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LGHL Nate Ebner re-signs with the Patriots on a 2-year deal

Nate Ebner re-signs with the Patriots on a 2-year deal
Alexis Chassen
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 special teams guru will continue playing in New England.

The former Olympian and two-time Super Bowl winner Nate Ebner has signed a two-year extension with the New England Patriots, according to Adam Schefter. The former Ohio State defensive back has found success in the NFL as a special teams player, ever since joining the Patriots’ squad in 2012.


After missing just seven games in his first five years in the NFL, Ebner had a string of injuries in 2017 that kept him sidelined, including a shoulder injury (Week 1 and 2) and a torn ACL in Week 12 that ended his season. In his nine games played last year, Ebner racked up eight special teams tackles — enough to lead the Patriots at the time of his injury.

His shortened season didn’t do much to cause concern for teams in free agency, with the former Olympic rugby player claiming a still-memorable 2016 season. He finished his second-team All-Pro year tied with Michael Thomas of the Dolphins for most special teams tackles (19) in the league.


He led the league in tackles on special teams and didn't miss a single one. pic.twitter.com/dmZv1iz3zK

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) June 25, 2017

The Buckeye already has two Super Bowl rings with the Patriots, and competed on the World’s biggest stage at the 2016 Rio Olympics. It’s safe to say he’s already accomplished a lot in his seven-year career, but he’s still got a lot left to give.

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Google Buckeyes to Boise: Scouting OSU's NCAA opening weekend - 247Sports

Buckeyes to Boise: Scouting OSU's NCAA opening weekend - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes to Boise: Scouting OSU's NCAA opening weekend
247Sports
Ohio State's men's basketball season has already been a four-month odyssey that has taken the Buckeyes from coast to coast. The Buckeyes played three games early in the year at the PK-80 Invitational in Portland, Ore. They faced defending national ...
Did layoff provide rest or rust for Buckeyes?Record-Courier
Ohio State recruiting: Top QB target Sam Howell schedules visit; keep an eye on this Ohio prospectLandof10.com
Breaking down the Ohio State women's and men's basketball bracketsLand-Grant Holy Land
Eleven Warriors -OSU - The Lantern
all 22 news articles »


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Google Ohio State: Larry Johnson makes most of Maryland roots; why Buckeyes can keep exceeding...

Ohio State: Larry Johnson makes most of Maryland roots; why Buckeyes can keep exceeding expectations in NCAA ... - Springfield News Sun
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State: Larry Johnson makes most of Maryland roots; why Buckeyes can keep exceeding expectations in NCAA ...
Springfield News Sun
The Buckeyes enter the NCAA Tournament with a 2-3 record in their last five games and they'll have gone 13 days without playing a game when they tip off against South Dakota State on Thursday afternoon. Ohio State might be a popular team to pick ...


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Google Ohio State podcast: You should be fired up over Buckeyes' return to the dance - Austin...

Ohio State podcast: You should be fired up over Buckeyes' return to the dance - Austin American-Statesman
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State podcast: You should be fired up over Buckeyes' return to the dance
Austin American-Statesman
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Get insight and reaction to Ohio State football on the Inside the Shoe podcast, brought to you by Land of 10. In the latest edition, Kyle Lamb says there's no reason to worry about the Buckeyes losing this weekend in the NCAA ...


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Google Ohio State: Larry Johnson makes most of Maryland roots; why Buckeyes can keep exceeding...

Ohio State: Larry Johnson makes most of Maryland roots; why Buckeyes can keep exceeding expectations in NCAA ... - Palm Beach Post
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State: Larry Johnson makes most of Maryland roots; why Buckeyes can keep exceeding expectations in NCAA ...
Palm Beach Post
The Buckeyes enter the NCAA Tournament with a 2-3 record in their last five games and they'll have gone 13 days without playing a game when they tip off against South Dakota State on Thursday afternoon. Ohio State might be a popular team to pick ...


