Where will Ohio State be ranked in the first College Football Playoff Rankings?
Matt Brown via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The first edition comes out tomorrow. Will Ohio State crack the top four?

Thanks to Ohio State’s massive comeback against Penn State over the weekend, the Buckeyes are moving up in all of the polls. Ohio State sits 3rd in the AP and Coaches Polls at the moment, and S&P+ and other advanced stats projections like them at least as much, if not more.

But it’s not 1988 anymore, and those polls don’t have any baring on who makes the Playoff. Tomorrow, we get a chance to see exactly where the Buckeyes stack up with the selection committee, as the first playoff rankings will drop.

What sort of profile do the Buckeyes have right this very second?


A better one than they last did last week, but certainly not the best in the country. The Buckeyes can boast a victory over last week’s #2 team, and one that should be ranked in the Playoff top-10, in Penn State.

But they also only have one other win right now over a team with a winning record, and that’s Army (6-2), a win that probably won’t impress too many national observers. To be fair, the Buckeyes have smashed everybody else they’ve played, outside of Oklahoma, and Maryland and Nebraska are both currently .500 teams, but in terms of pure strength of schedule, other programs can claim better profiles.

The Buckeyes also have a loss, at home, to Oklahoma, a game where they were soundly outplayed. There are worse teams to lose to than Oklahoma, for sure. But it is a loss.

Who has the best profiles right now?


I expect Georgia and Alabama to grab the #1 and #2 rankings, respectively. Before y’all start screaming about SEC BIAS, both teams are undefeated, and Georgia did beat Notre Dame on the road, perhaps the single most impressive win anybody has collected at this point. Alabama doesn’t have a marquee win, but they have clobbered everybody they’ve played. These two teams in any other positions would be a big surprise.

Will Ohio State crack the top four?


It is possible, but I don’t think that’s the most likely scenario. Notre Dame probably has the best one-loss resume, with solid victories over NC State, USC and Michigan State, all squads that are likely to crack the first Top 25. Their loss, a one-pointer to the probable #1 team, is also very defensible.

That leaves a mess of teams with similar-ish profiles, Clemson, Oklahoma, and Ohio State. I think, at this very second, both Clemson and Oklahoma get ranked above the Buckeyes. Somewhere between 4th and 6th seems like the best guess for Ohio State though.

Okay, so real quick, give me your best guess at the top ten


Aight, here it goes.

1. Georgia
2. Alabama
3. Notre Dame
4. Clemson
5. Oklahoma
6. Ohio State
7. Penn State
8. Wisconsin
9. Miami (FL)
10. TCU

Should Ohio State fans be concerned if they don’t crack the top four?


Nah.

For one, Ohio State’s profile should improve. Penn State’s hardest games are behind them and that win could look better the later we get in the year. Ohio State also will play Michigan State (a team that might still hang around the Top 25), Iowa (a team that should make a bowl) and Michigan (a team that should also finish in the Top 25), further boosting their profile. Maybe Maryland and/or Nebraska and/or Indiana mess around and make a bowl game too.

Plus, if Ohio State wins out, they’re getting a crack at Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game, which would be a massive boost.

Ahead of them, there’s Georgia (who still has to face Auburn, Georgia Tech, and an SEC title game against Alabama), Oklahoma (who may lose at least one more time, plus the Big 12 championship game), Clemson (ACC championship game, Florida State, NC State) and Notre Dame (Miami, Stanford, no conference title game).

The odds that a one-loss Big Ten champion would miss the playoff seem exceptionally remote.

At the end of the day, it’s only the final rankings that matter...it wasn’t that long ago that we had a #1 ranked Mississippi State, after all, and Ohio State has climbed back from big playoff ranking holes to grab a playoff spot in the past. One way or another, they should find themselves in a good position tomorrow evening. And if they keep winning, they should finish in one too.

