http://www.latimes.com/sports/highschool/la-sp-mater-dei-bishop-gorman-20170901-story.html

Santa Ana Mater Dei ends Bishop Gorman's winning streak at 55 games

Eric Sondheimer
Varsity Times Insider

There were more than a dozen high school football games canceled around Southern California on Friday because of an excessive heat warning.

With the temperature in the low 90s at Santa Ana Stadium and UCLA coach Jim Mora and USC coach Clay Helton on the sideline, there was no way they were going to call off the nationally televised game between Santa Ana Mater Dei, ranked No. 1 in California, and Las Vegas Bishop Gorman, ranked No. 1 in Nevada.

Players were so fired up that Mater Dei linebacker Solomon Tuliaupupu, not wearing a helmet, decided to give a pregame head butt to teammate Stephon Robins, who was wearing a helmet.

“It did wake me up,” Robins said. “I was nervous. It was the first time I was starting this season.”

Then came the game and the matchup most wanted to see. At quarterback for Bishop Gorman was UCLA commit Dorian Thompson-Robinson. At quarterback for Mater Dei was USC commit J.T. Daniels.

Daniels and the Monarchs came away with a 35-21 victory, ending Bishop Gorman’s win streak at 55 games. It’s the first time since 2010 that a California team has beaten the Gaels. And the Monarchs (2-0) can probably call themselves No. 1 in America — at least after two games.


Cont'd ...

2019 prospects are officially on the clock, Ohio State's cornerback pursuits and more - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


2019 prospects are officially on the clock, Ohio State's cornerback pursuits and more
Landof10.com
Most of the big names have been talked about here, but you should expect to hear a lot about the Buckeyes' pursuit of Noah Cain, a 5-star running back who will visit for the third time this year next weekend. Tennessee wideout Trey Knox, also slated to ...

and more »

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If Ohio State plays like they did in the second half against Indiana, this team may be better than last year’s
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


One pundit believes it about the Buckeyes—and I may be believing it, too.

“Again, find a parallel with the Buckeyes: A new season has arrived, kicked off with a 49-21 win against Indiana defined by a stylish second half, and this year’s group might be even better than the last.”

— Paul Myerberg on Ohio State being a complete team, even after a back-and-forth first half against Indiana | USA Today


Fresh off the win against Indiana, news outlets around the country wrote their views on the Buckeyes 49-21 second half throttling of the Hoosiers. Paul Myerberg of USA Today gave his take on what he saw from the 2017 edition of the Scarlet and Gray.

Spoiler: Myerberg thinks the Buckeyes have a shot at the title. Even though OSU started off slow and trailed at halftime, the offense turned it on in the second half. J.T. Barrett threw a few touchdowns, including a 74-yard pass to Parris Campbell that busted the game wide open. Defensively, the Bucks stifled Hoosier quarterback Richard Lagow in the second half. Lagow, he threw for over 258 yards and two scores in the first 30 minutes of action, couldn’t get the same momentum in the final 30 minutes. The OSU defensive line brought five sacks, and the Buckeye secondary forced two interceptions.

This was the first game where Kevin Wilson and Ryan Day were part of the Scarlet and Gray coaching staff. The fact that it only took one half of football to get the wheels spinning shows how much firepower and adaptability this team has. The running game is there, the passing game will (hopefully) get there, the defensive line is probably the strongest unit on the team, and the secondary showed signs of life late in the game.

All those components contribute to Ohio State being a team that is expected to make a push for the national title come November and December. While pundits witnessed the first half of the first game of the 2017 Buckeyes, they know that this team is the real deal.

"I'm probably the only good thing going on in my town right now, so I just thought of it as bringing my city up," Dobbins said after spending the past week watching the flooding in the Houston area.”


— J.K. Dobbins’ quote after rushing for 181 yards in the Buckeyes win against Indiana, as reported by Michael Marot | The Associated Press via NCAA.com

A total team effort lead to the Buckeyes getting that win on Thursday night. A big reason for that: freshman sensation J.K. Dobbins. In his first ever game in an Ohio State uniform, Dobbins got the starting nod—filling in for an injured Mike Weber.

What would happen over the course of the ballgame was something spectacular. Dobbins eclipsed the freshman rushing debut record of 175 yards that was set by Maurice Clarett in 2002. In the first half against the Hoosiers, Dobbins got the rock 15 times and ran for 107 yards. One of those rushes he broke off for 35 yards, his longest of the night.

While it was an impressive showing on the field, there may have been a more personal reason for why Dobbins had a fantastic night on the gridiron. The hometown of the RB, La Grange, Texas, was hit hard by Hurricane Harvey. Even though La Grange is 100 miles east of Houston, houses and businesses flooded due to the Colorado River bank swelling to over 50 feet. With Dobbins being so far from home, it had to be an emotional week.

Football is such a trivial event compared to a storm that caused death and destruction. But, Dobbins used his gridiron performance to give his hometown to smile about after one of the worst storms in American history.

