Ohio State hires 49ers’ Jeff Hafley, Michigan’s Greg Mattison as co-defensive coordinators
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Also, Larry Johnson has been promoted to associate head coach.

The dominos are continuing to fall when it comes to the Ohio State Buckeyes’ coaching staff, as the Buckeyes have confirmed that they will make the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive backs coach the co-defensive coordinator alongside newly hired Greg Mattison.


Hafley is a 39-year-old New Jersey native who was spent time working for (reportedly) out-going OSU defensive coordinator Greg Schiano at both Rutgers and the NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He then coached the DBs for the Cleveland Browns for two seasons under Mike Pettine before joining Chip Kelly on the 49ers staff, where new OSU head coach Ryan Day coached the quarterbacks. Hafley was retained by Kyle Shanahan when he took over in San Fran.

In addition, a 69-year-old defensive line coach Greg Mattison is leaving the Michigan Wolverines’ sideline to join Day’s staff. Mattison is a staple in college football, having worked at Michigan in the 1990s before leaving to coach at Notre Dame, Florida under Urban Meyer, and then as the linebackers coach and defensive coordinator for the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens under John Harbaugh.

Mattison returned to Ann Arbor in 2011 as the defensive coordinator under Brady Hoke, and was retained by Jim Harbaugh as the defensive line coach.

With these hires, and the reports that linebackers coach Bill Davis won’t return to OSU in 2019, that would indicate that the Buckeyes are in need of at least one other coach to take over the LBs. However, rumors are swirling that cornerbacks coach Taver Johnson might not be retained either; opening up another spot on the staff.

Ohio State also confirmed on Monday that defensive line coach Larry Johnson will continue coaching that group, but will now be the team’s associate head coach. He previously was the team’s assistant head coach. Schiano was the associate under Meyer.

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Ohio State basketball falls to No. 16 in latest AP Poll
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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After a close loss to Michigan State, the Buckeyes drop two spots.

After falling to Michigan State on Saturday, the Ohio State Buckeyes dropped to No. 16 in the latest edition of the AP Men’s College Basketball Top 25 Poll. The Buckeyes entered the weekend as the No. 14 squad in the country, but suffered an 86-77 loss at home to the Spartans.


On the bright side, OSU is out to an impressive 12-2 start to the season. They can rebound on Wednesday, as they’ll play Rutgers at 7 p.m. ET.

Atop the the college basketball world, things remained mostly unchanged. Duke, Michigan, Tennessee and Virginia kept their perch at the top of the rankings. While all four teams received first-place votes, the Blue Devils had the most with 37. The only change in the top five was Kansas, who fell to No. 7 after a loss to Iowa State; Gonzaga takes over at No. 5 in this week’s slot. Michigan State improved from No. 8 to No. 6 following their win on Saturday in Columbus.

In addition to the trio of Big Ten schools mentioned, Indiana is the fourth (and final) team from the conference represented in this week’s poll. The Hoosiers appear at No. 22, a one-spot increase from last week.

Here is the full AP Poll:

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Ohio State Purdue Preview
Trevor Arnold 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

It wasn’t the most visually appealing game against Minnesota last weekend, but in a weekend when 4 of the top 10 teams lost, the Buckeyes survived. The Ohio State defense gave up 396 yards, but in the second half the managed to shut out the Golden Gophers. This young defense looks to be coming together, they just need to get healthy. Ohio State had 5 starters out during the game, that does include Nick Bosa, who, sadly, will not be returning to Ohio State. Side note: Nick is making what he feels is the correct choice, and any Ohio State fan who bad mouths him needs to get a grip on reality.

The more concerning part of Ohio State’s game right now is the running game. Ohio State got out rushed by a Minnesota team who gave up 315 yards on the ground to Maryland. Ohio State managed 92 yards with a backfield featuring two 1,000 yard rushers. The offensive line play was not good the last two weeks, and if Ohio State wants to be the championship team they want to be, the offensive line needs to be better. The running game needs to get going.

Dwayne Haskins was 33-44 for 412 yards and three touchdowns, to once again carry the offense. Haskins now has back-to-back 400 yard passing games, and I see no sign of the slowing down. Until Ohio State can become the balanced offense they want to be, they will have to continue relying on the passing game. Purdue is giving up 267 yards in the air per game which is ranked 106 in the country. Haskins will have another 400 yard passing game in West Lafayette on Saturday.

