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LGHL I Got Five on It: Ohio State looks to rebound against Army
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I Got Five on It: Ohio State looks to rebound against Army
Colton Denning via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Can Ohio State’s receivers catch? Will the coaches remember that J.K. Dobbins exists?
Welcome to I Got Five On It, where I give you five things to watch for during each Ohio State game. The less we talk about the OU game the better, but last week was a rough one for your boy, as I predicted J.T. Barrett would at least tie the Big Ten’s career touchdown record (LOL), and that Ohio State could change the perception of its offense that’s been lingering since the Clemson game (Narrator: They did not).
Mercifully, a new week is upon us, and the Buckeyes are in rebound mode against what should be an over-matched Army squad. While Urban Meyer definitely doesn’t hate the troops, this is one that the Buckeyes should go out of their way to make ugly after what happened last week. With that in mind, here are five things to watch for as Ohio State takes on Army:
The secondary won’t be doing much covering, but better tackling would be nice
I want you to grab a football and a friend, and go outside for a second. Stand 20 yards apart, and throw them the ball.
You have now thrown for more yards than Army has:
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9249423/cfbstats.com___2017_Army_Black_Knights_Passing_Offense_Game_Log.jpeg)
Surprise: a team with a less efficient passing game than Ohio State
As funny as it is to play a program that almost completely disregards the forward pass in 2017, playing Army’s triple option offense couldn’t come at a worse time.
As I’m sure you’re already aware, Ohio State’s secondary has been bad this season. They need all the work they can get before heading into conference play, and unfortunately they’ll probably get little-to-none this week, even if the Buckeyes are up big.
At least it’ll be a great chance for the secondary to work on their pursuit angles after whatever this was last week:
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9249659/erick_smith_SHOOK.gif)
A breakout game from Jerome Baker
Lost in all the noise about the secondary has been the play of linebacker Jerome Baker. After a dominant redshirt freshman season, Baker has been quiet so far, notching only eight tackles in two games, none of which have been for a loss.
As we saw in the Oklahoma and Michigan games last season, Baker is the type of player that can change a game single-handedly, and with the new-look secondary struggling behind him, Ohio State is going to need Baker to re-up his game back to its 2016 level.
Against Army’s triple option, Baker should have the opportunity to shine, much like Darron Lee did against Navy in 2014. He’s way too good to keep producing quiet stat lines, so keep a close eye on him in what should be his best performance of the young season.
Someone please help J.T. Barrett
Do you notice anything about this catch from Austin Mack last week?
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9238855/Mack_High_Point.gif)
Aside from Mack landing on his head dragon suplex-style (we’re glad to hear that he’s OK), it was the rare occurrence of an Ohio State receiver making a play on the football. So rare, in fact, that my Hangout in the Holy Land co-host Patrick Mayhorn thinks it might be the first time an Ohio State receiver has high-pointed the football since Michael Thomas was posterizing defensive backs in 2015.
While that’s probably a bit of an exaggeration, he brings up a good point. Barrett’s accuracy is obviously an issue, but it’s not like he’s gotten a lot of help when he’s put the ball on the money, either:
You, a football imbecile: "JT SUCKS!"
Me, staring at this photo and sobbing hysterically to point can't even form a response: pic.twitter.com/wH0MDAbVkz
— Frank Bumb (@frankbumb) September 10, 2017
Ohio State’s receivers have the catch radius of a T-Rex right now, so it’s worth watching players like Mack and Binjimen Victor tomorrow to see how much —if at all— they’re able to use their athleticism to give their quarterback some help. Barrett has his share of blame in the lackluster performance of the passing game, but at some point, #Zone6 needs to show up and make some plays.
Youngins’ everywhere
The best part about a game like this is the chance for young talent shine. Whether it’s Dwayne Haskins, Jeffery Okudah, Chase Young, Shaun Wade, Baron Browning, or someone else, Ohio State should be in a position where they can unload the bench early in the second half.
Haskins is the front-runner for the player that most are anxious to see on the field, and I’m already cringing at how awkward the loud ovation he’s going to get when it happens will be. Nonetheless, we’re finally going to see what he can do, and the eventual future of the Ohio State offense.
Defensively, Okudah, Young, Wade, and Browning are names to look out for that could see significant minutes. If Ohio State is able to establish a big lead early, there’s no reason for Tyquan Lewis, Sam Hubbard, Baker, etc. to have to take on Army’s physical style of offense for three quarters. It’s unfortunate that the secondary won’t get much work, but Okudah and Wade getting some meaningful game action will pay dividends down the road.
Appreciate how ridiculous J.K. Dobbins is
Seriously, look at these cuts. A freshman shouldn’t be capable of this.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9251213/Dobbins_3_cuts.gif)
Let’s just hope they don’t forget to give him the ball.
Continue reading...
Colton Denning via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Can Ohio State’s receivers catch? Will the coaches remember that J.K. Dobbins exists?
Welcome to I Got Five On It, where I give you five things to watch for during each Ohio State game. The less we talk about the OU game the better, but last week was a rough one for your boy, as I predicted J.T. Barrett would at least tie the Big Ten’s career touchdown record (LOL), and that Ohio State could change the perception of its offense that’s been lingering since the Clemson game (Narrator: They did not).
Mercifully, a new week is upon us, and the Buckeyes are in rebound mode against what should be an over-matched Army squad. While Urban Meyer definitely doesn’t hate the troops, this is one that the Buckeyes should go out of their way to make ugly after what happened last week. With that in mind, here are five things to watch for as Ohio State takes on Army:
The secondary won’t be doing much covering, but better tackling would be nice
I want you to grab a football and a friend, and go outside for a second. Stand 20 yards apart, and throw them the ball.
You have now thrown for more yards than Army has:
Surprise: a team with a less efficient passing game than Ohio State
As funny as it is to play a program that almost completely disregards the forward pass in 2017, playing Army’s triple option offense couldn’t come at a worse time.
As I’m sure you’re already aware, Ohio State’s secondary has been bad this season. They need all the work they can get before heading into conference play, and unfortunately they’ll probably get little-to-none this week, even if the Buckeyes are up big.
At least it’ll be a great chance for the secondary to work on their pursuit angles after whatever this was last week:
A breakout game from Jerome Baker
Lost in all the noise about the secondary has been the play of linebacker Jerome Baker. After a dominant redshirt freshman season, Baker has been quiet so far, notching only eight tackles in two games, none of which have been for a loss.
As we saw in the Oklahoma and Michigan games last season, Baker is the type of player that can change a game single-handedly, and with the new-look secondary struggling behind him, Ohio State is going to need Baker to re-up his game back to its 2016 level.
Against Army’s triple option, Baker should have the opportunity to shine, much like Darron Lee did against Navy in 2014. He’s way too good to keep producing quiet stat lines, so keep a close eye on him in what should be his best performance of the young season.
Someone please help J.T. Barrett
Do you notice anything about this catch from Austin Mack last week?
Aside from Mack landing on his head dragon suplex-style (we’re glad to hear that he’s OK), it was the rare occurrence of an Ohio State receiver making a play on the football. So rare, in fact, that my Hangout in the Holy Land co-host Patrick Mayhorn thinks it might be the first time an Ohio State receiver has high-pointed the football since Michael Thomas was posterizing defensive backs in 2015.
While that’s probably a bit of an exaggeration, he brings up a good point. Barrett’s accuracy is obviously an issue, but it’s not like he’s gotten a lot of help when he’s put the ball on the money, either:
You, a football imbecile: "JT SUCKS!"
Me, staring at this photo and sobbing hysterically to point can't even form a response: pic.twitter.com/wH0MDAbVkz
— Frank Bumb (@frankbumb) September 10, 2017
Ohio State’s receivers have the catch radius of a T-Rex right now, so it’s worth watching players like Mack and Binjimen Victor tomorrow to see how much —if at all— they’re able to use their athleticism to give their quarterback some help. Barrett has his share of blame in the lackluster performance of the passing game, but at some point, #Zone6 needs to show up and make some plays.
Youngins’ everywhere
The best part about a game like this is the chance for young talent shine. Whether it’s Dwayne Haskins, Jeffery Okudah, Chase Young, Shaun Wade, Baron Browning, or someone else, Ohio State should be in a position where they can unload the bench early in the second half.
Haskins is the front-runner for the player that most are anxious to see on the field, and I’m already cringing at how awkward the loud ovation he’s going to get when it happens will be. Nonetheless, we’re finally going to see what he can do, and the eventual future of the Ohio State offense.
Defensively, Okudah, Young, Wade, and Browning are names to look out for that could see significant minutes. If Ohio State is able to establish a big lead early, there’s no reason for Tyquan Lewis, Sam Hubbard, Baker, etc. to have to take on Army’s physical style of offense for three quarters. It’s unfortunate that the secondary won’t get much work, but Okudah and Wade getting some meaningful game action will pay dividends down the road.
Appreciate how ridiculous J.K. Dobbins is
Seriously, look at these cuts. A freshman shouldn’t be capable of this.
Let’s just hope they don’t forget to give him the ball.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State vs Army 2017: Game preview, prediction, and how to watch
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Ohio State vs Army 2017: Game preview, prediction, and how to watch
Kyle Sumner McKinnon via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The Black Knights' chances of leaving Columbus with a win are slim.
Okay, you tell me: Should we really be trying to beat our men in uniform into submission on Saturday? Because that’s exactly what Urban Meyer wants to do.
I mean, that’s low, even for Ohio State.
Whatever, man. Fight the power. And before I write any serious words about this weekend’s matchup, let’s get hyped.
That was fun, wasn’t it? Now we can get started.
Coming off their first loss of the season, OSU (1-1) will play host to Army (2-0) in Columbus.
On paper, this looks like a textbook bounce back game for Meyer’s squad. The hard-nosed Black Knights and their gimmicky wishbone offense can’t possibly challenge the Buckeyes.
Or can they?
