24 Club: Sam Willaman, a winner who followed a legend
Jim Baird via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Case Western Reserve University Archives
Willaman led the Buckeyes to five consecutive winning seasons, one of the best runs of any coach for OSU at the time

There have been 24 head coaches in the history of Ohio State football. Each has a story and legacy. This offseason, Land-Grant Holy Land’s new series 24 Club will help you get to know the coaches from past and present who built the program. Today we look at Ohio State’s 13th coach Sam Willaman, who stepped in after a legend and delivered five consecutive winning seasons.


Name: Sam Willaman
Seasons Coached: Five (1929-1933)
Overall Record: 26-10-5

Where Does He Rank in the 24 Club?
Overall Wins: No. 9 out of 24 OSU Coaches
Winning Percentage: No. 13 out of 24 OSU Coaches


After 16 seasons, John Wilce stepped aside as Ohio State head coach. Before Wilce, Ohio State was a mid-tier power in the Ohio Athletic Conference. After Wilce, the Buckeyes had a string of Big Ten championships, victories over Michigan and a new Ohio Stadium. It’s never easy to replace a legend — but stepping into those shoes was Sam Willaman. Willaman was selected by Wilce to be his successor — and for good reason.

Willaman played for the Buckeyes, including for Wilce’s first Ohio State team in 1913. After a successful stint as head coach at Iowa State, he served as Wilce’s lead assistant coach. But the move to Willaman almost didn’t happen. The Buckeyes heard through the grapevine that Knute Rockne, the famed coach of Notre Dame, was interested in coaching in the Big Ten. Athletic Director Lynn St. John approached Rockne — and there appeared to be serious interest among both parties. But Rockne re-signed with Notre Dame, and the Buckeyes turned to Willaman.

Willaman led the Buckeyes to five straight winning seasons — tying Wilce for the most successful consecutive winning seasons of any coach in OSU history. The run saw a 2-3 record against Michigan — becoming only the second OSU coach (after Wilce) to beat the Wolverines. Willaman’s 1933 team was his best — finishing 7-1, but suffering a setback against the eventual undefeated national champion Wolverines. OSU finished second in the Big Ten. At the end of the season, Willaman resigned amid calls from the fans who were dissatisfied with the dry spell of Big Ten championships. The Buckeyes would win zero conference championships under Willaman — and had not claimed a conference title since 1920, before Ohio Stadium was built.

Willaman was a successful coach but stepped into a challenging situation following up his legendary predecessor. The program and its fans had high expectations. A string of winning seasons wasn’t going to be good enough. Championships were now the markers for success. The Buckeyes had Ohio Stadium — it was time to find a coach who could deliver some new banners to hang there.

The man the Buckeyes turned to next would do just that.

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Ohio State in touch with Georgia power forward
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 Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
The basketball Buckeyes are looking to put together another solid recruiting class.

Chris Holtmann and the basketball Buckeyes already hold an early verbal pledge from three-star Cincinnati Princeton shooting guard Bowen Hardman, and are still searching the recruiting trail rather hard for more talented class of 2022 recruits to bring to Columbus.

Now able to contact prospects from the junior class, the Buckeyes have been in touch with a long list of standouts from across the country. Making Georgia just one of their top priorities during the process, one of Ohio State’s assistants broke bread with a Peach State power forward.

“I talked to coach Pedon. We only texted that first night when college coaches can text us, and we talked to on the phone.” 6-foot-8, 190-pound Grayson High junior Chauncey Wiggins stated to Land-Grant Holy Land.

“They said they want to build a relationship with my family and me and they said Ohio State is a very special place and we want to show you why.” Wiggins continued.

Yet to lock in a scholarship from the Buckeyes, Wiggins does hold offers from a solid bunch of college programs. Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Ole Miss, and Vanderbilt are just a few of the schools trying to add him to their future roster.

Although he doesn’t have a Ohio State offer on the table at the moment, Wigginis has definitely noticed what Holtman, Pedon, and crew are putting together in the Big Ten Conference.

“I think of they get people to the NBA, like D’Angelo Russell. I also think they’re a nice school, and play very good defense too.” He, said.

