Can we get Schiano, Stud and Urban on a flight to NJ real quick?

Ohio State in the mix for 2018 defensive back
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Another highly sought after prospect has the Buckeyes among his leaders.

Five-star U.S. Army All-American offensive guard Wyatt Davis might not be the only St. John Bosco (CA) prospect to head north for his college days.

On Sunday afternoon, four-star safety Jaiden Woodbey announced he too is considering packing up and moving out to the Midwest to suit up Urban Meyer and the new look Ohio State coaching staff. Down to four programs, the Buckeyes will have to keep Oklahoma, USC and Nebraska at bay to add the West Coast defensive back to the silver bullets secondary.


Earning nearly 20 full ride scholarships from programs across the country, Woodbey is considered one of the top junior recruits in the country. According to the 247Sports Composite, the 6-foot-2 205-pound junior is currently pegged as the third safety and 32nd overall prospect in the class of 2018.

Looking to add even more talent to the roster, Ohio State might have their work cut out for them when it comes to Jaiden. With family that played at USC, many believe Woodbey will stay closer to home when it’s all said and done. All though a lot can change in a short period of time, the Trojans seem to have the inside track in his recruitment.

Will Woodbey follow his friend and former high school teammate to Columbus? I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Stick with Land-Grant Holy Land for the latest in the world of Ohio State recruiting.

Quick Hits

• To be the best you have to recruit the best. After landing Tate Martell, and Haskell Garrett in 2017, Ohio State is testing the waters on another Bishop Gorman (NV) standout. On Friday the Buckeyes offered class of 2018 tight end Brevin Jordan. A four-star recruit, Ohio State joins programs such as Michigan, Arizona State and UCLA in the pursuit of Jordan.
• Jordan wasn’t the only top prospect to receive a chance to play for the Buckeyes over the weekend. Keiondre Jones, a 2019 offensive guard, also earned an opportunity to continue his playing days in the Scarlet and Gray. Jones, who hails from Hogansville, Ga., adds Ohio State to already impressive offer list. Alabama, Clemson, Florida and Georgia are just a few of the schools after the four-star lineman at the moment.

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Men's basketball | Ohio State 72, Michigan State 67 as Buckeyes take control - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Men's basketball | Ohio State 72, Michigan State 67 as Buckeyes take control
Columbus Dispatch
Then on Sunday, in a must-win game against Michigan State, the Buckeyes finally played like it. JaQuan Lyle scored 22 points, Marc Loving added 12 and Ohio State (11-7, 1-4) snapped its worst start to Big Ten play in coach Thad Matta's 13 years with a ...
Ohio State basketball: Buckeyes searching for an edge to get out of Big Ten slumpcleveland.com
Michigan State Basketball: Scoring Runs Propel Buckeyes Over SpartansDetroit Jock CIty
Four-star Linebacker Antjuan Simmons, a Long-time Buckeye Pledge, Commits to Michigan StateEleven Warriors
The State News
all 129 news articles »

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Ohio State wrestling | Buckeyes rally to beat Illini | Buckeye Xtra Sports - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State wrestling | Buckeyes rally to beat Illini | Buckeye Xtra Sports
Columbus Dispatch
Pins by Kollin Moore and Kyle Snyder in the final two matches helped fourth-ranked Ohio State to a 29-18 victory over No. 12 Illinois on Sunday at St. John ...
Wrestling Preview: No. 4 Buckeyes Host No. 14 Illinois | Eleven ...Eleven Warriors
No. 4 Ohio State notches three falls in 29-18 Win Over No. 12 Illinois ...OSU - The Lantern

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Lady Buckeyes rally past Purdue - The News Center
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Lady Buckeyes rally past Purdue
The News Center
The Buckeyes made just three of its first 18 shots and the Boilermakers led 22-6 early in the second quarter. Mitchell scored six during a 10-4 run that cut the deficit to seven points midway through the second and 10-2 spurt pulled the Buckeyes within ...