Well, the truth is Army’s going to get blown out. It’s inevitable. I love what coach Jeff Monken has done with the football program, but it’s just not happening.
While Monken’s team opened as 30.5-point underdogs, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark, he knows his guys will be ready to go come kickoff.
"Nobody outside of this room is running around saying, 'Man, Army is going to beat the heck out of Ohio State,'" Monken said. "Everyone is saying we're going to get our butts whipped. I'm not walking in here telling the guys to start preparing for Tulane because we're going to get our butts whipped. That's not the way we're wired, and I don't know a team or a coach in the country that would prepare that way. We've got to look at their team and find the things we can do to be successful on offense, defense and special teams, practice them and try to go execute."
Although the odds are stacked against them, Army presents a unique test for OSU.
Indiana threw for 420 yards versus the Buckeyes. Oklahoma tallied 386 yards on the arm of Baker Mayfield. OSU’s defense is ranked 130th among the 130 FBS teams in passing yards allowed per game.
The Black Knights bread and butter is their ground game. They’re second in the nation in rushing offense and dead last in passing offense. Quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw has only attempted 10 passes on the season, completing two of them.
Despite having to face one of the best defensive fronts in the country, Monken believes running the ball is the key to pulling off an upset.
"We've got to run the ball if we're going to be successful," Monken said. "We're not going to win a bunch of games if we chunk it all over the place. We've got to pick our spots. We tried to pick them on Saturday, but we had a couple of opportunities that we missed. No one feels worse about it than Ahmad (Bradshaw) does. But we're going to hit some of those too sometimes. We'll keep taking our shots every once in a while."
The Cadets are undefeated this year and it’s the first time they’ve ever squared off with the Buckeyes. Army downed Fordham 64-6 in their opener and rallied from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to stun Buffalo 21-17 last week.
It was a comeback win that wouldn’t have been possible without the improbable.
How about a fake punt to ice the game?!@ArmyWP_Football takes down Buffalo, 21-17. pic.twitter.com/MGBsIUjNOd
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) September 9, 2017
That punter might take home the Heisman, I tell ya.
In any case, Army is facing an incredibly steep uphill battle with OSU on the docket.
Summary
F/+ Projection: Ohio State 44, Army 11
Win Probability: Ohio State 96.9%
Monken and Co. are catching the Buckeyes in a bad mood, and they’ll be looking for somebody to beat up on. Regardless of OSU’s considerable advantage in the trenches, Army still can't even throw the ball.
If the triple option-running, fake-punting Black Knights struggle to air it out against the worst secondary in the FBS, a blowout loss will surely follow.
Chalk this one up as another ‘W’ for the team in Scarlet and Gray.
How to watch, stream, listen to Oklahoma v. Ohio State:
Game time: Saturday September 16th, 4:30 p.m. ET
TV: Fox
Streaming: FOX Sports Go
Radio: 97.1 WBNS-FM
Know your enemy: Underdog Dynasty
Continue reading...
Kyle Sumner McKinnon via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The Black Knights' chances of leaving Columbus with a win are slim.
Okay, you tell me: Should we really be trying to beat our men in uniform into submission on Saturday? Because that’s exactly what Urban Meyer wants to do.
I mean, that’s low, even for Ohio State.
Whatever, man. Fight the power. And before I write any serious words about this weekend’s matchup, let’s get hyped.
That was fun, wasn’t it? Now we can get started.
Coming off their first loss of the season, OSU (1-1) will play host to Army (2-0) in Columbus.
On paper, this looks like a textbook bounce back game for Meyer’s squad. The hard-nosed Black Knights and their gimmicky wishbone offense can’t possibly challenge the Buckeyes.
Or can they?
Well, the truth is Army’s going to get blown out. It’s inevitable. I love what coach Jeff Monken has done with the football program, but it’s just not happening.
While Monken’s team opened as 30.5-point underdogs, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark, he knows his guys will be ready to go come kickoff.
"Nobody outside of this room is running around saying, 'Man, Army is going to beat the heck out of Ohio State,'" Monken said. "Everyone is saying we're going to get our butts whipped. I'm not walking in here telling the guys to start preparing for Tulane because we're going to get our butts whipped. That's not the way we're wired, and I don't know a team or a coach in the country that would prepare that way. We've got to look at their team and find the things we can do to be successful on offense, defense and special teams, practice them and try to go execute."
Although the odds are stacked against them, Army presents a unique test for OSU.
Indiana threw for 420 yards versus the Buckeyes. Oklahoma tallied 386 yards on the arm of Baker Mayfield. OSU’s defense is ranked 130th among the 130 FBS teams in passing yards allowed per game.
The Black Knights bread and butter is their ground game. They’re second in the nation in rushing offense and dead last in passing offense. Quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw has only attempted 10 passes on the season, completing two of them.
Despite having to face one of the best defensive fronts in the country, Monken believes running the ball is the key to pulling off an upset.
"We've got to run the ball if we're going to be successful," Monken said. "We're not going to win a bunch of games if we chunk it all over the place. We've got to pick our spots. We tried to pick them on Saturday, but we had a couple of opportunities that we missed. No one feels worse about it than Ahmad (Bradshaw) does. But we're going to hit some of those too sometimes. We'll keep taking our shots every once in a while."
The Cadets are undefeated this year and it’s the first time they’ve ever squared off with the Buckeyes. Army downed Fordham 64-6 in their opener and rallied from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to stun Buffalo 21-17 last week.
It was a comeback win that wouldn’t have been possible without the improbable.
How about a fake punt to ice the game?!@ArmyWP_Football takes down Buffalo, 21-17. pic.twitter.com/MGBsIUjNOd
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) September 9, 2017
That punter might take home the Heisman, I tell ya.
In any case, Army is facing an incredibly steep uphill battle with OSU on the docket.
Summary
F/+ Projection: Ohio State 44, Army 11
Win Probability: Ohio State 96.9%
Monken and Co. are catching the Buckeyes in a bad mood, and they’ll be looking for somebody to beat up on. Regardless of OSU’s considerable advantage in the trenches, Army still can't even throw the ball.
If the triple option-running, fake-punting Black Knights struggle to air it out against the worst secondary in the FBS, a blowout loss will surely follow.
Chalk this one up as another ‘W’ for the team in Scarlet and Gray.
How to watch, stream, listen to Oklahoma v. Ohio State:
Game time: Saturday September 16th, 4:30 p.m. ET
TV: Fox
Streaming: FOX Sports Go
Radio: 97.1 WBNS-FM
Know your enemy: Underdog Dynasty
Continue reading...
Google Taking stock: The health of the Buckeyes' 2018 recruiting class - 247Sports
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- 0 Replies
Taking stock: The health of the Buckeyes' 2018 recruiting class - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Taking stock: The health of the Buckeyes' 2018 recruiting class
247Sports
But when it comes to the Buckeyes' 2018 commitments and their senior seasons, so far so good. Dinwiddie County (Va.) linebacker K'Vaughan Pope has missed the most time among the Buckeyes' 2018 commits. He sprained his ankle during the first quarter ...
Continue reading...
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Taking stock: The health of the Buckeyes' 2018 recruiting class
247Sports
But when it comes to the Buckeyes' 2018 commitments and their senior seasons, so far so good. Dinwiddie County (Va.) linebacker K'Vaughan Pope has missed the most time among the Buckeyes' 2018 commits. He sprained his ankle during the first quarter ...
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State looks to rebound against Army, and the rest of Week 3’s Big Ten College Football...
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Ohio State looks to rebound against Army, and the rest of Week 3’s Big Ten College Football betting lines
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 Buckeyes are big favorites, while Wisconsin has a tough trip to Provo on tap
Last week ATS: 9-8-1 (4-1 National, 5-7-1 B1G)
Season ATS: 18-17-1 (6-4 National, 12-13-1 B1G)
If you weren’t paying attention and missed yesterday’s National picks, you can get them here.
B1G games (All games Saturday unless otherwise noted):
Illinois v. No. 22 South Florida (-17) - Friday 9/15 7:00 PM EST - ESPN
Don’t look now, but Illinois is 2-0! The rest of the Big Ten West should be on notice! Alright, maybe we are putting the cart before the horse here. Last week the Fighting Illini defense showed some improvement, holding Western Kentucky to just a touchdown in the 20-7 win.
If South Florida wants to be this year’s Group of Five darling, they desperately need this win against Illinois, the only Power Five school on their schedule. Quarterback Quinton Flowers has been a monster the past two years for the Bulls, and has started his senior season just as strong, throwing for four touchdowns and rushing for another.
South Florida has been prone to slow starts so far this year, and they actually tried San Jose State 16-0 early on in the season opener. Illinois will lose because Lovie Smith has plenty of experience losing in Tampa Bay as a head coach, but the Illinois defense is able to hold Flowers in check just enough to keep the score inside the number.
South Florida 34, Illinois 20
Air Force v. No. 7 Michigan (-24) - 12:00 PM EST - Big Ten Network
Michigan may have won last week, but they looked like they were just going through the motions for most of the game. Ty Issac has been a bright spot on offense for Michigan, rushing for 247 yards through two games, but there hasn’t been much else that has stood out for the Wolverines on that side of the football. The defense is another story, as it has been stout through two games.
One thing is for sure in this game, Troy Calhoun will have the Falcons ready to play. In 2012 Air Force came to Michigan Stadium and gave the Wolverines a game, losing 31-25. While the Falcons won’t find their usual success on the ground, they’ll at least be able to chew up some clock and keep it somewhat close.
Michigan 33, Air Force 17
Northern Illinois v. Nebraska (-14) - 12:00 PM EST - FS1
At least Nebraska didn’t get mauled in Eugene last weekend like I thought they would. Despite falling behind early, the Cornhuskers showed some fight against a tough opponent in a hostile environment, which should help them when they step into Big Ten play.
Nebraska can’t start turning their attention to conference play just yet though, as they’ll host Northern Illinois on Saturday. Luckily for the Cornhuskers, this isn’t quite the Huskies squad of years past that might have Nebraska on upset alert. The Huskies did put a scare into Boston College earlier this year, but I can’t think of anything that doesn’t scare Boston College.