Battling a stress fracture in his foot, Wiggins might’ve missed some time on the court last season as a sophomore, but shined when he was on it. Suiting up for Eastside High before transferring to Grayson, he reportedly averaged over 12 points, and nearly eight rebounds a contest for the Eagles.

Quick Hits

• Ohio State has been in contact with 7-foot-1 big man Jake Martin. Martin, a newly classified 2022 prospect, is starting to gain major college attention. Not just OSU, but Georgia, Marquette, and TCU are some of the schools showing interest in Martin, who averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds last season at Whitewater High (WI).
• Five-star class of 2021 center Chet Holmgren released his leader list on Friday. Trimming this down from over 25 offers, Holmgren will call either Ohio State, North Carolina, Michigan, Gonzaga, Georgetown, Memphis, or Minnesota home. Want to know more on Holmgren’s top programs? Land-Grant Holy Land has you covered.

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Podcast: I Want to Go Back - John Wilce’s Buckeyes Defend Newly Opened Ohio Stadium
Jim Baird via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Ohio Stadium dedication game program, October 21, 1922. | Ohio State University
Relive the greatest stories from Ohio State football history in Season 2 of Land-Grant Holy Land’s exclusive podcast series.

Ohio State football has an unrivaled tradition and history. Now, it’s time to relive those epic moments once more. Each Monday over the next eight weeks, you can listen to Season 2 of I Want to Go Back — Land-Grant Holy Land’s exclusive podcast series that brings to life the greatest lost stories from Ohio State football history. This season, we’ll go back to OSU’s rise to power in the early days of the Big Ten Conference.

On this week’s episode — John Wilce’s Buckeyes Defend Newly Opened Ohio Stadium


As he had done countless times before, OSU coach John Wilce walked onto a football field. Wilce was already a legend. Now in 1922, he entered his 10th season leading the Buckeye program — and what a run it had been. He coached Ohio State to conference championships in 1916 and 1917 under the dashing and dazzling runs of All-American halfback Chic Harley. Wilce’s team was doing more than winning Big Ten Championships, they were breaking curses. The jinx that had plagued the Buckeyes — a 0-13-2 record against the Wolverines — ended in Ann Arbor in 1919 as Harley raced into the endzone and the history books, sparking the rivalry to come.

Wilce proved that he was building a program that transcended an individual player. With Harley graduated, halfback Pete Stinchcomb picked up the torch and illuminated the path forward to capture another championship in 1920 and the Buckeyes first ever trip to the Rose Bowl. The grandstands of Ohio Field — where the men of scarlet and gray were now so dominant — overflowed. With ticket demand soaring — and more than a million dollars of public funding raised — a new stadium would be built. Steel was erected, concrete poured, and the clang of work shadowed over the 1921 season.

The work was done in 1922. A new stadium stood. Now, Wilce’s Buckeyes took the field against the Wolverines for the dedication game to defend their new home. The game and the seasons to follow would test Wilce and the Ohio State program like never before.

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Ohio State makes cut for five-star center Chet Holmgren
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 courtesy of 247 Sports
The No. 3 player in the 2021 class included the Buckeyes alongside Minnesota, Michigan, and four others.

Buckeye basketball news has been tough to come by lately, but Friday night was the start to an especially sweet weekend for Chris Holtmann and Co., as five-star center Chet Holmgren included Ohio State in his final seven schools. The announcement, sent out on Twitter, included the Buckeyes alongside rival Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Gonzaga, Georgetown, and Memphis. Holmgren’s father, Dave, played for Minnesota in the 1980’s. Purdue and Texas were also thought to be in the mix, but were not included.


Holmgren, who stands 7 feet tall and weights 190 pounds, is the top-ranked post player in the 2021 recruiting class, the top player in Minnesota, and the third-ranked player in the 2021 class, according to 247Sports.

The Minneapolis, Minnesota native has been offered scholarships from 29 schools representing all five power conferences, including an offer from Ohio State in June of 2019. He took an official visit to Columbus on September 21, 2019, taking in the Ohio State vs Miami (OH) football game in the shoe.


Holmgren is considered one of the most unique prospects of the past decade, as he already possesses an above average outside shot in addition to elite shot blocking and rebounding ability. Obviously, he will get a bit bigger in order to hang tough with college post players, but 247Sports projects his ceiling as a potential NBA lottery pick.

