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LGHL Column: Thoughts on NCAA eligibility and why Jim Harbaugh might be right for once
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Column: Thoughts on NCAA eligibility and why Jim Harbaugh might be right for once
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Yeah, who’d a thought?
The debate around college athletes going pro will likely never cease, as, even in light of widely-applauded rule changes, judgments still abound about players who leave early being “selfish” or “money grabbing” or, more positively, “sharp” and “in tune with their value.” Of course, in the case of football, the rules are not in favor of college athletes, whose decision to turn pro is, with few exceptions, no better than a coin flip.
The relationship between collegiate/amateur athletes and professional athletes is perhaps the most archaic in football compared to any other sport. Not only do the NBA, NHL and MLB support robust farm team or developmental league networks, but the governing bodies for the three other “major” sports in the US (sorry, soccer fans) have also seen fit to update their policies regarding college players going pro.
Which leads us to an anomaly for this column and this site. It’s not often when we can give credit to Michigan football, but today might be the closest I come. Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh released an open letter last week which discussed empowering student athletes on their decisions to turn pro. Although, Harbaugh clearly stated that he was writing on behalf of himself and that his thoughts were not those of the University of Michigan. So, credit to Michigan is still limited.
Harbaugh’s plan centers on three tenets:
To me, these changes are no brainers, though I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve always been pretty conservative when it comes to professional eligibility for NCAA athletes. For example, I’ve felt the one-and-done rule in the NCAA for basketball hurts everyone by forcing athletes to take essentially a year-long hiatus on their way to the pros. It’s unlikely they’re making major headway in terms of their education, while their early departurest hurts their teammates and programs.
In the case of football, I’ve always felt that prep-to-pro is a bad look. Sure, you get some high school players who enter college with the size and strength to make it in the pros, but these individuals are the exceptions rather than the rule. Imagine an eighteen year old — any eighteen year old — taking on JJ Watt. Watt himself was just 6-foot-5, 220-pounds coming out of high school (he’s currently 6-foot-5, 288-pounds). Players — granted, in some positions more than others — need the time to grow and develop for the contact that defines football.
But when it comes down to it, the rules truly punish student athletes in football, with the common issue being the immediate and permanent loss of amateur status players experience when they opt to go pro. In 2019, 49 of 144 players who entered the draft early ultimately went undrafted. Those players can’t go back to college.
When you consider the NBA, back before the one-and-done rule was implemented, there were certainly plenty of examples of direct high school to pro athletes who were successful: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard and Tracy McGrady, to name a few. There were also many high schoolers who had every reason to believe they’d go straight to the NBA and be successful and whose names are long but forgotten except as cautionary tales.
Sure, it was apparent that LeBron would be successful in the pros. By the time he left high school, James was 6-foot-8, 240-pounds. In other words, he had the measurables which showed he could do well at the next level.
Of course, LeBron isn’t the standard, and it’s hard to gauge who will be successful at a higher level. Only a small percentage of high school athletes will end up with Division I offers, and many high schools are small and/or don’t always make cuts for their teams. What that means is that the “outstanding” players we see might not pan out, because we can’t really tell how “outstanding” they are until we get some data against tougher competition.
We’ve all been watching The Last Dance, because what else are we doing now? Scottie Pippin grew seven inches in college at the University of Central Arkansas (because he didn’t receive a single Division I offer). If we’d projected his NBA success based on his senior season in high school, we’d miss out on one of the greatest players in NBA history.
But back to football, which is a completely different game than basketball, which might lead to some of the disparity in eligibility rules between the two sports. Football is a high-contact sport, while basketball, with the exception of the Pistons in the 90s and also the Monstars in Space Jam, is not. Again, with notable exceptions, football players need some time to develop physically before they move to the pros.
That’s where the adjustment in eligibility, mentioned by Harbaugh, comes in handy. Though it doesn’t solve the issue of players getting drafted and then ultimately failing out of the professional league, it does solve the problem of kids who think they’ll get drafted who don’t get selected and who then lose out on their future opportunities. Additionally, the plan outlined by Harbaugh provides a contingency for players who fall out of the NFL - a trip back to school on scholarship. And considering just 55% of black male student athletes earn their degrees within six years, it’s a relevant change that truly supports the players.
For comparison, the MLB and NHL also have progressive draft policies, which support players’ education and professional prospects simultaneously. While it’s unlikely the NHL’s model which, for instance, drafts players between the ages of 18-20, would work for other leagues, it’s a cool concept in that it allows teams to draft players well before they leave school. Players can stay in school, grow and develop their games, while teams have the rights to players to support their franchise one to three years down the road.
I love the idea of restoring amateur status to players if the draft doesn’t work out for them, as well as the stipulation that players and families can get additional information from agents and lawyers ahead of the draft. The information asymmetry between players and franchises is one of the major problems in drafts.
The NBA, per the usual, has been one of the more progressive leagues in leveling the playing field between players and franchises, allowing players to return to college after working out at the NBA Combine and receiving a scouting report.
Now, the NBA allows prodigious players to bypass college entirely to go to the G League. While the conservative in me, who thinks players need that extra step to develop in college, is mildly horrified, the move makes a ton of sense for all parties involved: college teams can be built around the expectation of players staying for more than a year. Perhaps we won’t see the rapid rise and fall of teams in a single year as freshmen develop and burn out. Recruiting becomes smoother as coaches build rosters on a four year cycle instead of one, and are forced to build teams instead of collections of superstars we’ll never see in the NCAA again (looking at you, John Calipari).
Moreover, the new experience is better for the players who stick around. Just like most high school players don’t go to Division I, most collegiate players don’t make the pros. Now, the college game is reserved for those who are committed to being there for probably more than a year, while those prodigies who can and desire to make it to the pros outside of college don’t take scholarships from others who want to play in college.
Once again, I’ve gotten distracted by the lure of basketball’s progressive system. Back to football, and what Harbaugh’s system would mean for Ohio State. Realistically, these rule changes would affect those with high draft stock - those who would benefit most from leaving early and whose stock wouldn’t improve with an additional season of play.
What would that mean for recent years? Maybe Chase Young would have come out a year early. Maybe Nick Bosa would have come out a year earlier, which, in hindsight, would have really worked out for him. Maybe Justin Fields would choose to enter the draft, though he’d have to be competing with Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert for a top-10 spot in 2020. The rule would certainly benefit players like Bosa or Tua Tagovailoa, whose final seasons were cut short due to injury.
Sure, cynics might say that Harbaugh wants eligibility rules relaxed because it would favor Michigan. Keep in mind Michigan had five early entries in the 2020 NFL Draft to Ohio State’s eight, so while there’s still a disparity, it’s not an all-or-nothing.
Realistically, from a team perspective, the rule would benefit teams like service academies (hey, Air Force!) or Utah, where players generally take a full four to five years to develop or, in the case of service academies, don’t have the option to leave early.
The NCAA has proven itself shockingly progressive in recent years with changes that finally benefit student athletes. Relaxing transfer rules more clearly aligns player benefits with those of coaches. Now, these proposals, even if they come from a Michigan man, might serve to further level the playing field for players.
Continue reading...
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Yeah, who’d a thought?
The debate around college athletes going pro will likely never cease, as, even in light of widely-applauded rule changes, judgments still abound about players who leave early being “selfish” or “money grabbing” or, more positively, “sharp” and “in tune with their value.” Of course, in the case of football, the rules are not in favor of college athletes, whose decision to turn pro is, with few exceptions, no better than a coin flip.
The relationship between collegiate/amateur athletes and professional athletes is perhaps the most archaic in football compared to any other sport. Not only do the NBA, NHL and MLB support robust farm team or developmental league networks, but the governing bodies for the three other “major” sports in the US (sorry, soccer fans) have also seen fit to update their policies regarding college players going pro.
Which leads us to an anomaly for this column and this site. It’s not often when we can give credit to Michigan football, but today might be the closest I come. Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh released an open letter last week which discussed empowering student athletes on their decisions to turn pro. Although, Harbaugh clearly stated that he was writing on behalf of himself and that his thoughts were not those of the University of Michigan. So, credit to Michigan is still limited.
Harbaugh’s plan centers on three tenets:
- A player choosing when he wants to declare for the draft - regardless of class year or years removed from high school.
- The opportunity for a player to complete his degree either concurrent with his time in the NFL or after his playing career.
- An increased ability for players and families to consult with lawyers and agents before signing a professional contract.
To me, these changes are no brainers, though I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve always been pretty conservative when it comes to professional eligibility for NCAA athletes. For example, I’ve felt the one-and-done rule in the NCAA for basketball hurts everyone by forcing athletes to take essentially a year-long hiatus on their way to the pros. It’s unlikely they’re making major headway in terms of their education, while their early departurest hurts their teammates and programs.
In the case of football, I’ve always felt that prep-to-pro is a bad look. Sure, you get some high school players who enter college with the size and strength to make it in the pros, but these individuals are the exceptions rather than the rule. Imagine an eighteen year old — any eighteen year old — taking on JJ Watt. Watt himself was just 6-foot-5, 220-pounds coming out of high school (he’s currently 6-foot-5, 288-pounds). Players — granted, in some positions more than others — need the time to grow and develop for the contact that defines football.
But when it comes down to it, the rules truly punish student athletes in football, with the common issue being the immediate and permanent loss of amateur status players experience when they opt to go pro. In 2019, 49 of 144 players who entered the draft early ultimately went undrafted. Those players can’t go back to college.
When you consider the NBA, back before the one-and-done rule was implemented, there were certainly plenty of examples of direct high school to pro athletes who were successful: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard and Tracy McGrady, to name a few. There were also many high schoolers who had every reason to believe they’d go straight to the NBA and be successful and whose names are long but forgotten except as cautionary tales.
Sure, it was apparent that LeBron would be successful in the pros. By the time he left high school, James was 6-foot-8, 240-pounds. In other words, he had the measurables which showed he could do well at the next level.
Of course, LeBron isn’t the standard, and it’s hard to gauge who will be successful at a higher level. Only a small percentage of high school athletes will end up with Division I offers, and many high schools are small and/or don’t always make cuts for their teams. What that means is that the “outstanding” players we see might not pan out, because we can’t really tell how “outstanding” they are until we get some data against tougher competition.
We’ve all been watching The Last Dance, because what else are we doing now? Scottie Pippin grew seven inches in college at the University of Central Arkansas (because he didn’t receive a single Division I offer). If we’d projected his NBA success based on his senior season in high school, we’d miss out on one of the greatest players in NBA history.
But back to football, which is a completely different game than basketball, which might lead to some of the disparity in eligibility rules between the two sports. Football is a high-contact sport, while basketball, with the exception of the Pistons in the 90s and also the Monstars in Space Jam, is not. Again, with notable exceptions, football players need some time to develop physically before they move to the pros.
That’s where the adjustment in eligibility, mentioned by Harbaugh, comes in handy. Though it doesn’t solve the issue of players getting drafted and then ultimately failing out of the professional league, it does solve the problem of kids who think they’ll get drafted who don’t get selected and who then lose out on their future opportunities. Additionally, the plan outlined by Harbaugh provides a contingency for players who fall out of the NFL - a trip back to school on scholarship. And considering just 55% of black male student athletes earn their degrees within six years, it’s a relevant change that truly supports the players.
For comparison, the MLB and NHL also have progressive draft policies, which support players’ education and professional prospects simultaneously. While it’s unlikely the NHL’s model which, for instance, drafts players between the ages of 18-20, would work for other leagues, it’s a cool concept in that it allows teams to draft players well before they leave school. Players can stay in school, grow and develop their games, while teams have the rights to players to support their franchise one to three years down the road.
I love the idea of restoring amateur status to players if the draft doesn’t work out for them, as well as the stipulation that players and families can get additional information from agents and lawyers ahead of the draft. The information asymmetry between players and franchises is one of the major problems in drafts.
The NBA, per the usual, has been one of the more progressive leagues in leveling the playing field between players and franchises, allowing players to return to college after working out at the NBA Combine and receiving a scouting report.
Now, the NBA allows prodigious players to bypass college entirely to go to the G League. While the conservative in me, who thinks players need that extra step to develop in college, is mildly horrified, the move makes a ton of sense for all parties involved: college teams can be built around the expectation of players staying for more than a year. Perhaps we won’t see the rapid rise and fall of teams in a single year as freshmen develop and burn out. Recruiting becomes smoother as coaches build rosters on a four year cycle instead of one, and are forced to build teams instead of collections of superstars we’ll never see in the NCAA again (looking at you, John Calipari).
Moreover, the new experience is better for the players who stick around. Just like most high school players don’t go to Division I, most collegiate players don’t make the pros. Now, the college game is reserved for those who are committed to being there for probably more than a year, while those prodigies who can and desire to make it to the pros outside of college don’t take scholarships from others who want to play in college.
Once again, I’ve gotten distracted by the lure of basketball’s progressive system. Back to football, and what Harbaugh’s system would mean for Ohio State. Realistically, these rule changes would affect those with high draft stock - those who would benefit most from leaving early and whose stock wouldn’t improve with an additional season of play.
What would that mean for recent years? Maybe Chase Young would have come out a year early. Maybe Nick Bosa would have come out a year earlier, which, in hindsight, would have really worked out for him. Maybe Justin Fields would choose to enter the draft, though he’d have to be competing with Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert for a top-10 spot in 2020. The rule would certainly benefit players like Bosa or Tua Tagovailoa, whose final seasons were cut short due to injury.
Sure, cynics might say that Harbaugh wants eligibility rules relaxed because it would favor Michigan. Keep in mind Michigan had five early entries in the 2020 NFL Draft to Ohio State’s eight, so while there’s still a disparity, it’s not an all-or-nothing.
Realistically, from a team perspective, the rule would benefit teams like service academies (hey, Air Force!) or Utah, where players generally take a full four to five years to develop or, in the case of service academies, don’t have the option to leave early.
The NCAA has proven itself shockingly progressive in recent years with changes that finally benefit student athletes. Relaxing transfer rules more clearly aligns player benefits with those of coaches. Now, these proposals, even if they come from a Michigan man, might serve to further level the playing field for players.
Continue reading...
LGHL Which Marvel hero or villain is each Big Ten basketball coach most like?
- News
- 0 Replies
Which Marvel hero or villain is each Big Ten basketball coach most like?
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Mike Carter- USA Today
As part of SB Nation’s Marvel Week, we’ll try to match each coach in the conference with their MCU counterpart.
It was just Marvel week at SB Nation, the parent site of LGHL, so we’re gonna go wayyyy off the deep end and pair every single Big Ten basketball coach with the Marvel hero or villain they’re most similar to. You’re probably asking, “Isn’t it a stretch to compare a sentient tree that only knows three words to a basketball coach?” And my answer would be yes, it absolutely is a stretch. A really fun stretch, too.
But basketball content is hard to come by right now, SB Nation said it’s Marvel week, and I’ve watched 20 Marvel movies over the past four weeks so I could write this. So why in the world shouldn’t we compare a sentient tree to a basketball coach? Let’s get into it.
1) Groot and Greg Gard
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19956383/grootplusgard.jpg)
Photo by Mike Carter- USA Today
What do Groot and the balding head coach of the Badgers have in common, you ask? Defense. Wisconsin allowed just 62.2 points per game last season, which was the best in the B1G and 13th in the country. The year before that their defense was even better, allowing 61.7 points per game, good for 8th in the country. In fact, Wisconsin has had a top 30 defense in the country all five seasons that Gard has been the head coach.
Groot knows a thing about defense, too. In Guardians of the Galaxy, Groot sacrificed himself for his team, extending his branches around everyone to create a giant protective cocoon so that they wouldn’t be harmed by an explosion. The team survived, but only one lonely branch was left remaining from Groot.
2) The Black Panther/ King T’Challa and Steve Pikiell
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19956393/blackpantherpkiell.jpg)
Photo by Jeffrey Becker- USA Today
What does T’Challa care about more than anything? Protecting Wakanda, his home. What does Steve Pikiell do better than any other coach in the country? Defend home court.
