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LGHL You’re Nuts: Which Best Picture nominee is most like the Ohio State football team?
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You’re Nuts: Which Best Picture nominee is most like the Ohio State football team?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
Having seen all but one of the 2023 Best Picture nominees (the final one is on this weekend’s viewing list), I do feel qualified to make an insane comparison between these films and Ohio State’s football team.
I could probably draw parallels between the team and most of these films if I had to, but why take the time when “Top Gun: Maverick” is right there. Besides being the most fun of the bunch, it shares thematic similarities with Buckeye Football.
At face value, a summary of “Top Gun: Maverick” would tell you “Small planes go fast.” But on a deeper level, this is also a film about overcoming adversity, teamwork, and to an extent, breaking records.
A quick summary of the film (sans spoilers) for those who haven’t seen it: Maverick (Tom Cruise, who also starred in the original “Top Gun”), has been a test pilot in the Navy for more than 30 years, and he has avoided being grounded despite breaking rule after rule. But when his tendency to dodge orders catches up with him, he is put in charge of training a detachment for a special mission. Maverick must confront his past, his fears, and ultimately, prepare his trainees for a mission in which their lives are on the line.
So with that description in mind, let’s start with teamwork.
Possibly the only group of people with more camaraderie than a collegiate sports team is a military unit, particularly an elite one with a dangerous job. To accomplish your goal in a movie like “Top Gun: Maverick,” your entire team has to have each other’s backs. There has to be trust established, and you have to unite toward a common aim.
Bonus: Do you know how the guys establish this trust in “Top Gun: Maverick?” They play football. On a beach that is slightly more scenic than Columbus, but still. Also, they give each other fun nicknames (call signs).
This camaraderie rings true for Ohio State football, which is nothing short of a band of brothers united on and off the field, cheering for each other’s successes and pushing each other through the pitfalls. Ultimately, these guys always come together to take down their opponent each Saturday. It’s grueling work, and the reward is in doing it together.
This teamwork is the foundation of overcoming adversity. Without the backing of your brothers, adversity can, at times, seem insurmountable. And toward the end of this past season, the Buckeyes faced their share of adversity in back-to-back losses. The challenges won’t end there as they enter next season. They’ll need to find their footing behind a new quarterback at the helm as C.J. Stroud heads to the NFL. They’ll need to regain their confidence.
But if they come together, the pieces will be in place for the Buckeyes to face their opponents fearlessly and confidently.
Similarly, the training detachment in “Top Gun: Maverick” has to find both their ability to work as a team, and afterwards, find the courage to have each other’s backs in the face of challenges.
When all of these pieces are in place, records can be broken – whether it be flying speed records or stats on the football field.
So while no one on the Ohio State football team is taking flight in the middle of a big game, “Top Gun: Maverick” best represents what this team is capable of if they dig deep to remember who they truly are.
This year’s slate of Best Picture nominees represents a fairly wide range of genres and styles. There are the blockbusters (Jami’s “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way of Water”), there are the divisive artsy selections (“Tár” and “Triangle of Sadness”), there are the glitzy crowd-pleasers (“Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Elvis”), there are the well-acted films that feel like they were based on plays even though they weren’t (”Women Talking” and “The Banshees of Inisherin”), there’s the historical war epic (“All Quiet on the Western Front’), and then there’s “The Fabelmans.”
Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical film came into award season as the presumptive favorite to take home the biggest prize, but fairly quickly was surpassed by more inventive, creative projects. The movie feels a bit like it’s stuck in a bygone era and didn’t fully embrace the type of storytelling and filmmaking that leads to success in today’s day and age.
Despite that, there were thrilling performances from a handful of incredible stars including Oscar nominees Michelle Williams (“Dawson’s Creek,” not Destiny’s Child) and Judd Hirsch, as well as the erstwhile Riddler Paul Dano. While the project as a whole might feel slightly outdated, these electric performances are certainly enough to keep it in contention to take home the trophy.
But, that’s not to say that the fundamentals aren’t there, because Spielberg and Emmy, Tony, and Pulitzer winner Tony Kushner have crafted a really solid script, and at times it breaks through the conventionality of its format to deliver something surprising and slightly subversive.
