Kurelic: LIVE with 5-star Harrison in action; top DB talks OSU - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Kurelic: LIVE with 5-star Harrison in action; top DB talks OSU
247Sports
The Buckeyes have seen Harrison play in-person this season. Urban Meyer was in attendance when Orange defeated Columbus Watterson in week two of the season. Meyer's son plays for Watterson. That is the game Harrison went down with the injury in ...
Maryland women's soccer falls, 2-0, at home vs. Ohio StateThe Diamondback

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Bovada: Ohio State maintains third best National Championship odds
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Good news, though: The Buckeyes’ odds improved since last week.

Going into another primetime showdown, the Ohio State Buckeyes have the third best odds to win the national championship, according to Bovada. The online sportsbook has the Scarlet and Gray sitting at 15-to-2 odds to win the College Football Playoff National Championship. Throughout the week, those odds have stayed the same.

The same can’t be said for the team with the best odds, the Alabama Crimson Tide. Entering Monday, Nick Saban’s squad had 5-to-4 odds to win the title, however, as of Thursday evening, those odds went longer to 6-to-5. While the runner-ups to the title last season saw their odds get a tad longer, they’ve been hovering around the same area code. (On Oct. 2, ‘Bama had 7-to-5 odds.)

Once again, the Clemson Tigers have the second best odds in the FBS, coming in with 15-to-4 for the second week.

Below are the 10 teams with the best odds to win the whole enchilada:


In the race for the Heisman, Saquon Barkley still leads the pack with 5-to-4 odds. Those odds are the same as they were on Oct. 2.

Someone who doesn’t have the same odds as they did on Oct. 2: Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield. The Oct. 2 odds for Mayfield, who planted the OU flag at the 50-yard line after beating OSU in Columbus, were 9-to-4. After losing at home to Iowa State (and having a flag planted at their place), Mayfield’s odds took a hit, going to 13-to-4. Even with that loss, Mayfield still holds the second best odds—but Barkley’s holds a wider margin against the field.

For Ohio State, QB J.T. Barrett and running back J.K. Dobbins are on the Heisman odds board for another week. Barrett, who threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns last week against Maryland, saw his odds go up to 28-to-1. The week prior, the all-time OSU passing leader had 33-to-1 odds of bringing home the Heisman. Inversely, Dobbin saw his odds get longer, as he moved from 50-to-1 odds to 75-to-1 odds.

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Billy Price full video: Center is willing to do anything to win - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Billy Price full video: Center is willing to do anything to win
247Sports
And more. What's next for the Buckeyes? Make sure you're in the loop -- take five seconds to sign up for our FREE Buckeyes newsletter now! Penn State Photo Gallery: Game Day Feel From NorthwesternStart SlideShow · Want the latest scoops and news on ...


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Ohio State’s offense has found their recent success by keeping it simple
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Less has been more for the Buckeyes during their four-game winning streak

“Put the ball down and go play. Quit thinking so much, because the minute you start thinking, you start playing slow. That’s when defenses have the upper hand.”

Ohio State center Billy Price via Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch


Sometimes simple is better. Just ask the Ohio State offense, since they have been thriving since simplifying things following the loss to Oklahoma. In the four games since the loss to the Sooners, Ohio State is averaging 52.5 points per game. What has helped Ohio State to find so much success on offense is the usage of more run-pass option plays.

Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson admits the Ohio State offense is complicated, but what he has been trying to do following the loss to Oklahoma is to remove the “clutter”, as he calls it. Wilson realizes that what slows a play down the most is when he has to think, and because of that he is working to simplify things.

So far the adjustments have worked, but it remains to be seen if the Buckeyes will be able to find the same success when they line up against Penn State, Michigan State, or Michigan, but at least Ohio State is working in the right direction to putting together a gameplan that could help them make it back to the College Football Playoff.

“I’m excited. I love a good hostile environment. Even though we lost, Penn State was pretty cool last year. Wisconsin was really cool. It’s just cool seeing so many fans wearing the same thing and going crazy.”

Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa via David Jablonski, Dayton Daily News


It might not quite have the mystique as in years past, but plenty of Ohio State players are excited to head to Lincoln for the atmosphere on Saturday night. The Buckeyes are more than three touchdown favorites over the Cornhuskers, but there’s no doubt the Nebraska fans will make themselves known at Memorial Stadium.

Saturday night’s game will mark just the second time ever the Buckeyes have made the trip to Lincoln. In 2011, Ohio State jumped out to a big first half lead, but they couldn’t make it stick, with Nebraska winning 34-27. Joe Bauserman decided the game needed some fan participation, as he threw numerous footballs into the crowd.

Ohio State will be hoping for a little better result than the last time they had to deal with a raucous crowd on the road in primetime game. Last year Ohio State slipped up against Penn State, and if the Buckeyes want to keep this year’s tilt with the Nittany Lions as a marquee game, they’ll need to add to Nebraska’s misery this year. The Buckeyes should be able to handle everything Nebraska and their fans throw at them, but at least it’ll give them some more experience on venturing into enemy territory for the rest of the season.

“I think he has a slight trust in me now. Come practice, we work on that all the time. Come the game, it comes easy because we work on it throughout the week. Come gametime, we’ve got to make it happen every week.”

Ohio State wide receiver Binjimen Victor via Tim Bielik, Northeast Ohio Media Group


Ohio State has a new target in the redzone and his name is Binjimen Victor. The sophomore wide receiver has four touchdown receptions this season, and all but one of those touchdown catches has come from inside the 20-yard line. The only touchdown from Victor that was longer than 20 yards came against Rutgers, where Victor was on the receiving end of a 23-yard touchdown from J.T. Barrett.