The battle of the wide receivers. KJ Hill vs Rondale Moore. Both of these receivers have electric this season. Hill has 40 receptions for 551 yards and 4 touchdowns. Moore has 45 receptions for 558 yards and 5 touchdowns. Both defenses have been susceptible to the pass this year. Ohio State is ranked 52nd giving up 221 yards per game. If either of these players get going it will be a long night for both defenses.

Purdue also has a QB who can sling the football around. David Blough won the starting position after their loss to Missouri, but he had 572 yards going 39-55 and 3 touchdowns. He is completing 78-109 for 990 yards at home. He has a 5 to 1 touchdown to interception rating. Blough and company will be looking to exploit the Ohio State defense through the air.

Ohio State has had its troubles in West Lafayette. They have 3 wins in 7 trips to Purdue since 2000. Urban Meyer is 1-0 there with a 56-0 victory. That was against a very bad Purdue team however. This Purdue team will be giving everything they have against Ohio State, as most of Ohio State opponents do. Jeff Brohm is a great offensive coach, and turned Purdue around in 1 year. Taking them to 7-6 with beating Arizona in their bowl game. Purdue this year could easily be 5-1, 6-0 if it weren’t bad luck and some bone headed plays towards the end of their games. Which means this team could very well be ranked in the top 20.

With both teams struggling in the passing game and both teams having great success through the air this season I am predicting a shootout type of game here. The Penn State game should have been a shootout type of game, but the defense had a bend don’t break mentality and it payed off. This game could be very similar. On the road. At night. ABC. This game has all the makings of the perfect upset for Ohio State. I do not believe Ohio State will be getting upset this Saturday night. Social media has been talking about this “trap game” so much this season I’m not even sure you can call it a trap game any more. The players on both sides will be ready for a battle. I am predicting a 56-35 game. Ohio State has been great on defense in the second half the last two games, and I see that continuing. The adjustments, even if Schiano says there aren’t any, they are making are working. It’ll be a close first half like Ohio State is accustomed to this season, but relax Buckeye Nation Ohio State will not be getting upset.




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Scarlet Letter: Don’t Give Up Just Yet
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
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With another hard-fought victory against another Big 10 conference opponent, the Buckeyes leave today’s game with a few more questions about their identity and their ability to fend off a lesser team that they should have dominated. Aside from Rutgers and Tulane, the Buckeyes have been vulnerable and prone to giving up huge, momentum-shifting plays to teams week in and week out.

I have never seen an Ohio State defense get gashed, nickel-and-dimed, and straight up bullied by opponents this badly, and it is becoming quite bothersome if I am honest. This is definitely not up to par and it is not close to the standard that we have enjoyed, but maybe–just maybe this game might light a bigger fire underneath the players and they will start to take things personally and to heart pushing forward.

As I watch the fanbase implode and point fingers, it makes me wonder if they were all fully invested with the team that they “love” and if the “love” was truly real or not. It is understandable and it is very frustrating, but we are still undefeated. Insert shrug emoji here.

Have we become too spoiled as fans to the point to where hard-fought wins that displayed the Buckeyes resiliency, their grit, and their determination to secure an ugly win is not enough? An undefeated season is still not enough? No one is perfect and the weaknesses today will be addressed a week from now because it was evident that more work needed to be done.

Yes, certain players and position groups need to improve, they need to play much better than they have been, but it’ll take time and it isn’t an easy fix. I could easily call out everyone on social media, but you know what? That does more negative things than positive. Just calm down and enjoy the ride because you never know what the future would be like, and it could be grimmer than right now.

Injuries, penalties, and miscommunication happens–and again, it will be addressed and fixed. Just have faith in the coaches, in the players, and everything will fall into place. Enjoy the win because next week will be another hard-fought game. It is not like the Big 10 of old, where it is top heavy. Teams have improved, there are a few bottom feeders, that have the talent, but it will take time. Breathe Buckeye Nation, WE…ARE…FINE!
















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Indiana (4-1, Big 10, 1-1) at Ohio State (5-0, Big 10 2-0)
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
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After a drama-filled, come from behind victory at Happy Valley, the Buckeyes face a resurgent Indiana team that could potentially give them problems. In what was one of the better games of the season, pitting two Top-10 teams against each other, and during a White-Out, the Buckeyes cannot afford to take a loss to another unranked, but talented team again just like that terrible Iowa loss a season ago. The stars aligned once again and after another 1-point, hard-fought win, the Buckeyes might be vulnerable once again.