“And then things like size, speed, raw talent, the weight of all human history, and Calvinist predestination kicked in. OSU RB J.K. Dobbins and WR Parris Campbell broke out highlights of their own — more of the running extremely fast variety than the circus catch variety — and everyone looked up and realized the Hoosiers had rushed for all of negative-2 yards until garbage time.”

— Jason Kirk on the continuing heartbreak Indiana faces as TEAM CHAOS | SB Nation


Keeping up with the theme of OSU getting the 21-point win against the Hoosiers, we now focus on the Hoosiers themselves. Again, IU found themselves in a big game—and for 2.25 quarters, seemed like they had a real shot to win the game. However, the debacle came, and Ohio State pulled away behind big plays on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.

The 29-point scoring spree from the Buckeyes punctuated a fact in recent times: IU has let the big game slip away. Jason Kirk of SB Nation rattled off the times in the past handful of seasons where the Hoosiers came close to getting a huge win, but turned up empty-handed.

Kirk mentioned the fact that Ohio State was No. 1 in 2015 when they faced Indiana, and pulled off a win after a fourth-down stop at the goal line. The Hoosiers also played a very good No. 8 Michigan State team in 2014, and were up on the Spartans in the second quarter before getting obliterated into the college football galaxy, 56-17.

It’s been a theme for Hoosier football in recent years. But there is a bright side: that means IU has been good on the gridiron to keep these games against top opponents competitive.

There time for a big win will eventually come.

STICK TO SPORTS

• Is OSU in the market for one of those self driving shuttle buses?
• Lane Kiffin says if he was still offensive coordinator at Alabama, they would’ve beaten Clemson in the 2017 title game.
• Speaking of Alabama, this newspaper didn’t know where it is.
• Houston residents begin the process of seeing their homes after Hurricane Harvey.
• If you want to donate to hurricane victims, check out this New York Times article.

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Kurelic: Buckeyes in running for No. 1 O-tackle; going for Quinn - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Kurelic: Buckeyes in running for No. 1 O-tackle; going for Quinn
247Sports
1) The Buckeyes have a commitment from one of the country's top offensive tackle prospects in Max Wray as well as a super guard or possibly center prospect in Matthew Jones. They are also the big Crystal Ball favorite to land 5-star offensive tackle ...


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Here’s the full slate of college football games this weekend
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Now that the Buckeyes season-opener is behind us, here’s the rest of Week 1 games.

Well, Ohio State is 1-0 so far in the 2017 season, but it didn’t come without a slew of frustration during the first half. I imagine Urban Meyer’s head almost popped off his body during his halftime speech, because a little way into the third quarter things finally got exciting. The up-tempo offense started making positive gains -- and catches — and the secondary finally started turning their heads toward the ball in coverage.

The biggest problem with a Thursday night season-opener is what do you do with the rest of your weekend? Well, we’ve got you covered with all of the other college football action to get you through your long Labor Day weekend.


Most of the noteworthy games won’t be until Saturday, with ESPN’s “College GameDay” heading south to Atlanta for the top-3 matchup of No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 3 FSU. With Alabama being, well, Alabama, even with a surprising loss to the Noles, it likely won’t affect their run for the College Football Playoff.

Rival Michigan also kicks off their 2017 season Saturday against a very thin Florida team, that saw most of their starting talent suspended for the Week 1 contest. There was a bit of a coaches’ pissing match in the week leading up to the game with who would release their depth chart first (seriously), which leads me to believe that the players will be equally as chippy on the field.


And then in continuing the very strange Week 1 schedule, there is a night game on both Sunday and Monday. This will push the updated AP and Coaches Polls back to Tuesday, but with a Buckeye win Thursday, we should still be Top 5.

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Freshman RB Dobbins may timeshare for No. 2 Buckeyes - The Seattle Times
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Freshman RB Dobbins may timeshare for No. 2 Buckeyes
The Seattle Times
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Urban Meyer kept trying to lower the expectations surrounding freshman running back J.K. Dobbins before No. 2 Ohio State's season opener. He has no chance of keeping his newest offensive weapon a secret any more.
Ohio State 49 Indiana 21: Recruits react on Twitter247Sports
JK Dobbins arrives: The birth of a Buckeye star and what it means for Ohio State's offensecleveland.com

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Ohio State’s win over Indiana wasn’t perfect, but a great sign of things to come
Colton Denning via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Our recap podcast breaks down everything that happened last night.

After some uneasy moments in the first three quarters, Ohio State hit the gas on Indiana, running away with a 49-21 win in their 2017 season opener in Bloomington. In a game full of big plays, the Buckeyes ultimately made more of them, earning a conference win against a Hoosiers team that has a history of playing them tough.