At 6-foot-4, Victor is an easy target inside the redzone for Barrett to try and find. With each week Victor not only is getting better, but his chemistry with Barrett becomes even stronger. The scary part about Victor as a wide receiver, is he still has plenty of room to improve. The Florida native is still pretty raw as a wide receiver, which is why he hasn’t seen more balls thrown his way. Also, Victor could add some weight to his frame, which would make him even harder for defenders to handle.

The wide receiver even knows that he isn’t where he wants to be right now, but if he is already this good then the Big Ten could be in trouble over the next few years. Victor has everything that teams are looking for as a wide receiver, he just has to put all the pieces together.

“The NCAA, there’s a couple of good guys, but internationally there’s still some guys that can wrestle pretty hard with me, and I want to compete against them and that’s where you learn the most about yourself.”

Ohio State wrestler Kyle Snyder via Jeff Helfrich, The Lantern


What more is left for Kyle Snyder to do? The Buckeye is already a NCAA champion, world champion, and Olympic champion. All those accomplishments and he is only just 21 years old. Now as Snyder preps for the 2020 Olympics, he is trying to challenge himself as much as possible.

Snyder is planning to not only wrestle at Ohio State this year, but he will also be a part of the World Wrestling Clubs Cup in December, as well as the Ivan Yarygin Memorial Grand Prix in Russia at the end of January. Unlike other sports, Snyder can take part in these classics because it won’t hurt Ohio State’s standing all that much when it comes to the NCAA Tournament.

Snyder isn’t the only Buckeye who will compete overseas this year, as junior Joey McKenna will be a part of the United States Under-23 World Team, which will compete in Poland in November. While Snyder is already at the top of his game, the experience will only help McKenna the rest of the season, as Ohio State looks to add another national title to their trophy case.

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Can Tanner Lee and 2 dynamic receivers exploit Ohio State’s secondary?
Chad Peltier via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Nebraska would probably need to catch a few breaks to pull an upset, but the Huskers are still a pretty talented team.

Ohio State meets Nebraska riding a four-game high where the offense has been incredibly explosive, the passing game has shown real development, and the defense has been shut-down enough to allow second- and third-string players to get significant playtime.


A couple of things about Nebraska’s total stats right off the bat. First, Nebraska was second-to-last in the country in returning offensive production from last season. Mike Riley’s having a tough year but honestly 73rd in offensive S&P+ seems much more reasonable when you see how little the Cornhuskers returned on that side of the ball. They were 122nd in overall returning production from a year ago.

And if you’re going to lose that much production, then you’d better have an extremely high talent base to compensate (like Ohio State’s secondary has for the past three seasons). The Cornhuskers are 29th in overall talent according to the composite 247 rankings, but their blue chip ratio is still just a little over a quarter of Ohio State’s.

Finally, the Cornhuskers have struggled with interceptions this season, accounting for their poor turnover margin.

When Ohio State has the ball

• Nebraska’s opponent-adjusted stats are much better than their un-adjusted defensive rankings this year — 35th in overall defensive S&P+ compared to rushing and passing success rates ranked 87th and 116th. Going by the defensive S&P+ percentile performances, the Huskers have had three really solid games and three really poor games. Against Arkansas State, Oregon, and Wisconsin, their percentile performances were 37%, 8%, and 30%, while they were 82% and higher in the other three games against Northern Illinois, Rutgers, and Illinois. You get the sense that Ohio State is highly likely to fall into the first group of teams rather than the second.
• Ohio State has been a top-5 rushing offense this year (as we’ve come to expect under Meyer), ranking 2nd, 4th, and 2nd in rushing success rate, opportunity rate, and stuff rate, meaning that the Buckeyes’ run plays are efficient about 58% of the time, gain at least 5 yards roughly half the time, and are stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage about once in every ten runs. Nebraska has been one of the 25 worst defenses in rushing opportunity rate and in stuff rate, meaning that we’re likely to see some pretty efficient running once again. The one saving grace is that Nebraska is at least average in preventing big runs — ranking 48th in IsoPPP and allowing just 6 runs this year of 20+ yards (Ohio State has allowed 9). They don’t allow a ton of big runs, but they also rarely create negative plays and often allow 5+ yard plays. That perfectly matches Ohio State’s offensive rushing profile, suggesting we’ll see a lot of 5-12ish yard runs against the Huskers.
• J.K. Dobbins is averaging 1.3 yards per carry more, 1.3 highlight yards per carry more, and +1.6% opportunity rate more than Zeke did in 2015, but is on track for about 60% of his total carries that year.
• Ohio State has been throwing the ball a little more often the last few weeks — partly to work on the passing game, but also because it’s worked extremely well. In fact, the Buckeyes are 98th in standard downs run rate (but 38th in passing downs run rate), which shows that Ohio State throws the ball on early downs more often than most other teams, but then runs on later downs (because the Buckeyes have been successful on standard downs, ranking 4th in overall standard downs success rate). With Nebraska ranking 116th in passing success rate, expect to see more of the same from Ohio State in terms of run-pass balance.
• Like Nebraska’s run defense, their pass defense is poor in success rate but solid at limiting big plays (ranking 13th in passing IsoPPP and only allowing 11 passing plays of 20+ yards, 13th).