The main conflict in Black Panther arises from a disagreement over whether Wakanda should share their technology with the world. This could save millions of lives around the globe, but would also open Wakanda up to foreigners, threatening their way of life. T’Challa is hesitant to share Wakanda’s gifts with the world, fearing that it could harm his citizens if they get too involved.
Rutgers knows all about protecting their turf as well. The last two seasons, Rutgers has gone a combined 28-8 at home, including 18-1 last season. Those 18 home wins weren’t just a school record, but the most home wins in the country last year too.
3) Nick Fury and Chris Holtmann
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19956399/furyholtmann.jpg)
Photo by Mark J. Rebilas- USA Today
Nick Fury is the reason the Avengers came to be. After meeting Carole Danvers (Captain Marvel) in the 1990’s, he was inspired to put together a team of powerful combat operatives who would help protect the country from danger. One by one he recruited the members, some of whom were more eager than others to assist. While he was occasionally involved in combat, Fury acted mostly as a strategic planner for SHIELD.
Chris Holtmann has been playing a role similar to Fury’s lately, as his Ohio State has seen three players transfer, another leave for the NBA, and a fifth graduate from the program just since March. Holtmann, in turn, was able to recruit three transfers to Columbus (Seth Towns, Jimmy Sotos, and Abel Porter), while also holding onto his two incoming freshmen, Eugene Brown and Zed Key.
4) Yondu and Juwan Howard
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19956414/yonduplusJW.jpg)
Photo by Rick Osentoski- USA Today
This was especially tough, because Juwan Howard has been the head coach at Michigan for less than a year. There’s still a lot to learn about how he’ll coach the Wolverines and if his recruiting will keep pace with the rest of the conference, but one thing is certain: he loves his players and his players love him.
Howard broke down in tears at his introductory press conference last year, overjoyed with the sudden realization that he’d become the head coach at his alma mater. An upbeat and loose coaching style helped him connect with players that he himself did not recruit. But as much as you want to root for Howard, he is still the coach at Michigan. Good guy, but wrong side.
Similarly, it’s easy to like Yondu when you watch Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. He is a member of the Ravagers, a savage gang of thieves who travel the galaxy searching for loot and valuables to steal. At the same time, Yondu shows over and over he isn’t just another villain. He saved a young Peter Quill from his dangerous father when Peter was little, and ultimately sacrificed his own life for him. Kind of like Juwan Howard, Yondu is a good guy, but working for the wrong team.
5) Rocket and Pat Chambers
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19956426/rocketxchambers.jpg)
Photo by Mike Carter- USA Today
Rocket, a genetically altered raccoon who can speak English and modify/use technology with ease, was created through years of genetic experimentation and manipulation. He is introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy as a common thief, working with Groot to find valuables to sell for profit, and later teams up with others in the Avengers series.
If Rocket was going to play for anyone, it would be Pat Chambers and his Nittany Lions. Penn State has averaged over seven steals per game each of the last two seasons, leading the B1G each year. Even more impressively, PSU has been top three in steals in the B1G for each of the past four seasons. If Rocket wanted to continue his thievery on the hardwood, Penn State is where he’d need to go.
6) Vision and Archie Miller
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19956428/visionxarchie.jpg)
Photo by Patrick Gorski- USA Today
Vision was created by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner to be a physical manifestation of artificial intelligence, stronger than any machine or suit Stark had ever built. While Vision had unbelievable powers, including the ability to phase through objects, he often took a back seat in combat and was ultimately dispatched by Thanos in Avengers Infinity War. For someone with the power Vision had (he had one of the infinity stones in his head for God’s sake), Vision rarely used those powers. He could have been one of the strongest Avengers, but rarely showed it.
Archie Miller was hired to be the head coach at Indiana in 2017 with a whole lot of hype and fanfare. He’s recruited two elite recruits to IU in Romeo Langford and Trayce Jackson-Davis, but in three seasons has amassed a record of 55-43 and has not made the NCAA Tournament. Much like Vision, Miller’s results have fallen far short of expectations, and could soon cost him his job at IU.
7) Ant-Man and Tom Izzo
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19956431/antmanxizzo.jpg)
Photo by Mike Carter- USA Today
Okay, this one couldn’t be avoided. At 5-foot-5, Tom Izzo is one of the shortest coaches in America. Nothing makes me chuckle more than Izzo screaming at one if his players, with his neck angled upwards so that he can yell at their face rather than their stomach. Luckily for Ant-Man, he can shrink OR grow, but Izzo is kinda of just stuck being small forever.
8) James Rhodes aka “War Machine” and Fred Hoiberg
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19956437/rhodesxhoiberg.jpg)
Photo by Tommy Gilligan- USA Today
Hoiberg is a tough comparison too because, like Howard, he has not been at his current school for very long. I settled with “Rhodey” because both he and Hoiberg recently transitioned to a somewhat similar role, but may not realize how drastically different their new circumstances are.
Rhodes, a close friend of Tony Stark and former Marine, transitioned from serving the U.S. military in a traditional sense to serving our country in a...less traditional way. Despite not having any “powers”, Rhodes uses an iron suit built by Stark that is armed with machine guns and explosives, as well as the ability to fly. In Captain America: Civil War, Rhodes is shot down in battle while flying, falling over one hundred feet to the ground. He suffered spinal injuries that limited the use of his legs forever. Quite a rude awakening to his new line of work.
Similarly, Hoiberg has returned to college basketball after spending three seasons and some change in Chicago coaching the Bulls, where he went 115-155 before getting fired 24 games into the 2018-2019 season. The Huskers have inferior talent to any of his Bulls teams (or do they?), but yikes. In Hoiberg’s first season at the helm in Lincoln, his squad went 7-25, good for dead last in the conference. Welcome back, Fred!
9) Peter Quill aka “Star-Lord” and Chris Collins
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19956445/quilxcollins.jpg)
Photo by Jeffrey Becker- USA Today
Chris Collins is like Star-Lord because they’ve both really sucked at their jobs recently. In 2017 Northwestern made it to their first NCAA Tournament ever, which is awesome and fun (they lost in the second round, but that’s irrelevant). In the three seasons since, Collins’ wildcats have gone 36-59, finishing in the bottom of the Big Ten each year. Gross.
Just like Collins, Quill was a hero in Guardians of the Galaxy when he held onto the power stone with his bare hands long enough to vanquish the antagonist and save his team. After that, his performance drops off. In Avengers: Infinity War his temper ruined a potential thwarting of Thanos right then and there, allowing the mad titan to escape. In Endgame, he was seconds from being killed by a random alien in battle, but was saved by Gamora. Recent results really do not reflect kindly on Quill or Collins.
10) Wanda Maximoff aka “Scarlet Witch” and Matt Painter
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19956452/witchxpainter.jpg)
Photo by Brian Spurlock- USA Today
Both Scarlet Witch and Matt Painter are severely underrated, in my opinion. Painter has coached Purdue for 15 years, amassed a record of 337-174, won three B1G championships, and won at least 20 games 11 times. Matt Painter might be the best coach in the conference if the guy whose name rhymes with Lizzo were to retire. But he’s rarely ever mentioned. Why not?
Scarlet Witch has an argument as being the single strongest Avenger before Captain Marvel appeared in 2019. She is the only character that was able to single-handedly subdue Thanos, even if it was just for a few moments. She can lift boulders, buildings, or whatever she wants with her mind, and can create a huge impenetrable shield as well. She isn’t mentioned a whole lot either. Why not?
11) Obadiah Stane aka “Iron Monger” and Brad Underwood
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19956471/mongerxunderwood.jpg)
Photo by Patrick Gorski- USA Today
Aside from the fact that they both look like your drunk uncle, Obadiah Stane and Brad Underwood both are untrustworthy back-stabbers. Obadiah Stane, aka the “Iron Monger” was a good friend of Tony Stark’s father, and after the elder Stark’s death, worked with Tony on the family business. He eventually tries to kill Tony in the first Iron Man film and take the company over.
Underwood, while not a criminal, did leave Stephen F. Austin in 2016 to take the job at Oklahoma State. After leading tiny SFA to three straight NCAA Tournaments and an 89-14 record, Oklahoma State was elated to have him on board. In his one season at OSU (not that OSU), he went 20-13, made the NCAA Tournament, and then took the job at Illinois when the season ended. He probably didn’t even know all his players’ names yet before he was already out the door again.
12) Thanos and Mark Turgeon
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19956479/thanosxturgeon.jpg)
Photo by Matthew O’ Haren- USA Today
At first glance this is a terrible comparison, but hear me out. Thanos is roughly nine feet tall, probably weighs about 400 pounds, and can fight off three Avengers with just his big meaty fists. Mark Turgeon is about 5-foot-10, probably weighs about 180, and gets offended a little too easily by opposing student sections (shout out to the Buckeye Nuthouse).
However, they both have intentions that they think are genuine but really are just misguided and whiny. Thanos’ whole shtick is that the world is too overpopulated, so he is doing it a favor by snapping his fingers and eliminating 50% of the population. Then, there will be enough food, water, and resources for everyone. How thoughtful! But also very bad!
Turgeon complained this past season that officials were letting Ohio State’s Kaleb Wesson get away with fouls on both ends of the floor, likening him to a “bully” Later that week, he also complained that tip-off times during the week need to be earlier, because he doesn’t like getting home so late. Turgeon may think he is a valiant knight fighting for more sleep for his team or their safety against “bullies”, but it actually sounded kind of nagging and whiny.
13) Thor and Richard Pitino
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19956486/thorxpitino.jpg)
Photo by Mike Carter- USA Today
Who has bigger shoes to fill: Thor, the son of King Odin, or Richard Pitino, the son of one of the most successful/shady coaches in college basketball history? Both of these men were given a choice: follow in your father’s footsteps or choose your own path.
Thor could have become the king of Asgard, but in the end chose to be who he is, not who he was supposed to be. He passed the throne up and gave it to someone he felt would do it justice. He then walked into a space ship and blasted into space with some aliens and a talking raccoon.
Richard Pitino could have copied his dad’s winning ways of scandal and questionable practices, but chose not to. He has amassed a 127-108 career record at Minnesota, which is acceptable but not as good as his father’s 133-74 record in his first seven seasons. The elder Pitino also has been to the NCAA tournament 21 times and been booted out of college basketball once already for scandals, neither of which Richard has done. Way to blaze your own path at Minnesota, little Pitino!
14) Aldrich Killian aka “The Mandarin” and Fran McCaffrey
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19956501/killianxfran.jpg)
Photo by Jeffrey Becker- USA Today
This was a no-brainer. Fran McCfaffery is one of the most emotional coaches in college basketball. It doesn’t take much for him to scream at his players, other players, students, and refs. Hell, he’ll even go after officials after the game and cuss them out. The guy really does not care.
Aldrich Killian, better known as “The Mandarin” is the main antagonist in Iron Man 3. Fueled with hatred for Tony Stark ignoring and disrespecting him years ago, Killian’s goals include killing Tony Stark, stealing his wife (I’m sure she’ll go for that), and selling a super-soldier serum that will let other people spit fire and have lava hands, just like him.
He and Fran should have coffee sometime.
Notable Exclusions
Because the goal was not to match the most popular characters with a coach, there were some important Avengers and villains left out of the piece. Unfortunately, I just didn’t draw as many parallels between some of those characters as I did these. Those left out include:
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Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
As part of SB Nation’s Marvel Week, we’ll try to match each coach in the conference with their MCU counterpart.
It was just Marvel week at SB Nation, the parent site of LGHL, so we’re gonna go wayyyy off the deep end and pair every single Big Ten basketball coach with the Marvel hero or villain they’re most similar to. You’re probably asking, “Isn’t it a stretch to compare a sentient tree that only knows three words to a basketball coach?” And my answer would be yes, it absolutely is a stretch. A really fun stretch, too.
But basketball content is hard to come by right now, SB Nation said it’s Marvel week, and I’ve watched 20 Marvel movies over the past four weeks so I could write this. So why in the world shouldn’t we compare a sentient tree to a basketball coach? Let’s get into it.
1) Groot and Greg Gard
Photo by Mike Carter- USA Today
What do Groot and the balding head coach of the Badgers have in common, you ask? Defense. Wisconsin allowed just 62.2 points per game last season, which was the best in the B1G and 13th in the country. The year before that their defense was even better, allowing 61.7 points per game, good for 8th in the country. In fact, Wisconsin has had a top 30 defense in the country all five seasons that Gard has been the head coach.
Groot knows a thing about defense, too. In Guardians of the Galaxy, Groot sacrificed himself for his team, extending his branches around everyone to create a giant protective cocoon so that they wouldn’t be harmed by an explosion. The team survived, but only one lonely branch was left remaining from Groot.
2) The Black Panther/ King T’Challa and Steve Pikiell
Photo by Jeffrey Becker- USA Today
What does T’Challa care about more than anything? Protecting Wakanda, his home. What does Steve Pikiell do better than any other coach in the country? Defend home court.
The main conflict in Black Panther arises from a disagreement over whether Wakanda should share their technology with the world. This could save millions of lives around the globe, but would also open Wakanda up to foreigners, threatening their way of life. T’Challa is hesitant to share Wakanda’s gifts with the world, fearing that it could harm his citizens if they get too involved.
Rutgers knows all about protecting their turf as well. The last two seasons, Rutgers has gone a combined 28-8 at home, including 18-1 last season. Those 18 home wins weren’t just a school record, but the most home wins in the country last year too.
3) Nick Fury and Chris Holtmann
Photo by Mark J. Rebilas- USA Today
Nick Fury is the reason the Avengers came to be. After meeting Carole Danvers (Captain Marvel) in the 1990’s, he was inspired to put together a team of powerful combat operatives who would help protect the country from danger. One by one he recruited the members, some of whom were more eager than others to assist. While he was occasionally involved in combat, Fury acted mostly as a strategic planner for SHIELD.
Chris Holtmann has been playing a role similar to Fury’s lately, as his Ohio State has seen three players transfer, another leave for the NBA, and a fifth graduate from the program just since March. Holtmann, in turn, was able to recruit three transfers to Columbus (Seth Towns, Jimmy Sotos, and Abel Porter), while also holding onto his two incoming freshmen, Eugene Brown and Zed Key.
4) Yondu and Juwan Howard
Photo by Rick Osentoski- USA Today
This was especially tough, because Juwan Howard has been the head coach at Michigan for less than a year. There’s still a lot to learn about how he’ll coach the Wolverines and if his recruiting will keep pace with the rest of the conference, but one thing is certain: he loves his players and his players love him.
Howard broke down in tears at his introductory press conference last year, overjoyed with the sudden realization that he’d become the head coach at his alma mater. An upbeat and loose coaching style helped him connect with players that he himself did not recruit. But as much as you want to root for Howard, he is still the coach at Michigan. Good guy, but wrong side.
Similarly, it’s easy to like Yondu when you watch Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. He is a member of the Ravagers, a savage gang of thieves who travel the galaxy searching for loot and valuables to steal. At the same time, Yondu shows over and over he isn’t just another villain. He saved a young Peter Quill from his dangerous father when Peter was little, and ultimately sacrificed his own life for him. Kind of like Juwan Howard, Yondu is a good guy, but working for the wrong team.
5) Rocket and Pat Chambers
Photo by Mike Carter- USA Today
Rocket, a genetically altered raccoon who can speak English and modify/use technology with ease, was created through years of genetic experimentation and manipulation. He is introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy as a common thief, working with Groot to find valuables to sell for profit, and later teams up with others in the Avengers series.
If Rocket was going to play for anyone, it would be Pat Chambers and his Nittany Lions. Penn State has averaged over seven steals per game each of the last two seasons, leading the B1G each year. Even more impressively, PSU has been top three in steals in the B1G for each of the past four seasons. If Rocket wanted to continue his thievery on the hardwood, Penn State is where he’d need to go.
