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Countdown: Urban Meyer's years at Ohio State - 2012 - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Countdown: Urban Meyer's years at Ohio State - 2012
247Sports
It's been five years of success for Urban Meyer at Ohio State. After one of the best head coaches in college football seemingly fell into the Buckeyes' lap in late 2011, Meyer has done pretty much nothing but win. The Scarlet and Gray head coach has a ...


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Mike Weber makes Doak Walker Award watch list - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Mike Weber makes Doak Walker Award watch list
247Sports
He rushed for 1,096 yards and nine touchdowns, becoming just the third freshman in Buckeye history to hit the 1,000-yard mark in a single year, leading all Big Ten freshmen with 84.3 yards per game. For his efforts, Weber earned freshman All-America ...
Football: Mike Weber named to Doak Walker Award watch listOSU - The Lantern
LJ Scott Earns Doak Walker Award Watch List AccoladesMichigan State Athletics

all 45 news articles »

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Ranking the top 5 former Ohio State players with the best odds of winning NFL MVP
Kyle Sumner McKinnon via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Is this the year that a former Buckeye wins NFL MVP?

There are a lot of former Ohio State Buckeyes playing in the NFL right now.

Like, a lot.

Whether they’re seasoned veterans or are just entering the league, it’s become increasingly hard to ignore the Scarlet and Gray’s presence in the pros.

Over the past two years, 19 Buckeyes have been selected in the NFL Draft, with eight of those selections coming in the first round. Last season alone saw 35 alumni play at least one snap.

Greater award opportunities could be on the horizon, particularly when it comes to league MVP. It’s an honor no former player has ever won, but that might change this upcoming season.

That being said, let’s take a look at which Buckeyes have the best chance of bringing home the 2017 NFL MVP.

No. 5: Malcolm Jenkins


Since leaving the New Orleans Saints for the Philadelphia Eagles three years ago, Malcolm Jenkins career has taken off. He’s become one of, if not the best safety in the NFL and further reinforced that narrative in 2016.

Jenkins snagged three interceptions and returned two for touchdowns, tying the league-high. He also had nine passes defended and continued to prove his value to the Eagles as their resident ball-hawk.


The last time a defensive player was awarded MVP was in 1986 when some guy named Lawrence Taylor was terrorizing the NFL. Given his position and voters’ history of favoring those on offense, Jenkins odds here are obviously exceedingly low.

However, it’s the 29-year-old’s prowess as an elite difference-maker for a potential playoff team that give him a puncher’s chance.

No. 4: Carlos Hyde


It’s no secret that Carlos Hyde has had as difficult a time as any in the league at staying healthy. Last season was no different, as the San Francisco 49ers top tailback was sidelined for three games, compiling 988 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.


It was what El Guapo did earlier in the 2016 season that landed him a spot on this list, though. Through Week 4, Hyde led the NFL in rushing touchdowns with five and showed flashes of being a true franchise back.

Despite playing on divisional bottom feeder, the former 2014 second-round pick is primed for a breakout year under a new regime that wants to see more from him in the 49ers offense.

No. 3: Michael Thomas


All Michael Thomas needed was one season to show the collective professional football world that he’s here to stay.


The sixth receiver selected in the 2016 NFL Draft, Thomas led all rookies in receptions (92), receiving yards (1,137), touchdowns (9) and catches of 20+ yards (18). Compared to the rest of the league, Thomas finished 9th in receptions, 9th in receiving yards, and 6th in touchdowns.

Not only was he Saints quarterback Drew Brees’ favorite target, but Thomas had the most efficient rookie receiver campaign since Randy Moss’ in 1998.

I wouldn’t sleep on @Cantguardmike as he heads into Year Two.

No. 2: Joey Bosa


A contractual holdout may have cost Joey Bosa the first four games of his rookie season, but that’s all it really cost him. Once he took the field for the San Diego Los Angeles Chargers, it became abundantly clear why he was taken with the third overall pick.


Bosa led all rookies in sacks with 10.5 in 2016, four shy of the rookie sack record. He averaged the second-most sacks per game and had more quarterback pressures in his first 12 starts than any player of the past 11 years.

While Bosa was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year, just imagine what he’ll do in a full 16-game slate.

No. 1: Ezekiel Elliott


The best odds of being crowned NFL MVP undoubtedly belong to Ezekiel Elliott. No other rookie made as big or as immediate an impact on their team, as Elliott cemented his status as one of the league’s premier running backs.


