Bill Davis makes big impression on Buckeye LB offer - 247Sports
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Bill Davis makes big impression on Buckeye LB offer
247Sports
Bill Davis makes big impression on Buckeye LB offer. Ohio State linebackers coach Bill Davis has made a very favorable impression on a linebacker the Buckeyes have offered a scholarship. Bill Kurelic - 66 minutes ago; VIP; 3; Tools. Edit; Slot to ...


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Playing school paid off for Cardale Jones
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The former Ohio State quarterback finished his degree and graduated this weekend.

“Jones attempted only 11 passes all year, but but he heads into training camp as Taylor’s backup and--more important--a college graduate.”

-Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports


Buffalo Bills quarterback Cardale Jones has learned a lot from his past, as evidenced by not only his actual graduation from the Ohio State University, but also by poking fun at an infamous tweet he sent out years ago wondering why, exactly, student athletes were required to go to class.

The former Buckeye quarterback decorated his graduation cap with the statement “Sum 1 once said ‘We ain’t come here to play school,” in reference to a 2012 tweet in which Jones declared “Why should we have to go to class if we came here to play FOOTBALL, we ain’t come to play SCHOOL, classes are POINTLESS”.


Jones later deleted his Twitter account and, upon reinstating it, has been an advocate for his own education, declaring things like “It’s only a lesson if you learned from it.” And now, Jones has earned a degree in African-American and African Studies.

He has had significant support along the way. Texas head coach Tom Herman, Jones’s former offensive coordinator, was on hand for the ceremony, reportedly turning down an opportunity to meet Migos and Chance the Rapper in Texas.

Congrats, Cardale!

“Under the NFL’s rookie wage scale, there isn’t much to haggle over when it comes to a player’s first contract. They sign for four years (with a possible fifth-year option for first-round selections), and the money is always more or less the same every year contingent on draft position.”

-Bill Landis, Cleveland.com


With a total value of more than $55 million of projected four-year rookie contracts, the 2017 draft class from Ohio State, which featured three first-round selections, is yet another weapon in Urban Meyer’s recruiting arsenal. While that number is obviously significantly lower than last year’s more than $117 million total, it still puts the Buckeyes at the No. 3 spot behind LSU and Alabama in terms of 2017 draft value (in 2016, Ohio State held the top spot, ahead of Notre Dame, who had just over $51 million in rookie contracts). Last season, with five first-round selections, including two in the top-five and three in the top-10, the Buckeyes garnered a higher payday overall.

Cornerback Marshon Lattimore, the No. 11 overall pick to the New Orleans Saints, commands the highest projected contract among former Buckeyes in this draft at over $15.3 million over four years, including a $9.3 million signing bonus.

Lattimore’s cohort in the secondary, safety Malik Hooker, was taken with the 15th-overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts, despite entering the night as a projected top-10 pick. He comes in just behind Lattimore with a nearly $12.6 million, four-year contract which includes a $7.3 million signing bonus.

Despite legal allegations against him, cornerback Gareon Conley rounded out the Ohio State defensive backs in the first round when he was taken with the No. 24 overall pick by the Oakland Raiders. At that spot, Conley has a projected contract value of just under $10.5 million with a $5.7 million signing bonus.

Ohio State’s two second-round selections have already signed their rookie contracts. Receiver Curtis Samuel, the 40th-overall pick by the Carolina Panthers, signed a deal worth a projected $6.4 million over four years. Linebacker Raekwon McMillan, meanwhile, who was taken by the Miami Dolphins No. 54 overall, has signed a $4.7 million contract.

Center Pat Elflein, a third-round selection by the Minnesota Vikings, and receiver Noah Brown, taken in the seventh round by the Dallas Cowboys, also have projected multi-million dollar deals at hand.

“The four Big Ten teams advancing to the national tournament represent a conference record, and each will host a first-round game.”

-Big Ten Conference


The Ohio State Buckeyes men’s lacrosse team lost in the finals of the Big Ten Tournament Saturday, but the squad still earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, scheduled to begin next week. This season marks the third NCAA Tournament appearance in five years for the team. The Buckeyes will host an opening-round game against Loyola (Md.) next Sunday. Ohio State finished the season with a 13-4 record and as runners up in the Big Ten with a 3-2 record in conference play. They had also boasted a perfect home record until Saturday’s loss to Maryland in the finals. Of the 17 teams in the tournament, Ohio State has wins over six, including No. 1 Maryland, No. 5 Denver, No. 6 Johns Hopkins, and unseeded teams Marquette and Towson.