When Nebraska has the ball

• Everyone had high expectations for quarterback Tanner Lee this offseason. While the passing game hasn’t lived up to the hype set by some Nebraska fans, Lee has been fine — especially given the extremely low returning offensive production mentioned earlier. The passing game is 83rd in success rate, averaging 6.3 yards per pass, with Lee throwing ten interceptions on 202 attempts.
• There’s a very clear top receiver in junior Stanley Morgan Jr., with 27% of targets and 510 yards (17 yards/catch). De'Mornay Pierson-El is another strong option, and a few others have chipped in, including freshman JD Spielman and tight end Tyler Hoppes. With Arnette suspended for the first half and Okudah likely receiving the majority of his playing time, the first half especially might be a challenge for Ohio State’s pass defense. At least Nebraska does have multiple receiving options outside of Morgan Jr. to potentially target Ohio State’s backups in the secondary (alternatively, Okudah turns out to be every bit as good as he’s looked and was rated as a recruit, and we hardly notice Arnette’s absence). The passing game is really how Nebraska would pull an upset here: not throw interceptions, get a lead going into halftime while the Ohio State secondary is a little undermanned, and get some explosive plays from Morgan Jr. and Pierson-El.
• The Nebraska offensive line has been pretty solid in pass protection — Lee’s only taken 8 total sacks, and they rank 36th and 35th in standard and passing downs sack rates. Ohio State is first in the country in defensive line havoc rate, fifth in overall havoc rate, and 16th in sacks per game though, so I’d bet on Lee experiencing more pressure than usual. And like we mentioned before, Lee’s interceptions have been a problem for the Huskers this year — he threw four against Oregon and three against Northern Illinois (but only one to Wisconsin, so there’s progress). Multiple interceptions, forced by significant defensive line pressure and Ohio State’s evolving coverage patterns, would allow this game to get out of hand.
• The Nebraska run game isn’t much to write home about, ranking in the 70s in success rate, opportunity rate, and stuff rate. Like most of Ohio State’s opponents, negative plays will be the big concern here, as the Nebraska offensive line allows twice as many stuffed runs as Ohio State’s does (at 20.2% of runs), while the Buckeyes defensive line is 10th in the country in stuff rate. Devine Ozigbo has been solid, rushing for over 100 yards on 18+ carries per game, after not playing the first two games. Mikale Wilbon and Tre Bryant have gotten injured, with Wilbon missing the Wisconsin game and Bryant missing the last four after a stellar debut to the season. Wilbon looks closer to returning than Bryant, based on recent practice reports. They’re all pretty similar backs in terms of the advanced stats, averaging a little under 5 yards per carry (Bryant was 5.9), around 4.2 highlight yards per opportunity, and under a 40% opportunity rate (Bryant was at 49%). Ozigbo is a bigger back, at 6’0 and 230 pounds, but both Michael Hill and, importantly, Dre’Mont Jones are expected to return for Ohio State’s defensive line this week.
• One underrated set of stats: starting field position and finishing drives. Ohio State has been just average in terms of passing success rate this year (though improving!), ranking 49th because of the first two bad games against Indiana and Oklahoma. But the defense as a whole has been pretty incredible in non-garbage time largely because opposing offenses are often forced into extremely long drives (Ohio State ranks 4th in defensive average starting field position), and then even if they do get into the OSU red zone, the defense only allows 2.96 points per scoring opportunity (7th overall). Nebraska is 87th in starting field position and 63rd finishing drives, averaging 4.58 points per scoring opportunity.
• There are four big reasons for Ohio State’s great average starting field position. The first is that the offense rarely goes three-and-out. We don’t have FEI offensive stats until next week to give Ohio State’s actual first down rate, but they are ranked highly in both total first downs/game and in fewest total punts. Second, Ohio State rarely turns the ball over, with J.T. throwing just one interception all year. Third, Drue Chrisman is averaging a solid 42.6 yards per punt. Fourth, Ohio State’s kickoff return strategy works for the most part -- usually allowing opponents to return a kick results in worse starting field position for the opposing offense. Ohio State has more opponent kickoff returns than any team in the country with 40 (ultra-conservative Jimbo Fisher’s Florida State has allowed only 6!). And yes, it’s a riskier strategy because sometimes you allow a kickoff return touchdown, most of the time the kickoff coverage team significantly helps the defense through field position.

The 3 most important stats

1. Nebraska’s passing success rate. As J.T.’s passing success rate has improved over the last four weeks, the OSU secondary has become the biggest question mark for the 2017 Buckeyes.
2. Ohio State’s havoc rate. The defensive line should create a lot of stuffed runs. But if they can also pressure Lee and force an interception or two then that would be huge.
3. J.K. Dobbins’ rushing opportunity rate. Nebraska’s run defense especially struggled last week against Wisconsin, allowing freshman Jonathan Taylor to run for 249 yards on 25 carries. Can Dobbins similarly run wild despite getting probably half as many opportunities?

Picks

• S&P+: Ohio State 38, Nebraska 17. 89.5% winning percentage
• F/+: Ohio State by 15.7. 81.8% winning percentage
• Adj. S&P+: Ohio State by 18.6. 85.8% winning percentage
• Power Rank: Ohio State by 14.5. 85% winning percentage
• My pick: Ohio State 48, Nebraska 14

Here’s how the picks have performed to date vs. the actual margin of victory.

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Ohio State recruiting mailbag: Wide receivers, defensive linemen and quarterbacks, oh my - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State recruiting mailbag: Wide receivers, defensive linemen and quarterbacks, oh my
Landof10.com
Have Ohio State football recruiting questions? We've got answers. Join us every Thursday for the Land of 10 Ohio State recruiting mailbag. This week, we talk about whether the Buckeyes offering new wideouts will impact Kamryn Babb's recruitment and ...
Big Ten spotlight returns to Lincoln for Buckeyes-HuskersNews & Observer
Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers Preview and PredictionAthlonSports.com
Buckeyes expect 'hostile environment' at NebraskaMyDaytonDailyNews
Waiting For Next Year -Land-Grant Holy Land -Bleacher Report
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Oklahoma looks to rebound in the Red River Showdown in Week 7’s national 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


After losing to Iowa State last week, the Sooners will look to avoid two straight regular season losses for the first time since 1999.

