College football Week 3 storylines: Buckeyes, Sooners put seasons on the line - CBS sports.com (blog)
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College football Week 3 storylines: Buckeyes, Sooners put seasons on the line
CBS sports.com (blog)
3 Buckeyes, there will be some finality to it. The Big 12/Oklahoma can't afford another loss. That would be two in the first three games for a projected College Football Playoff team. Unless you believe West Virginia Mountaineers , Texas or Baylor ...


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Ohio State vs. Oklahoma 2016: Game preview, prediction, and 6 things to know
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ohio State hits the road for the first time this season as they take on Oklahoma in one of college football’s marquee games of the early season

After having their way with Bowling Green and Tulsa inside Ohio Stadium to start the season, Urban Meyer’s young Ohio State team will get their first true test of the season when they travel to Norman to take on Oklahoma tomorrow night. The Buckeyes got more of a challenge from the weather on Saturday than they did from their opponent, as they took down Tulsa 48-3. The Buckeyes used two interception returns for a touchdowns in the final 3:02 of the first half to build a 20-3 halftime lead. Ohio State would continue to add to the lead in the second half, and made it two straight games in which the defense didn’t allow a touchdown.

Ohio State will be looking to extend their school record 18-game winning streak in true road games, which is also the longest active streak among FBS schools. If they have designs on adding to the streak, the Buckeyes will have their work cut out for them against a Oklahoma team that rarely loses at home. Under Bob Stoops, Oklahoma is 41-2 at home against non-conference opponents, and 97-8 overall at home. The average score in the 105 games under Bob Stoops is 42-16 in favor of the Sooners.

Saturday’s meeting will be just the third all-time between two of the most prestigious schools in college football history. All three meetings between the schools have seen both teams ranked inside the top-15 of the AP Poll, and this is the first time both haven’t been ranked inside the top-10. In 1977 in Columbus, the Sooners upended the Buckeyes 29-28, while Ohio State returned the favor 24-14 in Norman six years later. The two schools have also spent the most time as the AP’s top ranked team, with Ohio State sitting atop the rankings for 105 weeks and Oklahoma being ranked number one for 101 weeks.

After starting off the season with a 33-23 loss to Houston, Oklahoma was able to rebuild a little of their confidence with a 59-17 win over Louisiana-Monroe last week. By halftime the Sooners were already up 42-0, which meant they didn’t need quarterback Baker Mayfield to play in the second half. The redshirt junior threw for 244 yards and three touchdowns in the first half of the blowout. The Sooners were able to combine Mayfield’s performance with some strong work on the ground. Joe Mixon rushed for 117 yards, marking his third career 100-yard game, and Samaje Perine rushed for two touchdowns.


Ohio State advantages


Joe. Touchdowns. Barrett. Oklahoma didn’t much success earlier this year when they tried to stop Houston quarterback Greg Ward Jr. While Ward Jr. has the ability to beat teams with his legs, he did most of the damage to the Oklahoma defense through the air, throwing for 321 yards and two touchdowns. Now Oklahoma has the task of trying to stop J.T. Barrett, who like Ward can beat teams in a number of ways. Not only has Barrett passed for six touchdowns this year, with all of those coming in the season opening win over Bowling Green, but he has also rushed for three touchdowns.

Barrett is going to keep Oklahoma’s defense guessing since if they key on him to run, he has the ability to find receivers like Curtis Samuel and Dontre Wilson. But if Oklahoma sits back and tries to take away the pass, not only does Ohio State have Barrett in the running game, but they also have Mike Weber, who is averaging 114 yards per game on the ground in his first two college games.

Look for Meyer and Barrett to try and replicate what Houston head coach Tom Herman and Ward Jr. were able to do in Houston’s upset of Oklahoma a couple weeks ago. The scary thing is Ohio State has more weapons on offense than Houston does, so if Bob Stoops and his coaching staff aren’t able to fix what went wrong against the Cougars on defense, it could wind up being a long night for the Sooners.

Opportunity knocks. When Eli Apple, Vonn Bell, and Tyvis Powell all declared for the NFL Draft following last season there was a thought the Ohio State secondary would face some growing pains this season. So far those fears haven’t come to fruition. For the first time in school history, the Buckeyes have intercepted seven passes in their first two games, with three of those interceptions being returned for touchdowns. The secondary is a major reason why Ohio State’s defense has yet to give up an offensive touchdown this year.

There’s no doubt Ohio State will face a tougher test through the air against Baker Mayfield and the Sooners than what Bowling Green and Tulsa threw at them, but at least the young Buckeye secondary was able to get their feet wet against a couple teams who are able to spin it through the air. It would be a lot different if Ohio State had to try to stop Mayfield if it was the opening game of the season. At least with two games under their belt, Ohio State’s defensive backfield has gotten a chance to get comfortable with their assignments, as well as playing together.

What will be the deciding factor is how the Ohio State secondary responds when heading into a hostile environment. This will be the first road test for most of the Ohio State defensive backs not named Gareon Conley. Malik Hooker is tied for the national lead with three interceptions this year, while Marshon Lattimore was just named Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week for his two interceptions against Bowling Green. Even though they have a tough task ahead of them, the Buckeye defensive backs are well-coached by Kerry Coombs and should be ready to challenge Baker Mayfield and the Sooners.

Urban sprawl. It’s a shame that there hasn’t been more matchups between Urban Meyer and Bob Stoops over the years. The only previous matchup between the two coaches came in the 2009 BCS National Championship Game where Meyer’s Florida Gators took down Stoops’ Sooners 24-14. Both coaches have registered over 150 wins in their head coaching career, and a combined seven appearances in national title games.

Not like Meyer needed any extra help, but his former offensive coordinator just took down Oklahoma a few weeks ago. Tom Herman led Houston to a 33-23 win over the Sooners, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Meyer was calling in a few favors and picking Herman’s brain a little more than normal about what might work against the Sooners. Add the talent the Buckeyes will field, along with a strong collection of assistant coaches, and Ohio State has the perfect recipe to leave Norman with a victory.

Not like Oklahoma’s home field advantage has been quite as vaunted as in years past. While Stoops has amassed an impressive home record, there have been some slip-ups in recent years. Six of Oklahoma’s eight home losses under Stoops have come since 2011, and in 2014 the Sooners lost three games at home. On the other hand, Ohio State hasn’t lost a true road game since Meyer took over as head coach. Something will have to give on Saturday night.

Oklahoma’s biggest advantages


The Sooner schooner. Ohio State will face a bit of a different challenge on Saturday night when they have to try and corral the Oklahoma rushing attack. With all that Baker Mayfield has done the last year and change for the Sooners it is easy to forget Oklahoma has Samaje Perine to lean on in the backfield if the passing game isn’t working. With how effective Mayfield has been for Oklahoma it seems like ages ago that Perine ran for a NCAA record 427 yards against Kansas in 2014. The now-junior ran for 1,713 and 21 yards in 2014 and followed that up with 1,349 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2015.

2016 hasn’t quite been the same story so far for Perine, as he was limited to just 31 yards on six carries in the loss to Houston. Perine was banged up against the Cougars, and when he did return to the game the Sooners were forced to try and do most of their work through the air because of the deficit they faced. Last week Perine rushed for just 58 yards against Louisiana-Monroe, but Oklahoma didn’t need as much from him since they jumped out to such a huge lead.

