Roughly 100 Underclassmen Will Declare For 2017 NFL Draft

Every year, as the end of January approaches, it seems like the same question is asked in football circles: How many underclassmen have declared for the National Football League Draft? This year will likely be no different.

The deadline for underclassmen to file 2017 NFL Draft declaration papers with the league has passed and the NFL will release all names to teams on January 20. The NFL has compiled a list of ninety-five players who have either announced their intention or formal declaration to enter the 2017 NFL Draft, prior to the date that those names will be officially disclosed.

Ninety-five individuals who have eligibility to continue to compete in intercollegiate athletics are purportedly about to make the jump to the professional ranks, if they are lucky enough to be chosen to participate on a 53-man roster or a team’s Practice Squad.

Some of these underclassmen cannot be second guessed. For instance, Florida State running back Dalvin Cook is ranked by ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay as the second best running back in the 2017 NFL Draft class. If Cook did not leave school early, then his choice would be questioned. Why risk a possible injury to play for Florida State one more year without pay, when he could show off his skill in the NFL while possibly earning an annual paycheck in excess of $1 million?

But when there are a total of ninety-five players expressing their interest to leave school early, some are bound to be disappointed with the results. One of those players could potentially be University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) running back Aaron Jones, who amassed 301 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns against North Texas, but may be risking his future by entering the 2017 NFL Draft.

UTEP head coach Sean Kugler, who formerly served as an offensive line coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers, said that if Jones had a first-round draft grade, then he should enter the Draft, but followed up on that comment a week later by stating that he recommended Jones stays in school. Jones has already submitted his 2017 NFL Draft paperwork and signed with NFL agent Leigh Steinberg. Most NFL Draft sites do not project Jones to be drafted.
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One of the toughest decisions for a college football player is deciding whether to stay in school or leave eligibility behind in favor of entering the NFL Draft. In 2016, thirty out of 107 underclassmen who declared went undrafted in the NFL Draft. Similar results may follow the 2017 NFL Draft.

Entire article: http://www.forbes.com/sites/darrenh...will-declare-for-2017-nfl-draft/#464687983781

Top 20 most important Buckeyes: No. 6 Gareon Conley - CBS sports.com (blog)
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Top 20 most important Buckeyes: No. 6 Gareon Conley
CBS sports.com (blog)
The college football season has come to a close. As part of our year-end review of Ohio State's 2016 season, we will be counting down the 20 most important contributors to the Buckeyes this year. We will release one per day until we reach the top spot.

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Buckeyes offer talented Georgia athlete - CBS sports.com (blog)
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Buckeyes offer talented Georgia athlete
CBS sports.com (blog)
Signing Day for the Class of 2017 isn't until Wednesday, but Ohio State is full steam ahead when it comes to trying to bring in top 2018 prospects. Today, the Buckeyes started to make their play at a good one in the class from Georgia, in Stockbridge ...


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Bracketology: How does Big Ten shape up in latest tourney projections?
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

Who's in? Who's out? Who's right on the bubble? Check in with bracketologists Joe Lunardi and Jerry Palm to see how the Big Ten might stack up come tourney time.

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Buckeyes to host Florida athlete for junior day - 247Sports
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Buckeyes to host Florida athlete for junior day
247Sports
The Buckeyes lost both starting cornerbacks and one safety to early entree in the NFL Draft, so Okudah will be in the mix in the secondary come the fall. As the top-ranked cornerback in the 247Sports Composite, Okudah has the tools to play and play ...


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Ohio State podcast: 247Sports recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong discusses the Buckeyes' historic 2017 recruiting class. - Landof10.com
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Ohio State podcast: 247Sports recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong discusses the Buckeyes' historic 2017 recruiting class.
Landof10.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio — On Friday's Land of 10 “Inside the Shoe” Ohio State podcast, Ben Axelrod talks to Steve Wiltfong, 247Sports.com's Director of Recruiting and Recruiting Insider, about the Buckeyes' 2017 recruiting class. You can listen to the entire ...
Ohio State women 88 Minnesota 76 | Balanced scoring fuels BuckeyesColumbus Dispatch
Ohio State basketball: Buckeyes hold on for 78-72 win over Minnesotacleveland.com
Wagner's 34 Not Enough to Beat No. 15 BuckeyesGophersports.com
OSU - The Lantern -WDTN
all 177 news articles »

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BM5: Why does OSU struggle to land elite DTs? - 247Sports
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BM5: Why does OSU struggle to land elite DTs?
247Sports
Each year, Ohio State is in the running for some of the top defensive tackles in the nation, but it seems as though the Buckeyes usually finish as the runner-up or in third place when it comes to the elite DTs. Will that be the case again this year ...

