2017 QB or 2018 QB? Which is your Ohio State commit of the week?
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Which future Buckeye did enough to get your vote this week?

Your voice was definitely heard last weekend. Five players were up for it, but only one could be named the MVP for Week 1 of high school football.

After racking up over 280 total yards and two touchdowns, including a 1-yard run and a 2-point conversion pass in the final minute of game play to give Olentangy Liberty a 30-29 win over North Allegheny (PA), Ohio State class of 2017 pledge Brendon White ran away with the Land-Grant Holy Land Player of the Week.

White, a four-star prospect, who is talented enough to play on either side of the ball at Ohio State, beat out future Buckeye teammates Tate Martell (15%), Trevon Grimes (13%), Danny Clark (7%), and Wyatt Davis (5%) with 61% of your votes.

Football never sleeps, of course, and neither do we. Just like White, Martell, and rest of the Ohio State verbal commits were over the last few days, Land-Grant Holy Land is back at it, and once again wants to hear from you.

Leading their program on the field, which OSU pledge did enough to grab your MVP vote this time around? The poll is now open. Here are your five Week 2 nominees:

Brendon White


For the second week in a row, White and Olentangy Liberty needed a late drive to escape with a win. While it wasn't in the final seconds like against North Allegheny (PA), a late rushing score by the Patriots pushed them past Cleveland Glenville, 24-20.

Playing quarterback, White, who could end up on the defensive side of the ball at OSU, didn't have his best game through the air, completing just 10 of his 21 passing attempts for 73 yards, with no touchdowns, and a near game changing interception that was returned by Glenville for a score.

Although his night might not have went as planned in that aspect of the game, White still finished the evening with a pretty stellar stat sheet. Displaying his athletic ability, the four-star talent toted the rock 27 times for a game leading 137 yards and a touchdown.

Rarely leaving the field for the Patriots, White also recovered a fumble on defense in the Olentangy Liberty win.

Tate Martell


Leaving exactly where he left off last week, the class of 2017 OSU pledge, was a major factor in Bishop Gorman (NV) rolling past former Buckeye commit Bruce Judson and Cocoa (FL) on Friday night.

In the 46-10 Bishop Gorman blowout win, Martell, a four-star prospect, once again caused havoc with his arm and legs. Going 13 of 21 for 273 yards and four touchdowns, his night wasn't done there.

Playing without star running back Biaggio Ali Walsh due to injury, the future Buckeye ended the evening as the Gaels leading rusher, finishing the game with 87 yards and another touchdown.

Emory Jones


Martell wasn't the only soon-to-be Ohio State signal caller to come up huge on Friday. A lot like Martell, the Buckeyes class of 2018 quarterback commit sure didn't disappoint, leading his squad to a runaway victory.

Racking up over 400 total yards, Jones was definitely the top player on the field all night. Through the air, the four-star standout accounted for 312 yards and five touchdowns while chipping in another 112 rushing yards on just six carries.

With Friday's 41-28 win over New Manchester (GA), Jones and Heard County (GA) are sitting 2-0 on the young season.

Josh Myers


The big guys don't usually get much love, but after a more than stellar outing against Chaminade Julienne, a future Buckeye and his teammates deserve some major credit. Josh Myers, a class of 2017 OSU commit, and the rest of the Miamisburg offensive line led the Vikings to nearly 350 total rushing yards on Friday.

Dominating Chaminade Julienne from the kickoff, Myers and crew were key in Tony Clark busting for a team high 118 yards in the 53-7 route.

Wyatt Davis


Like Myers and the Miamisburg line, Davis and his counterparts were also busy blocking their squad to an outstanding night on the ground.

Shutting out a solid La Mirada (CA) team, 34-0, the St. John Bosco offense went for over 600 yards of total offense which included 254 rushing yards by senior running back Terrance Beasley.

Currently sitting 2-0, Davis, and crew will take on fellow OSU commits Tate Martell, Haskell Garett, and Bishop Gorman (NV) next Friday.

Poll
Who is your Week 2 MVP?

• Brendon White
• Tate Martell
• Emory Jones
• Josh Myers
• Wyatt Davis

1 votes | Results

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40 former Buckeyes make NFL rosters | The Lantern - OSU - The Lantern
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


40 former Buckeyes make NFL rosters | The Lantern
OSU - The Lantern
OSU redshirt junior safety Tyvis Powell celebrates the Buckeyes' 44-28 win in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1. Credit: Lantern File Photo. After having a league record ...
40 Former Buckeyes Including Undrafted Free-Agents Jalin Marshall ...Eleven Warriors

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Get Tom Dienhart’s best of Week 1 in the Big Ten
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

The opening week of the 2016 season was a success for the Big Ten, which went 12-2. And Wisconsin carried the flag with a scintillating 16-14 comeback win over No. 5 LSU. Jump inside for BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart's Week 1 review.

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Big days from J.T Barrett, Curtis Samuel key Ohio State’s dunking on of Bowling Green
Grant Freking via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes enjoyed a record-setting day on offense by spreading the wealth.

The powers that be at Land-Grant Holy Land are enabling yours truly to experiment with a new weekly power rankings column this football season. I’m endeavoring to make these rankings an enjoyable and interesting take on what happened on the field between the Buckeyes and their opponents, as well as anything noteworthy that occurred on the internet and social media.

