Offseason moves for Ohio State players in the NFL: Live tracker
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Don’t miss where your favorite Buckeye lands this offseason.

The 2016 NFL season was huge for former Ohio State stars, with the league featuring up to 53 Buckeyes at any given time. Throughout the year, players were released, traded and injured — A.J. Hawk even retired -- all while the rookie class broke franchise and league records and earned postseason honors.

Now that the season is over, moves are being made. Those players that were released are hoping for a chance with a new team, and others could be subject to trade. There are plenty of Buckeyes who are looking for new contracts during free agency, including two restricted and six unrestricted free agent.

This is also the last chance for several prominent Buckeyes to snag a roster spot before having to accept their career ended early. Players like Boom Herron and DeVier Posey have bounced from team-to-team during their time in the league, and others like James Laurinaitis and Mike Nugent might consider filing retirement papers should interest from teams be lower than expected.

Here at Land-Grant Holy Land, we’ll keep you updated on all the latest moves:

• 3/10: Quarterback turn wide receiver Terrelle Pryor Sr. to sign a one-year deal with Washington — just a day after the team lost two 1,000-yard receivers and fired their GM.
• 3/10: Linebacker John Simon was signed by the Indianapolis Colts (from the Houston Texans) on a 3-year deal worth a maximum of $17 million.
• 3/9: Hours before the official start of free agency, it was reported that Ted Ginn Jr. would move on from the Panthers and sign with NFC South rival, the New Orleans Saints.
• 3/7: The Carolina Panthers decide not to tender restricted free agent wide receiver Corey ‘Philly’ Brown. The team did place a second-round tender on Andrew Norwell, worth $2.746 million in 2017.
• 2/25: Eleven year veteran Nick Mangold was released by the Jets in a move that freed up $9 million in cap space for the team. At 33 years old, the Buckeye will evaluate his options (which includes moving to guard) in the offseason.
• 2/7: Chase Farris signed to futures contract with the New England Patriots just days after claiming a Super Bowl win. Farris became one of only 11 Buckeyes to have both a National Championship win and Super Bowl title.
• 2/6: Tyvis Powell was claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Browns. Originally signing with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent, the team parted ways just before the playoffs. With another special team player going out for the longterm, the team released Powell and signed veteran Devin Hester to take them through the postseason. The Buckeye is excited to get back to his hometown.
• 1/17: Linebacker Curtis Grant was signed to a future/reserves contract with the New York Giants worth just over $1 million for two seasons. Grant has spent his two seasons in the league bouncing from team-to-team, starting his career with the Chargers before making brief stops with the Falcons, Titans, Raiders, and 49ers.
• 1/17: Running back Rod Smith signed a future/reserves contract with the Dallas Cowboys worth $1.3 million over two seasons. Smith converted to fullback ahead of the 2016 season, and could be competing for just one roster spot this offseason.
• 1/3: Offensive tackle Reid Fragel was signed to a future/reserves contract with the Minnesota Vikings worth $615,000 for just one season.
• 1/2: After being released just before the regular season by the Pittsburgh Steelers, cornerback Doran Grant was signed to the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad. The Jaguars decided to sign Grant to a future/reserves contract worth $1.17 million over two years, in order for him to use the training facilities this offseason.
• 12/28: Safety Christian Bryant was signed by the Arizona Cardinals off the New York Giants practice squad. His new deal was a 2-year, $1.1 million contract, and the Buckeye will be a restricted free agent heading into the 2018 season.

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Terrelle Pryor to sign a one-year deal with Washington
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the former OSU QB is headed to the nation’s capital.

Former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor entered the offseason as an unrestricted free agent, and the Cleveland Browns didn’t re-sign the wide receiver in a surprising move. The market was hot for the 1,000-plus yard wideout, and ended up signing a new one-year deal with Washington, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.


Washington needed to lock in some reliable targets for quarterback Kirk Cousins, and having lost both of the team’s 1,000-yard receivers — Desean Jackson and Pierre Garcon — they set their eyes on Pryor. He was seen boarding Washington’s private jet Thursday evening just hours before they fired their general manager.

The MMQB’s Albert Breer reported that the deal was worth $8 million, the total that the Browns had reportedly wanted to pay to bring Pryor back to Cleveland.


Ahead of negotiations, Pryor reportedly informed his agents that he wanted to stay in Cleveland, but the Browns wanted to keep him at $8 million a year, and the Buckeye was reportedly looking for $10 million-plus. Instead, the team signed Rams receiver Kenny Britt at the opening of free agency, leaving Pryor free to hit the market.

Despite the Browns losing in historical fashion last season, their one bright spot on offense was with the quarterback-turned-wideout. In his second season at his new position, Pryor finally saw consistent targets on 900 snaps. The team could’ve probably used him under center — with a quarterback crisis that kept replaying itself every other week — but were happy to have the 6’4, 223-pound player on the receiving end of things.