So many things happened that it’s almost tough to process it all, even a day later. J.K. Dobbins set the program record for yards rushing by a freshman in his first career start. J.T. Barrett rebounded from a tough first half to finish with 304 yards passing and three touchdown, with 136 of those yards and one touchdown going to Parris Campbell. Ohio State’s defensive line looked every bit as terrifying as they were billed to be this offseason. This also went down:


On this edition of The Hangout in the Holy Land, Colton Denning and Patrick Mayhorn attempt to piece it all together, and give their thoughts on everything that happened in last night, including:

• What happened in the first half, why it was a good experience for the secondary, and what stood out about the offense’s struggles.
• J.K. Dobbins being THAT DUDE.
• Ohio State’s otherworldly defensive line, and the luxury of being 10 deep.
• How they felt about the way the receivers played, and how much of a step forward last night was for the offense compared to last year.
• The improved —but still glitchy— offensive line, and the potential of the one-two punch of Dobbins and Mike Weber.
• An A+ performance from the special teams units, their early feelings about the Oklahoma game, and more!

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

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Hoops & Scoops | Dakich praises Buckeyes on latest podcast - The Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Hoops & Scoops | Dakich praises Buckeyes on latest podcast
The Columbus Dispatch
This season, that should be good news for Ohio State fans who want to get a handle on the Buckeyes. With Dakich's son, Andrew, on Chris Holtmann's roster as a graduate transfer, the former Bowling Green and Indiana coach has a greater reason than most ...


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Ohio State 49 Indiana 21: Recruits react on Twitter - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State 49 Indiana 21: Recruits react on Twitter
247Sports
The Buckeyes defeated Indiana 49-21 on Thursday night on national television. Recruits were watching the game which was televised on ESPN with college “Game Day” on hand. What's next for the Buckeyes? Make sure you're in the loop -- take five ...
Ohio State-Indiana recap: Score, stats, analysis for Week 1 game (08/31/2017)Landof10.com

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Florida State and Alabama top College Football’s Week 1 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


Now that the Buckeyes have covered their spread, lets look at the national picture.

Last year ATS: 103-107-6 (52-54-2 National, 51-53-4 B1G)

In case you missed yesterday’s Big Ten picks for the weekend, you can find them here.

National games (All games Saturday unless otherwise noted):


No. 3 Florida State v. No. 1 Alabama (-7.5) - 8:00 p.m. EST - ABC

As a college football fans we should be lucky to have gotten a matchup like this on opening week. Of course now that I say that, watch this game turn into a dud. Alabama has a habit of turning their high-profile openers into snoozers with the way they suck the life out of their opponents.

The best matchup of the night will see talented Florida State safety Derwin James and the rest of the Seminole secondary trying to slow down quarterback Jalen Hurts. The Seminoles might not want to key in too much on shutting down the passing game though, since we have seen what running back Bo Scarbrough can do when he gets the football.

The biggest goal of the Florida State offense on Saturday night is to not let quarterback Deondre Francois get killed by the Alabama defense. It seemed like about twice a quarter last year Francois was getting absolutely obliterated. If the Seminoles let that trend continue this year, Francois isn’t going to last the year. But if the offensive line can keep Francois clean, the sky is the limit for Florida State.

I really want to pick Alabama to run away with this game, but for some reason I do see the Seminoles giving the Crimson Tide their toughest test in a season opener in quite some time. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see these two teams meet up in the College Football Playoff, so hopefully we get a classic to truly ring in college football 2017.

Alabama 28, Florida State 24

BYU v. No. 13 LSU (-14.5) - 9:30 p.m. EST - ESPN

After originally scheduled to be played in Houston, earlier this week the game was moved to New Orleans because of the devastating flooding in Houston caused by Hurricane Harvey. While LSU might get a small advantage with the game being played in Louisiana, I can’t see this having much of an effect on the game.

BYU knew they were going to have to travel somewhere where it would be a largely pro-LSU crowd. At least the Cougars have an advantage of already having played this year. Last weekend BYU didn’t look all that impressive in a 20-6 win over Portland State. Even though they didn’t look great, the Cougars were able to knock some rust off at least before facing the Tigers.

After rushing for 1,387 yards last year, Derrius Guice returns for LSU, and this time he won’t have to share carries with Leonard Fournette. It’ll be interesting to see if the BYU defense can slow down Guice at all, because if they can they could have a shot at the upset since LSU doesn’t exactly inspire a ton of confidence with their passing game. I can definitely see this game staying within two touchdowns.

LSU 27, BYU 17

No. 22 West Virginia v. No. 21 Virginia Tech (-4) - Sunday 9/3 7:30 p.m. EST - ABC

THE BATTLE FOR ALL OF THE VIRGINIAS WILL TAKE PLACE ON SUNDAY NIGHT....in Maryland. After formerly being Big East foes, this marks the first time since 2005 that the Mountaineers and Hokies have squared off. Both teams will be breaking in new quarterbacks, except West Virginia might have an edge because they have a quarterback with previous college football experience.

Will Grier transferred from Florida to West Virginia after being suspended for PEDs. On the other side, redshirt freshman Josh Jackson will make his first start as Justin Fuente hopes Jackson has what it takes to replace Jerod Evans at quarterback.

This should be a fun back-and-forth affair, with both quarterbacks making big plays throughout the night. Even though the Mountaineers do have a little more experience with their quarterback, I think late in the game Bud Foster’s defense will make a play or two which will end up sealing a tight game for the Hokies.

