247 will be updating their 2022 class ratings soon. Wiltfong says Goodwin will be receiving a pretty good bump from last year's 3 star rating.

The KSB said:

In 2006 I was deployed to Iraq. This was during "don't ask, don't tell". A Soldier came out and declared himself gay. This would mean getting discharged. The brigade commander ordered a 15-6 investigation that resulted in a "not gay" determination. As the years pass, I've often wondered what was the criteria used to make the determination.

Click to expand...

.
Preponderance of evidence.

Think it through.

buck nakid said:

And . . . please let those "yahoos" stay right where there are, and NOT come on here!

Click to expand...

There, are, sadly, a small but vocal group of bully yahoos right here on this board. They are insanely jealous of good looks and great fortune, and you may have to move your family to Tennessee to avoid the stalking.

Only good news I've read today, great choice Rocco.

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

Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images
Chris Holtmann and crew recently threw their hat in the ring for a pair of top juniors.

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

Schutt talks Buckeyes


Already holding a verbal pledge from three-star Cincinnati Princeton shooting guard Bowen Hardman, Chris Holtmann and the Ohio State basketball squad are hard at work trying to find more pieces to the class of 2022 recruiting puzzle. Searching high and low for future Buckeyes, Jaden Schutt, who holds the state of Illinois single-game record for three pointers in a contest with 17, walked away with a chance to rock the Scarlet and Gray on Thursday.


“We had a Zoom call and coach Holtmann offered. They said they were excited about me and wanted to continue to develop our relationship.” the 6-foot-5, four-star shooting guard told Land-Grant Holy Land. “OSU has a lot of winning history, it’s definitely a great school and I’m honored to have them offer.”

Coming off a season where he averaged 22 points and nine rebounds for the Yorkville Christian Mustangs (IL), Schutt is starting to put together a solid list of potential college homes. Gaining interest daily, Creighton, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska, and Wisconsin are just some of the programs the Buckeyes find themselves up against for the sharp-shooter.

Working to build a rapport with coaches, Schutt has a few things he’s looking for before he shuts things down and commits to a school.

“I’m looking for a great connection with the coaching staff and a school that has great facilities and a great campus.”

Buckeyes offer big man


On Friday afternoon, three-star 2022 big man Kyle Filipowski earned his chance to play for the Buckeyes.


A versatile post player who could play power forward or center on the next level, the 6-foot-10 Filipowski adds the scholarship opportunity from Holtmann and crew alongside over a dozen college programs. Earning offers from schools across the country, Providence, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Boston College, Louisville, Maryland, and UConn are just a few of those currently pursuing his talents.

Not just a rebounder, Kyle can put points up on the board too. During his three years on the court at Wilbraham & Monson Academy (MA) he’s accounted for over 1,000 career points. Last season as a sophomore, Filipowski, the 19th center, and 157th overall prospect in the entire class of 2022, per the 247Sports Composite Rankings, helped the Titans take home the New England Class AA championship by averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds a contest.

Quick Hits

• The OSU basketball coaching staff recently held a Zoom meeting with four-star class of 2022 guard Corey Floyd Jr., according to 247Sports. Yet to lock in a offer from the Buckeyes, the New Jersey native does hold scholarships from programs such as Florida, Georgia, Miami, Providence, and UConn.
• Clarkston (MI) four-star star offensive guard Rocco Spindler verbally committed to Notre Dame on Saturday. Spindler, a class of 2021 standout, had Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, and LSU among his leaders before deciding to roll with the Fighting Irish. The Wolverines have now lost out on two of the top three in-state prospects in the class, with Spindler ranking third in the state.

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Play Like a Girl podcast: Will there be a college football season?
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 Ralph Freso/Getty Images
Tia and Meredith breakdown Ohio State’s 2020 schedule, and discuss whether or not there should even be a college football season

On LGHL’s podcast Play Like a Girl, Tia and Meredith talk everything from Ohio State football to all the happenings in the sports world today.

Well, safe to say there’s been a lot of rumors floating around the Ohio State beat since we recorded this episode. Many “P5 sources” are saying the Big Ten has all but officially announced their cancelation of the football season. Things aren’t looking great, but until we know for sure, we’ll be over here chatting/speculating about CFB for the small amount of time we have left.

In this week’s episode, we start the show by discussing all that is wrong with Ohio State’s 2020 schedule (why is Michigan in October?), then we get into a discussion on whether or not there should even be a college football season. And if there is one, will we even make it through September before chaos ensues?

On the second half of the show, we unpack the Pac-12 and Big Ten players’ list of demands, and talk about how refreshing it is to see college football players realizing the power they have over their NCAA/conference superiors.

Check out the podcast below, and make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts:

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Column: If the season is canceled, we should be angry, but not just at the Big Ten, NCAA
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
The NCAA and individual conferences haven’t done much during this pandemic, but they aren’t the ones ultimately responsible for CFB potentially being canceled.

Well, friends, it feels like we are in the last throes of a losing battle to have college football this season. Following chilling news on Saturday about the Big Ten moving towards canceling the fall season, it now appears almost an inevitability that should football happen during the 2020-21 academic year, that it will be in the spring of 2021. The common consensus is that the B1G, with new commissioner Kevin Warren at the helm, is the most likely league to pull the trigger first on a cancelation.

Not only has the conference long been the most progressive in making radical decisions, but thanks to the Big Ten Network and lucrative contracts with FOX and ESPN, it is believed that the B1G and its member institutions are the most well-prepared to withstand the inevitable financial shortfall should games be delayed until spring — or even fall — of next year.


As players and their parents are actively campaigning for the season to progress as (re-)scheduled, there is a palpable fear rising from all corners of the college football fandom and media. We are all reading the writing on the wall, and as reality washes over us, we are lashing out at everyone within arms length who has any part in taking the sport that we love away from us, away from the coaches, and away from the players.

You can think and say whatever you’d like about how individual schools and conferences — and the NCAA as a whole — have mismanaged their specific responses to this pandemic, and chances are that you’d be right. While these organizations were fairly proactive in March, moving to cancel unsafe and unnecessary in-person classes and large gatherings, in most cases they have completely abdicated their responsibilities since then when it comes to adequately planning for a return to some semblance of normalcy for their students; athletes or otherwise. So, they are by no means immune to criticism in regard to the handling of COVID-19 and the return of college football.

However, let’s be clear, wide-spread public health is not the responsibility of Ohio State, the Big Ten, or even the NCAA. They are institutions of higher education and intercollegiate athletics. They are simply responding to what is happening in the world around them; despite whatever political pull they might have, they are not dictating what is being done to keep the citizenry-at-large healthy.

That responsibility falls to our elected and appointed officials and to each of us as individual members of a collective society. So, as I said on Twitter on Sunday, for all of the anger and resentment being sent the Big Ten and NCAA’s way, I hope that there are ample amounts being reserved for the actual individuals who have spent the past five months doing little to nothing to get our country into a position in which playing college football was possible in the fall.


This is not a political statement, this is not a scientific statement (lord knows that I am not an expert in either field); this is a blanket statement. There has been a gross dereliction of duty at every level of our nation when it comes to taking the coronavirus seriously and following through on the sometimes painful steps required to keep it in check.

We know that it’s possible to curb the spread the disease enough for life to return to something approaching normal; other countries of have done it. Heck, even in the sporting world, the NWSL has done it, the NBA has done it, the MLS has done it, the NHL has done it. We know what it takes to stop the spread of this highly contagious disease; we’ve always know what it takes to stop the spread of this highly contagious disease.