In a historically productive debut season, Zeke churned out 1,631 yards on 322 carries and tacked on 16 touchdowns to boot. He accounted for more first downs than anyone else in the NFL and became the new face of the Dallas Cowboys in the process (sorry, Dak).

Although Elliott can’t seem to stay out of trouble, he’s still a legitimate MVP candidate and could be the first back to win the award since Adrian Peterson in 2012. If the NFL decides to suspend Elliott for any portion of the 2017 season, however, that would obviously impact his ability to put up the stats needed to win the award.

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Dienhart: 17 questions as we head toward Big Ten football media days
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

With Big Ten football media days looming, BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart shared 17 questions to ponder as we sit on the precipice of the season. Why 17? Because this is 2017.

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BTN kicks off the 2017 season with live coverage of Big Ten Football Media Days
BTN Communications via Big Ten Network

BTN and BTN2Go will provide more than 14 hours of live coverage at Big Ten Football Media Days in 2017. Coverage will include the press conferences of all 14 Big Ten head football coaches, as well as remarks by Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany. From 1 p.m. ET through 3 p.m. ET on Monday, July 24, BTN will televise remarks from Paul Chryst (Wisconsin), Tom Allen (Indiana), Lovie Smith (Illinois), Mark Dantonio (Michigan State), DJ Durkin (Maryland), Kirk Ferentz (Iowa) and Urban Meyer (Ohio State). Immediately afterward, from 3 p.m. ET – 7 p.m. ET, the coaches and their students

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Buckeyes getting official visit from elite hoops prospect - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes getting official visit from elite hoops prospect
247Sports
Ohio State basketball is going through a bit of a rebuilding project under new head coach Chris Holtmann, but the good news is that there are plenty of spots in the Buckeyes' 2018 recruiting class to make it more of a reloading project. Want daily ...
Musa Jallow officially added to Buckeyes roster: Ohio State basketball newscleveland.com
Ohio State Officially Announces Addition of Musa Jallow to Roster ...Eleven Warriors
Scoonie Penn brings excitement to Ohio State basketballLand-Grant Holy Land
Landof10.com -Scout -OSU - The Lantern
all 8 news articles »

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Justin Ahrens back on Buckeyes radar, more 2018 offers go out: Ohio State basketball recruiting notes - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Justin Ahrens back on Buckeyes radar, more 2018 offers go out: Ohio State basketball recruiting notes
cleveland.com
When Ahrens, a four-star wing from Versailles, decommitted from Ohio State the day after Thad Matta was fired, it was unclear if he would end up back in the recruiting plan for the Buckeyes' new coaching staff. It took some time, but he's officially ...

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Can Illinois beat Ohio State? A 1 percent chance the Buckeyes could lose - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Can Illinois beat Ohio State? A 1 percent chance the Buckeyes could lose
cleveland.com
Illinois could be coming to Ohio Stadium in bad shape. This game will be Ohio State's Michigan tune-up, a nice reprieve for the Buckeyes compared to the last two seasons when they played Michigan State and Michigan back-to-back to close out the season.

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Men's basketball: Ryan Pedon living the dream as coach of hometown Buckeyes - OSU - The Lantern
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Men's basketball: Ryan Pedon living the dream as coach of hometown Buckeyes
OSU - The Lantern
He doesn't see himself on the court, leading the team in points rather he envisions his triumphs as coach of the Buckeyes. The ball boy's name is Ryan Pedon, and nearly 25 years later, his dream would finally come true. On June 15, Pedon was introduced ...


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5-star ATH Bru McCoy picks up an offer from Ohio State
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 go to the Golden State to hand out their latest offer.

McCoy adds Scarlet and Gray offer


In the 2017 recruiting class, Ohio State was able to pluck five-star offensive guard Wyatt Davis out of the state of California. For the time being, it looks like the Buckeyes will also be bringing four-star safety Jaiden Woodbey from Cali to Columbus in this year’s class as well — and potentially others. If nothing changes, Ohio State would be heading into the 2019 cycle with the possibility of adding a Californian for the third consecutive class in a row and the fourth time since the hiring of head coach Urban Meyer.

Looking at prospects from The Golden State, you will see that the Buckeyes have yet to hand out an offer to any. However, that changed on Wednesday when the Buckeyes looked to Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Calif., and dropped an offer to 2019 athlete Bru McCoy.


McCoy, who is currently penciled in as a five-star prospect, already has over 20 offers under his belt and many of the nation’s best are amongst that group. In addition to Ohio State, the 6-foot-3, 215-pounder also holds scholarship opportunities from programs like Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Tennessee, UCLA, USC and Washington.

