Cardale Jones gets a new throwback Buckeye jersey - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Cardale Jones gets a new throwback Buckeye jersey
247Sports
J.T. Barrett may have been Ohio State's model for the Buckeyes' alternate jersey for Saturday's game with Nebraska, but Nike didn't forget about the quarterback's former teammate. Cardale Jones, who took over when Barrett was injured against Michigan ...

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Ohio State a heavy favorite over Nebraska despite recent struggles - Sports Illustrated
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State a heavy favorite over Nebraska despite recent struggles
Sports Illustrated
The Ohio State Buckeyes are 17–1 straight up over their last 18 home games but just 4–10 against the spread over their last 14. The Buckeyes will look to extend their home winning streak to six games Saturday with a win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Preview and PredictionAthlonSports.com
Breaking down the BuckeyesLincoln Journal Star
Ohio State football: Buckeyes find positives in perceived offensive strugglesAkron Beacon Journal
Landof10.com -Columbus Dispatch
all 285 news articles »

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Meyer says Buckeyes are focused on immediate future - Nebraska Radio Network
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Meyer says Buckeyes are focused on immediate future
Nebraska Radio Network
Ohio State coach Urban Meyer won't be watching when the first College Football Playoff rankings are released this evening. After putting up some gaudy numbers in a 5-0 start to the season the Buckeye offense has sputtered in recent weeks and they take ...

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Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Preview and Prediction - AthlonSports.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Preview and Prediction
AthlonSports.com
The formula for Ohio State is simple: Win out and the Buckeyes will be one of the top four teams in the nation. Of course, that path isn't easy. Michigan comes to Columbus on Nov. 26, and there's a road date at Michigan State on Nov. 19. Ohio State ...
Ohio State a heavy favorite over Nebraska despite recent strugglesSports Illustrated
Breaking down the BuckeyesLincoln Journal Star
Noah Brown consistent threat for Ohio State BuckeyesMyDaytonDailyNews
Landof10.com -247Sports
all 278 news articles »

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Senators Trade For Mike Condon, Return Thomas Chabot to Junior
T6S via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


OTTAWA, ON – OCTOBER 11: Goaltender Mike Condon #39 of the Montreal Canadiens protects his net and wins his first ever NHL game against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on October 11, 2015 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-1. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

In light of recent events that saw Andrew Hammond land on the LTIR with a groin injury and Nicholle Anderson’s cancer diagnosis that necessitated having her husband, Craig, taking a leave of absence from the team, the Ottawa Senators announced yesterday that they dealt a 2017 fifth round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins for goaltender Mike Condon.

On the surface, it’s the kind of deal you would expect Pierre Dorion to make.

If there’s one thing the Senators general manager hasn’t been shy to do, it’s flip or add draft picks to a sweeten a deal if he believes it improves the short-term competitiveness of his club.

Condon offers the Senators more NHL experience than either of their internal alternatives – Matt O’Connor and Chris Driedger — but whether he actually represents an upgrade remains to be seen.

Fans may recall Condon’s performance at the beginning of the 2015-16 season when the unheralded backup stepped in admirably after Carey Price sustained a knee injury.

Condon thrived through his first 15 appearances, but by early December, his game fizzled and he’s been struggling to find it since.

First 15 Games Last 41 Games
Record 9-2-3 12-23-3
GAA 2.11 2.91
SV% .918 .899
SO 0 1

Granted, Montreal was a bit of a tire fire last season and to Condon’s credit, he has posted some decent minor league numbers. So maybe there’s something there that the Senators feel confident in, but if Condon continues to play at the sub-replacement level he’s exhibited in the last 41 games, this deal will be one that fans equate with trading an asset for a poor stop-gap solution.

I don’t know, personally speaking, that Condon has NHL experience or has played in 53 more NHL games than Driedger doesn’t do much to placate my concerns. I just want to see the most talented alternative play.

Of course, that’s easy for me to say since I’m not the general manager who was issued a mandate by the owner to reach the postseason. I don’t have my reputation or job on the line and knowing that, maybe it would be difficult to roll the dice and bank on a young goaltender like Driedger to stem the tide until Anderson eventually comes back from his leave of absence. But as Hammond has shown, you don’t necessarily have to have NHL experience to be successful at the game’s highest level.

The biggest cause for concern is that no one is really sure when Anderson will return. Having already returned to the team at the encouragement of Nicholle, it could be some time before the process and test results arrive and the Anderson family makes its decision on how they will move forward.

Knowing that, maybe the organization is really concerned with entrusting Driedger and O’Connor to win games for a playoff bubble team. Moreover, the organization is probably mindful of the impact that would be created by having its two AHL goalies play in Ottawa concurrently. But holy shit, Binghamton’s all sorts of terrible and it’s not like that team’s welfare should come at the expense of the parent club or that there’s a slew of blue chip prospects down there whose development would irreparably suffer from playing in front of lower caliber netminders.

Yesterday’s trade wasn’t the only bit of housekeeping for the Senators. The organization also announced that it had returned Thomas Chabot to the QMJHL Saint John Sea Dogs.

After a strong performance in training camp and preseason, Chabot only wound up playing seven minutes and nine seconds for the Senators in the lone regular season game that he got into.

He wasn’t provided much of an opportunity to assert himself or prove that he belonged, but his situation was compounded by the fact that the coaching staff played up the performance of the defencemen ahead of Chabot on the draft chart.

