Ohio State, Penn State move up in latest AP top 25 poll
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

Six Big Ten teams are ranked in the latest AP poll, released Sunday. Big Ten East rivals Ohio State (No. 3) and Penn State (No. 6) both move up one spot to pace the conference.

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Minnesota could go to Indianapolis just by losing to Wisconsin (and no one else)

Or the ax game just got huge

LordJeffBuck said:

3. With his 67-yard TD run last week versus Michigan State, J.K. Dobbins is also added to the list with four touchdown runs of 50+ yards (52, 52, 60, 67). Dobbins's longest run did not result in a touchdown, a 77-yard jaunt against Wisconsin in the 2017 Big Ten Championship Game (December 2, 2017).

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In his first game coming off 2019 Bye Week #1, J.K. Dobbins had the second-longest run of his Buckeye career, 68 yards against Northwestern. Like his longest run (77 yards vs Wisconsin), it also did not result in a touchdown.

Ohio State-Northwestern opens up Week 8’s Big Ten betting lines
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
The Buckeyes kick off this week’s Big Ten slate as a four touchdown favorite over Northwestern, while Michigan and Penn State close the weekend under the lights in State College.

Last week ATS: 6-6 (3-3 National, 3-3 B1G)

Season ATS: 50-46-3 (21-18-2 National, 29-28-1 B1G)

Since Ohio State is playing on Friday night, MC&J is doing things a little different this week. Instead of posting picks for the best national games of the week on Thursday, we’ve moved them to Friday, with this week’s Big Ten picks taking the Thursday slot.

Last week we made no progress in our season record, but we also didn’t give any ground. We had some bad luck last week in a few games which erased what could’ve been a good week. Iowa had a shot to cover against Penn State, but the Hawkeyes couldn’t convert a two-point conversion late in the game, Michigan blew a 28-point lead against Illinois, and Florida couldn’t score late against LSU to cover. But we can’t dwell on the past too much, as there are plenty of games this week to turn our attention to.

B1G games:


No. 4 Ohio State (-28) v. Northwestern - Friday 10/18 8:30 PM EST - Big Ten Network

Friday night football in the Big Ten needs to be cancelled immediately. Leave it for conferences like the Pac-12 and ACC, but the Big Ten can do better than that. Hopefully the TV scheduling snafu the cancellation of Game 4 of the ALCS has caused, pushing this game from FS1 to the Big Ten Network, makes the Big Ten reconsider Friday night games in the future.

It doesn’t matter if Ohio State was playing Northwestern on Friday night, Tuesday afternoon, or Thursday morning, the Buckeyes are going to roll. Ohio State will come into this game fresh and ready to go after having a bye last week. The Buckeyes started off a little slow against Michigan State a couple weeks ago, but they easily handled Michigan State in Columbus. Quarterback Justin Fields already has 26 total touchdowns through just six games this year, while J.K. Dobbins is 174 yards away from rushing for 1,000 yards for the third straight year.

This isn’t anywhere close to the Northwestern team that put a serious scare into Ohio State the last time the Buckeyes played under the lights in Evanston in 2013. The Wildcats have serious issues on offense, as they are averaging less than 300 yards of offense per game. Quarterback Hunter Johnson didn’t play against Nebraska, but will play against Ohio State. With Chase Young lining up at defense end for the Buckeyes, Johnson might want to lobby the coaching staff to sit out another week.

Four touchdowns is a pretty big spread to cover on the road on the Big Ten, but Ohio State is the one team in the conference that can do it. The Buckeyes are loaded on both sides of the football, and even a lot of Ohio State’s backups could likely start for Northwestern. The Wildcats did keep things tight against Wisconsin a few weeks ago, but Ohio State won’t make the same mistakes the Badgers did to keep Northwestern in the game. The Buckeyes add to Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald’s problems with a blowout victory.

Ohio State 45, Northwestern 10


No. 6 Wisconsin (-31) v. Illinois - 12:00 PM EST - Big Ten Network

Wisconsin has been incredible so far this season. The Badgers have only allowed their opponents to score in two of six games so far this year, and is allowing opponents less than 175 yards of offense per game. Illinois quarterback Brandon Peters sat out last week’s game against Michigan due to a concussion, but will start for the Fighting Illini if he’s cleared to play. Peters might be wise to try and sit out another week instead of having to go against the Wisconsin defense.

This game could be over early if Jonathan Taylor keeps rolling. The Wisconsin running back already has 825 yards rushing and 14 rushing touchdowns this season. Illinois is giving up over 200 yards per game on the ground to opponents, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Taylor go over 1,000 yards rushing for the season on Saturday afternoon.

The Badgers have dominated Illinois of late, winning their last nine meetings with the Fighting Illini. With Ohio State on deck for Wisconsin I was tempted to take Illinois, but I just don’t see where the offense is going to come from for Lovie Smith’s team. Unlike Michigan last week, when Wisconsin jumps out to a big lead the Badgers won’t let Illinois get back into the game.

Wisconsin 41, Illinois 7


Purdue v. No. 23 Iowa (-17.5) - 12:00 PM EST - 12:00 PM EST - ESPN2

Purdue put forth quite the performance last week against Maryland, beating the Terrapins 40-14. Backup quarterback Jack Plummer had his best performance since taking over for an injured Elijah Sindelar, throwing for 420 yards and three touchdowns. Now the Boilermakers turn their attention to Iowa, who they have beaten the last two years.

Iowa isn’t in a good place right now after losing the last two weeks to Michigan and Penn State. After Penn State ran for over 150 yards against the Hawkeyes, Iowa’s rush defense should get a break against a Purdue team that can’t run the football. Quarterback Nate Stanley should also be able to breathe a little easier after being hounded by Penn State’s pass rush last week.

This game would be a little easier to predict if Purdue had Rondale Moore back from injury, but it doesn’t sound like the wide receiver will play. Even without Moore, I think Purdue still finds a way to cover. Iowa is a little beaten up after losses to the Wolverines and Nittany Lions, but they stop their skid on Saturday. A two touchdown win over the Boilermakers sounds about right.

Iowa 31, Purdue 17


No. 20 Minnesota (-28.5) v. Rutgers - 3:30 PM EST - Big Ten Network

Rutgers has been shut out in three of four Big Ten games this year, while Minnesota is undefeated and getting better every week. No reason to overthink this, the Golden Gophers should have no problems with the Scarlet Knights.

Minnesota 44, Rutgers 3


Indiana (-5.5) v. Maryland - 3:30 PM EST - Big Ten Network

Indiana has actually been pretty decent this year. It feels really weird to say that, but the only losses for the Hoosiers this year came at the hands of Ohio State and Michigan State. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has been strong for Indiana when he has been healthy, throwing for over 280 yards and three touchdowns in each of the last two games.

Maryland continues to be unpredictable. After housing Rutgers two weeks ago to stop a two-game losing streak, their winning ways didn’t last long, as Maryland was blown out by Purdue last week. Quarterback Josh Jackson is still injured, meaning Tyrrell Pigrome will get another start for the Terrapins. Adding to Maryland’s problems, wide receiver DJ Turner has been suspended for the rest of the season, and running back Anthony McFarland Jr. is questionable for Saturday’s game.