Last week ATS: 7-5 (4-2 National, 3-3 B1G)

Season ATS: 47-38-1 (18-13 National, 29-25-1 B1G)

Another positive week is in the books for MC&J. Things were looking pretty ugly early, especially with Northwestern and Vanderbilt forgetting to show up on Saturday, but results improved as the day went on. Hopefully another strong week is on tap, so we can put even more distance on .500.

National games (All games Saturday unless otherwise noted):


No. 8 Washington State (-14) v. California - Friday 10/13 10:30 PM EST - ESPN

This could be the year Washington State does something special. The Cougars have been known for their offense in the past, but this year they have added some defense to the mix. Last week the Cougars held Oregon to just 10 points in Eugene, and they could have another strong outing against a Cal team that is really struggling to move the football.

Cal has lost three straight games, with the last of those being a 38-7 loss to Washington in Seattle on Saturday. The Golden Bears have scored just 51 points over the past three games. New head coach Justin Wilcox could mix things up a little on offense, but Washington State isn’t the team you want be experimenting against.

Luke Falk has thrown 19 touchdowns through six games, and he’ll likely add at least another three or four touchdowns to that total on Friday night. Cal has been better defensively than in years past, but their offense is too much of a mess to even trust them to cover a two touchdown spread at home.

Washington State 47, California 24

No. 6 TCU (-6) v. Kansas State - 12:00 PM EST - FS1

Last week TCU was tested in Fort Worth by West Virginia, but the Horned Frogs were able to remain undefeated, beating the Mountaineers 31-24. Now Gary Patterson’s team will have to navigate a trip to “The Little Apple”. Since joining the Big 12, TCU lost in Manhattan in 2012, and in 2014 earned a 52-45 win.

While Kenny Hill continues to power the TCU offense through the air, the running game got a boost last week with the return of Kyle Hicks. After missing the Oklahoma State game, the senior running back returned from injury to rush for a team-high 71 yards against West Virginia. The combination of Hicks and Darius Anderson could take some pressure off of Hill as the Horned Frogs look to stay undefeated.

Kansas State under Bill Snyder is always a strange team. The Wildcats don’t have anybody who is going to wow you with their stats, but they are always a tough team to beat, especially in Manhattan. Senior quarterback Jesse Ertz will give the Wildcats the leadership they need to spring the upset on TCU.

Kansas State 30, TCU 27

No. 12 Oklahoma (-8) v. Texas - 3:30 PM EST - ESPN

Remember that time Oklahoma lost in Norman to Iowa State? Well you should, because it happened less than a week ago. The Sooners will head into the Red River Showdown all sorts of pissed off after the embarrassing loss to the Cyclones.

Texas is coming off a 40-34 win in double overtime over Kansas State, and it is looking like Tom Herman has a least some pieces in place in Austin. The Longhorns aren’t going to be in the thick of the national title hunt this year, but at least they are entertaining. It looks like Texas has settled on Sam Ehlinger at quarterback, and the quarterback matchup with Baker Mayfield on Saturday afternoon could be all kinds of fun.

Even though both schools have new head coaches, both Tom Herman and Lincoln Riley are familiar with the Red River Showdown. The injection of the young head coaches should only add to a series that has seen each of the last three meetings decided by a touchdown or less. Oklahoma avoids a second straight loss, but Texas makes them earn the victory.

Oklahoma 38, Texas 35

No. 10 Auburn (-7) v. LSU - 3:30 PM EST - CBS

As weird as LSU-Florida was last weekend, I’m sure Auburn-LSU is trying to find ways to top it. Just a month ago Auburn barely held off Mercer, but since then the Tigers have been a finely tuned destruction machine, scoring at least 44 points in each of their last three games. Running back Kerryon Johnson has been a beast during that stretch, rushing for 368 yards and 11 touchdowns.

LSU was able to relieve a little bit of the scrutiny that surrounded head coach Ed Orgeron, but it only feels like a matter of time before the Tigers lay another egg and the heat is back on Coach O. After rushing for 100 yards in each of the first two games, injuries have slowed running back Derrius Guice since, and Saturday will be no different, as Guice is expected to be limited.

Auburn’s only loss this year was by just a touchdown to Clemson. Unlike that contest against the Tigers at Death Valley, Gene Chizik’s team won’t leave this Death Valley without a win against these Tigers. With a win over Missouri a few weeks ago, and now this win over LSU, Auburn proves they are the kings of the Tigers in the SEC.

Auburn 28, LSU 17

Georgia Tech v. No. 11 Miami (FL) (-6) - 3:30 PM EST - ABC

I’ll keep this one short: Miami is coming off a huge win against Florida State, snapping a seven-game losing streak to the Seminoles. The Hurricanes are in for a letdown, especially with the news running back Mark Walton will have season-ending ankle surgery. Now all Miami has to do to stay undefeated is slow a Georgia Tech option attack that is averaging nearly 400 yards per game on the ground. Good luck with that.

Georgia Tech 31, Miami (FL) 23

Utah v. No. 13 USC (-13) - 8:00 PM EST - ABC

The Utes did a tremendous job at holding Bryce Love in check last week, limiting the running back to just 69 yards on the ground. (Nice.) The defensive effort wasn’t enough though, as Utah’s dreams of an undefeated season were dashed by Stanford. Now the Utes head to Los Angeles, where they haven’t beaten USC since 1916.

After losing to Washington State two weeks ago, USC had an easy layup last week against Oregon State. The Trojans know they have to be perfect the rest of the way to have any shot at making the College Football Playoff. Quarterback Sam Darnold hasn’t helped his draft stock this year, but there is still plenty of time for the junior to impress. Last week Darnold passed for over 300 yards and three touchdowns against the Beavers, and he’ll be looking to build on that performance.