But, for whatever reasons (some valid, some less so), governmental officials at all levels and of all stripes have been hesitate to put these stringent protocols in place. And all too often when lesser protocols have actually been ordered, far too many people have selfishly refused to comply, thus in turn making it even more politically difficult for officials to do what is necessary to keep people safe and to get the country to a place where collegiate sports could return.

Now, I certainly am not carrying water for the B1G or NCAA, as I think that they have mostly followed the government’s model and washed their hands of any serious leadership and have instead defaulted to hoping for the best. But ultimately, they aren’t the ones to blame if college football is canceled this fall. Sure, they might be the ones that make the final decision, but we are the ones at fault. Both because of our communal unwillingness to do the difficult things needed to slow down the virus’ spread, and because we have not demanded more from the people that we put in power.

We could have had college football this fall; we should have had college football this fall. But if we don’t, I hope that those who are actually responsible for creating a situation that forces the games to be taken away from us are the ones who receive the brunt of the fandom’s collective anger.


From the first official day of preseason camp until whenever Ohio State’s football season ends, I will be posting a column every single day. 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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Column: It’s okay to be conflicted on whether or not there should be college football this fall
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 Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
‘Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself; (I am large, I contain multitudes.)’

Woo boy, today has been a roller coaster of emotions. It started with the news that the MAC has canceled fall football and intends to hold a spring season. Then we had Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel reporting that the Big Ten presidents were meeting on Saturday and could move to cancel the league’s recently rescheduled fall season.


We later learned that this was a meeting that had already been on the books, and was not an emergency meeting to address the prospect of canceling the season. However, shortly after Thamel’s report, the B1G itself released a statement in which it slowed down its preseason schedule, despite the fact that teams had already begun practices.

In their statement, the league office said that for the time being, all teams must remain in the “acclimatization period” of practices, which means that players can workout in helmets, but not in pads.

The B1G closed their statement with a fairly ominous reminder, the emphasis added is ine. “We understand there are many questions regarding how this impacts schedules, as well as the feasibility of proceeding forward with the season at all. As we have consistently stated, we will continue to evaluate daily, while relying on our medical experts, to make the best decisions possible for the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes.”

But that wasn’t it, as it is now being widely reported that new B1G commissioner Kevin Warren is in favor of pushing the season to the spring, a move that would essentially end Ohio State’s title chances as there would likely be a mass exodus for the NFL.

Today’s events have brought up a lot of conflicting emotions for me, which have long been bubbling just beneath the surface as I navigated the implications of this pandemic on college football, and that I have more or less been consciously ignoring.

Not only am a borderline obsessive college football fan as well as a columnist and podcaster here at LGHL, but I’m also someone who believes that we as a nation have not done nearly enough to curb the coronavirus’ spread, and generally believes that college athletes (especially in DI football) are exploited in a cartel-like money-making scheme in which the NCAA and universities generally default to doing the absolute bare-minimum for players while raking in billions of dollars for themselves.

So, I’m torn. In the words of Walt Whitman, “Do I contradict myself?/ Very well then I contradict myself.” As this pandemic has spread, I have adamantly believed that nearly everything needs to be shut down temporarily so that we could minimize the spread as most other developed nations have done; that includes schools, sports, arts (where I make most of my living), restaurants, etc. That has happened in small doses around the country, but obviously not for long enough to make the necessary difference.

So from that perspective, I should be in favor of all college sports shutting down their seasons until it is scientifically safe to resume. But part of me — perhaps my ego that is so tied to the success of my alma mater’s football team — won’t let me completely make that jump, despite the fact that my head knows that it would be the safest thing for all involved, and that my heart hurts for all of those impacted by the virus thus far.

If we were talking about professional sports, I would have a completely different opinion. As the NWSL, NBA, MLS, and NHL have proven, putting teams in a bubble and having strict testing and quarantining protocol in place actually works (so much so that I wish that our government had adopted something similar as experts were advising in February and March).

But the thing is, you can do all of that with professional athletes, even in sports where the minimum salary isn’t hundreds of thousands of dollars. People make sacrifices for their jobs that keep them away from their families, put them through medical testing, and require them to be in danger all of the time. So, with generous opt-out policies in place, while I have a bit of an issue with how many resources are being used to keep these leagues going that could otherwise benefit the community at large, I am more or less comfortable with pro sports returning if that return is handled responsibly (looking at you and your bungled restart, MLB).

But it’s different with college sports. You can’t quarantine the entire B1G in Indianapolis or Chicago or Minneapolis or wherever. Even with online classes, the idea of forcing unpaid athletes to spend three months in a hotel just to play some games for other people to make millions of dollars off of isn’t going to fly — even though that would be much safer for the players than the protocols that are currently in place.


Despite knowing all of that, my inherent fandom still wants to see a season — however shortened it might be. While I could rationalize this by talking about the fact that the players feel safe and want to play (more on that tomorrow or Monday), or that this is an opportunity for many of them to not only live out their dreams, but also to potentially set themselves up financially in the future; all of that would just be a cover for my very simplistic, selfish desire: I want to watch the Ohio State Buckeyes play football this fall with Justin Fields, Shaun Wade, Chris Olave, Wyatt Davis, et al. in uniform one more time.

Until this week, I had been fairly cynical about whether or not there would or should be college football this fall. I refused to get my hopes up, because I could see that things were trending towards the worst case scenarios of at least the season being pushed back to the spring — which would likely mean that all of the players that I mentioned above, and probably more, would opt out to prepare for the NFL Draft.

But when the Big Ten released the updated conference-only schedule on Wednesday, I got extremely excited despite myself. The rush of anticipation that I normally start feeling in mid-June finally pushed its way through all of the negativity and I let my guard down and allowed myself to pretend that the reality in which we are living had somehow evaporated with the release of a single 10-game schedule.

However, that is not our reality. We are still dealing with a global pandemic that is killing roughly 1,200 people a day in our country, and as important as college football is to millions of people (myself and, even more so, the players included), I know that it’s ultimately not worth risking — and inevitably sacrificing — the lives of otherwise healthy young men. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t still want a miracle to happen and all of the stars to align in order to allow us to revel in the pageantry that is the greatest sport in the world this fall.

So I have had to become comfortable sitting with the fact that I simultaneously want two mutually exclusive things to happen; there to not be a college football season this fall, and for there to be a college football season this fall. Life — and especially times of trauma and tragedy — is about navigating a maze of seemingly incongruous ideas, and finding a way to accept an outcome that you have no hand in shaping.

Therefore, despite the straw men that certain sports talking heads like to use as a crutch to explain away the realists in the media who candidly discuss the dire situation at hand, I am not rooting for the virus, I am not rooting against college football. I am rooting for safety, sanity, a return to the field, and for the Buckeyes to hang 100 on TTUN.


From the first official day of preseason camp until whenever Ohio State’s football season ends, I will be posting a column every single day. 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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Column: Jim Harbaugh is really weird, and I hope he coaches Michigan for life
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 Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
But not just for the reasons that you’re thinking.

I like eccentric people. Generally the greatest advancements in art, science, and society come from the creativity and outside-the-box thinking of the weirdos amongst us. Even on a micro scale, more often than not, the most enjoyable people to conversate and spend time with are the ones who are just ever so slightly off their rockers.

But then there’s the coach of the Michigan Wolverines football team, James Joseph Harbaugh; he’s a completely different brand of bonkers. He’s cranky and combative and is constantly in search of two things: either a fight, or an opportunity to flaunt his idiosyncrasies, often just for flaunting’s sake.