Maryland is so backwards they’ll probably end up winning this week, but I just can’t back them here. Indiana’s defense has been stout this year against everyone but Ohio State and Michigan State. With Maryland’s offense missing a lot of pieces, I think Indiana gets another win closer to bowl eligibility.

Indiana 34, Maryland 20


No. 16 Michigan v. No. 7 Penn State (-9) - 7:30 PM EST - ABC

Penn State has been a lot better than I expected them to be this year. The Nittany Lions filled up early this season on cupcakes, which has allowed them to gain some confidence for some of their bigger tests later in the season. Penn State passed their first true test last week, beating Iowa 17-12 in Iowa City.

Now the Nittany Lions return home to take on the Wolverines in a “white out” on Saturday night. Quarterback Sean Clifford has been a solid replacement for Trace McSorley, tossing 13 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Running back Noah Cain has emerged in the Penn State backfield, rushing for 100 yards in each of the last two games.

What a weird game for the Wolverines last week. After jumping out on 28-0 on Illinois, Michigan let the Fighting Illini score 25 unanswered points to close the gap. The Wolverines responded by scoring the last 17 points of the game to secure the victory. Even though Michigan is winning, Shea Patterson isn’t inspiring a ton of confidence at the quarterback position. Patterson will be hounded on Saturday night by a relentless pass rush.

On the surface this seems like a lot of points for Penn State to be giving to another ranked team, but Michigan isn’t all that good. Don’t expect the Wolverines to be ranked in a couple weeks after they lose to Penn State this week and Notre Dame next week. The result won’t be quite as ugly as the 42-13 beating the Nittany Lions put on Michigan a couple years ago in State College, but Penn State forces Michigan into a few turnovers and send the Wolverines back to Ann Arbor with a double-digit loss.

Penn State 33, Michigan 17

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Ohio State junior Musa Jallow to have surgery, out indefinitely
Matt Tamanini 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 Bloomington native has started 23 games in his Ohio State career.

On Thursday, the Oho State Buckeyes men’s basketball team announced that junior wing Musa Jallow would undergo an arthroscopic procedure on Friday to deal with an inured ankle.


Jallow had missed preseason practices while he dealt with the injury, but on Wednesday, head coach Chris Holtmann said that he had returned to practice in minimal, non-contact work. The Bloomington, Ind. native has dealt with ankle injuries throughout his career.

In two seasons with the Buckeyes, Jallow has started 23 games, but averages just 2.7 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. However, Jallow is expected to be one of the leaders of the team following the graduations of C.J. Jackson and Keyshawn Woods in the back-court.

If the surgery keeps Jallow out for an extended period of time, that could open the door for more playing time for young players like Duane Washington Jr., Justin Ahrens, and potentially even frshman E.J. Liddell.

The basketball Buckeyes will start their regular season on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 8:30 p.m. ET at the Schottenstein Center as they host the Cincinnati Bearcats. The game will be broadcast on FS1.

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A brief history of Ohio State non-Saturday games
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It’s brief because it doesn’t happen that often.

It’s been a weird trend in college football this year to move Thursday night games over to Friday night, presumably to account for Thursday Night Football for the NFL. But even this shift hasn’t touched the Buckeyes, who have rarely played in non-Saturday matchups -- until now.

Fans might be scratching their heads at the seeming scheduling error which pits undefeated Ohio State against 1-4 Northwestern Friday night in Evanston. After all, the Big Ten isn’t the MAC or the American, where games can be played willy nilly Thursdays or Tuesdays or Wednesdays.

In fact, fans can count on one hand the number of times Ohio State has played non-Saturday games since the turn of the century. Bowl games notwithstanding, Ohio State has traditionally scheduled its games for Saturdays with very few exceptions, with most of those exceptions coming more recently in program history. And for the most part, those anomalies have a theme.

• The Buckeyes opened up the 2017 season on the road against Indiana on a Thursday night. On that occasion, Ohio State left Bloomington with a 49-21 win over the Hoosiers in a game during which J.K. Dobbins, playing in his first game as a Buckeye as a true freshman, totalled 181 yards.
• In 2015, Ohio State faced Virginia Tech on Labor Day (Monday, in case a reminder is in order) to open its season. The Buckeyes kicked things off with a 42-24 win in what turned out to be that weird time when Cardale Jones, J.T. Barrett and Braxton Miller all played in the same matchup.
• In 2010, the Buckeyes opened their season against Marshall in Columbus, bringing home a 45-7 win over the Thundering Herd on the back of Terrelle Pryor’s three touchdown passes and Brandon Saine’s two touchdown runs.

And that’s pretty much it from the 2000s. But the 90s were great, too, so we can’t leave those out. In fact, over the course of the decade, the Buckeyes opened up nearly half their seasons in non-Saturday matchups.

• In 1999, No. 9 Ohio State opened up its season on a Sunday (yeah, weird) against No. 12 Miami (FL) as part of the Kick-off Classic hosted in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Buckeyes fell 23-12 in that matchup. The Buckeyes that year would turn out to be something of a letdown, finishing the season 6-6.
• In 1997, the ninth-ranked Buckeyes opened up against Wyoming on a Thursday, defeating the Cowboys 24-10 in Columbus. Ohio State would finish the season with a 10-3 record, ultimately falling to Florida State in the Sugar Bowl.
• Like the 1999 season, No. 12 Ohio State opened its 1995 campaign against No. 22 Boston College on a Sunday, also in the Kick-off Classic in New Jersey. The Buckeyes brought home a 38-6 winner, and wouldn’t play again for more than two weeks after the opener.
• The 1994 Buckeyes, which opened the season ranked 20th nationally, kicked off against Fresno State in Anaheim, California on a Monday night, winning 34-10. That Ohio State team would finish the season 9-4, capping the season with a 24-17 loss to No. 6 Alabama in the Citrus Bowl.

And also that one game in the 80s...

• In 1986, No. 9 Ohio State fell to No. 5 Alabama 16-10, once again in New Jersey but this time on a Wednesday. The Buckeyes would again have an early-season bye with more than two weeks before their next game.

Notice a pattern? In fact, the last time Ohio State played a mid-season non-Saturday game was Friday, Oct. 2 1959, when then-No. 14 Ohio State traveled to No. 11 USC, falling 17-0 to the Trojans in Woody Hayes’ ninth season in Columbus. Before that, though records are limited, the Buckeyes played two mid-season Wednesday games in 1904 against Muskingum and Kenyon.

(Weirdly, in the days before the final game of the season was dedicated to TTUN, the 1917 Buckeyes finished their season with a 28-0 win on a Thursday against Camp Sherman in Columbus.)

A dozen games in more than a hundred seasons of football. It’s certainly not the norm for Ohio State to depart from its Saturday tradition, especially in the middle of a season.

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Podcast: Iowa out of B1G West race, Sparty shut out, why OSU will be a romp NU
George Eisner via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The game that threatens George and Ben’s friendship (not really) is finally here.

George Eisner and Ben Goren are lifelong friends. George is an Ohio State grad, while Ben is a Northwestern alum. Every week, they will break down all of the action around the Big Ten while trying to make sure that their loyalties don’t color their judgement too badly.

