Late in season, Buckeyes remain a mystery - Toledo Blade
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Late in season, Buckeyes remain a mystery
Toledo Blade
Ohio State linebacker Jerome Baker celebrates stopping Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley in the Buckeyes' win against the Nittany Lions on Oct. 28. The 2017 Buckeyes are the first team in school history to beat a top-3 opponent and lose by 30 or ...
Ohio State football podcast: Buckeyes' leadership will be tested Saturday against SpartansLandof10.com
Ohio-born Spartans head home with plenty to prove against BuckeyesMLive.com
Know Thy Enemy: Sparty vs. Buckeyes for No. 1 atop the Big Ten EastThe State News
WDIV Detroit -Lansing State Journal
all 335 news articles »

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Parris Campbell felt 'helpless' last week; is 'hungry' to return - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Parris Campbell felt 'helpless' last week; is 'hungry' to return
247Sports
The Buckeyes starting H-Back did not travel to Iowa last weekend after two consecutive games where he was, what Meyer called, "dinged up" early in the contests. On Wednesday, Campbell confirmed that he had a head injury (and according to teammate ...


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Michigan State is well-built to upset 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


Lewerke’s efficiency and their defense’s strong run-stopping are a dangerous combination for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State is in a must-win position against Michigan State as the two teams are essentially playing a Big Ten East championship game.

And in a lot of ways, despite the huge Vegas line favoring the Buckeyes, the Spartans are well-built to get the upset.


So how good are the Spartans? The rank just ahead of Ohio State in the College Football Playoff rankings, but still significantly behind in the S&P+. From Bill’s post on the Big Ten race:


So turnovers have played a significant role in the Spartans wins — but that shouldn’t be too comforting for Ohio State fans given their specific strengths and weaknesses.

Vegas favors Ohio State by a 15.5 point margin, which seems absurd on the face of it. But the raw statistics really love Ohio State because the Buckeyes’ best is the best in the country. The problem is that their floor, which we (hopefully) saw last Saturday in Kinnick Stadium, is just top-30, not top-4.

A few other notes:

• Ohio State’s average turnover margin per game has been steadily declining. Ohio State ranks 61st at just +.11/game on the year after ranking 3rd at +1.15/game last year.
• Kickoffs could be an issue, again. Michigan State ranks fifth in the country in kickoff return success rate
• Sometimes the more turnover, the better the end result. Michigan State had an insanely low percentage of returning production (116th and 107th), but appears to be better off for it.

When Ohio State has the ball


Before getting in to the specific matchup, it’s worth noting that Ohio State’s offense was not the problem in the loss to Iowa, but there were certainly some important issues that Iowa’s top-20 defense revealed: responding to defenses that take away intermediate throws, force Barrett to keep in the zone-read run game, and what happens with penalties or after offensive line injuries.

Michigan State’s defense is much-improved from last year, when they ranked 41st in the defensive S&P+ -- they’re up to 9th now, and particularly excel in stopping the run. Where Iowa was ranked poorly in run defense heading in to last week’s game, and stronger against the pass, the Spartans’ strengths are flipped, ranking 6th in rushing S&P+, but 38th in passing S&P+. Like Iowa, they prevent big plays (7th in overall IsoPPP+) but they’re much worse at finishing drives, allowing an average of 4.22 points per opponent scoring opportunity (51st).

Interestingly, while they are one of the best defenses in the country at preventing runs of 5+ yards (6th, or 31.1% of runs), their run defense isn’t built so much on making plays in the backfield, ranking just 43rd in stuff rate. In fact, the defense’s success as a whole isn’t built on making havoc plays, ranking 49th in overall havoc and 71st in defensive line havoc.

So that gives us two big questions:

1. Can Ohio State run on Michigan State? This is the best run defense the Buckeyes will have seen this season. They held Saquon Barkley to 14 carries for 63 yards last week. And if the Spartans win the battle up front, how will the offense respond if forced to rely on the pass? Meyer and Wilson also mentioned ways to increase the running back’s success rate on read-based runs. That suggests we might see more dart runs or RPO variations, as well as potentially some non-read running back runs as well.
2. Can Ohio State exploit the Spartans’ relative weakness against the pass? At 38th in passing S&P+, the Spartans are still a good pass defense, but they allow a relatively high percentage of successful shorter completions. They allowed 368 yards on 50 attempts (7.4 yards per attempt) to Northwestern, then 401 yards (8.4 yards per attempt) last week to Trace McSorley. Opposing offenses have keyed on the Spartans’ pass defense, throwing on 49.9% of standard downs -- which is the 5th-most in the country. All week we’ve talked about J.K. Dobbins getting the ball more — and Urban mentioned that it would be a point of emphasis this week after practice. But we should be prepared for a pass-heavy attack nevertheless, because that’s what is likely to be effective against the Michigan State defense.

