Looking back at the first time Urban Meyer rained on Michigan State’s parade
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


A one point win in East Lansing, Mich. got Meyer his first win in Big Ten conference play.

After four years in charge as head coach at Ohio State, Urban Meyer has had his share of memorable wins. We already discussed about Meyer’s first win as Buckeye head coach, now let’s look at his first win in Big Ten conference play against Michigan State on Sept. 29, 2012.

Geoff Hammersley
How’d we get here?


Fast forward out of the non-conference schedule in 2012. Meyer got the Buckeyes off to an unsurprising 4-0 start. From laying waste to in-state institution Miami (OH) to shutting down future NFL first rounder quarterback Blake Bortles (and UCF) to upending Cal on the road and UAB at home, this Ohio State team was showing signs that they were leaps and bounds ahead from where they were a year prior.

Standing firmly as the team to beat, the first team in the Big Ten conference to test Meyer and the Buckeyes would be a program (and coach) that Buckeye Nation would come to learn very well over the next four seasons: Mark Dantonio and Michigan State.

Through their first four games, Michigan State played against two top 25 foes. First, they upended then-No. 24 Boise State, 17-13, in East Lansing, Mich. in primetime on opening weekend. However, Sparty was taken to the cleaners by rival Notre Dame, 20-3, a couple weeks later.

A former Buckeye assistant, Dantonio cultivated the Spartans into a program that was well on its way to becoming a contender. In this matchup, No. 20 Michigan State (3-1) met No. 14 Ohio State (4-0) at 3:30 p.m. in Spartan Stadium. This game marked the beginning of a four year – and currently active trend – of watching national championship dreams implode for the loser.

The Spartans were battled tested already


The Fighting Irish were ranked No. 20 at the time of their win against Dantonio’s squad. Remember that Notre Dame team? Manti T’eo was the star on defense, and the Irish wound up in the national championship game at season’s end – before getting obliterated by Alabama.

But that’s not the point.

Michigan State played quality opponents in the non-conference portion of their schedule. In comparison: None of the teams Ohio State faced were in the top 25.

It was the test of the season for the Buckeyes – and an early one at that.

An oddity from the Michigan State game was that, up to that point in the season, Ohio State didn’t play on a true grass field. According to the Ohio State press release leading up to their date with Michigan State, the Buckeyes faired 0-3 in 2011 on grass fields. Granted, the Buckeyes had an interim coach in Luke Fickell, but the playing environment could’ve impacted the game, especially if players weren’t use to what they were running on.

With all of these “statistics”, it seemed as if Michigan State was going to spoil the early success Meyer had at Ohio State . With the scarlet and gray serving time for TattooGate – by being on a one year bowl ban – the undefeated season was all they could have. Michigan State still had a chance to dream about being in the national title picture with only one early season loss.

Remember in the last section where I said that the Spartan-Buckeye matchups over the past four years have ended ambitions for titles? Well, in this case, it was Sparty’s dream of winning a championship that went by the wayside in the 17-16 loss to the Buckeyes.

The one-point win in the state up North was a defining moment for Meyer at Ohio State. This win brought the team together and put them in the mindset that an undefeated season was possible – and was a complete 180-degree turnaround from the abysmal 10-7 loss a year prior in Columbus, Ohio.

Keeping with tradition


Ohio State, since I can remember, has always been considered “Running Back U”. If it wasn’t Eddie George, it was Maurice Clarett. If it wasn’t Clarett, it was Chris “Beanie” Wells.

With Carlos Hyde on this team, Meyer kept the tradition of having a bruising running back at the ready. Against Michigan State, the running attack was the ‘X-factor’, but it wasn’t the strength of rushing that won for the Buckeyes; it was speed.

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Momma, there goes that man: Braxton Miller tallied over half the Buckeyes rushing yards against MSU

In the win, Ohio State collected 21 first downs. Fourteen of those came from running the ball. In comparison: Sparty had a whopping zero first downs from the run game.

As a matter of fact, the running game doomed Michigan State. The Spartans had 22 ground attempts and could only muster a total of 34 yards. That’s an average of 1.5 yards per pop. Meyer’s ground game gobbled up 204 yards on 44 attempts – an average of roughly 4.6 yards per carry.

Braxton Miller led the Buckeyes charge in East Lansing. He was responsible for 136 of the rushing yards and over half (23) of the rushing attempts. On the first play from scrimmage, a 20 yard pick up, you knew that Miller was going to be the crux of the Spartans’ defense.

From this game on, Miller showed that he was the dual-threat quarterback that could wreak havoc on defenses. Like Chris Leak at Florida, Meyer inherited another top-flight QB that could do it all. Also, like with the Gators, Meyer was setting his sights for another championship run.

Fun facts from the game

• Both Meyer and Dantonio were the 24th coach at their respective schools. However, it didn’t really matter who was coaching the Spartans at home when they faced the Buckeyes. From 1992-2012, Ohio State grabbed 6-of-7 in East Lansing. Nick Saban, John L. Smith and Dantonio didn’t have a great answer on how to stop the Buckeyes on home turf (or in this case, grass).
• ESPN College Gameday was at this game! Lee Corso picked the Buckeyes and on top of that, Brent Musberger and Kirk Herbstreit were the ones looking live from Spartan Stadium.

What was happening in college football?

