Ohio State football: After unexpected Cotton Bowl role, Jeffrey Okudah looks like Buckeyes' next CB star - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: After unexpected Cotton Bowl role, Jeffrey Okudah looks like Buckeyes' next CB star
Landof10.com
Jeffrey Okudah-Ohio State-USC-Buckeyes-Trojans-Cotton Bowl-cornerbacks Jeffrey Okudah was hard on himself for giving up catches even in a strong defensive outing. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images). That wasn't just praise for bowl practices. It wasn't ...
Kerry Coombs pleased with progress of Sheffield, Okudah247Sports

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"A great class, to be sure, despite the underwhelming stretch run. Urban Meyer's legendary closing skills were certainly not on display this year." Those were my exact words to describe last year's class, and the same holds true this year. The Buckeyes lost 5-star prospects DE Brenton Cox, OT Jackson Carman, QB Emory Jones, and DB Jaiden Woodbey on or just before the early Signing Day. Some of this was due to kids who were more concerned with the journey than the destination, some of it was Urban Meyer's desire to avoid kids he doesn't want to coach. Missing out on so much talent so late in the process definitely looks bad, but in the long run Ohio State might be better off without the look-at-me!!! ZOMG shock-the-world!!! recruits whose acts probably won't change too much once they actually get on campus. Check out Miami's class of 2004 for the classic example of how five-star recruits can morph into five-alarm fires.

While most fans are upset over the "loss" of several long-term committed prospects and losing out on Jackson Carman, this is still a GREAT class and it's not finished yet. While there's still some needs that need filled, I have no doubt the staff will address those and close with a monster class.


Marcus Baugh is a senior. A.J. Alexander's career is over due to injury. Kierre Hawkins is transferring. The other three scholarship tight ends on Ohio State's roster have a combined 8 receptions for 119 yards, and one of those three might be moving over to the defensive line. Enter Jeremy Ruckert, the #1 tight end prospect in the country. If ever there was a golden opportunity for impactful early playing time, then Ruckert would certainly seem to have it.

Tough question to answer, given the fact we don't know who is declaring early for the NFL draft.... as stated above, Ruckert likely has the best shot, but to provide another answer, I'll go with Antwuan Jackson. Someone who should've been a Buckeye to begin with, Jackson has finally made his way to Columbus and I expect him to be in the rotation early.


Even though he was a five-star recruit, all-purpose back Jaelen Gill has been somewhat overlooked in this class as the fan base became obsessed with the Twitter All Stars and ignored the quiet local kid. The Buckeyes have two traditional running backs in this class (Brian Snead and Master Teague), but Gill looks like he has the ability to be the next Curtis Samuel from the H-back position.

Given the matchup nightmare he creates, I'm going with Jeremy Ruckert here. Arguably the best TE prospect the Buckeyes have ever signed, I think Jeremy shows early that he's going to have a great Buckeye career.

Marcus Hooker may not end up being a first round draft pick like his older brother Malik, but he will definitely prove the experts wrong by out-performing his lowly three-star rating (#57 CB, #619 overall). And that's a sure thing.

Teradja Mitchell - somewhat of a forgotten man in the 2018 class, Mitchell is exactly what the Buckeyes want at the inside backer position. He likely isn't a 3-down backer, but will shut down the run & has underrated cover skills.
Sevyn Banks was the #26 cornerback and #236 overall prospect according to 247 Sports, but he has excellent size (6'1" 180 lbs) for a cornerback and that's why the Buckeye staff homed in on him early in the recruiting process. If Banks can stay healthy, then he should easily out-perform his recruit ranking and become yet another Ohio State defensive back who is selected high in the NFL draft.

Love the Banks pick... I'll go with Jaelen Gill. The H-Back has always been a prime position within Coach Meyer's offense and Gill has the making of being a super star. He'll be a matchup nightmare, whether he's lined up in the backfield or in the slot.

Quarterback Matthew Baldwin. He has all the tools and a great high school pedigree, but Baldwin was clearly a Plan B guy after five-star QB Emory Jones wouldn't firm up his commitment to Ohio State. Baldwin has what it takes to play at the FBS level, but will he be able to distinguish himself at a place like Ohio State? And will a passing quarterback like Baldwin ever truly fit Urban Meyer's read-option offense?