As for the real, live football that was played within the confines of the Horseshoe on Saturday, Ohio State trucked Bowling Green 77-10 in its season opener, placating concerns (at least for a week) about a team returning just six starters and boasting 42 (!!!) players with freshmen eligibility. The Buckeyes, now 33-1-0 all-time against Mid-American Conference competition, racked up a school-record 776 yards, picked off three passes, and punted just once. The Golden Hurricane are surely trembling.

On to Week 1 of the rankings!

1. J.T. ‘Point God’ Barrett


Barrett got his Chris Paul on in the first half, completing 14 passes to seven different receivers, with each of his four touchdown passes finding their way into four different sets of arms. Barrett, who leaned on his legs in 2015, passed for 244 yards and rushed for just 30 yards in the first half.

The redshirt junior signal-caller finished 379 total yards and seven total touchdowns, the latter a single-game Ohio State record. Perhaps most noteworthy was that Barrett only toted the rock on six occasions against the Falcons. On the flip side, Barrett completed 21 passes on the day; he didn’t complete at least 20 passes in any game last season and only surpassed 20 completions three times in 2014.

Through at least one game, Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes’ offense backed up their offseason chatter about chucking the pisgkin more after they ran the ball nearly 64 percent of the time in 2015.

2. Curtis Samuel, (Percy Harvin) Hype Fulfiller


Samuel, dubbed Ohio State’s ‘No. 1 playmaker’ by Meyer in the days leading up to the season, fulfilled his coach’s lofty praise by totaling 261 total yards on 22 total touches. The junior, who recorded 39 carries/catches in 2015, averaged nearly seven yards per rush and 20 yards per catch on Saturday while lining up all over the field, putting in time as a wideout/H-Back, a running back, and at wildcat quarterback.

Ever since Meyer was hired, fans and writers alike have wondered who would fill the vaunted ‘Percy Harvin’ role on Meyer’s spread offense. (In three seasons at Florida, Harvin logged over 1,800 yards rushing and 1,900 yards receiving while scoring 32 rushing/receiving TDs. A freak, he was.) It’s only one game, but appears the coaching staff is committed to utilizing Samuel’s versatile talents.

3. ‘I’ve got two tickets to Iron Maiden, baby’


What are the chances Braxton Miller and Michael Thomas actually listen to Iron Maiden, Metallica, or better still, Wheatus?

4. Stuntin’ all over the field


Welcome to the Show, Malik Hooker. One of Ohio State’s two new starting safeties had two interceptions on the day, including a sky-walking tip drill of a pick.

Welcome to the Show, Rodjay Burns. The true freshman defensive back scored Ohio State’s final points of the day on a pick-six.

Welcome (back) to the Show, Noah Brown: Brown, who missed the 2015 season after breaking his leg in fall camp, surely wowed the home fans with his circus touchdown reception in the second quarter.

5. Breaking: the future is bright at Ohio State


Ohio State lost the farm to the NFL draft, so there were newbies all over field on Saturday. K.J. Hill and Demario McCall scored touchdowns on their first and second touches, respectively. Mike Weber tallied his first carry. Joe Burrow took his first snaps as backup QB. A.J. Alexander, Johnnie Dixon, and Terry McLaurin notched their first catches. Kicker Tyler Durbin scored his first points. Damon Arnette, Jerome Baker, Rashod Berry, Nick Bosa, Jashon Cornell, Jordan Fuller, Eric Glover-Williams, Davon Hamilton, Malik Harrison, Justin Hilliard, Keandre Jones, and Robert Landers registered their first tackles, with many more seeing the field for the first time.

6. Mike Jinks, keeping it real


Post-game, the head coach of the Falcons also said: “It’s hard to take positives out of a butt-whooping like that.” No worries Mike, you get to play North Dakota next week.

7. Charging Wildcats


Hill, whose first career catch was a 47-yard TD pass from Barrett, played high school ball for the North Little High School Charging Wildcats in North Little Rock, AR. We need more school nicknames that feature aggressive adjectives.

8. College football is back, baby!


One of the NFL’s best quarterbacks enjoying a Guinness with an octogenarian wearing a Tiger head that has cheese on its dome? The terrorists shall never prevail.

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OSU Women’s Volleyball Rolls To 5-0 Before Falling To BYU In A Thriller
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


This past weekend in downtown Columbus at Nationwide Arena, the site for the 2016 NCAA Championships, the Buckeyes Women’s Volleyball Squad, 11th nationally, dominated on a pair of sweeps Friday, Sept. 2. LIU Brooklyn and Wyoming got doubled up by the Buckeyes in kills (reaching 101 for the day), while allowing just 49 terminations.

Ohio State completely overwhelmed LIU Brooklyn by 28 points (25-11, 25-17, 25-19) – to begin the day. The evening match against Wyoming was equal in impressiveness clipping a plus-20 margin (25-22, 25-17, 25-16).