It’s finally here, folks. Ben and I find each other on opposite ends of the college football spectrum this week as our alma maters will play each other in a game we have affectionately coined, “THE STONKSBOWL” (because FOX Business should be broadcasting this game instead of BTN).

Before we get into that, Ben and I start with a debrief of the results from last week’s Penn State vs. Iowa game, including some thoughts on Iowa’s banana suit uniforms. From there, we go over Wisconsin’s fourth shutout victory of the season over a reeling Michigan State team, and laugh and Mark Dantonio’s “dumbass” post-game comments about his offensive staff.

After that comes our Ohio State vs. Northwestern preview in all its comprehensive glory, and then we wrap with another preview of this weekend’s Michigan vs. Penn State game.

If you enjoyed our previous shows, thanks for listening, and don’t forget to share and subscribe!

Show rundown:

• Penn State looked alright, but will Sean Clifford raise his play in big games?
• Iowa does not look like a team that will threaten Wisconsin for the B1G West title.
• Was Wisconsin’s win impressive, or is Sparty just flat-out incompetent at this stage?
• STONKSBOWL Preview: Mick McCall, Ohio State’s play-makers, and final score predictions.
• Previewing #16 Michigan @ #7 Penn State this weekend.

Listen to the episode here:

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Ohio State’s Baron Browning won’t play against Northwestern, Thayer Munford game-time decision
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Nicholas Petit-Frere could get his first start for OSU.

As the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes prepare for the unusual Friday night game in Evanston, Ill. against the Northwestern Wildcats, OSU released their depth chart and availability report a day earlier than normal on Thursday morning.


The report showed that Buckeye middle linebacker Baron Browning will miss the rematch of the 2018 Big Ten Championship game; as is standard operating procedure, no reason for the unavailability was provided.

While Tuf Borland has still been considered the starter at the Mike position, Browning has actually been getting the majority of the snaps, as he provides more of an athletic option in the middle of the defense.

In addition, OSU will be without the services of some-time starting offensive tackle Joshua Alabi, wide receiver Kamryn Babb, defensive tackle Noah Donald, receiver Elijah Gardiner, tight end Jake Hausmann, safety Ronnie Hickman, and DT Taron Vincent.

This week’s game-time decisions will be linebacker Teradja Mitchell, starting offensive tackle Thayer Munford, and H-back C.J. Saunders. If Munford is unable to go against the Wildcats, redshirt freshman Nicholas Petit-Frere will likely get his first start as a Buckeye, as he is listed as the co-starter at LT. When Branden Bowen has dealt with injuries earlier in the season, Alabi has been the back-up called upon to fill the spot.

With Browning out, sophomore Dallas Gant has been moved up to the second middle linebacker position behind Borland. However, it is also possible that Mitchell (if he plays) or K’Vaughan Pope could fill in at Mike as well.

Check out the complete Ohio State depth chart:



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Ohio State vs. Northwestern: 2019 game preview and prediction
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images
The Buckeyes look to stay on track when they head to Evanston Friday night.

The No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes have had a bye week to rest after their 34-10 win over then-No. 25 Michigan State. With the win, the Buckeyes improve to a perfect 6-0 record -- one of just 12 undefeated teams remaining in the FBS. Now, Ryan Day’s squad prepares to face the Northwestern Wildcats in a rare Friday night matchup on the road in Evanston that also happens to be a rematch of last year’s Big Ten Championship.

The Wildcats’ 1-4 record has been something of a disappointment for Pat Fitzgerald and company, especially since Northwestern’s surprising run to a Big Ten West title last year positioned the squad as an upstart heading into 2019. The lone win this season came over UNLV in week two, and the Wildcats have lost three-straight to Michigan State, No. 6 Wisconsin and Nebraska since. Most recently, Northwestern dropped a heartbreaker on a last-second field goal to fall to the Huskers 13-10.

In 2018, Fitzgerald’s team went 9-5 overall, including 8-2 in conference. But what was especially impressive about that sqad was that it went from a 1-3 start, during which the Wildcats lost to Duke, Akron and Michigan in succession, to finish the season with a win in the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl over Utah.

Through six games, the Buckeyes have shown few points of weakness this season. All signs point to an Ohio State victory. But the Buckeyes have a big matchup against Wisconsin next week. And it is all-too easy to look ahead.

First, some history…


Ohio State holds a 62-14-1 all-time advantage over Northwestern, and is currently riding a seven-game win streak dating back to 2005. However, the Wildcats have not been a frequent opponent of the Buckeyes as of late, as the programs have only squared off three times since 2013 -- including once in last year’s Big Ten Championship game in Indianapolis. In that matchup, Ohio State brought home a 45-24 win to earn a conference title and a bid to the Rose Bowl behind Dwayne Haskins’ 499 yards passing and five touchdowns.

The last time the Buckeyes lost to Northwestern was back in 2004. Coincidentally, that loss came on the road after a bye week for Jim Tressel’s squad. Spooky.

Friday night lights


In a rare scheduling anomaly, Ohio State plays Northwestern on a Friday night, which has been the new Thursday night for college football this season. But even Thursday night matchups have been rare for the Buckeyes in the past. In fact, the last time the Buckeyes played a mid-season (i.e., not a season opener or bowl game) non-Saturday game was way back in 1959, when Woody Hayes’ 14th-ranked Buckeyes traveled to No. 11 USC to face the Trojans on a Friday night. On that occasion, Ohio State fell 17-0 to the Trojans. Such games are rare for the Ohio State program, which has played just three non-Saturday regular season games since the turn of the century.

Bye, bye, bye


Both Northwestern and Ohio State are coming off bye weeks last week, giving each side a chance to rest and recoup. Northwestern had two byes on the schedule this season, including one after its season opening loss against Stanford. Last year, the Wildcats also fell against Michigan after their early bye. In 2017, Northwestern also fell to Wisconsin following a bye in September.

Ohio State, meanwhile, hasn’t seemed to have had trouble when it comes to staying on track after bye weeks (though, realistically, the Buckeyes haven’t lost all that many games in the last decade, so identifying a pattern among these losses becomes more difficult).

Running down a dream


Running back J.K. Dobbins has continued to impress this season -- and not just within the Big Ten. The junior back is second in the NCAA in rushing yards with 826 this season (one yard more than Wisconsin’s Jonathon Taylor, whom the Buckeyes will face off against next week) and is averaging more than seven yards per carry while scoring six touchdowns for the Buckeyes. If Dobbins has the kind of day Friday that he had against Michigan State or Nebraska, he could top 1,000 yards on the year just seven games into the season. Such a feat would mark Dobbins’ third-straight 1,000 yard season at Ohio State, and would set him nearly on pace to overtake Eddie George’s single season rushing yards record set in 1995 (1,927 yards).

Dobbins and the offensive line will have their hands full, however, when they face Northwestern’s linebackers, which held Taylor to 119 yards and one touchdown on the day (more on that later).

Hei-hei-Heisman hopes


Dobbins’ touchdown total might seem lower than expected given his yardage (Wisconsin’s Taylor, by comparison, has 14 touchdowns on the season). But that’s because the running back is part of a highly-balanced offense. And frankly, things have continued to go just about perfectly for quarterback Justin Fields in his inaugural season in Columbus. Fields has thrown for 18 touchdowns while tossing only a single interception all season. For his efforts, Fields has been recognized as a top Heisman contender along with LSU’s Joe Burrow, Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa and Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts (and Taylor). More impressive is the fact Fields is the sole first year starter on the watch list.