Pryor finished the 2016 season with 1,007 yards on 77 receptions — out of 140 targets -- and four touchdowns. This past season was also the first in which the wideout played in all 16 regular season games — including his time as a quarterback in Oakland.

The season was bound to include several firsts for the wideout, when as early as Week 3, he was sending a shipment of game-worn items to Canton for enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. During the third game of the season against the Dolphins, Pryor became the first player to have at least 120 receiving yards, 30 passing yards, and 20 rushing yards in a single game since Frank Gifford in 1959.

Even though Pryor’s NFL career has been anything but ordinary, it’s also been far from extraordinary, which makes the fact that he now claims TWO exhibits in the Hall of Fame a bit surprising. His first feature was thanks to his record-breaking 93-yard quarterback run, during his time as an Oakland Raider — meaning he has now made the Hall of Fame as both a quarterback and wide receiver.

Pryor’s early NFL career came off the heels of a quick departure from Ohio State — tattoogate, anyone? -- and a five game suspension to start his rookie season. He was forced to enter the supplemental draft due to the strange conditions, and ended up with the Oakland Raiders for two seasons. He was briefly traded to the Seahawks, before ultimately missing the entire 2014 season -- he then went on to short stints in Kansas City and Cincinnati.

His reemergence as a receiver resuscitated Pryor’s failing football career, and the results won’t have anyone questioning whether the position change was worth it.

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How an Ohio State professor will save East Africa $1.25 billion dollars: BTN LiveBIG
BTN.com LiveBIG Staff via Big Ten Network

Why tracking and killing the brownstreak virus is so important

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They asked Meyer about him in the recent press conference in his thread and he said that he just quit. He seemed to be in on and know the particulars of the other players that were transferring but my take was that he was surprised by this one.

BH: Conley climbing tax brackets | Silver Bullets report - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


BH: Conley climbing tax brackets | Silver Bullets report
247Sports
Buckeyes sell on West Coast … We happened to be talking to one of our West Coast recruiting sources and of course the discussion turned to Ohio State recruiting in California. The Buckeyes have landed two Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco stars in ...


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Football: Rotating an experienced defensive line key for the Buckeyes in 2017 - OSU - The Lantern
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Football: Rotating an experienced defensive line key for the Buckeyes in 2017
OSU - The Lantern
Last season, the Ohio State football team relied heavily on its secondary — namely, safety Malik Hooker and cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore, and Gareon Conley — to be the playmakers and backbone on the Buckeyes' defense. With the departure of this ...


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Looking at the new wrinkles that Kevin Wilson will bring to the Ohio State offense
Christopher Jason via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Kevin Wilson is going to bring a variety of formations with a high-tempo to Columbus.

From 2006-2010, new Ohio State offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson was the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma. During that time period at Oklahoma he orchestrated one of the most explosive offenses in the country, including the 2008 team that scored over 48 points 10 times and put up over 60 points in succession over their final five regular season games. With an uptempo spread offense, Wilson knows how to put points on the scoreboard.

When watching the 2010 Red River Shootout between Wilson’s Sooners and the Texas Longhorns, Oklahoma’s opening drive was a scripted thing of beauty. He put the quarterback under center, in shotgun and the Pistol formation, and kept his foot on the pedal throughout the drive, which kept the Longhorn defense on their heels.

Here are the multiple wrinkles on the 13 play, 83-yard drive that took only 4:09 off the clock before Demarco Murray reached the end zone. Tempo. Tempo. Tempo.

Quarterback under center



With the Sooners’ coming up short on second down, they came out under center in 22 personnel (2 RB, 2 TE, 1 WR) and handed the ball off to the fullback on a dive to move the chains. With the fullback position basically extinct in college football, this would be unlikely to see — especially at Ohio State — but it shows that Wilson is not against playing under center in short yardage situations. It gets the snap to the quarterback much quicker and the ball carrier gets going downhill. They could utilize a tight end such as AJ Alexander at fullback and have him lead the way for Mike Weber in short yardage situations.


After picking up the first down on the play above, the offense hurried up to the line of scrimmage — in only 12 seconds from when the fullback handed the ball to the referee — and hiked the ball. Landry Jones (quarterback) was still under center and ran play action to Murray -- completely fooling the defense — which got the inside linebacker on Murray in man coverage. Murray feasted on this mismatch to move the chains on back-to-back plays. It was an easy throw for Landry, which would be a high-percentage throw for J.T. Barrett.