6) Vision and Archie Miller
Photo by Patrick Gorski- USA Today
Vision was created by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner to be a physical manifestation of artificial intelligence, stronger than any machine or suit Stark had ever built. While Vision had unbelievable powers, including the ability to phase through objects, he often took a back seat in combat and was ultimately dispatched by Thanos in Avengers Infinity War. For someone with the power Vision had (he had one of the infinity stones in his head for God’s sake), Vision rarely used those powers. He could have been one of the strongest Avengers, but rarely showed it.
Archie Miller was hired to be the head coach at Indiana in 2017 with a whole lot of hype and fanfare. He’s recruited two elite recruits to IU in Romeo Langford and Trayce Jackson-Davis, but in three seasons has amassed a record of 55-43 and has not made the NCAA Tournament. Much like Vision, Miller’s results have fallen far short of expectations, and could soon cost him his job at IU.
7) Ant-Man and Tom Izzo
Photo by Mike Carter- USA Today
Okay, this one couldn’t be avoided. At 5-foot-5, Tom Izzo is one of the shortest coaches in America. Nothing makes me chuckle more than Izzo screaming at one if his players, with his neck angled upwards so that he can yell at their face rather than their stomach. Luckily for Ant-Man, he can shrink OR grow, but Izzo is kinda of just stuck being small forever.
8) James Rhodes aka “War Machine” and Fred Hoiberg
Photo by Tommy Gilligan- USA Today
Hoiberg is a tough comparison too because, like Howard, he has not been at his current school for very long. I settled with “Rhodey” because both he and Hoiberg recently transitioned to a somewhat similar role, but may not realize how drastically different their new circumstances are.
Rhodes, a close friend of Tony Stark and former Marine, transitioned from serving the U.S. military in a traditional sense to serving our country in a...less traditional way. Despite not having any “powers”, Rhodes uses an iron suit built by Stark that is armed with machine guns and explosives, as well as the ability to fly. In Captain America: Civil War, Rhodes is shot down in battle while flying, falling over one hundred feet to the ground. He suffered spinal injuries that limited the use of his legs forever. Quite a rude awakening to his new line of work.
Similarly, Hoiberg has returned to college basketball after spending three seasons and some change in Chicago coaching the Bulls, where he went 115-155 before getting fired 24 games into the 2018-2019 season. The Huskers have inferior talent to any of his Bulls teams (or do they?), but yikes. In Hoiberg’s first season at the helm in Lincoln, his squad went 7-25, good for dead last in the conference. Welcome back, Fred!
9) Peter Quill aka “Star-Lord” and Chris Collins
Photo by Jeffrey Becker- USA Today
Chris Collins is like Star-Lord because they’ve both really sucked at their jobs recently. In 2017 Northwestern made it to their first NCAA Tournament ever, which is awesome and fun (they lost in the second round, but that’s irrelevant). In the three seasons since, Collins’ wildcats have gone 36-59, finishing in the bottom of the Big Ten each year. Gross.
Just like Collins, Quill was a hero in Guardians of the Galaxy when he held onto the power stone with his bare hands long enough to vanquish the antagonist and save his team. After that, his performance drops off. In Avengers: Infinity War his temper ruined a potential thwarting of Thanos right then and there, allowing the mad titan to escape. In Endgame, he was seconds from being killed by a random alien in battle, but was saved by Gamora. Recent results really do not reflect kindly on Quill or Collins.
10) Wanda Maximoff aka “Scarlet Witch” and Matt Painter
Photo by Brian Spurlock- USA Today
Both Scarlet Witch and Matt Painter are severely underrated, in my opinion. Painter has coached Purdue for 15 years, amassed a record of 337-174, won three B1G championships, and won at least 20 games 11 times. Matt Painter might be the best coach in the conference if the guy whose name rhymes with Lizzo were to retire. But he’s rarely ever mentioned. Why not?
Scarlet Witch has an argument as being the single strongest Avenger before Captain Marvel appeared in 2019. She is the only character that was able to single-handedly subdue Thanos, even if it was just for a few moments. She can lift boulders, buildings, or whatever she wants with her mind, and can create a huge impenetrable shield as well. She isn’t mentioned a whole lot either. Why not?
11) Obadiah Stane aka “Iron Monger” and Brad Underwood
Photo by Patrick Gorski- USA Today
Aside from the fact that they both look like your drunk uncle, Obadiah Stane and Brad Underwood both are untrustworthy back-stabbers. Obadiah Stane, aka the “Iron Monger” was a good friend of Tony Stark’s father, and after the elder Stark’s death, worked with Tony on the family business. He eventually tries to kill Tony in the first Iron Man film and take the company over.
Underwood, while not a criminal, did leave Stephen F. Austin in 2016 to take the job at Oklahoma State. After leading tiny SFA to three straight NCAA Tournaments and an 89-14 record, Oklahoma State was elated to have him on board. In his one season at OSU (not that OSU), he went 20-13, made the NCAA Tournament, and then took the job at Illinois when the season ended. He probably didn’t even know all his players’ names yet before he was already out the door again.
12) Thanos and Mark Turgeon
Photo by Matthew O’ Haren- USA Today
At first glance this is a terrible comparison, but hear me out. Thanos is roughly nine feet tall, probably weighs about 400 pounds, and can fight off three Avengers with just his big meaty fists. Mark Turgeon is about 5-foot-10, probably weighs about 180, and gets offended a little too easily by opposing student sections (shout out to the Buckeye Nuthouse).
However, they both have intentions that they think are genuine but really are just misguided and whiny. Thanos’ whole shtick is that the world is too overpopulated, so he is doing it a favor by snapping his fingers and eliminating 50% of the population. Then, there will be enough food, water, and resources for everyone. How thoughtful! But also very bad!
Turgeon complained this past season that officials were letting Ohio State’s Kaleb Wesson get away with fouls on both ends of the floor, likening him to a “bully” Later that week, he also complained that tip-off times during the week need to be earlier, because he doesn’t like getting home so late. Turgeon may think he is a valiant knight fighting for more sleep for his team or their safety against “bullies”, but it actually sounded kind of nagging and whiny.
13) Thor and Richard Pitino
Photo by Mike Carter- USA Today
Who has bigger shoes to fill: Thor, the son of King Odin, or Richard Pitino, the son of one of the most successful/shady coaches in college basketball history? Both of these men were given a choice: follow in your father’s footsteps or choose your own path.
Thor could have become the king of Asgard, but in the end chose to be who he is, not who he was supposed to be. He passed the throne up and gave it to someone he felt would do it justice. He then walked into a space ship and blasted into space with some aliens and a talking raccoon.
Richard Pitino could have copied his dad’s winning ways of scandal and questionable practices, but chose not to. He has amassed a 127-108 career record at Minnesota, which is acceptable but not as good as his father’s 133-74 record in his first seven seasons. The elder Pitino also has been to the NCAA tournament 21 times and been booted out of college basketball once already for scandals, neither of which Richard has done. Way to blaze your own path at Minnesota, little Pitino!
14) Aldrich Killian aka “The Mandarin” and Fran McCaffrey
Photo by Jeffrey Becker- USA Today
This was a no-brainer. Fran McCfaffery is one of the most emotional coaches in college basketball. It doesn’t take much for him to scream at his players, other players, students, and refs. Hell, he’ll even go after officials after the game and cuss them out. The guy really does not care.
Aldrich Killian, better known as “The Mandarin” is the main antagonist in Iron Man 3. Fueled with hatred for Tony Stark ignoring and disrespecting him years ago, Killian’s goals include killing Tony Stark, stealing his wife (I’m sure she’ll go for that), and selling a super-soldier serum that will let other people spit fire and have lava hands, just like him.
He and Fran should have coffee sometime.
Notable Exclusions
Because the goal was not to match the most popular characters with a coach, there were some important Avengers and villains left out of the piece. Unfortunately, I just didn’t draw as many parallels between some of those characters as I did these. Those left out include:
- Spider-Man
- Captain America
- Iron Man
- Doctor Strange
- Hulk
- Black Widow
- Loki
- Captain Marvel
- Probably a dozen others. Sorry folks!
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LGHL After recent offer, 2022 defensive tackle hopes to visit Ohio State soon
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After recent offer, 2022 defensive tackle hopes to visit Ohio State soon
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 Quinn Harris/Getty Images
The Indiana native isn’t taking his offer from the Buckeyes lightly.
While you were trying to enjoy the weekend you might’ve missed out on some the latest recruiting news surrounding the Ohio State Buckeyes football squad. Don’t worry! Land-Grant Holy Land is here to help get you caught back up with things.
2022 DL talks OSU offer
Regardless of graduating class, if Ryan Day and crew think you can help the Buckeyes football program out down the line, they’re probably going to offer you a scholarship to suit up in the Scarlet and Gray.
Looking to finish the class of 2021 strong, the Buckeye bosses are still hard at work tracking down 2022 talent to bring into the fold. Already off to a rather decent start to their junior class, Ohio State has issued scholarship offers to many other highly sought after 2022 prospects, including four-star defensive tackle Caden Curry.
Honored to have received an offer to play football for The Ohio State University. Thank you to @ryandaytime @R2X_Rushmen1 and the entire staff. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/wTRlMGs5Hw
— caden curry (@CadenCurry14) May 6, 2020
Earning his offer from Day himself, the Buckeye scholarship isn’t something the Center Grove (IN) three-sport standout is taking very lightly.
“Coach Day was the one that offered me. He said he loves how I play hard and play with a high motor and wants me to love the grind and love the game which I do very much,” the 6-foot-5, 250-pounder told Land-Grant Holy Land. “Moving forward I would love to get on campus and meet the coaches in person and see the campus. I think of OSU football as a top tier team that I will definitely always be close with.”
Holding offers from the likes of Arizona State, Boston College, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas State, and Purdue, Curry is hearing from a pair of Big Ten programs the most. With more than two years left to figure out where he’d like to continue his hopeful path to the NFL, he’s starting to give some major thought into what he’s look for in a program on and off of the football field.
“At the moment the two schools that have reached out to me the most is Indiana and Ohio State. Definitely the facilities and the people i’m going to be around (are things I’m searching for in a University.)”
Currently considered the No. 4 defensive tackle, and 134th overall prospect in the entire class of 2022, according to 247Sports, Curry put together a huge sophomore campaign for the Center Grove Trojans. An All-State selection for his play on the field, he accounted for 100 total tackles, and 10.5 quarterback sacks last season.
Want to see what Caden Curry could potentially add to the Buckeyes defensive front? Check out these highlights of him in action:
Quick Hits
blessings.. @AABonNBC @ErikRichardsUSA @rlacey23 pic.twitter.com/ne6EbO4qlf
— TreVeyon Henderson (@TreveyonH15) May 10, 2020
Continue reading...
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The Indiana native isn’t taking his offer from the Buckeyes lightly.
While you were trying to enjoy the weekend you might’ve missed out on some the latest recruiting news surrounding the Ohio State Buckeyes football squad. Don’t worry! Land-Grant Holy Land is here to help get you caught back up with things.
2022 DL talks OSU offer
Regardless of graduating class, if Ryan Day and crew think you can help the Buckeyes football program out down the line, they’re probably going to offer you a scholarship to suit up in the Scarlet and Gray.
Looking to finish the class of 2021 strong, the Buckeye bosses are still hard at work tracking down 2022 talent to bring into the fold. Already off to a rather decent start to their junior class, Ohio State has issued scholarship offers to many other highly sought after 2022 prospects, including four-star defensive tackle Caden Curry.
Honored to have received an offer to play football for The Ohio State University. Thank you to @ryandaytime @R2X_Rushmen1 and the entire staff. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/wTRlMGs5Hw
— caden curry (@CadenCurry14) May 6, 2020
Earning his offer from Day himself, the Buckeye scholarship isn’t something the Center Grove (IN) three-sport standout is taking very lightly.
“Coach Day was the one that offered me. He said he loves how I play hard and play with a high motor and wants me to love the grind and love the game which I do very much,” the 6-foot-5, 250-pounder told Land-Grant Holy Land. “Moving forward I would love to get on campus and meet the coaches in person and see the campus. I think of OSU football as a top tier team that I will definitely always be close with.”
Holding offers from the likes of Arizona State, Boston College, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas State, and Purdue, Curry is hearing from a pair of Big Ten programs the most. With more than two years left to figure out where he’d like to continue his hopeful path to the NFL, he’s starting to give some major thought into what he’s look for in a program on and off of the football field.
“At the moment the two schools that have reached out to me the most is Indiana and Ohio State. Definitely the facilities and the people i’m going to be around (are things I’m searching for in a University.)”
Currently considered the No. 4 defensive tackle, and 134th overall prospect in the entire class of 2022, according to 247Sports, Curry put together a huge sophomore campaign for the Center Grove Trojans. An All-State selection for his play on the field, he accounted for 100 total tackles, and 10.5 quarterback sacks last season.
Want to see what Caden Curry could potentially add to the Buckeyes defensive front? Check out these highlights of him in action:
Quick Hits
- Class of 2021 running back and Ohio State verbal commit TreVeyon Henderson will suit up in the annual All-American Bowl. Henderson, a five-star recruit from Hopewell, Virginia, will join fellow future Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord, offensive guard Donovan Jackson, linebacker Reid Carrico, and running back Evan Pryor at the event held in San Antonio.
blessings.. @AABonNBC @ErikRichardsUSA @rlacey23 pic.twitter.com/ne6EbO4qlf
— TreVeyon Henderson (@TreveyonH15) May 10, 2020
- Five-star offensive tackle Tristan Leigh announced his top 15 over the weekend. Trimming things down from well over 35 college offers, Ohio State, Georgia, Miami, Florida State, Penn State, Oklahoma, Virginia, Maryland, LSU, Florida, Central Florida, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Alabama, and USC are still in the mix for the Robinson Secondary (VA) class of 2021 road grader.
- Leigh’s wasn’t the only short list Ohio State found itself on this weekend, as the Buckeyes also made the cut for four-star tight end Dametrious Crownover. Holding at least 25 different offers, the 6-foot-6 Texas product is the No. 8 TE in 2021, and the No. 222 player in the nation. OSU made the top 11 for the Grandview native alongside Auburn, LSU, Oregon, Texas and others.
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LGHL Drew Rucinski’s journey from Ohio State to South Korea
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Drew Rucinski’s journey from Ohio State to South Korea
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 Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
ESPN introduced us to the Korean Baseball Organization earlier this week. One of the league’s pitching stars is former Ohio State hurler Drew Rucinski.
Right now, the options when it comes to watching sports are pretty much non-existent. The UFC is back holding fight cards again, but who knows how long that will last after it was revealed one of their fighters tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. WWE and AEW has put on weekly shows without fans. Soon the PGA Tour and NASCAR will be returning to action, but there is still no timetable as to when we may see the NBA, NHL, and MLB get back to work.
Those who really need a sports fix got a boost earlier this week when ESPN announced they would be airing six KBO games per week. What is the KBO, you ask? Until earlier this week, I had no idea that the KBO is the Korean Baseball Organization. Originally slated to open their season in late March, the KBO pushed back opening day to Tuesday. The KBO is playing without fans in attendance, which is what fans of other sports around the world will have to look forward to when sports are deemed safe to return.
Now that you have just found out about the KBO, it shouldn’t surprise you that one of the best pitchers in the league is a former Ohio State Buckeye. Drew Rucinski pitched in 257.1 innings for the Buckeyes, which is the 16th-most in school history. By the time his Ohio State career had wrapped up, Rucinski was a four-time letterman, and posted a 22-13 record. Following a senior season in which he posted a 5-3 record with a 2.92 ERA, Rucinski was named Second Team All-Big Ten.
Following the conclusion of his Ohio State career, Rucinski signed a free-agent contract with the Cleveland Indians. Rucinski didn’t last too long in Cleveland’s organization, pitching just 37 innings in three stops between their A-ball and Rookie League teams. Following his short time with Cleveland, Rucinski would pitch for the Rockford in the Frontier League, which is an independent baseball league.
