Ohio State remains at No. 1 in College Football Playoff Rankings
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 Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images
The Buckeyes are looking at the top seed in the playoff with a win this weekend

Not much has changed in the latest edition of this season’s College Football Playoff Rankings, as the Ohio State Buckeyes stayed put at No. 1 following a dominant 56-27 victory in Ann Arbor over the rival Michigan Wolverines. LSU remained right behind OSU at No. 2, followed by Clemson and Georgia at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively — the same top four as a week ago.

The committee did not come out with anything unexpected this week. Ohio State’s upcoming opponent Wisconsin jumped up to No. 8 with a blowout road win over Minnesota this past weekend, and Alabama fell down to No. 12 following a 48-45 shootout loss against Auburn (now No. 11) in the Iron Bowl. On the outside looking in, you have Utah at No. 5 and Oklahoma at No. 6 — the two most pertinent teams fighting for the final playoff spot alongside the Bulldogs.

Other Big Ten teams in the CFP rankings include Penn State at No. 10, followed by No. 14 Michigan, No. 16 Iowa, and No. 18 Minnesota. Cincinnati remained a ranked victory for Ohio State’s resume as of right now, sitting at No. 20 heading into its conference championship game.

Check out the complete College Football Playoff Rankings:


Should Ohio State defeat a now top-10 Wisconsin squad in the Big Ten Championship Game, it would be shocking to see the Buckeyes enter the CFP at anything other than the No. 1 seed. The only possible scenario in which OSU would maybe be unseeded from the top spot would take a sloppy, close win against the Badgers with an absolutely lopsided LSU victory over Georgia. Obviously, a loss in the B1G title game would also drop the Bucks, but almost definitely not out of the playoff entirely.

Win or lose, it seems as though Ohio State, LSU and Clemson have all done enough to punch their tickets into the four-team postseason bracket. It will be interesting to keep an eye on how the rest of the conference championship games go as the fight for the No. 4 spot is still very much alive. Georgia would certainly be in with a victory in the SEC Championship Game, but should the Tigers remain unbeaten it will likely come down to a battle between the Big 12 and Pac-12 champs.

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Ohio State dominates Big Ten awards
Patrick Yen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Including Coach of the Year for Ryan Day, and multiple defensive selections


Is this shocking? It shouldn’t be to anyone who has been watching Ohio State football this year. The Buckeyes aren’t just good, they are incredible. It is a well deserved honor, and a lot of times deserving coaches can fall through the cracks. After all, despite winning a couple of National Championships in this time frame, an OSU head coach has not won the Dave McClain Coach of the Year since Earle Bruce in 1979.

Not Jim Tressel, not Urban Meyer. It is Ryan Day whose the first OSU coach to break that 40-year streak. Can anyone argue? While this roster was loaded with talent when Day got here, there were so many question marks to start the season. Can Day keep up his offensive wizardry from the head coach spot instead of offensive coordinator? Who’s going to play quarterback for this team? Can the defense turn around a dismal performance from a year ago?

The answers to those questions were resoundingly answered in the positive. This offense is unstoppable through the air and on the ground. Fields is a Heisman candidate, and the defense is the best in the nation. This is a historic Buckeye team, and it all starts with the head coach. Throw in an incredible recruiting class in his first year on the job, and this award would be a sham if Day didn’t get it.

But Day wasn’t the only one to snag some accolades today. Chase Young brought home the Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year, along with the Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year. Young is the ninth Ohio State player to win it in the last 18 years. Talk about domination.

Four Buckeyes landed on the coaches All-B1G Defensive first team: Chase Young, Malik Harrison, Jordan Fuller and Jeff Okudah — with Damon Arnette, Davon Hamilton and Shaun Wade landing on the second and third teams. The only difference in the media poll was Harrison getting moved to the second team.

And that was just defense. I’d expect an even better result on the offensive side tomorrow, so be sure to tune in here and the Big Ten Network to see OSU sweep some more awards.


The Ohio State HeisMEN. That’s a good sounding sentence. Buckeyes currently make up four of the top five spots in the Heisman race, including one OSU grad. While it may be kind of cheesy to claim Joe Burrows as one of our own, it doesn’t diminish that even without him OSU has three of five. This is a historic team, on both sides of the ball, and every single statistic will tell you that.

