Bills player trashes Colin Kaepernick after 49ers QB’s miserable start
Chris Roling via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Colin Kaepernick took over starting quarterback duties for the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6 against the Buffalo Bills.

Kaepernick’s season debut didn’t go so well. In the 45-16 loss, he completed just 13 of his 29 attempts for 187 yards and a score, adding another 66 yards on eight carries. Not terrible fantasy-football production, but bad enough to get the 49ers whipped and reignite a potential quarterback controversy.

One Bills player unloaded Kaepernick after the performance in an interview with Bleacher Report’s Tyler Dunne:


Buffalo cornerback Stephon Gilmore put his name behind a quote and was a tad nicer about his reaction:


After suffering through weeks of ineffectiveness by Blaine Gabbert and making a change, it’s hard to imagine the 49ers will bench Kaepernick after one game. It’s worth seeing what he has and if he can improve, and more important than anything to remember just how bad the team around him is at most spots.

Quotes from Bills players, anonymous or not, won’t change San Francisco’s mind. It sure makes for some interesting post-game chatter, though. Kaepernick and the 49ers welcome the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to town in Week 7.



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SnG Drive Time Re-Wind:Friday Insights, Badgers Broken Hearts,Meals B1GT2K
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!




Chip Minnich covers what the Badgers hope to accomplish at home Saturday



Ben van Ooyen covers some good items in this edition of Heard Around the Shoe . . ,



WVaBuckeye new every other week post featuring From the Hip, Straight Shooter and Charity Spotlight



Ben van Ooyen takes this unique perspective for a View From the Fan



Shannon Sommers has this weeks preview . . , how close was he?



Mike Meals brings us the B1GThingsToKnow for #BeatWisco









Mike Meals has the lead on the record breaker JT Barrett



JC Collingsworth has the quickest recap in the business



Daily Funny



The post SnG Drive Time Re-Wind:Friday Insights, Badgers Broken Hearts,Meals B1GT2K appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Urban Meyer missed the final play of Ohio State’s win
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


He didn’t even see it coming.

“I didn’t even see it. We were scripting for the next (series). I just almost got ran over on the sidelines.”

-Urban Meyer, via Nicole Auerbach, USA Today


Saturday’s win over the Wisconsin Badgers was a record-setting day in many ways for Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer. For starters, he earned his 20th road win with Ohio State--the fastest coach to do so since Walter Camp at Yale, who began his run in 1888. The 20 wins by the Buckeyes, too, are the longest streak of road wins since the Miami Hurricanes’ run from 1984-88. Saturday also marked the 160th win of the Meyer’s career, which has spanned 15 seasons at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida and, since 2012, Ohio State. With the win, Meyer has now tied Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops for the most wins in the first 15 years of his career by an FBS head coach.

However, Meyer didn’t see the win coming, literally, as he didn’t actually witness the final play of overtime from the sidelines. As the Ohio State defense, led by defensive end Tyquan Lewis, collapsed the pocket surrounding Wisconsin freshman quarterback Alex Hornibrook, sacking him and ending the game in favor of the Buckeyes, Meyer’s eyes were not on the field. Instead, he was coordinating the Buckeyes’ next series, prepping in case they were unable to hold on 4th-and-goal and would head to a second overtime. Though Meyer was nearly bulldozed in the process as the team rushed the field following the play (which would have been an unfortunate discomfort on an already painful evening for the head coach, who was whacked by a referee early in the game and received a 15-yard penalty), he quickly recovered, and called the game “a top-fiver” between two outstanding and well-coached teams.

“Ohio State-Wisconsin’s overnight number was up 60% from last year’s Week 7 primetime game on ABC, Penn State at Ohio State, and it peaked with a 7.3 rating when Buckeyes-Badgers went into overtime.”

-Ken Fang, Awful Announcing


Despite sports television ratings being down overall in 2016 (including overall ratings for both NFL Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football, as well as the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio), college football ratings have actually been improving steadily. One of the big winners seems to be primetime games on ABC, which has beaten out coverage of the SEC on CBS in every game this season except one. Saturday’s matchup between Ohio State and Wisconsin, aired in primetime on ABC, drew a 5.6 overnight rating--the third highest overnight rating this season behind week one’s matchup between Notre Dame and Texas (a primetime, Sunday night game on ABC), which earned a 7.0 rating, and week five’s Louisville-Clemson matchup (Saturday primetime on ABC) which garnered a 6.0 rating. Viewership peaked when the Buckeyes went into overtime between 11:45 p.m.-12 a.m.

Saturday Night Football was competing with a number of other sporting events Saturday as well, including the SEC on CBS (No. 1 Alabama at No. 9 Tennessee), both the ALCS and NLCS and the start of NHL hockey. Notre Dame’s matchup against Stanford on NBC drew just 2.43 million viewers to Ohio State-Wisconsin’s 8.32 million.

ABC’s production also placed in the top-five regular season college football games of all time in terms of online viewership, with nearly 38.7 million minutes streamed. Viewership was also up 341 percent over last year’s week seven matchup between Ohio State and Penn State in primetime, according to ESPN.

The Buckeyes have another Saturday Night Football matchup on ABC this weekend, when Ohio State faces Penn State at 8 p.m. in Happy Valley. Two weeks later, Ohio State is scheduled to take on No. 8 Nebraska at 8 p.m. on their third rendition of Saturday Night Football this season.

“You look around the country and there’s a lot of games decided by the last second. We work way too hard to let something bad happen in those types of moments. We practice and prepare, and when we go out here it’s just do what you practice. And that’s what we did.”

-Ohio State receiver Noah Brown, via Tim May, The Columbus Dispatch


It took a very long time for Ohio State to find a rhythm on offense against Wisconsin Saturday--if there was an actual rhythm at all by its conclusion--but the plays which ultimately gave the Buckeyes a win were products of serious practice and preparation. It was once again the combo of quarterback J.T. Barrett and receiver Noah Brown who stepped up to the plate in overtime.

After a rough night throwing the ball, including tossing a crucial interception in Wisconsin’s end zone in the third quarter, Barrett and Brown connected for a touchdown in overtime on 3rd-and-2 from the seven yard line. It was Brown’s first touchdown catch since pulling in four in Ohio State’s win over Oklahoma. He ended the night with four receptions for 48 yards. In many ways, the play looked eerily similar to some drawn up against Oklahoma earlier this season. But according to Brown, he and Barrett had been working on that fade route well before the season started for the very purpose of executing perfectly when it counted--like in overtime against Wisconsin.

With a torrential downpour hindering much of the passing game, the Buckeyes were forced to turn to their rushing attack for most of the game and attempt to break down one of the best defensive lines in college football. Unfortunately, though, running back Mike Weber and H back Curtis Samuel recorded just 46 yards each on the ground and no touchdowns, with each averaging their lowest yards per carry of the season. Barrett once again stepped up to the plate, however, earning 92 hard-fought yards on 21 carries and adding two touchdowns to Ohio State’s total. Barrett, who was named Big Ten co-offensive player of the week for his performance, was ultimately responsible for all three of Ohio State’s touchdowns against Wisconsin, and broke Braxton Miller’s record for touchdowns responsible for at Ohio State with 89.

