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LGHL Ohio State offers 2020 defensive end, crack top 6 for 2020 small forward

Ohio State offers 2020 defensive end, crack top 6 for 2020 small forward
Patrick Mayhorn
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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The Buckeyes are in the running for an elite 2020 basketball player

Early Tuesday morning, the Ohio State Buckeyes sent out a pretty huge offer. With quite a few targets at defensive end still on the board, Ohio State has a ton of options in the 2020 class up front. However, the Buckeyes are apparently very confident in a bit of a lesser known prospect, because they extended an offer to three-star defensive end Deontae Craig.


Truly blessed and honored to receive an offer from THE Ohio State University! #GoBucks ⚪pic.twitter.com/0bNDtolqLR

— Deontae Craig (@CraigDeontae) February 12, 2019

Deontae’s skills, and ultimately, the reason he picked up this offer, are evident immediately on film. Firstly, he has an excellent frame. At 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, you won’t many recruits more physically ready for college football than Craig. On top of his great size, Deontae is an excellent athlete, as is evident by his impact not just on the football field but also on the basketball court, where he serves as an excellent forward. That takes a ton of athletic ability, and Craig is certainly that.

Ultimately, while he doesn’t have the lofty ranking quite yet (sits at 519 currently), Ohio State sees the same thing that Craig’s nine other offering schools have seen. This recruitment is ready to explode, and if Deontae Craig can develop his technical skill under someone like Larry Johnson, he can be a star.

In the running


While we’re still not super far into the 2020 college basketball recruiting cycle, Ohio State’s top targets for the class, and the generally picture of what this group might look like for the Buckeyes is becoming clearer by the day. We may have gotten a big hint as to who the first member of the class may be yesterday, as four-star small forward Che Evans included the Buckeyes in his top six schools.


Beyond Blessed To Announce My Final 6 Schools pic.twitter.com/nHBmA8CUv4

— Ig: cevans10 (@CevansJr10) February 12, 2019

The Buckeyes are joined by TCU, Texas Tech, Boise State, UCLA and Florida in the running for the Maryland product, and I think the Buckeyes have as good a shot as anyone here if they go all in for Evans. Now, does that happen? I’m not sold on it. Ohio State has either two or three available spots in 2020 depending on what they do with the open scholarship left by Micah Potter, and the Buckeyes have several prospects I think they’d take first, including Dom Penn, Zach Loveday, Brandon Boston, Nimari Burnett, and perhaps Ethan Morton.

However, only one of those players (Morton) is a forward, and my expectation is that the Buckeyes want one guard (likely Penn), one combo guard or forward (Morton, Boston, Burnett, Evans) and one big man (Loveday, John Hughley). Neither Boston nor Burnett seem likely at this point, so I’m guessing this one comes down to preference for the Buckeyes between Morton and Evans. If Evans wins that, he could be a member of the 2020 class sooner rather than later.

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LGHL What exactly will Ohio State’s offense be like this season?

What exactly will Ohio State’s offense be like this season?
Justin Golba
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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Will a Big 12 style offense be what the Buckeyes show this season? If it is, that brings another question: what exactly is a Big 12 offense?

“In fact, the past few seasons have seen some of the most innovative spread offenses contracting — finding more ways to run the ball against defenses that adjusted to the pass-happy attacks by getting faster and more athletic but smaller.”


-Marcus Hartman, Dayton Daily News

When Ryan Day hired Mike Yurcich from Oklahoma State to join his staff as the passing game coordinator and the QB coach, many Ohio State fans were excited to see a new face. Yurcich had been with the Cowboys from 2013-18 as their offensive coordinator and QB coach.

The air raid offense is a fun and enjoyable way to watch football and many Buckeye fans will be excited to see how Yurcich and Day can adapt it to fit newcomer Justin Fields. The offense was created by Mike Leach and Hal Mumme and then after working for both of them, Dana Holgorsen brought it to Oklahoma State where Mike Gundy and later Mike Yurcich both adapted it.

It is a much more complex system now and in the three years Ryan Day has been at Ohio State, he has been the driving force behind the adaption of the Ohio State passing attack. Many people feel that Mike Yurcich will bring the high-flying Big 12 offense to Ohio State, but Yurcich has made it a point to say that every offense is different and also that a Big 12 offense is not as easy to define as many think. He says that a lot of it comes down to spreading the field and throwing the ball vertically to create space for the offense. It will be interesting to see what part of the Oklahoma State and Big 12 offense that Yurcich brings to Columbus.

“Last weekend, Miller went to Los Angeles and competed against some of the West Coast’s best quarterbacks in an attempt to win a spot in the Elite 11 Finals. And he wound up punching a ticket.”


-Jeremy Birmingham, Lettermen Row

Jack Miller is one of the best recruits in the 2020 class, but that has not come without overcoming some obstacles. Miller attends Scottsdale Chaparral High School in Arizona and has quickly shot up the recruiting rankings. Unfortunately, Miller tore his MCL in Mid-October halfway through his junior season and has spent hours each day trying to rehab it and get it back to 100 percent. He has just finally gotten back to full speed and he just was recently named the MVP of the Los Angeles regional of the Elite 11 and will move onto the finals that will take place this summer.

The 6-foot-4, 210-pound quarterback is currently ranked fourth among pro style quarterbacks in the 2020 recruiting class and is a four-star recruit. He committed to Ohio State back in late July and even though he did take a visit to LSU in December, and the recent transfer of former five-star Georgia recruit Justin Fields had many speculating, Miller has stayed committed to the Buckeyes. He is the type of quarterback that has a mountain of potential and can flourish in the Ohio State and Ryan Day system.

For him to come into the Elite 11 regional coming off of an injury and still be named MVP shows just how talented and resilient the young quarterback is. He still has another year of high school and barring a setback, he will have many opportunities to improve and fine tune his game before he gets to Columbus. He will also likely sit his first year and learn the offense and the team before he becomes the main shot caller for Ohio State. Tune into the Elite 11 finals this summer to see exactly where Miller stacks up against the country’s best high school quarterbacks.

“Ohio State fans watching likely were thinking, “That’s what happens when you play freshmen!” And future Buckeyes wide receiver Garrett Wilson was watching and thinking to himself, “I can do that.”


-Ari Wasserman, The Athletic

Freshman (and underclassmen) that can play have done well in recent years on the big stage.