When Michigan State has the ball


The Spartans don’t have the most elite offense the Buckeyes’ have seen this year, but they do have one well-positioned to take advantage of Ohio State’s weaknesses — similar to Iowa. The similarities are clear: the Spartans offense ranks 101st in rushing S&P+, but third in the country in passing S&P+ behind Brian Lewerke.

Lewerke’s stats don’t jump off the page immediately: 2,207 passing yards, 6.5 yards per attempt, five interceptions. But his passing success rate is 44.9%, which is 26th in the country, and they’ve faced a number of solid defenses. In the past two games against Northwestern and Penn State, Lewerke has thrown for 845 yards and over 7 yards per attempt. He’s had over 53 attempts three times this year.

Part of the reason for going so pass-heavy has to do with the poor run game. Not only are they 101st in rushing S&P+ overall, but they allow run stuffs on over a quarter of runs, ranking fourth-to-last in the country in stuff rate. Ohio State’s defense ranks 7th in the country in forcing run stuff. So you’d expect the Spartans offense to be completely one dimensional — but that’s also what should have happened last week, as well. But Ohio State’s defense, and linebackers specifically, failed to fill gaps behind the defensive line’s slants, and seemed unsure who had pursuit and coverage responsibilities. Michigan State undoubtedly seeks to take advantage of Ohio State’s defense in a similar way. If the defense allows the Spartans to have a steady run game in addition to a likely-efficient passing day, then it’s likely to be another long afternoon for Greg Schiano’s defense.

Given how much the numbers favor Ohio State’s run defense and don’t favor its pass defense, any schematic or execution issues for the run defense will likely be devastating.

Spartans tight end Matt Sokol is the fourth-most targeted player in the passing game, but he still only has 16 catches and 166 total receiving yards this year, while LJ Scott has 15 catches for 91 yards. Michigan State will likely try to use motions and shifts to create advantageous matchups with tight ends and running backs on Ohio State’s linebackers, as the linebacker corps hasn’t shown much improvement in pass coverage responsibilities since getting exposed against Oklahoma.

Assuming that Ohio State’s run defense corrects the most glaring issues from a week ago and realizes their statistical advantage in run defense, then even a steadily efficient passing game should be slowed in the red zone, where the Spartans average just 3.94 points per scoring opportunity, which is 105th in the country. Field goals should be the name of the game. Expect to see a fair number of third-down conversions, as they rank 3rd in passing downs S&P+ despite being fifth-worst overall in passing downs line yards per carry (which means that nearly all of that late-down success is due Lewerke and not the running backs).

Takeaways

1. The Spartans defense excels against the run, ranking 6th in rushing S&P+. They don’t make a ton of tackles for loss, but they also limit big gains.
2. Their relative defensive weakness is against the pass, ranking 38th, and 48th in passing success rate. The Spartans defense is very similar to Ohio State’s in that it intends to stop the run first, can allow efficient passers, but still rarely allows big pass plays.
3. Brian Lewerke is up there with Baker Mayfield and Trace McSorley in terms of passing threats. But while Lewerke may not be as dynamic as Mayfield or as deep ball-ready as McSorley, he has shown the ability to be efficient, potentially like Richard Lagow and Nate Stanley were. Lewerke leads the third-best passing offense overall and on passing downs.
4. Ohio State should have a huge advantage stopping the Spartans ground game (5th vs. 101st in rushing S&P+), but they should have been able to stop Iowa too, who has similar problems as the Spartans (127th in stuff rate). If this advantage isn’t realized, then the Buckeyes have big problems.
5. There are a number of less-quantifiable factors that could affect the game. Mark Dantonio has taken statistically inferior teams toe-to-tow with Meyer’s, forcing games decided by three points or less in four of the last six years. We’re also not sure where Ohio State’s mindset is now that their playoff hopes are almost assuredly gone.

Picks

• S&P+: Ohio State 33, Michigan State 19. 78.2% win probability
• F/+: Ohio State by 7.9. 67.6% win probability
• Adj. S&P+: Ohio State by 30.3 (!). 96% win probability
• My pick: Ohio State 31, Michigan State 28

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Reliving Holy Buckeye 15 years later - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Reliving Holy Buckeye 15 years later
247Sports
This time it was Purdue and the Buckeyes trailed 6-3 with just under two minutes to play in the fourth quarter. The team was without wide receiver Chris Vance, who was attending his brother's funeral, and star running back Maurice Clarett, who was ...


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Michigan State looks to continue their history of making Ohio State uncomfortable
Colton Denning via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Hangout in the Holyland previews Ohio State’s annual trip to the Dantonio Dental practice.

You’d be hard pressed to find a more even series in the last half decade of college football than Ohio State-Michigan State.

Since 2011, the teams have played six times, each winning three games, with the Spartans holding a narrow 130-128 edge in total points. Regardless of the quality of Mark Dantonio’s squad, one thing is certain each year: They’re going play Ohio State closer than any other team in the Big Ten. Don’t expect that to change on Saturday.