Indiana will take their Sophomore QB Peyton Ramsey into Columbus to try to shock the world. Ohio State will be looking to maintain their current hot streak and blow past Indiana. Ramsey is no slouch, he is efficient, but he leaves points off the board and he tends to force throws. He won’t be alone in the backfield because he has another bruiser at RB in Stevie Scott.

With that combination, it might give them some life to at the very least, put up a fight. On the other end, Dwayne Haskins, Zone 6, and the duo of Dobbins and Weber will look to continue on with their fireworks display on offense. The defense will look to sharpen up their skill and be more disciplined as they get into matchups with conference foes.

Positional Keys:

• Quarterback: Remain calm/Stay sharp
• Running Backs: No dancing around/Remain involved in the gameplan
• Wide Receivers and Tight Ends: No drops/Gain separation
• Offensive Line: Grind out possessions/Maul defenders/Minimize penalties
• Defensive Line: Shed blocks/Gap discipline
• Linebackers: Discipline in coverage/Do not overrun gaps/Tackle better
• Defensive Backs: No blown coverages/Tackle better

There was a lot of errors on the Buckeyes’ part, but this win has and will boost their confidence moving forward. Last week drops, overrunning plays, and tackling were issues that stunted their progress down the field, but this week, they will be better since they’re at home.

Realistically, the Buckeyes will start out slow because of last week and injuries are a concern with Bosa still being out and Jones almost being lost to injury as well. Realistically, the Buckeyes will be looking to put this game out of reach by halftime as well, but we will have to see how they will respond, and I am leaning more toward the latter because they played poorly, but showed their grit in the second half.

Haskins will put up points in a hurry as he looks to retain his hot streak and I think it’ll be another multi-touchdown game. Dobbins and Weber will bruise the defense and Zone 6 will necessary blocks and make the plays once again. The defense will be looking to improve and play better in the absence of Nick Bosa.

Final Score: Ohio State defeats Indiana 58-17.














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Penn State Preview
Trevor Arnold via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
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It is finally here. Ohio State vs. Penn State. Normally, this game is played mid to late October, but this year this potential College Football Playoff match up is coming already in September. The Big Ten this year, so far, has seemingly been down this year. This makes this game even bigger than what it has been in years past. And in the last few years, this game has been huge. This game seems like it will decide the winner of the Big Ten East with Michigan State and Michigan looking subpar, so far. Ohio State the #2 scoring offense. Penn State the #1 scoring offense. Ohio State has had the better schedule so far with traveling to Jerry’s World and playing a very good TCU defense. Penn State has been tested at home to Appalachian State, and tested in the first half of the Pitt and Illinois games before pulling away in the second half of each game. Lets compare these two offenses.

QB:

Haskins: 87/115, 1194 yards, 16 tds, and 1 int.

McSorley: 57/106, 763 yards, 8 tds, and 2 int.

RB:

Dobbins: 56 attempts, 323 yards, 2 tds. Long of 21 yards

Weber: 52 attempts, 299 yards, 3 tds, Long of 49 yards

Sanders: 71 attempts 495 yards, 5 tds, Long of 48 yards

Ohio State has a clear advantage at quarterback. Dwayne has been absolutely incredible this year. Making every single type of throw with ease. Even in the TCU game he was stellar, especially on the blitz. Trace’s numbers don’t tell the complete story. His wide receivers have had some drops. But he also misses open people. Trace is a gamer though. He makes plays when it counts, and really its all about wins and loses at the end of the day. The Penn State run game is what concerns me. They run the qb read option very well. McSorely is making the correct read time and time again rushing 41 times this year for 5.7 yards a carry.

Penn State will be without backup Mark Allen at the running back position. But Miles Sanders seems to be picking up where Saquon Barkley has left off. He has been very good this year. Especially, in the Illinois game where he had 200 yards, and 3 touchdowns. Ohio State has split carries the whole year, and will continue to do so. Mike Weber has been practicing this week, after leaving the game early against Tulane. Ohio State has been missing the big runs this year, so far. With the passing game being so great to begin the year, I am surprised to see that Dobbins hasn’t broke one yet. Ohio State will need the running game to be excellent in Beaver Stadium.