Another reason the Sooners didn’t need Perine as much against Louisiana-Monroe was because of the performance of Mixon. Last year Mixon complimented Perine with 753 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, and last week the sophomore rushed for 117 yards on 14 carries. The ability of Oklahoma to rush the football means the Buckeyes can’t sell out to try and stop Baker Mayfield. Ohio State will need their young front-seven to be more alert against the run this week than they were against Bowling Green and Tulsa, two teams who like to do most of their work through the air.

The master Baker. Much like how the Buckeyes go as J.T. Barrett goes, the Sooners are the same way with Baker Mayfield. After transferring from Texas Tech, Mayfield had a season to remember as he led the Sooners to the College Football Playoff. Mayfield’s 3,700 yards passing and 44 total touchdowns earned him a trip to New York where he finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting.

Even though Mayfield lost last year’s favorite target Sterling Shepard to the NFL, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have dangerous receivers to throw to. Last year Dede Westbrook provided a fine compliment to Shepard, hauling in 46 catches for 743 yards and four touchdowns. So far this year Westbrook has 12 catches for just over 100 yards.

Also, tight end Mark Andrews is somebody the Buckeyes will have to keep a close eye on, especially inside the red zone. As a redshirt freshman, Andrews caught 19 passes with seven of them going for touchdowns. This year Andrews is bettering that pace, with three of his five receptions making it to the end zone. For such a big target, Andrews can get down the field, as evidenced by his 64-yard touchdown against Houston earlier this year.

If the Buckeyes don’t get pressure in Mayfield’s face early and often they could be in trouble since it’s so hard to get Mayfield to make mistake. The junior hasn’t thrown an interception this season, and only had seven all of last year. With his ability to extend plays with his legs, Ohio State can’t afford to take a play off.

Do or die. In the first two years of the College Football Playoff both of these schools have been able to survive an early season loss to make it to the playoff. Last year the Sooners fell to Texas in the Red River Rivalry, the Sooners scored at least 30 points in each of their final seven regular season games. The only one of those games that was decided by less than double-digits was the 30-29 win over TCU in late November.

This year Oklahoma has even less room for error after losing to Houston in College Football’s opening weekend. Now any loss the rest of the year will likely eliminate the Sooners from playoff contention. Because of the threat of this, we could see Oklahoma play one of two ways. Either they come out tight, knowing that even the smallest mistake could end their season. Or they could play loose, know they have survived an early loss before to make the playoff before, so why can’t they do it again?

Since the Sooners have been in this position before and have a lot of the same talent from last year returning, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them replicate what they did last year. Then again, their remaining schedule this year is a lot more difficult than what they had in front of them last season. With the home field and the veteran leadership they have at quarterback, Ohio State will certainly get Oklahoma’s best shot on Saturday night.

Summary


F/+ Projection: Oklahoma 38, Ohio State 33

Win Probability: Oklahoma 61%

If the numbers are any indicator, anybody tuning in on Saturday night should see a tremendous football game. The quarterback battle between J.T. Barrett and Baker Mayfield is going to be fun to watch, and the smallest mistake by either team will likely be the deciding factor in the game.

Even though Urban Meyer’s Ohio State teams have been outstanding on the road, the numbers have Oklahoma adding to their dominant home record under Bob Stoops. The biggest difference between the two teams will likely be in the youth Ohio State has. With this being the first true road game for a lot of the starters, Oklahoma seems a little more likely to come out on top.

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OSU Non-Rev: An Up and Down Weekend
Charles via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The 19th ranked Ohio State women’s soccer team has gotten off to their best start in years, taking a 5-1 record into their last non-conference weekend of the season. On Friday the Buckeyes hosted Texas and the Longhorns were not very polite guests, scoring four minutes into the game to go up 1-0. After nearly tying the game midway through the first half, OSU finally knotted things up with a goal in the 59th minute. Both teams had scoring opportunities in the final minutes of regulation but neither could convert. Overtime went well for the Buckeyes though as Nichelle Prince scored her second goal of the game to give OSU the 2-1 win; Ohio State is now 2-0 in overtime games this season.

The Buckeyes wrapped up the non-conference portion of their schedule Monday night when they hosted 7th ranked BYU. It looked like Ohio State would get off to a fast start, almost scoring in the opening minute but the Cougars goaltender made a nice save. BYU got on the board with a goal in the eighth minute and never looked back on their way to a 3-0 victory. The Buckeyes had several chances but great goaltending and defensive play by BYU thwarted all of those. This was the first time that the Buckeyes were held scoreless all season. While the loss was disappointing, the Buckeye offense showed positives signs this weekend, generating more shots and shots on goal than they have in recent games.

Ohio State opens Big Ten play this week with a trip to Wisconsin on Friday and then a rod match against 10th ranked Minnesota on Sunday; both games can be seen on BTN+.

Women’s Volleyball

The 12th ranked Ohio State women’s volleyball headed to Missouri over the weekend for the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational. The Buckeyes got the invitational off to a great start with a dominating straight set win over IUPUI (25-9, 25-13, 25-12). The Buckeyes never trailed by more than a point in the match and never later than when they were down 3-2 in the second set.

In their second match on Friday Ohio State took on host Missouri State. The Buckeyes jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead in the opening set before the Bears rallied to tighten things up. OSU led by one late in the set but scored the final three points to take the set 25-21. The next two sets were also tight affairs but this time Missouri State was the team to get the late spurts as they took sets two and three to take a lead in the match. The Buckeyes retook the momentum in a tight fourth set, earning a 25-22 win to force a deciding fifth set. The Bears jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead in the final set and would hang onto that on the way to a 15-12 win that gave them a 3-2 match upset over the Buckeyes. This was Missouri State’s second upset against a ranked Big Ten team this season as they had already upset 14th ranked Illinois; this takes a bit of the sting out of the loss but it was still a disappointing match.

Ohio State finished the Invitational with a match against Green Bay on Saturday. Things got off to a bad start for the Buckeyes as after taking an early 8-7 lead, they went cold, giving up a 7-1 run that Green Bay used to get a 25-21 first set win. The second set was a tight affair that was tied at 24 before OSU scored the two straight points to take the set and tie the match up. The Buckeyes seemed to have things in control as they dominated the third set, earning a 25-15 win over the Phoenix. The momentum didn’t last though and Green Bay flipped the tables almost exactly, taking the fourth set 25-14 to force a fifth set. The final set was a thrilled with five ties and two lead changes but OSU came out on top, 15-11 to take the set and the match, 3-2. This match was closer than it should be and coupled with the loss to Missouri State shows that the Buckeyes have some work to do in order to live up to their ranking. The way the Buckeyes bounced back from their disastrous fourth set is a positive sign and shows this team does have some fight.

Seniors Valeria Leon and Taylor Sandbothe both earned spots on the all-tournament team, this was the 10th all-tournament team Sandbothe has been named to in her last 11 non-conference tournaments. Their 2-1 performance on the weekend dropped Ohio State to 19th in the polls with a 7-2 record. The Buckeyes will play their final non-conference games this weekend as they travel to Muncie, Indiana for the Ball State Active Ankle Challenge where they will take on Valparaiso, UNC Greensboro, and Ball State. OSU will be big favorites in all three matches but will have to have better focus and effort than they showed against Missouri State and Green Bay.