STICK TO SPORTS

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• This is how the Cleveland Browns responded to the NFL’s new social media policy
• Jim Harbaugh spent his bye week working on a chain gang for a high school game
• Here are the best of the Gameday signs from Madison last weekend
• People really hated ABC’s new camera angles during the Ohio State game
• Check out the Columbus Zoo’s newest addition!

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Big Ten Bowl Projections: Palm lists 11 Big Ten teams in latest list
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

Through seven weeks, Jerry Palm of CBSSports.com still has 11 Big Ten teams projected for bowls—just like last week.

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Are You Not Entertained? Wisconsin
Scott via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


It only took me a half a bottle of Whiskey to get over the first half of the Wisconsin game.

But whatever it takes, right? That appears to be the motto Ohio State used as well in staging a prime-time comeback. The Buckeyes got the job done. It wasn’t pretty, but credit the Badgers.

I wanted a win and got it. But what else did we get?

Scott
A fast, first-quarter win: Not so much. But it was a W.
No false starts: Still waiting.
No running Badgers: The streak had to end some time, right?
Whatever it takes: Yards were scarce in the first half but OSU picked it up in the second half and got the job done.

Joe
Jump around: It was the Buckeyes doing the jumping around after the game. And for the record, I don’t think the crowd was really a factor.
Weber time: He only had 11 touches. That’s not enough. I’m sure Coach Urban Meyer will address that going into the State Penn, I mean, Penn State game.
Houston, we have a problem. It’s Hornibrook: He looked pretty good in the first half to me. Of course, his one TD pass could have been completed by Stevie Wonder. That’s how wide open Jazz Peavy was. He spent a lot of time on his back in the second half and lost 34 yards rushing due to sacks.
Brown Town, USA: The town was shutdown most of the night, but there was an overtime uprising that did the trick for the Buckeyes.

Ben
A win: It wasn’t pretty and the offense still has some passing-game woes. But at this point in the season, it’s all about the W.
Better offense: The receivers still aren’t getting the necessary separation, but J.T. Barrett finally hit on a long ball and had a couple others dropped that should have been caught. Running game showed some signs too. But it’s not perfect, yet.
Sixty minutes of hell: It was more like 30 minutes of hell, but it was good enough. Hornibrook was not the same in the second half as the front seven of Ohio State dominated. Corey Clement had the one nice 68-yard run but otherwise he was rather pedestrian.
Good, solid effort, get out with a W: The guys played hard, according to Meyer. Not sure I would go as far as saying it was a good, solid effort, but it definitely was in the second half. Build on that.

Brandon
Noodle-arm dominance: See above. He looked great in the first half.
Front seven dominance: The second half was the return of the Silver Bullets. In reality, after the first touchdown, the defense really started to play the pass better and only allow a few nickel and dime type things on the ground, other than Clement’s run.
Assert offensive force: Ohio State had more than 400 yards of offense, but it just didn’t look like the OSU offense we saw earlier this season. Things got better in the second half but passing game still needs work.

WVa
Turn it into Kriss Kross Jump: The fans still did the Jump Around but the Badgers were only up three and OSU was driving for the go-ahead touchdown. I think Ohio State showed the entire country it can win a slobberknocker.
B1G title game revisit: Not even close, other than the win.
Spread the wealth, evenly: The 17 passes were distributed well but Weber needed more touches on the ground.

The post Are You Not Entertained? Wisconsin appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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What we learned from Ohio State's fall ball season
Ben Martens via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ohio State baseball concluded fall practice. It now sets its focus to the new season.

While most of the attention on the campus of Ohio State is set squarely on the crack of shoulder pads at this time of the year, the past month and a half has also included the crack of the bat as the Buckeye baseball team engaged in fall practice. Some 40 student athletes, including 16 returning letterwinners, went through conditioning, drills, and the annual Scarlet and Gray World Series.

"We're excited about the 2017 season," head coach Greg Beals said at the outset of fall ball. "There are obviously a lot of holes that we have to replace from last year's ball club, but we have a lot of pieces and we are looking forward to putting that puzzle together and having another championship run next spring."

Beals, who is in his seventh year at the helm of the program, guided Ohio State to a 44-20-1 record in 2016, with the Buckeyes making an improbable run to the Big Ten tournament championship and a berth in the NCAA tournament. But a sizable chunk of the team's production left via the MLB draft and graduation, leaving many more questions than answers.

"We have a lot of talent that will push the program through very competitive scrimmages and position battles this fall," Beals said. "The newcomers are very talented and will learn from the veterans who have worked very hard to get us here today."

Gray took the series from Scarlet three games to two, but the outcome is far less important than what the players showed on the field. So what did we learn about the baseball Bucks in the S&G World Series?

Holdovers


Ohio State lost a total of 13 contributors (nine seniors, four juniors) from 2016's championship team. In all, the offense must replace 80 percent of its hits, 80 percent of its doubles, 86 percent of its home runs, 83 percent of its total extra-base hits, and 77 percent of its runs batted in. The pitching staff must look to fill holes after losing 57 percent of its starts, 45 percent of its innings, and 42 percent of its strikeouts.

While that's a whole lot to lose, the cupboard is not entirely bare. Senior Jalen Washington, a co-captain on last year's squad and the starting catcher, is making a position switch to shortstop after the entirety of the starting infield departed. Washington put together a 4-for-18 effort with four runs scored in the S&G series, and has the kind of athleticism to seamlessly make the switch from backstop to middle infielder.

The only other returning upperclassmen who saw regular time a season ago are junior Tre Gantt (4-for-17, four RBIs), who will be moving from right field to center field, and fifth-year senior first baseman Zach Ratcliff (7-for-14, three runs, seven RBIs).

Sophomores Brady Cherry (5-for-17, five runs, four RBIs), who is the favorite to claim the third base job, and Jacob Barnwell (2-for-9, four runs), who will take over for Washington behind the plate, are the only other returnees with any real game experience.

On the mound, redshirt junior Adam Niemeyer and sophomores Ryan Feltner and Connor Curlis are in the mix for the starting rotation, while redshirt senior Jake Post, redshirt juniors Yianni Pavlopoulos and Kyle Michalik, and junior Seth Kinker bring back plenty of experience in the bullpen.

Transfers


Among the 17 newcomers to the Buckeyes' program, five are transfer students from the community college circuit. The most impressive among them during fall ball were left fielder Tyler Cowles, second baseman Noah McGowan, and first baseman Bo Coolen, all of whom played for the Gray side.

Cowles, a Grove City, Ohio native, attended Sinclair CC, and was a monster this past season. He had a .364/.471/.636 slash line with 17 doubles, 13 home runs, 51 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases in 65 games for a Tartan Pride club that placed third in the NJCAA Division II World Series. Cowles was 5-for-20 with a home run, two runs scored, and seven driven in the S&G series to put himself into the discussion for outfield playing time.

McGowan, slashed .393/.511/.674 with 13 doubles, seven home runs, and 38 RBIs in 2016 for McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas. He displayed that impressive bat this fall as well, going 6-for-15 and scoring two runs.

Coolen, who is from Honolulu, Hawaii and put up a .343/.396/.414 slash line in 44 games at Cypress College in California this past season, was 4-for-17 in the fall games, including two doubles, four runs, and a pair of RBIs.

