• New here? Register here now for access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Plus, stay connected and follow BP on Instagram @buckeyeplanet and Facebook.

Emmit Gooden (former DL Tennessee Volunteers)

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Because of an off-field issue, Tennessee has been forced to do some pruning of its football roster. Again.

Thursday morning, media in the Knoxville area reported, defensive tackle Emmitt Gooden was arrested on a felony domestic assault charge. According to ESPN.com, “police have accused Gooden, 22, of hitting his girlfriend with a glass jar candle during an argument.” The woman required stitches to her face as a result of the incident.

Because of the arrest, Gooden has been dismissed from Jeremy Pruitt‘s Tennessee football team.

Gooden began his collegiate career at Independence Community College in Kansas, otherwise known as “Last Chance U.” He signed with Tennessee in 2018 as a four-star member of the Vols’ football recruiting class that cycle.
Upvote 0

Game Thread Ohio State @ That TeaX Up North - 11/30/19, Noon (FOX)

PLAYERS RECEIVE GOLD PANTS AND BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS FROM 2019 SEASON

115159_h.jpg


Wednesday marks what is likely the first time since March that players and coaches have been permitted to be in one place, as NCAA guidelines now allow Ohio State football coaches to observe workouts and conduct up to eight hours of activities per week with each player. This seems like a fitting way to celebrate.

The players are being awarded Ohio State's third-straight Big Ten title ring and eighth consecutive pair of Gold Pants, commemorating the longest Buckeye winning streak in the history of the rivalry.

Here's to beating Michigan – and everyone else, too.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...d-big-ten-championship-rings-from-2019-season
Upvote 0

All time team

They have the wrong Bosa brother from the Meyer era

I think if we had gotten to see all of 2018 N. Bosa, we'd have had two defensive Heisman. Would love to see passing downs with Joey at DT and Nick/Chase on the edge.

For the secondary I'd have to go with:

CB: Springs
CB: Okudah
NB: Lattimore
SS: Winfield
SF: Hooker

It is very soon to bring in Okudah, but between watching him last year and the film breakdowns/incredibly high praise from credible players and coaches, it's hard not to take him. He's tall, athletic, and can act like an eraser inside or out. Basically everything you want in a CB.

I know the Winfield move is really odd, but his physical nature already makes him a great run stopper and while his height is still an issue, he's a significantly better cover DB than Doss. Love Doss, but he's more of a Daron Lee in today's game. Just too many mismatches if he plays at safety.

Hooker had some issues with run stopping, but his ability in pass coverage was amazing.
Upvote 0

Grill Advice

I'm way too lazy to deal with charcoal. Maybe it's better, but wood is sooo easy.

BTW if anyone does have a pellet grill don't buy Traeger pellets. They are all the same wood with flavoring for other types. Someone recommended Lumberjack pellets to me and they seem to work well. One store around me carries them and I buy them out every time they are in stock.


After doing some more research, I'm probably not going with a Traeger.
Apparently if you don't use Traeger branded pellets, it voids your warranty on the auger and the firebox.

That's annoying for something that already costs $800 dollars.
Upvote 0

LGHL 24 Club: Paul Brown, the legend who led Ohio State to its first National Championship

24 Club: Paul Brown, the legend who led Ohio State to its first National Championship
Jim Baird
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


13002463_large.0.jpg
The Massillon Museum
Head coach of Ohio State at 33 years old, Brown led the Buckeyes to a national title in his second season.

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 OSU’s 15th head coach — Paul Brown, who led the program to its first national championship in his second season as head coach.


Name: Paul Brown
Seasons Coached: Three (1941-1943)
Overall Record: 18-8-1

Where Does He Rank in the 24 Club?
Overall Wins: No. 13 out of 24 OSU Coaches
Winning Percentage: No. 15 out of 24 OSU Coaches


Entering the 1941 season, Ohio State had nearly done it all. Banners of Big Ten Championships hung in the Horseshoe — the most recent from two years earlier in 1939. But it had been three seasons since OSU beat Michigan — and the Buckeyes were coming off a down 4-4 year that led to the resignation of coach Francis Schmidt.

Ohio State turned to a 33-year-old high school coach from Massillon, Ohio. His name was Paul Brown. As a coach, Brown’s reputation already approached that of lore. He prioritized speed over size in his players — and his Massillon Tigers raced to six consecutive state championships from 1935-1940. While Brown didn’t have experience coaching at the college level, he already had experience beating college competition. In a 1940 scrimmage against Kent State University, Brown’s Massillon highschoolers ran the college team off the field, 47-0.

