Silver Bullets Podcast: B1G Results and Iowa Preview
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

A look back at the Big Ten games from Ohio State’s bye week and a look ahead to the Iowa’s visit to Ohio Stadium.


The Buckeyes took a week off, but we didn’t. We wouldn’t leave our listeners hanging like that.

Without an Ohio State game to break down, we opened with our weekly walk through the other Big Ten games. All eyes were on the top 10 match-up in Ann Arbor that turned out to be a terrible game. Meanwhile, some of the matchups few people outside of the specific fandoms wanted to see turned out to be some of the most entertaining battles of the weekend. Bret Bielema’s Illini gained bowl eligibility, some key injuries took place around the league, Wisconsin continued to be perplexing, and Nebraska is still struggling in one-score games.

Beyond the B1G, there were some incredible games all day long on Saturday. The Alabama-Tennessee game is one that had our attention, but there were also huge games between future Big Ten school USC and Utah, TCU and Oklahoma State, and elsewhere around the country. Even without an OSU game, Saturday was one of the best college football game days in years.

We welcomed Adam Jacobi to the show this week to give us the scoop on what has been a frustrating year so far for Iowa Hawkeyes fans. The editor-at-large for GoIowaAwesome.com was kind enough to get into Iowa’s offensive struggles and the issues that quarterback Spencer Petras and the Iowa offensive line have had this season. He also told us who to watch for on the Hawkeye defense when Ohio State has the ball. Big thanks to Adam for his time.

Finally, we put our suspect reputations on the line by selecting our Ohio State picks to click on offense and defense for this weekend’s game. We also gave our final score predictions for Saturday’s meeting between the Buckeyes and the Hawkeyes. We’re both expecting a surprise cover for Iowa in a game that we suspect might be lower scoring than the average fan might think. It all depends on how much trouble the Buckeyes have moving the ball against a top-notch Iowa defense.

We’ll be back next week to talk about Ohio State’s meeting in the Shoe with Iowa and look ahead to the Penn State Nittany Lions. In the meantime, feel free to reach out with your feedback and questions below in the comments section or send us an email. Be sure to subscribe, rate, review, and share!

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Ohio State offers 2024 running back
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

Plus, the men’s basketball Buckeyes could earn their second commitment in the 2024 class this week.

After a much-needed bye week, Ohio State is now preparing to host Iowa this weekend. Entering the second half of the season, the Buckeyes’ schedule will see an increase in the level of play of their opponents. This will undoubtedly require more focus from both the players and the coaching staff. While the coaches will be busy closing out the season, they also know college football recruiting never stops.

Ohio State offers 2024 RB


Ohio State’s football staff took advantage of the free week, hitting the recruiting trail headfirst. The work resulted in the Buckeyes being the new favorites for 2023 four-star defensive end Damon Wilson (Venice, FL / Venice) and dozens of scholarship offers.

The newest recruit to receive a scholarship offer was rising 2024 running back James Peoples (San Antonio, TX / Veterans Memorial), who took to Twitter late this weekend to show off the news.


Peoples has not yet received a composite ranking from 247Sports, but holds an impressive offer sheet including programs such as Texas, Texas Tech, TCU, Kansas, Missouri, Houston and now Ohio State. Peoples is seeing his recruitment take off as he is in the middle of an incredible season. Midway through the year, he has 1,078 rushing Yards on 107 carries and has racked up 18 TD’s.

He has yet to take any visits to schools recruiting him, but he is certainly more familiar with the schools in his home-state of Texas. Ohio State coaches Ryan Day and Tony Allen certainly seem to be interested in Peoples and will need to get him on campus to have a chance of prying him out of Texas.

For a glimpse into Peoples’ impressive season, check out his highlights below:

Quick Hits

• The Ohio State men’s basketball team added the first member of its 2024 recruiting class over the weekend when four-star point guard John Mobley Jr. committed to the Buckeyes. Mobley was a huge first addition to a class that looks to be much smaller than the Buckeyes previous two classes.

However, the team may be adding to the class much sooner than expected. 2024 four-star small forward Darren Harris (Fairfax, VA / Paul VI Catholic) is high on the Buckeyes, and will be announcing his commitment Oct. 22. Harris is set to choose between Duke, Maryland, Miami and Ohio State, with Duke being the runaway favorites. Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann has proven to be one of the sport’s best recruiters, but he might need to pull off a miracle if the Buckeyes are to get Harris.

Harris is the No. 14 SF in his class and is the No. 48 overall prospect in the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He is also the No. 1 recruit from the state of Virginia.

• The Ohio State men’s basketball team will be playing host to a different 2024 recruit this weekend when the football team plays host to Iowa. Ohio-native shooting guard Colin White (Ottawa, OH / Ottawa-glandorf) is set to visit with the Buckeyes this weekend.

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Class: 2024
School: San Antonio(TX) Veterans Memorial
Position: RB
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 192lbs

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Class: 2024
School: Gaithersburg(MD) Quince Orchard
Position: Defensive End
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 225lbs

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Class: 2023
School: Irvington (NJ) Irvington
Position: Safety
Height: 6-foot-0
Weight: 197 lbs

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Big Ten stat leaders through Week 7
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Set Number: X164186 TK1

The Buckeyes were off this week, giving the rest of the conference some time to catch up.

As you would expect, Ohio State had a number of players at the top of their respective positions in the season stats columns at the midway point of the season. However, with the Buckeyes off this past weekend, it gave the rest of the conference some time to catch up.

Lets take a look at the statistical leaders in the B1G after Week 7.

Passing Yards

1. Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland - 2,001
2. Aidan O’Connell, Purdue - 1,950
3. Connor Bazelak, Indiana - 1,889

(Ohio State’s leader: C.J. Stroud - 1,737 — 5th)

Passing Touchdowns

1. C.J. Stroud, Ohio State - 24
2. Graham Mertz, Wisconsin - 15
3. Aidan O’Connell, Purdue - 14

Passing Efficiency

1. C.J. Stroud, Ohio State - 207.6
2. J.J. McCarthy, Michigan - 170.6
3. Graham Mertz, Wisconsin - 157.7

Rushing Yards

1. Chase Brown, Illinois - 1,059
2. Blake Corum, Michigan - 901
3. Braelon Allen, Wisconsin - 757

(Ohio State’s leader: Miyan Williams - 497 — 7th)

Rushing Touchdowns

1. Blake Corum, Michigan - 13
2. Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota - 9
3. Miyan Williams, Ohio State // Braelon Allen, Wisconsin - 8

Yards Per Carry (min. 50 attempts)

1. Miyan Williams, Ohio State - 7.8
2. Nicholas Singleton, Penn State - 7.0
3. Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota - 6.7

Receiving Yards

1. Trey Palmer, Nebraska - 781
2. Charlie Jones, Purdue - 735
3. Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State - 655

Receiving Touchdowns

1. Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State - 9
2. Charlie Jones, Purdue - 9
3. Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State - 6

Receptions

1. Charlie Jones, Purdue - 62
2. Trey Palmer, Nebraska - 47
3. Isaiah Williams, Illinois - 47

(Ohio State’s leader: Emeka Egbuka - 35 — 6th)

Total Tackles

1. Jack Campbell, Iowa - 62
2. Cal Haladay, Michigan State - 58
3. Kendell Brooks, Michigan State - 57

(Ohio State’s leader: Tommy Eichenberg - 50 — 10th)

Tackles for Loss

1. Jacoby Windmon, Michigan State - 10.5
2. Nick Herbig, Wisconsin - 9.5
3. Aaron Casey, Indiana - 9.0

(Ohio State’s leader: Mike Hall Jr. - 7.5 — 7th)

Sacks

1. Nick Herbig, Wisconsin - 6.0
2. Jacoby Windmon, Michigan State - 5.5
3. Mike Morris, Michigan - 5.0

(Ohio State’s leader: Mike Hall Jr. - 4.5 — 4th)

Interceptions

1. Kendall Smith, Illinois - 4
2. Cam Allen, Purdue // Cooper DeJean, Iowa // John Torchio, Wisconsin - 3
3. 14 players tied with 2

(Ohio State’s leader: Chambers, Hickman, McAlister, Ransom - 1 each)

Team Stats - Scoring Offense

1. Ohio State - 48.8 PPG
2. Michigan - 42.7 PPG
3. Maryland - 34.6 PPG

Team Stats - Scoring Defense

1. Illinois - 8.9 PPG allowed
2. Iowa - 9.8 PPG allowed
3. Minnesota - 11.7 PPG allowed

(Ohio State - 15.7 PPG allowed — 5th)

Team Stats - Total Offense

1. Ohio State - 543.7 YPG
2. Michigan - 473.6 YPG
3. Maryland - 458.9 YPG

Team Stats - Total Defense

1. Illinois - 222.1 YPG allowed
2. Michigan - 250 YPG allowed
3. Ohio State - 253.5 YPG allowed

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You’re Nuts: Your College Football Playoff field if the season ended today.
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images

Time to overreact to the chaos of this past weekend.

Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.

In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.

This week’s topic: Your College Football Playoff field if the season ended today.

Josh’s Take


Gene, the events of this past weekend felt like the first, true “break free from the pack” moment(s) of this 2022 college football season. Four losses by top-10 teams have suddenly created a little bit of separation between The Best and The Rest. And really, breaking free might be too aggressive of a term, but at least now I think we have a slightly better idea of who the true contenders are. As for the possible pretenders...

USC showed that they are probably a year – and a legit defensive coordinator – away, as their loss pushed them outside the current top-10. Same goes for Oklahoma State, who likely does not have the star power to contend with bluebloods this year. Penn State pulled a Penn State in a big game, and Alabama... Well, unless they suffer two losses, Nick Saban’s team will always receive the benefit of the doubt. So Bama is still very much in the conversation.

Said conversation will go on for the entirety of the season. There will continue to be highly-ranked matchups, upsets, injuries, and the whole nine (football pun) — meaning the College Football Playoff race is far from over. But this felt like a good tentpole moment for debate. So my co-host and I decided to rank our top four CFP contenders, in order, with a brief explanation as to why. I am sure we are the first to ever do this, and I cannot wait to see how deadly accurate I am in the end.

1) Tennessee


Oh yeah, I am going there! Call it an overreaction. Call me a prisoner of the moment. But I feel that Tennessee is deserving of the top spot right now. The Volunteers already have four wins over top-25 opponents, including roadies at Pitt and at LSU. They have a Heisman candidate in Hendon Hooker, an offensive mastermind of a head coach in Josh Heupel, and they just took down the vaunted Crimson Tide in an instant classic. I’m not overreacting, you’re underreacting!