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Ohio State to play Michigan State at noon on Nov. 11: Buckeyes football news - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State to play Michigan State at noon on Nov. 11: Buckeyes football news
cleveland.com
Ohio State to play Michigan State at noon on Nov. 11: Buckeyes football news. Updated on October 30, 2017 at 12:20 PM Posted on October 30, 2017 at 12:12 PM. Urban Meyer and Ohio State will kickoff at noon vs. Michigan State on Nov. 11.( Marvin Fong ...
Why this Nittany Lion puts up with a Buckeye's abuse - Philly.comPhilly.com

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Urban Meyer won’t talk Heisman odds with J.T. Barrett anytime soon
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


J.T. Barrett was OSU’s Offensive Player of the Game... Duh!

Following one of the most monumental comebacks in the storied annals of Ohio State football history, head coach Urban Meyer met with assembled media on Monday to look back at the odds-defying victory, to discuss what it means for the Buckeyes moving forward, and to preview this Saturday’s conference tilt with Iowa.

Penn State Recap

• Offensive Player of the Game: J.T. Barrett (the quarterback also won the Big Ten’s weekly honor)
• Offensive Champions: Austin Mack, Johnnie Dixon, K.J. Hill, Terry McLaurin, J.K. Dobbins, Jamarco Jones, Michael Jordan, Billy Price, Demetrius Knox, Isaiah Prince, Marcus Baugh
• Defensive Player of the Game: Tyquan Lewis, Jalyn Holmes, Sam Hubbard, Nick Bosa
• Defensive Champions: Dre’mont Jones, Robert Landers, Tracy Sprinkle, Chris Worley, Dante Booker, Jerome Baker, Jordan Fuller
• Special Teams Player of the Game: Denzel Ward
• Special Teams Champions: Zach Turnure, K.J. Hill
• Urban Meyer said that he is not micromanaging the running back’s playing time. Kevin Wilson and Tony Alford are currently determining who plays and when.
• The coach also added that they do have sets when both Dobbins and Mike Weber are in the backfield, but game situations haven’t necessitated it yet.
• Meyer admitted that transitions on the roster have begun to have a negative impact specifically on the kick-coverage team. He noted that certain players are playing out of position, and that’s hurting them currently.
• Meyer said that OSU kickers are not capable of kicking the ball out of the endzone, or that is what they would be doing. Meyer said, “It’s a joke.”
• The coach praised Wilson and QB coach Ryan Day for coming up with new plays and ideas, including on the game-winning pass play that went to Baugh. Meyer said that the coordinators are very smart and are fitting in perfectly now with what the offense and Barrett do best.
• Meyer said that he treats his team like “elite warriors.” Celebrate for 24 hours or so, and then come back in for the next task afterward. He also added that the grinding nature of the program, as well as the brotherly love of the team, led to their ability to overcome the early PSU deficit.
• He also said that last year’s team would not have been able to complete that comeback. Meyer highly praised Isaiah Prince, saying that he had his best week of practice, and that he has no concerns about Prince anymore, and that he has grown into a leader on the team.
• Meyer said that normally they wouldn’t go after a punt around midfield in a game situation, but given the time and score, he and Greg Schiano decided to go after it. And while Ward was the one to get the block, Damon Arnette was as instrumental on the block as anyone.

Iowa Preview

• Meyer said that the defensive line controlling the line of scrimmage will be the key to stopping Iowa running back Akrum Wadley, as it was in stopping PSU’s Barkley, even though the offensive schemes are very different.
• He said that he would talk to his team about the unique environment of Kinnick Stadium later in the week.
• Meyer mentioned that Iowa has always been a team that never quits. He says that every Iowa team (as well as any player from the state of Iowa) is tough, and always difficult to put away.

Injury Report

• Parris Campbell is currently listed as questionable for this Saturday’s Iowa game.
• Meyer talked about his respect for Johnnie Dixon, and said that he called Dixon’s high school coach right before the press conference to tell him how proud he was of the wide receiver’s determination and progress.