So it wasn’t a big surprise that Brown quickly took Ohio State’s play to the next level. Brown’s Buckeyes finished 6-1-1 in 1941. In his second season in 1942, OSU finished 9-1 and captured the program’s first ever National Championship. Brown coached a final year for OSU in 1943, which saw nearly all of OSU’s best players away training and deploying for World War II. Doing his part in the war effort, Brown served as football coach at the Great Lakes Navy base outside of Chicago from 1944 to 1945. Great Lakes played other military bases and schools as part of the military’s emphasis on athletics to boost the morale of troops.

After the war ended, OSU officials expected Brown to return to coach the team — but he got an offer to join the startup All-America Football Conference. Soon he had a team bearing his name in Cleveland. Brown’s tenure at Ohio State was brief, and he finished with a 1-1-1 record against Michigan. Nevertheless, he left his mark by becoming the first coach to lead OSU to a National Championship.

If Ohio State could find a coach that could win titles and stick around, the program would be powerful. It would take some time — and several more coaches — before the Buckeyes finally found their perfect match.

Continue reading...

LGHL Leaders of the Room: Ohio State’s trio of seniors at linebacker

Leaders of the Room: Ohio State’s trio of seniors at linebacker
Brett Ludwiczak
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


usa_today_13701817.0.jpg
Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
The Buckeyes certainly won’t be short on experience at linebacker, as Baron Browning, Tuf Borland, and Pete Werner all return to close out their collegiate careers.

Welcome to Leaders of the Room — one of a few recurring themes we will be visiting here at Land-Grant Holy Land to help you prepare for the upcoming season. With Ohio State’s preseason camp supposed to be underway this week, now is a good time to start taking a deep dive into the depth chart to find out who the Buckeyes will turn to at each position as they look for leaders both on and off the field in 2020.


Today’s unit: the linebackers

Just a couple years ago, the linebackers at Ohio State were looked at as a laughingstock. After Ohio State had produced high-level linebackers like Ryan Shazier, Darron Lee, and Raekwon McMillan recently, the production from the linebackers in 2018 was embarrassing by program standards.

It is no coincidence that as soon as Bill Davis was no longer on Ohio State’s coaching staff, the production from the linebackers improved tenfold. Davis was only hired because he was the best man at Urban Meyer’s wedding, and the Buckeyes suffered because of it — especially the linebackers.

Head coach Ryan Day didn’t take long to address the issue, announcing Davis wouldn’t be retained on the coaching staff in 2019, and instead opting to bring in Michigan linebackers coach Al Washington. The move was an early home run by Day, as there was a noticeable difference in what we saw from the linebackers last year. The first LB that we are going to talk about today was the biggest beneficiary of addition of Washington to the coaching staff.

Baron Browning


Browning has a chance to be this year’s Malik Harrison. Last year Harrison decided to return to Ohio State for his senior season, and it resulted in him been taken by the Baltimore Ravens in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Much like Harrison, Browning didn’t play a ton in his first two years at Ohio State, but started to make a name for himself in his junior season. After recording just 37 tackles in his first two years with the Buckeyes, Browning saw more time on the field as a junior, finishing the year with 43 total tackles, which is even more impressive considering Browning only played in 11 of Ohio State’s 14 games last year.

Browning has spent much of the last two years at middle linebacker, splitting time with Tuf Borland. This year, Browning will move to weak-side linebacker, where he will take the majority of the snaps. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Texas native should excel at weak-side linebacker for Ohio State, as his speed and agility will not only allow him to make plays in the backfield, but he also has the athleticism to drop back in pass coverage when needed.

What makes Browning so much different than the other two seniors who will start at linebacker for Ohio State this year is the havoc he can create in the backfield. Of Browning’s 43 tackles in 2019, 11 were for a loss, with five of those stops behind the line of scrimmage being sacks. As long as Browning can stay healthy in 2020, expect him to dwarf the numbers he posted in 2019.

Tuf Borland


Starting at middle linebacker this year will be senior Tuf Borland. The linebacker from Illinois burst onto the scene as a redshirt freshman in 2017 after starter Chris Worley suffered a foot injury. Borland’s major action would come against Army, where he would register a team-high 12 tackles. He went on to finish the season with 58 tackles.