Just look at that graphic. J.K. Dobbins has been a beast on the ground, and he doesn’t just do it against the scrubs. In fact, he plays less snaps against the lesser teams than the best of the best in the Big Ten. In his games against ranked teams he has 172 yards and one TD (Michigan State, No. 25 at the time), 163 yards and two TDs (Wisconsin, No. 13 at the time), 157 yards and two TDs (Penn State, No. 8 at the time) and finally his magnum opus, a 211-yard, four-TD day against Michigan, who were ranked No. 13 at the time. That’s just absurd.

Dobbins is currently fourth in the nation with 1,657 yards. He also has 29 less carries than Wisconins’ Jonathan Taylor, 59 less than Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard and 68 less than Boston College’s AJ Dillon — the three players above him. Oh and by the way, he’s fifth in rushing touchdowns. He’s got the raw numbers, and the ridiculous efficiency. What more could you want?

And then there’s the quarterback, Justin Fields. He’s third in passing touchdowns, No. 12 in completion percentage and No. 51 in passing yards. That doesn’t sound all that impressive. However, he’s thrown only one interception. Need I say more about the passing ability? And If you add in the threat he poses on the ground, he ties Burrow in total touchdowns with 47.

Finally, we come to Young. Despite being held to no sacks for the first time in 11 games against the Wolverines, his presence was still felt. He does this while being held and doubled, tripled and even quadruple teamed (there was at least one play Saturday where four Michigan blockers put hands on Young) every game. He also missed two games due to a silly suspension. Despite this, he still leads nation in sacks with 16.5, leading the next guy by two and a half. Looking at the sacks per game is even more ridiculous. He’s got 1.65, the next closest is at 1.17. They don’t even compare.

The Heisman ceremony will be filled with Scarlet and Gray. The only question is what order they come in.

“Making quality adjustments on the fly is one of the big reasons Ohio State has made an amazing one-year turnaround defensively. In 2018, the Buckeyes finished No. 72 in the country in total defense. This season, they are No. 1 in the land in the same category.”

- Dave Biddle, Bucknuts


Even with about the same roster, this Ohio State defense has been totally different from the one last year. Much has been said about the new simplified scheme as the reason for the Buckeyes’ success, and there is no doubt that’s all true. But what has been just as critical has been Jeff Hafley’s ability to adjust in-game.

The Michigan game was the shining example of that. Giving respect where it’s due, Shea Patterson came out throwing the ball extremely well to start the game. Critical fumble aside, Patterson was picking the Buckeyes apart to the tune of 250 passing yards and a touchdown in the first half. That’s more yards then OSU had been giving up in entire games. Patterson (and the offensive line) weren’t allowing pressure, and were finding open guys everywhere for big chunk yardage plays.

Then came halftime and the adjustments. After that, it was all over for Michigan’s offense. Patterson went 4-for-24 passing the rest of the way, and while some of those were drops, most of them weren’t. The Buckeyes did something they didn’t do much of all year, and blitzed Patterson early and often as they mixed up the coverage and schemes.

The willingness and ability to change whenever they need to is why this defense is No. 1 in the country, and it’s why Jeff Hafley is a favorite for the Broyles Award. He doesn’t just wait until halftime either. He made it clear that they are making tweaks and responding every single play, every single drive. It’s incredibly scary for other teams to behold. It’s not just Hafley either, but as he said himself “credit to the players for being able to so quickly change things. It’s really a credit to them”.

Hafley will unfortunately be one of the hottest head coaching candidates in college football next year, so let’s enjoy him while we have him, and hopefully win a championship.

Quick Hits:

• Speaking of awards, J.K. Dobbins also won the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose National Player of the Week, awarded to the best college player from Texas. Garrett Wilson also received honorable mention for his 118-yard and one touchdown performance.

Stick to Sports:

• Newark sues NYC Mayor for sending homeless families to New Jersey.
• Scientist on the hunt for polar bear spray-painted to reference Russian World War II tank.
• Traditional Nepalese festival that contains the world’s biggest animal sacrifice to take place despite protest.
• Poor potato harvest this year may result in French Fry price increase.

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Podcast: Ryan Day, Paul Chryst preview Big Ten Championship Game
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 Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
Throughout the season, Land-Grant Holy Land will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conference, but also from individual breakout sessions.