Justyn Ross totaled 12 catches for 301 yards and three touchdowns in the College Football Playoff with the Clemson Tigers; Tee Higgins added two big touchdown catches, too. Ross was especially important after he made a couple acrobatic catches against Alabama that helped the Tigers seal the deal and hoist the college football playoff trophy. So with one of the highest ranked receiver recruits Ohio State has had in recent years coming to Columbus, many Buckeye fans were left wondering if they will see their young freshman have a similar impact in the big moments.

Wilson looks to make an immediate impact on the Buckeyes offense and with the losses of Parris Campbell, Terry McLaurin and Johnnie Dixon, head coach Ryan Day will surely look to get Wilson some serious reps in game situations. The five-star recruit has said that he feels like he will get some minutes this year because he is a “confident kid” who will “answer a question like that with a yes every time”.

Wilson has had many opportunities on the national stage recently to show of his hands and has not disappointed. He is not the tallest as he is only listed at 6-foot-1, but with his incredible length and athleticism, he has made a name for himself by pulling off some spectacular and athletic catches. He will look to do the same this coming season for Ryan Day and Brian Hartline.

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LGHL 5-star OLB lists Ohio State among top schools

5-star OLB lists Ohio State among top schools
Dan Hessler
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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Five-star OLB Sav’ell Smalls lists Ohio State in his top schools and 2020 Buckeye QB commit Jack Miller earns prestigious honor.

With the 2019 recruiting class now behind us, Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day is hard at work ensuring his first true recruiting class as head of the program is one of the best in the country come National Signing Day 2020.

The class is off to a tremendous start as the program has already earned verbal commitments from seven of the country’s top prospects, good for No. 4 in the country in the 247Sports Class Rankings. However, Day and his new coaching staff are far from finished and have moved one step closer in securing a verbal commitment from another elite prospect.

Five-star OLB Sav’ell Smalls (Seattle, WA / Garfield) announced his top 12 schools last weekend on Twitter and Ohio State was listed among the group.


All glory to God .. #Top12 pic.twitter.com/7cPalmgg9p

— Sav'ell Smalls (@SavvySmalls_9) February 10, 2019

Along with Ohio State, Smalls listed Florida, Texas, Clemson, Miami, Washington State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Florida State, Texas A&M, Washington and Alabama.

Obviously, the Buckeyes have stiff competition in earning a commitment from Smalls and the blue-chip prospect is nowhere near making a final decision. Currently, Florida State is viewed as the favorite to land Smalls but we will learn more insight into what he is thinking in the spring when he is allowed to take early official visits to the schools he is interested in.

Expect Ohio State to continue pursuing Smalls in hopes of getting him on campus soon.

Ohio State 2020 QB commit heading to Elite 11 Finals


One of Ohio State’s most important commits in its 2020 recruiting class is four-star QB Jack Miller (Scottsdale, AZ / Chaparral).

Unfortunately for Miller, his junior season ended early after suffering a torn MCL. However, Miller is back on his feet and it appears as if he hasn’t lost a step while rehabilitating his knee.

Miller participated in two camps this past weekend and passed the eye test with flying colors, one of those events being the Elite 11 in The Opening L.A. Regional.


And then there is this Warm ups over@jackjamesmiller TD pic.twitter.com/Q257Zm0tyG

— Jack Miller(thedad) (@cocoabeach_28) February 9, 2019

Not only did Miller look good throwing the ball in the weekend events, he was named the MVP at the QB position at The Opening L.A. Regional. On top of this, Miller locked in a spot in the Elite 11 Finals, where he will compete against the top QB’s in his class this June.


Welcome to the Elite 11 Finals, @jackjamesmiller! pic.twitter.com/kjupjswXqJ

— Elite11 (@Elite11) February 11, 2019

Miller is the No. 4 pro-style QB in this year’s class and is the No. 65 overall prospect in the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

And on a side note, Miller was also spotted recruiting more elite talents to join him next year in Columbus.

Quick Hits:


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There are teachers...

This dunking science teacher is the coolest
He’s using dunks to teach science

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Like most teachers, Clark has a second job — it just so happens that his is “professional dunker”. Clark is a member of “Team Airstrike”, a professional dunking team that puts on exhibitions, and recently supplied entertainment during halftime of a Fresno State game.
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He’s pretty much the coolest teacher.

Entire article: https://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2019/2/14/18224983/dunking-science-teacher-jonathan-clark-video

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https://www.golfdigest.com/story/th...d-might-be-this-middle-school-science-teacher

Anybody have a midle school science teacher as cool as that guy?
Upvote 0

HB Dontre 'DeSoto' Wilson (Official Thread)

BUCKS GOING NORTH. The CFL is going to have some Buckeye flavor this season as both DeVier Posey and Dontre Wilson inked fresh Canadian Football League contracts yesterday.

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This is Wilson's first CFL contract since he was on the BC Lions' practice squad in 2017, but Posey is a seasoned CFL veteran, and a former Grey Cup MVP.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/skul...devier-posey-dontre-wilson-sign-cfl-contracts
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LGHL Ohio State survives another nail-biter, defeats Indiana 55-52

Ohio State survives another nail-biter, defeats Indiana 55-52
Geoff Hammersley
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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It’s never easy with the Buckeyes.

The winning ways are back. The Ohio State Buckeyes pulled off a big road victory against the Indiana Hoosiers behind a 15-point performance from Andre Wesson.

Ohio State, who appeared as a No. 9 seed in Jerry Palm’s (CBS Sports) bracket projection, now ride a three-game winning streak. After a 1-6 January, the Bucks seem to be back on the right track.

After collecting only six points in the last game against Penn State, Kaleb Wesson scored 10 points against the Hoosiers. Working shots inside, the Buckeye big man was 5-of-9 from the field. Wesson, a regular in foul trouble, was only whistled three times.

Luther Muhammad secured nine points along with two assists. The leading scorer last time out, he had the fourth most points on the team behind Andre (15), C.J. Jackson (10) and Kaleb (10).

Let's take a look at how this one went down in Assembly Hall.


In front of a packed audience of 17,222, the Buckeyes won the opening tip. Muhammad missed the first shot of the game, and moments after that, Kaleb Wesson committed the first foul of the game. On the brightside: Andre Wesson made the first basket with 18:43 left on the clock.

Thanks to an Andre turnover, Justin Smith capitalized with a bouncing shot off the rim from the free throw area to tie the game at 2-2.