• Johnny Manziel was doing Johnny Manziel things on the football field. Texas A&M coasted past Arkansas, 58-10. The SEC player of the week went 29-of-38, throwing for a videogame-esque 453 yards and three touchdowns. Additionally, the boy wonder ran for 105 yards and another TD. Oh, I forgot to mention: this was pre-Bert times in Little Rock, Ark. This was the era of John L. Smith.
• Michigan had a bye-week after taking an ‘L’ against Notre Dame. Just four weeks into the season, the Wolverines were 2-2. *clapping intensifies *
• No. 2 Oregon was being led by a redshirt freshman named Marcus Mariota. Once again, the Ducks continued to win the day by silencing the Washington State Cougars, 51-26.
• Alabama was continuing to clean up the streets as the No. 1 team in the country. This week, Ole Miss felt the wrath of Saban and the Crimson Tide by getting stampeded 33-14.

Current events around Urban’s first B1G win


Singer Andy Williams passed away. On top of his The Andy Williams Variety Show in the mid-1960s, Williams also had a career as a singer. If you’ve ever walked into a store during Christmas time, you’ve probably heard Williams’ rendition of ‘Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season’ or ‘It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year’. Williams was 84.

• It might’ve seemed like an eternity ago, but the first presidential debate took place between Mitt Romney and incumbent President Barack Obama. Held in Denver, the debate happened four days (Oct. 3) after Meyer got the Buckeyes to a 5-0 start.

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Sunday Morning Coffee: October 07, 1922
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The large man stood at the window of his room that overlooked South High Street, not so far from the State Capital. He had risen early as he always did to run up to the Ohio State University Campus, and around the track of the new stadium, before returning to his room at the ‘Turner House’. The sun was just beginning to rise as he heard the clock behind him strike six.

He felt good. He’d be heading downstairs to the cafeteria soon to assure that he had a good seat for breakfast. Ole Nanna Dayton, an elderly African-American woman who ran the kitchen for the Turner family, was the best cook in these parts. Her pancakes were fluffy, light, and tasted so delightful with the extra sugar and buttermilk that she’d add. The extra thick sliced bacon was always cooked to perfection. It made him smile because he knew he’d always be satisfied whenever he stepped into Nanna’s kitchen. What he needed most of all though was a steaming cup of black coffee with two lumps of sugar.

Harry Steel pulled his sweaty tee shirt off, looking into the mirror next to his bed at his chiseled face. Harry was rapidly making a name for himself with the Ohio State Buckeyes Football team and Coach John Wilce. At six feet and two inches he was one of the bigger men on the team. He played both sides of the ball – defensively he was a tackle that wreaked havoc on the opposition. He loved this part of football. The aggression he often had savoring within him just spewed out in the competition. On the offensive side of the ball he was the center. So Harry endured contact on every play and often had the black and blue marks to show for it too.

The day before had been the opening day for the Buckeyes for the 1922 season, also serving as the first game to ever be played in Ohio Stadium. The seating capacity was numbered at 63,000. As games prior at Ohio Field, holding only 14,000 simply did not suffice the new hunger for football at OSU. But, unbeknownst to all logic, this opening game against Ohio Wesleyan only brought in around 22,000 people to witness a close battle that delivered no touchdowns.

John Wilce had his team prepared, spelling out his plan in his academic and often gentlemanly manner. So what happened? Junior Harry Workman, the quarterback, was an amazing athlete. His running skills were unmatched by anyone on the team. His passing attempts, often not perfect, were always and surprisingly successful. Harry Workman simply had a knack for making it happen. But his four fumbles, part of which was Harry’s fault at center, were lost each time to the eager Ohio Wesleyan defense.

Lloyd Pixley, the senior captain, ended up having the game of his life. He had forced a fumble of the Ohio Wesleyan Quarterback down on their thirty-two. The Buckeyes and Workman though failed to get a first down – only moving it seven yards in three plays. Workman, also the kicker, nailed the three point field goal from twenty-five yards out. The Buckeyes would lead 3-0 in the third.

The game went on with the back and forth grind that it ended up being. Neither the Buckeyes nor Ohio Wesleyan managed any favorable offensive results. Finally with less than three minutes remaining Lloyd Pixley again reappeared. From his defensive end position he hammered the running back and drove him into the end zone for a touch back. The Buckeyes got another two.

5-0 would be the final for the opening game for the 1922 season and the first game in the new stadium called Ohio Stadium. It was a win Harry surmised. A win is a win is a win! He chuckled. He looked forward to the next week when they were matched against Oberlin in the new stadium as well. He knew the fullback for the “O” Men who had scored the winning touchdown the year before at Ohio Field, defeating the Buckeyes 7-6. His nonsense of being the school of John Heisman – whatever that meant! – added to Harry’s thirst for the rematch

“Nanna!” Harry walked into the kitchen as the elderly woman approached him eagerly.

“Whip them Oberlin boys next week. How dare they beat my Buckeyes!” Nanna smiled as she embraced the large Harry Steel.

The aroma of coffee immediately gathered his interest.

“Black with two lumps of sugar!” Nanna smiled as she turned and headed to get him a steaming hot cup of coffee.

Harry smiled as he sat at the table. He loved this place.

The post Sunday Morning Coffee: October 07, 1922 appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Dogs and cats, Buckeyes and Wolverines living together - The Daily Times
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Dogs and cats, Buckeyes and Wolverines living together
The Daily Times
Dogs and cats, Buckeyes and Wolverines living together. July 31, 2016. By JIM NAVEAU - Sports correspondent , Weirton Daily Times. Save |. This is going to come as a shock to some fans but Ohio State and Michigan football players can get along, respect ...

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Buckeyes land top recruit as camp full of questions nears - ABC6OnYourSide.com
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Buckeyes land top recruit as camp full of questions nears
ABC6OnYourSide.com
While this year's team has plenty of uncertainty regarding performance, the pipeline of prime recruits continues as the Buckeyes received a commitment from one of the top rated quarterback in the 2018 class. Emory Jones, a 6-foot-2, 193-pound dual ...


