Urban Meyer releases a statement to Buckeye Nation - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Urban Meyer releases a statement to Buckeye Nation
247Sports
Former college football writer Brett McMurphy released a story on Wednesday with text and picture messages appearing to be between Courtney and Meyer's wife, Shelley, as well as other members of the Buckeye staff detailing the alleged abuse. On Friday ...
Meyer: I took right steps in Smith case but 'failed' in commentsThe Detroit News
Urban Meyer releases statement regarding Zach Smith, allegationsWaiting For Next Year

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The 2011 Ohio State team faced similar uncertainties heading into camp
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


At least this go-around, there aren’t any starters wrapped up in possible suspensions.

“The big difference between in the situations was in 2011, Ohio State, in the midst of an NCAA investigation, also went into the start of the season without several of its top players who had been suspended for various numbers of games, and without quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who applied for a supplemental NFL draft rather than face continued NCAA scrutiny.”


-Tim May, Columbus Dispatch

It hasn’t even been a decade since the last time Ohio State was embroiled in controversy so close to the start of the season. There are a lot of differences between the 2011 Jim Tressel situation (#TattooGate) and what we’re seeing with Urban Meyer, but the one thing that they have in common is the commotion that the ordeals cause for the players.

Distractions are unavoidable, but having to face the possibility that one of college football’s best and winningest coaches might not be back in the locker room, can be a tough pill to swallow. It affects everyone, from the players to the coaches to the training staff.

While the 2011 team didn’t exactly excel under Luke Fickell, there’s hope that, should the worst-case scenario play out, and the team is without Meyer for the year — and possibly beyond — the 2018 season will at least be better than the last time this happened.

As May points out in his column, one of the biggest differences this go-around is that there aren’t any players facing suspensions or actions from the NCAA like we saw with a handful of the top names for the Buckeyes in 2011. When Ohio State suits up for Week 1, we’ll still see Dwayne Haskins at the helm, with rushers J.K Dobbins and Mike Weber ready to break away and an entire room of veteran receivers.

There’s still a long road ahead before we find out how this all shakes out, but even the worst-case scenario isn’t all that bad with the plethora of talent the Buckeyes still claim.

“I’m ready for whatever they throw at me. Whatever they ask me to do, I’m going to go out there and do it. That’s it,” Elliott said.


-Ezekiel Elliott via Todd Archer, ESPN

The Dallas Cowboys have lost a lot of their receiving talent this offseason, including veteran tight end Jason Witten and wideout Dez Bryant. The team has a smattering of young receivers to get into the mix — including Buckeye Noah Brown — but the team seems to be looking toward their other skill players to add yet another role to their workload.

This will probably mean the most to running back Ezekiel Elliott. After breaking several rushing records during his rookie season, 2017 was filled with off-field distractions and a lot of unknowns. Now, with certainty that Zeke won’t by missing any time due to lingering legal or suspension issues, the Cowboys are relying on him to catch the ball more often.

It wasn’t something that he was asked to do often at Ohio State, but the talented rusher has shown that he can get more than a few yards after the catch. Whether they utilize shuttle passes toward the outside, or let throws sail 15-20 yards before reaching Elliott, the Buckeye is ready to embrace whatever the team asks of him.

“Really that’s probably been the guiding principle here the first couple years,” coach Jason Garrett said. “We’ve given him a lot of responsibility as a runner, as a protector, so you’ve got to be careful about spreading him too thin when you have some other guys who can do those same kinds of things.”

Elliott has found a lot of success when used on screen plays, including two 70-plus yard touchdowns, and is continuing to improve during training camp.

Without a six-game suspension looming over his head, Elliott should be the top performer for Dallas this season — but, the team as a whole probably won’t be nearly as impressive as it was back in 2016.

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Ohio State’s Urban Meyer admits knowing of 2015 allegations against Zack Smith
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The head coach apologizes for not being truthful at Big Ten Media Days.

In his first statement following his acknowledgement of being placed on paid administrative leave, Ohio State head football coach Urban Meyer posted an open-letter on his personal Twitter account regarding his handling of domestic abuse accusations against former assistant coach Zack Smith.

In his statement, Meyer admits that he was aware of the 2015 allegations made by Smith’s now ex-wife, Courtney, and claims that he reported the information through the proper university channels.