Nebraska’s defense has left a lot to be desired so far this year, but I feel like they’ll come out strong on Saturday. Tanner Lee will throw a few touchdowns, and Tre Bryant will rush for a couple more as the Cornhuskers put together four quarters of solid football.
Nebraska 38, Northern Illinois 20
No. 10 Wisconsin (-16.5) v. BYU - 3:30 PM EST - ABC
Wisconsin might have found their next star at running back just two games into the season. True freshman Jonathan Taylor took advantage of more playing time last week with Bradrick Shaw injured, and rushed for 223 yards and three touchdowns in the 31-14 win over Florida Atlantic. Taylor is just the fourth true freshman in Wisconsin history to rush for at least 200 yards in a game.
BYU has had a real tough start to the season. Not only did the Cougars struggled against Portland State in the season opener, and fail to cross midfield against LSU, but last week they not only lost to hated rival Utah, but they also lost quarterback Tanner Mangum to injury. I’m not sure there’s much left to go wrong in Provo.
I really hate giving this many points at LaVell Edwards Stadium, but these teams are just heading in opposite directions right now. If Mangum was available to play, I’d likely take the points, but I just think Wisconsin runs the ball right at BYU and eventually wears the Cougars down.
Wisconsin 35, BYU 17
Middle Tennessee State v. Minnesota (-9) - 3:30 PM EST - Big Ten Network
It wouldn’t be wise to sleep on Middle Tennessee State. The Blue Raiders just beat Syracuse last week, and last year actually went to Missouri and beat the Tigers. These two schools played in 2014, with Minnesota winning 35-24 in Minneapolis. Watch out for quarterback Brent Stockstill to make a few plays, as not only is he the son of head coach Rick Stockstill, but he has been the quarterback in Murfreesboro for about 14 years.
After a very uninspiring win in the season opener against Buffalo, Minnesota went out to Corvallis last week and took it to Oregon State. The Golden Gophers look to have found their next quarterback in Conor Rhoda, but he shouldn’t have to do much besides hand the football off to Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks.
Middle Tennessee State has played some tough competition to start the year, so they’ll be tested. It just feels like too many points for Minnesota to be laying to a team experienced at pulling upsets.
Minnesota 30, Middle Tennessee State 23
North Texas v. Iowa (-21.5) - 3:30 PM EST - ESPN2
There’s always no question that a hefty hangover follows El Assico, but just how bad will it be for Iowa? Luckily the Hawkeyes don’t have too much heavy lifting to do on Saturday against North Texas. Quarterback Nathan Stanley has been one of the better quarterbacks in the country so far this year, throwing eight touchdowns through two games.
This has the feelings of a trap game for Iowa after last week’s game against their rival, and next week the Hawkeyes host Penn State under the lights in Iowa City. North Texas can move the football a bit, which will help the Mean Green stay within shouting distance of the Hawkeyes.
Iowa 38, North Texas 24
Purdue v. Missouri (-7) - 4:00 PM EST - SEC Network
Purdue is actually fun again! Who would’ve guessed it? Jeff Brohm already has this Purdue offense flying, which could lead to some interesting games for Purdue in Big Ten play. David Blough only misfired on two of his 13 passes against Ohio, and threw for three touchdowns in the easy win.
Missouri fell back to earth a bit last week in a 31-13 loss to South Carolina. In the season opener against Missouri State, the Tigers threw 72 points up on the board, and they might need another big output if they want to pull out the win in Columbia. Blough and Missouri quarterback Drew Lock have a fun shootout on Saturday, with the Boilermakers getting another solid win.
Purdue 41, Missouri 38
Georgia State v. No. 5 Penn State (-37.5) - 7:30 PM EST - Big Ten Network
Georgia State lost to Tennessee State at home in the first week of the season. If the Panthers can’t even win a game like that, how are they gonna keep things somewhat close in Happy Valley. The Trace McSorley, Saquon Barkley, and the rest of the Nittany Lions put forward a big performance ahead of next week’s trip to Iowa.
Penn State 55, Georgia State 10
Bowling Green v. Northwestern (-21.5) - 7:30 PM EST - Big Ten Network
Bowling Green will be trying to avoid their second loss of the year to a Big Ten team, while Northwestern is looking for anything to go right after getting destroyed by Duke last week. As bad as the Wildcats looked last week, at least they didn’t lose to South Dakota, like Bowling Green did.
I thought Bowling Green was going to be better this year than they have been, yet again proving I know nothing. I’m sure Pat Fitzgerald ripped into his team all week after the loss to Duke, and they come out ready to play on Saturday night.
Northwestern 45, Bowling Green 17
Army v. No. 8 Ohio State (-30) - 4:30 PM EST - FOX
If there was ever a game for the Ohio State offense to get back on track and gain some much needed confidence, this is that game. The Buckeye secondary should at least be able to improve on their stats, which currently have them last in the country after Richard Lagow and Baker Mayfield have dissected the Ohio State secondary. Army is averaging 8.5 yards passing per game through two games, so it’s safe to say the Buckeyes will have to focus their attention to the ground and Army’s wishbone offense.
While Ohio State’s secondary is looking for some confidence, so are J.T. Barrett and the Buckeye wide receivers. Criticism started of Barrett and his receivers during the loss to Oklahoma, and has only gotten worse since. What Ohio State needs to do in this game is use running back J.K. Dobbins to set up the pass and try and make things a little easier for the receivers. Against Oklahoma, Ohio State abandoned the run, which put even more pressure on Barrett and his wideouts to make plays, especially when the Buckeyes fell further and further behind.
I just can’t stop thinking about 2014 when it comes to this Ohio State team. The Buckeyes start the year on the road, lose their home opener under the lights, and then rebound after the loss by throttling a lesser opponent. So far the 2017 Buckeyes have two of those three steps down, and I think Ohio State really lays it to Army tomorrow. Now it still remains to be seen if the 2017 ends the same way as the 2014 season, but I wouldn’t put it past Urban Meyer and Kevin Wilson to make the correct adjustments.
Ohio State 48, Army 13
Continue reading...
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 Buckeyes are big favorites, while Wisconsin has a tough trip to Provo on tap
Last week ATS: 9-8-1 (4-1 National, 5-7-1 B1G)
Season ATS: 18-17-1 (6-4 National, 12-13-1 B1G)
If you weren’t paying attention and missed yesterday’s National picks, you can get them here.
B1G games (All games Saturday unless otherwise noted):
Illinois v. No. 22 South Florida (-17) - Friday 9/15 7:00 PM EST - ESPN
Don’t look now, but Illinois is 2-0! The rest of the Big Ten West should be on notice! Alright, maybe we are putting the cart before the horse here. Last week the Fighting Illini defense showed some improvement, holding Western Kentucky to just a touchdown in the 20-7 win.
If South Florida wants to be this year’s Group of Five darling, they desperately need this win against Illinois, the only Power Five school on their schedule. Quarterback Quinton Flowers has been a monster the past two years for the Bulls, and has started his senior season just as strong, throwing for four touchdowns and rushing for another.
South Florida has been prone to slow starts so far this year, and they actually tried San Jose State 16-0 early on in the season opener. Illinois will lose because Lovie Smith has plenty of experience losing in Tampa Bay as a head coach, but the Illinois defense is able to hold Flowers in check just enough to keep the score inside the number.
South Florida 34, Illinois 20
Air Force v. No. 7 Michigan (-24) - 12:00 PM EST - Big Ten Network
Michigan may have won last week, but they looked like they were just going through the motions for most of the game. Ty Issac has been a bright spot on offense for Michigan, rushing for 247 yards through two games, but there hasn’t been much else that has stood out for the Wolverines on that side of the football. The defense is another story, as it has been stout through two games.
One thing is for sure in this game, Troy Calhoun will have the Falcons ready to play. In 2012 Air Force came to Michigan Stadium and gave the Wolverines a game, losing 31-25. While the Falcons won’t find their usual success on the ground, they’ll at least be able to chew up some clock and keep it somewhat close.
Michigan 33, Air Force 17
Northern Illinois v. Nebraska (-14) - 12:00 PM EST - FS1
At least Nebraska didn’t get mauled in Eugene last weekend like I thought they would. Despite falling behind early, the Cornhuskers showed some fight against a tough opponent in a hostile environment, which should help them when they step into Big Ten play.
Nebraska can’t start turning their attention to conference play just yet though, as they’ll host Northern Illinois on Saturday. Luckily for the Cornhuskers, this isn’t quite the Huskies squad of years past that might have Nebraska on upset alert. The Huskies did put a scare into Boston College earlier this year, but I can’t think of anything that doesn’t scare Boston College.
Nebraska’s defense has left a lot to be desired so far this year, but I feel like they’ll come out strong on Saturday. Tanner Lee will throw a few touchdowns, and Tre Bryant will rush for a couple more as the Cornhuskers put together four quarters of solid football.
Nebraska 38, Northern Illinois 20
No. 10 Wisconsin (-16.5) v. BYU - 3:30 PM EST - ABC
Wisconsin might have found their next star at running back just two games into the season. True freshman Jonathan Taylor took advantage of more playing time last week with Bradrick Shaw injured, and rushed for 223 yards and three touchdowns in the 31-14 win over Florida Atlantic. Taylor is just the fourth true freshman in Wisconsin history to rush for at least 200 yards in a game.
BYU has had a real tough start to the season. Not only did the Cougars struggled against Portland State in the season opener, and fail to cross midfield against LSU, but last week they not only lost to hated rival Utah, but they also lost quarterback Tanner Mangum to injury. I’m not sure there’s much left to go wrong in Provo.
I really hate giving this many points at LaVell Edwards Stadium, but these teams are just heading in opposite directions right now. If Mangum was available to play, I’d likely take the points, but I just think Wisconsin runs the ball right at BYU and eventually wears the Cougars down.