While USC has a clear-cut quarterback, Utah isn’t quite so lucky. Tyler Huntley is still dinged up from an injury he suffered against Arizona, and if he can’t play, Troy Williams will get another start. No matter who starts for the Utes, I don’t think it’ll matter much, as they won’t be able to keep up with Darnold and the USC offense.

USC 38, Utah 21

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Ohio State football podcast: Buckeyes defense is ready for prime time - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football podcast: Buckeyes defense is ready for prime time
Landof10.com
Ohio State's upcoming game against Nebraska on Saturday, as well as whether Cornhuskers quarterback Tanner Lee will pose a threat to the Buckeyes defense. Improvement by the Ohio State linebackers and the emergence of freshmen Tuf Borland while ...
Scouting Ohio State: Breaking down the BuckeyesLincoln Journal Star
Ohio State preview: Powerhouse Buckeyes experiencing 'Pete Carroll effect' with Urban MeyerOmaha World-Herald (blog)
Trevon Grimes taking leave from Ohio State football program ...cleveland.com
Mansfield News Journal -247Sports -The Columbus Dispatch
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Husker Extra podcast: Are moral victories enough? Breaking Buckeyes and game predictions - Lincoln Journal Star
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Husker Extra podcast: Are moral victories enough? Breaking Buckeyes and game predictions
Lincoln Journal Star
Fans and cheerleaders celebrate as Nebraska safety Aaron Williams (24) leaps into the end zone after intecerpting a pass from Wisconsin quarterback Alex Hornibrook at the Badgers' 14-yard line to tie the game at 17-17 in the third quarter on Saturday ...


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#16 Terps Host #25 Buckeyes Friday - UMTerps.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


#16 Terps Host #25 Buckeyes Friday
UMTerps.com
Friday's matchup with the Buckeyes will be Maryland's Alumni game with all alumni invited back. The Terrapins will also honor all NCAA, Big Ten and ACC Champions on the field at halftime. Friday is the Terps' PRIDE Game and all Pride members are ...

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Ohio State making a move for 4-star WR and Tennessee pledge Alontae Taylor - Land-Grant Holy Land
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State making a move for 4-star WR and Tennessee pledge Alontae Taylor
Land-Grant Holy Land
Head coach Urban Meyer and the rest of the Buckeye coaching staff have done a tremendous job at stockpiling offensive talent thus far in this year's recruiting class. The Scarlet and Gray have reeled in pledges from every group on that side of the ball.
Ohio State Defense Leads the Way, Offense Rolling, and Luke Fickell Relives Nebraska NightmareEleven Warriors

all 3 news articles »

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B1G Number Crunching: Week 7
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

It's time to crank up the Number Cruncher again to prep for Week 7, courtesy of the BTN Stats Guys!

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Ohio State’s front seven pressure will present problems for Nebraska’s Tanner Lee
Christopher Jason via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Tanner Lee possesses NFL traits, but lacks in key areas.

When a collegiate quarterback stands at 6’4, 220 lbs and possesses plus-arm strength, the NFL scouts will toss around cliches and the buzz will likely be blown out of proportion. Scouts hear of a small school quarterback transferring to a Power 5 conference who possesses “all the tools” and one can only imagine the excitement.

Tanner Lee played two lackluster seasons at Tulane, highlighted by his sophomore season where he threw 11 touchdowns to seven interceptions, while completing only 52 percent of his passes. After getting dismantled behind a horrific offensive line, he decided to transfer to Nebraska with the hopes of taking over for Tommy Armstrong Jr. During his transfer season, he lit it up on the Nebraska scout team and was rewarded with Scout Team Offensive MVP honors.

In the spring of 2017 he was even better; dominating spring ball and having scouts from all over mentioning his name.

“The hype over the summer was almost out of control,” Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller told Land of 10. “After Week 1 — and I was at the Iowa game so I didn’t get a chance to watch Nebraska live — but on my way home, an NFL scout texted me, ‘The next Carson Wentz or Mitch Trubisky might be pretty close to you. You need to go check him out.’ I was like, ‘Wait, who are you talking about?’ And he said, ‘The Nebraska kid. Everyone is raving about him.’ I said I would check him out and then he threw seven interceptions in the next two games.”

After throwing for two touchdowns and completing 59 percent of his passes in the opener against Arkansas State, Lee struggled. He went on to throw four interceptions in a loss to Oregon, then followed up with three more interceptions in another loss against Northern Illinois.

“It’s crazy because there was so much buzz about him and people were really excited, but he just dropped off so hard,” Miller said.

After sort of finding his groove most recently against both Illinois and Wisconsin, Lee sits right around where he was statistically at Tulane. He’s thrown 11 touchdowns (averaged 11.5 at Tulane) to 10 interceptions (averaged 10.5 at Tulane) and has completed 54 percent of his passes (53.4 percent at Tulane). He will probably double his average pass attempts this season, but his TD:INT ratio and averages will be roughly the same. It seems like even though Tanner Lee possesses great traits and really flashes at times... he is what he is.

So what is he?

The Good


As noted, Lee has the tools that make NFL scouts drool. His arm strength is off the charts and he has the ability to make plays downfield. Below, he shows off his great mechanics and hits his receiver in stride with the ball traveling roughly 48-yards through the air. This is the type of throw Buckeye fans have been waiting for from J.T. Barrett.



Here is another example of his elite downfield accuracy -- aided by an excellent catch by his receiver.