Meyer explains that in his statements at Big Ten Media Days, he was not trying to lie or deceive either the press or the public, but rather inarticulately tried to avoid discussing “sensitive personnel issues with the media.” In the statement, Meyer apologizes on multiple occasions for the grief, anger, and confusion that his actions and statements have caused.

The head coach says that he has always taken the responsibility bestowed upon him as a football coach and representative of a university seriously, and that he has always made efforts to live up to his program’s core values, especially when it comes to respecting women.

“Please know that the truth is the ultimate power and I am confident that I took appropriate action,” Meyer said. “I deeply regret if I have failed in my words.”

In closing, Meyer says that while he will not comment further while the university’s working group conducts its inquiry, he has every intention of returning to the field with his team when the investigation is complete.


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Talking about Urban Meyer, what the future holds for Ohio State
Patrick Mayhorn via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Some quick, midday content for your ears

Tired of hearing about the Urban Meyer situation at Ohio State? Neither are we. After a chaotic 36 hours, filled with news (all bad), and Urban Meyer being placed on administrative leave, there’s plenty to talk about with Ohio State football.

We did just that yesterday, and spent a little time talking to ESPN radio in Lexington about this whole situation, what might come next, and the general feeling around Buckeye nation.


It’s hard to say what the future holds for Ohio State football, but as I say on the show, it’s hard to imagine the internal investigation taking too long. We should know who will be coaching Ohio State in 2018, and the extent of the punishment Urban Meyer will face very soon.

The faster Ohio State makes a decision and starts to move forward the better, and while there’s not really been any news in the past 24 hours or so, there’s still plenty to debate, and talk about.

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Ohio State releases fall camp information, schedule - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State releases fall camp information, schedule
247Sports
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State Buckeyes – 110 in all on the fall camp roster – took part in their first practice of the 2018 season Friday morning in helmet and shorts on the grass fields of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. This was the first of 25 on ...

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Perrysburg candymaker's behemoth buckeye tips scales at 339 lbs. - WTOL.com
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Perrysburg candymaker's behemoth buckeye tips scales at 339 lbs.
WTOL.com
As part of the 25th anniversary of the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Ohio Proud Marketing Program, Weights and Measures representatives weighed the world's largest piece of buckeye candy made by Marsha's Homemade Buckeyes from Perrysburg on ...


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Do the Buckeyes have any elite receivers?
Chad Peltier via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Are the Buckeyes’ receivers really third-best in the country?

The Ohio State receivers room has lacked a superstar player since Michael Thomas left for the NFL, and hasn’t had an elite vertical-threat since Devin Smith.

The general perception among fans is that the Buckeyes receivers are all good, but lack a single dominant player and/or an elite, explosive receiver. Essentially, the criticism is that Ohio State receivers are all fairly interchangeable.

But that isn’t necessarily how the receivers are viewed outside of Columbus. In fact, Phil Steele ranks the Buckeyes receivers group as third-best in the country.

So how do they actually measure up? And what can we expect from them with Dwayne Haskins throwing to them?


These stats are from Bill’s season preview series (raw data available here).

Just from a quick look at these numbers, it’s obvious that the receivers aren’t interchangeable even if they do group into certain categories. Campbell and K.J. Hill both have excellent catch rates (75%), with Campbell averaging nearly five yards more per catch than Hill.

Dixon is the lower-efficiency, higher-explosiveness receiver, catching just 53% of his passes but averaging 23.4 yards per catch.

Those are the extremes — everyone else falls in between that range of efficiency/reliability and explosiveness.



The chart above takes the marginal efficiency and marginal explosiveness data for each receiver and plots it out — efficiency on the horizontal axis and explosiveness on the vertical.

These numbers aren’t opponent-adjusted, but they still provide some sense of how the receivers compare with each other and with the national average. A couple of things stand out to me:

• Every receiver is more efficient than the national average, and all but Hill and Mack are more explosive, although most are clustered near the national average for marginal explosiveness.
• The only exception to that marginal explosiveness rule is Dixon. In his first healthy season as a Buckeye, Dixon managed to lead the receivers in touchdowns, while ranking eighth in catches. He only had 18 catches all season, but eight of them — 44 percent — were for touchdowns, with an average of 23.4 yards per catch.

That’s not too far off from Devin Smith’s 28.2 yards per catch in 2014. Dixon really excelled as the middle option on mesh routes, finding the soft spot in the middle of the defense. Once he caught the ball, his elite straight-line speed allowed him to outrun defenders for long touchdowns.