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Top 20 most important Buckeyes: No. 17 Jalyn Holmes - CBS sports.com (blog)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Top 20 most important Buckeyes: No. 17 Jalyn Holmes
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.

and more »

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Women's basketball: Ohio State 61, Purdue 56 as Buckeyes turn deficit into a win - Columbus Dispatch
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Women's basketball: Ohio State 61, Purdue 56 as Buckeyes turn deficit into a win
Columbus Dispatch
Purdue's Dominique Oden cut that advantage to 57-56 with a pair of free throws with 40 seconds to play before a Stephanie Mavunga layup put the Buckeyes ahead 59-56. She hit another layup with less than 10 seconds to go to secure the 5-point win.
Ohio State Battles Back From a 16-Point Deficit to Down Purdue 61-56Eleven Warriors
Ohio State-Purdue final score: Women's basketball ekes out 61-56 win at PurdueLand-Grant Holy Land
Women's basketball | Ohio State not dwelling on defeat with Purdue loomingCanton Repository

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Ohio State-Purdue final score: Women’s basketball ekes out 61-56 win at Purdue
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 overcame a sluggish start to get back in the win column against the Boilermakers.

Four late points by Stephanie Mavunga helped the Ohio State women’s basketball team overcome a nightmare first quarter and scratch out an ugly 61-56 road win over Purdue in West Lafayette on Sunday afternoon.

It was the second straight game in which the Buckeyes just weren’t clicking. The usually prolific offense was largely bottled up, shooting just 32 percent from the floor and 23 percent from beyond the three-point line.

Kelsey Mitchell, the Big Ten’s leading scorer, struggled with her shot once again as well. The junior All-American made just three of 17 from the floor, and relied on seven free throws to score 14.

Mavunga had a double-double, scoring 11 and pulling down 12 rebounds. Freshman Tori McCoy was the only other player in double figures, scoring 12 points, as Ohio State improved to 5-1 in Big Ten play, 15-5 overall.

The Boilermakers had four players score in double figures, led by Ashley Morrissette’s 13, but shot an atrocious 25 percent as a team in the second half, allowing the win to slip away.

Continuing the cold shooting that was on display in last Tuesday’s loss to Michigan State, Ohio State came out icy in this one. The Buckeyes were just 3-for-15 from the floor in the first quarter, turning the ball over seven times, as Purdue jumped out to a 20-6 lead. The six points were the lowest output in any quarter for the scarlet and gray.

Mitchell was 0-for-5 in the period, going scoreless, while the Boilermakers shot over 53 percent from the field and had a 12-4 advantage in the paint. Morrissette scored nine to lead the way for the home team.

Two minutes into the second quarter, Mitchell finally connected on a three-pointer, the first points scored by an Ohio State starter in the game. Morrissette also collected her second foul and went to the bench for Purdue.

The Buckeyes made a 14-4 run in the frame’s first four minutes, cutting the deficit to six, thanks to aggressively getting to the free throw line. Mitchell hit three from the charity stripe and Sierra Calhoun added two, and layups from Alexa Hart and McCoy made the score 26-20.

Were it not for the free throws, Ohio State would have faced an even larger mountain to climb going into halftime. Going nearly four minutes without a field goal, the Buckeyes’ 12 makes at the line and the Boilermakers’ six turnovers helped trim the lead to 36-34 heading into the locker room.

Half of those free throws came from Mitchell, who led the squad with 11 first half points. McCoy and Hart combined for 10 points off the bench to help compensate for the starters’ struggles. Morrissette led Purdue with 11 points while Dominique Oden added nine of her own.

Ohio State claimed its first lead of the game with a 6-0 run to start the third quarter. Mitchell, McCoy, and Hart all had buckets as the Buckeyes went up 40-36.

A 10-3 run for the Boilermakers as Ohio State once again went cold from the field put Purdue back on top 46-43 at the media timeout.

It got ugly from there on both sides, as the teams combined to shoot 2-for-17 over the final five minutes. The Buckeyes trailed 48-47 when the quarter’s horn sounded.

An 0-for-6 stretch from Ohio State led to a scoring drought of nearly three minutes, and Purdue took advantage, building its lead back out to 54-50.

But the Boilermakers then went frigid, failing to score for almost five full minutes, and the Buckeyes scratched together a 7-0 run to reclaim the lead 57-54 despite going scoreless themselves for almost four minutes.

With Mavunga’s two late buckets, it was just enough for Ohio State to hold on and escape with a road win.

The Buckeyes will be back in action at home on Thursday night against Wisconsin. Tip-off at the Schottenstein Center is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised on Big Ten Network.