Not only does he have the downfield arm strength, but he also possesses a quick release. This is an excellent throw under pressure, which shows off his quick release and his arm strength to hit his receiver on an out pattern and off his back foot. This is an NFL quality throw from the far hash.

The Bad


Even though Lee has shown that he can make the tough throw under pressure (above), he still struggles under pressure and makes extremely poor decisions. It has to be frustrating to be a Huskers fan since Lee flashes the highest potential, then succumbs to these sort of errors.

Below, Lee saw the pressure and decided to throw the ball anyway to an unfinished route. The QB has to be smarter here and eat the sack, or throw the ball away.


There’s no explanation for this throw. Lee was looking to the middle of the field where there were about four Northern Illinois defenders and just tried to zip the ball over the linebacker. Poor field awareness.


Northern Illinois got two free shots on Lee from his front side. Obviously this is an awful look from the right tackle, but it’s also on Lee’s inability to feel pressure from the front side. He needs to sense the pressure or see it, and make a quick decision.


As seen above, Lee, like most quarterbacks, runs into trouble when facing pressure. This will be a major problem against Ohio State’s terrorizing defensive line, and they’ll be the key on Saturday night. They should be able to get pressure with four, or they could bring a linebacker to make Lee even more uncomfortable. He has a tendency to throw off his back foot when he senses pressure, rather than moving around in the pocket — if he even senses the pressure. The “match the hand” drill will be in full effect on Saturday night.


It would be a safe to predict at least two interceptions — and a possible Pick-6 — that stems from pressure. Get after Lee early, and watch the mistakes pile up.

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BM5: Wilftong on Emory Jones vs. Jarren Williams - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


BM5: Wilftong on Emory Jones vs. Jarren Williams
247Sports
Know this: When we get a chance to talk quarterback recruiting, that's a chance we're going to take. Ohio State has a commitment from Georgia quarterback Emory Jones. But Jones is looking around at places like Alabama. Kentucky has a commitment from ...


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Ohio State making a move for 4-star WR and Tennessee pledge Alontae Taylor
Bret Favachio via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes are swooping in and hoping to make a big flip.

Ohio State after Tennessee WR commit


Head coach Urban Meyer and the rest of the Buckeye coaching staff have done a tremendous job at stockpiling offensive talent thus far in this year's recruiting class. The Scarlet and Gray have reeled in pledges from every group on that side of the ball. With that being said, they do only have one true wide receiver committed to the program thus far, and that is WR L’Christian “Blue” Smith of Wayne (OH), who verballed to Ohio State back in August.

Perhaps that’s why the Buckeyes sent out an offer to ‘18 WR Alontae Taylor of Coffee County Central (TN) on Wednesday. The 6'0, 182-pounder is currently committed to Butch Jones and Tennessee, and has been since June of 2016. The timing is interesting because other programs like Notre Dame and Wake Forest have also offered the Volunteer State prospect in recent days. Does that mean Taylor is openly looking at other options and isn’t set on his commitment to Tennessee? We shall see.


Either way, Taylor is a four-star prospect and an Under Armour All-American. The Manchester, Tennessee native finds himself just outside of the Top 150 best players in the class (151). However, he is graded as a top 30 wide receiver overall and the fourth-best player in the state of Tennessee.

We will see if things between the two parties begin to gain traction. The best way to ultimately make that happen is if the Buckeyes are able to get the blue-chip prospect on campus for a visit.

One player that is still widely expected to become a Buckeye when it’s time for the ink to hit the paper is ‘18 WR Kamryn Babb of Christian Brothers College (MO). The 6'1, 189-pounder is a long-time target of Ohio State and will likely remain one. We will see if the new offers going out to 2018 wide receivers are more of the Buckeyes hoping to add three prospects to Zach Smith’s room or if perhaps there has been some sort of shakeup with the recruitment of Babb.

Cine grabs Buckeye offer


Taylor wasn’t the lone offer that went out from Ohio State on Wednesday. The other recipient was ‘19 safety Lewis Cine of Everett (MA).


Cine is a 6'2, 180-pounder that has plenty of high-profile offers to his name thus far. The Buckeyes joined Florida, Louisville, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State, Wisconsin and more when they dropped an offer to the four-star prospect yesterday.

At this time, Cine is currently expected to be Big Ten bound. If you take a look at the 247Sports Crystal Ball for the defensive back, the predictions are split amongst three teams — the Badgers, the Nittany Lions, and the Wolverines.

Can the Buckeyes jump into the picture here? Well, they certainly have the time and I’m sure the defensive staff would love to get somebody like Cine in Columbus. Cine, at this time, is a high four-star prospect and falls just outside of the top 50 overall in his class. As expected, he is the highest graded player from the state of Massachusetts, but furthermore, he is the fifth-best safety that the class has to offer.

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Big Ten spotlight returns to Lincoln for Buckeyes-Huskers - News & Observer
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Big Ten spotlight returns to Lincoln for Buckeyes-Huskers
News & Observer
Ohio State at Nebraska. The good news for the Cornhuskers is that they get to play a night game in Lincoln for a second straight week. The bad news is that they have to face another Top 10 team. The ninth-ranked Buckeyes have outclassed their last two ...
Mutual trust is paying off in big way for the BuckeyesMansfield News Journal
Buckeyes hype video: Nebraska247Sports
Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers Odds, College ...Bleacher Report
Corn Nation -Land-Grant Holy Land -The News Tribune
all 67 news articles »

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Big Ten spotlight returns to Lincoln for Buckeyes-Huskers - Washington Post
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Big Ten spotlight returns to Lincoln for Buckeyes-Huskers
Washington Post
The ninth-ranked Buckeyes have outclassed their last two Big Ten foes, Rutgers and Maryland, by a combined 118-14. They're averaging about 283 yards rushing in that span, having scored nine touchdowns on the ground. A wins allows Ohio State to keep ...
Buckeyes hype video: Nebraska247Sports
Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers Odds, College ...Bleacher Report
Reviewing An Ohio State University Football TeamCorn Nation
Land-Grant Holy Land -WOWT -The News Tribune
all 69 news articles »

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Kurelic: A top athlete to see OSU; Buckeye, Bama QB dominos - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Kurelic: A top athlete to see OSU; Buckeye, Bama QB dominos
247Sports
While Gordon will attend the Ohio State-Penn State game as a basketball recruit, he remains interested in the Buckeyes for football too. Gordon is a 4-star prospect in the 247Sports rankings. He is the country's No. 143 overall 2019 prospect, the No ...