Wisconsin 35, BYU 17
Middle Tennessee State v. Minnesota (-9) - 3:30 PM EST - Big Ten Network
It wouldn’t be wise to sleep on Middle Tennessee State. The Blue Raiders just beat Syracuse last week, and last year actually went to Missouri and beat the Tigers. These two schools played in 2014, with Minnesota winning 35-24 in Minneapolis. Watch out for quarterback Brent Stockstill to make a few plays, as not only is he the son of head coach Rick Stockstill, but he has been the quarterback in Murfreesboro for about 14 years.
After a very uninspiring win in the season opener against Buffalo, Minnesota went out to Corvallis last week and took it to Oregon State. The Golden Gophers look to have found their next quarterback in Conor Rhoda, but he shouldn’t have to do much besides hand the football off to Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks.
Middle Tennessee State has played some tough competition to start the year, so they’ll be tested. It just feels like too many points for Minnesota to be laying to a team experienced at pulling upsets.
Minnesota 30, Middle Tennessee State 23
North Texas v. Iowa (-21.5) - 3:30 PM EST - ESPN2
There’s always no question that a hefty hangover follows El Assico, but just how bad will it be for Iowa? Luckily the Hawkeyes don’t have too much heavy lifting to do on Saturday against North Texas. Quarterback Nathan Stanley has been one of the better quarterbacks in the country so far this year, throwing eight touchdowns through two games.
This has the feelings of a trap game for Iowa after last week’s game against their rival, and next week the Hawkeyes host Penn State under the lights in Iowa City. North Texas can move the football a bit, which will help the Mean Green stay within shouting distance of the Hawkeyes.
Iowa 38, North Texas 24
Purdue v. Missouri (-7) - 4:00 PM EST - SEC Network
Purdue is actually fun again! Who would’ve guessed it? Jeff Brohm already has this Purdue offense flying, which could lead to some interesting games for Purdue in Big Ten play. David Blough only misfired on two of his 13 passes against Ohio, and threw for three touchdowns in the easy win.
Missouri fell back to earth a bit last week in a 31-13 loss to South Carolina. In the season opener against Missouri State, the Tigers threw 72 points up on the board, and they might need another big output if they want to pull out the win in Columbia. Blough and Missouri quarterback Drew Lock have a fun shootout on Saturday, with the Boilermakers getting another solid win.
Purdue 41, Missouri 38
Georgia State v. No. 5 Penn State (-37.5) - 7:30 PM EST - Big Ten Network
Georgia State lost to Tennessee State at home in the first week of the season. If the Panthers can’t even win a game like that, how are they gonna keep things somewhat close in Happy Valley. The Trace McSorley, Saquon Barkley, and the rest of the Nittany Lions put forward a big performance ahead of next week’s trip to Iowa.
Penn State 55, Georgia State 10
Bowling Green v. Northwestern (-21.5) - 7:30 PM EST - Big Ten Network
Bowling Green will be trying to avoid their second loss of the year to a Big Ten team, while Northwestern is looking for anything to go right after getting destroyed by Duke last week. As bad as the Wildcats looked last week, at least they didn’t lose to South Dakota, like Bowling Green did.
I thought Bowling Green was going to be better this year than they have been, yet again proving I know nothing. I’m sure Pat Fitzgerald ripped into his team all week after the loss to Duke, and they come out ready to play on Saturday night.
Northwestern 45, Bowling Green 17
Army v. No. 8 Ohio State (-30) - 4:30 PM EST - FOX
If there was ever a game for the Ohio State offense to get back on track and gain some much needed confidence, this is that game. The Buckeye secondary should at least be able to improve on their stats, which currently have them last in the country after Richard Lagow and Baker Mayfield have dissected the Ohio State secondary. Army is averaging 8.5 yards passing per game through two games, so it’s safe to say the Buckeyes will have to focus their attention to the ground and Army’s wishbone offense.
While Ohio State’s secondary is looking for some confidence, so are J.T. Barrett and the Buckeye wide receivers. Criticism started of Barrett and his receivers during the loss to Oklahoma, and has only gotten worse since. What Ohio State needs to do in this game is use running back J.K. Dobbins to set up the pass and try and make things a little easier for the receivers. Against Oklahoma, Ohio State abandoned the run, which put even more pressure on Barrett and his wideouts to make plays, especially when the Buckeyes fell further and further behind.
I just can’t stop thinking about 2014 when it comes to this Ohio State team. The Buckeyes start the year on the road, lose their home opener under the lights, and then rebound after the loss by throttling a lesser opponent. So far the 2017 Buckeyes have two of those three steps down, and I think Ohio State really lays it to Army tomorrow. Now it still remains to be seen if the 2017 ends the same way as the 2014 season, but I wouldn’t put it past Urban Meyer and Kevin Wilson to make the correct adjustments.
Ohio State 48, Army 13
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Google Joey Galloway believes JT Barrett is trying to be too perfect - 247Sports
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Joey Galloway believes JT Barrett is trying to be too perfect - 247Sports
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Joey Galloway believes JT Barrett is trying to be too perfect
247Sports
The former Buckeye wide receiver played four years at Ohio State, recording 108 receptions for 1,894 and 19 touchdowns. He was then a first-round draft pick in 1995 and played 15 years in the NFL. As an analyst for ESPN, Galloway still pays close ...
Dienhart: Ohio State's passing game is in need of a fixBig Ten Network
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via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Joey Galloway believes JT Barrett is trying to be too perfect
247Sports
The former Buckeye wide receiver played four years at Ohio State, recording 108 receptions for 1,894 and 19 touchdowns. He was then a first-round draft pick in 1995 and played 15 years in the NFL. As an analyst for ESPN, Galloway still pays close ...
Dienhart: Ohio State's passing game is in need of a fixBig Ten Network
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BTN Dienhart: Ohio State’s passing game is in need of a fix
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Dienhart: Ohio State’s passing game is in need of a fix
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network
Ask yourself this as you settle in to watch Ohio State on Saturday vs. Army: What is the offensive identity of this team? If you had a 15-second elevator ride with someone, how would you describe the Buckeye offense?
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Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network
Ask yourself this as you settle in to watch Ohio State on Saturday vs. Army: What is the offensive identity of this team? If you had a 15-second elevator ride with someone, how would you describe the Buckeye offense?
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Google Buckeyes to receive Capital One Cup & scholarship award Saturday - 247Sports
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Buckeyes to receive Capital One Cup & scholarship award Saturday - 247Sports
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Buckeyes to receive Capital One Cup & scholarship award Saturday
247Sports
The Buckeyes edged out Florida to finish first after winning a national championship in volleyball and earning top-10 finishes in football, gymnastics, wrestling, fencing, rifle, tennis and lacrosse. This marks the first time either the men's or women ...
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via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Buckeyes to receive Capital One Cup & scholarship award Saturday
247Sports
The Buckeyes edged out Florida to finish first after winning a national championship in volleyball and earning top-10 finishes in football, gymnastics, wrestling, fencing, rifle, tennis and lacrosse. This marks the first time either the men's or women ...
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LGHL Ohio State-Army is one-sided on paper, but could be a war on the field.
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Ohio State-Army is one-sided on paper, but could be a war on the field.
Ian Hartitz via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Go Buckeyes, Beat Army.
Last season Army:
So far, their idea of an encore consists of continuing to run the ball straight down the throat of whoever happens to line up across from them. Army doesn’t change their style of football for anyone, and why should they? They currently lead the country in rushing yards per game (minimum two games played) and have had the 12th-, fifth-, and third-best rushing attack in the nation over the past three seasons, respectively. Feel free to bet your friends that Ohio State’s last-ranked pass defense will manage to hold at least one offense to fewer than 200 passing yards, as the Black Knights have cleared that threshold just once in their last 27 games.
This Saturday’s matchup between the Buckeyes and Black Knights will be decided in the trenches. This would seem to benefit Ohio State’s bevy of monsters on the defensive line, but as LGHL’s own Christopher Jason pointed out in his excellent preview of Army’s triple-option flexbone offense: Discipline is everything. The Buckeyes need to literally treat Army’s football team like a bunch of nameless Black Knights. Ohio State doesn’t sacrifice talent or size at any position on the field, so maintaining proper leverage and responsibility on a play-by-play basis is more important that containing any one player.
With that said, let’s take a look at which Buckeyes could have a prominent role in stopping the Black Knights’ option attack.
MLB Chris Worley/DE Sam Hubbard/DE Tyquan Lewis
Historically, Ohio State has asked its defensive ends to crash to the fullback on a triple option read. Two main reasons behind this are:
When Ohio State’s defensive ends are unblocked, expect them to crash down on Army fullback Darnell Woolfolk, a 5’9” 235 pound cannonball that has averaged 6.0 yards per carry on his 31 attempts this season. In an ideal world, the ends will be able to stifle the first piece of the triple option, allowing Worley to fly sideline-to-sideline to make plays all over the field.
In a normal week, Worley is just as responsible for taking care of the A-gaps as the defensive line. Still, if the Buckeyes play the option in a similar fashion as they did in 2014, Worley will likely line up deeper than normal to give him a chance to scrape over the mess at the line of scrimmage to make plays on the edge:
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9254649/josh_perry.jpg)
We’ve seen Worley make physical plays at the line of scrimmage, but he’s best when allowed to fly around the field and make plays with his game-changing speed. A big night from Worley will likely mean the defensive line also did their jobs.
OLBs Jerome Baker/Dante Booker
Outside linebackers probably have the best chance of any position to create turnovers against the triple option. Luckily for Ohio State, they have two of the best in the business at doing just that in Baker and Booker. Army won’t be used to facing a defense with linebackers as fast as their running backs, and there are plays to be made against the quarterback and pitchman on the edge.
Army doesn’t run the exact same version of the triple option every play, and will attempt to confuse the Buckeyes’ linebackers with motion and counters. Baker and Booker have the speed and ability to track down any player on Army’s roster, but first they need to properly decipher each given play and not run themselves out of position. Otherwise, we’ll be seeing a lot of uncontested 10-yard runs ending with Buckeye defenders pointing fingers at each other.