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Dogs and cats, Buckeyes and Wolverines living together - Lima Ohio
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Dogs and cats, Buckeyes and Wolverines living together
Lima Ohio
This is going to come as a shock to some fans but Ohio State and Michigan football players can get along, respect each other and be friends. Good friends. Ohio State center Pat Elflein and Michigan tight end Jake Butt, both Pickerington North High ...


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Ex-Buckeyes highlight benefit game - Ironton Tribune
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Ex-Buckeyes highlight benefit game
Ironton Tribune
Ironton's Jermon Jackson, Tyler Whaley and Marcus Williams and Rock Hill's K.C. Christian — all four played for the Buckeyes — spoke along with former Ironton standout Jason Harmon who was a four-year starter for Michigan State and also played Arena ...


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Ohio State football | Mike Weber ready to run with starting role - Columbus Dispatch
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Ohio State football | Mike Weber ready to run with starting role
Columbus Dispatch
The day after he became a Buckeye on national signing day in 2014, Ohio State's running back coach Stan Drayton departed for the Chicago Bears. An unsettling start. Then last year, Weber had a chance to establish himself as running back Mike Weber's ...


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Ethics commission tells Columbus leaders to pay up for Buckeye junket - Columbus Dispatch
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Ethics commission tells Columbus leaders to pay up for Buckeye junket
Columbus Dispatch
The commission found that the trip Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, Councilman Shannon G. Hardin, former Councilwoman Michelle M. Mills and Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Eileey Y. Paley took to watch the Buckeyes in the 2014 Big Ten Championship ...

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Dogs and cats, Buckeyes and Wolverines living together - Lima Ohio
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Dogs and cats, Buckeyes and Wolverines living together
Lima Ohio
This is going to come as a shock to some fans but Ohio State and Michigan football players can get along, respect each other and be friends. Good friends. Ohio State center Pat Elflein and Michigan tight end Jake Butt, both Pickerington North High ...


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Look: Buckeyes in NFL Training Camp - 247Sports.com
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Look: Buckeyes in NFL Training Camp
247Sports.com
Teams across the NFL opened up their training camps this week, and there are a number of veterans and youngsters from Ohio State participating and trying to make an impact at the highest level of the sport. What's next for the Buckeyes? Make sure you ...


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SB Nation Big Ten Power Rankings have Ohio State third. Did they get that wrong?
Matt Brown via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


That seems a little surprising!

When it comes to preseason previews, the gold standard is easily the work of Bill Connelly here at SB Nation, and I’m not just saying that because he’s a coworker and friend. Bill’s previews, which draw heavily on S&P+ and advanced stats, are a product of exhaustive research, and are generally very fair and reasonable. Any fan looking to better understand the rosters, and the major storylines of the coming season would do well to read them.

Recently, Bill finished his previews for every Big Ten team, and gave a conference power rankings based on his findings. And where does he slot Ohio State?

Third! And, for what it’s worth, he says he “regrets it already” right in his headline.

Atop the leaderboard sits Michigan, and while us fans might rail against that, it isn’t hard to see the argument. Michigan returns perhaps the best secondary and wideout corps in the Big Ten, along with an elite tight end. They have questions at quarterback (and maybe elsewhere), but weirdness aside, this coaching staff has earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to QB development. Add that to one of the easiest schedules for a contender in the country, and you have a completely sensible argument for having Michigan as your preseason Big Ten favorite.

But Connelly also had Michigan State ahead of Ohio State. Is everybody...wait for it...disrespecting...the Spartans?

To be fair, it’s not like Connelly is drawing a line in the sand, passionately arguing that Michigan State will be superior next season...he’s hedging right there in the dang headline. And his decision to put Michigan State ahead of the Buckeyes appears to be more about the Buckeyes than Michigan State. After all, Ohio State is returning less production from last year than nearly anybody, especially in position groups where that tends to matter more (like wideout and defensive back). And their matchup next season? It’s at Michigan State.

Still, let’s not forget that the Spartans are not without major personnel losses too. Connor Cook, one of the best QBs in program history? Gone (although it’s not like Michigan State needed him to beat Ohio State last year). Top two pass catchers? Gone. Two All-Americans on the offensive line? Gone. Two of their best corners from last year? Gone. And unlike Ohio State, the Spartans don’t have a bevy of blue-chippers along the two deep at every position.

I probably wouldn’t pick Michigan State over Ohio State next year, but given the fact that the game is at Michigan State, and that the Buckeyes will be exceptionally young, I don’t think slotting them over Ohio State in power rankings is a outrageously hot take. In terms of pure, unmitigated talent, Ohio State will have an advantage in virtually every Big Ten game they play next season. But it will be young, unproven talent, and there will likely be bumps in the road. It’s entirely possible they lose multiple Big Ten games next season, and the world wouldn’t end. In fact, Ohio State is probably a good bet to compete for a 2017 Big Ten title, if not a playoff spot, especially if J.T. Barrett returns.

Other thoughts from the power rankings?

For one, Penn State is much higher than many observers might have guessed. They sit at number four, ahead of every single Big Ten West team. That might seem ambitious, given their coaching changes, and replacements at QB and massive attrition up front, not to mention years of bad offensive line play. But the Nittany Lions might have the best running back in the conference, some potentially solid options in the secondary, and a manageable league schedule. Happy Valley is not devoid of talent.

If you’re looking for a team that seems surprisingly low in the rankings, it’s Iowa. Despite forcing parents across the country to have uncomfortable conversations with their kids about the prospect of an undefeated Iowa, the Hawkeyes are projected eighth, behind Nebraska, Wisconsin, Northwestern and Minnesota (!) in the Big Ten West. That’s despite the fact that they return a good QB, the best defensive back in the conference, and most of their defense.