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LGHL Ohio State cracks Top 12 for Marcus Hicks

Ohio State cracks Top 12 for Marcus Hicks
Patrick Mayhorn
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


DCTb8OYVoAAMw_N.0.jpg

The best player in Kansas is still considering the Buckeyes.

The 2019 class is going to have a very heavy lean towards the trenches for Ohio State. After a 2018 class packed with skill position players, Ohio State knows they have to land plenty of offensive and defensive linemen in this recruiting cycle to keep their depth at a comfortable level.

We’ve already started to see that on the offensive side of the ball, with commitments from Doug Nester and Ryan Jacoby, as well as heavy interest in Devontae Dobbs, Darnell Wright, Quinn Carroll, Harry Miller, Xavier Truss and Zeke Correll, but the Buckeyes know the other side of the trenches is just as important in this class.

Ohio State landed just two defensive ends in the 2018 class, and while they’re certainly not lacking in talent up front, they are looking for three or four edge rushers in this class. One of the Buckeyes biggest targets at defensive end, Marcus Hicks, announced his Top 12 yesterday, and the Buckeyes were very happy to be included.


I thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to get a degree and play football at the next level. In no specific order, these are my top schools at this time. Thank you to all the coaches who believe in me. I am truly grateful. Marcus Hicks pic.twitter.com/vKBqNI7bwA

— Marcus Hicks (@harcus_micks) March 13, 2018

Hicks, a Northwest (Wichita, KS) High School product, is the 255th ranked player nationally, and the 16th best WDE, according to 247Sports. At this point, Hicks seems destined for Oklahoma, or the Big 12 as a whole, but if the Buckeyes miss on some top targets like Zach Harrison or Brandon Smith, Hicks could be a serious possibility.

Crystal Ballin’


As the Buckeyes continue to search for recruits to add to their 2019 class, the shape of the class is starting to become a little bit more clear, and after recent visits from a few key targets, we could see the leaders of this class joining very soon.

After visiting Columbus back on March 8, Houston quarterback Grant Gunnell’s recruitment has been trending pretty hard towards one school: Ohio State. The No. 2 pro-style quarterback in the nation decommitted from Texas A&M shortly after receiving an offer from Ohio State, and while it seemed like a long shot at the time, Gunnell to Ohio State hasn’t just become a possibility, but a likely result, as the Buckeyes are the obvious leader right now.

I don’t expect Gunnell to commit any time soon, and Ohio State will still have to battle with much of the Big 12, but Ohio State feels very good about where they stand with the 6-foot-6 gunslinger right now.

Spring break in South Beach


It’s been a pretty busy couple of days in the Sunshine State, both as it relates to recruiting and to Buckeye football. Buckeye quarterback Dwayne Haskins has been down in Miami for the past few days on spring break, working with recruits and with quarterback guru Quincy Avery.


Ohio State QB @dh_simba7 pitching it around on spring break. In SoFla training. @Landgrant33 pic.twitter.com/NYuSutBXjX

— SB Nation Recruiting (@SBNRecruiting) March 11, 2018

Why the traffic to Florida? Well, in the last several days, Bradenton has hosted the NFA 7v7 Southeast Championship, while Miami played host to the Adidas East Championship. SBNation’s recruiting guru Bud Elliott was in attendance for both events, and passed down some notes on Buckeye targets.

John Dunmore, Jadon Haselwood and Jahleel Billingsley were all in attendance, and Bud had some good things to say about each one.

John Dunmore: Dunmore, a Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Hollywood, FL) receiver in the class of 2019 picked up an offer from Ohio State back in February, and while the Buckeyes aren’t a top contender for the No.22 ranked receiver right now, they could be in the future.


“Dunmore is just so smooth that defensive backs underestimate his speed. He gets in and out of his breaks, he makes tough catches and has excellent body control. Dunmore was open a lot more than he got the ball, too. Florida State is in a good spot with Dunmore, as he visited recently and called the Seminoles his “dream school.””

