Trey Sermon's transfer to Ohio State is the most impactful transfer of 2020
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Injuries to Master Teague and Marcus Crowley forced Ohio State to look to the transfer portal to address the depth at the position. Head coach Ryan Day didn't disappoint, bringing in Oklahoma running back Trey Sermon.


Last year Ohio State made the biggest splash in the transfer market when they were able to bring in Georgia quarterback Justin Fields to replace Dwayne Haskins. Now, Fox's lead commentator Joel Klatt believes the Buckeyes have secured the most impactful transfer in the country for the second year in a row.

With the injury to Master Teague, Ryan Day knew Ohio State had to somehow address the running back position. The second-year head coach didn't waste much time in shoring up the position, gaining the transfer commitment of Oklahoma running back Trey Sermon.

Following the loss of J.K. Dobbins to the NFL, there was already questions about what the running back position would look like in 2020 in Columbus. Teague rushed for nearly 800 yards in 2019 but the Tennessee product struggled to find traction late in the year, rushing for just 45 yards on 21 carries against Penn State, Michigan, and Clemson.

The addition of Sermon means that Teague doesn't have to rush back from the Achilles injury he suffered in spring practice. As if the injury to Teague wasn't enough to deal with, backup Marcus Crowley is also recovering from injury after suffering a torn ACL in the win over Marylnd. Had the Buckeyes not been able to add Sermon, Ohio State might have entered preseason camp with Steele Chambers as the only healthy running back with experience. Chambers carried the football 19 times in 2019.

Enter Trey Sermon, who rushed for over 2,000 yards and 21 touchdowns in three seasons with the Sooners. Sermon's best season came in 2018, when he rushed for 947 yards and 13 touchdowns as he lined up in the backfield with eventual Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray.

Last year Sermon wasn't able to replicate his 2018 performance, but a lot of that had to do with the addition of Alabama transfer quarterback Jalen Hurts, who carried the football 233 times. When Hurts wasn't running the football, Kennedy Brooks saw the bulk of the carries, rushing 151 times for 1,011 yards and six touchdowns. It also didn't help that Sermon missed the last five games of the year due to a knee injury, but he likely wasn't going to be the feature back even if healthy.

With Brooks returning, Sermon knew he was going to have to go elsewhere in 2020 if he wanted to make an impact. Oklahoma also has Rhamondre Stevenson on the roster but the junior is currently suspended. Stevenson ran for 515 yards and six touchdowns in 2019. The Sooners have appealed the NCAA's suspension of Stevenson that was announced before the Peach Bowl loss to LSU, so they are doing everything they can to bring Stevenson back on the field.

As soon as Sermon announced he was entering the transfer portal, Ohio State seemed like a perfect fit. The Buckeyes desperately needed experience at running back, which Sermon has plenty of. Sermon played with two Heisman Trophy winners and a Heisman Trophy finalist in his three years in Norman while the Sooners made the College Football Playoff in all three of those seasons.

With receivers like Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, and Julian Fleming, it's no secret that Justin Fields will look to pass first, but the addition of Sermon will force opponents to also respect the run. Sermon won't put up numbers like Dobbins did last seasons but his skillset will keep defenses from loading up against the pass. It also won't hurt that Sermon will be running behind an offensive line that returns three talented starters.

When looking at how the Sermon transfer stacks up against other players who entered the transfer portal and are immediately eligible, it's hard to find a transfer that could be more impactful. The transfer of quarterback Jamie Newman from Wake Forest to Georgia is big, but after watching the offense of the Bulldogs recently, I'm not convinced Kirby Smart and his coaching staff will properly utilize Newman.

K.J. Costello moving from Stanford to Mississippi State, D'Eriq King's transfer from Houston to Miami, and Keytayon Thompson heading to Virginia from Mississippi State are all moves that will pay dividends, but it's hard to see them impacting the national title race like the addition of Sermon to the Buckeyes will.

With Sermon in the mix, not only will Ohio State have confidence they'll be able to run the football, they also won't have to rush Teague and Crowley back, which could see Ohio State's opponents having to deal with some fresh legs later in the season. There's no question this was another masterful move in the transfer window by Ryan Day.

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Two Ohio State targets expected to commit in June
Tia Johnston via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
The Buckeyes are in an especially good position to land a 2021 four-star tight end later this month

After what has been a relatively slow week in the world of Ohio State recruiting, we finally have some potential BOOMs to look forward to. Two Ohio State 2021 targets are expected to commit in the coming weeks.

A four-star tight end


Hudson Wolfe from Savannah (Tenn.) Hardin County is deciding between Ohio State, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Alabama and Georgia, and he told 247Sports Tennessee insider Ryan Callahan that his decision will be announced soon.

“A date is not necessarily set in stone, but I’m kind of pushing myself for June 13th,” Wolfe told Callahan. “It’s probably going to be right around then. It’s just the five. We’re going to pick from that (group).”

The Buckeyes already have a top tight end committed to the 2021 class in Sam Hart from Aurora (Col.) Cherokee Trail, who committed in December. The Ohio State recruiting staff has made it known that they are aiming for a two top tight ends when all is said and done with the 2021 class, and Wolfe has been their No. 1 choice to go with Hart for a long time.

