Scarlet and Gray Drive Time Re-Wind: Awards, View From Beyond the Shoe, Wisco Depth, Rutgers Highlights
WVaBuckeye via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Welcome to the daily rewind of the previous days or weekends articles here on the Buckeye Battle Cry with some commentary and links to the author’s twitter account!




@bzimmerman9 recaps this week in the B1G



@wvabuckeye pulls together the staff in this weeks awards



@BuckeyeBVO rounds up all the Buckeyes and their efforts in the NFL



@mmeals rolls a perfect 300 here. All strikes!



@mmeals rounds up @The_BBC votes to determine this seasons playoff



@bzimmerman9 puts together the depth chart for Wisconsin



@smsommers84 has the highlight video from Rutgers




Daily Funny



The post Scarlet and Gray Drive Time Re-Wind: Awards, View From Beyond the Shoe, Wisco Depth, Rutgers Highlights appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

Continue reading...

New faces, same results for Buckeyes - Quad City Times
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


New faces, same results for Buckeyes
Quad City Times
Second-ranked Ohio State visits the eighth-ranked Badgers and Chryst said Wisconsin will have its hands full with a Buckeyes team that seemingly hasn't missed a beat since losing 12 players chosen in this year's NFL draft. Ohio State has dominated on ...
Ohio State Buckeyes expect motivated WisconsinDayton Daily News
No. 2 Buckeyes Travel to Wisconsin to Take On the No. 8 Badgers: Everything You Need To KnowPatch.com
Ohio State vs. Wisconsin | Buckeyes defense braces for bruising BadgersColumbus Dispatch
Comcast SportsNet Chicago -247Sports
all 163 news articles »

Continue reading...

Urban Meyer updates injuries, puts emphasis on team’s preparation
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


He’ll have his team ready to go at Camp Randall Stadium.

At his weekly Wednesday media availability, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer updated his team’s progress leading up to their game in Madison, WI on Saturday.

Meyer confirmed that wide receiver Corey Smith is dealing with a wrist injury and will not play this week against No. 8 Wisconsin. Smith sported a cast on the sideline against Oklahoma, and there is no timetable for his return.

Linebacker Dante Booker remains questionable for the Buckeyes, as Meyer admits that the injury is much worse than he had originally anticipated. He says that Booker is close to returning from a sprained PCL and MCL.

Turning to this week’s practices, Meyer said that it has been business as usual thus far, but the energy might change as gameday approaches. Meyer said that the reintroduction of the locker room sign reading “The most prepared team is going to win this game” is the theme for both players and coaches this week. Meyer added that everyone must "focus on your job description."

When asked if he has seen anything during practice this week that bodes well for an improved passing game, Meyer said that the only way to get better is for good players to work hard, and that’s what has happened this week.

He also pointed out that with the proliferation of spread offenses, defenses have countered, especially taking away the jet sweep, which is why the Buckeyes haven’t called many this year.

Meyer said that Camp Randall Stadium is one of the “top five or six” environments in college football because of how loud the students can be.

The Buckeyes take on the eighth-ranked Wisconsin Badgers in Madison on Saturday at 8:00pm ET.

Continue reading...

Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett has proved there’s nothing he can’t overcome
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


Including his own mistakes.

“J.T. Barrett has always made it look easy.”

- Ivan Maisel, ESPN


Maisel takes a look into the career of J.T. Barrett, which started faster than what he could have ever imagined, after Braxton Miller went down with an injury prior to the beginning of the 2014 season. But even before that, Barrett had torn his ACL in his senior year of high school. His career has hardly been a smooth path, but Maisel excellently documents the trials and tribulations that Barrett endured, and how he willfully overcame them. We know that Barrett went on to tear up the competition, before suffering an injury of his own against Michigan. This led to Cardale Jones leading the Buckeyes to the first College Football Playoff National Championship, and stealing the hearts of many.

2015 continued a tough stretch for Barrett, who lost his job to Jones going into the year. But he got it back, only to follow it up with driving drunk, and being suspended for a game. But Barrett quickly learned from that. It was without a doubt a big and stupid mistake. Barrett took the lessons he learned in doing it, and presented them to his teammates. They now all have Uber accounts, thanks to the influence of Barrett, who says he’s glad for the experience and how it worked out. It could have been much worse, but thankfully it wasn’t, and he was able to take the knowledge, and spread it.

That doesn’t make what he did right, but others aren’t as sharp in making things right and learning from errors. Things haven’t been totally simple for Barrett the past few years, but he’s made it look easy.

“The task of stopping all that talent will fall on [Wisconsin] cornerbacks and safeties.”

- Jesse Temple, ESPN


The Wisconsin defense is in for a full day on Saturday when the welcome Ohio State to Madison. The Buckeyes have won all of their games by at least three scores, but the Badgers will definitely be their greatest test yet. A big responsibility will fall on the shoulders of the cornerbacks and safeties, who are being coached up by Jim Leonhard, a former safety at Wisconsin and recently retired NFL player. Luckily for them, the OHio State passing game has been pretty hot and cold through the first five games of this season. Leonhard told Temple that college defenses aren’t nearly as complex as the ones in the NFL are, and that they’re easier to prepare for.

Leonhard’s been making sure he’s found a way to connect to the players, and it would certainly seem that he would be able to do just that. But he’s been experimenting, as he told Temple, "Some guys can't handle it. If you try to give too much, sometimes that gets you in trouble. That has been my struggle -- just trying to figure out what's enough and what's too much because ultimately, you just want guys to play fast and go compete.” Leonhard’s knowledge and experience of the game should serve them well heading into Saturday. If they’re fortunate, it will be windy again, making Barrett less effective as he as against Indiana.

“Then, half an hour before midnight, as happens with wrenching regularity in the city that care famously forgot, violence introduced a jarring note.”