Although it’s disingenuous to suggest that the second pairing of Dion Phaneuf and Cody Ceci have played well when the two have been a tire fire, the reality of Ottawa’s situation is that neither of these players is going to come out of the lineup for Chabot.

So what that does is create a situation in which the Senators have to dress 11 forwards and seven defencemen or Mark Borowiecki or Chris Wideman have to come out to make room for Chabot.

Fortunately for those third pairing guys, they’ve played well this season.

Admittedly, it’s a small sample size, but per Corsica.Hockey, Wideman and Borowiecki have the first and second highest Corsi percentages on the team and when they’ve been on the ice at five-on-five together, the Senators have outscored, outshot and outchanced the opposition.

The risk is that the Senators’ handling of Chabot, coupled with their investment in the third pairing’s play is that should Borowiecki’s underlying metrics begin falling in line with his historical norms, the Senators may have put themselves in a situation in which they demoted the superior player — relative to Borowiecki or the alternatives in Binghamton — during a season in which they’re trying to win now and now can no longer recall the player until there’s an injury emergency or Chabot’s junior season is over.

As much hope as I want to place in Guy Boucher to get the most out of his players, it’s hard not to wonder whether this is a decision the Senators could ultimately regret if Borowiecki regresses to his career norms.

I mean, there are obvious tangible benefits to Chabot returning to junior — he can dominate that level, he will opportunity to play at the World Juniors, the Senators won’t be rushing his development, blah blah blah — but, it’s hard not to dream on the possibility that Chabot would be an upgrade when the team is trying to win games down the stretch.

Other News and Notes:

• According to a Bruce Garrioch report, the Senators could be closer to reaching an agreement with the NCC in regards to their LeBreton Flats proposal. “The RendezVous LeBreton group — led by Senators’ owner Eugene Melnyk — submitted responses to questions on portions of their bid before a deadline that was set for Monday.”
• Mark Stone (neck) and Chris Wideman (upper-body injury) were scratched for tonight’s game versus the Hurricanes.

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Women's volleyball: Badgers sweep Buckeyes at St. John - OSU - The Lantern
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Women's volleyball: Badgers sweep Buckeyes at St. John
OSU - The Lantern
OSU would go on their own four-point run late in the second set to retake the lead after a brief Badger advantage, but errors from all points of play from the Buckeyes evened the score at 20-20 and gave the Badgers hope of a comeback. Wisconsin senior ...

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Buckeyes in the NBA: Russell's 23 Points Helps Lakers Hand Hawks First Loss of Season - Eleven Warriors
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes in the NBA: Russell's 23 Points Helps Lakers Hand Hawks First Loss of Season
Eleven Warriors
There were some positives for Cleveland sports on Wednesday, despite the Indians losing a heartbreaking Game 7 of the World Series. With the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks both losing on Wednesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the lone unbeaten in ...

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The Ohio State hype video is here for the Nebraska game to prepare you for the playoff push
Harry Lyles Jr. via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Let’s do this.


The first College Football Playoff rankings were released on Tuesday, and Ohio State came in at No. 6. The Buckeyes’ foe this week, the Nebraska Cornhuskers are ranked No. 10, and a win would help the Buckeyes maintain their path to the playoff.

Ohio State’s had some struggles recently, but as we saw last season, they were able to turn it on at the end of the year. Hopefully the Buckeyes are able to do the same this season, and a dominating win over Nebraska would be a great start.

If you weren’t already pumped for the game on Saturday, this should definitely do the trick.

Go Bucks.

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Ohio State linebacker Raekwon McMillan knows that stats don’t tell the whole story
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 junior’s tackles are down this year, but McMillan is focused on being a leader on defense.

“Raekwon, he’s one of the most mature people I’ve ever seen come walking into a program as a young person. Obviously he’s a captain in his third year, a guy that has incredible toughness and gives us everything that he’s got.”

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer via Bill Landis, Cleveland.com


Sometimes expectations can be a little too high. Last year McMillan had 119 tackles over 13 games. This year McMillan has just 51 tackles through eight games. While last week McMillan was named a semifinalist for the Butkus Award, for some Ohio State fans the play of McMillan has been disappointing this year. The criticism from Buckeye fans is a little unjust, considering the amount of talent that surrounded McMillan on the defense last year. This year McMillan is the leader and offenses are accounting for him more, so it’s natural that some of his stats are going to dip.

With being captain, McMillan has plenty of more responsibility on the field this year. Now McMillan has to get the defensive call from Luke Fickell, relay it to his teammates, align the defensive line and defensive backs, and then analyze the opponents before the snap. Even though his tackle numbers might be down this year, it doesn’t mean that McMillan isn’t making plays on the field. In some instances where many thought McMillan shouldn’t have been in a certain area to make a play, it wasn’t in his assignment to be there. The junior is still one of the best linebackers in the country and with all the responsibilities he has on the field, he’s playing just fine, even though there are some that think otherwise.

“I never knew I was fast. But everybody said I was fast. That was really exciting to hear that.”

Ohio State h-back Curtis Samuel via Ralph D. Russo, Associated Press


From a young age there wasn’t a question that Curtis Samuel was talented enough to play major college football. The question was if any of the major programs would find him in New York City. Samuel started walking when he was seven months old and from then he has been a bundle of energy. Football was suggested as a good outlet for Samuel to try and put his energy to good use. So far things have worked out well since now he is the most dynamic player on one of college football’s top team.