A pair of McGowan's teammates from McLennan also transferred in to help the pitching staff, and had mixed results. 6-foot-6 right-hander Reece Calvert got pounded in Game One to the tune of five runs, four earned, in four innings of work, while righty reliever Dustin Jourdan was perfect in 1.1 innings out of the bullpen in Game Five.

New kids on campus


There were 11 true freshmen and three redshirt freshmen trying to make an impression during the fall ball season. These players are the future of the program, but the results were mixed during the S&G series.

The most impressive was true freshman Dominic Canzone, a Louisville Slugger High School All-American from Walsh Jesuit. Canzone made a strong play to be considered for the starting right field spot, going 6-for-15 with four runs scored three RBIs in the series while batting in the No. 3 hole for the Scarlet side.

But the remaining newbies appear to be a work in progress. Middle infielders Casey Demko and Noah West impressed with their glovework, but still need work at the plate, and 6-foot-5, 205-pound Conner Pohl has the intimidating physique and physical skillset, but needs to adjust to the college game.

It was a tough series for pitchers, with 51 runs being scored between the two sides in the five games, and the freshmen hurlers took the brunt of it. 14 of those runs were charged to Andrew Magno, Michael McDonough, Jake Vance, Gavin Lyon, and Collin Lollar in their first taste of collegiate competition.

Now we wait


We're roughly four months away from Opening Day of Ohio State's 2017 season, so there's plenty of time for Beals and his coaching staff to sort through the performance of the players in the Scarlet and Gray series and throughout fall practice. There are positional battles that will likely be waged into January and early February as the squad takes shape.

This much is certain, though: the Buckeyes have tremendous holes to fill from last season's club, and, particularly offensively, fall ball left a lot of questions unresolved. How quickly certain freshmen develop and whether or not the transfer students can acclimate themselves to the higher level of competition will go a long way towards determining if this team is rebuilding or just reloading.

Beals is no stranger to starting over at Ohio State, as the program was a total reclamation project when he arrived, and he turned it into a winner. He'll have to do his best coaching job to date to prevent the Buckeyes from a steep dropoff in the coming season.

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Test Ohio State’s Gareon Conley at your own peril
Ian Hartitz via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


It wasn’t 59-0, but Ohio State still got the W.

The first half of the Wisconsin game was the first time all season that Ohio State looked like they had an inexperienced defense. The Badgers’ offense isn’t built around speed, yet they managed to get the edge at will during a first half that saw them put up 16 points — well above the average of 10.8 points that the Buckeyes allowed through the first five weeks of the season.

Despite the slow start, the Buckeyes managed to leave Camp Randall Stadium with their perfect season intact. A demoralizing pass rush, combined with suffocating coverage on the outside, proved to be too much for the Badgers to overcome. The defense played far from great, but as Urban Meyer said after the game: a lot of good teams don’t play great at Camp Randall. Let’s take a look at some of the better moment’s from Ohio State’s latest big win on the road:

Gareon Conley is Ohio State’s latest lock-down corner


Conley has emerged this season as one of the country’s best cornerbacks. His combination of length and ball skills gives him the ability to not only blanket any receiver across from him, but also to make plays when opposing quarterbacks try to test him.

Conley managed to bait Wisconsin quarterback Alex Hornibrook into an interception during the third quarter as Ohio State was beginning to mount its comeback:


The Badgers managed to get Ohio State’s linebackers to bite on the play-action and Hornibrook had a receiver break open across the middle of the field. He displayed nice touch on his passes all night, but this touch eventually got him in trouble as Conley was able to bait him into throwing to the wrong spot. Just as it appears that Hornibrook had perfectly led his receiver, Conley comes out of nowhere to snag the pass.

A lot of cornerbacks can do a reasonably good job at taking care of their assignment and limiting big plays, but it takes a special player to have the confidence to leave a receiver open before closing in to create a turnover. This is the skill that Conley has brought to the team more and more as he’s matured as a playmaker, and it’ll likely be what makes him one of the first 32 players off the board in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Malik Hooker might be Ohio State’s best overall defensive player


Hooker has had better games in terms of creating turnovers, but last Saturday was his finest performance yet in making crucial tackles. Overall, he racked up six tackles, but none were bigger than this stop during Wisconsin’s final drive of regulation:



The Buckeyes are just rushing their four defensive linemen here and have their cornerbacks in man coverage. This leaves Hooker to patrol his half of the field with his only real responsibility being to take away any big play threats. Wisconsin slot receiver No. 11 Jazz Peavy had a big day on the ground and through the air. The Badgers hoped to get him the ball here with some room to run on a crossing pattern:



Hooker drops about five yards at the snap, but plants his foot in the turf and drives up the field as he reads the quarterbacks eyes and anticipates the route. It’s this type of vision that has allowed Hooker to intercept four passes in six games this season, but here this vision allows him to put himself in the best position possible to make a play on the ball carrier.



Peavy is able to catch the pass, but Hooker is already in hot pursuit. Most players with eight yards of separation between them and the ball carrier would choose to break down and ensure they make the open-field tackle, but Hooker isn’t most players:



Hooker manages to cover those eight yards in the time that Peavy was able to turn his head upfield. This was as far as he got, as Hooker took out Peavy’s legs with an excellent open field tackle. Three plays later, the Badgers were forced to punt and the game went to overtime. The turnovers that Hooker has created this season are great, but it’s these types of plays that demonstrate his elite instincts and speed that make him one of college football’s best safeties.

Jalyn Holmes said enough is enough


Holmes was in the Badgers’ backfield all night and especially when it mattered most. Ohio State didn’t blitz on the most important play of the game, choosing instead to trust their cornerbacks in man coverage while allowing their linebackers to take away any underneath routes over the middle. A brief hesitation by Hornibrook was all Holmes need to rush straight through Wisconsin’s overmatched offensive line and win the game:


Joey Bosa’s walk-off sack against Penn State in 2014 was rightfully a defining moment of the season, but Holmes’ own walk-off sack should not be ignored considering it came against a much better team and didn’t result from a blown blocking assignment. There have been a lot of big plays in Ohio State’s six consecutive wins, but Holmes’ sack is at the top. What a game, what a sack, what a win.

The final: 30-23 Ohio State

Defensive player of the game: Jalyn Holmes (two TFLs, walk-off sack)

Defensive play of the game: Jalyn Holmes walk-off sack

Next Victim: Penn State. See you all next week.

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JT Barrett is Big Ten Player of the Week (Again)
Shannon Sommers via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here






The Big Ten has announced their weekly awards.

Ohio State Buckeye J.T. Barrett received the co-offensive player of the week, sharing the honor with Northwestern’s running back Justin Jackson.

From the Big Ten:

J.T. Barrett, Ohio State
Jr., QB, Wichita Falls, Texas/Rider

• Accounted for 318 yards of total offense and three touchdowns in a 30-23 overtime victory at Wisconsin
• Led the Buckeyes back from 10-point deficits twice, scored two rushing touchdowns and hit Noah Brown on a 7-yard touchdown pass in overtime for the deciding points
• Now responsible for 89 touchdowns (rushing and passing), breaking the Ohio State career record for touchdowns responsible for previously held by Braxton Miller
• Receives the sixth Offensive Player of the Week award of his career and second this season
• Last Ohio State Offensive Player of the Week: Noah Brown (Sept. 19, 2016)

The Buckeye quarterback went 17/29 for 226 yards with one touchdown. He also rushed for 92 yards giving him a total of three touchdowns on the night. Against a stellar defense that Wisconsin had those are really good numbers.