Jadon Haselwood: Haselwood is the top receiver in the nation and the second best player in the country, according to 247Sports. While he’s been committed to Georgia for nearly a year, the Buckeyes are still recruiting him, albeit not as hard as their other receiver targets.


“He was by far the best player on his team. Opponents knew the 6’3 receiver prospect, who many consider the best in the nation, would be getting the ball. They doubled him. They pressed him. They played off. They held him all day. And he still made tough catches, snatching the ball repeatedly, using his body to shield defenders, and his speed to go by them. He caught the touchdown to send his team to overtime, and the winner in that overtime to send his team to the semifinals. Haselwood was exhausted. He probably played 150 plays in five hours on Sunday.”

Jahleel Billingsley: Billingsley is a relatively new name to Ohio State fans. The Phillips Academy (Chicago, IL) tight end picked up an offer on March 7, and currently stands as one of the Buckeyes top tight end targets in 2019.


Jahleel Billingsley, a tight end of Chicago had some really nice catches. He just picked up an Ohio State offer and is one to watch.”

Billingsley is the most likely of the three to land in Columbus, and late yesterday evening, he announced that Ohio State had made his top seven, along with Michigan, TCU, Illinois, Penn State, Florida and Ole Miss.


Top 7!! No Particular Order. #GoFrogs #GoBlue #GoBucks⭕#WeAre #ILLGang19 #HottyToddy #GoGators pic.twitter.com/Qn4NgdqbJY

— JahleelBillingsley (@JahleelKnowsss) March 14, 2018

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Google Ohio State football: Surprises emerging for Buckeyes at key safety spot - Palm Beach Post

Ohio State football: Surprises emerging for Buckeyes at key safety spot - Palm Beach Post
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: Surprises emerging for Buckeyes at key safety spot
Palm Beach Post
During the week, Land of 10 reporters following the Buckeyes address pressing questions on the minds of the Ohio State fan base with our daily feature. To ask Austin Ward a question, follow along on Twitter and suggest a topic right here. Check back ...


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Google Ohio State: Larry Johnson makes most of Maryland roots; why Buckeyes can keep exceeding...

Ohio State: Larry Johnson makes most of Maryland roots; why Buckeyes can keep exceeding expectations in NCAA ... - Dayton Daily News
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State: Larry Johnson makes most of Maryland roots; why Buckeyes can keep exceeding expectations in NCAA ...
Dayton Daily News
The Buckeyes enter the NCAA Tournament with a 2-3 record in their last five games and they'll have gone 13 days without playing a game when they tip off against South Dakota State on Thursday afternoon. Ohio State might be a popular team to pick ...


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Google Ohio State wrestling | Buckeyes say they could make history at NCAAs - The Columbus Dispatch

Ohio State wrestling | Buckeyes say they could make history at NCAAs - The Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State wrestling | Buckeyes say they could make history at NCAAs
The Columbus Dispatch
Everything seems to be in place for the Ohio State wrestling team — the venue, the talent, the motivation. The NCAA wrestling championships are at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland starting Thursday, and the Buckeyes want to send their seniors out the ...
Ohio State recruiting: Top QB target Sam Howell schedules visit; keep an eye on this Ohio prospectLandof10.com
Buckeyes' target includes Ohio State among top choices247Sports
Breaking down the Ohio State women's and men's basketball bracketsLand-Grant Holy Land
OSU - The Lantern -Eleven Warriors -ThisWeek Community News
all 18 news articles »


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Google Ohio State: Larry Johnson makes most of Maryland roots; why Buckeyes can keep exceeding...

Ohio State: Larry Johnson makes most of Maryland roots; why Buckeyes can keep exceeding expectations in NCAA ... - Austin American-Statesman
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State: Larry Johnson makes most of Maryland roots; why Buckeyes can keep exceeding expectations in NCAA ...
Austin American-Statesman
The Buckeyes enter the NCAA Tournament with a 2-3 record in their last five games and they'll have gone 13 days without playing a game when they tip off against South Dakota State on Thursday afternoon. Ohio State might be a popular team to pick ...