An all-around attack from OSU paced them on a 9-0 run, and a very early 11-2 lead. Muhammad connected on a three, and a layup thanks to a Juwan Morgan TO; Kaleb took a basket via layup; and Andre Wesson, like his brother, made a two-pointer via layup.

Romeo Langford broke up the OSU scoring spree with a three-pointer. Then, following a bad pass from Kyle Young, Langford dunked the ball home. Another turnover—this time by Duane Washington—led to to a Devonte Green bucket. At the under-12 media timeout, OSU held the slim advantage at 11-9.

Ohio State pulled their lead to as many as nine, but the Hoosiers came clawing back—a theme of the first half. Turnovers from Kaleb Wesson, Jaedon Ledee and C.J. Jackson were part of the reason for OSU’s offense going stale for a few minutes, and coupled with IU baskets, made the game within a possession at the break, 23-21.

Another reason for why OSU’s lead shrunk: the Buckeyes closed out the first half with five missed shots.

To begin the second half, Kaleb committed another TO; Smith made the Bucks pay, as he took advantage of a second-chance opportunity. Wesson would atone for his mistake on the other end with a layup on the next possession.

Ohio State would get hot, though, as a pair of missed three-pointers by IU led to Kaleb making a layup, and Muhammad knocking down a three of his own. Andre and C.J. would make shots too, and at the under-16 media break, OSU was back up by nine.

But like the first half, turnovers helped give the Hoosiers life. A bad pass from Jackson led to De’ron Davis capitalizing for two. However, with IU within four, Jackson popped a three from the center of the arc to give Ohio State a seven-point, 39-32, lead.

Washington Jr. would then make a three to give OSU 42 points. That’d be all the scoring Holtmann’s squad could muster for four minutes. In that timespan, Langford made a layup and the Hoosiers close the gap (again) heading into the under-8 timeout.

Right out the mini break, Langford went up for a layup on Kaleb, and the result was a knee to Kaleb’s lower midsection as Langford drove to the basket. On the same sequence, Andre got the rebound, but injured his hand in the process as the Hoosiers tried to swipe the ball. Young subbed in for Kaleb Wesson, as Andre stayed in the game.

Keeping Andre in the game was huge, as he drained a three from the far wing. In the rebuttal possession, Langford connected on a wide open three on the near wing to bring the score to 47-41 in favor of the visitors.

The next two series were unkind to Andre. He missed a three, and then was called for traveling. In response, the Hoosiers made two deep three-pointers—tying the game at 47-47. IU strung together a 9-0 run in just under 90 seconds.

After another travel—this time on Muhammad—the Hoosiers had a chance for their first lead of the game. Langford’s layup attempt didn’t go swish, and on the opposite end, Musa Jallow went for a circus, underneath-the-basket layup that was way off target. The comedy of mistakes continued as the Hoosiers’ Green turned the ball over to Andre Wesson.

Wesson and the Bucks got a timeout on the steal. After the commercials aired, OSU took the ball up the floor, and thanks to a second-chance effort by Andre after a Keyshawn Woods miss, the Buckeyes had the lead at 49-47. The lead was short lived; Rob Phinisee had a layup that kissed the high part of the glass before dropping in.

Phinisee wasn’t done making plays just yet. After a steal, Green hit a three with the shot clock ticking away to give IU their first lead of the game, 52-49. On the rebuttal, and with the shot clock down to two, Jackson uncorked a triple from what seemed like the parking lot. He nailed it—tying the contest at 52-52.

IU called a timeout, and on the ensuing inbound, Morgan turned the ball over to Andre Wesson. After Holtmann burned a timeout and made a substitution, Andre dunked the ball. Ohio State held the 54-52 advantage with 20 seconds remaining.

Langford attempt a deep (and contested) three with 12 seconds left—missing it. Muhammad got the rebound before being fouled. He made one of two free throws, and a desperation three from Green at the buzzer was off the mark.

Up next for OSU will be Illinois. The Bucks won the earlier matchup this season 77-67 on Dec. 5, 2018. The grudge match is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. ET.

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LGHL Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Indiana: Game preview, prediction

Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Indiana: Game preview, prediction
Gene Ross
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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The Buckeyes look to stay undefeated in February when they take on the Hoosiers.

For the first time in the Chris Holtmann era, the Buckeyes (15-7, 5-6) were finally able to get a win against Penn State, coming away with a gritty 74-70 win on their home floor. Now having won two of the last three games, Ohio State will travel to Indiana to take on the Hoosiers (13-10, 4-8) at Assembly Hall. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 1 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on CBS.

Preview


Ohio State finally defeated the Nittany Lions on Thursday night after not doing so in all three tries a season ago. In a game that came down to the final buzzer, the Buckeyes were led by Luther Muhammad. The freshman finished with 20 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists. Once again, Kaleb Wesson struggled to stay on the floor, hurting himself with foul trouble the majority of the night before fouling out with 1:45 remaining. The sophomore forward would finish with just six points.

One of the biggest stories of the game was the surprise return of forward Kyle Young, who had missed the team’s previous four games with a stress fracture in his leg. Especially with Wesson in foul trouble, Young was an essential part of the Buckeyes victory. The sophomore played 25 minutes, scoring six points to go along with six rebounds and two blocks, helping to clog the paint when Wesson was forced to sit. Young also scored the go-ahead basket with 63 seconds remaining that would put OSU on top for good.

Despite his fouling woes and low scoring output on the night, Ohio State continued to be a much better team with Kaleb Wesson on the floor. Playing only 19 minutes in the game, Wesson finished with a team-high plus/minus of +16. Even when he isn't putting up 20 points a night, the 6-foot-9, 270-pound Wesson is a physical presence that has to be dealt with on both sides of the floor. As a big scoring threat inside, he almost always draws a double that provides an open shot for a teammate. At the other end, his huge frame makes it incredibly difficult to get good looks inside. If Ohio State wants to continue to find success, Wesson must be able to stay on the floor.

The Buckeyes got the job done in the first act of this three-game stretch of very winnable contests. A loss to Penn State would have certainly put their tournament odds in jeopardy. Now, they head on the road to take on an Indiana team also fighting for its tournament life before returning home to face a 9-15 Illinois. Ohio State must continue to handle business over this stretch of games, because the road ahead does not get any easier, with four of five games against ranked opponents following the bout with the Illini. For now, OSU just has to focus on getting a road win against the Hoosiers.