When he was growing up, Samuel wanted to be a running back but his high school coach knew that Samuel could be even more than a running back because of his skill set. Samuel’s size makes it so that you don’t want to use him as a feature back because of the pounding he might take. The junior has fit well into being utilized more like a Percy Harvin or Reggie Bush. With talent like that, major college football programs will find you, even if you are in New York City, which isn’t a traditional recruiting hotbed. The 2017 Rivals top 250 only has one player from New York City on the list. With the success had with Samuel, Urban Meyer has paid a little more attention to New York City, bringing in freshman safety Jahsen Wint in this year’s recruiting class. At this rate Meyer might be spending even more time in New York City.

“As a player, I’ve got to do what play is called and execute that to the best of my ability. On a team like this, it could be anybody any game. You saw against Oklahoma, it happened to be me with four touchdowns. We have so much explosive power it could be somebody different every game. Part of that is staying patient and doing everything you can to make an impact.”

Ohio State wide receiver Noah Brown via David Jablonski, Dayton Daily News


After breaking his leg in preseason practice last year, Noah Brown burst back onto the scene with four touchdown catches in the win over Oklahoma this year. Ohio State’s passing game has been inconsistent this year, but there’s no question that when it is working, Brown is the Buckeyes best wide receiver. What Brown has done so far this season is even more impressive considering that he didn’t come into the season at 100 percent as he recovered from last year’s injury, but he has says he is now at full strength.

While Brown’s performance against the Sooners got all the headlines, especially with his ridiculous touchdown catch before halftime, the most important catch Brown has made all season might have come in overtime against Wisconsin, with his touchdown catch ended up being the game-winner. Even with the struggles Ohio State has had with their passing game at times this year, Brown knows that all he can do is stay patient and execute when called upon. Now that he’s healthy, and with the amount of talent Ohio State has on offense, it’s likely Buckeye fans will see Brown making a big impact sooner rather than later.

“The reason we’re not hitting the big plays is we don’t force balls here. We just don’t do that. We have to get better separation (from receivers) and the few times we have, it’s been either protection (breakdowns) or we’ve misfired.”

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer via Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch


On Saturday night inside Ohio Stadium there are a few similarities between the two starting quarterbacks. Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett and Nebraska’s Tommy Armstrong Jr. both are from Texas, around the same size, and both can hurt you with their arm and legs. That is where the similarities end. Barrett usually looks to run first and then pass, while Armstrong Jr. is the opposite, using his arms to trying and break defenses. With that, the Nebraska quarterback is prone to more mistakes. After throwing 16 interceptions last year, Armstrong Jr. has seven interceptions this year, while Barrett has only thrown four picks.

After having the luxury of Ezekiel Elliott at running back last year, the Ohio State offense has tightened up a bit this year because a lot of their skill position players are so young. With defenses having to key on Elliott last year, along with Michael Thomas, Braxton Miller, and Jalin Marshall at wide receivers, the Buckeyes were able to try and explore the deeper passing game some more. With defenses playing softer coverage this year against Ohio State, the Buckeyes haven’t taken as many deep shots. More of the same might be on display for Barrett and Ohio State this week, especially against a Nebraska team that is leading the country in interceptions.

STICK TO SPORTS

• Ohio State president Michael Drake getting raise, bonus.
• Dick’s Last Resort didn’t last too long in the Arena District.
• Honestly, who uses utensils to eat fried chicken?
• Proof that Parks and Recreation knows all.
• Russia granted Steven Seagal citizenship because sure.

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Ohio State will likely have another close game against Nebraska
Chad Peltier via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Nebraska's weaknesses don't align very well with Ohio State's strengths.

Another week, another ranked matchup. Nebraska is Ohio State’s fourth top-25 S&P+ opponent this season, but the Buckeyes at least benefit from a home field matchup -- hopefully with a more inspired effort than last week's closer-than-expected win over Northwestern.

National perception has cooled some on Ohio State, as the offense has shown a surprising decline in rushing efficiency along with a lack of an explosive passing game. While there are several specific matchups that Ohio State can exploit, many of their main strengths don't align with Nebraska's weaknesses.

Avg team talent Turnover margin Net explosiveness (10+) Net explosiveness (20+) Net IsoPPP
Ohio State 91.43 +10 +44 +11 -.06
Nebraska 86.19 +5 +23 +8 -.06


Looking at the volatility ceiling and floor data below, you can see two things. First, Ohio State is one of the most volatile teams in the country (118th). Second, Ohio State has a much higher ceiling than Nebraska, but its floor is roughly the same, meaning that there is a lot of room for a close game or an upset unless the Buckeyes play above their average. In the box plot below, you can ignore the first and third quartiles of the box itself -- the whiskers represent the floor and ceiling, and the box line represents the average S&P+ margin.

S&P+ margin Volatility Floor Ceiling
Ohio State 25.4 27.7 (118th) -2.3 53.1
Nebraska 12.4 17.3 (48th) -4.9 29.7




When Ohio State has the ball

S&P+ Rush S&P+ Rush SR Rush IsoPPP Pass S&P+ Pass SR Pass IsoPPP Avg FP Drives
Ohio State 14 3 54.6%(3) 70 50 38.8%(86) 43 32.9(17) 5.78(7)
Nebraska 23 69 36.9%(23) 124 24 40.4%(66) 5 27.5(31) 3.59(14)