CBs Denzel Ward/Kendall Sheffield
The Buckeyes won’t face the spread concepts that have given their entire secondary fits over the past two weeks, but they still need to prove they’re in fact capable of slowing down the opponent’s pass offense. Both corners will also be responsible for helping handle the pitchman and not letting the Black Knights get to the edge.
Sheffield is a cornerback in a safety’s body, and his physical mentality should be perfect for this game. Ward is the Buckeyes’ No. 1 cornerback and needs to eliminate any potential passes thrown his way on third-and-long. It will take Ohio State’s full defensive attention to stop this rushing attack throughout the game, and cheap first downs through the air are something they can’t afford to give up.
The Buckeyes are 30.5-point favorites, but a 53-point total indicates Vegas doesn’t see the Silver Bullets blanking the Black Knights. Ohio State has waited a long week to take out their frustration, but it could make for an even longer week if that frustration isn’t channeled at the correct player come Saturday afternoon.
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Ian Hartitz via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Go Buckeyes, Beat Army.
Last season Army:
- Won its first bowl game since 2010
- Beat Navy for the first time since 2001
- Won eight games for the first time since 1996
So far, their idea of an encore consists of continuing to run the ball straight down the throat of whoever happens to line up across from them. Army doesn’t change their style of football for anyone, and why should they? They currently lead the country in rushing yards per game (minimum two games played) and have had the 12th-, fifth-, and third-best rushing attack in the nation over the past three seasons, respectively. Feel free to bet your friends that Ohio State’s last-ranked pass defense will manage to hold at least one offense to fewer than 200 passing yards, as the Black Knights have cleared that threshold just once in their last 27 games.
This Saturday’s matchup between the Buckeyes and Black Knights will be decided in the trenches. This would seem to benefit Ohio State’s bevy of monsters on the defensive line, but as LGHL’s own Christopher Jason pointed out in his excellent preview of Army’s triple-option flexbone offense: Discipline is everything. The Buckeyes need to literally treat Army’s football team like a bunch of nameless Black Knights. Ohio State doesn’t sacrifice talent or size at any position on the field, so maintaining proper leverage and responsibility on a play-by-play basis is more important that containing any one player.
With that said, let’s take a look at which Buckeyes could have a prominent role in stopping the Black Knights’ option attack.
MLB Chris Worley/DE Sam Hubbard/DE Tyquan Lewis
Historically, Ohio State has asked its defensive ends to crash to the fullback on a triple option read. Two main reasons behind this are:
- The fullback give is the easiest way for a triple-option offense to pick up yards. Barring an incredible effort from the middle linebacker on a down-by-down basis, failing to commit to taking away the fullback is a death sentence for any defense.
- Keeping the ball forces the quarterback to make another decision on the pitch, and also forces the signal caller to expose himself to big hits. The best way to stop an option offense is to create negative plays and force them into passing options, and allowing the quarterback to make the easiest read in the book isn’t a great way to make those plays happen.
When Ohio State’s defensive ends are unblocked, expect them to crash down on Army fullback Darnell Woolfolk, a 5’9” 235 pound cannonball that has averaged 6.0 yards per carry on his 31 attempts this season. In an ideal world, the ends will be able to stifle the first piece of the triple option, allowing Worley to fly sideline-to-sideline to make plays all over the field.
In a normal week, Worley is just as responsible for taking care of the A-gaps as the defensive line. Still, if the Buckeyes play the option in a similar fashion as they did in 2014, Worley will likely line up deeper than normal to give him a chance to scrape over the mess at the line of scrimmage to make plays on the edge:
We’ve seen Worley make physical plays at the line of scrimmage, but he’s best when allowed to fly around the field and make plays with his game-changing speed. A big night from Worley will likely mean the defensive line also did their jobs.
OLBs Jerome Baker/Dante Booker
Outside linebackers probably have the best chance of any position to create turnovers against the triple option. Luckily for Ohio State, they have two of the best in the business at doing just that in Baker and Booker. Army won’t be used to facing a defense with linebackers as fast as their running backs, and there are plays to be made against the quarterback and pitchman on the edge.
Army doesn’t run the exact same version of the triple option every play, and will attempt to confuse the Buckeyes’ linebackers with motion and counters. Baker and Booker have the speed and ability to track down any player on Army’s roster, but first they need to properly decipher each given play and not run themselves out of position. Otherwise, we’ll be seeing a lot of uncontested 10-yard runs ending with Buckeye defenders pointing fingers at each other.
CBs Denzel Ward/Kendall Sheffield
The Buckeyes won’t face the spread concepts that have given their entire secondary fits over the past two weeks, but they still need to prove they’re in fact capable of slowing down the opponent’s pass offense. Both corners will also be responsible for helping handle the pitchman and not letting the Black Knights get to the edge.
Sheffield is a cornerback in a safety’s body, and his physical mentality should be perfect for this game. Ward is the Buckeyes’ No. 1 cornerback and needs to eliminate any potential passes thrown his way on third-and-long. It will take Ohio State’s full defensive attention to stop this rushing attack throughout the game, and cheap first downs through the air are something they can’t afford to give up.
The Buckeyes are 30.5-point favorites, but a 53-point total indicates Vegas doesn’t see the Silver Bullets blanking the Black Knights. Ohio State has waited a long week to take out their frustration, but it could make for an even longer week if that frustration isn’t channeled at the correct player come Saturday afternoon.
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BTN B1G Q&A: Lisa Byington on making history calling Big Ten football
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B1G Q&A: Lisa Byington on making history calling Big Ten football
Alex Roux, BTN.com editor via Big Ten Network
Lisa Byington is making history Saturday at the Northwestern vs. Bowling Green game by becoming the first woman to do play-by-play for a football game on BTN. She joined us for a B1G Q&A to discuss her historic assignment.
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Alex Roux, BTN.com editor via Big Ten Network
Lisa Byington is making history Saturday at the Northwestern vs. Bowling Green game by becoming the first woman to do play-by-play for a football game on BTN. She joined us for a B1G Q&A to discuss her historic assignment.
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Google Can the Buckeyes bounce back after a loss to Oklahoma? - Fox 28
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Can the Buckeyes bounce back after a loss to Oklahoma? - Fox 28
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Can the Buckeyes bounce back after a loss to Oklahoma?
Fox 28
The Buckeyes look to get back on track after last week's rare home loss to Oklahoma. The Football Fever's Matt Finkes and Jay Richarson stopped by to break down Saturday's matchup against Army.
and more »
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via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Can the Buckeyes bounce back after a loss to Oklahoma?
Fox 28
The Buckeyes look to get back on track after last week's rare home loss to Oklahoma. The Football Fever's Matt Finkes and Jay Richarson stopped by to break down Saturday's matchup against Army.
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Google Ohio State Buckeyes will bounce back enough to beat Army: Bill Livingston (photos) -...
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Ohio State Buckeyes will bounce back enough to beat Army: Bill Livingston (photos) - cleveland.com
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Ohio State Buckeyes will bounce back enough to beat Army: Bill Livingston (photos)
cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The last time Urban Meyer's Ohio State team played a military academy, it was Navy, in Baltimore, a road game by any other name, given its proximity to the Annapolis campus of the Midshipmen. The Buckeyes debuted an emergency ...
Ohio State recruiting: Latest updates on Buckeyes' classLandof10.com
JT Barrett can learn a little from Baker MayfieldESPN
Wojo's Pigskin Picks: Sorry UM fans, Buckeyes aren't quite dead yetThe Detroit News
New Philadelphia Times Reporter -kfor.com -Yahoo Sports
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via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Ohio State Buckeyes will bounce back enough to beat Army: Bill Livingston (photos)
cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The last time Urban Meyer's Ohio State team played a military academy, it was Navy, in Baltimore, a road game by any other name, given its proximity to the Annapolis campus of the Midshipmen. The Buckeyes debuted an emergency ...
Ohio State recruiting: Latest updates on Buckeyes' classLandof10.com
JT Barrett can learn a little from Baker MayfieldESPN
Wojo's Pigskin Picks: Sorry UM fans, Buckeyes aren't quite dead yetThe Detroit News
New Philadelphia Times Reporter -kfor.com -Yahoo Sports
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Google Ohio State recruiting: Latest updates on Buckeyes' class - Landof10.com
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Ohio State recruiting: Latest updates on Buckeyes' class - Landof10.com
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Ohio State recruiting: Latest updates on Buckeyes' class
Landof10.com
The Buckeyes lead Texas, who has surged into the No. 2 spot. Big Ten rank: Obviously, Ohio State ranks as the Big Ten's No. 1 class, outpacing No. 2 Penn State. The Nittany Lions have 23 commitments, but the Buckeyes' per-player average is more than ...
JT Barrett can learn a little from Baker MayfieldESPN
Ohio State Buckeyes will bounce back enough to beat Army: Bill Livingston (photos)cleveland.com
Wojo's Pigskin Picks: Sorry UM fans, Buckeyes aren't quite dead yetThe Detroit News
New Philadelphia Times Reporter -kfor.com -Yahoo Sports
all 113 news articles »
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via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Ohio State recruiting: Latest updates on Buckeyes' class
Landof10.com
The Buckeyes lead Texas, who has surged into the No. 2 spot. Big Ten rank: Obviously, Ohio State ranks as the Big Ten's No. 1 class, outpacing No. 2 Penn State. The Nittany Lions have 23 commitments, but the Buckeyes' per-player average is more than ...
JT Barrett can learn a little from Baker MayfieldESPN
Ohio State Buckeyes will bounce back enough to beat Army: Bill Livingston (photos)cleveland.com
Wojo's Pigskin Picks: Sorry UM fans, Buckeyes aren't quite dead yetThe Detroit News
New Philadelphia Times Reporter -kfor.com -Yahoo Sports
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LGHL Ohio State impresses star 2019 OL Michael Tarquin
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Ohio State impresses star 2019 OL Michael Tarquin
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Can the Buckeyes pull another top recruit from the South?