Other Sports

The men’s soccer team earned their first win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Norther western on Friday night. The Buckeyes couldn’t sustain the momentum though as they dropped a 4-2 match to Penn State on Tuesday. OSU is now 1-5 on the season but has shown signs of getting their offense going finally, scoring 4 goals in the last games after being held scoreless in their first three.

The women’s field hockey team improved to 3-3 on the season with a 2-1 overtime victory over Miami (OH). The Buckeyes are now on a three game winning streak that has shown marked improvement in their defense; OSU gave up 15 goals in their first three games but only two in their most recent three.

The post OSU Non-Rev: An Up and Down Weekend appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Buckeyes Get Major Test ‘Sooner’ In Week 3 Of 2016 Season
Chip Minnich via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Embed from Getty Images​

Ohio State travels to Norman, Oklahoma, in a game widely anticipated throughout college football. The contract for this series was signed back in January 2008, when the majority of these players were still in grade school, and Jim Tressel was patrolling the sidelines for Ohio State. Oklahoma has been fortunate to have the same head coach in 2008 still on the sidelines in Bob Stoops. Stoops has been Oklahoma’s head coach since 1999 – for those of us able to remember, and I count myself in this category, Stoops quickly resurrected an Oklahoma program that had become utterly despondent under predecessors Gary Gibbs, Howard Schnellenberger, and John Blake. Oklahoma won the BCS Championship in 2000, and has played for the national championship in 2003, 2005, and 2008. In 2015, Oklahoma qualified as a College Football Playoff team, playing Clemson in a first-round Orange Bowl game.

You may recall that I had ranked this game at Oklahoma as the toughest game on Ohio State’s 2016 schedule. In case you have forgotten, here were the words I used to explain my ranking ~ “One of the best advantages Ohio State has going into this game is the fact that Houston, led by former Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman, is facing Oklahoma two weeks prior to this game. Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer will be able to watch intently as to what worked, and did not work, against the Sooners. Consequently, Oklahoma Head Coach Bob Stoops is also going to be able to take advantage of this with his squad, being able to prepare the Sooners for whatever offensive wrinkles Ohio State tries to throw at them.”.

Taking away anything that Tom Herman may have shared with Urban Meyer, below are three distinct areas I will be paying close attention to as this one gets underway at 7:30pm EST on Fox…

1. Oklahoma’s running game against Ohio State’s rush defense: Yes, yes, I know all about Baker Mayfield. I am not taking anything away from the Sooner daredevil quarterback. I am most concerned about Oklahoma’s formidable trio of Samaje Perine, Joe Mixon, and Abdul Adams being able to pound the ball against Ohio State’s inexperienced interior defensive line. I will become more than concerned if Oklahoma is able to consistently run the ball on first down, and wind up facing 2nd and 4 or 2nd and 3. Ohio State needs to shut down the Oklahoma running attack, or at least keep the Sooners in obvious passing situations.
2. Curtis Samuel is the key to Ohio State’s offense against Oklahoma: Ohio State will not have the luxury of waiting until the second half to discover that Curtis Samuel has only touched the ball one time in the first half, as the Buckeyes did in their victory over Tulsa in week two. Regardless of whether Samuel is involved as a checkdown option for J.T. Barrett on passing downs, or used to spell Mike Weber as a running threat, Ohio State must involve Samuel early and often against Oklahoma in order for the Buckeyes to be successful.
3. Beware The Wounded Animal: Oklahoma lost its first game of the season to Houston, and knows that with another loss, any possibility of a repeat trip to The College Football Playoff will be lost. Ohio State needs to be prepared to take Oklahoma’s best shot, as well as prepare for the unexpected on both sides of the ball in this game.

Ohio State won easily in its season opener against Bowling Green, and was able to move past a sluggish first half to defeat Tulsa convincingly in week two. While Tulsa never truly put a scare into the Buckeyes, the fact that Ohio State had to adjust and overcome some adversity against an opponent is a building block for such a young and inexperienced team. I think this one will come down to the wire, but I am thinking the hero of this one is going to be Ohio State PK Tyler Durbin, the walk-on of whom Coach Meyer has jokingly suggested that Meyer does not even know his name. It could be up to Durbin to win it for the Buckeyes, which makes me think Coach Meyer would certainly know him from that point on. I have it Ohio State 27, Oklahoma 24.



The post Buckeyes Get Major Test ‘Sooner’ In Week 3 Of 2016 Season appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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What Do You Want To See? Oklahoma
Scott via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

It’s the game we have been waiting for since OSU’s schedule came out. Ohio State at Oklahoma.
Should be a fun one.
Early on, “experts” were predicting a Sooner romp. Not so sure now.
I want to see a good effort by OSU, win or lose.
But what else do I and the rest of the staff want to see?
Read on …..

Scott

A win: This is it for the week as far as game flow. I don’t care how. Just win.

Health: No major injuries.

Chip

Good start: The offense cannot be sluggish at the onset against Oklahoma as it was against Tulsa or Ohio State will lose.

Stop the run: Ohio State’s run defense is going to be tested, especially the interior. Need to avoid being in second or third and short yardage.

Let J.T. Rest: Avoiding running J.T. Barrett too much against Oklahoma. I’m fearful of an injury that could derail Ohio State’s season.

Use Curtis right: Figuring out what matchup will be best for Curtis Samuel. It took until the second half against Tulsa.

WVa

Defense, defense, defense: Keep laying the wood and smack them in the mouth early. Big 12 offenses don’t typically do well against faster teams and the Buckeyes have the best speed in the secondary they’ll see.

Mix it up: Take risks on offense but mix it up. Oklahoma already knows who, Buckeyes just need to get it to the others. Multiple touches for five different players besides J.T. and Samuel should do the trick.

Don’t get cocky: We are starting to see some swagger out of the defense unlike we have ever seen. Keeping that from going super cocky where mistakes begin to happen is crucial

Mike Meals

Pressure Baker Mayfield: Coming into this season, everyone wanted to talk about how great of a QB he is (he’s good, don’t get me wrong), but when he is rattled, he’s not nearly as good.

Stop the OU rushing attack: Both of OU’s top RBs are good. We need to show the world that the Silver Bullets can take not just one player out of the game, but they shut down an entire explosive offense.

Have fun: Last season, the Buckeyes tried to be all business during games, and I am all for that, but have fun. Show some swagger. Show some emotion. This is a young team, and they need to have fun. That’s what will carry them to a W this week, being “in” the game, and letting it all hang out.

JC

Good job Mr. Meals: Mike is on target … rattle Mayfield and focus on the running attack. This weekend the “D” must step up. The Buckeyes have a “real” game this week … undoubtedly Urban and crew will step up and assure this young team is ready.

Shine on J.T.: On offense JT needs to be on spot. Mike Weber, too, needs to show his salt. Samuel, I am confident will shine.

A win: I feel the Buckeyes will show step up to the challenge. I look forward to Saturday.

Ben

Shut down D: I want to see the defense continue to shut down opposing offenses. The fact that we shut down Bowling Green and Tulsa, who are notoriously high profile offenses, to only field goals speaks volumes about where this defense is. We need to pressure Baker Mayfield and make sure he stays in the pocket, as when he gets outside of it he is a dangerous playmaker. Bottle up the running back duo of Mixon and Perine and limit their big plays.