For now, the 247Sports Crystal Ball currently favors the Trojans and head coach Clay Helton to ultimately land McCoy. With that being said, the Buckeyes and every other university in the country with hopes of landing the composite Top 20 prospect and Top 5 player in his state have plenty of time to change that. As of now, McCoy has not made very many visits but if Ohio State wants any shot in this race, getting him on campus would be a great place to start.

Where do commits/targets stand in updated Scout 300?


With “The Opening” in the rear view and camp season coming to a close, Scout.com decided to make some changes to their rankings on Wednesday. Without further ado, let’s take a look at where Ohio State commits found themselves on the updated Scout 300 list.

The first name you will run into is linebacker Teradja Mitchell, who is slotted as the 13th best player in the class and holds a five-star rating. The lone other Buckeye commit to reach five-star status was tight end Jeremy Ruckert, who falls just three spots lower than Mitchell at 16.

Inside the Top 50 of the rankings, you will see defensive end Brenton Cox (26), defensive tackle Taron Vincent (27) and athlete Jaelen Gill (50). Rounding out the Top 100 includes offensive tackle Max Wray (62), safety Jaiden Woodbey (64) and quarterback Emory Jones (87).

Commits outside of the Top 100 but inside the Top 300 include linebacker Dallas Gant (128), running back Brian Snead (136), offensive tackle Matthew Jones (145), safety Josh Proctor (150), and cornerback Sevyn Banks (278). The two Ohio State commits that did not make the list are defensive end Andrew Chatfield and running back Master Teague, who both are listed as three-star prospects by Scout.

Looking at the overall team rankings, Ohio State is actually slotted with the second best class in the country, just a couple hundred points behind Miami (FL)—who holds four more pledges. The Buckeyes do, however, have the highest number of commits in the Top 100 and they are tied with Clemson for most five-star pledges and for average rating per commit at 4.00. In comparison to the Hurricanes, they hold a 3.74 average and currently have zero five-star pledges.

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Can Michigan State beat Ohio State? A 20 percent chance the Buckeyes could lose - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Can Michigan State beat Ohio State? A 20 percent chance the Buckeyes could lose
cleveland.com
He ran for 160 yards on 19 carries against the Buckeyes. He also had two catches for 76 yards in that game, overall accounting for 236 yards and two touchdowns. Only two offensive linemen are back, but one of them is senior Brian Allen, one of the best ...

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Musa Jallow officially added to Buckeyes roster: Ohio State basketball news - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Musa Jallow officially added to Buckeyes roster: Ohio State basketball news
cleveland.com
Musa Jallow officially added to Buckeyes roster: Ohio State basketball news. Comment. Updated on July 19, 2017 at 12:41 PM Posted on July 19, 2017 at 12:15 PM. Ohio State officially announced the addition of shooting guard Musa Jallow on Wednesday.


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Friday Night Lights list could miss big names, who is John Holcombe and more - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Friday Night Lights list could miss big names, who is John Holcombe and more
Landof10.com
Today that was confirmed by a second source close to the recruitment and so you can cross Babb, who many felt could commit to the Buckeyes on Friday, off the list as well. There are questions about whether we'll see Virginia linebacker K'Vaughan Pope, ...
Wide Receiver Target Sets Announcement Date While Michigan Corner Will Attend Friday Night Lights With Hopes of ...Eleven Warriors

all 2 news articles »

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New Buckeye win totals from Bovada - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


New Buckeye win totals from Bovada
247Sports
The Buckeyes remain tied with Alabama with the highest win total in the nation at 10.5 meaning Bovada believes the Scarlet and Gray should not only be in contention for the Big Ten title once again, but the national championship as well. After OSU and ...


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Vegas has new projected win totals for Ohio State, rest of Big Ten teams
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes at 10.5 projected wins is best in the Big Ten, according to Bovada.

Football season is getting closer, which means Las Vegas is gearing up and releasing their projected win total over/under odds. Bovada, a sportsbook, laid out the list of odds for all 130 teams in college football.

Below are a list of projected win totals for Big Ten teams:


The money line portion of the table describes what the payout is on the bet. For example: if you bet $150 (on the money line, it appears as -150) on Ohio State to win over 10.5 games, you would get your $150 back, plus an additional $100. If you bet the under, meaning you thought they would win less than 10.5 games, a $100 dollar bet would net you an additional $120 (on the money line, it appears as +120).