Indiana started off the season 12-2, but it all came crashing down upon entering conference play. After a 74-63 loss to Michigan in the beginning of January, the Hoosiers went on to lose seven straight games before a shocking 79-75 overtime upset win over Michigan State in East Lansing. The win over Sparty has really been the only bright spot for Indiana in 2019, as they are currently losers of eight of their last nine games, falling to Iowa 77-72 in their last time out.

Despite shooting nearly 50 percent in the game, the Hoosiers fell just short of the Hawkeyes on Thursday night in Bloomington. Romeo Langford did his best to try and will his team to a win, dropping 22 points and five rebounds, but it was not enough to counter Jordan Bohannon’s takeover in the final minute of the game for Iowa. The junior scored the last 11 points for the Hawkeyes, including two deep three-pointers with time winding down on the shot clock. Juwan Morgan also had a really good night for Indiana, scoring 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting, but it wasn’t enough to stop Iowa from getting its first win in Assembly Hall since 2015.

Langford, a freshman, has been the Hoosiers leading scorer all season long, averaging 17.6 points per game and over five rebounds. It is no surprise the young 6-foot-5 guard is having a stellar first season, as he was the seventh overall player in the 2018 class (247sports), just two spots behind Zion Williamson, and the No. 1 player out of the state of Indiana. Just behind him on the roster is Morgan, as the senior is averaging 15.9 points per game to go along with almost eight boards and 1.4 blocks per game.

Despite their struggles, the Hoosiers are not a team that Ohio State should take lightly. Given their current situation, this game is as much of a must-win for them, if not more, than it is for the Buckeyes, as each additional loss pushes them farther and farther away from a chance at making the tournament. Indiana showed flashes of great basketball against Iowa, and even outplayed them during large stretches of the contest, but were unable to put together a full 40-minute performance to get the win. If they learn from their mistakes against the Hawkeyes, the Hoosiers will be a tough opponent, especially with the crowd on their side.

Prediction

ESPN BPI: Indiana 62.8%

Vegas Line: Indiana -2



The Hoosiers have had the Buckeyes’ number throughout the history of this Big Ten matchup, leading the all-time series 105-79. While Ohio State owns a 53-36 record in Columbus, Indiana is a whopping 63-26 in Bloomington against the Scarlet and Gray. C.J. Jackson is OSU’s leading scorer against the Hoosiers, averaging 13.7 points in three career appearances in the matchup. Kaleb Wesson averaged 13 points in both meetings between the two teams a season ago, with Ohio State winning both contests.

Langford is going to be a lot to handle for the Buckeye defense, but it will be an exciting freshman-on-freshman matchup between himself and Muhammad. Speaking of Muhammad, it is looking more and more each game like he will have to become Ohio State’s go-to scorer in times of need, especially when Wesson is not on the floor. He will have to have another high-scoring outburst if the Bucks want to escape with a win in this one.

Ultimately, as it usually does, the game will come down to Wesson and managing his fouls. Ohio State was able to get away with it against a spiraling Penn State team, but they will not survive against the Hoosiers with their best player on the bench. They will need his defensive presence inside to limit the damage by Langford and Morgan. As was the case for both teams in their last time out, we will have another gritty, down-to-the-wire Big Ten matchup on our hands. When the final buzzer sounds, it will be Ohio State emerging victorious, thanks in part to a good shooting performance by Keyshawn Woods.

LGHL Final Score Prediction: 69-67 Ohio State

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LGHL Gene Smith steps down from CFP committee

Gene Smith steps down from CFP committee
Patrick Mayhorn
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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After three seasons, Smith is no longer on the committee.

“It is imperative for me to have 100% focus in helping our new coach with his transition at The Ohio State University this fall.”

- Gene Smith via Jerry Emig



After three years of serving on the College Football Playoff committee, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith is stepping down a year before his contract is up, according to Ohio State SID Jerry Emig. It’s pretty easy to understand why Smith wouldn’t want any extra responsibilities this year, as he focuses on the transition from Urban Meyer to Ryan Day, and that’s reflected in his quote.

While Ohio State fans may not be delighted with the decisions made by the committee for the past few years, Gene Smith was, by all accounts, a valued member of the group.

Smith will be replaced by Gary Barta, Iowa’s athletic director, on the selection committee. The term for Barta will be three years, and begins this spring.

Local man has a bad take


Folks, you’ll never believe this, but professional take haver Stephen A. Smith had a take today, and as you may have seen, it was a real doozy. This morning on his show ‘First Take’, during a discussion about Kyler Murray and former Buckeye Dwayne Haskins, Stephen A. Smith showed his hand a bit by declaring Dwayne Haskins “more of a runner than a thrower.”


Wait what?!?!?!?!? You think Haskins is #MoreOfARunnerThanThrower ?!?@stephenasmith @dh_simba7 @FirstTake @Reflog_18 #OhioState pic.twitter.com/acv7sKHiwf

— Dylan Hefflinger (@DHeff11) February 8, 2019

I think my favorite part of this is the “I could be wrong about that” afterwards, which is, for my money, the absolute best way to follow up the statement of an opinion.

All of this is, of course, absurd. Folks that watched Ohio State at all in 2018 know that Dwayne Haskins went to the Cardale Jones school of running like a haunted downhill shopping cart, and not in any way a better runner than he is a thrower.

However, this is a good chance to remind Buckeye fans that shows like this, and people like Stephen A. Smith exist to get you riled up. Their job is to have strong, often incorrect opinions, because it drives interest and generates more money. It’s fun to dunk on them (I did my fair share), but ultimately, they’re getting what they want when you spend all day owning them online.

Wrestle Bucks set for massive matchup with Penn State


Looking for something to do in Columbus tonight? Look no further than St. John Arena, where the second ranked Ohio State Buckeyes are taking on the No. 1 team in the country, Penn State, at 8:30 p.m. ET. This is obviously a massive match for the Buckeyes, as they look to be in the running for a national title once again this season.

The road to the national title, as usually, runs through Penn State. The Nittany Lions have probably the most consistently dominant program in the country, and Ohio State has a huge opportunity to take them down tonight. You can watch the match in person, obviously, or on the Big Ten Network.

In case you missed it on Land-Grant Holy Land

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LGHL Report: Justin Fields ruled immediately eligible to play in 2019

Report: Justin Fields ruled immediately eligible to play in 2019
Patrick Mayhorn
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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The former five-star recruit will more than likely be OSU’s starting QB this fall.

Per a report from The Athletic’s Brian Hamilton, newly transfer Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields will be eligible to play for the Buckeyes this upcoming season. The former five-star recruit spent one season at the University of Georgia, but will not have to sit out a year before he plays for OSU.