Those aren’t opinions, they are facts. And I doubt that even the most ardent of Michigan Men would deny that Harbaugh is more than a little bit on the odd side of life; and those of us that don’t have yellow and blue running through our veins would probably be inclined to use even more colorful language than that. But is that weirdness necessarily bad? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Let’s discuss. In addition to his well-documented obsession with milk, eating a booger on national TV, hatred of chickens, slumber parties with recruits, jumping off high dives fully clothed, dedication to khakis, Usher-inspired dance moves, climbing trees to impress high schoolers, and rocking the palest dad bod in history, there have been a few stories in recent weeks about how Jimmy’s eccentricities could be hurting his team on the field; good for the Buckeyes, bad for TTUN.

First, he lost out on five-star (and eventual first-round draft pick) offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson because he refused to take his cleats off when visiting Wilson’s house. First off, why the hell was he wearing cleats in the first place? He was on a recruiting visit, not playing (or even coaching) a game.

It’s like his need to bring a glove with him to every baseball game he ever attends; does he feel like he always needs to be prepared just incase a game breaks out somewhere on his travels and a frantic coach might spot him in the distance and say, “Sonny boy. Yeah you, the one who’s already wearing cleats. We need another player so that the hometown team can win the championship and raise enough money to save our beloved, but dilapidated ball field from the evil real estate developer. You must be one heck of an athlete if you’re already wearing cleats for no discernible reason. Do you want to play with us? If we we win, I’ll take you out for a tall, cold, refreshing glass of milk.”

Grow up, Jim. You have less than zero reasons to wear cleats anywhere off of a football field, and even then it’s a little sus.

Secondly, with all due respect to his mother Jackie Harbaugh, why does he think that wearing cleats indoors is acceptable? I can’t tell you how many times that my mom yelled at me and my siblings after coming home from games, “No cleats in the house!”

And keep in mind, it wasn’t even his house. Have some respect for the people inviting you into their home, Jimmy.

Then this week, we had the whole fiasco with the confrontation on a Big Ten coaches conference call between him and Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day, which reportedly led to Day telling his team that the B1G better have a mercy rule in place because the Bucks are going to “hang 100 on them.”

Get your “Hang 100 On ‘Em” t-shirt now in time for The Game!


According to the original reporting by Bucknuts’ Dave Biddle, the incident started when Harbaugh interrupted Day on the call and accused former TTUN assistant and current OSU linebackers coach Al Washington of working with players before it was permitted by the NCAA. Jimmy allegedly came to this conclusion based on a photo shared on OSU’s social media platforms.

Now, I don’t know what image he is talking about, and I don’t know enough about what was and wasn’t allowed in the NCAA’s two-week pre-camp window, but if Washington was violating the rules, then I have no issue with Harbaugh bringing it up to the Big Ten compliance department. While I doubt that it gave any competitive advantage to the Buckeyes, rules need to be followed and enforced. So, no issue there for me. In fact, if he had evidence that his rival was committing NCAA infractions, he would be doing his team a disservice not to report them to the proper authorities.

But, how he (allegedly) instead chose to bring the accusation up feeds the narrative that Harbaugh is a little bit unhinged and lacks any semblance of interpersonal skills, especially when it comes to his coaching peers and colleagues. And let’s not forget about how he was basically fired by the San Francisco 49ers — despite impressive success — because nobody liked working with him.

This week’s interaction with Day also plays into Harbaugh and Michigan Man’s worst tin-foil hat tendencies. It’s like clockwork, after every edition of The Game, the MGoBlog message boards erupt with all kinds of emotions and excuses for why their team lost to the Buckeyes yet again. From disdain for Harbaugh to resignation that OSU has essentially lapped the rest of the B1G to conspiracy theories about how Ohio State is only better than TTUN because they cheat, it’s all there on full display once a year, usually on the Saturday following Thanksgiving.

Last year, they even latched onto the fact that Justin Fields, a transfer student who came to Columbus after a semester had already started, took mostly online classes. If you ask me, that just shows what a leader Fields is in his preparations for college in the time of COVID.

Now, we, the black sheep of the Ohio State blogosphere, have built our brand on being petty; somehow, it kind of works for us. But it is not a good look for a leader of men. Is Jim’s behavior really the type of thing that you’d want to send your son to play under for three to five years?

But, I will give credit where it is due, I do think that Harbaugh has gotten some things right over his years in Ann Arbor. I thought that his attempts to host satellite camps in talent-rich parts of the country were actually pretty brilliant, and I applaud his willingness to not only talk the talk, but also walk the walk when it comes to supporting Black Lives Matter.

So, if you’ve gotten this far in this column, you either are loving what I wrote and think that I didn’t go far enough, or you are rage-reading and think that I am just another arrogant Ohio State fan. Both might be true, but here’s the thing: I don’t want to see Jim Harbaugh leave Michigan.

Sure, there’s the fact that he’s 0-5 against the Buckeyes in his tenure at his alma mater and hasn’t gotten past third place in the Big Ten East; and that’s all incredibly gratifying to me as someone who’s formative years came during the John Cooper era. But, the real reason that I want him to stay is just that I find his entire schtick to be hilarious. He is just so strange that his whole being becomes entertaining. Jim Harbaugh is the perfect foil and target for meme culture. Hell, Jim Harbaugh is a walking meme.

I mean, we’ve known that he was wackadoo ever since it was revealed that he was Screech Powers’ cousin on an episode of “Saved by the Bell: The New Class;” that really explains a lot, doesn’t it?


But the point remains, Jim Harbaugh is unusually unusual, especially when it comes to the normally buttoned up profession of college football coaching. And while his antics can certainly wear thin — for both fans and foes alike — you cannot argue that they aren’t interesting. I mean, in a world in which coaches are openly stanning for deranged propaganda outlets or actively fighting to prevent players from organizing for economic or racial justice, isn’t it nice to have a coach that we can talk about who’s worst off field offense is just that he’s weird? It’s 2020, bring on the weird.


From the first official day of preseason camp until whenever Ohio State’s football season ends, I will be posting a column every single day. 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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Current, former Buckeyes stars set to graduate
Ohio State is much more than just an NFL factory. The Buckeyes coaching staff and administrators stress academics and stress earning a college degree. Two current Buckeyes football players will earn their degrees this weekend.

Linebacker Baron Browning and captain Shaun Wade will receive their degrees Sunday afternoon. Browning, a communications major, will be a key part of the Ohio State linebacker room this season. Wade put off the NFL to return to the Buckeyes, and the sport industry major will earn his degree, as well, while becoming a leader of the Ohio State secondary. Former Ohio State football player Michael Bennett will receive his degree, too.

Buckeyes basketball star Kyle Young is also graduating Sunday. Former Ohio State basketball player Trevor Thompson is also a part of the graduating class. In total, 27 current and former Ohio State athletes will graduate.

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Current, former Buckeyes stars set to graduate
Ohio State is much more than just an NFL factory. The Buckeyes coaching staff and administrators stress academics and stress earning a college degree. Two current Buckeyes football players will earn their degrees this weekend.

Linebacker Baron Browning and captain Shaun Wade will receive their degrees Sunday afternoon. Browning, a communications major, will be a key part of the Ohio State linebacker room this season. Wade put off the NFL to return to the Buckeyes, and the sport industry major will earn his degree, as well, while becoming a leader of the Ohio State secondary. Former Ohio State football player Michael Bennett will receive his degree, too.

A new vBet has been created for how many regular season games the Buckeyes will play this season. The odds are mine.

BP.vBet

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It does look like him.....

Get your ‘Hang 100 on ‘em’ shirt today!
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


A new phrase has entered the Buckeye lexicon to go alongside “Because I couldn’t go for three”!