The Ohio State University attacked at a .387 overall performance which was led by Ashley Wentz and All-American Taylor Sandbothe attacking .593 and .562, respectively – combining for 38 kills. Luisa Schirmer anchored the offense efforts – delivering a team-high 22 kills in the Buckeyes sweeps. Schirmer and Sandbothe toed for the team in points, both having 26 tallies. Schirmer added two service aces and four blocks assists to her 22 kills’ performance, Taylor Sandbothe had 10 block assists and an ace to hit the 26-point mark.



Valeria León would deliver 22 digs, while Schirmer had 17 digs, Kalisha Goree would have 14 digs and Audra Appold had 13 digs of her own. LIU Brooklyn and Wyoming combined could only show 52 digs. León’s career digs have now risen to 1,313. She now sits in fifth place in school history.

In the nightcap (7:00 p.m.) against BYU, the Buckeyes fell 3-2 in a five-set thriller. The loss was to the 10th ranked team nationally, but it by no means equates to a disappointment. This team has started out of the gates with enormous promise, and has not wavered. BYU, simply, outlasted our Buckeyes – for now!

All of the Buckeyes put on quite a show … promising explosiveness and fun in this young season.

Seniors Valeria León and Taylor Sandbothe are on a mission – with focuses on the Ohio State record books:

León


Her 3.30 digs per set rank third in OSU history (school record – 3.45 digs/set – Chelsea Noble; 2008-09). Her 1,313 total digs ranks fifth.

Sandbothe

1.14 blocks per set rank second in OSU history (school record – 1.19 blocks/set – Shellye Sills; 1997-99).

90 solo blocks rank second (school record – 139 – Sherri Rinker; 1984-87)
430 total blocks rank fourth (school record – 517 – Dawn McDougall; 1988-91)

.305 attacking efficiency ranks sixth (school record – .366 – Sara Daniel; 1991-94)

350 block assists rank eighth (school record – 442 – Dawn McDougall; 1988-19)

The 11th ranked Buckeyes get a breather until this coming weekend, September 9th & 10th; they travel to Springfield, MO for the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational where they will meet up with IUPUI, Missouri State, and Green Bay. Stay Tuned.

The post OSU Women’s Volleyball Rolls To 5-0 Before Falling To BYU In A Thriller appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Ohio State broke records against Bowling Green because of its explosive passing game
Chad Peltier via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Ohio State offense set multiple records against Bowling Green due to elite skill talent and a great gameplan.

Ohio State did not open the season as projected. Most of the advanced metrics saw a three-score win for Ohio State. Even the Vegas line was at 28 points in favor of the Buckeyes. Instead, J.T. Barrett and a host of new weapons set the school record for total offense and scored 77 points.

Barrett set a career high for passing yards with 349 — his first time crossing the 300-yard mark since the Indiana game in 2014. The defense was able to hold last year’s 11th-ranked S&P+ offense to just three points. And maybe most importantly, the backups got a full quarter and a half of work, including backup quarterback Joe Burrow’s first-ever game action.

OSU Off OSU Def
Rushing success rate 73% 45%
Passing success rate 54% 33%
Rushing explosive plays 6 2
Passing explosive plays 7 0
Red zone efficiency 6/7 (6) 1/2 (1.5)
Drive efficiency 8/10 (0) 1/9 (4)


A couple of notes on the table: The OSU defense column is from the perspective of Bowling Green's offense -- so the Buckeye defense had a 55% rushing success rate (45% for BGSU). The drive efficiency metrics -- red zone and overall drive efficiency -- are just for non-garbage time, or when J.T. was pulled with roughly 6:30 left in the third quarter. All other metrics are for the full game. The number in parentheses for red zone efficiency is the average points per red zone trip. Drive efficiency here is the ratio of scoring drives to total drives, with the number of 3-and-outs in parentheses.

The three most important stats


In my preview I wrote that there were three main concerns for the Buckeyes:

Bowling Green’s explosive passing offense was shut down


By the traditional measure of explosiveness — a 20-yard pass — Bowling Green didn’t have a single explosive passing play against Ohio State’s secondary. Even with three new starters, the Buckeyes held last year’s 8th-most explosive offense in IsoPPP+ without an explosive pass. The early returns are that Malik Hooker is clearly the star that he appeared to be from the spring game, snagging two interceptions, including one of the top highlights of week one.

Weber and Samuel were both efficient and explosive


Mike Weber got his first game action as Ohio State’s starting running back, but there were some questions over whether he and Curtis Samuel could equal Elliott’s efficiency and dependability — especially in third-and-short situations. Weber’s first college carry was an 18-yard run, which set the tone for the rest of his day. Weber ended with a 79% rushing success rate against last year’s 67th-ranked S&P+ rush defense. He also was a perfect 5-for-5 on third-and-short (for power success rate). Though he seemed to always be a shoelace tackle away from taking it to the house, Weber still ended with three explosive runs.

Success rate Explosive runs
Weber 79% 3
Samuel 92% 1

Meyer said during the offseason that Samuel would be the team’s primary playmaker on offense, which some took as hyperbole. But if this game is any indication, then Meyer may have found his most explosive weapon since he arrived in Columbus.

Samuel had a 92% rushing success rate and three explosive receptions to finish the day with 84 yards rushing and 177 receiving. Samuel touched the ball 22 times (beating Urban’s requirement that he see >15 touches per game), and 18 of those resulted in a successful play (82% success rate).