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New Ohio State commit says Buckeyes will run 'Oklahoma' offense - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


New Ohio State commit says Buckeyes will run 'Oklahoma' offense
Landof10.com
KETTERING, Ohio — As Ohio State's offensive coaching staff underwent a makeover in the weeks leading into National Signing Day, Urban Meyer made sure to keep the Buckeyes' recruits abreast of the changes coming to the OSU offense. And according to ...
Men's basketball | Ohio State 72, Michigan State 67 as Buckeyes take controlColumbus Dispatch
Game thread: Michigan State falls to Ohio State, 72-67Detroit Free Press
Ohio State basketball snaps Big Ten skid with 72-67 win over Michigan Statecleveland.com
BuckeyeGrove.com (subscription) -Scout
all 109 news articles »

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Top 20 most important Buckeyes: No. 17 Jalyn Holmes - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Top 20 most important Buckeyes: No. 17 Jalyn Holmes
247Sports
Initially the rushmen package was used on third-and-long situations, but because Holmes, Hubbard and Bosa are more than just pass rushers, the Buckeyes began to use this formation with three defensive ends on the field more and more as the season ...

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BUCKYLE said:

Titis? Sounds like a Panamanian jungle fever.

Click to expand...

Actually the only people I have connections with on Kik are from Honduras, so probably there. Similar fever though.

But why would she expect me to speak English? Maybe she is just an American who is really bad at words.

JaQuan Lyle, Ohio State top Michigan State for first Big Ten win
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

JaQuan Lyle made 5 of 7 shots from the 3-point line and scored 22 points as Ohio State pulled away down the stretch and beat Michigan State 72-67 on Sunday for the Buckeyes' first Big Ten win this season.

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Ohio State vs. Michigan State 2017 final score: OSU knocks off Spartans, 72-67
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


JaQuan Lyle leads the Buckeyes to first conference win of the season.

Coming off of their worst streak to start a Big Ten slate under head coach Thad Matta, Ohio State (11-7, 1-4) got their first win of the Big Ten season on Sunday, knocking off Michigan State (12-7, 4-2) 72-67 at the Value City Arena. The victory put an end to a Spartan five-game winning-streak in the series. The Buckeyes’ four-straight conference losses equaled the worst streak under Matta, in both 2008 and 2014.

The Buckeyes used a balanced, energetic attack to keep the game close throughout the game, despite playing with a severely weakened bench, following the season-ending injury of forward Keita Bates-Diop. The Buckeye effort was led by JaQuan Lyle in the team’s best performance of the season.

Lyle finished the game with 22 points on 8-12 shooting (5-7 behind the arc), in addition to 6 assists and 4 rebounds.

In the game’s first five minutes, Tom Izzo’s Spratans used their depth and athletic advantages to push the pace as both teams raced up and down the court. MSU hit on its first six attempts from the field, including three from beyond the arc. In that same span, Ohio State shot only 3-10, but was buoyed by five offensive rebounds, including two from Trevor Thompson. At the first timeout, Michigan State led 15-10.

In addition to Thompson’s imposing presence down low, senior Marc Loving had an impact in the paint, fighting for rebounds and using a size-advantage to back smaller defenders down. While he didn’t shoot particularly well in the first half, Loving’s energy was important for OSU in the first 20 minutes.

From there, the Buckeyes used a 9-0 run over two and a half minutes to take their first lead of the game at 16-15. As it has been all season, OSU’s scoring was well distributed with six players contributing to their first 16 points. While their early shooting was less than desirable, the Buckeyes’ execution was much sharper in the first quarter of the game than it has been recently.

After the Spartans regained the lead, 20-16, Ohio State went on an 11-0 run, fueled in part by two three-pointers by Loving. While the Toledo-native has drawn the ire of many Buckeye fans over his four years in Columbus, Loving will need to perform down the stretch more like he did in the first half against Michigan State if Ohio State is to right the season.

An energetic and active force on both sides of the floor, Loving finished the first 20 minutes with 8 points, 6 rebounds, a block, and an assist. The only down-side to the senior’s first-half performance was being called for traveling three times in the first 17 minutes.