Depending on how immersed in the Ohio State blogosphere you are, you might not have heard about a recent conference call kerfuffle between two Big Ten coaches who have their programs heading in opposite directions.

According to Bucknuts’ Dave Biddle, earlier this week on a call with all of the B1G’s football coaches, Michigan head man Jim Harbaugh accused Ohio State of cheating (which is, after all, the Michigan Man’s only defense for a nearly two-decade long spat of mediocrity) by having linebackers coach Al Washington featured working with players on the field in a social media video, a couple of days before that was permitted by the ever-changing NCAA regulations.

Buckeye coach Ryan Day responded matter of factly by saying that Harbaugh should focus on his team, and let Day focus on his. Then, again according to Biddle, in a subsequent team meeting, Day informed his players that he intended to “hang 100” on TTUN when they meet this November October. And thus a meme and a hashtag that we will likely beat into the ground were born.

But, being who we are here at Land-Grant Holy Land, your friendly neighborhood rabble rousers couldn’t pass up a chance to rub some salt in the Wolverines’ wounds, so we have made available the newest shirt in our long line of homer/trolling apparel.



Our friends at BreakingT performed an admirably speedy turn around to make this gem available ASAP. You can now get this gorgeous, premium, lightweight, durable — yet ultrasoft — tri-blend crewneck here.

You know the story of “because I couldn’t go for three,” but a new chapter rivalry trash talk was written this week. We still aren’t 100 percent sure if The Game will be played this season or not, but this is the perfect shirt to have handy for whenever the Buckeyes next have the opportunity to #Hang100OnEm.

Some of our t-shirt greatest hits are also available here as well, starting at just $10. And, if you spend $70, you get free domestic shipping, so you might as well stock up.

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Miami football recruiting: Five-star defensive tackle Leonard Taylor commits to Hurricanes

Entire article: https://www.cbssports.com/college-f...-tackle-leonard-taylor-commits-to-hurricanes/

Ohio State 2020 schedule breakdown
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 Elsa/Getty Images
The Buckeyes’ football schedule came out on Wednesday, and we’re here to break it down game by game.

On Wednesday morning, the Big Ten finally released its new conference-only schedule. While this by no means guarantees that football will be played this fall, it is certainly a huge step in the right direction. Plus, it just feels a whole lot better to see Ohio State with a list of opponents on the docket.

The 10-game slate features a bunch of very interesting matchups, including rematches with Purdue and Iowa, as well as the Michigan game somewhat oddly being moved to October. Also of note, the Buckeyes will open up the 2020 campaign on a Thursday night, with the matchup against Illinois on Sept. 3 functioning as the season opener for the conference.


We’ll get a lot more in depth in terms of previewing each opponent during the actual game week here at LGHL, but with set matchups now in the tentative future, let’s take a quick tour through Ohio State’s 2020 schedule.

Game 1 (9/3): Ohio State at Illinois


You likely remember one of last years biggest upsets in the Big Ten when an unranked Illinois took down No. 6-ranked Wisconsin (unfortunately coming the week before the Badgers played Ohio State and hurting the strength of that win). The Illini will be looking for an even bigger upset this season when they open the year on a Thursday night in Champaign against the Buckeyes.

On offense, Illinois returns quarterback Brandon Peters, who threw for over 1,800 yards with 18 TDs and eight picks in 2019. Now heading into his senior season, Peters will have his top receiving threat returning in 2020 as well in Josh Imatorbhebhe, who lead the team with over 630 receiving yards last season despite missing the team’s final three games with an injury. On defense, the Illini return one of the Big Ten’s best tacklers in Jake Hansen. Now a senior, the 6-foot-1, 225-pound linebacker has racked up over 160 tackles over the past two seasons.

It’s the first game of the year, so I guess anything really could happen. However, I see the Buckeyes being heavy favorites in this primetime road matchup. Illinois finished with a 6-7 record last season, and although there are many who like the direction Lovie Smith has the program heading, I don't think they are quite ready to compete at Ohio State’s level just yet.

Game 2 (9/12): Ohio State vs. Rutgers


I mean, this is just a really raw deal for the Scarlet Knights. Not only does first-year head coach Greg Schiano have to take his boys on the road to Columbus to take on Ohio State in week two, but they do so with the Buckeyes having an extra three days to prepare after their Thursday night game. As if Ryan Day needed an additional advantage against lowly ole Rutgers.

There wasn’t a whole lot to like about the Scarlet Knights’ offense in 2019, which finished second-to-last in the nation in both total yards and scoring. However, they will be returning one of the lone bright spots in running back Isaiah Pacheco. He led the team a year ago with 729 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, which is especially impressive given the team was down a bunch on most occasions and had to throw a ton to try and get back in it. On defense, they feature linebacker Tyshon Fogg, who led the team in tackles last season with 93 and is as reliable a force up the middle as they come.

As usual, Rutgers is pegged by the majority of folks to finish dead last in the Big Ten. Schiano may have some luck recruiting New Jersey better in the future and at least making the Scarlet Knights into a somewhat competitive opponent in the coming years, but it would be a damn miracle to see it happen in year one. Bucks by a million.

Game 3 (9/19): Ohio State at Purdue

Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images

Doesn’t just reading the words “at Purdue” bring up the worst of memories? In week three, the Buckeyes will be looking to avenge their season-killing loss from 2018, when they shockingly fell 49-20 to the Boilermakers in West Lafayette. Ryan Day was just a QB coach back in those days, and he will now seek revenge in his second go-around against Purdue.

As we’ve all been made well aware by now, the Boilermaker’s top player on offense is Rondale Moore. One of the most dynamic playmakers in all of college football, Moore absolutely demolished Ohio State’s defense in their last meeting (thanks largely to some highly questionable schemes) to the tune of 12 catches for 170 yards and two TDs. On defense, Purdue is hoping to see the continued rise of defensive end George Karlaftis, who put up a team-high 7.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss in 2019 as a true freshman.

While most of the offensive starters from that 2018 meeting are now gone, there are still a good amount of defensive players on Ohio State’s roster that probably have a good memory of the beat down they received on that field. The Buckeyes should be well rested coming into this game after likely benching the starters at half against Rutgers, and should be chomping at the bit to get this one going. Expect Shaun Wade to shadow Moore this time, resulting in a much better result on the scoreboard.

Game 4 (9/26): Ohio State vs. Indiana


Ohio State will then return home to face Indiana, whom many don't quite know how to prognosticate in 2020. Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, they open up their season with an absolute gauntlet, having to face Wisconsin and Penn State right off the bat followed by a slight break against Illinois and then the Buckeyes the following week.

The biggest player to watch out for on offense is quarterback Michael Penix. He was very highly regarded a year ago as a redshirt freshman, completing nearly 69 percent of his passes for almost 1,400 yards with 10 TDs and four picks before. Unfortunately, he was banged up much of the year and suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the team’s game against Northwestern, but is now healthy and ready to go. On defense, the Hoosiers return Micah McFadden, who led the team a year ago with 60 total tackles and nine tackles for loss from his linebacker spot.

Indiana is still an up-and-coming bunch, and I think they will give at least one of the big dogs in the Big Ten a scare this year (~cough cough~ Michigan ~cough~). They finished 8-5 last season, and Tom Allen has done a really nice job in Bloomington thus far. Penix is very good and is only going to get better, but Ohio State will be up for the task knowing they can relax a bit afterwards with a bye the following week.