Easiest answer for me is Alex Williams. I see the upside... but where does he project? OT? DE? Both of those positions needed filled & Alex was someone they snuck in before the early signing period. All that being said, he's an Ohio kid & they've been known to have special powers.

Master Teague was much more of a sleeper when he committed to Ohio State back in June (3-star, #505 overall), but even after his rapid rise up the recruiting rankings he's still just the #11 running back and #220 overall prospect in the country. Teague should be the heir apparent to J.K. Dobbins and he has the talent to put up huge numbers in Ohio State's offense.

Sevyn Banks is my sleeper of the class. Coming off an injury his Junior year, Sevyn made an appearance at The Opening Orlando Regional & put on a show. 4.5 40, 4.32 20yd shuttle, 41.5' powerball toss & a 41.7" vertical. Provided he can stay healthy, Sevyn may be the next great OSU corner.

When Josh Proctor verbally committed to Ohio State on April 15th, he was 100% crystal balled to Oklahoma. And why not? The #2 high school player in the state of Oklahoma usually ends up signing with the Sooners. Ohio State pretty much came out of nowhere, getting an unofficial visit for the Spring Game followed by a quick commitment. Often such decisions are impulsive and the good feelings fade away over the following months. But not in this case - Proctor stayed firm to Ohio State the entire time and there were very few rumors about him even looking at another school. Which was kind of refreshing, given the Jaiden Woodbey and Emory Jones recruiting sagas.

Tommy Togiai... have the Buckeyes ever landed a recruit from Idaho? Let alone even recruited one? There aren't any that I know of. Not only was his commitment somewhat of a surprise, he's a GREAT talent and fills a huge need at defensive tackle.


What we learned from Early Signing Period: An Ohio State offer trumps a Virginia Tech OFFER, but it does not trump a Virginia Tech Letter of Intent. In the past, top schools like Ohio State could slow play a borderline recruit with a conditional offer - "we want you in our class, but you're #3 on our list, so can you please hold off making a decision until #1 and #2 let us know what's up?" That was generally good enough to keep the third-place kid hanging around until the final week before Signing Day, but not now. If a second tier program hands a kid an LOI on December 20th, is he really going to tear it up with hopes that his dream school will eventually deliver the goods on the first Wednesday in February? Not very likely. And that was the case with offensive tackle Walker Culver. Culver was an under-the-radar prospect from a small school in Tennessee who made an early commitment to the University of Colorado. Then Ohio State suddenly discovered Culver and he made an official visit to Columbus on November 18th. That visit led to a Buckeye "offer" and set off a firestorm of late recruiting activity that saw Auburn, Virginia Tech, and others getting into the mix during the final month before Early Signing Period. Ohio State tried to slow play Culver past the Early Signing Period to see where they stood with higher-rated offensive tackle prospects, but Virginia Tech had an all expenses paid four year trip to Blacksburg on the table. Guess which school signed Walker Culver? Guess which school now needs an offensive tackle?

Emory Jones... to me, he was one of the better QB prospects that the Buckeyes have recruited in recent memory. While he isn't your prototypical Urban Meyer read-option QB, Emory can absolutely sling the rock. I wouldn't be surprised to see Emory have a great career in Gainesville before heading to the NFL. Forget the Carman's & Woodbey's of the world, Emory was the biggest loss in my opinion.


Are you kidding me? After years of striking out at the position, Ohio State signed the #1 high school defensive tackle, the #1 JUCO defensive tackle, and #9 high school defensive tackle, all of whom appear to have the size to handle the all-important 1-tech duties. That's the good news. Now for the bad news. After years of signing top-flight defensive end prospects (Joey Bosa, Nick Bosa, Chase Young, Jonathan Cooper, Jalyn Holmes), the Buckeyes have struck out at defensive end in 2018 so far....

As stated above, defensive end is lacking and is a huge need for the 2018 class, but thankfully there's still time between now & February. I expect Tyreke Smith & Jayson Oweh to both commit to the Buckeyes at the Under Armour Game on January 4th.