It’s been a bit of a whirlwind this past week for the Ohio State football coaches and their team. With a loss to Oklahoma that has sent all of Ohio into a frenzy, or so it seems, Urban Meyer and his players are eager to get back onto the field and consistently improve on both offense and defense. With week three coming tomorrow, recruiting usually takes a backseat except for visits, but with the way Ohio State targets have been in the headlines lately for both their play and their words, recruiting doesn’t seem to be slowing down on any front.
Tarquin liking what he sees
Ohio State’s offensive line recruiting in the 2018 class is nothing short of exceptional. The same can be said of their 2019 class's fast start with the commitment from West Virginia’s Doug Nester, a top-three-ranked tackle in the country. With this fast start, Ohio State has the ability to be a bit selective to who else they would like to add to the mix for their 2019 trenches.
One guy that is certainly in the mix for the Buckeyes is Michael Tarquin (Belleview, Florida/Belleview). A 6'5, 290-pound tackle, Michael grades out currently as the nineteenth-best tackle in the country as well as the 25th-best prospect at any position in the always talented state of Florida. With nearly 20 offers from schools such as Clemson, Michigan, Miami, LSU, Florida State, and Ohio State, it’s not hard to see that Tarquin is a prospect any school in the country would like to add to their respective 2019 class.
Top Florida OL @Mike_Tarquin70 had another great #OhioState visit, has #Buckeyes "extremely high" on his list FREE https://t.co/q4Fh2dgP4l
— Bill Kurelic (@Bill_Kurelic) September 14, 2017
A hot topic yesterday in the headlines, Bucknuts.com’s Bill Kurelic took the time to interview Tarquin about his most recent visit to Columbus and it looks as if all things bode well currently for Ohio State. On the other hand however, the close to home Miami Hurricanes seem to be the clear-cut leader in this recruitment. Fortunately, Urban Meyer’s ability to recruit in Florida is certainly something to pay attention to. Can Tarquin extend a long line of Florida Buckeyes? Time will only tell.
Hear Carman out?
In case you have been living under a rock this past week, Ohio State’s top recruiting targets have seemingly been in the headlines more than ever. With so much negativity regarding the Ohio State offense and their quarterback, apparently Ohio State recruits thought it was their right to voice their opinions on the matter. However, as we know in the world of the internet, once you put your thoughts out there, you can’t take them back.
Enter Fairfield, Ohio’s Jackson Carman, arguably the last of the “can’t miss” prospects in the 2018 class being an in-state guy, and you have a hot commodity to say the least. Voicing his opinion on twitter and being heard by the entire country, including alum Kirk Herbstreit, Jackson hasn’t got away with this one. Whether you agree with his opinion or not, the fact of the matter is this: Carman is not a Ohio State player at the moment and some things are better left unsaid publicly.
#OSU target @Jackthejiant on beef w/ @KirkHerbstreit why he wanted Haskins' to play & why OSU isn't a lock in recruitment @SpecSportsOH pic.twitter.com/FhkMeaXhnD
— Harrison D. Sanford (@HarrisonSanford) September 14, 2017
Whether he chooses Ohio State or not, Carman is still the top offensive tackle in the country for the 2018 class, and being from the Buckeye State, he has the coaching staff doing all they can to keep this one at home. While things will certainly be smoothed out eventually, Carman did take the time to express his feelings on the matter and try his best to make it clear what he believes. One thing he mentions over and over is the fact that Ohio State is not a lock for his pledge. Hopefully, time and the coaching staff can change that.
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Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Can the Buckeyes pull another top recruit from the South?
It’s been a bit of a whirlwind this past week for the Ohio State football coaches and their team. With a loss to Oklahoma that has sent all of Ohio into a frenzy, or so it seems, Urban Meyer and his players are eager to get back onto the field and consistently improve on both offense and defense. With week three coming tomorrow, recruiting usually takes a backseat except for visits, but with the way Ohio State targets have been in the headlines lately for both their play and their words, recruiting doesn’t seem to be slowing down on any front.
Tarquin liking what he sees
Ohio State’s offensive line recruiting in the 2018 class is nothing short of exceptional. The same can be said of their 2019 class's fast start with the commitment from West Virginia’s Doug Nester, a top-three-ranked tackle in the country. With this fast start, Ohio State has the ability to be a bit selective to who else they would like to add to the mix for their 2019 trenches.
One guy that is certainly in the mix for the Buckeyes is Michael Tarquin (Belleview, Florida/Belleview). A 6'5, 290-pound tackle, Michael grades out currently as the nineteenth-best tackle in the country as well as the 25th-best prospect at any position in the always talented state of Florida. With nearly 20 offers from schools such as Clemson, Michigan, Miami, LSU, Florida State, and Ohio State, it’s not hard to see that Tarquin is a prospect any school in the country would like to add to their respective 2019 class.
Top Florida OL @Mike_Tarquin70 had another great #OhioState visit, has #Buckeyes "extremely high" on his list FREE https://t.co/q4Fh2dgP4l
— Bill Kurelic (@Bill_Kurelic) September 14, 2017
A hot topic yesterday in the headlines, Bucknuts.com’s Bill Kurelic took the time to interview Tarquin about his most recent visit to Columbus and it looks as if all things bode well currently for Ohio State. On the other hand however, the close to home Miami Hurricanes seem to be the clear-cut leader in this recruitment. Fortunately, Urban Meyer’s ability to recruit in Florida is certainly something to pay attention to. Can Tarquin extend a long line of Florida Buckeyes? Time will only tell.
Hear Carman out?
In case you have been living under a rock this past week, Ohio State’s top recruiting targets have seemingly been in the headlines more than ever. With so much negativity regarding the Ohio State offense and their quarterback, apparently Ohio State recruits thought it was their right to voice their opinions on the matter. However, as we know in the world of the internet, once you put your thoughts out there, you can’t take them back.
Enter Fairfield, Ohio’s Jackson Carman, arguably the last of the “can’t miss” prospects in the 2018 class being an in-state guy, and you have a hot commodity to say the least. Voicing his opinion on twitter and being heard by the entire country, including alum Kirk Herbstreit, Jackson hasn’t got away with this one. Whether you agree with his opinion or not, the fact of the matter is this: Carman is not a Ohio State player at the moment and some things are better left unsaid publicly.
#OSU target @Jackthejiant on beef w/ @KirkHerbstreit why he wanted Haskins' to play & why OSU isn't a lock in recruitment @SpecSportsOH pic.twitter.com/FhkMeaXhnD
— Harrison D. Sanford (@HarrisonSanford) September 14, 2017
Whether he chooses Ohio State or not, Carman is still the top offensive tackle in the country for the 2018 class, and being from the Buckeye State, he has the coaching staff doing all they can to keep this one at home. While things will certainly be smoothed out eventually, Carman did take the time to express his feelings on the matter and try his best to make it clear what he believes. One thing he mentions over and over is the fact that Ohio State is not a lock for his pledge. Hopefully, time and the coaching staff can change that.
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Google Wojo's Pigskin Picks: Sorry UM fans, Buckeyes aren't quite dead yet - The Detroit News
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Wojo's Pigskin Picks: Sorry UM fans, Buckeyes aren't quite dead yet
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Hey, it's a natural reaction, especially with the Buckeyes getting stomped in two of their last three games. Listen. In case you haven't noticed, tired old themes tend to repeat themselves over and over again in college football, much like the themes ...
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Wojo's Pigskin Picks: Sorry UM fans, Buckeyes aren't quite dead yet
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Hey, it's a natural reaction, especially with the Buckeyes getting stomped in two of their last three games. Listen. In case you haven't noticed, tired old themes tend to repeat themselves over and over again in college football, much like the themes ...
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Google Kurelic: Elite O-tackle makes one decision on OSU; Briggs; QB's - 247Sports
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Kurelic: Elite O-tackle makes one decision on OSU; Briggs; QB's
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Since then Carroll has told me he calls the Buckeyes every week and among the coaches he talks to are Urban Meyer and Greg Studrawa. He also told me he would definitely make it to an Ohio State game this season. That happened this past weekend as ...
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Kurelic: Elite O-tackle makes one decision on OSU; Briggs; QB's
247Sports
Since then Carroll has told me he calls the Buckeyes every week and among the coaches he talks to are Urban Meyer and Greg Studrawa. He also told me he would definitely make it to an Ohio State game this season. That happened this past weekend as ...
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Google Sooners Trying to Stay Grounded After High of Win Over Buckeyes - kfor.com
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Sooners Trying to Stay Grounded After High of Win Over Buckeyes - kfor.com
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Sooners Trying to Stay Grounded After High of Win Over Buckeyes
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Oklahoma's second-ranked football team is coming off an upset of Ohio State in Columbus last Saturday. The Sooners were underdogs in that game, but they'll likely be favored in every game the rest of the regular season now. OU's players know they have ...
The Buckeyes' 31-16 loss to Oklahoma was neededScarlet and Game
JK Dobbins and Mike Weber touches, why Buckeyes can't fix defense yet: Ohio State football daily nuggetscleveland.com
Ohio State football: 5 reasons the Buckeyes will beat ArmyFactory Of Sadness
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Sooners Trying to Stay Grounded After High of Win Over Buckeyes
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Oklahoma's second-ranked football team is coming off an upset of Ohio State in Columbus last Saturday. The Sooners were underdogs in that game, but they'll likely be favored in every game the rest of the regular season now. OU's players know they have ...