- Richard O’Brien, Sports Illustrated


It’s been six months since former Ohio State and New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith was shot in New Orleans. Sports Illustrated’s Richard O’Brien goes into details of what happened that night, the events that led up to it, and the aftermath in how both sides’ lawyers are positioning their cases. He also notes that Smith was New Orleans’s 32nd homicide of this year. Since Smith’s death, there have been 100 more homicides in New Orleans alone. His wife Racquel is still recovering from the gunshot wounds she suffered from the tragic incident.

The Buckeyes are remembering Smith the entire season with a “91” decal on their helmets. The person who shot and killed Smith, Cardell Hayes, is incarcerated in Orleans Parish Prison, and is being held on $1.75 million bond. He was indicted for second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, and other charges. The person who was with Hayes, Kevin O’Neal, insists that Hayes was protecting themselves. The trial is expected to start December 1.

STICK TO SPORTS

• Jim Beam workers vote to strike
• Why does Siri seem so dumb?
• Reddit has already figured out parts of Stranger Things’ second season

Continue reading...

Who deserves to be No. 1: Alabama or Ohio State? - Sports Illustrated
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Who deserves to be No. 1: Alabama or Ohio State?
Sports Illustrated
However, despite a marquee nonconference win at Oklahoma and four other victories that have been decided by no fewer than 21 points, the Buckeyes have been unable to surpass the Crimson Tide. In fact, Alabama still dominates in the polls, collecting 56 ...
COLLEGE PICKS: Big games, but not must-wins for 'Bama, OSUThe News Tribune

all 225 news articles »

Continue reading...

Ohio State’s Jerome Baker just might beat Wisconsin by himself if he has to
Chuck McKeever via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Wisconsin’s high rank disguises an offense that can’t withstand a player like Baker.

Ohio State will get one of its stiffest tests of the season’s first half when the Buckeyes travel to Madison’s Camp Randall Stadium to take on the No. 8 Wisconsin Badgers. The Badgers, owners of a 4-1 record, are coming off of a bye week after dismantling Michigan State in early October.

Give Wisconsin credit: it’s not their fault that Sparty and LSU have been exposed as paper tigers. What would have counted as two quality wins in most other years feels like so much smoke in this one. Either way, the Badgers went into both contests and did what they had to do, and while they looked wholly unimpressive against lowly Georgia State, their performance the rest of the season has made them look like contenders for a berth in the Big Ten championship game.

There’s only one problem. Wisconsin’s defense has been outrageously good this season—like Ohio State, they’ve got a little brother with a famous last name taking care of business—but that defensive stinginess has covered up for an offense that’s one of the least explosive and least efficient in the FBS. That’s bad news for the Badgers, who will be up against a Buckeye unit that has yet to allow a rushing touchdown and has smothered the life out of five straight opponents.

A player with the skill set to make sure the same happens this Saturday? Linebacker Jerome Baker.

The stats


Name: Jerome Baker

Number: 17

Position: Linebacker

Year: Sophomore

Height: 6’1

Weight: 225

Line: 20.5 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 1 INT, 1 TD

Baker, who plays outside linebacker, wasn’t supposed to be a starter on this year’s team. But after a knee injury to Dante Booker, who has now missed four straight games, it’s been Baker stepping up and shutting down opposing offenses next to Raekwon McMillan and Chris Worley.

Baker’s lateral speed and tackling ability are part of the reason why the Buckeyes still haven’t allowed a rushing touchdown in 2016, the only team in the FBS who can say so. There’s a decent chance they keep that streak alive this Saturday, given what Wisconsin has done—or hasn’t done—on offense this year.

Opposition research


Wisconsin ranks just 100th nationally in offensive S&P+. The Badgers have consistently failed to create explosive plays, aren’t efficient with the football, and struggle to finish drives once they get inside the opponent’s 40 yard-line.

They’re a little bit stronger on the ground than they are through the air. Looking at just rushing S&P+, the Badgers rank 43rd nationally; this is true despite coming in 106th in rushing success rate, the measure of how many runs go for five or more yards.

The Badgers just don’t have the kind of weapons that they’ve had in the past few seasons. There’s no Jared Abbrederis to get behind the secondary, no Russell Wilson to extend plays with his legs, no Melvin Gordon to run all over everything. Senior running back Corey Clement is averaging a pedestrian 3.9 yards per carry—less than half of what Curtis Samuel’s doing. Senior Robert Wheelwright is a talented receiver, but he’s been held without a touchdown grab this season playing in an offense that’s found passing TDs tough to come by. There aren’t an awful lot of options for this Badgers offense, even if it has looked a little more lifelike in Alex Hornibrook’s short tenure under center.

What to watch for


This game is going to be a defensive slugfest under the lights in Madison. Ohio State’s scoring offense will certainly be tempered, but Wisconsin’s offense might barely score at all.

Jerome Baker is going to have his opportunities to make a mark on this contest. The Buckeyes rank seventh nationally in havoc rate, the measure of how many plays go for a loss, forced fumble, interception, or pass breakup; Baker’s made no small contribution to those numbers in 2016. Watch how his lateral speed gets him past the lineman and into the backfield for a TFL on this run against Indiana:


It’s comical just how much quicker he is than the man tasked with getting out to block him. Baker’s fast laterally and downhill, and his instincts are good. You may recall that he also took an interception 68 yards back to the house against Oklahoma, putting his speed and vision on display:


In other words: Baker has the potential to be a world-wrecker. It certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s surrounded by other current and rising stars on the Buckeye defense, nor does it hurt that he’ll be lining up across from a redshirt freshman quarterback who’s thrown more picks than touchdowns so far this season.