The only reason Tennessee is not a consensus No. 1 or No. 2 is because they began the season unranked... That’s it. If they had been ranked inside the top-10 or top-15, I think Heupel’s team would be sitting atop the mountain – Ol’ Rocky Top – at this point. Will they stay at or near the top? No idea, because the SEC is tough. But the Vols currently have the most impressive résumé.

2) Ohio State


Homer pick, but the right pick. The Buckeyes opened their season with a victory over the fifth-ranked team in the country. That is fact. They have destroyed every team on their schedule without the services of Jaxon Smith-Njigba – the preseason favorite for CFB’s Biletnikoff Award – as well as a host of other players, at any given time. Also fact. And OSU’s defense seems to be legit after a few down years. You guessed it: fact.

Ryan Day’s team will face a few tests in the coming weeks, and that will tell us more about them. Notre Dame, Wisconsin, and Michigan State were not all they were cracked up to be, so the Buckeyes need to clear a few taller hurdles before some voters crown them as any sort of favorite. And that’s fine. It they take care of business, a battle awaits on Nov. 26. It should all come down to that.

3) Georgia


The Bulldogs are the defending champs, so I understand why they are considered one of the favorites. But outside of a Week 1 thrashing of Oregon – who was breaking in a new head coach and a transfer QB – their schedule was been garbage. And they haven’t exactly rolled over all of those opponents. A 17-point victory against Kent State and a four-point squeaker over Missouri do not scream “prohibitive favorite” to me. The defense is not as good as it was in 2021, nor is the running game — the two things that won UGA last year’s title. No offense to Stetson Bennett or Brock Bowers, but wake me up when they play a team with a pulse in the SEC.

4) Michigan


Fine, whatever. TTUN might be good. I can tell you more after Ohio State plays Penn State, but Captain Khaki does not get the benefit of the doubt after games against Colorado State, Hawai’i, and UConn.

Go Sparty.

That’s my four, Gene. I have a feeling we might differ on order, but at the midway point, I would be surprised if we did not have the same group.

Gene’s Take


Well, Josh. Call me a hater, but you will soon see where my four teams differ from yours. I will also be going in a different order, but the top three teams from your playoff field are still included in my current College Football Playoff.

1) Ohio State


It may be a homer pick, but we’ve spent most of the season talking about how Ohio State has been the most consistently good team in the country. Outside of the first half against Notre Dame, when the Buckeyes unexpected lost the best wide receiver in the country to injury and were forced to adapt, Ryan Day’s crew has taken care of business. Sure, the teams on the schedule haven’t exactly been world-beaters, but Ohio State has won all of those games by multiple scores. You can’t control who you play, you can only win the games that are in front of you, and the Buckeyes have done that week in and week out despite missing seemingly half the roster each time out.

2) Tennessee


While Ohio State has been the most consistent team in the country, Tennessee without a doubt now holds the best win of any team in the country with their 52-49 upset of Alabama this past weekend. The Volunteers have definitely been consistent in their own right, with “ranked” wins over Pitt, Florida and LSU, but none of those teams are still ranked in the current AP Top 25. I don’t subscribe to the notion of “ranked win at the time” as I find it silly to give credit for wins against teams that we found out later simply aren’t very good. Same goes for Ohio State’s win over Notre Dame. Still, Tennessee deserves the No. 2 spot in my mind right now. They’ve taken care of business in a major way, and that win against the Tide is massive for their resume.

3) Georgia


Like Josh alluded to, Georgia’s inclusion in this exercise has a lot to do with being the defending national champs. It looked earlier this year as if the Bulldogs were once again going to be untouchable, but the shine has long worn off that big win over Oregon. They struggled with the likes of Kent State and Missouri thus far, and they simply dont look as dominant as they did a year ago. That defense was other-worldly in 2021, but most of those players are now gone. Don’t get me wrong — this Georgia team is still very good. I just dont think they’re playing better football right now than either Ohio State or Tennessee. They’ll matchup up with the Volunteers in just a few weeks, and the winner of that game will almost certainly be a lock for the CFP regardless of what else happens.

4) Clemson


It doesn’t bring me any pleasure to do this, but Clemson is my No. 4 team right now. Sure, Michigan has been impressive, but against who? Their non-conference schedule was among the worst in all of college football, and they struggled for at least a half against the trio of Maryland, Iowa and Indiana. They put together their most significant win of the season by far this past weekend against Penn State, but James Franklin literally ALWAYS does this in his team’s biggest games. On the flip side, the Tigers have not always looked good doing it, but they’ve knocked off the likes of both Wake Forest and NC State, and now appear to be hitting their stride at the right time.

Does the presence of those maize and blue winged helmets in this discussion influence my decision a little bit? Sure! I mean, I dont really like J.J. McCarthy or D.J. Uiagalelei as QBs, but what Clemson is doing right now feels a bit more sustainable than Michigan’s all-Blake Corum offense. Either way, it’s MY College Football Playoff right now, so let me have my fun. At the end of the day, I think whatever team winds up earning that No. 4 spot is going to be another yearly sacrifice to the top seed. There is a lot of football still to be played, and somehow we all know Alabama will work their way back into the top four by year’s end, but at this current moment, this is my field. Take it or leave it.

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Ohio State women’s basketball player preview: Cotie McMahon
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo from FIBA.basketball

The Team USA youth star and top-100 high school recruit could make a splash in year one.

When the 2022-23 season tips off for the Ohio State women’s basketball team, over half of the starting lineup feels predictable. The Buckeyes return four of five from their group who began all the games in their stretch run to the Sweet 16, including First Team All-B1G stars Jacy Sheldon and Taylor Mikesell.

That now open spot, formerly held by forward Braxtin Miller, is an area to watch with the regular season looming. A name with potential to challenge for that spot is next on Land-Grant Holy Land’s player preview series — Ohioan Cotie McMahon.


Name: Cotie McMahon
Position: Forward
Class: Freshman
High School: Centerville High School (Centerville, Ohio)

Last Year


In Feb. 2020, Ohio high school teams were battling in the state tournament. Not part of that excitement was McMahon, who was on campus with the Scarlet & Gray as Ohio State battled in their Big Ten schedule. McMahon graduated early to join the Buckeyes in preparation for her first year of eligibility, with games beginning Nov. 8.

That didn’t mean McMahon hasn’t been playing basketball.

This summer, McMahon swapped scarlet and gray for red, white and blue with Team USA’s U18 team. Alongside nationally known recruits like UCLA’s Kiki Rice and UConn’s Isuneh Brady, McMahon and Team USA did what America usually does in women’s basketball — win, and make it look easy.

McMahon was part of a small group of players leading the way. In six games, McMahon averaged 14.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Those stats were good enough to land the forward third, sixth and seventh overall amongst all players in the tournament.

In the championship game, after Team USA won by an average of 52.4 points in the five matchups leading up to the title game, they faced a tough Team Canada. Up 10 entering halftime, Canada battled back, cutting USA’s lead to four with a quarter to play.

The final 10 minutes of the game saw McMahon take the game over. McMahon scored eight of her 22 points with an assist to hold off their neighbors to the north, winning gold for Team USA, leading the team in points in the game and being named to the tournament’s All-Star 5.

What to Expect


There’s a reason ESPN named McMahon the fourth best forward in their 2022 class. McMahon can do just about everything. The 5-foot-11 player can shoot, rebound and defend.

Head coach Kevin McGuff plays a high energy system, and tries to control the pace of games and force opponents to make mistakes. When those mistakes happen, like missed shots and poor passes, McMahon knows where to be to clean it up. While her size won’t stand up against the centers and fives within the Big Ten, McMahon’s energy and court knowledge gets her to the right places at the right time.

Offensively, McMahon won’t be shooting threes like the group of Buckeyes starting guards, but will be a force to be reckoned with when she charges at the basket. Each high school season McMahon improved offensively, going from 15.8 ppg as a freshman to 20.2 in her final full season.

ESPN recruiting experts said McMahon is, “among the elite prospects in the class of 2022.” McMahon’s addition to the Buckeyes is a sign that Ohio State’s firmly moved on from the issues of the past few years, and is reestablishing itself as the team for in-state talent.

Prediction


The old adage “the sky’s the limit” fits nicely for McMahon. McGuff isn’t going to show his cards this early in the offseason, but its hard to imagine McMahon not being on the court, and often.

McMahon should challenge for a spot in the starting five, and if not one of the first off the bench. The most likely competition for McMahon are forwards Eboni Walker and Taylor Thierry, a transfer and sophomore respectively. McMahon has the edge over both because of the international experience, knowledge of McGuff’s system over Walker and possessing a much more confident offensive game than surprise role-player Thierry from last season.

With that said, if Thierry improved in the offseason, like McGuff said she did in media availability, it’ll be a toss-up on who starts.

Either way, expect McMahon to make her presence known on this Buckeyes roster. In the upcoming years, when players like Mikesell and Sheldon leave, it’ll be McMahon stepping up as the leader of Ohio State.

Highlights


Here’s a double-dose of highlights. In the first video, McMahon’s (23) moments from her time at Centerville. The second features McMahon (9) hitting shots deep, assisting and cutting through defenses during this summer’s FIBA Americas U18 Championship.


Miss any other player previews? Here’s the list so far:

• Taylor Mikesell
• Eboni Walker
• Madison Greene
• Emma Shumate

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Column: Ryan Day is getting the Top-10 defense he ordered this offseason
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Set Number: X164186 TK1

Statistically speaking the Ohio State Buckeyes are a top-10 defense in a few important metrics, and that is exactly what Jim Knowles was brought in to do.

The Ohio State Buckeyes brought in a new defensive coordinator in Jim Knowles this offseason, putting tremendous expectations on an improved defense. Coming from Oklahoma State, Knowles’ reputation was that of miracle worker who took dismal defenses and turned them into productive units.

Ryan Day did not mince words as to what he was looking for this year.

“In terms of expectations, we expect a top-10 defense. That’s what we want,” Day said in the lead to the season, adding, “When we’ve played our best football, it’s because we played really good defense, and we’ve been balanced and played complementary football.”

After two disappointing seasons on the defensive side of the ball, the criteria for a turnaround was set. Defining a top-10 defense starts statistically, and ends with how the defense has looked on the field. Through one half of the Buckeyes’ regular season schedule, Knowles has lived up to expectations.

Total Defense


Effectiveness starts in totality, and the Buckeyes have been slowing down every team they have played regardless of style. Looking into the stats, the Buckeyes are steady throughout, and dominating on a per-play basis as well. Ohio State has not played an offensive juggernaut so far, but all that means is they are taking care of business.