Loyola, who earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after winning the Patriot League Tournament last weekend, has earned a 10-5 record on the season. They were the top seed in their conference tournament, and defeated Army, the two-seed, 13-4 in the finals. This NCAA Tournament appearance marks Loyola’s fifth in six years.

Maryland, who won the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 1 seed, also earned the top seed of the national tournament. It is the Terps’ second-straight season as the No. 1-overall seed, and their 15th-straight tournament appearance. Last year, Maryland made it to the NCAA championship game before falling to North Carolina. The Terps are scheduled to face the winner of Bryant/Monmouth in the opening round.

Johns Hopkins and Penn State rounded out the Big Ten’s representation in the tournament. With four teams in, the Big Ten is tied with the ACC for the most teams in the tournament. Hopkins will face Duke in Baltimore in the opening round, while Penn State, the seven-seed, hosts Towson.

STICK TO SPORTS

• Yesterday was Ohio State’s largest commencement in school history
• And 162 student athletes received their diplomas
• Speaking of which, these former Buckeyes hung with Aaron Rodgers at the Kentucky Derby this weekend
• Horses and humans both sped things up on the track this weekend, as the world is getting dangerously close to a two-hour marathon

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BH: Dylan's latest tune | Wondering about Williams - 247Sports
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BH: Dylan's latest tune | Wondering about Williams
247Sports
Has that pitch helped the Buckeyes land any recruits in particular? "It has been attractive, let's say that," Johnson said with a smile. Johnson has coached a lot of defensive lines over the years, but can't recall having a unit this deep before. "Not ...

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Maryland women garner No. 1 seed in NCAA tourney; Big Ten men get conference record 4 teams
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

The NCAA men's and women's lacrosse tournament brackets were released Sunday night, and a total of seven Big Ten teams will be vying for the national championship. View both brackets in this post.

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"They are going to enjoy this one, tomorrow will be an off day and we will go back to work on Tuesday with Bowling Green in town."

Oh no! A MAC team!!

The Hurry Up: Running Back Commit to Play in Polynesian Bowl ... - Eleven Warriors
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


The Hurry Up: Running Back Commit to Play in Polynesian Bowl ...
Eleven Warriors
Ohio State four-star running back Brian Snead to play in Polynesian Bowl while Pennsylvania four-star offensive guard Jake Kradel sets announcement date.

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Ohio State dishes out an offer to a 2020 offensive tackle
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes are also a finalist for a top linebacker in the 2018 class.

Yesterday, Urban Meyer and his staff were able to watch eight of their football players become graduates in the most recent class of The Ohio State University. A proud moment nonetheless, it’s also a simple reminder that in college football, the players that you so desperately coveted in the recruiting process are only in the program for so many seasons, making the feat true that recruiting has to be a never ending business. As Urban’s current players are reaching their goals, the next wave of players are soon on their way into Columbus. Fortunately for Buckeye fans, Urban Meyer and his staff are pretty solid at this recruiting gig.

Always looking to the future


When it comes to Ohio State recruiting news, the 2018 class is garnering all of the attention—and rightfully so. With 2018 being the next class on the clock, Meyer and his gang have really pressed hard and it’s paying off mightily. However, you can never recruit hard enough it seems, so looking to the future is not always a bad idea to try and get a leg up in building solid relationships with top prospects.

Over the weekend, Ohio State looked all the way to the 2020 class as they sent out their most recent football scholarship offer to Knoxville, Tenn. native Bryn Tucker. A 2020 offensive tackle, Tucker is currently only a Freshman in high school. However, when you already measure at 6-foot-5, 300 pounds, it’s pretty tough to overlook this type of Freshman player. Just a Freshman, Tucker does not currently hold a ranking from 247sports, but with six early offers, he’s destined to be a top rated player when the time comes.


Being a Knoxville native and having the home state Volunteers just down the road, it’s easy to see why Tennessee is thought to be the clear-cut leader in this recruitment. With ample time until signing day 2020, it’s obvious there’s bound to be more top programs involved in the recruitment of Tucker. Fortunately, the Buckeyes offering this early in the game gives them the chance to build a relationship with the monster lineman.