The Buckeyes have struck out at defensive end in 2018 so far.... But they are the favorites to sign Tyreke Smith (#4 WDE, #60 overall) and Jason Oweh (#5 SDE, #106 overall), and they remain in contention for combo lineman Tyler Friday (#3 DT, #85 overall). Another name to consider is Daniel Carson (#22 SDE, #519 overall), a sleeper prospect who seems to be holding out hope that better offers will materialize between now and February, and Ohio State is on his short list. The Buckeyes could also use an offensive tackle (understatement), and Nicholas Petit-Frere is the #1 guy on their board. Petit-Frere is the rare five-star recruit who takes care of his business quietly, so it's difficult to say whether he is seriously considering Ohio State at this point. If he makes a (rumored) January official visit to Columbus, then it's game on. If not, then it's scramble around for a late bloomer like Thayer Munford from the class of 2017, or wait until next year.

Tyreke Smith, Jayson Oweh & Rasheed Walker will be the main targets. New names will obviously pop up between now and February 7th, but there remains an obvious need at DE, OT & possibly corner as well.

Ohio State signees continue to shine at U.S. Army All-American Bowl practice
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ruckert, the top TE in the 2018, was hauling in the football.

It’s a big week in the recruiting world. First, the Under Armour All-American Game is happening on Jan. 4 in Orlando. Then on Jan. 6, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl is happening in San Antonio. In both games, which include the best high school prospects in the country, the Ohio State Buckeyes will have a noticeable presence.

For the Army All-American contest in Texas, the players have already made their way down for the practices—and they are already balling out.

Welcome to the Alamo


Four-star tight end Jeremy Ruckert is one of the Buckeyes’ future prospects in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He is the top TE in the 2018 recruiting cycle, as well as the top recruit out of New York, according to the 247sports composite.

A couple days ago, we wrote about Ruckert’s Twitter update about him landing in San Antonio. Now in the Lone Star State, the No. 1 TE took to the practice field—showing that he deserved to be called the best at his position.


Even though this would’ve ended up as a probable sack, Ruckert hauled in the touchdown. Outside linebacker Dallas Gant, another future Buckeye, was the one who would’ve had the sack opportunity had this been a real game.

Like Ruckert, Gant is one of the best in his home state, too. The Toledo, Ohio native is the No. 5 prospect in the Buckeye State, and is the No. 8 outside linebacker, according to 247sports. If these two are making plays like this in a practice, just image what they could do given time with an elite coaching staff like OSU’s. The TE position has molded the likes of Jeff Heuerman, Nick Vannett and Marcus Baugh. On the LB side, there’s too many great defenders to count.

The future looks bright for these two.

(For those wondering: the quarterback was Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 prospect and quarterback in the 2018 class. He signed with Clemson during the early signing period.)

Another Buckeye in the fold is Jaelen Gill, the standout running back from Westerville, Ohio.


In this tweet from recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong, Gill finds an open path right up the middle, courtesy of another Ohio native in Jackson Carman.

If Gill gets the space (or is used as an east-west kind of runner) then it’s entirely possible that he will break off huge runs. With J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber currently leading the running back depth chart, the addition of Gill adds another dimension of explosive RBs at Ohio State. It may be entirely possible that the best backfield in America will be in Columbus next season.

What’s happening today in Orlando?


Pivoting to another city and game, the prospects in the Under Armour All-American game are still practicing for Thursday night’s showcase at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

The schedule for Wednesday includes the fourth and final practice. Four prospects in this game will be representing Ohio State: Cornerback Sevyn Banks, offensive lineman Matthew Jones, linebacker Teradja Mitchell, and running back Brian Snead.

Also, media day will happen for the Future 50, the top underclassmen and 2019 prospects for next year’s game.

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Multiple NFL teams interested in former Buckeye Mike Vrabel - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Multiple NFL teams interested in former Buckeye Mike Vrabel
247Sports
With the NFL completing its 2017 season last weekend, it's that time of the year when head coaches are fired, hired and retire. This always brings plenty of rumors, as teams look to find their next boss. One name that is hot on the market is former ...