Ultimately, for me, “The Fabelmans” just doesn’t live up to the potential that its pedigree and collective talent promised, because it was a little too firmly reliant on traditional ways of doing things and felt a bit fearful of trying new things. And if that’s not a perfect correlary for the Ohio State football team, I don’t know what is.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
Today’s Question: Which Best Picture Nominee Is Most Like the Ohio State Football Team?
Jami’s Take: “Top Gun: Maverick”
Having seen all but one of the 2023 Best Picture nominees (the final one is on this weekend’s viewing list), I do feel qualified to make an insane comparison between these films and Ohio State’s football team.
I could probably draw parallels between the team and most of these films if I had to, but why take the time when “Top Gun: Maverick” is right there. Besides being the most fun of the bunch, it shares thematic similarities with Buckeye Football.
At face value, a summary of “Top Gun: Maverick” would tell you “Small planes go fast.” But on a deeper level, this is also a film about overcoming adversity, teamwork, and to an extent, breaking records.
A quick summary of the film (sans spoilers) for those who haven’t seen it: Maverick (Tom Cruise, who also starred in the original “Top Gun”), has been a test pilot in the Navy for more than 30 years, and he has avoided being grounded despite breaking rule after rule. But when his tendency to dodge orders catches up with him, he is put in charge of training a detachment for a special mission. Maverick must confront his past, his fears, and ultimately, prepare his trainees for a mission in which their lives are on the line.
So with that description in mind, let’s start with teamwork.
Possibly the only group of people with more camaraderie than a collegiate sports team is a military unit, particularly an elite one with a dangerous job. To accomplish your goal in a movie like “Top Gun: Maverick,” your entire team has to have each other’s backs. There has to be trust established, and you have to unite toward a common aim.
Bonus: Do you know how the guys establish this trust in “Top Gun: Maverick?” They play football. On a beach that is slightly more scenic than Columbus, but still. Also, they give each other fun nicknames (call signs).
This camaraderie rings true for Ohio State football, which is nothing short of a band of brothers united on and off the field, cheering for each other’s successes and pushing each other through the pitfalls. Ultimately, these guys always come together to take down their opponent each Saturday. It’s grueling work, and the reward is in doing it together.
This teamwork is the foundation of overcoming adversity. Without the backing of your brothers, adversity can, at times, seem insurmountable. And toward the end of this past season, the Buckeyes faced their share of adversity in back-to-back losses. The challenges won’t end there as they enter next season. They’ll need to find their footing behind a new quarterback at the helm as C.J. Stroud heads to the NFL. They’ll need to regain their confidence.
But if they come together, the pieces will be in place for the Buckeyes to face their opponents fearlessly and confidently.
Similarly, the training detachment in “Top Gun: Maverick” has to find both their ability to work as a team, and afterwards, find the courage to have each other’s backs in the face of challenges.
When all of these pieces are in place, records can be broken – whether it be flying speed records or stats on the football field.
So while no one on the Ohio State football team is taking flight in the middle of a big game, “Top Gun: Maverick” best represents what this team is capable of if they dig deep to remember who they truly are.
Matt’s Take: “The Fabelmans”
This year’s slate of Best Picture nominees represents a fairly wide range of genres and styles. There are the blockbusters (Jami’s “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way of Water”), there are the divisive artsy selections (“Tár” and “Triangle of Sadness”), there are the glitzy crowd-pleasers (“Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Elvis”), there are the well-acted films that feel like they were based on plays even though they weren’t (”Women Talking” and “The Banshees of Inisherin”), there’s the historical war epic (“All Quiet on the Western Front’), and then there’s “The Fabelmans.”
Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical film came into award season as the presumptive favorite to take home the biggest prize, but fairly quickly was surpassed by more inventive, creative projects. The movie feels a bit like it’s stuck in a bygone era and didn’t fully embrace the type of storytelling and filmmaking that leads to success in today’s day and age.
Despite that, there were thrilling performances from a handful of incredible stars including Oscar nominees Michelle Williams (“Dawson’s Creek,” not Destiny’s Child) and Judd Hirsch, as well as the erstwhile Riddler Paul Dano. While the project as a whole might feel slightly outdated, these electric performances are certainly enough to keep it in contention to take home the trophy.