While Wolfe told Callahan that he “doesn’t have a school set yet” and that he’s “still kind of going back and forth between a couple,” 247Sports’ Crystal Ball favors him going to Ohio State (75%).

“Ohio State is going to win games in the next four years,” Wolfe told Callahan. “I think they’ll do really well. Their development up there is pretty high, pretty top-notch. And then the recruiting class that they’re putting together — I mean, I’m sure you’ve seen it. It’s very, very (good).”

Wolfe is the No. 225 overall prospect and No. 9 tight end in the 2021 class, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

And a four-star cornerback


Jaylin Davies from Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei announced his Top 4 on May 16—Ohio State, Arizona State, USC and Oregon. On Wednesday afternoon, he announced that he would be making his decision on June 19.


While defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs has been actively recruiting him for awhile, Davies has yet to meet head coach Ryan Day in person, according to Bill Kurelic of Bucknuts.

“Me and coach Coombs speak everyday,” Davies told Kurelic awhile back. “It’s going good. He also speaks with my family so our relationship has grown. I can’t wait to meet him as well as coach (Corey) Dennis and (Ryan) Day - the whole staff in person.”

Davies was planning on visiting Ohio State in April, which obviously did not end up happening. He has been quoted saying that meeting the coaching staff and visiting the facility in person is important to both him and his parents. That, and the fact that he is heavily favorited to choose Oregon (92.9%) by 247Sports’ Crystal Ball with a high confidence meter (7), shouldn’t make you feel optimistic about Davies committing to Ohio State. But hey, crazier things have happened.

Davies is the No. 139 overall prospect and No. 12 cornerback in the country, according to 247Sports Composite rankings.

Quick Hits:

• Four-star outside linebacker Jalon Walker told Bill Kurelic of Bucknuts that he and Al Washington have a “great relationship.” Walker is the country’s No. 176 overall class of 2022 prospect, the No. 15 outside linebacker and the No. 7 prospect in North Carolina. He currently holds at least 17 offers, including the likes of Auburn, Clemson, Texas and others.

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Buckeye Bits: Kristina M. Johnson is the 16th president of Ohio State, C.J. Saunders using his platform to take action, more
Tia Johnston via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

osu.edu
All of the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond

Welcome back to Buckeye Bits, where we catch you up on all of the news, updates, tweets and analyses circulating around the Ohio State beat and elsewhere. The world is in a heavy state at the moment, so I’m going to begin today’s Bits with one of Lori Schmidt’s infamous #UnderYourHat questions.


Now more than ever, it’s beyond important that each and every one of us use our voices, our platforms and our actions—no matter how small they might be— to fight for black lives. It’s also important to check in with yourself and others during this time, because fighting through this is deep, exhausting, and hard. But most importantly, it’s crucial.

If you’re having trouble figuring out how to make an impact, or whether you even can, here’s my favorite answer to Lori’s question.


“Do for one what you wish you could do for all.”

Now for today’s headlines.

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...


How will Ohio State replace the production of Chase Young?

Gene Ross, LGHL

It sounds impossible, because it probably is. That’s not to say Ohio State’s defensive line isn’t talented, its just not... 16.5 sacks-talented.

Ohio State offers a trio of tight ends on Tuesday

Gene Ross, LGHL

Ohio State’s recruiting staff had quite a busy day yesterday, especially tight ends coach Kevin Wilson. In about a one hour span on Tuesday, three 2022 tight ends announced via Twitter that they had received an offer from Ohio State. Gene has more on that in this morning’s State Secrets.

Play Like a Girl podcast (written edition): A tribute to Phyllis George

Meredith Hein and Tia Johnston, LGHL

Sportscaster legend and pioneer Phyllis George passed away on May 14, and in honor of her memory, Meredith and I recap her legacy and the incredible impact she made for women in sports.

Buckeye Bits: Ohio State players/staff speak up, how the Bucks can contend for a title, the next great OSU RB, more

Gene Ross, LGHL

Yesterday’s Buckeye Bits, because yesterday was filled to the brim with newsworthy stuff you may have missed.

From around the gridiron...


Emergence of Ohio State’s third-year players will determine whether Ohio State has a national title-worthy team

Colin Hass-Hill, Eleven Warriors

With guys like Justin Fields, Chris Olave, Josh Proctor, Taron Vincent, and many more, its safe to say that Ohio State’s destiny is up to the third-years. As Hass-Hill wrote, these players made up the best recruiting class Ohio State has ever signed. Now they have to show us why.


C.J. Saunders, Buckeyes are working, protesting, kneeling for change

Austin Ward, Lettermen Row

Four hours after being released from his overnight stay in the Franklin County Jail, Saunders was putting tape down to mark spots for social distancing, making sure student-athletes from dozens of sports were wearing masks and then ultimately delivering some brief remarks from the back of a pickup truck, writes Ward.

Saunders describes his experience in jail, along with his thoughts on the protesting, the anti-racism movement, what he and his teammates have been doing and plan to do with their platforms and more in the link above.


Urban Meyer, TreVeyon Henderson tackle social issues, protests

Tim May, Lettermen Row

On this week’s Tim May podcast, Urban Meyer and Ohio State running back commitment TreVeyon Henderson discuss the ongoing protests, what coaches can do for their players, Henderson’s personal experience with racial profiling, and much more.