On this episode of The Hangout in the Holy Land, Matt Brown and Colton Denning agonize over Saturday’s game, and talk about why Michigan State reminds them of a trip to the dentist, plus many other topics, including:

• Whether this is the first true “make or break” game of the Urban Meyer era.
• Praying Ohio State doesn’t give up a touchdown in the the first 10 seconds of game time for the third week in a row.
• Previewing the huge slate of Week 11 games around college football, and more!

Matt also shares a great story about a random encounter he had with another Ohio State fan, and drops some good news about his upcoming book signings in Ohio and New York City

You can find the podcast on our iTunes page, and we encourage reviews, comments, criticisms, etc. to help us deliver the best possible audio product. The more we hear from you, the better we can make it. We’re also on Soundcloud, and you can subscribe via RSS on your Android and Windows Phone devices here.

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Georgia travels to Auburn in Week 11’s national College Football action
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Bulldogs will look to stay undefeated at Auburn, while Top 10 clashes between TCU-Oklahoma and Notre Dame-Miami round out the schedule

Last week ATS: 7-10 (6-4 National, 1-6 B1G)

Season ATS: 65-71-3 (28-29-1 National, 37-42-2 B1G)

Another ugly week for MC&J last week. Thankfully there was some success found in the national games to help offset a terrible week of Big Ten picks.

National games (All games Saturday unless otherwise noted):


No. 9 Washington (-6) v. Stanford - Friday 11/10 10:30 PM EST - FS1

Washington has a lot of pressure on them, as they are the Pac-12’s last hope at making the College Football Playoff. The Huskies have shrugged off the loss to Arizona State a few weeks ago, and has looked impressive in wins over UCLA and Oregon the past two weeks.

All Stanford really has is Bryce Love, and even the running back might not be enough to propel the Cardinal to victory. Last week Love had a 52-yard run against Washington State, but aside from the big touchdown run, he only gained 17 yards on his other 15 carries in the loss to the Cougars.

I’m just trying to figure out how Stanford is going to move the football in this one. The Huskies are stout against the run, and they’ll be able to focus on shutting down Love since the Cardinal don’t have much to offer. Washington makes a statement in a tough road game where they need to impress.

Washington 31, Stanford 20

No. 15 Oklahoma State (-7) v. No. 21 Iowa State - 12:00 PM EST - ABC/ESPN2

For once I was on the right side of a Oklahoma State game, so I’m probably pushing my luck expecting to be right two weeks in a row when it comes to the Cowboys. Imagine throwing for 448 yards and five touchdowns and still losing by 10 points. That was Mason Rudolph last Saturday.

I really do feel like Iowa State has peaked. They have put up just 30 points in the last two weeks, and last week they saw their four-game winning streak snapped in the 20-16 loss to West Virginia.

With games against Baylor and Kansas State still on tap, the Cyclones still probably got a couple wins left on their regular season schedule, but they just don’t have the firepower to keep up with Oklahoma State on Saturday. The Cowboys bounce back from their Bedlam loss quickly.

Oklahoma State 45, Iowa State 31

No. 1 Georgia (-3) v. No. 10 Auburn - 3:30 PM EST - CBS

Saturday will be the 121st edition of the “Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry”. Auburn will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak to Georgia, and throw a wrench into the College Football Playoff chances.

After feasting on lesser teams for most of the season, Georgia will see the temperature turn up as the head to Auburn. Three of the last four meetings between the schools have been decided by a touchdown or less, and it looks like another close matchup is on tap.

I feel like Auburn might be the right team to hand Georgia their first loss of the season. The Tigers have a strong defense, a solid quarterback in Jarrett Stidham, and an explosive running back in Kerryon Johnson. The crowd at Jordan-Hare will also be rocking after Auburn has played their last three games on the road.

Auburn 24, Georgia 21

Florida State v. No. 4 Clemson (-16) - 3:30 PM EST - ESPN

I have no idea how Florida State is going to find points against one of the best defenses in the country. Running back Cam Akers has put together a solid season in his freshman year for the Seminoles, but there hasn’t been much more of note for Florida State since Deondre Francois went down in the season opener.

Clemson puts together their most complete game of the season, and puts the rest of the college football world on notice with an impressive win over Florida State. The pressure the Tigers create forces quarterback James Blackman into a few turnovers, which Clemson turns into easy points as the Tigers add to Jimbo Fisher’s woes.

Clemson 37, Florida State 14

No. 2 Alabama (-14) v. No. 16 Mississippi State - 7:00 PM EST - ESPN

Alabama has won nine straight games against Mississippi State. The Bulldogs have scored at least 10 points in just two of those games. Don’t overthink this one. Alabama stays undefeated as their suffocating defense puts the clamps on Nick Fitzgerald and the Mississippi State offense.

Alabama 34, Mississippi State 10

No. 3 Notre Dame (-3.5) v. No. 7 Miami (FL) - 8:00 PM EST - ABC

After Notre Dame struggled through a 4-8 season last year, and numerous false starts of Miami finally being back, this rivalry finally means something again. Instead of “Catholics vs. Convicts”, this year’s edition will go a long way in determining who might be a part of the College Football Playoff.