But, that’s not to say that the fundamentals aren’t there, because Spielberg and Emmy, Tony, and Pulitzer winner Tony Kushner have crafted a really solid script, and at times it breaks through the conventionality of its format to deliver something surprising and slightly subversive.
Ultimately, for me, “The Fabelmans” just doesn’t live up to the potential that its pedigree and collective talent promised, because it was a little too firmly reliant on traditional ways of doing things and felt a bit fearful of trying new things. And if that’s not a perfect correlary for the Ohio State football team, I don’t know what is.
Continue reading...
LGHL Four Storylines: No. 2 Ohio State women travel to No. 6 Indiana Hoosiers on Thursday
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- 0 Replies
Four Storylines: No. 2 Ohio State women travel to No. 6 Indiana Hoosiers on Thursday
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Alex Martin/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes look for a bounce back, another dominant big and more
To say this week is a gauntlet for the No. 2 Ohio State women’s basketball team is an understatement. For the second time in four days, the Buckeyes face a team in the AP Top 10, something that usually doesn’t happen until the late rounds of the NCAA Tournament. This time around it's the No. 6 Indiana Hoosiers.
Before the game, there are a few areas to watch closely in the matchup, including a second consecutive game against one of the best bigs in the conference, is guard Jacy Sheldon’s return imminent, and more as the Buckeyes travel to Bloomington, Indiana.
At this level of basketball, one step below the professional ranks, a student-athlete doesn’t need much motivation to compete. Especially against a team who’s one of the main challengers for the conference title. However, Monday’s loss should give Ohio State an extra boost.
All season, the mantra from head coach Kevin McGuff has been playing with competitive character. That means playing with the intensity he knows the team is capable of for 40 minutes.
Outside of the first quarter against Iowa, and part of the third, the Scarlet & Gray didn’t have it. The strength of that competitive character following a tough loss, the first of the season, is crucial.
“I feel like we’ve handled success really well but now we have to handle a loss,” said forward Cotie McMahon following Monday’s loss. “So, this will really determine who we are as a team in Indiana.”
How the Buckeyes start and finish Thursday’s game, and all points in between, is crucial for the remaining nine games of the season.
Against the Hawkeyes, Ohio State forced 17 turnovers. Not bad considering Iowa is a veteran team, but it was still below their average. Against the Hoosiers on Thursday, they face a more difficult test.
Indiana head coach Teri Moren plays a different style than Iowa’s run-and-gun type offense. The Hoosiers are methodical with the ball (but they will exploit space quickly), and outside of freshman guard Yarden Garzon play a roster full of upperclassmen leaders.
Leading them is guard Grace Berger. After missing eight games with a knee injury, Berger returned on Jan. 8, against the Northwestern Wildcats, and picked up where she left off. Berger is averaging 13.2 points and 5.4 assists per game, both above her season highs.
If Ohio State has trouble getting their shots to fall and therefore takes more time getting their press going, Berger and Indiana can hurt them in the half-court.
Berger’s surrounded by weapons on the floor like the aforementioned Garzon who’s second in the team in scoring (12.3 ppg) and hitting 50% from beyond the arc. Alongside Garzon is Sydney Parrish, the Oregon Ducks transfer originally from Indiana returned to her home state and gave the Hoosiers another shooter on the perimeter.
Against Iowa, the Buckeyes had some defensive possessions where their half-court set stopped the Hawkeyes. In the third quarter, they held Iowa to no points in the final 5:56 of the quarter. While holding any team to no scoring is a tough bar to set, that kind of energy and movement on defense is required for Indiana all game long.
While Berger doesn’t have the same other-worldly passing ability as Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, she’s still top ten in the conference averaging over five assists per game, and a lot of them go to a player not even mentioned yet.
The most dangerous of all teammates is center Mackenzie Holmes.
For the second game in a row, Ohio State has to contend with a player who makes life difficult inside the paint.
In any normal NCAA career in the Big Ten, Holmes is the frontrunner to win the conference’s Player of the Year honor, but Iowa’s Clark exists. Holmes is second in the Big Ten in scoring (21.9), rebounding (9.4) and blocks (1.7).
Last season, Holmes scored 42 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in two games against the Buckeyes, 30 of those points coming in the Buckeyes' first Big Ten conference game of their eventual regular season championship season. Ohio State lost that game 86-66, but put up a better fight in the B1G Tournament.