Ohio State football defense has much to prove to pull off LSU’s national championship run: Buckeye Take

Nathan Baird, Cleveland.com

Ohio State has a very serious shot at a national title this season (what’s new?), however the Buckeyes’ defense is going to have to step up to make that happen. This year’s group—sans Chase Young, Jeff Okudah, Damon Arnette, and Malik Harrison—has a lot to prove before it can call itself as good as the one LSU put on the field in 2019, writes Baird.


Gunnar Hoak ready for backup opportunity for Buckeyes

Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Quarterbacks C.J. Stroud and Jack Miller have received most of the attention in regards to who will be backing up Justin Fields, but Holbrook believes—due to the two freshmen’s lack of reps and Hoak’s knowledge of the playbook—that Hoak is more than ready to be QB2 this season.


Ohio State, you’re doing amazing, sweetie.


Meanwhile, at Clemson...

From everywhere else...


New prez


The Ohio State University Board of Trustees appointed Kristina M. Johnson, PhD, as the 16th president in university history. Johnson has served as chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY) since 2017 and brings more than 30 years of experience as an academic, business and policy leader, Ohio State wrote in its press release.

Johnson said Ohio State has always been a special place for her, due to the fact that her grandfather graduated from OSU in 1896 and played right guard for the Buckeyes.

She will begin her tenure as Ohio State president on September 1, 2020.


Proud to be an Ohio State alum


Ohio State student-athletes, staff and OSU police came together in front of the ‘Shoe for a “Kneel for Nine” demonstration. Organized by student-athletes, the group knelt for nine minutes in remembrance of George Floyd, who’s neck was under a Minneapolis police officer’s knee for around nine minutes.


Back to school!


You know what that means don’t you?


The NBA is back!


According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski:


MLS is back!


The MLSPA have voted on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement and approved a return-to-play plan. The approval of the proposal avoids a lockout that had been threatened by MLS.

“MLS Players today ratified a new collective bargaining agreement, which will run through the 2025 season,” the MLSPA said in a statement. “Today’s vote also finalizes a plan to resume the 2020 season and provides players with certainty for the months ahead. It allows our members to move forward and continue to compete in the game they love.”

The approval now opens the door for the league to return to the field in June with a World Cup-style tournament to be held at the Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World. The teams are expected to arrive in Orlando, Florida, in three weeks, according to ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle.

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How will Ohio State replace the production of Chase Young?
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Buckeyes’ defensive line has some massive shoes to fill

We touched on it briefly in yesterday’s Buckeye Bits, but on Tuesday Bill Connelly dropped a great piece on ESPN about college football’s national title contenders. Specifically, he looked at the teams with the best title odds according to Caesars Sportsbook, and for each program he looked at just how many “ifs” it would take for that school to win it all.

Ohio State was included in the elite group of upper-tier teams that required only two “ifs” in order to contend for a title — the only other programs in that group being Clemson and Alabama. One of the Buckeyes’ ifs required their clearly talented wide receiver core to actually play up to its incredibly high potential, but the other was a bit more of a question mark: If OSU wants to contend for a title, they must keep up the pass rush without Chase Young.

I hate to break it to you, but I don't think Ohio State has another generational talent on the roster quite like the 6-foot-5, 265-pound No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft. Now, that’s not to say there aren’t some really good guys along this year’s defensive line, but Young was absolutely out of this world. The junior led the nation with 16.5 (!!) sacks despite being forced to miss two games, and according to Connelly he generated pressure on 19% of his pass rushes — the most by far of any player with at least 200 attempts.

It’s not just Young that the Buckeyes are tasked with replacing either. Of the nation-leading 54 sacks Ohio State registered in 2019, only 20.5 were by players who will be returning in 2020. Guys like DaVon Hamilton (six sacks), Jashon Cornell (4) and Malik Harrison (3.5) all must have their production replaced this upcoming season as well. Luckily, what the team may lack in pure star power like that of Young, they make up for in depth.

While there is certainly going to be heavy rotation along the defensive line this season, the strength of the unit will really rely on both Zach Harrison and Tyreke Smith.

Harrison, now a sophomore, was a five-star prospect out of high school, and the No. 2 DE in the country in his class. Both Young and fellow defensive end Jonathan Cooper had high praise for the talented edge rusher last season, with Young having called him a “force to be reckoned with,” and Cooper lauding his athleticism and work ethic. Having played in more of a limited role the past season, Harrison will now be expected to take the next step and prove that potential on the field.

Oddly enough, as a freshman Harrison finished with 3.5 sacks and 22 total tackles with five for a loss. Chase Young’s first season in Columbus? 3.5 sacks, 18 total tackles, five for a loss. It’s asking a lot for Harrison to mirror what Young did in 2019, and nobody is actually expecting that of him, but the potential for a breakout season for the second-year man is certainly on the table.

Smith, while not as well-known nationally as Harrison, was also a highly rated prospect out of high school. As the No. 4 WDE in the nation in the 2018 class, the Cleveland native now enters year three looking to make that junior jump we’ve seen from Ohio State players all too often. Injuries have slowed down his progress in his first two seasons in Columbus, but Smith was able to put together a solid year in 2019, finishing with three sacks and five tackles for loss. He and Harrison are expected to be the first-teamers on this year’s defense.