• A lot of hopes are riding on Austin Mack this season. He came to Ohio State as a pure receiver, as opposed to a converted running back or quarterback, and had more polish than most of the unit from his first day on campus. That’s evident in his receiving success rate, which is second-highest among the top-6 receivers. And, he’s also showcased an ability to make difficult catches under pressure, as in the Michigan and USC games last season.

However, he was still just fifth in targets last season, and had a below-average marginal explosiveness — which is something he’ll definitely look to work on if he wants to become Haskins’ top target in 2018. The building blocks for a breakout season are there though — high explosiveness is partly a function of giving yourself explosive opportunities through high efficiency, which he definitely has.

• This chart essentially says that the Buckeyes two top options are likely to be Campbell and Mack (not to discount Saunders’ high efficiency, since he certainly made the most of his reps last season!) due to their high efficiency. Hill, Victor, and McLaurin haven’t differentiated themselves as much (although Hill has a high catch rate and McLaurin has a solid blend of attributes).

Dixon is a solid explosive option, but the team will likely be looking for more routes and a higher catch rate from him in 2018. Finally, the receivers room still needs a little more in the explosiveness department besides Dixon as the center field option on mesh routes.

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Do the Buckeyes have any elite receivers? - Land-Grant Holy Land
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Do the Buckeyes have any elite receivers?
Land-Grant Holy Land
The Ohio State receivers room has lacked a superstar player since Michael Thomas left for the NFL, and hasn't had an elite vertical-threat since Devin Smith. The general perception among fans is that the Buckeyes receivers are all good, but lack a ...


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Early BH: Say on Day | Takers not found - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Early BH: Say on Day | Takers not found
247Sports
We were a tad surprised when it was announced Ryan Day would be Urban Meyer's 'interim' replacement. The Buckeyes staff has two former head coaches on there in Greg Schiano and Kevin Wilson. But the former Chip Kelly disciple was the choice. Why?


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Cincinnati Bengals who were Buckeyes weigh in on Urban Meyer situation - Dayton Daily News
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Cincinnati Bengals who were Buckeyes weigh in on Urban Meyer situation
Dayton Daily News
Billy Price, the Bengals' first-round draft pick and a four-year starter for the Buckeyes, expressed confidence the school will handle things the right way and Meyer, who was placed on administrative leave after being accused of knowing about ...
Skull Session: Dwan Mathis Remains Firm, Chris Spielman Backs OSU's Decision, and Dan Mullen is SaddenedEleven Warriors

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The debut episode of the Why Is This News? Podcast
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


LGHL is bringing you all the top Ohio State news from the week. Episode 1.

As we get closer to football season, we wanted to find a new way to bring you some of the top Ohio State news from the week in a slightly condensed format. With training camp starting today, and a crazy week for the football program, we’re debuting the Why Is This News? Podcast, co-hosted by LGHL’s Matt Tamanini and Alexis Chassen.

There’s a lot to talk about this week, but Matt and Alexis waste no time diving into the Urban Meyer saga and what it means for Ohio State football. With the topic dominating the news cycle for the past 48 hours, there’s a lot to digest, and a lot of unknowns as the team heads to training camp.

Thursday was also the kickoff of the NFL preseason with the Hall of Fame game, but the big Buckeye surprises this week were two young players choosing retirement and their health over the game. We talk about the reasons for their decisions.

The men’s basketball team is over in Spain on an 11-day trip, where they’ll split there time between site-seeing and a series of games. Holtmann’s big emphasis was on team bonding, and we talk about how this young team might come together for the head coach’s second year at the helm. We also doll out some fashion advice to the fanny pack-wearing Joey Lane.

Also, we love Big Bob Landers, and everyone in Buckeye Nation should too.

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Buckeyes Closing Ranks - Wheeling Intelligencer
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes Closing Ranks
Wheeling Intelligencer
The Buckeyes plan to open their first football practice Friday without Meyer, who was put on administrative leave during the probe and also suspended from an endorsement deal by restaurant chain Bob Evans. It's not clear how restrictive the paid leave ...
Buckeyes Tap Acting Head Coach as Meyer Faces ProbeDiverse: Issues in Higher Education
Buckeyes closing practices to mediaIronton Tribune
Ohio State forms independent board to investigate Urban Meyer247Sports
Meadville Tribune -Facebook
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Urban Meyer’s leave of absence impacts 4-star recruit’s commitment date
Patrick Mayhorn via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Will Marcus Washington be looking elsewhere?