The Buckeyes' 31-16 loss to Oklahoma was neededScarlet and Game
JK Dobbins and Mike Weber touches, why Buckeyes can't fix defense yet: Ohio State football daily nuggetscleveland.com
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Google OHSAA Division I Runner-up RJ Kondalski Verbally Commits to the Buckeyes - SwimSwam
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OHSAA Division I Runner-up RJ Kondalski Verbally Commits to the Buckeyes
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I have been a life-long Buckeye fan and it will be exciting to continue my swimming and studies there. Go Bucks!” Kondalski was runner-up in the 100 back (49.33) and 20th in the 200 IM at the 2017 Ohio State High School Division I Boys' Swimming and ...
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OHSAA Division I Runner-up RJ Kondalski Verbally Commits to the Buckeyes
SwimSwam
I have been a life-long Buckeye fan and it will be exciting to continue my swimming and studies there. Go Bucks!” Kondalski was runner-up in the 100 back (49.33) and 20th in the 200 IM at the 2017 Ohio State High School Division I Boys' Swimming and ...
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Ohio State WR Austin Mack cleared to return, Buckeyes still cautious with RB Mike Weber
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While play-calling and quarterback J.T. Barrett have been the biggest talking points, what's gone under the radar is the number of players who are banged up for the Buckeyes. The team received some good news on that front after practice on Wednesday ...
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Ohio State WR Austin Mack cleared to return, Buckeyes still cautious with RB Mike Weber
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While play-calling and quarterback J.T. Barrett have been the biggest talking points, what's gone under the radar is the number of players who are banged up for the Buckeyes. The team received some good news on that front after practice on Wednesday ...
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Buckeyes' offensive coordinator admits he 'was awful'
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It has taken only two games for Kevin Wilson to feel the wrath that can follow an Ohio State loss. It has taken only two games for Kevin Wilson to feel the wrath that can follow an Ohio State loss. The Buckeyes' new offensive coordinator, who has an ...
Why Ohio State Buckeyes QB J.T. Barrett needs to be more like ...ESPN
Coaches on whether Buckeyes can just run it, Mack's OK: Ohio State football daily nuggetscleveland.com
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Buckeyes' offensive coordinator admits he 'was awful'
New Philadelphia Times Reporter
It has taken only two games for Kevin Wilson to feel the wrath that can follow an Ohio State loss. It has taken only two games for Kevin Wilson to feel the wrath that can follow an Ohio State loss. The Buckeyes' new offensive coordinator, who has an ...
Why Ohio State Buckeyes QB J.T. Barrett needs to be more like ...ESPN
Coaches on whether Buckeyes can just run it, Mack's OK: Ohio State football daily nuggetscleveland.com
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Ohio State recruiting mailbag: The Buckeyes will have to make tough decisions on Jackson Carman, Micah Parsons
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Have Ohio State football recruiting questions? We've got answers. Join us every Thursday for the Land of 10 Ohio State recruiting mailbag to discuss Buckeyes recruiting. This week, official visitors return to Columbus, and with them come your questions.
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Ohio State recruiting mailbag: The Buckeyes will have to make tough decisions on Jackson Carman, Micah Parsons
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Have Ohio State football recruiting questions? We've got answers. Join us every Thursday for the Land of 10 Ohio State recruiting mailbag to discuss Buckeyes recruiting. This week, official visitors return to Columbus, and with them come your questions.
Talking Defensive Line, Wide Receiver Development and the Impact of a Loss on RecruitingEleven Warriors
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LGHL Is Urban Meyer’s Ohio State offense close to turning into “Tressel Ball”?
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Is Urban Meyer’s Ohio State offense close to turning into “Tressel Ball”?
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
After an explosive start at Ohio State career, the Buckeye offense is having trouble finding traction.
“The talk around his offense lately has Urban Ball sounding a lot like Tressel Ball.”
-Doug Lesmerises, Northeast Ohio Media Group
Many programs would be ecstatic if they had a head coach who in his sixth season with the program has posted a 62-7 record and won a national title. Ohio State isn’t most programs though, and with the recent sluggish efforts by the offense, many are finding the Ohio State offense under Urban Meyer right now as frustrating as “Tressel Ball”. While the first few years under Meyer saw the Buckeyes field one of the best offenses in the country, but the offense hasn’t quite been the same since offensive coordinator Tom Herman left for the head coaching ranks.
The good news is unlike Tressel, Meyer has at least been trying new things with his offensive coordinators. Tressel stuck with Jim Bollman as his offensive coordinator during his tenure at Ohio State, while Meyer tried to shake things up by hiring Kevin Wilson to run his offense. So far the experiment hasn’t worked, with Ohio State struggling mightily against Oklahoma. The good news for Ohio State fans is there is still time for Wilson and the Ohio State offense to regroup and contend for a national title.
What doesn’t help Ohio State is many opponents have figured out with Meyer and the Ohio State want to do. Some opposing coaches have seen little imagination from offenses under Meyer over the years, seeing it as the same type of offense as what was ran when he made a name for himself at Utah. If Ohio State wants to stay a threat in the national title race, Meyer and Wilson may have to develop a game plan, which might be a little out of Ohio State’s comfort zone, but could catch opponents off-guard.
Meyer might have to make some even more drastic changes if he hopes to salvage this season, as the offense is still dealing with some of the issues that led to their downfall last year. There are still questions at the quarterback position with J.T. Barrett, and it doesn’t help that Barrett is getting no consistency from his wide receivers. At least this isn’t the first time Meyer and Barrett have faced some adversity from an early season loss, so don’t put it past the Buckeyes to right the ship quickly.
“We use (football) as a strength. It adds so much to the university. I love picking Urban (Meyer’s) brain.”
-Ohio State men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann via Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts
After taking over for Ohio State coaching legend Thad Matta, Chris Holtmann needs all the help he can get. Not only did the former Butler coach get a late start on the transition to Ohio State after he was hired in June by the school, but he is also taking over an Ohio State team that has been trending downward over the past few years.
The new Buckeye basketball coach spoke with the media at halftime of Saturday’s night Ohio State football game against Oklahoma, and you can tell Holtmann was excited by what he saw at Ohio Stadium. Holtmann says he has invited Meyer to talk with some of the basketball recruits who were making campus visits, which also allowed Holtmann to see Meyer selling Ohio State to the recruits.
While talking with the media, Holtmann also gave a few updates on Ohio State basketball players. Holtmann confirmed sophomore Andre Wesson was medically cleared to return to the court after being out all summer. Also, Holtmann said Keita Bates-Diop was working his way back from the injuries he dealt with last season, and is Ohio State’s most versatile player. Both Bates-Diop and Wesson will be key for Ohio State this year if they want Holtmann to have a successful first season in Columbus.
Path to Title Defense Mapped Out ---> https://t.co/4BfxWMgYtq#GoBucks
— OSU Men's Volleyball (@OhioState_MVB) September 13, 2017
The two-time defending national champion Ohio State men’s volleyball team found out their 2018 regular season schedule yesterday, as they try and win their third national title in a row. After starting off the season at home against North Greenville in early January, Ohio State faces a couple of early home tests. Not only do the Buckeyes play Stanford the following weekend, Ohio State also welcomes BYU the following day. The past two seasons have seen Ohio State take down BYU in the national championship game.
Following the contests against Stanford and BYU, Ohio State heads to Los Angeles, where the 2018 NCAA Championship will be played, to take on USC and UCLA. Ohio State then opens their Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association schedule in early February when they take on Ball State.
The MIVA Tournament takes place in the middle of April, which will give the Buckeyes a final tune-up before the NCAA Tournament starts with play-in matches on either April 27th or May 1st before the NCAA semifinals take place on May 3rd and the final scheduled for May 5th. Some early tough tests should be just what Ohio State needs as they should again be in the mix to contend for another national title.
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Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
After an explosive start at Ohio State career, the Buckeye offense is having trouble finding traction.
“The talk around his offense lately has Urban Ball sounding a lot like Tressel Ball.”
-Doug Lesmerises, Northeast Ohio Media Group
Many programs would be ecstatic if they had a head coach who in his sixth season with the program has posted a 62-7 record and won a national title. Ohio State isn’t most programs though, and with the recent sluggish efforts by the offense, many are finding the Ohio State offense under Urban Meyer right now as frustrating as “Tressel Ball”. While the first few years under Meyer saw the Buckeyes field one of the best offenses in the country, but the offense hasn’t quite been the same since offensive coordinator Tom Herman left for the head coaching ranks.
The good news is unlike Tressel, Meyer has at least been trying new things with his offensive coordinators. Tressel stuck with Jim Bollman as his offensive coordinator during his tenure at Ohio State, while Meyer tried to shake things up by hiring Kevin Wilson to run his offense. So far the experiment hasn’t worked, with Ohio State struggling mightily against Oklahoma. The good news for Ohio State fans is there is still time for Wilson and the Ohio State offense to regroup and contend for a national title.
What doesn’t help Ohio State is many opponents have figured out with Meyer and the Ohio State want to do. Some opposing coaches have seen little imagination from offenses under Meyer over the years, seeing it as the same type of offense as what was ran when he made a name for himself at Utah. If Ohio State wants to stay a threat in the national title race, Meyer and Wilson may have to develop a game plan, which might be a little out of Ohio State’s comfort zone, but could catch opponents off-guard.
Meyer might have to make some even more drastic changes if he hopes to salvage this season, as the offense is still dealing with some of the issues that led to their downfall last year. There are still questions at the quarterback position with J.T. Barrett, and it doesn’t help that Barrett is getting no consistency from his wide receivers. At least this isn’t the first time Meyer and Barrett have faced some adversity from an early season loss, so don’t put it past the Buckeyes to right the ship quickly.
“We use (football) as a strength. It adds so much to the university. I love picking Urban (Meyer’s) brain.”
-Ohio State men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann via Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts
After taking over for Ohio State coaching legend Thad Matta, Chris Holtmann needs all the help he can get. Not only did the former Butler coach get a late start on the transition to Ohio State after he was hired in June by the school, but he is also taking over an Ohio State team that has been trending downward over the past few years.