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Buckeyes officially added Musa Jallow to the roster - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes officially added Musa Jallow to the roster
247Sports
Musa Jallow announced his commitment to Ohio State on July 7, but the shooting guard out of Bloomington, IN is now officially a Buckeye. The men's basketball program announced on Wednesday that Jallow, a reclassified member of the 2018 Class, had ...
Ohio State Officially Announces Addition of Musa Jallow to Roster For Upcoming SeasonEleven Warriors
Ohio State basketball officially adds Musa Jallow to 2017-18 rosterLandof10.com
Scoonie Penn brings excitement to Ohio State basketballLand-Grant Holy Land
Scout -OSU - The Lantern
all 7 news articles »

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Scoonie Penn brings excitement to Ohio State basketball
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Also, J.T. Barrett named to Davey O’Brien watch list.

“He brings a real personality and charisma.”


- Chris Holtmann of Scoonie Penn, via Todd Jones, disptch.com

During my freshman year at Ohio State, as my roommates and I prepared to walk from Lincoln Tower to the still fairly new Value City Arena on one February evening, I surprised (and annoyed) them by coming out of my room, wearing one of those fuzzy buckeye hats and a Superman costume with “coonie” taped next to the iconic “S” on my chest and cape. Ah, to be young and have no shame.

Some 17 years later, Scoonie Penn, Ohio State basketball’s new Director of Player Development, still has the ability to excite Buckeye fans. As Jones discusses in his article, at his official introductory press conference yesterday, the former Buckeye point guard displayed a charm and energy that showed what made him a fan-favorite as a player, and what will likely make him an important addition to Chris Holtmann’s staff.

NCAA rules do not allow Penn to coach the players at practice or to recruit off-campus, but for a retired player who spent 11 years playing overseas, this seems like an ideal opportunity to begin a path towards helming his own program one day.

After complimenting former coach Thad Matta, saying that he coached his hardest during his final tumultuous season in Columbus, Penn said that despite what could be a rough upcoming season, the future is bright for the Buckeyes.

“This will be a tough year, for sure,” he said. “There’s no doubt about that. But I think these guys have it going in the right direction. I’m glad to be part of that.”

And, should one of Holtmann’s assistants take a head coaching job elsewhere down the road, it would be great to see Scoonie officially back on the sidelines at the Schott.

By the way, I was named the Fan of the Game for that 2000 contest against Iowa. We lost, but I won a basketball signed by the team, which I still have.

“Four-star offensive tackle Max Wray is one of a few Ohio State commits expected in Columbus later this week for the Buckeyes' Friday Night Lights camp. And he's bringing an interesting group of Tennessee prospects with him.”


- Bill Landis, Cleveland.com

This week’s Friday Night Lights is likely going to have a somewhat less BOOM-bastic feel to it than it has in recent years. As we discussed on LGHL’s State Secret’s Podcast, there won’t be many of Ohio State’s top remaining 2018 targets in attendance, so there won’t much of an opportunity for Urban Meyer to add more top-line talent to the No. 1 ranked class.

However, one of Meyer’s 15 commits will be in town, and he’s bringing some friends along for the ride. The country’s No. 8 offensive tackle, Wray committed to the Buckeyes on Tax Day, April 15, and is hoping to help broker some future dividends by bringing a quartet of 2019 four-star recruits to Columbus for Friday’s camp.

Currently, OSU doesn’t have any commits for 2019, but has reportedly extended offers to all four of Wray’s guests; defensive ends Joseph Anderson and Ani Izuchukwu and wide-receivers Trey Know and Lance Wilhoite. If any (or all) of the four make a pledge at FNL, that would be a solid start to another historic recruiting class.

“Two-time Davey O'Brien national quarterback award semifinalist J.T. Barrett will be in the running again this year as he was one of 30 quarterbacks selected to the award's watch list for the 2017 season.”


- ohiostatebuckeyes.com

It’s that time of year: watchlist season. Another prestigious college football award has announced its preseason watch list, and this time, it is the Davey O’Brien Award, presented annually to the nation’s best quarterback.

OSU’s J.T. Barrett has twice been a semifinalist for the prize, and comes into the season with expectations of finishing his legendary Buckeye career on a high note. The Wichita Fall, TX-native holds 23 Ohio State records, and needs just five yards to own the school’s total offense record, 1,167 yards for the passing mark, and 535 rushing yards to move into the program’s top 10.

With new offensive coordinators Kevin Wilson and Ryan Day running the show, many Buckeye fans are eager to see if Barrett can return to the form he had in 2014 before breaking his ankle against Michigan. Since then, though his numbers have been strong, the productivity and efficiency have seemed to wane.