Make things simpler for Barrett



Speaking of Barrett, here’s an example of Wilson making things easy for his quarterback. First, the motion from the tailback holds the backside coverage guys, which limits the defense from flowing towards the quarterback’s eyes. Second, the route concept on the right side forces the zone defender into making a decision: does he sit down in the zone and play the running back who’s coming at him? Or does he fall further into the zone and play the receiver? The corner chooses the running back, which leaves the receiver on the hitch pattern for a nice gain on first down. This is an easy read and throw for Barrett to make on a consistent basis.

WR Screen(!)


Here’s a play that Ohio State fans have been looking for since Tom Herman left the team: the wide receiver screen. Wilson made a living off of perimeter screens at Oklahoma, most notably to Ryan Broyles — who shattered the FBS career reception record. Under Wilson from 2008 to 2010, Broyles secured 266 receptions for 3,429 yards and 35 touchdowns. With the abundance of quick receivers who may not be the best or most precise route runners, expect screens on the perimeter to be back under Kevin Wilson.

Pistol Formation


Here’ the Oklahoma offense in the Pistol formation with a second back flanked to the right of Jones. Wilson is a huge proponent of the Diamond formation (which we will eventually introduce) and this version of the Pistol is very similar. Out of the Pistol and the Diamond formations, the possibilities are endless. In fact, one would recognize the Pistol as a common formation that the Buckeyes run a good amount of their offense out of. With this wrinkle, Wilson can get Weber and Demario McCall in the backfield at the same time, giving the defense multiple options respect, along with one of the backs likely blocking for the ball carrier. The possibilities are endless here.

Consistent Tempo


Even with the variety of formations and play calls throughout the 13 plays on the opening drive, the tempo that the offense played with is the best sign for the future of the Ohio State offense. Wilson was able to confuse the defense and get the ball to multiple players, all while keeping the pedal down. After the run out of Pistol, Jones got the offense on the ball and the ball hiked with the play clock still at 27 seconds. Murray got to the edge and the Sooners were up 6-0 at the end of the 13-play, 4:09 drive that drove 83-yards down the field. Wilson was able to wear down the defense by throwing the kitchen sink at them on the first possession and they were able to take home the Red River Shootout.

***

“There’s just things that we have to work on and [Wilson's] the perfect guy, him and Ryan Day and our offense staff to get them fixed.” Urban Meyer knows he picked the right guy to fix the offense, almost the same offense that was shutout by Clemson on New Year’s Eve.

With an experienced quarterback behind center and an array of elite skill players for Wilson put in a place to succeed, expect the Ohio State offense to look like a well-oiled machine in 2017 — something they hasn’t been seen since Tom Herman was sitting in the coaches booth.

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Ohio State Football: Kevin Wilson Set For New Challenge With Buckeyes - Scout
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State Football: Kevin Wilson Set For New Challenge With Buckeyes
Scout
In addition to helping the Buckeyes improve on a less than stellar offensive attack from a season ago, Wilson is tasked with meshing with an offensive staff that features a new quarterback's coach as well. He said that one of his main focuses is to ...
Kevin Wilson at Ohio State, are you comfortable with the Buckeyes' hire?cleveland.com
New Ohio State Buckeyes OC Kevin Wilson defends Indiana tenureESPN
BM5: Kevin Wilson's OTL investigation, impact on OSU's offense247Sports
Landof10.com -Land-Grant Holy Land -BuckeyeGrove.com (subscription)
all 30 news articles »

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Watch ‘Super’ Demario McCall get the 8-bit Mario treatment
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


What better way to celebrate National Mario Day?

In limited action last fall, Ohio State freshman running back Demario McCall excited Buckeye fans with his speed, agility, and video game-like moves. So it seems only fitting that to honor every Gen-Xer’s favorite holiday, National Mario Day, the Ohio State Football program released a video of McCall running through Mushroom Kingdom.


National Mario Day is celebrated every year on March 10th, because the day can be abbreviated “Mar10.” Clever, huh?

With Curtis Samuel now NFL-bound, many fans are looking to McCall to supply the excitement and quick-scoring ability to the offense. On 49 carries in 2016, the Ridgfield, OH native rushed for 270 yards and scored three touchdowns. He also had four receptions for 84 yards and returned three punts for 14.

McCall is expected to be the Buckeyes’ number one H-back when they open the season in Bloomington, IN on August 31.

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Kurelic: OSU looks good for LB's; DT target talks OSU, Michigan - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Kurelic: OSU looks good for LB's; DT target talks OSU, Michigan
247Sports
Good evening Bucknuts subscribers! There is plenty going on with Ohio State football recruiting so let's get started! I will of course have plenty more throughout the night and tomorrow. 1) On Wednesday the Buckeyes offered a scholarship to Tucker (Ga ...
Ohio State sends two offers on ThursdayLand-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State's Kelsey Mitchell has Learned About Basketball, Life as a BuckeyeHERO Sports (blog)

all 12 news articles »

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Kollin Moore with the “Upset” of Brett Pfarr, B1G Photos, IX
Garth via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Buckeye wrestler Kollin Moore is no longer surprise as his freshman season moves to its final week. In the B1G Championship Moore reverses the resulf from an earlier in the year. Moore nearly pinned Pfarr and had him on the ropes from the very beginning of the match. Moore becomes the latest in a growing list of recent Buckeye freshman champions.


