• The big question this week will be whether the Buckeyes will be able to run the ball on the Nebraska defense. On (the advanced stats) paper, the Huskers have only the 69th-ranked opponent-adjusted run defense -- but in unadjusted rushing success rate, their defense is top-25, allowing just around 37% of opponent runs as efficient towards picking up a first down. There are two reasons for the difference between the Huskers' opponent-adjusted ranking and their rushing success rate. First, the quality of competition is a big factor. The Huskers have held all but three teams to under 4.3 yards per carry and only two teams have rushed for over 200 yards -- Wisconsin and Oregon. Oregon ran for 7.2 yards per carry and 336 total rushing yards. Neither of those teams has a rushing offense like Ohio State's. Second, Nebraska's main problem in run defense is that they allow a high number of explosive runs. The front seven isn't great getting in to the backfield, stuffing only 19.5% of runs (62nd), but they limit most runs to under five yards (19th in opportunity rate). The problem for the Huskers defense is that opposing running backs have tended to turn any opportunity they do get into an explosive play. Even the unadvanced total rushing stats show this too: Nebraska is 19th in runs of 5+ yards, a respectable 30th in runs of 10+ yards, but tied for 59th in runs of 30+ yards.
• So what does that mean for Ohio State? That weakness doesn't exactly play in to Ohio State's hands. First, all year the Buckeyes' run game has been far better at producing efficient but non-explosive runs. Second, one of the major trends we've seen over the last four weeks is that the offense's rushing efficiency has declined. Potentially because of the lack of balance from the passing game, the steadiness of the run game has also been hurt and Ohio State hasn't had a 100-yard rusher since Mike Weber hit the mark against Rutgers. Curtis Samuel is certainly capable of producing electrifying runs (and Weber is too, just not nearly as often as Samuel), so we could be in store for a moderately efficient rushing performance -- somewhere around a 52% rushing success rate -- that's broken up by the occasional 30-yard carry.
• Nebraska's pass defense is almost the opposite of its run defense -- great opponent-adjusted overall pass defense that prevents big plays (fifth in IsoPPP), but allows a number of shorter, efficient passes. Most opponents average a little over 6 yards per attempt against Nebraska. Last week's gameplan -- hitting the edges with quick screens, flares, and swing passes on standard downs -- is likely what we'll against Nebraska as well.
• The other takeaway from the Nebraska pass defense is that their defensive backs -- particularly upperclassmen safeties Nathan Gerry and Kieron Williams -- are ball hawks. Those two safeties alone have eight interceptions this season. The defensive line hasn't created a ton of havoc outside of senior end Ross Dzuris (4.5 sacks, 7.5 TFLs), but the safeties have been excellent at flipping the field through interceptions.
• Finally, Nebraska is excellent in red zone defense, ranking 30th in red zone touchdown percentage (52.6%) and 14th in average points allowed per scoring opportunity. This could lead to a field goal try or two that otherwise would be a touchdown against a worse defense.

When Nebraska has the ball

S&P+ Rush S&P+ Rush SR Rush IsoPPP Pass S&P+ Pass SR Pass IsoPPP Avg FP Drives
Ohio State 7 18 35.4%(17) 83 8 34.5%(13) 75 25.5(7) 3.78(21)
Nebraska 37 83 45.3%(45) 122 24 42.8%(46) 13 33.3(13) 4.92(50)

• Nebraska's offense hinges on Tommy Armstrong and the passing game, and even further, it hinges on the explosive passing game. Armstrong completes just 53% of his passes and as a 42.8% success rate (which is still better than Ohio State's), but the Huskers rank 13th in passing IsoPPP, meaning that the passes they do complete are often fairly explosive. Two of Armstrong's top receiving targets average over 20 yards per catch (though one of them has just a 39% catch rate). Ohio State's pass defense rarely allows successful passes (13th in passing success rate), but has a tendency to allow big passes when they are completed. The potential best-case scenario for the Huskers is to replicate Penn State's explosiveness with a little better efficiency. This is the primary concern for Ohio State's defense -- the Buckeyes have shown a consistent ability to limit the run and the pass, but they are susceptible to the occasional big play. Enough big plays -- whether its Clayton Thorson running for 35 yards, Corey Clement hitting the edge, or Trace McSorley beating man coverage on consecutive plays -- and Nebraska can drive down the field quickly.
• The second defensive key will be keeping big plays from getting in the end zone. Nebraska averages just 4.92 points per scoring opportunity (potentially because they can't run the ball very effectively), so the Buckeye red zone defense should step up when forced. But big plays could negate the red zone defensive efficiency unless they're somewhat contained.
• Huskers fans have seen a lot more of Good Tommy Armstrong than Bad Tommy Armstrong this year. He has two multi-interception games (against Indiana and Wisconsin), but is overall much more careful with the ball than he's been in previous seasons. Malik Hooker and company are generally good for an interception per game -- and Armstrong has thrown six in his last four games.
• There's not much to worry about for the Huskers' ground game. They're 107th in adjusted line yards, 83rd in rushing S&P+, and 63rd in opportunity rate with just 40.2% of their carries going for 5+ yards. What's worse is that they're 110th in stuff rate, with nearly a quarter of runs going for no gain or a loss. Ohio State is the best in the country at defensive stuff rate, with 29.3% of opposing runs getting stopped at or behind the line. That's likely why Nebraska ranks 79th in standard downs S&P+, where they run on 72% of plays.