The last time Ohio State played under the lights in Camp Randall with the College Gameday crew in town, the Badgers spoiled the season for the Buckeyes and knocked them from atop the rankings after just one week. That shouldn’t happen this time around. There is too much quality on the Ohio State defense, and too many question marks on the Wisconsin offense, to think that this one might get away from the Scarlet and Gray. Look for Jerome Baker to be a big reason why the Buckeyes walk away with a W on Saturday night.

Continue reading...

Men's soccer: Buckeyes rebound versus Oakland - OSU - The Lantern
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Men's soccer: Buckeyes rebound versus Oakland
OSU - The Lantern
A few moments later, in the 14th minute, senior midfielder Ben Fitzpatrick worked a ball down the sideline in the offensive zone and got past his defender, allowing him to cross a ball right in front of the net that Kohl sent past the keeper to give ...


Continue reading...

Ohio State Buckeyes expect motivated Wisconsin - Dayton Daily News
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State Buckeyes expect motivated Wisconsin
Dayton Daily News
Ohio State's Devin Smith catches a touchdown pass over Wisconsin's Sojourn Shelton in the first quarter of the Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 6, 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) ...
No. 2 Buckeyes Travel to Wisconsin to Take On the No. 8 Badgers: Everything You Need To KnowPatch.com
Ohio State vs. Wisconsin | Buckeyes defense braces for bruising BadgersColumbus Dispatch
Updated Top247: Jones big jump; OSU poised to score big again247Sports
OSU - The Lantern -UPI.com
all 128 news articles »

Continue reading...

A Wisconsin coach claims they let a 4-star recruit flip to Ohio State because of a mean tweet
Matt Brown via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Umm, what?

Ohio State and Wisconsin will meet this weekend in a heavyweight battle between two of the best teams in the Big Ten. It’s also a reunion of sorts for one of the more intriguing recruiting storylines of 2016.

Wisconsin had an apparent coup early on the recruiting trail last cycle, securing the commitment of four-star running back Antonio Williams. After being a Badgers commit for over a year, Williams flipped to Ohio State in October of 2015.

Williams told Cleveland.com that he picked Ohio State because he didn’t think Wisconsin could develop him into the running back he wanted to be. After Ezekiel Elliott’s career at Ohio State, and given the Buckeyes’ superior on the field results, this isn’t too much of a surprise. Top recruits flip to Ohio State all the time.

But Wisconsin evidently has a different a different perspective on why Williams won’t be on their sidelines this Saturday.

From Badger247:


Settle adds that Wisconsin running back Corey Clement saw the tweet, instead of UW coaches, and confronted Williams. Shortly after that, Williams allegedly decommitted, and a few days later, picked Urban Meyer and the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Is this story entirely true?

It seems a little much to believe. Williams, a consensus four-star recruit, was one of the crown jewels of Wisconsin’s 2016 class (he was the second highest ranked player at the time), and given Wisconsin’s offense, finding a superior running back is of perhaps even more importance than it would be for Ohio State.

Wisconsin doesn’t get many blue-chip recruits, period. Would it be wise to run a player of that caliber off, especially somewhat late in the cycle, because he shared (and then quickly deleted) an observation about Wisconsin’s quarterback that, to be blunt, was not wrong? It’s not like Williams tweeted something discriminatory or otherwise inappropriate.

And even if the coach is being wholesale truthful, what’s the benefit of saying it now? Sure, Williams isn’t likely to play much against Wisconsin. But when you’re an underdog, why throw a player on the opposing team under the bus? Had Wisconsin simply said “he made a decision to go somewhere else and we’re going to move on”, nobody would have thought twice about it; most high level recruits are going to pick Ohio State over Wisconsin.

But to then to all but say “well, actually, we didn’t want him anyway” in an on the record interview?

Wisconsin replaced Williams (who also had offers from Georgia, Alabama, Auburn and others) with three-star Sam Brodner, who chose Wisconsin over Syracuse, Iowa and Vanderbilt.

Did Wisconsin really let a player get away, to a conference rival, over one bad tweet? Even if they did, Wisconsin’s loss is surely Ohio State’s gain.

Continue reading...

No. 2 Buckeyes Travel to Wisconsin to Take On the No. 8 Badgers: Everything You Need To Know - Patch.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


No. 2 Buckeyes Travel to Wisconsin to Take On the No. 8 Badgers: Everything You Need To Know
Patch.com
MADISON, WI — For the first time all season Saturday in Columbus, Ohio State looked mortal as the Buckeyes struggled against Indiana before pulling away for the 38-17 victory. Wisconsin is a considerably more formidable opponent, so Ohio State will ...
Ohio State vs. Wisconsin | Buckeyes defense braces for bruising BadgersColumbus Dispatch
Ohio State Buckeyes expect motivated WisconsinDayton Daily News
Football: Buckeyes using momentum of big plays to succeedOSU - The Lantern
247Sports -UPI.com
all 124 news articles »

Continue reading...

J.T. Barrett will need to be more well-rounded to knock off Wisconsin
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Will the Heisman contender be able to bounce back against a stout Badger defense?

Everything was going just fine in Buckeye Nation; the No. 2 Ohio State football team was shattering expectations, fans’ confidence in the inexperienced team was growing exponentially, all was right with Columbus’ college football world, and then Indiana showed up at the Horseshoe last Saturday. Even though we tried to warn everyone that the game might be closer than they expected, the better-than-you-realized Hoosiers caused quite a bit of consternation amongst Buckeye fans, especially when it came to the passing game.

Quarterback J.T. Barrett was 9-for-21, accounting for only 93 yards through the air. He threw both a touchdown and an interception, giving him a 40.5 QBR for the game; the fifth lowest of his career when attempting more than three passes. At one point, the Buckeyes went more than two quarters without recording a single passing yard.