Barrett’s most explosive performance yet


Barrett set a school record for touchdowns, with six through the air, and set a personal-best for passing yards, so it’s no surprise that his passing success rate was 52%. But the most encouraging thing was that his performance included six explosive plays (20+ passing yards). Ohio State struggled to produce explosive plays through the air last season without Devin Smith to stretch the field. Ohio State had just 38 passing plays of 20+ yards all of last season (64th) after managing 56 the year before.

In addition to Samuel, four other players recorded an explosive reception, including K.J. Hill, Noah Brown, Dontre Wilson, and freshman running back Demario McCall. Two things stand out to me on that list of receivers. First, Noah Brown and Samuel, the two most-hyped receivers during the off season, lived up to expectations in week one. Second, is this finally the year that Ohio State’s H-back position lives up to the talent Meyer has recruited there? Samuel and Wilson received a combined 30 touches and produced four explosive receptions.

Beginning of the year easy opponents are excellent for getting young players and backups experience and identifying who will be the team’s go-to players when needed. So far, Weber, Samuel, and Noah Brown look like the team’s core.

If we're going to be picky


...then there are a few things worth improving:

1. Pass rush by the first team defense -- both sacks were in garbage time, but congrats to Jalyn Holmes and Nick Bosa!
2. J.T. had one pick-six and nearly had another interception

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Demario McCall scores two touchdowns in Buckeyes debut: Ohio State freshmen tracker - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Demario McCall scores two touchdowns in Buckeyes debut: Ohio State freshmen tracker
cleveland.com
The hope might have been to get him in the game, but two scores? That's a big bonus. McCall, Ohio State's freshman running back from North Ridgeville, scored twice in Saturday's 77-10 win over Bowling Green. The first was on a 36-yard swing pass from ...

and more »

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Sunday Morning Coffee: September 13, 1992
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Kirk Herbstriet, the starting Quarterback for The Ohio State University, was a little sore as he stepped into the McDonalds on North High Street – directly across the street from campus. He looked around momentarily before recognizing Steve Tovar, the Senior Linebacker who he shared co-captain duties with.

After every home game since they had been freshmen they would get together the Sunday morning after for some coffee and have post-game discussions. Kirk had waited his turn to start for the Buckeyes, sitting in previous years behind Greg Frey and Kent Graham, before now having his shot. And he was determined to make the best of it.

Kirk first went to the counter to order his cup of coffee, a large with cream and no sugar. He wasn’t hungry, figuring on getting something closer to noon. He looked back at Tovar, the massive bull that he was, had his face buried in an Egg McMuffin. The vision stirred a smile on his face as he approached the table. There were two other wrappers, completely empty, crunched into a wad on the tray. Steve, undoubtedly, was on his third sandwich.

“Hey Q-B!” Steve Tovar greeted his friend and co-captain.

Kirk sat before taking a slow sip of his steaming coffee. “We should’ve scored more yesterday.”

“Wasn’t me and my guys’ fault!” Steve offered before snapping another bite of his McMuffin. “We held ‘em. Frankly there, Q-B, defense won this one.”

Kirk laughed.



The afternoon before at Ohio Stadium the Buckeyes played for the first time in their history Bowling Green University from upstate Ohio. It would be the first time in 58 years that an Ohio School returned to the Ohio State schedule. The last time an in-state school beat the Buckeyes was Oberlin in 1921, 7-6. Bowling Green was aiming to be the second.

The game turned out to be unpredictably tougher than anyone had ever imagined. Some had even suggested that the Buckeyes were looking ahead when they journeyed east to play Syracuse in their high-tech Dome. Syracuse, not ranked, certainly mustered more of an image of a football school than Bowling Green did. Kirk knew differently. Bowling Green came to play. Nothing could be taken from them either. The Falcons played a tremendous game.

The Falcons would score first. Erik White hammered in from nine-yards out. The point after attempt failed. Bowling Green lead 6-0. The Buckeyes would bring in true freshmen Eddie George, giving Raymont Harris, a breather. The kid would plow in from the one to tie the score. The point after was good. The Buckeyes led at half 7-6.

“I must say the ‘D’ did step up.” Kirk responded to his friend.

“Step up!” Steve looked over at Kirk. “You ain’t eating anything?”

“Not hungry!” Kirk softly answered before sipping his coffee again.

“Quarterbacks!” Steve shook his head. “I don’t understand them at all!”

Kirk laughed. He enjoyed sitting with his friend on these Sunday morning get-togethers.

The Falcons played hard the day before. Kirk found himself relying on what he had just read in the Dispatch only moments before he left his dorm. He had 15 attempts, completing 7 of them for 57 yards, no TD’s. He wanted a re-do. He was certain he could do better. But then he immediately recalled Joey Galloway leaving the field, injured badly. The Dispatch was saying it was a season-ending knee injury. Galloway gone? It pained Kirk to realize this. Such a loss was devastating to the Buckeyes offense.

The Buckeyes would score again in the 3rd when Tim Williams nailed a 47-yard field goal. In the fourth Raymont Harris would end the scoring with a 7-yard sprint. The Falcons though just would not go away. They fought to the ending gun. But the ‘D’, in fact, did step up and held them to 6. The Buckeyes won 17-6.