Depth Chart

• Meyer said that he doesn’t worry about what skill position players are in the game at different times. He said that he trusts his coaches to know what players deserve playing time.

Miscellaneous

• Meyer said that having recruits in town for the Penn State game was huge because they saw the culture of the program in all aspects; on the field, in the locker room, and the environment in the stadium.
• While Meyer did mention “Heisman” in connection with Barrett on Saturday night, he said that it is not something that he will discuss with the quarterback anytime soon. If those conversations need to be had, it will happen later in the season. Currently, they are focusing specifically on Iowa.
• The coach said that his program does not put much into Heisman campaigns. The prominence of the program means that they don’t have to do those types of things.
• Meyer said that he doesn’t think that his complaints about the abundant road night games had any impact on Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. ET start time. However, he does believe that discussions will be had during the off-season.
• The former Florida coach declined to comment on the recent coaching change in Gainesville.
• Meyer said that if the focus is there for his team, it will be a great ending for this team, but it’s too early to make any universal proclamations.

The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes will return to action this Saturday in Iowa City, Iowa to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes. The game will kickoff at 3:30 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN.

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After Ohio State's epic win, 3 questions loom as Buckeyes gear up for a trip to Iowa - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


After Ohio State's epic win, 3 questions loom as Buckeyes gear up for a trip to Iowa
Landof10.com
The Buckeyes needed one play to fall behind by a touchdown after kicking it to Saquon Barkley and watching him coast 97 yards for a score, which will continue Meyer's maddening search for a solution to what might be his team's only real weakness.
Ohio State opens as 17-point favorite against Iowa: Buckeyes football newscleveland.com

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J.T. Barrett ties Big Ten record for offensive player of the week laurels
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

The Big Ten office released its Week 9 superlative winners, and a very familiar name highlights the honorees. Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett won his ninth offensive player of the week honor, tying him with Ron Dayne and Denard Robinson for the most in Big Ten annals.

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Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


I mean, come on. Was there really any doubt on this one?

In one of the least surprising announcements in recent memory, today, the Big Ten Conference named Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett the conference’s Offensive Player of the Week following his historic efforts in the still mind-blowing comeback against the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday night.


On the whole, Barrett went 33-for-39 for 328 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for 95 yards, which was four more than Penn State’s entire team, including Heisman contender Saquon Barkley.

While he didn’t throw an interception, he did misplay a hand-off that resulted in a turnover. However, in retrospect, that can be forgiven when considering the fact that Barrett went 13-for-13 for 170 yards and three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. He finished the game completing 16 straight attempts.

The honor marks Barrett’s ninth Player of the Week award, tying him for most in conference history with Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne and Michigan’s Denard Robinson.

The win catapulted the Buckeyes to third nationally, ahead of tomorrow’s first College Football Playoff rankings, and likely cemented Barrett’s place in this year’s Hesiman race.

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MililaniBuckeye said:

Out of morbid curiosity, I searched back to find out where I got the phrase. Turns out that @zincfinger posted a screen cap from another board in this post that had the phrase...

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Doctalksports was prescient in that call, given that was less than a month before OSU gutted Wisconsin and wore their carcass as a skin suit.

Dienhart: Expect SEC teams to sit atop initial CFP rankings
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

How will the top four shake out when the first poll is announced on Halloween? I have Alabama (8-0) on top of my projections. And I think fellow SEC member Georgia (8-0) will be No. 2. Look for Notre Dame (7-1) at No. 3 followed by Ohio State at No. 4.

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Ohio State's 19 mistakes, and how the Buckeyes' talent won out anyway: Ohio State football analysis - cleveland.com (blog)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State's 19 mistakes, and how the Buckeyes' talent won out anyway: Ohio State football analysis
cleveland.com (blog)
The contention here entering the game was that the Buckeyes were a better team, a more talented team, than the previously undefeated Nittany Lions. And for much of the game Saturday, as the Buckeyes trailed by 18, 18 again, 15, 13, and 5 before their ...
Why this Nittany Lion puts up with a Buckeye's abuse - Philly.comPhilly.com

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Ezekiel Elliott had career-high carries in Week 8 of the NFL
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Lots of Buckeye news out of the NFL this week, including Joey Bosa setting a record and some transaction news.