Penn State’s Trace McSorley and Michigan’s Wilton Speight are the Big Ten’s other two representatives on the list. The Buckeyes will play the Oklahoma Sooners and Baker Mayfield (also on the list) during the second week of the season.

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10 most important Ohio State Buckeyes in 2017: No. 7 Mike Weber
Christopher Jason via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


We’re counting down the most important Buckeyes for the 2017 season.

When looking at the 2017 depth chart compared to the 2016 depth chart, there are noticeable holes, but the team is in a much better place now than it was entering the 2016 season after a mass exodus of NFL departures and graduation. Using key departures, spotlighting players at important positions, leadership qualities, and recognizing the depth at each position, we came up with the 10 most important players on the team. They may not be the most heralded players, or even the best players, but they will be vital to this team’s on-field success.

No. 7: Mike Weber


Position: Running back

2016 stats: 182 rush attempts, 1,096 yards, 6.0 avg., 9 TD; 23 rec., 91 yards

Why he’s No. 8: Last season, redshirt freshman Mike Weber arguably had the biggest shoes to fill in college football, and to say that he exceeded expectations would be an understatement. The Detroit native cracked the 1,000-yard mark on the ground and more than filled in as an able pass protector — ranking as Pro Football Focus’ third best pass blocking back in all of college football last season.

But for as great as he was throughout the season, the staff went away from him in two of the team’s biggest games, where he only carried the ball 11 times for 26 yards against Michigan, and then five times for 24 yards and two fumbles (only had two fumbles during the regular season) against Clemson. Although this was most likely due to the game plan rather than a talent or lack of trust, it’s still alarming that Weber was left out of the Buckeye game plans in their two biggest games.


Fast forward to this season and with the departure of Curtis Samuel, Mike Weber will be the man in the backfield. Sure, speedsters Demario McCall, J.K. Dobbins and Parris Campbell will get carries, but they don’t bring the hammer like Weber does on interior runs and are different types of backs. As we know, Weber is built like Carlos Hyde — which is perfect for Urban Meyer’s inside-zone scheme — and the others are not.

The return of J.T. Barrett and four offensive line starters, plus the addition of Kevin Wilson and, most importantly, the subtractions of Ed Warinner and Tim Beck should guarantee a 1,200-yard, double-digit touchdown season from the redshirt sophomore running back.

“There are a few plays that I’ve been asking for last year that he brought to the table,” Weber said about his new offensive coordinator. “I appreciate it, the plays that he brought in. I feel like he runs the ball more and finds different ways and different schemes to run the ball … that’s something that we as running backs appreciate.”

If Weber exceeds the very high expectations that he has for himself, the Buckeyes will find themselves in the College Football Playoff again.

Previous:

• No. 10 Sean Nuernberger
• No. 9 Parris Campbell
• No. 8 Jerome Baker

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10 most important Ohio State Buckeyes in 2017: No. 7 Mike Weber - Land-Grant Holy Land
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


10 most important Ohio State Buckeyes in 2017: No. 7 Mike Weber
Land-Grant Holy Land
When looking at the 2017 depth chart compared to the 2016 depth chart, there are noticeable holes, but the team is in a much better place now than it was entering the 2016 season after a mass exodus of NFL departures and graduation. Using key ...
5 potential under-the-radar playmakers for Ohio State BuckeyesFanRag Sports (blog)
Setting the stakes: How dangerous will Ohio State's backfield be?Landof10.com
The top 50 Ohio State football players for 2017: No. 37, WR Johnnie Dixoncleveland.com

all 3 news articles »

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Dienhart: A look at the MAC-to-Big Ten coaching pipeline
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

The Mid-American Conference always has been a sort of “little brother” to the Big Ten, a proving ground of sorts. The two conferences have their roots in the heartland of the nation. And the two leagues often play each other in the non-conference.

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BH: Project debunk | Panic about future QB? - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


BH: Project debunk | Panic about future QB?
247Sports
... ** Secondary goals … To say Ohio State has been on a recruiting hot streak with defensive backs would be an understatement. The Class of 2018 has three commitments already: Sevyn Banks, Josh Proctor and Jaiden Woodbey. More could be on the way.


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Indiana has played Ohio State close recently. Can they do it again in 2017?
Colton Denning via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Podcasting with Crimson Quarry about the season opener, and the 2017 Indiana Hoosiers

On August 31, Ohio State opens its season against a Big Ten opponent for the first time in 41 years, as they head to Bloomington to play Indiana on Thursday night in prime-time. Starting the season with conference play is notable for the Buckeyes on its own, but the matchup will have some extra bite with the offseason coaching changes for each program.