Ohio State currently has the seventh-ranked recruiting class in 2021, with commitments from four-star guard Meechie Johnson and four-star wing Kalen Etzler. With Kyle Young entering his final season and Kaleb Wesson having left for the NBA, there will be an obvious need for post players, and Holmgren would be the biggest BOOM for Holtmann during his Ohio State tenure if he’s able to lock it down.

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Buckeye Bits: BIA making changes, OSU becoming QBU, basketball changes
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

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

Another “work” week is now behind us, and we are now one week closer to what we currently expect to be the start of college football practices. Will the July 13 start of “fall” camps hold? Who knows, but today in Buckeye Bits, we wrap up the week with all the OSU news that’s fit to print.

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...


Ohio State’s 2021 DB crew may be reorganizing itself

Caleb Houser, LGHL

My favorite thing about this 2021 recruiting class for the Buckeyes is how they all have adopted the mentality that they are going to be an extension of the team’s recruiting efforts.

10 players to watch in TBT 2020

Connor Lemons, LGHL

This is a great list of players to pay attention to when TBT starts up next week. As Connor says in the article, it isn’t necessarily the best players in the tournament, but the ones that should be amongst the most exciting to watch.

Get your Ohio State face coverings today!

Tia Johnston, LGHL

If you’re gonna wear a mask (and you SHOULD wear a mask), if should be an Ohio State mask!

Trey Sermon could “swing the 2020 college football season”

Tia Johnston, LGHL

I don’t think that Ohio State has to have an All-Big Ten level running back to win the conference and to contend for the national title, but if Trey Sermon could turn himself into that, it would certainly help his new team’s efforts.

From around the gridiron...


Could Ohio State football add another defensive back to its 2021 recruiting class?

Stephen Means, cleveland.com

Earlier this week, Ohio State had its first decommitment of the 2021 class as Devonta Smith decided to explore other options, reportedly heading to join Alabama at some point in the near future.

Despite Smith just being a three-star prospect, I think it would be foolish to believe that the loss won’t hurt OSU’s secondary. If you are decommiting from Ohio State to eventually accept an offer from ‘Bama, chances are that there are other reasons why you haven’t been awarded a fourth star yet.

But, while Smith’s departure does create a hole for Kerry Coombs and company, if the Buckeyes decide to add another DB this cycle, chances are that they will be holding out for a stud. While Means runs through some options, I also think that it is important to remember that there is a long time to go until Signing Days in December and February, and that we are likely to see far more turbulence than normal as prospects contend with the repercussions that the pandemic has on recruiting.

I’ll put the over/under on first team selections at 9.5. What do you have?


Retracing the Steps that have Ryan Day Seeking to Make Ohio State the Next QBU

Colin Hass-Hill, Eleven Warriors

We all know that OSU is DBU, DLU, RBU, and WRU, but based on Ryan Day’s three years in Columbus, it looks like it is not out of the realm of possibilities that within a few more years that OSU could be QBU as well.

J.T. Barrett was already well on his way to cementing himself as an Ohio State and Big Ten legend by the time that Day got to town, but his new position coach’s hand certainly helped his development during his senior year. And then we saw what one year under Day’s tutelage did for Dwayne Haskins, and we are all anxiously awaiting year two for Justin Fields in the system.

With C.J. Stroud, Jack Miller, Kyle McCord already set for the next round of Buckeye QBs, it’s exciting to think what Day will be able to accomplish with OSU QBs of the future.

Morehouse might be the first, but they won’t be the last.


Jeff Hafley Staying in Touch with Ryan Day, Former Ohio State Players as He Navigates Unusual First Offseason as Boston College’s Head Coach

Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

I’m not going to lie, when it was announced that Jeff Hafley was leaving Ohio State to take over the program at Boston College, I was surprised. I knew that he would be a head coach fairly soon, but after watching how he spoke about his relationship with Ryan Day, I thought he’d be around at least for one more season, and if we got lucky, a third.

However, now that he is at BC, it tracks that he is still relying on his old friend to help him through what has to be an incredibly bizarre first six months on the job.

Just in case you had lost count.

From around the hardwood...