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Well done? Final grades posted for Big Ten champ Buckeyes - Mansfield News Journal
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Well done? Final grades posted for Big Ten champ Buckeyes
Mansfield News Journal
How will you remember this Ohio State football season? For the 12 wins, the fifth time in Urban Meyer's six years at the helm the Buckeyes have won at least that many games? Or for the inexplicable loss at Iowa, the third straight season a head ...
Final thoughts on Ohio State's 2017 season, the Big Ten and moreLand-Grant Holy Land
James Laurinaitis calls out Big Ten haters247Sports
The Big Ten!!!!!!!!Tiffin Advertiser Tribune (blog)
Norwalk Reflector -Lansing State Journal -Big Ten Conference
all 75 news articles »

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Ohio State recruiting: Defensive tackle dominating, 2 former commits struggle at showcase game - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State recruiting: Defensive tackle dominating, 2 former commits struggle at showcase game
Landof10.com
Ohio State would take either player in a flash if it were possible, so don't confuse the following for a report that the Buckeyes should be happy about missing out on two heralded recruits. But with that being said, both 4-star quarterback Emory Jones ...

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Ohio State's future at quarterback could include both Dwayne Haskins and Tate Martell - Land-Grant Holy Land
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State's future at quarterback could include both Dwayne Haskins and Tate Martell
Land-Grant Holy Land
With Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett, the Buckeyes struggled to maintain momentum and find any sort of rhythm offensively in 2015. But Urban Meyer has done this in the past to perfection, in 2006 when he had Chris Leak and Tim Tebow rotating and playing ...
Is this Dwayne Haskins' team now? 'Oh yeah, that's the mindset'247Sports
Ohio State Football: Dwayne Haskins offers new opportunities at QBScarlet and Game
ESPN Names Dwayne Haskins, Jeffrey Okudah Breakout Players For 2018The Spun (blog)

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Ohio State’s future at quarterback could include both Dwayne Haskins and Tate Martell
Ian Cuevas via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Urban Meyer has used a two-quarterback system before, and might decide to do it again in 2018.

“Martell, of course, is the opposite: Quick, elusive and dangerous when he gets in the open field. But it’s the fact that they both bring something different that makes it intriguing to consider them both playing next fall for the Buckeyes.”

- Austin Ward, Land of 10


Ohio State has experience with using a two-quarterback system, although the results weren’t quite as successful as many had hoped. With Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett, the Buckeyes struggled to maintain momentum and find any sort of rhythm offensively in 2015. But Urban Meyer has done this in the past to perfection, in 2006 when he had Chris Leak and Tim Tebow rotating and playing in certain situations. That year, Florida won the national championship. Now, heading into 2018, J.T. Barrett is no longer on the roster which means the starting quarterback position is up for grabs.

The current favorite, Dwayne Haskins, has a strong arm and is generally a pro-style quarterback. Tate Martell is an explosion waiting to happen, and can attack with both his legs and his arm. Haskins proved what he’s capable of against Michigan when Barrett went down with an injury, and some were even calling for him to start the Big Ten Championship against Wisconsin. But Martell’s versatility is attractive, and the coaching staff won’t want to waste his talents on the bench.

Could there be another two-quarterback system at Ohio State?

“When was anyone blown away this season by OSU’s offensive creativity? There were moments of inspired play, such as the comeback against Penn State, but mostly the Buckeyes beat up on the likes of UNLV by outsprinting them.”

- Rob Oller, The Columbus Dispatch


Rob Oller of the Columbus Dispatch had some thoughts on Ohio State’s offense from the 2017 season and the Cotton Bowl against USC. Simply put, it lacked creativity. Of course, the question also has to be asked, how much of it was Kevin Wilson versus Urban Meyer? Or perhaps, having J.T. Barrett at quarterback limited what Wilson felt like the offense could accomplish. Meyer has always tried to create the offense best suited for his star players, so maybe Barrett’s skill set somewhat restricted what the offense could do as a whole unit.

But still, Oller criticizes the offense and it’s hard not to agree. For a team that expects to make the College Football Playoff each season, it’s tough when the defense is carrying the team to victories and the offense isn’t putting much out there. Entering 2018, Wilson will have a new quarterback to work with and it will be worth watching to see if anything changes in schemes or not.

“This might go hand in hand with the first point, but Ohio State needs to do a better job of letting its offense go out there and win the game. Whether that means giving the ball to the running backs or letting the quarterback sling it, something other than ‘run the quarterback’ needs to move to the forefront of the offensive philosophy in big games.”