As Ohio State’s 2017 season continues to elicit memories of the 2014 Championship run, the stars from the CFP history-making team are now setting records at the next level. Joey Bosa and Ezekiel Elliott continue to be the dynamic forces they were when they donned the Scarlet and Grey, and are among an elite group of representatives of Buckeyes in the NFL.

Now halfway through the season, several roster moves were still being made — marking good news for some, and bad news for one — and rookies continuing to prove their value to their new teams. Unfortunately, Week 8 in the season sees more Buckeyes added to IR, with others still sitting on the sideline.

Zeke’s career-high day


After a rookie season that seemed tough to follow, running back Ezekiel Elliott continues to shoulder the load for the Cowboys. During a rainstorm on Sunday, Dallas committed to a ground game, which resulted in a career-high 33 carries for the former Buckeye. He rushed for 150 yards — a season-high and the third highest of his career — and two scores.


Elliott was riding a hot streak with zero fumbles this season heading into the Week 8 matchup, but he couldn’t continue through the rain, and finally gave one up on Sunday.

Pryor being phased out in Washington


Months after the free agency debacle with the Cleveland Browns and Terrelle Pryor Sr., the quarterback-turned-receiver has been slowly phased out of Washington’s offense, culminating in zero receptions or rushing yards in Sunday’s loss to Dallas. Sure, the weather was bad and it wasn’t a pass-friendly day, but Kirk Cousins still threw for 263 yards and touchdown, and Pryor is more than capable of getting yards.

Having only signed a one-year deal, Pryor was hoping to earn a big, long-term contract come season’s end — but that seems like a pipe dream at this point. Coming off his first 1,000-plus yard season as a wideout, the Buckeye has followed that up with only 18 receptions (on 33 targets) for 263 yards and one touchdown through Week 8. Those kind of numbers, and seemingly little improvement in the chemistry with Cousins, could leave Pryor back on the free agency market come the spring.

Buckeyes on the move


It was a good and bad week for some former Ohio State players, with Mike Nugent signing with the Cowboys, Joshua Perry being called up to the Colts active roster, and Tyvis Powell being waived from the Seahawks practice squad.

In his first NFL action since the preseason, Nugent went 4-of-5 field goal attempts, and 3-for-3 in point afters. Missing only one kick — especially in the down-pour conditions — had to make the Buckeye happy, having been without a team since Week 1.

Plays of the Week

Marshon Lattimore


The Buckeye rookie is quickly making a big name for himself at the next level, snagging another three total (and solo) tackles and two pass breakups in Week 8. But the real noisemaker was his game-sealing interception late in the fourth. It marks Lattimore’s second NFL pick and third overall turnover. His statline is starting to resemble the one he forged at Ohio State.

Joey Bosa...again


Another day, another ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Bosa set a record with his Tom Brady take down on Sunday, claiming 19 sacks in his first 20 games in the league. After winning Defensive Rookie of the Year, it was hard to imagine the Buckeye getting even better, but he has —and he tag teams quarterbacks with Melvin Ingram in terrifying fashion.

Other Notes

• Two Buckeyes should see playing time in this week’s edition of Monday Night Football when the Denver Broncos (Jeff Heuerman, Bradley Roby) take on the Kansas City Chiefs.
• Steelers’ linebacker Ryan Shazier recorded seven tackles, and defended one pass against the Detroit Lions on Sunday night.
• Week 8 saw the fourth and final international game of the 2017 season, with the Minnesota Vikings (Pat Elflein) and Cleveland Browns facing off in London.
• Jet’s LB Darron Lee was fined over $45K for last week’s game against the Dolphins, making his season’s total almost $73K. (Yikes.)
• After missing the past few weeks with an injury, Panthers’ safety Kurt Coleman was back on the field in a big way, claiming nine total tackles on the day, seven solo.