The biggest deciding factor in this game will be who is better at stopping the run. Miami has struggled at times this year against the run, and if they aren’t at the top of their game, Notre Dame running back Josh Adams will run wild.

On the opposite side of the football, Miami will need quarterback Malik Rosier and running back Travis Homer to find first downs to keep the Miami defense off the field and fresh. After feeling like Miami was a fraud for most of the season, I have finally come around on the Hurricanes. Mark Richt’s team has been great in close games this year, and that run continues on Saturday night.

Miami (FL) 27, Notre Dame 24

No. 6 TCU v. No. 5 Oklahoma (-7) - 8:00 PM EST - FOX

It looked like all was lost earlier in the year when the Sooners lost to Iowa State. Luckily for Lincoln Riley some major chaos has already happened in the college football world, along with Oklahoma taking care of business since then. Last week Baker Mayfield put a serious jolt into his Heisman Trophy campaign with a tremendous performance in a 62-52 win over Oklahoma State.

TCU was able to rebound from a loss to Iowa State two weeks ago with a 24-7 win over Texas. The Horned Frogs have a great defense, but I’m still not completely sold on them. Mayfield won’t put up the numbers he did in Bedlam, but he’ll have a strong enough game to help Oklahoma win comfortably. Kenny Hill and company just don’t have enough to keep pace with the Sooners in Norman.

Oklahoma 38, TCU 24

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50 straight starts at Ohio State? Iron Buckeyes Billy Price, Luke Fickell share their secrets - Austin American-Statesman
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


50 straight starts at Ohio State? Iron Buckeyes Billy Price, Luke Fickell share their secrets
Austin American-Statesman
Down the road in Cincinnati, former Ohio State standout defensive lineman Luke Fickell will be watching and waiting to send him a message of congratulations for breaking a record that has stood since he ran out of eligibility in 1996. Only those two ...


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Dot Commentary: Who is the Big Ten basketball sleeper team?
Alex Roux, BTN.com editor via Big Ten Network

The Dot Commentary topic shifts to hoops with basketball season set to get underway Friday. So we ask, who is a potential sleeper in the Big Ten?

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Michigan State’s Brian Lewerke will look to take advantage of Ohio State’s leaky secondary
Christopher Jason via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Is Sparty a pass-first team?!

The Ohio State defense is going to have their hands full. Again.

The 2017 Michigan State offense is unlike any other Spartans’ offense that we’ve seen under Mark Dantonio. In Brian Lewerke’s nine starts this season, he has attempted 50(!) -plus passes three times — including his most recent two games.

In their most recent upset win over Penn State, Lewerke completed 33-of-56 pass attempts for 400 yards and two touchdowns. Nope, those numbers are not a typo. In the game prior, against Northwestern, Lewerke completed 39-of-57 attempts for 445 yards and four touchdowns. Is Mike Leach the new offensive coordinator in East Lansing? What’s going on there?

Strangely enough for a Dantonio-led squad, Michigan State uses the passing game like the run game against teams that they believe they can move the ball on through the air. In those two games, running back LJ Scott only carried the ball 22 times total for 59 yards.

After breaking down the susceptible Ohio State linebackers and safeties on film, one would expect Lewerke to air it out early and often against the Buckeyes. What’s scary is that Lewerke is more talented than Iowa quarterback Nate Stanley and he possesses all the traits to light up the back seven.

Let’s break down Lewerke’s pass-happy win over the Nittany Lions.

• The offensive line started strong, but began to wear down as the game went along. Even though they let up nine pressures, it did come on 65 dropbacks, which certainly puts things into perspective.
• Although WR Felton Davis (#18) is Lewerke’s No. 1 target, he does a good job of spreading the ball around. Early on against Penn State, he was picking apart the seams — which is a serious weakness of the Ohio State secondary.

• Penn State dialed up a few blitzes from the safety spot and off the edge. Lewerke made them pay every single time by quickly identifying the blitz and hitting the hot read.

• Although most of Lewerke’s pass attempts were to the short and intermediate areas of the field, he showed terrific touch and accuracy on his deep ball touchdown. He put it over the corner and just out of the safety’s range — resulting in six.

• When facing pressure, Lewerke does a good job of moving in the pocket to buy extra time, while keeping his eyes downfield. On this play, he feels the pressure coming from the blindside and doesn’t panic. He then lofted the ball to a spot where only his receiver could make a play on the football. With only nine starts under his belt, he possesses pretty good awareness and poise in the pocket.

• Lastly, Lewerke is clutch. Staring at a third down and the defense bringing the heat, the quarterback remained poise in the pocket while he surveyed the field. Then hit rolled out to the right to avoid a rusher and fired the ball to the only place where only his receiver could make a play on the football. This conversion led to the game-tying field goal.

If the back-seven didn’t get it fixed in the film room over the past few days, it’s going to be a long day for the Buckeyes. With the defense susceptible to the pass more than the run, expect Lewerke to air it out and rack up some serious yardage.