New Ohio State Offensive Coordinator Kevin Wilson spent the last six years in Bloomington, guiding the Hoosiers to back-to-back bowl games in 2015-16, before leaving under cloudy circumstances prior to Indiana’s Pinstripe Bowl appearance last season. In his stead, IU stuck in-house and hired defensive coordinator Tom Allen as their new Head Coach, thanks to the Hoosiers’ resurgent defense under his watch. As fate would have it, his first task is trying to stop the man who hired him at IU in the first place.

To kick off our 2017 Opponent Preview Series podcasts on The Hangout in the Holyland, Colton Denning chatted with Crimson Quarry’s Ben Raphel to get IU fans’ feelings on Wilson’s departure and his hire at Ohio State, why the Hoosiers have played the Buckeyes close in recent years, and his initial thoughts on the season opener.

They also preview Indiana’s season, why they think the Hoosiers are the clear-cut fourth best team in the Big Ten East, hiring Mike Debord as offensive coordinator (spoiler: a bad hire), whether an eight win season is on the table, and more!

You can find the podcast on our iTunes page, and we strongly 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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Pierre Dorion Speaks: TSN 1200 Appearance Following Pageau Signing #thoughtsinbold
T6S via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



On being happy that he signed Jean-Gabriel Pageau and avoided the entire arbitration process…

“(I’m happy to avoid the entire arbitration process), because I think if we would have gone in the room, I would have sat on his side. I would have taken my chair and I would have told Randy (Lee) and our arbitration lawyers, ‘You guys can fight our case on the other side.’ No, there’s some players that you really want to avoid arbitration with and with Jean-Gabriel, especially with the way he raised his game in the playoffs and how he played for us all year, we just felt that this was a process that we had to avoid. As I mentioned on the conference call before, Craig Oster and I have known each other for a long time. We’ve (done) many contracts and we both felt that we could come to an agreement. Sometimes they give in and we give in and as he said to me I think in our last (conversation), ‘We both don’t like this, so it probably makes sense to do it.’”

When it comes to PR Dorion, you know that there are some players that when he sings their praises, it’s pure organizational tire pumping. When he talks about Jean-Gabriel Pageau however, Dorion’s praise is as genuine as it gets.

On whether Dorion was zoned in on this length of contract or whether they also looked at something with a longer term…

“Well, this takes him up to his UFA years and this was… we talked a bit about a longer term, but once we get into the UFA (years), we get into something that we maybe want to look to avoid because then the price starts really getting to a certain number where it probably doesn’t make sense to do. But from the get go, we always talked about two or three years and we feel comfortable getting him (under contract) for the next three years really solidifies our group of centremen.”

Three years is a risk-free term for the team’s third line centre and as I wrote about at the time of the signing, maybe there’s an opportunity for Pageau to demonstrate that he can produce in a top-six capacity when he plays away from the likes of a Tom Pyatt.

Between the unfulfilled promise of prospects like Logan Brown and Colin White and the uncertain future of impending UFA Kyle Turris and the possibility of Pageau proving that he can be more than a third line pivot, the landscape for the centre position could shift dramatically by the conclusion of Pageau’s deal. And this centre depth could afford management the flexibility to consider moving a centre to address another position of need.

On Pageau being a player that he doesn’t have to worry about cashing in and seeing his motivations tail off…

“No, I’m not really worried. I think Jean-Gabriel from the start has always been someone that’s really highly motivated and wants to prove to people that he’s a good NHL player. He wants to prove to people that he can take his game to the next level and we’re really happy that we’ve got him for the next three years.”

If he wants to take his game to the next level, the easiest thing he’ll have to do is beg Guy Boucher to shift Pyatt to the fourth line.

On where Pageau fits role-wise in terms of his ability to slot anywhere in the lineup…

“Surprisingly with this year when we talk about roles, the coach actually put him into a few games at right wing and he actually did fairly well when we had to move him up into our top two lines. And he’s someone when we had some injuries, he took on a second-line role. There’s nothing really set in stone because we know that he plays a lot of times against the other team’s best line. So when you play those minutes, those are the guys that especially a lot of times at home, the opposition’s better line will try to get as many minutes as they can. It’s not a question of being a first, second or third liner, it’s about maximizing your minutes to the best of your potential.”

The ancillary benefit of using Pageau as your shutdown guy is that it ideally creates easier matchups for Turris and Brassard to exploit. Having Pageau around and excel in this role insulates the rest of Ottawa’s centres.