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Buckeyes roll to 67-38 win at Athens - Athens Messenger (registration)
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Buckeyes roll to 67-38 win at Athens
Athens Messenger (registration)
Nelsonville-York received plenty of scoring on Thursday, but it had to welcome the output of sophomore Mary Kate McCulloch with open arms. McCulloch scored 13 points in the Buckeyes 67-38 win over Athens on Thursday in McAfee Gymnasium. McCulloch ...


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Ohio State basketball: 5 good things Buckeyes can build on after beating Minnesota - cleveland.com
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Ohio State basketball: 5 good things Buckeyes can build on after beating Minnesota
cleveland.com
1. Trevor Thompson: Does Ohio State have a go-to player? Is that too strong of a way to describe what Thompson's done this season? "I think when Trevor is engaged, he's as good as anybody," coach Thad Matta said after Thompson posted a career-high 19 ...


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No. 8 Ohio State hockey defeated by Wisconsin, 3-1
Matt Torino via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes failed to capitalize on their momentum after taking down Penn State last weekend

If you allow what ultimately amounts to the game winning goal within the first ten minutes of a hockey game, your offense probably didn’t play to its fullest potential.

That’s exactly what happened on Thursday night in Columbus as Wisconsin scored twice within the first ten minutes of the game and held off No. 8 Ohio State for the 3-1 victory, with the third goal coming via empty net.

Nick Schilkey was out yet again for the Buckeyes and the team is clearly missing their captain and consensus best player on offense. The Bucks only outshot an inferior Wisconsin team by two shots despite falling behind early and Wisconsin committing six penalties to Ohio State’s three. That’s just not good enough to beat a decent team, even at home.

Tanner Laczynski returned for Ohio State after missing the games versus Penn State last weekend, but was largely a nonfactor as he only registered two shots on goal and was a -1.

Ohio State registered only seven shots on goal in the first period, with Wisconsin taking over from the get go despite Patrick Sexton going to the box for UW just 1:25 into the game. WIth just one second left on that powerplay, Luke Kunin put one home shorthanded for UW, for his 15th of the season and gave Wisconsin a lead they would never surrender.

Matthew Freytag then scored for UW at 8:46 to make it 2-0 and suddenly, before they knew what hit them, Ohio State was down multiple goals without their best offensive player. Not an ideal situation! Christian Frey allows two goals on 11 shots in that first period, but wouldn’t surrender another one on the Badgers 13 shots in the second and third combined to keep OSU in it.

In the second, OSU did finally get on the board with a tally from Matthew Weis, his seventh of the season. Mason Jobst had the only assist, his 19th of the year, on the goal at 4:28. That’d be the only score in the period despite Ohio State clearly upping their game and putting 13 shots on goal in the period to Wisconsin's six.

But that would be all that the Buckeyes would get. They weren't able to capitalize on either of their two powerplays later in the second and were held to just that single goal.

Frey held strong and kept Ohio State within that one goal, but nobody would put one home. Frey was finally pulled for the extra attacker with just over a minute to go, but it would backfire on Ohio State as Ryan Wagner scored into the empty net to clinch the 3-1 victory for Wisconsin.

OSU put up only seven shots on goal in the third period and didn’t gain a single powerplay despite Wisconsin being called for six penalties in the first two periods. The period was played at even strength throughout until Frey was pulled but Ohio State, without Schilkey, couldn’t put enough pressure on Wisconsin goalie Jack Berry and were stuck with just one goal.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday...at Madison Square Garden at 7pm. What a confusing, strange world we live in.