With both offenses performing so well this year, both teams will have to rely on their defenses to step up, and limit the big plays.

Defense:

Opponent yards per game: Ohio State is ranked 22 vs Penn State is ranked 36

Rushing Yards per game: Ohio State is ranked 52 vs Penn State is ranked 78

Passing Yards per game: Ohio State is ranked 30 vs Penn State is ranked 24

Third Down Conversions: Ohio State and Penn State are tied for 54th giving up 5.2 3rd downs per game

To me this is where the game will be decided. With both offenses dominating early on in the season limiting 3rd down conversions will be the key. It will keep both defenses fresh, and will allow these potent offenses to stay on the field. Ohio State linebackers will have to play fantastic if Ohio State wants to earn this W. They CAN NOT crash down on the running back as soon as the play starts out. McSorley is very good in open space, and will destroy the Ohio State defense if the linebackers do not keep containment of him. McSorley also can take a hit, and seemingly likes to get hit, as it is rare for him to slide. He will fight for every yard he can get.

The defensive line is going to miss Nick Bosa for this game. I for one, and deeply saddened we wont get another Bosa double sack in Happy Valley. But this defensive line is going to play just fine, even without the BEST player in college football.

This game on Saturday night, 7:30 on ABC, will be exciting, and well agonizing. With both offenses playing so well, and both defenses playing okay, not great not bad, the big plays will come, and honestly they might come often. This game might give Tressel fans heart attacks, but this is who Ohio State is this year. I feel Ohio State has an advantage over Penn State, since we had to play a good team away from home. (Yes, I know it was mostly Ohio State fans). Penn State’s schedule so far, has been well terrible. Penn State has also struggled in 3 out of 4 games so far, and just had to use their depth to help them win because none of the teams they played so far have no where near the depth Penn State would have. But Penn State has shown up in the second half, and have shown why they are the #9 ranked team in the country.

I feel Ohio State is prepared for this game. I feel the defense will be ready for the #1 offense in the country. I feel Dwayne will continue to have the Heisman type year in this game. However, Happy Valley is an animal. It scares the crap out of me every other year. I hate going their. Those fans are loud. Weird things happen. Blocked punts. Blocked kicks. However, Ohio State is 2-2 in whiteout games, and after Saturday I believe it will be 3-2. The game wont be easy, and I for one will be glad when it is over. I’m feeling a score of 56-45.




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Urban Meyer’s presence will bring juice to the Ohio State sideline for Saturday’s showdown with Tulane by @MarkSamuelPrine
Mark Prine via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
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Juice noun
\ ˈjüs \

a : a motivating, inspiring, or enabling force or factor

b : STRENGTH, VIGOR, VITALITY



It’s no secret that Saturday’s game against Tulane is an assumed win for Ohio State. The game itself may be viewed as nothing more than a formality, by most Buckeye fans. However, I can say without reservation that Urban Meyer doesn’t see it that way. Sure, he knows his team is going to leave the horseshoe with a win; but what will make this game special for Urb is that it’s his first game on the sideline for the Buckeyes this season. Meyer has spent that last six weeks facing a suspension handed down by Ohio State University President Michael Drake, based on the recommendation of the school’s board of trustees for failing to manage Receivers coach Zach Smith. Meyer has been permitted to participate in football activities for the previous two weeks with the exception of coaching on Saturdays.

In his first game back, emotions are sure to be high for Meyer, the entire Meyer family, the players, the coaches, and Buckeye Nation. Ultimately this means guys will be playing with their hair on fire; with juice if you will. If you listen to any Meyer’s press conferences or any interview of any player or coach for that matter, you are sure to hear someone being praised for the level of energy and intensity they are showing in practice, games etc. That daily emphasis on juice is a symptom of the culture instilled by Meyer, since he arrived at Ohio State six years ago. Some of OSU’s best players like Nick Bosa and Dwayne Haskins have spoken about the intensity level and energy at the WHAC the past few weeks, since Meyers return. You may ask “what does all of this mean?” It means Buckeye fans should expect Meyer to bring that same intensity to the sideline on Saturday.

In short, a mediocre Tulane squad is about to play an angry Ohio State group that just happens to be one of the most talented teams to ever take the field at Ohio State or any other school for that matter. There’s no need to bloviate on and on about this game but if you must have something to look forward to, John Cooper is getting his first career start at defensive end in lieu of the injured Nick Bosa. Look for Cooper to have a solid performance as the defense prepares for next weeks showdown in State College. Ohio State by seventy.