After such a strong 2017, expectations were high for Borland heading into 2018. Those expectations were put on hold, as he suffered an achilles injury in spring practice, which put a dent into his plans as a redshirt sophomore. Borland still played in 12 games and recorded 67 tackles in 2018, but it was obvious he wasn’t playing at the same level as he had shown the previous season.

Since then, Borland has been fighting to earn the respect of Ohio State fans. Even though he showed he was a steadying force at middle linebacker, Borland still faced plenty of criticism last season. Many were wondering when he was going to be replaced by a young and more athletic linebacker, but that time still hasn’t come.

Borland has been so highly regarded by his teammates and coaches that he was named captain in both 2018 and 2019, and it’s likely he’ll earn the same honors in 2020. Not many Ohio State players can claim they were a three-time captain, and that alone should end any criticism of Borland’s talents on the football field.

The senior has a chip on his shoulder, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a huge final season from him in Columbus. With two other seniors that he trusts lining up beside him, expect to see the best version of Borland on the field for the Buckeyes this year. Despite his struggles at times in the past, there isn’t very many linebackers in college football right now that would be an improvement over Borland at middle linebacker.

Pete Werner


After a rough 2018, Pete Werner was one of the most improved Buckeyes in 2019, finishing the season with 64 total tackles. In 2018, Werner was showered with criticism because many didn’t think he had the athleticism to be able to start at Ohio State — much like Borland. Now, ESPN is touting the senior from Indianapolis as one of the best off-ball linebackers in the country.

While Werner was able to register the second-highest number of tackles for Ohio State last year, he also did a lot of the little things that helped his teammates make big plays. Whether it be setting the edge on running plays, or dropping back in coverage on passing plays and giving the defensive linemen a second or two more to get into the backfield, Werner just makes all his teammates better when he is on the field.

Browning might make a lot of the spotlight plays for Ohio State at linebacker this year, but the heart of the unit is going to be Werner. He can play just about anywhere the coaches ask him to, and he continues to improve and grow as a linebacker. It wouldn’t be a surprise to not only see Werner lead Ohio State in tackles this year, but also be the leading tackler in the Big Ten this season.

Continue reading...

LGHL Ohio State 2022 commit hits the recruiting trail

Ohio State 2022 commit hits the recruiting trail
Dan Hessler
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


9718328.0.jpg
Four-star ATH C.J.Hicks via 247Sports
C.J. Hicks has earned the moniker, “Captain Buckeye” as he has quickly become one of the Buckeyes’ top recruiters.

We find ourselves in the darkest of timelines. Typically at this point in the year, the best high school football prospects are traveling the country, visiting with their top college programs of interest to find the best school to continue their football careers. However, in the midst of a global pandemic, the chances of an upcoming season grow bleaker and bleaker as the days go by. Though one aspect of the sport refuses to die: recruiting.

Ohio State head football coach Ryan Day and his staff continue to recruit talent for future football seasons, but they are not the only individuals with plans to bring the best talent to Columbus.

Enter Ohio State 2022 athlete commit C.J. Hicks (Dayton, OH/Archbishop Alter), who has recently earned the nickname, “Captain Buckeye” as he leads the way recruiting high school athletes to join him in Columbus.

Cameron Fields of Cleveland.com spoke with Hicks recently, and the future Buckeye spoke on the role he is playing and who he is targeting to join him. According to Fields, Ohio State linebacker coach Al Washington provided Hicks with a list of targets, and the list included fellow athlete Dasan McCullough, who projects as an outside linebacker and recently included the Buckeyes in his top 10 schools. In addition to McCullough, Hicks is also constantly in the ear of 2022 four-star inside linebacker Shawn Murphy.

Speaking with Fields, Hicks said the typical message he has for McCullough is, “I just tell him that me and him can be outside and Shawn can be inside, and we can be one of the best linebacker crews in the nation coming in as freshmen.”

It remains to be seen if Hicks and Ohio State are going to be able to secure commitments from either McCullough or Murphy, but if they are able to land both, Hicks is correct in saying that group can become one of the best units in the nation. Hicks is currently listed as the No. 15 athlete in the class, while McCullough is the No. 8 athlete and Murphy checks in as the nation’s No. 1 ILB and No. 3 overall prospect.

The Buckeyes currently hold three verbal commits in their 2022 class, and adding McCullough and Murphy would give them a great head start in the class — especially with linebacker being such a point of emphasis in that cycle.