Game 5 (10/10): Ohio State vs. Nebraska


When these two teams met last year in Lincoln, many had pegged it as the dreaded West division trap game that Ohio State had fallen victim to the previous two seasons. That was not exactly the case. The Buckeyes thoroughly dominated the Cornhuskers 48-7 as Justin Fields put up nearly 300 total yards and three total TDs while the OSU defense picked off Nebraska QB Adrian Martinez three times. Ryan Day gets to play host this time around, with his team coming off a bye the week prior.

Martinez was not great in 2019, and as a result the Huskers did not meet expectations in year two under Scott Frost. He finished the year completing under 60 percent of his passes for around 1,960 yards with 10 TDs and nine interceptions, while rushing for an additional 626 and seven scores. Martinez was banged up a bit at times last year, and is hoping that improved health in this his junior season will lead to better results. Nebraska will be tasked with replacing a lot up front on defense this year, but the secondary has a ton of talent including the likes of Dicaprio Bootle, who started at both corner and safety last season.

Entering the 2019 season, Martinez was actually tied with Justin Fields and Jalen Hurts for the third-highest preseason Heisman Trophy odds at +600. This year, Fields is second (behind only Trevor Lawrence, according to Odds Shark) at +400, and Martinez is near the bottom of the list at +7500. At lot can change in a year, and if the Huskers want to be successful in 2020, they will need Martinez to find the form everyone expected to see last season.

Game 6 (10/17): Ohio State at Michigan State


The Spartans have really fallen off in the last few years, and after a 7-6 finish in 2019, longtime head coach Mark Dantonio finally decided to call it quits. This will be the program’s first season under former Colorado head coach Mel Tucker, whose team has a tough start to the season with an opener against Minnesota and back-to-back games against Penn State and Michigan two weeks later. Fortunately for Tucker, his team then gets a bye week before taking on the Buckeyes.

Quarterback Brian Lewerke is now gone — after what felt like a 10-year career at MSU — and it is unclear who will start in his place. It will likely be a battle between junior Rocky Lombardi, who was shaky in mop up duty last season, and sophomore Theo Day, who possesses good size and arm strength but threw just three passes last year. They do, however, return running back Elijah Collins, who ran for 988 yards as a redshirt freshman. The defense lost a bunch of production from last season, but does return the team’s leading tackler in senior linebacker Antjuan Simmons, who posted 90 tackles with 15 for loss in 2019.

My nervousness for this becoming a trap game in East Lansing will be based on how the Spartans perform through their first five games. If Tucker is able to lead his guys to wins over Minnesota, Penn State or Michigan, then Ohio State will have to make sure they don't fall victim on the road. However, this Michigan State team has had some glaring issues for multiple years now, and so it appears unlikely they can challenge the Buckeyes just yet.

Game 7 (10/24): Ohio State vs Michigan

Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The decision to move this game to the end of October is a puzzling one to me. If you were worried about the season being cancelled before the end of the year as a result of COVID-19, then why not put The Game in the first few weeks of the season? If you are confident enough that the season will make it this far in, then why not just leave it as the final game on the calendar? Either way, Jim Harbaugh already pissed off Ryan Day during the Big Ten teleconference, so this should be a good one.

Michigan’s offense is still unsure of who their starting QB will be between Dylan McCaffrey and Joe Milton. Whoever it is, they will be playing behind an offensive line that is replacing four of five starters. What they do know is that they still have a pair of decent running backs in Hassan Haskins and Zach Charbonnet, as well as their two leading receivers from a year ago in Ronnie Bell and Nico Collins. On defense, Don Brown will be hoping to see the next step in the progression for sophomore linebacker Cameron McGrone, who had 60 tackles with nine for loss and 3.5 sacks last season.

Harbaugh has a lot riding on this game. A loss would move the Wolverines head coach to 0-6 against the Buckeyes, and you have to think that his seat is getting hotter with each additional defeat at the hands of his program’s biggest rival. It will be his best chance to beat Ohio State in The Shoe yet, as there will likely be little-to-no fans allowed in attendance, but he must do so against an offense that he has had absolutely no answers for, and one which is now being led by Justin Fields in year two. Good luck.

Game 8 (10/31): Ohio State at Maryland


The Buckeyes then get a bit of a fortunate buffer between Michigan and Penn State when they take on the Terrapins on Halloween. Whereas Indiana had a tough road at the beginning, Maryland has perhaps the toughest road at the end of the year, finishing the season against Penn State, Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan, and Minnesota. The Terrapins have not defeated the Buckeyes in six tries since joining the Big Ten in 2014.

Starting QB Josh Jackson is back for another year, but it’s a little tough to figure out who exactly he is. He had a hot start for Maryland last season, but sputtered near the end. Jackson would finish the campaign completing just over 47 percent of his passes for nearly 1,280 yards with 12 TDs and six picks. He will have the benefit of his top receiver returning in Dontay Demus Jr., who caught 41 passes for 625 yards last year. The Terrapins were dead last in the Big Ten in total defense a year ago, but they do return linebacker Ayinde Elay who ranked 12th in the conference in 2019 with 7.2 tackles per game.

Maryland is like Rutgers’ slightly older but just as confused brother. While they do actually win a few conference games each year, they are still very much trying to find their way in the Big Ten. A lot of people think Mick Locksley can really help turn this program around, but he will not be able to make magic happen just yet in year two. Ohio State will likely be at least three-touchdown favorites in this one.

Game 9 (11/7): Ohio State at Penn State

Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Ah, yes. The annual OSU-PSU showdown. The Nittany Lions have given the Buckeyes their biggest test each year for the past few seasons, and that is likely not going to change in 2020. Ohio State may benefit from this season’s lack of fans, as they will probably not have to travel into Penn State’s annual whiteout game (at least at full capacity). They will, however, still need to knock off James Franklin’s very talented group.

Sean Clifford returns at quarterback after throwing for over 2,600 yards and 23 TDs with seven picks a year ago while rushing for an additional 400 yards and five scores. The Nittany Lions have five guys with starting experience along the offensive line, but are lacking in wide receiver depth. Luckily, they still have star tight end Pat Freiermuth, who caught 43 passes for 507 yards and seven TDs last season. On defense, Penn State took a huge blow with the decision of Micah Parsons to opt out. Defensive end Shaka Toney (6.5 sacks last year) and safety Lamont Wade (67 tackles in 2019) will have to step up big time in his absence.

The loss of Parsons cannot be overstated for the Nittany Lions, as he was likely their best player on either side of the ball. Ohio State would’ve defeated Penn State rather handily last season had it not been for a ridiculous amount of fumbles, but Franklin’s team always seems to give OSU trouble regardless of the situation. If the Buckeyes can get out to a lead early and hold on to the ball this time, they should be able to leave Happy Valley with a win.

Game 10 (11/21): Ohio State vs. Iowa


After their second bye week of the season the week prior, Ohio State closes out its schedule with yet another Big Ten West revenge game against Iowa. Even more shocking than the loss to Purdue was the beating the Buckeyes took in Iowa City in 2017, wherein the Hawkeyes ran away with an eye-opening 55-24 win. OSU should be a bit more prepared this time around, even though very few players remain from that last meeting.

Kirk Ferentz will need to replace QB Nate Stanley, and the most likely candidate is sophomore Spencer Petras. He threw just 10 passes a year ago as Stanley’s backup, but at 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, he has the size and the arm talent to fit in quite nicely. Whoever starts at QB will have the luxury of playing behind an offensive line returning four starters and a deep wide receiver group. The Hawkeyes return last year’s leading receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette, coming off a campaign wherein he caught 44 passes for 722 yards with five TDs. Iowa has to replace six starters on defense, and they will be hoping All-Big Ten defensive end Chauncey Gholston can really step up this year in the absence of A.J. Epenesa.