Those guys will have a ton of help, however, as the Buckeyes’ defensive line has some impeccable depth. The aforementioned Cooper is returning for a fifth year after an ankle injury forced him to redshirt last season, and there's reason to believe he’ll be entering the year with something to prove after becoming an afterthought in 2019.

There are also players like Tyler Friday and Javontae Jean-Baptiste. Both four-star recruits out of high school, the pair of third-year defensive ends could become key members of this rotating cast this upcoming season. With two sacks by Friday and 1.5 by Jean-Baptiste last year in reserve duty, there's no reason to think an increase in production is out of the question with another offseason of tutelage under Larry Johnson.

Ohio State should also have some pass-rushing talent up the middle. Last season, Hamilton was second on the team with six sacks from his defensive tackle spot. This year, the team is hoping to see the return of Taron Vincent, who missed all of the previous campaign with a shoulder injury. The top DT recruit in the country in 2018, Vincent, alongside Haskell Garrett and Tommy Togiai, should be able to cause some disruption to help out the rest of their fellow linemen.

I can almost promise you this: nobody on Ohio State’s current roster will match Chase Young’s 16.5 sacks — I will GLADLY be Old Takes Exposed to death if that actually happens. In fact, there may not be one Buckeye that reaches double-digit sacks this upcoming season, but that’s okay. This unit does not have the big flashy names it has in years prior, but it is a deep group with lots of talent and some untapped potential that should not have a problem getting to the quarterback in 2020.

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Committed to WVU. Great get for the Mountaineers.

247 has a profile page on him now.

LovelandBuckeye said:

I wish him well but the Grammar Police just put out an APB for him.

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You mean "APR" for him?

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For that, Hart and Henne, you are The Worst.

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cincibuck said:

Just finished watching most of the season and the NC game. How did they win the Big Ten, let alone an NC? Coulda, probably shoulda lost to Purdue, Illinois, Michigan and Cincinnati. While Krenzel didn’t fumble or throw a bunch of interceptions, he also wasn’t accurate. Grooms and Nugent, Jenkins and Gamble, Smith, Doss, Wilhelm, Oleva and Stepanovich and the rest was smoke and mirrors. Took me two days to recover from the NC hangover.

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Not only that but they capped the year winning a NC against a team that had won what 34 straight? One of the most talented teams to ever step on a college field.

Also MoC didn't even rush for 50 yards and Craig threw for 122 yards (is that even accurate???).

We needed every inch of motivation to gut that one out.

What was most satisfying? I watched it with my sister's boyfriend who was a Canes fan who trash talked all damn game. The loud noise you heard when Cie Grant rag dolled Dorsey wasn't our fans it was me 2000 miles away.

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2015: JALIN MARSHALL BEATS JEREMY CLARK FOR 25-YARD TOUCHDOWN GRAB
Ohio State led just 14-10 at halftime in the 2015 edition of The Game. Looking for a spark to start the third quarter to create some separation and quiet the Big House crowd, the Buckeyes did just that.

After Ezekiel Elliott gashed the Wolverines with gains of 7, 21, 15 and 9 yards helping the Buckeyes drive to the Michigan 25 yard line, Urban Meyer and company figured Michigan would be ripe for a pass over the top.

On 1st-and-10, J.T. Barrett play faked to Elliott, dropped back and lobbed a throw toward Jalin Marshall on a post route.

Playing through defensive holding and pass interference, Marshall showed excellent concentration and hands, fighting off Michigan cornerback Jeremy Clark for a 25-yard touchdown giving Ohio State a decisive 21-10 lead.

Marshall's catch capped an 8-play, 82-yard drive – one of five OSU scoring drives of 75 or more yards on the afternoon.

The grab jump-started what became a 28-3 run in the second half as Ohio State exited Michigan Stadium with a 42-13 victory.

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2016: CURTIS SAMUEL DELIVERS THE BROOKLYN DAGGER IN OVERTIME
Ohio State found itself in double overtime against Michigan in 2016 thanks in large part to a stagnant offense that gave Curtis Samuel just 10 touches before the final play of the game.

Facing 3rd-and-9 from the Michigan 24 yard line, trailing 27-24 in the second overtime, Samuel peeled off a drunken sideline-to-sideline zig-zag after a swing pass from Barrett for eight yards.

Now staring down a 4th-and-1 with the game on the line, Urban Meyer went to J.T. Barrett for the 30th time on the ground that afternoon and the signal-caller gained exactly one yard to move the chains following the most accurate official spot in the history of the sport.

As Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan sideline cried about the placement of the football, giving Ohio State new life with 1st-and-10 at the Michigan 15, the Buckeye braintrust opted against giving Barrett another carry, instead calling Samuel's number for just the seventh time in the run game via a shotgun give off left tackle.

Fifteen yards untouched later, Ohio State escaped with a 30-27 double overtime win over Harbaugh's squad.

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Anybody tired of seeing this play yet? I didn't think so....