Injury Report and Inactives

• After tearing both his MCL and ACL last week, Colts rookie Malik Hooker has officially been moved to IR to close out his first year in the league. That marks six total Buckeyes -- two Colts — to finish the 2017 on IR, including: Michael Bennett (Jags), Taylor Decker (Lions), Malik Hooker (Colts), Raekwon McMillan (Dolphins), Jack Mewhort (Colts), Devin Smith (Jets).
• The Colts — who started the year with four healthy Buckeyes — is down another alumni of the Silver Bullets. Linebacker John Simon has been deemed week-to-week after sustaining a neck stinger in Week 7.
• Rookie Gareon Conley is still out with a lingering shin injury for the Oakland Raiders. The team has got to be anxious to get the Buckeye back after he impressed early on in the season.
• QB Cardale Jones was once again a healthy scratch for the Chargers.

Buckeyes on Bye

• It’s Week 8 in the NFL, which means more bye weeks. This week’s teams taking a breather are the Arizona Cardinals (Alex Boone), Green Bay Packers (Corey Linsley), Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams (Jake McQuaide), New York Giants (Eli Apple, Curtis Grant), Tennessee Titans.

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Ohio State football: Buckeyes jump up in polls; CB Anthony Cook delays choice - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: Buckeyes jump up in polls; CB Anthony Cook delays choice
Landof10.com
Ohio State football is the No. 1 topic in Wake Up Sloopy every day — but we cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Ohio State football, recruiting, ...

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Top recruits break down Ohio State visit for Penn State game
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes impressed more than college football fans on Saturday.

Was that Halloween party worth it? If you’re an Ohio State Buckeye fan, I highly doubt it.

While you walked away from the Ohio State game to put on your Superman costume, the Buckeyes battled back in the fourth quarter to defeat the Nittany Lions of Penn State, 39-38, after trailing the entire game.

You might have missed out on the comeback victory, but do you want to know who didn’t? A long list of top high school recruits from across the country that were on campus on Saturday to watch the Big Ten foes mix it up.

Interested in hearing what some of the recruits on hand thought? Land-Grant Holy Land caught up with the following prospects and grabbed their opinion on the Buckeyes' big win.

Ohio State RB commit Master Teague


Class: 2018

Town: Murfreesboro, TN/Blackman

Thoughts: “It was crazy. The stadium got super loud towards the end of the game. [It was] awesome to see people storm the field. It was unlike anything I've ever seen.”

4-star ATH Steele Chambers


Class: 2019

Town: Roswell, GA/Blessed Trinity Catholic

Offers: OSU, Clemson, Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, etc

Thoughts: “It was crazy. The energy was unreal. I didn't get to see much of the campus, but did see the football facilities and the game day experience at OSU. I was very impressed with how organized the coaches were with the schedule. I was only there for a short visit but they made it worth it.”

4-star OT Darnell Wright


Class: 2019

Town: Huntington, WV/Huntington

Offers: OSU, Louisville, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, etc

Thoughts: “Great atmosphere and game. Big time game with a lot of excitement. I enjoyed my time there.”

Quick Hits

• Ohio State offered 2019 defensive end Noah Potter on Saturday. The Mentor (OH) standout, the younger brother of current Buckeye basketball player Micah Potter, adds the OSU offer to a list that already consisted of Penn State, Cincinnati, Boston College, North Carolina State, and others.
• On Sunday evening the Ohio State basketball program offered Dublin Coffman (OH) point guard Dominiq Penn. One of the top 2020 prospects in the state of Ohio, Penn is the son of OSU great Scoonie Penn.
• Chris Holtmann and crew also offered 2020 prospects Ethan Morton (Butler, PA/Butler Area), and Zach Loveday (Gallipolis, OH/Gallia Academy) scholarships last night. Morton, a 6’1 point guard, now has scholarship offers on the table from not just OSU, but also programs like Iowa, Penn State, and West Virginia, while the 6’11 Loveday picked up an early offer from Purdue over the summer.
• 2018 defensive back Anthony Cook has pushed back his college commitment plans. The five-star prospect, who is down to Ohio State, Texas, and LSU, will no longer announce his pledge on Monday, as he needs more time to think over his decision.