- Ryan Ginn, Land of 10


After missing the College Football Playoff in 2017, Ohio State’s victory over USC in the Cotton Bowl impressed, and now the Buckeyes already have to be thinking about what’s possible in 2018. Urban Meyer’s squad is sure to be ranked fairly high to start off next season, with plenty of firepower returning including Nick Bosa, J.K. Dobbins, Mike Weber, and Dwayne Haskins. Ryan Ginn had a few other points on how the Buckeyes can get back to the College Football Playoff next season.

The first point was to be aggressive, as Ohio State the past two seasons haven’t exactly been going for the throat when possible. The second point was to trust the offense in big games as you can see above. The final point is to stay disciplined. This was a huge problem in 2017, surprisingly. Both in special teams (which were a disaster for a large portion of the season) and the abysmal rate of penalties that Ohio State accrued over the course of games.

STICK TO SPORTS

• John Williams will compose the theme for Solo: A Star Wars Story.
• This hack will let you play Super Mario 64 in first person.
• Here are some of The Verge’s favorite TV episodes of 2017.

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Is this Dwayne Haskins' team now? 'Oh yeah, that's the mindset' - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Is this Dwayne Haskins' team now? 'Oh yeah, that's the mindset'
247Sports
Quarterback Dwayne Haskins was impressive as J.T. Barrett's backup at Ohio State in 2017, and now Haskins is the favorite to be the Buckeyes' starter in 2018. As a redshirt freshman in '17, the 6-foot-4, 214-pound Haskins received action in eight games ...
Ohio State Football: Dwayne Haskins offers new opportunities at QBScarlet and Game
ESPN Names Dwayne Haskins, Jeffrey Okudah Breakout Players For 2018The Spun (blog)

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Ohio State went conservative against USC in JT Barrett's final game - Land-Grant Holy Land
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State went conservative against USC in JT Barrett's final game
Land-Grant Holy Land
Barrett's legs and his decision making in the read option will be the greatest difference between Barrett and whoever starts at quarterback in the future. I've chronicled for years how much the game slows down for him in the read option, as he makes ...


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Podcast: Cotton Bowl recap, plus our favorite moments of the 2017 season
Colton Denning via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Let’s chat about Ohio State’s murderous defensive line.

Urban Meyer likes to say that Ohio State is an “offensive line-driven program,” but in the Buckeyes’ 24-7 Cotton Bowl win over USC, it was the defensive line that carried the team, and ultimately drove USC into the ground.


Ohio State’s Rushmen accounted for seven of the defense’s eight sacks, 11 of 14 tackles for loss, and god knows how many quarterback hurries and blown up plays. It got to the point where they were nearly making a huge play on every other USC snap:


On this episode of the Hangout in the Holy Land, Colton Denning and Patrick Mayhorn recap Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl win, praise the Rushmen for one of the most incredible single-game performances you’ll ever see, and break down everything else from the game, including:

• What they thought about Denzel Ward’s decision to sit out, and why it was good to see Kendall Sheffield and Jeffrey Okudah get meaningful reps at CB.
• Sam Hubbard and Tyquan Lewis closing out their Ohio State careers with massive games, plus Nick Bosa’s dominance.
• How the defense’s performance lead to a peak-Tresselball gameplan on offense from the coaching staff.
• The surprising ineffectiveness of the run game, Drue Chrisman A-plus punting game, and more!

The guys also read off your tweets about some of the best moments from the season, and talk about why they think 2017 was a successful year for Ohio State.

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Ohio State football: 5 way-too-early predictions for Buckeyes in 2018 - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: 5 way-too-early predictions for Buckeyes in 2018
Landof10.com
Maybe this doesn't qualify as going out on a limb, but considering the importance of the quarterback position and how long Ohio State was able to rely on stability behind center, this is the perfect place to start as the program moves on from J.T ...
Buckeyes Roundball Roundup: Bucks Beat Miami (Ohio) to close out non-conference scheduleWaiting For Next Year
Future Ohio State stars shine in first US Army Bowl practiceLand-Grant Holy Land
Dwayne Haskins makes CFP New Year's resolution247Sports
Eleven Warriors -Kaplan Herald -The Spun (blog)
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Very close. I had a blast as always.