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Google Ohio State podcast: Buckeyes' NCAA Tournament draw more winnable than you think - Austin...

Ohio State podcast: Buckeyes' NCAA Tournament draw more winnable than you think - Austin American-Statesman
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State podcast: Buckeyes' NCAA Tournament draw more winnable than you think
Austin American-Statesman
A preview of Ohio State's first game of the tournament as a 5-seed in the West Regional, a battle with South Dakota State in Boise, Idaho, on Thursday about 4 p.m. ET. Why the 12-seeded Jackrabbits aren't necessarily a worst-case scenario for the ...


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Google Ohio State recruiting: Have Buckeyes found their next local offer? - MyAJC

Ohio State recruiting: Have Buckeyes found their next local offer? - MyAJC
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State recruiting: Have Buckeyes found their next local offer?
MyAJC
It is getting difficult to keep track of all of the top prospects that have Ohio State on the list of their top schools, which is a product of Ohio State's intense efforts on the recruiting trail this cycle. The Buckeyes are in the mix with top ...


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Google Ohio State podcast: You should be fired up over Buckeyes' return to the dance - MyAJC

Ohio State podcast: You should be fired up over Buckeyes' return to the dance - MyAJC
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State podcast: You should be fired up over Buckeyes' return to the dance
MyAJC
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Get insight and reaction to Ohio State football on the Inside the Shoe podcast, brought to you by Land of 10. In the latest edition, Kyle Lamb says there's no reason to worry about the Buckeyes losing this weekend in the NCAA ...


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Google Did layoff provide rest or rust for Buckeyes? - The-review

Did layoff provide rest or rust for Buckeyes? - The-review
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Did layoff provide rest or rust for Buckeyes?
The-review
In late November and early December, when Ohio State was preparing to play six games in 11 days in three time zones, coach Chris Holtmann called it unique. Now, entering the NCAA Tournament, the Buckeyes find themselves in a situation that is equally ...
Ohio State recruiting: Top QB target Sam Howell schedules visit; keep an eye on this Ohio prospectLandof10.com
Breaking down the Ohio State women's and men's basketball bracketsLand-Grant Holy Land
Kurelic: Local star talks OSU, Michigan; small recruiting world247Sports
Eleven Warriors
all 14 news articles »


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Google Ohio State: Larry Johnson makes most of Maryland roots; why Buckeyes can keep exceeding...

Ohio State: Larry Johnson makes most of Maryland roots; why Buckeyes can keep exceeding expectations in NCAA ... - Dayton Daily News
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State: Larry Johnson makes most of Maryland roots; why Buckeyes can keep exceeding expectations in NCAA ...
Dayton Daily News
The Buckeyes enter the NCAA Tournament with a 2-3 record in their last five games and they'll have gone 13 days without playing a game when they tip off against South Dakota State on Thursday afternoon. Ohio State might be a popular team to pick ...


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Google Ohio State football: Surprises emerging for Buckeyes at key safety spot - Dayton Daily News

Ohio State football: Surprises emerging for Buckeyes at key safety spot - Dayton Daily News
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: Surprises emerging for Buckeyes at key safety spot
Dayton Daily News
During the week, Land of 10 reporters following the Buckeyes address pressing questions on the minds of the Ohio State fan base with our daily feature. To ask Austin Ward a question, follow along on Twitter and suggest a topic right here. Check back ...


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Google Ohio State podcast: Buckeyes' NCAA Tournament draw more winnable than you think - Dayton...

Ohio State podcast: Buckeyes' NCAA Tournament draw more winnable than you think - Dayton Daily News
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State podcast: Buckeyes' NCAA Tournament draw more winnable than you think
Dayton Daily News
A preview of Ohio State's first game of the tournament as a 5-seed in the West Regional, a battle with South Dakota State in Boise, Idaho, on Thursday about 4 p.m. ET. Why the 12-seeded Jackrabbits aren't necessarily a worst-case scenario for the ...