Opp. Yards/Play - 4.3 (No. 7)

Yards per play is a pace adjusted stat that takes pace of play out of the equation. On a per-play basis, Ohio State is giving up 4.3 yards, which is good for seventh in the country. The reason pace adjusted stats are important is because this takes out of account how slow teams like Wisconsin hold the ball, and how fast playing teams like Toledo put up yards in a hurry with them not amounting to much in total.

This season, the best statistical performances from the Buckeyes were against Arkansas State and Rutgers. This is not the best barometer, but the Buckeyes haven’t given up more than 5.5 yards per play in a single game all season, showing the level of consistency.

Opp. Yards/Game - 253.5 (No. 4)

Now in a non-pace adjusted format, the Buckeyes are even better defensively. For a team who ranked poorly in this area last season, the improvement has been noticeable. Knowles has set a goal of no more than five big plays per game – plays over 20 yards – which has limited the total yards gain. Teams have had trouble getting up and down the field consistently with the Buckeyes limiting long drives.

Outside of a few big plays, the defense has held their own for all four quarters of each game, which shows the new level of commitment to being a great defense.

Opp. Points/Game - 15.7 (No. 8)

The Buckeyes are limiting scoring at a top 10 level as well. They are giving up 15.7 points per game, which ranks 8th in the country. A big key to the success has been getting off the field and winning third downs. Once teams have gotten into the red zone, they have found some success, which raises some questions moving forward as the schedule toughens. That being said, through six games the defense has given up less than 21 points per game. With the No. 1 offense in the country averaging 48.8 points per game, this is the pairing Day was looking for in hiring Knowles.

Opp 3D Conv % - 27.16% (No. 5)

The reason the Buckeyes have been so successful is their ability to stop opponents on third down. Getting off the field was a major problem in 2021, as the Buckeyes ranked 91st in the country last season. The improvement in this area has been the biggest, and this has been vital to the success of the defense in its entirety.

Getting off the field on third down has limited points and yards allowed. They held Notre Dame to 3-of-13 on third down, Wisconsin to 6-of-13, and Michigan State to 3-of-11. In their biggest matchups, Ohio State has dominated on important downs, which has led the transformation into a top ten defense.

Run Defense


The emergence of Ohio State’s dominant defensive line and linebackers is a surprise, but they have been limiting opposing run games better than most. In stopping the run, the most effective run games against Ohio State were De’Quan Finn’s scrambling ability and Braelon Allen’s long run against the second-team defense. When the first team is in the game, there has not been a better unit in the Power-5 at stopping the run.

Opp Yards/Rush - 3.0 (No. 7)

On a per-play basis, Ohio State is giving up the seventh most yards per rush in the country. Teams have been unable to successfully run the ball, which has put Ohio State’s opponents into awkward down-and-distances. The success against the run has allowed Ohio State to win on early downs, which has led to success in the third down department. This also shows how Ohio State has been able remain solid in the red zone and limiting the touchdowns scored. It all starts with stopping the run, and the Buckeyes have been exceptional in that department.

Opp Rush Yards/Game - 93.2 (No. 5)

The Buckeyes have shut down opposing run games, with their best performance coming in their last game against Michigan State, where they only allowed seven total rushing yards. They have given up less than 100-yards on the ground three times so far, and the most they have given up is the 192 against Wisconsin. If you take out Allen’s 85-yard run, this total comes down to 79.03 yards per game, which would be good for No. 2 in the country.

Ryan Day wanted a tough defense against the run, especially after the embarrassing losses of last season — most notably the Michigan game — and so far, he has just that.

Pass Defense


The Buckeyes have not broken into the top-10 in most passing categories, but the overall performance of the group has been commendable. Ohio State hasn’t played any vaunted downfield passing attack, but the old adage goes you have to play who is in front of you. Even with the suspect corner play being on everybody’s minds, the secondary and the defense as a whole has held teams to the sixth-fewest yards per game through the air in the country.

Opp Pass Yards/Game - 160.3 (#6)

Opponents have been forced to pass against the Buckeyes, which makes this stat all that more impressive. On a per-play basis, the Buckeyes give up quite a few chunk plays, raising their yards per pass totals. Even with the occasional big plays, throughout the entirety of games Ohio State is limiting opposing passing attacks. With only one significant passing outfit remaining on the schedule in Maryland — who could be without QB Taulia Tagovailoa after an apparent serious knee injury in his last game against Indiana — the Buckeyes might never get fully tested in this area until the CFP, which is not problem.

With who they have played, they have taken care of business in the air traffic control department, even if it hasn’t always looked pretty.

FEI


The FEI is the Fremeau Efficiency Index, which measures unit effectiveness on an opponent adjusted basis. From Football Outsiders, “[The] Fremeau Efficiency Index ratings (FEI) are opponent-adjusted possession efficiency data representing the per-possession scoring advantage a team would be expected to have on a neutral field against an average opponent.”

This takes into account a wide range of advanced stats to churn out a number on how teams would perform in an environment with no external variables. The Buckeyes are No. 1 on Offensive FEI, and right on the cusp of their goals on defense.

DFEI

The defensive FEI for the Buckeyes according to Football Outsiders is 0.81, which is good for 12th in the country. FEI does not account for late-game substitutions, so the whole story is not being told for the Buckeyes’ starters. Still, Ohio State improved from 41st in the country last season and 46th in the country two years ago, all the way up to No. 12 this year.

Most people believed Ohio State could win a national championship with a top-25 defense, and that is where they stand. They are behind a few top teams, including Alabama and Georgia, but the 12th-rated defense still gives the Buckeyes the highest total efficiency ranking in the country. That says the Buckeyes are statistically good enough to win a national championship with their combination of offense and defense.


Evaluating defenses is mostly done with the eyes and how the defenses make you feel. Through six games, the Buckeyes have an identity that is easily defined, and they are playing productively in important moments. Ryan Day is getting his money’s worth in the hiring of Jim Knowles through six games this season, and the Buckeyes have met expectations so far.

Being a top-10 defense statistically sounded outrageous to some at the time, but through the midway point of the year the Buckeyes have met that lofty goal head on. Behind the emergence of Tommy Eichenberg, the defensive line and incredible safety play, Ohio State has been able to limit anything offenses have wanted to do. Outside of a few mishaps along the way, there aren’t many defensive units in the country playing at Ohio State’s level.

If the Buckeyes can continue at this pace, the team should continue to improve as they build on Jim Knowles’ already effective defense. Knowles was brought in for one thing and he knew he would have a short time to get there. With half a season to go, the Buckeyes are in a prime position to build on the top-10 foundation that has already been laid. If Ohio State can build on that foundation, they just might have a defense capable of winning a national championship.

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We’ll talk about this later: A true underdog story
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Your dose of lighthearted takes from Saturday’s games.

Each week, we’ll break down something that happened during the Ohio State game (and occasionally other games) that we’ll be talking about for a while—you know, the silly sideline interactions, the awful announcing and the weird storylines that stick with us for years to come. We’ll also compare each of these happenings to memorable moments in pop culture, because who doesn’t love a good Office reference?

Ohio State may have been on a bye this week, but we can’t let slip the opportunity to highlight an underdog, especially when that underdog is actually a genuine Canis lupus familiaris doggo.

We are, of course, talking about Tennessee’s massive upset over Alabama Saturday. Alabama was favored by nine on the road in Knoxville. It helped that their Heisman-contender quarterback, Bryce Young, was back on the field after a brief hiatus. However, the storyline of an upset was simmering like a nice pumpkin chili during the crisp fall week preceding the matchup.


And of course, that’s what we got in super dramatic fashion Saturday evening. To close the afternoon slate of games, just as darkness fell in Knoxville and after a massive comeback on the part of the Crimson Tide, the sky lit up with fireworks as Chase McGrath knucklepucked a walk-off field goal to give the Vols a win in regulation. The Tennessee faithful stormed the field. We laughed at Nick Saban. We reveled in a rare loss from the perennial superpower.


But, we weren’t the real winners. The real victor in this magical moment was Smokey XI, the bluetick coonhound who so gracefully guards the Tennessee sideline. He’s been patiently waiting for his favorite program to beat the college football giant for the first time in his life.


He, and his predecessor, Smokey X, were probably so excited to see the kick fall through the goalposts and celebrate with their loving fans who came down from the stands to celebrate with them in that glorious scene.


Smokey probably got a lot of new fans this weekend. While I probably won’t be cheering for Tennessee from here on out (though we will all have some tough choices when choosing sides between Smokey and Uga in a few weeks), I do want Smokey to be happy. And it’s a better world we live in when the dogs are happy.


In the NFL realm, while I promise I’m not jumping ahead to Christmas and skipping Halloween, we must take a moment to revive the discussion that Joe Burrow is a well-adjusted Macaulay Culkin.


That way, we’ll be ready with all the memes when it comes time to break out Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.


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I-70 Football Podcast: We know who is good, we’ll soon know who is bad!
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

With Ohio State at home for their bye week, Michigan and Illinois showcase their dominance while Penn State and Wisconsin leave with more questions than answers

Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s I-70 Football Podcast. On this show, we talk all things Big Ten football and basketball. After every week of action, we will get you caught up on all the conference’s games and look ahead at the matchups, storylines, and players that you should be paying attention to in the next week. My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host Dante Morgan.

Listen to the episode and subscribe:


Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio

After defeating Minnesota, Illinois is officially in the driver’s seat for the B1G West title. All that is standing in their way is a showdown with Purdue, but after beating Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota in back-to-back-to-back games, it’s unlikely they will lose again until a showdown with Michigan.

Speaking of Michigan, the Wolverines dominated Penn State with a punishing run game on the backs of another big game from Blake Corum and a career-best 173 rushing yards for Donovan Edwards. Michigan has looked dominant, and should be undefeated going into The Game against the Buckeyes. On the flip side, following an expected victory against Northwestern, Wisconsin showed their flaws extend past their offense as the defense allowed 34 points to a struggling Michigan State team in another losing effort.

After a weekend that solidified what teams are good, we will soon find out what teams are bad this upcoming week as Minnesota faces Penn State and Purdue faces Wisconsin. Penn State’s run defense will be put to the test again against Mo Ibrahim. A loss here and they are looking at three-straight defeats with Ohio State looming the following week. If Wisconsin loses to Purdue their season may be over, as they may struggle to reach six wins even with the coaching change.

The Buckeyes are back in action this week against a floundering Iowa team. Iowa’s defense will have a major challenge with the Buckeye’s offense, but even a great defensive performance may be not enough with their lackluster offense.

In their weekly pitstop, the guys are on separate sides of the Yankees and Guardians American League Divisional Series. Dante celebrates the Guardians showing promise in two come-from-behind victories against the favored Yankees. Jordan laments the Yankees’ decision not to have a legitimate closer and the lack of aggressiveness in the trade market and free agency.