50/50 shot for now


If there’s one position the Buckeyes are recruiting extremely hard on the defensive side of the ball, it’s at linebacker. With this year sure to be another stellar unit year for the linebackers, the NFL Draft, which Ohio State has owned recently, is sure to continue its Buckeye trend. With that, it’s not unlikely if Ohio State accepts pledges from three to even four linebackers in the 2018 class. Fortunately, like every position, Meyer and Bill Davis are sitting pretty for a load of linebacker talent in the current recruiting class.

One highly coveted linebacker is Virginia’s Teradja Mitchell. Down to two schools, the five-star inside LB, who is ranked as the second best at his postilion and the second best in Virginia for 2018, is nearing a decision. Estimated to commit to a school in the next month, Mitchell has some serious thinking to do before he makes the final call.


Yesterday, via Twitter, a quote concerning Mitchell had Buckeye fans’ ears perking up a bit as the two schools Mitchell is down to are Ohio State and Florida State—and he currently is feeling each as 50/50 with no clear cut leader. While the Buckeyes beat out the Seminoles in the Taron Vincent recruitment, they are really hoping they can make it a perfect sweep by also outlasting FSU for their top target at inside linebacker.

Jones gets “open”


You can’t say it enough how instrumental it is in a recruiting class to not only land your top quarterback prospect, but to also see how he is being a clear leader in the class and doing his part as a salesman pitching the Buckeye program to other top prospects Ohio State is after. Emory Jones is that guy for the Buckeyes and his efforts on and off the field are showing exactly how important of a role he is playing in the 2018 class.

Yesterday, Jones continued adding to his already impressive resume by competing in the Nike The Opening regional camp. Doing what he does best, Jones walked away very pleased as he was invited to Nike’s The Opening, the premier recruiting circuit camp. Also, he was nominated as a finalist for the Elite11, which for quarterbacks is one of (if not the highest) honor you can earn in the recruiting process. Meyer and Ryan Day know exactly what they are getting in Jones, and the five-star signal caller doesn’t have plans on slowing this momentum any time soon.

Quick Hits:

• Thought to be a Buckeye lean, Georgia’s Michael Harris, a three-star LB, named his top seven school. Ohio State was one of them, and they were joined by LSU, Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
• Four-star 2018 offensive guard prospect Verdis Brown of IMG Academy named his top 10 schools. Making the cut were Florida State, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, UCLA, LSU and Ohio State.
• Three-star defensive tackle Darnell Jefferies also named a top 10 over the weekend. Included were Notre Dame, Alabama, Georgia, Louisville, South Carolina, Clemson, LSU, Oregon, Georgia Tech and Ohio State.
• Over the weekend, top Ohio State tight end target Jeremy Ruckert committed to play in the prestigious United States Army All-American game that takes place annually in San Antonio, Texas each January.

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No. 17 Wolverines Fall to Buckeyes in Series Finale - MGoBlue
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No. 17 Wolverines Fall to Buckeyes in Series Finale
MGoBlue
17-ranked University of Michigan baseball team surrendered four runs in the top of the sixth to drop a 4-2 contest to the visiting Ohio State Buckeyes on Sunday (May 7) inside the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium. Despite the loss on Sunday, ...

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Nine Buckeye football players graduate, biggest OSU class - 247Sports
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Nine Buckeye football players graduate, biggest OSU class
247Sports
On Sunday afternoon, Ohio State University graduated 11,734 students, a record number of degrees handed out, at Ohio Stadium. Among those were 162 student athletes including nine current or former Buckeye football players. Fifth-year seniors who will ...
OSU honors record number of graduatesABC6OnYourSide.com

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jebussmurf said:

Have you tried talking to this guy yet?

View attachment 15405

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One, two, better not sue.

Teradja Mitchell and his decision, Ohio State reaches out to former Notre Dame commit and more - Landof10.com
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Teradja Mitchell and his decision, Ohio State reaches out to former Notre Dame commit and more
Landof10.com
Mitchell once was considered a longtime lean to Florida State — coach Jimbo Fisher has had major success recruiting in Virginia over the last few years — but the Buckeyes changed the game in the last few months. They now are the perceived leader ...
Teradja Mitchell, a five-star LB, reportedly torn between Ohio State, Florida State, will decide sooncleveland.com

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Ohio State-Michigan 2017 final score: Baseball Bucks avoid sweep with 4-2 win
Ben Martens via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


A Zach Ratcliff grand slam propelled the Buckeyes to the win against the Wolverines.

After an afternoon (and weekend) of frustration at the plate, a Zach Ratcliff grand slam in the sixth inning gave Ohio State baseball what it needed to avoid a sweep on the road against Michigan. The Buckeyes held on to win 4-2, improving to 6-12 in Big Ten play in 2017.