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Google Ohio State recruiting: Have Buckeyes found their next local offer? - Dayton Daily News

Ohio State recruiting: Have Buckeyes found their next local offer? - Dayton Daily News
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State recruiting: Have Buckeyes found their next local offer?
Dayton Daily News
It is getting difficult to keep track of all of the top prospects that have Ohio State on the list of their top schools, which is a product of Ohio State's intense efforts on the recruiting trail this cycle. The Buckeyes are in the mix with top ...


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Google Ohio State podcast: You should be fired up over Buckeyes' return to the dance - Dayton...

Ohio State podcast: You should be fired up over Buckeyes' return to the dance - Dayton Daily News
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State podcast: You should be fired up over Buckeyes' return to the dance
Dayton Daily News
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Get insight and reaction to Ohio State football on the Inside the Shoe podcast, brought to you by Land of 10. In the latest edition, Kyle Lamb says there's no reason to worry about the Buckeyes losing this weekend in the NCAA ...


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LGHL Breaking down the Ohio State women’s and men’s basketball brackets

Breaking down the Ohio State women’s and men’s basketball brackets
Geoff Hammersley
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


usa_today_10697367.0.jpg

With the women’s bracket revealed on Monday night, let’s take an in-depth look at what both Buckeye programs are facing this week.

Okie-dokie, the NCAA Tournament is now set for both the women’s and men’s squads. For the men’s bracket, all roads—or streams, waterways, etc.—lead to the Riverwalk and San Antonio, the site of this year’s Final Four; on the women’s side, the national champion will be crowned inside Nationwide Arena, nested in Ohio’s capital.

It’s been a while, but the Ohio State Buckeyes are represented in both brackets, and have favorable opponents in the early going. We knew on Sunday night that the men’s team was traveling out to Boise, Idaho, for at least one game. They’ll get the No. 12-seeded South Dakota State Jackrabbits in a 4:30 p.m. ET showdown on Thursday. The Buckeyes fly out as the No. 5-seed, and are being projected by some outlets to be on upset alert—the Jackrabbits are a top-15 team in the NCAA when it comes to three-point percentage.

Following up the men’s seeding, the women’s bracket was unveiled on Monday night. Instead of traveling to some distant land as a selection for the Spokane (West) Region, the lady Buckeyes get to play at least one game on campus, as they were named a No. 3-seed. OSU drew No. 14-seed George Washington, with that game scheduled to tip-off on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET.

With the brackets filled in, let’s take a peek at what each program is dealing with, if they want to end their season with a Final Four appearance.

Ohio State Women’s draw


Head coach Kevin McGuff has the Buckeyes in the West Region, with Notre Dame (No. 1-seed) and Oregon (No. 2-seed) as the only teams seeded higher than the Buckeyes.

Here’s what the full region looks like:

OSU_womens_bracket.jpeg
SB Nation

In women’s basketball, the top-4 seeds get to host their game, as well as the matchup that would result in the other half of the Second Round pairing. This year, Ohio State gets to host GW in the Round of 64, with the No. 6 vs. No. 11 matchup of LSU-Central Michigan also using the Columbus venue.

Once in the Sweet 16 (aka the Regional Semifinals), the venue for the Spokane Region moves out West to Veterans Memorial Arena in—you guessed it—Spokane, Wash.

But in order to get there, McGuff’s Buckeyes are gonna have to do some work. First up, they’ll get the Atlantic 10 Champions in the Colonials, a team that has NCAA Tournament experience. GW has made the Field of 64 for the third consecutive year—all as A-10 Champs. However, the Buckeyes have even more experience. In the last two tournaments, OSU advanced to the Sweet 16; for GW, they haven’t gotten out of the First Round.

Kelsey Mitchell is one of the most talented basketball players to grace the women’s basketball game, and will be a big reason for Ohio State’s scoring in the first weekend of hoops. Assuming the Buckeyes get past the Colonials, they’ll face either the Tigers of LSU or the Chippewas of CMU.