The second 10 minutes saw Ohio State take the lead, and improved the team’s shooting percentage considerably. The home team ended the half 13-30 (43.3%) from the floor, 6-13 for 3, and 4-4 from the free-throw line. Conversely, Michigan State was 12-25 (48%), 6-11 for 3, and 3-6 from the stripe.

A three-pointer with the shot-clocking winding down from JaQuan Lyle broke a more than three-minute scoring drought for both teams, and gave OSU a 36-30 lead with a minute to go in the half. MSU guard Joshua Langford returned the favor at the buzzer to bring the score to 36-33 in favor of the Buckeyes at halftime.

At the break, Spartan Freshman, Miles Bridges led all scorers with 12; seven other Spartans scored in the first half, including Gahanna-native Nick Ward. Lyle paced the Buckeyes with 11, followed by Loving’s 8. Kam Williams also chipped in for 7, and Jae’Sean Tate added 6.

The first 10 minutes of the second half was far more defensively-focused than the first 20. The two teams traded the lead multiple times, but it remained close throughout.

Despite picking up his third foul with 8 minutes remaining, Thompson remained in the game and converted two emphatic dunks to get the home crowd on their feet. However, the good and bad of his energetic play was seen on back-to-back defensive posessions; first rejecting a shot to force a shot-clock violation, and then fouling MSU guard Alvin Ellis III while shooting a three-pointer. Ellis hit two of three shots to break a 10-0 Buckeye run which saw them extend their lead to 66-60 with four minutes remaining. Despite not having a field goal during the last 5:33 of the game, Ohio State never gave up the lead.

The basketball Buckeyes return to the court on Wednesday against Nebraska at 9:00 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcast from Lincoln on the Big Ten Network.

Here’s what we learned:


1) Marc Loving is the X-factor in Ohio State turning the season around. As mentioned above, Loving has never lived up to the expectations that his Mr. Ohio Basketball status brought with him to Columbus. However, as the going has gotten tough this season, the senior has brought more of a fire to the floor. In addition to Xx points and X boards, Loving forced two fast-break offensive-fouls from the Spartans.

Third in scoring and fourth in rebounds (including Bates-Diop) on the team, the energy that Loving showed against Michigan State, specifically on the glass and on defense, is going to be extremely important if the Buckeyes are going to find a way to move this season closer to respectability.

2) C.J. Jackson needs to be a bigger part of Matta’s rotation. With the loss of junior forward Keita Bates-Diop for the season, Thad Matta’s traditionally short bench for conference play has been shortened even more than normal, meaning that OSU newcomers freshman Micah Potter, who began the season in the starting lineup, and JuCo transfer C.J. Jackson will be asked to contribute more down the stretch.

Both Potter and Jackson have been averaging around 15 minutes on the season, but the minutes for Potter have been decreasing after being replaced as a starter by Trevor Thompson, while Jackson’s have been increasing.

He only saw 13 minutes in this game, but with 5 points on 2-3 shooting, Jackson provided a burst of energy off of the bench. As the season progresses, especially if the back-court ever gets into foul trouble, Jackson has proven that he deserves to be a bigger part of the rotation.

Freshman forward Andrew Wesson picked up two fouls in two minutes of first half action before getting back in the game with 10 minutes remaining in the second half. He finished with 7 minutes of playing time.

3) Thad Matta’s streak of 20-win seasons is in severe jeopardy. Despite the exciting victory over the Spartans, the Buckeyes still have work to do in the last six weeks of the regular season.

Ohio State has at least 15 games remaining this season; 13 conference games, at least one in the Big Ten Tournament, and one in a post-season tournament. For Matta to reach 20 wins, as he has done in every other season as a collegiate head coach, the Buckeyes will need to undergo a dramatic turnaround.

More than half of their remaining conference games are against teams in Ken Pomeroy’s Top-50 (Ohio State is currently ranked 57th). So for the Buckeyes to have a legitimate shot at 10 more victories, they must win every game against lower-ranked teams (seven), and pull some regular season upsets, or have multiple post-season victories. A tall task for a team that has dramatically underperformed thus far this season.

Also in jeopardy is Matta’s streak of double-digit Big Ten victories, which he has accomplished in every season in Columbus after his first in 2004-2005, for 11 in a row.