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Bill Davis not returning to Ohio State, per report
Patrick Mayhorn via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Our national nightmare is over.

When Billy Davis was hired, it seemed a bit questionable, given his background of getting fired by NFL teams, but he was reportedly very close with Urban Meyer, and a friend of Urban is a friend of Buckeye fans. Today, however, after two incredibly bad years of linebacker play, the best man at Urban Meyer’s wedding has departed Columbus, as he was officially let go by new head coach Ryan Day just five days after Day took over as head coach.


Davis’ had a tumultuous tenure in Columbus, to put it kindly. His linebacker group frequently struggled with the speed of college football, and looked lost in Greg Schiano’s aggressive defensive scheme. Several players, notably Jerome Baker, Chris Worley, Tuf Borland and Pete Werner — among others — never seemed to get the coaching that they needed under Davis, and the first two played significantly better before Davis’ arrival in 2017.

Davis never seemed to quite fit in with a college football program, likely thanks in large part to his complete lack of college coaching experience. He seemed much better suited to coaching grown men rather than college students, and it showed on the field with the frequent confusion from his players.


Davis will likely head back to the NFL, where he’ll somehow acquire his 12th (!!!) linebacker coaching job in the league that seemingly can’t get enough of his whole shtick. Ohio State reportedly has interest in several possible replacements, including Michigan’s Al Washington, Cincinnati’s Marcus Freeman, and Kentucky’s Matt House, though it’s unclear if any of those three would be hired to replace Davis or reportedly departing defensive coordinator Greg Schiano.

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Greg Schiano will not return to Ohio State, Michigan’s Greg Mattison joining staff per reports
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Well this is rather shocking news.

Following last week’s announcement that co-defensive coordinator Alex Grinch would be leaving Columbus after one season to take a position at the University of Oklahoma, multiple reports are now surfacing that the Buckeyes’ other defensive coordinator — Greg Schiano — is on his way out as well, and that a rather surprising name might be taking his place.


BuckeyeGrove’s Marc Givler is reporting that Schiano will not return for the 2019 season; and while he didn’t have any sources as to who would officially be taking his place, he did indicate that a coach or two from TTUN were on Ryan Day’s radar.

In fact, in a separate report by 247Sports’ Sam Webb, it seems that 69-year-old defensive line coach Greg Mattison is leaving the Michigan Wolverines’ sideline to join Day’s staff. Mattison is a staple in college football, having worked at Michigan in the 1990s before leaving to coach at Notre Dame, Florida under Urban Meyer, and then as the linebackers coach and defensive coordinator for the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens under John Harbaugh.

Mattison returned to Ann Arbor in 2011 as the defensive coordinator under Brady Hoke, and was retained by Jim Harbaugh as the defensive line coach.

Reports also indicate that Day would like to bring current Wolverine linebackers coach Al Washington to Columbus as well. While this is just conjecture, it would seem as though Day is going to keep with the recent OSU trend of having co-coordinators on both sides of the ball. With Kevin Wilson and the recently hired Mike Yurcich on offense, and potentially Greg Mattison and a younger co-coordinator on defense.

The other names rumored to be up for a D-Cor job under Day would be Michigan’s Al Washington and Cincinnati’s Marcus Freeman — of course a former Ohio State and NFL linebacker as well.

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Ohio State dishes out scholarship offers to top-notch prospects
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes handed out a chance to suit up in the Scarlet and Gray to a number of highly sought after recruits over the weekend.

Just weeks removed from signing a long list of highly sought after class of 2019 recruits, Ryan Day and the rest of the Ohio State Buckeyes coaching staff aren’t done trying to track down talent to add to their rosters down the road.

While the Buckeyes might’ve not landed a verbal pledge, they did give a 2019, and 2021 recruit a chance to jump on the ship Day and crew have set to sail in the coming seasons.

On Friday, the Buckeyes entered the race for one of the top unsigned offensive lineman in the class of 2019. According to his Twitter page, and a number of reports, Ohio State has offered a scholarship to Kahuku (HI) senior guard Enokk Vimahi.


Vimahi, a 6-foot-4, 281-pound Under Armour All-American selection, has landed his fairshare of offers from programs from across the country throughout the process. With OSU now on the table, schools such as Oklahoma, USC, Nebraska, Utah and Virginia beat the Buckeyes to the punch in offering the Hawaii native.