The 4 most important stats

1. Defensive passing IsoPPP (Nebraska's explosive passing): The one major area where Nebraska seems to have an advantage over the Ohio State defense is in passing IsoPPP. The Buckeye defense rarely allows efficient passes, but the ones they do tend to be big plays.
2. Rushing IsoPPP (big Ohio State runs): The Buckeye run game hasn't been dominant since the Rutgers game, but the Nebraska defense has a poor rushing IsoPPP, meaning that the successful runs they do allow tend to be fairly big. Explosive running hasn't been one of Ohio State's strong points unless Curtis Samuel is heavily involved in the ground game, so it's not clear whether Ohio State can take advantage of this weakness.
3. Passing success rate: Ohio State's passing success rate has declined in Big Ten play despite a better showing for short-yardage passing last week. We're likely to see more of that against Nebraska -- but the Nebraska defense has been solid preventing big passing plays.
4. Defensive rushing stuff rate. Maybe the most lopsided matchup is between the Ohio State run defense and the Nebraska rushing offense. The Nebraska offensive line allows an incredibly high number of stuffed runs, and the Ohio State defense is the best in the country at creating them.

Picks


S&P+: Ohio State 35, Nebraska 20, win probability 81.5%

F/+: Ohio State by 13.6

My Pick: Ohio State 31, Nebraska 21

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Tom Dienhart’s thoughts on Friday games, the race in the West & more
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

Friday night games. The race in the West. Ohio State's muted offense. Doing a little thinking out loud as we head toward Saturday.

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Despite experience, Nebraska QB Tommy Armstrong remains an enigma
Christopher Jason via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Nebraska quarterback has some serious flaws in his game that Ohio State should exploit.

Nebraska’s Tommy Armstrong and Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett both have some positives, but their differences give the nod to the Buckeye signal-caller. Both are pass first quarterbacks who give opposing defenses fits as dual-threats with their legs and athleticism. If something breaks down in the pocket or they need a play in short yardage, both are capable of making a play and converting on the ground.

Although both are pass first quarterbacks, they both possess their flaws as passers too. Barrett has struggled with deep ball accuracy and has a tendency to not go through his progressions at times. For positives, Barrett has a calm and comfortable approach to the passing game, which limits turnovers and always puts the team in a good chance to win the game. Armstrong on the other hand, has a tendency to throw off his back foot when facing pressure and forces balls into tight coverage. Armstrong possesses the stronger arm, but has thrown an incredible 43 interceptions in 1,095 attempts, compared to Barrett’s 18 interceptions in 688 attempts.

The Nebraska defense and coaching staff feels confident about facing Barrett, since they have faced Armstrong in practice for the past four seasons.

“It is almost the same skill set,” NU defensive tackle Kevin Maurice said. “They are very athletic, and when they can, they are going to get out. It helps us a lot that we have been facing Tommy a lot.”

Nebraska coach Mike Riley shared a similar sentiment.

“We spent a lot of time defensively, obviously, with some of the same basic fundamental parts of versatile quarterbacks, all the run-pass option stuff, the run-run option stuff,” Riley said. “So we hope that we get that work in those times, with our best players going against each other. One of the big goals there is to make it not seem so unfamiliar when you’re playing a guy like J.T. all of a sudden.”

Armstrong has had a strong senior season. He threw three touchdowns to zero interceptions in a 35-32 victory over Oregon, and entering last week’s game against Wisconsin, he had thrown only five interceptions on the season. His turnovers have been down and he’s been a key to Nebraska’s No. 10 College Football Playoff ranking.

Last week the ‘Huskers traveled to Wisconsin, where Armstrong faced his toughest test of the season. Unfortunately they fell to the Badgers in overtime, and Armstrong showed cracks in his armor, which the Ohio State defense could potentially exploit.

Tommy Armstrong scouting report vs Wisconsin:


Armstrong dropped back 31 times against Wisconsin. He completed 10 passes and had 17 passes that fell to the turf. The biggest thing that Armstrong showed is that he is very, very uncomfortable when he faces pressure. Sure, the majority of quarterbacks suffer when they face pressure, but Armstrong’s mechanics breakdown quickly and he typically throws off his back foot -- resulting in an inaccurate throw or a batted down pass at the line of scrimmage. Armstrong stands at 6’1, which is short for a pocket passing quarterback, but four batted passes at the line of scrimmage is too much.

On Armstrong’s batted interception, he felt pressure in the pocket and threw the ball right into the defensive lineman. His head, feet and body are completely out of whack.



Not only did his mechanics breakdown, but the decision seemed desperate, considering it most likely would have been intercepted even if it didn’t get tipped.



Here’s another example where Armstrong felt pressure (the defender looks closer than he really is from the angle) and his mechanics completely disappeared. It’s almost as if he feels imaginary pressure from the interior, when it was in front of his face. Armstrong looks like a young quarterback who lacks confidence in the pocket and either pulls the trigger too soon, or bails the second he senses pressure.

Just from these two plays alone, it would be smart to expect Luke Fickell to dial-up pressure up the A-gap and get pressure in front of Armstrong’s face. It makes him extremely uncomfortable and he is then prone to throwing the ball sooner than he wants to. Also, expect to see the defensive line get their hands up in passing lanes, in an effort to tip passes.




In the the possible game winning two-minute drill, Armstrong felt imaginary pressure and dumped the ball off to his running back. They only needed about 20-yards to get into field goal range and instead, they lost about 25 seconds off the clock and did not gain any yardage. Poor decision making due to skittishness in the pocket. It’s a throw that should not have been made and essentially ended the potential game-winning drive.




The read option is something Armstrong does pretty well. They don’t ask him to do it as much as Ohio State asks Barrett to, but he makes sound decisions.

