Fungo Squiggly said:

Sounds terrible.

Click to expand...

I dropped it and added "Bi-Curious [insert any race here] females are good"

Bates-Diop scores 20 as No. 13 Buckeyes slip past Nebraska - Tampabay.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Bates-Diop scores 20 as No. 13 Buckeyes slip past Nebraska
Tampabay.com
Facing a surprising Nebraska team that upset Michigan last week, the Buckeyes were at risk of letting one slip away. But that didn't happen. Keita Bates-Diop, the Big Ten's top scorer, had 14 of his 20 points in the second half and the surging Buckeyes ...
James Palmer scores 34, but No. 13 Buckeyes narrowly edge upset-minded HuskersOmaha World-Herald
Ohio State: Ryan Day expected to stay on Urban Meyer's staff; No. 13 Buckeyes edge Nebraska to preserve perfect Big ...Landof10.com
Ohio State women's basketball | Postgame: Maryland 99, Ohio State 69: Buckeyes reach 'turning point'The Columbus Dispatch
Land-Grant Holy Land -cleveland.com
all 84 news articles »

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No. 22 Buckeyes host Nebraska hoping to increase win streak - FOXSports.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


No. 22 Buckeyes host Nebraska hoping to increase win streak
FOXSports.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The magic carpet ride that is Chris Holtmann's first season as Ohio state coach continues Monday night against Nebraska at Value City Arena. The No. 22 Buckeyes improved their record to 17-4 overall and 8-0 in the Big Ten after ...
Soaring Buckeyes next for surging Husker menLincoln Journal Star
Ohio State men's basketball: Buckeyes climb nine spots in AP pollThe Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State recruiting: Big finish could be in play for Buckeyes' 2018 classLandof10.com
BT Powerhouse (blog) -Land-Grant Holy Land -Hockey Wilderness (blog)
all 191 news articles »

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Ohio State Buckeyes on chasing Alabama: 'That's why Nick Saban's great' - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State Buckeyes on chasing Alabama: 'That's why Nick Saban's great'
cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Anyone who watched Alabama-Georgia in the College Football Playoff National Championship two weeks ago saw one program clearly ahead of Ohio State and another quickly jumping to the Buckeyes' level. "I watched the fourth quarter," OSU ...


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Ohio State makes late push for elite 2018 OT
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Four-star offensive tackle Rasheed Walker comments on his recent Ohio State visit. Also, future Buckeyes overtake the new Rivals Top 100 rankings.

Following four-star defensive end Tyler Friday’s (Ramsey, NJ / Don Bosco) commitment to Ohio State last weekend, the Buckeyes now sit pretty at the No. 2 overall class in the 2018 recruiting cycle. The Buckeyes’ impressive class sits behind only Georgia and with 23 future Buckeyes already committed to the program, the coaching staff is hard at work putting the final touches on yet another successful year of recruiting.

The Buckeyes may only be able to add one more member to this year’s class—due to not as many current Buckeyes leaving the program for the NFL as was once expected. Following a weekend official visit, Ohio State appears to have their eyes set on one particular recruit to finish the class off.

Elite offensive tackle prospect Rasheed Walker (Waldorf, MD / North Point) capped off his final official visit of his recruitment at Ohio State this weekend. Our very own Charles Doss briefly touched on his visit in yesterday’s State Secret column, but we now know more about his time in Columbus.

Walker, a four-star prospect, spoke with Rival.com’s Adam Friedman and it appears Ohio State did everything it could during his visit.

“Everything about life after football was the biggest thing I took away from the visit,” Walker told Friedman. (...“I’ve heard some of this stuff from other schools but they were actually showing me.”

Walker is one of the country’s top offensive linemen and one of the top overall recruits in his class. The 247Sports Composite Rankings have him listed as the No. 6 OT in the class and the No. 63 overall prospect.

While his visit in Ohio State seems to have gone as well as possible, fellow Big Ten program Penn State looks to be the Buckeyes’ biggest competition. For the majority of his recruitment, Walker has been a heavy Penn State lean. The Buckeyes have made a strong push late in the process and are hoping they have done enough to win him over.

Walker went on to mention that he will likely wait until National Signing Day to make a decision. That gives him roughly three weeks to think over his choices. While Penn State still leads in the 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions, holding 69 percent of the votes, the Buckeyes have been gaining recently, with the three most recent predictions favoring them.

The blue-chip prospect would be the icing on the cake for the Buckeyes recruiting class, but have they done enough to change his mind? Stick with Land-Grant Holy Land as we will have more on Walker’s decision as well as all things recruiting as we quickly head to the finalization of the 2018 class.