During his time with Rockford, Rucinski was able to showcase his skills, amassing a 7-4 record in 2012 with a 3.13 ERA, and following it up with a 2013 season where he posted a 2.88 ERA and struck out 101 batters in 100 innings. Rucinski’s efforts were enough to earn him a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Angels in August of 2013.
Things started to heat up for Rucinski in 2014, when he was named a Texas League All-Star for the Arkansas Travelers, which was the AA affiliate of the Angels. Rucinski would go on to make his MLB debut on July 10th, pitching an inning for the Angels. After heading back to Arkansas to close out the Texas League season, Rucinski would return to the club when rosters were expanded in September and make two other appearances.
2015 and 2016 would be a couple of tough years for Rucinski. During the 2015 season, Rucinski would make just four appearances for the Angels, posting an 0-2 record and 7.71 ERA during that time. Things weren’t much better in AAA with Salt Lake City for Rucinski, as he was 5-7 with a 5.69 ERA in 2015, and he was designated for assignment by the Angels on September 1st.
The Chicago Cubs took a flyer on Rucinski in 2016, but he continued to have issues in the Pacific Coast League, which is a hitter-friendly league. Rucinski was just 7-15 for the Iowa Cubs, with his ERA hitting 5.92, which was Rucinski’s worst as a professional when he pitched more than 10 innings for a team in a season.
2017 is where Rucinski started to turn things around. The Minnesota Twins signed Rucinski to a minor league contract after the 2016 season. There was an almost immediate turnaround for Rucinski, as he was able to move to the International League, which is a lot friendlier to pitchers. Rucinski was just 2-6 but he saw his ERA fall to 2.57 and his WHIP finished at a very impressive 1.01. The former Buckeye raised enough eyebrows to make it back to the majors for a couple appearances in May for the Twins.
After being released by the Twins, Rucinski’s next stop took him to Miami, but this is where he was able to see the most major league action of his career. Not only did Rucinski appear in 32 games for the Marlins, but he also was able to register his first MLB win after pitching 2.1 innings of relief against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 6th. Rucinski finished the year with a 4-2 record.
Even as he started to see some success with his baseball career at the major league level, Rucinski still wasn’t able to find a home. After bouncing around four organizations during his career, as well as spending a couple years in the Independent League, Rucinski took his talents across the Pacific Ocean for the 2019 season, signing with the NC Dinos.
Moving to a new country and having to learn a new language might be daunting to many, but if Rucinski was having any issues, he certainly didn’t show it when he toed the rubber. Rucinski was a workhorse for the Dinos, tossing 177 innings last year and finishing the year with a 9-9 record and 3.05 ERA. Rucinski was so good that he was named an All-Star in his first season in the league.
After a successful 2019, Rucinski decided to return to the Dinos for the 2020 season, where he’ll try and help the team win their first title in just their eighth year as part of the KBO. Rucinski’s stock continues to rise in South Korea, as he pitched the season opener for the Dinos, working six scoreless innings in a 4-0 win over the Samsung Lions. The next start for Rucinski was scheduled for very early Sunday morning on ESPN, but was pushed back to Tuesday after a rainout on Saturday.
So if you’re sports crazy like me, I suggest picking up interest in the KBO to get you through this tough time. Even though the hours when games are broadcasted aren’t ideal, ESPN is doing their best to try and help introduce us to the only game around right now. And if we are going to dive in to KBO action, what better way to do so than by rooting for the team that has a Buckeye? Hopefully Drew Rucinski will give us plenty to talk about with some tremendous pitching performances this year!
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Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
ESPN introduced us to the Korean Baseball Organization earlier this week. One of the league’s pitching stars is former Ohio State hurler Drew Rucinski.
Right now, the options when it comes to watching sports are pretty much non-existent. The UFC is back holding fight cards again, but who knows how long that will last after it was revealed one of their fighters tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. WWE and AEW has put on weekly shows without fans. Soon the PGA Tour and NASCAR will be returning to action, but there is still no timetable as to when we may see the NBA, NHL, and MLB get back to work.
Those who really need a sports fix got a boost earlier this week when ESPN announced they would be airing six KBO games per week. What is the KBO, you ask? Until earlier this week, I had no idea that the KBO is the Korean Baseball Organization. Originally slated to open their season in late March, the KBO pushed back opening day to Tuesday. The KBO is playing without fans in attendance, which is what fans of other sports around the world will have to look forward to when sports are deemed safe to return.
Now that you have just found out about the KBO, it shouldn’t surprise you that one of the best pitchers in the league is a former Ohio State Buckeye. Drew Rucinski pitched in 257.1 innings for the Buckeyes, which is the 16th-most in school history. By the time his Ohio State career had wrapped up, Rucinski was a four-time letterman, and posted a 22-13 record. Following a senior season in which he posted a 5-3 record with a 2.92 ERA, Rucinski was named Second Team All-Big Ten.
Following the conclusion of his Ohio State career, Rucinski signed a free-agent contract with the Cleveland Indians. Rucinski didn’t last too long in Cleveland’s organization, pitching just 37 innings in three stops between their A-ball and Rookie League teams. Following his short time with Cleveland, Rucinski would pitch for the Rockford in the Frontier League, which is an independent baseball league.
During his time with Rockford, Rucinski was able to showcase his skills, amassing a 7-4 record in 2012 with a 3.13 ERA, and following it up with a 2013 season where he posted a 2.88 ERA and struck out 101 batters in 100 innings. Rucinski’s efforts were enough to earn him a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Angels in August of 2013.
Things started to heat up for Rucinski in 2014, when he was named a Texas League All-Star for the Arkansas Travelers, which was the AA affiliate of the Angels. Rucinski would go on to make his MLB debut on July 10th, pitching an inning for the Angels. After heading back to Arkansas to close out the Texas League season, Rucinski would return to the club when rosters were expanded in September and make two other appearances.
2015 and 2016 would be a couple of tough years for Rucinski. During the 2015 season, Rucinski would make just four appearances for the Angels, posting an 0-2 record and 7.71 ERA during that time. Things weren’t much better in AAA with Salt Lake City for Rucinski, as he was 5-7 with a 5.69 ERA in 2015, and he was designated for assignment by the Angels on September 1st.
The Chicago Cubs took a flyer on Rucinski in 2016, but he continued to have issues in the Pacific Coast League, which is a hitter-friendly league. Rucinski was just 7-15 for the Iowa Cubs, with his ERA hitting 5.92, which was Rucinski’s worst as a professional when he pitched more than 10 innings for a team in a season.
2017 is where Rucinski started to turn things around. The Minnesota Twins signed Rucinski to a minor league contract after the 2016 season. There was an almost immediate turnaround for Rucinski, as he was able to move to the International League, which is a lot friendlier to pitchers. Rucinski was just 2-6 but he saw his ERA fall to 2.57 and his WHIP finished at a very impressive 1.01. The former Buckeye raised enough eyebrows to make it back to the majors for a couple appearances in May for the Twins.
After being released by the Twins, Rucinski’s next stop took him to Miami, but this is where he was able to see the most major league action of his career. Not only did Rucinski appear in 32 games for the Marlins, but he also was able to register his first MLB win after pitching 2.1 innings of relief against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 6th. Rucinski finished the year with a 4-2 record.
Even as he started to see some success with his baseball career at the major league level, Rucinski still wasn’t able to find a home. After bouncing around four organizations during his career, as well as spending a couple years in the Independent League, Rucinski took his talents across the Pacific Ocean for the 2019 season, signing with the NC Dinos.
Moving to a new country and having to learn a new language might be daunting to many, but if Rucinski was having any issues, he certainly didn’t show it when he toed the rubber. Rucinski was a workhorse for the Dinos, tossing 177 innings last year and finishing the year with a 9-9 record and 3.05 ERA. Rucinski was so good that he was named an All-Star in his first season in the league.
After a successful 2019, Rucinski decided to return to the Dinos for the 2020 season, where he’ll try and help the team win their first title in just their eighth year as part of the KBO. Rucinski’s stock continues to rise in South Korea, as he pitched the season opener for the Dinos, working six scoreless innings in a 4-0 win over the Samsung Lions. The next start for Rucinski was scheduled for very early Sunday morning on ESPN, but was pushed back to Tuesday after a rainout on Saturday.
So if you’re sports crazy like me, I suggest picking up interest in the KBO to get you through this tough time. Even though the hours when games are broadcasted aren’t ideal, ESPN is doing their best to try and help introduce us to the only game around right now. And if we are going to dive in to KBO action, what better way to do so than by rooting for the team that has a Buckeye? Hopefully Drew Rucinski will give us plenty to talk about with some tremendous pitching performances this year!
Continue reading...
LGHL Buckeye Bits: Optimism for a CFB season, Ohio State matchups in the NFL, and more
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Buckeye Bits: Optimism for a CFB season, Ohio State matchups in the NFL, and more
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
All the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond
Congratulations, you've made it to the end of yet another week!
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19954438/200.gif)
Hopefully all is well with you and yours as we continue on in what I like to call “March 3.0.” As usual, even without anything sports related currently ongoing — aside from UFC 249 tomorrow night, if you're into that — there is still a ton to talk about in the always interesting world that is Ohio State. With that being said, let’s dive right into today’s Buckeye news and notes.
From around Land-Grant Holy Land...
As they continue to dominate the virtual recruiting world, Ryan Day and his staff are working double time to both continue adding to a potentially historic 2021 class while building a target board for 2022. They added to that board on Thursday, sending out a new offer to three-star ILB Justin Medlock.
Thursday was also a bit of an odd day on Twitter, as both Ohio State staffers and 2021 commits seemingly coordinated an effort to all tweet out the steak emoji around the same time. What does it all mean? Who knows, but Tia has compiled the internet’s best guesses through a thorough and very serious (not all all serious) investigation.
Can you believe the Buckeyes haven't had a wide receiver drafted in the first round since Ted Ginn Jr. in 2007? Despite having 10 different wideouts selected since 2012, no Ohio State receiver has been able to crack the first 32 picks in quite some time (even Michael Thomas, who was a second round selection in 2016). Chris Olave is looking to change that.
From around the gridiron...
OKAY JK
He's a true freshman with 150 yards and 15 yards per carry. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/XOc7CD7ggq
— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) May 8, 2020
One of the most universally loved characters at Ohio State in recent years, defensive tackle Robert Landers is still looking for a team to give him a chance in the NFL. The COVID-19 pandemic has made life as an undrafted free agent more difficult, but BB is not giving up. Speaking with Tim May, Landers discussed the process, his next steps, and the importance of mental health.
Common themes when talking with CFB decision makers
- Stay positive
- Keep options open
- Be patient in order to make decisions based on the most complete and accurate information possible
- There will be a season of some sort
— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) May 8, 2020
Ohio State currently has 62 players in the NFL across 27 different teams, so chances are any game you’ll watch this year has at least one former Buckeye in it. Murphy breaks down the league’s newly released 2020 schedule, highlighting some of the biggest matchups between players that at one point donned the Scarlet and Gray. Perhaps the biggest battle of the year comes in Week 11, when Joe Burrow, Sam Hubbard, and the Cincinnati Bengals face-off against Dwayne Haskins, Terry McLaurin and Chase Young’s Washington Redskins.
From around the hardwood...
Chris Holtmann’s plan was for the Buckeyes to take part in one early-season tournament each year. He’s done a great job accomplishing that feat thus far, as Ohio State is now slated to compete in the 2021 Fort Myers Tip-Off. With the team slated to partake in the Battle 4 Atlantis in 2020 and the Maui Invitational in 2022, the Bucks now have early-season tourney’s slated for each of the next three seasons. The field for the two-game Fort Myers event also includes Seton Hall, Florida and California.
#
Musa Jallow & @OhioStateWBB # 
Dorka Juhász checking in from Bloomington, IN #BeatCOVID19 #InThisTogether pic.twitter.com/P2O2LF8Gip
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) May 8, 2020
There is a ton of good basketball being played in the state of Ohio, and so it’s only right that those teams should get a chance to face off with one another. Having already swept a home-and-home series against Cincinnati, Holtmann discussed the possibility of playing the other high profile in-state schools. The head coach said that Ohio State would absolutely consider that, but that it has become logistically tough to fit into the schedule — especially with all these tournaments the Buckeyes are now involved in.
This year, Ohio State does have one in-state battle on the docket, with a matchup against Akron on Nov. 19 in Columbus.
From everywhere else...
Can someone please try unplugging 2020, wait a minute, and then plug it back in again? pic.twitter.com/OK50OfZ7sl
— Tom Orr (@TomOrr4) May 8, 2020
Really, Mother Nature? It looked like a pandemic was about as bad as things could get, but now we have murder hornets and snow in May!? 2020 is officially cancelled.
You’re telling me Ohio is an entire state of Eagles fans, or has Tia just been going hard on hashtags? Also, what the heck is going on in Florida? You know what, that one actually makes sense, as basically the entire state is Bills Mafia personified.
BREAKING: Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced that "Sporting events with audiences" be canceled or heavily modified through September. That means no sellout crowd for Oregon vs Ohio State on Sept. 12th.https://t.co/vjDDuNtOMd. pic.twitter.com/BY5YGledGy
— Matt Prehm (@MattPrehm) May 7, 2020
It looks like if Ohio State makes the trip to Autzen Stadium this season, the seats will be empty. The state has cancelled any sporting events with audiences through September, and the matchup with the Ducks is slated for Sept. 12.
Which @pac12 team has the best throwback logo? #TBT pic.twitter.com/iD3DLE1VN6
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) May 7, 2020
Speaking of Oregon, I don't know about you guys, but I think the entire Pac-12 should return to their old set of logos. Some of these are straight fire. Arizona’s throwback is way better than their current bland “A”, and both Oregon and Oregon State’s are sick. Washington is the only real exception here, although that Husky does look quite affluent.
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
All the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond
Congratulations, you've made it to the end of yet another week!
Hopefully all is well with you and yours as we continue on in what I like to call “March 3.0.” As usual, even without anything sports related currently ongoing — aside from UFC 249 tomorrow night, if you're into that — there is still a ton to talk about in the always interesting world that is Ohio State. With that being said, let’s dive right into today’s Buckeye news and notes.
From around Land-Grant Holy Land...
- Ohio State offers 2022 Texas linebacker
Gene Ross, LGHL
As they continue to dominate the virtual recruiting world, Ryan Day and his staff are working double time to both continue adding to a potentially historic 2021 class while building a target board for 2022. They added to that board on Thursday, sending out a new offer to three-star ILB Justin Medlock.
- Column: The steak emojis, explained?
Tia Johnston, LGHL
Thursday was also a bit of an odd day on Twitter, as both Ohio State staffers and 2021 commits seemingly coordinated an effort to all tweet out the steak emoji around the same time. What does it all mean? Who knows, but Tia has compiled the internet’s best guesses through a thorough and very serious (not all all serious) investigation.
- ICYMI: Chris Olave has the look of the next great Ohio State wide receiver
Brett Ludwiczak, LGHL
Can you believe the Buckeyes haven't had a wide receiver drafted in the first round since Ted Ginn Jr. in 2007? Despite having 10 different wideouts selected since 2012, no Ohio State receiver has been able to crack the first 32 picks in quite some time (even Michael Thomas, who was a second round selection in 2016). Chris Olave is looking to change that.
From around the gridiron...
- Ohio State relived the team’s 2017 Big Ten Championship victory over Wisconsin, broadcasting a replay of the game on the team’s Facebook page and tweeting out highlights along the way. The MVP of that game? A freshman by the name of J.K. Dobbins, who finished with 174 yards rushing.
OKAY JK
He's a true freshman with 150 yards and 15 yards per carry. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/XOc7CD7ggq
— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) May 8, 2020
- But let’s not forget the REAL MVP of that night...
- Robert Landers: ‘Journey is not over’ for a shot in the NFL
Tim May, Lettermen Row
One of the most universally loved characters at Ohio State in recent years, defensive tackle Robert Landers is still looking for a team to give him a chance in the NFL. The COVID-19 pandemic has made life as an undrafted free agent more difficult, but BB is not giving up. Speaking with Tim May, Landers discussed the process, his next steps, and the importance of mental health.