The win went to Seth Kinker, who made the first start of his career in his 75th appearance. The redshirt junior righty went six innings, allowing just two unearned runs on four hits while walking two and striking out three.

The four runs that came home on Ratcliff’s blast doubled the number Ohio State had scored in the previous 2 games against the Wolverines. The Buckeyes had gone 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position on Sunday before the redshirt senior connected.

Ohio State had a chance to grab the early lead right off the bat in the first inning when Jalen Washington doubled and stole third with one out. But neither Dominic Canzone nor Brady Cherry could do what was needed to bring him plateward, and Michigan starter Michael Hendrickson was let off the hook.

In the second, it was more of the same. Ratcliff and Bo Coolen both singled to start the frame, but Tyler Cowles, Jacob Barnwell, and Noah West were all retired consecutively, leaving another opportunity squandered.

Kinker did exactly what he’s done throughout his career, though, making life miserable for opposing hitters. He faced the minimum through three innings, yielding nothing but a walk and a hit by a pitch.


Hendrickson settled in as well, overcoming the early traffic on the bases to set down 10 straight Buckeyes between the second and fifth innings.

The Wolverines finally plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth, taking advantage of a Washington error at short. Miles Lewis and Nick Poirier both scored unearned, giving the home team a 2-0 advantage.

Ohio State loaded the bases with one out in the top of the sixth, ending Hendrickson’s day, and Michigan reliever William Tribucher was greeted by Ratcliff’s bomb. It was a little bit of catharsis delivered in one swing for the scarlet and gray, who had lost five games in a row coming in.

Michigan threatened to strike right back in the bottom of the frame, getting the first two men aboard. But Kinker didn’t lose his poise, and Coolen made a diving stab of a liner to end the inning.

Adam Niemeyer, making his second appearance after missing a month of time with an elbow injury, came on out of the bullpen in the seventh for the Buckeyes, and breezed through his first five hitters. He ran into trouble with two outs in the eighth, ultimately loading the bases before getting Poirier to pop out to Washington to escape the jam.

The redshirt junior co-captain worked a 1-2-3 scoreless ninth, striking out the final two batters, to earn the first save of his career and send Ohio State back home with a win.

A pair of midweek games against MAC opponents await the Buckeyes this week at Bill Davis Stadium in Columbus. Bowling Green visits on Tuesday, with Ball State coming to town on Wednesday.

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Ohio State Buckeyes win back-to-back volleyball national titles - 247Sports
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Ohio State Buckeyes win back-to-back volleyball national titles
247Sports
The Buckeyes have one back-to-back volleyball national championships. And the Ohio State football staff reacts.

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Potential Buckeye and top Ohioan land The Opening invites - 247Sports
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Potential Buckeye and top Ohioan land The Opening invites
247Sports
Mitchell is down to Ohio State, Florida State and LSU with the Buckeyes and Seminoles seemingly battling at the top of his list. The 6-foot-4 and 225-pound Peters has at least two dozen scholarship offers including currently holds 25 scholarship offers.
This Ohio State Concept Helmet, Featuring A Giant Buckeye Logo, Is Really CoolThe Spun (blog)
Former Buckeye hoping to impress the BengalsWHIO

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Maryland men and women sweep weekend B1G Lacrosse Tournament titles
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

The top-seeded Maryland men's and women’s lacrosse teams swept the 2017 Big Ten Tournament, as the men defeated Ohio State 10-9 on Saturday and the women downed Northwestern 14-6 in the title game on Sunday.

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Ex-Buckeyes QB Cardale Jones graduates from Ohio State - ESPN
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Ex-Buckeyes QB Cardale Jones graduates from Ohio State
ESPN
Former Buckeyes quarterback Cardale Jones graduated from Ohio State on Sunday, using his graduation cap to poke fun at his infamous 2012 tweet that declared "classes are pointless" for football players and that "we ain't come here to play school.".
Cardale Jones plays school, graduates from Ohio StateLandof10.com
Cardale Jones graduates from Ohio State years after tweeting 'we ain't come to play school'SB Nation
'We ain't come to play school': Cardale Jones pokes fun at himself at Ohio State graduationGridiron Now

all 14 news articles »

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Top Florida hybrid TE says Buckeyes sit No. 1 on his list - 247Sports
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Top Florida hybrid TE says Buckeyes sit No. 1 on his list
247Sports
Top Florida hybrid TE says Buckeyes sit No. 1 on his list. A top Florida hybrid TE the Buckeyes have offered a scholarship says Ohio State sits at the top of his list. Bill Kurelic - 4 hours ago; VIP; 8; Tools. Edit; Slot to 247Sports Home; Slot to ...