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Ohio State football | Early enrollees rarely become starters as freshmen - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football | Early enrollees rarely become starters as freshmen
Columbus Dispatch
Under coach Urban Meyer, the Buckeyes have been part of the wave, but they are not the only ones riding it. For example, Alabama has a reported 12 early enrollees this year, and Michigan has 11. But being early to campus does not guarantee early ...


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With 19 commitments and 10 players signed, what does the scholarship situation look like for Ohio State? - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


With 19 commitments and 10 players signed, what does the scholarship situation look like for Ohio State?
Landof10.com
The Buckeyes entered the 2017 recruiting cycles with just six available roster spots. That is, of course, if you're treating that scholarship grid as scripture. However, the mass exodus to the NFL a year ago served as a reasonable starting point for ...
Ohio State's best hopes to replace its departing NFL talentLand-Grant Holy Land

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Country's No. 3 safety Jaiden Woodbey names Buckeyes in final 4 - 247Sports
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Country's No. 3 safety Jaiden Woodbey names Buckeyes in final 4
247Sports
Make sure you're in the loop -- take five seconds to sign up for our FREE Buckeyes newsletter now! Previously Woodbey told Bucknuts.com “Ohio State is one of two schools that won't ever drop out of my top schools.” Woodbey's list of offers includes his ...

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Sports | The Mailbox: Criticism of Buckeyes sparks fans' pushback - Columbus Dispatch
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Sports | The Mailbox: Criticism of Buckeyes sparks fans' pushback
Columbus Dispatch
Ray: It wasn't long ago that Thad Matta had God-like status with fans as he led the Buckeyes to numerous runs to the Big Ten championship and in the NCAA Tournament. He also had very good players. After the schizophrenic performance last season it ...


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Ohio State’s best hopes to replace its departing NFL talent
Chuck McKeever via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


With the Buckeyes’ mass exodus for the NFL, there are some big shoes to fill for new contributors.

When I was 16, I got my first job: a summer gig at a barbecue restaurant that paid me too much for what I actually contributed to the organization. I worked there for the next few summers, putting at least as much effort into cutting off the sleeves of my t-shirt as I did into pulling pork and running coleslaw to the servers. It was perfect, really, a long stretch of halcyon days that I thought would last forever. And then one day real life beckoned, and it was over. Poof.

Ohio State football has felt a lot like that in recent years. In the seasons when the program was supposed to be rebuilding, the team was (mostly) more fun to watch than in those years when it was supposed to conquer the world. And now, somehow, another college football season is over, and another round of college football’s biggest talents are leaving Columbus for greener pastures unless you count the ones drafted by the Browns. Poof. Gone. The good news: there are plenty of absurdly talented guys to fill their shoes. Who’s in line for a breakout year in 2017?

Binjimen Victor, WR


It’s no secret that Ohio State’s passing game struggled mightily in 2016, especially when held up to earlier years. Blame who you will for that particular downturn. What’s certain is that the Buckeyes are still loaded at the position despite losing some of their best receiving threats, including Noah Brown and Curtis Samuel. The cream of the crop is Binjimen Victor, who saw just nine targets in his true freshman season. Despite how few looks he got, he still managed to parlay his playing time into a touchdown and a 16.0 yards/catch average.

At 6’4, 185 lbs., Victor will make for a matchup nightmare for any defensive back in the Big Ten. He also showed he can take a lick while holding onto the ball, as he managed against Clemson. Victor outshone his fellow freshmen Austin Mack and Alex Stump this year; look for him to do the same to the rest of the conference in 2017.

Demario McCall, RB (for now)


Another true freshman in 2016, McCall showed speed, reliability, and field vision in his limited snaps backing up 1,000-yard rusher Mike Weber. The bad news for McCall is that Weber’s hold on the first RB spot is ironclad after a tremendously successful first year as a starter. The good news? Do-it-all H-Back Curtis Samuel is gone for the NFL, leaving the Buckeyes with a hole at a position that’s of paramount importance in Urban Meyer’s offense.

McCall has shown glimpses of the skill set needed to succeed as an H-Back for Ohio State. In six games, he found the end zone three times and averaged 5.5 yards/carry. He also reeled in four of five passing targets, good for 21 yards a pop. (Literally—these were largely “pop” passes, which every college football commentator is really mad about not counting as runs. It’ll be hard to replicate Samuel’s output at H-Back, especially if he’s reluctant to change roles, but he could do a fraction of what Samuel did and still have a wildly successful year.