Looking to add another big body upfront, he could be the cherry on top of an already impressive haul of offensive lineman.

Still yet to shut things down, Enokk wouldn’t be the first senior roadblock heading to Columbus. The Buckeyes have already signed fellow senior offensive line prospects Harry Miller, Ryan Jacoby, and still currently hold a verbal commitment Doug Nester.

2021 ATH adds offer from Buckeyes


While Vimahi should be done with his recruitment in the coming weeks, another newly offered Ohio State target is just starting trying to find his college stomping grounds.

Already holding over a dozen college opportunities at the moment, the Buckeyes are now trying to entice class of 2021 athlete Emeka Egbuka to bring his talents to the Big Ten.


With still nearly two years until he signs on the dotted line with his next home, Emeka has already picked up many chances to play on the college level. Not just OSU, Washington, Florida State, Auburn, and many others have set their sites on bringing him into the fold.

Showcasing talents that could translate to either side of the ball on the college level, Egbuka, the second wide receiver and 38th overall prospect in the class of 2021, per 247Sports, has been a key part of Steilacoom’s domination on the football field in Washington state. Helping the Senators to an overall record of 10-2 as a sophomore, Emeka hauled in 72 receptions for 1,492 yards and 23 touchdowns. He wasn’t done there, as the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder also finished last season with 29 total tackles, and eight interceptions in the defensive secondary.

See what caught Ryan Day and the rest of the staff at Ohio State attention with these highlights, brought to you by the team at Hudl:

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Podcast: Ryan Day’s next task is getting Ohio State back on Alabama and Clemson’s level.
Colton Denning via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Getting back on Alabama and Clemson’s level means making some choices that Urban Meyer wouldn’t.

Ryan Day’s impressive start as Ohio State’s Head Coach went to the next level on Friday, as the Buckeyes officially added former Georgia (and class of 2018 five-star prospect) quarterback Justin Fields to the roster. The move sets up a smooth transition from the likely departure of Dwayne Haskins, but Day’s work on getting Ohio State back to the College Football Playoff — and where Alabama and Clemson will be on Monday — is still to come.


On this episode of the Hangout in the Holy Land, Patrick Mayhorn and I discuss what Fields brings to the table (a lot), and go in-depth on the decisions Day needs to make — namely on the coaching staff — that Urban Meyer wouldn’t to get the Buckeyes back to the playoff, and in the conversation with the Tide and Tigers.

Show notes


3:32- Fields is a massive get for Day. How much of a QB competition is this really going to be?

7:50- Fields brings a dynamic element that’s going to make the offense much more vertical.

13:20- Ohio State’s QB lineage the past 20 years is sick.

15:15- It’s hard to blame Alex Grinch for jumping to OU, but what’s next for Ohio State’s defense?

19:57- Michael Jordan declaring for the NFL Draft leaves the offensive line with some tenuous depth.

24:51- But Jordan Fuller returning for his senior season is just as big for the secondary.

27:30- Why Colton thinks Ryan Day’s first season is going to be defined by whether he makes some decisions that Urban Meyer was unwilling to make, with shoutout to Ari Wasserman’s article about the ruthlessness of bringing Fields in. (Subscription required, but highly recommended)

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No. 14 Ohio State men’s basketball comes up short against No. 8 Michigan State, 86-77
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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The Buckeyes drop their first Big Ten game of the season.

After leading by as many as nine, the No. 14 Ohio State Buckeyes (12-2, 2-1) could not hang on as they fell 86-77 to the No. 8 Michigan State Spartans (13-2, 4-0). A back-and-forth game from start to finish, the Spartans were able to escape with a victory on the Buckeyes’ home floor.

Kaleb Wesson had a monster performance in the loss, dropping 25 points in what was a Big Ten career-high for the sophomore. He shot 9-of-15 from the floor and added 8 rebounds, but fouled out late in the second period as the Buckeyes tried to battle back.

The Spartans were lead by Nick Ward and Cassius Winston, who scored 21 and 25, respectively. Ward also added seven rebounds, while Winston added a team-high five assists. 18 of Winston’s 25 points came in the second half as MSU shot over 54 percent from the floor as a team.

Ohio State’s defense let them down big time in the second half, allowing the Spartans to shoot over 76 percent from the floor in the period. As a result, the Bucks got outscored 50-34 in the half after outscoring MSU 43-36 in the first.