Connect with us on Twitter:

Jordan: @JordanW330

Dante: @DanteM10216

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Road Test At East Lansing
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



Road Less Traveled

In the last five weeks, the Buckeyes handled their business at home. With their non-conference schedule, they beat a top five Notre Dame team and they throttled Arkansas State and Toledo. They also went 2-0 in conference play after handling both, Wisconsin and Rutgers.

In week 6 will feature their first trip outside the confines of Columbus against a struggling 2-3 Spartan squad. This could be especially dangerous considering that these very Spartans are winless in conference play.

This could be another upset in the making with all of that considered. Topped off with the ever-increasing amount of injuries sustained by the Buckeyes. This should be another easy week, but let’s not overlook a team that has defeated Ohio State within the last 10 years.

I still have flashbacks of 2015’s walk-off FG and a kicker running around playing air guitar. As much as I am confident in the eventual win, I will not overlook this team. For context, the last successful home defense against Ohio State was in 1999.

Will this cocktail of the cold and injuries derail another promising season for the Buckeyes? Or will they live to fight another day, to inch closer to their season goals? We will find out and I will anxiously wait for it.

Weather-proof?

Have the Buckeyes played in less-than-ideal weather conditions this season? The projected 53-degree might not be bad, but it’s the cloudy, and potentially windy afternoon might be an issue. Additionally, with the fall in the Midwest, cold weather could also be a factor—especially in Big 10 country.

We all know that Coach Day wants a balanced attack, but with the mounting injuries, who will step up? Who is actually healthy and who will be missing? A lot of questions that will be answered soon enough.

We all know the talent on either side is never lacking, but it will be interesting to see who is out, who steps in, and more importantly—who will step up when their number is called.

Injury Bug Blues

We all know that injuries are a part of the game, but they keep coming this year. JSN with his hammy, Brown and Burke with their issues, and now Williams after such a gutsy performance?

Coach speak or not, there are concerns about the players and their health. Whether legitimate or not, I believe they are working hard with one goal in mind—to win it all.

Will health eventually be an issue? Yes, but I think it doesn’t apply to this years team. Will certain players sit to keep healthy for big games? Possibly. It’s all up to the coaching staff to identify and treat things on a case-by-case basis. We shouldn’t worry just yet.

Predictions

With all things considered, I think this will be fine, but the injures and weather will play a factor in a possible slow start. Not to mention, the way the Spartans lost in Columbus last year, I can see them coming out the gates on fire.

• Stroud goes for 250 and 5 scores
• Rushing attack goes for 150 and 2 scores
• Defense has 3 sacks, 1 INT
• Eichenberg/Chambers 20+ combined tackles

Final 49-20

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Four-star PG from Nevada decides on the Buckeyes
Bret Favachio via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Juni Mobley | 247Sports

Ohio State got their 2024 hoops class kicked off on Sunday when they reeled in a Top 50 prospect from Las Vegas.

Despite an off week for the Buckeyes on the gridiron, there was still a few noteworthy happenings on the recruiting trail for the program. The most notable was on the hardwood, where hoops head coach Chris Holtmann landed the first pledge of the 2024 recruiting class on Sunday. Plus, football head coach Ryan Day began his pursuit of a Notre Dame pledge with hopes of flipping him to the Buckeyes.

Mobley becomes the first hoops pledge in 2024


After initially beginning their pursuit for 2024 point guard Juni Mobley of Bishop Gorman (NV) in June, the Buckeyes have done enough to make the blue-chipper from Las Vegas comfortable enough to end his recruitment and choose the scarlet and gray.


The 6-foot, 150-pounder decided on Sunday that he was ready to pick Ohio State over Arizona State, Creighton, LSU, USC, and Xavier. Mobley now becomes the leader of the 2024 recruiting class which will have the tall task of following up last years haul that finished as the No. 5 class in the country.

While that is the least of Holtmann and the coaching staffs concern for the time being, they were able to get off to an impressive start, as Mobley currently slots in as a Top-50 prospect overall. Not to be forgotten, Mobley also comes in ranked as the sixth highest graded point guard next year and he also is penciled in as the second best player from the state of Nevada.

Buckeyes chasing Notre Dame safety commit


As the Buckeyes look to put a few of the finishing touches on their 2023 recruiting class, a new name emerged on Sunday when safeties coach Perry Eliano extended an offer to four-star athlete Adon Shuler, a safety prospect, of Irvington (NJ).


The Garden State standout is currently committed to Notre Dame and has been since August of last year. That likely will make this a tough ask for the Buckeyes to ultimately flip the 6-foot, 197-pounder, but one would think that the convince is there for the coaching staff if they decided to extend the offer this late in the cycle.

Combine that will some early season struggles for first year head coach Marcus Freeman and the Irish and it makes sense why the Buckeyes would try it. Especially with the clear idea of bringing yet another safety into the fold to join Jayden Bonsu, Malik Hartford, and Cedric Hawkins.

We will have to monitor what happens in the coming weeks between both Ohio State and the Shuler, with the obvious hope for the Buckeyes being to get the Irvington native on campus. If that is something that comes to fruition, all bets are off and Ohio State becomes an intriguing option for No. 18 safety in the class and the second best player from the state of New Jersey.

Quick Hits

• Aside from Shuler, Ohio State also dished out an offer to 2025 running back Ousmane Kromah of Lee County (GA) on Friday morning. The Buckeyes joined Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan State, and Tennessee, among others as the early programs to extend an offer to the Leesburg standout.
• 247Sports’ Bill Kurelic casted a Crystal Ball prediction on Saturday morning in favor of Ohio State landing 2024 four-star cornerback Aaron Scott of Springfield (OH). The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder, who was offered by the Buckeyes in June, is currently graded as the No. 8 player in Ohio for next year’s cycle.
• According to Garrick Hodge of Eleven Warriors, Ohio State offensive line coach Justin Frye stopped at Findlay High School on Friday night to check out 2023 Ohio State four-star offensive tackle commit Luke Montgomery and his younger brother Ryan Montgomery — a 2025 QB with a Buckeye offer. The Trojans were able to keep it close, but ultimately fell short against St. John’s Jesuit (OH) by a final of 18-10.

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Ohio State opens as 28.5-point favorites over Iowa
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Set Number: X164186 TK1

The Buckeyes come out of their off week as big favorites once again.

DraftKings Sportsbook odds: Ohio State -28.5

With no Ohio State football to watch this weekend, we got to soak in the rest of the nation’s chaos unfolding while we kicked back stress-free with no fear of a potential upset loss. It was a pretty great week for Ryan Day’s crew to have their off week, as it allowed us to enjoy Tennessee’s 52-49 win over Alabama in an offensive shootout at Neyland Stadium, as well as thrilling comebacks by Utah and TCU as they both took down higher-ranked opponents. With a chance to sit idle and hopefully get most of their guys healthy for the second half, Ohio State now begins the tougher portion of its Big Ten schedule when they host Iowa in Week 8.

Ohio State has owned the all-time series between this two programs 46-15-3, but this is the first time these teams will meet on the field since that 55-24 win by Iowa at Kinnick Stadium in a stunning upset back in 2017. While likely none of the players on either of the current rosters were in attendance that day, it is surely a game that Buckeye Nation remembers not too fondly, and will hope for some revenge when the Hawkeyes come to Columbus. Luckily, Ohio State has a much better quarterback at the helm this time around, and Vegas certainly doesn’t think the Buckeyes are on upset alert as the home team is currently favored by over four touchdowns.

The last time we saw the now No. 2-ranked Buckeyes was over a week ago at Spartan Stadium, when Ohio State was handing Michigan State a 49-20 loss on their home turf. It was more of the same for this year’s Scarlet and Gray, as C.J. Stroud carved up Mel Tucker’s boys through the air to the tune of 361 yards and six touchdowns with one pick. Marvin Harrison Jr. was the flavor of the day at wide receiver, catching seven passes for 131 yards and three TDs. TreVeyon Henderson paced the Buckeyes on the ground with 118 yards and a score of his own. The offense was efficient, and the defense more than did its job, holding Michigan State to 202 total yards, including just seven total rushing yards.

Iowa was also off this weekend, and they likely used that extra time to try and forget their latest game. The Hawkeyes lost a dreadful 9-6 game to Illinois in their last matchup, and it was more of the same for what we’ve seen from Iowa for really the last year and a half now — all defense, no offense. Albeit against a seemingly good Illini squad, Kirk Ferentz’s team managed just two field goals, putting up only 221 yards of total offense with a mere 13 first downs in a game that featured no touchdowns on either side. The defense was fine, and forced a trio of turnovers in the game, but ultimately the inability to put up points cost Iowa the game.

Statistically, Iowa has one of the worst offenses in all of college football. At 14.7 points per game, the Hawkeyes rank 127th out of 131 teams in scoring offense. A big reason for that has been the incredibly lackluster play of quarterback Spencer Petras. Through six games, the 18th-year QB has thrown for under 1,000 yards with just two TD passes with three interceptions. For all their struggles through the air, they aren't much better on the ground. Iowa does not have a single rusher on their team averaging more than 4.6 yards per carry, and they have only five total touchdowns on the ground thus far. If it weren't for some good old fashioned college football nepotism, offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz would’ve likely been canned a long time ago.

On the flip side, the Iowa defense is excellent. Allowing just 9.8 points per game, that ranks them 3rd overall in the country. Star linebacker Jack Campbell has already registered a whopping 63 tackles on the year, and the Hawkeyes have racked up six interceptions (led by three by defensive back Cooper DeJean) as well as five forced fumbles (led by Riley Moss’ two). The Hawkeyes dont allow much yardage through the air or on the ground, and as they were last year, have been really good at taking the ball away. They have allowed more than 10 points in a game just one time this season — in a 27-14 loss to Michigan — but haven’t exactly played an offense at the caliber of Ohio State’s just yet.

While I respect the Iowa defense, I dont think any defense in the country right now could hold the Buckeyes to under 40 points. C.J. Stroud and his treasure trove of wide receivers — especially if Jaxon Smith-Njigba is back and healthy — are simply too good, and add to the mix a dynamic ground game between Henderson and Miyan Williams, and it just feels like too much to stop. Even if they hold Ohio State to 35 or so, I dont think Iowa’s offense is capable of scoring 20-plus points in a game, let alone 30-plus. It could be an uglier game than usual, but the Buckeyes should have no trouble moving to 7-0.

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

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Column: Biggest surprises in CFB (including Ohio State) at midseason
meganhusslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

College football is wild every year, but I have a feeling this is the year we will finally have a shakeup in the final four.