“You know next week we are at Syracuse. The following week we go to Madison to play the Badgers. So our next opportunity for Sunday morning coffee is October 10th when Illinois visits us. Any predictions big guy?” Kirk smiled at his friend.



Steve crumbled the last wrapper of his latest McMuffin conquest and tossed it onto the tray before him. He reached for his coffee and took a generous gulp – its hotness meaningless to him. “I predict you will buy me a McMuffin in the next two minutes. You’ll be missing our get-togethers and your need to express that in the fancy way that Q-B’s do, flashy and all. So I accept. Yes you may buy me another McMuffin.”

Kirk laughed before patting his friend on the shoulder and standing up to head for the counter.

“Get some grape jelly too!” Steve yelled out to him.

The post Sunday Morning Coffee: September 13, 1992 appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Urban wants Ohio State to get 250 passing yards, 250 rushing. They had 417 and 359 vs Bowling Green
Luke Zimmermann via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Welcome to the good life.

Nine years ago to the day Thursday, Ohio State kicked off the 2007 season against Youngstown State. The Big Ten Network made its debut, though not on the largest cable provider in Columbus.

Like many who didn’t have game tickets (or Dish Network or DirecTV), I made the trek to an alumni viewing party. That bar also happened to have BTN’s overflow broadcast which featured No. 5 Michigan hosting some FCS team. You probably heard about it.

Nearly a decade later, Appalachian State is a fully matriculated FBS program. They win bowl games. They play host to teams like Miami (FL) at their place. And despite that very same offensive coordinator from Michigan’s best efforts, they came up just short at beating his new employer, the University of Tennessee, on the road in Knoxville.

The near nostalgic joy of seeing another Top 10 team lose to that very same team that etched Ohio State’s rivals into the history would’ve been something. Other than how surreal and otherworldly seeing that final field goal kick blocked felt though, there’s really only one thing I remember about that day.

I couldn’t tell you what I was wearing. I have no idea what I ate or drank. But I sure remember what I listened to on the way to and immediately after leaving:


Kanye West’s Graduation was sonically and otherwise one of my favorite first-few-listen albums ever. 2007-me couldn’t have begun to fathom that a decade later it might not even register amongst his Top 3 LPs. From the Steely Dan and Michael Jackson samples to almost European dance club synth pulses, everything about it was perfect in the moment.

I heard “Champion” and “Good Life” for the first time immediately before seeing Appalachian State, well, doing what they did, and because of it, those became a soundtrack for that place in time.

2016 failed to provide a fitting sequel between the trenches. And I can probably count on one hand how many albums I’ve heard in the nine years since, even objectively better art, that impacted me that way on the inaugural listen in any similar context. Of course that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate the near repeat we got Thursday night. And as rewarding as 06’s 38-6 Buckeye opener over an in-state rival was then, a 77-10 systematic destruction of an even better Ohio team feels pretty damn good in its own right.

2007’s big out of conference road trip would be a visit to face Washington in a game OSU would cruise to a 33-14 victory. Even after a Houston stunner over Oklahoma 33-23 in their opener this year, it’d be mighty pollyannaish to expect a similar outcome for this year’s Buckeyes. It might be hard to blame anyone for getting ahead of themselves after seeing a school record 776 yards of total offense, though.

Meyer and his staff are preaching balance this season. He said earlier last week he wanted “250 / 250”: 250 rushing yards and 250 passing yards. The Buckeyes finished with almost 400 of each.

Blue chip stocks


Curtis Samuel - Every coach in scarlet and gray, from the guy in the CEO role down to the graduate assistants, seemingly couldn’t stop heaping praise on Samuel at the end of the summer. The only thing seemingly capable of curbing Samuel’s meteoric rise was Samuel.

Saturday against Bowling Green didn’t exactly do anything to derail the hype train:


No combination of defensive backs or linebackers could even begin to slow the junior who finished the opener with 9 catches for 177 yards and 2 TDs along with 13 carries for 84 yards and another score.

Meyer told ABC in the aftermath of the game that Samuel was the “first true hybrid we’ve had here”, then immediately repeated the talking point in his postgame press conference.

"He's a tremendous talent and it was great to see him have some success," Meyer added.

Samuel was the first Buckeye offensively to touch the ball Saturday as well and seemed to really relish the honor.

“It’s a great feeling to be one of the first people out there to touch the ball. I have to keep my mind right. I just want to ball out and make opportunities for my team.”

You’re on notice, Tulsa.

J.T. Barrett - I’m on the record as being one of the Ohio State Internet’s biggest J.T. cynics.

Wait wait — Put the stones down! Hear me out.

There’s been some lines of thinking that Barrett’s nightmare 2015 was more the result of lingering complications from the injury that took him away from the Buckeyes during their national championship season. It seems almost more likely to me that if the injury played any role, it was taking away valuable reputations during the ill fated quarterback competition he ultimately lost.

I also believe the instability in the coach’s booth with respect to the Buckeyes’ playcalling, the pressures of having to look over his shoulder constantly, and even just the uncomfortable nature of the quarterbacking derby between Barrett and close personal friend Cardale Jones all played a role in his performances. To say nothing of a later OVI citation on Halloween.