Future Buckeyes listed in MaxPreps 2020 Preseason High School All-American Football Team


MaxPreps released its high school All-Americans on Monday, and littered through the list are multiple future Buckeyes. Below are some that made the cut:

First Team

Second Team

Quick Hits

  • Ohio State 2021 four-star RB commit Evan Pryor continues to impress. Pryor may be the forgotten man at times with all the attention given to Henderson, but the nation's No. 2 all-purpose back possesses his own dynamic skillset.

WATCH: 4⭐@OhioStateFB commit RB Evan Pryor (@evanpryor3) hit a max speed of 18.8 MPH on this 80-yard TD #myRAmaxspeed @LemmingReport @Birm @TomVH @jeffsentell @Buckeye_Nation l #GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/Nfh2SddBPV

— Recruiting Analytics (@RAanalytics) July 13, 2020

Continue reading...

LGHL Buckeye Bits: Justin Fields projected No. 1 overall in 2021 NFL Draft, Shaun Wade on...

Buckeye Bits: Justin Fields projected No. 1 overall in 2021 NFL Draft, Shaun Wade on Bednarik watch list, more
Gene Ross
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


usa_today_13743177.0.jpg
Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
All of the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond

Today was supposed to mark the beginning of a six-week training camp for Ohio State football, as the NCAA allowed teams to transition from voluntary to mandatory workouts on Monday as part of its expanded preseason format. Alas, after putting things on pause last week out of an abundance of caution surrounding some positive COVID-19 tests, that is not yet the case.


College football teams were permitted to transition from voluntary to mandatory workouts today under the expanded preseason format approved by the NCAA, but Ohio State’s voluntary workouts remain on pause since multiple positive COVID-19 tests arose last week.

— Joey Kaufman (@joeyrkaufman) July 13, 2020

There is still no clear date in mind for the Buckeyes to resume workouts, and to be honest with you the chances of having a college football season in general seem to be slimming by the day as this country struggles to contain this pandemic. There is still some optimism that games will be played this year, and the Big Ten is hoping the move to a conference-only schedule will improve those chances, but if we as a nation can’t come together and stop making an inherently non-partisan virus into a political issue, then all hope is lost.

Regardless, we here at LGHL will continue to prepare for a football season as if there is one to be played, and so with that being said let’s move on to today’s headlines.

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...


Thanks to a massive early surge in recruiting for Ryan Day and the gang, Ohio State’s big board only has a few remaining names as they look to fill out the rest of their top-ranked 2021 class. One of those guys is Derrick Davis, a four-star safety from Pennsylvania that included the Buckeyes in his top seven schools over the weekend.


One of a few different series we will be starting at LGHL with what was supposed to be the beginning of preseason camp, today’s Leaders of the Room takes a look at the cornerback position. With the loss of both Jeff Okudah and Damon Arnette to the NFL Draft, Shaun Wade is the clear and undisputed leader of the unit in 2020. However, outside of Wade, which guy must step up for the secondary to be successful this season.


COVID-19 has had a massive impact on the college sports landscape, with many schools across the country having to cut different athletics programs to stay afloat. Stanford is one of the largest and most successful athletic departments in the nation, and have more varsity sports than all but one other DI school: Ohio State. Their decision to cut 11 of their 36 varsity programs was a bit of a shock to many in this field, and Meredith breaks down what the move means for college sports as a whole.


If there is any college football season at all in 2020, it’s going to be weird. The Big Ten has already moved to a conference-only schedule, but it is unlikely they will just play their previously scheduled nine opponents on their originally planned dates. Instead, they will likely move things around, and will probably add a 10th game to the mix as well. I took a stab at creating a new schedule for Ohio State this year, moving Michigan to the first game of the year to ensure The Game takes place and adding a potential Independent to the mix (because why not?).

From around the gridiron...


Ever since he stepped foot on a college campus, Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence seemed destined to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Enter: Justin Fields. The Georgia transfer put on an absolute clinic in his first year at Ohio State, and as a result of his incredible season, the talented QBs are now in a race to be the first man off the board. In the latest Bleacher Report mock draft, Fields is selected No. 1 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars, edging out Lawrence, who is taken at No. 4 by the Carolina Panthers.

