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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Heading needs changed to (Duke Verbal)

Damn. RIP, Adam.

Undefeated Minnesota debuts in latest AP poll
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

Big Ten West co-leader Minnesota debuts in the latest AP poll, released Sunday afternoon. The undefeated Gophers come in at No. 20, following their convincing win vs. Nebraska.

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woofermazing said:

MSU used alot of RPO's that they hadn't showed on film. That's where the crossing routes were coming from.

We'll probably get lots of practice on them because every team will implement some form now.

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And unlike the past few years I expect us to eliminate that play by making adjustments.

Jaxbuck said:

Therapist


Send wife to make a sammich or fetch a beer?

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Beer. She cares too much about my health and would make me a shitty little sandwich without pork products.

Seven years later, I hope a few of you guys are still butt hurt over comments I made about Ohio State 15 years ago.

Heading to South Bend with Knute tomorrow. Enjoy the games, gentlemen.

Back to the barracks. Grumble, grumble, grumble.