It’s an odd time on the OSU campus and in Columbus right now. Wednesday’s bombshell of news that led to Urban Meyer being put on “paid administrative leave” changed much around the program, and everyone is in a state of shock right now. Coaches and players are in a state of flux now, and, perhaps, above all the recruits are probably wondering where the situation stands.

This is a time of confusion for everyone including ther recruits who are looking at The Ohio State University. And, while no commitments have backed out of their pledge (they might, if Urban is fired), everyone is in a bit of a wait and see mode right now. Commits, both in 2019 and 2020, and top prospects in both classes are all trying to figure out what the future is like at Ohio State Their waiting can throw a bit of a wrench in timetables.

We saw that manifested yesterday, as St. Louis receiver Marcus Washington announced that he was delaying his August 7th commitment date, and reopening his recruitment quest.


The fact that this comes on the heels of a tweet about having his decision made, three days ago, is certainly an interesting detail.


So what does this mean for Ohio State? Well, Washington had been trending away since the firing of Zach Smith, and honestly, I don’t think he was headed to Ohio State if he did announce on the 7th. The choice would’ve likely been Missouri His decision to delay is very interesting.

Is he waiting to see if Meyer is reinstated? Is he hoping that a potentially new staff would show a renewed interest in him? It’s hard to say right now. Without a timeline set now, it’s safe to expect Marcus to take a couple visits, and explore all of his options. When it comes to college football recruiting, exploring all options is never a bad idea for a recruit.

Firmly committed


While plenty of players are in wait and see mode, there are more commits and prospects who are still just as committed to, or interested in Ohio State, with or without Meyer. I think a good chunk of Ohio State 2019 class would likely remain committed even if Meyer is fired (not as confident about 2020), and yesterday, one of them made it known.


Young isn’t the only one to tweet affirmation about his commitment status, as Garrett Wilson, Doug Nester, and Dwan Mathis have re-up’d with the Buckeyes. Now, will those stand if Meyer is actually out? It’s hard to say right now. Recruiting would certainly get a little messy, as it always does when something like this (a coaching change) happens.

With that being said, however, this is Ohio State. A lot of kids commit for the school, not the coach, and a lot of these kids like Coach Ryan Day. The program is in good hands with him, now, and however long he’s running the show.

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Kaleb Wesson's expanding game and more Ohio State basketball observations ahead of Buckeyes' Spain trip - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Kaleb Wesson's expanding game and more Ohio State basketball observations ahead of Buckeyes' Spain trip
cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Notes and observations on the Ohio State basketball team from its open practice on Tuesday night ahead of its trip to Spain this week. * The Buckeyes will leave on Wednesday morning, arriving in Madrid on Thursday morning. They'll ...

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World's largest buckeye weighed at the Ohio State Fair - MyDaytonDailyNews
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World's largest buckeye weighed at the Ohio State Fair
MyDaytonDailyNews
The world's largest piece of buckeye candy was weighed at the Ohio State Fair Thursday as part of the 25th anniversary of the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Ohio Proud Marketing Program. According to a press release, the buckeye officially tipped the ...
World's largest buckeye at Ohio State FairFOX19
The world's largest buckeye weighs in at 338.8 poundsWLWT Cincinnati

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As society has evolved, Urban Meyer hasn't - ESPN
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


As society has evolved, Urban Meyer hasn't
ESPN
Urban Meyer today is the same Urban Meyer who walked the sideline at Florida: a head coach so driven to win, he was willing to tolerate misconduct among players and alleged misconduct among assistants as long as it meant competing for championships.
OSU's Urban Meyer put on leave over investigation into domestic violence allegations against ex-assistantDayton Daily News
Report: Meyer's wife told of abuse by Buckeyes WR coachThe Detroit News
Odds released on who will coach Ohio State Buckeyes on Sept. 1247Sports
Minneapolis Star Tribune
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Buckeyes Tap Acting Head Coach as Meyer Faces Probe - Diverse: Issues in Higher Education
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Buckeyes Tap Acting Head Coach as Meyer Faces Probe
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education
Meyer has an impressive career coaching record, with a 73-8 record at Ohio State, where the Buckeyes also won the inaugural 2014 College Football Playoff championship. Overall as a head coach, his winning percentage of .851 ranks him third among ...
Buckeyes closing practices to mediaIronton Tribune
Ohio State football: Buckeyes close ranks as coach Urban Meyer is investigatedAkron Beacon Journal
Ohio State football: 2011 Buckeyes had to deal with major distractions, tooThe Columbus Dispatch
247Sports -Meadville Tribune
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World's largest buckeye weighed at the Ohio State Fair - Springfield News Sun
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