Better start: On offense we need to see a more fluid game plan than what we saw last week. The first half was hard to watch offensively and a start like that against Oklahoma could spell trouble from the outset. Barrett needs to get going early and find some throws down field to open up the run game for Weber and Samuel. A solid day on offense should be enough to walk out of Norman with a win.

Brandon

WR who?: I want to see a wide receiver step up and have a major impact in the game. Up until this week, the Buckeyes have done a good job of rotating players in at the WR position. This week, I want to see them settle on Noah Brown and Parris Campbell as their every down wide receiver … for the most part. Give Brown and Campbell a chance to take some pressure off of Samuel and Dontre Wilson in the receiving game.

Go deep J.T.: Barrett needs to throw the ball down field early and often. Oklahoma (and every B12 team) has major problems stopping the pass. The sooners have been killed time and time again with the throws downfield. Houston threw for 321 yards. ULM threw for 272 yards. I want Barrett throwing for 400+.

Dominant D: Don’t just stop the run, I want them in Baker Mayfield’s face every single time he drops back. Hit him in the mouth and make him feel very uncomfortable. If you rattle Mayfield, he will make mistakes.

The post What Do You Want To See? Oklahoma appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Ohio State offers another top ATH
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes may have their biggest game of the season this weekend, but recruiting efforts never give way.

Tomorrow's game is easily one of the most anticipated games of the entire Ohio State season. With two high profile teams going head to head this early in the season, the recruits on hand and the trash talk that was said yesterday by an Oklahoma backup quarterback, this match up feels like a playoff atmosphere – with playoff implications. The Buckeyes will not only look to impress their fans, but the eyes of several recruits in attendance for this contest.

Bucks offer 4-star ATH


When it comes to recruiting the "athlete" position, Ohio State has struck gold more times than not. Yesterday, Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes reached out to a 2018 four-star athlete from the Lone Star State to dish out their latest scholarship offer.

Joshua Moore (Yoakum, TX / Yoakum) announced publicly via his Twitter account that THE Ohio State was the latest to throw their hat into the ring of scholarship offers.


Racking up his tally of offers to 30, Moore ranked out as the 13th best receiver in the 2018 class and the ninth best prospect at any position in Texas for 2018. Standing at 6-foot-1, 170 pounds, Moore has the frame for an outside receiver but will look to get his weight up to be a true deep threat with the physicality to take on any defensive back.

As of right now, Texas leads the way followed by Oklahoma for the 247sports crystal ball predictions, but with Ohio State now in the running, anything is possible. Look for Urban Meyer and staff to get Moore on campus in the future for a visit before the recruitment really takes off.

Lindsey - Martell dup back in action


The nation's top ranked high school program has been connected to Ohio State for the better part of a year. Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, Nev. plays host to several top recruits in the country. The Buckeyes proudly boast three of those prized recruit commitments in Tyjon Lindsey, Tate Martell and Haskell Garrett.

Offensively, Tyjon and Tate make a dynamic duo that connects for incredible numbers. At the start of the 2016 season, it was believed that Tyjon was going to be heading back to his home state of California and returning to his hometown prep school. However, with some mishaps in transfer rules, etc. Tyjon was left to head back to Bishop Gorman and his top ranked team to finish his prep career before heading to Columbus.

On Wednesday, teammate Tate made it known that while Tyjon had not yet been allowed to compete for Gorman, everything was cleared to go and Lindsey would be set and ready to get back onto the field for his national top ranked team.


This couldn't come at a better time for Bishop Gorman as they are soon set to face Florida power St. Thomas Aquinas – and of course yet another five-star Buckeye commit, Trevon Grimes.

Woodbey still high on OSU


It's been covered time and time again: Ohio State's graphic design team for the football department is easily one of the best in the country. Their weekly graphics and videos leave recruits and fans speechless on their abilities. Once again, a top ranked recruit the Buckeyes are going hard after expressed his pleasure with the graphic design team by displaying some of the social media "love" he was given.


Jaiden Woodbey (Upland, CA /St. John Bosco) is not a new name to Ohio State recruiting fans, as he has tried to plan several visits to Columbus to see what the Buckeyes have to offer. Unfortunately for both sides, the trips have fallen through each time. The nation's third best safety overall and third best prospect from California in 2018 is a target Ohio State has made clear they are recruiting very heavily. Both sides will eventually meet up in the future as a trip to Ohio State seems inevitable for Woodbey.

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Bulldogs push past Buckeyes - Athens Messenger (registration)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Bulldogs push past Buckeyes
Athens Messenger (registration)
The Buckeyes (5-6, 4-2 Tri-Valley Conference Ohio Division) were trying to spring and upset, and tie Athens (8-2, 5-0 TVC) in the league standings. N-Y came out and led 13-8 in the first set, as well as 21-18 in the second set. The Bucks played well ...


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How the Sooners and Buckeyes become preeminent recruiters - Tulsa World
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


How the Sooners and Buckeyes become preeminent recruiters
Tulsa World
14 Oklahoma this weekend, the Buckeyes won't be the only visitors from out of town making the trip to Norman. The Sooners plan to turn Saturday's game into one of their biggest recruiting weekends in years with prospects from seven different states ...
Hating on bulletin board material and flat-brimmed hats: Ohio State football radio show wrapupcleveland.com
Urban Meyer found his next great playmaker Curtis SamuelSporting News
BH: Deep thoughts | Road worriers?247Sports
Las Vegas Review-Journal (blog) -Toledo Blade -Land-Grant Holy Land
all 12 news articles »

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River Valley welcomes Buckeyes - Daily Sentinel
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


River Valley welcomes Buckeyes
Daily Sentinel
The Buckeyes' schedule has been anything but easy so far, as the Orange and Brown defeated three-time reigning TVC Hocking champion Trimble, and then lost to Newark Catholic and Liberty Center, who are ranked sixth and second in the AP Division VI ...

and more »

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Buckeyes Looking To Add More "Juice" - Scout
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes Looking To Add More "Juice"
Scout
Following an impressive summer camp appearance at Ohio State, junior lineman Fredrick Scruggs has been on the radar of the Buckeye coaching staff. Earlier this week Ohio State issued an offer to Scruggs, affectionately known as "Juice" to his friends ...

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Steven M. Sipple: Everyone's chasing Buckeyes. How far behind are Huskers? - Lincoln Journal Star
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Steven M. Sipple: Everyone's chasing Buckeyes. How far behind are Huskers?
Lincoln Journal Star
Steven, a lifelong Nebraskan, newspaper enthusiast and UNL grad, joined the Journal Star in 1990 and has covered NU football since 1995. Follow Steven M. Sipple | Lincoln Journal Star. Close ...


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River Valley welcomes Buckeyes - Point Pleasant Register
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


River Valley welcomes Buckeyes
Point Pleasant Register
The Buckeyes' schedule has been anything but easy so far, as the Orange and Brown defeated three-time reigning TVC Hocking champion Trimble, and then lost to Newark Catholic and Liberty Center, who are ranked sixth and second in the AP Division VI ...