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Ohio State recruiting: Buckeyes will see Georgia DB on campus soon; an offer in Tennessee - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State recruiting: Buckeyes will see Georgia DB on campus soon; an offer in Tennessee
Landof10.com
Recruiting never stops, and if you take a day off, you fall behind. Join us every night for a daily recap of Ohio State recruiting news, insight on what's happening behind the scenes, and for a glimpse at what's coming next.
Hoops & Scoops | Buckeyes busy on the recruiting trailThe Columbus Dispatch
Men's Soccer: Ohio State falls 1-0 to OaklandOSU - The Lantern
Ohio State Offers Massachusetts Safety Lewis Cine While North Carolina Defensive End Savion Jackson Trims ListEleven Warriors
Land-Grant Holy Land
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Watch: Bosa admits he did not know play on his strip sack - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Watch: Bosa admits he did not know play on his strip sack
247Sports
It took six games but Nick Bosa and Jerome Baker helped the Buckeyes finally cross that goal off their list. On Maryland's third play from scrimmage, Bosa came off the left edge and knocked the ball away from Terrapins quarterback Max Bortenschlager ...
Nick Bosa puts up big numbers for Buckeyes despite sharing loadMyDaytonDailyNews
Is Nick Bosa as good as Joey Bosa yet? Buckeye Talk Podcast ...cleveland.com
One snap at a time, Nick Bosa developing into a major force at Ohio ...Landof10.com

all 8 news articles »

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Scouting Ohio State: Breaking down the Buckeyes - Lincoln Journal Star
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Scouting Ohio State: Breaking down the Buckeyes
Lincoln Journal Star
The Buckeyes lead the Big Ten in total offense, passing offense and scoring offense while ranking fourth, 14th and fourth nationally in those three categories. Ohio State is also 18th in the country in rushing offense, averaging a tick over 245 yards ...
Huskers Look to Slow Down BuckeyesKTIC
Trevon Grimes' Instagram post hints he's staying at Ohio State247Sports
Urban Meyer sounds off about Ohio State's numerous Big Ten road night gamesLandof10.com
ESPN (press release) (blog) -Eleven Warriors
all 24 news articles »

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Does Ohio State’s Urban Meyer ‘own’ Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Magic 8-Ball says: ‘Signs point to yes’

“I don’t think he’s going to beat Ohio State. I think Urban Meyer owns this guy,” Finebaum said. “If he loses this year, he’s got to go to Columbus next year. What is Jim Harbaugh going to do? Where is he going to go?”

-Paul Finebaum via Tim Bielik, Cleveland.com


No one visiting Land-Grant Holy Land is going to be too broken up by people piling on the khaki-wearing coach of That Team Up North. But, I wouldn’t have thought that ESPN’s Paul Finebaum would be the one leading the charge following No. 17 Michigan’s loss to “little brother” Michigan State, 14-10 on Saturday.

Finebaum, one of the Worldwide Leader’s most well-known voices on SEC football, made an interesting point yesterday. In his two and a half seasons in Ann Arbor, Jim Harbaugh is now 1-4 against his two biggest rivals (MSU and Ohio State) and has yet to finish better than third in the Big Ten Legends East Division.

So, the Mouth from the South posited the question, what will Harbaugh do if he is unable to get the Maize and Blue over the proverbial hump?

“At some point, I think he’ll blow up,” Finnebaum said on ESPN’s “First Take” yesterday. “I think he’ll become frustrated and he’ll go back to where he used to be in the NFL. He left there because he was frustrated, but I think he’ll go back.”

I would venture to guess that Screech Powers’ cousin still has enough patience (or pride) to make it through a few more seasons of mediocrity at Michigan, but the pull of the NFL could become stronger if he’s not able to push his alma mater into relevance.

Now, in all fairness, given Michigan’s recent recruiting successes, Harbaugh’s admirable track record as a head coach, and the law of large numbers, one would have to assume that eventually UM will finish better than third in the division, and might even beat MSU and OSU in the same season.

If/when that happens, will it be enough to keep Harbaugh in the collegiate ranks? Only time will tell.

“I referred to it in the write-up for the players as not a spread offense, I wrote it as the spread offense, and I did that purposefully...”

-Bob Diaco via Parker Gabriel, Lincoln Journal Star


In preparation for Nebraska’s home game against No. 9 Ohio State this weekend, Husker defensive coordinator Bob Diaco laid it on a little thick when it came to praising the offensive prowess of Buckeye head coach Urban Meyer.

While there is no doubt that over the span of his career, Meyer has helped revolutionize how college football teams play offense, in front of the media, and apparently his players, Diaco is hyping up Meyer’s pedigree for one reason and one reason only.

It is not out of respect or admiration, it is to get his defense amped up to take on “the spread offense.” From the invented disrespect of Bill Belichick to the “rat poison” of Nick Saban, coaches will use whatever motivational tool that they can in order to gain an edge for their players.

So, don’t get sucked into Diaco’s phoney, sycophantic praise. Urban Meyer surely won’t.