Sheffield was all over the field making plays in the passing game and made a statement by picking off Sam Darnold and taking it to the house.

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Uh, that wasn't Sheffield...

Dienhart: ‘The Big Ten made a big statement in this postseason’
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

With another bowl season behind us - a highly successful one, at that - we decided to pick BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart's brain about the conference's 7-1 performance. Get our full Q&A inside.

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Buckeyes Roundball Roundup: Bucks Beat Miami (Ohio) to close out non-conference schedule - Waiting For Next Year
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes Roundball Roundup: Bucks Beat Miami (Ohio) to close out non-conference schedule
Waiting For Next Year
In an eight-day span that featured both Christmas and New Year's Day, the college basketball season somewhat stalled, allowing players to go home to their families during the week and getting back on the basketball schedule during the weekend. With ...

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Dwayne Haskins makes CFP New Year's resolution - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Dwayne Haskins makes CFP New Year's resolution
247Sports
For Ohio State fans, the new year brought with it the realization that the Buckeyes were not in the College Football Playoff. Instead OSU players, staff and fans watched the semifinal games from home on Monday. But with only one game left in the 2017 ...
Ohio State QB Dwayne Haskins, Penn State RB Miles Sanders among ESPN's 2018 breakout playersLandof10.com

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Big Ten Whiteboard: Michigan State at Ohio State highlights hoops slate
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

The dust has settled on football season. And that means the action on the basketball court is about to heat up with full-bore conference action. Here’s a look at the week ahead.

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Final thoughts on Ohio State’s 2017 season, the Big Ten and more
Matt Brown via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Was this year a success? Is the Playoff broken? What should we expect from the Big Ten in 2018?

The 2017 season isn’t officially over-over yet, since Georgia and Alabama still have to play the SEC Championship Game, er, National Title, but for Ohio State fans, the season is finished, and the look towards next year can really begin in earnest.

It’s been a weird season, with an especially weird final week. There was another convincing victory over a big-time opponent in a major bowl, unexpected bowl dominance from the Big Ten, a controversial Playoff field, and more weirdness.

You probably have a bunch of thoughts! I do too. Let me share a few as we close the book on this year, and move into the future:

• Look, I get why an Ohio State fan might feel underwhelmed or frustrated, but let’s remember some important context first. The 2017 Ohio State Buckeyes went 12-2, winning at least 11 games for the sixth consecutive year. They won the Cotton Bowl, and beat three Top-10 opponents this season, including the Fiesta Bowl and Orange Bowl champions. They were one of the best teams in the country, on a per-play basis, and demolished nearly everybody in the Big Ten. They also beat Michigan again. I can’t tell you how to fan, but I will say that objectively, that’s a pretty darn good season!

• To me, this also underscores the importance of plain ol’ luck in college football. To win a national title, not only do you need to recruit a ton of elite players, hire good coaches, develop raw talent, etc, etc...you need to be lucky. Lucky with injuries. Lucky with avoiding meltdowns that happen with teams of 20 year old dudes on limited practice time. Lucky that those meltdowns happen during opportune weeks. If you’re consistently excellent, eventually, you hope to be a position to win it all. The Buckeyes got a little lucky in 2014, and have been unlucky the last few seasons, as far as timing their mistakes. These things happen.

• Also, it’s probably worth mentioning just one last time...how the hell did that Iowa game happen? I saw Ari Wasserman tweet last night that all things considered, the Iowa might be the worst in Ohio State history, given the margin, the quality of both teams, etc. I think he might be right. At the very least, it’s the worst loss in 20 years, and it’s going to look even weirder as time goes on.

• The Big Ten had a really impressive bowl season! That’s usually not how things work, given that the conference typically plays most of these games on the road, and has been slotted into some really terrible matchups in recent memory. That wasn’t the case this year (not having a team in the playoff probably helped, tbh), and they also caught a few lucky bounces. I don’t think that means the committee made the wrong choice with Ohio State/Alabama (why the hell should a Purdue or Northwestern game, two teams that didn’t play Ohio State, matter in that decision?), but it’s a nice accomplishment all the same. The Big Ten was the deepest league in the country this season, a welcome change from recent memory. That’s what making a bunch of good coaching hires will do for you.

