in the 2022 recruiting cycle.

The Buckeyes have already earned verbal commitments from three blue-chip prospects that all project to play the position in their collegiate careers. Recent rivals.com five-star LB C.J. Hicks was the first domino to fall for Ohio State in the class and has earned the moniker “Captain Buckeye.” Hicks and the Buckeyes have also been able to secure commitments from four-star ATH Dasan McCullough and four-star OLB Gabe Powers.

Ohio State is also well in the mix for five-star ILB Shawn Murphy, the top-rated inside linebacker in the nation. Hicks has long been in the ear of Murphy, in hopes to create the top LB haul in the class.

The Buckeyes are far from finished adding to the haul. On Monday, the team officially offered another of the nation’s top linebackers.


Four-star OLB Malaki Hamrick (Shelby, NC/Shelby) announced that he had received an official scholarship offer from the Buckeyes on Monday morning.

Hamrick, has received plenty of scholarship offers to date, including the likes of North Carolina, Duke, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, West Virginia and Arkansas, among others. Mack Brown and the home state Tar Heels are the early favorites to land his commitment.

Hamrick is the No. 6 recruit in North Carolina, the No. 12 OLB and the No. 142 overall prospect in the class 2022 class.

Basketball Buckeyes offer four-star SG


Ohio State isn’t just hitting the recruiting trail on the gridiron — the hardwood has also been impressive when it comes to recruiting. Head coach Chris Holtmann and the basketball Buckeyes have been hard at work securing the nation’s No. 7 recruiting class in the 2021 recruiting cycle. The impressive haul includes the No. 1 prospect out of Ohio in Malaki Branham.

However, Holtmann and co. are also remaining focused on ensuring the 2022 recruiting class is just as successful. The Buckeyes already hold a verbal commitment in three-star shooting guard Bowen Hardman.

On Monday, Holtmann and Ohio State officially offered another of the nation’s top SG’s.


Isaac McKneely (Poca, WV/Poca) has seen his recruitment begin to take off this summer. In the last two months, KcKneely has earned offers from Indiana, Illinois, Virginia and now Ohio State. However, it is in-state school West Virginia who is viewed as the early favorite to land a commitment from McKneely.

McKneely is still early in his recruitment however, so no school should be viewed as out of the running. Ohio State has a chance to immediately jump into contender status.

Holtmann and the Buckeyes have proven to be one of the top programs at virtually recruiting, and if the team has serious interest in McKneely, expect them to try and get a virtual visit scheduled sometime soon. However, he will likely wait to take in-person visits before making a decision, circumstances allowing.

McKneely is the No. 1 prospect from West Virginia, the No. 9 SG and the No. 50 overall prospect in the class.

Quick Hits:

• Sports Illustrated released the SI All-American SI99 list Monday and multiple future Buckeyes made the cut.
• Rivals released their five-star prospects for the 2021 recruiting class on Monday and, once again, multiple future Buckeyes made the cut.
• Ohio State five-star WR target Luther Burden plans to announce his top 12 schools at the end of this week. Ohio State verbal commit Dasan McCullough is doing his best to make sure the Buckeyes make the cut

• Four-star 2021 DT Tyleik Williams plans to announce his commitment later this week, and based on some cryptic Tweets from current Ohio State commits, it seems as though this is an announcement Buckeye fans should keep an eye on. Williams is the No. 10 DT in the nation, and the No. 4 player from his home state of Virginia.

Continue reading...

Buckeye Bits: Ohio State No. 2 in AP Poll, Terry McLaurin putting on a show in Washington, 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

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

Happy Monday, reader. I’m happy to report that last week has ended.

Look, the Big Ten isn’t going to reverse its decision. So how bout we start looking forward to a winter season that is supposedly in the works? I know it won’t be the same, but its Buckeye football nonetheless. Plus, it’ll be nice to have some college football to turn to during those dark and cold winter months. Think positive thoughts, people!

I know that the majority of the fanbase is still upset. Some are even threatening to boycott the team forever. I get the hysterics, trust me. And I think it’ll begin to hurt even more when the air turns crisp and the leaves start to fall. However, the men of the scarlet and gray WILL suit up again. We will be attending tailgates and singing Carmen Ohio with 100,000 of our closest friends in the ‘Shoe before we know it. And the year 2020 will be a distant memory.

