Sugar Bowl X-Factor: Defense by Mike Scharf
Mike 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

There’s no denying Ohio State’s defense had a slow start to this 2020 season, which was predicted due to seven starters taking their talents to the NFL which included two of the top three picks in Chase Young, and Jeff Okudah.

Along with Okudah and Young, the Buckeyes lost Damon Arnette, Jordan Fuller, Malik Harrison, Jashon Cornell and Davon Hamilton to the 2020 NFL draft.

The loss of stars and slow start to the season didn’t stop the Silver Bullets from picking up rhythm and improving as a team through the abnormal 2020-COVID season.

The following is currently the Buckeyes’ defensive stats:

• Total Defense: 34
• Scoring Defense: 24 (Tied)
• Passing Defense: 104
• Rush Defense: 7
• 3rd Down Defense: 19
• Sacks Per Game: 26 (Tied)

In order for a Sugar Bowl victory and appearance in the 2020 National Championship, the Buckeyes defense needs to step up and execute the game plan for Trevor Lawrence’s high-powered Clemson Tiger offense.

Here are a few X-Factors defensively that could lead the Buckeyes’ to victory come Friday night.

Jonathan Cooper – Tommy Togiai – Haskell Garrett (Defensive Line)

Chase Young is dominating on Sunday’s for the Washington Football team and early on the Buckeyes faced problems replacing his 16.5 sacks from last season. That being said, the front seven has been dominate of late and the strong unit for the Buckeyes. (As noted above, they are 7th in the country in rush defense.) The experience and leadership of fifth-year senior Jonathan Cooper has been enormous all season long and will continue into championship season. Cooper has 20 tackles and 2.5 sacks on the season. The dominate-duo of the interior between Tommy Togiai and Haskell Garrett has been the biggest x-factor for the Buckeyes all season long and will cause disruption in the Tigers backfield. Togiai and Garrett have a combined 36 tackles and 5 sacks.

Pete Werner – Tuf Borland (Linebackers)

The Buckeye linebackers are a veteran group led by seniors Pete Werner and Tuf Borland. Werner leads the team with 37 tackles, 2.5 TFL, and one sack. Borland is second with 26 tackles, and 1.5 sacks. Both Werner and Borland are a big reason why the Buckeyes have played well against the run this season. These two, along with Baron Browning face their biggest test of the season Friday with the read option of Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne. Lawrence and Etienne have a combined rushing of 1,103 yards and 20 touchdowns.

The Buckeyes veteran group of linebackers are led by seniors Pete Warner and Tuf Borland. Warner leads the team with 37 tackles along with 2.5 TFL and one sack. Borland is second on the team with 26 tackles along with 1.5 sacks. These two, along with Baron Browning are a substantial reason why the team has played so well against the run this season. The biggest test will be this Friday as they look to contain the read option between Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne. Lawrence and Etienne have a combined rushing of 1,103 yards and 20 touchdowns this season for the Tigers.,,

Shaun Wade (Secondary)

This is a redemation game for Shaun Wade. Although, the talk of this year’s Buckeyes has been the secondary and the struggles they faced at times. The starting corners from last year’s defense were Jeff Okudah and Damon Arnette as they were both drafted in the first round last April. Along with those two the Buckeyes lost, Jordan Fuller, who was a dominate force at safety for last year’s secondary. The struggles have been apparent for the secondary, but the Buckeyes have picked it up led behind the fifth-year senior and future first-rounder Shaun Wade. Wade will be coming into this game LASER focused as he is looking for his redemption against the Tigers. Last year, during the Fiesta Bowl, Wade was called for a controversial targeting call on Trevor Lawrence which led to be the turning point of the game in favor for the Tigers. Wade has 20 tackles and 2 interceptions on the season.

Final Analysis

Wade won’t be the only one looking for redemption. This Buckeye defense, along with these X-Factors will come in determined to prove something. Not only have the media questioned the creditability of the Buckeyes due to the fact they only played six games.

Clemson Tigers’ head coach, Dabo Swinney added some fuel to the fire. Swinney ranked the Buckeyes 11th on the coaches’ poll ballot and stood by that decision saying “I didn’t rank anybody who didn’t play nine games or more in the top 10. That’s why they were 11. I have all the respect in the world for Ohio State.” — The Buckeyes will be ready.




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With the football season over, attention turns to Ohio State basketball
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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With last night’s win over Northwestern, Ohio State is 10-3 on the season and 4-3 in the Big Ten, which has them currently sitting fifth in the conference.


Earlier this week, after the Ohio State football team fell to Alabama in the College Football Playoff Championship Game, Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch put together five things to know for Buckeye fans who haven’t seen much of the Ohio State basketball team this year. If Jardy’s CliffsNotes weren’t enough for you, earlier today Stephen Means of Cleveland.com added four more things to know about the team that is currently ranked 21st in the country with a 10-3 record after last night’s 81-71 win over Northwestern.