“After leading his team to last season’s College Football Playoff semifinals, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer received a pay raise that was more than $100,000 above the amount required by his contract and pushes his basic annual compensation from the school for this season to more than $6.4 million.”

-Steve Berkowitz, USA Today Sports


I am normally one that is vehemently bemoaning the cartel stranglehold that the NCAA has over the athletes in relation to the money that member institutions bring in. However, in this case, the fact that Urban Meyer picked up an extra 100k for the season doesn’t bother me.

One of the reasons is that Ohio State continues to be one of the few schools that remain profitable without taking any funds from the university at large. So, if in this current, unfair arrangement, the money isn’t coming out of students’ pockets, more power to the coach.

My contention has always been that even if you want to maintain the illusion of amateurism for the players in relation to the school, their earning potential should not be curtailed when it comes to outside sources. In no other area of collegiate life are students prevented from making money off of their names and skills. If it needs to be regulated like the NCAA’s compliance wing already does, go for it. But there is no reason to stand between players and money that they have every right to earn.

So, if that’s the way I feel about players, I kind of have to feel the same way for coaches, right? Especially when it comes to one who is 66-7 in five+ seasons in Columbus.

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Mutual trust is paying off in big way for the Buckeyes - Mansfield News Journal
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Mutual trust is paying off in big way for the Buckeyes
Mansfield News Journal
No, your eyes aren't deceiving you. That was J.T. Barrett taking more shots downfield last week. That was J.T. Barrett throwing into tighter windows. Sometimes doing both on the same play. I thought maybe it was just me, but then in the press ...
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USA TODAY
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War Room Wednesdays: #9 Ohio State (5-1, BIG 10 3-0) at Nebraska (3-3, BIG 10 2-1)
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



Barrett Blossoming?

As J.T. Barrett continues to become more comfortable with the new offensive coaching staff and his playmakers, he still manages to catch flak even though he is winning. Questions about his lack of accuracy and the scarcity of deep shots downfield, people of all walks of life are still calling for his benching despite the 5-1 start.

Barrett has actually been playing well so far, he is 111-174 for 1513 yards and 16 TD’s against and just a single interception. He also has 311 rushing yards for 3 TD’s on 60 rushing attempts. Sure, it has been against mediocre competition but he has improved since that lone loss at home against Oklahoma.

Ohio State ranks 14th in the nation through 6 games this season in passing offense and 7th in team passing efficiency. Barrett has led his team and for now, is the 4th best scoring offense in the nation, averaging 45.8 PPG for a total of 275 points so far this year.

Barrett will now face a string of tougher opponents and the cupcakes were essentially used to build up his confidence. The first test will be the contest against Nebraska and their 47th ranked passing defense who has only allowed 7 TD’s this season, 6.74 YPA, 10.44 YPC and 208.8 YPG. This will not be an easy task, but Barrett seems to be clicking and what better opportunity is there than to test himself in Lincoln.

Right Guard Reset?

As we all witnessed, starting RG Branden Bowen suffered a major injury and he has been lost for the rest of the season. This does not bode well for the Buckeyes, as they had trouble keeping Barrett upright last season.

This is an opportunity for Burrell, Knox and Pridgeon to earn playing time, one as a starter and the other in the two-deep. Burrell came in the game and he did fairly well, but Urban Meyer was stated that the contest at RG is “wide open”.

I for one thought he did quite well being thrown into the fray, but for Meyer, he wants the best on the field and RG is no exception. All three players will compete with each other to see who bested the rest. For now, we can only speculate who wins the competition and if that player can maintain their success.

Turnover/Line Troubles.

Tanner Lee is looking for answers as he limps into this game throwing for 1406 yards and 11 TD’s, but he has also thrown 10 picks and his completion percentage has suffered and stands at 54%.

He will face a rebuilt secondary that has struggled with takeaways, but they blanket the opposing receivers relentlessly, leaving little room for error against the Buckeyes. Damon Arnette will be out for the first half due to a silly targeting penalty, so Ward, Sheffield and Okudah will be tasked early to stop Morgan, Pierson-El, Spielman, Hoppes and former Buckeye target Tyjon Lindsey.

Collectively they are responsible for 1333 yards and 11 touchdowns, and they will all need to perform to help Tanner Lee out if they want to win this game.

His Offensive Line also needs to help because they have given up 9 sacks and the constant pressure leads him to make terrible decisions. Ohio State is tied for 19th in the nation in team sacks and has racked up 17 so far. They will be active and after the Quarterback to give their secondary a shot at turnovers.

Prediction:

I expect Barrett will do his thing and he will continue his trend of not giving the ball away on turnovers. Another slow burn type of game with the addition of a new RG, but they will piece it together before the half and before blowing the doors down. Barrett will continue to develop his confidence and he will find a rhythm.

Dobbins and Weber will each have a score and Victor will continue his hot streak and will also find the end zone. The defense will get at least 3 sacks and 3 turnovers because the pressure will force Lee into some, one of which will go for a score.

The Buckeyes starters will leave mid 3rd quarter to rest for their clash with Penn State, but they will have the game in hand. This game will be a warm-up without looking ahead to next week to gain traction in the CFB Playoff conversation.

Final: Ohio State defeats Nebraska 52-20.




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Tribute to the Buckeyes will benefit heart research in Ohio - WLWT Cincinnati
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Tribute to the Buckeyes will benefit heart research in Ohio
WLWT Cincinnati
A replica of Ohio Stadium in Columbus, now on display at Ohio State's Ross Heart Hospital, will raise money for cardiovascular research. Dr. Paul Janssen has spent 1,000 hours building a replica of the infamous stadium using Lego blocks. Advertisement.


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