Ohio State offers a trio of tight ends on Tuesday
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Westminster School TE Holden Staes | Rusty Mansell, 247Sports
The Buckeyes continue to fill out their target board for the 2022 class

We’ve talked ad nauseam about the strength of Ohio State’s 2021 recruiting class. However, at a program like the one that resides in Columbus, you cannot step back all too often to rest on your laurels. The grind never stops, and before this current cycle is wrapped up a ton of work must be put into getting a head start on 2022 if the team wants to build continued success.

Three new Buckeye offers


As of the time this is being written, 247Sports has the running total for Ohio State’s 2022 scholarship offers at 65. However, with at least two of the newest offers having not yet hit the site, the actual number is likely somewhere north of 67. On Tuesday morning, the Buckeyes had an offer out to just one tight end in the class, but that number grew exponentially later that afternoon.

The first guy to officially add his name to the list is Westminster School’s Holden Staes. Not yet being rated by 247Sports, Staes is listed as a high three-star prospect on Rivals.


The Georgia native adds Ohio State to an already impressive list of at least 20 offers, including the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Michigan, Penn State and others. The 6-foot-4, 240 pound tight end as seen his recruitment pick up as of late with both the Crimson Tide and Tigers offers coming at the end of May and now most recently the Buckeyes. Look for him to be at least a four-star prospect when the next update comes around.

Tight end is a big position of need in the 2022 class for Ohio State, and so the work did not stop there. A short while later, fellow TE Benji Gosnell took to Twitter to announce his latest offer from the Buckeyes.


A four-star prospect, Gosnell is the No. 5 TE in the class and the No. 9 player out of his home state of North Carolina according to 247Sports. The East Surry product currently holds offers from at least 14 programs, including the likes of Florida, Georgia, Notre Dame and Tennessee. Ryan Day was able to snag one of the Tar Heel State’s top prospects in RB Evan Pryor during this current cycle, and he'll be looking to do the same with Gosnell in 2022.

The offers did not stop there for Kevin Wilson and Co., as Bennett Christian became the third tight end in the span of about an hour to announce a scholarship offer from Ohio State on Twitter.


Without yet having a rating on either 247Sports or Rivals, the 6-foot-5, 225 pound tight end has around 10 different offers at this time, including programs such as Kentucky, Michigan State, Nebraska and Pittsburgh. A Georgia native like Staes, coach Wilson must have been doing his homework on tight ends on the East Coast, feeling comfortable enough to send out the trio of offers on Tuesday.

The TE spot is certainly going to be a position of great emphasis in the 2022 class, as both Luke Farrell and Jeremy Ruckert will likely be off to the NFL following this upcoming season. Ohio State currently has one TE commit in the 2021 class in Sam Hart, and could potentially still be adding the four-star Hudson Wolfe to the mix, but it is definitely a position group worth keeping an eye on moving forward.

Quick Hits

• Two of Ohio State’s early commits in the 2022 class are teaming up to give back to their community. Jyaire Brown and Tegra Tshabola will be hosting a youth camp for ages 8-14, with training in both offensive line and skill positions.

• I touched on this earlier on Tuesday in my Buckeye Bits column, but Ohio State running back commit TreVeyon Henderson has drawn some incredibly high praise.

Continue reading...

Buckeye Bits: Ohio State players/staff speak up, how the Bucks can contend for a title, the next great OSU RB, 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

#BlackoutTuesday
All of the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond

With everything that’s currently going on in the world, it would feel wrong to make some kind of snarky joke or say something sarcastic like I usually would at the beginning of these things. Instead, today we will just be bringing you the latest Ohio State news. Some of it will be sports related to help escape the harsh realities of society, but I feel it is also important to highlight the outstanding work our fellow Buckeyes and others are doing to help take steps toward social justice and equality.

Without further ado, let’s get on with today’s headlines.

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...

• Ohio State offers 2021 four-star combo guard
  (Dan Hessler, LGHL)

Ryan Day isn’t the only Ohio State coach that gets to have some fun in the recruiting game. Chris Holtmann is putting in the work as well, and having already put together the nation’s No. 5 class in this cycle, they are hoping to make the short list for a top prospect later this week.

• Play Like a Girl podcast: A tribute to Phyllis George
  (Tia and Meredith, LGHL)

In this special written edition of the Play Like a Girl Podcast, Tia and Meredith pay homage to one of the trailblazers for women in sports media: Phyllis George. As host of The NFL Today beginning in 1975, CBS’ premier pregame show, George paved the way for so many talented women to make a name for themselves in a predominantly male realm.

• Ryan Day has changed the quarterback position at Ohio State
  (Gene Ross, LGHL)

With no theme week from the mothership over at SB Nation this week, I decided to do a little bit of a dive into Ryan Day’s success coaching quarterbacks at Ohio State. Before he was the headman, he was in charge of the QB room, and since he’s joined the staff the Buckeyes have become one of the most prolific passing offenses in the nation.

From around the gridiron...

• The Ohio State football team put out a very powerful video on their Twitter feed last night, with many of its players and also coach Day advocating for the change that so many in this country are currently seeking.

• This is the first and likely only time I will ever say this, but you have to respect Jim Harbaugh for this move. In times like these, it’s important that those in a position of power and influence take a stand. For once, Day and Harbaugh are on the same page.

Ugly mask, though.