We know, generally, what the Buckeyes’ weekend consists of in terms of games. But, what lurks on the horizon going West? Well, the Oregon Ducks are as advertised, and are one of the best teams in women’s basketball. They ended the season with a 30-4 record, and cruised through the Pac-12 Tournament, ending with a championship after a 77-57 win against Stanford. Sophomore guard Sabrina Ionescu is the scoring leader for the Ducks, putting up 19.4 points per game. Additionally, she’s recorded nine double-doubles on the year. Fellow sophomore Ruthy Hebard isn’t far behind in the scoring department; the forward is getting an average of 17.5 ppg.

If it’s a Bucks-Ducks Sweet 16 match in Spokane, it’ll be a good one.

Notre Dame, the top-seeded team in the West Region, went 29-3 over the course of the season. However, they suffered a two-point, 74-72 loss to Louisville in the ACC Championship Game. Junior guard Arike Ogunbowale shows up on the Wooden All-American ballot, while head coach Muffet McGraw took home USA Today Coach of the Year honors.

The Fighting Irish are expected to be a deep-run tournament team, so it’s a very real probability that they’ll wind up in Spokane for a game—or two.

Ohio State men’s draw


Sunday night, we wrote up a little preview on what to expect from the Jackrabbits. The main theme of the team is three-pointers, which they seem to be connecting on at a pretty good rate—40.3 percent. While that’s good news for them, that seems like bad news for the Buckeyes.

When OSU had to face Penn State, the Nittany Lions made it rain three-pointers. In those three meetings throughout the year, PSU was victorious in all three of them. For the Buckeyes to overcome their last obstacle, they’ll need to find a way to shutdown SDSU’s connection from beyond the arc.


The No. 5-No. 12 matchups are tricky ones to predict. If a first-round upset is going to happen, these are the kids of matchups they’ll happen in. Last season, 12th-seeded Middle Tennessee State upset Minnesota; the year before that, Arkansas-Little Rock defeated the No. 5-seed Purdue. In 2014, Wisconsin was the victim of the 12th seed upset.

Notice a constant?

If the Buckeyes do find a way out of the First Round, then they’ll run into a familiar foe in Gonzaga. Back in November, these two teams met in the PK80 Invitational. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, it was one of their worst losses of the year. With practically a whole season to get better, could this rematch be different—assuming both teams manage to make it to the Round of 32?

Xavier is the top-seed in the West Region, and assuming they don’t trip up to their First Round game—a game where no No. 1 seed has ever lost in—and get past either Florida State or Missouri in the Second Round, it’s very likely that either Ohio State or Gonzaga will be waiting for the Musketeers.


No matter how the brackets breakdown, we’ll have you covered here at Land-Grant Holy Land.

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Google Ohio State recruiting: Top QB target Sam Howell schedules visit; keep an eye on this Ohio...

Ohio State recruiting: Top QB target Sam Howell schedules visit; keep an eye on this Ohio prospect - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State recruiting: Top QB target Sam Howell schedules visit; keep an eye on this Ohio prospect
Landof10.com
The Buckeyes will add another visitor to that list of standout quarterbacks this weekend, when 4-star pro-style passer Sam Howell (Sun Valley/Monroe, N.C.) will make his first visit to campus since receiving an offer from Ohio State on Jan. 12. Howell ...
Ohio State Makes Impressive Pitch to Quarterback Grant Gunnell While Buckeyes Work to Flip Alabama Safety Commit ...Eleven Warriors

all 2 news articles »


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Google Ohio State football: Surprises emerging for Buckeyes at key safety spot - MyDaytonDailyNews

Ohio State football: Surprises emerging for Buckeyes at key safety spot - MyDaytonDailyNews
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: Surprises emerging for Buckeyes at key safety spot
MyDaytonDailyNews
Either way, despite some of those alarms coming from right here, along with a suggestion that maybe a talented cornerback such as Shaun Wade could provide some help elsewhere in the secondary, it doesn't look like additional assistance will be required ...