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Ohio State football podcast: Buckeyes' leadership will be tested Saturday against Spartans - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football podcast: Buckeyes' leadership will be tested Saturday against Spartans
Landof10.com
On the latest edition, Kyle Lamb looks ahead to the showdown Saturday between Ohio State and Michigan State and explains that it's the Buckeyes' leadership, not talent or scheme, that could define how the rest of the season plays out. Also discussed on ...
Ohio-born Spartans head home with plenty to prove against BuckeyesMLive.com
Know Thy Enemy: Sparty vs. Buckeyes for No. 1 atop the Big Ten EastThe State News
Three Buckeyes selected in Sports Illustrated's latest mock draft; JT Barrett up for another award: Buckeye Breakfastcleveland.com
Record-Courier -News-Herald.com
all 282 news articles »

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To spread the credit around when due, Seth McFarland hates Fredo too.

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9 Ohio State players on Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


This could be another big year for Buckeyes heading to the NFL, and the first stop is the Senior Bowl.

The 2017 Ohio State football season didn’t go exactly as planned. Following their second-loss of the year, the national focus on the Buckeyes has shifted to the postseason, and the never-too-far-behind NFL draft. The first round of invitations for the 2018 Reese’s Senior Bowl have now been sent, and some might have gone to the nine Buckeyes listed on this year’s Watch List.



This year’s potential Senior Bowl stars include, J.T. Barrett, Marcus Baugh, Billy Price and Jamarco Jones on offense. And over on defense, you’ve got Michael Hill, Jalyn Holmes, Tyquan Lewis, Damon Webb and Chris Worley.

The Senior Bowl watch list contains 400 of the best FBS senior players in college football, and will be whittled down to 110 roster spots to fill the North and South squads. Typically, teams are coached by NFL organizations -- last year’s coaches and staff featured Hue Jackson and the Browns against John Fox and the Bears’ staff.

Fortunately, teams are split by region/conference, meaning that whichever Buckeyes end up getting a formal invitation -- and accepting it -- should all be lining up for the same team at least one more time before the end of their college careers. The Senior Bowl marks a great opportunity for players to gain some one-on-one time with coaches, which can create quite the ripple through the draft scouts should someone really stand out and impress.

It won’t just be these nine looking for a chance to take their talents to the pros. There’s another — rather long list — of 10-11 juniors and sophomores who could make the decision to declare early for the draft, and waive the remainder of their college eligibility. Those decisions among players, coaches and their families, likely haven’t been made yet, but having to no longer prep and plan for the CFP, means a few of those guys are starting to consider their options.

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Larry Johnson nominated for Broyles Award; Urban Meyer's son signs to play baseball at Cincinnati: Buckeye Breakfast - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Larry Johnson nominated for Broyles Award; Urban Meyer's son signs to play baseball at Cincinnati: Buckeye Breakfast
cleveland.com
Current OSU offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson won while at Oklahoma in 2008, and Jim Heacock won in 2007 when he was the Buckeyes' defensive coordinator. Other notable nominees include Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown, Penn State ...


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Can a healthy Keita Bates-Diop carry Ohio State basketball? Buckeyes season preview - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Can a healthy Keita Bates-Diop carry Ohio State basketball? Buckeyes season preview
cleveland.com
There's not much else you can do while recovering from surgery as the Ohio State basketball season passes you by. The Buckeyes struggled last year. Bates-Diop sat on the bench. He thought about how he could have made a difference in a season that ...

and more »

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50 straight starts at Ohio State? Iron Buckeyes Billy Price, Luke Fickell share their secrets - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


50 straight starts at Ohio State? Iron Buckeyes Billy Price, Luke Fickell share their secrets
Landof10.com
Down the road in Cincinnati, former Ohio State standout defensive lineman Luke Fickell will be watching and waiting to send him a message of congratulations for breaking a record that has stood since he ran out of eligibility in 1996. Only those two ...


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Ohio-born Spartans head home with plenty to prove against Buckeyes - MLive.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio-born Spartans head home with plenty to prove against Buckeyes
MLive.com
His assistant coaching stops include Akron, Youngstown State and Ohio State, where he served as the defensive coordinator under Jim Tressel and helped the Buckeyes to a national championship in 2002. Dantonio then spent three seasons as the head ...
Three Buckeyes selected in Sports Illustrated's latest mock draft; JT Barrett up for another award: Buckeye Breakfastcleveland.com
Ohio State football: How can Buckeyes break out of big-game offensive funk?Landof10.com
Buckeyes-Spartans series always excitingRecord-Courier
AthlonSports.com -Hillsboro Times Gazette
all 265 news articles »

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Watch: Meyer on Iowa foibles 'you have to be able to adjust' - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Watch: Meyer on Iowa foibles 'you have to be able to adjust'
247Sports
Getting back to football, Meyer's Buckeyes will host Michigan State Saturday with first place in the Big Ten Eastern Division on the line (noon, FOX). “We have had a good week,” Meyer said. “It is all about practicing and getting ready for a good team.”.
Larry Johnson nominated for Broyles Award; Urban Meyer's son signs to play baseball at Cincinnati: Buckeye Breakfastcleveland.com
Ohio State Coach Urban Meyer Previews Saturday's Game Against Michigan State, Updates Status of Trevon GrimesEleven Warriors

all 13 news articles »

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Chris Holtmann and Ohio State officially welcome four hoops newcomers
Bret Favachio via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeye class of 2018 is looking pretty solid.