World's largest buckeye weighed at the Ohio State Fair
Springfield News Sun
The world's largest piece of buckeye candy was weighed at the Ohio State Fair Thursday as part of the 25th anniversary of the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Ohio Proud Marketing Program. According to a press release, the buckeye officially tipped the ...
World's largest buckeye weighed at Ohio State Fair, contains 75 lbs. of peanut butterFOX19
The world's largest buckeye weighs in at 338.8 poundsWLWT Cincinnati

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Buckeyes closing practices to media - Ironton Tribune
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes closing practices to media
Ironton Tribune
Meyer's future with one of the most storied programs in college football depends on how he managed allegations that Buckeyes assistant and recruiting coordinator Zach Smith abused his ex-wife, Courtney Smith — answering the questions of what Meyer ...
Ohio State football: 2011 Buckeyes had to deal with major distractions, tooThe Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State forms independent board to investigate Urban Meyer247Sports
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Buckeyes' Meyer put on leave, investigation openedMeadville Tribune

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World's largest buckeye weighed at Ohio State Fair, contains 75 lbs. of peanut butter - FOX19
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


World's largest buckeye weighed at Ohio State Fair, contains 75 lbs. of peanut butter
FOX19
This week, representatives weighed the world's largest piece of buckeye candy at the Ohio State Fair as part of the 25th anniversary of the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Ohio Proud Marketing Program.
The world's largest buckeye weighs in at 338.8 poundsWLWT Cincinnati
How Big is the World's Largest Buckeye?columbusunderground
The world's largest buckeye candy weighs 339 poundsNews 5 Cleveland

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The world's largest buckeye weighs in at 338.8 pounds - WLWT Cincinnati
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


The world's largest buckeye weighs in at 338.8 pounds
WLWT Cincinnati
The world's largest buckeye weighed in at 338.8 pounds on Thursday. Made by Perrysburg, Ohio, candy-maker Marsha's Buckeyes, the record-setting ball of peanut butter and chocolate set a new world record. Advertisement. The massive buckeye treat was ...


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Anything before social media and 24 hour news cycles?

Former Ohio State linebacker Joshua Perry opens up about his retirement on TODAY
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


After announcing his retirement on Monday following his sixth documented concussion, Joshua Perry spoke with Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie this morning

“The decision is hard because of the time that’s invested and how much you love the game. Walking away from such a long chapter and a journey in my life, the transition is tough.”

Former Ohio State linebacker Joshua Perry on retiring due to concussions via Scott Stump, TODAY


On Thursday morning, former Ohio State linebacker Joshua Perry sat down with Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie of TODAY to discuss his recent retirement from the NFL due to concussions. Perry announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday after suffering the sixth documented concussion of his football career while in training camp with the Seattle Seahawks.

After helping Ohio State to a national championship in 2014, Perry was drafted in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Chargers. After being waived by the Chargers, Perry was picked up by the Indianapolis Colts and appeared in two games for the team. In June, Perry signed a one-year contract with the Seahawks.

Even though Perry’s career has been cut short by concussions, he feels like the NFL is taking the issue seriously. Not only does Perry think the NFL has the right system in place for concussion protocol, but coaches aren’t rushing players back onto the field like in years past.

While his football career might be over, Perry still has big plans for his future. Not only is Perry planning to pursue a career in real estate, but he also will now have more time to spend with his younger brother, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, as well focusing on a foundation he has launched to benefit children and youth groups.


Ohio State football will open up their fall camp practices tomorrow as planned, but the practices will be closed to the media “until further notice”. The media was originally going to be permitted to watch and record the first part of practice and interview selected players and coaches, but in the wake of the investigation into claims of how Urban Meyer handled domestic violence allegations against former wide receivers coach Zach Smith, those plans have been changed.