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Ohio State football: Freshman numbers, weight and number changes from Buckeyes spring roster - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: Freshman numbers, weight and number changes from Buckeyes spring roster
cleveland.com
Ohio State football: Freshman numbers, weight and number changes from Buckeyes spring roster. Dre'Mont Jones, Tyquan Lewis. Ohio State defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jonaes (86) had the Buckeyes' biggest physical transformation according to the updated ...


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Buckeyes go to Georgia to offer 2018 linebacker - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes go to Georgia to offer 2018 linebacker
247Sports
Ohio State would love to add at least three linebackers to their roster via the recruiting class of 2018 and early his morning extended an offer to Michael Harris. Want daily inside scoop on the Buckeyes? Become a VIP with our 7-DAY FREE TRIAL offer now!
Ohio State sends two offers on ThursdayLand-Grant Holy Land

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John Simon signs 3-year deal with the Colts
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The linebacker is moving on from the Texans.

Former Ohio State stud John Simon entered the NFL offseason as an unrestricted free agent, but the Houston Texans decided not to retain the linebacker moving forward. Instead, the Indianapolis Colts have agreed to terms with the Buckeye on a 3-year deal worth $17 million, according to ESPN.

The edge rusher had a career-season as a Texan in 2016, even though he only suited up for 11 of the 16 games. He finished the year with 51 total tackles (42.5% of his career total), 3.5 sacks, two passes defended and a forced fumble.

In Week 11’s Monday Night Football game against the Oakland Raiders, Simon suffered a chest injury in the overtime loss. Despite rehabbing 12 hours a day, Simon was only active for one additional regular season game the rest of the year. His dedication to getting back in the game spoke volumes about the type of player he is, making him even more valuable.

Simon also had a secret weapon in Houston: former linebacker coach and now defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s the Buckeye who chose to come back to Ohio State and help coach during the transition year between Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer — you know, the one under Luke Fickell.

Vrabel is actually a big reason Simon was in Houston to begin with. The linebacker was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2013 draft, before being released after just one season and added to the team’s practice squad. Two months later in Oct. 2014, the Texans swooped in and picked up the Buckeye.

Under Vrabel’s tutelage, Simon thrived as a back-up to J.J. Watt and eventually turned that into a starting role with Watt’s season-ending injury ahead of the 2016 season.

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JT Barrett's bravado, a way-too-early Top 25, Jeffrey Okudah is blazing fast, Matta's big challenge - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


JT Barrett's bravado, a way-too-early Top 25, Jeffrey Okudah is blazing fast, Matta's big challenge
Landof10.com
On Thursday, QB J.T. Barrett had a chance to address one of this past winter's most incredible topics: Buckeyes fans who wanted Barrett to leave Ohio State for one place (the NFL) or another (a grad transfer to another college.) For Barrett, it is ...
J.T. Barrett to Haters: 'It's Not Like I'm Trying to Mess Up the Ohio ...Eleven Warriors
JT Barrett has a message for Ohio State fans who don't like him: 'It was like I am the enemy'cleveland.com
Ohio State Freshmen Impressing Greg Schiano Early In Spring ...Scout

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Ohio State baseball spring breaking against Florida Gulf Coast
Ben Martens 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 back in the Sunshine State for a weekend series against a tough Eagles squad.

Ohio State baseball has been uneven to say the least through the first three weekends of the 2017 season, but the fight the Buckeyes showed in the final two games of their series win over Campbell last weekend has infused a little extra optimism into the program.

After being thoroughly outplayed in a 7-2 loss in game one last Friday night, a game in which the team mustered just two hits, Ohio State put together back-to-back performances that were about as complete as any it has had this year. Head coach Greg Beals watched his squad rack up 14 runs on 21 hits and 16 walks in the two wins, and received quality pitching that, with the exception of one tough inning, held the Camels bats in check.

“It’s good to get a series win on the road,” Beals said after Sunday’s 7-6 series clinching victory. “It’s very valuable, especially, after Friday night’s ball game when the tempo of the game was all Campbell. I really liked how our guys responded and came out and competed Saturday and Sunday to win the series.”