But folks, we mustn’t forget that we are in the midst of a global pandemic due to a deadly, highly contagious virus. The Big Ten—while executed poorly— made the decision not to put its athletes at risk, and frankly, it’s only a matter of time until other P5 conferences follow suit. And as much as I love Ohio State football, I have to respect that decision.

We here at LGHL are going to continue to pump out content, and we’re going to have to get creative, so bare with us! And if you have any topics you want us to cover or questions you want answered, drop them in our comments below! We look forward to going through these ~ unprecedented times ~ with you. Now, let’s get into today’s headlines, shall we?

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...


Column: Where are your parents?

Meredith Hein, LGHL

In her column this week, Meredith gives her thoughts on parents peacefully protesting at the Big Ten headquarters, and reiterates the fact that all they’re asking for is answers from the conference. Had the Big Ten been more transparent from the get-go, they probably could have avoided (most of) the backlash they’ve received over the last two weeks.

12-for-12: Ohio State’s Perfect Season

Gene Ross, LGHL

Since we don’t have a real season to work off of, Gene has put together a fake season for us! Here’s the gist:

• The schedule for the Buckeyes is filled with one game from each of the last 12 years, complete with three non-conference opponents, nine Big Ten showdowns, and a three-game postseason with a Big Ten title game and College Football Playoff matchups.
• Each week this fall, we will be covering one of these games as if they are happening in real time, including a recap, game summary, clips and highlights.
• We will also be keeping a running total of the Buckeyes’ stats as we go to determine who led Ohio State in some of the key statistical categories once the “season” is over.

The game recaps will drop every Thursday afternoon, beginning this Thursday (8/27) with the Week 1 matchup against Virginia Tech as the Buckeyes travel to Blacksburg for the season opener. See you there!

From around the gridiron...


Buckeyes still ranked in AP poll — for now

Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Ohio State is in the running for a national title, despite the fact that they are not playing football this fall. They received 21 first-place votes. Pain.


We must hold onto this victory until football returns.


Randy Wade organizing rally outside Ohio Stadium on Saturday morning, urges other Big Ten parents to follow suit

Kevin Harrish, Eleven Warriors

Like Meredith said in her column, there’s some confusion as to why the parents of Big Ten football players are protesting. It’s not that they want the fall season reinstated (the conference has made it clear that’s not happening). Rather, they just want some flipping answers. Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren issued yet another vague statement last week, and while it did provide a little more insight into the reasoning behind the cancelation, it still left many questions unanswered. Why was the decision made so quickly? Why weren’t the ADs and coaches in on the decision? Why aren’t other conferences canceling? What is the plan moving forward?


However, as with any fanbase, there’s always that one fan who takes things a little too far.


And Tennessee Jeff is (among others) that fan for Ohio State. He tweeted Monday morning that he was going to bring a piñata with Warren’s face “plastered all over it” to the parents’ otherwise peaceful protest on Saturday. He deleted the tweet saying that it was “a joke” after people began pleading him not to show up and embarrass the university. (Shoutout to those people)

If you’re new here or from another fanbase, I am here to tell you that Tennessee Jeff is not an accurate representation of the rest of us.


Good news turns to bad news for two future Buckeyes

Bill Kurelic, Bucknuts

The Philadelphia Catholic League announced that it will be postponing fall sports until the spring, meaning Ohio State 2021 commits, quarterback Kyle McCord and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. will not get to play their senior seasons, as they plan to graduate early and enroll at Ohio State in January.


NCAA’s decision to grant additional year of eligibility will have impact on Ohio State, other college football teams for years to come

Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

Last week, the NCAA announced that they were granting all fall sports athletes a free year of eligibility and an additional year to complete their eligibility, regardless of whether or not they play this fall or spring. While this sounds good on paper, there’s a whoooole lot to hash out regarding future classes, scholarship numbers, NFL Draft decisions, etc., and the impact of this is going to be felt for quite some time— at least five years, according to Hope.