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Sooners backup QB Austin Kendall: Ohio State's defense 'very basic' - ESPN
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Sooners backup QB Austin Kendall: Ohio State's defense 'very basic'
ESPN
Have fun with the Buckeyes "Basic D" pic.twitter.com/Ci1WhFFxFP. — Brandon Zimmerman (@bzimmerman9) September 14, 2016. Kendall's remarks quickly drew the attention of Buckeyes players on social media, including defensive end Sam Hubbard and ...
Ohio State vs. Oklahoma 2016 odds: Buckeyes betting favorite, even on the roadSB Nation
Ohio State Buckeyes showing depth at wide receiverMyDaytonDailyNews
Ohio State football | Oklahoma backup QB: Sooners 'will light up' Buckeyes' defenseColumbus Dispatch
UPI.com -WKYC-TV
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Sooner backup QB says Baker Mayfield will 'light up' Buckeyes' 'really basic defense' - NBCSports.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Sooner backup QB says Baker Mayfield will 'light up' Buckeyes' 'really basic defense'
NBCSports.com
Ohio State may not necessarily need bulletin-board material for their upcoming game, but, if they do, one member of the opposition has provided it. No. 3 OSU will travel to Norman Saturday to take on No. 14 Oklahoma in one of the most highly ...

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OU football: Sooners, Buckeyes share a similar glorious history - NewsOK.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


OU football: Sooners, Buckeyes share a similar glorious history
NewsOK.com
But when the Buckeyes and Sooners meet Saturday night in Norman, they will have much more in common than just consistent excellence. Their histories, in terms of team and individual accolades, are actually quite similar. Here's a comparison of OU and ...

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Ohio State Releases Oklahoma Hype Video
Shannon Sommers via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Ohio State Football has released their weekly hype video. The Buckeyes have their attention set on their Saturday night matchup against Oklahoma Sooners in Norman Oklahoma.

Go Bucks!!!










The post Ohio State Releases Oklahoma Hype Video appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Urban Meyer pleased with strong start by Ohio State’s secondary
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


After losing 3 starters from last year, it’s hard to find fault with 7 interceptions through 2 games.

“Did I think Malik Hooker would be playing at the level he’s at? I wouldn’t be telling you the truth. At this level? I thought he’d be a very good player for us and grow into that position. He’s growing real fast - same with [safety] Damon Webb.”

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer via Nicholas Piotrowicz, The Toledo Blade


It’s hard to blame Urban Meyer if he had concerns about the secondary heading into this year after losing Eli Apple, Vonn Bell, and Tyvis Powell. Through two games Meyer has been able to breathe a little easier since the Buckeyes in the defensive backfield have exceeded expectations. Malik Hooker has intercepted three passes, which is tied for the NCAA lead, and Marshon Lattimore was just named Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week for his two interception performance against Tulsa.

So far Ohio State’s defense hasn’t given up an offense touchdown and a lot of that is due to the work of the secondary. Meyer knew there was plenty of talent with the new starters, he just wasn’t sure how long it would take for those players to put it all together. This marks the first time in school history that Ohio State has intercepted seven passes through their first two games. Now Meyer is hoping the secondary can continue their hot play as they’ll travel to Oklahoma and be tasked with trying to shutdown Heisman Trophy candidate Baker Mayfield and the rest of the Sooner offense.

“It’s a great situation. We have a lot of depth right now. They’re all performing at a high level. We’re just going to rep them and rotate them until they separate themselves. I’m playing 10 guys right now, which is kind of unheard of, but it’s a great problem to have.”

Ohio State wide receivers coach Zach Smith via David Jablonski, Dayton Daily News


Coming into this season one of the biggest question marks about this Ohio State team was who was going to step up at wide receiver. So far the Buckeyes have had plenty of players trying to make their mark in the passing game, with 11 players having caught at least one pass through two games. Six of those players hadn’t caught a pass coming into this season. With so many players making plays, wide receivers coach Zach Smith is riding the wave until some of the receivers separate themselves from the rest of the group.

One player who has done just that so far is h-back Curtis Samuel, who already has caught 14 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns. The junior is also getting it done on the ground as well, rushing for 162 yards in two games. Samuel is on pace for 2,406 total yards, which would fall just short of Keith Byars school record. Wide receivers Noah Brown and Terry McLaurin have each caught four passes, and if the Buckeyes continue to get contributions from guys such as K.J. Hill and Parris Campbell their offense will be tough to slow down.

“I feel way more involved. I feel my role every week is huge. I prepare different. I practice different. I do everything different than I have in the past because I play a lot more plays.”

Ohio State h-back Dontre Wilson via Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch


This Dontre Wilson is what Ohio State fans were expecting to see when he came to the Buckeyes as a four-star recruit from Texas. After having to deal with numerous injuries throughout most of his Ohio State career, Wilson is finally healthy, and has put up big numbers in the first two games of the year. Wilson is averaging 10 yards per touch and has already scored three touchdowns. Now the Buckeyes are going to need Wilson to continue to roll up numbers like that this weekend when they head to Oklahoma for a showdown with the Sooners.

Wilson might have a little extra pep in his step on Saturday night since his hometown of DeSoto, Texas is just a three-hour drive from Norman, so he’ll have some family and friends in attendance. So far this year, Wilson and Curtis Samuel are creating a lethal combination at h-back, which defenses haven’t found a way to stop. As a senior, Wilson is one of the elder statesmen of the Ohio State offense and he’s just hoping to stay injury-free and help Ohio State take home another championship this season. While Wilson’s breakthrough for the Buckeyes is coming later than most expected, at least it is better than not coming at all.

“Meyer’s young Buckeyes will take on Bob Stoops’ No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners in Norman on Saturday, a battle between two of the most consistent winners in college football. The schools have combined for 55 top-five finishes (OU 30, OSU 25) and the two coaches have combined for 13 (Meyer seven, Stoops six).”

Bill Connelly, SB Nation


At this point people don’t need to be told just how important Saturday night’s clash between Ohio State and Oklahoma will be in terms of the national title picture, but what will end up deciding the game? With the talent both teams will have playing on Saturday, there isn’t a lot of room for error for either team. If Ohio State has any designs on winning on the road, they’ll have to run the ball with more efficiency than they did against Tulsa. The Buckeyes will need more from Mike Weber, as the redshirt freshman will be going up against the tough defense he has faced in his young career. Even though Houston was able to take down Oklahoma, most of their damage was through the air, as the Sooners were able to bottle up the Cougars rushing attack. An x-factor for Ohio State could be h-back Curtis Samuel, who can not only run the football, but also can catch it out of the backfield if the running game isn’t working.

With Oklahoma having Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon in the backfield, it’s a bit of a surprise they don’t utilize the rushing game that much. With Ohio State’s youth on the defensive line, this might be a prime opportunity for the Sooners to unleash their rushing attack. At least for the Sooners if they are going to look to pass more, they have a quarterback like Baker Mayfield to lean on.

The final key which could decide the game will be field position. If Oklahoma forces Ohio State to punt at least the Buckeyes have a weapon like punter Cam Johnston to try and pin the Sooners deep in their own territory. The Buckeyes can’t afford to give Oklahoma a short field, because the Sooners are too talented not to capitalize. No matter what the outcome ends up being in this game, fans should be in for a treat when they settle in to watch on Saturday night.