Virginia Tech 38, West Virginia 31

Texas A&M v. UCLA (-4.5) - Sunday 9/3 7:30 p.m. EST - FOX

Could this be the year that Texas A&M doesn’t go 6-0 to start the season and then completely fall apart sometime in October? Seems to be the formula Kevin Sumlin likes to work with, and it’s a reason why he is on the coaching hot seat. Even worse for Sumlin is he won’t have the luxury of Myles Garrett lining up at defensive end, which would definitely help against UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen.

Much like Sumlin, Jim Mora isn’t exactly on good standing in Los Angeles right now, and another subpar season could see him get shown the door. Good thing Mora has Rosen to save his bacon. Without Rosen, there’d be no question Texas A&M wins this game, but with Rosen everything changes. This game comes down to the wire like last year’s in College Station did, but this time UCLA gets the victory.

UCLA 33, Texas A&M 30

No. 25 Tennessee (-3) v. Georgia Tech - Monday 9/4 8:00 p.m. EST - ESPN

This game has just as many questions as you’d expect there to be heading into it. Lets face it, both Tennessee and Georgia Tech are sorta weird teams. The Volunteers have Butch Jones at head coach, who obviously isn’t normal. On the other side, Georgia Tech runs the triple-option. Now factor in both teams are trying to replace their quarterback and running backs from last year, which makes this game even harder to get a read on.

One reason I’m leaning towards Tennessee in this matchup is they do have a lot of experience returning on defense, which could help them in trying to shut down the Yellow Jackets’ rushing attack. Other than that, I have no idea on what to expect with this game.

Tennessee 31, Georgia Tech 24

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What should you take away from Ohio State’s win over Indiana? Whatever you want, I guess
Matt Brown via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


A very Indiana football sort of game creates a Rorschach test for fans.

Trying to draw conclusions from the first game of the college football season is tricky under normal circumstances. Players are rusty and bundles of nerves. Full playbooks aren’t always deployed. And hey, the first game is often a glorified scrimmage against Eastern State Tech, of Paycheck Game, Minnesota.

But Ohio State played a real team last night, a conference team, on the road. And I think you could justify just about any big takeaway you wanted from it.

At the end of the day, the scoreboard doesn’t lie. Ohio State beat the Hoosiers 49-21, covering the spread against Indiana for the first time in seven games, and torching what projected to be an above-average defense for nearly 600 total yards. Beating a likely bowl team, on the road, by 28 points, is pretty good, no matter the circumstances, or the names on the front of the jerseys.

But perhaps that scoreboard doesn’t really tell the full story. After all, this was an Indiana football game. The Hoosiers led at halftime, and if we’re being honest here, they controlled the game in most facets. Indiana was even leading with about five minutes to go in the third quarter.

But, as my colleague Jason Kirk wrote this morning, “things like size, speed, raw talent, the weight of all human history, and Calvinist predestination kicked in.” We’ve seen this movie from Indiana a few times before, after all. Parris Campbell housed a 74-yard catch less than 30 seconds later, Johnnie Dixon won a 59 yard touchdown track meet a few minutes later, and the overwhelming advantage of Ohio State’s defensive line choked away any remaining upset hopes. At the end of the day, the Buckeyes left town with a conference win, and a slew of impressive looking box score numbers.

So, I guess the question is, are you an optimist, or a pessimist?

If you’re an optimist, there’s plenty to like here. True freshman J.K. Dobbins absolutely exploded onto the scene, jump-cutting his way to 181 yards, an Ohio State record for a freshman debut, a performance that could launch a full-blown RB controversy should Mike Weber return to health quickly. Ohio State’s maligned passing game from last season accounted for 304 yards and three touchdowns, and six different Buckeyes all caught at least two passes.

And Ohio State’s defensive line, billed as perhaps the most talented in the country, did not disappoint, forcing a game-clinching fumble, obliterating Indiana’s running game (before garbage time, the Hoosiers rushed for -2 yards, which, in my professional opinion, is bad), and making a living getting in Hoosier QB’s Richard Lagow’s face. You could also argue, perhaps convincingly, that some of Indiana’s offensive success, especially in the first half, was just a result of their talented WRs playing a little out of their minds, a level of success that wasn’t sustainable and didn’t reflect poorly on Ohio State.

If that’s what you want to take away from last night, I won’t argue with you. All of those things are true!

But there’s also a pessimistic case here too. Ohio State’s offense lagged last season because of offensive line inconsistency, WRs failing to achieve separation, and inopportune drops, and lo and behold, all of those things still bothered Ohio State, especially in their languid first half. Despite an impressive final box score, J.T. Barrett also missed just enough throws to fail to silence the haters on Twitter dot com. And Ohio State’s secondary got dunked on repeatedly by Indiana’s passing game, one that dropped 420 yards on a unit full of elite recruits and potential NFL talent.

Now, that number is going to be inflated, since Indiana couldn’t run the dang ball at all and also ran a gazillion plays, but it’s safe to say that secondary performance doesn’t hold up to the standard set over the last two seasons. And, let’s not forget, Oklahoma has pretty good QB and a few wideouts of their own.