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Get to know Ohio State freshman Josh Myers, Ezekiel Elliott adds more honors, Tate Martell's pedigree and more - Landof10.com
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Get to know Ohio State freshman Josh Myers, Ezekiel Elliott adds more honors, Tate Martell's pedigree and more
Landof10.com
Whether it's football, basketball, wrestling, hockey, baseball or just a wild story we hope you'll find interesting, we're here to share it all with you. Today is Friday, Jan. 27, 2017, and this is your Ohio State Wake-Up Call, the place for daily ...


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UW 3, Ohio State 1: Badgers knock off No. 8 Buckeyes - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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UW 3, Ohio State 1: Badgers knock off No. 8 Buckeyes
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The Badgers will play the Buckeyes (12-5-6, 3-3-1-1) again at 6 p.m. on Saturday at Madison Square Garden. Luke Kunin lit the lamp for the Badgers just 3 minutes, 24 seconds into the contest. Matthew Freytag tallied off a turnover 5:22 later and the ...
Men's hockey: No. 8 Buckeyes drop series opener at home to Wisconsin, 3-1OSU - The Lantern
Badgers Top Buckeyes | News | WSAUWSAU
Men's Hockey: Badgers Beat Buckeyes 3-1WHBL Sheboygan
Eleven Warriors
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If Ohio State basketball wants to make the NCAA Tournament, here's the path it must avoid - cleveland.com
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If Ohio State basketball wants to make the NCAA Tournament, here's the path it must avoid
cleveland.com
That's nine teams well within striking distance of the No. 5 spot in the Big Ten standings. If this is going to be a league that gets somewhere between six and eight NCAA Tournament bids, basically everyone (sorry, Rutgers) is alive. That includes the ...


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Ohio State women 88 Minnesota 76 | Balanced scoring fuels Buckeyes - Columbus Dispatch
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Ohio State women 88 Minnesota 76 | Balanced scoring fuels Buckeyes
Columbus Dispatch
"You're not going to stop her, you just want try to slow her down a little bit," McGuff said of Wagner. "She still kind of got hers, but I thought we did a great job on everybody else and that was the key to the game." The Buckeyes return to Value City ...
4-star Buckeyes DT commit Jerron Cage: 'There just isn't anything like Ohio State. A big grind. I like that.'Landof10.com
Ohio State basketball: Buckeyes hold on for 78-72 win over Minnesotacleveland.com
UW 3, Ohio State 1: Badgers knock off No. 8 BuckeyesMilwaukee Journal Sentinel
Albert Lea Tribune -WDTN
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Ohio State sends out 2 more offers
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ohio State continues the chase up to National Signing Day (and beyond).

With National Signing Day 2017 fast approaching, the Ohio State staff hasn’t wasted any of their time. Whether it being on the road to see current 2017 commits, making their pitches to anyone and everyone, or pulling out all the stops during in-home visits with five-stars yet to be decided on their college of choice, it’s easy to see the time is ticking downward fast until the 2017 class is all but cemented and it’s off to 2018 and 2019. Speaking of future classes, while being on the road for immediate incoming players, the staff has also been able to leave a Scarlet and Gray trail as they continue offering some the younger top talent in the country. 2017 may be getting closer to the finish line, but for Ohio State, that just means a head start to 2018 and beyond.

Eagles’ wings headed for Zone 6?


Ohio State has been able to hold fort in the Lone Star State with their pick-ups in the 2017 class. Their presence in Texas has been easily the best outside of any Texas school and Urban Meyer sure looks to keep it that way. With so much talent available, who could blame him? As recent as Wednesday, that Texas to Ohio connection may have struck another chord as the Buckeyes handed out another offer.

Making a stop in Houston, Ohio State took their time in meeting and offering Brennan Eagles. A 2018 four-star receiver prospect, Eagles boasts 18 current scholarship offers. With his 6-foot-4, 200-pound frame, it’s no surprise to see schools such as Georgia, Auburn, USC, Texas and Oklahoma throw their hat into the ring for Brennan.