In Indianapolis, the Scarlet & Gray held Holmes to 12 points and three rebounds in a much closer 70-62 defeat. That game gives hope to Buckeye fans that Ohio State can slow Holmes down again, while she’s on a historic clip.
This season, Holmes is on her way to becoming only the 11th player in NCAA history to average at least 20 points and eight rebounds and shoot at least 60% from inside the arc. That would put Holmes in the same conversation as former Iowa center Megan Gustafson and Baylor star Brittney Griner.
Against Iowa, the Buckeyes' moments where they slowed Czinano down came when substitute forward Eboni Walker was on the floor. That doesn’t mean Walker will get the start over forward Rebeka Mikulasikova, but the Slovakian did struggle against Czinano, who scored 22 points on 8-for-10 shooting.
If Mikulasikova’s shot doesn’t fall early, and Holmes has a strong start, it might be more Walker inside the paint.
It also wouldn’t hurt the Buckeyes if they had one of their best players available in guard Jacy Sheldon.
This is an unfair storyline but it’s going to follow every game until the Buckeyes guard returns. On Tuesday, coach McGuff shared on TheNextHoops Locked On WBB Podcast that Sheldon will return “very soon.”
There’s no specific game attached to that “very soon,” but it is promising for Ohio State.
When Sheldon is on the floor, the full-court press is more effective. Sheldon averages six steals per game this season, including a game where she grabbed 11 steals, tying the program record.
The guard has the uncanny ability to be in the right place to stop the opposing team’s forward momentum, and the speed to force mistakes and bad passes.
Also, the guard averaged close to 20 points per game last season, making her scoring missed over the 15 games she’s missed in 22-23.
Sheldon’s also returning only when she’s 100% healthy. Conditioning-wise, Sheldon’s been swimming during her injury to keep her endurance at a high level. So, if Thursday happens to be the day, it isn’t for 10 or 15 minutes. The intent is to have Sheldon back and playing at a high level.
If Sheldon returns, Indiana will be more disrupted than without her. When the Buckeyes force turnovers, it creates more solo layup chances and trips to the free throw line on 2-on-1 situations. Anything to keep the Hoosiers out of their flow is a positive for an Ohio State team that hasn’t beaten Indiana since Jan. 28, 2021, a run of three straight defeats.
Continue reading...
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Alex Martin/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes look for a bounce back, another dominant big and more
To say this week is a gauntlet for the No. 2 Ohio State women’s basketball team is an understatement. For the second time in four days, the Buckeyes face a team in the AP Top 10, something that usually doesn’t happen until the late rounds of the NCAA Tournament. This time around it's the No. 6 Indiana Hoosiers.
Before the game, there are a few areas to watch closely in the matchup, including a second consecutive game against one of the best bigs in the conference, is guard Jacy Sheldon’s return imminent, and more as the Buckeyes travel to Bloomington, Indiana.
Using Monday as Motivation
At this level of basketball, one step below the professional ranks, a student-athlete doesn’t need much motivation to compete. Especially against a team who’s one of the main challengers for the conference title. However, Monday’s loss should give Ohio State an extra boost.
All season, the mantra from head coach Kevin McGuff has been playing with competitive character. That means playing with the intensity he knows the team is capable of for 40 minutes.
Outside of the first quarter against Iowa, and part of the third, the Scarlet & Gray didn’t have it. The strength of that competitive character following a tough loss, the first of the season, is crucial.
“I feel like we’ve handled success really well but now we have to handle a loss,” said forward Cotie McMahon following Monday’s loss. “So, this will really determine who we are as a team in Indiana.”
How the Buckeyes start and finish Thursday’s game, and all points in between, is crucial for the remaining nine games of the season.
Does Ohio State Set Their Press?
Against the Hawkeyes, Ohio State forced 17 turnovers. Not bad considering Iowa is a veteran team, but it was still below their average. Against the Hoosiers on Thursday, they face a more difficult test.
Indiana head coach Teri Moren plays a different style than Iowa’s run-and-gun type offense. The Hoosiers are methodical with the ball (but they will exploit space quickly), and outside of freshman guard Yarden Garzon play a roster full of upperclassmen leaders.