Justin Fields can play immediately for Ohio State. pic.twitter.com/7jzpoMNsQi

— Brian Hamilton (@_Brian_Hamilton) February 8, 2019

There was never too much doubt that Fields would be granted his waiver, due to an encounter that he had at Georgia with a baseball player using a racial slur, but the official announcement is still a relief for the quarterback, and obviously for the Buckeyes, who almost certainly have their next starting quarterback thanks to the decision.

Fields played sparingly for Georgia as a freshman, completing 27 of his 39 passing attempts for 328 yards and four scores, while adding another 266 yards and four scores on the ground in 12 games played. For more on what Ohio State is getting from their new quarterback, you can check out our in-depth film study from January.

Following the announcement, Fields issued a statement in which he thanked the NCAA, and said that he had no regrets or hard feelings about his time at UGA.


Statement from Justin Fields, through Ohio State pic.twitter.com/2iuj7nRXAp

— Bill Landis (@BillLandis25) February 8, 2019

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LGHL Just like the ocean under the moon, Ohio State’s transition to the Ryan Day era has been smooth

Just like the ocean under the moon, Ohio State’s transition to the Ryan Day era has been smooth
Colton Denning
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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Our latest podcast talks Signing Day, and Ryan Day.

*Hits Carlos Santana guitar rift*

For the first time in a long time, there wasn’t much to talk about on National Signing Day for Ohio State. With most of its 17-player class already in tow, the Buckeyes secured a couple of offensive line commitments, and kept it moving towards the 2020 cycle. While there wasn’t the big “BOOM” Urban Meyer made us accustomed to, Ohio State’s small 2019 class is loaded with top-end talent, and shows that things are more than just fine in Columbus after losing a legendary coach.


On this episode of the Hangout in the Holy Land, Patrick Mayhorn and I discuss Ohio State’s ‘quality over quantity’ 2019 recruiting class, how Ryan Day has aced his first couple months, the differences between him and Meyer, and more.

Show notes


:30- It was weird having such a calm signing day

2:35- It’ll be a while before we see Dawand Jones and Enokk Vimahi play, but Day and his staff did a hell of a job bringing them in

5:45- Doug Nester’s de-commitment was set in stone once Meyer was out

7:10- This class defines ‘quality over quantity’

9:37- No concerns about Ryan Day’s recruiting + how his style is different from Meyer’s

13:20- The era of signing top-two classes is probably over, but we’ll take top-five and better personnel decisions.

19:10- Not many schools can lose someone like Meyer and keep it rolling + Gene Smith appreciation

21:30- Basketball’s important three-game stretch (which started with a wild 74-70 win over Penn State last night)

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LB Mike Mitchell (transfer to Texas Tech, transfer to Southeastern FL)

Mike Mitchell Overcame Setbacks On Journey From Five-Star Ohio State Recruit To The NAIA

Mike Mitchell is a prime example of the unpredictability of how the career of a top recruit, or any recruit, will turn out.

Entire article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomlay...-ohio-state-recruit-to-the-naia/#5323bf7c2d55

Mitchell balled out in the NAIA last season and plans to attend pro days at Southeastern and possibly UCF to show NFL scouts what he can do.
https://www.elevenwarriors.com/skul...s-mike-mitchell-naia-nfl-dreams-2019-rankings
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BTN Power Rankings: Iowa breaks into top 5 of Jon Crispin’s list

Power Rankings: Iowa breaks into top 5 of Jon Crispin’s list
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

After three straight weeks of a new No. 1, sizzling Purdue remains atop my latest Big Ten Power Rankings, presented by ArcelorMittal. The entire top four remains the same, actually, while surging Iowa moves up one and into the top 5.

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LGHL The Fastbreak: 3 quick things from Ohio State’s survival against last place Penn State

The Fastbreak: 3 quick things from Ohio State’s survival against last place Penn State
Geoff Hammersley
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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This one was anything but easy for the Buckeyes.

The popular 2018 video game Red Dead Redemption 2 has a character, Dutch van der Linde, that utters the phrase “have some faith” whenever a plan is about to be put into action. Unsurprisingly, those plans generally find a way to go sideways.

On Thursday night, the Ohio State Buckeyes not only had some faith, but got some really lucky—or if you’re a Penn Stater, very unlucky—rolls around the rim in a 74-70 victory against the Nittany Lions. Penn State, by the way, was 1-10 in the conference entering the game at Value City Arena, and had the Bucks on the ropes; not only did the Scarlet and Gray have their backs to the wall, but a loss to PSU would’ve been a doozy that pushed them on the outside of the NCAA Tournament bubble.


Faith (as well as some grit) has kept the Buckeyes afloat this far into the season. February has brought two wins in two games, and there’s a chance to make it three on Sunday when the Indiana Hoosiers run into Chris Holtmann’s squad.

But before we look at IU, let’s look at the escape against Penn State—and see what the Bucks should do before they ride off into Bloomington, Ind.

1) Wesson on the floor = good | Wesson off the floor = not good


When Kaleb Wesson is on the floor, Ohio State just plays better. He doesn’t even need to score that much; just having him there makes opposing offenses work a little bit harder getting around the Buckeye big man.

On the other side of the coin, Wesson is still a foul machine. Kaleb had a bad foul—this specific event was numero four—down low on Mike Watkins. Even though playing defense and preventing an easy basket for Watkins is what he’s supposed to do, Wesson got wedged into a position that would bring about a foul. Eventually, he fouled out, and was unable to help OSU on the floor for the final 1:46 of action. Fortunately without him, the likes of C.J. Jackson and Andre Wesson kept things from completely falling apart.

From a scoring perspective, this was not a good game for Kaleb. He had six points on 1-of-2 shooting, and a pair of rebounds and assists; on the not-so-good side of the stat sheet, he had three turnovers. However, when he was on the floor, he had a +/- of +16. That means when he was on the floor, OSU had a positive scoring margin of 16 points. The second highest player in the +/- margin was Keyshawn Woods at +10.

If OSU wants to make an NCAA Tournament run, he has to find a way to stay on the floor. The Hoosiers are a team playing for their tournament life right now, and with Sunday’s game at Assembly Hall, is looking for a huge win to boost the résumé any way they can. If Kaleb is off the floor for long stretches of time, then the Hoosiers can pencil in the “W.”