A lot of football fans, including yours truly, thought Iowa wasn’t quite as good as their record last season, as they rode a strong defense to close wins over not-great competition. The advanced stats seem to agree, and think a regression is probable. If you believe in the power of the numbers, shorting Iowa stock seems smart.

Other than that, there doesn’t appear to be anything especially controversial in the numbers. I wouldn’t personally slot Ohio State at third this year, but it wouldn’t shock me. And if you’re going to look for something to base your opinions of this year’s teams, these previews aren’t a bad place to start.

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Use ShooWin to reserve Big Ten Football Championship tickets
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

Big Ten and ShooWin have partnered to give thousands of real fans the opportunity to lock in face value tickets to the 2016 Big Ten Championship game before the season even starts. At a time when frustration around ticket access and prices is at an all-time high, ShooWin offers technology than can help solve the problem. ShooWin’s proprietary platform empowers real fans to lock in direct access to face value tickets to today’s hottest events. How It Works: Fans can visit ShooWin.com to purchase a team-based ShooWin Reservation for the championship game for as little as $10. If their team qualifies, they are

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Ohio State researchers help airplanes fly straight and true: BTN LiveBIG
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

Helping move air traffic control to the "NextGen"

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TBDBITL books two road trips with Buckeyes for 2016 season - 247Sports
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TBDBITL books two road trips with Buckeyes for 2016 season
247Sports
Ohio State football has many long-standing traditions, with many of those coming from The Ohio State University Marching Band, better known as "The Best Damn Band In The Land", or TBDBITL, by many. The game atmosphere is always better when ...

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2016 Rio Olympics will feature almost a dozen Ohio State Buckeyes - Land-Grant Holy Land
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2016 Rio Olympics will feature almost a dozen Ohio State Buckeyes
Land-Grant Holy Land
With one of the most respected athletic departments among colleges, it's no surprise that every two years (with summer and winter Games) sees a handful of Buckeyes competing on the World's greatest stage. There were over 50 Olympic hopefuls from Ohio ...

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2016 Rio Olympics will feature almost a dozen Ohio State Buckeyes
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


From Columbus to the international stage; several Buckeyes compete for greatness.

The 2016 Rio Olympics have been marred in controversy since the site was chosen. Despite health concerns, repeated warnings by WHO and a litany of high-profile athletes foregoing competing, there is a subset of athletes who don’t rely on a multi-million contract to play/participate in their sport and rather scrape by in order to achieve worldwide success. It’s these players that are still heading to Rio to represent their respective countries on the quest for a gold medal — 11 Ohio State Buckeyes are among those heading to Brazil.

With one of the most respected athletic departments among colleges, it’s no surprise that every two years (with summer and winter Games) sees a handful of Buckeyes competing on the World’s greatest stage. There were over 50 Olympic hopefuls from Ohio State, 34 swimmers — the most of any team —, who competed in Olympic Trials, but at the end of the day, 11 will get the chance to go for a spot on the medal podium.

Kyle Snyder, Wrestling (USA)


The Buckeye was setting records and winning National Championships — two (2!) — back when he was at Ohio State, only to follow that up by being the youngest American ever to win a wrestling world championship at 19 years old. Snyder won the 97 kg (213 lbs) freestyle weight class at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials to secure his spot on the team headed to Brazil.

"There have been a lot of great athletes at Ohio State," Snyder said, according to The Lantern. "I’m very proud to represent Ohio State and I feel like other than serving in the military, being an Olympian is the next best way to represent your country."

Training for the Olympics provides a bit more of a narrow focus compared to a larger field of competitors in college. Snyder has some familiarity with every possible competitor he could face in Rio, having either wrestled against or watched film on each. The young wrestler will also have more than enough time to prepare for any last minute changes, as he competes on the final day of the Summer Games, Aug. 21.

Aside from the competition, Snyder will have a very familiar face along for the ride, as Ohio State Associate Head Wrestling Coach Lou Rosselli was named to Team USA's coaching staff. Rosselli will head to Rio ahead of hopefully landing a few competitors on the medal podium.


Nate Ebner, Rugby (USA)


After signing a new contract with the New England Patriots early in the offseason, former Buckeye football player Nate Ebner took a leave of absence to chase his — and his late Father’s — dream of being an Olympic rugby player. Ebner has spent the past few months training in San Diego with USA Rugby and secured one of the 12 roster spots and is headed to Rio.

Ebner was focused solely on fulfilling a dream rather the possible consequences for his NFL career, stating, according the Columbus Dispatch, "If something bad happens or it happens that God forbid I couldn’t go back to the NFL, that would be terrible, and I don’t want that to happen. But I think the regret of not taking the opportunity to play in the Olympics would eat me up for the rest of my life. I’d rather say I tried and failed than not to try at all."

Not only will Ebner be the only active NFL player to compete in the Olympics this year, but this is also the first time the U.S. Olympic men’s rugby team has competed at a Games since 1924, and will mark the first time Rugby Sevens, specifically, is played. The competition starts for Team USA Aug. 9-12 at Deodoro Stadium.

Jason Pryor, Fencing (USA)


After graduating from Ohio State in 2009, Pryor has been a full time resident athlete at the U.S. Olympic Training Center since April 2010. The Buckeye secured his spot at the Rio Games in March at the Westend Grand Prix in Budapest, Hungary. Competing in the men’s epee, he finished the event as the second-highest ranked competitor for the PanAmerican zone -- having won team gold at the 2015 PanAm American Championships.

"Ohio State is a collegian program, but it is a real Olympic center. We have everything to be the best. We have one of the best athletic departments and we have better facilities than any other team," Ohio State head coach Vladimir Nazlymov said.