Damon Arnette, CB


Ohio State’s lockdown pass defense is losing just about every major contributor to the NFL, with Gareon Conley, Marshon Lattimore, and Malik Hooker all leaving school to cash in on their tremendous 2016 seasons.

That leaves plenty of room for Arnette to step up and become the No. 1 corner for the Buckeyes. Arnette will be a redshirt sophomore next season, and the experience he gained during the Buckeyes’ playoff run—16 tackles, 1 interception—will be invaluable toward his development as the next lockdown guy in the secondary.

His game certainly has holes, and his transformation into the next Darrelle Revis is hardly a guarantee. But people pointed out the same flaws in Gareon Conley’s game before he took over the top job, and he turned into one of the best DBs in the conference. At 6’0, 195 lbs., Arnette’s a perfect Conley analog. If his ball skills get to Conley’s level, the Buckeyes will be in good shape next season.

Jordan Fuller, S


Speaking of the secondary, the Buckeyes still need to fill that gaping void where Malik Hooker used to play. Given the current options on the depth chart, rising sophomore Jordan Fuller looks like a good bet to take up the open job at safety. There’s a chance that Erick Smith—who will be in his senior season in 2017—could win the job; he was a highly-touted prospect whose battles with injuries have so far hindered what might otherwise have been a spectacular Ohio State career. But Fuller is younger and bigger than Smith, and that combo might prove appealing enough to earn him some immediate playing time.

Failing that, Fuller could still see the field plenty if Smith or Damon Webb struggle. (For all intents and purposes, the Buckeyes don’t designate between free and strong safeties.) Fuller made nine tackles in mop-up duty and on special teams this past year; even without a starting job, expect that number to skyrocket in 2017.

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How to watch Ohio State vs Michigan State: Preview, game time, live streaming online
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 host the Spartans looking to snap their four-game losing streak opening Big Ten play.

The whispers surrounding Ohio State basketball are turning more and more into full-throated shouts following the team’s latest defeat, an 89-66 drubbing at the hands of Wisconsin that wasn’t even as close as the score would suggest.

It isn’t the fact that the Buckeyes lost to a good Badgers squad, one that boasts three players - Nigel Hayes, Ethan Happ, and Bronson Koenig - that should contend for All-Big Ten first team honors at the end of the season, and did so in Madison, one of the toughest places in the country to pick up a road win. It isn’t even the fact that Ohio State fell to 0-4 in conference play.

It’s the way the Buckeyes lost.

“We just didn’t make an effort as a team,” sophomore guard C.J. Jackson said. “We quit on plays and we weren’t ourselves tonight, and it showed.”

The fact that, in a year in which, as our own Matt Brown pointed out yesterday, the scarlet and gray is a predominantly veteran club, returning its top six scorers from a year ago, the team never really seemed to have a chance of even being competitive. Piled on top of last season’s NCAA tournament miss, the mass transfer of all but one of last year’s recruits after the season, and the loss of Keita Bates-Diop, perhaps Ohio State’s most talented player, to season-ending injury, Thad Matta’s program is simply not trending in the right direction.

This isn’t an indictment of Matta, nor is it a call for the end of his tenure at the helm of the Buckeye program. It is simply to say, as Brown put it yesterday, recruiting has lagged from a few years ago, player development has been spotty at best, and as a result, fans are choosing alternatives for their sporting needs.

Perhaps given Matta’s past successes, not to mention the historic run of the Urban Meyer era on the football field, Ohio State fans have become less patient in the face of mediocrity. Looked at from a certain vantage point, it’s a good problem to have. But the demands for excellence may not be kind to Buckeye hoops if a turnaround doesn’t take place soon, and it’s difficult for most close observers to see that happening in a dramatic way in the foreseeable future.

All of that said, Ohio State is 10-7, which means there is still something to play for. While the team won’t be dancing come March save for a Big Ten tournament championship, there is still the NIT and the potential for everyone not named Marc Loving to begin an upswing in their development to carry over to next season.

That upswing would get a major boost with a win on Sunday against Michigan State at Value City Arena. The Spartans are a fairly young team, one that is both dangerous and also potentially vulnerable.

Let’s take a look at what to watch for with Sparty in town.