• Also, Michigan. Lol.

• Okay, let’s actually talk about Michigan real quick. I’ve been a big proponent of Michigan being excellent next season, and they may very well be excellent. They’re returning nearly their entire roster, they’ve recruited at an elite level, and they have one of the best defensive coordinators in the sport. But that Outback Bowl, where the Wolverines were outcoached by...Will Muschamp, and lost to a flatly inferior squad, really gives me some pause.

• Forget the quarterbacks for a second. Michigan will probably get at least above average QB play next year. But despite all their quality recruiting, Michigan’s offensive line has not been nearly as good as it should be. Their power run game hasn’t developed like it should. And they have not been able to hold leads or maintain execution against good teams over four quarters, leading them to blow games they shouldn’t. Part of that has to be on their coaching staff. And while they’re going to have a talented 2018 team, they’re facing a really tough schedule.

• I’m not saying Michigan is going to suck, or that Harbaugh is awful (or that he’s the sixth best coach in the Big Ten even, like I saw on Twitter a few times). But perhaps my faith in the Wolverines was a bit misplaced. They need to take a big step forward next season.

• Will Ohio State? I’m not sure.

• I think this will be a fun offseason to be an Ohio State fan. You can throw whatever barbs you want at Michigan (or basically any other Big Ten rival) and there really isn’t anything they can say back, and you also have a big empty canvass to project your hopes and dreams for the offense. Frustrated with a read-option focused rushing attack that struggled to pass the ball downfield? Maybe you’ll have a team quarterbacked by strong armed Dwayne Haskins, who would force a different look. Or maybe you get Joe Burrow, or even Tate Martell, who offer different twists on what we’ve seen the last few years.

• There are question marks, for sure (defensive end depth, offensive line depth, linebackers), but there’s also oodles of young talent at wideout, tight end and running back. You can imagine whatever you’d like for the next few months.

• I imagine we’ll be talking about the Playoff this offseason a lot, too.

• I get the frustration. UCF pretty clearly got screwed, never even cracking the CFP Top 10 despite winning a good league, then bodying a good Auburn team. And now we’re stuck with an SEC/SEC title game, a scenario the Playoff was created, in part, to explicitly avoid. Some stuff the committee said it valued, like playing difficult non-conference schedules, was in fact, not so valued. That’s all a bummer.

• I don’t know if expanding the playoff to eight teams is the best solution (without expanding roster sizes or changing redshirt rules, it probably isn’t), but I get why people are clamoring for it. More than anything, I hope that before this contract ends, I hope we get some real diversity on the committee. More people with G5 ties. More stat-heads. More people who are not ADs or former coaches. Let’s get some very clearly defined criteria and then actually try to stick with it, rather than spending the season trying to dissect conflicting rationale with talmudic distinctions.

• The system we have right now isn’t fair. Maybe someday we’ll have something that is. But college football ain’t ever been fair, not since Walter Camp was trying to delay rules reform to benefit Yale. It wasn’t fair before the Sanity Code. It wasn’t fair when Texas or Nebraska could sign 50 kids a recruiting class. It wasn’t fair in the BCS. And it probably won’t be fair after tweaks are made in the future.

• I’m open to talk about those all Summer. Beats the hell out of fretting about satellite camps.

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Best of 2017-18 Big Ten Bowls: Grades, individual honors & numbers
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

The Big Ten posted a glistening 7-1 mark in bowls. Only an Outback Bowl loss by Michigan on New Year’s Day kept the league from going 8-0. Bottom line: There was a lot to enjoy. Here is the Best of the Big Ten Bowl Season.

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Buckeyes in the NFL: Week 17 - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes in the NFL: Week 17
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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Polls: Big Ten football bowl game picks revisited
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

The Big Ten just wrapped up a highly successful 2017-18 bowl season, starting 7-0 before losing its final game. As we've done all season, we had BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart and Big Ten fans pick their Big Ten winners.

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LordJeffBuck said:

Walmart Army is all over Twitter claiming that 2017 was a rebuilding year and "2018 will be our year - All Praise to Harbaugh!" You know, same [Mark May] that we've been hearing for three years now.