- Fans of Ohio State are very familiar with Joel Klatt, as he and Gus Johnson have been on the call for the Buckeyes on Fox broadcasts more often than not. The analyst wants everyone to stay positive — a valuable and rational take in these trying times.
Common themes when talking with CFB decision makers
- Stay positive
- Keep options open
- Be patient in order to make decisions based on the most complete and accurate information possible
- There will be a season of some sort
— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) May 8, 2020
- A guide to when Buckeyes play in the 2020 NFL schedule
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Ohio State currently has 62 players in the NFL across 27 different teams, so chances are any game you’ll watch this year has at least one former Buckeye in it. Murphy breaks down the league’s newly released 2020 schedule, highlighting some of the biggest matchups between players that at one point donned the Scarlet and Gray. Perhaps the biggest battle of the year comes in Week 11, when Joe Burrow, Sam Hubbard, and the Cincinnati Bengals face-off against Dwayne Haskins, Terry McLaurin and Chase Young’s Washington Redskins.
From around the hardwood...
- Ohio State to participate in 2021 Fort Myers Tip-Off
Colin Hass-Hill, Eleven Warriors
Chris Holtmann’s plan was for the Buckeyes to take part in one early-season tournament each year. He’s done a great job accomplishing that feat thus far, as Ohio State is now slated to compete in the 2021 Fort Myers Tip-Off. With the team slated to partake in the Battle 4 Atlantis in 2020 and the Maui Invitational in 2022, the Bucks now have early-season tourney’s slated for each of the next three seasons. The field for the two-game Fort Myers event also includes Seton Hall, Florida and California.
- It’s always good to check in and see how Ohio State’s athletes are doing in quarantine life. Musa Jallow and Dorka Juhasz, both members of the respective Buckeye hoops squads, posted a quick video on Twitter on Friday discussing how their offseason is going and also thanking first responders and healthcare workers for their efforts.
#
Musa Jallow & @OhioStateWBB # Dorka Juhász checking in from Bloomington, IN #BeatCOVID19 #InThisTogether pic.twitter.com/P2O2LF8Gip— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) May 8, 2020
- Holtmann on Ohio State possibly scheduling Xavier, Dayton, Cinci
Colin Hass-Hill, Eleven Warriors
There is a ton of good basketball being played in the state of Ohio, and so it’s only right that those teams should get a chance to face off with one another. Having already swept a home-and-home series against Cincinnati, Holtmann discussed the possibility of playing the other high profile in-state schools. The head coach said that Ohio State would absolutely consider that, but that it has become logistically tough to fit into the schedule — especially with all these tournaments the Buckeyes are now involved in.
This year, Ohio State does have one in-state battle on the docket, with a matchup against Akron on Nov. 19 in Columbus.
From everywhere else...
Can someone please try unplugging 2020, wait a minute, and then plug it back in again? pic.twitter.com/OK50OfZ7sl
— Tom Orr (@TomOrr4) May 8, 2020
Really, Mother Nature? It looked like a pandemic was about as bad as things could get, but now we have murder hornets and snow in May!? 2020 is officially cancelled.
You’re telling me Ohio is an entire state of Eagles fans, or has Tia just been going hard on hashtags? Also, what the heck is going on in Florida? You know what, that one actually makes sense, as basically the entire state is Bills Mafia personified.
BREAKING: Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced that "Sporting events with audiences" be canceled or heavily modified through September. That means no sellout crowd for Oregon vs Ohio State on Sept. 12th.https://t.co/vjDDuNtOMd. pic.twitter.com/BY5YGledGy
— Matt Prehm (@MattPrehm) May 7, 2020
It looks like if Ohio State makes the trip to Autzen Stadium this season, the seats will be empty. The state has cancelled any sporting events with audiences through September, and the matchup with the Ducks is slated for Sept. 12.
Which @pac12 team has the best throwback logo? #TBT pic.twitter.com/iD3DLE1VN6
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) May 7, 2020
Speaking of Oregon, I don't know about you guys, but I think the entire Pac-12 should return to their old set of logos. Some of these are straight fire. Arizona’s throwback is way better than their current bland “A”, and both Oregon and Oregon State’s are sick. Washington is the only real exception here, although that Husky does look quite affluent.
Continue reading...
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Reds Tidbits (2012 Season)
- By ScriptOhio
- Professional Baseball
- 6747 Replies
Cain's perfect game had me thinking about Tom Browning this morning. Then I remembered that MLB.com has the radio broadcast of Browning's game posted as part of their "The Vault" podcast.
Clocking in at 48 minutes, it includes the audio for every half inning that Browning pitched. You get Young Franchester calling Mike Marshall a "skinhead". You get Joe Nuxhall (RIP) helping with the call.
http://dds.mlb.com/2010/vault/020110_mlb_vault_3_browning_perfect.mp3
I was a couple years too young to have heard this when it happened. I was old enough to be a Reds fan by then, but I didn't start hiding a radio under my pillow to listen to WLW until 1990. I've heard the call before though - I remember WLW replayed it a couple times during the 1994 strike when they needed to fill some airtime.
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MotS&G Georgia escapes from Miami
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Georgia escapes from Miami
Scott via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
We are still sportless. COVID-19 has taken over our lives, but we here at the Men of the Scarlet and Gray present the strictly hypothetical “Expanded College Football Playoffs.” We have all dreamed of expansion, but here we have a cool little set-up that was created by our colleague Chris. Twelve teams with one goal, to make it to the championship game, have been selected. We have done it the right way, taking most of the conference bias away. All power five champions along with the group of five champions and a pair of at-large bids have given us a football version of the “Big Dance.”
And if you don’t like the at-large teams selected, get your own blog and do it your way.
One of the first-round games features No. 5 Georgia, an at-large selection from the eSpnEC, taking on No. 12 Miami University (not The U, the one in Ohio).
It wasn’t easy. In fact, the Bulldogs almost had an early exit, trailing the entire game until a pick-six tied the game, and then a 42-yard field goal with a minute left gave them a 27-24 win.
From the time they first showed up on the field, the Bulldogs had a swagger that went beyond arrogance. They acted like they shouldn’t have been in a first-round game and were goofing off and horsing around during pre-game warmups. Meanwhile, Miami was all business and appeared focused.
The RedHawks won the toss and took the ball, not wanting to waste any time.
QB Brett Gabbert led Miami on a masterful 12-play, 80 yard drive to take a 7-0 lead. The drive culminated with a 10-yard TD run by Jaylon Bester.
Georgia tried to get cute on its first possession, trying a halfback pass that was nearly intercepted. From there, D’Andre Swift took over, running five times for 65 yards. The drive stalled on the RedHawks 30 and Rodrigo Blankenship hit a 47-yard field goal to make it 7-3.
The defenses took over from there forcing punts on the next few possessions as the first quarter ended 7-3 Miami, which had the ball at its own 40.
Gabbert again worked his magic, unleashing a 60-yard TD pass to James Maye to make it 14-3.
Georgia appeared rattled at that point and could do nothing offensively as Miami was determined to shut down Swift and take its chances with Jake Fromm throwing the ball.
It worked and Fromm showed why he wasn’t a high draft pick, overthrowing and underthrowing wide-open receivers. The only thing saving the Bulldogs was Miami being equally ineffective on offense in the second quarter as the halftime score remained 14-3 Miami.
Georgia regrouped at halftime and took the opening kickoff to the Miami 49. From there, Fromm was able to dink and dunk the Bulldogs to the goal line, where Swift plunged in to make it 14-10.
The RedHawks answered with a 30-yard field goal from Sam Sloman to mae it 17-10 after a drive stalled.
Again the defenses stepped up.
The teams exchanged punts and then the Bulldogs made field goals on back-to-back drives to make it 17-16 going into the fourth quarter.
Momentum was on Georgia’s side, but the lights nearly went out when Miami chewed up eight minutes of precious time, using short passes and four-yard runs to keep the chains, and clock moving.
The drive finished when Gabbert scored on a 10-yard keeper to make it 24-16.
Georgia drove down to the Miami 30 but the drive stalled there and Blankenship missed a 47-yard field goal with 5:30 left.
Miami was content to run the ball and chew up more clock. But facing a third and nine from its own 35, disaster struck as a Gabbert pass was picked off at the 50 and returned for a touchdown. Georgia went for two and tied it with 2:30 left after a Swift scamper.
Miami again tried to be conservative and went three and out. Georgia used its timeouts to save clock and after a nice punt return from Swift, started from its own 49 with 1:50 left.
Fromm dropped back to pass on first down, was forced from the pocket, and scrambled all the way to the Miami 25. The Bulldogs tried to run three times and were stuffed at the line. Miami used its timeouts and forced the Bulldogs to attempt a 42-yard field goal with 1:07 on the clock.
Blankenship nailed the kick with a minute left to give Georgia its first lead, 27-24.
The RedHawks went three and out on their next possession, shattering their dreams of a monumental upset.
Somehow Georgia managed to advance.
Continue reading...
Scott via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
We are still sportless. COVID-19 has taken over our lives, but we here at the Men of the Scarlet and Gray present the strictly hypothetical “Expanded College Football Playoffs.” We have all dreamed of expansion, but here we have a cool little set-up that was created by our colleague Chris. Twelve teams with one goal, to make it to the championship game, have been selected. We have done it the right way, taking most of the conference bias away. All power five champions along with the group of five champions and a pair of at-large bids have given us a football version of the “Big Dance.”
And if you don’t like the at-large teams selected, get your own blog and do it your way.
One of the first-round games features No. 5 Georgia, an at-large selection from the eSpnEC, taking on No. 12 Miami University (not The U, the one in Ohio).
It wasn’t easy. In fact, the Bulldogs almost had an early exit, trailing the entire game until a pick-six tied the game, and then a 42-yard field goal with a minute left gave them a 27-24 win.
From the time they first showed up on the field, the Bulldogs had a swagger that went beyond arrogance. They acted like they shouldn’t have been in a first-round game and were goofing off and horsing around during pre-game warmups. Meanwhile, Miami was all business and appeared focused.
The RedHawks won the toss and took the ball, not wanting to waste any time.
QB Brett Gabbert led Miami on a masterful 12-play, 80 yard drive to take a 7-0 lead. The drive culminated with a 10-yard TD run by Jaylon Bester.
Georgia tried to get cute on its first possession, trying a halfback pass that was nearly intercepted. From there, D’Andre Swift took over, running five times for 65 yards. The drive stalled on the RedHawks 30 and Rodrigo Blankenship hit a 47-yard field goal to make it 7-3.
The defenses took over from there forcing punts on the next few possessions as the first quarter ended 7-3 Miami, which had the ball at its own 40.
Gabbert again worked his magic, unleashing a 60-yard TD pass to James Maye to make it 14-3.
Georgia appeared rattled at that point and could do nothing offensively as Miami was determined to shut down Swift and take its chances with Jake Fromm throwing the ball.
It worked and Fromm showed why he wasn’t a high draft pick, overthrowing and underthrowing wide-open receivers. The only thing saving the Bulldogs was Miami being equally ineffective on offense in the second quarter as the halftime score remained 14-3 Miami.
Georgia regrouped at halftime and took the opening kickoff to the Miami 49. From there, Fromm was able to dink and dunk the Bulldogs to the goal line, where Swift plunged in to make it 14-10.
The RedHawks answered with a 30-yard field goal from Sam Sloman to mae it 17-10 after a drive stalled.
Again the defenses stepped up.
The teams exchanged punts and then the Bulldogs made field goals on back-to-back drives to make it 17-16 going into the fourth quarter.
Momentum was on Georgia’s side, but the lights nearly went out when Miami chewed up eight minutes of precious time, using short passes and four-yard runs to keep the chains, and clock moving.
The drive finished when Gabbert scored on a 10-yard keeper to make it 24-16.
Georgia drove down to the Miami 30 but the drive stalled there and Blankenship missed a 47-yard field goal with 5:30 left.
Miami was content to run the ball and chew up more clock. But facing a third and nine from its own 35, disaster struck as a Gabbert pass was picked off at the 50 and returned for a touchdown. Georgia went for two and tied it with 2:30 left after a Swift scamper.
Miami again tried to be conservative and went three and out. Georgia used its timeouts to save clock and after a nice punt return from Swift, started from its own 49 with 1:50 left.
Fromm dropped back to pass on first down, was forced from the pocket, and scrambled all the way to the Miami 25. The Bulldogs tried to run three times and were stuffed at the line. Miami used its timeouts and forced the Bulldogs to attempt a 42-yard field goal with 1:07 on the clock.
Blankenship nailed the kick with a minute left to give Georgia its first lead, 27-24.
The RedHawks went three and out on their next possession, shattering their dreams of a monumental upset.
Somehow Georgia managed to advance.
Continue reading...
MotS&G OSU Women’s Basketball String Ting with Special Guest Madison Greene
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OSU Women’s Basketball String Ting with Special Guest Madison Greene
Chris via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Charles, Scott and Chris hang out with Ohio State women’s star point guard Madison Greene. Have a great conversation about the rivalry and how the season went. Charles, Scott and Chris express their feelings once again of how this team would have finished!
Came on strong halfway through the season and started 21 games at PG for the Buckeyes
From ohiostatebuckeyes.com Played in all 33 games and started the final 21 at point guard; Averaged 7.7 points and 2.5 assists per game; Was fourth among Big Ten freshmen with 82 assists; Earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors on Feb. 17; Had three games of 20+ plus points including back-to-back efforts that led to her FOW honor; Led the team in free throws made and attempted (76-of-96); Scored 23 points on 8-of-10 shooting and carried the team to a win over rival Michigan on Jan. 9; Was 8-of-11 from the floor and 9-of-11 from the free throw line to finish with a season-high 25 points vs. Minnesota on Feb. 13. Also dished-out a season-high seven assists with no turnovers in the win; Followed that with a 22-point effort in the upset win at No. 20 Indiana on Feb. 16. She was 4-of-4 from the floor and 4-of-4 at the line for 14 points in the final eight minutes to help the Buckeyes erase a 10-point deficit; Had a solid Big Ten Tournament, averaging 10.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and shooting 13-of-14 from the free throw line in the four games.
Continue reading...
Chris via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Charles, Scott and Chris hang out with Ohio State women’s star point guard Madison Greene. Have a great conversation about the rivalry and how the season went. Charles, Scott and Chris express their feelings once again of how this team would have finished!
Came on strong halfway through the season and started 21 games at PG for the Buckeyes
From ohiostatebuckeyes.com Played in all 33 games and started the final 21 at point guard; Averaged 7.7 points and 2.5 assists per game; Was fourth among Big Ten freshmen with 82 assists; Earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors on Feb. 17; Had three games of 20+ plus points including back-to-back efforts that led to her FOW honor; Led the team in free throws made and attempted (76-of-96); Scored 23 points on 8-of-10 shooting and carried the team to a win over rival Michigan on Jan. 9; Was 8-of-11 from the floor and 9-of-11 from the free throw line to finish with a season-high 25 points vs. Minnesota on Feb. 13. Also dished-out a season-high seven assists with no turnovers in the win; Followed that with a 22-point effort in the upset win at No. 20 Indiana on Feb. 16. She was 4-of-4 from the floor and 4-of-4 at the line for 14 points in the final eight minutes to help the Buckeyes erase a 10-point deficit; Had a solid Big Ten Tournament, averaging 10.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and shooting 13-of-14 from the free throw line in the four games.
Continue reading...
MotS&G MOSTAG Pretend CFB Playoffs: #6 Utah vs. #11 FAU
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- 0 Replies
MOSTAG Pretend CFB Playoffs: #6 Utah vs. #11 FAU
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
In a time where we remain sportless, in a time where COVID-19 rules the skies, we here at the Men of the Scarlet and Gray present the strictly hypothetical “Expanded College Football Playoffs”. We have all dreamed of expansion, but here we have a cool little set-up that was created by my colleague Chris. 12 teams with one goal, to make it to the Championship Game. All the Power Five champions along with the Group of Five Champions and sprinkle in a pair of at large bids and we have our football version of the “Big Dance”.