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Ohio State opens as 17-point favorite against Iowa: Buckeyes football news - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State opens as 17-point favorite against Iowa: Buckeyes football news
cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State football, coming off a big win over Penn State, opened as 17-point road favorites for next Saturday's game against Iowa in Iowa City. The Buckeyes (7-1, 5-0 Big Ten) are 4-4 against the spread this season, but 3-0 against ...
Spread released for Ohio State at Iowa247Sports

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Buckeyes rally past PSU - Quad-Cities Online
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Buckeyes rally past PSU
Quad-Cities Online
Barrett, the Buckeyes' senior quarterback, threw a pair of touchdown passes late in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead 15-yard score to tight end Marcus Baugh with 1 minute, 48 seconds to play Saturday, as No. 6 Ohio State rallied for a 39-38 ...
JT Barrett throws record-setting 91st TD pass of Ohio State careerESPN
JT Barrett sets Big Ten record for touchdown passes247Sports

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Watch: Price celebrates after his ninth win over top-10 opponent - 247Sports
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Watch: Price celebrates after his ninth win over top-10 opponent
247Sports
Watch: Price celebrates after his ninth win over top-10 opponent. Ohio State senior center Billy Price has started 49 straight games for the Buckeyes. On Saturday, he participated in his ninth win over a national top-10 opponent. Steve Helwagen - 18 ...


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Ohio State Football: Buckeyes jump to No. 3 after incredible win - The Columbus Dispatch
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Ohio State Football: Buckeyes jump to No. 3 after incredible win
The Columbus Dispatch
The Buckeyes vaulted three spots to No. 3 in both major polls behind Alabama and Georgia. A two-spot jump was expected, considering OSU beat No. 2 Penn State and No. 4 TCU was beaten by Iowa State. But both polls placed the Buckeyes over fellow Big ...
Buckeyes climb three spots in AP Poll247Sports
Rich Scarcella: In the end, Buckeyes simply better than Nittany LionsReading Eagle
Barfknecht: Buckeyes' depth wins out against Penn StateOmaha World-Herald
USA TODAY -Landof10.com
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Buckeye Basketball: Like father, like son ? Scoonie's son Dominiq offered by OSU - ABC6OnYourSide.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeye Basketball: Like father, like son ? Scoonie's son Dominiq offered by OSU
ABC6OnYourSide.com
DUBLIN -- Dublin Coffman sophomore point guard Dominiq Penn announced via social media on Sunday a scholarship offer from Ohio State, his father's alma mater. Scoonie Penn played his final two seasons for the Buckeyes are transferring from Boston ...

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Spread released for Ohio State at Iowa - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Spread released for Ohio State at Iowa
247Sports
Las Vegas had Ohio State as a 6.5-point favorite over Penn State on Saturday, and that proved to be a few too many points, although the Buckeyes didn't help those in Sin City with some turnovers and special teams blunders. All that said though, the ...

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ScriptOhio said:

This comment needs to be made......

Urban Meyer
Head Coach

Kevin Wilson
Offensive Coordinator
Tight Ends Coach

Ryan Day
Co-Offensive Coordinator
Quarterbacks Coach

Tony Alford
Assistant Head Coach for Offense
Running Backs

Greg Studrawa
Offensive Line

Zach Smith
Wide Receivers Coach
Recruiting Coordinator

Greg Schiano
Associate Head Coach
Defensive Coordinator/Safeties

Bill Davis
Linebackers Coach

Larry Johnson
Assistant Head Coach
Defensive Line Coach

Kerry Coombs
Coordinator, Defense
Cornerbacks/Special Teams Coordinator

http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/coaches.html

Just sayin': Overall from top to bottom, as a group; these 10 men may be the best college football coaching staff ever!!!