Instead of distributing the ball to 12 different receivers, as they had the week before against Rutgers, the offense primarily stuck to the ground, with Barrett getting 26 of the team’s 50 carries, and 137 of its 290 rushing yards.

In his Monday press conference, head coach Urban Meyer acknowledged that the passing game wasn’t clicking quite like it should have been against Indiana.

“There was a couple mis-hits that usually hit,” he said. “We're kind of a shot team. When we hit shots, it's really good. If it's not, we have to find out why and get it fixed.” Meyer assured the media, and by transference, the fans, that the coaching staff knew what the issue was and is addressing it.

Since most shots were missed last Saturday, Offensive Coordinators Ed Warinner and Tim Beck stuck to the ground, primarily via the zone read, and while that was effective for the Buckeyes, it left Barrett vulnerable to more contact than the coaching staff would like. However, Meyer said that as a leader Barrett had to do what was necessary to win the game.

“You're one of the best players in the country, we're going to play you and use you and do what you do well,” he said of his quarterback. “We're aware of it and have to be somewhat intelligent about how we do it, but go win the game.”

This week, Ohio State travels to Madison, WI for its second top-10 matchup of the year, when they take on the eighth-ranked Wisconsin Badgers. Boasting the nation’s seventh-ranked rushing defense, Meyer’s “shot” offense will likely have to hit more often for his team to remain undefeated. So, for that reason, quarterback J.T. Barrett is this week’s offensive player to watch.

The stats


Name: J.T. Barrett
Number: 16
Position: Quarterback
Year: RS Junior
Height: 6’2
Weight: 222 lbs.

Against Indiana, Barrett completed only one pass of more than 10 yards, the fourth quarter touchdown to Dontre Wilson. Though it officially went in the book as a 37-yard completion, the pass itself was a 15-yard crossing route, with Wilson breaking an initial tackle and out-running the secondary to the endzone.



On Saturday, Barrett attempted five passes of more than 20 yards, and failed to complete a single one; often over or under-throwing wide-open receivers.


While some pointed out that there was wind swirling around the ‘Shoe on Saturday, players and coaches said that wasn’t a factor, but it did call to mind Barrett’s most notable bad weather game; the 17-14 loss to Michigan State last year.

In the season’s only defeat, Barrett was 9 for 16 for only 46 yards and a touchdown. While the game against Michigan the following week had a much better outcome for the Buckeyes, Barrett only fared moderately better, going 9-15 for 113 yards and one TD.

If Ohio State is going to continue it’s quest for a second national title in three years, the Heisman Trophy candidate is going to have to have a better bounce-back this time around.

In fairness to Barrett, he had a sensational first four games to the season, completing 69% of his passes and averaging a respectable 222 yards in the air, while also contributing significantly to the ground game as well, but as the competition improves, Barrett will need to be more well-rounded than he was last week.

Opposition research

Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images

There’s not a football fan in America that doesn’t know what a dominant defensive force Watt is, what they might not realize is that I’m referring to T.J. Watt, the brother of Houston Texan J.J.

The younger Watt is Wisconsin’s junior OLB, who has led a stout Badger defense this year. His 5.5 sacks puts him in the top-15 in the country, a big part of why the team’s linebackers are one of the best units at causing havoc for the opposing offense. The seventh-rated rushing defense allows only 90.4 yards on the ground per game, and has given up only two rushing touchdowns this season.



So while Meyer and company aren’t going to stop running the ball any time soon, they might have to rely on Barrett to orchestrate an efficient and productive passing game more than they have in the past.

On Monday, Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst equated Barrett’s mastery of the Ohio State offense to that of a point guard distributing the ball with poise.

Standing in the way of Barrett playing at his Aaron Craft-best will be the Badgers’ 35th ranked passing defense, led by CB Derrick Tindal. The squad is allowing just 201 passing yards per game, and with three, Tindal is one interception behind Malik Hooker for the most in college football.



According to Football Study Hall, Wisconsin ranks 12th national in PD-to-INC, a defensive personality stat that looks at the percentage of an opponent's incomplete passes that a defense either intercepted or broke up. Meaning that Barrett will need to be on his efficient and accurate best to beat the Badgers.

The Buckeyes will also need to try to work ahead of the chains as the Badgers have the second best third-down S&P+ in the country, and are coming off of a bye.

What to watch for


While Barrett admits that his play against Indiana was subpar, he recognizes that it is an opportunity to improve heading into an important primetime game.

“We did have our struggles,” he said at Monday’s media availability. “We have to give credit where it’s due and Indiana is a good football team. They exposed some things for us. It definitely lets us reflect and gives us a chance to try and fix those mistakes that we had.”

In the first half against the Hoosiers, Barrett did not attempt a single pass behind the line of scrimmage, something that will likely be different against Wisconsin. Given the Badgers’ talented secondary, it would behoove the Buckeyes to get the ball in the hands of their playmakers quickly and allow them to make the most of the open field.

This should also allow the usually calm and collected Barrett to get a bit of confidence off of the rocky game against IU. So, watch for a handful of screens and swing passes early on Saturday to establish the passing game and open up lanes to run.

While I hesitate to even mention this next option, since it has been a bugaboo for Buckeye fans for decades, this week would also be a good time to get the tightend involved. Marcus Baugh has not been the most sure-handed receiver on the team, but at 6’5” with good speed, he could provide a matchup issue for Wisconsin’s defense, while also having the ability to turn dump-offs into substantial gains.



While there is no doubt that Ohio State will always maintain a focus on the ground game under Urban Meyer, to achieve the goals that this team has set for itself, it will need to be as balanced as it was in the season’s first four games.

Continue reading...