For the play-in we have an at large team from the PAC 12 going up against the Conference USA Champion FAU. In this matchup, Utah takes a stellar defense and they go up against a decent, quick scoring passing attack.
As the contest begins, Utah demonstrates their defensive prowess and for a quick 3-and-out, forcing Kiffin to an early change of possession and stopping them from getting into a grove. Utah gains possession and they impose their will as they run roughshod and beat the Owls senseless through the ground with Moss and Huntley gaining chunk after chunk before Moss takes it in for the score.
Visibly rattled, but while remaining calm, Chris Robison takes a huge chunk out of the first quarter before plunging it into the endzone to tie the score at seven each. Robison engineered quite the drive as he came up clutch for the better of the 8-minute drive and he gained some valuable momentum as he made the Ute defense pay.
As the Utes grabbed the punt, Simpkins takes one back to the house just as the first quarter had expired to push the lead up the 14-7. On the ensuing drive for FAU, lightning almost struck twice as Cousart nearly responded with a return for a touchdown of his own before being tripped up at the 50 yard line. The balanced effort became the focus of the Owls offense as Davidson does the majority of the work on the ground to grind the Utah defense into a pulp. On a 3rd-and-5, Kiffin opts for a trick play and it payed off! On the double-sweep, Antoine took it in for another Owl touchdown.
Utah, forever the puncher responds quickly. They use Moss and Huntley on the ground with jet sweeps from Simpkins to open up the offense, but a mistimed exchange on the QB option derailed a scoring drive that ended in the redzone. Rashad Smith comes out from the pile with the ball in tow with the game still tied at 14.
The Utah defense comes off the sideline angry and they quickly force a turnover courtesy of an interception by Burgess at the 50 yard line. Huntley is hitting open receiver at will before finding Kuithe in the seams for a quick score. The Ute defense held their own the rest of the game up until Coach Kiffin’s squad started making plays just before the half. Not to be outdone, they went on a drive that took the entirety of the second quarter. First down after first down they took the clock down just before kicking it for three to enter the half 21-17.
To open the second quarter the Utes again shoved it down the Owls’ throats. Run after run, the Utah offense opened up the third quarter with an efficient and quick drive for another touchdown. Utah goes up 27-17 on the heels of a missed extra point. The fighting Kiffin’s responded quickly as well with a bomb to Harrison Bryant, who found himself open as he sprinted 45 yards to the endzone. Kiffin trying to seize momentum opted for two and converted. The aggressive play swung momentum as the Owls were now down by two.
Utah failed to respond as they went three and out. FAU went on another drive and Bryant made an appearance in the endzone once against to take the lead 32-27. With another wasted possession that resulted in a punt, Utah forced a fumble in the redzone on the ensuing drive. Before we knew it, Moss plunged it into the endzone and Huntley ran it in for two to retake the lead 35-32. The Utah defense responded by forcing a punt and took the clock down deep into the third quarter before punting it as the quarter expired.
In the 4th quarter, FAU controlled the ball for the majority of the contest to try and slow down the Utah offense. They run and convert the ball before settling for a game-tying FG. Utah regains control of the ball with less than a minute left in the game. Huntley and his heroics shined in the waning minutes as he drove down the field from their 20 yard line before Moss took it to the house with 20 seconds remaining. FAU received the punt and nearly broke it off as a response. The drive ultimately fell short as Bernard and Anae combined for a strip-sack as they regained possession with no time left. Utah advances to face #4 Oklahoma.
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Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
In a time where we remain sportless, in a time where COVID-19 rules the skies, we here at the Men of the Scarlet and Gray present the strictly hypothetical “Expanded College Football Playoffs”. We have all dreamed of expansion, but here we have a cool little set-up that was created by my colleague Chris. 12 teams with one goal, to make it to the Championship Game. All the Power Five champions along with the Group of Five Champions and sprinkle in a pair of at large bids and we have our football version of the “Big Dance”.
For the play-in we have an at large team from the PAC 12 going up against the Conference USA Champion FAU. In this matchup, Utah takes a stellar defense and they go up against a decent, quick scoring passing attack.
As the contest begins, Utah demonstrates their defensive prowess and for a quick 3-and-out, forcing Kiffin to an early change of possession and stopping them from getting into a grove. Utah gains possession and they impose their will as they run roughshod and beat the Owls senseless through the ground with Moss and Huntley gaining chunk after chunk before Moss takes it in for the score.
Visibly rattled, but while remaining calm, Chris Robison takes a huge chunk out of the first quarter before plunging it into the endzone to tie the score at seven each. Robison engineered quite the drive as he came up clutch for the better of the 8-minute drive and he gained some valuable momentum as he made the Ute defense pay.
As the Utes grabbed the punt, Simpkins takes one back to the house just as the first quarter had expired to push the lead up the 14-7. On the ensuing drive for FAU, lightning almost struck twice as Cousart nearly responded with a return for a touchdown of his own before being tripped up at the 50 yard line. The balanced effort became the focus of the Owls offense as Davidson does the majority of the work on the ground to grind the Utah defense into a pulp. On a 3rd-and-5, Kiffin opts for a trick play and it payed off! On the double-sweep, Antoine took it in for another Owl touchdown.
Utah, forever the puncher responds quickly. They use Moss and Huntley on the ground with jet sweeps from Simpkins to open up the offense, but a mistimed exchange on the QB option derailed a scoring drive that ended in the redzone. Rashad Smith comes out from the pile with the ball in tow with the game still tied at 14.
The Utah defense comes off the sideline angry and they quickly force a turnover courtesy of an interception by Burgess at the 50 yard line. Huntley is hitting open receiver at will before finding Kuithe in the seams for a quick score. The Ute defense held their own the rest of the game up until Coach Kiffin’s squad started making plays just before the half. Not to be outdone, they went on a drive that took the entirety of the second quarter. First down after first down they took the clock down just before kicking it for three to enter the half 21-17.
To open the second quarter the Utes again shoved it down the Owls’ throats. Run after run, the Utah offense opened up the third quarter with an efficient and quick drive for another touchdown. Utah goes up 27-17 on the heels of a missed extra point. The fighting Kiffin’s responded quickly as well with a bomb to Harrison Bryant, who found himself open as he sprinted 45 yards to the endzone. Kiffin trying to seize momentum opted for two and converted. The aggressive play swung momentum as the Owls were now down by two.
Utah failed to respond as they went three and out. FAU went on another drive and Bryant made an appearance in the endzone once against to take the lead 32-27. With another wasted possession that resulted in a punt, Utah forced a fumble in the redzone on the ensuing drive. Before we knew it, Moss plunged it into the endzone and Huntley ran it in for two to retake the lead 35-32. The Utah defense responded by forcing a punt and took the clock down deep into the third quarter before punting it as the quarter expired.
In the 4th quarter, FAU controlled the ball for the majority of the contest to try and slow down the Utah offense. They run and convert the ball before settling for a game-tying FG. Utah regains control of the ball with less than a minute left in the game. Huntley and his heroics shined in the waning minutes as he drove down the field from their 20 yard line before Moss took it to the house with 20 seconds remaining. FAU received the punt and nearly broke it off as a response. The drive ultimately fell short as Bernard and Anae combined for a strip-sack as they regained possession with no time left. Utah advances to face #4 Oklahoma.
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LGHL Column: The steak emojis, explained?
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Column: The steak emojis, explained?
Tia Johnston via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Mark Pantoni via Twitter (@markpantoni)
Ohio State staff members and 2021 commits tweeted out cryptic steak tweets on Thursday afternoon.
In case ya missed it, five-star running back TreVeyon Henderson, four-star defensive end Tunmise Adeleye, and other top-ranked commits to Ohio State’s 2021 class, along with Ohio State director of player personnel Mark Pantoni and other recruiting staff members all began to tweet out the steak emoji around 4:30-5:30 p.m. on Thursday with zero explanation.
Even uncommitted four-star tight end Hudson Wolfe joined in, which certainly raises more question marks.
Like Matt said in last night’s Buckeye Bits, “I am simply old and do not understand the new fangled, Generation Z slang that I see popping up on various social media platforms like The Twitter Dot Com.”
Now, I’m not as old as Matt (sorry Matt), however I haven’t the slightest idea what these cryptic steaks mean either. It is worth noting that I am never in on the latest trending jokes/slang/emoijs/TikTok dances and, oftentimes, if not always, need someone to explain the meaning behind the joke/slang/emoji/TikTok dance to me. Like, for example, a lot of the 2021 commits are commenting “YKTV” on everyone’s respective steaks, and I had to google it.
It means “you know the vibes.” Congratulations, you are now 1-percent more hip.
On the bright side, Matt and I aren’t alone in wondering what the heck is going on. In fact, even current Ohio State players are confused.
All I keep seeing is emojis down my TL .. them 2021 boys up to something !
— Teradja Mitchell (@teradja_) May 7, 2020
So, just in case someone out there knew something, anything that would help further our investigation, we asked our Twitter followers for help.
And, based on your answers, it was brought to my attention that none of you know what’s going on either. So, maybe this isn’t Gen Z slang and is in fact supposed to be cryptic? Either that, or we just have zero followers under the age of 21.
Here are some of the best answers we received:
I love a good word play. However, this unfortunately doesn’t differentiate Ohio State from Penn State, Michigan State, etc.
If this is true, then why be vague? Why not just tweet out “there’s a lot at stake this season,” ya know?
It means, get to #work!!!!!!!!! Because they gonna eat!!!!!
— Buckeye Shane (@getyorocksoff) May 8, 2020
This was my first thought, as well. If you remember a season or two ago, the mantra amongst the team was “how she gone eat?” which started as an inside joke between the team when they asked defensive end Tyquan Lewis to join them at Mongolian Barbeque, but Lewis had his girlfriend’s car and needed to pick her up from basketball practice, thus asking “well, how she gone eat?”
It then became a clothing line and a trending hashtag and gained a new meaning—something along the lines of “let’s succeed so we can support the women in our life.”
I don't know who she is, but Tracy Sprinkle is wondering how she is going to eat pic.twitter.com/OhVholEf9L
— Eric Seger (@EricSeger33) August 6, 2016
So, going back to the steak emoji, maybe they’re telling us that—and stick with me here—not only is she going to eat, but the 2021 recruiting class is going to be so good, that they’ll only be feeding her the finest of meals.
I don’t know, man.
Should I try to decipher this in my next column?
Then we have assistant quarterbacks coach Keenan Bailey’s steak-tweet, which makes me wonder if they’re saying “things are heating up” or “something’s cooking” or the Texas Roadhouse symbol in the corner implies we’re getting a Texas-based commit? Eh? Maybe? No? Okay.
Perhaps one of the best explanations, however, comes from Gene’s State Secrets article this morning:
“Some speculated that it alludes to a potential incoming offensive lineman commit. AKA, Ohio State could be adding some “beef” up front in the near future.
Gene notes that, if that is the case, then the two guys they are probably referring to is either four-star OG Jager Burton or five-star OT JC Latham. Neither prospects have tweeted or favorited a steak tweet, but this does sound like the most probable explanation.
Here are my guesses, that, as you will be able to tell, I put a lot of thought into:
If you’re saying you want some high quality check out Cameron Mitchell Restaurants
— Dom McElvene (@McElvene6) May 7, 2020
Continue reading...
Tia Johnston via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ohio State staff members and 2021 commits tweeted out cryptic steak tweets on Thursday afternoon.
In case ya missed it, five-star running back TreVeyon Henderson, four-star defensive end Tunmise Adeleye, and other top-ranked commits to Ohio State’s 2021 class, along with Ohio State director of player personnel Mark Pantoni and other recruiting staff members all began to tweet out the steak emoji around 4:30-5:30 p.m. on Thursday with zero explanation.
Even uncommitted four-star tight end Hudson Wolfe joined in, which certainly raises more question marks.
Like Matt said in last night’s Buckeye Bits, “I am simply old and do not understand the new fangled, Generation Z slang that I see popping up on various social media platforms like The Twitter Dot Com.”
Now, I’m not as old as Matt (sorry Matt), however I haven’t the slightest idea what these cryptic steaks mean either. It is worth noting that I am never in on the latest trending jokes/slang/emoijs/TikTok dances and, oftentimes, if not always, need someone to explain the meaning behind the joke/slang/emoji/TikTok dance to me. Like, for example, a lot of the 2021 commits are commenting “YKTV” on everyone’s respective steaks, and I had to google it.
It means “you know the vibes.” Congratulations, you are now 1-percent more hip.
On the bright side, Matt and I aren’t alone in wondering what the heck is going on. In fact, even current Ohio State players are confused.
All I keep seeing is emojis down my TL .. them 2021 boys up to something !
— Teradja Mitchell (@teradja_) May 7, 2020
So, just in case someone out there knew something, anything that would help further our investigation, we asked our Twitter followers for help.
And, based on your answers, it was brought to my attention that none of you know what’s going on either. So, maybe this isn’t Gen Z slang and is in fact supposed to be cryptic? Either that, or we just have zero followers under the age of 21.
Here are some of the best answers we received:
I love a good word play. However, this unfortunately doesn’t differentiate Ohio State from Penn State, Michigan State, etc.
If this is true, then why be vague? Why not just tweet out “there’s a lot at stake this season,” ya know?
It means, get to #work!!!!!!!!! Because they gonna eat!!!!!
— Buckeye Shane (@getyorocksoff) May 8, 2020
This was my first thought, as well. If you remember a season or two ago, the mantra amongst the team was “how she gone eat?” which started as an inside joke between the team when they asked defensive end Tyquan Lewis to join them at Mongolian Barbeque, but Lewis had his girlfriend’s car and needed to pick her up from basketball practice, thus asking “well, how she gone eat?”
It then became a clothing line and a trending hashtag and gained a new meaning—something along the lines of “let’s succeed so we can support the women in our life.”
I don't know who she is, but Tracy Sprinkle is wondering how she is going to eat pic.twitter.com/OhVholEf9L
— Eric Seger (@EricSeger33) August 6, 2016
So, going back to the steak emoji, maybe they’re telling us that—and stick with me here—not only is she going to eat, but the 2021 recruiting class is going to be so good, that they’ll only be feeding her the finest of meals.
I don’t know, man.
Should I try to decipher this in my next column?
Then we have assistant quarterbacks coach Keenan Bailey’s steak-tweet, which makes me wonder if they’re saying “things are heating up” or “something’s cooking” or the Texas Roadhouse symbol in the corner implies we’re getting a Texas-based commit? Eh? Maybe? No? Okay.
Perhaps one of the best explanations, however, comes from Gene’s State Secrets article this morning:
“Some speculated that it alludes to a potential incoming offensive lineman commit. AKA, Ohio State could be adding some “beef” up front in the near future.
Gene notes that, if that is the case, then the two guys they are probably referring to is either four-star OG Jager Burton or five-star OT JC Latham. Neither prospects have tweeted or favorited a steak tweet, but this does sound like the most probable explanation.
Here are my guesses, that, as you will be able to tell, I put a lot of thought into:
- They’re implying that, if you choose to play at Ohio State, they will feed you well.
- They just all happened to be eating steak for dinner at the exact same time.
- There is a prospect no one knows about yet named “Steak.”
- They are asking for their followers’ best steak recipes or steakhouse recommendations, in which case this guy came through:
If you’re saying you want some high quality check out Cameron Mitchell Restaurants
— Dom McElvene (@McElvene6) May 7, 2020
- They were all bored as heck, and in their group message, that I’m certain exists, decided to pull a Tom Brady— tweet out something that looks like it could mean something, when in fact, it means absolutely nothing, but they know the Ohio State fanbase will absolutely lose their minds and speculate for days on what it could mean. Exhibit A: Me. Exhibit B: You, because you’re actually reading this nonsense.