New Rivals100 rankings favor Ohio State


National recruiting database Rivals.com released its final top 100 rankings for the 2018 class Monday afternoon. The updated list features a plethora of future Buckeyes.

Ohio State DB commit Tyreke Johnson (Jacksonville, FL / Trinity International) is now the highest overall rated future Buckeye according to the site, coming in at No. 14 overall and owning a five-star ranking. Inside linebacker commit Teradja Mitchell (Virginia Beach, VA / Bishop Sullivan) checks in not far behind Johnson at No. 20 and also holds a five-star ranking.

Defensive end commit Tyreke Smith, wide receive L’Christian “Blue” Smith, defensive tackle Taron Vincent and all-purpose back Jaelen Gill all found themselves in the top 41 and all are four-star prospects.

Ohio State saw 11 commits make the list, more than any other college football program in the country. However, Georgia is not far behind with nine.

The complete list of Buckeyes went as follows:

• No. 14 five-star safety Tyreke Johnson
• No. 20 five-star inside linebacker Teradja Mitchell
• No. 34 four-star defensive end Tyreke Smith
• No. 39 four-star wide receiver L’Christian “Blue” Smith
• No. 40 four-star defensive tackle Taron Vincent
• No. 41 four-star all-purpose back Jaelen Gill
• No. 66 four-star running back Brian Snead
• No. 68 four-star defensive end Tyler Friday
• No. 76 four-star defensive tackle Tommy Togiai
• No. 80 four-star safety Josh Proctor
• No. 100 four-star outside linebacker K’Vaughan Pope

Quick Hits:

• Ohio State received a preferred walk-on commitment from three-star WR Davion Johnson (Bedford, OH / Bedford) on Monday. Johnson held a scholarship offer from Iowa State, but chose the Buckeyes instead.

• As reported by our friend over at 270Sports Zach Fleer, 2021 shooting guard prospect Chance Groce (Columbus, OH / Linden-McKinley) was in attendance for the Basketball Buckeyes’ game against Nebraska last night.

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James Palmer scores 34, but No. 13 Buckeyes narrowly edge upset-minded Huskers - Omaha World-Herald
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


James Palmer scores 34, but No. 13 Buckeyes narrowly edge upset-minded Huskers
Omaha World-Herald
Nebraska's James Palmer, right, shot 11 of 18 for a career-high 34 points Monday night against Ohio State. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. Facebook · Twitter · Email; Print; Save. COLUMBUS, Ohio — Nebraska has another game it will kick itself for letting get ...
Ohio State women's basketball | Pregame reading: Buckeyes not overthinking conference title implications in matchup ...The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State basketball holds off Nebraska 64-59 to stay unbeaten in ...cleveland.com
ESPN's Joe Lunardi has Ohio State as a three seed247Sports
The News Center -Eleven Warriors
all 71 news articles »

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Ohio State women's basketball | Pregame reading: Buckeyes not overthinking conference title implications in matchup ... - The Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State women's basketball | Pregame reading: Buckeyes not overthinking conference title implications in matchup ...
The Columbus Dispatch
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Ohio State and Maryland women's basketball met last February in a game that ultimately made the difference in the Buckeyes claiming a share of the Big Ten regular season title. Their lone regular-season meeting comes a little less ...
Ohio State basketball holds off Nebraska 64-59 to stay unbeaten in Big Ten playcleveland.com
Ohio State still unbeaten in B1G, holds off Nebraska 64-59247Sports
Terps rout No. 12 Lady BuckeyesThe News Center
OSU - The Lantern
all 70 news articles »

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Monday's Three Things to Know: TCU, Virginia Tech and Kansas State earn big wins - NBCSports.com
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Monday's Three Things to Know: TCU, Virginia Tech and Kansas State earn big wins
NBCSports.com
Virginia Tech has been considered by many to be a disappointment this season. The Hokies haven't beaten anybody notable in the ACC and the non-conference schedule didn't deliver any signature victories. Which is why Virginia Tech's win Monday night ...

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VIDEO: Kenrich Williams posterizes West Virginia - NBCSports.com
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VIDEO: Kenrich Williams posterizes West Virginia
NBCSports.com
I am not sure what was more impressive tonight, Kenrich Williams going for 14 boards and six assists against No. 7 West Virginia, the fact that he played the point for them against that press … or this dunk: Damn, Kenrich Williams just unloaded on ...