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I agree. I mentioned it about a year ago when Wilson and Day were hired. It really is a sick amount of coaching talent.

Ohio State Women's Basketball | Buckeyes roll past Ashland in exhibition - The Columbus Dispatch
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Ohio State Women's Basketball | Buckeyes roll past Ashland in exhibition
The Columbus Dispatch
While the Ohio State women's basketball team is far from a finished product, the Buckeyes are much further along than they were at this point last season. Ohio State paraded some of that polish in a 110-80 throttling of Ashland University, the reigning ...

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Ohio State recruiting: Noah Potter earns Buckeyes offer, Anthony Cook to delay decision, recruiting updates from big ... - Landof10.com
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Ohio State recruiting: Noah Potter earns Buckeyes offer, Anthony Cook to delay decision, recruiting updates from big ...
Landof10.com
In the next few days, you'll likely hear all kinds of things, but the hope for the Buckeyes is simple: they wanted to lock Jones up this weekend, period. He's not the emotional, “rah rah” guy on Twitter, but this tweet Friday night gave at least a ...

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I didn't mind these alternate uniforms, because they were still solidly scarlet and gray in theme. I didn't care for all the black in the 2015 Penn State game.

Great write-up.

ScriptOhio said:

Fox Sports: Things you can count on in College Football this season.....

.....lots of viewers for the Ohio State games.

Login to view embedded media

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So. How many households is that?

Ohio State blows out Penn State... with a one point win.
Chad Peltier via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ohio State’s incredible comeback was due to a dominant defense that set up J.T.’s fourth quarter

Before jumping into the numbers, it’s worth just appreciating how incredible of a game that was. J.T. and the receivers, the defensive line, and the fourth-quarter coaching were absolutely insane in this game.

Due to special teams, turnovers, and penalties, this became a very, very improbable win:


Things were so dire that Ohio State had a 2.7% win probability according to ESPN with under eight minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Ohio State faced the second-ranked team in the country and essentially gave them a 21-point handicap due to special teams errors.

I’m very tempted to say that the better team won the game, and that the Buckeyes showed that they were actually much better — but that wouldn’t really be accurate. I do think Ohio State showed that they were the better team, but special teams is one of the three parts of the game, so their special teams performance can’t just be written off. Nor can their two fumbles or ten penalties for 79 yards.

I track 16 major game-defining stats in the table below. Ohio State won 11 of those head-to-head metrics.


In the table above, scoring opportunity efficiency looks at the average points scored per scoring opportunity -- drives with a first down past the opponents' 40-yard line. Drive efficiency looks at the percentage of drives that were scoring opportunities. Rushing opportunity rate is the % of runs that gained five or more yards. Rushing stuff rate is the % of runs that were for no gain or a loss. Explosive plays are 12+ yard runs and 20+ yard passes here. No surprise, but this was the first game since Oklahoma that the Buckeyes didn’t have any garbage time.

Here are the takeaways that I said would be most important in the preview on Thursday:

1. Ohio State’s pass defense is just 38th in passing S&P+, against the 9th-ranked passing S&P+ offense.
2. Ohio State should be able to create a lot of negative plays, both in run stuffs (7th vs. 117th) and sacks (7th vs. 105th).
3. Penn State’s relative weakness against the run (5th vs. 50th in rushing S&P+)
4. The little things will matter a lot: turning Penn State scoring opportunities into field goals instead of touchdowns (5th vs. 45th in finishing drives, in OSU’s favor), field position (Penn State is 1st compared to OSU at 36th in offensive average field position), and turnovers always make a huge difference.