On today’s episode we hear from the two head coaches that will be facing off in this weekend’s Big Ten Championship game. First, Ohio State’s Ryan Day, and then Wisconsin’s Paul Chryst.

These interviews come from the Big Ten’s coaches’ teleconference from earlier in the week, and features media members asking them questions about their teams, their seasons, and the championship game ahead.

The No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (12-0, 9-0) will take on the Wisconsin Badgers (10-2, 7-2) in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 7. The game will be broadcast on FOX. The two teams met earlier in the season, and the Buckeyes beat the Badgers 38-7 on Oct. 26.


Contact Matt Tamanini
Twitter: @BWWMatt

Theme music provided by www.bensound.com

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What Wisconsin is saying about rematch with Ohio State
Tia Williams via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Jim Young-USA TODAY Sports
Badgers head coach Paul Chryst, players, and fans weigh in on facing Ohio State...again.

If you’re an Ohio State fan, congrats. It’s Big Ten championship week. We’re playing Wisconsin—who the Buckeyes probably would have blown out in their last meeting if not for poor weather conditions— in a nice and dry indoor stadium. We have some nice wins under our belt since last seeing the Badgers. And we’re the No. 1 team in the country with three potential Heisman candidates on the roster.



If you’re a Badgers fan, well, you’re playing a team that already beat you during a monsoon. That team is the No. 1 team in the country with three potential Heisman candidates on their roster. But hey, you made it to the Big Ten championship and your head coach isn’t Jim Harbaugh. So, congrats anyway.

Nonetheless, Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst had a lot of positive things to say about the improvement of his team since their 38-7 loss against the Buckeyes in week 9.


Against Ohio State, Wisconsin’s players to watch were primarily running back Jonathan Taylor—who the Buckeyes held to a season-low 52 yards— and their No. 1 ranked defense. But, like Chryst said, new names have definitely stepped up since then, which was especially apparent in their 38-17 victory against Minnesota last Saturday.

Freshman running back Isaac Guerendo returned a kickoff for 49 yards— his first play of the season. Junior cornerback Cesar Williams made his first interception of the season and broke up four passes. Junior defensive end Garrett Rand made a season-high seven tackles against the Gophers, as well as his first career sack and forced fumble.


Wisconsin will certainly have a lot more up their sleeve this time around— and just because Ohio State shut down Taylor and out-played the Badgers’ defense once, doesn’t mean they should be overlooked on Saturday. They’re still the Badgers’ best assets, and Chryst said he plans to stay true to what works.


One thing they haven’t done well? Passing the ball. And while Chryst did say quarterback Jack Coan has improved, he knows he’ll have to play his best game of football against Ohio State’s stacked defense if they want to win this game.


Considering, the Badgers held us to 10-7 in the third quarter (before Ohio State scored 28 unanswered points) the Buckeyes need to be better on Saturday as well. They’ll need to pay extra close attention to Taylor, who’s out for blood after his subpar performance in the ‘Shoe.


Senior linebacker Chris Orr— who had six total tackles and one sack against Ohio State— said the Buckeyes’ offense is one of the best they’ve faced this season.


If Wisconsin handles their business and upsets Ohio State (the Buckeyes are 16-point favorites) they will rank ahead of Penn State and Minnesota, solidifying their spot in the Rose Bowl.

Our friends at Bucky’s 5th Quarter have unwavering faith in their Badgers to do just that.


And finally, what other Badgers’ fans are saying:


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BuckeyeMatt91 said:

the djoker is in his prime right now. That Davis Cup win was huge.

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Love the VIN Wiki episodes. Some seriously good stories in there. This is a good one.

ScriptOhio said:

Did you beat the record set by these guys?......

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'Cannonball Run' record broken with 27 hour, 25 minute cross-country drive

It’s a record that doesn’t officially exist, and legally can’t be broken, but a team has obliterated the legendary “Cannonball Run” mark by driving across the USA in 27 hours and 25 minutes.

Road & Track first broke the news that cross country racers Arne Toman and Doug Tabutt, along with spotter Berkely Chadwick, left New York City’s Red Ball Garage just after midnight on Nov. 10 in a modified Mercedes-Benz sedan and drove to the Portofino Inn in Redondo Beach, Calif. -- the same start and finish points used during the first “Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash” in 1971.