Extracurricular distractions and locker room dynamics come with the territory, however. So too do playing banged up. Practically everyone in every football locker room is nursing something.

Barrett was a revelation his redshirt freshman year. No quarterback at Ohio State’s ever run the read-option better than him. His play his freshman year wasn’t a fluke -- but his play his sophomore season wasn’t either.

My guess, is that Barrett is pretty good, but maybe not, at least entering this season, as stupid good as we thought he might be before an injury stole the deserved ending to his inaugural year as the Buckeyes quarterback. Can he turn into the player we all think he can? That potential is still there, for sure.

Bad J.T. — at least from a decision making process — was in full effect on the mind numbingly poor pick 6 which gave BGSU an early lead. A few other times, we saw some suspect reads, a few textbook cases of forcing the issue. Fortunately, the rest of the game was almost exclusively pure brilliance and a glimpse towards what he might become yet.

Barrett’s final line was staggering: 21 for 31 for 349 yards, 6 TDs to just the one pick. He also had six rushes for 30 more yards including a touchdown scamper.

I think it’s always wise to temper expectations, especially considering the available evidence and a large sample size. But if ever there was a reason to throw pessimism out the window, it was throws like these we saw for three quarters Saturday:

Solid investments


Dontre Wilson - Look, I get it. Three years of evidence otherwise may suggest that Wilson is not becoming the player he was supposed to, perhaps never bulking up the degree necessary to stay healthy enough to make that happen. But Wilson was back in an Ohio State uniform Saturday.

Besides a bit of a back-to-the-future vibe, that promise — that ridiculously unfair unreasonable-as-hell potential — reared its head, even if just on a touch or two.

Wilson's final yard totals are modest: five carries on the ground for 36 yards, three receptions for 37 yards. But he did have two touchdowns on catches. And those touchdowns, lord willing and the creek don’t rise, are why the final season of Dontre Wilson as a Buckeye has a strong chance to be the best one yet.

Junk bonds


Deleted tweets - We’re not going to have fun at our friend(s) who run Bowling Green football’s Twitter account expense; they had a tough enough weekend.

We will laugh *with them* a bit.

Here’s how the official Bowling Green Falcons football account reacted to the events unfolding Saturday afternoon in a later deleted tweet:


The internet never forgets, y’all.

Buy/Sell


Buy: Mike Weber - “El Guapito” looked like a perfect mix of strength and speed while racking up 19 carries for 136 yards. The only let down was that Weber didn’t get his first career Ohio State touchdown in his first ever start. That’ll come soon enough, of course. Bonus points for him comparing he and Curtis Samuel to former USC “Thunder & Lightning” duo LenDale White and Reggie Bush postgame.

Sell: Tracy Sprinkle’s bad luck - The young man previously best known for being arrested at a downtrodden club called the “Grown & Sexy Lounge” had rehabilitated his image with the Buckeyes and fought his way into the starting lineup after nearly being dismissed from the football program for good. Instead, during his first start of 2016, he went down with an injury that’ll require surgery and almost certainly end his season before it started. Life’s unfair.

Buy: Cameron Johnston - He was only needed once Saturday but his lone punt was a 48-yard beauty. Plus the former Aussie rules football player wore an Australian flag on his helmet to honor his home country. Very cool.

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Demario McCall scores two touchdowns in Buckeyes debut: Ohio ... - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Demario McCall scores two touchdowns in Buckeyes debut: Ohio ...
cleveland.com
The hope might have been to get him in the game, but two scores? That's a big bonus. McCall, Ohio State's freshman running back from North Ridgeville, scored ...

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Bowling Green vs. Ohio State: Game Grades, Analysis for Buckeyes - Bleacher Report
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Bowling Green vs. Ohio State: Game Grades, Analysis for Buckeyes
Bleacher Report
After the mistake on the opening drive, Barrett led eight scoring drives and helped Urban Meyer's young team set a Buckeyes record for total offense. Overall, 10 different players accounted for an Ohio State touchdown. Curtis Samuel, Demario McCall and ...
Ohio State football beats Bowling Green: Quick thoughts on Buckeyes' opening dominationcleveland.com
Ohio State Buckeyes rout Bowling Green in openerDayton Daily News
Buckeyes set record with huge win over Falconsnewsnet5.com
fox8.com -Columbus Dispatch
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Watch: Biggest takeaways from Buckeyes' win over BG - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Watch: Biggest takeaways from Buckeyes' win over BG
247Sports
What were the biggest takeaways from No. 6 Ohio State's 77-10 win over Bowling Green in the 2016 season-opener? That is what Dave Biddle and Steve Helwagen discussed following the game in the embedded video.

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Gibson, Green Wave pull away from Buckeyes - Athens Messenger (registration)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Gibson, Green Wave pull away from Buckeyes
Athens Messenger (registration)
Noah Andrews had cut the team's deficit in half just before intermission with an 8-yard touchdown run, capping a drive that had featured 10 consecutive running plays, and the Buckeyes came out of the locker room determined to do it again. Eleven rushes ...