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Ex-Buckeyes QB Cardale Jones graduates from Ohio State - ABC News
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Ex-Buckeyes QB Cardale Jones graduates from Ohio State
ABC News
Former Buckeyes quarterback Cardale Jones graduated from Ohio State on Sunday, using his graduation cap to poke fun at his infamous 2012 tweet that declared "classes are pointless" for football players and that "we ain't come here to play school.".
Cardale Jones plays school, graduates from Ohio StateLandof10.com
Cardale Jones graduates from Ohio State years after tweeting 'we ain't come to play school'SB Nation
'We ain't come to play school': Cardale Jones pokes fun at himself at Ohio State graduationGridiron Now

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Ohio State loses to No. 1 Maryland in Big Ten lacrosse finals, await NCAA Tournament selection fate
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Despite losing out on the automatic bid, the Buckeyes should be just fine in the NCAAs.

The Ohio State Buckeyes men’s lacrosse team narrowly lost to top-ranked Maryland in the finals of the Big Ten men’s lacrosse tournament. The Terps squeezed out a 10-9 victory in Columbus Saturday, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament later this month. It was the Buckeyes’ first loss at home this season.

It was a tight game throughout. After Maryland opened scoring, the Buckeyes tied things up on a goal by sophomore attackman Jack Jasinski. Senior midfielder Tyler Pfister gave the Buckeyes the lead before junior defenseman Freddy Friebott scored to give Ohio State a two-goal advantage--the largest lead by either team all day.

Maryland scored the next three, however, wiping out the Buckeyes’ advantage heading into the second quarter. Then, late in the half, freshman midfielder Tre Leclaire found the back of the net for Ohio State’s only goal of the quarter to tie things up heading into the break.

The teams traded goals in the third quarter, with senior attackman Eric Fannell answering a Maryland goal to tie things at five-all heading into the final quarter.

Then, in the fourth, Leclaire responded to a Maryland goal with two scores of his own to give the Buckeyes a 7-6 advantage early in the quarter. Unfortunately, it was not enough, as the Terps would score the next two and take a lead of their own. Junior attackman Colin Chell found the back of the net midway through the quarter to tie the game at eight-all. After another Maryland goal, Fannell found the back of the net for his second goal of the game, keeping the game tied late in the quarter. However, a Maryland score with 3:27 remaining in the game proved to be the dagger in the heart of the Buckeyes, sealing the victory for the Terrapins as Ohio State didn’t get a shot off for the rest of the game.

Leclaire led Ohio State with three goals on the day, while Fannell added two of his own. In all, six Buckeyes scored against Maryland, but the team had collectively just two assists.

Senior goalie Tom Carey had 11 saves on 21 shots on goal. Maryland’s goalie had eight saves on 17 shots on goal. Overall shots were 39-31 in favor of the Terps.

Senior specialist Jake Withers was 13-of-23 on faceoffs on the night, and led Ohio State with 10 of the team’s 25 groundballs.

The NCAA Tournament selection show is scheduled for 9 p.m. Sunday night. With the Buckeyes ranked fifth and seventh nationally in major polls, Ohio State has a more than reasonable shot at earning a strong at-large bid to the tournament.

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Photo: Cardale Jones pokes fun at old tweet on graduation day
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

Former Ohio State quarterback and current Buffalo Bills backup Cardale Jones returned to Columbus, Ohio, this weekend to graduate. That was newsworthy in itself, but Jones' message on his graduation cap garnered him even more attention.