On if everyone is healthy, Pageau is a third liner but in terms of how valuable he is, where does he fit in…

“I think we all know he’d be higher than that. He brings so many intangibles and character. We all know the importance of special teams and how he contributes to playing on the PK. I think he cheated a bit less than last year and it helped our PK even though he got less shorthanded goals because all our players like to score goals. But, I think he’s a very important player to our core of the team – whether he’s young or old or wherever he fits in at his age – I think he’s 24-years old now – I think he’s someone that fits in on the core of our team. (He’s) very highly respected amongst peers and very highly respected amongst the coaches and the management staff.”

I think the fans love him too.


Although it’s nice of Dorion to attribute Pageau’s regression in shorthanded goals from a league-leading seven in 2015-16 to none last season as a greater commitment to the team’s benefit, it feels a little forced.

The Senators did experience a greater penalty kill success rate – last season it finished with a 79.7-percent (22nd) kill rate up from 75.8-percent (29th) in 2015-16 – but it still wasn’t particularly good. If anything, it seems more fair to attribute the improvement to things like firing Jared Cowen into the sun. Or maybe we could attribute it to cutting Mark Borowiecki’s SH TOI/GP from 2:12 to 0:42 and bumping Erik Karlsson’s from 1:19 to 2:09 per game. Or hell, maybe it’d be prudent to simply giving the goalies their due for saving a greater percentage of shots on goal.

On Ryan Dzingel’s status and contract negotiations…

“Well, we talked this morning. Donnie (Meehan) and our group talked this morning and we’re still trying to get something done but we understand the process and we understand that there’s a chance that we will go to arbitration on Friday. We’ll prepare for it over the weekend and again this morning, I was talking to our arbitration lawyers about how if we decide to go down this road, how we can have our best-case possible. But, we’d like to get something done, but there are times when you’re so far apart that you know that you’ll most likely be going to arbitration. But, we have a good relationship with Newport and their group and hopefully we can come to some kind of understanding.”

According to an Elliotte Friedman tweet, Dzingel filed for $1.95-million with the Senators correspondingly filing for $1.0-million in arbitration. Both parties are going to file for their beneficial extremes, but it feels like there’s some middle ground for both parties to come to an agreement before this case has to be heard by an arbitrator. If I had to guess, I’m thinking it will be a one-year contract worth $1.3 to $1.4-million.

On whether Dorion is trying to strike any deals before camp…

“Oh, for sure. For sure. Even this morning, I was talking to another GM about a possible deal. I know the Twitter world will go crazy now, but we’re always looking to improve our team. Whatever the situation is, whatever we can do as long as it doesn’t cost us our future, if we feel that we can put a better product on the ice for next year we’ll always look at it. I wouldn’t say the shopping is completely done, but I would say we’re in the checkout line right now.”

It’s not surprising to hear that the Senators consider their offseason to be pretty much done. Although this summer and the postseason run probably offered the organization the greatest opportunity to sell high on a couple of superfluous pieces, it’s safe for management to sit back and return what’s essentially the same roster that took them to within one goal of a Stanley Cup final appearance and hope that young pieces like Thomas Chabot or Colin White can offer greater than replacement level value of the players that left.

On whether there’s an area that he would like to upgrade…

“I like our depth. I feel that I think we could sustain quite a few injuries. I think our depth is a bit young, so it’s a bit of an improvement at many positions. But, some of the depth signings we’ve made, we feel really comfortable with. We feel we’re going to have a good team in Belleville whomever plays there. There’s no real specific position (we need improvement). I think in nets we’re just going to stay status quo and see what happens there. But, up front and on defence, if we feel we can improve there… either one… there’s no real specific area (that we’d like to improve).”

“I feel that I think we could sustain quite a few injuries.”

I don’t consider myself a superstitious person, but WTF?!?!

*knock on wood, knock on wood, knock on wood*

On what the Senators can expect from Andrew Hammond and where they see it going in the fall…

“Well, it provides us some security. That’s the one thing that I like about it. We’re not going to hide the fact that he’s number three on the depth chart right now. We’re very fortunate to have two really quality guys – 1A and 1B if you want to look at it that way – but at the same time, he provides us with some security. He’s shown that he can be a really good NHL backup and we’ll see how camp goes. He’s maybe one injury from being called up and you know, just go prove yourself and prove to the hockey world that you deserve to be in the NHL and maybe someone will phone on him.”

The Senators look at the Anderson/Condon tandem as a 1A/1B situation? That’s something.