Big Ten Talk Podcast: Buckeyes, Badgers meet in top-10 showdown - Comcast SportsNet Chicago
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Big Ten Talk Podcast: Buckeyes, Badgers meet in top-10 showdown
Comcast SportsNet Chicago
The Buckeyes and Badgers both boast one of the nation's top defenses, but will J.T. Barrett & Co. use their seemingly large offensive advantage to win by a healthy margin and stay undefeated? Or will Wisconsin grab a win and stay in the thick of the ...
Ohio State Buckeyes expect motivated WisconsinDayton Daily News
Buckeyes lead four Big Ten teams in AP top 10ESPN
Ohio State vs. Wisconsin | Buckeyes defense braces for bruising BadgersColumbus Dispatch
Patch.com -The Inquisitr
all 255 news articles »

Continue reading...

#6 Terps, Buckeyes Set for Friday Match - UMTerps.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


#6 Terps, Buckeyes Set for Friday Match
UMTerps.com
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The sixth-ranked Maryland field hockey team (10-3, 4-1 B1G) will travel to Ohio State (5-8, 0-4) Friday for a 3:30 p.m. matchup at the Buckeyes' Varsity Field in Columbus. • The Maryland-Ohio State game will be streamed online ...

and more »

Continue reading...

shiznit7 said:

Oh look at this. Was able to call the Lasater decommitment 6 months ago. Harbaugh really is a stand up guy.

Click to expand...

Nostradamus is impressed. Recall your post and thinking the same thing.

Never pass on a chance to "bump" an old thread:

Apparently this guy gets it.....

Login to view embedded media

If Ohio State wants to beat Wisconsin, their wide receivers need to really step up
Matt Brown via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


They’ve got the stars. But they’re going to need some production.

Going into the season, we knew a few things about Ohio State’s wideouts.

We knew they were going to be inexperienced. Virtually every player in the wideouts meeting room had yet to catch a pass during a game. The Buckeyes returned exactly six catches from true wide receivers from 2015, and five of them came from Corey Smith.

We also knew they would be exceptionally talented. Few have recruited as well as Ohio State has over the last few years, and that includes at the wide receiver position. Once blocked by NFL players like Michael Thomas, Braxton Miller and Jalin Marshall, Ohio State would have a bevy of four-star players to chose from. Of the 15 players to catch a pass for Ohio State in 2016, an astounding 14 of them were consensus four-star recruits. When it comes to raw size, speed, and athletic ability, the Buckeye wideouts have that in spades.

But here’s one thing we still don’t know as we approach the halfway point of Ohio State’s season.

Can they be productive pass catchers?

This isn’t to say that Ohio State’s offense, or even their passing offense, hasn’t been effective. It certainly has. The Buckeyes are third in the country in points per game, averaging an absolutely stupid 53.2 a contest. J.T. Barrett has tossed 15 touchdown passes this season, good for 14th nationally. An offense can’t put up anything close to those numbers if their passing game isn’t clicking.

But that doesn’t necessary mean the wideouts are carrying the load. Ohio State’s leading pass catcher right now isn’t exactly a wide receiver, Curtis Samuel. Samuel has hauled in 23 catches, nearly double Ohio State’s second leading receiver, and 345 yards, again, nearly double Ohio State’s second leading receiver.

Ohio State’s second leading pass catcher? Dontre Wilson, who also isn’t exactly a wide receiver. Wilson has 15 grabs for 189 yards. Of Ohio State’s top five pass catchers this season, only two are true wide receivers, and that fifth player, Terry McLaurin, has six catches.

That isn’t to say that there haven’t been bright spots. Noah Brown, after all, showed how he could be an absolute red-zone nightmare, grabbing four touchdown passes against Oklahoma. Terry McLaurin had a nice touchdown catch against Rutgers. Others have had individual moments as well.

But that production has not been consistent. And Ohio State is about to face their toughest secondary yet.

For Ohio State’s power-spread offense to be truly effective, opponents need to respect their ability to take the top off a defense and attack it vertically. The team struggled badly in their ability to do that for much of last season, and against Indiana, Ohio State fans saw a preview of what that might look like for this season. The Buckeyes were still able to prevail, but it grounded an otherwise highly potent offense for much of the game, and forced Barrett to run the ball an uncomfortably large number of times.

The Buckeyes could line up in the Wing T and decide to bludgeon other Big Ten teams without ever deciding to throw a meaningful pass if they wanted. But not Wisconsin.

The Badgers are ninth right now in rushing defense in S&P+. Their entire defensive identity is centered around swarming the line of scrimmage to keep teams off schedule, forcing them into uncomfortable passing downs situations, where they can pick passes off (every starting defensive back for Wisconsin has an interception this season). That plan was executed perfectly against LSU and Michigan. And if Wisconsin wants to spring an upset of the Buckeyes, they’ll need to follow that gameplan again.

That makes the performance of Ohio State’s go-to wide receiver even more important.

But who is that right now?

Clearly, Curtis Samuel is Ohio State’s best offensive playmaker, period, no matter where he’s getting the ball. He should be getting 15-16 targets a game, coming from the backfield, screens, end-arounds, and more conventional passing routes. Dontre Wilson would be used in a similar fashion.

But other than that? It’s a legitimate question right now. The most obvious answer seems to be Noah Brown, but other than his monster game against Oklahoma, he’s been somewhat quiet. Brown has caught three passes for 31 yards combined over the last two games.

Immediate superlative production wasn’t realistic. After all, nearly every wideout is an underclassman, and few had anything close to real experience. The most experienced player in the room, Corey Smith, is playing with basically one hand, thanks to an injury, and hasn’t caught a pass this season.

Ohio State also doesn’t need superlative production either, since they’re not running an Air Raid. They want to run the ball 30+ times a game. They want to spread the ball around, including horizontally.