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McCurdy: Buckeyes show they can grind, too - Marion Star
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McCurdy: Buckeyes show they can grind, too
Marion Star
COLUMBUS - Everything was lined up against Ohio State on Monday night. Not only were the Buckeyes playing the back end of four games in eight days, it was the way those games lined up that conspired against them. A flight to New Jersey, then home. A ...
The Ohio State Buckeyes: 1/22 Advanced Statistics Check-InBT Powerhouse (blog)
No. 22 Buckeyes host Nebraska hoping to increase win streakFOXSports.com
Soaring Buckeyes next for surging Husker menLincoln Journal Star
The Columbus Dispatch -Omaha World-Herald
all 261 news articles »

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Todd McShay ranks numerous Buckeyes highly for the NFL Draft - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Todd McShay ranks numerous Buckeyes highly for the NFL Draft
247Sports
Until the NFL Draft in late April, there are going to be numerous projections of where the eligible players will end up. It's still very early in the process, but on Monday, ESPN's Todd McShay released his top 32 prospects (Insider only), as well as ...

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No. 13 Ohio State beats Nebraska, 64-59, remains perfect in Big Ten play
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


It was ugly from start to finish, but a win’s a win.

Fresh off a nine-spot jump in the AP poll, the No. 13 Ohio State Buckeyes (18-4, 9-0) beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers (14-8, 5-4) 64-59 at Value City Arena on Monday night. Both games between the two teams last year were decided by a single point, with the road team winning each. This one would follow suit staying tight until the very end, but it was the home team that eventually prevailed.

As has become a bit of a mid-season trend, the Buckeyes opened up against the Huskers sloppy and cold. The two teams combined to hit only two of their first ten shots, and each had six turnovers in the first half. The officials also proved to be a bit of a factor in the game as well, calling 35 fouls in the game (Nebraska- 20, OSU- 15).

Freshman big man Kaleb Wesson found himself in foul trouble early, picking up two in the game’s first four minutes. With the younger Wesson on the bench, sophomore Micah Potter entered the game, and after an impressive performance against Northwestern last week, the finally-healthy forward has played well of late. However, the first-year OSU coach decided to follow Nebraska’s lead and go with a smaller lineup about halfway through the first half.

Much like Minnesota did on Saturday, the Huskers raced out to an early lead, holding a 14-7 advantage eight minutes into the game. James Palmer Jr. paced Nebraska with seven early points. The two teams struggled from the field in the first half; Nebraska was 8-28 (28.6%) and OSU was 9-25 (36%).

With Kaleb Wesson back in the floor after his foul-induced rest, on an Andrew Dakich miss from deep, the freshman got the rebound and went back up strong. He didn’t get the bucket, but he did force Husker sophomore Jordy Tshimanga into his third early foul of the game. Wesson hit both free-throws, and was then replaced by Potter, trying to spell Wesson as much as possible until the second half.

During the first 20 minutes, senior Jae’Sean Tate was incredibly aggressive in taking the ball to the hoop. The Pickerington native accounted for seven of OSU’s firs 15 points. He was also a force on the defensive end and glass.


After a timeout, Nebraska went into a 1-3-1 zone. Zone defenses have proven to be a thorn in Ohio State’s offensive side throughout the season. However, C.J. Jackson found Keita Bates-Diop for a monstrous backdoor, alley-oop slam dunk to give the Buckeyes their first lead of the game, albeit short-lived.

On the subsequent possession, Palmer Jr. got a layup to give the Huskers their first basket in nearly six-and-a-half minutes, and then the Nebraska defense returned to the man-to-man scheme that they had employed for most of the half.


The Buckeyes retook the lead off of a smooth reverse layup from Jackson. After a Palmer Jr. bucket on the other end, Tate found Jackson at the top of the key to give OSU a 24-22 lead with the Bucks’ first three-pointer of the game. They ended the first 20 minutes just 1-of-8 from behind the arc. The Huskers hit just two of their 15 triple attempts in the first half.

Tate went into the locker room with seven, while Bates-Diop and Kaleb Wesson had six, and Jackson turned in five. However, no other Buckeyes made it into the scoring column before intermission. Similarly, Nebraska was led by Palmer Jr.’s 11, but just three Huskers combined for the team’s other 11 points of the half.

After converting on an old-fashioned three-point play early in the second half, Kaleb Wesson was whistled for this third foul of the game, but Holtmann decided to stick with last year’s Mr. Ohio Basketball. He ended up hitting another free-throw before being replaced by Kyle Young. The younger Wesson brother was the Buckeyes’ most complete player for much of the early part of the game, turning in 10 points and six boards, both team highs, before his 16:26 exit. Saddled with foul trouble throughout, Wesson finished with 12 points and seven rebounds.

With 13:16 left in regulation, Young stepped on Tate’s foot as they were crossing on defense, and Tate had to exit the game and would be taken to the locker room. He would return a few minutes later. On the first play after Dakich replaced Tate, the graduate-transfer found a breaking Young for a deep, impressive alley-oop, but Young couldn’t convert and the ball ended up wedged in between the rim and the backboard, resulting in an unfortunate jump-ball.