• Ohio State wide receiver C.J. Saunders arrested for curfew violation
  (Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors)

Saunders was detained by Columbus PD after walking from North High Street at 10:45 p.m. despite a 10 p.m. city curfew. The sixth-year senior, who is still awaiting word from the NCAA in terms of his eligibility for this upcoming season, posted bond at the Franklin County Jail on Tuesday morning. The arrest report did not specify if Saunders was participating in the protest, but that is assumed to have been the case. If so, good for CJ for sticking up for what he believes in.

• Why Corey Dennis was the right pick to lead Buckeyes’ QBs
  (Austin Ward, Lettermen Row)

With the departure of Mike Yurcich to Texas, Ohio State was in need of a new quarterbacks coach. Sure, Ryan Day was pretty much the man in charge of the room anyway, but the team needed someone on staff they could trust to carry on Day’s methods and teachings. According to the Bucks’ head coach, continuity among the coaches was a big factor in promoting Corey Dennis to fill the role.

• How each top 2020 college football team becomes a national title contender
  (Bill Connelly, ESPN)

Our good friend Bill over at ESPN put together a great piece looking at the two biggest “ifs” for each team in college football that has a chance to win a national title. When it comes to Ohio State, Connelly said the most important aspects will be finding ways to replace Chase Young’s production along the defensive line and the need for all of their high-upside wideouts to show prove that high upside.

• Charles Power of 247Sports had some incredibly high praise for Ohio State commit TreVeyon Henderson, calling the five-star RB “the most complete running back prospect entering his senior season in several recruiting cycles.” He’s got all the tools necessary to be the next great back for the Buckeyes.

• Speaking of Ohio State running backs, Trey Sermon has arrived.

From everywhere else...

• The Big Ten has announced the creation of Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Coalition, intended to be comprised of the conference’s student-athletes, coaches, and other members of the community as we all work together to create a better world.

• I would highly recommend taking time out of your day to watch this video from Emmanuel Acho. It is incredibly profound and yet another instance of someone using their platform to help inspire change and further the education on such a tough topic.

• Some good news in the world of sports: the NBA is working on a plan to make its return. The proposal, which would include 22 teams either in the playoffs/on the verge of a playoff spot playing at the ESPN complex in Orlando, would have the season resume on July 31, and would extend potentially to Oct. 12.

• We should all be proud to be Buckeyes in times like these, especially with a guy like Ryan Day in charge of things. His unwavering support has not gone unnoticed.

Continue reading...

Play Like a Girl podcast (written edition): A tribute to Phyllis George
Tia Johnston via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images
Tia and Meredith discuss George’s impact on the industry and how she paved the way for women in sports

On this week’s special (written) edition of Play Like a Girl, Meredith and Tia pay special tribute to Phyllis George, a pioneer of sports broadcasting and one of the first women to report sports on-air.

Hey friends - sorry we can’t share our dulcet tones with you this week, but it’s been a couple weeks since Phyllis George passed away, and Tia and I wanted to pay special tribute to this special person who paved the way so much for us and other female sportswriters and broadcasters.

Phyllis George did a lot of things throughout her career, but we’re going to focus on a subset that’s relevant to this podcast (even in written form). George was host of The NFL Today, CBS’ premiere pregame show, starting in 1975. It’s been many decades, the world has certainly changed and, as it relates to George, has opened up to women in sports.

Meredith: I’ll admit that I didn’t know a lot about Phyllis before hearing about her death, so I recognize that I’ve become one of those people who posthumously mourns someone who didn’t really impact me directly, but it was upsetting that I wasn’t really aware of the contributions of Phyllis as a pioneer in a field which is really important in my life. And even though her on-air time was before my time, her influence has certainly been felt: Doris Burke, Robin Roberts, Hannah Storm and others are all broadcasters I’ve looked up to over the years.

Tia: I’m with you in that I didn’t know much about her until now, but after googling her and watching YouTube video after YouTube video, I think she’s my new hero. Here are some good ones that capture who she was and some of the work she did:


It’s almost sad that, when I watch some of her interviews and broadcasts, my thoughts instantly go to “I bet so many people didn’t take her seriously,” which has nothing to do with her performance, and has everything to do with the fact that women sports broadcasters are still, to this day, not taken seriously by some, let alone George who was the very first woman to do it.

Meredith: I was born in 1990, and by that time, there were a few women in sports who I’ve always remembered being on the air (confirmed by The Last Dance, which featured several early- to mid-1990s female reporters), but I can’t imagine what it was like back in the 1970s when it really was “a man’s world.”

One of the things that stuck out to me was something her daughter said about when Phyllis would receive hate mail. “Mom said that when she stopped reading the letters, she gained so much confidence.” We’ve talked about that subject on the show so much, and it’s really such great advice. I mean, you want to be able to take guidance and grow (because a growth mindset is important), but when people are really just insecure about themselves and try to tear you down to build themselves up, it’s best to just ignore them.

What’s horribly depressing is that we continue to see this kind of behavior on social media (or in our comments section) every day. We’ve talked extensively on the pod about the quizzing and the comments that men will make when they find out we like sports, but at least we can laugh together about it. I can’t even imagine what it was like for Phyllis when she was literally the first woman there.