But soon, the Buckeyes are going to need one, if not more, of their true wide receivers to start to provide separation and production. As the offense moves to the true meat of the schedule, it’s efficiency requires regular, consistent, downfield passing threats, not just for deep bombs, but for medium throws as well.

Ohio State has no shortage of possible options, and that’s a good problem to have.

But eventually, you don’t want to keep writing about the potential of the unit. At some point, that production needs to translate.

This week would be a good time for that to start.

Continue reading...

VIDEOS: RELIVE OHIO STATE'S DOMINANT 58-0 HOMECOMING WIN OVER RUTGERS

Login to view embedded media
David Trichel and the Ohio State video production team is at it once again.

Entire article: http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-...tes-dominant-58-0-homecoming-win-over-rutgers

Rumblin’, Stumblin’, Bumblin’: Slobs, JT Running too much and B1G Big Four and Little Ten
WVaBuckeye via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Good, The Bad and the Ugly was an awesome flick and not at all the motivation for this weekly feature, but a certain someone who used a similar phrase during football highlights led me to it with just a little variation on it. I expanded it by defining it in the way the movie introduces the characters and the staff jumps in with their two-bits. Let’s get rolling with the very good.



Rumblin’


Tweet from @OhioStateFB prior to the Indiana game.



It was almost difficult to come up with something very good this week until I began to reflect on what the slobs have been accomplishing. Two returning starters on a line that includes a true freshman and two others with very little experience. They were a pretty sizable question mark heading into the season. The race for biggest surprise is between them and the secondary.

Pat Elflein and Billy Price are great leaders for the team and their positions have been important to the development of a stout running game and protection for JT Barrett when he isn’t running the ball. Here it is in the stats; 1655 total yards for a 323.6 per game average and 6.4 yards per carry. Those numbers are mind boggling with such a young line and they aren’t doing it with smoke and mirrors, they’re mauling their opponents.

There performance on Saturday against a pretty good Indiana defense that was stunting, rotating, blitzing and doing just about anything they could to slow the run game down was my favorite of the season so far for the slobs.

Let’s see what the staff has to say about the Rumblin’

Scott – Ohio State’s running game. Nearly 300 yards against what’s supposed to be an improved defense.

JC – The “D”. There was a few knocks & bruises on Saturday. But they stepped up when they had to. This unit is top notch & this past week was no different.

Mike Meals – The Silver Bullets. They did a great job shutting down the IU rushing attack, as Brandon talks about below. But the “bend don’t break” style of play has been big so far. The stop early in the game when IU had 1st and Goal around the 6 is a great example. To hold them to a field goal there was a huge win. But also, they were the side of the ball that was actually alive saturday. You all saw what happened when Kwon started calling for crowd noise, the Shoe responded. The defense won that game for OSU.

Ben – The Buckeye defense has been nothing but great all season. Sure we took a few lumps on Saturday with poorly covered touchdown passes, but we still have not allowed a rushing touchdown on the season, and we are holding teams to little to nothing per rush. The defensive line rotation is playing out well, and the linebackers with Baker, McMillan and Worley are playing at the same level as last year’s stars Darron Lee and Joshua Perry. Add in the ball hawking secondary and the defense is the reason the Buckeyes are where they are at right now.

Brandon – The Ohio State front seven. As worried as everyone was after Tulsa where they just pounded the ball at the gut of the defense, the defensive line/linebackers have became a dominant force against the run. Indiana rushed the ball 40 times and could only manage 99 yards. Additionally, they still have not given up a rushing touchdown. This bodes well for the Buckeyes as the Badgers and their noodle-arm QB host the Buckeyes on Saturday night.

Stumblin’



Is it just me or is the offense just playing possum? I get this sneaking suspicion that Urban Meyer and staff have an ultimate game plan for that team up north and the best way to do that is appear as though the passing game is struggling. I for one am not a believer that JT Barrett is struggling to find receivers but do believe Harbaugh is a sucker.

Saturday was the worst passing game since, well . . , last season. Although those were truly WR issues it seemed, they flipped a switch after JT took over. There’s no way the most prolific passing QB in Ohio State football history is having a hard time finding receivers open, not with the route runners they currently have.

What I find troubling in the play calling and a bit of a stumble here is how many more carries JT had than Mike Weber Jr. and Curtis Samuel. In my opinion, possum or not, JT should never have more touches than those two let alone more than them combined! Urban Meyer immediately acknowledged the 25 carries he had during the last game. Maybe they know something about Joe Burrow that allows them to relax about JT getting hurt? Time will tell and hopefully he won’t have near as many carries this Saturday.

Let’s see what the staff has to say about the Stumblin’

Scott – J.T. Barrett. He was off more than a tad against Indiana. Fortunately the coaches took the bal away from him and focused on the run.

JC – The offense. Everyone’s game was a bit shy of normal. But here I blame the coaching and call playing. So I have to nail Warriner & Beck on the whole issue.

Mike Meals – Everyone associated with the offensive side of the ball. JT had a bad, if not terrible passing game. C. Samuel was taken out of the game plan and kept to about 10 touches. Weber had trouble starting. The coaching staff pulling a Penn State/Michigan State repeat from the last 2 years and going into shut down mode. Wisconsin will see what the Buckeyes can do, they can watch tape from BG, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Rutgers. This isn’t a case of playing down on tape, it was bad management and execution.

Ben – I am tired of harping on it, but the wide receiver play is terrible. Indiana made our receiving core basically non-existent and in reality it has been that way all season. Sure J.T. has had some good passing games (thanks Curtis Samuel and Dontre Wilson), but outside of Noah Brown’s 4 TD game against Oklahoma what really have we done? The Buckeyes can’t afford to wait until next season and hope that Trevon Grimes and Tyjon Lindsey can come in a resurrect the passing game.