This has been a year in college football unlike any other. This past Saturday’s slate of games was one of the craziest I’ve seen in a while. Bama LOST, which therefore means Tennessee WON, TTUN might actually be good, Illinois is legit... and obviously Ohio State is (arguably, I guess) the best team in the nation. Pure anarchy — I love it.

Could THIS be the year Bama misses the CFB Playoff?

Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

This year’s Crimson Tide simply isn’t the same dominant force that we are used to seeing. It’s not really making sense, either. They did lose seven players to the draft, with one of them being WR Jameson Williams, but besides that, there weren’t any major losses. Plus, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner is still their quarterback.

Clearly, defense is a huge issue for the Tide. They gave up 52 points to the Vols, their most points allowed since 1907. Between the struggling defense and not having a great receiver (their team leader has 302 yards, in comparison to Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka, who has 655 and Marvin Harrison Jr., who has 536), it seems like Bama is going to have to shape up quick if they want to be a title contender.

Now with one loss under their belt, they still have to go through No. 7 Ole Miss and No. 24 Mississippi State. If they win both of those, they will most likely have to face Georgia in the SEC Championship, and I don’t see them winning that game with the way they are playing right now. Therefore, it’s going to be a very tough road for Bama to make the playoff.

Big Ten showing up

Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK

How about Illinois?! I, for one, did not expect Bret Bielema to turn around the program this quickly after being hired in 2020. I mean, they’re sitting at the top of the Big Ten West with a 6-1 record! They have two solid wins over Wisconsin and Minnesota, two formidable conference foes. The Fighting Illini are the real deal.

Another team, as much as I hate to admit it, is actually good. TTUN really proved themselves with a win over Penn State Saturday. I can’t lie, I was very skeptical of the Wolverines up until this game. I know they’re undefeated, but the scores are a bit of a misnomer. They’re definitely a second half team, as the Nittany Lions, along with Maryland and Indiana, kept it close in the first halves.

Solidifying J.J. McCarthy as QB1 and Blake Corum emerging as one of the best backs in country has propelled the Wolverines’ offense tremendously. Good thing Ohio State’s defense has skyrocketed, too. However, I must say, I think TTUN might actually deserve their current No. 4 ranking. Ugh.

Buckeyes surprises

Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Honestly, there aren’t a ton of big surprises on offense. I would classify them as little, exciting surprises. One of them being Xavier Johnson. What a unexpected talent who has proven to be critical this season. Another would be how much Miyan Williams has improved. We all knew how good he was last season, but he has taken his play to another level this year. Five touchdowns in one game? Enough said.

Stroud is running a little more (sorta), Egbuka, Marv and Julian Fleming all look amazing (not really a surprise) and TreVeyon Henderson is still a beast. Personally, I am a bit surprised at how well the offense is performing without Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Obviously the WR room is loaded, but you would think there would be even a little bit of a drop-off with the best player out. Nope!

The best surprise on the team is clearly the defense. Although the secondary could still use some improvement, the defensive line and linebacker play has been outstanding. Steele Chambers and Tommy Eichenberg have been playing lights out. The Buckeyes are fifth in the nation in yards per game allowed, compared to being 53rd in team defense in the country in 2021. I’d say that’s the greatest surprise of all.

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‘Ball Hell Broke Loose: Tennessee leads the college football chaos in Week 7
JamiJurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images

Anarchy in Knoxville and what it means for the Buckeyes.

Though the Buckeyes didn’t play this week, there was plenty of chaos for us to feast on across the NCAA.

In the case of No. 20 Utah, we saw a great upset win over (formerly) No. 7 USC, whose defense decided they were on vacation. Michigan had a dominant win over No. 10 Penn State, proving that the Buckeyes and our nemesis are once again the big dogs in the Big Ten.

But no chaos remotely compared to what went down in Knoxville, Tennessee yesterday, where what we saw wasn’t chaos – it was complete anarchy. We’re not even going to bother rounding up the rest of the NCAA’s child’s play when the Volunteers delivered the second-best gift OSU fans could get on a Bye Week — a Bama loss (the first would be a Michigan loss, duh).

It was the kind of game that people will rewatch on ESPN Classics in 10 years. It was the stuff college football dreams are made of. And though it didn’t involve the Buckeyes or the Big Ten in any way, it still has indirect ramifications for us.

The Third Saturday in October is to Knoxville what the Last Week of the Regular Season is to Columbus and Ann Arbor, but as Michigan fans could tell you – rivalries aren’t quite as fun when they’re lopsided. (Yes, I know Michigan won last year – we have to throw them a bone once in awhile).

Yesterday, for the first time in 15 years, the Vols went into the game with a fighting chance against a No. 1 Alabama team whose coach had never lost to Tennessee. Alabama’s star quarterback Bryce Young (last year’s Heisman winner) decided to grace us all with his presence after a few weeks out from an injury.

What was possible was yet another Alabama blowout, the likes of which we’ve seen time and time again in the last decade and a half. But this Tennessee team is the real deal, so what we got was a full 60 minutes of football.

And thanks to Young’s return, there’s no asterisk next to Tennessee’s win, no one saying “If only we’d had our quarterback.” No, this win was sweat, blood, and tears, and the Vols earned every bit of it. The game went back and forth quite a bit, with Tennessee pulling ahead to a 21-7 lead early, Alabama taking the lead, Tennessee taking it back. Alabama’s defense was sleepy at best, sloppy at worst. Their special teams unit made a MAJOR error that resulted in a Tennessee touchdown. Alabama had a record number of flags. But still, it all boiled down to a Tennessee field goal kick with 0:01 on the game clock, and it would be the kick heard round the world.

Nothing brings me quite as much joy as a cranky Nick Saban (ok, MAYBE a crying Clayton Kershaw). And yesterday, while the Buckeyes had their much-deserved nap time, Tennessee delivered as much for us (and any other fan base who collectively hates the Crimson Tide) as for themselves and their own loyal fans.

Cigar smoke filled Neyland Stadium (Tennessee is a tobacco-free campus, but something tells me no one was going to be disrespectful enough to enforce that yesterday). And then down came the goal posts.

This, my friends, is the sweet chaos I desire at all times where college football is concerned. Do you know how hard it is to have hope when your team lets you down and causes you physical and emotional pain year after year? I’m a Chicago Cubs fan, so I sure do. Tennessee fans deserved a night of anarchy (which, compared to couch-burning and car-flipping, which I do not advise, was still relatively harmless).


As fans stormed the field at Neyland after their last-second win, the goal post came down. Fans rode it like a bull and then paraded it through the streets, taking it for a whirl at the bars before finally, finally drowning it – along with years of sorrow – in the Tennessee River, where it will now live permanently.


But what does it all mean for the Buckeyes? Alabama dropped out of the No. 1 spot, but they still control their own destiny in the SEC. Tennessee, on the other hand, has to face the now-No. 1 Georgia team in 3 weeks for a shot at a rematch with Bama in the SEC championship.

OSU still has to play the Wolverines, so nothing is set in stone, but assuming we win out, this little three-way battle for the top spot in the SEC does have playoff ramifications for us. On one hand, Georgia is the least-scary team of the three to me, so I’d love to face them in the playoffs. On the other, my heart wants Tennessee fans to have a moment of glory (and Lord knows the playoffs need some fresh blood).

But the real question that came out of yesterday for the Buckeyes is what this means for CJ Stroud and his shot at the Heisman. Until yesterday, he seemed like a sure thing if he continues on the track he’s been on. But Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker might be known as Hendon Heisman come the end of this season after his performance yesterday. If he manages to pull off something comparable against Georgia in three weeks, Stroud’s Heisman hopes might be in trouble.

Now listen, I’m thrilled for the Vols (my brother graduated last spring and was in Knoxville for the game yesterday. One of my oldest, dearest friends is a lifelong Vols fan who grew up in Tennessee). I wept at the end because I knew what it meant to every single person who puts on their orange jersey and sings “Rocky Top” every week. Nothing – and I mean NOTHING – would bring me more joy than a Tennessee-OSU playoff showdown.

But I do need them to back off of our man CJ. Hendon Hooker is a spectacular quarterback, and he certainly deserves to be in New York, but this is one of those cases where the Heisman committee are simps for the SEC, and as a Buckeye fan who would lie in traffic for CJ Stroud, that is where I draw the line.

So may chaos reign, may both goalposts and sorrows drown, may Rocky Top always be home sweet home to those who like that sort of thing. But with all the love in my heart and just a bit of vaguely threatening energy, get your man Hendon to back up off my man CJ, or I might make some chaos of my own!

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BASKET-BOOM! 2024 four-star point guard John Mobley Jr. commits to Ohio State
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Buckeyes are already working on stacking up their next great recruiting class.

It’s early, but Ohio State has already began filling what will likely be a smaller recruiting class for the 2024 cycle — starting with a big BOOM on Sunday afternoon. At halftime of today’s 3:00 ESPN2 Top Flight Invite, John Mobley Jr. — a four-star point guard from Bishop Gorman HS in Las Vegas — announced he’ll be moving back home to Columbus for college to play for Chris Holtmann and the Ohio State Buckeyes.


Mobley is the No. 44 player in the class of 2024, the No. 6 point guard in the nation, and the second-highest ranked player in the state of Nevada, according to 247Sports. He’ll don the scarlet and gray starting the fall of 2024 — two seasons from now. Mobley is just the third top-50 player in the 2024 class to make his college decision (Jason Asemota committed to Baylor and Mercy Miller committed to Houston), and he’ll return to Columbus where he lived for 11 years.

As Ohio State fans on Twitter were so quick to notice, Mobley has “Columbus, OH” as his location on his Twitter page, rather than Las Vegas, where he goes to school. This was not a hint or trick pointing to where he’d land for college. On the contrary, Mobley is originally from central Ohio, but left to play basketball at Bishop Gorman.



Mobley, a junior, stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 150 pounds. He is one of the most polished shooters in the country already, and is considered the best shooter in the nation by many. He models his game after Trae Young and Steph Curry, and has the potential to end up as the best outside shooter at Ohio State since Jon Diebler.

While at first glance it may seem like the Buckeyes are already heavy on guards, by the fall of 2024 this may not be the case. In the age of immediate transfer rules, roster changes are unpredictable. That also ignores the possibility that Taison Chatman, Roddy Gayle, or Bruce Thornton could be NBA-bound by the time Mobley even steps on campus. With the way rosters are constantly in flux, it’s never a bad idea to pick up a solid point guard who also may wind up being the best shooter in the class.