A few minutes later, Nebraska used a mini-run, hitting 6-of-8, to tie the game at 38 on a Palmer Jr. layup. Even though he wasn’t nearly as perfect as he has been through much of the season, Bates-Diop scored six straight points for the Buckeyes to rebuild their lead, and he wouldn’t stop there. The fourth-year junior finished with 20 points and six rebounds.

With just under 10 minutes in the half, Kaleb Wesson picked up his fourth foul, prompting Holtmann to replace the freshman with his older brother, Andre.

After being evaluated in the locker room, Tate returned to the game, but Palmer Jr. continued his career night and hit back-to-back three-pointers to give Nebraska a 49-46 lead with 6:54, leading Holtmann to call a timeout. The output marked a new career high for the Nebraska junior.

Again, when the Buckeyes were in trouble, they turned to their best player. In the span of 40 seconds, KBD hit two buckets and blocked a shot to get OSU’s lead back. Then, back down by one, Bates-Diop found Andre Wesson for a corner-three. With 3:29 remaining in regulation, KBD had accounted for 14 second half points—doing his part in swinging the lead back to the home team, 55-54.


What had been a tedious affair for most of the game picked up energy and intensity late, with both teams going up and down the floor, finally finding quality shots.

As the game wound down, other Buckeyes began to come to Bates-Diop’s aid, as Tate hit a pair of free-throws and picked up a steal, and Jackson converted on the old-fashioned three-point play to put OSU up six points with 2:10 remaining.

After a pair of Palmer Jr. free-throws, Kaleb Wesson returned to the floor with four fouls, and he drew a foul on his first offensive possession—but couldn’t hit the front-end of his 1-and-1.

On offense, the Buckeyes—clinging to a four-point lead—looked to drain some clock, and at the end of the shot clock, Tate hit a layup over Isaiah Roby, who had been knocked down by a backing-up Kaleb Wesson. The bucket gave OSU the 62-56 lead with a minute remaining.


Kaleb Wesson next hit a pair of free throws to give the Buckeyes an 11-2 run, effectively icing the game for the home team.

The basketball Buckeyes will return to the court on Thursday, Jan. 25 at the Schott against Penn State. The second of four-straight home games will tip at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

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Bates-Diop scores 20 as No. 13 Buckeyes slip past Nebraska - Washington Post
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Bates-Diop scores 20 as No. 13 Buckeyes slip past Nebraska
Washington Post
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Keita Bates-Diop scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half and No. 13 Ohio State beat Nebraska 64-59 on Monday night, the fourth victory for the surging Buckeyes in the last eight days. The back-and-forth game had seven lead ...
The Ohio State Buckeyes: 1/22 Advanced Statistics Check-InBT Powerhouse (blog)
No. 22 Buckeyes host Nebraska hoping to increase win streakFOXSports.com
Ohio State football podcast: Nick Bosa makes a prediction so absurd it just might come trueLandof10.com
Lincoln Journal Star -The Columbus Dispatch -Omaha World-Herald
all 221 news articles »

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#14 Terps Host #8 Buckeyes on Big Monday - UMTerps.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


#14 Terps Host #8 Buckeyes on Big Monday
UMTerps.com
The Terps-Buckeyes matchup will be televised around the world on ESPN2 as part of Big Monday. The game can be seen online through WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app. Fans can watch with their cable login information. Live stats will be available and ...


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Ohio State recruiting: Rasheed Walker comments on visit; Buckeyes lead way in Rivals rankings - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State recruiting: Rasheed Walker comments on visit; Buckeyes lead way in Rivals rankings
Landof10.com
Safety Tyreke Johnson sat atop the pile among future Buckeyes, checking in with a 5-star rating and was the 14th-ranked overall prospect. Teradja Mitchell, an inside linebacker, also was a 5-star recruit and the 20th-ranked prospect in the nation ...
Johnson commits to Ohio State as preferred walk-on247Sports
Rivals100 OL Rasheed Walker breaks down his Ohio State official visitRivals.com (press release)
Recapping the Weekend's Official Visits While Wide Receiver Davion Johnson Accepts Walk-On OfferEleven Warriors

all 5 news articles »

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Ohio State Basketball: Contenders
Jesse 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

With 11 minutes to go in the first half, the Ohio State Buckeyes went down 20-10 against Minnesota during the Big Ten’s Super Saturday. The best player in the Big Ten, Keita Bates-Diop, was struggling from the floor, and the OSU defense couldn’t handle Minnesota’s Jordan Murphy and his game down low. However, through their slump, the Buckeyes stayed committed to playing physical basketball and taking advantage of every opportunity.