Brandon – The offensive play calling. Yes, Barrett was off early but so was Weber and the whole offensive line. You really can’t just ignore the entire passing game for 75% of the game and expect to win against a good team. Yes they won on Saturday but Indiana is not good…I don’t care how much we try to tell ourselves they are to feel better about the performance. This is the same Indiana team that struggled with Ball State and lost to Wake Forest. If it was the second half and Ohio State was still struggling, then by all means go to the ground game…but you can’t just give up on passing all-together early in the second quarter. This very good Hoosier defense is the same people who gave up 263 yards and three touchdowns the week prior to Tyler O’Connor through the air. You do “what you need to do to win” against Michigan…not Indiana. Don’t play scared.

Bumblin’



I am not and never will be a conference thumping fan, I am about one team winning it all and that’s it. If you want to know the honest truth, Nebraska is the only other team in the top 10 from the B1G that I even like. I could debate with you all day why I am not a conference homer but it would be a waste of debate because I will never change my mind.

What I do proclaim to be disgusted with is how weak the conference is in spite of the four teams in the top 10. The next team receiving any attention is Iowa with three votes in the AP poll. So, for now it’s the big four and the little ten i suppose and that doesn’t necessarily hurt the Buckeyes or any of the other three because they control their own destiny’s.

Brandon makes my point and a great one below. If the conference is trying really hard to bring along Maryland and Indiana as crown jewels of the conference and turn it into the big six? We are in trouble! I will say this about the conference the Buckeyes play in, the teams on the schedule will always bring their best(save for Rutgers) and try and upset the Buckeyes.

Let’s see what the staff has to say about the Bumblin’

Scott – Sparty. Nuff said.

JC – Probably Chris Ash. Things were looking somewhat “better” in Piscataway – but not after two (2) games equalling 136-0 … and on the wrong side of the ledger for him. But I still want to say TTUN. I cannot wait until Harbaugh has his “public” meltdown and all the roadkill connoisseurs of the arm-pit of our great nation realizes they made a horrible mistake.

Mike Meals – Rutgers, who spent the entire off season trying to act like they were now Big Boys in the B1G, etc. etc. If you want to be special, you have to come and bring it. Rutgers definitely left if it in the locker room (if they ever had it to begin with). I know it takes time, and Ash will get them respectable by Rutgers standards, but they are not American Athletic Conference good right now, let alone the B1G

Ben – Chris Ash probably wishes he stayed at Ohio State after these past two weeks. Outscored 136-0 against OSU and Michigan and registering only two first downs last week? Yikes. The rebuilding job he has ahead of him is much steeper than even I imagined. Gonna be tough to get kids to buy into the program when you are losing like that. Hopefully he can get things moving in the right direction, as I have a ton of respect for anyone willing to go coach Rutgers.

Brandon – Honestly, the B1G. Outside of OSU, UM, Wisconsin, and Nebraska…the rest of the B1G looks like a complete mess. Penn State is looking a lot better lately but every other team is struggling pretty bad. When we as a conference are hanging our hats on Maryland and Indiana as good teams, completely ignoring the crap teams that gave them their inflated record, there are major issues in the conference.

The post Rumblin’, Stumblin’, Bumblin’: Slobs, JT Running too much and B1G Big Four and Little Ten appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

Continue reading...

BM5: 'This is the perfect Urban Meyer game' - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


BM5: 'This is the perfect Urban Meyer game'
247Sports
The spread on Ohio State-Wisconsin slightly moving. * The perception of running back recruiting greatly changing for Meyer over the last few years. * The latest on the nation's No. 1 wide receiver recruit, Donovan Peoples-Jones. What's next for the ...

and more »

Continue reading...

Jabril Peppers for Heisman? Are You Kidding Me?
Ben van Ooyen via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


If you are like me, you are sick and tired of hearing about Jabril Peppers and him being a Heisman candidate. Sure he plays on both sides of the ball and is a dynamic play-maker with the ball in his hands, but what really has he done? Is he worthy of all the hype that surrounds him? Is he the next Charles Woodson? My simple answer to these questions is no. Let’s delve into this shall we?

Peppers has been decorated early in his career, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Freshman All-American in 2015. He also earned First Team All-Big Ten and was a Second-team All-American last season. But do the stats back up those awards?

In Peppers freshman season he played in only three games, notching only eight total tackles and returning one punt for six yards. He was then injured against Appalachian State and was granted a redshirt for the rest of the season. He played in 12 games his redshirt freshman year notching 45 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss on defense. He also returned 17 punts for and 11.4 yard average, and eight kickoffs for a 27.9 average. He also played on offense, having 18 rushes for 72 yards and eight receptions for 79 yards. He had two touchdowns on the season.

This season through six games, Peppers has 35 total tackles, with eight being tackles for a loss along with two quarterback sacks. He has also returned 14 punts for a 17.8 average with one touchdown and three kickoffs for a 31.7 yard average. On offense he was basically not utilized until this past week against Rutgers, but now has five rushes for 98 yards and two touchdowns to his name.



With those numbers above he is ranked 5th in ESPN’s Heisman voting and 4th in CBS’s. Is he even the most valuable player on his own team? I would say no, that Jake Butt, Jehu Chesson and even Amari Darboh might be more valuable to the Wolverines than Peppers. The Michigan defense is good, and take away Peppers I still think they would be good. Take away those three offensive weapons and Michigan would struggle in the Big Ten, unless they are playing Rutgers.