To-Do List: What Each Ohio State Basketball Player has to Accomplish in the Offseason

Colin Hass-Hill, Eleven Warriors

Whenever the Ohio State men’s basketball team takes to the floor for its next season, it’s going to look quite a bit different. For the first time since 2015, there won’t be a single Wesson on the team, and for the first time since 2016, there won’t be two Wessons on the team.

However, between a recent rash of transfers, the additions of Seth Towns, Justice Sueig, and Abel Porter, and a theoretically healthy Musa Jallow, this will be a much different Buckeye squad than what we saw when the season was abruptly ended earlier this year.

Despite these changes, Chris Holtmann’s squad has a lot of potential to continue to program’s progress to the upper echelons of college basketball.

New rule for the 2020 TBT (apparently): Every team must have at least one former Buckeye.

From everywhere else...


A Look at How Buckeyes are Aiding COVID-19 Relief Efforts

Ohio State Athletics

From former Buckeyes being spokespeople for educational programs to NFL stars raising money for important charities; from players speaking out in support of front line workers to alums providing aid to patients, the Ohio State family has gone above and beyond in providing help to those who need it during the coronavirus crisis.

Just be careful where you throw your cap and mortar board, don’t want to break a window or ceiling fan or anything.

And now for something completely different...


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Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch caught up with some of the Tat 5 and would you believe it, Mike Adams thinks the NCAA is trash.

“It was so stressful,” Adams said. “It was terrible, being young adults and the way they treated us and the (expletive) that they put us through interrogations every day for weeks and weeks via phone or in a room. Treating us like we have literally (committed) some type of felony or crazy crime, (like we’d) just killed someone.

“They’re the judge, jury and executioner. I think it’s bull. I think the NCAA really needs a whole overhaul, top to bottom. I just think it’s an outdated system designed to take advantage of these kids and capitalize off of them every chance they can.”

Adams, among others, also expressed support for a relaxing of NCAA rules that would finally permit college athletes to profit from their own name, image and likeness, offering that he could've made upwards of $5,000 a week and someone like Pryor could've raked in millions.

As they say, timing is everything.

MegaWoody said:

...And now that the ACC is reconfigured, Miami and Florida State are going to suffer the same in-league difficulties that tOSU and scUM do. They won't be able to pad their schedule with weak Big East teams and compile big winning percentages. The days of going undefeated into the BCS are over for those guys. They can count on a lot of seasons with 1 or 2 losses purely attributable to the tougher competition they must play in their new league.

Welcome to our world, Coach Coker.

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BayBuck said:

FSU-Miami

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That first post definitely aged well. Those two have not been the same.

BB73 said:

NFL Hall-of-Famer Sammy Baugh, who still holds the NFL single season punting average record at 51.4, and is third in career net punting average, says hello.

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And Slingin’ Sammy was a heck of a passer too.

On his first day of practice with the Redskins his position coach explained to him that timing had to be faster in the nfl than what he was used to.

Coach: “When that split end turns around on that button-hook, that pass has to hit him right in the eye. Any questions?”

Baugh: “Just one“

Coach: “Did something I say confuse you son, or were you just not listening?“

Baugh: “Which eye”

OSU_Buckguy said:

when i watched the unveiling of our 4 on sunday, i was reminded of watching the unveiling of the brackets for the 2011 tournament. kentucky as our 4 was the shaft of all shafts. freakin' kentucky was as hot as any team in the nation coming into the tournament. 5 of their 6 conference losses were by a combined 10 points after regulation. before the brackets were announced, uk was one of a few teams i absolutely did not want to see before the final four. of course they gave us uk in the sweet sixteen. of course. and of course they gave us gonzaga this year.

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OSU_Buckguy said:

oh, no doubt about that. kentucky was a 4-seed despite entering the tournament as the ap #11 team. we got by far the most difficult 4-seed despite deserving the worst 4-seed since we were the overall #1 team.

also...

north carolina, syracuse, and kentucky were the 2/3/4-seeds in our region.

north carolina, syracuse, and kentucky entered the following season in the preseason ap top 5.

north carolina, syracuse, and kentucky were 1-seeds in the following season's tournament.

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BB was just a perfect fit at the perfect time for OSU with a defensive line that was loaded with a ton of superstars.