The very first points on the board came off a steal that led to an easy transition dunk for Bates-Diop. This was a preface of things to come, because, even though at times they weren’t getting the ball in the hoop, the Buckeyes continued to force turnovers. In fact, they ended the game with 10 steals and 22 points off of 15 Minnesota turnovers.

Ohio State’s second made shot was a transition layup that was set up by a Sweet n’ Low bounce pass from CJ Jackson to Kam Williams. This was another fast scoring opportunity made possible, not because of outstanding offensive playmaking, but because they were playing smart, tough Ohio State basketball. The Buckeyes finished with 11 assists.

The third score for the OSU came after CJ Jackson missed a 3 pointer from the corner. He followed his miss and came up with an offensive rebound that put him right next to the hoop with a wide open shot. Jackson’s floater put his team ahead 6-2. OSU finished with 12 offensive rebounds.

Unfortunately, after a few layups underneath to make the score 11-10, the shots stopped falling.

The Golden Gophers went on a 9-0 run and took their ten point lead. This left the fans that had made the long trek up to NYC wonder whether it looked like, perhaps, the Buckeyes didn’t have the magic. Maybe they were having an off day, or this talented Minnesota team was just finally finding their stride again. Maybe Ohio State had been overachieving for the last few weeks, and they were finally falling back to earth. Either way, OSU was struggling and their opponent was surging.

Of course, we all watched the game so we know how it ends. The Buckeyes saved the first half doing the same things that they had been doing through the first 9 minutes of the game. They kept forcing turnovers, they kept making good passes, they kept getting rebounds, on both the offensive and defensive ends, and eventually, someone’s shot went in.

All of the sudden the floodgates opened to reveal the January Buckeyes once more.

Steal, pass, score;
block, pass, pass, score;
inside, outside, score;
steal, pass, miss, offensive rebound, put back, score;

Ohio State took the lead and then took a commanding lead and then they started dominating. A 10 point deficit turned into a 12 point lead and the score was 34-22. A 24 to 2 scoring run in which the Buckeyes dominated every facet of the game– shooting, defending, rebounding, passing– and they did it with Keita on the bench for 5 minutes.

This team believes it’s one of the best teams in the country. After taking care of business at Rutgers, holding off a late surge from Northwestern, and obliterating Minnesota in Madison Square Garden, they come home with an 8-0 conference record and a top-15 ranking. Their four-game homestretch, starting tonight with Nebraska, comes at the perfect time, giving the Buckeyes an opportunity to flex their muscles against the middle of the Big Ten in preparation for what could be a Top-10 matchup at Purdue on February 7th.

Chris Holtmann has put this team in a position to do something that they haven’t done since the 2012-2013 season: hold a top 10 ranking in January. If they win their next four games, they will own a 21-4 record, including a 12-0 start to conference play. Four games is a tall task, especially with the physicality of the Big Ten, but Ohio State has shown that it has the coaches, players and drive to do it. The next step is Nebraska, and then Penn State and Indiana and Illinois.

Keita Bates-Diop has come back down to earth after his four-game “prove-it” tour, but Ohio State hasn’t. The Buckeyes are still dominating teams, still proving that they are not just “the surprise of the season” as every major sports publication is dubbing them. They want everyone to know that they aren’t overachieving. They are contenders.

Their next step is Nebraska, but this Buckeye team has its sights set higher.




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With all of Zone 6 returning in 2018, Ohio State’s offense is already a step ahead
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Parris Campbell, Terry McLaurin and Johnnie Dixon make a formidable trio of returning receivers.

“Everybody comes back that had a key part in the offense developing last year, so I feel like it’s just taking that next step. Just getting better as a unit, and then propelling the offense to take the necessary steps to get where we want to get next year.”

-Ohio State wide receiver Terry McLaurin, via Austin Ward, Land of 10


Ohio State lucked out in how few underclassmen chose to leave the program for the NFL Draft this year, especially compared to previous seasons. One position group which was particularly fortunate was the wide receiver corps, as Parris Campbell, Johnnie Dixon and Terry McLaurin all opted to return to Columbus next season. While each made his decision separately, all came to the same conclusion that returning was the best bet for the team. Campbell would likely have had the highest draft stock as the heir to Curtis Samuel’s role at Ohio State and whose speed electrified audiences throughout the season. Dixon stayed healthy throughout the season, catching eight touchdown passes and winning the hearts of Buckeye nation. And McLaurin had six touchdowns of his own while impressing the Ohio State staff and players with his relentless work ethic. Now, the program gets all of that experience back for another season.