STICK TO SPORTS

• The owners of 16-Bit have a new bar opening downtown tomorrow.
• Today is Free Queso Day at Moe’s Southwest Grill.
• Looking for a job? Chipotle is aiming to hire 5,000 workers later this month.
• If you’re in Brooklyn this weekend, go get a drink from Bill Murray.

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Week 3 Big Ten previews: Buckeyes-Sooners, Spartans-Irish, Huskers-Ducks ... oh my! - Comcast SportsNet Chicago
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Week 3 Big Ten previews: Buckeyes-Sooners, Spartans-Irish, Huskers-Ducks ... oh my!
Comcast SportsNet Chicago
The Buckeyes have looked pretty flawless in their first two games of the season. Yes, the offense started slow against Tulsa, but a pair of pick sixes (Ohio State's defense has seven picks and three pick sixes this season) jolted the team awake, the ...
Former Ohio State stars have differing views on Buckeyes so far247Sports
Three Questions For The Ohio State BuckeyesBT Powerhouse (blog)
B1G awards race tracker: Ohio State claims top spots after two weeksESPN (blog)

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Ohio State’s hype video for the Oklahoma game is here, and it’s awesome
Harry Lyles Jr. via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Is it Saturday yet?


The biggest non-conference game of the Ohio State season is this Saturday, when the Bucks take on the Oklahoma Sooners in Norman.

The Buckeyes and Sooners are two of the most storied franchises in the history of college football, and come into this week ranked No. 4 and No. 14 respectively in the AP Poll. The two teams have faced off twice, with one win apiece. The last one went to the Buckeyes back in 1983.

The Ohio State defense looks to replicate what have been a promising first two weeks of the season against an Oklahoma offense led by Baker Mayfield at quarterback. If they’re able to do so along with a resurgence from the Buckeye offense, it could be a fun Saturday for the scarlet and gray. This video certainly has us on the edge of our seats, ready for that opening kickoff.

Go Bucks.

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Scarlet and Gray Drive Time Re-Wind: Non-Rev, Heard Around the SHOE, Fox TV Promo
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!






@ohiostatescott pulls no punches with NCAA



@Jcollingsworth3 latest Non-Rev covers men’s Rugby



@Jcollingsworth3 gives Harbaugh some pub



@BuckeyeBVO latest #HeardAroundTheSHOE





@bzimmerman9 brings it in this One Moment in Time



@smsommers84 @ChipMinnich cut loose in this weeks @MotSaGPodcast



@BuckeyeBVO brings Foxs pitch for the titanic struggle in Norman on Saturday evening







The post Scarlet and Gray Drive Time Re-Wind: Non-Rev, Heard Around the SHOE, Fox TV Promo appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Ohio State men's basketball | Buckeyes offer scholarship to five-star point guard for 2018 - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State men's basketball | Buckeyes offer scholarship to five-star point guard for 2018
Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State has three verbal commitments for its class of 2018, but that hasn't stopped the Buckeyes from looking for more. Five-star point guard prospect Darius Garland has now been offered a scholarship from Ohio State. The 5-11, 145-pound Garland ...
Recruiting Notebook: Ohio State Offers 5-Star 2018 PG Darius GarlandEleven Warriors

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Badgers looking to shut down Lindsay Agnew, Buckeyes - The Daily Cardinal
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Badgers looking to shut down Lindsay Agnew, Buckeyes
The Daily Cardinal
The Buckeyes had many chances to score and even outshot the Cougars, but BYU goaltender Hannah Clark proved too much to handle. The Badgers had a similar loss to No.1 Stanford earlier in the season, so it will be interesting to see how these two teams ...


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Big plays and red zone success will determine Ohio State vs. Oklahoma
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 Buckeyes will need big passes and a stout red zone defense to beat the Sooners.

This is the big one we've been waiting for. The Buckeyes have looked incredible through two games, beating Oklahoma warm-ups Bowling Green and Tulsa by a combined 125-13 margin. But Oklahoma has far more talent on both sides of the ball than either team and will be Ohio State's biggest test until Michigan State this season. The Sooners may have lost to Houston in week one, but that did nothing to diminish their chances against the Buckeyes this week.

Avg Team Talent Turnover Margin Net Explosiveness (10+) Net Explosiveness (20+) Off IsoPPP
Ohio State 91.42 (2) +7 23 11 1.2 (84)
Oklahoma 87.73 (18) -1 -1 4 1.3 (53)

Starting this week, and assuming it's actually useful, I thought I'd start noting three basic statistics: team talent, turnover margin, and net explosiveness.

Average team talent is from the 247 Composite average team talent rating and is esentially how talented the average player is on each team. So this season, the average player on Ohio State's roster has a 91.42 247 Composite rating. I ran a regression between 2015 average team talent and F/+, and average team talent explained roughly 41% of the variance in final F/+ rankings.

The other metrics -- turnover margin and explosiveness -- come from one of Tom Herman's analyses of his teams' victories (going back to his OSU days too): If a team wins the turnover battle and has more explosive plays than the other team then they win 98% of the time. So I just use basic, non-opponent adjusted data here to roughly capture those ideas.

I added the 10+ and 20+ net explosiveness metrics because IsoPPP measures how explosive successful plays are, meaning that a team (like Ohio State so far this season) can have a ton of small explosive plays (between 10-19 yards) but they don't have very many big explosive plays (20+ yard breakaway runs or long bombs). The numbers in parentheses are the rankings.

So what can we get out of this brief, top-level comparison?

• Both Ohio State and Oklahoma are among the top 20 most talented teams in the country. But there's a definite difference here. The average Ohio State player is rated nearly four points higher than the average Oklahoma player. This is actually a fairly large difference according to the normalized talent data -- Ohio State's average talent is an entire standard deviation above Oklahoma's (2.07 to 1.08).
• Oklahoma is -1 in turnover margin this year, largely due to not recording an interception yet (or throwing any, for that matter).
• Looking at explosiveness, Oklahoma has given up the 94th-most 10+ yard plays through two games, which is why their net explosiveness is -1 in that category too. Ohio State's offense doesn't look very explosive looking at 20+ yard plays (on the ground, especially), but they've been very explosive in the 10-19 yard range. If these trends continue then Ohio State should be well positioned to move the ball in 10+ yard chunks. The lack of 20+ yard plays accounts for Ohio State's poor IsoPPP ranking.
• Overall, the picture here is that Ohio State is more talented by a fairly wide margin, has been far more productive generating defensive turnovers than Oklahoma, and has a significant advantage in the short-explosive play range.