It is nice to see Barrett win the award especially since his leadership and poise was on display against the Badgers in Camp Randall. Having his leadership is something you can’t put into analytics, it is something few possess.

Congratulations to J.T. Barrett from all of us here at The Buckeye Battle Cry offices.

The post JT Barrett is Big Ten Player of the Week (Again) appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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tBBC Awards: Wisconsin; JT Record Holder, Bosa Strength, Durbin Boots
WVaBuckeye via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


I went to twitter to beef up securi . . , errr . . , the participation in the weekly awards. Not that the locals aren’t good enough mind you but we needed some help! As you will see, one of our new “regulars” likes to follow another lead so to speak and the bromance between them is sickening, so I highly suggest you stay away from their twitter accounts! Please welcome Jeremy, Jim, Ryan, Chris and Brad as regular fan guests to our weekly awards!





Offensive



tOSU Offensive MVP

Scott – I’m going with Beck and Warriner. Much better play calling.

Ben v. – JT gets my vote, and not because of his flashy stats, but because he put the team on his back again and led them to victory. The game reminded me so much of Penn State two years ago where he willed the team to victory and if you look at the last play of both games, Bosa getting to Hackenberg and the whole defensive line getting to Hornibrook the endings mirrored each other as well.

Brandon – JT Barrett. He still looked like a mess in the first half (81 passing yards/38 rushing yards) but his second half was the Barrett we are all used to. In all, he finished the day with 318 total yards and three touchdowns while playing in one of the toughest environments in college football. His day could have been even better if his WRs made a few catches but you will have that when you play your second and third string WRs more than your starters.



Jeremy – The easy answer is JT Barrett. He made plays with his feet and his arm when we needed him. Yes he had struggles and Zone6 let him down with some drops and missed TD chances. But when we needed him he rose to the occasion and led us to this important road win against a very determined and worthy Wisconsin team

Ryan – JT Barrett. He’s the leader. He led last night. He took control of the situation and took OVER the game when it was needed. The defense fed off of his energy on their last drive. Him running all over the field was NOT what any of us wanted to see a steady diet of last night, but he executed in the 2nd half exceptionally. He’s no stranger to tough road wins (see Sparty and Penn State in 2014), he thrives off of it.

Jim – Very Much has to be JT. He is the TRUE leader out there on the field. This guy has matured so much over the years.

Chris – I agree with Jeremy, Joe Thomas Barrett is the easy answer because he’s the only answer. 17/29 for 226 passing and 92 yards rushing make him the only answer. Weber could have been this guy but didn’t get the touches to even consider him. I still don’t think Samuel is being used right and was put in some bad spots tonight.

Brad TBU – Is there Anyone not picking JT? Overall another solid performance. Marcus Baugh came up with a catch in 3rd quarter. Wilson’s catch in the 4th quarter was as big. Samuel did have his moments.

Memo to God ERR Urban can we please throw out that Damn option Play That Whisky stop twice. & Mikey Weber just does what Mikey Webber does run people over & inflict as much pain as humanly possible.

WVa – What more can I say that already hasn’t? JT Barrett stepped up when he needed to and took care of business in a hostile environment. His biggest strength is how calm he stays under pressure and I can honeslty say he is the best ever QB at Ohio State in that regards.

Joe Thomas Barrett is an easy choice

tOSU O-line MVP

Scott – Pat Elflein. Couple high snaps messed with the timing but it’s all good.

Ben v. – Billy Price and Pat Elflein. They took a young offensive line into a hostile Camp Randall and walked away with the win. Although it wasn’t pretty most of the night, they were able to keep those linebackers at bay when it mattered most in the 2nd half.

Brandon – Pat Elflein. Billy Price and him dominated the middle of the line at times and created enough push on a few 3rd/4th and short in the second half. He continues to be the glue that holds everyone together.

Jeremy – Every week I see Elflein’s name for this. Nope I’m going true freshman Michael Jordan. Hostile road environment against a good defense he held his own, got great pushes on Weber’s 4th and 1 runs, rarely was out of position on his pulls save for Watts blitz.

Ryan – Have to go with Elflein on this one. He made some high snaps, particularly when JT was not the one taking the snaps. He overcame those issues at the end, and in OT. Have to agree with Jeremy, though, Michael Jordan is growing up (which is scary considering his size) before our eyes.

Jim – Elflein is my call, he’s the most experienced lineman out there. It only made sense to move him to center. I seen him make line adjustments during the game and pick up some blitz packages (In the second half). High snaps? yes , Still not bad for a 1st year center.

Chris – I’m just going to keep agreeing with Jeremy, aren’t I? Elflein was mediocre tonight. Too many high snaps for someone with his tenure. I always tell my boys that the snap is the most important part of the play. If it is off, it completely destroys the timing. Michael Jordan made some mistakes but they weren’t nearly as glaring as the rest of the line.

Brad TBU – Elflein & Billy Price set the tone for the Offensive line & tore a huge hole in the Dline on JT’S Touchdown. Jones had a decent game after a shaky start. Price & Jordan are just getting better.

WVa – The best part about a great leader is you rarely see another position players mistakes matter. What I mean about that is that whatever deficiencies the Buckeyes line had at the beginning of the season? Is being handled internally by Elflein and Price. The two returning stars played amazingly Saturday night.

Pat Elflein and Billy Price have to both get credit here.

tOSU Offensive Unsung

Scott – Mike Weber. Got some huge conversions in second half.

Ben v. – Without Curtis Samuel this team would be in a world of hurt. He opens up so many options with his versatility that you can’t really take him off the field. His ability to make guys miss and turn on the burners when he gets the ball makes him a threat to go the distance every time he touches it. He didn’t score against Wisconsin but he showed up when we needed him most.

Brandon – Curtis Samuel. It is hard to say Samuel is ever an unsung hero but last night was a different situation. For some reason, the coaching staff decided he was going to be the between the tackles guy last night and move him out of the H-Back role for most of the night. I’m not entirely sure Weber was fully healthy. Even with an aggressive and very good defense on the other side, Samuel did his best to be an every down back while also being expected to block and do a few other things he is normally not counted on to do for an entire game. It certainly wasn’t his best performance but he still finished the night with 104 total yards on the night and had a few big runs after the catch down the stretch.

Jeremy – Mike Weber and Noah Brown. Weber had big runs to keep drives alive. Brown had some great downfield blocks, his catch and fighting for extra yardage and of course that winning TD catch!

Ryan – Noah Brown. He seemed to disappear somewhat since the Oklahoma game, but he returned tonight, and it was MUCH appreciated. He caught some big passes, the TD pass being the most important obviously. He fought for extra yards on every catch and wasn’t going to be stopped last night.

Jim – Weber came on strong with the run game, I wish it were him not JT running the ball more but, that’s how it’s called in Urbans Offense.

Curtis Samuel is the speed that the team needs on the edges.

Mr. Wilsons scrabble play down the sideline catch… WOW!