Ranking as No. 16 receiver in the 2018 class and the No. 11 best prospect overall in Texas, Eagles will certainly be one to keep an eye on as even more top programs begin to hover around the Houston native. There may be no clear leader at the time for Eagles, but with Ohio State in the mix and their recent track record of sending receivers to the NFL, Eagles will certainly give the Buckeyes his full attention.

Hall receives OSU offer


As much success as the Buckeyes have had at sending talent to the NFL recently, no position has done better at that then the defensive backs unit. The talent and development that is taking place in the Silver Bullets secondary is truly amazing. Part of that is recruiting to find the next pieces to the successful puzzle and yesterday could have been another link in that chain.


Gurvan Hall (West Palm Beach, FL / Palm Beach Lakes) is a four-star safety prospect and is the latest recipient of an Ohio State offer. At 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Hall has the size Ohio State loves in their defensive backfield. A 2018 prospect, Hall is currently ranked as the No. 21 best safety in the country and No. 43 overall prospect in the Sunshine State.

While his ranking may not be as high as some may think, Hall’s offer list speaks for itself, as he currently holds 26 offers from the likes of Alabama, Clemson, Miami, Tennessee, Michigan and Florida. With that resume, it’s pretty convincing that the next 247sports ranking update may see a serious shift upwards for Gurvan Hall.

The Buckeyes may have a little later timing than other programs after Hall, but with their track record of sending defensive backs to the NFL at a record pace, Hall will certainly be listening to what Ohio State has to say.

Big time visitor headed to Columbus


Speaking of the safety position, Ohio State brings in loads of talent for 2017 and 2018 may just keep up with the trend. This weekend, Ohio State is set to host easily one of their top overall targets for 2018 in Jaiden Woodbey. Woodbey, a four-star out of St. John Bosco (Calif.) has been linked to the Buckeyes ever since he received his offer last June, but since then, it’s been a roller-coaster of events trying to get him on campus for a visit.

However, a visit from Coach Studrawa last week looks to have been successful as Jaiden took to Twitter to let everyone know he was headed to Columbus this weekend for an unofficial visit with the Buckeyes. A huge visit nonetheless, Woodbey is currently ranked as the No. 3 safety in the 2018 class and the No. 4 overall player in a talent-rich California.


Ohio State may not be the clear-cut favorite to land Woodbey, but they are more than certainly in the mix for the four-star, as Woodbey himself placed the Buckeyes in his final four schools he is considering. Coach Meyer and Ohio State may have a little ground to make up on the home team, USC, but this weekend will certainly play a big role in things on the Woodbey front moving forward.

Top tight-end set to see Ohio State


As Ohio State is set to host one of their bigger recruiting dates in this short year already, the Buckeyes received good news again yesterday that their top tight end target, Jeremy Ruckert, would be in town for the Ohio State Junior Day weekend when he made the announcement via his Twitter account.


Ruckert is no new name to Ohio State recruiting, but he is currently ranked as the No. 3 TE in the country for the 2018 class and is also the second best prospect at any position in New York. Standing at just under 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, Ruckert not only has the size to be a great blocking tight end, but has demonstrated time and time again that he also possesses the key abilities in being a superior pass-catching tight end at the next level.

As thing sit currently, the Buckeyes own every prediction on the 247sports crystal ball, but there’s still some time before a final decision is made. Luckily, this weekend will once again be a chance for Ohio State to deepen their relationship, but may also be a chance to solidify their place as Ruckert’s current leader.

A visit to Utah


While the Buckeyes were sending out offers, they were also on the road trying to get offerees to sign on the dotted line. Big-time Utah target Jay Tufele (South Jordan, UT / Bingham) got the in-home visit treatment by Meyer and Larry Johnson.


The coaches have good reason to make the trip to Utah, as Tufele is considered the No. 3 DT in the country and No. 1 player in Utah for the 2017 class, according to 247sports. Also, Ohio State is running into stiff competition for Tufele; name brand institutions Michigan, BYU, USC and Utah are in Tufele’s top five.

As the clock ticks closer to signing day, we get closer to finding out where Tufele will end up going. Stick with Land-Grant Holy Land, as we’ll update you on Tufele watch.