The defeat gave the Buckeyes their first Big Ten loss of the season, now sitting at 2-1. They will continue to play conference opponents the remainder of the season, their next game coming against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Wednesday, Jan. 9. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.


Ohio State won the tip as things got under way at Value City Arena. It took a while for anyone to get the lid off the basket, but when they did it was Nick Ward with an and-one layup at the 17:30 mark to open up the scoring for the Spartans.

The Buckeyes answered on the other end with an alley top layup from C.J. Jackson to Kyle Young. After a Cassius Winston three-ball, Jackson followed with a three of his own. The teams traded a few empty possessions before Matt McQuaid hit a triple. Kaleb Wesson responded with a layup as Michigan State held a 8-7 lead at the first media timeout.


Ward knocked down two free throws out of the timeout, and Kaleb Wesson again answered with a layup as the two teams battled back and forth. After a nifty spin move from McQuaid gave Sparty another inside basket, Jackson nailed a three to put OSU back within two. A backdoor layup from Young on the ensuing possession had the game all tied up at 16 heading into the second media timeout.

Both teams went cold for a stretch before Ward and Jackson matched interior buckets. McQuaid knocked down another three to put Sparty back on top with 8:22 remaining in the first period. Luther Muhammad hit a pair of free throws before another Ward layup had MSU up three just out of the third media timeout.

Kaleb Wesson would hit a layup and Jackson got a steal and a fast break score that put the Buckeyes back on top at the 6:40 mark. Winston got a floater to go on the other end as the two teams traded leads late in the first period. After Wesson and Ward each got close range shots to fall, Ward hit a pair of free throws to put Sparty back up 29-26 with 4:24 to go.

Kaleb and Andre Wesson each nailed a pair of free throws to put OSU back on top by one. An and-one layup from Kaleb Wesson followed by a three-pointer by Duane Washington Jr. put Ohio State up 38-31 with 1:41 remaining in the period as the team found themselves on a 10-0 run.


Kyle Ahrens got MSU back on the board with a deep ball, but Wesson matched it with a three on the other end as the Buckeyes would head into halftime holding a 43-36 lead. OSU hit four of their last four shots to close out the period strong.

Kaleb Wesson had an absolutely dominant opening period, scoring a game-high 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting with seven rebounds. Jackson added 10 of his own with six boards and five assists despite some questionable shooting decisions. The Buckeyes went 9-of-9 from the charity stripe. Most impressively, they had just one turnover in the half.

Wesson opened the second half scoring with a pair of free throws as Ohio State extended their lead. Ward hit two free throws and McQuaid got a basket inside before Andre Wesson answered with a three-ball in the corner. Winston hit another layup as the Buckeyes led 48-42 with 17:44 remaining.

The Spartans started to heat up a bit, and after free throws from McQuaid and yet another layup from Winston the Buckeyes lead was cut to just 50-46 going into the first media timeout of the second half. Winston would score again out of the timeout, and the OSU lead was cut to two on MSU’s 6-0 run.

Michigan State regained the lead on a three-ball from Aaron Henry, but the Buckeyes got it back on a bank shot from Muhammad. Washington Jr. knocked down a jumper to give OSU a three-point cushion with 14:20 remaining.


Winston continued to give the Buckeyes fits as another inside basket tied the game up at 55 apiece. After Kaleb Wesson got a layup to go, a three from Winston would give Sparty their first lead since the opening period. The lead would change hands on the other end as Wesson would score his fifth straight point, OSU clinging to a 59-58 lead with 11:13 to go.

The Ohio State defense began to crumble a bit, as an open dunk for Ahrens and Winston getting two more at the line had Michigan State up three. Things went from bad to worse as Kaleb Wesson picked up his fourth foul with over nine minutes remaining in the game. Two free throws from Xavier Tillman had MSU up 64-59.

Washington Jr. put a stop to the run with a clutch three-ball as the Buckeyes looked to get back into the swing of things. After a jump ball on Sparty’s next possession, a layup from Andre Wesson had things all tied up again at 64 apiece with 7:41 remaining.

After McQuaid free throws put MSU on top, a flashy put-back dunk by Kyle Young got the crowd into it. However, Ward would convert an and-one layup at the other end to give the Spartans a three-point lead. Andre Wesson answered with a three-pointer, and the game was all tied up with under six minutes to go.