Personally, I think many of the flaws presented here are probably fixable for Ohio State, given the youth still at wideout, defensive back, and heck, even part of the offensive line, and outside of Oklahoma, there may not be too many teams on this schedule built to attack the Buckeyes just like the Hoosiers did last night. But hey, that Oklahoma game is next on the schedule.

You want to see positives? Negatives? Just some confusing ink blot? Go right ahead. It’s all there, in the film and in the numbers, if you want it.

The only indisputable takeaway, in my humble opinion? Big Bob Landers got robbed.


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BUCK3YE5 said:

He also hurdled a guy somehow

Click to expand...

Given his athleticism



I am not surprised.

Again, you put a 5star man against a bunch of bad FCS kids and he's going to dominate. I'm just glad none of the FCS kids got hurt.

What's that, their rushing yards?

Thousands watch Buckeyes from home at South Oval watch party - 10TV
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Thousands watch Buckeyes from home at South Oval watch party
10TV
Thousands of football fans descended on the South Oval at The Ohio State University campus to watch the Buckeyes take on the Hoosiers. Some students said it felt like an eternity for football season to arrive, but Thursday night, The Ohio State ...


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Dobbins leads Ohio State past Indiana in debut with Buckeyes - Ashland Times Gazette (subscription)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Dobbins leads Ohio State past Indiana in debut with Buckeyes
Ashland Times Gazette (subscription)
His Ohio State teammates and Buckeyes fans jumped right on board. The freshman broke a 15-year-old school record by rushing for 181 yards in his college debut, J.T. Barrett threw three touchdown passes and No. 2 Ohio State managed to pull away in the ...
Indiana falters in second half as Buckeyes win 49-21FOXSports.com

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Full-throttle rushing attack, dominant front 7 powered Ohio State past Indiana
Chuck McKeever via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


It took some time, but the Buckeyes put together a dominant performance against the Hoosiers.

College football is officially back, and with it this author's annual realization that football games take an excruciatingly long time to reach a conclusion. No other mainstream American sport can lay claim to this level of time-suck: basketball games mostly finish in a tidy two hours, ditto for the three Premier League games I manage to watch each summer before college football season starts. (Saying "THIS is the year I get into the Premier League in earnest" is another annual tradition.)

Even baseball, which can (despite and occasionally thanks to the rage of umpire Joe West) stretch into a 4-hour contest, is really a sort of passive experience. Baseball is best enjoyed on the radio while doing something else, even if that something else is lounging in a recliner dozing off and trying to make the feeling of summer last just a little bit longer.

But football, particularly college football, is a more demanding and immersive experience, a battle of wills that leaves one exhausted and half-drunk and wrung-out. It's the opportunity cost of getting involved in a sport that's so necessarily batshit crazy. But it's also a blessing: regardless of how lousy one's team appears in the first half, there still appears to be roughly eight years of game clock left in which to turn things around.

Such was the case for Ohio State on Thursday night. Let's take a look at how they turned things around in the last 30 minutes and steamrolled Indiana by the final whistle.

Blue chip stocks


J.K. Dobbins, RB: This is an easy call. Dobbins, the true freshman running back, was Ohio State's best player on either side of the ball on Thursday night. Called into a starting role thanks to Mike Weber's tweaked hamstring, Dobbins showed off speed, vision, and power in his college debut. It was a breathtaking performance—181 yards, breaking Maurice Clarett's single-game freshman rushing record, plus 24 more through the air—and heralds great things for the Buckeye ground game of the future.

Seriously, if Ohio State's backup is this good (and backup he'll likely remain, unless Weber's nagging injury persists or he comes out of the gate flat for a few straight games), the rest of the Big Ten is in trouble. The Buckeyes have been better on the ground than through the air for J.T. Barrett's entire tenure under center, and they should lean into it now that they have two of the conference's most explosive backs on the same roster.

Parris Campbell, H-back: After 30 minutes of game play, the notion that we'd be singing Campbell's praises would've sounded patently ridiculous. He dropped J.T. Barrett's best pass of the night while streaking into the end zone, as well as another gimme in position for a big gain.

But Campbell rewarded the coaches' choice to keep targeting him in a huge way in the second half, taking a short throw over the middle a full 74 yards to the house and showcasing a breakaway speed that Indiana just couldn't match. He finished the night with six catches for 136 yards; imagine what kind of numbers he might put up with a serviceable first half. Campbell could very well be one of the most exciting pieces on this Ohio State offense in 2017.

Tyquan Lewis, DE: Lewis hasn't historically gotten the shine that his compatriots on Ohio State's defense have, but that's going to change in a big way this season. The versatile defensive end moved into Ohio State's top 10 sack ranking by adding two more to his career total against Indiana, giving him 18.5 all time. Richard Lagow and his receivers looked damn near perfect for most of the first half, hitting back shoulder throws in traffic and making the Buckeye secondary look as young as it is, but even a talented QB can only brook so many shots to the chest before making a mistake.

Such is the beauty of Ohio State's d-line, whose unquestioned pace-setter is Lewis. They harassed Lagow all night and stifled every attempt at adding a running dimension to the Hoosier offense, loss sorely felt by Indiana once they got down in the second half. (Late in the game, the Hoosiers had accrued two total rushing yards. Two.)