  • Despite being the fifth running back taken in the 2020 NFL Draft, J.K. Dobbins is the highest-rated rookie RB in Madden 21. EA announced the ratings on Monday, and Dobbins checks in as a 75 overall, ahead of all the guys selected before him including D’Andre Swift (74) and Clyde Edwards-Helaire (74). The Madden franchise was a lot more generous with their rookie ratings than in previous years, as I predicted a month ago that Dobbins would be rated a 70 overall.

The rookie RBs just got their Madden ratings @Jkdobbins22 @Clydro_22 @JayT23 @DAndreSwift pic.twitter.com/lGlScNPyVi

— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) July 13, 2020
  • The Bednarik Award is given annually to college football’s best defensive player. An Ohio State player took home the hardware last season, when Chase Young was the obviously deserving recipient of the honor. The Buckeyes have a chance to take home the trophy yet again in 2020, as on Monday the Maxwell Football Club included CB Shaun Wade on its Bednarik Award watch list.

The Maxwell Football Club released the watch list for it's Bednarik Award, which goes to the nation's outstanding defensive player, and CB Shaun Wade is on the list. @OhioStateFB's @youngchase907 won it last year. pic.twitter.com/7Xbn3CSMIh

— Jerry Emig (@BuckeyeNotes) July 13, 2020
  • Former Buckeye cornerback Jeff Okudah is the latest Ohio State rookie to sign his NFL contract, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport. Okudah was selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, and he has reportedly signed a four-year deal with a fifth-year option. He has some big shoes to fill early in his professional career, as he will likely be one of the team’s top options at corner after the Lions traded Darius Slay this offseason.

The #Lions have reached an agreement on a 4-year contract with No. 3 overall pick CB Jeff Okudah, source said. A standard deal with a fifth-year option for the touted Ohio State product.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 13, 2020
From around the hardwood...

  • Ohio State hoops has concluded its bracket looking to find the Buckeyes’ most clutch basket. The winner: Evan Turner’s deep 3-point game-winner over Michigan in the 2010 Big Ten Tournament. The shot easily defeated Aaron Craft’s 2013 bucket against Iowa State in the championship round, garnering over 70 percent of the vote. It is a play that all fans of Ohio State basketball remember vividly, and a very deserving winner as the No. 5 seed.

We've got a winner‼️

The most clutch shot in Ohio State history as voted on by the fans: @TheKidET's buzzer beater against TTUN in the 2010 Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinal.

⬇️Relive the moment in its entirety!⬇️ https://t.co/Yn10ibWXoP pic.twitter.com/wCtJ3iE703

— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) July 13, 2020
From everywhere else...

  • In what appears to be a bit of good news, the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) announced on Sunday that, as of right now, high school sports will go on as planned, with practices beginning Aug. 1. Things could certainly still change between now and then, but it is an optimistic announcement to say the least.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association plans to have sports in the fall (FREE)https://t.co/FFv9WlhrJc pic.twitter.com/wX7bDsPiQY

— Bucknuts (@Bucknuts247) July 13, 2020
  • In a much anticipated move, the Washington Redskins have announced they are officially changing the name of the franchise. While a new name and logo have not yet been decided on, personally I am a huge fan of this Red Wolves concept:

It’s cold out there #Redskins ➡️ #RedWolves#HTTR pic.twitter.com/YqrTAoG3M8

— DC Sports Experience (@DCsportsXP) July 9, 2020
  • College football is scheduled to begin in eight weeks. There is still time to turn this ship around and save the season, we just have to all do our part.

"If everyone could wear a face covering over the next 6 weeks we could drive this (coronavirus) into the ground," CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield just told reporters.

— Katie Peralta (@katieperalta) July 13, 2020

Continue reading...

LGHL Column: What Stanford’s program cuts tell us about the economics of college sports

Column: What Stanford’s program cuts tell us about the economics of college sports
Meredith Hein
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


usa_today_10799498.0.jpg
Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
It’s not good.

Initially, I was planning to focus this week’s column on the top opponent Ohio State football could play, regardless of conference. And then, last week, Stanford announced an end to 11 varsity sports. Things change — sometimes, very quickly.

That announcement, despite coming from the Pac-12, set off alarm bells across collegiate athletics and its respective fan bases. The fact the Big Ten announced a conference-only schedule for football in the fall and Ohio State abruptly paused voluntary workouts added to the general malaise surrounding the conversation of if college football will happen in just a couple months’ time.