Sure Peppers brings a different dynamic to the offense but you know when he is in the game that the ball is probably going to be going his way or at least attempted. He is used as a decoy as well because teams think that he can expose them, while letting Wilton Speight find Darboh or Chesson deep down the sidelines. On defense he is able to make the plays he does because Michigan blitzes on what seems like every play. He is bound to be in the backfield making tackles for a loss when the whole team is selling out for the sack. He has not been challenged this year except for one game against Wisconsin and what was his stat line that game? He had two punt returns for 19 yards, one kickoff return for 14 yards and three total tackles. No sacks, no tackles for a loss, no interceptions (he doesn’t have one in his entire college career). Sure he can show out against Rutgers and Colorado and Hawaii, but when the real money is on the line against teams that have a pulse how will he fair? Against Ohio State last year he accounted for 55 yards of offense, and made five tackles, and was a non-factor in the Buckeyes 42-13 drubbing of the Wolverines. Against Michigan State last year he had 35 yards of offense and made two tackles.

Until Peppers proves that he can become a big game player, he doesn’t deserve to be in the discussion for the Heisman. Charles Woodson played both ways for the Wolverines and won a National Championship. Chris Gamble played both ways for the Buckeyes and also won a National Championship. What has Jabril Peppers won? A Citrus Bowl in which he didn’t even play.







The post Jabril Peppers for Heisman? Are You Kidding Me? appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

Continue reading...

The long and winding road of Ohio State QB JT Barrett - ESPN
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


The long and winding road of Ohio State QB JT Barrett
ESPN
Two years ago, as a redshirt freshman at Ohio State, Barrett glided into the starting lineup in the opening week after Braxton Miller reinjured his shoulder and went 11-1 as a starter in the Buckeyes' national championship season. This season, Barrett ...
Ohio State vs. Wisconsin: Buckeyes football heads to Madison for Badgers showdownUPI.com
Ohio State vs. Wisconsin | Buckeyes defense braces for bruising BadgersColumbus Dispatch
Ohio State Buckeyes Vs. Wisconsin Badgers: Bold Predictions For Week 7 Of 2016 College Football SeasonThe Inquisitr
Akron Beacon Journal -Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
all 570 news articles »

Continue reading...

Ohio State Buckeyes show young talent on 4th-down stop - MyDaytonDailyNews
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State Buckeyes show young talent on 4th-down stop
MyDaytonDailyNews
2 Buckeyes led 31-17 at the time. Indiana needed a yard to get a first down or four yards to score and climb within one touchdown with just over 10 minutes to play. The Buckeyes ended up winning 38-17 to improve to 5-0, but it was hardly a given at ...
Where is ESPN's College GameDay going next Saturday? Ohio State at Wisconsin: Buckeye Breakfastcleveland.com

all 87 news articles »

Continue reading...

Could a brotherly reunion be happening at Ohio State?
Austin Kemp via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Marcus Hooker visited with the Buckeyes over the weekend.

2018 defensive back Marcus Hooker, brother of Malik, was in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, and had a good visit according to reports. However, the four-star defensive back did not come away with an Ohio State offer. It looks like the Buckeyes are treating Hooker as an in-state prospect and an offer will only be extended if they know that there's room in the class. Hooker is a top 250 player according to 247Sports and holds four offers as of now, with the most prestigious being West Virginia. Marcus, like his brother, is a good-looking athlete at 6-foot, 185 pounds and there's been whispers that he may be a better football player than his brother was at the same stages of their career.


Though most agree that Malik has the highest ceiling when it comes to athletic ability. The Buckeyes will keep recruiting Marcus throughout the season and as Bill Kurelic reported, Urban Meyer and Marcus will have a "talk" after the season sometime about becoming a Buckeye. Marcus Hooker is the No. 8 ranked player in the state of Pennsylvania for the class of 2018.

A top contender from MD


In other reports, Ohio State is pursuing and is one of the "top contenders" for 2017 defensive end Josh Paschal. From Maryland, Paschal has scouts raving over his athletic ability as he's the No.10 ranked DE in his class. At 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, Paschal possesses elite size, but also has the speed to get around the edge with ease. Holding 29 total offers, in-state Maryland is thought to be the favorite, but the Buckeyes are lurking and waiting for an opportunity to make a move. This could come down to strictly numbers, and if Ohio State has enough room to take Paschal. Larry Johnson has taken the lead in this recruitment and if the Buckeyes end up pushing hard, there's a good shot that they land the four-star defensive end.

Here is Paschal’s highlight reel from the website Hudl.

Continue reading...

Ohio State football: Development of defensive line a key to Buckeyes' early success - Akron Beacon Journal
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: Development of defensive line a key to Buckeyes' early success
Akron Beacon Journal
Columbus: With only three starters back on defense, the Ohio State football team was afraid it was going to have to play a game of, “What's my line?” this season. Worse yet for the Buckeyes, only preseason All-American defensive end Tyquan Lewis was ...
Buckeyes 'attack' offense before BadgersBuckeyeGrove.com (subscription)
Ohio State football | Urban Meyer says this could be his most-talented teamColumbus Dispatch
Ohio State Buckeyes Vs. Wisconsin Badgers: Bold Predictions For Week 7 Of 2016 College Football SeasonThe Inquisitr
MyDaytonDailyNews -Eleven Warriors
all 81 news articles »

Continue reading...

Ohio State football | Urban Meyer says this could be his most-talented team - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football | Urban Meyer says this could be his most-talented team
Columbus Dispatch
A Wisconsin reporter reminded Meyer that the coach had said during Big Ten media days in July that the 2016 Buckeyes were loaded with talent but it was uncertain how quickly they'd progress. “There have been some growing pains,” Meyer said, “but I'm ...
Ohio State Buckeyes Vs. Wisconsin Badgers: Bold Predictions For Week 7 Of 2016 College Football SeasonThe Inquisitr
Wisconsin out of mulligans in national title hunt as Ohio State looms ...ESPN (blog)

all 75 news articles »

Continue reading...