Junior leadoff man Tre’ Gantt is making the kind of jump thus far in the season that the coaching staff had hoped for. The Buckeyes’ center fielder has reached base in each of the team’s 11 games and hit safely in 10 out of 11, slashing .325/.429/.500 with four doubles, four runs batted in, and eight runs scored. Gantt was 4-for-10 against Campbell, scoring a run, driving in two, and playing solid defense.

Ohio State also saw life in the bats of juniors Tyler Cowles and Bo Coolen, each of whom have struggled in their first year in scarlet and gray. Cowles had three hits in Buies Creek, including his first home run as a Buckeye, and Coolen went 4-for-8 in the final two games of the series after beginning the season 2-for-26.

Beals also had to be pleased with the pitching staff, which after redshirt junior Adam Niemeyer got knocked around on Friday night, rebounded to keep the Campbell bats off-balance. Redshirt senior Jake Post really had things working on Saturday, allowing just one run in six quality innings of work. The right-hander picked up his first win in nearly two years, scattering five hits and striking out a career-high eight.

Sophomore righty Ryan Feltner followed that up with his best start of the young season, going six innings as well, yielding five runs, four earned. Were it not for a two-out three-run double in the sixth, his line would have looked even better, as he showed command of his fastball that had been lacking in his first two outings.

Out of the bullpen, the Buckeyes got a combined 8.1 scoreless innings during the series from sophomore Connor Curlis, and juniors Dustin Jourdan, Curtiss Irving, Seth Kinker, and Yianni Pavlopoulos. Pavlopoulos, who was the reigning Big Ten Co-Pitcher of the Week for his win over Oregon State the previous weekend, was back in his familiar closer’s role for the first time this season.

Ohio State’s win over Oregon State, the fifth-ranked team in the country, two weekends ago was surely the more impressive performance on paper. But the grit and consistency the Buckeyes displayed in the final two games against the Camels was exactly what this team should strive for game-in, game-out. The squad has shown it can compete with anyone, but must bring that same focus every time it hits the field if it hopes to be a factor once Big Ten play begins.

The challenges the club has already faced in 2017 won’t get any easier this weekend, either, as Ohio State travels to Fort Myers, Florida for a three-game weekend set with Florida Gulf Coast. While FGCU may be best known as “Dunk City,” the school’s baseball program is no slouch, either, having a national ranking from Collegiate Baseball at present, and narrowly missing out in other polls.

Let’s take a look at what the Buckeyes are up against as they spring break in the Sunshine State.

Florida Gulf Coast Eagles (11-2, Atlantic Sun Conference)


Dave Tollett, now in his 15th year at the helm for FGCU, brings his team into the weekend on a hot streak, having won eight in row, including a midweek sweep against No.2 Florida on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Eagles are a relatively inexperienced club, with 13 freshmen and nine junior college transfers, but have veterans on the pitching staff and a few standout returnees in the lineup that make them a well-balanced, dangerous opponent.

Off to a fast start for Tollett are the top two hitters in the order and double play combination of second baseman Matt Reardon and shortstop Julio Gonzalez, both juniors. Reardon has a slash line of .321/.446/.453 from the leadoff spot, leading FGCU with 14 runs scored and four stolen bases. Gonzalez is slashing .375/.456/.542, and has been the beneficiary of Reardon’s on-base prowess, leading the team 16 RBIs.

Catcher Spencer Levine and left fielder Eli Lovell, also juniors, have helped anchor the middle of the order. Levine has a slash line of .286/.396/.476 with five doubles, a home run, and 14 RBIs, while Lovell is right behind him, slashing .283/.345/.472 with a team-high seven doubles, a homer, and 11 driven in.

That quartet has helped to cover for sluggish starts from redshirt senior first baseman/designated hitter Nick Rivera (.235/.381/.431) and sophomore third baseman/first baseman Jake Smith (.214/.267/.357), who were expected to supply the bulk of the lineup’s pop.

On the bump, Tollett has a seasoned array of arms to throw at Ohio State. As a staff, the Eagles have limited opponents to a .255/.320/.330 slash line, amassing a 3.54 earned run average and a 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The pair of games FGCU played midweek against the Gators will benefit the Buckeyes, though, as top hurler Mario Leon won’t be on the mound.

In his stead will be senior Garrett Anderson, junior Kutter Crawford, and redshirt sophomore Josh Dye. Crawford (who might have the best baseball name of any Ohio State opponent this season) and Dye have been lights out, combining to go 6-0 in seven starts.

Crawford, a right-hander, has worked 19 innings, yielding just a 1.42 earned run average, a .188 batting average against, a 0.88 WHIP, and an astounding 27 strikeouts compared to three base on balls. Dye, a southpaw, has been nearly as effective, sporting a 1.96 ERA, allowing opposing hitters a .246 average, a 0.98 WHIP, and 13 strikeouts against a single walk. The Buckeyes will have their work cut out for them at the plate on Saturday and Sunday.