2) Kind sir, please take this basketball


At the risk of sounding like a broken record, another victory was nearly snatched by the jaws of defeat. All because of turnovers.

If you’re a fan of efficient basketball offenses, then the latest OSU performance had you covering your eyes with your hands. The Bucks committed 18 TOs, which led to 22 Nittany Lion points. Basically, gifted basketballs kept PSU in the game.

The biggest offenders of the TO bug were Jackson (5) and Woods (4). On the other end, Josh Reeves had five steals—something he’s known for. Granted, it was kind of expected that Reeves was going to get a few steals, but for OSU to collectively give back the ball nearly 20 times? That’s not good.

I feel like there’s a little bit of Golden State basketball happening with OSU—and not the good kind. Careless ball handling lead to breakaway dunks on the other end, and bad passes squandered decent scoring chances.

Diagnosing the problem isn’t as simple as saying “make good passes”. Defenses are switching up their approach against Ohio State, and causing havoc as they move up the floor. One half it could be 2-3 zone, another half could be a press.

This problem needs to be massaged more in practice. Holtmann needs to put his starting five in defensive traps, and have them work the ball efficiently. He probably already does that now, but this is another data point where turnovers are nearly pushing OSU to the bottom of the Big Ten.

3) Luther leads the way


Ohio State needs a consistent scorer every night. Luther Muhammad put up a 20-point effort against the Nittany Lions—and was a big reason for why PSU didn’t get conference win No. 2 in Columbus.


it is the official opinion of this account that luther muhammad is good. it is also the official opinion of this account that penn state should be banned from big ten play until they’re bad again

— patrick mayhorn (@patrick_mayhorn) February 8, 2019

Muhammad has had more good games than bad, but is he the definitive “scorer” on the team? Some nights it’s Andre, other nights it’s C.J., and then there are some games where Kaleb goes bonkers and wreaks havoc. However, there really hasn’t been a game where everybody seemed to click.

Hypothetically speaking, if the Bucks were down one with five seconds left in the game, who would get the last shot? Personally, I think it should be Luther. Ohio State needs to develop someone into being “the guy” in crunch time. Might as well be the freshman who has already showed an affinity for playing the game under Holtmann’s watch.

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LGHL Could Ohio State be nearing another big commitment?

Could Ohio State be nearing another big commitment?
Caleb Houser
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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The Buckeyes could be on the verge of landing another star for their future.

With the 2019 Ohio State Buckeyes recruiting class officially in the books, the sole focus has shifted towards the 2020 and 2021 classes. Thankfully, Ryan Day lived up to the hype yet again when the Buckeyes landed two offensive line signatures on National Signing Day, which helps fill a position group that really needs depth. Now that we can look ahead though, the offensive line will still be a major area of concern in the 2020 class. Time and time again we’ve discussed how vital line play is to the success of one’s season, and with a increased need to add depth, you can guarantee Day and Coach Studrawa will be all over the place looking to bolster his offensive line in the next two recruiting classes.

With several top prospects already offered, you can see the priority in nailing down their top targets early and often. Having stellar talent in-state too certainly helps. The interesting thing will be seeing who could commit to the Buckeyes next.

Could it be, so soon?


Earlier this week, Ohio State sent out an offer to a big time in-state offensive lineman in Ben Christman. A 6-foot-6, 300-pounder hailing from Richfield, Ohio (Revere HS), Christman is a prospect that you can’t miss out on whether we’re talking physically in the 2021 class or literally in person. A massive current high school sophomore, Ben still has two full seasons to improve on an already impressive stature and ability. A dream for any and every coach recruiting him, the Buckeyes have to like where they stand early in this sweepstakes.

Immediately following that OSU offer, the predictions in favor of Ohio State on the 247sports crystal ball began to come in. Now, as said many times, the crystal ball is never 100 percent accurate. However, it’s certainly still a solid insight to where a prospect may end up. Especially when the director of recruiting, Steve Wiltfong, makes a prediction, it’s a more than good chance that the ending result mirrors his thoughts. That’s where we leave off with Christmas. Tuesday night, just hours after his offer, Wiltfong as well as two other insiders wasted zero time in pegging Ben to Ohio State.

The importance? While Ohio State goes in full search to reload their offensive line, the next pledge toward the program may skip the 2020 class and go right into 2021 with the aforementioned Christman. This week was already great to the Buckeyes in 2021 when Jack Sawyer gave a surprise early commitment to Ohio State. If the momentum continues, the Buckeyes could add their second major piece to the 2021 class.

Quick Hit:

  • Four-star 2020 defensive end prospect Jacolbe Cowan (Charlotte, NC/Providence Day) released his top 12 schools. Ohio State was fortunate to make the cut with Alabama, Clemson, North Carolina, Oregon, NC State and South Carolina among others. Cowan ranks as the fifth best defensive end in the country for his class and the second best player in North Carolina.

Blessed to see 17 years of life .. ✊

All glory to God, from whom all blessings flow!

And Then There Was 1️⃣2️⃣ ... pic.twitter.com/my0mC6CY8W

— Jacolbe C 1️⃣2️⃣ (@JacolbeCowan12) February 8, 2019

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LGHL Ohio State holds off Penn State 74-70 for second-straight win

Ohio State holds off Penn State 74-70 for second-straight win
Matt Tamanini
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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Sloppy play, whistle-happy refs, and a slippery floor led to a brutal game at the Schott.

After a hellacious January, which saw the Ohio State Buckeyes (15-7, 5-6) lose six of seven games, Chris Holtmann’s squad has now opened up February with a pair of wins, following their 74-70 home victory on Thursday night over the Penn State Nittany Lions (8-15, 1-11).

Much sooner than anticipated, Kyle Young returned to the lineup just 16 days after it was announced that he had suffered a stress fracture. In the first half, Young seemed to have two-plus weeks of pent up energy that he brought to the court. While Young brought the energy in the first half, Luther Muhammad had one of his best games as a Buckeye. In the second half, you could almost see the highly-recruited freshman become a team leader right in front of your eyes.

Also, early in the first half, Urban Meyer and the Big Ten and Rose Bowl champion football team were honored in front of an appreciative crowd.


.@OhioStateFB brought the Rose Bowl Trophy out for show & tell tonight during the @OhioStateHoops game. pic.twitter.com/YS4KCk40Xb

— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) February 8, 2019

In an unexpected turn, the game opened with Penn State winning the tip, but on the initial possession, OSU’s C.J. Jackson blocked a layup attempt from freshman guard Myles Dread. That was about the only thing that went the home team in the opening minutes. Despite an Andre Wesson mid-range jumper, the Buckeyes gave up three turnovers in less than three minutes, which led to five of PSU’s first eight points; all scored by Josh Reaves.