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Wrestlers gear up for No. 4 Buckeyes - The Daily Iowan
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Wrestlers gear up for No. 4 Buckeyes
The Daily Iowan
4 Buckeyes. “There are some degrees of success, even though we've lost two dual meets in the last two weekends, so you can still move forward,” head coach Tom Brands said. “Then you move forward with not success also, because that's what you do when ...

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Men's swimming: Buckeyes to face Michigan on the road - OSU - The Lantern
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Men's swimming: Buckeyes to face Michigan on the road
OSU - The Lantern
The Buckeyes will duel against the Big Ten's top-ranked Wolverines in what is expected to be one of OSU's toughest and most challenging conference meets on the road. “It's a good time to get some quality racing in, prior to Big Tens,” junior Brayden ...

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Ohio State-Minnesota 2017 final score: Women’s basketball scores an 88-76 road win against the Gophers
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 won their fourth game in a row thanks to excellent execution down the stretch.

Ohio State women’s basketball claimed its fourth victory in a row, outlasting Minnesota 88-76 at the Barn in Minneapolis to run its conference record to 8-1.

Junior All-American Kelsey Mitchell led the 15th-ranked Buckeyes with 25 points, while Shayla Cooper came alive with 18 of her own, and Stephanie Mavunga turned in a double-double with 13 points and 16 rebounds.

In the losing effort, the Gophers’ Carlie Wagner scored a game-high 34 points, as her team fell to 2-6 in Big Ten play.

This one had an ugly start to it, with Ohio State making just two of its first seven shots and Minnesota having a scoring drought of over three minutes. By the midway point in the first quarter, the Buckeyes held a slim 7-6 lead.

Ohio State shot 6-for-15 total in the period, and failed to connect on any of its five three-point attempts. The Buckeyes also turned the ball over six times. The Gophers, meanwhile, turned it over five times and went 0-for-3 from beyond the arc, but with four points apiece from Jessie Edwards and Wagner, claimed a 14-13 lead after ten minutes of play.

The two sides put their sluggish starts behind them to open the second quarter, with 15 combined points scored in the first 2:15. Ohio State made seven of its first nine shots in the frame, jumping out to a 29-24 lead, and after Mitchell hit her second triple, that lead grew to 32-24 and prompted a Minnesota timeout.

A furious pace continued throughout the quarter, with both teams getting up and down the court. Another scoring drought for the Gophers, this one lasting two and a half minutes, allowed the Buckeyes to claim their largest lead to that point at 37-29.

The advantage for the scarlet and gray would remain at eight heading into the locker room, 39-31. That number could have been much larger were it not for a field goal drought covering the final three minutes of the half for Ohio State.

Mitchell had nine of her 11 first half points in the second quarter, and led all scorers through twenty minutes of play. Wagner led Minnesota with 10 points of her own, though she shot 0-for-5 from three-point range.

The icy shooting of the first quarter returned to start the third, as the Buckeyes and Gophers combined to miss their first seven shots. A jumper by Gadiva Hubbard of Minnesota finally put an end to the streak, and after Wagner connected on a pair of free throws and a jumper, the lead had been cut to 41-37.

The free throws seemed to ignite Wagner, who by the midway point in the period had already scored eight, keeping the home team in close contact, down 47-43. Cooper found a rhythm of her own, scoring six points in quick succession, and after a pair of free throw makes by Kiara Lewis, Ohio State had pushed the lead back out to eight at 51-43.

Both teams heated up down the third quarter stretch, combining to hit seven of the final ten shots attempted, and making their way to the fourth quarter with the Buckeyes in front 62-56. Wagner almost singlehandedly kept it that close, scoring 13 in the quarter for the Gophers.

A Wagner three in the early going of the fourth pulled Minnesota to within three points at 64-61, but Mitchell found her stroke from the outside, hitting a jumper and a pair of three-pointers as Ohio State took a 76-66 lead with just over five minutes remaining.

The Buckeyes made six straight field goals, executing during crunch time the way a team needs to in order to earn a road win, but Wagner would not go down without a fight. The junior hit a pair of threes to draw her squad to within 78-72 with four and a half minutes to go, but a field goal drought of better than four minutes would ultimately seal the Gophers’ fate and give Ohio State the victory.