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LeBron James wishes Buckeyes good luck in season opener - 247Sports
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LeBron James wishes Buckeyes good luck in season opener
247Sports
During the Cavaliers run to the NBA championship this past year, Urban Meyer and Ohio State were very supportive of LeBron James and his teammates. What's next for the Buckeyes? Make sure you're in the loop -- take five seconds to sign up for our FREE ...
Buckeyes host two of Detroit's top sophomores for BG rout247Sports

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Tyvis made it as well

I found an article about the Part II episode of ESPN's E:60 , but, cannot find the video. Here's the article link for what it's worth.

http://thespun.com/big-ten/ohio-sta...ler-for-part-2-of-the-rise-of-ezekiel-elliott

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=15387264

Ohio State Buckeyes - Herald & Review
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Ohio State Buckeyes
Herald & Review
Ohio State Buckeyes. 3 hrs ago; 0 · Ohio State Buckeyes Football Profile | PointAfter · Here's the competition: Big Ten Football team profiles for 2016. Check out the competition & take a look at the profiles for each football team in the Big Ten ...

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Dienhart: ‘Ohio State just may be headed for greatness … again’
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

All offseason, pundits pointed out the attrition that Ohio State had suffered, as the Buckeyes had a national-high 12 players selected in the NFL draft. Stars like running back Ezekiel Elliott, defensive end Joey Bosa, wideout Michael Thomas, offensive tackle Taylor Decker and linebacker Darron Lee—among other studs—were gone from a team that largely underachieved last season. How would a rebuilt Buckeye squad look? Turns out, pretty good. After Bowling Green opened the scoring with a 63-yard interception return for a TD, the Buckeyes strutted their stuff and announced to the world that they indeed weren’t just back–but maybe better

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40 Former Buckeyes Including Undrafted Free-Agents Jalin Marshall and Tyvis Powell Make NFL Rosters - Eleven Warriors
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40 Former Buckeyes Including Undrafted Free-Agents Jalin Marshall and Tyvis Powell Make NFL Rosters
Eleven Warriors
For some it was a given, for some a dream come true – 39 former Buckeyes have survived cuts and made NFL rosters. The biggest news came out of New York and Seattle as undrafted free-agents Jalin Marshall and Tyvis Powell avoided final cuts and made ...


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Ohio State Football: What Oklahoma's loss means for the Buckeyes - isportsweb.com (blog)
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Ohio State Football: What Oklahoma's loss means for the Buckeyes
isportsweb.com (blog)
The Ohio State Buckeyes blasted the Bowling Green State Falcons 77-10 in the 2016 season opener, but that's hardly the biggest news in Columbus this evening. #3 Oklahoma, who the Buckeyes play in week 3, lost today to #15 Houston 33-23 in their own ...

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Martell joins Jones as future Buckeye QB's have huge nights - 247Sports
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Martell joins Jones as future Buckeye QB's have huge nights
247Sports
Out West Buckeye 2017 quarterback commitment Tate Martell was having a big night of his own. The 5-foot-10 and 203-pound Martell completed 13 of 21 passes for 273 yards and four touchdowns as Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman defeated Cocoa (Fla.) ...


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Lattimore, others receive first starts as Buckeyes - 247Sports
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Lattimore, others receive first starts as Buckeyes
247Sports
Sophomores Marshon Lattimore and Denzel Ward were bracketed as starters at cornerback on Ohio State's official depth chart this week. However, it was ...

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Buckeyes host two of Detroit's top sophomores for BG rout - 247Sports
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Buckeyes host two of Detroit's top sophomores for BG rout
247Sports
The next wave of Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech prospects spent their Saturday at Ohio State in cornerback Xavier Goldsmith and running back Jaren Mangham. #GoBucks @JarenMangham pic.twitter.com/xme119qd1p. — Xavier Goldsmith (@XGoldsmith_) ...


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Wheelwright reminds me of abracaderus (spelling?), I'm more concerned about Wisconsin than Oklahoma now

Buckeyes clip Falcons Talons
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 historical cathedral that is known as the Horseshoe in Columbus sits on the East bank of the Olentangy River. Several hours before the mini city comes to life employees start prepping for the mad rush of visitors come with the expectations of seeing greatness on the green turf that sports a large Block O and scarlet endzones spelling Ohio State Buckeyes.

Since April the football fans of the scarlet and gray have been eagerly awaiting the day to see the young team take the field to start the new college football season. Today was that day where Buckeye fans all over the world flocked to the majestic stadium the Chic Harley built.

Fans are filing into the concrete beauty to find their seats. The band starts to make their entrance as Buckeye fans young and old stand up, clapping while enjoying a timeless tradition that The best Damn Band in the Land commands.

Cheerleaders take their spots, some getting ready to hoist the large flags that spell out O -H-I-O when they go running out onto the field. Players are in the tunnel getting ready to follow the flow that makes over 100k fans erupt into utter happiness.

Fans start settling down while the band is going to their seats. Everyone including fans from the opponents team is now eagerly awaiting the coin toss.

“Ohio State wins the coin toss and elects to defer.” the head official says as the hysteria starts to build again. Buckeye fans start chanting/singing some anthem that has no words. Slowly it builds up as the Buckeyes line up ready to boot the football to their opponent.


Boom.