Leading them is guard Grace Berger. After missing eight games with a knee injury, Berger returned on Jan. 8, against the Northwestern Wildcats, and picked up where she left off. Berger is averaging 13.2 points and 5.4 assists per game, both above her season highs.
If Ohio State has trouble getting their shots to fall and therefore takes more time getting their press going, Berger and Indiana can hurt them in the half-court.
️ ️@grace_berger34@ChloeMoore35 pic.twitter.com/24D6NK8Grv
— Indiana Women’s Basketball (@IndianaWBB) January 24, 2023
Berger’s surrounded by weapons on the floor like the aforementioned Garzon who’s second in the team in scoring (12.3 ppg) and hitting 50% from beyond the arc. Alongside Garzon is Sydney Parrish, the Oregon Ducks transfer originally from Indiana returned to her home state and gave the Hoosiers another shooter on the perimeter.
Against Iowa, the Buckeyes had some defensive possessions where their half-court set stopped the Hawkeyes. In the third quarter, they held Iowa to no points in the final 5:56 of the quarter. While holding any team to no scoring is a tough bar to set, that kind of energy and movement on defense is required for Indiana all game long.
While Berger doesn’t have the same other-worldly passing ability as Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, she’s still top ten in the conference averaging over five assists per game, and a lot of them go to a player not even mentioned yet.
The most dangerous of all teammates is center Mackenzie Holmes.
Slowing Down Holmes
For the second game in a row, Ohio State has to contend with a player who makes life difficult inside the paint.
In any normal NCAA career in the Big Ten, Holmes is the frontrunner to win the conference’s Player of the Year honor, but Iowa’s Clark exists. Holmes is second in the Big Ten in scoring (21.9), rebounding (9.4) and blocks (1.7).
Last season, Holmes scored 42 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in two games against the Buckeyes, 30 of those points coming in the Buckeyes' first Big Ten conference game of their eventual regular season championship season. Ohio State lost that game 86-66, but put up a better fight in the B1G Tournament.
In Indianapolis, the Scarlet & Gray held Holmes to 12 points and three rebounds in a much closer 70-62 defeat. That game gives hope to Buckeye fans that Ohio State can slow Holmes down again, while she’s on a historic clip.
This season, Holmes is on her way to becoming only the 11th player in NCAA history to average at least 20 points and eight rebounds and shoot at least 60% from inside the arc. That would put Holmes in the same conversation as former Iowa center Megan Gustafson and Baylor star Brittney Griner.
Against Iowa, the Buckeyes' moments where they slowed Czinano down came when substitute forward Eboni Walker was on the floor. That doesn’t mean Walker will get the start over forward Rebeka Mikulasikova, but the Slovakian did struggle against Czinano, who scored 22 points on 8-for-10 shooting.
If Mikulasikova’s shot doesn’t fall early, and Holmes has a strong start, it might be more Walker inside the paint.
It also wouldn’t hurt the Buckeyes if they had one of their best players available in guard Jacy Sheldon.
Jacy Sheldon Return?
This is an unfair storyline but it’s going to follow every game until the Buckeyes guard returns. On Tuesday, coach McGuff shared on TheNextHoops Locked On WBB Podcast that Sheldon will return “very soon.”
There’s no specific game attached to that “very soon,” but it is promising for Ohio State.
When Sheldon is on the floor, the full-court press is more effective. Sheldon averages six steals per game this season, including a game where she grabbed 11 steals, tying the program record.
The guard has the uncanny ability to be in the right place to stop the opposing team’s forward momentum, and the speed to force mistakes and bad passes.
Also, the guard averaged close to 20 points per game last season, making her scoring missed over the 15 games she’s missed in 22-23.
Sheldon’s also returning only when she’s 100% healthy. Conditioning-wise, Sheldon’s been swimming during her injury to keep her endurance at a high level. So, if Thursday happens to be the day, it isn’t for 10 or 15 minutes. The intent is to have Sheldon back and playing at a high level.
If Sheldon returns, Indiana will be more disrupted than without her. When the Buckeyes force turnovers, it creates more solo layup chances and trips to the free throw line on 2-on-1 situations. Anything to keep the Hoosiers out of their flow is a positive for an Ohio State team that hasn’t beaten Indiana since Jan. 28, 2021, a run of three straight defeats.
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