Bucks ink four


Wednesday welcomed the beginning of the early signing day period in college basketball, and that’s all Chris Holtmann and the Buckeyes needed to officially welcome the four members that were verbal commitments to the hoops program.

Kicking things off for Ohio State was the prize of the entire class in ‘18 SG Luther Muhammed of Hudson Catholic (NJ), who signed his letter of intent with the Scarlet and Gray shortly after 10 AM EST. Muhammad, a four-star prospect and top 75 player nationally, is a major pull for Holtmann, as the Buckeyes' need for guards can not be understated.

Next up after Muhammed was Ohio State’s lone in-state pull for the class, as ‘18 SF Justin Ahrens of Versailles (OH) followed up just moments after. Ahrens is a three-star prospect and top 10 player in the Buckeye State. The 6'5, 181-pounder inked with the program despite a brief flirtation with other Big Ten programs after backing off of his original pledge to Ohio State back in June.

After some hours off for the Buckeyes’ fax machine, things got back up and running a little after 1 PM locally. That was when the second member of the duo out on the wing put his pen to paper: ‘18 SF Jaedon LeDee of The Kinkaid School (TX). LeDee is the second highest-rated player in the class and is a four-star prospect just like the aforementioned Muhammed. LeDee is one of the very best that the state of Texas had to offer and was just outside of the top 100 in the class.

Lastly, the Buckeyes wrapped up their expected NLOI arrivals around 4 PM. It was ‘18 PG Duane Washington of Sierra Canyon (CA) who was the final member to officially sign on with Ohio State, and it was expected, seeing that Washington is a California prospect. While the 6'3, 190-pounder may not drag around the most impressive star ranking, it is worth mentioning that he chose the Scarlet and Gray over schools like Cincinnati, Clemson, Iowa State, Michigan, Missouri, Oregon, UCLA, Virginia Tech, and many more.

Gill receives Army Bowl jersey


Switching gears to some gridiron commits for the Ohio State program, Wednesday was a big day for ‘18 ATH Jaelen Gill of Westerville South (OH). The top 50 player in the class and five-star prospect had a ceremony at his high school where he received his game jersey for the Army Bowl that will take place this coming January in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.


Gill is scheduled to participate in the annual event with a host of other future Ohio State Buckeyes. Linebacker Dallas Gant, tight end Jeremy Ruckert, defensive tackle Taron Vincent, and offensive tackle Max Wray will all be suiting up with Gill on the East squad. They will go toe-to-toe with the future safety tandem in Columbus of Josh Proctor and Jaiden Woodbey on the West team.

Other names that Buckeye fans will be interested to keep an eye on in this contest will be wide receiver Kamryn Babb, offensive tackle Jackson Carman, cornerback Anthony Cook, offensive tackle Cade Mays, and defensive tackle Tommy Togiai. Obviously, these are the names of some massive Ohio State targets. While it will be hard to say where there recruitments stand come January, it will be interesting to see if any of these guys become Buckeyes beforehand.

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Kurelic: Where Buckeyes are with Carman, Tuliaupupu; more… - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Kurelic: Where Buckeyes are with Carman, Tuliaupupu; more…
247Sports
1) In this column on Tuesday evening I opined on the Buckeyes chances with three of their top remaining 2018 targets, defensive tackle, Tommy Togiai from Idaho, defensive end Tyreke Smith from Ohio, and cornerback Anthony Cook from Texas. Tonight ...


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Ohio State recruiting: Jaelen Gill honored in his hometown, Buckeyes basketball signing class is official - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State recruiting: Jaelen Gill honored in his hometown, Buckeyes basketball signing class is official
Landof10.com
We don't talk a lot of basketball here on Dotting the 'Eyes but Wednesday was National Signing Day for a number of different prep athletes around the country, including the first four members of new Buckeyes head coach Chris Holtmann's inaugural class ...
Ohio State inks four commits on signing day247Sports
Ohio State men's basketball | More on the four new BuckeyesThe Columbus Dispatch
Luther Muhammad signs letter of intent with Ohio StateLand-Grant Holy Land
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Ohio State recruiting: Jaelen Gill honored in his hometown, Buckeyes basketball signing class is official - Palm Beach Post
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State recruiting: Jaelen Gill honored in his hometown, Buckeyes basketball signing class is official
Palm Beach Post
Recruiting never stops, and if you take a day off, you fall behind. Join us every night for a daily recap of Ohio State recruiting news, insight on what's happening behind the scenes and a glimpse at what's coming next.