Chris – [insert Jeremy’s opinion here] Seriously though, Weber gets this for me. He averaged 4.2 yards per carry. J.T. had a couple of bad reads that I think could have sprung Weber for some big runs. Weber is the kind of kid that won’t say a thing about it and just go right back to work. He had some real nice blocks on blitz pick-up too.

Brad TBU – Living in the State up North does have a few advantages & one for me, was being able to watch Mike Weber play at Cass Tech. He is continuing that thankfully wearing the beloved Scarlet & Gray. He is just a downhill power runner, with a mean streak.

WVa – First, Chris has to stop reading Jeremy’s opinion each week or get in the document first! Just kidding fellas . . , I cannot believe it is happening with the season he is having but he went totally unnoticed Saturday night and he had JT’s back more times than the number on JT’s jersey’s back had his back(corny I know). It’s amazing to me that every back in the Urban Meyer coached system since arriving becomes one of the best, vicious blockers on the entire team!

Mike Weber Jr. gets the nod

Defensive



tOSU Defensive MVP

Scott – Luke Fickell and Greg Schiano. Made the halftime adjustments.

Ben v. – Nick Bosa by a long shot. The kid flat out can play and was finally let loose out there to show what he can do. He pressured Hornibrook quite often and made some nice tackles stopping the run as well. He will only get better.

Brandon – Sam Hubbard. Statistically, there were guys who had better days but Hubbard easily played his best game of the season. On the day, he wound up with five tackles, one sack, and two tackles-for-loss. Those numbers are great but they don’t even factor all of his pressures which forced Hornibrook to get rid of the ball. Really there were four defensive MVPs and they were all on the line. Hubbard, Jalyn Holmes, nick Bosa, and Dre’Mont Jones were all pretty disruptive all night…especially the second half.

Jeremy – Jalyn Holmes! He was the one guy who was consistent the entire game getting into backfield. Non stop motor on him.

Ryan – Gareon Conley. He had 1 (should have been 2) interception in a KEY must have situation. You can always count on him to step up in tough situations.

Jim – Gareon Conley, had a great INT when one was needed most. AND YES the 2nd one was a good catch and cover. (Blind Replay Official).

Chris – Jerome Baker… This kid… WOW! 13 total tackles (8 solo) and 1.5 tackles for loss. The kid flies to the ball and plays hungry every down. He’s going to end up being an all-time great. Plus, it was very important for him to have a great game since Raekwon apparently missed the flight to Madison…

Brad TBU – In order Holmes , Hubbard, Conley & last name Baker the biggest hit of the Night however belonged to Malik Hooker.

WVa – I am going to jump on Scott’s bandwagon here. I had my worries just like the rest of Buckeye Nation and Luke Fickell and Greg Schiano both shut me up. What a remarkable turnaround and different halves just because of mixing up coverage. They went from full time man, to jumping into zone and having a d-lineman(Bosa) drop into coverage to take the TE away? Purely genius on their parts and probably why they are at the top of Purdon’t list right now.

I need Brandon’s counting expertise here but it appears to be a tie between Conley and Holmes. I am honestly surprised Chris Worley didn’t get a single mention.(see Unsung below)

tOSU D-line MVP

Scott – Nick Bosa. Why not?

Ben v. – See above.

Brandon – Larry Johnson. He had his entire unit ready to play last night. His guys up-front combined for 15 tackles, six tackles-for-loss, four sacks, and about a billion QB pressures. They made big-time plays but now the focus will be on improving and shoring up the ends from crashing in too quickly on those dang outside runs.

Jeremy – Holmes again. Consistency goes far with me.

Ryan – Nick Bosa. The name says it all. He’s played more and more snaps each week and has caused constant pressure in the backfield when he’s on the field. Disruptive, agile, the list of adjectives can go on and on. He lines up inside the line, on either end of the line, and always ends up causing pressure. He’ll be starting before the season’s end.

Jim – Bosa was turned loose an a great time for it. I am very impressed with the play of Worley too.

Chris – Sam Hubbard. 5 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and a QB hurry.

Brad TBU – Bosa is just going to be something special. Let’s also give a tip of the cap to Damon Webb who put the clamps on Fumagalli in the 2nd half. & Chris Worley played like a Boss . more on him later

WVa – Nick Bosa has had the luxury of taking his time to develop this season and at some point very soon he will become a starter just because it makes sense. He may be a lot better than his big brother when it is all said and done. I remember some match-ups between Joey and Wisconsin and Sparty o-linemen and he struggled mainly because of his style. Nick has a better high end gear and when he get’s handled, it doesn’t happen again. He made two of their linemen look silly late in the game Saturday.

Nick Bosa is coming into his own fairly quickly

tOSU Defensive Unsung

Scott – Gareon Conley. That was a pick.

Ben v. – Gonna go with Worley and Baker here. McMillan didn’t have his best game, and those two made sure it went hardly unnoticed. They were flying to the ball all night and making big tackles.

Brandon – Jerome Baker. Honestly, before I looked at the stats I though Baker had a horrible night. Every time I noticed him, it seemed like the Badgers were pushing him around. I think as quietly and unsung as possible, Baker led the team in tackles and 13 tackles and 1.5 tackles-for-loss.

Jeremy – Conley and Baker. Conley had 2 (yes review moron that was an interception you complete idiot) interceptions. Baker made 2 great impactful plays

Ryan – Chris Worley. He was flying around making plays ALL night. He had 7 total tackles (6 solo), and was constantly around the ball. Raekwon, where you at?

Jim – The D Line in the second half. Watch the way they started to keep whisky from getting to the Linebackers. LOVE (BB) Landers. Good things come in small packages.

Chris – I was down on the secondary most of the game. After calming down and thinking about it, I believe most of the problem was scheme. I’ll go with Conley here. It’s hard to say a guy with 2 INTs… YES, 2… is unsung but I’m doing it mainly to get back on the Jeremy Train.

Brad TBU – Without a doubt Chris Worley has quietly come up big at key times for this team.

WVa – Chris Worley had one of those types of plays on Saturday night that don’t come along very often and in some ways reminded me of the Clarett play of getting the football back after a turnover. The difference here is Worley chased down a running back with a head start! I for one am enjoying the player he is becoming and don’t believe he will be unsung/inkown for much longer!

Chris Worley was noticed by us for sure!

Odds and Ends



tOSU Special Teams MVP

Scott – Tyler Durbin. Money. Pure money.

Ben v. – Tyler Durbin. That last field goal had me worried just because I am still not sure what we have in him, but he was clutch and came through 3 times last night. Thank the heavens!

Brandon – Cameron Johnston. His first half performance was one that kept the Buckeyes in the game by flipping field position over and over. He had four punts and averaged 53.8 yards per punt.

Jeremy – Tyler Durbin (bet Urbs knows his name by now). Has stepped into the role and solidified his stake on it. Honorable mention to the Aussie. He boomed the hell out of the punts tonight.

Ryan – The Aussie punter kid got a little work out in the first half, which I’m glad he wasn’t out of shape from the lack of punts he’s had to do this season, so far (knock on wood). But, Durbin (that’s his name, right? ^_^) was clutch with his field goals last night. They were tough angles on the field goals and I held my breathe, but he put ‘em right down the middle each time.

Jim – K.I.C.K.E.R.