When Ohio State has the ball

S&P+ Rush success rate Rush IsoPPP Pass success rate Pass IsoPPP Avg FP Finishing Drives
Ohio State 14 3 97 59 23 40 2
Oklahoma 61 3 120 99 71 67 76

• Oklahoma's key is simple: shut down the Ohio State run game and force J.T. to be efficient passing. Oklahoma held their first two opponents -- Houston and UL-Monroe -- to an average of 2.42 rushing yards per play. That's... not great, especially when Houston's run game is extremely similar to Ohio State's (though it's worth noting that Houston is 120th in rushing success rate even after playing Lamar last week). So maybe the most critical thing to watch early in the game is how efficient Mike Weber, J.T., and Curtis Samuel are running the ball. In tight games the Ohio State offensive staff has a tendency to get clamp down on play diversity, often reverting to heavy quarterback running. If Weber is inefficient and passing downs are increasingly in the 3-and-7+ range, then that's a definite problem for Ohio State. The key metrics here are: Weber/Samuel's rushing success rate, the team's overall rushing opportunity rate (% 5+ yard rushes), and the average distance on third downs.
• The most optimistic metrics for the Buckeyes' run game are opportunity rate, power success rate, and stuff rate, where the Buckeyes are ranked third, first, and first. Oklahoma's defense is 6th, 48th, and 12th. This means that the OSU offensive line consistently gets a great push, hardly ever allows negative plays, and wins third-and-short consistently (they haven't lost a third-and-short run yet this season). That OU's defense is ranked markedly lower on power success rate suggests that the Buckeye offensive line might eventually get a solid push against the Sooners front. If that happens, then it might not be until later in the game.
• Another interesting thing to follow will be the number of explosive runs the offense can generate. As we've said before, the Buckeyes excel in short explosive plays but hasn't hit many big runs yet. OU may be rated 120th in rushing IsoPPP, but they've still allowed just a total of 167 rushing yards this season, so even the few big runs they've allowed weren't that big. There's not too much data to suggest this is the game where the Ohio State run game will finally break the long touchdown run.
• Worse case scenario -- the Ohio State rushing success rate falls under 40% and the offense faces repeated third-and-longs -- the Buckeyes still might find some success. The Sooners have allowed a 45% passing success rate, which is just 99th in the country so far. Houston's Greg Ward Jr. and Lamar's quarterback were able to average 7.7 yards per attempt.
• Oklahoma doesn't generate a ton of pressure, ranked 61st in havoc rate and not recording a sack yet on standard downs. If the line has time, then it's fair to think there should be opportunities for big plays. Oklahoma has allowed 18 passes of 15+ yards so far and rank 99th in passing downs IsoPPP. This is surprising, because it means that Oklahoma allows big plays on passing downs even though they shut down the run and are extremely efficient on standard downs (11th!). Even in the worst case scenario above, then you could see big plays on passing downs despite fairly low efficiency on the ground and on standard downs. This isn't the way Ohio State wants to play though.
• Finally, one of the largest margins for Ohio State in the advanced stats is in finishing drives. The Buckeyes are second in finising drives (the bigger concern may really be avoiding three-and-outs) and Oklahoma is 76th, allowing an average of five points per opponent trip inside the 40.

Overall, the Buckeyes should find some success with big passing plays, might struggle to run the ball on standard downs, and should turn most scoring opportunities into touchdowns. If those advantages don't happen or the offense turns the ball over, then all bets are off.


When Oklahoma has the ball

S&P+ Rush success rate RushIsoPPP Pass success rate Pass IsoPPP Avg FP Finishing Drives
Ohio State 19 30 29 28 15 17 4
Oklahoma 1 17 40 13 80 76 39

• Something very strange happened in the Sooners' loss to Houston -- Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon, two of the best running backs in the country, had a combined 12 carries. That's astounding. It wasn't because they were ineffective, either -- they just didn't get the ball, similar to early last season. Expect that to change against Ohio State, as the Sooners are the 17th-most efficient running team in the country. The offensive line does a great job, producing five-yard runs on 46% of rushing attempts. They don't win every battle in short yardage situations, going 67% in third or fourth down and two yards or less, but in general they help lead an extremely efficient offense.
• That efficiency extends to the passing game as well, ranking 13th in success rate but just 80th in IsoPPP. Oklahoma's wide receivers fill two distinct roles. Dede Westbrook is the go-to option, easily leading the team in target percentage (25%) but with a relatively low average yards per catch (8.6). Sophomore Mark Andrews is the big-play option, averaging an insane 30.8 yards per catch, but getting just 8.8% of targets.
• The issue for Ohio State will be in containing all of Oklahoma's options, because any part of their offense has high efficiency potential. The Sooners can turn from Perine to Mixon to Westbrook and get a high degree of reliability. Throw in a target to Mark Andrews for the occasional explosive pass and the unknown factor of Baker Mayfield running the ball and it's clear why the Sooners are the top S&P+ offense in the country right now. That means that Ohio State's defense can't afford to let the run game get going. If the Sooners' rushing success rate gets above 45% then that's a big problem. Mayfield has only run 9 times for 17 yards so far this season, but he has immense scrambling ability even if he's been contained so far. Ohio State's defense, as good as its been this season, hasn't had to also deal with the threat of a mobile quarterback yet.
• So far those numbers are fairly challenging for the Buckeye defense, but there are some good signs. First, the defense should at least make the Sooners drive the length of the field due to poor average starting field position for the Sooners offense. Second, if they do drive the length of the field, they haven't been the best in the red zone, ranking just 39th. A few scoring opportunities that end in field goals instead of touchdowns could be the difference in the game. Finally, the offensive line allows a high percentage of negative plays -- nearly 19% of rushes are stuffed (68th) and they are 105th and 119th in standard and passing downs sack rates. The Buckeyes defense has generated pressure, but didn't have too much success actually getting to the quarterback so far against Tulsa and Bowling Green.

If Oklahoma maintains a high level of offensive efficiency and Ohio State's defense isn't able to create negative plays or turnovers, then this could easily turn in to a shootout. The best chance Oklahoma has to win is by shutting down the run game, for J.T. Barrett to turn in an off day and throw a few interceptions, and for the defense to both not get pressure or force turnovers.

Also, as you'll see below, the metrics really don't like Ohio State in this game, with S&P+ giving Oklahoma a 61% win expectancy. Its important to note that the metrics are still (very) largely dependent on preseason projections -- and Ohio State has beaten the projections in both games this season. That same caveat applies to all of the metrics above, too -- there's just not a ton of data yet.

The 4 most important stats

• Finishing drives -- on both offense and defense
• Offensive rushing success rate
• Generating explosive passing plays
• The defense must generate either sacks or turnovers -- but at least one

Picks


F/+: Oklahoma by 7.6
S&P+: Oklahoma 38, Ohio State 33 (61% probability)
My Pick: Ohio State 41, Oklahoma 31

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Buckeyes' QB recalls classic 1977 Oklahoma clash - Richland Source
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes' QB recalls classic 1977 Oklahoma clash
Richland Source
On Saturday night the third-ranked Buckeyes travel to No. 14 Oklahoma. Rod Gerald, Ohio State's starting quarterback in 1976 and 1977, knows that passion well. He was the starter on Sept. 24, 1977, when Ohio State lost a 29-28 decision to the Sooners ...

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Beyond Buckeye Lines: Midnight Yelling with The 12th Man
Mike Meals via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


We have a very special guest with us this week, as we go Behind Buckeye Lines. This week, my guest is former Texas A&M All American Defensive Back and #1 pick Sammy Davis. Sammy was the #1 ranked defensive back in the state of Texas going into his senior year (1998) at Humble (TX) High School, where he was also teammates with Ohio State legend David Boston.

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The Life of a Big Time College Recruit

Sammy and I had a good chat reminiscing about his college recruitment and playing days. Sammy stepped on campus in College Station the fall after the John Cooper-led Buckeyes took down A&M in the Sugar Bowl, 24-14. When asked about that game, Sammy told me he actually watched it while taking his recruiting visit to Michigan. I can only imagine how that night would play out in Ann Arbor, because I am sure the locals just loved it.