Anderson will be making only his second start of the season, though he has appeared out of the bullpen three times. The righty will present Ohio State’s best chance, on paper at least, of getting its bats going, as he has amassed a 3.00 ERA, a .298 batting average against, and a 1.58 WHIP in 12 innings of work.

Right-handed senior closer Sterling Koerner has been effective in the back end of the bullpen for the Eagles, saving three games. In 11 innings pitched, Koerner has a 1.64 ERA, allowed a .233 opponents’ batting average, and given up 1.09 walks and hits per inning. In a close game, he gives FGCU a reliable weapon to shut the door.

Game times and probable pitching matchups


Friday, March 10th, 6:30 p.m. ET (streaming live on Asun.TV)

Post (1-1, 3.38 ERA) vs. Anderson (1-0, 3.00)

Saturday, March 11th, 6:00 p.m. ET

Feltner (0-2, 5.51) vs. Crawford (3-0, 1.35)

Sunday, March 12th, 1:00 p.m. ET

Niemeyer (1-2, 5.14) vs. Dye (3-0, 1.86)

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Ohio State sends two offers on Thursday
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 wasting no time before Spring Break.

The Ohio State football program had their second spring practice yesterday and concluded their practice sessions until after Spring Break. While the Buckeye football players may be headed home to see family, the coaching staff certainly seems to be ignoring the term “break” as Thursday saw one of the busier days of the new 2017 recruiting calendar.

New offer goes to Georgia LB


Thursday started off with a bang early in the morning when a Georgia linebacker prospect announced he had received an offer from Ohio State.

Michael Harris (Tucker, GA / Tucker) was the recipient of the coveted Scarlet and Gray offer. For the 6-foot-2 inside linebacker from the class of 2018, the Buckeye offer adds his total up to nearly 20 scholarship offers — with the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU and Georgia having already made it known that they want the Peach State product.


He is currently ranked as a three-star prospect on 247sports, but as seen many times before, when a prospect with a “lower” ranking starts to receive national attention from some of the top programs in the country, there is usually an increase to a higher status after a rankings update. Until then, Harris checks in as the 15th best prospect at his position and the 32nd best prospect in the talent-rich state of Georgia.

There’s quite a bit of time until National Signing Day 2018, but not long after the offer from the Buckeyes, three 247sports crystal ball predictions in favor of Ohio State rolled on it. If the Buckeyes are serious about Harris, which they are, the feeling seems to be very mutual.

2019 OL earns OSU offer


For the Buckeyes, West Virginia may be a border state, but rarely in years past have they dipped into the West Virginia recruiting pool for talent potentially making the short move to Ohio State.

Yesterday, however, a new trend may have begun as Urban Meyer and the Buckeye coaching staff hosted Doug Nester (Huntington, WV / Spring Valley) for an unofficial visited. The visit was definitely worth the trip as Nester received an offer from Ohio State—tallying his offer total to nine.


A 6-foot-4, 280-pound offensive tackle, Nester does not currently own a ranking on 247sports due to his 2019 class status, but with early offers from programs such as Tennessee, West Virginia, Florida, Louisville, and most recently Ohio State, Doug is sure to be a top prospect when the rankings do come out.

Bucks make the cut for 2018 ATH


The Buckeyes current 2018 class may only have four commits right now, but the four that are included have ratings so high that the class is still in the top 10 — proving that quality over quantity is exactly what Urban Meyer is bringing each and every year to Columbus.

Yesterday, Ohio State and Urban Meyer made the cut for another top 2018 prospect when Tampa, Fla. native Jermaine Eskridge released his top seven. The Buckeyes made the list, which also included Alabama, Oregon, Michigan, Penn State, Florida State and Florida. Obviously in high regard, Eskridge with his 52 scholarship offers ranks as the 16th best athlete in the country for 2018 and the 44th best prospect in the Sunshine State.


The Buckeyes may have six other opponents to land his services, but as things stand now, at least they made the cut. When a prospect has over 50 scholarship offers, narrowing down to just seven shows the Buckeyes are being highly considered (and rightfully so) with their continued success.

2019 stud DB loves OSU visit


Ohio State is absolutely loaded with past and current talent at the defensive back positions. With a record amount of players being sent to the NFL year in and year out, coaches Kerry Coombs and Greg Schiano have done an incredible job with developing their guys.

This past Tuesday, Art Herndon III of St. Joseph, Mich. took an unofficial visit to Ohio State with his father, and came away very impressed with what they had to see. Normally, when a recruit is able to come into Columbus and see firsthand what the Buckeyes have to offer, they come away pretty impressed. For Herndon, this visit wasn’t any different. In fact, he had this to say to Land-Grant Holy Land:

“Man, I loved the visit. It was one of the best visits I’ve been on. It was so family-like and everything was great from top to bottom. The practice was crazy intense and competitive which I love. I also loved the facilities. Their trophy area is truly amazing, especially seeing the first ever College Football Playoff trophy. The rings too, those were something to see.”