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I have no doubt.

Ohio State football: Michigan ruins Big Ten's perfect bowl season; assessing Buckeyes' QB competition - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: Michigan ruins Big Ten's perfect bowl season; assessing Buckeyes' QB competition
Landof10.com
The Buckeyes are in the post-J.T. Barrett era. And now that his Ohio State career has come to a close, one of the Buckeyes' most-pressing questions entering 2018 is who will be behind center. Dwayne Haskins, who served as Barrett's backup in 2017, is ...
Future Ohio State Buckeyes react to Cotton Bowl victoryLand-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State women's basketball | Buckeyes 85, Hoosiers 70The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State's top-10 moment of 2017247Sports
The Herald-Times -Eleven Warriors
all 75 news articles »

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Future Ohio State stars shine in first U.S. Army Bowl practice
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Some Buckeye commits dominated in the first US Army All-American Bowl practice.

With Ohio State’s 2017 football season wrapped up following a dominating 24-7 win against USC, Columbus is likely already starving for more football. Luckily, multiple future Buckeyes are participating in this year’s US Army All-American Bowl.

The first practices for the event took place Monday, and due to inclement weather, the schedule was slightly different this year. Both teams in the event practiced indoors at different times, but the schedule change didn’t prevent members of Ohio State’s 2018 recruiting class from standing out.

Ohio State safety commit Tyreke Johnson (Jacksonville, FL/Trinity Christian Academy) might have had the best practice among all participants Monday. The four-star lined up as both a safety and a cornerback and excelled at both.

Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports attended the event and labeled the future Buckeye as his day 1 alpha dog performer.


“From 1-on-1s to the team competition portion, future Buckeye defensive back Tyreke Johnson impressed with his coverage ability and physicality,” Wiltfong said about the four-star prospect. “Johnson took reps at cornerback and safety, covered receivers and tight ends and showed a complete skill set in the secondary.”

Johnson is of prototypical size to excel at the next level. The 247Sports Composite Rankings have him listed as the No. 5 S in the class and the No. 42 overall prospect regardless of position, but he will likely play at CB for Ohio State.

Another Ohio State commit to shine at the first day of practice was inside-linebacker commit Teradja Mitchell (Virginia Beach, VA/Bishop Sullivan Catholic.) The four-star future Buckeye looked the part of an Ohio State ILB and appears dedicated in ensuring that future.

Mike Farrell of Rivals.com listed the four-star linebacker as one of the players to stand out to him throughout the first day of practice.

“Mitchell looks like he’s slimmed down a bit,” Farrell said, “and fits the mold of that inside linebacker who will fill the gap and can take on bigger blockers, as well."

Mitchell is regarded as one of the best prospects in the country and the Buckeyes have to like what they are getting with him. The 247Sports Composite Rankings have him listed as the No. 2 ILB in the class and the No. 40 overall player regardless of position.

Both Mitchell and Johnson could likely see a fifth star added next to their names when the college football recruiting databases release their final rankings.

Another future Buckeye to separate himself from the impressive field Monday was tight end commit Jeremy Ruckert (Lindenhurst, NY/Lindenhurst.)

The four-star TE found himself on the receiving end of numerous throws from some of the best incoming QBs in the country, including multiple from both Jarren Williams, committed to Miami, and Trevor Lawrence, committed to Clemson.

Adam Friedman of Rivals.com listed Ruckert as one of his top performers of the event. On top of this recognition, Keith Niebuhr of 247Sports hinted that the Buckeyes may be getting the top TE in the class.


Ruckert showed off his impressive athleticism and his sure-fire hands on Monday, which led to multiple big receiving gains. On one of those plays, the aforementioned Johnson was in coverage on Ruckert and landed a big hit on his future teammate following one of those big receptions.


Other future Buckeyes who made big plays in Monday’s practices included:

• Four-star defensive tackle commit Tommy Togiai (Pocatello, ID/Highland)

• Five-star all-purpose back Jaelen Gill (Westerville, OH/Westerville South)

• Five-star DT Taron Vincent (Bradenton, FL/IMG Academy)

• Four-star offensive tackle Max Wray (Franklin, TN/Franklin)

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