Nichelle Prince, Women’s Soccer (Canada)


The Ohio State senior forward will miss out on the beginning of the collegiate soccer season as she joins the Canadian National Women’s Soccer team in the Rio Olympics. Native of Ajax, Ontario, Prince was one of 19 players to make the final roster heading to the Games in August. With the medal games being slated for late-August, the overlap will likely keep her from the Ohio State opener against Kent State on Aug. 19.

Prince is no stranger to success in Canadian leagues, having played for Canada’s U-15, U-17 and U-20 teams, scoring a total of six goals and four assists in that time. She also earned 16 caps for the national team, four during the team’s Olympic qualifying round earlier in the year, and an assist on the team’s final goal against Costa Rica to clinch their spot in the Brazil.

"I look forward to representing my country and Ohio State in Rio," Prince said, according to The Lantern.

As a Buckeye, Prince is tied for the lead in goals (6) and assists (7) during her collegiate career, and was named to both the Big Ten all-freshman team and the conference’s second team after her first season at Ohio State. She also helped lead the Buckeyes to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament in 2015.

Dustin Tynes, Swimming (Bahamas)


Tynes swimming success started back in high school at The Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tenn, where he set a national record as part of the Red Raider 4x50 medley relay team, won a state championship in the 100m breaststroke, and participated in the Commonwealth Games, Youth Olympic Games and FINA World Junior Swimming Championships. He also holds multiple Bahamian junior and senior breaststroke national records as a member of the Bahamas National Team.


At Ohio State, he won his first collegiate event against Denison in 2015, winning the 100m breaststroke with a time of 57.10. He followed that with his first appearances at the Big Ten and NCAA Championship meets in 2015 — finishing 10th and 11th in the 100m and 200m breaststroke respectively at the Big Ten Championship, and finishing 25th in the 100m breaststroke at the NCAA Championship.

Full list of Buckeyes competing

Name Country Sport
Aina Cid Centrelles Spain Rowing (Women's Pair)
Nate Ebner United States Rugby Sevens
Eleanor Harvey Canada Fencing (Foil)
Misha Koudinov New Zealand Men's Gymnastics
Ilse Paulis Netherlands Rowing (Women's Lightweight Double)
Nichelle Prince Canada Women's Soccer
Jason Pryor United States Fencing (Epee)
Elodie Ravera-Scaramozzino France Rowing (Women's Double Sculls)
Mona Shaito Lebanon Fencing (Foil)
Kyle Snyder United States Wrestling
Dustin Tynes Bahamas Swimming (Breaststroke)
Michelle Williams Canada Swimming (Freestyle)


Just shy of making the games...


Men’s Gymnastics: Two Buckeyes, one current and one former, competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials, but failed to be selected to the final team. Brandon Wynn, and Ohio State graduate, and Sean Melton, sophomore, were among 18 men from around the country competing for just five roster spots on Team USA.

Women’s and Men’s Swimming: Ohio State sent 34 swimmers to the Olympic Swimming Trials earlier this month, but none of the delegates managed to earn a trip to Rio to compete at the Olympic Games. OSU graduate Tim Phillips saw early success in the 100-meter butterfly, finishing second with a time .19 seconds better than Olympic hero Michael Phelps; unfortunately, Phillips finished fifth in the finals, missing his chance to compete against the 22-time Olympic medal winner.


Best of luck to all the Buckeyes competing and to those back home looking to make another run in a couple of years.

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Buckeye commit leads way on Max Preps All-American team - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeye commit leads way on Max Preps All-American team
247Sports
It is very well known how good the Ohio State Buckeyes' 2017 recruiting class is. It is the country's No. 1 recruiting class in the 247Sports recruiting rankings. So it should come as no surprise that another Ohio State commitment has been honored as a ...


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Shaq Davidson goes from FBS Gamecocks to FCS Gamecocks

Shaq Davidson may have left South Carolina, but he’ll still be a Gamecock in 2016.

Davidson first hinted on Twitter then confirmed to 247Sports.com that he has decided to continue his collegiate playing career at Jacksonville State.
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As the Gamecocks play at the FCS level, the wide receiver will be eligible to play immediately in 2016.
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A four-star member of USC’s 2014 recruiting class, Davidson was rated as the No. 5 player at any position in the state of South Carolina and the No. 30 receiver in the country.

Richardson never lived up to that lofty recruiting pedigree, however, as he took a redshirt as a true freshman and tore an ACL last August. Then, he was reportedly dismissed by first-year head coach Will Muschamp this past February.

Entire article: http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsport...son-goes-from-fbs-gamecocks-to-fcs-gamecocks/

The Ohio State marching band will travel to Oklahoma
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


TBDBITL will descend upon Norman, Okla.

“Thrilled to say that this season the whole band will travel to Oklahoma on 9/17”

– Ohio State marching band director Dr. Christopher Hoch, Twitter


Last week, it was announced that Ohio State-Oklahoma was a sellout. It’s now learned that, somehow (and someway), Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium will now have to find a way to accommodate the 225 members of the The Best Damn Band in the Land.

The Ohio State marching band will be bringing the whole band to Norman, Okla. for the non-conference clash of the college football titans on Sept. 17. Combined with the Pride of Oklahoma, this game has the potential to be one the greatest marching band halftime shows ever.


While the Oklahoma marching band was pretty much determined in May, TBDBITL will hold tryouts in the middle of August.

TBDBITL will also travel to Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich. for the Michigan State contest on Nov. 19.

“We are thrilled to welcome Corey [Bulken] to the Buckeye lacrosse family...His energy and passion to teach the game is contagious. He will make an immediate impact on our faceoff and special teams.”

– Ohio State Lacrosse coach Nick Myers (press release)


Over the offseason, we saw coaching additions within the basketball programs. Now, there is one in men’s lacrosse.