Chris – Definitely Tyler Durbin. There were 2 of those FGs that I thought he was going to miss. I was horribly wrong.

Brad TBU – Durbin may be the consensus panel choice. But for me Cameron Johnston #95 pinned them deep all night. No one changes field position to a more favorable one than him.

WVa – Tyler Durbin has a cannon for a leg and clearly ice in his veins. Easy choice here.

Tyler Durbin wins this hands down

tOSU Needs Improvement

Scott – Execution. Time for WR to do their thing.

Ben v. – This is usually my time to harp on the WR play, but Brandon does a good job of that so I am going to say Damon Webb. He was caught out of place so many times last night it was frustrating the hell out of me. Is Erick Smith not healthy or not better at this point? Do we not have someone who can stick to a receiver? Webb has to get better and quick.

Brandon – WR rotation. I say this over and over but we as fans can not be upset with Barrett or his WRs when it comes to the passing game. A huge part of any passing game is the chemistry a QB builds with his playmakers. I get it, Coach Smith is building this mantra of everyone plays and they are all equal but it is hurting the team. If you think James Clark or Terry McLaurin are the best two, stick them in there and let them play. The way it is right now, Barrett has a new set of guys on the outside every series and it is impossible for anyone to get in a rhythm. Your starters are Noah Brown and Parris Campbell…both have made plays in limited opportunities. Let them play or OSU is in trouble here in a few weeks.

Jeremy – WRs have to get separation and can’t drop all these passes. Gotta stop with these stupid penalties by the sidelines (yes Urban I’m talking to you). And lastly fix the issue in the secondary. We can’t be losing receivers or be 20 yards away from them. Can’t claim BIA tonight with the way they played. And OCs can not ever again forget Mike Weber in the game plan! Inexcusable

Ryan – The WRs need to improve greatly before we travel to East Lansing and play TTUN at home. We cannot have JT running every game because the receivers aren’t separating and dropping the ball. Dontre and Samuel made big catches yesterday, but the true WRs need to improve, and preferably fast. Also, Damon Webb.. what’s going on? He’s getting burned multiple times in the past few games.

Jim – I think they are all starting to grow into their positions as the season goes along.

There has been some hiccups along the way and there will be some in the future too. But WOW guys, for such a young inexperienced team, I for one am very Impressed with what they have done thus far.

Chris – Boy… This is tougher than I thought. I had plenty of opinions at about 8:30 Central Time about what needs fixed. I’m leaning towards the whole Zone 6 crew. The separation is just not there and routes have a tendency to be real sloppy.

Brad TBU – Though he came up with a huge reception last night. For the love of God, Will some please show Dontre Wilson how to block a blitzing Safety or Corner. Is that really asking to much.

WVa – I am going to stay on the play calling path for just one more week. I sometimes get the feeling that Warinner and Beck go conservative but then I realize it has to be happening during those drives that they “script” so maybe it’s poor game planning? Either way, no matter what was happening to the Buckeyes in the first quarter, running the ball and spreading things around would have been a tall order with Wisconsin being ready for Weber and Samuel in some ways.

Looks like WR rotation and play is the flavor of the week and weeks past.

tOSU Next Big Star

Scott – Ned Flanders. I mean Robert Landers.

Ben v. – Nick Bosa. He already has better stats than his brother through 6 games and that is saying something. He continues to grow every week, and this week he came up huge a few times for the Buckeyes.

Brandon – Nick Bosa. He is a very good player but he is going to be a huge star in the coming years. You can see he is finally getting healthy and he has the ability to absolutely dominate games. He finished the night with two tackles, one sack, one tackle-for-loss, and one QB hit.

Jeremy – Robert Landers. While I think Holmes was the most consistent tonight we have been seeing glimpses of what a disruptive force Landers can be in the middle.

Ryan – Bosa is already a star, so Bob Landers will be my pick. The kid is a monster. He’s ridiculous in the middle of the line and seriously, his name is Bob! He’s undersized, but he doesn’t let that stop him from being a force in the middle.

Jim – Man! I just cannot pick one. You almost can take your pick of players. I do think we will be very impressed with the future of our receivers.

Chris – Jerome Baker… Absolutely love this kid.

Brad TBU – Excellent choices Gentleman but Every guy all of you just named have reached stardom. The 2 kids I’m looking at are Davon Hamilton & Dre’mont Jones both had very Solid games last night.

WVa – I had a tough time choosing just one until I read Brad’s. Dre’mont Jones had an excellent game and is another up and comer that’s buying some playing time!

Robert Landers is getting some attention each week

TB1G Coach of the Week

Scott – Pat Fitzgerald. Huge win over Sparty.

Ben v. – Urban Freaking Meyer and his coaching staff. After that abysmal first half, the Buckeyes made the adjustments that were necessary at the half and came out a different team after the break. Even though they gave up that late touchdown I was more confident in them coming out of there with a win after what I saw from the 2nd half Buckeyes.

Brandon – Urban Meyer. I usually pick someone else here but the performance on Saturday night was probably even tougher than we all realize. His team got absolutely punched in the mouth in the first half and was still able to hang close enough to make a move in the second half. Call it blind homerism but I was 100% confident they were winning that game at halftime. The Wisconsin coaching staff had two weeks to gameplan and only went into halftime with a 10 point lead. OSU always makes amazing second half adjustments and Saturday night was the same case.

Jeremy – I’ll be a homer and say Urban. Took his young team on the road again against another top 10 team and watched his team come back and spoil the upset bid. Nervous moments but this is definitely something he will use to help this team grow!

Ryan – Harbaugh for drinking milk with a steak while on a bye..

No seriously, Cryst. They used the bye week to create a gameplan against Ohio State and executed it tremendously. Our halftime adjustments and JT were the difference makers, but Wisconsin is for real, and Cryst had them ready to battle all night.

Jim – I tell ya what. I was very critical of the play calling towards the end of the 4th (shh) to force OT. Why do I doubt Urb and CO. But to go into Madison (from experience folks, It’s not easy to do) with a young team and pull out a win! Well, I believe I will let the Ohio State Coaches do the coaching from here on out.

Chris – Easy pick, Chris Ash. Rutgers scored! Okay… Kevin Wilson at Indiana. Wait… I’m new here. This is the best coach of the week for the B1G not the idiot coach that blew a really good chance of beating Nebraska at home by going away from what was working and punting late in the game while trailing… But I digress… Urban gets it for me. Tough environment with a young team against a top 10 team. Patty Fitz would get it but Sparty has already quit this year.

Brad TBU – This is a trick question isn’t Mr. Hunt. As Bill King calls him the Pontiff or I call him the lord or God it’s Urban Frank Meyer if 56- 4 doesn’t impress the Hell out of you. Then I can’t help you.

WVa – I have a good time with the fellas above on twitter and that’s why they are here now! Brad, no trick! Just would like to know if you pay attention to the rest of the conference and judging by answers I am going to say no! Urban Meyer does get the call for me this week.

Urban Frank Meyer is mostly everybody’s choice!