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Ohio State football recruiting mailbag: Breaking down the Buckeyes 2018 recruiting class and more - Landof10.com
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Ohio State football recruiting mailbag: Breaking down the Buckeyes 2018 recruiting class and more
Landof10.com
In this space, on this day, I, your humble servant, will attempt to answer your pressing questions about the state of the Buckeyes on the recruiting trail. If I fail to answer your specific query, please accept my apologies. There are a number of ...
Ohio State's most NFL-ready prospect247Sports
Ohio State-Texas Tech 2017 final score: Buckeyes play No. 4 Red Raiders tough, but fall 5-3Land-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State football's 11 players the opposition will fear most in 2017: Doug Lesmerisescleveland.com
The Daily Toreador (registration) -Eleven Warriors -Yahoo Sports
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Buckeyes biggest spring ball takeaway - 247Sports
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Buckeyes biggest spring ball takeaway
247Sports
"The Buckeyes threw seven touchdown passes in their spring game and all but one went 18 yards or farther. A year after finishing 91st nationally in long passing plays, Urban Meyer hired former Indiana coach Kevin Wilson to add some home run power to ...
11W Recruiting Mailbag: Predicting Ohio State's Next Commit and Talking About Positions of NeedEleven Warriors
The Replacements: Which Ohio State player will take over for Curtis Samuel in 2017?Landof10.com

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Men's volleyball | Buckeyes clinch second straight national title - The Columbus Dispatch
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Men's volleyball | Buckeyes clinch second straight national title
The Columbus Dispatch
All season, the Ohio State men's volleyball team carried the weight of being the hunted. That's what comes as defending national champion. But the Buckeyes seldom played as if burdened by it, and Saturday night, it all came to fruition against the team ...
BYU volleyball swept by Ohio State Buckeyes in National ChampionshipLawless Republic
Buckeyes repeat as volleyball champsAltoona Mirror
Buckeyes wins volleyball national title again - football reacts247Sports
Daily Herald -OSU - The Lantern -Hawaii Tribune Herald
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The Basketball Tournament might just be what Ohio State basketball fans need to feel good again
Matt Brown via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


After a tough few seasons, maybe we all just need some Crafternoon Delight.

It’s been a tough run if you’re an Ohio State basketball fan. The declining results, the embarrassing Big Ten Tournament loss to Rutgers, the failure to even make the NIT last season, and most recently, losing their best recruit, who was not shy about telling folks exactly what he thought about the state of Ohio State hoops.

There’s no sugarcoating it. That’s all pretty bad news. But there may be a reason to cheer coming soon.

Earlier this week, it was announced that multiple former Buckeyes, like Aaron Craft and Evan Ravenel, will be forming a team to compete in The Basketball Tournament. Other legends, like Greg Oden and Deshaun Thomas, are expected to join as well.

According to the Tournament press release, the Buckeye squad will feature Aaron Craft, Evan Ravenel, Dallas Lauderdale, Deshaun Thomas, Lenzelle Smith, Greg Oden, David Lighty, Jon Diebler, William Buford, Nate Miller and Leon Rodgers. Buckeye legend point guard Scoonie Penn will serve as the GM.

Handicapping the actual tournament feels like a foolhardy endeavor at this point, since we have no idea what other teams will be participating, or who is coming with them. But there’s reason to think this could be a strong squad. Thomas, after all, averaged over 14 points a game last season in the Euroleague. Aaron Craft, who has already demonstrated he can defend excellently at a non-NBA professional level, is adding 10 points and 2 steals a game in Italy. Jon Diebler is hitting over 50% from three. The list goes on.

Even if every player doesn’t pan out, given that the level of competition here is D-League/EuroLeague, there’s no reason to think this squad can’t at least be competitive.

But whether Ohio State wins the whole dang tournament, or just a few games, isn’t really the point, although that would be nice.

This group, from Thomas to Diebler to Craft and more, are the last holdovers from the recent Ohio State teams that weren’t just successful on the court, but fun. They won games, they had specific roles carves out, and they captured fan attention and affection, something that can taken for granted at a school where football is by far the most important sport, and football recruiting is probably second.

It won’t be hard to watch The Tournament. The early games are going to be on WatchESPN, and later ones will be on ESPN and ESPN2. They’re being played during a time on the calendar when nothing else is really going on. At a time when fan confidence in the program is as low as it’s been in a decade, fans will have the chance to fire up their computer, turn on their TV, and see players they liked remind them why they enjoyed Ohio State basketball to begin with.

The players understand that. Cleveland.com quoted Aaron Craft as saying:


Ohio State winning this tournament isn’t going to turn around Buckeye basketball. It almost certainly isn’t going to win them recruits. But even a modestly successful run can help give the program a little momentum on social media, in the press, and most importantly, in the hearts of fans. Craft hustling for a steal, or Oden demolishing somebody in the paint, or Diebler bombing away from Westerville can help erase some of the bad taste of the last few years, if only a little bit.

At this point, any positive momentum is good news for Ohio State basketball. Hopefully, this group of alums can provide some during The Tournament.

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