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LGHL Ohio State offers 2022 Texas linebacker
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Ohio State offers 2022 Texas linebacker
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Manvel ILB Justin Medlock | Brian Perroni, 247Sports
Plus, a whole bunch of speculation in the Twitterverse...
Even after a surge of commits at Tennessee and a five-star RB commit at Clemson, Ohio State is still firmly entrenched as the No. 1 class in the nation in 2021 — and by a rather wide margin. With 17 total verbals at this point, the Buckeyes are sitting at 295.41 points according to 247Sports, which puts them more than 60 points ahead of the now No. 2 Volunteers (despite the Vols having an extra commit with 18 total pledges).
While the grind in 2021 continues, Ryan Day and his staff have been hard at work starting to put together their target board for 2022. Already holding three commits in the next cycle, the evaluation process has become a bit harder without the luxury of in-person visits. Nonetheless, the Ohio State coaches are off to a great start in the class, and have been sending out offers seemingly every day to some of the nation’s top sophomore talents.
This proved to be the case yet again on Thursday, as the Buckeyes sent out a new offer to 2022 linebacker Justin Medlock.
After a great talk with @CoachWash56, I am blessed to receive an offer from THE Ohio State University!!
️ #GoBucks @ryandaytime pic.twitter.com/zziMbJr5AU
— Justin Medlock † (@_JustinMedlock) May 7, 2020
Currently a rising three-star prospect, Medlock is the No. 8 ILB in the class, and the No. 43 recruit from the state of Texas according to 247Sports’ own rankings. Despite his star rating not exactly jumping off the page, his recruitment is only expected to heat up from here. The 6-foot-1 sophomore already has a total of at least 14 offers at this point, including the likes of Baylor, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas, to name a few.
Even with the Ohio State offer just recently being added to the fold, there is already some buzz surrounding the two parties. Shortly after Medlock’s announcement Tweet, which came following a Zoom call between himself, Ryan Day, Al Washington and other Buckeye staff members, both Ohio State insider Bill Kurelic and 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong submitted Crystal Ball predictions for the linebacker to end up in Scarlet and Gray.
“Today I have put a Crystal Ball pick in for Medlock to Ohio State based on what I know and what I am told,” said Kurelic. “Don’t worry that Medlock is ‘just’ a 3-star prospect. He can play and I see him playing his college football in Columbus, Ohio.”
As previously mentioned, Ohio State’s 2022 class already features a trio of verbal commits, which includes CB Jyaire Brown, ATH/LB C.J. Hicks, and OT Tegra Tshabola. Coach Washington would love to add another key player to his position room early in the cycle, and Medlock could just be that guy.
Where’s the beef?
On Thursday afternoon, both Ohio State staff and current 2021 commits began sending out cryptic Tweets containing just the steak emoji. Almost everyone was getting in on the action, including guys like director of player personnel Mark Pantoni, current commits including TreVeyon Henderson and Tunmise Adeleye, among others, and even current tight end target Hudson Wolfe.
While it is pretty unclear what this could mean, some speculated that it alludes to a potential incoming offensive lineman commit. AKA, Ohio State could be adding some “beef” up front in the near future.
If this is indeed the case, two guys worth keeping an eye on are four-star OG Jager Burton and five-star OT JC Latham. Latham has long been deciding between Ohio State and LSU, but wants visit each school before making his final choice. Burton is in a similar situation, deciding between OSU and Kentucky for his college destination. It is certainly possible that COVID-19 restrictions force a change of plans, and either athlete (or both) instead chooses to commit sooner than anticipated.
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Plus, a whole bunch of speculation in the Twitterverse...
Even after a surge of commits at Tennessee and a five-star RB commit at Clemson, Ohio State is still firmly entrenched as the No. 1 class in the nation in 2021 — and by a rather wide margin. With 17 total verbals at this point, the Buckeyes are sitting at 295.41 points according to 247Sports, which puts them more than 60 points ahead of the now No. 2 Volunteers (despite the Vols having an extra commit with 18 total pledges).
While the grind in 2021 continues, Ryan Day and his staff have been hard at work starting to put together their target board for 2022. Already holding three commits in the next cycle, the evaluation process has become a bit harder without the luxury of in-person visits. Nonetheless, the Ohio State coaches are off to a great start in the class, and have been sending out offers seemingly every day to some of the nation’s top sophomore talents.
This proved to be the case yet again on Thursday, as the Buckeyes sent out a new offer to 2022 linebacker Justin Medlock.
After a great talk with @CoachWash56, I am blessed to receive an offer from THE Ohio State University!!
️ #GoBucks @ryandaytime pic.twitter.com/zziMbJr5AU— Justin Medlock † (@_JustinMedlock) May 7, 2020
Currently a rising three-star prospect, Medlock is the No. 8 ILB in the class, and the No. 43 recruit from the state of Texas according to 247Sports’ own rankings. Despite his star rating not exactly jumping off the page, his recruitment is only expected to heat up from here. The 6-foot-1 sophomore already has a total of at least 14 offers at this point, including the likes of Baylor, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas, to name a few.
Even with the Ohio State offer just recently being added to the fold, there is already some buzz surrounding the two parties. Shortly after Medlock’s announcement Tweet, which came following a Zoom call between himself, Ryan Day, Al Washington and other Buckeye staff members, both Ohio State insider Bill Kurelic and 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong submitted Crystal Ball predictions for the linebacker to end up in Scarlet and Gray.
“Today I have put a Crystal Ball pick in for Medlock to Ohio State based on what I know and what I am told,” said Kurelic. “Don’t worry that Medlock is ‘just’ a 3-star prospect. He can play and I see him playing his college football in Columbus, Ohio.”
As previously mentioned, Ohio State’s 2022 class already features a trio of verbal commits, which includes CB Jyaire Brown, ATH/LB C.J. Hicks, and OT Tegra Tshabola. Coach Washington would love to add another key player to his position room early in the cycle, and Medlock could just be that guy.
Where’s the beef?
On Thursday afternoon, both Ohio State staff and current 2021 commits began sending out cryptic Tweets containing just the steak emoji. Almost everyone was getting in on the action, including guys like director of player personnel Mark Pantoni, current commits including TreVeyon Henderson and Tunmise Adeleye, among others, and even current tight end target Hudson Wolfe.
While it is pretty unclear what this could mean, some speculated that it alludes to a potential incoming offensive lineman commit. AKA, Ohio State could be adding some “beef” up front in the near future.
If this is indeed the case, two guys worth keeping an eye on are four-star OG Jager Burton and five-star OT JC Latham. Latham has long been deciding between Ohio State and LSU, but wants visit each school before making his final choice. Burton is in a similar situation, deciding between OSU and Kentucky for his college destination. It is certainly possible that COVID-19 restrictions force a change of plans, and either athlete (or both) instead chooses to commit sooner than anticipated.
Continue reading...
LGHL Buckeye Bits: Replacing Damon Arnette, Justin Fields bets, Coach Day could play!
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Buckeye Bits: Replacing Damon Arnette, Justin Fields bets, Coach Day could play!
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
All the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond
Perhaps I am simply old and do not understand the new fangled, Generation Z slang that I see popping up on various social media platforms like The Twitter Dot Com. But, on Thursday, a ton of commits to Ohio State’s top-ranked 2021 recruiting class began tweeting out a steak emoji. But, it didn’t stop there, as uncommitted four-star tight end Hudson Wolfe got in on the fun as well.
This is where I need your help, friends. As I said, I am old and have no idea what this means. Obviously if uncommitted recruits are in on whatever this means along with OSU’s commits, that’s a good thing, but, what exactly does the steak emoji symbolize? Can someone help a Gen X/Millennial straddler out?
From Land-Grant Holy Land...
Ohio State basketball’s key 2022 prospects
Tia Johnston, LGHL
So much attention has been paid to the Ohio State football team’s recruiting as of late, it is easy to forget that the basketball team is still trying to land big-time recruits for future classes too. This morning, Tia ran through some of the biggest targets for the 2022 basketball Buckeyes. Get to know their names now, because if history holds, a handful of them will commit... and then transfer after their freshman seasons.
Chris Olave has the look of the next great Ohio State wide receiver
Brett Ludwiczak, LGHL
Cris Carter, Terry Glenn, Michael Thomas, David Boston, Michael Jenkins, Joey Galloway, Santonio Holmes. The list goes on and on in terms of the dominant wide receivers to wear the Scarlet and Gray. Brett breaks down the next man up in OSU’s long-line as WRU.
From around the gridiron...
Next Man Up: How Buckeyes can replace Damon Arnette at cornerback
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Admit it, there’s a lot of you out there that never thought that we would ever talk about who would replace Damon Arnette, other than to give thanks as Sinbad’s nephew walked out the door. However, now that Arnette had one of the most statistically impressive seasons by some measures in recent OSU DB history and was a first-round NFL Draft pick, it’s time to start discussing who is capable of filling his shoes.
With the great Shaun Wade ready to take Jeff Okudah’s No. 1 corner spot, Spencer Holbrook runs down what you can expect from the likes of Cameron Brown, Sevyn Banks, Tyreke Johnson, true-freshman Lejond Cavazos, and a handful of other options.
Whatever corners end up in the mix for OSU next season, is there really any doubt that Kerry Coombs is going to get them ready to not only dominate the Big Ten, but to continue the tradition of BIA members getting selected in the first round?
Today is #TBT (#ThrowBackThursday), so the Ohio State Athletics Twitter account took us back to December 2014 in the game that made Cardale Jones an Ohio State legend thanks to an absolute demolishing of Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Again, whoever is running this account should take a remedial course on tweet-threading, but you can still scroll through the feed to relive some of the highlights from one of the most mind-blowing games in recent memory.
When @OhioStateFB walloped Wisconsin in 2014, they into College Football Playoff. And we all know what happened next
Relive Urban's first B1G Title with us at noon! Airing on our Facebook page OR at https://t.co/qq3bLm4Hjl | #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/LYnKSAko0L
— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) May 7, 2020
BuckIQ: Teradja Mitchell building steam for Ohio State breakout year
Zach Boren, Lettermen Row
Look, I know that I am mostly preaching to the choir here, but despite improvements in 2019, Ohio State’s linebacking corps needs some help. While Al Washington helped the group make monumental strides in his first season, they still were the weak spot on the OSU defense.
If a player who didn’t have much of an impact last fall makes a big jump when the Silver Bullets get back on the field, it will likely be Teradja Mitchell. He only played in five games last season due to injury, amassing 12 total tackles. But, he is an incredible athlete, and players and coaches rave about him. This is a great breakdown from the former Buckeye Zach Boren, so check it out.
LOOK. AT. COACH. DAY. GO!
How about this #TBT from 2001:
Former Wildcat QB @ryandaytime with the game-winning TD pass in the final seconds to beat Dartmouth #GraniteStrong pic.twitter.com/At2FqchfVn
— UNH Football (@UNH_Football) May 7, 2020
Justin Fields leads nation in passing TDs vs. leads Big Ten in rushing TDs: What’s more likely for Ohio State football
Stephen Means, cleveland.com
In 2019, Ryan Day did not let Justin Fields use all of his natural running weapons, because — frankly — if he got hurt, the season was over. However, whenever the next football season begins, Day will have not one, but two highly recruited true-freshmen quarterbacks available to step in should something happen to Fields.
Obviously that would still be far less than ideal, but it is certainly better than what they had last fall. Despite this fact, I can’t see Fields running enough inside the five-yard line to claim the B1G crown. So, since he was third nationally in passing TDs (behind former Buckeye Joe Burrow and Wazzu’s Anthony Gordon) and was only fifth in B1G rushing TDs (although with less than half of J.K. Dobbins and Jonathan Taylor’s total), I’m gonna go with the passing TDs.
Get that cash, J’Kaylin Dobbins!
Ravens signed RB J.K. Dobbins to his four-year rookie contract.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 7, 2020From everywhere else...
NCAA waives Division I minimum on scholarship spending
The Associated Press
This is a sneaky big story. What this means is that Division I schools will be able to cut sports all together, but still keep their status as a Division I school. The AP has all of the minutia about how this works, but essentially, expect to see some fairly big schools drop sports in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and suffer very little consequence from the NCAA.
Playing blackjack, roulette, and craps with a small amount of people doesn’t fundamentally change the play of the game. However, as much as I love short-deck poker, playing with a maximum of four players at a table is not ideal.
Generally poker rooms will break tables down when there are only four players, so now that it is the max, I wouldn’t be surprised if poker rooms just don’t re-open until the limits are raised. Maybe it’s time to start talking about online poker again...
The Nevada Gaming Control Board, while not approving a date for casinos to open, have approved new guidelines required for opening.
This includes a limit of 3 people per blackjack table, 4 players per poker table, 4 players at roulette and a maximum of six players for craps.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) May 7, 2020
Vegas casinos might not be open yet, but I bet you could find an establishment on the interwebs that would be willing to take your action on these Heisman odds.
2020 Heisman Trophy Odds
Via @WilliamHillUS
Justin Fields (+350)
Trevor Lawrence (+400)
Jamie Newman (+1000)
Spencer Rattler (+1200)
Sam Ehlinger (+1800)
D’Eriq King (+2000)
Mac Jones (+2200)
Travis Etienne (+2200)
Chuba Hubbard (+2200)
Myles Brennan (+2800)
Ian Book (+2800)
— Cover 3 Podcast (@Cover3Podcast) May 7, 2020
Whatever you think about shelter-in-place orders, as Ohio (and other states around the country) begin to re-open, I beg you, please don’t try to make a personal or political statement by refusing to wear a mask.
Scientists and basic logic tell us that during a pandemic, putting a piece of fabric over half of your face can dramatically lower the spread of a deadly disease. You’re a good person. You care about your fellow human. It is literally the least that you can do to help prevent yourself, your family, or someone else from going through an unthinkable tragedy. So please, if you go out, just wear a mask.
We put a working group together to look at best practices for reopening barbershops, hair salons, day spas, nail salons, and other services. The reopening date for these services will be May 15. #ResponsibleRestartOhio pic.twitter.com/bSQ5vAtSNv
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) May 7, 2020
Memorial making major changes, still aiming to include fans
Jerod Smalley, nbc41.com
You know if there’s no fans at Murfield for this tournament, there’s gonna be so many more golf cops at home with the PGA on speed-dial, examining every CBS camera shot for a potential rules violation so that they can call and get someone a two-stroke penalty for illegally touching their club on too many blades of grass before addressing the ball. Don’t be that guy.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
All the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond
Perhaps I am simply old and do not understand the new fangled, Generation Z slang that I see popping up on various social media platforms like The Twitter Dot Com. But, on Thursday, a ton of commits to Ohio State’s top-ranked 2021 recruiting class began tweeting out a steak emoji. But, it didn’t stop there, as uncommitted four-star tight end Hudson Wolfe got in on the fun as well.
This is where I need your help, friends. As I said, I am old and have no idea what this means. Obviously if uncommitted recruits are in on whatever this means along with OSU’s commits, that’s a good thing, but, what exactly does the steak emoji symbolize? Can someone help a Gen X/Millennial straddler out?
From Land-Grant Holy Land...
Ohio State basketball’s key 2022 prospects
Tia Johnston, LGHL
So much attention has been paid to the Ohio State football team’s recruiting as of late, it is easy to forget that the basketball team is still trying to land big-time recruits for future classes too. This morning, Tia ran through some of the biggest targets for the 2022 basketball Buckeyes. Get to know their names now, because if history holds, a handful of them will commit... and then transfer after their freshman seasons.
Chris Olave has the look of the next great Ohio State wide receiver
Brett Ludwiczak, LGHL
Cris Carter, Terry Glenn, Michael Thomas, David Boston, Michael Jenkins, Joey Galloway, Santonio Holmes. The list goes on and on in terms of the dominant wide receivers to wear the Scarlet and Gray. Brett breaks down the next man up in OSU’s long-line as WRU.
From around the gridiron...