Solid investments


Sam Hubbard, DE: Hubbard matched Lewis with three total tackles, including a sack of his own. He's as solid a contributor off the edge as the Buckeyes could hope to have, though honestly, it's hard to even name a standout performance on a defense that saw seven players combine for five sacks and nine tackles for loss. Safe to say the bruising brand of football the Buckeyes have built in the front seven will make the difference in a few games this year.

Kendall Sheffield, CB: The former 5-star recruit and member of the Alabama Crimson Tide showed up in a big way in his Buckeye debut. In an otherwise-shaky performance by the Ohio State secondary, Sheffield recorded seven total tackles and two pass breakups. One of those tipped the ball into the hands of Jordan Fuller for an interception during what looked like a surefire Hoosier scoring drive, the first real sign of life for the Buckeyes during a languid first half.

Antonio Williams, RB: Williams, who looked like he might get buried on the depth chart for the foreseeable future, instead made the most of his opportunity to shine on Thursday. He found the end zone twice for Ohio State on the ground, showcasing the balance of speed and power that made him such a prized recruit coming out of high school. Williams still might not get too many more chances to score this season, but the depth he provides at running back is a boon to the Buckeyes.

Junk bonds


The Buckeye secondary: It's almost as though replacing an NFL-caliber secondary in back-to-back years can lead to some growing pains for the guys who replace them. The odds caught up with Richard Lagow and the Hoosiers eventually, but not before they lit up the Ohio State pass defense for 410 yards and three TDs. The Buckeye DBs had little answer for Simmie Cobbs Jr., easily one of the top wideouts in the conference, who racked up 149 yards on 11 catches and scored a touchdown by bullying Denzel Ward on a 50-50 ball in the end zone. This unit will get better, and fast, under the tutelage of Greg Schiano, but boy, it's hard not to think about what Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield might do through the air next weekend.

Buy/Sell


Sell: J.T. Barrett beyond 15 yards. It's J.T. Barrett's fifth year in Columbus, and at this point, we probably know who he is and isn't as a passer. He isn't the guy to eat up yards through the air by making crisp passes downfield, and that's probably okay, as long as the coaching staff doesn't try to force him into that box. (Even when he does hit the occasional beauty downfield, there's no guarantee it'll be caught, like the bread basket strike he landed on Parris Campbell for an incompletion in the 2nd quarter.

Buy: J.T. Barrett inside 15 yards. The great news is that there is a kind of passing that Barrett is plenty good at; namely, the kind that doesn't ask him to force throws downfield against talented secondaries. Urban Meyer's aggressive recruiting of skill players who can catch and run makes this offense a deadly one in space, and those plays paid dividends against Indiana. Barrett's 304 passing yards were massively inflated by the YAC of Johnnie Dixon and Parris Campbell on their respective touchdown catches, but who cares? It's what works, and it's a far better strategy for this personnel set than trying to hit guys in the hands in tight coverage 30 yards downfield.

Buy: Piesman Trophy-worthy plays. Free Robert Landers! Free Robert Landers! Free Robert Landers!


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Dobbins leads Ohio State past Indiana in debut with Buckeyes - The-review
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Dobbins leads Ohio State past Indiana in debut with Buckeyes
The-review
Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Denzel Ward (12) celebrates after an making an interception during Thursday's NCAA Division I football game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind., on August 31, 2017. Barbara J. Perenic ...
Indiana falters in second half as Buckeyes win 49-21FOXSports.com

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3 things learned from Ohio State’s win at Indiana
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


We learned that J.K. Dobbins is no joke. And, there is work to be done on both sides of the ball.

With the first game of the season now in the rear view mirror, the Ohio State Buckeyes are gearing up for their showdown next Saturday against the Oklahoma Sooners. But, before we get to the biggest non-conference game—and arguably the biggest game for the Buckeyes—this season, we must look back at what happened in the Indiana Hoosiers contest.

In fact, there were three big things that can be taken away from OSU’s 49-21 win in Bloomington, Ind.

1) J.K. Dobbins is real, like, real real


Throughout the summer, J.K. Dobbins received a lot of hype. When he got the nod to be the starting running back in his first game ever as a Buckeye, the expectations were high. Especially considering Mike Weber is still recovering from a hamstring injury, having Dobbins start at RB in a primetime season-opener on the road was huge.

On this huge stage, Dobbins did not disappoint. In fact, he showed flashes that he can be one of the greatest running backs Ohio State has ever had. The La Grange, Texas, native went off for 181 yards on the ground. That total was enough to pass Maurice Clarett’s 175 yards output against Texas Tech in 2002 for the most yards ever by a freshman in his debut.

Dobbins had two big rushes (one for 27 yards, another for 35 yards) that helped OSU put points on the board. His 27-yard rush put the Buckeyes deep into the redzone, which led to the Antonio Williams 1-yard rush up the middle for six; the 35-yard sprint helped put the Scarlet and Gray in chip-shot field goal range.