Coincidentally, Fields was recruited early on by Pat Fitzgerald and Northwestern, which was the first Big Ten school to offer him back in 2016. It certainly has to be something of a frustration for the Northwestern offense, whose quarterback struggles have been a source of consternation through five games.

Not so wild offense


Eight: The total number of touchdowns Northwestern has scored this season on offense. By comparison, Ohio State has recorded 39 offensive touchdowns in six games. There have certainly been injury issues to several key position groups (including at quarterback), but the fact remains the Wildcats have the 128th-ranked scoring offense in the NCAA. For clarity’s sake, that’s out of 130 teams. They’re also 125th in yards per game, averaging a mere 292.8. Even more unfortunate is the fact the Northwestern defense is actually really good and has been able to force turnovers -- but the offense has simply been unable to convert, totaling just six points off eight turnovers this season.

Fighting for air


On that note, Northwestern has struggled immensely on offense this season, especially when it comes to the Wildcats’ passing situation. Three quarterbacks have combined for just 702 yards in five games. The trio has a mere two passing touchdowns and (here’s the sad part) eight interceptions. Northwestern ranks in the bottom 10 nationally in several major passing statistics, including completion percentage, passing touchdowns and total passing offense.

Redshirt junior Aidan Smith took over starting duties for the Wildcats when they took on Nebraska last week. In that matchup, Smith went 19-for-32 for 136 yards and a pick. Sophomore Hunter Johnson had started the previous four games of the year for Northwestern, but had left the Wisconsin game with a knee injury. The sting of Fields coming to Evanston hits even stronger considering Johnson, a five-star dual threat quarterback recruit who initially attended Clemson, transferred to Northwestern in 2018.

A tale of two receiving corps


It makes sense that, when one quarterback has thrown for nearly twice as many yards as the collective quarterback room for another team, the spread to different receivers would be similarly distributed. So it’s no surprise that, while Northwestern has just a single receiver who has caught the team’s only two touchdown passes this year, Fields has thrown scoring passes to 10 different receivers.

For Northwestern, receiver J.J. Jefferson has managed to stand out despite the Wildcats’ struggles through the air. Jefferson has had 10 catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns. The sophomore will need to play an even bigger role Friday, given senior receiver Bennett Skowronek, who leads Northwestern in receiving yards, is out for the foreseeable future after undergoing surgery.

Ohio State, meanwhile, has no shortage of targets for Fields, but three have emerged this season as leaders on the outside. Senior K.J. Hill, senior Binjimen Victor and sophomore Chris Olave all have more than 250 receiving yards and have caught multiple touchdowns this season.

A mixed bag on special teams


Northwestern is at rock bottom in the Big Ten when it comes to punting, averaging less than 38 yards per attempt. Given the Wildcats’ difficulties finding their way to the endzone, that average can be a problem when it comes to playing for field position.

Despite the offensive struggles, Northwestern has the top kickoff return game in the Big Ten, averaging 28 yards per return. Quarterback-turned-receiver Riley Lees has been solid in this space, leading the Big Ten with 33.3 yards per kick return.

Down to defense


In a game which features such lopsided offenses, the true test might just come down to defense. And when it comes to total defense, both Ohio State and Northwestern are among the best in the Big Ten and nation. The Buckeyes are No. 2 in the NCAA in total defense, allowing just 234 yards per game, while Northwestern has surrendered a mere 318.8 yards per game (26th in the country). When it comes to scoring, Ohio State is allowing less than nine points per matchup. Though the Wildcats have given up nearly 20 points per game, they still boast the 30th-ranked scoring defense in the country, which is impressive considering they’ve faced one of the NCAA’s top scoring offenses (again, Wisconsin).

More about that…


The Wildcats may have won only a single game this year, but they haven’t gone down without a fight as they’ve boasted a surprisingly stout defense. Of their four losses, only their 31-10 loss to Michigan State could be considered a blowout. In fact, Northwestern’s defense held Wisconsin to just 10 points on the road in Madison (the Badgers’ defense scored 14 of the team’s 24 points). Northwestern’s red zone defense is particularly strong, allowing opponents six touchdowns on 10 red zone attempts (T-19th in the NCAA). Additionally, opposing offenses have only made it down within the Wildcats’ 20-yardline 14 times this season.

One of the strong points of the Northwestern defense has been its ability to force turnovers -- particularly fumbles. Through five games the Wildcats have forced six fumbles, led by defensive lineman Joe Gaziono and defensive back Travis Whillock.

But then there’s the sack situation


Ohio State is the top team in the nation when it comes to total sacks, totaling 28 this season. ICYMI, the Buckeyes are led by junior defensive end Chase Young, who himself is tied for second in the country with 8.5 sacks on the season -- which puts him well on pace to obliterate Vernon Gholston’s single season sack record set in 2007 (14 sacks). Also impressive is the fact Young is not alone. Ohio State linebackers, which have shown massive improvement so far in 2019, have gotten in on the sack game. Malik Harrison is second on the team with 3.5 sacks on the year, while fellow linebacker Baron Browning is tied for third with 2.5 of his own. Collectively, the entire Ohio State defense has proven to be a threat to quarterbacks, with 13 different players getting in on the sack game this season.

Pat Fitzgerald, back for more


Pat Fitzgerald is the charming hometown hero for Northwestern, not unlike Scott Frost is at Nebraska. Like Frost, Fitzgerald was part of one of the most storied teams in Northwestern program history as he led the Wildcats to the 1995 Rose Bowl. As a player for Northwestern in the 1990s, Fitzgerald was a two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year as well as two-time honoree of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Chuck Bednarik Award. Somehow, he was not drafted after his senior season.

As a coach, Fitzgerald was way ahead of the “young coach” trend, having taken over head coaching responsibilities at Northwestern when he was just 31 years old following the untimely death of then-head coach Randy Walker. Fitzgerald earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors last season after taking his Cats to a Big Ten West title.

Overall, Fitzgerald has amassed a 97-74 record as head coach in Evanston and, impressively, has led the Wildcats to three-straight bowl victories.

Summary


If limited to records, there’s little evidence which would place doubt on the outcome of this matchup. The Buckeyes have hardly seemed to have been tested throughout their six wins this season, while Northwestern has struggled to put together a complete game.

In Friday’s matchup, Ohio State is favored by 28.5 points over Northwestern. The Wildcats have yet to find an identity on offense, while the Buckeyes seem to be firing on all cylinders. Given that information, a four-touchdown win sounds about right -- even for a road game against a conference opponent who put up a fight in last year’s Big Ten Championship.

With a Heisman contender at quarterback, a running back who is on track for his third-straight 1,000-yard season and a myriad of defenders who can sniff out and take down opposing quarterbacks, Ohio State seems to have every advantage in its corner.

But it is October. Spookier things have happened. Ohio State is on the road. Both teams are coming off bye weeks. And the Buckeyes are playing on a Friday night regular season game for the first time in 60 years. Plus, Northwestern has shown that it can hold even the most potent offensive attacks at bay long enough to keep things interesting.