With his high motor, high IQ, and his combo of low-center of gravity and quick get-off, he developed into an experienced veteran and a menace to opposing defenses....which also freed up some of those superstars to make more plays. Perfect fit for OSU but not a lot of NFL GM's knocking down doors for guys with his body-type.

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PORTAL ENTRY OF NOTE

Ohio State has mined the transfer portal better than any other school with major additions like Jonah Jackson, Justin Fields, and most recently Trey Sermon. If Ryan Day or any other program is looking for a former five-star with the ability to play a few different positions and get to the quarterback, then things just got a bit juicier in the portal.

A friend of mine who lives in the Dallas area and roots for the Aggies actually reached out last week and suggested that a prominent LSU player was on the verge of transferring to TCU or Baylor. I didn't do any digging at the time because it didn't involve Ohio State, but on Friday it was announced that 2019 signee Marcel Brooks had entered the transfer portal.

A pass-rushing specialist, Brooks was rated as the No. 32 player in the country and was expected to step into a much larger role as a sophomore in Baton Rouge. TCU, Baylor, and potentially Oklahoma look like the frontrunners at the moment as he's likely to stay close to his home state of Texas.

Interestingly enough, Michael Thomas actually tweeted at Brooks just yesterday suggesting there's a spot for him at Ohio State (though he quickly deleted it). Al Washington's linebacker room will be losing a lot after the upcoming season, but three talented juniors are waiting in the wings to take over in 2021.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/coll...wa-decommit-is-back-on-board-for-kirk-ferentz

Pretty solid squad. If I'm the GM of that team, I'd probably only be looking to improve depth at OT and LB.

BB73 said:

There's a Letter to the Editor about May 4th, 1970 in this month's Summer Edition of the Ohio State Alumni Magazine. A perceptive take on the events of that day can be found on pages 8 through 10, courtesy of @cincibuck.

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My story appears in the summer edition along with some of my photos.

Thump said:

Didn’t inherit Uncle Mike’s girth I see.

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probably doesn't have experience inheriting his uncle's girth like you do.

5 star or not, PSU is loaded at RB.

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legally-challenged Auburn football player

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legally-challenged.....

Buckeyeskickbuttocks said:

I would've won if I had played more.

Thanks for bringing this back BB73!

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This is false

LordJeffBuck said:

How bad was Ohio State's rushing attack in 2003 after MoC left?

Defensive back Ira Guilford had 28 carries for 64 yards (2.3 average). He was 4th in carries behind Lydell Ross (193); Craig Krenzel (109); and Maurice Hall (97).

2.3 yards per carry is pretty bad. But the entire team averaged only 3.3 yards per carry that year. No, that's not a typo: 3.3 yard per carry.

Against Iowa, the Buckeyes ran the ball 42 times for 56 yards (1.3 ypc). The Buckeyes won that game 19-10 thanks to a punt return TD, and blocked punt TD, a FG, and a safety.

Amazing that Ohio State went 11-2 that season with a BCS bowl victory.

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they didn’t call Lydell Ross “ lay-down loss” for no reason

kujirakira said:

.. and now it's reportedly approved.

The NCAA is remarkably consistent at fucking it up.
Whatever it is, they will fuck it up.
Cover up raping kids for decades? OK.
Put 3500 students through fake classes for 18 years? OK.

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It's an organization. That's what organizations do.

This guy film reeks more of past Alabama tackles like Andre smith and cam Robinson. He’s no jedrick wills and hopefully we’ll see jack sawyer embarrass him in the playoffs

Entire Grand Canyon basketball team in quarantine after several positive COVID-19 tests

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Entire article: https://www.cbssports.com/college-b...antine-after-several-positive-covid-19-tests/

FWIW.......

ACC commissioner John Swofford will retire in June 2021 after 24 years leading conference



The ACC announced Thursday that commissioner John Swofford, who took charge of the conference in 1997, will retire in June 2021. Swofford, 71, will have spent 24 years leading one of the top leagues in college athletics.
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Swofford's successor has not been named, and he will remain in his role and assist in the transition to the new conference commissioner.

Entire article: https://www.cbssports.com/college-f...-june-2021-after-24-years-leading-conference/