From the sounds of it, Herndon fully enjoyed his time being able to tour the facilities and check out the first spring practice for the Buckeyes’ 2017 season. Currently, Art does not hold a 247sports ranking due to his 2019 class status, but with vistit to Notre Dame, Michigan and others, Herndon certainly won’t be a “new” name in the recruiting cycle for long. The Buckeyes would love to establish a strong relationship early, and this week’s visit may have just done that.

Quick Hits:

• Ohio State 2019 WR target Jadon Haselwood committed to Georgia yesterday afternoon.
• Top 10 ATH, Jordyn Adams of Cary, North Carolina will visit Ohio State April 15 for the Spring Game.

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Ohio State men's basketball | Buckeyes say they must have the will to get better - The Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State men's basketball | Buckeyes say they must have the will to get better
The Columbus Dispatch
So if everyone — minus lone senior Marc Loving — is slated to return next season, what do the Buckeyes need to do to get back on track, or at least locate the rails? There were plenty of little answers, depending on which dejected player was speaking ...
Watch: Buckeyes first spring practice highlights247Sports
What Thad Matta said after the Ohio State Buckeyes' 66-57 loss to Rutgers in the Big Ten tourneyLandof10.com
Buckeyes Bounced By Rutgers, 66-57Scarlet and Game
Beloit Daily News -ESPN -cleveland.com
all 284 news articles »

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LitlBuck said:

You should realize that there is not that much interest in college basketball as a whole on this site to start a forum.

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Indeed. We're just a football school.

Some of our fans are so thankful to make a couple of final fours this century they feel a lifetime obligation to keep that coach, one of the highest paid college hoops coaches in the country, even as the program gets worse for six straight years. Regrettably, such sentimentality will make sure we stay just a football school. Even worse, tOSU administration seems to share that sentiment.

Ohio State's up-and-down day in Georgia, how to lose a recruit in 10 seconds, Jaiden Woodbey says 'don't trip' - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State's up-and-down day in Georgia, how to lose a recruit in 10 seconds, Jaiden Woodbey says 'don't trip'
Landof10.com
Of course, that's still two years from now and there is plenty of time for Ohio State, or any other school, to try to sway Haselwood's mind. Had he instead chosen Ohio State on Thursday, the likelihood of a long-term commitment to the Buckeyes was ...

and more »

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Watch: Buckeyes first spring practice highlights - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Watch: Buckeyes first spring practice highlights
247Sports
Ohio State kicked off spring practice on Tuesday. Bucknuts brought you updates from the first hour of that practice that was open to the media, but the Buckeyes have now released highlights from the rest of the session.
JT Barrett to Haters: 'It's Not Like I'm Trying to Mess Up the Ohio State Buckeyes'Eleven Warriors
JT Barrett has a message for Ohio State fans who don't like him: 'It was like I am the enemy'cleveland.com
Ohio State Freshmen Impressing Greg Schiano Early In Spring PracticeScout

all 12 news articles »

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Ohio State target Jadon Haselwood commits to Georgia - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State target Jadon Haselwood commits to Georgia
247Sports
It is not out of the question Haselwood will still attend the Buckeyes' spring game and a source familiar with Haselwood's recruitment told Bucknuts his recruitment is not over. Expect the Ohio State staff to continue to aggressively recruit Haselwood.

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Ohio State offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson speaks for the first time since hiring
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The former Indiana head coach says he wouldn’t be coaching at Ohio State if there was any truth to mistreatment allegations.

“We wouldn’t be here, doing this job, if those things are true. Anyone can have an opinion, I know the department went over there and looked at everything, I know this school has looked at everything, I know we’re very, very comfortable with what we’re doing and where we’re at. And we’re excited about it to move forward.”

Ohio State offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson via Eric Seger, Eleven Warriors


On Thursday, new Ohio State offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson spoke to the media for the first time since being hired in January. The former Indiana head coach was pressed about allegations that he mistreated players while with the Hoosiers. Wilson is accused of making injured players return to the field before they were fully recovered while at the school. When asked about the allegations and being hired by Ohio State, Wilson defended himself, and said he wouldn’t be coaching with the Buckeyes if there was any truth to the allegations.

In early February when asked about the hiring of Wilson, head coach Urban Meyer said that Wilson was vetted by athletic director Gene Smith before the hiring was approved. Meyer said even though he previously knew Wilson, he still wanted to do his homework on the situation, and when he got the responses he was comfortable with going forward with the hire. The official reason Indiana and Wilson parted ways was because of “philosophical differences”. Wilson won’t have to wait long to square off with his former employers, as Ohio State opens the 2017 against Indiana.