The 2016 college football season is officially under way as walk-on kicker Tyler Durbin now becomes a household name even if the head coach Urban Meyer didn’t remember it on Monday.

Bowling Green State University Falcons are the opponents for the first game of this new season. During the course of the week newspapers, blogs and podcasts have been researching to help Buckeye Nation understand who will be standing in the way for a possible victory.

The Falcons have a new head coach Mike Jinks on the sideline. Jinks is a football man through and through with all kinds of ties to the Great State of Texas.

This is Jinks first game, let alone visiting, in one of the most nostalgic arenas in college football. Trying to figure out how to beat a young mostly inexperienced team, in front of rabid fans, is a huge task (especially when your team is in the same situation).

Eric Glover-Williams raced down the field making a nice open field tackle grounding the Falcons at the eleven-yard line.

Bowling Green takes the field for their first offensive series. Buckeye fans are curiously wondering what kind of defense does our team have this season. They are only returning three starters on this side of the ball. Names like Joey Bosa, Darron Lee, Eli Apple, Joshua Perry, Tryvis Powell, Vonn Bell and Adolphus Washington are in the NFL meaning Buckeyes lost a ton of talent.

First play is a rush that gains four yards.

Second play Buckeyes broke up a screen attempt.

Third and six to go, Falcons attempt a pass but the ball squirts out as the receiver is getting tackled to the ground.

“After further review, the call on the field has been overturned. The receiver was down before the ball came out. Fourth down Bowling Green” the official tells the over 107k fans.


Ohio State makes the Falcons go three and out!! Defense looked good on the first series.

Bowling Green punts the ball to Ohio State. It a low kick and Dontre Wilson who is back to return the kick lets the ball bounce, finally ending its destination at the 42-yard line. Buckeyes first and ten.

J.T. Barrett leads the young offense onto the field for their first series together this season. Familiar questions surround the Buckeye offense as the defense. Having three returning starters what will we see on the field.

First play Barrett drops back to pass and he hits Noah Brown for eight yards. Barrett takes the next snap almost fumbles the hand off so he keeps it and runs forward gaining four yards.

First down Ohio State.

Barrett pitches the ball to Curtis Samuel on an option to the outside, Samuel has a nice spin move to gain five yards. Buckeyes are moving the ball with confidence looking good.

Second and five Barrett drops back throws the ball. Brandon Harris steps back making an athletic play to intercept the ball. Harris has the ball when he lands on his feet then proceeds to run 63 yards into the end zone. Barrett has just thrown a pick six.

J.T. has been very good during his career-limiting mistakes and turnovers so you know this situation is a rarity.

Bowling Green converts the extra point which gives the Falcon confidence David can slay Goliath on the opening weekend of the college football season.

Little did we know, that confidence would be ripped away quicker than when a fan wearing maize and blue watched Appalachian State pull off the greatest victory in college football history.

Ohio State went on a 21 point run. Barrett was spreading the ball around to his many Zone 6 weapons. Mike Weber along with Curtis Samuel was making their presence felt gashing the Falcons defense on the ground.

Bowling Green had two consecutive series getting down into the red zone. Buckeyes defense held strong only allowing a field goal to be scored on their second attempt down there. When the Falcons scored it narrowed the score 21-10 and you were left wondering if this year’s Buckeye defense would be a bend but don’t break style again.

Tracy Sprinkle was lost for the game with a knee injury (it was later reported its possible for the year with patella tendon issue). Donte Booker was seen on the sideline after he came off with an issue.

The Silver Bullets showed up after the field goal only allowing 95 yards for the Falcons. Buckeyes forced three turnovers (1 fumble, 2 INT, I Pick Six) in their strangle of the Falcons offense. Nick Bosa had a sack but seems he didn’t carry on big brothers tradition of the shrug.

For the game the Siver Bullets held the Falcons to 69 yards rushing with 175 yards through the air for three points.

Offensively Ohio State had a historic game, breaking the record of 718 yards in a game in 1930. They young Buckeyes had 776 combined yards (417 in the air, 359 on the ground).

There were at least eight true freshmen that seen playing time in the game. Demario McCall having the biggest impact for the true freshman by scoring two touchdowns (8 carries for 54 yards 1 TD, 1 catch for 36 yards 1 TD).

Nine different Buckeyes had receptions with five of them seeing the end zone. Barrett had thrown for 349 yards and six touchdowns (1 INT). He also rushed for 30 yards on six attempts with a touchdown.

Urban Meyer stated at his press conference on Monday he was worried about the Falcons speed. During the Men of the Scarlet and Gray Podcast, the discussion Chip Minnich and I had with Thomas Schmeltz of the Sentinel-Tribune was about this concern. I made the point best way to combat the speed of the Falcons was to score quick and often to cause Bowling Green to abandon their gameplan. The Buckeyes did just that.

There is still lots of work to do, it is only the first game of the season. A lot of young guys on the team which means mistakes were made (9 penalties for 66 yards and one turnover).

Going forward the penalties need some work along with protecting the ball better. Have to find a flaw besides any missed plays.

Buckeyes looked good just have to remember they will get better each game as the season wears on. That could become a huge problem for the Big Ten and those pesky Spartans and Wolverines in November.











The post Buckeyes clip Falcons Talons appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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