I had to ask if that was the game that really opened his eyes to Ohio State. While it did, what really made him like and respect the Buckeye program was actually his former teammate David Boston catching the game winning touchdown pass in the 1997 Rose Bowl. Having that connection to the team helped bring the Buckeyes on his radar. When asked for his opinion of the Buckeyes, Davis mentioned that he and a lot of A&M fans have a lot of respect for Ohio State based on the understanding of the traditions and history of both programs.

Texas A&M Today

Looking at the current standing of Texas A&M football, we discussed both the Prairie View and UCLA games. Davis knew the UCLA game would be tougher, especially with UCLA’s quarterback being an experienced and improved player. Sammy said he fully expected the Aggies to win, but he, as a former player, understood the comment about the noise. He says it makes sense, “…after so much, so many people, loud noise is loud noise. But as Aggie fans, of course we are going to take that as a sign of disrespect”. And the 12th Man did, making sure Josh Rosen (UCLA QB) heard from them. It really did remind me of the way the Block O student section in Ohio Stadium would react if they were slighted.

Davis did point something out to me that I had never really thought about, regarding the scheduling of the “cupcakes” that so many teams do. At a big program like OSU, A&M, etc., these games serve as a way to not only get an easy win, but also as a glorified scrimmage. It allows teams to work on things from the first big game and all of fall practice that they would not be able to do otherwise.

As far as storylines at A&M the Aggie faithful are watching this year goes, Davis’ main concern was the continued improvement of starting quarterback (and Oklahoma transfer) Trevor Knight. Knight is one of the few quarterbacks in college football who has actually beat Alabama. The Aggies are really counting on him to lead the team, and not just have beaten Alabama in the past, but to do it again this year. The other big story line is how the Aggie defense continues to grow and get better under 2nd year Defensive Coordinator John Chavis. Davis thinks the defensive will continue to grow this year, be stronger against the SEC opposition week in and week out, and really help develop star defensive end Myles Garrett.

The Aggies travel to Auburn this week, in a tough SEC opener in a hostile environment. The Tigers nearly upset #2 Clemson the first week of the season, and A&M knows they will be tough. When asked for a prediction, Sammy tells me that he “will always pick A&M, no matter who we play. It could be Ohio State, and I am picking A&M”. But he also thinks the Aggies will click on both sides of the ball, against what feels like a slightly lesser opponent, and A&M wins 35-17.

The Big 12

I did ask a couple questions about the Big 12 also, seeing as how Davis is an alumnus from a Big 12 school. Davis mentioned that the Big 12 has struggled a lot the last few years, as everyone else knows. But I was surprised to learn about the amount of respect Davis has for Texas and Coach Strong. He loves what he is seeing Strong do in Austin, and thinks they have made the turn. In fact, he says that if UT doesn’t win the Big 12 this year, it will next year. Davis also tells me, as a warning to Buckeye fans, that Norman is no joke of a location to go play. Even with Stoops having the Big Game reputation he has now, the Sooners will be ready to play and it will be a tough place to go into.

As many of you know, I am a big supporter of the University of Houston joining the Big 12. I asked Davis about that and what his thoughts were. He, like myself, is a big supporter of it also. He knows that UH getting in will help keep the Houston talent home, and actually make the Coogs tougher, since kids won’t have to leave home to play big time college football. Davis even mentioned to me that had UH been in a Power 5 when he was in high school, he would have looked at them harder than he did, since he wanted to stay close to home and enable his family to be a part of his student-athlete career.

Perceptions of Ohio State and the B1G

I like to get an outsider’s view on Ohio State and the B1G. I want to show our fans what others think not just of the Buckeyes, but also the Big Ten. As mentioned above, Davis thinks A&M fans have a lot of respect for the Buckeye program, at least a lot more than the rest of the SEC. A&M prides itself on the traditions of the program, from midnight yell to who can say “whoop” on campus. As a program steep in tradition, they understand and respect the traditions of the Buckeyes, they just may not be fans of the program. Personally, this writer loves that, as a big time fan of college football history. That is what makes this sport special and great.

For the B1G, most of the people Davis knows views it like a lot of us do too. There are 2 programs, OSU/UM, that run the conference, and a couple who are the next step down. Although Davis was quick to point out that MSU has made a lot of noise, and people are taking notice of that. And, he has bought into the thought that the SEC is the number one conference in the country. I had to interject that, as we all know, after Alabama, they are no better off than the B1G is.

When pressed for a B1G champ this year, Davis said he thought UM would win if The Game was played in Ann Arbor, but since it is in Columbus, he thinks it’s really a toss-up (even though later he hinted that OSU would win, I’ll get to that.)

Davis is a big fan of J.T. Barrett, he really likes the way our Wichita Falls Texas product plays ball. Like many of us, he is glad that Urban is playing just with one QB this year. Davis was also very high on Urban Meyer. He says “Any coach who can win multiple national championships and beat Alabama along the way? Clearly he’s a good coach and deserves the awards and recognition. And any coach who can get Tim Tebow drafted? Clearly he is a miracle worker.”

Would You Rather:

Would you rather face OSU or UM this year in the playoff? “Michigan” – I think this means he knows A&M could beat UM easier than OSU

Would you rather face Ohio State or UM in the regular season? “OSU”

Predictions

What should Buckeye fans expect out of A&M? “The defense continues to improve. Expect big things from Myles Garrett, and watch out for the development of Knight with his wideouts”

What should Buckeye fans expect from OU? “It’s going to be a good game. OSU isn’t going to be able to go into Norman and walk over OU. This is a big task for both teams, and OU knows they need to win if they want to get back into the playoff talk, this is their make-or-break game. But OSU will win the game.”

Who wins the B1G this year? OSU

Who wins the SEC? “Alabama is the team to beat, they are always out in front of the SEC. It’s going to come down to 2 or 3 teams, being able to beat Alabama, making the right plays. It won’t be LSU, I know that though.”

Who are the playoff teams this year? A&M (total homer pick), Alabama, Ohio State, and Clemson. He doesn’t think FSU is ready, especially with their QB play so far this season.

Who wins the Heisman? “Myles Garrett, first defensive player since Woodson” This was said with a laugh, but also some seriousness in his voice.

Wrap Up

First, I have to thank Sammy Davis again for chatting with us here at The Buckeye Battle Cry. Full disclosure, Sammy is a good friend of mine, and is the humblest and most kind person I know. I can tell you from firsthand knowledge, he doesn’t walk around like a former first round NFL pick. Besides being a father, businessman, husband, and good guy, Sammy also gives a lot back to his community. He runs an organization called Leafs of Love, a non-profit that donates turkey dinners to members of the Houston community at Thanksgiving. He has done this for the last 5 years in the Humble area. His group also does skills camps for the youth in inner cities to help develop skills in football, which could allow them to go to college and better themselves. Here is a great little piece from ABC 13, Houston, on Sammy’s program last year in Humble.

If you are interested in helping out Sammy’s programs, or want more information, contact me on twitter or here through the website, and I can help get you in touch with him.



The post Beyond Buckeye Lines: Midnight Yelling with The 12th Man appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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