“My whole heart is into it. This is all that I do. I am here to play football, I come from Texas. This is why I came. It’s all in good nature. It’s not like I am trying to mess up the Ohio State backup. I read sometimes, it was like I was the enemy, I was the bad guy. Guys, I’m not trying to do that to the Buckeyes. I love the Buckeyes.”

Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett via Ari Wasserman, Northeast Ohio Media Group


Just a few years ago quarterback J.T. Barrett was the hero for stepping in for an injured Braxton Miller and putting Ohio State in position to make the College Football Playoff before he was injured against Michigan. Now there are some who would have been happy if Barrett had left the Buckeyes following the 31-0 loss in the Fiesta Bowl to eventual national champion Clemson. Barrett brushed off the haters and decided to return for his senior season. Still, Barrett says that some of the things he has seen written about him on-line have gotten to him.

Even with the criticism, Barrett understands it just because of how the world is now. These days people want the newest thing. While he knows he isn’t the latest thing, he continues to try and improve his game to help Ohio State win football games. Barrett also knows that if there was a quarterback on the roster that was better than him, they’d be playing instead of him. Even though there are times when it can be easy to get frustrated with Barrett’s play, there is no doubt that he is a winner, and there likely will be plenty more wins he can add to his record in his senior season in Columbus.

“That’s one of the main things, I don’t like that sour feeling in my stomach. Especially after losing like that. That was definitely on the list.”

Ohio State defensive end Tyquan Lewis via Jeremy Birmingham, Land Of 10


After a season in which he recorded 7.5 sacks, and was named Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, it wouldn’t have been surprising to see Tyquan Lewis forego his senior season and declare for the NFL Draft. Lewis threw a bit of a curveball to many though when he announced he wasn’t quite ready to leave Ohio State.

The main reason for Lewis returning to the Buckeyes for one more year? The way the Fiesta Bowl played out. Even though Lewis already has been a part of a championship team at Ohio State, the defensive end couldn’t let his Buckeye career end with the 31-0 shutout to Clemson being his final game. Not only is Lewis looking to make up for Ohio State’s performance in the College Football Playoff, but he has also been named a captain this year. With plenty of defensive talent returning this year, especially on the defensive line, it is likely Lewis and the rest of the Buckeyes can atone for how their 2016 season ended.

“The only thing we can control right now is Friday. That’s all we’re really focused on right now, is to go up there and try to play our best hockey game Friday against a very good team in their barn — and they’re playing for an awful lot as well. Our focus really, to be honest with you, is trying to put a 60-minute game together Friday night.”

Ohio State men’s hockey coach Steve Rohlik via Nick Clarkson, The Lantern


After Wisconsin won the two prior meetings this year, Ohio State will be looking for a little revenge when they travel to Madison for a pair of games against the Badgers this weekend to close out the regular season. With the Big Ten Tournament next weekend in Detroit, both teams will be looking to close out the regular season on a high-note.

The Buckeyes and Badgers both have their eyes on the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament that comes with winning the Big Ten Tournament, but both have put together seasons that are worthy of earning an at-large bid if they don’t take home the Big Ten title. Wisconsin currently is ranked 13th in the PairWise rankings, while Ohio State sits just one spot outside the top-16. Ohio State will get a boost in these matchups with Wisconsin, as they’ll have senior forward Nick Schilkey available after the captain missed the first two meetings with the Badgers. If the Buckeyes want to secure their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2009, they’ll need a strong showing this weekend in Madison.

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• Today is the 20th anniversary of the death of Notorious B.I.G.

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TampaBuckeyes said:

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say craft was the glue holding this team together. He provided a spark and his unrelenting energy gave the other guys something to [Zeke] on. Since craft left there is no energy. Every year since then has shown less energy until it culminated last night with zero. No energy. None. At all. I think from 2010-2014 we assumed Matta was coaching this into them and it was part of the game plan.

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And we only got Craft because Bruce Pearl was a blatant cheater. Things could have been even worse.

Kevin Wilson at Ohio State, are you comfortable with the Buckeyes' hire? - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Kevin Wilson at Ohio State, are you comfortable with the Buckeyes' hire?
cleveland.com
Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said he talked to Indiana athletic director Fred Glass before the Buckeyes hired Wilson. Urban Meyer said he talked to people about Wilson, who he has known for years. The Buckeyes have to find out what Wilson is ...
New Ohio State OC Kevin Wilson defends Indiana yearsESPN
Ohio State offer puts Bucks 'high up there' for 2019 lineman247Sports
Wilson knows talent alone is not enoughBuckeyeGrove.com (subscription)
Eleven Warriors
all 14 news articles »

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