Numbers to know


39.5

Defensively, Ohio State is 37th in the country, holding opponents to just 39.5 percent shooting. Not one of the Buckeyes’ opponents have broken the 50 percent mark, with Wisconsin having come up just short on Thursday. Michigan State, though, is slightly better in this department, ranking 24th nationally at 39 percent opponent shooting. Both of these teams have a proclivity for turning the ball over and experiencing offensive struggles, which could make for slow, ugly, grind-it-out affair in Columbus.

.423

Spartans head coach Tom Izzo has beaten Matta head-to-head in 15 of 26 meetings, giving Ohio State’s head coach a .423 winning percentage against the green and white. The only other conference opponents that have gotten the better of Matta are Wisconsin (14-12) and Maryland (3-2). Last time the two sides met, Michigan State bounced the Buckeyes from the Big Ten tournament behind a stellar performance from Denzel Valentine, who went on to be named Big Ten Player of the Year and, fortunately, will not be on the court after moving on to the NBA.

328

One area where Ohio State is vastly improved from the beginning of the season is at the free throw line. The Buckeyes are rank fifth in the Big Ten during conference play with just under a 75 percent success rate at the charity stripe, a marked improvement. By contrast, the Spartans are 328th (of 347) in Division I basketball in free throw percentage, connecting on just 63.3 percent for the season. That mark has risen to 67 percent during conference play, but in a close game, could be a weakness for Ohio State to exploit.

Names to know

Ohio State


JaQuan Lyle

The lone remaining member of last year’s highly-touted recruiting class, Lyle has had an uneven year thus far, struggling at times with decision making and turnovers and drawing extended sessions on the bench. But the sophomore has turned it on of late, leading Ohio State in scoring during Big Ten play at 14.8 points per game, as he has seen improvement in his field goal, three-point, and free throw shooting percentages. He also leads the team in assists, though those totals have decreased since the conference schedule began.

Trevor Thompson

A compelling case can be made that Thompson has been the most-improved Buckeye this season, and the matchup with Michigan State looks, on paper at least, to be a favorable one. Nearly averaging a double-double on the season with 10.7 points and 9.1 rebounds per game, the 7-footer from Indianapolis will be going against a Spartans’ front line with freshman Nick Ward being the biggest regular rotation player at 6-foot-8.

Michigan State


Miles Bridges

After an ankle injury cost him the month of December, Bridges, a McDonald’s High School All-American who was voted preseason second-team All-Big Ten before playing a collegiate game, is back in the fold for Izzo. A native of Flint, Michigan, Bridges has led Michigan State in scoring (14.5) and rebounding (8.0) in the 11 games he has played. Still trying to rebuild his stamina after the injury, though, he’s averaged just 8.7 points and six boards in 22 minutes during conference play. Bridges is an electric athlete, and will garner a lot of Ohio State’s defensive attention.

Eron Harris

Harris, a redshirt senior in his second season in East Lansing after transferring from West Virginia, is another elite athlete with the potential to impact the game at both ends of the floor. Averaging 12.4 points per game on the year and shooting just a touch under 39 percent from three-point range, the Indianapolis product has in-the-gym range, but his scoring, shooting percentage, and minutes are all down during Big Ten play.

How to watch


Game time: 1:30 p.m. ET

Radio: 97.1 WBNS-FM

TV: CBS (Carter Blackburn & Bill Raftery)

Streaming: CBSSports.com

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Wrestling Preview: No. 4 Buckeyes Host No. 14 Illinois - Eleven Warriors
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Wrestling Preview: No. 4 Buckeyes Host No. 14 Illinois
Eleven Warriors
The Buckeye wrestlers will try to improve upon their 6-0 record on the season on Sunday as they welcome the No. 11 Illinois Fighting Illini to St. John Arena for a Big Ten tilt. Illinois is led by two-time NCAA champion and human Sherman tank Isaiah ...


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How to watch today's Michigan State Spartans-Ohio State Buckeyes game - Detroit Free Press
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


How to watch today's Michigan State Spartans-Ohio State Buckeyes game
Detroit Free Press
The Spartans and Buckeyes are two of the lowest-scoring teams in the Big Ten (12th and 11th, respectively), and both teams defend decently (MSU is fourth in field goal defense at 39%, Ohio State fifth at 40%). So this has the makings of the final score ...
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Buckeye Power Play Buries Sun Devils - The Hockey Writers
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Buckeye Power Play Buries Sun Devils
The Hockey Writers
The Arizona State Sun Devils, in their second season as a Division I team, visited Ohio State for the first meeting between the two programs. The meeting ended a convincing win for the hometown Buckeyes, who scored the first four goals of the game on ...