The new Buckeye basketball coach spoke with the media at halftime of Saturday’s night Ohio State football game against Oklahoma, and you can tell Holtmann was excited by what he saw at Ohio Stadium. Holtmann says he has invited Meyer to talk with some of the basketball recruits who were making campus visits, which also allowed Holtmann to see Meyer selling Ohio State to the recruits.
While talking with the media, Holtmann also gave a few updates on Ohio State basketball players. Holtmann confirmed sophomore Andre Wesson was medically cleared to return to the court after being out all summer. Also, Holtmann said Keita Bates-Diop was working his way back from the injuries he dealt with last season, and is Ohio State’s most versatile player. Both Bates-Diop and Wesson will be key for Ohio State this year if they want Holtmann to have a successful first season in Columbus.
Path to Title Defense Mapped Out ---> https://t.co/4BfxWMgYtq#GoBucks
— OSU Men's Volleyball (@OhioState_MVB) September 13, 2017
The two-time defending national champion Ohio State men’s volleyball team found out their 2018 regular season schedule yesterday, as they try and win their third national title in a row. After starting off the season at home against North Greenville in early January, Ohio State faces a couple of early home tests. Not only do the Buckeyes play Stanford the following weekend, Ohio State also welcomes BYU the following day. The past two seasons have seen Ohio State take down BYU in the national championship game.
Following the contests against Stanford and BYU, Ohio State heads to Los Angeles, where the 2018 NCAA Championship will be played, to take on USC and UCLA. Ohio State then opens their Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association schedule in early February when they take on Ball State.
The MIVA Tournament takes place in the middle of April, which will give the Buckeyes a final tune-up before the NCAA Tournament starts with play-in matches on either April 27th or May 1st before the NCAA semifinals take place on May 3rd and the final scheduled for May 5th. Some early tough tests should be just what Ohio State needs as they should again be in the mix to contend for another national title.
STICK TO SPORTS
- In conjunction with Operation Buckeye, Ohio State’s Army ROTC and Office of Military and Veteran Services will be leading a service project tomorrow.
- The Midwest Connect Hyperloop is closer to becoming a reality.
- Zauber is no more, as they have rebranded to Endeavor Brewing Company.
- Yesterday it was announced that mobster movie fixture Frank Vincent passed away after complications from heart surgery.
- Even after two decades, South Park continues to amaze.
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LGHL Ohio State is heavily favored over Army, but distractions, triple option could make this...
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Ohio State is heavily favored over Army, but distractions, triple option could make this tougher
Chad Peltier via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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The numbers all point to a big Buckeye win, but that requires some strong leadership and better playcalling
So! Heck of a week. You’ve got current players, former players, media personalities, and recruits all talking about quarterback changes. There are questions about the potential for locker room divisions, and (self-)criticism of play calling and coaching.
And there’s also still a football game to play against Army. The Black Knights have wins over Fordham and Buffalo this season (Fordham was a 64-6 win!) after a stellar 8-5 season last year. As you know by now, Army runs a variant of the triple option, which Ohio State has struggled with before. So, can Ohio State put aside all of these distractions and get things back on track versus Army?
The good news — Army probably won’t pass for a ton on Ohio State.
A quick note on the stats: we’ve got new team stats pages for 2017. These don’t have most of the opponent-adjusted numbers yet (and probably won’t until week 7), so I note in the charts where I’m using 2016 numbers. The 2017 stats are not opponent-adjusted.
The only notable thing about these overall numbers is that Army has a decently high percentage of returning production on defense. A big part of that is senior linebacker Alex Aukerman, who had 7.5 sacks and 15 total tackles for loss. So far this year he has two sacks and a run stuff.
When Ohio State has the ball
S&P+: Ohio State 44, Army 11. Win percentage: 96.9%
Adj. S&P+: Ohio State by 48.7. Win percentage: 99.8
F/+: Ohio State by 32.8. Win percentage: 97.1%
Power Rank: Ohio State by 20.7. Win percentage: 92%
My Pick: Ohio State 41, Army 14
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Chad Peltier via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The numbers all point to a big Buckeye win, but that requires some strong leadership and better playcalling
So! Heck of a week. You’ve got current players, former players, media personalities, and recruits all talking about quarterback changes. There are questions about the potential for locker room divisions, and (self-)criticism of play calling and coaching.
And there’s also still a football game to play against Army. The Black Knights have wins over Fordham and Buffalo this season (Fordham was a 64-6 win!) after a stellar 8-5 season last year. As you know by now, Army runs a variant of the triple option, which Ohio State has struggled with before. So, can Ohio State put aside all of these distractions and get things back on track versus Army?
The good news — Army probably won’t pass for a ton on Ohio State.
A quick note on the stats: we’ve got new team stats pages for 2017. These don’t have most of the opponent-adjusted numbers yet (and probably won’t until week 7), so I note in the charts where I’m using 2016 numbers. The 2017 stats are not opponent-adjusted.
The only notable thing about these overall numbers is that Army has a decently high percentage of returning production on defense. A big part of that is senior linebacker Alex Aukerman, who had 7.5 sacks and 15 total tackles for loss. So far this year he has two sacks and a run stuff.
When Ohio State has the ball
- Army has a decent run defense, ranking 48th in rushing S&P+ last season, 40th in success rate this year after Fordham and Buffalo, and 47th in opportunity rate, allowing roughly a third of opponent runs to go for five or more yards. That’s pretty solid. The Buckeyes should be able to establish the run after just 16 carries for J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber last week, but they likely won’t be just running all over the Black Knights.
- Related: Dobbins has really looked stellar in two games, showing a degree of lateral quickness and short-area burst that we really haven’t seen at Ohio State. However, there’s still room for improvement for the true freshman. The Buckeyes overall have a 46.9% opportunity rate (% of 5+ yard runs), but Dobbins has just a 35.7% opportunity rate. He averages nearly twice as many highlight yards per opportunity than anyone else on the team with 6.4, so it’s clear he’s explosive, but there’s still some work to be done in terms of every-down efficiency that the Buckeye offense will need. For comparison, Mike Weber had a 42.9% opportunity rate last year and Zeke had a 45% opportunity rate in 2015.
- One of the things that’s been discussed a lot this week has been establishing an offensive identity with coherent playcalling — and setting up the inside run game until opponents counter (usually by getting out of the eight-man zones). As Ross Fulton notes, the Buckeyes have abandoned the tailback run game and have thrown on early downs, despite their inefficiency. Running isn’t setting up the pass. I’ll be looking to see whether that strategy changes against an easier defense.
- Army’s defense is worse against the pass than against the run, with a 37.8% (65th) passing success rate and ranking 100th in passing IsoPPP. That suggests that Ohio State should find some success throwing the ball, and probably some explosive pass plays this week. But I don’t know if I’d really read too much in to those numbers post-game, unless we also see changes in playcalling, a specific receiver emerge, or if Barrett’s accuracy significantly improves.
- Two other things I’ll be watching: Ohio State in the red zone and the Buckeyes’ field position. The drive stats suggest that Ohio State could have a little trouble turning red zone trips into touchdowns, with Army ranking 16th in points allowed per opponent scoring opportunity (2.67). That’s really strong. Ohio State has been solid converting scoring opportunities, at 34th and averaging 5.33 points per opportunity (which is consistent with the past two seasons), but Army’s defense definitely improves closer to their own end zone.
- So the big question here is how efficiently Army can run the ball. So far, they’ve had a 56.5% rushing success rate (12th) and a 51.8% opportunity rate (9th) — but these may be due to the level of competition, since last year they ranked 60th in rushing S&P+ despite being a triple option team. But the triple option can confuse some defenses that are under-prepared, condensing the game clock and leading to a ho-hum game overall. That’s the big worry here — that all of the distractions from the Oklahoma loss will lead to an unfocused team that didn’t sufficiently prepare for Army’s offense. Yes, Ohio State will almost assuredly win — three of the four metrics below give Ohio State above a 96.9% win probability — but the question is how good the defense looks and whether there are indications that the Buckeyes can get their season back on track.
- The very good news: the secondary should look much better this week. Through two games, Army has a total of 17 passing yards on two completions (from ten attempts). Army ranks dead-last in passing success rate. Don’t expect many sacks this week because there won’t be many passing attempts, but unless the secondary completely sleep walks, Army shouldn’t pass for more than 50 yards.
- Like the offense, I’ll also be watching how the defense performs in the red zone. So far they’ve allowed an average of 3.72 points per scoring opportunity (47th), while Army has ranked 18th in the same metric. Part of that is due to Ohio State playing two offenses whose strengths perfectly align with the Buckeyes’ weaknesses (a green secondary), but it’s worth watching out for.
- Finally, Bill has several new stats he’s tracking this season, including defensive player success rate. Here’s what he says: “For defenders, Success Rate is defined as the offense's success rate on plays in which the defender made a tackle. The lower the number, the better for the defender. On average, due to proximity to the line of scrimmage, defensive linemen will produce lower success rates than linebackers, who producer lower rates than defensive backs.” So here are the success rates for the secondary: Denzel Ward - 33.3%, Damon Webb - 60%, Jordan Fuller - 80%, Kendall Sheffielf - 81.8%, Damon Arnette - 84.6%. Erick Smith - 100%.
- Offensive passing success rate. This will be permanently on the list until the Buckeyes fix their passing game as a whole.
- J.K. Dobbins’ rushing opportunity rate. Again, not necessarily important for just beating Army, but this will be critical down the line for Ohio State’s offense to maintain its efficiency.
- Offensive redzone touchdown percentage. So far Ohio State has performed about average for the past two years, but Army’s defense has been solid closer to their own end zone.
- Defensive redzone touchdown percentage. Ohio State has been a little underwhelming in the red zone, while Army ranks 18th in maximizing scoring opportunities.
S&P+: Ohio State 44, Army 11. Win percentage: 96.9%
Adj. S&P+: Ohio State by 48.7. Win percentage: 99.8
F/+: Ohio State by 32.8. Win percentage: 97.1%
Power Rank: Ohio State by 20.7. Win percentage: 92%
My Pick: Ohio State 41, Army 14
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