Why Ohio State football fans should still care about a winter or spring season

Nathan Baird, cleveland.com

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the Big Ten did not cancel fall sports indefinitely. They “postponed it,” which allows them to put together a winter or spring season with safety precautions in place that reach their medical professionals’ standards. Do I think they could have hashed out a fall season between early March and now? Yes. But they didn’t. So here we are.

In their latest Buckeye Talk podcast episode, the guys at cleveland.com predict when Ohio State will play again, and whether Justin Fields, Shaun Wade, Wyatt Davis, etc. will present. Baird also discusses why he believes a winter season “could still carry real intrigue and importance.”


Meanwhile...


What could possibly go wrong?!


“The show must go on” — the CFP committee


I just can’t imagine a world where college football makes it past November when Notre Dame has already reported nearly 400 positive cases linked to two (just TWO!) off-campus parties. Players, also known as 18 to 22-year-old college students, will have to abide by all rules, which means no post-win celebrations, no house parties, no bars— everything that makes college what it is.

But hey, here’s hoping.

From around the league...


Hopefully!


The NFL has been successful thus far in keeping positive cases at bay. Hopefully, they can keep it up for the next five months.


You will not be wrong.


J.K. Dobbins ‘put on a show’ at Ravens training camp

Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Chase Young already receiving high praise with Washington

Dave Biddle, Bucknuts

We’re going to be covering former Buckeyes in the NFL more than we ever have this fall, and based on these two reports from two guys you might remember, this should be an easy feat.


Might I suggest The Washington Football team to get your Buckeye-fix this season?


Continue reading...

Column: Where are your parents?
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images
Maybe protesting in Illinois.

After the Big Ten postponed the fall sports season (not just football) Aug. 11, folks were obviously upset. I know this because Twitter. One of the most vocal groups protesting the decision has been a set of parents of football players from schools across the Big Ten.

Obviously parents want what is best for their children, but they also want their kids to be happy and oh maybe making it to the NFL and achieving childhood dreams might have something to do with it too. But ALSO there’s the health and safety aspect. Playing football is dangerous enough in terms of opportunity for injury, and throwing in a virus which can lead to irreparable heart damage (as we already saw with one unfortunate player from Indiana) might have served to dissuade. It’s tough.

A group of parents traveled to the Big Ten headquarters in Rosemont, Illinois, (right in my backyard!) last week to protest the decision and commissioner Kevin Warren’s decision. The group consisted of about 25 parents, many of them of Ohio State players, and fortunately most of the members of the group appeared to be wearing masks. Randy Wade, father of Ohio State standout defensive back Shaun Wade, organized the event.

One of the reasons the group headed to Illinois was due to the communications challenges, especially delays, from the Big Ten. Warren released an open letter Aug. 19, detailing some of the rationale behind the decision to postpone fall sports. Unfortunately, that decision came Aug. 11, just six days after the conference released a schedule for fall games. It also didn’t help that the letter, while acknowledging the factors that contributed to moving the season, didn’t list the actual data that the university presidents evaluated when making their decision.

It also must be said that there is a difference between postponement and cancellation. Football is not dead, but the communication from the Big Ten, which does not include what a delayed season might look like, certainly makes it feel like it is.

While there are obviously a lot of folks who want football back this fall at whatever cost, the parents who protested in Rosemont were actually more in line with the requests put forth in Justin Fields’ petition last week: communication and transparency.

According to ESPN, Wade stated, “I’m just a dad, and I just want to spark the conversation. We don’t have to play in the fall. We want to play in the fall. We want to do everything we can to play in the fall. We don’t like the way the decision went down by the presidents and not knowing whether they voted, didn’t vote. We don’t like that.”

Wade’s statements were echoed by parents of Ohio State linebacker Tuf Borland among others. Much of the request for transparency was rooted in the fact the Big Ten and Pac-12 postponed football, while the SEC, ACC and Big 12 are poised to kick off their seasons as scheduled. The specific requests included a look in on the medical evidence that was evaluated and information on which school presidents voted and for what.

As Wade mentioned above, and a point which was corroborated by many of the other parents, they are not (read: not) asking for football in the fall. They just want answers. It’s also a crowd which acknowledges the devastating effects COVID-19 has had on the country, with Wade opening his remarks with a 17-second moment of silence for the now-more than 170,000 COVID-19-related deaths this year.