Moving forward, Dobbins has to be the guy Urban Meyer goes with as RB #1. The way Dobbins can spin/cut around defenders, and bust into open space is almost poetic. On average, the freshman was picking up 6.2 yards per carry against the Hoosier defense.

Weber will need to get healthy in a hurry if he wants to get his No. 1 spot back on the running back depth chart. But, if he doesn’t, then the combination of Dobbins and Weber may be the duo of the year in college football. Weber can run through defenders; Dobbins can run right past them.

Back to the main point: Dobbins’ arrival on the college football stage. If he keeps having these types of performances, especially against Oklahoma, then it shouldn’t be too far fetched to see his name as an early season Heisman contender. Given some time (i.e. a season) Dobbins may be the Ohio State version of Barry Sanders. It may seem wild to see that typed out, but for a freshman to do what he did in his first collegiate game, the sky’s the limit for Dobbins.

2) Height: the crux of the OSU secondary


For the first half, the Buckeye secondary was exposed. In fact, the exposing continued for a little while in the third quarter. This isn’t something Buckeye nation has grown accustomed to.

Why did the OSU secondary struggle against the Hoosiers? Well, size is a reason. The ace up IU’s sleeve was the fact they had wide receivers who had a height advantage on the Bucks secondary. Simmie Cobbs was the ringleader of the height brigade. Cobbs is 6-foot-4 (!) and was causing all sorts of problems to cornerback Denzel Ward, who’s 5-foot-11.

Cobbs was targeted by quarterback Richard Lagow (who happens to be a tree at 6-foot-6) 17 times on Thursday night. Eleven of those were catches, which Cobbs tallied for 149 yards and one touchdown. His touchdown grab was insane, as Ward was, literally, hanging all over him.


Lagow ended the game with an unconscionable 410 yards passing and three touchdowns. While other receivers helped get Lagow to the 400+ passing plateau, Cobbs was the biggest helper.

Cobbs is one, if not the best, receiver in the Big Ten. You know who another top Big Ten receiver is? Juwan Johnson of Penn State. Johnson, like Cobbs, comes in at 6-foot-4. Even before PSU comes to Columbus, the Buckeyes have to stop quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Sooners have graduate WR Jeff Badet, who led Kentucky in receiving yards last season before transferring to OU. Additionally, the Lincoln Riley coached squad has a 6-foot-5 receiver in Jeffery Mead and a 6-foot-5 tight end in Mark Andrews, who’s the leading returner in receiving yards.

Somehow this Buckeye secondary will need to find a way to counter the height conundrum. The best way to do this is to force bad throws and get interceptions—something the Buckeyes did well against IU, forcing Lagow to throw two picks.

Ohio State’s secondary cannot afford to start off flat against an OU squad that’s out for revenge.

3) Running through (Zone) 6 with the woes


Throughout the night, the passing game was erratic. While Barrett did sail some passes, his rotational set of receivers were having some bad drops. The most notable of the I-can’t-believe-he-dropped-that passes was in third quarter. Barrett threw a wonderful pass in the air—maybe his best pass of the night—to a wide open Parris Campbell. Campbell had a solid two step lead on his defender...and he managed to drop the ball.


Campbell was targeted nine times on the night, and caught the ball six times for 136 yards and a sweet 74-yard touchdown. Though Campbell turned it on late in the game, the drops are still a problem. And it’s not just Campbell’s problem.

Johnnie Dixon dropped one pass in the first quarter, but made it up by hauling in a 59-yard touchdown strike from Barrett in the third frame.

The passing game was completely different in the second half. However, one has to wonder how much that had to do with Indiana’s defense being tired after chasing Dobbins around for 30 minutes. As the stats went final, Barrett threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns, and Campbell’s haul lead all receivers.

Playing devil’s advocate: If the Buckeye rushing game was shut down, could the passing game be established to help put the run game back in business? I would wager that it wouldn’t—which is a colossal problem to have when you’re facing some of the best teams in college football.

Next week will be another litmus test to see who will rise up from the revolving door to be WR #1 at Ohio State. But, to rise up, dropped passes can’t happen, and passes have to be catchable (and not broken up before the WR gets a chance) for Zone 6 to be a tour de force again in college football.

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Buckeyes defeat Indiana in season opener, 49-21 - NBC4i.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes defeat Indiana in season opener, 49-21
NBC4i.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — J.K. Dobbins broke Ohio State's freshman record by rushing for 181 yards in his college debut, J.T. Barrett threw three touchdown passes and the second-ranked Buckeyes pulled away to beat Indiana 49-21 on Thursday night.
Big Ten preseason power rankings: Buckeyes lead the way againESPN (blog)
Ohio State football: Buckeyes hope offensive changes can fuel a championship runNCAA.com
College Football Preview: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Indiana HoosiersDayton Daily News
Washington Post -SB Nation -FOXSports.com
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5-star CB Anthony Cook hints at Ohio State preference in training session
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 elite defensive prospect sure looks like a Buckeye lean.