Up next, the Buckeyes return to Columbus to host Nebraska on Sunday. Tip-off is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.

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The almost Buckeyes: Reviewing the Ohio State de-commitments from the 2017 recruiting cycle - Landof10.com
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The almost Buckeyes: Reviewing the Ohio State de-commitments from the 2017 recruiting cycle
Landof10.com
The Buckeyes have grown pretty adept at dealing with it, actually. Urban Meyer and his coaching staff have suffered de-commitments in every recruiting cycle they've been a part of, save for the abbreviated 2012 class, and have regularly bounced back ...
Ohio State basketball: Buckeyes hold on for 78-72 win over Minnesotacleveland.com
Buckeyes hold off Gophers rally for 78-72 winWDTN
Ohio State Buckeyes deal Minnesota Gophers 4th straight Big 10 lossAlbert Lea Tribune
Columbus Dispatch
all 145 news articles »

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Penn State Hockey Hopes for Second Shot at No. 1 - Black Shoe Diaries
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Penn State Hockey Hopes for Second Shot at No. 1
Black Shoe Diaries
While Goodwin didn't point to any specific aspects of the team's game that needs improvement, both he and Gadowsky believe the team unintentionally got away from its typical game plan against the Buckeyes. “We did things that weren't us,” Gadowsky said.

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Helwagen Chat: Will youth be served at wide receiver? - 247Sports
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Helwagen Chat: Will youth be served at wide receiver?
247Sports
More specifically, do you think that Lone Star State recruit Wilson is coming to the Buckeye State ? Helwagen: I honestly don't spend a lot of time talking to recruits so it's hard for me to weigh in with any degree of certainty. Those player tweets ...

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Former Ohio State OL Chase Farris helps prepare Patriots for the Super Bowl
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Farris is the only Buckeye rookie that is headed to Houston for the Super Bowl as a Patriots practice squad player.

“To be at the highest level of football and be able to be a part of it on the highest stage of any football is a surreal feeling.”

- Chase Farris, New England Patriots practice squad offensive lineman via Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch


Fifteen first-year players from Ohio State were in the NFL this year, but the one who will be involved in someway in the Super Bowl might surprise a lot of people. While Chase Farris won’t be on the field playing next Sunday in Houston, he is still making an impact in a way. The former Ohio State offensive lineman is a member of the New England Patriots’ practice squad, doing what he can to make sure his teammates are ready for the big game against the Atlanta Falcons. Leading up to the Super Bowl, Farris will be tasked with helping run some of Atlanta’s plays so the New England defense can try and get a handle on their opponents’ defense.

This is actually Farris’ second stint with the Patriots this year. After going undrafted, Farris first signed with Detroit before being released in August. The Lions signed Farris to their practice squad before eventually releasing him again. Farris then worked out with Jacksonville and Buffalo before the Patriots signed him to their practice squad. New England released Farris but ended up resigning him three weeks later. Even though Farris isn’t on the main roster, he knows it is a step in the right direction as he tries to release his dream of playing in the NFL. Who knows, he might even be able to earn a Super Bowl ring even before stepping on the field as a part of an active roster.

“It was fun. I learned a lot (in 2016) but at the same time, I’ve felt like I’ve been ready to play if my number has been called. It’s been kind of tough and sit back when you think you’re ready to play, but that’s my role and I embraced it.”

- Ohio State quarterback Joe Burrow via Ari Wasserman, Cleveland.com


Following the shutout loss in the Fiesta Bowl to Clemson, quarterback has been a bit of a hot-button topic for Ohio State fans. In reality it’s hard to not want a player with 100 career touchdowns back, but there were parts of the Buckeye fanbase who were ready to move on from J.T. Barrett. While Barrett has announced his intention to return for his senior season, there was a bit of brief chatter that backup Joe Burrow would be transferring. Burrow quickly shot down those rumors, but he is going to face a battle on the depth chart heading into this season.