Tia: When you’re in the business of putting out content or speaking on camera, allowing yourself to be judged by everyone reading or watching or listening, I think it’s so easy to tell yourself “oh, I can ignore the trolls! They’re just insecure!” or “I’ll just turn a blind eye,” but turning that into action is incredibly difficult. Not only did George keep her chin up and blatantly ignore the hateful letters, she did so with grace and class. I have nothing against snapping back at awful comments you might get on Twitter— sometimes you just gotta reply— but I’m a firm believer that no reaction is the best reaction. It makes me smile thinking of those men back in the 70s who, even after sending her hate mail, had to watch her grace their televisions once more...with even more confidence.

Meredith: Phyllis was also Miss America back in 1971. I love that she used that platform to grow and pioneer the sports broadcast industry as a place for women. I’m going to be real: I couldn’t name a single Miss America winner, so it’s pretty cool that she continued to leverage that part of her life to build this place for women in sports.

Obviously the disparity still exists today. Brent Musburger, who was on NFL Today with Phyllis back in the day, cited the “dozens” of women whom Phyllis paved the way for when it came to sports broadcasting. “Dozens” is not a lot. There are literally dozens of sports networks with hundreds of shows and thousands of individuals involved over five decades. How are there only dozens of women that Musburger can think of?

Tia: Downsizing her impact to “a dozen” is a slap in the face to George, who literally paved the way for every single female sports broadcaster since 1975. Every single one of them. Like you said, that’s not a dozen, but thousands of women. Not to mention the hundreds of women in the 70s who loved sports, maybe wanted to work in sports, but were told it was not a place for women, only to see George pop up on their screens chatting about football.

“Sometimes you have to see it to be it; you have to know something is a career option in order to aspire to it,” SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm told The New York Times. “Which means someone has to be first. That was Phyllis George — a true trailblazer.”

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Ohio State offers 2021 four-star combo guard
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Westtown School combo guard Jalen Warley | GoFlashWin
The guard received an offer from Ohio State over the weekend and he is now set to trim his list down.

Chris Holtmann and the Basketball Buckeyes have been hard at work putting together elite level recruiting classes during these unprecedented times. The program continued to do so over this past weekend and the work may already be paying off.

Ohio State officially offered four-star combo-guard Jalen Warley (Norristown, PA/Wesstown School) following a virtual visit, according to Jake Weingarten of StockRisers.


The offer puts Ohio State among the likes of Creighton, Louisville, LSU, Marquette, Maryland, Michigan, Penn State, Oregon and Xavier in pursuit of earning a commitment from Warley.

The Buckeyes will soon learn if the virtual visit and offer were well received, as Warley is also planning on trimming his list down this week. He took to Twitter recently saying he will be releasing his top schools on June 7th.


Warley is one of the top prospects in the 2021 class, one where Ohio State already holds the No. 5 spot in the 247Sports class rankings. He is listed as the No. 3 CG in the country and is the No. 28 overall prospect despite position. Warley would make for an excellent addition alongside already verbally committed four-star CG Meechie Johnson and three-star power forward Kalen Etzler.

Quick Hits:

• In news that will surely not be surprising for Buckeye Nation, defensive ends are leading the way in 247Sports Bill Kurelic’s Ohio State 2022 big board.
• The tight end position is one of great importance in Ohio State’s 2022 recruiting class, and four-star Donovan Green spoke with Rivals about the Buckeyes pursuit for him and what he thinks of the program.

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Buckeye Bits: Ohio State in the running for Michigan’s top recruit, Gene Smith supports athletes’ protesting, more
Tia Johnston via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
All of the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond.

As a sports writer, it’s becoming more and more difficult to “stick to sports” lately. On one hand, sports are a great way to distract yourself from the horribleness that is our world right now. On the other hand, distracting yourself is a privilege that, for many, is not an option. Not to mention, distracting yourself does absolutely nothing to help drive change— something we so desperately need. I guess what I’m trying to say is, if you need a mental health break from taking in all the violence happening in every city in the country, take one. Sports content is a great way to do that. After that, however, I think it’s important that you continue to educate yourself on what it means to be antiracist, sign petitions, donate to charities and proactive groups, vote in local elections, and read these incredibly well written articles:

Our Matt Tamanini’s latest on Seth Towns’ protests and what we can learn from him.


And this one by Cleveland.com’s Doug Lesmerises.


Now, here’s what’s happening around the Ohio State beat and beyond.

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...


Column: How “no fan” sporting events might affect home field advantage

Meredith Hein, LGHL

In Meredith’s latest column, she highlights the many other types of advantages that playing at home brings, even without fans in the stands.

Column: TBDBITL has always made me cry, but sometimes those tears are exactly what I need

Matt Tamanini, LGHL

Matt capped off “Sports Moments That Made You Cry” Week by describing, in detail, the sports moment that makes him cry every single time without fail: The Ohio State Marching Band’s entrance into the ‘Shoe.

This upcoming season will likely be the first one since I was five that I will not get to see TBDBITL perform inside the ‘Shoe, which made this column even more of a tearjerker.

Podcast: I Want to Go Back - Chic Harley and the unstoppable 1916 Buckeyes

Jim Baird, LGHL

Next up on his podcast series I Want to Go Back, Jim talks about one of Ohio State’s most legendary running backs, Chic Harley, and how he shifted the entirety of college football.