I’m not defending the Big Ten here - the conference obviously made some grave errors in its messaging. But here’s the thing: Working in ops at any sports league, including the Big Ten, has to be literally the worst right now, right? Surely, the Big Ten had been operating on two tracks - one in which fall sports happen and one in which they didn’t. The conference had to release the schedule, because it had to operate under the assumption that football could happen. However, we can’t be so naive to pretend the conference wasn’t simultaneously planning for a fall without sports. The strategy was there, but the execution was poor.

The decision to postpone the season continues to look like the right one though, as cases continue to rise nationally, and schools are facing increasingly high challenges as they develop plans to return in-person. (Don’t even try to tell me that because the SEC is still on that the decision looks bad.) On that note, it’s key to remember that these individuals are student athletes, and without the schools themselves, there’s no opportunity to move to the sports part of things.

We’ve already witnessed Notre Dame as a cautionary tale of what returning to in-person classes means from an academic perspective. From what we’ve seen, these cases can spread to the football team’s bubble just as easily as they can to the rest of the student body. As of this writing, nearly 400 students at the university have tested positive for COVID, with many of the cases being traced to two off-campus parties. With an undergraduate student body size of around 8,600, that means 4.5% of students have been infected in just a few short weeks.

There is a mounting body of evidence on the challenges of returning to football, let alone school, in the COVID-19 era. While the decision to postpone sports makes sense in the short run, better transparency and communication would have assuredly led to a better outcome and response to the news than we ultimately got.

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Ohio State in touch with long list of 2022 recruits
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
The Buckeyes are searching the trail high and low for future OSU ballers.

Trying to build Ohio State into not just a Big Ten Conference power, but a National Championship contender, Chris Holtmann and crew aren’t taking any time away from trying to lock down top talent for years to come. Holding a pledge from three-star shooting guard Bowen Hardman, the Buckeyes’ coaching staff are in constant contact with a long list of standout juniors to add in their next crop of Buckeye ballers.

Still not able to hold campus visits with recruits, OSU has turned to Zoom meetings and phone calls to pursue their big board. Dishing out many offers, and in touch with many others highly sought after class of 2022 prospects, one thing is clear... The staff is busy preaching the Buckeye gospel.

According to numerous Twitter reports, Ohio State has recently been in touch with some of the best juniors in America. Want to know just a few of the standouts the Buckeyes have reportedly had their eyes on? Land-Grant Holy Land has got you covered.

Five-star PF AJ Casey


Class: 2022

Town: Chicago, IL/Tinley Park

Size: 6-foot-8, 190 pounds

Four-star SF Trae Clayton


Class: 2022

Town: DeSoto, TX/Waxahachie Faith Family Academy

Size: 6-foot-5, 180 pounds

Four-star CG Corey Floyd Jr.


Class: 2022

Town: Roselle, NJ/Roselle Catholic

Size: 6-foot-4, 190 pounds

Four-star PF Tarris Reed


Class: 2022

Town: Saint Louis, MO/Chaminade

Size: 6-foot-10, 230 pounds

Four-star C Shawn Phillips


Class: 2022

Town: Dayton, OH/ Belmont

Size: 6-foot-10, 250 pounds

Four-star SG Otega Oweh


Class: 2022

Town: Blairstown, NJ/ Blair Academy

Size: 6-foot-4, 180 pounds

Three-star PG Avery Brown


Class: 2022

Town: Beacon Falls, CT/Northfield Mount Hermon

Size: 6-foot-3, 180 pounds

Three-star C Kyle Filipowski


Class: 2022

Town: Wilbraham, MA/Wilbraham & Monson Academy

Size: 6-foot-10, 215 pounds

Three-star PF Kebba Njie


Class: 2022

Town: Centerville, OH/Centerville

Size: 6-foot-8, 205 pounds

Three-star SG Kendall Blue


Class: 2022

Town: Saint Paul, MN/East Ridge

Size: 6-foot-4, 175 pounds


Three-star CG Tayshawn Comer

Class: 2022

Town: Indianapolis, IN/Cathedral

Size: 5-foot-11, 175 pounds


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