In regards to Hammond however, I think everyone knew that despite Dorion’s best efforts to play up the presence of Hammond publicly when it came to discussing a contract extension for Mike Condon, it never really felt like Dorion’s comfort level regarding Hammond was tangible.

On the organization demonstrating last year that it had young depth and that some of this young depth could be moved for veteran pieces that could play higher in the lineup…

“That’s probably something that we’re looking at. If we were to make a deal, we maybe give up a younger asset for something that could help us immediately. But, it has to make sense. Like against Washington on October 5th, we always have to think about the big picture. We know we took a huge step in the right direction last year with how we performed and how we played. We feel that we’re going to continue on that path this year. The team’s almost the same. We did lose a big piece in Marc Methot, but at the same time, we feel that with the way Freddie (Claesson) can step up hopefully or whether it’s Dion (Phaneuf) playing with Erik (Karlsson) or whomever it might be, with Thomas Chabot getting in the lineup or Ben Harpur playing, we have enough depth that we feel we’ll be good enough. But at the same time, if we can improve at the top end of our lineup, it’s always something we’d look at.”

I wonder what kind of younger assets the Senators would be looking at moving for a more experienced option. Maybe a player like Nick Paul could be moved and the organization seems to have a few defencemen in Belleville who played some games last season, but I don’t anticipate these kind of pieces fetching much of a return.

Maybe it’d be more prudent for the organization to dip into free agency or offer some players PTOs.

On whether there have been any extension talks with Kyle Turris or Mark Stone…

“No, I’ve had preliminary talks with obviously Turris’ agent, (Craig) Anderson’s agent and Stone’s agent which is Craig Oster. They all know that for now, our focus is on getting our cases done and from there, we’ll see if we can have some talks over the course of the summer. But, you know what? I don’t feel any rush in those deals. Things can seem to work their way out pretty well in Ottawa and they’re all players that we’d like to keep in the long term and we’ll see when we get to negotiations with them.”

No one should envy the position that Pierre Dorion’s been put in.

Handcuffed by the internal budget and a few bad contracts that were acquired by his predecessor (mind you, he has admitted to complicity in said deals), the Senators have painted themselves into a corner where there window to compete (or even contend) is dictated by the fact that their best players are still on inexpensive contracts.

Those contracts belonging to Craig Anderson, Erik Karlsson, Kyle Turris and Mark Stone will all expire over the next two years. Considering the Senators’ struggles to move beyond their playoff bubble status, the question facing management has to be: if this team faces this difficulty each and every season while it’s best players are cheap, how will the team reach the next positive development phase when the performance of their best players remains the same, but the money owed to each of these players jumps significantly and there’s less money to spend on the talent that surrounds them?

On Erik Karlsson coming up on UFA status in 2018 and whether the organization has discussed whether he’d like to stick around long-term…

“Well, no. We’re not going to hide the fact that when July 1st comes around next year, we’d like to start discussing (a new contract) with Erik. But, it’s a process and with that one, we can’t really talk to him until next year and we’re not going to. Everyone knows that I have a pretty close relationship with Erik and he’s one of the better players in the league. And it’s definitely something that will be a priority once that time comes about, but I don’t think we should panic if on July 2nd, we don’t have a contract. I think a lot of teams have done contracts. (Connor) McDavid was done the week after, so let’s wait and see when we get there and hopefully we can get something done for our organization, our fans and for Erik.”

To the organization’s credit, the Senators have shown in recent history that they have no problems retaining talent that comes up on free agency, but if Erik Karlsson walks, you may as well tear down the rest of the roster and start rebuilding.

On the departure of Daniel Alfredsson and whether there’s any anticipation to add to his staff…

“We would like to. I don’t know what roles. We’ve looked at different options. We’ve looked at who would be available. We also looked at the mix with obviously Randy (Lee), myself, Bryan (Murray) and the coaching staff and understanding everyone’s role. We might go the direction more of a pro scout than adding another management-type. As far as when it comes to contracts, Randy and I are almost experts at it. We do our own research. We have a good idea of how to do things. I know Tim Pattyson helps us along when it comes to those contracts, but we both have done them in the past. So we might be looking more just for a hockey guy – someone that wants to go out on the road and be a bit more our eyes out there.”

The smallest front office in the league gets smaller.

http://proxy.autopod.ca/download/podcasts/chum/179/55117/pierre dorion.mp3



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Musa Jallow officially added to Buckeyes roster: Ohio State basketball news - cleveland.com
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Musa Jallow officially added to Buckeyes roster: Ohio State basketball news
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