Of those stats, Ohio State was better in passing success rate, havoc rate/stuff rate, and rushing success rate. And they were much worse in all of the little things: scoring opportunity efficiency (touchdowns instead of field goals), field position, and turnover margin.

Offense:


The offense had a 53% overall success rate against the Nittany Lions’ 9th-ranked S&P+ defense (and a 20% success rate margin!). That stat alone, combined with an edge in explosive plays, would lead to a dominant win in almost any game. But the fourth quarter is where the offense really shined:

• Ohio State had three straight touchdown drives starting with 11:28 left in the game
• J.T. completed his last 16 passes, going 13-for-13 in the fourth quarter for 170 yards and three touchdowns.
• It was literally all J.T. and the passing game, too, as the only run in those three critical drives was a two-yard run by J.T. on first down on the final drive.

Things were shaky early on, even outside of the special teams errors, but it’s a testament to the team’s resiliency that they were able to hang in the game. Their first four drives, which ended the first quarter, were a fumble in OSU territory, a three-and-out, a field goal, and a turnover on downs. It went about as badly as it could’ve gone. Ohio State did just enough for the rest of the game to hang on.

But outside of the rough start and the incredible ending, the offense’s performance in the middle was strong as well — and the run game in particular.

Ending with a 51% rushing success rate, J.K. Dobbins rushed 13 times for 6.8 yards per carry and Barrett added 17 carries for 95 yards. Dobbins could definitely do with more carries, but the run/pass balance is defensible given both the offense’s overall success against a talented defense and the game state (i.e., trailing for ~97% of the game).

Penn State’s defense is usually very strong at creating negative plays, similar to Ohio State’s defense: they ranked 22nd and 38th in stuff rate and adjusted sack rate, respectively, coming into the game. So Ohio State’s 12% havoc rate allowed (6 tackles for loss, one sack, one pass defensed, and two forced fumbles) was actually a very strong performance given how attacking Penn State’s defense was.

One final thing to note: While the Buckeyes’ fourth quarter comeback was extremely improbable, Penn State’s season average defensive S&P+ in the first three quarters was 14th — but they average just 62nd in fourth quarter defensive S&P+.

Defense: Dominant, given the field position


Penn State’s 42% drive efficiency equates to five scoring opportunities on twelve drives. Of those five, three were directly related to starting with the ball in Ohio State territory due to special teams or turnovers. Given the starting field position that the defense started with, their performance against Penn State — the 10th-ranked S&P+ offense in the country — was remarkable.

The defense’s performance can be summarized by these stats:

1. Ohio State offensive success rate: 53%. Penn State offensive success rate: 33%.
2. Saquon Barkley’s rushing success rate: 19%.
3. Barkley’s yards per carry besides the 36-yard run: .4 YPC.
4. Percentage of Barkley’s carries stuffed: 43%.
5. Overall stuff rate: 38%.

I want to be clear that those stats in no way undermine how incredible of a player that Barkley is — after all, he did house the opening kickoff, added 4 catches for 23 yards, and showed his speed and vision on the 36-yard touchdown run. But if you could boil down Ohio State’s win to one single factor outside of J.T.’s insane fourth quarter performance, it was the defense’s ability to completely shut down Barkley. Because of the defensive line, Barkley had more than twice as many tackles for loss than he did successful runs.

And coming into the game, the stats suggested that Ohio State’s defense could do that, too: Ohio State was 7th in stuff rate compared to 117th for Penn State’s offensive line.

The defense should show highlights of the last 4:20 for years. On those final two Penn State drives, which ended in a three-and-out punt and a turnover on downs, Penn State had two tackles for loss, three incomplete passes, a sack, and one five-yard run on third-and-long for a 0% success rate on 7 plays. Ohio State’s defense kept the Buckeyes in the game, giving J.T. and the offense the opportunity to get the comeback win.

Penn State was also much less explosive compared to last season. While they allowed just a 10% explosive rate this year, they had an 18% explosive rate in last year’s upset.

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