The post tBBC Awards: Wisconsin; JT Record Holder, Bosa Strength, Durbin Boots appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Ohio State football | Sideline-interference penalty a bad call, Meyer says - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football | Sideline-interference penalty a bad call, Meyer says
Columbus Dispatch
Enlarge Image Request to buy this photo Kyle Robertson | Dispatch Ohio State defensive end Tyquan Lewis and coach Urban Meyer celebrate the overtime victory at Wisconsin on Saturday night.
Urban Meyer frustrated with 15-yard penalty called against himESPN
Wisconsin close call could bolster Buckeyes for future challengesDayton Daily News
Ohio State football: Live updates from Urban Meyer previewing Buckeyes vs. Penn Statecleveland.com
247Sports
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Buckeyes fall to No. 2 in new FBS re-rank; RedHawks escape cellar - Cincinnati.com
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Buckeyes fall to No. 2 in new FBS re-rank; RedHawks escape cellar
Cincinnati.com
The undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes - No. 1 in last week's USA TODAY Sports 1-128 re-rank of the Football Bowl Subdivision - fell to No. 2 in the latest re-rank, with Alabama taking over the top spot. From USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg: That Ohio ...


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Urban Meyer on his sideline interference penalty: ‘Get rid of the damn rule’
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The head coach said the sideline judge barely grazed his headset.

Saturday’s Ohio State game against the No. 8 ranked Wisconsin Badgers was bound to be close, but few expected the Buckeyes to trail almost the entire game before ending up in overtime. It was a true road test, and one that can only benefit the young group of players, who are away again this week against Penn State, and again later in the season versus Michigan State.

Urban Meyer took the defeated look to a whole new level on Saturday following a game that included endless penalties -- even a 15-yard call for sideline interference against the head coach.

• The head coach was quick to note that everything about Saturday’s Wisconsin team was “about as good or better than they expected” from players to coaches. He credited the crowd for creating one of the toughest environments he’s played in.
• When asked about two games in a row where the passing game looked like a “square-wheel”, Meyer took offense to the comment, stating they work way to hard to be called a square-wheel. He went on to say that there were differences in the two game struggle, with improvements made in Wisconsin.
• Against Indiana the receivers were able to get behind the defenders, but against Wisconsin, they were just facing a tough secondary. They are working hard on the passing game this week, and are fairly healthy.
• On Dontre Wilson’s turbulent career at Ohio State, Meyer boasts Wilson’s “huge catch” from Saturday. The head coach noted the receiver came in with expectation, but the “poor guy” broke his foot against Michigan State two years ago, and still isn’t 100%. They’ve adjusted his practice schedule and training to account for that lingering injury.
• Meyer was adamant there shouldn’t have been a penalty for sideline interference, but the referee barely grazed his headset, missing his head. The head coach was clear “get rid of the damn rule”. He admitted he needs to be more aware, but thought he was behind the ball and within the guidelines.
• When asked how this year’s Penn State team differs from last year’s, Meyer said the defensive concept is very similar — despite having a new coordinator — but that the offense looks completely different. He admittedly gave “coach speak” when asked about how they can contain Penn State’s running back, noting the Silver Bullets needs to “tackle well and be gap-sound”.
• Meyer also notes that this year’s Penn State’s linebackers will be one of the best groups they’ve faced in the last two years.

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Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Preview - Victory Bell Rings
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Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Preview
Victory Bell Rings
The Nittany Lions carried a lot of momentum into the bye week after back-to-back wins over undefeated opponents. Up next is the annual White Out game in primetime. It's a tough test for Penn State though, as the Ohio State Buckeyes are one of the top ...
Ohio State a 20.5-point favorite for Saturday's road game at Penn State: Buckeye Breakfastcleveland.com
'Penn State vs. Ohio State - 10/22/16 College Football Pick, Odds, and Prediction'Sports Chat Place (blog)

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Seeing red over yellow: Meyer irked by penalty - ESPN
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Seeing red over yellow: Meyer irked by penalty
ESPN
All it cost the Buckeyes on Saturday was a drive that sputtered after the flag on Meyer moved the offense back to face a second-and-27. Ohio State would be forced to punt, but the defense responded by stuffing the Badgers on the ensuing possession ...

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RedHawks 1-1-1 after tie with Buckeyes - Cincinnati.com
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RedHawks 1-1-1 after tie with Buckeyes
Cincinnati.com
The Miami RedHawks' and Ohio State Buckeyes' ice hockey teams battled for 70 minutes Saturday night in Oxford to a 1-1 tie. The No. 15/19 Buckeyes scored in the first period, and the unranked RedHawks tied it with a power-play goal in the second. (MU ...
College football wrap: No. 2 Buckeyes claw past No. 8 Wisconsin in ...Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia
Buckeye Hockey Claims Tie and Shootout Win over Miami | Eleven ...Eleven Warriors

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Ohio State a 20.5-point favorite for Saturday's road game at Penn State: Buckeye Breakfast - cleveland.com
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Ohio State a 20.5-point favorite for Saturday's road game at Penn State: Buckeye Breakfast
cleveland.com
If the Buckeyes are going to end that skid, they're going to have to blow out Penn State in Beaver Stadium on Saturday night. According to VegasInsider.com, Ohio State opened as a 20.5-point favorite over the Nittany Lions. Ohio State is 4-2 against ...

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CFB Roundup: Clemson Escapes Disaster, Buckeyes Hold Off Badgers - CBS Local Sports
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CFB Roundup: Clemson Escapes Disaster, Buckeyes Hold Off Badgers
CBS Local Sports
Every college football weekend is jam packed with games starting on Thursday night and running through the early morning hours of Sunday. You probably didn't have a chance to watch all the action, nobody does. So, we're here every Monday to recap ...

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Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett named Big Ten co-offensive player of the week
Matt Brown via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


A huge second half en route to a road win over a top ten team? That’ll get you some hardware.

The first half of the Ohio State-Wisconsin game won’t go down as one of J.T. Barrett’s best performances. In fact, that goes for the entire Ohio State offense.

But fortunately for the Buckeyes, football games are longer than one half. And thanks to an excellent second half, the Buckeyes were able to storm back against the Wisconsin Badgers, winning 30-23 in overtime.

The Big Ten conference noticed, giving Barrett another Big Ten co-offensive player of the week award.

Barrett picked up 318 total yards against an exceptionally stout Wisconsin defense, including a seven yard touchdown pass that proved to be the gamewinning score. Barrett also broke Braxton Miller’s Ohio State record for most touchdowns responsible for, with his 89th score.

This is Barrett’s 6th Big Ten offensive player of the week award, and his 13th overall Big Ten honor, a huge number helped in part by his weekly domination of the Big Ten freshman of the week honors.

We have a sneaking suspicion that this won’t be the last award J.T. Barrett earns over his storied Buckeyes career. Congrats, and well earned.

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Check out who won Week 7 Big Ten football honors
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

The Big Ten office released its Week 7 football award winners Monday. See all of the honorees, plus watch select video highlights inside.

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Heard Around the ‘Shoe – 10/17/2016
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


Welcome to your tri-weekly look at all things Ohio State recruiting. Let’s get started!

Emory Jones on the Mend


In his game last Friday, Emory Jones suffered a shoulder injury that forced him out of the game and the outlook was uncertain on when he would be able to return. We know now that he will miss 2-3 weeks with a separated shoulder. Jones spoke with Landof10.com about the injury and his prognosis.

“I stretched the ball out to score,” Jones said. “When I scored, someone came and hit me late. I separated my shoulder.”