On the game-tying touchdown, Wisconsin clearly did not respect Armstrong as a runner. He only kept the ball on the read-option one other time and he was consistently handing the ball off. Armstrong had an easy read on the DE -- who did not delay — and kept the ball for an easy score. They basically treated Armstrong like a non-mobile quarterback, who had no running ability — which was odd. Either way, he took advantage of it. The Buckeyes know how to defend against the read option and it is something that should not burn the Ohio State defense.



Other notes:

• Showed jet motion against Wisconsin. As we know, Ohio State struggled against jet sweeps vs the Badgers, so expect one or two jet sweeps or jet motion to get the defense out of position.
• The tailbacks are very average. Neither Terrell Newby nor Devine Ozigbo possess any elite athletic trait that the Buckeye defense will have to account for.
• Nebraska struggles running the ball against the interior of the defense. Ohio State has a clear advantage here with their interior defensive line and Raekwon McMillan.
• Wide receivers Stanley Morgan Jr. (No. 8) and Jordan Westerkamp (No. 1) are both shifty after the catch. Both have the ability to make a corner miss and make big plays after the catch. Westerkamp is the better route runner and has the ability to get open much easier.
• After missing the past month, there’s a chance that tight end Cethan Carter will be back from a dislocated elbow. Carter’s size — 6’4, 240 lbs — will create mismatches in the passing game, which will give Armstrong a big target in the red zone and as a safety blanket.

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Hurt Buckeyes WR Campbell may not miss game - ESPN
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Hurt Buckeyes WR Campbell may not miss game
ESPN
After leaving late in the close win over Northwestern on Saturday on a cart and immediately having an X-ray on his ankle, the good news the No. 6 Buckeyes received when the evaluation didn't reveal a fracture has only improved since the redshirt ...
Ohio State staff to welcome in country's No. 1 RB Saturday247Sports
Presser Bullets: Urban Meyer Thinks Curtis Samuel is Having 'A Helluva Year,' Calls Tommy Armstrong Jr. Incredible ...Eleven Warriors
Urban Meyer acknowledges big recruiting weekend for Ohio StateLand-Grant Holy Land

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What Danny Langsdorf might draw up for the Buckeyes - Today's U (blog)
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What Danny Langsdorf might draw up for the Buckeyes
Today's U (blog)
Langsdorf started his Wednesday post-practice press conference by talking about whether Nebraska will be looking to get an aerial assault going against the Buckeyes or if he'd prefer a ground attack. He likes the idea of the latter setting up the former.
Ohio State vs. Nebraska | Huskers using loss to Wisconsin as motivationColumbus Dispatch
Nebraska's Riley compares Buckeyes to Pete Caroll's USC teams247Sports
Huskers Prepare for Talented Buckeye DefenseNBC Nebraska
ESPN (blog)
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Despite struggles, Buckeyes still in prime playoff position - Daily Illini
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Despite struggles, Buckeyes still in prime playoff position
Daily Illini
Through the middle of October, Ohio's de facto professional football team, the Buckeyes (apologies to the Cleveland Browns), also seemed to be inhaling the intoxicating championship aroma carrying over from Cleveland. But, beginning on Oct. 22, that ...
Ohio State football | Buckeyes are No. 6 in playoff rankingsColumbus Dispatch
Ohio State Buckeyes No. 6 in playoff rankingDayton Daily News
Buckeyes No. 6 in first CFP rankings247Sports
OSU - The Lantern -Landof10.com -Akron Beacon Journal
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brodybuck21 said:

WC: Toronto

ALDS: Cleveland and Texas

ALCS: Cleveland


WC: SF

NLDS: Chicago and Washington

NLCS: Chicago


World Series: Cleveland in 7

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damn almost called it....sorry Cleveland

Buckeyes sit atop NFL rookie rankings - 247Sports
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Buckeyes sit atop NFL rookie rankings
247Sports
Being picked third and fourth overall respectively, it's not a surprise that Joey Bosa and Ezekiel Elliott are among the top performers in the NFL out of the 2016 rookie class. That said, both Bosa (hold out) and Elliott (domestic violence accusations ...
Ohio State has problems, but the red zone defense hasn't been oneLand-Grant Holy Land

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Alabama and LSU clash in the spotlight matchup of Week 10’s college football bets, odds
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


LSU and Leonard Fournette will be trying to spoil Alabama’s undefeated season in Baton Rouge.

Last week was much like the week before, pretty much splitting the games of the week. This week’s national games are pretty ugly for the most part, aside from Alabama-LSU so there are a few that in a normal week I wouldn’t touch, but had to this week due to the lack of quality games.

Last week ATS: 5-6 (1-4 National, 4-2 B1G)

Season ATS: 55-61-3 (21-28-1 National, 34-33-2 B1G)

National games:


No. 4 Texas A&M (-14) v. Mississippi State - 12:00 PM EST - SEC Network

Texas A&M was surprisingly ranked fourth in the first College Football Playoff rankings, and now they’ll be looking for a big performance to sway the committee to keep them ranked ahead of Washington. The Aggies have to have designs on a big game after seeing what Samford was able to do to Mississippi State last week. That’s right, I said Samford. Not Stanford. The Bulldogs just gave up 41 points and 627 yards to Samford in the 56-41 victory. With Texas A&M averaging 38 points and nearly 500 yards of offense per game, the Aggie offense has to be excited to head to Starkville.

Mississippi State is still trying to adjust to life without quarterback Dak Prescott, but they have gotten solid production at times from sophomore Nick Fitzgerald, who has thrown for 14 touchdowns and added another seven touchdowns on the ground. Fitzgerald has been about the only bright spot for the Bulldogs this year, who are just 3-5 heading into this matchup.