They weren’t taking part in a competition, although both drivers had before. Toman tells Fox News Autos that he’s made the run five times during illicit transcontinental events, but this time it was a solo effort specifically designed to break a record set in 2013, when Ed Bolian, Dave Black and Dan Huang completed the route in 28 hours 50 minutes, which was over two hours faster than the previous best time.

Toman has a background in the performance car business and now runs an Illinois CNC machine shop and a clothing company called Crook County. He chose a silver 2015 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG for the trip that he removed the badges from and strategically covered with tape to make it look as non-descript as possible, while tuning it to 700 hp and installing a fuel cell in the tank for extended range between fill-ups.

Toman also added an array of electronic law enforcement countermeasures – radar detectors, laser jammers, police scanner, etc. – that included a thermal imaging camera mounted to a gimbal on the roof that was used to look for police cars parked on the side of the road. Waze and an “underground” speed trap app provided crowdsourced intelligence, while 18 scout vehicles rendezvoused with them at points along the way to drive up ahead and check for speed traps, traffic and other obstacles.

They followed the so-called northern route along I-80, I-76, I-70 and I-15 at an average speed of 103 mph, and hit a top speed of 193 mph at an undisclosed location.

Toman said it was an uneventful 2,825-mile drive without any close calls, as far as accidents are concerned.

Entire article: https://www.foxnews.com/auto/cannonball-run-record-27-hour

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Mac said:

I found this by searching google....

111. Everybody is Irish on St. Patricks Day. And as such said people must consume alcohol on St. Patricks Day. Green and/ or gold body paint may be worn, but no glitter.

:highfive:

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The Brotherhood: Part III is finally here!

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LovelandBuckeye said:

What does ultimate edition cone with?

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Just ordered the physical disk... by the time i get around to playing it the game will be in the spring or later... just like having the physical disk

brodybuck21 said:

Platinum sombrero

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I guess that's the better option. I was thinking of Golden Shower.

scooter1369 said:

In this G.O.A.T. list, where does decathalon great Bruce Jenner fall in?

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nomatta said:

just realized that I am easy to spot in the game highlights. I'm the gray coat guy sitting behind the Buckeye basket in the first half who keeps jumping up every time they get a bucket, lol.

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I was behind the Buckeye basket in the first half as well, over by the player entrance. My kid was the one on the jumbo tron stuffing his face with cotton candy.

The only thing I would add to game performance is that Kaleb can get position on anyone and has great hands and nice footwork, but still has issues finishing over people and through double teams and Young had a little trouble with it in this game as well. Morgan was pretty physical in the post, but nothing that you won't see in your average B1G game.

Overall though, we are a difficult team to prepare for because everyone seems to have confidence on the offensive end.

Fungo Squiggly said:

I’d very much like @Buckeyeskickbuttocks to weigh in on that post.

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Fuck that cheating clown with a chain saw

Waited 15 minutes in line outside my nearest Target on Thursday afternoon, got in and grabbed what I wanted (a few Switch games) and checked out all in under about 15 minutes. That Target had their shit together, too. Very orderly, and no stupidity from the other customers the short time I was there.

OSUsushichic said:

Sounds like a rubbery situation...

Town May Make Carrying Condoms Mandatory
"I try to always carry a condom on me, especially if I go to a discotheque, in case I can pick up someone," Cano said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060111/ap_on_fe_st/colombia_condom_controversy

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By the way, what ever happened to OSUsushichic?

rocketman said:

After the game were you the photographer that was booking it down the field from the north endzone to the 50 yard line? My friend was like "Look at that guy go!" and I saw a photographer with a ponytail and thought "Damn is that HAYN? He's got some wheels!

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Re: was a struggling beach photographer until I discovered Smirnoff......

I stayed up all night and watched 5 previous versions of The Game, then made sure I put on scarlet underwear and black (not blue) jeans before kickoff. I also spent time outside facing west and blowing as hard as I could to keep the bad weather away until late in The Game. I'm exhausted because, as we all know, TSUN sucks hard, so it was tough to slow that system down.

You're all welcome.

OhioState001 said:

he doesn't play for scum anymore but thought he should be bumped regardless

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And awarded another “L” just because

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NFBuck said:

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On it!

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