Corey Bulken has accepted the position of assistant coach after spending the last two seasons at Virginia as a volunteer coach, the press release said.

Bulken has spent most of his career in the lacrosse world. At Le Moyne College, Bulken became a two-time All-American and played in a trio of Division II national championship games.

On the professional level, Bulken’s resume boasts stops in Charlotte and New York before going into the coaching universe at Washington College.

“No other institution in the country has a footprint like Ohio State and its commitment to academics and athletics is second to none,” Bulken said in the press release.

Here’s hoping that Bulken can bring his track record of success to the scarlet and gray!

“Indians fans outnumber Reds fans in the state 45/33. There's an interesting partisan divide with Democrats going strongly for the Indians (48/30), while Republicans (41/39) actually go narrowly to the Reds.”

– Tom Jensen, Public Policy Polling


With election season already in full swing, polling is back in the spotlight. Public Policy Polling just released new data on the state of Ohio, with the polls going in-depth on topics ranging from the approval rating of Gov. John Kasich and the approval rating of the current managers for the Indians and Reds.

On the politics side, 50 percent of the people said that they approve of Kasich’s job performance as governor of Ohio.

On the baseball side, Indians’ manager Tony Francona has a 53 percent approval rating with the Indians fanbase. On the other side of the state, Reds’ manager Brian Price polls at 19 percent approval amongst Red Legs supporters – with 57 percent of the fans “not sure” on whether they approve or disapprove of Price.

In the state, 45 percent of the people recognized themselves as a supporter of the Indians, while 33 percent of people recognize themselves as Reds fans. Twenty-three percent of the people weren’t sure who they support when given the option between the two.

However, the most important questions had to be a cross between the favorability of rabbits, and the whether or not the chicken (or the egg) came first.

Rabbits polled at 67 percent favorability (better than the approval of Gov. Kasich and Francona) while 37 percent of the people believed that the chicken came before the egg.

Maybe Peter Rabbit should run for elected office – or lobby to be the next manager of the Reds.

STICK TO SPORTS


• Central Ohio is putting up some DUI checkpoints tonight.

• The Ohio State Fair’s concert lineup is heating up. Charlie Puth and DNCE will be on stage tonight; the All-Ohio State Fair band goes on Sunday afternoon, as the Gambler, Kenny Rogers, performs on Sunday night; Rachel Platten, who’s song ‘Fight Song’ was featured last night before Hillary Clinton’s DNC speech, will be performing Monday night.

• Dachshund has a $100 thousand trust fund. Naturally, legal drama occurs.

• Decoding what Sonic’s (the hedgehog) arch-rival says in the new videogame.

• Charges brought in the Flint Water Crisis.

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How They Compare: 2014 Offense vs. 2016 Offense
Brandon Zimmerman via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


It has been well-documented the Buckeyes have lost 16 starters from last year’s team. Additionally, it has been well-publicized that approximately all of them went in the first round this year of the NFL draft. Naturally, we as a fan base would like to use our memories of the glorious 2014 season and compare the 2016 Buckeyes to the 2014 Buckeyes. But how similar are they really?

Today we will take a look at the offense for both teams coming into the season and see who has the edge. When I factor in which team has the edge, it is before the season started. This means that what J.T. Barrett or Ezekiel Elliott have done since then does not matter in determining who had the edge.

Left Tackle

The 2014 Buckeyes were starting junior Taylor Decker who had moved from right tackle over to left tackle after Jack Mewhort graduated after the 2013 season. In his previous two seasons, Decker played in 26 total games.

The 2016 Buckeyes are projected to start junior Jamarco Jones. Jones was named the starter by Coach Meyer and will be taking over for the aforementioned Taylor Decker who was drafted by the Detroit Lions in this year’s draft. In his previous two seasons, Jones has played in 23 total games.

EDGE: 2014 Buckeyes. The edge has to go to Decker here because of him starting the previous season albeit at a different position. Having that experience at the blind side will help the freshman quarterback.

Left Guard

The 2014 Buckeyes had a little bit of a battle brewing at numerous positions heading to Maryland to take on Navy and this was one of those positions. The depth chart listed redshirt freshman Billy Price or Senior Joel Hale, who had started at defensive tackle the previous season. The Buckeyes did not know what they were receiving from either player. As we know, Price would go on to win this battle and has not looked back.

The 2016 Buckeyes are projected to start either true freshman Michael Jordan or one of a group of upperclassmen who have been waiting their turn. Guys like redshirt sophomore Demetrius Knox and redshirt freshman Matt Burrell are all battling for this position. The only one with experience in this group in Knox who played in 13 games last season.

EDGE: 2016 Buckeyes. The 2014 Buckeyes were looking at a former defensive tackle and a former three-star recruit. The 2016 Buckeyes have one guy (Knox) who has played 13 games and two former top recruits. It isn’t much better but I think the 2016 Buckeyes are in a better situation at this point than the 2014 season.

Center

The 2014 Buckeyes had another position battle here as the


Elflein is one of two returning starters on the offensive line.


depth chart listed Jacoby Boren or Chad Lindsay. Boren was one of 1,700 Boren’s to play for Ohio State and was the back-up in 2013 to Corey Linsley. Coming into 2014, Boren had played in 16 games, all as a back-up. Lindsey was a transfer from the Alabama death machine where he played in 20 games over three seasons with four starts.

The 2016 Buckeyes have Pat Elflein. Just in case you have been living under a rock let’s discuss Elflein. In his career, Elflein has played in 42 games with 29 starts at guard. He will be starting for his third consecutive season. Elflein is a two-time All-Big Ten selection and a team captain.

EDGE: 2016 Buckeyes. It was huge when Elflein decided to return to Ohio State and will help keep that offensive line together for a young Buckeye offense.