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Michigan State has everything to gain Saturday against Ohio State
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Spartans come to town hoping to once again spoil Ohio State’s hopes of a conference championship.

“We have a lot to lose. We’re in control right now, so we do have a lot to lose. And we want to stay in control.”

-Mark Dantonio, via Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press


The Michigan State Spartans have made quite the comeback in 2017. After going 3-9 last season--including 1-8 in the Big Ten--Sparty has rebounded to a very respectable 7-2 record, with its only losses to No. 3 Notre Dame and Northwestern in triple overtime. Now, after defeating Penn State last weekend and with the Buckeyes falling to the Hawkeyes in Iowa City, Michigan State finds itself in control of its own destiny. And while the Spartans are 16-point underdogs to Ohio State, their position is not a new one.

Michigan State raced up the College Football Playoff rankings this week, moving up a dozen spots to No. 12. Ohio State, meanwhile, found itself trailing the Spartans at No. 13. Now, in a late-season matchup with conference championship implications, Michigan State finds itself in a similar spot to 2015, when the Spartans came to Columbus as double-digit underdogs and spoiled Ohio State’s perfect season. The Buckeyes redeemed themselves somewhat last season in a 17-16 slugfest win in East Lansing, but Dantonio’s squad always manages to play Ohio State too close for comfort (Ohio State was favored by three touchdowns in that matchup).

Dantonio, obviously, has strong ties to the Buckeyes, and Michigan State’s staunch defense is a reflection of Dantonio’s time as defensive coordinator under Jim Tressel at Ohio State. Since the departure of Tressel, with whom Dantonio stays in contact, the series between the two teams has been generally balanced compared to others in the Big Ten. In fact, Dantonio holds a 2-3 record versus Urban Meyer--the best record of any conference foe.

Still, the 16-point spread seems somewhat excessive, given the narrow margins of victory either team has grown familiar with in recent iterations of the rivalry. In fact, the last six games have been decided by an average of five points.

“Obviously, he’s one of the top kick returners in America. He’s such a tough guy and good kid. Any time he’s not out there, it hurts, like with any player.”

-Urban Meyer, via Nicholas Piotrowicz, The Blade


There is good news for the Buckeyes ahead of their matchup Saturday with Michigan State. Wide receiver Parris Campbell, who suffered an undisclosed injury against Penn State Oct. 28, has been cleared to return to football activities, and was listed as the top H-back in this week’s depth chart. Campbell’s injury came early on in the game on a first-quarter kickoff return, and the junior wideout did not come back to the field for the rest of the game. He also did not travel with the team to Iowa City last week. Wide receiver K.J. Hill took over kickoff duties in Campbell’s absence.

Prior to his injury, Campbell led the Buckeyes in receiving, and has recorded 29 catches for 410 yards and two touchdowns thus far this season playing in an H-back role. He has also averaged nearly 37 yards on nine kickoff returns on the year which, despite the low volume, is one of the best return averages in the country. And, owing to his versatility, he has accrued a rushing touchdown as well this season. It was a tall order to replace the departed Curtis Samuel, but Campbell has stepped up well this season and was missed Saturday.

The Buckeyes certainly missed a degree of offensive explosiveness versus Iowa, so having Campbell back against Michigan State’s stringent defense will help. Along with junior wideout Johnnie Dixon, who leads the team in receiving touchdowns with eight, and sophomore K.J. Hill, whose 417 receiving yards now lead the team, J.T. Barrett does have options at receiver (especially compared to previous seasons) and will need to be able to capitalize on these against the Spartans. In a perfect fourth-quarter finish, Barrett was able to find his receivers for the big play versus Penn State, but was unable to make those connections last week against the Hawkeyes.

“That may seem strange, but realize this:Vegas, which also uses computers, likes the Buckeyes even more. Ohio State is a 15.5 point favorite over the Spartans.”

-Bill Connelly, SBNation


Technically, the Big Ten East race is in a state of chaos following Ohio State’s loss to Iowa. In reality, it is a two-horse race between Ohio State and Michigan State, with the winner to be determined on the field Saturday in Ohio Stadium. Five of the seven teams in the east still have a legitimate shot at the title, with Michigan, Penn State and Rutgers--yes, Rutgers--rounding out the group. Only Maryland and Indiana have been mathematically eliminated from contention. Granted, Rutgers’ odds are sitting at 0.0004 percent. The Scarlet Knights’ odds increase to 0.3 percent if the Buckeyes win Saturday, and go to 0.002 percent if Michigan State prevails.

Ohio State is heavily favored Saturday, despite falling below the Spartans in the latest College Football Playoff poll. The S&P+ gives the Buckeyes 78 percent odds, while Vegas favors Ohio State by more than two touchdowns.

Turnovers could prove to be a difference maker in the matchup, as the Spartans relied heavily on them in their matchups against Penn State and Michigan. And as we have seen, Ohio State has been inconsistent when it comes to maintaining possession.

Regardless, while it is mathematically possible for a two-loss Big Ten East champ to get into the CFP, it is far more likely that an undefeated Wisconsin would make a better candidate for the committee.