Expectations are now through the roof for Zone 6 heading into the spring, even as the offense will be breaking in a new quarterback. With running back Mike Weber choosing to come back for his redshirt junior season, and J.K. Dobbins back for his true sophomore year, the rushing attack should be just as good as 2017. And while the loss of Billy Price and Jamarco Jones will definitely hurt the line, the unit still returns three starters.

Despite some early miscues, Zone 6 really did improve significantly throughout the 2017 season, but the unit collectively believes that they can do more and that they owe it to each other to try. “Sometimes it’s bigger than money,” said Dixon. “Passing up a brotherhood like this would be crazy.” The Buckeyes were left out of the College Football Playoff this season, but with all receivers coming back, the unit as a whole can lift the offense as Ohio State contends for a spot in 2018.

“The biggest surprise in college hoops.”

-Jeff Borzello, ESPN


Ohio State basketball is now 8-0 in conference play on the season, and has already matched its win total from last year (17). That’s the best record for the Buckeyes since 2011, when Thad Matta’s team opened their Big Ten slate 11-0. With this success, Ohio State has moved up to No. 13 in the AP Poll and No. 16 in ESPN’s latest power rankings. The Buckeyes only entered the conversation two weeks ago, when they moved into the No. 25 spot, and propelled three spots up last week to No. 23. Now, they are squarely in contention for a conference title and widely considered a lock for an NCAA Tournament bid--a long way up from the “bubble team” rating of only a few weeks ago.

This streak is certainly a huge shocker for a team that was projected to finish 11th in the Big Ten at the start of the season. Now, the Buckeyes enter a four-game home stretch, starting with Nebraska tonight, which could position them as high as 12-0 when they head to West Lafayette to face No. 3 Purdue on Feb. 7. Purdue is the only other undefeated team in the conference, though Michigan State still holds a top-10 spot in both the latest AP Poll and power rankings.

With all of his first year success, Chris Holtmann is a natural contender for Coach of the Year honors, and junior forward Keita Bates-Diop, who missed most of last season due to injury, is a strong candidate for Big Ten Player of the Year (he has already earned Player of the Week honors three times this season). Still, there is a lot of basketball yet to be played, as the Buckeyes are not quite halfway through their conference slate. However, if things continue to shape up, Ohio State could find themselves in prime position come Selection Sunday.

“I think you put so much time and energy, and work into this. Sometimes you can just get lost in the stress of it, and the result of it.”

-Ohio State wrestling coach Tom Ryan, via Tim Bielik, Cleveland.com


The Ohio State wrestling team just earned perhaps its biggest win of the year Sunday, taking down fourth-ranked, and previously-undefeated, Iowa in front of a 15,000 person crowd--and Urban Meyer--at the Schottenstein Center. With the victory, the Buckeyes improve to 10-0 on the season, including 5-0 in conference duels.

It was a big win on Senior Day for the Buckeyes, who are the No. 2 team in the country behind Penn State, and a great send off for Kyle Snyder, Nathan Tomasello and Bo Jordan, who competed in their final collegiate match in Columbus yesterday. This senior class is one of the best in history, as each member of the trio is looking to earn his fourth career All-American honors. Snyder himself is already one of the most decorated wrestlers in the world, having earned an Olympic gold medal and two World Championships. Three Ohio State wrestlers, Snyder, Tomasello and Kollin Moore, are the top wrestlers in their respective weight classes, with five others listed in the top-10. Five wrestlers on the roster are undefeated on the season.

Iowa presented the toughest match of the season so far for Ohio State, and things did not start off well as Tomasello, who previously had been undefeated on the season, fell in the first match of the day at the 125-pound weight class. Luke Pletcher (122-pounds) and Joey McKenna (141-pounds) put the Buckeyes back in the lead, but Iowa took the next three bouts and led 12-7 heading into the final four faceoffs of the day. However, the Hawkeyes couldn’t overcome in their matchups with Jordan (174-pounds), Myles Martin (184-pounds), Moore (197-pounds) and Snyder (heavyweight), ultimately giving the Buckeyes a 22-12 win on the day.

Ohio State has five individual matches remaining on the season, their clash with No. 1 Penn State looming large Feb. 3. Next up is Michigan State in East Lansing.

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• Yes, it probably is time to retire, Dick LeBeau.
• And people say couch burning is crazy. Check out how Eagles fans reacted to making the Super Bowl.