Right Guard

The 2014 Buckeyes were turning to a redshirt sophomore who had played in 14 games the previous season as a back-up. This sophomore was thrown into action the previous season when Marcus Hall was famously booted from the game in Ann Arbor. This man was Pat Elflein who we just spoke about.

The 2016 Buckeyes have their second and last returning starter to lean on at right guard, Billy Price whom we spoke about earlier. After redshirting in 2013, Price has went on to start 28 consecutive games for the Buckeyes. Price was an All-Big Ten selection last year.

EDGE: 2016 Buckeyes. Elflein would turn out to be great but at this point in the pre-season the 2016 Buckeyes are in better hands with Price and his experience of starting the past two seasons.

Right Tackle

The 2014 Buckeyes were turning to senior Darryl Baldwin to replace Decker who had moved over to the left tackle position. Baldwin had played in 31 games over the previous three seasons backing up Mewhort at left tackle.

The 2016 Buckeyes are still unsure of who they will be turning to. All indications are pointing to sophomore Isiah Prince starting. He played in 13 games as a back-up last season. The main competition for Prince is JUCO transfer Malcolm Pridgeon. Pridgeon was rated as a five-star recruit.

EDGE: 2014 Buckeyes. The 2016 Buckeye options are much more talented than Baldwin was but he brought a lot more experience to the table than Prince and Pridgeon. I think Prince will start and be a future first round draft pick but Baldwin has the edge in this scenario.

Tight End

The 2014 Buckeyes were leaning on their second returning starter here with Jeff Heuerman starting at tight end. Coming into the 2014 season, Heuerman had 35 catches, 585 yards, and five touchdowns over three seasons.

The 2016 Buckeyes will be turning to redshirt junior Marcus Baugh. A former top recruit out of California, Baugh has spent his first three seasons backing up Heuerman and Nick Vannett who have both moved on to the NFL. For his career, Baugh has three catches for 34 yards and one touchdown.

EDGE: 2014 Buckeyes. Going into the 2014 season, Heuerman was considered one of the top tight ends in the country.

Wide Receiver

The 2014 Buckeyes had another returning starter in the form of senior Evan Spencer. He had played in 36 games over his previous three seasons with 12 starts. For his career coming into 2014, Spencer had 37 catches, 430 yards, and four touchdowns.

The 2016 Buckeyes will likely be turning to redshirt senior


Smith has the talent but can he consistently play smart?


Corey Smith. Playing 18 games over the past two seasons, Smith has tallied 25 catches, 317 yards, and no touchdowns. Smith is battling back from a horrific leg injury he suffered last season which caused him to receive an extra year of eligibility.

EDGE: 2014 Buckeyes. Spencer was not spectacular but he was consistent and a great blocker. On the receiving end, I think Smith has the potential to be a better wide receiver than Spencer but Smith is very inconsistent. The experience of Spencer would prove to be invaluable for the 2014 Buckeyes.

Quarterback

The 2014 Buckeyes had just lost all everything Braxton Miller to a serious shoulder injury right before the season started. They were turning to a redshirt freshman quarterback named J.T. Barrett. He had no experience and had just passed up junior Cardale Jones as the back-up quarterback before Miller was injured.

The 2016 Buckeyes turn to the now redshirt junior J.T. Barrett. For his career, Barrett has started 17 games and has thrown for 3,826 yards, rushed for 1,665 yards, and 67 total touchdowns. He has set 16 Ohio State records, two Big Ten


Barrett’s experience will be key.


records, and four major awards.

EDGE: 2016 Buckeyes. They are in good hands with an experienced Joe Thomas Barrett.

Running Back

The 2014 Buckeyes were faced with the monumental task of replacing a guy named Carlos Hyde who had accounted for 3,469 yards and 41 touchdowns. They had a position battle between a redshirt freshman named Ezekiel Elliott and a true freshman Curtis Samuel. The first depth chart has them both listed with the dreadful “or”. As you know, Elliott would go on to win the job and our hearts.

Much like their 2014 brothers, the 2016 are faced with the monumental task of replacing a guy who had accounted for 4,410 yards and 44 touchdowns. It appears that redshirt freshman Mike Weber is going to be the man with Curtis Samuel and Dontre Wilson receiving some carries.

EDGE: None. These two teams are in the almost exact scenario so there is no edge. If I had to pick one, I’d go 2016 because of the experience of Samuel and Wilson but they are technically wide receivers.

H-Back

The 2014 Buckeyes were faced with replacing a very solid Philly Brown. They once again had another dreaded position battle which ended with the dreaded “or” on the depth chart. The two men listed were sophomore Dontre Wilson and redshirt freshman Jalin Marshall. Wilson was the back-up in 2013 to Brown and racked up over 460 yards of total offense and three touchdowns in that role.

Like the 2014 version, the 2016 Buckeyes are looking to replace a starter at the H-back position with Braxton Miller leaving. The Buckeyes will be looking to replace him with two very experienced guys. The first is Samuel who has bounced around from running back to wide receiver. In his first two years on campus, Samuel has racked up 899 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns. The second guy competing for the H-back role is Dontre Wilson who was in the position battle above. Wilson is a one time starter and is battling back from injury which has hampered him over the past two years. In three years, Wilson has amassed 923 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns.

EDGE: 2016 Buckeyes. Both of the guy’s competing for the starting job are experienced and have been a major part of the Buckeyes over the past couple of seasons. They have played secondary roles behind big time talents and should be ready to take that leap forward.

Wide Receiver

The 2014 Buckeyes returned Devin Smith who was one of the best deep threats to ever play for Ohio State. Coming into the


Will someone step up and become a big-time threat like Devin Smith was?


2014 season, Smith had 88 catches, 1,572 yards, and 18 touchdowns in three years on campus.