All signs point to an Ohio State win Friday. But the Buckeyes better have their wits about them.

LGHL prediction: Ohio State 35, Northwestern 3

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Four-star wide receiver Mookie Cooper ruled ineligible for senior season
Patrick Yen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
The OSU commit transferred earlier this year in order to graduate early, but was ruled ineligible.

The story of Mookie Cooper took another turn yesterday night. The four-star OSU commit is the 78th prospect in the nation, the No. 16 wideout and another highlight in Brian Hartline’s incredible 2020 class. He committed to the Buckeyes on July 8, but I’m sure both he and the Buckeyes would’ve loved to have seen what he could do in his final high school year.

That is not going to happen, as Cooper was officially ruled ineligible for his senior year. Cooper, like many high school athletes that will go on to play in the NCAA, wanted to graduate early and join OSU as soon as possible. Unfortunately, his initial school Trinity Catholic does not allow their students to do this. So Cooper left for a school that would, and transferred to Pattonville Senior High School.

Transfers are always a tricky subject, not just in college athletics, but also high school sports as well. The transfer portal has been making waves in the NCAA landscape, and the NCAA regulations on who gets a waiver and who doesn’t remains maddeningly inconsistent.

Regardless, the high school level doesn’t have any sort of portal, and generally will not allow waivers for players transferring for mainly athletic reasons. Cooper’s old school of Trinity Catholic made that specific case and the ruling finally came down that Cooper could not play for Pattonville.

It’s not particularly surprising, but it is disappointing that schools still feel the need to block high schoolers from playing football where they want, especially when the player otherwise meets all of the zoning and eligibility requirements.

Competitive balance is important, but, at the same time, I feel like it should take a back seat to these athletes that are simply trying to do what is best for their futures. However, as of now, these are the rules, and this is the reality.

Cooper is not letting it get him down however, and the Buckeyes confirmed to him that this does not change their offer. In fact, it may be a blessing in disguise for him, as he does not risk his body to injury, and clearly OSU does not feel like he needs to prove anything else on the field.

He can now use the time to make sure that he’s in the best shape of his life, study the Buckeyes’ film and talk to the coaches, making sure that he’s 100 percent ready when he does step on campus hopefully this spring.

Number one 2021 athlete has OSU in his top-ten


On Wednesday, Emeka Egbuka released his list of the final ten schools that he is considering. He is one of the most talented players in the country, and his 247sports rankings say it all. He’s a coveted five-star prospect, .9943 composite grade, ranked ninth in the nation, and naturally has every big program after his signature.

For Ohio State, his recruiting has been handled by Hartline, and given the wide receiver coach’s recent track record, that can only mean good things for the Buckeyes. The crystal ball predictor on 247sports has Washington as the leading candidate at 50 percent, but has OSU second at 25.

The young buck (and hopefully Buckeye) is being recruited as a wide receiver by OSU, but also has the potential to play defensive back. The Washington product has good size at 6-foot-1 and recorded a 4.42 40-yard dash time, and that was just in his sophomore season. He has room to grow and get faster, and that’s just scary.

He will be at the ‘Shoe to watch OSU take on Wisconsin on Oct. 26. Watching the receivers run wild against Wisconsin’s top defensive unit would no doubt bolster the program’s impression for Egbuka. The talented athlete will undoubtedly be a priority for the 2021 class that is shaping up to be an all-time best.


A graphic that OSU is using to recruit the nation’s best student-athletes has been making the rounds on Twitter recently. This particular one was sent to 2021 cornerback Tony Grimes, but I’m sure most recruits are seeing something similar, if not identical.

It’s cool little look into all that OSU can offer these young men, not just on the field, but off of it as well. Not many schools can compete with this level of attention. It says a lot when the storied history of Buckeye football is just the 12th talking point in the recruiting spectrum. Circle of Care indeed.

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Justin Fields utilized the off week for reflection, improvement
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 Sabau/Getty Images
The Ohio State quarterback is looking to refine his game in the second half.

“‘We got back to the fundamentals a lot,’ Fields said of the team’s approach last week. ‘We went back to Week 1 and focused on the basics and tightened those up. Usually, some teams can shy away from those.’”

- Justin Fields via Nathan Baird, Cleveland.com


Ohio State had its first week off on this year’s schedule following a dominant 6-0 start to the season, allowing for some much needed rest. However, it wasn’t all relaxation for the Buckeyes this past weekend, as Ryan Day looks to keep his guys sharp going into the second half. The first-year head coach instituted a “three up, three forward” policy, having every position coach give each player three things they've done well, and three things they can improve on. Quarterback Justin Fields was no exception.

While Fields would not discuss what his exact assignments were, he mentioned that he had to work on both progressing through his reads faster and improving on his footwork in the pocket — neither of which he said came as any sort of revelation. The first-year starter said that they went back and watched film from as early as week one, putting an emphasis on the fundamentals and tightening up on the basics before anything else.

Despite a few areas that could use a little improvement, Fields has been stellar for Ohio State this season, and his confidence in both his own abilities, his team and his leadership role is growing. The sophomore QB said his command of the offense has “definitely changed from the start of the season to now,” feeling that he is a leader with a mutual feeling of trust between himself and his teammates.

Fields will continue to put up big numbers in the second half as his name remains in the Heisman race. His candidacy has almost been hurt by too good a performance by the team as a whole, as he has not yet had to play a game to the final whistle. Overall, Fields ranks sixth nationally in quarterback efficiency with a 187.54 rating, totaling 26 touchdowns to just one interception. If Ohio State is to compete for a nation title this season, it will need to see a continued high level of play from its signal caller.


If you were worried about the future of the Buckeyes’ offensive line — don’t be. Meet Paris Johnson Jr., a five-star offensive tackle. The 6-foot-7, 290 pound lineman out of Cincinnati is the No. 1 offensive tackle in the country, No. 1 player in the state of Ohio and No. 7 recruit nationally based on 247sports composite.

He’s big, he’s mean, and he’ll be coming to the Ohio State offensive line next season. As you can tell by the kind of day No. 7 was having in this highlight, it will be a tough assignment for defensive ends in the near future.


Cardale Jones — a man that once said he did not go to Ohio State to play school — does not regret playing said school. Jones, a third-string quarterback who led the Buckeyes to their National Championship victory over Oregon in 2014, elected to return to Columbus for his junior season rather than declaring for the NFL Draft, where many thought he had potential to be a first-round pick.

Jones spent his final year at OSU flip-flopping with J.T. Barrett for the starting job. In the end, he played in 10 games, completing over 62 percent of his passes for about 1,500 yards and 10 total touchdowns with five interceptions. In what appeared a step back from his unbelievable three-game stretch the year, Jones would wind up a fourth-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Jones played in just one game for the Bills in 2016 in a reserve role, and would be traded to the Los Angeles Chargers the following year. After being demoted to practice squad duty in 2018, the Seattle Seahawks would pick him up in 2019 before ultimately cutting the 26-year-old QB. Just yesterday, he was drafted to the XFL by the DC Defenders.