The Hawkeyes are dealing with some off-the-field issues at the moment, and while many preseason polls have them somewhere near the bottom of the Top 25, I don't see a big year in store for Iowa. They have a tough road at the end of the season, with their final four games coming against Penn State, Michigan State, Wisconsin and finally Ohio State. There likely isn’t all that much animosity left towards Iowa from a player standpoint, but I expect Ryan Day will have his guys ready to go and finish the season strong.

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Sleepers of the Room: Running back injuries open the door for Steele Chambers
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 Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
Ohio State’s redshirt freshman running back could find himself second on the depth chart this season

Welcome back to our Sleepers of the Room series, where we take a look at each position group and find the player who tends to fly under the radar—the guy you may have never heard of, but who you should get to know ASAP.

Next up: the running back room

Occupants: Demario McCall (RS-SR), Trey Sermon (SR), Master Teague (RS-SO), Marcus Crowley (SO), Steele Chambers (RS-FR) and Miyan Williams (FR).

If you’ve been staying up to date on Ohio State’s running back saga this offseason, then the last few months probably went something like this:

Dec. 28— As soon as Dobbins took his last snap as a Buckeye, you were all-in on Master Teague the Third. Teague finished his red-shirt freshman season with 789 yards rushing—good for seventh-best in the Big Ten—and four touchdowns as Dobbin’s backup. Sure, his Fiesta Bowl performance worried you a little (he ran for just 9 yards on seven carries against Clemson), but you were all like “No worries! Teague has the whole offseason to get bigger, faster, stronger!”

March 3— One day into spring practice, you read that Teague has been added to Ohio State’s status report with an Achilles injury. And while they’re “optimistic” that he’ll still play this season, he could be out for six months. So you’re all like “Uhhh...our starting sophomore running back can’t practice until AUGUST?”

March 3 to March 22— You went from “Just hand over the national championship trophy already” to “Will we score a touchdown at all this season?” Not only is Teague’s status for the season still an unknown, but the guys behind him are also injured and/or inexperienced. Marcus Crowley suffered a knee injury against Maryland on Nov. 9 and was listed as unavailable for spring practice. No one knows what position Demario McCall plays anymore, and you two have trust issues anyway. The only two RBs left are Steele Chambers and freshman signee Miyan Williams who’s arriving in the summer. Are these youngsters ready to take snaps as the starting running back for one of the best teams in the country if it comes down to it? Also, when do you think they’ll let us leave our houses?

March 22— Ahhh yes. March 22. The day of the “BOOM” heard ‘round the world, when Oklahoma Sooners graduate-transfer Trey Sermon confirmed to Austin Ward of Lettermen Row that he was transferring to Ohio State for the 2020 season. Sermon rushed for over 2,000 yards and 21 touchdowns in three seasons with the Sooners, his best season being 2018 when he rushed for 947 yards and 13 touchdowns. Ohio State desperately needed an experienced Power Five running back in its lineup, and Sermon was it.

Fast-forward to late July, and we still have questions we thought would be answered by now. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic cancelling in-person practices and workouts, we’re left wondering: Was Sermon worth the hype? What’s Teague and Crowley’s status? If they’re still injured, can Sermon pull off a one-man show similar to Dobbins and Zeke?

In our Leaders of the Room series, our own Matt Tamanini attempted to answer those very questions, and while he did name Sermon as the most likely candidate to take most of the snaps come Game 1, it’s a little more complicated than that.


Matt isn’t convinced Sermon or a coming-off-of-an-injury-Teague have what it takes to be the difference-making back that we’re used to seeing on Ohio State’s offense. But his proposed group effort idea just might work considering they’ll be lining up behind one of the best offensive lines in the country with a dual-threat QB right beside them.

So, if Matt’s proposed plan actually happens, that means the other healthy backs will split 20 percent of the carries, and I’d suspect Crowley will be the first name called off the bench. Last season as a true freshman, he had 25 carries for 237 yards and a touchdown. If healthy, he could see substantial playing time behind Sermon and Teague. However, Crowley is still nursing an ACL injury, and while Ohio State’s coaching staff are hopeful that he will be back in action this season, there’s still no guarantee.

So again, the situation is this: Ohio State has Sermon, who shows immense promise but will likely not replicate Dobbins’ 2,003-yard performance by himself. Instead, he’ll share snaps with Teague, who, along with Crowley, are still questionable in terms of health. Even if Teague and Crowley are back to 100 percent, they each missed out on months of practicing, and there’s still the chance that they’ll be more cautious on the field so as not to re-injure themselves.

Which brings me to the main point of this article: You might want to get to know Steele Chambers, also known as the only Ohio State running back who ended the spring both healthy and with a full season of experience on his resume.

A former four-star, Chambers was recruited by Ohio State as an athlete, and by Clemson as a linebacker. He ultimately found himself a home at running back, and is expected to stay there for his entire collegiate career.

“The 6-foot-1, 220-pound tailback has a bit of a different build than the rest of the tailbacks on the roster, which makes him an intriguing long-term option – provided he stays at the position, as expected,” writes Colin Hass-Hill of Eleven Warriors.

While redshirting as a true freshman last season, Chambers racked up 135 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, highlighted by a 61-yard, one-score performance against Miami (Ohio), averaging 7.6 yards per carry. He also totaled 16 yards on two touches against Cincinnati, and ran 56 yards on nine carries against Rutgers.

If Day keeps McCall at slot receiver—which is where he practiced during the three spring practices in March—if Crowley remains inactive and God forbid Teague tweaks his Achilles again at some point during the season, Chambers could find himself as the second RB on the depth chart.

And if Ohio State running back coach Tony Alford isn’t overlooking Chambers, we shouldn’t either. Here’s what he had to say about his RB in late spring:


You know who else was known for being “hard on himself” and a “perfectionist”? That’s right... Dobbins. And no, I’m not saying Chambers will be the next J.K. (ya never know!), but it certainly doesn’t hurt that they have similar qualities and work ethics, right?

So, if I were you, I’d let go of your high expectations for Ohio State’s injured running back room, and leave room in your brain for the possibility of a Trey Sermon-Steele Chambers duo. Either way, whether Sermon does it by himself or if it takes a village, we’ll still put up 200+ rushing yards on Michigan.

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Ohio State recruitment of top 2022 athlete picking up steam
Tia Johnston via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Dasan McCullough (right) with his dad (Deland McCullough) | Twitter via @Dasan2022
The Buckeyes picked up another 247Sports Crystal Ball for the No. 1 prospect in Kansas

Things are beginning to heat up in the college football world. We officially have a football schedule to work with and Ohio State’s fall camp begins Thursday, Aug. 6. Hopefully in the coming weeks, we also receive an update on whether or not recruits can finally make in-person visits. Until that happens, we probably won’t be hearing much from the top guys in the 2021 class, meaning Ryan Day and his recruiting staff have had more time to focus on the 2022 class—and it shows.

Another puzzle piece was put into place on Wednesday, when four-star athlete Dasan McCullough added another Ohio State crystal ball prediction from 247Sports’ Allen Trieu. He now holds two CBs for OSU, each with “high” confidence levels.

Early last week, Ohio State commit C.J. Hicks hinted that another “BOOM” was coming to the 2022 class, to which McCullough replied “what if (eyes emoji)?”


You know they mean business when they include an eyes emoji.

A 6-foot-5, 220 athlete, McCullough is the top-ranked player in Kansas, and the No. 7 athlete in the ‘22 class. His dad is the current running backs coach for the Kansas City Chiefs, and happened to also play and coach for Miami (Ohio).