Of course this is usually the time of year when Texas A&M falls on its face, but if it’s going to happen this year the slide won’t start until next week. Trevor Knight and Trayveon Williams gash Mississippi State’s defense on the ground and the Aggies win by three touchdowns.

Texas A&M 45, Mississippi State 24

No. 11 Florida (-5) v. Arkansas - 3:30 PM EST - CBS

Arkansas got a much needed week off after suffering a 56-3 drubbing at the hands of Auburn a couple weeks ago. The Razorbacks now have three losses on the season, but a little bit of silver lining for Arkansas fans is those losses have come to Auburn, Alabama, and Texas A&M, which are three of the strongest teams in the country. Now Arkansas is hoping the extra week can help quarterback Austin Allen and running back Rawleigh Williams III try and find some holes against a very tough Florida defense.

Last week Florida got back to work and had little trouble in shutting down Georgia. There are still concerns about Florida’s offense, but so far this season a lot of those worries have been alleviated by the play of the Gator defense. Florida is allowing opponents just 240 yards per game, and just once this season has allowed more than 14 points. Luke Del Rio has been serviceable at quarterback, but it remains to be seen how he’d respond if the Florida defense ends up giving up some points in a game.

If there was a team that can test Florida, this Arkansas team might just be the team to do it, especially in front of their home crowd. Austin Allen is capable of making some plays and if he does it could put some pressure on the Florida offense, which is something they haven’t had a whole lot of this season. I like the unranked home underdog to pull the upset here.

Arkansas 23, Florida 20

TCU v. No. 17 Baylor (-7.5) - 3:30 PM EST - FOX

Baylor is going to have quite the chip on their shoulder when they take the field in Waco on Saturday against TCU. The Bears lost to Texas last week, which pretty much erased any shot Baylor had of making the College Football Playoff. Now the Bears will have to try and secure a Big 12 championship, and a New Year’s Six bowl game. Quarterback Seth Russell was exhibiting concussion-like symptoms after the Texas game, but it sounds as if Russell will be good to go on Saturday against the Horned Frogs.

Things are really falling apart for TCU right now, with the Horned Frogs coming into Saturday’s game having lost three of their last four. Quarterback Kenny Hill was benched during last week’s double overtime loss to Texas Tech in favor of sophomore Foster Sawyer, but Hill should be back starting this week. The Texas A&M transfer started off the season with a few big games, but has been pretty bad of late. Hill has thrown 10 interceptions already this season.

If there is a team for Baylor to rebound against, TCU might be the perfect team for that right now. The Bears are averaging 260 yards per game through the air, and 299 yards per game on the ground. TCU not only won’t be able to slow down the Baylor offense, but they’ll see their defense have little success in stopping Baylor’s balanced offense.

Baylor 41, TCU 28

No. 1 Alabama (-7.5) v. No. 13 LSU - 8:00 PM EST - CBS

This matchup is always one of the most anticipated games of the year in college football, and this year is no different. Early in the year it looked as if this game lost some of its luster after the Tigers started the season 2-2 and responded by firing head coach Les Miles. Since taking over for Miles, interim head coach Ed Orgeron has led the Tigers to three straight wins. In LSU’s last game a couple weeks ago, Leonard Fournette went crazy, setting a school record by rushing for 284 yards on just 16 carries against Ole Miss. Fournette will find the sledding a little tougher this week against a Alabama defense that is giving up just 70 yards per game. Fournette hasn’t had a lot of success against the Crimson Tide in the past, last year rushing for just 31 yards on 19 carries.

Alabama got a little bit of a scare from Texas A&M two weeks ago, as the Aggies took a 14-13 lead over the Crimson Tide early in the third quarter. Alabama responded by scoring the last 20 points of the game. LSU’s defense will certainly have their hands full trying to slow down quarterback Jalen Hurts, who can give defenses problems not only with his arm, but also with the work he can do with his legs.

LSU has not only been playing better football since Orgeron took over, but they have gotten solid play at quarterback from Purdue transfer Danny Etling. If LSU can get Etling to make a few plays, as well as finally find a way to get Fournette some space against the Alabama defense, they just might have a shot at snapping a five-game losing streak against the Crimson Tide. Even if the Tigers don’t win, they’ll keep things within a touchdown against Alabama.

Alabama 23, LSU 17

No. 5 Washington (-16.5) v. California - 10:30 PM EST - ESPN

Had it not been for a Dante Pettis punt return late in the fourth quarter, Washington might have joined the list of undefeated teams to fall last week. The Huskies were able to avoid the upset, but now have to hit the road for the second straight week, this time to take on a Cal team that can really put up some points.

Davis Webb has already thrown 415 passes this year, racking up 2,914 yards and 29 touchdown passes. A big reason why Webb has been able to accumulate such high numbers is because the California defense is putrid and usually gives up scores as quickly as the Cal offense puts up scores. Six of their last seven opponents have scored at least 40 points against the Golden Bears.

Washington quarterback Jake Browning has thrown 223 less passes than Webb, but nearly has Webb matched in touchdowns, throwing 28 so far this year. Add in running back Myles Gaskin topping 100 yards rushing in each of his last four games, and it will likely be a long night for the California defense. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Washington a little sluggish with their second road game in a row, so that’s why I like the Golden Bears to keep it within the number.