Burrow is the only of the three quarterbacks who will vie for Barrett’s spot once he graduates who has seen the field for the Buckeyes. Dwayne Haskins gained some notoriety for the way he performed for Ohio State’s scout team this year, and it will be hard for Ohio State to keep the combination of his arm and athleticism on the bench. The wildcard could be Tate Martell, who has drawn comparisons to Johnny Manziel with his size and ability. Martell will likely take a redshirt this year, so he’ll only be a redshirt freshman heading into next season. The Buckeyes don’t have to rush Martell along, unless he forces his way into the quarterback conversation. Even though Ohio State faces questions at quarterback after Barrett, all three of these signal callers are only going to get better moving forward.

“Obviously how can I not think of what happened (at Wisconsin). To win a national title, to be a national title to be a two-time captain and play with the guys I played with. Those memories are forever. At this point for me, it’s all about Ohio State every day, and there’s no place I’d rather be right now. I’m here just to carry on the tradition.”

- Ohio State men’s hockey coach Steve Rohlik via Miles McQuinn, The Lantern


Any time Ohio State men’s hockey coach Steve Rohlik faces off with Wisconsin, it is a big deal. Rohlik was a part of Wisconsin’s 1990 national championship team. Tonight’s meeting has even more intrigue behind it, as he’ll be squaring off with Wisconsin head coach Mark Osiecki. On Wisconsin’s national title team, Rohlik was the captain, while Osiecki was one of the alternate captains. Along with Rohlik, Ohio State assistant coach Mark Strobel also played at Wisconsin, as he was captain for his junior and senior seasons, and was a part of the Wisconsin team that made the 1992 NCAA Tournament final.

The connections between Rohlik and Osiecki aren’t just limited to their time on the ice at Wisconsin. After 10 seasons as an assistant coach with Minnesota-Duluth, Rohlik joined Osiecki at Ohio State as an assistant coach. After the final game of the 2013 season, Osiecki was fired by Ohio State, and Rohlik was tabbed as his replacement. Tonight’s matchup marks the first time the two have met as opposing coaches since Rohlik took over for Osiecki in Columbus. Wisconsin already has 11 wins this season after just 12 victories the last two years, so whatever Osiecki has done in his first year in Madison is working. The Badgers will have their work cutout for them though, as they’ll face an Ohio State team that is ranked eighth in the country, their highest ranking since they were ranked sixth in January 2012.

“I feel like it takes time to jell any team in general. Once we switch the lineups, it’s different because we’re playing with different lineups, different personnel, so it takes a little while.”

- Ohio State guard Sierra Calhoun via Andrew Erickson, The Columbus Dispatch


Lately Ohio State’s women’s basketball team has been doing their best to keep their opponents on their toes by switching up the lineups. It remains to be seen if Ohio State will roll out a fourth different starting lineup in four games against Minnesota tonight, as head coach Kevin McGuff hadn’t decided who would start when asked earlier in the week.

Last week against Wisconsin, Ohio State used 10 different lineups in the first half. One downside to the tremendous depth Ohio State has, is when switching up the lineups so frequently, it might take those on the floor time to get comfortable with each other. Even with the shuffling Ohio State has done, they are still earning victories, winning eight of nine since their loss to UConn in December. Currently the Buckeyes sit just a half-game behind Maryland in the Big Ten standings, and look to be setting themselves up for another run in March on the shoulders of Kelsey Mitchell.

STICK TO SPORTS

• The 2019 MLB All-Star Game could be headed to Cleveland.
• In just a year, CBJ superfan “Dancing Kevin” has lost 162 pounds.
• The site of Monday’s tanker fire in Northwest Columbus has reopened.
• Also, Don Draper would probably be dead by now because he’d be really old.

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Methinks them *ichigan fucks loose The Game a lot. The Buckeyes are dominate.

College women's hockey: Coaching Buckeyes was unexpected turn for former Bulldog Koizumi - Duluth News Tribune
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College women's hockey: Coaching Buckeyes was unexpected turn for former Bulldog Koizumi
Duluth News Tribune
Koizumi, a former UMD captain, said this weekend's series between the Buckeyes and Bulldogs at 7:07 p.m. Friday and 4:07 p.m. Saturday at Amsoil Arena will be bittersweet. While Amsoil Arena is a beautiful rink, Koizumi still has a soft spot for the ...

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