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Where Ohio State ranks among other teams for most underclassmen declaring for 2018 NFL Draft: Buckeye Breakfast - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Where Ohio State ranks among other teams for most underclassmen declaring for 2018 NFL Draft: Buckeye Breakfast
cleveland.com
Where Ohio State ranks among other teams for most underclassmen declaring for 2018 NFL Draft: Buckeye Breakfast. Posted January 22, 2018 at 05:00 AM | Updated January 22, 2018 at 05:03 AM. 0 shares. Comment. Reasons the Buckeyes will win. Linebacker ...


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Ohio State Football: The Sinister Six?
Jesse 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

Parris Campbell

Terry McLaurin

Johnnie Dixon

KJ Hill

Binjimen Victor

Austin Mack



Six names. Six pass catchers. Six young men that spent all of last year running around the field decked in Scarlet and Gray, waiting for passes that would never come. Not one of them was in the Top 80 in receptions last year, or in the Top 100 in receiving yardage or yards per game. On an Ohio State team that was tied for third in the country in Passing Touchdowns, there was not one receiver that a generic college football fan would recognize, not one receiver that would be worth a look until at least the 4th round of the NFL Draft. So today, I am going to examine our beloved “Zone 6” from recruitment until now and see if it isn’t more of a Sinister 6 (for those of you who don’t know, the Sinister Six are a group of Spiderman bad guys that teamed up and then got their butts whooped one-by-one).



Parris Campbell
RS Senior – 4 Star, 22nd WR (class of 2014)
H-Back – 6’1″, 208 lbs.
2017 – 40 rec, 584 yds, 3 TDs (10 car, 132 yds, 1 TD; 9 kick ret, 329 yds)
Career – 53 rec, 704 yds, 3 TDs (14 car, 186 yds, 2 TDs; 30 kick ret, 913 yds)



Terry McLaurin
RS Senior – 4 Star, 36th WR (class of 2014)
WR-Z – 6’1″, 204 lbs.
2017 – 29 rec, 436 yds, 6 TDs
Career – 40 rec, 550 yds, 8 TDs



Johnnie Dixon
RS Senior – 4 Star, 9th WR (class of 2014)
WR-Z – 5’11”, 195 lbs.
2017 – 18 rec, 422 yds, 8 TDs
Career – 25 rec , 477 yds, 8 TDs



KJ Hill
RS Junior – 4 Star, 16th WR (class of 2015)
H-Back – 6’0″, 198
2017 – 56 rec, 549 yds, 3 TDs (6 kick ret, 150 yds; 26 punt ret, 144 yds)
Career – 74 rec, 811 yds, 4 TDs (7 kick ret, 156 yds; 26 punt ret, 144 yds)



Binjimen Victor
Junior – 4 Star, 12th WR (class of 2016)
WR-X – 6’4″, 195
2017 – 23 rec, 349 yds, 7 TDs
Career – 27 rec, 413 yds, 8 TDs



Austin Mack
Junior – 4 Star, 9th WR (class of 2016)
WR-X – 6’2″, 215
2017 – 24 rec, 343 yds, 2 TDs
Career – 26 rec, 358 yds, 2 TDs






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Potential loss of QB coach Ryan Day to NFL could deal blow to Buckeyes - Gridiron Now
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Potential loss of QB coach Ryan Day to NFL could deal blow to Buckeyes
Gridiron Now
Day replaced Tim Beck on the OSU staff following the 2016 season, and helped J.T. Barrett improve from averaging 196.5 passing yards per game in 2016 to 218.1 yards per game in 2017. Barrett's completion percentage also jumped, from 61.5 percent to 64 ...
Former Buckeyes DE Mike Vrabel named Tennessee Titans head coachLandof10.com
Kirk Herbstreit in Buckeyes fan mode on Twitter, praises Vrabel247Sports
Ohio State's Ryan Day considering Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator job: Reportcleveland.com
Dayton Daily News -NBC4i.com -The Spun (blog) -Titansonline.com
all 392 news articles »

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Buckeyes in the NFL: Conference Championship Round - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes in the NFL: Conference Championship Round
247Sports
Once again, Ohio State had a number of talented players that moved on from last year's team to the NFL, including seven who got selected on draft day back in April. Those players join a large pool of former Buckeyes stars that are now playing in "the ...


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Finding the above-replacement level receivers at Ohio State
Chad Peltier via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Is the next Michael Thomas already on the roster?

According to 247 Team Talent Composite, Ohio State had the second-best overall team talent level in the country and the second-best blue chip ratio. There are enough blue chip players at every position to fill out the two-deep. Ohio State shouldn’t have any issues with overall talent levels in 2018.

Instead, Ohio State’s real challenge is identifying players that are above replacement level. Football Outsiders’ NFL stat, Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement, or DYAR, gets at this idea:


Essentially, talent accumulation isn’t just recruiting good players, it’s about getting (and developing) great players.