Washington 48, California 37

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Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Preview and Prediction - AthlonSports.com
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Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Preview and Prediction
AthlonSports.com
The formula for Ohio State is simple: Win out and the Buckeyes will be one of the top four teams in the nation. Of course, that path isn't easy. Michigan comes to Columbus on Nov. 26, and there's a road date at Michigan State on Nov. 19. Ohio State ...
Big Ten moving six games in 2017 season to Friday night lightsColumbus Dispatch
Urban Meyer, Ohio State Football Don't Have Much Reaction to News of Big Ten Friday Night GamesEleven Warriors
Big Ten football will have games on Friday nights in 2017: Will Ohio State?cleveland.com
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GameDay Kickoff: LSU, Nebraska look to shake up playoff picture - ESPN
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GameDay Kickoff: LSU, Nebraska look to shake up playoff picture
ESPN
If Nebraska wins: The two-loss Buckeyes likely would be doomed in the playoff picture, but the Huskers' stock -- and their chances of winning the West division -- would both increase. According to ESPN's FPI, Nebraska has a 25 percent chance to win the ...

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Buckeyes are back in the playoffs - Athens Messenger (registration)
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Buckeyes are back in the playoffs
Athens Messenger (registration)
... at Boston Field. The Buckeyes host Zane Trace on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the OHSAA playoffs. prev. next. NELSONVILLE — Head coach Rusty Richards and the Nelsonville-York Buckeyes focused on one goal during the 2016 season — win a league title.


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Ohio State Buckeyes No. 6 in playoff ranking - Dayton Daily News
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Ohio State Buckeyes No. 6 in playoff ranking
Dayton Daily News
The Ohio State Buckeyes find themselves in a decent position in the first College Football Rankings, which were released Tuesday night on ESPN. Ohio State (7-1) ranks sixth. It's the second-highest ranked one-loss team. Texas A&M (7-1) ranks fourth.
Buckeyes No. 6 in first CFP rankings247Sports
Football: First College Football Playoff poll leaves Buckeyes out, Michigan at No. 3OSU - The Lantern
College Football Playoff Rankings: Buckeyes at No. 6 in first poll10TV
Columbus Dispatch -Akron Beacon Journal
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Urban Meyer acknowledges big recruiting weekend for Ohio State
Bret Favachio via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


A primetime matchup for the Buckeyes means a big night on the recruiting front.

This Saturday, No. 6 Ohio State will play host to No. 10 Nebraska in Ohio Stadium for a primetime battle between two Big Ten foes.

Make no mistake, the Buckeyes have struggled in recent weeks. The most notable downfall coming in Happy Valley when the Nittany Lions upset the then-No. 2 Scarlet and Gray. Despite a win last week against Northwestern in the friendly confines of The Horseshoe, Ohio State looked uninterested and unimpressive in the nail-biter with Pat Fitzgerald's Wildcats. Simply put, with a top 10 team up next, this is a big weekend for any playoff hopes for Urban Meyer and the Bucks.

Its also a big weekend for Ohio State in regards to recruiting — something that hasn’t been a struggle for the program. The Buckeyes currently sit at No. 1 in the 2017 recruiting class and a very early 15th overall class for 2018.

Ohio State has a major opportunity to boost those rankings due to a major recruiting weekend on Saturday, and Meyer acknowledged that when he spoke on Wednesday.


'Slew' is definitely one way to put it. For 2017, Ohio State will have defensemen Anthony Hines, Bubba Bolden and Darnay Holmes roaming the sidelines. Surely to be in those three prospects ears will be defensive tackle Jerron Cage, DT Haskell Garrett, WR Trevon Grimes, K Blake Haubeil, WR Tyjon Lindsey, QB Tate Martell, OT Josh Myers and CB Shaun Wade — the current Buckeye pledges who will also be in attendance.

As for 2018, the two commits in that class — QB Emory Jones and RB Brian Snead — are not expected in make the trip up to Columbus. However, with OT Jackson Carman, LB Dallas Gant, RB Jaelen Gill, LB Christopher Oats, CB Christian Tutt and more expected to unofficially visit, the Buckeyes have a good chance to make an impression and maybe even pull an early verbal from someone.

Scouting Days


Transitioning to the hardwood, the Buckeyes watched forward Nobel Days (Racine, WI / Park) in an open gym, according to Evan Flood at 247sports. Right now, the class of 2019 product has an offer sheet that has Big Ten institutions Wisconsin and Illinois, Marquette, DePaul and UNLV as some of the early contenders to offer the 6-foot-9 a chance to play at the college level.

Will Ohio State look into the Wisconsin native as time goes on? Stay tuned to Land-Grant Holy Land to find out.

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Football: First College Football Playoff poll leaves Buckeyes out, Michigan at No. 3 - OSU - The Lantern
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Football: First College Football Playoff poll leaves Buckeyes out, Michigan at No. 3
OSU - The Lantern
OSU redshirt junior quarterback J.T. Barrett said on Monday before the release of the rankings the spot the Buckeyes are in holds no merit to him. “I don't care about it too much being that there is still a lot of football left to play,” he said. The ...
What does Ohio State need to do to make the College Football Playoff?Landof10.com
College Football Playoff Rankings: Buckeyes at No. 6 in first poll10TV

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Balanced Badgers march past Buckeyes - University of Wisconsin Badgers
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Balanced Badgers march past Buckeyes
University of Wisconsin Badgers
The Badger defense narrowly outblocked the Buckeyes 7-6, led by sophomore Tionna Williams with four stops. Carlini and senior Haleigh Nelson added three blocks apiece. Carlini notched 11 digs for her 69th career double-double, followed by freshman ...

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