As our own Caleb Houser reported last week, McCullough, while listed as an athlete, will likely play linebacker in college.

Quick Hits

• While he’s still waiting to find out about visits and the status of his high school season before making a decision, five-star offensive tackle Nolan Rucci included Ohio State in the list of schools he’s keeping in touch with, along with Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan, Stanford, Notre Dame and Clemson.

“I keep in close contact with (Ohio State offensive line coach) Greg Studrawa,” Rucci told Brian Dohn of Bucknuts. “We are doing those calls where we go over film, and learning technique from coach Stud and how he goes through progression drills with his guys, all the way up to game situations. I think it has been really helpful just to learn.”

Rucci is the No. 1 player in Pennsylvania and the No. 13 prospect in the class of 2021.

• Florida, Texas A&M and Alabama are still “pushing” for Ohio State commit Tunmise Adeleye, he told Blake Aladerman of Bucknuts. The Gators even sent him an official offer at the start of August. However, Adeleye said he is content with his commitment to the Buckeyes, due to his relationship with both his position coach and his “brotherhood” with the 2021 class.

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DZ83CK said:

Nojel Eastern just committed to Howard. With having Eastern and Maker, Howard is gonna be as strong as ever.

Click to expand...

they need one more transfer to be that strong

Buckeye Bits: Fall camp begins Thursday, Big Ten players’ unity group, 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 Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
All of the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas football season! The Big Ten announced its conference-only schedule and medical protocols for the 2020 season, the NCAA published a list of mandates that actually benefit the players, Big Ten players formed a unity group and are asking for more safety measures, and Harbaugh just found himself a spot front and center on Ohio State’s bulletin board. Let’s get into it!

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...


Sleepers of the Room: Plenty of Ohio State defensive linemen are ready for their shot

Brett Ludwiczak, LGHL

Next up on our series focused on highlighting the under the radar guys, Brett takes a look at the defensive linemen, who are tasked with replacing three starters this season. Zach Harrison, Jonathon Cooper and Tyreke Smith have been getting most of the limelight, but there are also a few sleepers who might surprise you.

Ohio State, Michigan in October, Big Ten releases 2020 conference-only schedule

Matt Tamanini, LGHL

The Big Ten schedule is finally here! And it’s... not good!

24 Club: Wes Fesler coached OSU to its first Rose Bowl win

Jim Baird, LGHL

The next coach in our 24 Club series is Wes Fesler— the first Ohio State head coach to win a Rose Bowl, but who struggled with consistency during his four years in Columbus. He resigned due to the pressure that the position holds, and I bet ya know the guy who took his place.

From around the gridiron...


After months of waiting, we will finally get to see Justin Fields throw a football on Sept. 19.


Ohio State will kick the season off on Thursday, Sept. 3 in Champaign, Illinois. Plus, for the first time since 1933, Ohio State will play Michigan in October. You probably know how we at LGHL feel about this...


For more on the schedule deets, Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors has you covered.


Fall camp begins Aug. 6.


Since Ohio State is now scheduled for a Sept. 3 start-date, the team will be back practicing at full speed for the first time in five months starting Thursday, one day earlier than originally planned.


COVID-19 medical protocols for Big Ten conference include twice-weekly testing, sharing positive test results with opponents, 14-day quarantines for positive tests

Zack Carpenter, Eleven Warriors

Along with the 2020 football schedule, the Big Ten also announced its COVID-19 medical protocols for the season. Here’s a bullet-point version:

• Twice-weekly testing
• Symptoms questionnaire prior to entering the athletics facilities
• The results of all positive tests must be shared with that week’s upcoming opponent, as well as the previous opponent if applicable.
• Those who test positive and anyone who came within close contact of those who test positive must quarantine for 14 days

Big Ten players follow Pac-12, form unity group to address concerns

Mark Schlabach, ESPN

Three days after players from the Pac-12 released a list of demands for returning to play this season, Big Ten players issued a “unity proposal” of their own through College Athlete Unity and The Players Tribune.

Unlike the Pac-12’s demands however, the Big Ten players are not threatening to opt out of the season, nor are they asking to get paid. Rather, they just want both the NCAA and the Big Ten to implement more safety guidelines/rules for players in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among other things, the players have asked for a ban on the use of COVID-19 liability waivers, an automatic medical redshirt for any player who misses games due to a positive test, and coverage for all out-of-pocket medical expenses related to COVID-19.

In response to the demands, Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren said he would “spend some time with the letter” and communicate with the players.


The NCAA caring about its student-athletes????


The NCAA Board of Governors published a list of guidelines for its member schools on Wednesday, including a mandate that says all schools must honor scholarships for any athletes who choose to opt out due to COVID-19 concerns and that they must cover all student-athletes’ medical expenses related to COVID-19.

Also, Boards of Directors for each division in the NCAA must determine by Aug. 21 whether or not they will have a fall sports season.


Hang 100 on ‘em


Apparently there was a bit of Ryan Day/Jim Harbaugh drama in the Big Ten head coaches’ teleconference on Tuesday. Allegedly, Harbaugh called Day out for cheating, Day told him to mind his beeswax, and then went and told his team that “the conference better have a mercy rule, or the Buckeyes are going to hang 100 points on the Wolverines.”

Honestly, why does Harbaugh do this to himself?


Where you can watch Day terrorize TTUN.


Guys, the only goal for this season is to #MakeItToMichigan. Anything past The Game is just a bonus.

From everywhere else...


Down goes the first FBS team.


UConn has cancelled its 2020 football season, becoming the first top-level NCAA team to do so. The school’s athletic director David Benedict said that “the safety challenges created by COVID-19 place our football student-athletes at an unacceptable level of risk.”


Also not participating in this year’s football season:


Penn State stand out linebacker Micah Parsons is expected to opt out of the 2020 season to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft, where he will likely be a top-10 pick. Very bad news for Penn State. Very good news for the Buckeyes.

Speaking of which, Justin Fields and Shaun Wade, who are also projected to come off the board early in the 2021 Draft, said in a teleconference on Tuesday that they are not considering opting out of the season. Love that for us.


Michigan State DE Jacub Panasiuk opts out of season due to coronavirus concerns

Matt Wenzel, cleveland.com

The only returning starter on the Spartans’ defensive line this year, Jacub Panasiuk, has also opted out of the season, saying he “cannot risk his health and safety in order to play football.” He plans on taking a redshirt and returning for his senior season.

Panasiuk has made 81 tackles, including 18.5 for a loss, eight sacks and four forced fumbles in 38 career games. Last season, he posted career-highs of 34 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss and five sacks. Not great for Michigan State.

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24 Club: Wes Fesler coached OSU to its first Rose Bowl win
Jim Baird via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Fesler’s team won the Rose Bowl but he was undone by losses to Michigan.

There have been 24 head coaches in the history of Ohio State football. Each has a story and legacy. This offseason, Land-Grant Holy Land’s new series 24 Club will help you get to know the coaches from past and present who built the program. Today we look at Ohio State’s 18th head coach Wes Fesler.


Name: Wes Fesler
Seasons Coached: Four (1947-1950)
Overall Record: 21-13-3

Where Does He Rank in the 24 Club?
Overall Wins: No. 12 out of 24 OSU Coaches
Winning Percentage: No. 18 out of 24 OSU Coaches


A six and a half point underdog, Ohio State took the field in the Rose Bowl against California in 1950. It was OSU head coach Wes Fesler’s third year leading the Buckeyes. Fesler, a three-time All-American end at OSU in his playing days, now led Ohio State in search of the program’s first Rose Bowl win. The Buckeyes sprang the upset — walking out of Pasadena with a 17-14 victory before a record crowd of more than 100,000.