The decision to return to Ohio State for one more season likely cost Jones a good amount of money, but the former Buckeye does not regret his decision. Jones defended his decision on Twitter today, stating that going back to school to get his degree was his main goal, and that the decision helped benefit himself and his family long term.

Cardale Jones will always be a legend in Columbus for his unlikely and spectacular National Championship run, as I'm sure the DC Defenders just earned themselves a ton of new fans from central Ohio.


It is not a hot take to say that Northwestern football has not been good this season. However, the Wildcats will certainly at least look better this Friday as they try to pull out all the stops in an attempt for a huge upset over Ohio State with some alternate jerseys. The Cats will be donning all black against the Buckeyes this weekend, as they try to employ the mantra of look good play good.

Will it be enough to take down Ohio State? Probably not. But hey, at least the hype video is pretty cool.

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Record Breaking Wrestling Coverage on BTN in 2019-20
BTN Communications via Big Ten Network

With the Big Ten seeking its 14th consecutive wrestling national championship, BTN will bring fans along for the ride with the most wrestling coverage in network history – a 40% increase from last season. BTN’s schedule begins with a non-conference matchup as No. 17 Virginia Tech heads to Columbus on Nov. 17 at noon ET to face the No. 4 Buckeyes and includes the Big Ten Championships, a Super Saturday dual between Rutgers and No. 7 Michigan from Madison Square Garden, a battle of last year’s top-two team finishers at the NCAA tournament in No. 1 Penn State and Ohio

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Michigan State (4-1, Big Ten 1-0) at Ohio State (5-0, Big Ten 2-0)
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



Ohio State versus Michigan State for another heavyweight bout between intra-conference rivals. This game has a lot on the line, beginning with the Big Ten Conference East crown. This game usually has a lot of twists and turns and the Buckeyes have fallen in losses to Michigan State more often at home than at East Lansing.


Jacolbe Cowan high school photo. Credit: 24/7 Sports Database.

This game looks to be the stiffest test to date and with their game at home and during a Blackout, this game has a lot on the line with it becoming another big recruiting weekend. Speaking of recruiting, the Buckeyes received good news last night and got another commitment from Jacolbe Cowan from North Carolina. He will play along the line and he is a stud that adds more depth and talent to the class. He will be attending the game to link up with the other recruits to try to close out the class and get future teammates.



Battle In The Trenches

The battle in the trenches will be my primary concern with this game because the Buckeyes can easily fall into the trap that saw Zeke barely touch the ball and a walk-off FG later, we end up losing the game at home and we were all devastated. This year’s Buckeye team with the steady string of performances that this line has had, I will look for them with a now healthy Brandon Bowen to assert their will on this stout Spartan D-Line and we will have to see when they begin. They could start out slow and they will eventually turn it on, but it is all up for interpretation until a rhythm is set and established.

Can the Offensive Line continue the effort against a bigger and more stingy Michigan State defense? Joe Bachi and his buddies will attempt to make it hard for this offense to do so, but it is within the realm of possibility to potentially. The Spartans and Coach Dantonio always seem to play the Buckeyes tightly and this could be another classic between the two teams.



Defensive Battle Looming

The Silver Bullets are back and I cannot understate the importance of defending against two mobile quarterbacks for this game. Discipline is a must and with Lewerke and Lombardi, they have options in the running game if the passing game is inept and shut down. With the way the defense has been playing, the improvement is obvious and Chase Young will look to continue his sack streak that has spanned seven games with at least one sack. He is on quite the streak and he could continue it with an atrocious line that lost against a true freshman quarterback from Arizona State.

The DB’s have been playing with the swagger that was missed a season ago, and this time they could lock down the Spartan receivers. The only problem is that the passing game has been off and the offense is having a down year. The Buckeyes can take advantage and they could force a ton of turnovers.



The Justin and J.K. Show On Turf

The greatest show on college turf includes a pair of stellar offensive players that both don the scarlet and gray. Justin Fields has been on a tear after enrolling and he has accounted for a ton of the Buckeye offense. The other half runs through J.K. Dobbins and he also has been on a similar atmosphere when using his legs. It is a pair made in heaven and with Dobbins running through people and tackles and with Fields doing damage with both his legs and his arm, defensive coordinator are searching for weaknesses.

The points come in bunches and a resounding blowout win against a familiar for and fellow conference eastern power can send shockwaves throughout the nation. Beating Michigan State is a major plus, but if they could run them out of Columbus after dark, the nation will be put on notice.

Match-Ups To Watch:

• Buckeye Offense vs Spartan Defense
• Fields/Dobbins vs The Front Seven
• Lewerke vs The Back Seven
• The Trenches
• Special Teams and Field Position

Prediction:

The Ohio State Buckeyes defeat The Michigan State Spartans 42-13.

I just have a feeling that Ohio State plus the adrenaline of a Black Out with recruiting implications will not leave them as vulnerable as people think. The O-Line has been fiery and with the return of Bowen, the extra juice will be there to help them suffocate Lewerke and shut down the noise. I could be wrong, but a let down this far into the season would be a tragedy, but they will start slow at first, but blow-by once the momentum gets in their favor. This feels like a turnover-prone contest and with Michigan States’ struggles, this could be a good display of power and poise for the Buckeyes. Go Bucks!




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Ohio State’s Friday night game officially moved to Big Ten Network
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Who could have predicted that moving a college football game to Friday night would be a bad idea?

It was touch-and-go there for a little while, but after being bumped from Fox Sports 1 because of a weather-delayed ALCS game between the New York Yankees and Houston Astros, this Friday night’s game between the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes and Northwestern Wildcats will now air on the Big Ten Network according to FOX Sports’ college football reporter Bruce Feldman.


The flagship FOX network was not an option for the move because of the recently launched Friday night edition of the WWE’s “Smackdown.”

The game’s move undermines the entire rationale for moving a select handful of Big Ten games to Friday nights in the first place. As part of FOX’s massive deal with the conference, the goal was to move a few games out of the crowded Saturday pack to Friday night in order to own the evening for college football fans.

However, FS1, which is considered a national network is available in many more homes nationwide than BTN, which is not as readily available in cable packages, especially outside of the traditional Big Ten footprint. According to 247Sports, BTN (75 million) can be seen an estimated nine million fewer households than FS1 (84 million).

Jim Delaney and the FOX Network’s experiment was already not a popular one in high school-football loving Ohio, and this certainly won’t help their cause.

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Podcast: Previewing Northwestern with Inside NU
Colton Denning via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Can the Wildcats’ strong defense keep it close with Ohio State?


Things change fast in college football.

At this time last season, Northwestern was 2-3 and looked like an also-ran in the Big Ten West. Then they ripped off seven wins in their last eight games and won the division, before losing to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship. It doesn’t look like there will be a repeat in 2019.

Despite having one of the best defenses in the nation (5th in SP+), the Wildcats are 1-4 thanks to an offense that’s scored over 15 points once this season. I’m far from a genius, but they’ll probably need more than that to beat Ohio State on Friday.

On this episode of the Hangout in the Holy Land, Inside NU’s Dan Olinger joins the show to talk about what’s gone wrong for Northwestern this season, what’s going on with their QBs, whether their defense can keep it close, and more! Listen below:

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Ohio State commit Julian Fleming earns top spot in ESPN 300
Jake Collar via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Julian Fleming | Twitter | @julian_040
The wide receiver is now the top player in the class, but will he stay there?