One of the reasons Stanford’s announcement came as such a shock is because Stanford — literally, of any college sports program — is the most successful from top to bottom in Division I. The 11 programs cut represent nearly a third of the 36 varsity programs the private university has sponsored previously. Those eliminated programs include men’s and women’s fencing, field hockey, lightweight rowing, men’s rowing, co-ed and women’s sailing, squash, synchronized swimming, men’s volleyball and wrestling.

The Cardinal won seven national titles in the 2018-19 academic year, including in women’s volleyball, women’s swimming and diving, men’s gymnastics, women’s water polo, women’s tennis, men’s golf and lightweight rowing. Stanford athletics are iconic for reasons that extend far beyond the football field and basketball court. Winners of 123 NCAA championships by the end of the 2019 academic year (we’re not getting into 2020 for obvious reasons), Stanford represents one of the winningest athletic departments ever in the nation ever.

In fact, Stanford has won 25-straight Director’s Cups — of 26 ever awarded. For background, the Director’s Cup is given to the colleges and universities in the US with the highest level of success across athletics.

While COVID-19 was the catalyst that set the cuts in motion, the open letter from Stanford’s athletic department made clear that the university’s athletic programs were running at a deficit already.

Which naturally leads to questions of money, and the harsh reality that the economics of college sports are precarious at best when considering the ecosystem as a whole. For many schools, including Stanford, they’ve proven unsustainable. In fact, the revenue drivers for college sports are anchored exclusively in football and basketball.

The disparity in collegiate athletic revenue by sport is massive. In fact, according to a 2017 article from Business Insider, college football teams, on average, make more than the remaining 35 sports studied...combined. Oh, and men’s basketball is included in that group of 35.

This statistic should set off some warning bells. I don’t work in finance, but one of the top rules of investment is diversifying your portfolio (note that LGHL does not offer financial advice and if you’re coming here for that, maybe you should look elsewhere). If we consider the set of sports programs supported by the average university’s athletic department to be the “portfolio,” then most schools aren’t doing a good job of diversifying. Alarmingly, Stanford, given its continued success in non-revenue sports, should be better positioned than most to diversify its own portfolio.

However there’s a reason non-revenue sports are labeled “non-revenue,” and that’s because they take more money to run than they bring in. Despite not bringing in dollars, there is still significant value in these programs. From an athletic perspective, they develop Olympians and world champions, which brings prestige to the university. From a societal perspective, they provide opportunities for college education for thousands of students who might not otherwise be able to afford college. And from an individual perspective, sports provide opportunities for personal growth and achievement. Frankly, the cuts are heartbreaking in every way, and while the financials can’t be disputed, it’s a bitter pill to swallow.

Prior to these cuts, Stanford, a private institution, had more varsity sports than all but one Division I school with 36. Ohio State happens to be that one other school, with 37 varsity sports. Ohio State is also in a unique position in that both its football team and men’s basketball team are highly-valuable. In all, the athletic department brought in more than $205.5 million in 2018 (third-most in the NCAA) and actually transferred more than $3 million back to the school.

Additionally, according to USA Today’s annual report on NCAA finances, the university does not allocate any student fees, state dollars or other institutional support to the athletic department. The fact that Ohio State’s brand is cited as one of the most valuable in college sports also means significant revenue from licensing fees, further diversifying its revenue streams.

This influx of revenue for football means that football tends to fund most other athletic programs at individual schools. Due to COVID-19, heading into 2020, we already know revenue will be down significantly — both from reduced ticket sales (or non-existent ticket sales) to accommodate social distancing, and from a truncated schedule. It wasn’t hard to see the resulting strain on non-revenue programs coming.

In addition to Stanford’s cuts, many other schools, including several MAC schools, have already announced cuts to their own programs. If more and more schools follow suit, the benefits for the remaining schools of having those programs begin to diminish. For example, nine schools have already cut men’s tennis, and eight have cut women’s tennis. Suddenly, there’s less opportunity for scheduling, reduced sales in licensed merchandise (although Ohio State joggers are probably flying off the shelf right now) and investment among remaining programs gets reduced with more limited exposure.

Ohio State manages its athletic department finances pretty well, and diversifies better than most — at least bringing in decent money from two sports programs. But again, the university is unique. The inverted pyramid that is the college sports economic framework is predicated on significant investment in the highest-grossing programs: football and basketball.