The Rose Bowl was a high point for Fesler, but the Snow Bowl would soon be a low point. On November 25, 1950, Fesler’s eighth-ranked Buckeyes took the field in a blizzard against the unranked Wolverines in Columbus. Now in his fourth season, coach Fesler had yet to beat the Wolverines. The game was one of the most unique in the history of the rivalry — and Michigan walked away a 9-3 winner without recording a single first down. The Wolverines scored on a safety and recovered a blocked punt in the end zone to spoil the day. Fesler’s record against Michigan fell to 0-3-1, and he resigned shortly after citing the pressure that came with the coaching position.

Fesler’s four years as coach was a microcosm of where the Ohio State program stood — it had Rose Bowl winning potential but struggled with consistency. Consistency started at the top — the revolving door of OSU coaches had now seen five coaches come and go in 11 seasons. OSU needed a winner. A coach who would call Columbus home for decades. A coach who knew how to beat Michigan.

OSU’s next coaching move would tick all those boxes — Ohio State hired Woody Hayes.

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Ohio State, Michigan in October, Big Ten releases 2020 conference-only schedule
Matt Tamanini 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
The Game is coming earlier than ever this fall (if it happens at all).

After weeks of rumors about the Big Ten’s 2020 conference-only schedule, the league office in Rosemont, Ill. unveiled the recently reconfigured slate of games for all 14 conference teams on Wednesday. Initially, Sports Illustrated reported that the slate of games would be released early in the morning on Tuesday, but that was before Rutgers had yet another COVID-19 flare up, which might have delayed the announcement.


Despite the delay and the elimination of non-conference games, action will kick off on Thursday, Sept. 3, and instead of opening the season against Bowling Green on Labor Day weekend, the Ohio State Buckeyes will get back into action against the Fighting Illini.


We’ve been pretty pro-opening the season with The Game here at Land-Grant Holy Land, but the Buckeyes will instead play That Team Up North on October 24.

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Sleepers of the Room: Plenty of Ohio State defensive linemen are ready for their shot
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 Kevin French/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Ohio State will be replacing three starters on their defensive line this year, which should give a number of Buckeyes a chance to make a name for themselves in 2020.

Over the last decade, it has been hard to find many better defensive lines around the country than what Ohio State has produced. Since 2010, Ohio State has seen 16 defensive lineman picked in the NFL Draft, with half of those drafted coming in the past three seasons.

The Buckeyes have dominated the second pick in the NFL Draft the last two years, with Nick Bosa being taken by the San Francisco 49ers in 2019, and Chase Young taken by the Washington Football Team in 2020. Prior to those two getting taken with the second pick, Joey Bosa was taken with the third pick in 2016.

With Chase Young having moved on to the professional level, there isn’t much question about who is looking like the next star of the defensive line. Zach Harrison is only heading into his sophomore season, but the sky looks like the limit for the central Ohio product. Along with Harrison, Ohio State will lean on veteran Jonathon Cooper, who returns as a fifth-year season after taking a redshirt last season because of injury.

Defensive end Tyreke Smith and defensive tackle Haskell Garrett figure to play huge roles in 2020 for Ohio State, but who are some sleepers who could make a name for themselves? There are a few guys who got their feet wet last year, along with one promising defensive tackle who missed last season due to injury.

Defensive end

Tyler Friday


Friday appeared in 11 games for Ohio State last year as a sophomore, recording 11 tackles and two sacks. His best game came early in the year when he was credited with two tackles for loss, with one of those being a sack against Indiana. The other sack that Friday recorded came in the Fiesta Bowl loss to Clemson.

Coming out of high school in New Jersey, Friday was a four-star defensive end and a top-100 prospect. Friday played his high school football at Don Bosco Prep, which is one of the most prestigious high school football programs in the country, so the edge rusher was already used to playing for a marquee football team.

Even though Harrison, Cooper, and Smith figure to see the majority of snaps at defensive end, expect Friday to see time on the field because of the frequency the Buckeyes rotate defensive ends. This will likely benefit Friday, as he’ll be fresher than the offensive linemen he’ll be going up against. While Friday’s playing time won’t likely be at the level of a starter, he’ll make sure he makes the snaps he is on the field for count.

Javontae Jean-Baptiste


Another Buckeye defensive end to keep an eye on is also from New Jersey. After redshirting in 2018, Javontae Jean-Baptiste played in 14 games in 2019. Like Friday, Jean-Baptiste also was a four-star prospect coming out of high school. The similarities don’t stop there, as he too recorded two sacks in 2019.

Jean-Baptiste came to Ohio State as a 215-pound linebacker, but now is a 250-pound defensive end. The scary thing is that he is still learning and becoming more comfortable at his new position. This year we should see even more out of Jean-Baptiste at defensive end, and he could set up a fun final couple years as an upperclassman in Columbus.

Defensive tackle

Tommy Togiai


It’s probably hard to be much of a “sleeper” when you are the size of a defensive tackle, but the Buckeyes have a few who could explode in 2020. The first DT to keep an eye on is Tommy Togiai. The junior made history before even stepping on the field for the Buckeyes, becoming the first player from Idaho to sign with Ohio State. Togiai was the third-ranked defensive tackle and the 55th overall player in the class of 2017.

Entering his junior season, Togiai has played in 26 games in Ohio State, so he’ll be leaned on heavily this year to fill the void left by the graduation of two fifth-year seniors. Last year, Togiai recorded 16 tackles, with two of those tackles being for loss. In combination with Haskell Garrett, Togiai is a prime candidate to break out this season, as the two should form a strong interior of the Ohio State defensive line.

Taron Vincent


The defensive lineman who could be the biggest sleeper this year is Taron Vincent. The son of former NFL defensive back Troy Vincent came to Ohio State as a five-star recruit and the top-ranked defensive tackle in the country according to 247Sports. Vincent won the Maxwell Club’s first-ever defensive player of the year award in 2017 as a senior in high school.

After appearing in 10 games as a true freshman in 2018, Vincent missed the 2019 season because of a shoulder injury. While the defensive tackle was ready to play through the pain as a sophomore, the training staff thought it was best that Vincent not play until he was fully recovered from the injury.

With guys like Garrett and Togiai also at defensive tackle, the coaching staff can ease Vincent back into the fold, but once Vincent gets out onto the field, expect to see why he was one of the most sought-after recruits in the country. He has all the tools to become one of the best defensive tackles in college football, the redshirt sophomore just needs to see some snaps and stay healthy.

Antwuan Jackson


Much like Vincent, Jackson was one of the most sought-after defensive tackles coming out of high school. Jackson was the 49th overall prospect in the class of 2016, originally committing to Auburn, redshirting with the Tigers before eventually transferring to Blinn Junior College.

In 10 games at Blinn, Jackson recorded 70 tackles, nine sacks, and three forced fumbles. What he showed on the field earned him the Southwest Junior College Football Conference Most Valuable Player Award, as well as the attention of Ohio State, who were able to bring Jackson in as a transfer in 2018.

After appearing in four games with the Buckeyes in 2018, Jackson earned himself a spot in the defensive tackle rotation, playing in all 14 games last season. His best performance came against Rutgers, when he was credited with four tackles. For the season, Jackson finished with 13 stops, 3.5 of which were for a loss.

Since he already was being used in the defensive tackle rotation last season, expect to see even more of the senior this year. Jackson could team with Haskell Garrett to provide some veteran leadership to a group that just lost two seniors.

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