The 2016 Buckeyes will be turning to Noah Brown to fill the gigantic hole filled by Michael Thomas. Brown was in line to start in 2015 but lost his entire season to a leg injury in fall camp. He played in 13 games as a freshman and caught one pass for nine yards.

EDGE: 2014 Buckeyes. The 2014 version of the Buckeyes had a big time receiver coming back who had developed into a star over his first three years on-campus. As good as Brown may be…he is unproven.

CONCLUSION

Both teams have the edge at five different positions so it really comes down to where you value the edge. The 2014 version of the Buckeyes had a freshman starting at quarterback and running back but had returning starters at both wide receiver positions and tight end. These three helped take some pressure off of those two freshmen. Additionally, they had a starter at the left tackle position who had a season of experience.

The 2016 version has a lot more youth at the receiver positions but they have a top-notch experienced quarterback and two very talented guys at H-back with a lot of snaps under their belt. The biggest spot where the 2016 Buckeyes excel is Price and Elflein in the middle of the line. Having those two guys in-front of Barrett will help alleviate some of the pressure Weber will now have with the dismissal of Dunn.

Ultimately, I think I would take the position the 2016 Buckeyes are in. They technically only have three returning starters but guys like Samuel, Wilson, and Brown have either been starters in the past, slated to start, or have played a significant role in the offense in the past. The 2014 team had seven guys getting their first significant playing time.

The 2014 version showed they were able to adapt to their new starters but will the 2016 Buckeyes?

The post How They Compare: 2014 Offense vs. 2016 Offense appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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5-star guard Troy Brown has Buckeyes in final 8 schools: Ohio State ... - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


5-star guard Troy Brown has Buckeyes in final 8 schools: Ohio State ...
cleveland.com
Brown is the No. 13 overall player in the country for 2017.

and more »

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Big Ten Mailbag: MSU’s o-line, Penn State’s record and ‘The Game’
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

Time to go through my mail. I look at Michigan State’s offensive line, project Penn State’s record and look at “The Game,” among other things. So, let’s get started! Last year, the Spartans were good, and made it to the playoffs with just one loss. But they struggled against Western Michigan, Purdue, Rutgers and Maryland. Yet, they beat teams like Oregon, Michigan, Ohio State and Iowa. I know a win is a win, but do you see this year’s team being able to dominate some of the lower-level teams as well as winning the big ones? – Ben Look, football

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Big Ten links: Catch up on Friday’s top Big Ten stories
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

David Jones of Pennlive.com pays a nice tribute to former Northwestern coach Dennis Green, who did the impossible by making the Wildcats semi-competitive from 1981-85. *** Pennlive.com looks at five things it learned about the Nittany Lions at Big Ten media days. The issue of other schools using negative recruiting vs. the Nittany Lions came up. It was a classic he said/she said affair that predictably went nowhere. We also learned this: Cam Brown could be a special LB. Remember the name for what could be a boffo set of linebackers. *** Ohio State made one of the most key

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What blue chip QB Emory Jones brings to the Ohio State Buckeyes
Christopher Jason via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Arguably the most loaded quarterback room in America just got even deeper Friday morning when Urban Meyer, Tim Beck, and the Ohio State Buckeyes received the pledge of four-star 2018 quarterback, Emory Jones.

Emory Jones is the prototypical Urban Meyer dual-threat quarterback. His football IQ is off the charts and it shows with his sound decision making with the ball in his hands. When watching his tape, it is tough to remember that Jones is still a full two seasons away from graduating high school. He has decent height (6'1.5) and a pretty good frame (193 lbs) for a kid his age. He will only fill out more and get stronger as he gets older.

Jones' best attribute is his arm. He has an absolute cannon and he is not afraid to fit the ball into tight spaces or take a few deep shots throughout the game. He possesses great throwing mechanics for his age, which allows him to make just about any throw from the pocket. He also has the ability to make plays with his feet by rolling out of the pocket, keeping his eyes downfield and finding the open target. As a passer, Jones is about as good as one can get with a dual-threat quarterback coming out of high school.

When it comes to his athleticism, Jones ran a 4.67 40-yard dash and on tape, he looks faster than a 4.67. He does not have Braxton Miller speed. However, he is dynamic as a runner and has shown the ability to make huge plays past the line of scrimmage. The Franklin, GA product fits perfectly in Meyer's spread system and they will be able to open the whole playbook for him.

Overall, add Emory Jones to the list of stud quarterbacks to commit to the Ohio State Buckeyes. Jones will be the next highly-touted recruit added to the quarterback room and he possesses a blend of what Tate Martell and Dwayne Haskins do best. One could argue that Jones is even more gifted athletically and as a passer than the 2016 and 2017 quarterback recruits. After J.T. Barrett leaves Columbus, there will be serious competition and a log-jam at the most important position on the field — and Jones might be the most complete of all of them.

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Emory Jones, 4-star 2018 quarterback commits to Buckeyes: Ohio State football recruiting - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Emory Jones, 4-star 2018 quarterback commits to Buckeyes: Ohio State football recruiting
cleveland.com
Emory Jones, a four-star quarterback in the Class of 2018, announced his commitment to the Buckeyes on Friday in an exclusive video with Bleacher Report. Jones is the No. 3 dual-threat quarterback in the 2018 class. He chose the Buckeyes over other ...
Elite DB says he needs no other offers after one from Buckeyes247Sports
Buckeyes banking on J.T. Barrett to lead them in 2016FOXSports.com
Heat Check: Reshuffling the Buckeyes' Recruiting Board After July's FireworksEleven Warriors
BuckeyeGrove.com (subscription) -Toledo Blade -247Sports (subscription)
all 213 news articles »

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