Ranking high school recruits is part science and part art with little separating the guys at the very the very top. Comparing an offensive lineman to a safety can be difficult to do, and becomes more than a little bit subjective, considering that you can’t really compare statistics in any meaningful manor.

That being said, being the No. 1 overall recruit in the country is not only an indicator of supreme talent, but it is also a point of pride for the recruit who rises to the top, and his future school.

On Tuesday, ESPN released their updated Top 300 and the player who holds the honor of being No. 1 is Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver commit — and all-around stud — Julian Fleming. The Pennsylvania WR has been floating around the top since the initial 300 rankings were released, but as he continues to impress during his junior season and on the camp circuit, he has moved up to the top of the list.

A wide receiver being ranked that highly is rare, and hasn’t happened since 2008 when the Alabama Crimson Tide brought in the No. 2 overall player Julio Jones (Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers was No. 1).

Percy Harvin also checked in at No. 2 in 2006 for Urban Meyer and his Florida Gators (Florida State Myron Rolle was No. 1 that year). Even given the recruiting powerhouse that is Ohio State, the Buckeyes only have three current players that finished in the top 10 of their respective classes.

Shaun Wade was No. 6 and Jeff Okudah was No. 7 in the 2017 rankings, and so far they are living up to the hype. Nick Bosa was No. 3 in 2016, but after being injured for most of last season is now cashing large checks from the San Francisco 49ers.

As a point of comparison, current Ohio State WR and true freshman standout Garrett Wilson finished 17th in ESPN’s 2019 top 300. The other player currently on the roster who was a top 10 overall recruit is a guy that didn’t commit to Ohio State, but rather stayed at home in Georgia, that guy is Justin Fields.

Fields finished as the No. 1 prospect in the 2018 class — yes even above Trevor Lawrence — and we all know by now how he came to be a Buckeye. If the rankings hold, in 2020, Fields and Fleming would become one of only two QB/WR combos that have both been ranked in top 10 overall since 2006; QB Matt Barkley was No. 1 in 2009 and his USC teammates Roberts Woods was No. 7 in 2010.

That of course means that no school has come close to having both a quarterback and wide receiver who have both finished No. 1 in their respective cycles. Just the thought of that should bring excitement to the hearts of the Buckeye faithful.

Now that I have got you all pumped up let me bring you back to earth a little. There are a number of reasons that no wide receiver has finished No. 1. Simple saturation at the position in high school gives the coaches the variety to play dynamic players like Fleming in different roles, limiting the numbers that the WR position can accumulate.

Also, lets not forget that in football the credit usually goes to the QBs and the accolades of the ranking sites tend to follow. While generally that can hurt a receiver recruit like, the opposite actually seems to be helping Fleming.

His team just simply is not the national powerhouse that we see so many of the top recruits come from. Flemings’ Southern Columbia Tigers do sport an 8-0 record, but are beating up on overmatched teams in a league that provides little to no real competition. This means that the opposing squads are doing everything possible to ensure that Fleming isn’t the guy who beats them. Some believe that the lack of elite competition could ultimately be the reason that Fleming may eventually be bumped from No. 1, but only time will tell.

Fleming is an exceptionally skilled athlete, but he brings more than just athleticism to the table. He is thought to be the best blocking WR in the country, which — as we know — is a must for any receiver who wants to see the field under Brian Hartline.

He is imposing on smaller corners standing 6-foot-2, and has the strength to fight through tackles at 200 pounds. Fleming is also highly praised for his maturity and leadership ability. and very well might eventually find himself as another in a long line of recent captains coming out of the receivers room at Ohio State.

Explosive, exciting, tough, and developed well beyond his years, Julian Fleming is shaping up to be the next great Ohio State receiver, but you don’t have to take my word on it see it for yourself:

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Ohio State players led the way with most mid-season All-American honors
Patrick Yen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Four publications put out mid-season all-americans today, and the Buckeyes had the most of any team in the country.

“No. 4 Ohio State placed a total of five players on the first and second teams, most of any school. Buckeyes defensive end Chase Young and cornerback Jeff Okudah were first-team selections.”

-Ralph D. Russo, Associated Press


The Ohio State Buckeyes are arguably the best team in the country, and the college football world has apparently taken note. Now, halfway into the NCAA season, media members have had plenty of time to see this year’s Buckeyes in action, and are recognizing that some of this current crop of SU stars are amongst the best of the best.

The Associated Press gave five spots to Buckeyes in their first and second All-American teams; the most in the country. Chase Young and Jeff Okudah made it on the first team, with J.K. Dobbins, Wyatt Davis and Jordan Fuller landing on the second.

The Athletic put four total Buckeyes on their list, with Davis, Young and Okudah making first team and Dobbins slotting in on the second team. The three first teamers was the most in the nation.

CBS was the least kind to the Buckeyes, with only two members making it, Chase Young and Jordan Fuller. But Young was one of only four unanimous selections by the CBS staff, a high honor it’s in own right.

Finally, Pro Football Focus is sipping the Buckeye juice the most, with four first team All-Americans, one second team, and one third team for six total. Thayer Munford was the new name on this list. That’s good for the most first-team players and most overall selections.

PFF’s Cam Mellor said about Davis, “The Buckeyes are certainly in the running for the best overall team this season and Davis is a key cog on their offensive line that allows their offense to fire on all cylinders... He’s blocking against stout competition and winning the vast majority of those reps.”

Young was one of just seven players to make all four lists as a first team choice, joining former OSU man Joe Burrow, Jonathan Taylor, Chuba Hubbard, Penei Sewell, Zack Baun and Max Duffy. Okudah made three of the four lists, with CBS being the only hold out, while Davis and Fuller made it on two of the four first-teams. Across all four lists, OSU the was the most consistently honored, which you can take to mean that the Buckeyes are the most talented team in the country. No arguments here.


Cardale Jones is going to Washington DC to join Dwayne Haskins in playing football... just not for the same team. The OSU national champion Jones will be the quarterback for the XFL’s DC Defenders. The XFL decided to pick eight QB’s they thought were the best and assign each one to the eight teams to have a more level playing field to start the season.

Here in Ohio we know what Jones can do, leading the Buckeyes to the first ever College Football Playoff National Championship. He was drafted in to the NFL by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. After that, he bounced around to the Chargers and the Seahawks for the next couple years, before finally being cut by the Seahawks last month. But Jones will get another chance to show what he can do as one of the new faces of the XFL starting in 2020.

The XFL Draft is taking place in phases. After each team got their assigned QB, they did 10 rounds of skill players, 10 rounds of offensive linemen, are currently doing 10 rounds of the defensive front-seven, will do 10 rounds of defensive backs, and end it with a 30-round open draft of any position tomorrow.

For the Defenders, they didn’t take another QB in the skill position draft until the ninth round, showing a measure of trust in Jones as their guy.

Jones isn’t the only former OSU player that is hoping to restart his career in the XFL. The DC Defenders also decided to reunite Jones with his 2015 right tackle in Chase Farris by drafting the former Buckeye tackle in the ninth round of the offensive line phase.