The college football season is officially underway for Ohio State, and the Buckeyes rolled to a 49-21 win over Indiana on Thursday night. It was a perfect showcase for the depth of Ohio State's recruiting over the last few years, and the Buckeyes are hoping to keep that momentum going into 2018 and beyond.

Cook spotted in Buckeye gear


Ohio State has far and away the top recruiting class in the country this year. A big reason for that is the group of five-star prospects that have already joined the fold, including defensive end Brenton Cox of Stockbridge (GA), athlete Jaelen Gill of Westerville South (OH), tight end Jeremy Ruckert of Lindenhurst (NY), and defensive tackle Taron Vincent of IMG Academy (FL).

However, the Buckeyes may be adding another to that group sooner rather than later. While Ohio State has commitments already from Sevyn Banks, Marcus Hooker, Josh Proctor, and Jaiden Woodbey in the secondary, there is no doubt that one of the biggest remaining targets for the Scarlet and Gray come in the form of ‘18 CB Anthony Cook from Lamar High School in Houston, Texas.

Cook is a 6'0, 168-pounder that has nearly 40 offers at this time in his recruitment. Programs like Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State, USC, and many more have offered the Lone Star State standout. With that being said, it sure seems like three specific schools have placed themselves in prime position for the elite talent, and they would be LSU, Ohio State, and Texas -- the local team.

Interestingly enough, if you take a look at the 247Sports Crystal Ball for Cook, you will notice that the Buckeyes are actually the team that is currently favored to land the five-star defensive back. That’s good news in its own right, but what Cook was spotted wearing on Thursday couldn’t hurt.

In a video recorded by EJ Holland of 247Sports.com, you can see Cook during a training session rocking a Scarlet shirt with the Buckeyes logo imprinted on the front.


Furthermore, the tweet which shows the shirt choice for Cook compares him to an interesting name — cornerback Jeffrey Okudah, the five-star Ohio State signee in the 2017 recruiting cycle. Okudah, much like Cook, was a standout prospect from the state of Texas as well. So, it will be interesting to see if the Buckeyes can reel in yet another elite talent from Longhorn territory for the second consecutive class in a row.

If they were to ultimately bring Cook up to Columbus for his collegiate football career, an impressive get it would be. The H-Town native is currently graded as the 14th best player in the entire class. Cook also finds himself penciled in as the second best cornerback overall and the highest graded player from the state of Texas.

While there's still plenty of time for Cook to make his college decision, the Buckeyes have to like where they stand with the elite CB given that information. Stay tuned to Land-Grant Holy Land in the coming months as we track Cook's journey toward college.

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Ohio State's new offense is just getting started - ESPN
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State's new offense is just getting started
ESPN
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Headed into the 2017 college football season, the Ohio State Buckeyes promised us that they were going to expand their offensive menu. For the first few hours of the new season, they gave us the familiar taste of melba toast. Then ...
College football roundup: Buckeyes roll in the second halfLos Angeles Times
JT Barrett, Buckeyes finally flash big-play power in second-half comeback at IndianaSporting News
Dobbins leads Ohio State past Indiana in debut with BuckeyesThe-review
The Columbus Dispatch -USA TODAY
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Buckeyes bury Hoosiers in 2nd half, 49-21 - Montrose Daily Press
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Buckeyes bury Hoosiers in 2nd half, 49-21
Montrose Daily Press
After Indiana (0-1, 0-1) held the Ohio State offense in check for more than a half, the Buckeyes popped during the final 30 minutes. In the second half, Ohio State posted three passing plays of 15-plus yards, including scores of 74 and 59 yards, and ...

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College football roundup: Buckeyes roll in the second half - Los Angeles Times
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College football roundup: Buckeyes roll in the second half
Los Angeles Times
J.K. Dobbins broke Ohio State's freshman record by rushing for 181 yards in his college debut, J.T. Barrett threw three touchdown passes and the second-ranked Buckeyes pulled away to beat Indiana 49-21 on Thursday night at Bloomington, Ind.
How the Buckeyes' offense plans to get its groove backESPN
Buckeyes bury Hoosiers in 2nd half, 49-21Montrose Daily Press
Dobbins leads Ohio State past Indiana in debut with BuckeyesThe-review
The Columbus Dispatch -USA TODAY
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Ohio State-Indiana recap: Score, stats, analysis for Week 1 game (08/31/2017) - Landof10.com
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Ohio State-Indiana recap: Score, stats, analysis for Week 1 game (08/31/2017)
Landof10.com
The Buckeyes will have a chance to pour it on here. Ohio State 42, Indiana 21 (Q4, 12:08): The rout is on. Jashon Cornell turns over Indiana with a strip sack and J.T. Barrett finds Binjimen Victor in the end zone to make it a three-score game. Ohio ...
Hoosiers announce a sellout at Memorial Stadium247Sports
ESPN's 'College GameDay' host Lee Corso picks Ohio State over IndianaLand-Grant Holy Land

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Dienhart: Buckeyes’ opening salvo impressive in 49-21 win at Indiana
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

It wasn't always pretty, but when No. 2 Ohio State opened the floodgates in a 49-21 opening night win over Indiana, their performance was impressive.

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