Ryan Day has changed the quarterback position at Ohio State

Gene Ross, LGHL

If, somehow, you are still not sold on Ryan Day, Gene pulled some receipts for you.

From around the gridiron...


Coombs continues strong bid to land No. 1 Michigan recruit

Bill Kurelic, Bucknuts

Ohio State is a strong contender for Michigan’s No. 1 2022 prospect/ the nation’s No. 4 cornerback, who, according to 247Sports is not even considering Harbaugh’s Wolverines as his future team, which, according to yours truly, is hilarious.


Ohio State’s 11 most experienced players entering the 2020 season

Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

Hope took a look at the 11 most experienced Buckeyes heading into the season, ranked by the number of snaps each of them have played in their Ohio State careers. When Chris Olave is listed as the least experienced, you know you’ve got a pretty good list.


Arm strength helps make Justin Fields Heisman-ready quarterback

Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Justin Fields was near perfect last season with just three thrown interceptions, 41 touchdowns, and over 3,000 yards. What’s scary (for other teams) is that he’s piling on a whole second year of training with some of the best quarterback coaches in the country, including QB Whisperer Ryan Day and the rest of Ohio State’s offensive staff, meaning he’s just going to come back...more perfect.


Ohio State Buckeyes alternate helmet concepts

Brad Crawford, Bucknuts

Check out these alternate helmet options designed by IU_Customs on Instagram. Not gonna like, I like all of them.


Predicting Ohio State football’s 2020 sacks leader: Buckeye Talk Daily Pod’s ‘Mark It Down Monday’

Nathan Baird, Cleveland.com

Now that Chase Young is off doing bigger and better things, who will be this season’s head quarterback terrorizer? Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means of Cleveland.com discuss their picks, as well as how many sacks they’ll tally up, in their latest podcast.

From around the hardwood...


Seth Towns continues to protest in downtown Columbus.


Towns is already becoming many Ohio State fans’ favorite player and he hasn’t even worn a scarlet and gray jersey yet. No matter what he does on the court, I could not be happier that Chris Holtmann snagged this guy from Harvard.


New TBT podcast


Lettermen Row’s Drive The Lane Podcast—hosted by former Ohio State men’s basketball captain, Joey Lane, and Andrew Zoldan— are teaming up with TBT to produce the official podcast for the tournament, Inside TBT, where they’ll provide TBT content all summer long.

From everywhere else...


Gene Smith supports Ohio State athletes’ right to protest, encourages them to participate in conversations about racial injustice

Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

Gene Smith “wholeheartedly” supports Seth Towns’ and other Ohio State athletes’ right to protest, stating that “they have the ability to do what other generations haven’t done.” He also says it’s “extremely important” for head coaches to advocate for change, as well— something they have done, while other prominent head coaches have yet to do.

Hope has more on that, along with Smith’s personal thoughts on the matter.


Good news for music majors and performers!


Ohio State is getting a long overdue new music building, thanks to a $17 million gift from alum Ratmir Timashec and his family’s charity foundation. It will be named the “Timashev Family Music Building” in their honor, and will “be among the most acoustically and technologically advanced facilities in the nation upon its completion in 2022,” according to Ohio State.


Former Ohio State fullback Dionte Johnson’s downtown Columbus shoe store, Sole Classics, was damaged and looted during a protest on Friday night.


You can donate via a link he provided on his Instagram to help pay for damages and stolen inventory. He states that any donations that exceed the costs of said damages will be donated to neighboring minority-owned small businesses who also suffered damages.

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Well

LordJeffBuck said:

6. 1971 was a rebuilding season at Ohio State (6-4-0), but Michigan was loaded. The Wolverines went a perfect 11-0-0 during their regular season, including a 10-7 victory in The Game, but lost their national championship bid when they fell to Stanford in the Rose Bowl.

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Here's a little bit of history on the 1971 season about a QB a lot of Buckeye fans(maybe) never heard of:

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In 1950, the NCAA was gradually moving toward college football on television. The Big Ten struck it down and placed a ban on the televising of any football games within the conference for the 1950 season.

Opinions on the ban varied. Many feared a decline in attendance at games if fans could just watch from home, but it appears that members of the football team and fans were divided on the issue when asked.

It’s just a few opinions in one newspaper, and I'd be foolish to directly compare TV in 1950 to today in 2020, but it’s interesting to see the progression from concerns over a loss of ticket revenue to the powerhouse force that is college football on television that we know today.

Nonetheless, attendance wouldn’t be an issue moving forward when games were permitted to be televised again. As football's exposure on television increased, so did ticket sales.

But, I guess hindsight is always 20/20.

WoodyWorshiper said:

So, so true about the 1973 team. And, as hard as anyone wants to try they will never convince me that Randy Gradishar wasn't the greatest linebacker we ever had. Dude had the size of a defensive end. The speed of a cornerback. And the ballhawking ability of a safety. Forget linebacker, he may very well be the best overall defensive player we ever had.

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I wish GPAs were still a thing

1998 game that never happened in the 1st place

sad.......

Chris Rock going off on the black version of dumb ass rednecks.

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NJ-Buckeye said:

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Eww no.

This is not a political post. Posted here for Grammar Nazi joke only....

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