Mobley isn’t the biggest guard at just 150 pounds, but he told Prospective Insight in June that he thinks he’ll grow a few inches before college — possibly getting to 6-foot-3 or 6-foot-4. If he can also add 20-30 pounds over the next two seasons, he could quickly increase his pro potential and NBA draft stock. Regardless, Chris Holtmann and his staff will certainly spend time working on the other parts of his game — aside from shooting — once he gets on campus.

Mobley held offers from Ohio State, Creighton, Arizona State, LSU, St. John’s, Toledo, UNLV, USC, and Xavier. He cut down a final list by simply removing Toledo, UNLV, and St. John’s two weeks ago. Ohio State and Creighton were the only two schools that he went on official visits to, and were considered the two favorites.

The Buckeyes offered Mobley a scholarship in June, and also had Mobley’s final official visit on October 1, when he visited and attended the Ohio State-Rutgers with his family and the Ohio State coaching staff. Mobley is the first member of Ohio State’s 2024 recruiting class. With a combined nine players in the 2022 and 2023 classes, this class may only have one more player after Mobley.



Check out some recent video of John’s game below:


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Here are the matchups for this week:

Week 8
Wednesday, Oct. 19

Georgia State at Appalachian State | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2

Thursday, Oct. 20

Virginia at Georgia Tech | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
Troy at South Alabama | 7:30 p.m. | ESPNU

Friday, Oct. 21

Princeton at Harvard | 7 p.m. | ESPNU
Long Island at Wagner | 7 p.m. | ESPN3
Tulsa at Temple | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2
UAB at Western Kentucky | 8 p.m. | CBSSN

Saturday, Oct. 22

Iowa at No. 2 Ohio State | 12 p.m. | FOX
No. 14 Syracuse at No. 5 Clemson | 12 p.m. | ABC
UT Martin at No. 3 Tennessee | 12 p.m. | SEC Network
Kansas at Baylor | 12 p.m. | ESPN2
No. 21 Cincinnati at SMU | 12 p.m. | ESPN
UL Monroe at Army | 12 p.m. | CBSSN
Indiana at Rutgers | 12 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Houston at Navy | 12 p.m. | ESPNU
Akron at Kent State | 12 p.m. | ESPN+
Duke at Miami (Fla.) | 12:30 p.m. | ESPN3
Toledo at Buffalo | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Bowling Green at Central Michigan | 1 p.m. | ESPN3
Eastern Michigan at Ball State | 2 p.m. | ESPN+
Northern Illinois at Ohio | 2 p.m. | ESPN+

UNLV at Notre Dame | 2:30 p.m. | Peacock
West Virginia at Texas Tech | 3 p.m.
Rice at Louisiana Tech | 3 p.m. | ESPN+
No. 20 Texas at No. 11 Oklahoma State | 3:30 p.m. | ABC
No. 7 Ole Miss at LSU | 3:30 p.m. | CBS
No. 9 UCLA at No. 10 Oregon | 3:30 p.m.
Boston College at No. 13 Wake Forest | 3:30 p.m. | ACC Network
Marshall at James Madison | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+
BYU at Liberty | 3:30 p.m. | ESPNU.
Purdue at Wisconsin | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
Northwestern at Maryland | 3:30 p.m.
Memphis at No. 25 Tulane | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2
Western Michigan at Miami (Ohio) | 3:30 p.m. | CBSSN
Georgia Southern at Old Dominion | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+
FIU at Charlotte | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN3
North Texas at UTSA | 3:30 p.m. | Stadium
Vanderbilt at Missouri | 4 p.m. | SEC Network
Arizona State at Stanford | 4 p.m. | Pac-12 Network
Hawai'i at Colorado State | 4 p.m. | Spectrum Sports
Florida Atlantic at UTEP | 4 p.m. | ESPN+
Arkansas State at Louisiana | 5 p.m. | ESPN+
Southern Miss at Texas State | 5 p.m. | ESPN+
San Jose State at New Mexico State | 6 p.m. | Bally Sports Arizona

Fresno State at New Mexico | 6:30 p.m. | FS2
No. 24 Mississippi State at No. 6 Alabama | 7 p.m. | ESPN
Boise State at Air Force | 7 p.m. | CBSSN
Minnesota at No. 16 Penn State | 7:30 p.m. | ABC
Texas A&M at South Carolina | 7:30 p.m. | SEC Network
UCF at East Carolina | 7:30 p.m. | ESPNU
No. 17 Kansas State at No. 8 TCU | 8 p.m.
Colorado at Oregon State | 8 p.m. | Pac-12 Network
Pitt at Louisville | 8 p.m. | ACC Network

Utah State at Wyoming | 9:45 p.m.
Washington at Cal | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN
San Diego State at Nevada | 10:30 p.m. | CBSSN

During each Bye Week, I like to post some interesting facts and trivia concerning Ohio State scoring records, mostly dealing with very long (and very short) touchdowns. Note: The Ohio State official record books are complete back to the 1960 season; I have used other resources to supplement the official record books when available.

1. From 1960 to 1972, Ohio State had only 28 touchdowns of 50+ yards in 13 seasons (2.2 per season), while from 1973 to 1987, the team had 58 such plays in 15 seasons (average of 3.9 per season).

2. During the Cooper era, the team had 61 touchdowns of 50+ yards in 13 seasons (average of 4.7 per season), 25 of which (41.0%) came from just five players: David Boston (6); Jeff Graham (6); Michael Wiley (5); Eddie George (4); and Terry Glenn (4).

3. During the Tressel/Fickell era, the team had 69 touchdowns of 50+ yards in 11 seasons (average of 6.3 per season), thanks in large part to 16 such plays on special teams (11 punt returns, 4 kick returns, 1 blocked field goal); half of those special teams touchdowns were courtesy of Ted Ginn, Jr. (6 punt returns; 2 kick returns).

4. The Buckeyes have been a big play team throughout the Urban Meyer/Ryan Day era. Since 2012, Ohio State has had 94 scoring plays of 50+ yards, broken down as follows: 50 receptions, 32 runs, 6 interceptions, 3 punt returns, and 3 fumble recoveries. That's an average of 8.5 such plays per year, including the shortened 2020 season (8 games) and the partial 2022 season (6 games to date). The trend of an increasing number of big plays from the 1960s to today reflects not only longer seasons (9 games for the 1961 NC team; 15 games for the 2014 NC team) but also more explosive offenses (up-tempo spread versus three yards and a cloud of dust).

5. Here's a chart showing all 22 Buckeyes who have scored at least four TDs of 50+ yards:
6. Some notable names missing from the above list, with the amount of 50+ yard TDs in parentheses: Archie Griffin (3); Keith Byars (3); Cornelius Greene (3); Carlos Hyde (3); Antonio Pittman (3); Paul Warfield (2); Cris Carter (1).

7. Eight current Buckeyes have at least one touchdown of 50+ yards: TreVeyon Henderson (runs of 52, 57; reception of 70); Jaxon Smith-Njigba (receptions of 50, 52, 75); Emeka Egbuka (receptions of 51, 69); Miyan Williams (runs of 70, 71); Jayden Ballard (reception of 72); Julian Fleming (reception of 51); Cameron Martinez (interception of 61); and Jerron Cage (fumble recovery of 57).

8. Ted Ginn, Jr. holds the record for most touchdowns of 50+ yards in one season, as he had six in both 2004 (4 punt returns; 2 receptions) and 2005 (3 receptions; run; punt return; kick return).

9. Ezekiel Elliott is the only Buckeye to have three touchdowns of 50+ yards in the same game, with runs of 55 yards, 65 yards, and 75 yards against Indiana on October 3, 2015. Michael Wiley almost accomplished this feat, but one of his touchdowns came up a yard short. The first three touches of Wiley's Ohio State career were a 49-yard TD run, a 51-yard TD reception, and a 60-yard TD reception in a 70-7 blowout of Rice on September 7, 1996.

10. Ted Ginn, Jr. and Braxton Miller are the only Buckeyes to have both a rushing and receiving TD of 50+ yards in the same game. Ginn accomplished the feat against Notre Dame in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl (68-yard run; 56-yard reception), while Miller did it against Virginia Tech in 2015 (53-yard run; 54-yard reception). Once again, Michael Wiley (see above) nearly missed joining this dynamic duo in Buckeye trivial history.

11. Devin Smith is the Buckeye leader (along with Ted Ginn, Jr.) in touchdown receptions of 50+ yards, with seven. Devin also has eight touchdown receptions of between 40 and 49 yards, giving him a team record 15 touchdown receptions of 40+ yards.

12. Lenny Willis scored only five touchdowns during his Buckeye career, and four of them were from 50+ yards: a 53-yard run, a 64-yard reception, and kick-off returns of 93 and 97 yards. His fifth touchdown was a mere 48-yard reception. The average length of Willis's Buckeye TDs was 71.0 yards. In two seasons at Ohio State (1974-75), Willis had just 54 touches (1 rush; 28 receptions; 25 kick returns) for 1,103 yards; his five long TDs represent 355 yards, or 32.2% of his yardage total. Based on his big play ability, Willis was drafted in the 4th round of the 1976 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings; he lasted just four seasons in the NFL with Minnesota (1976), New Orleans (1977), and Buffalo (1977-1979), plus three more seasons in the USFL (1983-1985).

13. J.K. Dobbins had five touchdown runs of 50+ yards, but his two longest rushes did not result in scores: 77 yards against Wisconsin in the 2017 Big Ten Championship Game; and 68 yards (tied for his second longest rush) against Northwestern in 2019. Dobbins also failed to score on runs of 64 yards (Clemson in 2019 Playoffs) and 56 yards (Indiana in 2019).

14. Against Toledo this season, Jayden Ballard had his first career touchdown, a reception of 72 yards. That set the Buckeye record for longest first career touchdown from scrimmage (run or reception), breaking the previous record set by Miyan Williams, a 71-yard run against Minnesota last season. At least 16 Buckeyes have had as long or longer first career touchdowns on defense (9 interception returns, 1 fumble recovery) or special teams (3 punt returns, 2 kick-off returns, 1 blocked field goal). The first career touchdown reception for Parris Campbell (Indiana 2017) went for 74 yards, but Campbell's first career touchdown was a 5-yard run against Rutgers the previous season. The first career reception for Emeka Egbuka (Akron 2021) went for 85 yards, but somehow did not result in a touchdown (see below).

15. Ohio State has only one touchdown off a blocked field goal in its recorded history, which came courtesy of Ashton Youboty against Michigan State in 2005. Youboty's 72-yard return on the last play of the first half helped to swing the game in Ohio State's favor and led to an epic meltdown by Sparty head coach John L. Smith.

16. There have been 67 plays of 80+ yards in Ohio State history, 57 of which have gone for touchdowns, broken down as follows: 27 kick-off returns, 13 runs, 10 receptions, 10 interceptions, and 7 punt returns.