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No. 10 Ohio State hockey falls to Arizona State in a shootout, 1-0
Matt Torino via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Arizona State tied the game with just 26 seconds left in regulation to force overtime

Ohio State got a national showcase on ESPNU and decided to use this opportunity to its fullest, laying an egg against one of the worst Division 1 hockey teams. That’s right, No. 10 Ohio State lost to Arizona State in the shootout, 1-0, after the two teams were tied 2-2 through the overtime period.

The Buckeyes took out the Sun Devils 6-1 on Friday, but you could see some cracks in the armor if you were looking for them. Ohio State simply didn’t attack and assert themselves in the final two periods on Friday night, being badly outshot and seemingly willing to just run out the clock. But four goals on 16 shots against a far inferior team in the first period made that moot.

They didn’t quite have that kind of success on offense on Saturday afternoon in Columbus.

Only two goals against one of the worst teams wasn’t enough, though it almost was as ASU had to use the extra attacker to tie the game with just 26 seconds left in regulation. Ohio State couldn’t find the net in overtime or even once in the shootout, as Arizona State goalie Robert Levin kept them out of the back of the net after his team tied it.

The first period would be scoreless in this one, with ASU outshooting the Buckeyes, 8-6. That certainly wasn’t encouraging for Ohio State, but you would have thought they’d wake up eventually to the point of having some kind of attacking performance. They eventually did, but not until Arizona State took the 1-0 lead in the second.

Wade Murphy broke the 0-0 tie for ASU at 9:40 of the second on the powerplay after Brendon Kearney was sent off for roughing at 8:36. It took seven minutes for Ohio State to tie it and just 47 seconds after that to take the lead.

Kevin Miller tied it at 17:16 with assists from Ronnie Hein and Drew Brevig and then Mason Jobst scored a shorthanded tally at 18:03 with the loan assist going to not-Saints Row hacker-Matt Miller. OSU outshot the Sun Devils 9-7 in that period and looked like they would be able to assert their will in terms of scoring when they actually needed, shown as what happened within ten minutes of them falling behind.

The third period sure looked like it would have a goose egg on the scoreboard, with Ohio State surviving giving up powerplays due to penalties on Matt and Kevin Miller. But it was still 2-1 with just under a minute left. Arizona State pulled Levin and brought on the extra attacker and once it got down to 26 seconds, well, bad things, man.

Ohio State had two powerplays earlier in the period and couldn’t score and left the door open. This is a team you have to dominate. They’re inferior. If you want to have a chance in the conference against the Penn States of the world, you have to dominate teams you’re supposed to dominate, and Ohio State didn’t do that outside of the first period on Friday. The Sun Devils took advantage.

Tyler Busch was the Sun Devil who found the net against Frey, who made 26 saves in this one, with just those 26 seconds left and sent it to OT. Ohio State only had seven shots on goal in the third and just couldn’t put away a team that came in at 7-17-1.

Shots would be 3-2 in favor of ASU in the overtime, but neither team would be able to score, so onto the shootout we went, where Arizona State took advantage of OSU’s offensive dysfunction.

David Gust, Tanner Laczynski and Mason Jobst were stoned by Levin for Ohio State, while Busch and Robbie Baillargeon were stopped by Frey. But Wade Murphy put home Arizona State’s final attempt and sent the Sun Devils home with the shootout victory.

Ohio State will be back in action Friday and Saturday at No. 4 Penn State. If they don’t attack any more effectively than they did today, it won’t be pretty.

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Ohio State basketball: Buckeyes searching for an edge to get out of Big Ten slump - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State basketball: Buckeyes searching for an edge to get out of Big Ten slump
cleveland.com
But Matta's Ohio State basketball team needs to find an edge, something to get out of this 0-4 start to Big Ten play that appeared to weigh heavily on the Buckeyes in a blowout loss to Wisconsin on Thursday night. An 0-5 Big Ten start can't happen ...
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