However, after an old-fashioned three-point play from Reaves opened up an 8-2 lead, Muhammad hit a jumper and Jackson connected from long-range. Then, coming out of the first media timeout, Andre Wesson connected on two free throws, then Muhammad did the same to put OSU up 11-8 after a 9-0 run.

After the free throws, Young entered the game for the first time since the injury, and on his first defensive possession, collected a rebound. Of course, he then immediately turned it over, but it was still a good effort for a guy fresh off of a stress fracture.

That early rebound wasn’t the only instance of Young’s presence providing dividends early. Apparently unafraid of reinjuring his leg, he quickly as on the floor diving for a ball, blocking shots, and pulling in boards to either begin or extend possessions.

With just under 11 minutes, on what appeared to be a somewhat broken play, Kaleb Wesson delivered a nifty no-look pass to Jackson for a bunny to put OSU up 17-9. On the next offensive trip, the younger Wesson hit a straight-away three to put the Buckeyes up 23-9, capping a 21-1 run. On the next PSU possession, Mike Watkins hit the Lions’ first field goal in over eight minutes.


21-2 run alert @OhioStateHoops takes early command of this one with a dominant stretch: pic.twitter.com/43bB1SntcK

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) February 8, 2019

At the 8:12 mark, Kaleb Wesson picked up his second personal and headed to the bench. Having Young back, and seemingly playing as well as ever, certainly helped keep the Buckeye front court stable.

With 3:32 remaining, Muhammad found Andre Wesson in the corner, and the junior forward hit from downtown giving OSU a 31-20 advantage, then following a Watkins dunk, Young got his first bucket of the game heading into the under-four minute timeout.

As the first half was winding down, PSU put on a bit of run thanks to some sloppy play by the Buckeye guards. Jabari Wheeler had steals on three consecutive possessions, cutting the Buckeye advantage to just 34-31 at halftime.

Despite OSU being up by as many as 15 in the first half, the Nittany Lions closed the half on an 11-1 run to make it a one-possession game to open the second half.

The first half saw Ohio State take significant advantages in just about every statistical category, except for one that has been a problem all season: turnovers. From the floor, OSU shot 48 percent (12-25), and actually was better from distance (50%, 5-10). The Nittany Lions were shooting just 39.3 percent (11-28) and 28.6 (2-7) from behind the arc.

The home team also was out rebounding PSU 21-10, but the Buckeyes’ 12 turnovers (compared to PSU’s six) helped erase OSU’s double-digit lead. The Lions turned those takeaways into 13 points, many of them resulting in their 10 fast break points.

As the first half ended and the second half began, players from both teams began slipping on the Value City Arena floor. With the hockey ice under the playing floor, and a rainy and humid day in Columbus, condensation was making its way to the playing surface. Athletic director Gene Smith was on the court during halftime, and reports from the arena indicated that they cranked up the air conditioning to hopefully keep the floor dry.

Back in action after the break, the second 20 minutes opened roughly for both teams, but the Buckeyes strung together a 7-0 run to increase their lead to 46-37. However, from there, the officials called four fouls against the Buckeyes in a span of 26 seconds of game time, all on a single defensive possession.

On the offensive side of the ball, Penn State coach Pat Chambers went to Ohio State’s least favorite defense, the 2-3 zone. As it has throughout the season, the defensive shift nearly completely shut down OSU offensively.

After a three-pointer from Rasir Bolton, PSU was within one triple, down 46-43. After a Keyshawn Woods turnover and then missed jumper early in the shot clock, John Harrar slammed it home for Penn State to put the OSU lead at a single point.

However, on the dunk, Young picked up his fourth foul, sending him to the bench. Kaleb Wesson — who had three fouls — came back into the game for the Buckeyes. The big man’s presence didn’t immediately help, as Lamar Stevens got a layup to put PSU up 47-46. On the next possession, he hit a pair of free throws to go up by three.

A few minutes later, with OSU up by a pair, Kaleb Wesson picked up his fourth foul in a questionable call in the post. However, with the score close in what amounts to a must-win game, Holtmann opted to keep his center in the game with over 11 minutes remaining in regulation.

For much of the second half, Penn State employed a three-quarter court trapping press which forced the Buckeyes to waste valuable time getting the ball up the floor, leaving them with precious few seconds available to move the ball around the zone in order to find quality looks.

At the 6:18 mark, Muhammad pulled up for a jumper and was fouled by Reaves. He hit both free throws, and the freshman continued to be the most solid performer for the Buckeyes. On the game, Muhammad finished with 20 points, 5 boards, and 4 assists.

Up by two and the shot clocking running down, Jackson hit a “jumper” with a foot on the line that was effectively underhanded. On the shot, Penn State sophomore forward John Harrar was eventually whistled for a Flagrant 1 foul for driving Kaleb Wesson into the floor on a “non-basketball play.”


CJ Jackson pic.twitter.com/KZyJOWZXOR

— Buckeye Videos+ (@BuckeyeVideos) February 8, 2019

The Buckeye big man hit both free throws, but on the ensuing offensive possession, Jackson coughed up his fifth turnover of the game, leading to yet another Reaves steal and dunk. With three minutes remaining, the Buckeyes held a 68-63 advantage.

As the clock ticked under two minutes, Bolton drove to the basket, and even though Kaleb Wesson was trying to get out of the way, he was still whistled for his fifth foul, ending his night with just six points and two rebounds. After a pair of three throws, and an Andre Wesson turnover, Reaves picked up yet another steal and dunk to put PSU up 70-69.

As Holtmann called a time out, Wheeler and Woods started jawing, and both were hit with technical fouls. On the next possession, the Buckeyes worked the clock, and Jackson maneuvered his way into the lane and hit a no-look pass to Young who waited for his defender to overcommit and then converted the hoop and the harm. The sophomore forward couldn’t convert from the charity stripe however, and left the Buckeyes with just a one-point lead, 71-70, with less than a minute to play in regulation.

As Stevens drove to the rim, Young blocked his shot, and after the ball was batted around a half dozen times before going out of bounds. The referees went to the monitor to check to see who the ball went off of before sticking with the call on the floor of PSU ball. However, when the Nittany Lions inbounded, there was only one second left on the shot clock.