17. The Buckeye single-season record for plays of 80+ yards is four, set by both the 2000 team (Derek Combs 80-yard TD run; Ken-yon Rambo 81-yard kick return; Nate Clements 83-yard punt return TD and 80-yard kick return) and the 2014 team (Devin Smith 80-yard TD reception; J.T. Barrett 86-yard TD run; Ezekiel Elliott 81-yard TD run and 85-yard TD run).

18. No Buckeye player has had three plays of 80+ yards in the same season, but Ezekiel Elliott did have three such plays in the span of four games: an 81-yard touchdown run against Wisconsin in the 2014 Big Ten Championship Game; an 85-yard touchdown run against Alabama in the 2015 Sugar Bowl; and an 80-yard touchdown run against Virginia Tech in the 2015 season opener; Zeke's longest play in the fourth game of that span (the 2014 National Championship Game against Oregon) was a mere 33-yard touchdown run.

19. Curtis Samuel never had a play of 80+ yards while at Ohio State, but he is the only Buckeye to have three TDs of 70+ yards in the same season. In 2016, Samuel had a 74-yard TD run against Penn State; a 75-yard TD reception against Nebraska; and a 79-yard reception against Bowling Green. Parris Campbell had three plays of 70+ yards in 2018: a 71-yard TD reception against Indiana; a 78-yard TD reception against Michigan; and a 91-yard kick return against Indiana, a play that somehow did not result in a touchdown.

20. The leaders in plays of 80+ yards are Ted Ginn, Jr. and Ezekiel Elliott, each of whom has/had three during his career. Ginn scored on an 82-yard punt return, a 93-yard kick return, and a 100-yard kick return, while Elliott had touchdown runs of 80, 81, and 85 yards.

21. Eleven Buckeyes have had two plays of 80+ yards, namely: Dean Sensanbacher (kick returns of 98 and 103 yards); Robert Klein (80-yard reception, 90-yard kick return); Morris Bradshaw (88-yard run, 88-yard kick return); Lenny Willis (kick returns of 93 and 97 yards); Jeff Graham (80-yard reception, 81-yard punt return); Santonio Holmes (receptions of 80 and 85 yards); Devin Smith (receptions of 80 and 90 yards); Jordan Hall (kick returns of 90 and 85 yards); Raymond Small (kick returns of 96 and 80 yards); Nate Clements (83-yard punt return, 80-yard kick return); and Parris Campbell (kick returns of 91 and 82 yards). Despite being one of the fastest Buckeyes ever, neither of Campbell's plays of 80+ yards went for a score.

22. Here is the complete list of the 68 Ohio State plays that went for 80+ yards. Yardage totals in bold type indicate that the play went for a touchdown.

23. Ohio State has more plays of 80+ yards against Wisconsin (10) than any other team; next on that list is Michigan (7), Indiana (6), and Minnesota (5). Ohio State has three plays of 80+ yards against Notre Dame despite playing the Domers only seven times; and two against Boston College despite playing the Eagles only three times.

24. Twice, the Buckeyes have had two 80+ yard plays in the same game. The first occurred on October 23, 1971, against Wisconsin, when Morris Bradshaw (see below) had an 88-yard touchdown run and an 88-yard touchdown on a kick-off return. The second occurred on October 10, 2009, also against Wisconsin, when Kurt Coleman had an 89-yard touchdown on an interception return and Raymond Small had a 96-yard touchdown on a kick-off return. *On November 27, 2010, against Michigan, Jordan Hall had an 85-yard touchdown on a kick-off return and Daniel Herron had an 89-yard run (no touchdown), but Herron's run has been stricken from the official record books due to his participation in the TatGate scandal (see below).

25. Here's an interesting fact concerning one of the longest plays in Ohio State history: Facing the Indiana Hoosiers on October 30, 1976, defensive lineman Nick Buonamici intercepted a pass at the five-yard line, ran for 22 yards, and then lateraled the ball to defensive back Ray Griffin who took it the final 73 yards for the score. The play counts as a 95-yard interception return in the official record book.

26. The most unlikely name in the 80-yard club is defensive lineman Cameron Heyward. In a game against Miami of Florida on September 11, 2010, the Hurricanes were facing 3rd-and-goal when Heyward dropped into coverage on a zone blitz and picked off a pass at the 5-yard line. Despite having a convoy of four blockers, Heyward didn't have quite enough speed or elusiveness to take it to the house and he missed the ultimate fat guy moment when he got tackled by a pair of offensive linemen at the Miami 15-yard line.

27. Unofficially, the longest run in Ohio State history is 89 yards by Daniel "Boom" Herron against Michigan in 2010. However, because Herron was part of the notorious TatGate scandal, all of his stats from the 2010 season have been stricken from the official records, so the longest official run is now credited to Morris Bradshaw (88 yards versus Wisconsin in 1971).

28. Herron's 89-yard run is also the longest play from scrimmage in Ohio State history that did not result in a touchdown. Because that dubious distinction has also been stripped from Herron, the "record" is currently held by Emeka Egbuka, who failed to score on an 85-yard reception against Akron during the 2021 season. The longest non-scoring play in Ohio State history belongs to Parris Campbell, who failed to reach the end zone on a 91-yard kick-off return against Indiana on October 8, 2016.

29. Ezekiel Elliott (2014; both runs), Lenny Willis (1974; both kick returns), and Morris Bradshaw (1971; run, kick return) are the only Buckeye to have two 80+ yard touchdowns in the same season. Nate Clements had two plays of 80+ yards in 2000, an 83-yard punt return that resulted in a touchdown and a 80-yard kick return that did not.

30. Morris Bradshaw is the only Buckeye to have two 80+ yard touchdowns in the same game. On October 23, 1971, Bradshaw had an 88-yard touchdown run (the longest run from scrimmage in official Ohio State history) and an 88-yard kick return for a touchdown against the Wisconsin Badgers. During his Buckeye career, Bradshaw had only 105 touches (82 rushes; 8 receptions; 15 kick returns) for 871 yards; his two 88-yards touchdowns represent 20.2% of his career yardage total. Bradshaw had only six total touchdowns during his Buckeye career (plus a 2-point conversion) before he went on to the NFL for ten seasons (mostly with the Oakland Raiders).

31. Dean Sensanbaugher (not to be confused with Dane Sanzenbacher) played for Ohio State in 1943, during which season he returned a kick for a record 103-yard touchdown against Great Lakes Naval Station. In 1944, Sensanbaugher transferred to Army and played on the Black Knights' undefeated national championship team (Ohio State also went undefeated in 1944 and finished #2 in the AP poll). After the war, Sensanbaugher spent a year at Amherst College before transferring back to Ohio State in 1947 to finish his college football career; he recorded his second kick return touchdown (98 yards) against Purdue that season. Sensanbaugher had a brief and undistinguished pro football career with the Cleveland Browns (1948), New York Bulldogs (1949), and Toronto Argonauts (1952).

32. The Buckeyes have had three other scoring plays of 80+ yards, all of which were defensive two-point conversions. The first two occurred in 1991, when linebacker Steve Tovar (96-yard interception versus Washington State) and defensive end Jason Simmons (85-yard blocked extra point versus Iowa) each pulled off that trick. The last Buckeye to accomplish this strange feat was linebacker Brian Rolle, who went 99 yards with an intercepted two-point conversion attempt against Navy in 2009.

33. The longest recorded touchdown in Ohio State history was a 103-yard kick-off return by Dean Sensanbaugher in 1943. The NCAA no longer recognizes touchdowns of greater than 100 yards, now reducing any such touchdown to 100 yards. Ohio State has had seven other touchdowns of 100 yards (or more): William Wentz (kick-off return, 1960); David Brown (interception, 1986); Carlos Snow (kick-off return, 1988); Marlon Kerner (interception, 1993); Michael Wiley (kick-off return, 1997); Will Allen (interception, 2003); and Ted Ginn, Jr. (kick-off return, 2005).

34. One of the Buckeyes' 100-yard plays occurred on October 18, 1986, when David Brown returned an interception the length of the field in a 39-11 victory over Purdue. In the same game, Buckeye kicker Matt Frantz connected on four field goals, all of 22 yards or less, which has to be an Ohio State record for most chip shots in one game (even I'm not crazy enough to attempt to verify this factoid).

35. Below is a chart showing the longest scoring plays in Ohio State history by type of play:
36. On October 19, 1996, in a game against Purdue, Rob Kelly set the Ohio State record for longest touchdown on a fumble recovery. In that same game, Purdue quarterback John Reeves connected with Isaac Jones for an 86-yard touchdown reception, the third-longest TD pass (and sixth-longest scoring play from scrimmage) by a Buckeye opponent.

37. The shortest touchdown in Ohio State history is zero yards, which has happened 24 times: 13 blocked punts recovered in the end zone, 10 fumbles recovered in the end zone, and one interception in the end zone. The 0-yard interception touchdown is one of the most bizarre plays in Buckeye history, and it is unlikely to be repeated anytime soon. On December 5, 2020, Ohio State was facing Michigan State. After a Buckeye punt pinned the Spartans at their own 1-yard line, defensive lineman Haskell Garrett got a strong pass rush up the middle, tipped the pass high into the air, then came down with the jump ball in the end zone for a rare 0-yard pick six.

38. Wide receiver Terry Glenn set a team record in 1995 with 17 touchdown receptions (including receptions of 56, 61, 75, and 82 yards). Glenn's only other touchdown for his Buckeye career came in 1993 against Illinois when the Illini punter fumbled the snap and Glenn recovered the ball in the end zone for a 0-yard touchdown.

39. The Buckeyes have recorded 25 safeties since 1960. The team record for safeties in a single season is three in 2001, which included a team record two against Purdue on November 10th.

40. Hopalong Cassady holds the Ohio State record for the shortest punt return for a touchdown (39 yards vs Duke in 1955); Jordan Hall holds the Ohio State record for shortest kick-off return for a touchdown (85 yards vs Michigan in 2010); and Haskell Garrett holds the Ohio State record for shortest interception return for a touchdown (0 yards vs Michigan State in 2020).

41. Ted Ginn, Jr. holds the team record for most special teams touchdowns with eight, including a team-record six punt returns and a team-record (shared with two others) two kick returns.

42. The team record for most special teams touchdowns in one year is five set in 2004. All five touchdowns were by way of punt returns, four by Ted Ginn, Jr. (60, 65, 67, and 82 yards) and one by Santonio Holmes (63 yards).