The two teams continued to battle back and forth, with Michigan State taking a three-point lead on a layup by Kenny Goins with 3:32 remaining. After an offensive board and score inside by McQuaid, Ohio State trailed 77-72 as the game began to slip away.

After Kaleb Wesson fouled out with around two minutes to go, the Buckeyes went cold on offense. Unable to get anything to go on that end of the floor, the Spartans pulled away to win 86-77.

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Power Rankings: No change to top 3 on Jon Crispin’s list
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

The return of Big Ten play saw three teams suffer their first conference defeat. That leaves two unbeatens: Michigan and Michigan State, both 4-0. Get Jon Crispin's latest Big Ten Power Rankings, presented by ArcelorMittal, inside.

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OhioState001 said:

I don't know how a physical center can only finish with 2 fouls in the Big Ten but somehow Nick Ward did that.

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Very easy to do when Tom Izzo is the coach of the team..

OL coach Detroit lions

I am a Buckeye fan, and Ohio State lost a game this year. One game. They are the third best team in the country for this season, as the polls will probably confirm later this week. But that's not important, not really.

We all remember Tyler Trent, the guy, the ultimate Boilermaker fan, who was dying of cancer. The Purdue football team, before the Boilermaker vs Buckeye game, promised Tyler the game ball. When that was announced, it seemed awkward, as the game ball is awarded by the winning team to the person they choose. They hadn't played the game yet, and with their own mediocre record, and with Ohio State's solid record, it seemed highly unlikely Purdue would be awarding the game ball to anyone.

So not only did the Purdue Boilermakers beat the Ohio State Buckeyes, they beat them bad. Mr. Tyler Trent got the game ball, the impossible game ball. Through the rest of the season I thought about that game, and those moments, and how important it was for that young man.

Tyler Trent, as the season went on, he was named honorary team captain for the Old Oaken Bucket game, he received the Sagamore of the Wabash (the highest honor for Indiana civilians.) Mr. Trent received Disney's Wide World of Sports Spirit Award, given to college football's most inspirational individual or team.

There are dozens, if not hundreds of people, of writers, who know a lot more about Tyler Trent than me. You should read up about him. He accomplished more in this last year, much of which was bedridden, than most of us will do in our 70-80-90 year lifetimes.

On New Year's Day Ohio State played in and won the Rose Bowl. But that's not important, not really. Not on that day. What mattered more on that day is that Mr. Tyler Trent died. He lost his battle with cancer as he knew, as we all knew, he soon would.

I am a Buckeye fan, and Ohio State lost a game this year. One game. It was the best, the most eye-opening loss I've ever seen.

ORD_Buckeye said:

There was no fear in this dojo

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That's really funny

charlohiottean said:

He knows. What part of a Michigan Man’s world isn’t directed by an Ohio native?

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/micdrop

Oh8ch said:

Post on the UM board suggesting they hire Rick Steves as OC. That way he could at least make travel arrangements for the spring trips.

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BayBuck said:

View attachment 20074

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Who doesnt like a good but of backdoor action?
We've had an open invitation to theirs for the better part of 2 decades.

I plan my gym days to not be there when there is a class or heavy use. I can get every other day covered like this.

Had a blast at the game. Courtside seats behind the High Point bench. I got to hang out with Brandon and catch up after the game. He's a 20 year old junior (not a senior as the PA announcer stated) and will be graduating in May. He's going to use the extra year of school to get his masters while he plays one last year of basketball. He and kids like him are why I gave up so much of my personnal and family time from April to August every year. A fantastic kid from a fantastic family who otherwise couldn't have afforded to send him to college. Now he'll walk out of college with a masters degree in finance and no debt.

For how long have you been wondering this for?

Thought Teague looked good in his limited reps.

I was happy for 10 minutes when Wisky and Minny won their bowls, and would rather have a B1G winning record than a losing record in bowls. That's about it. I sure as fuck wouldn't go on an SEC team's website and run my mouth about it. That's ludicrous. But it seems to be a thing with Tennecheat fans. Wasn't Trey a Vol?

Edit to add: I wouldn't even conceive of going on a Washington board to crow about OSU's victory. THAT'S being a dick.

Damn, reference locker

Marc Loving (6’8”-F-94) plays for Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario in the NBA G League

https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/probucks-update-dec-2018/