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Spartan's success against Buckeyes starts with defense - Hillsboro Times Gazette
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Spartan's success against Buckeyes starts with defense
Hillsboro Times Gazette
If there is a common thread to Michigan State's success against the Buckeyes that has heated up the rivalry, it is that its defense has held them below their average offensive output and in one case far below it. That probably should not be a surprise ...

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Duane Washington signs letter of intent with Ohio State
Patrick Mayhorn via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The talented Germany-born point guard is officially a Buckeye.

Ohio State’s point guard problem is well documented. The Buckeyes currently have only one true point guard on scholarship, Junior C.J. Jackson, and while the North Carolina product does have two more years of eligibility, two former walk-ons, Joey Lane and Andrew Dakich, both seniors, are the only bodies behind Jackson.

With that need in mind, new head coach Chris Holtmann got to work quickly in Columbus, identifying the need, and scouring the country for uncommitted and talented guards. After a few months of searching, Holtmann went to a familiar face, California product Duane Washington, whom he had already once offered at Butler.


The Germany-born, Grand Rapids raised guard received an offer on August 20th, took a visit to Columbus on September 15th, and committed just five days later, giving Holtmann his point guard for 2018. Washington was one of four commits in the span of five days, along with all of his fellow class members.

Scouting Report


From Washington’s impact piece:

Highlights

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Marcus Baugh is quietly having a career year for Ohio State
Chuck McKeever via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeye TE could play a part in getting the offense back on track.

It all came crashing back to earth a week later, but for a shining moment, Marcus Baugh found himself on the receiving end of Ohio State's biggest play of the year.

When J.T. Barrett hit Baugh from 16 yards out for the winning score against Penn State, the Buckeyes' postseason hopes had never looked higher. All they had to do was win out against a favorable schedule and take down Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game to punch their ticket to a spot in the College Football Playoff.

The euphoria lasted six days and change before a middle-of-the-pack Iowa team unleashed the most stunning beat-down of the Urban Meyer era and sent the Buckeyes' playoff dreams packing. The vaunted Ohio State defense couldn't stop a nosebleed, and the offense looked as lost and stilted as it had against Oklahoma two months ago.

In order to salvage the season, that offense is going to have to get back on track, and soon: the rebuilt Michigan State Spartans come to Columbus this weekend. Baugh, the hero of the moment against Penn State, won't be the architect of whatever fix Ohio State tries from here on out. But he could still play an integral role in it.

The stats


Name: Marcus Baugh

Number: 85

Position: TE

Year: Senior

Height/Weight: 6'5, 250 lbs.

Line: 17 catches, 176 yards, 3 TDs

Since Urban Meyer took over at Ohio State, the tight end position has not been one that has factored heavily into the offense. Talented guys like Nick Vannett, Jeff Heuermann, and Baugh didn't get used much as pass-catchers, instead coming in to pass-block or run-block the bulk of the time.

That trend hasn't changed much in 2017—Baugh is only seeing three targets a game, about two of which he catches, on average—but he's made them count. The Penn State catch was obviously the highlight moment, but he's scored a pair of other TDs, and he's on pace for the best season of his career.

Opposition research


After a rare down season, the Michigan State Spartans have returned with a vengeance, racking up seven wins through their first nine games. They currently sit ahead of Ohio State in the College Football Playoff rankings, hot off of handing Penn State its second-consecutive loss. This is a far better Sparty than the version we saw last year, a 3-9 dumpster fire that nevertheless lost to the Buckeyes by just one point.

The Spartan defense is paced by LB Joe Bachie, who leads the team in total tackles (57.0), run stuffs (13), and forced fumbles (2). Bachie has a pair of interceptions on the year to go with his other monster numbers. The Spartans have some stars in the defensive backfield, too, with S David Dowell (4 INTs), Josiah Scott (7 pass breakups), and S Khari Willis (4.5 TFLs) leading the way for MSU.

What to watch for


That doesn't mean opposing teams can't throw on Mark Dantonio's squad, however. While the Spartans are one of the most exceptional run defenses in the country, ranked No. 6 by S&P+ and No. 3 against explosive plays, they fall off a bit when it comes to the passing game. They're ranked No. 38 against the pass by S&P+. The unit as a whole is at its worst in the third quarter and on third down—there are certainly weaknesses here.

Penn State tight end Mike Gesicki was able to exploit some of those weaknesses last weekend, snagging eight catches for 89 yards in a losing effort. Baugh is no Gesicki, who has NFL scouts salivating about his potential as a pro TE, but he has the skills to get past opposing LBs in pass coverage and move the chains a few times for the Buckeyes. Trace McSorley threw for 401 yards in the overtime contest—it's not crazy to think that J.T. Barrett could get back on track and have a big day throwing to Baugh and co.

But McSorley also got picked off three times, twice by Dowell and once by Bachie. If Barrett hasn't buried last week's yips, the Buckeyes could be in for another slog of a day against the Spartans.

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