Most Ohio State fall camp practices are closed to the media, but select practices are opened up, and typically the first practice of fall camp is opened up to the media. Co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Ryan Day was named interim head coach yesterday as Ohio State continues their investigation, and it is unknown as of now as to when he will speak to the media for the first time since being tabbed with the interim head coach role.


Just a couple days after Ohio State head football coach Urban Meyer was named the face of Bob Evans’ fall advertising campaign, the restaurant chain has pulled ads featuring Meyer from their website. The move comes less than 24 hours after Meyer was placed on paid administrative leave by the university after allegations surfaced that Meyer knew about 2015 allegations of domestic violence against then-wide receivers coach Zach Smith.

Bob Evans, whose headquarters are based in nearby New Albany, Ohio, named Meyer as their “head breakfast coach” this week. When announcing Meyer as the face of their fall advertising campaign earlier this week, CEO Saed Mohseni said “We’re ready for whatever plays he throws at us.” but this is certainly something the restaurant chain couldn’t see coming.

“I think, honestly as corny as it sounds, seeing our guys that maybe haven’t been out of the country much or at all respond to a new environment. It’s like when you’re going on a trip with your kids and you’re anxious to see how they respond.”

Ohio State men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann via Rob McCurdy, Marion Star


Yesterday Ohio State’s men’s basketball team set out of Spain, where they will spend 10 days and tour three cities. Head coach Chris Holtmann has never been to Spain, and to his knowledge none of his players have been either. The trip will not only serve as a chance for the Buckeyes to broaden their horizons by getting out of the country, but it will also give a young team 10 extra practices.

With the losses of Keita Bates-Diop and Jae’Sean Tate, Chris Holtmann will be looking for some players to step up and fill the void. With transfer Keyshawn Woods and a quartet of freshmen all new to the team, the trip to Spain and the extra practices will give Holtmann a chance to see who might be able to play a significant role for a Buckeye team that will be looking to make the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season.

At least this won’t be the first time Holtmann has taken one of his teams out of the country, as he took one of his Gardner-Webb teams to the Bahamas. Holtmann knew he didn’t do things quite the right way on the trip, as he made his team watch film and held 10 hard practices. While Holtmann will make his squad put in some work in Spain, he will also try to get everyone involved in the three exhibition games that are on tap for the Buckeyes.

With so many new faces, the main goal of this trip is to get everybody to know each other and establish a level of trust ahead of the upcoming season. The sooner this squad can gel and play together, the easier the road will be in Holtmann’s second season with Ohio State.


Wide receiver Trevon Grimes is the latest Ohio State transfer who has been ruled eligible to play this year by the NCAA. Grimes was part of Ohio State’s 2017 recruiting class, and was the No. 41 ranked prospect in the class, according to 247Sports composite rankings.

Grimes appeared in two games for Ohio State last year, catching three passes for 20 yards before taking a leave from the team in October to deal with a family health issue. Eventually the freshman wide receiver decided it would be best for him to transfer to Florida to be closer to family.

Grimes joins running back Antonio Williams, who transferred to North Carolina during the offseason, as well as offensive lineman Jack Wohlabaugh, who is now at Duke, as Ohio State transfers who been granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA. Also leaving the program during the offseason was quarterback Joe Burrow, who is now at LSU but wasn’t subject to having to sit out this season as he is a graduate transfer.

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Nick Saban comments on Urban Meyer saga at Ohio State - 247Sports
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Nick Saban comments on Urban Meyer saga at Ohio State
247Sports
The last time these two coaching heavyweights met, Ohio State eliminated Alabama in the 2014 College Football Playoff en route to Meyer's third national title and first with the Buckeyes. The two have mutual respect for each and Meyer, interviewed in ...

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Alabama begins season as overwhelming No. 1 in coaches poll - ESPN
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Alabama begins season as overwhelming No. 1 in coaches poll
ESPN
Defending national champion Alabama is No. 1 in the preseason Amway Coaches Poll, while the Ohio State Buckeyes come in at No. 3 despite placing coach Urban Meyer on administrative leave Wednesday.
Buckeyes No. 3 in Amway Coaches preseason rankings10TV
Buckeyes Open at No. 3 in First Coaches PollThe Ozone
Ohio State Ranked No. 3 in Preseason Coaches PollEleven Warriors
Land-Grant Holy Land -Lettermen Row
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