But really, as we’ve seen, it’s mostly football. And what, you might ask, is the most sizable investment for these programs? The head coach, obviously. Clemson’s Dabo Swinney is the highest-paid coach in college football, bringing in greater than $9.3 million every year.

It’s not just head coaches bringing in the big bucks, though. David Aranda, the newly-appointed head coach of Baylor, was the highest-paid assistant coach in the FBS, raking in $2.5 million in 2019 when he was defensive coordinator at LSU. Clemson’s Brent Venables and Texas A&M’s Mike Elko are the two other assistants in the FBS who made more than $2 million in 2019.

Sure, coaches, including assistants, get paid highly because that’s their market value, right? But if the metric is national and conference championships, there are a limited set of coaches who should be making that much. Dabo happens to be one of them. Nick Saban happens to be another. Jim Harbaugh (No. 3) doesn’t meet that criteria.

Which brings us back to the issues surrounding funding of non-revenue sports. So when there’s that much investment at the top of a football program that is not achieving success, how does that hinder growth in other programs where that investment might be used to achieve results (i.e., championships)?

The room at the top of college football is limited and, in recent years and realistically all-time, has been dominated by a limited number of teams. Parity itself varies in other sports programs (consider how Ohio State has controlled the synchronized swimming landscape for the better part of four decades while other sports have more variability in champions year in and year out).

Hopefully the strain we’re going to see across athletic departments this year is isolated to this year alone, but what we’ve already seen from the immediate effects of COVID-19 on college sports means that the whole system has the potential to come crashing down around us.

Welp, on that depressing note, bye for now.

Continue reading...

Vision - Glasses, Contacts, LASIK, Born Right

My eyes are too bad for LASIK. It wouldn't improve them enough to not have to still wear glasses/contacts.
Same. My whole family had it, with varying degrees of long term success, but when I went for a consult they would only do up to -8.5 diopters and I’m well beyond that. They had another procedure called PRK but that sounded pretty scary.
Upvote 0

Will there be a 2020 CFB Season?

MLS just canceled a game after a positive test...if that’s how it’s going to work, they should scrap it now.
Exactly.

For football there are 105 players on the home roster and 70 for the visitors.

Coaches, grad assistants, trainers, equipment managers, ground crew, tv crew, officials.....

One positive is all it takes and you could be shut down for 14 days.

You have to move forward like it is going to happen - but in the end I just don't see it.
Upvote 0

LGHL Get your limited edition Brutus ‘Countdown to Kickoff’ bobblehead (with adjustable dates)

Get your limited edition Brutus ‘Countdown to Kickoff’ bobblehead (with adjustable dates)
Matt Tamanini
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


061220_BHNCSMUCTKMSOH.0.jpg

No matter when college football starts again, you’ll always be able to have an accurate countdown!

Look, let’s be honest, we have no idea if college football is going to start on time, or even happen this fall at all, so, our friends at FOCO have the perfect bobblehead to celebrate the Ohio State Buckeyes’ eventual return to the field, whenever that might actually happen.

Recently, FOCO released a series of brand-new, collectable bobbleheads featuring several NFL and college football mascots counting down the days to the TBD return dates of their respective seasons. For our purposes, the one that really matters is Brutus Buckeye standing in front of the iconic OSU helmet and on a countdown clock, marking the days until games resume.

But, what’s especially nice for Buckeye fans in these COVID times that we’re living in is that the number of days remaining is completely adjustable, so if there are starts and stops in the college football calendar, you can adjust right along with Ryan Day and company.

Make sure to order yours quickly though, because it is a collector’s item, only 2,020 of them were made (see what they did there)?

Purchase your Brutus Buckeye Countdown to Kickoff bobblehead here!

061220_BHNCSMUCTKMSOH.jpg


In addition to Brutus, the other mascots included in the series are Rowdy (Dallas Cowboys), Poe (Baltimore Ravens), Sourdough Sam (San Francisco 49ers), KC Wolf (Kansas City Chiefs), Pat Patriot (New England Patriots), Mike the Tiger (LSU Tigers), Big Al (Alabama Crimson Tide), The Tiger (Clemson Tigers), and The Nittany Lion (Penn State Nittany Lions).

These bobbleheads are handcrafted to depict NFL and college football mascots that are staples of the football world. Each stands approximately eight inches tall, making these the ideal additions to any collection at home, or any desk at work or school.

Continue reading...

Filter

Back
Top