43. Michael Doss holds the team record for most defensive touchdowns with four, which includes three fumble recoveries (0, 30, and 73 yards) and one interception (45 yards). Bradley Roby has the most total touchdowns for a defensive player with five, including two interceptions (41 and 63 yards), one fumble recovery (1 yard), and two blocked punts (both 0 yards). Neal Colzie holds the single-season record for most total touchdowns by a defensive player with four in 1973 (interceptions of 19 and 55 yards; punt returns of 43 and 78 yards).

44. The team record for most defensive touchdowns in one season is seven in 2000, including a record four in one game against Fresno State on September 2nd. Defensive back David Mitchell scored on a 51-yard interception and a 34-yard fumble recovery; safety Michael Doss scored on a 0-yard fumble recovery; and linebacker Matt Wilhelm scored on a 25-yard interception.

45. That Fresno State game was also notable for another reason. With Ohio State leading 37-3 in the fourth quarter, Fresno State drove 88 yards in 13 plays to score a touchdown with just 5 seconds left on the clock. For some reason, Fresno State then attempted an on-side kick. That move must have pissed off Buckeye head coach John Cooper, because instead of taking a kneel down to end the game he called for a flag pass (bomb), which quarterback Scott McMullen completed to Ricky Bryant for a 44-yard touchdown as time expired. Final score: Ohio State 43, Fresno State 10.

This will be the first of a few outages over the next month or so to upgrade the software.


Also… if you have not done so, please read the following:


https://www.buckeyeplanet.com/forum...-real-post-a-love-letter.664668/#post-3549280


AND:


https://www.buckeyeplanet.com/forum/threads/bp-what’s-on-tap.664670/


Much Love,


The Elitist Pricks

I’m incredibly grateful to be a small part of the BP community, and tremendously excited to make a much larger contribution to it moving forward.

As Will (@Clarity) so emotionally and eloquently wrote in his post yesterday, needed change is coming. As he stated, I am the new “owner” of the site. My primary focus and commitment to the community is the health and well-being of the site, without compromising the culture whatsoever.

Based on the clear urgency in @AKAK ’s most recent financial distress thread, I doubt much of this is a surprise to anyone.

Here is a short list of improvements on the way, with much more detail and discussion on most of the items to follow as we get closer to kickoff/implementation.

Server migration and updating/upgrading the current software. BP will be OFFLINE MONDAY MORNING FROM 9:00 AM UNTIL 1:00 PM to accommodate this migration.

Repairing all the features that no longer function or work properly.

No more donations. Please cancel these if you have a recurring donation.

We will begin running minimally intrusive targeted ads.

We will have a site sponsor, and will definitely ask our community to support the site sponsor.

Redesign the front page.

A new, more thoughtful use of social media to grow and strengthen our community.

Finally, I want to thank everyone who mentioned me in Clarity’s thread and/or PM’d me to show their support after the announcement. It’s literally just a microcosm of what makes this place so special to me.

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Hey you filthy, amazing, brilliant, pain in the ass, wonderful group of people, friends, and truly a chosen family. It's been a long time. Here comes a fairly typical unvarnished and unprepared stream of consciousness, with too many words and a gluttony of unnecessary descriptiveness, all wrapped around chaotic syntax and grammar. Strap in.

This is, unquestionably, the most difficult post I've ever written on BP, outside of speaking to the loss of some of our members and closest friends. Which is odd, because it's good news. It's not an end to anything, but a process of breathing life into my first child (I say with all the love and respect to my amazing daughter).

Over 21 years ago, 21 and some months, I sat seething being freshly banned (temp banned) from Bucknuts for speaking to truth. Not damning truth, not vulgar truth, just truth that didn't fit the narrative that they (Kirk and Mr.B) wanted to fit. Don't misunderstand the context here, that water was under the bridge in a matter of hours as they reversed the ban, apologized, and we continued to have a really wonderful relationship with the site and staff where most of us first came together. Indeed, BP sort of grew up in those first few years; from a scrappy new "rogue gallery" site existing in defiance of "the man", to a leader and developer of larger community talent that inspired the creation of other sites. It was an interesting time in the Buckeye part of the inter-webs... But, to get back on track, as I sat there seething I decided to download a fresh copy of vBulletin. I registered the first domain that came to mind (BuckeyePlanet), I set up a basic forum, posted something utterly inane like "yo, first real post" after an exhausted overnight of setting it all up, and then had the audacity to reach out to a half dozen people on BN to say "looksee what I did!"

21 years later, here we are. Here we sit. There was a glorious post LJB made earlier this year, maybe last year, it all bleeds together for me now, that stood BP up against the age of other major sites in and outside the Buckeyeverse.

We're older than my employer, AWS. We're older than Twitter, older than Youtube, older than Facebook. And in terms of culture, wealthier than any of them. (Would someone please tell me where I can spend culture? We should have made a Buckcoin when new crypto was the thing (no, we should not have)).

The site is 21 years old, and I bled into it, SO hard, for 18 of those. Willfully, gleefully, even when it was sort of killing me (lol); that's where it gave purpose. Those of you who know my health backstory know that the site gave me a purpose, and a community -- a reason that I was otherwise lacking. It's been a journey, this life experience and the consequences of being born at Camp Lejeune; but it's been a good one and I am very, very lucky. Literally, things would have been, would be right now, different if not for you, and this. Which, counterintuitively, is also the reason I've been absent the last few years. I found a gap the size of the eye of a needle to try and stand up and be as much a normie as possible. I took a really awful low level job with AWS; entry level, beyond entry level, in the hope that they would sponsor me to get back my TS/SCI security clearance, which would open the door to better opportunities and the promise of being, finally, self sufficient.

God I love you guys and girls for the drives, and your donations, and support, and getting me in touch with doctors, I love you for the love you gave us. I have a daughter because of you. I'm alive because of you. I'm self sufficient and approaching thriving because of you.

That shitty job at AWS was a lot for me to handle physically. I struggled, but I made it work despite having to go on short term leave twice in that first 12-18 months. I wasn't a stranger to the hospital, and various specialists, but fuck if I wasn't going to fight back on my feet. When they presented me the opportunity to launch Reverse Supply Chain as the Security Manager, I took them up on it. I arrived in Florence, KY; freshly divorced (very amicably, Jo and I are still close friends and really positive+healthy coparents to Elise) in Feb 2020; and then ... well, 2020 happened. Alone save a dog, unable to see Elise as often as we planned, struggling hard with my health and not drowning, I threw myself into work. Too hard, candidly. But that period allowed me to get stronger; both in terms of my (ultimately losing) battle with the health stuff, but also in terms of my career.

As I type this, I own global security for AWS Supply Chain. All phases of the DC hardware lifecycle; forward and reverse logistics, decom, forensic labs, transportation, warehousing, and special projects. I have a growing team across the globe, some 40 sites and 20k operations vendors and 100s of AWS employees occupying them; handling more than $8bn in hardware at any given time, while protecting customer data and Amazon IP against threats that range from the mundane, to nation states adulterating hardware. I haven't been here (on BP), because in 2020 and 2021 I was working 80-90 hours a week, drinking bourbon and coffee (often together), and trying not to implode from feeling isolated and missing Elise. I did see her, of course, it was just harder because of the pandemic.

Look at me, all; wearing big boy pants and getting out of bed! It wasn't (and isn't) easy.

During that time I discovered new illnesses to add to the list. My favorite is something called Pyoderma Gangrenosum. Ultra rare (because I'm a pretentious shit like that), it's as close to a human zombie disease as you can get. A minor bruise can and will turn necrotic. I had a great stay in a hospital before Kentucky in which it had spiraled out of control, MRSA had taken root, and i had full Sepsis. All the antibiotics had failed, and they put me on a heavy IV course of Vancomycin (I'm not going to spell check that). I remember going "okay, what's the next step if this one doesn't work," to which the doctor LITERALLY SHRUGGED and said "honestly, the next step would be sending your samples off to the labs to get a treatment tailored just to you; it would take three days -- you don't have three days." I laughed. I mean, it's just one of those moments we all have or will face.

I've moved back to Columbus. Bought a house in Westerville near New Albany. I'm still working too hard, but for the first time since 1998, I'm independent and self sufficient and have degrees of control over my life (as much as anyone really can have). I've got wonderful relationships with Jo and Elise, and I've been carrying this heavy guilt about BP. It was always "I just have to carve out enough time to upgrade, post, etc. etc. etc." It wasn't for a lack of love that I didn't, candidly I'm just hanging on by my fingernails. And isn't that just part of adulting, even under the best circumstances.

I offered to give the site to those few who have bled into as or more deeply than I. There were conversations about selling it externally. Ultimately, I just wanted someone to support it since I couldn't. Update it. Improve it. Create ever better experiences for the community, the way I always worked so hard to for those first 18 years.

@heisman is the new owner of BP. I feel a little like the father of the bride watching the newly wed couple drive away after the reception. A sense of keen loss, but the knowledge that getting her off and into the world was only part of the experience, that I wasn't losing her at all.

What I hope this means for the site is that it will be updated, upgraded, and taken to new heights while maintaining the amazing culture we all worked so hard to develop and protect here.

What I hope this means for the community is a better experience.

What I hope this means for me is I can rejoin it, and let go of the guilt I have felt letting the community down that literally saved me and gave me purpose.

21 years. Just... Had I known, I would have written something more profound than "Yo, first real post."

I hope to be chatting more with you all soon. I want to be here, and lifting the responsibility (to which I wasn't sufficient) opens that door for it to be fun.

And who knows. Maybe I'll be an ass at some point, get temp banned, and start a new site. Lol, no to the no. This was a once-in-a-lifetime win; this community. Not the site, but the community.

Thank you all, for everything. All the things. Including those of you not here to read this anymore.

I really look forward to what's next. I also sort of want to know if Steve still "takes UMBRAGE" with ... just my existence. Hah. We're still ever so slightly a rogue's gallery. Sorry not sorry.

I won't even try to directly thank everyone who should be called out and celebrated; the way you truly deserve. The very real fear that I would miss someone because of time and space is just too much. Not one effort to better the site, donation, suggestion, argument, or change driven by each of you ever went unnoticed. And you all could call out, just as easily as I, those who have continued to bleed into the site even when I could not. Those who did in the past and then moved on (21 years is a long ass time!). Just know, for whatever it's worth, each of you has an unconditional place of love and respect in my heart. I know, I know -- this is a football (mostly) forum, and I sound like I'm trying to script The Notebook 2. Suck it up, old men get to be wistful and emotionally extravagant.

Forward. Here we go. Ever forward.

247
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Class: 2024
Position: IOL
School: Aiea (HI) Aiea
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 315lbs

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Twitter: @VabxToure




Class: 2024 (high school)
Position: Defensive back
School: Irvington (NJ) Irvington
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 185 lbs

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