Next Man Up: How Buckeyes can replace Damon Arnette at cornerback
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Admit it, there’s a lot of you out there that never thought that we would ever talk about who would replace Damon Arnette, other than to give thanks as Sinbad’s nephew walked out the door. However, now that Arnette had one of the most statistically impressive seasons by some measures in recent OSU DB history and was a first-round NFL Draft pick, it’s time to start discussing who is capable of filling his shoes.
With the great Shaun Wade ready to take Jeff Okudah’s No. 1 corner spot, Spencer Holbrook runs down what you can expect from the likes of Cameron Brown, Sevyn Banks, Tyreke Johnson, true-freshman Lejond Cavazos, and a handful of other options.
Whatever corners end up in the mix for OSU next season, is there really any doubt that Kerry Coombs is going to get them ready to not only dominate the Big Ten, but to continue the tradition of BIA members getting selected in the first round?
Today is #TBT (#ThrowBackThursday), so the Ohio State Athletics Twitter account took us back to December 2014 in the game that made Cardale Jones an Ohio State legend thanks to an absolute demolishing of Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Again, whoever is running this account should take a remedial course on tweet-threading, but you can still scroll through the feed to relive some of the highlights from one of the most mind-blowing games in recent memory.
When @OhioStateFB walloped Wisconsin in 2014, they into College Football Playoff. And we all know what happened next
Relive Urban's first B1G Title with us at noon! Airing on our Facebook page OR at https://t.co/qq3bLm4Hjl | #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/LYnKSAko0L
— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) May 7, 2020
BuckIQ: Teradja Mitchell building steam for Ohio State breakout year
Zach Boren, Lettermen Row
Look, I know that I am mostly preaching to the choir here, but despite improvements in 2019, Ohio State’s linebacking corps needs some help. While Al Washington helped the group make monumental strides in his first season, they still were the weak spot on the OSU defense.
If a player who didn’t have much of an impact last fall makes a big jump when the Silver Bullets get back on the field, it will likely be Teradja Mitchell. He only played in five games last season due to injury, amassing 12 total tackles. But, he is an incredible athlete, and players and coaches rave about him. This is a great breakdown from the former Buckeye Zach Boren, so check it out.
LOOK. AT. COACH. DAY. GO!
How about this #TBT from 2001:
Former Wildcat QB @ryandaytime with the game-winning TD pass in the final seconds to beat Dartmouth #GraniteStrong pic.twitter.com/At2FqchfVn
— UNH Football (@UNH_Football) May 7, 2020
Justin Fields leads nation in passing TDs vs. leads Big Ten in rushing TDs: What’s more likely for Ohio State football
Stephen Means, cleveland.com
In 2019, Ryan Day did not let Justin Fields use all of his natural running weapons, because — frankly — if he got hurt, the season was over. However, whenever the next football season begins, Day will have not one, but two highly recruited true-freshmen quarterbacks available to step in should something happen to Fields.
Obviously that would still be far less than ideal, but it is certainly better than what they had last fall. Despite this fact, I can’t see Fields running enough inside the five-yard line to claim the B1G crown. So, since he was third nationally in passing TDs (behind former Buckeye Joe Burrow and Wazzu’s Anthony Gordon) and was only fifth in B1G rushing TDs (although with less than half of J.K. Dobbins and Jonathan Taylor’s total), I’m gonna go with the passing TDs.
Get that cash, J’Kaylin Dobbins!
Ravens signed RB J.K. Dobbins to his four-year rookie contract.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 7, 2020
NCAA waives Division I minimum on scholarship spending
The Associated Press
This is a sneaky big story. What this means is that Division I schools will be able to cut sports all together, but still keep their status as a Division I school. The AP has all of the minutia about how this works, but essentially, expect to see some fairly big schools drop sports in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and suffer very little consequence from the NCAA.
Playing blackjack, roulette, and craps with a small amount of people doesn’t fundamentally change the play of the game. However, as much as I love short-deck poker, playing with a maximum of four players at a table is not ideal.
Generally poker rooms will break tables down when there are only four players, so now that it is the max, I wouldn’t be surprised if poker rooms just don’t re-open until the limits are raised. Maybe it’s time to start talking about online poker again...
The Nevada Gaming Control Board, while not approving a date for casinos to open, have approved new guidelines required for opening.
This includes a limit of 3 people per blackjack table, 4 players per poker table, 4 players at roulette and a maximum of six players for craps.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) May 7, 2020
Vegas casinos might not be open yet, but I bet you could find an establishment on the interwebs that would be willing to take your action on these Heisman odds.
2020 Heisman Trophy Odds
Via @WilliamHillUS
Justin Fields (+350)
Trevor Lawrence (+400)
Jamie Newman (+1000)
Spencer Rattler (+1200)
Sam Ehlinger (+1800)
D’Eriq King (+2000)
Mac Jones (+2200)
Travis Etienne (+2200)
Chuba Hubbard (+2200)
Myles Brennan (+2800)
Ian Book (+2800)
— Cover 3 Podcast (@Cover3Podcast) May 7, 2020
Whatever you think about shelter-in-place orders, as Ohio (and other states around the country) begin to re-open, I beg you, please don’t try to make a personal or political statement by refusing to wear a mask.
Scientists and basic logic tell us that during a pandemic, putting a piece of fabric over half of your face can dramatically lower the spread of a deadly disease. You’re a good person. You care about your fellow human. It is literally the least that you can do to help prevent yourself, your family, or someone else from going through an unthinkable tragedy. So please, if you go out, just wear a mask.
We put a working group together to look at best practices for reopening barbershops, hair salons, day spas, nail salons, and other services. The reopening date for these services will be May 15. #ResponsibleRestartOhio pic.twitter.com/bSQ5vAtSNv
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) May 7, 2020
Memorial making major changes, still aiming to include fans
Jerod Smalley, nbc41.com
You know if there’s no fans at Murfield for this tournament, there’s gonna be so many more golf cops at home with the PGA on speed-dial, examining every CBS camera shot for a potential rules violation so that they can call and get someone a two-stroke penalty for illegally touching their club on too many blades of grass before addressing the ball. Don’t be that guy.
Continue reading...
LGHL Chris Olave has the look of the next great Ohio State wide receiver
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- 0 Replies
Chris Olave has the look of the next great Ohio State wide receiver
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 Christian Petersen/Getty Images
After putting up big numbers alongside K.J. Hill in 2019, the spotlight will shine on Olave in 2020.
After a standout sophomore season, @ojhodgkinson says the Buckeyes wide receiver Chris Olave is primed for greatness and could find first round recognition in the 2021 #NFLDraft.https://t.co/zYu8VT89g5
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) May 7, 2020
When the Los Angeles Chargers took K.J. Hill in the seventh round of last month’s NFL Draft, it marked the 10th wide receiver from Ohio State that has been drafted since 2012. While it is no surprise that Ohio State is developing players who are making an impact at the next level, the quality of wide receivers coming from Columbus has become even more polished over the last few years.
Michael Thomas was taken in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints, and is coming off a season that saw him set the NFL record for receptions in a season. Even more recently, Terry McLaurin was taken in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. McLaurin burst onto the scene for the Redskins, scoring a touchdown in each of his first three games. Parris Campbell was taken before McLaurin in the same draft, but he wasn’t able to show his full set of skills for the Indianapolis Colts, as his rookie season was slowed by injuries.
A huge reason for the increase of wide receiver talent that Ohio State is producing is due to the coaching. Gone is wide receivers coach Zach Smith, who was too busy being a sociopath to do a job that was given to him only because he is Earle Bruce’s grandson. Taking over for Smith prior to the 2018 season was former Buckeye wide receiver, Brian Hartline, who obviously has a better grasp on coaching receivers on what it takes to be successful at the next level.
Over the past few years, Ohio State has benefited from a more pass-friendly offense, which wasn’t always the case under Urban Meyer and Ed Warriner. While the Buckeyes still lead heavily on the run game, the skills exhibited by quarterbacks Dwayne Haskins and Justin Fields have allowed the wide receivers to get in on the fun. That trend is only going to continue with the quarterback and wide receiver talent the Buckeyes have in the mix for the future.
Last year Garrett Wilson was the hot new talented wide receiver the Buckeyes were able to land a commitment from, and the Texas product showed glimpses of his skills, catching 30 passes and five touchdowns. This year, the Buckeyes have brought in even more talent to compliment Wilson, with Julian Fleming and Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the fold. But, the most important receiver for Ohio State this season is Chris Olave.
It almost feels like a miracle that Olave is even a Buckeye. The only reason Ryan Day stumbled across Olave was because he was scouting Olave’s high school quarterback, Jack Tuttle. While Tuttle would eventually end up committing to Indiana, Ohio State was able to convince Olave to pass on offers from USC, Tennessee, and Michigan.
Olave’s Ohio State career got off to a slow start, but all that changed when Austin Mack was injured in the loss to Purdue in 2018. Olave stepped up in some of Ohio State’s biggest games that year, catching a combined three touchdowns in a win over Michigan, and against Northwestern the following week in the Big Ten Championship Game. Along with his two touchdown catches against the Wolverines, Olave also blocked a punt that Sevyn Banks returned for a touchdown.
2019 was Olave’s breakout season, as he became one of Justin Fields’ trusted targets. The sophomore was almost the hero for the Buckeyes in the CFP Semifinal loss to Clemson, catching a touchdown pass that gave Ohio State a 23-21 lead in the fourth quarter, and he was the target of the final pass of the season for Fields, that likely would have been the game-winning touchdown if there wasn’t a miscommunication between Fields and Olave on the route. Olave finished the year with 48 catches for 849 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Now with Hill having moved on to the NFL, Olave is the elder statesman of the Ohio State wide receivers. Wilson and Fleming might have been more talked about coming out of high school, but Olave has shown he deserves to be in the conversation as one of the best wide receivers in the country heading into the 2020 season. If we see Olave’s role expand even more as expected, it’s likely Olave could be the first Ohio State wide receiver to be taken in the first round of the NFL Draft since the Miami Dolphins took Ted Ginn Jr. with the ninth overall pick the 2007 NFL Draft.
What makes Olave such an attractive NFL prospect is his mix of size, strength, and speed. With Justin Fields chucking Olave the pigskin this year, we should see the duo connect early and often. Fields is primed to be in the mix for the Heisman Trophy, which should see Olave get plenty of attention as Fields’ top target. The combo was steady throughout Fields’ first year in Columbus, and should only get stronger as they both enter their junior seasons.
The emergence of Olave comes at a perfect time, as Ohio State faces questions in their running game after the loss of J.K. Dobbins to the NFL. With a target like Olave, it will allow the Buckeyes to lean a little heavier on the passing game as they adjust to life after Dobbins. It also helps that Ohio State has a plethora of talented receivers surrounding Olave, which won’t allow opponents to commit all their resources to slowing down Olave.
The details of the 2020 college football season are still up in the air, but no matter if the season is shortened or played without fans in attendance, there’s no question that Olave is going to be one of the most impactful receivers in the country this year. There’s already talk that Olave is a first round prospect, and it will become even more apparent as the season moves along that Olave deserves to be one of the first wide receivers taken in the draft when he declares.
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
After putting up big numbers alongside K.J. Hill in 2019, the spotlight will shine on Olave in 2020.
After a standout sophomore season, @ojhodgkinson says the Buckeyes wide receiver Chris Olave is primed for greatness and could find first round recognition in the 2021 #NFLDraft.https://t.co/zYu8VT89g5
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) May 7, 2020
When the Los Angeles Chargers took K.J. Hill in the seventh round of last month’s NFL Draft, it marked the 10th wide receiver from Ohio State that has been drafted since 2012. While it is no surprise that Ohio State is developing players who are making an impact at the next level, the quality of wide receivers coming from Columbus has become even more polished over the last few years.
Michael Thomas was taken in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints, and is coming off a season that saw him set the NFL record for receptions in a season. Even more recently, Terry McLaurin was taken in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. McLaurin burst onto the scene for the Redskins, scoring a touchdown in each of his first three games. Parris Campbell was taken before McLaurin in the same draft, but he wasn’t able to show his full set of skills for the Indianapolis Colts, as his rookie season was slowed by injuries.
A huge reason for the increase of wide receiver talent that Ohio State is producing is due to the coaching. Gone is wide receivers coach Zach Smith, who was too busy being a sociopath to do a job that was given to him only because he is Earle Bruce’s grandson. Taking over for Smith prior to the 2018 season was former Buckeye wide receiver, Brian Hartline, who obviously has a better grasp on coaching receivers on what it takes to be successful at the next level.
Over the past few years, Ohio State has benefited from a more pass-friendly offense, which wasn’t always the case under Urban Meyer and Ed Warriner. While the Buckeyes still lead heavily on the run game, the skills exhibited by quarterbacks Dwayne Haskins and Justin Fields have allowed the wide receivers to get in on the fun. That trend is only going to continue with the quarterback and wide receiver talent the Buckeyes have in the mix for the future.
Last year Garrett Wilson was the hot new talented wide receiver the Buckeyes were able to land a commitment from, and the Texas product showed glimpses of his skills, catching 30 passes and five touchdowns. This year, the Buckeyes have brought in even more talent to compliment Wilson, with Julian Fleming and Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the fold. But, the most important receiver for Ohio State this season is Chris Olave.
It almost feels like a miracle that Olave is even a Buckeye. The only reason Ryan Day stumbled across Olave was because he was scouting Olave’s high school quarterback, Jack Tuttle. While Tuttle would eventually end up committing to Indiana, Ohio State was able to convince Olave to pass on offers from USC, Tennessee, and Michigan.
Olave’s Ohio State career got off to a slow start, but all that changed when Austin Mack was injured in the loss to Purdue in 2018. Olave stepped up in some of Ohio State’s biggest games that year, catching a combined three touchdowns in a win over Michigan, and against Northwestern the following week in the Big Ten Championship Game. Along with his two touchdown catches against the Wolverines, Olave also blocked a punt that Sevyn Banks returned for a touchdown.
2019 was Olave’s breakout season, as he became one of Justin Fields’ trusted targets. The sophomore was almost the hero for the Buckeyes in the CFP Semifinal loss to Clemson, catching a touchdown pass that gave Ohio State a 23-21 lead in the fourth quarter, and he was the target of the final pass of the season for Fields, that likely would have been the game-winning touchdown if there wasn’t a miscommunication between Fields and Olave on the route. Olave finished the year with 48 catches for 849 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Now with Hill having moved on to the NFL, Olave is the elder statesman of the Ohio State wide receivers. Wilson and Fleming might have been more talked about coming out of high school, but Olave has shown he deserves to be in the conversation as one of the best wide receivers in the country heading into the 2020 season. If we see Olave’s role expand even more as expected, it’s likely Olave could be the first Ohio State wide receiver to be taken in the first round of the NFL Draft since the Miami Dolphins took Ted Ginn Jr. with the ninth overall pick the 2007 NFL Draft.
What makes Olave such an attractive NFL prospect is his mix of size, strength, and speed. With Justin Fields chucking Olave the pigskin this year, we should see the duo connect early and often. Fields is primed to be in the mix for the Heisman Trophy, which should see Olave get plenty of attention as Fields’ top target. The combo was steady throughout Fields’ first year in Columbus, and should only get stronger as they both enter their junior seasons.
The emergence of Olave comes at a perfect time, as Ohio State faces questions in their running game after the loss of J.K. Dobbins to the NFL. With a target like Olave, it will allow the Buckeyes to lean a little heavier on the passing game as they adjust to life after Dobbins. It also helps that Ohio State has a plethora of talented receivers surrounding Olave, which won’t allow opponents to commit all their resources to slowing down Olave.
The details of the 2020 college football season are still up in the air, but no matter if the season is shortened or played without fans in attendance, there’s no question that Olave is going to be one of the most impactful receivers in the country this year. There’s already talk that Olave is a first round prospect, and it will become even more apparent as the season moves along that Olave deserves to be one of the first wide receivers taken in the draft when he declares.
Continue reading...