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Google Ohio State recruiting: Have Buckeyes found their next local offer? - MyDaytonDailyNews

Ohio State recruiting: Have Buckeyes found their next local offer? - MyDaytonDailyNews
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State recruiting: Have Buckeyes found their next local offer?
MyDaytonDailyNews
It is getting difficult to keep track of all of the top prospects that have Ohio State on the list of their top schools, which is a product of Ohio State's intense efforts on the recruiting trail this cycle. The Buckeyes are in the mix with top ...


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LGHL Ohio State’s Keita Bates-Diop has more to prove in NCAA Tournament

Ohio State’s Keita Bates-Diop has more to prove in NCAA Tournament
Ian Cuevas
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


usa_today_10649609.0.jpg

The Buckeyes could go as far as Bates-Diop takes them.

“I think it’s given me a better appreciation for not just basketball, but everything in life. Everybody always talks about how you’re blessed to be able to play this game, but until something happens to someone close to you where it could be taken away, you don’t fully appreciate it.”

- Keita Bates-Diop via Bill Landis, Cleveland.com


Keita Bates-Diop has more than one reason to try and make a name for himself in the NCAA tournament. He obviously will want to be at the top of his game for Ohio State to have a chance to make some noise, but he has a higher motive as well. His younger brother’s basketball career was cut short after an undetected heart issue ended any dreams of playing basketball later in life. So now Bates-Diop plays for two. He wants to make the most of his time playing the sport and as a top 30 talent in college this season, he’s made his family proud, along with himself.

Ohio State opens up tournament play on Thursday after entering the NCAA tournament as a fifth-seed. They’ll go head-to-head against an upbeat 12th-seeded South Dakota State team that likes to shoot the three, and do it well. The Buckeyes have struggled against teams like that and so far, the Jackrabbits are a popular upset pick in the first round of the tournament. But, Chris Holtmann has a history of working his magic in March, so the Buckeyes won’t back down easily.

“But Burrow is still around, still talented and still drawing praise from Urban Meyer. All of those things are relevant, and it’s probably time to take them more seriously when breaking down this battle throughout in spring camp.”


- Austin Ward, Land of 10

The quarterback battle rages on at Ohio State as spring practice continues, but it’s interesting that most people are interested in Dwayne Haskins or Tate Martell. Urban Meyer has been quite clear that Joe Burrow is no pushover in this competition, and if it wasn’t for an injury last season, Burrow might have been the backup when Barrett went down against Michigan. Meyer constantly is mentioning how close the backup battle was last season, and it’s now progressed to a fight for the starting spot. Martell seems to be the one on the outside looking in, and not Burrow.

That’s not a bad thing either. Burrow has shown in limited appearances that he can command the offense and throw the ball. He’s also capable of tucking it and running if need be and isn’t heavy-footed at all. So it’s a legitimate competition between these two or three quarterbacks. It’s obviously one of the biggest storylines in the offseason and will be something to keep an eye on over the course of spring and fall practices.

“Ohio State’s big-game inexperience at quarterback proves costly, as Stanford forces three turnovers. The Cardinal control the clock with Bryce Love and an offensive line that carries the day against Nick Bosa & Co.”

- Adam Rittenberg, ESPN


To keep with some of the March Madness craze, Adam Rittenberg did a 64-team NCAA tournament of his own - with college football teams. Keep in mind this is for the 2018 season, and not 2017. Ohio State still made it in as a one-seed, along with Clemson, Alabama, and Georgia. The Buckeyes even made it all the way to the Sweet Sixteen, but were knocked off by the fourth-seeded Stanford Cardinal. The Cardinal secured an upset and advanced to the Elite Eight. As you can see above, the reasoning was simply Bryce Love being too much to handle and a lack of big-game experience for whoever would helm the Buckeyes at quarterback.

It would be nearly impossible to have a 64-team tournament in football, the grind already being as tough as it is. But it is fair to hope for a slightly expanded playoff. Whether or not that will ever come to fruition remains to be seen, but it’s been discussed plenty of times as a possibility.

STICK TO SPORTS


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