“I can’t move much,” Jones said. “It’s killing me.”

While the injury is not season ending, it is one that will keep Jones on the sidelines for a few weeks while he lets it heal. In what has been a high school season filled with future Buckeyes getting injured it is good to see this one not be severe.


Buckeyes Still Going After Virginia Star


While the Buckeyes are still in hot pursuit of Baron Browning and Anthony Hines out of Texas, they still have eyes in Virginia keeping tabs on Teradja Mitchell. Mitchell is the top ranked inside linebacker in the class of 2018. Mitchell holds 30 offers and this summer visited Clemson, Florida State and Georgia. Right now it seems like either Florida State or Clemson, but the home state Hokies and Cavaliers might have something to say about that.

Mitchell is hoping to get to Ohio State for a game this fall, but hasn’t made any official plans as of yet.


White Out for Reigelsperger


Dayton product Alex Reigelsperger will be in Happy Valley this weekend to visit the Penn State Nittany Lions when they take on the Buckeyes under the lights Saturday night. Reigelsperger does not hold a Buckeye offer or a Penn State one as of yet, but is taking the opportunity to go see some of the top colleges in the nation in action. He spoke with 11W about the trip and the Buckeyes recruitment of him.



“I can’t wait,” Reigelsperger said. “It’ll be really like my second or third time where [two teams recruiting me play each other]. It really just makes the game more interesting, more fun and puts you more into it.”

“[Defensive line coach Larry Johnson] says we’ll talk about an offer after they finish the season,” he said.

Reigelsperger has said he intends to get back to Ohio State to see them play the Wolverines at the end of November.


Grimes set for Surgery and Rehab


If you remember a few weeks ago Trevon Grimes left his game against Bishop Gorman with an apparent ACL injury, and it was confirmed to be torn which means he will miss the rest of his senior season. He is scheduled to go under the knife tomorrow afternoon with one of St. Thomas Aquinas team doctors. After going through the same injury and rehab a year ago Nick Bosa is already on the field making big plays for the Buckeyes. Bosa recently spoke with Cleveland.com and gave Grimes some advice on the rehab process and how to handle it.



With Grimes attitude and competitiveness I expect him to recover in much the same fashion as Bosa, and should see the field next season as the Buckeyes need a talented deep threat on the field. We will continue to monitor the progress of Grimes rehab and post anything more as we learn it.

The post Heard Around the ‘Shoe – 10/17/2016 appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Telekinesis said:

You mean the Vols aren't back? I'm flabbergasted!

Not buying it. There's a reason they moved up in the polls after their loss, and it isn't because they deserved it.

Anyone who thinks the Bucks wouldn't crush Tennessee in the same fashion has the SEC wool pulled over their eyes.

But sure, I'd love nothing more than to prove that point again in the playoffs. The fact that a 3/4 loss Ole Miss team takes Bama to the brink or beats them year after year always seems to slide under the radar for some reason.

Click to expand...

Systems_id said:

The same Vols team that BARELY skated by App State and mighty Ohio Bobcats mind you. Had Tennessee won last week against A&M I would have picked the Vols to beat Bama for the sheer fact that it was clear Butch sold his soul to a crossroads demon. Turns out that the SEC is trash.

Click to expand...

Just talking to a buddy about this. He asked if I thought A&M had a chance this weekend after Bama smashed Tennessee.

Looking at Tenneseee, those scrubs narrowly escaped Appy St and Ohio. They were getting their asses kicked 21-3 at half by the Gators until Florida forgot how to hold a lead. And let's be real, Floridas best win this year is Vandy. Tennessee followed that up by needing a miracle last second Hail Mary to beat Georgia, and the A&M game would have never went to OT if it weren't for that weird ass fumble. Tennessee is a team that should have 3 if not 4 losses.

Ole Miss had Bama on the ropes, Arky didn't have the horses, and Tennessee is overrated. A&M is going to play a hell of a game against Bama.

Football grind kicks in for Buckeyes, Bengals, Browns - Columbus Dispatch (blog)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Football grind kicks in for Buckeyes, Bengals, Browns
Columbus Dispatch (blog)
The Buckeyes have six more regular season games in the next six week, culminating in a traditional Michigan showdown that has everyone salivating more than normal. If all goes as planned, the Big Ten title game and possibly two College Football Playoff ...

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Defense holds the line for Buckeyes in win - Toledo Blade
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Defense holds the line for Buckeyes in win
Toledo Blade
MADISON, Wis. — Ohio State departed Wisconsin early Sunday morning with an undefeated record and the nation's top red-zone defense. The No. 2 Buckeyes still have the former because of the latter. With Wisconsin's offense humming, Ohio State's offense ...
Ohio State football | Questions linger despite rousing victoryColumbus Dispatch
Upon further review: Wisconsin Badgers vs. Ohio State BuckeyesFOXSports.com
Unbeaten Buckeyes pass season's toughest test in overtimeESPN (blog)
CBSSports.com -ABC News -cleveland.com
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5-star standout impressed by Ohio State win
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


A top Buckeye target liked what he saw on Saturday.

The Wisconsin Badgers gave Ohio State all they could handle and more on Saturday night. Squeaking out an overtime victory, the Buckeyes are still in the mix for a Big Ten title and national championship season.

Thing aren’t just going the Buckeyes way on the field. Off the gridiron, Urban Meyer’s crew is hard at work piecing together impressive recruiting classes.

With the game on national television, many of the top targets the Ohio State coaching staff are looking to bring into their fold had their full attention on the Buckeyes and the Badgers prime time matchup.

One of the recruits who had a close eye on the outcome was class of 2018 offensive tackle Jackson Carman. The five-star prospect from Fairfield, Ohio definitely liked what he saw out of the Buckeyes on Saturday evening.

“Ohio State, even though they're young is just so spectacular to watch because they play like vets, they've yet to succumb to the average young team traits like inexperience or underdevelopment.” Jackson stated to Land-Grant Holy Land on the Buckeyes come from behind win over the Badgers.

Carman might be two years away from arriving on a college campus, but the five-star talent has more than his fair share of scholarship offers currently on the table. While Ohio State is thought to be a major player his commitment, programs such as Clemson, Michigan, Michigan State and USC are just a few of the schools trying to make sure that doesn’t take place.

Not just the top junior prospect in Ohio, Carman, who stands 6-foot-6 and 290 pounds, is considered the third offensive tackle, and 17th overall recruit in the class of 2018, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Quick Hits

• Will future Ohio State quarterback Tate Martell walk away with another Land-Grant Holy Land MVP of the Week award or will another Ohio State commit snatch it out of his grasp? The poll is now open. Let your voice be heard.
• Former longtime Ohio State quarterback pledge Danny Clark of Akron Archbishop Hoban will announce his college commitment on Saturday. Clark, who decommitted from the Buckeyes in late September, recently visited the University of Kentucky.

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Wolverines up to No. 3 as No. 2 Buckeyes lurk - Arkansas Online
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Wolverines up to No. 3 as No. 2 Buckeyes lurk
Arkansas Online
The Buckeyes stayed No. 2 after an overtime victory against Wisconsin, which fell two spots to 10th. The Wolverines moved up in an off week with Clemson slipping to fourth. The Tigers had their own overtime escape at home against North Carolina State.

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