Something about Penn State vs. Ohio State and close finishes...

The latest edition ended in an @OhioStateHoops win, and the finish was insane: pic.twitter.com/yVoMuzMqVE

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) February 8, 2019

The entry pass made it into the middle of the lane for Stevens, but after review, he didn’t get the ball off in time, turning the ball over to OSU with a one-point lead.

After the Buckeyes got the ball inbounds, Andre Wesson was fouled; he split the pair to put the home team up 72-70. On PSU’s ensuing possession, Bolton left Jackson in the dust and there were no Buckeyes in his vicinity when he put up a wide-open layup. However, the ball rolled around the rim and fell into Jackson’s hands.

Wheeler fouled him, and Jackson hit a pair of free throws, effectively icing the game.

It was a painful game at times to watch, but the Buckeyes got a much-needed victory. On the game, both Jackson and Andre Wesson joined Muhammad in double-figures; both with 15. Both Stevens and Reaves finished the game with 20 for Penn State, while Bolton put up 15 of his own.

Across the board, the Buckeyes’ stats look like they had an impressive performance, shooting 50 percent from the field — and from three-point land as well — pulling in 33 rebounds, getting 18 points from the bench. But, fouls and turnovers continue to be the biggest issues for this inexperienced and undermanned team.

Holtmann’s squad ended the game having committed 21 fouls and 18 turnovers. Fortunately for them, PSU was charged with 23 fouls. However, OSU’s 18 giveaways led directly to 22 points for the visitors.

The Ohio State head coach is in a tough spot, as his roster is not made up of the type or number of players that he would like at this point. If they are going to make a return run to the NCAA Tournament, these two areas will need to see dramatic improvement between now and when the regular season ends on March 10.

Ohio State will head out on the road on Sunday, Feb. 10 to take on the Indiana Hoosiers (13-9, 4-7) in Bloomington, Ind., at 1 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on CBS.

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LGHL New Ohio State assistant coach Jeff Hafley is ready to make some changes in the secondary

New Ohio State assistant coach Jeff Hafley is ready to make some changes in the secondary
Brett Ludwiczak
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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The new co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach isn’t ready to completely abandon press coverage, but knows some other schemes are needed to improve the Ohio State secondary.

“We have talent here. So I think we’ve got to make the most of our talent and I think we have to make it easy for our players to play fast, do what they do best, coach them up, fundamentals, technique. We need to do a good job with that. But there will be scheme involved, as well. It’s a little bit of both.”

Ohio State co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Jeff Hafley via Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts


Ohio State unveiled new co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Jeff Hafley to the media on Wednesday. The Buckeye secondary are coming off their worst season in quite some time, with their pass defense finishing just 86th in the country. Ohio State had employed a press-man coverage philosophy, and while it had worked for a number of years, opponents figured the Buckeye coverage scheme out last season.

New co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Jeff Hafley does believe in playing press coverage, but also knows that it can’t be the only type of coverage that is used in pass defense. Ohio State’s pass coverage going forward will depend on who they are playing and what type of personnel the Buckeyes have out on the field.

One area which could see a bigger change in the Ohio State secondary under Hafley is the rotation that is used for defensive backs. In evaluating Ohio State defensive backs during his time in the NFL, Hafley was confused by how often some of the star Buckeye cornerbacks came off the field. But, Hafley also knows that if talent is stockpiled in the secondary, a rotation is needed to help all of that talent see the field.

Last year Ohio State’s secondary suffered a bit with the loss of energy of Kerry Coombs, who joined the Tennessee Titans coaching staff following the 2017 season. Hafley should be able to bring back some of that energy. Hafley has had success coaching at both the college and NFL levels, which should help Ohio State’s secondary make a big improvement this season.

“It was more of a business decision. Coach Day, he’s been in the NFL. He knows what it takes to get quarterbacks to the NFL. Just the offensive mind he has, he’s a smart guy. So that’s why [I came to Ohio State].”

Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields via Kyle Rowland, The Toledo Blade


Things have been moving fast and furious over the past month for transfer quarterback Justin Fields. After placing himself in the NCAA’s transfer portal late in 2018, Fields moved into his dorm on Jan. 5, and just a couple days later was attending classes at Ohio State. Ever since making it to campus, Fields has been working at learning Ohio State’s playbook with new quarterbacks coach Mike Yurcich and quality control coach Corey Dennis.

Yesterday, Fields spoke with the media for the first time since transferring to Ohio State, sharing the spotlight with some of the early enrolls who had committed to the Buckeyes on National Signing Day. While Fields didn’t comment on what caused him to leave the Georgia program, he did rave about Day’s ability to develop quarterbacks that are prepared for the NFL.

As long as Fields’ transfer waiver is granted by the NCAA, something that Fields and Ohio State are waiting on the NCAA to rule on, the quarterback would give the Buckeyes about as perfect a replacement for Dwayne Haskins as they could imagine. Not only does Fields have the tools to pass the football like Haskins, but he offers up even more ability to make plays with his legs than Haskins did. If Fields is allowed to play in 2019, Ohio State will again be in the thick of the College Football Playoff race.

“I want to leave a legacy here. I want people to be like, ‘Oh, Zach Harrison, he was one of the greatest to come through Ohio State.’ That’s going to mean a lot more to me because, coming from home, I’ll be able to take my kids here and grow up in a community where they know my name and stuff like that.”

Ohio State defensive end Zach Harrison via Colin Hass-Hill, Eleven Warriors


A month into his time at Ohio State, defensive end Zach Harrison is already hard at work with his Buckeye teammates. The Olentangy Orange product committed to Ohio State over Michigan and Penn State in December, and has already turned his focus to leaving a legacy at Ohio State. The lure of staying close to home at Ohio State was too much for Harrison to pass up.

Little did Harrison know that when he committed to Ohio State, he would be playing for a couple of coaches from Michigan who tried to get the defensive end to play in Ann Arbor. New Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison and linebackers coach Al Washington spent a lot of time with Harrison during the recruiting process, and now are part of Ryan Day’s first coaching staff at Ohio State.

Harrison has already earned positive reviews for the work he is doing in the weight room, but he knows there is still plenty of work to do. The defensive end is still working on maximizing his freakish physical tools, but he has an incredible group of coaches to help him reach his goals. Along with talented defensive ends like Chase Young and Jonathon Cooper working with him, it isn’t far-fetched at all to think Harrison could turn into one of the best to play for Ohio State by the end of his playing career.

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