Defensive tackle Tracy Sprinkle — who last suited up for OSU in 2017 — was drafted in the fifth round of the front seven phase by, you guessed it, the DC Defenders. Looks like they are trying to recreate the OSU championship team out in the nation’s capital, and honestly who can blame them?

Seems to be working for the New Orleans Saints at least. Doran Grant, Christian Bryant and Damon Webb are also hoping to be drafted into the XFL later today or tomorrow as the draft continues.

“Everything we think about, we think about explosives, because our whole philosophy is, we want to make you drive the length of the field. If you can drive on us the length of the field and then put it in the end zone against us in the red zone, nice job. Then we’ve got to figure out why and we’ve got to adjust some things.”

- Jeff Hafley, via cleveland.com’s Nathan Baird


The Ohio State Buckeyes have almost always had a good offense. That was true last season, and it is definitely true this season. The biggest difference that has OSU looking like the best team in the country is the defensive turnaround from 2018. The Silver Bullets are finally back, flying to the ball and generally being one the stingiest defenses around.

Last year was quite different, as any OSU fan can tell you. The defense overall wasn’t bad, but any given play could — and unfortunately often would — go for 50+ yards and a touchdown.

By every factor of ten yards, OSU was one of the worst schools in the FBS in terms of chunk plays allowed. Per cfbstats.com, they gave up 213 plays of ten yards or more, good for 120th out of 130. They were 95th in 20+, 118th in 30+, 119th in 40+, and the list just goes on and on. They were tied dead last in plays allowed over 80+ yards, and not only were they tied for dead last in 90+ as well, they are one of only eleven schools that even gave up a 90+ yard play, and one of three to give up multiple. Let that sink in. One hundred and nineteen schools didn’t even give up a single 90+ yard play, OSU gave up two.

This year has been much better; I mean there wasn’t much room to go but up after all. But that doesn’t diminish OSU’s almost complete 180° turnaround in that regard. They are tied for 12th in 10+ yard plays, fifth in 20+, first in 30+, and the list goes on, but this time in a positive way. They have yet to give up any play over sixty yards, a far cry from the eight last year.

There have been a lot of factors that have contributed to this flip on defense. The most commonly cited one has been OSU’s “simplified” scheme that lets the defense’s superior athleticism make plays. Too often last year, we saw opposing players catching the ball and nearly the entire defense had their backs turned to the offense. Not anymore.

In addition, the simplified scheme allows the players to have a better grasp of where everyone is, and therefore has led to surer takedowns and more gang-tackling. Both Jordan Fuller and Ryan Day spoke to this concept on Monday.

Fuller said, “Our tackling’s gotten better — our pursuit to the ball. We don’t feel we’re making the one-on-one tackle so much. With other guys surrounding the ball you feel you can take your shot.”

Day agreed saying, “You can play with a little bit more confidence knowing maybe you’re not on an island, you have guys that are coming with you, swarming to the ball, and I think that’s helped.”

Whatever the reason, the results have been clear, and new defensive coordinators Jeff Hafley and Greg Mattison are certainly making their money’s worth so far. OSU hasn’t really gone up against explosive offenses yet (and still won’t versus a dismal unit in Northwestern), but at least they aren’t letting the little guys run free anymore, and that’s all that we can ask for right now.

We will see how it holds up against the best offenses in the nation, but at the midway point in the season there’s a lot to be confident in.

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Northwestern must rely on run game, Drake Anderson to put points on the board
Tia Williams via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
The Wildcats quarterback situation is a mess, so it’s up to running back Drake Anderson to keep up with Ohio State

Welcome back everyone! Hope you all enjoyed your bye week. Now it’s back to business as usual as Ohio State prepares to face Northwestern in Evanston on Friday night.

The last time the Buckeyes saw the Wildcats was during their 45-24 victory in the Big Ten championship game last year, and it seems Northwestern hasn’t been able to bounce back. Currently, they are 1-4 overall and ranked sixth in the Big Ten West.

That’s neither here nor there. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is adamant that his team prepares for each opponent like they’re the No. 1 program in the country.

“If we start to look ahead or start to let our egos get in the way, then we’re in trouble,” Day said in his press conference on Monday.

He said when he was under Chip Kelly at New Hampshire—both as a player and assistant — Kelly would turn on Northwestern football film to teach them about spread offense.


A nice story, however Northwestern is No. 125 in total offense this year, while Ohio State is ranked No. 2 in the country in total defense. Need I say more?

While their defense is definitely their strong suit, every team has their secret weapon on offense, and Northwestern’s offensive player to watch is redshirt freshman running back Drake Anderson.

Anderson is their secret weapon due to the fact that he wasn’t expected to see much playing time at all this season. After putting up decent numbers last year, sophomore running back Isaiah Bowser was expected to be their go-to guy. Instead, he injured his knee in Northwestern’s season opener against Stanford and sat out the following week against UNLV.

Bowser has since been cleared to play, however Anderson continues to receive the most touches. Through five games, the freshman has 366 rushing yards on 74 carries and three touchdowns.


Anderson broke out with 26 carries for 141 yards and a touchdown against UNLV in the Wildcats’ one and only win. Then, he ran for 91 yards and a touchdown against Michigan State.


He ran for 68 yards on 16 attempts and one touchdown against Wisconsin’s No. 1 ranked defense. Not to mention, Anderson’s potential is sky high. He is the son of Damien Anderson, Northwestern’s second-leading rusher in program history who came in fifth in the Heisman Trophy race in 2000.

Anderson is difficult to tackle, due to his shiftiness and speed. His receiving threat, however, like the rest of Northwestern’s offense, is minimal. The Wildcats have passed the ball 162 times for 702 yards and two passing touchdowns. Compare that to their 209 rushing attempts for 762 yards and 6 rushing touchdowns and you get a feel for what works and what doesn’t.

These numbers aren’t exactly surprising. Northwestern’s starting quarterback, senior TJ Green, was also injured in the season opener and, unlike Bowser, is out for the season. Their backup Hunter Johnson injured his knee against Wisconsin and sat out the following week against Nebraska. Next in line is junior QB Aidan Smith, who took every snap against the Huskers. He has completed 12 of 31 of his throws (38.7%), with one 15-yard touchdown pass, one rushing touchdown and three interceptions.

Johnson’s return for Friday night’s game is still up in the air, and while neither quarterback has turned any heads, if Johnson is cleared the Wildcats will definitely have a... better... chance of staying in the game against the Buckeyes. After all, the sophomore was rated as the No. 2 quarterback in the 2017 recruiting class by 247Sports and No. 1 by ESPN, ahead of Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm.

Alas, the past is the past, and two years later Johnson has simply not lived up to his rating. He has completed 48.3 percent of his passes for 367 yards, racking up one rushing touchdown, one 50-yard touchdown pass, and four interceptions.


Therefore, the Wildcats must rely on Anderson’s rushing talents to, quite literally, carry their offense, and, well, I don’t have to tell you what Ohio State can do to a one-trick pony.

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Big Ten Power Rankings: See Dave Wannstedt’s post-Week 7 list
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

We're halfway home, with every Big Ten team playing at least six games. Not much changes this week in Dave Wannstedt's latest Big Ten Power Rankings.

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