It’s about having a player, even if it’s just one player per position group, who is able to take over a game. While it’s hard to argue that Ohio State hasn’t recruited well at any position group — again, Ohio State had the second-most talented roster in the country last year by almost any metric — there’s an argument that maybe not every position group has a truly dominant player.

And not every position group needs that one player or two that is way-above replacement level. I’d argue that it’s more valuable to raise the overall baseline for the offensive line, or at least to eliminate individual weak spots, than to have one or two absolutely dominant linemen.

Last week’s Buckeye Talk discussed whether there’s a go-to, superstar receiver — a Devin Smith or Michael Thomas — on the roster, or whether it’s possible to have “too many good players” at receiver.

The question definitely isn’t whether the group is talented as a whole. Last year’s top six receivers average a solid four stars, at .9435 points, from the 247 Composite. But if you think about Ohio State’s receivers in terms of DYAR, the challenge is making sure there are above-replacement players relative to the others, and then making sure they get the ball.

Talent-wise, it’s easy to make the case that all of Ohio State’s receivers are above-replacement relative to the rest of the country, but no single receiver has stood out relative to the others in Ohio State’s rotation. Ohio State’s top six receivers last year all had total receiving yards within 241 yards of each other, target rates within 8.6 percent of each other, and five of the six had average yards per catch within 5.4 yards of each other. Essentially, everyone in the rotation was targeted roughly the same amount, caught roughly the same percentage of their targets, and then did roughly the same thing with the ball in their hands. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing — after all, the passing game was fourth overall in passing S&P+ last season. But sometimes a dominant, go-to receiver is needed.

Austin Mack seems like a strong candidate to be that kind of player, but he had just the sixth-most targets on the team last season. Mack had the highest success rate of all receivers besides Parris Campbell (who was targeted repeatedly on mesh routes that functioned as extended hand-offs), with 57.9 percent of his targets resulting in a successful play. It’s also highly possible that a different above-replacement receiver or two emerges just because of the quarterback change and Kevin Wilson entering year two in charge of the offense.

The superstar player doesn’t necessarily have to be a five-star recruit, either. Michael Thomas was a three-star recruit with a .8477 composite rating, and Devin Smith was a three-star too, with a .8895 composite rating.

But, in general, five stars have a higher hit rate for turning in to superstar players. Funny enough, the two teams with the most five stars on their rosters also happened to play for the national championship (Alabama had 18 and Georgia had 11). In comparison, while Ohio State had more four-star players on its roster than any team in the country last season (with 56), they had just the fifth-most five-star players (with 7). I’m using five-star-to-four-star ratio as a shorthand here, but I think it illustrates the question of whether the Buckeyes had enough dominant — not just really good —players at a few position groups. On the flip side, that’s also why next year’s defensive line has the potential to better than last year’s.

Ohio State’s baseline is going to be high at every position, relative to the rest of the country. So again, the big question for 2018 isn’t about overall talent — it’s about talent above replacement. And it’s also about whether other changes, at quarterback, in player development, and any offensive scheme changes in year two for Kevin Wilson, can identify and deploy that above-replacement talent.

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Ohio State moves up to No. 13 in latest AP Poll
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes are climbing the ranks in the world of college basketball.

After another stellar week on the Big Ten circuit, one that included road wins against Rutgers, Northwestern and Minnesota (at Madison Square Garden), the Ohio State Buckeyes have taken the college basketball world by storm—and it’s showing in the AP poll.

In the latest edition of the poll, the Buckeyes climbed from No. 22 to No. 13. So far this season, the Scarlet and Gray are 8-0 in conference play, and haven’t suffered a loss since their stumble against North Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic on Dec. 23. Since that loss to UNC, the Buckeyes have rattled off seven straight victories.

Ohio State comes in as the third highest ranked Big Ten team in the latest batch of rankings, with Purdue and Michigan State being the only teams higher at No. 3 and No. 6, respectively. Michigan is the fourth team from the conference included in the poll; the Wolverines come in at No. 25.

Here’s how this week’s poll looks.

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No. 13 Ohio State moves up nine spots in latest AP poll
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

Big Ten co-leader and No. 13 Ohio State moves up nine spots in the latest AP poll, released Monday. The Buckeyes, who are 8-0 in the Big Ten, have gone from unranked to No. 13 in two weeks.

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Jordan Fuller on title expectations, working with Alex Grinch - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Jordan Fuller on title expectations, working with Alex Grinch
247Sports
He is by no means brash, but he certainly does not lack confidence. And he says everything with a smile on his face. That is not an exaggeration. Every word out of his mouth during a recent 5-minute conversation with reporters was said with a grin. But ...


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