Which Duane shows up

One thing that both writers mentioned about this year’s Ohio State team is the streakiness of Duane Washington Jr. When Washington is good, he’s really good. When Washington’s shot is off, he is one of the most frustrating players in the country to watch. Even head coach Chris Holtmann joked that Washington is “going to send him to an early death”.

Washington currently leads Ohio State, averaging 15.7 points per game. It’s just tough to know which Washington is going to show up on any given night. In the two wins over Rutgers, the junior scored a combined 39 points and went 8-of-19 from three-point range. But there are also games like the loss to Northwestern on Dec. 26, when Washington was just 1-of-9 from the field and missed what would have been the game-winning layup. If Washington’s shot is falling and he is displaying good shot selection, the Buckeyes are a hard team to beat. If it’s not, by the end of the game you might have pulled all your hair out.

One of the more recent developments with this year’s Ohio State team has been the testing of the depth at point guard. C.J. Walker has missed the last two games after he tore ligaments in his non-shooting hand, and backup Jimmy Sotos left late in the Rutgers game with a shoulder injury, missing last night’s victory over Northwestern.

A new face at point guard

The loss of Walker and Sotos has pushed Meechie Johnson Jr. into action. The guard from Cleveland wasn’t originally scheduled to be in Columbus until next year, but he graduated early and reclassified to the class of 2020. Not only did Johnson just join the team last month, he is also coming off a torn ACL, and was only cleared for full practice participation last week. Johnson played 11 minutes last night against the Wildcats, scoring his first points as a Buckeye as he finished the game with six points.

While Johnson won’t be fully unleashed on the court until next season, at least he is able to give Ohio State some minutes in its time of need right now. Sotos should at least be back on the court relatively soon, while it’s not known how long Walker will be out. Until the Buckeyes are at full strength, Johnson can at least give Ohio State some sparks, and have fans longing for next year when Johnson should be at full strength on the court.

Plenty of tests left

The Buckeyes have already played Rutgers and Northwestern twice this year, and the schedule is only getting to get tougher going forward. Ohio State still has to play Illinois, Michigan State, and Iowa twice this year. Add in a road game against Wisconsin, as well as a home contest against Michigan, and the Buckeyes will have their work cutout for them if they want to finish at .500 this year.

That’s not a knock on Ohio State, that just tells you how tough the Big Ten is this year. Currently Ohio State is one of just five Big Ten teams whose conference record is sitting above .500. While a number of the games still left ahead for the Buckeyes probably won’t go Ohio State’s way, it will at least ready them for the high-pressure situations that they’ll see in the NCAA Tournament. No better way to get yourself ready for the big dance than by competing in the toughest basketball conference in the country.

Depth will see them through

Even though Ohio State doesn’t have a “star”, what they do have working for them is that this is the deepest team Holtmann has had since he took over in Columbus. Currently eight players are averaging over 10 minutes per game, and that’s not even including Seth Towns, Sotos, and Eugene Brown III.

The X-factor for the Buckeyes this year is going to be Towns, who is working his way back into basketball shape after recovering from knee surgeries in 2018 and 2019. Prior to his injuries, Towns averaged 16 points per game and 5.7 rebounds per game in the 2017-18 season for Harvard, and was named the Ivy League Player of the Year. While we won’t see Towns playing 28 minutes per game like he did in his last season at Harvard, he could be a critical piece of the bench for the Buckeyes as the season goes on.

Even though teams want to be as healthy as possible throughout the season, the injuries Ohio State is dealing with right now are forcing players to step up when called on. Those guys who are playing more now than they might have thought they would be are gaining confidence, and everything could come together just in time for the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments for the Buckeyes.

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Tier Talk 2.0: Risers, fallers, and COVID catchers
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

A clear top four seem to have separated themselves from the pile, while three programs are now on a temporary pause due to COVID-19 cases.

In baseball, the catcher wears a complete suit of armor to protect himself from everything that could hit, clip, or smack him. A catcher’s mask, chest protector, knee savers, shin guards, all of that. This equipment is affectionately known as “the tools of ignorance” because you’re willingly putting this stuff on to sit in the line of fire of a 90+ mph fastball. If playing catcher is so risky, why do so many athletes choose to don the tools of ignorance?

Because it’s fun, duh.

Similarly, trying to decide who the elite teams in the Big Ten are compared to the rest is a task of pure ignorance. Even worse: looking down the line and trying to decide which middle of the road teams stand out from the others.

One of those middling teams really made a statement this week and climbed into my top tier. Another tier two team from last week completely spilled the chili this week, and therefore will drop. And Nebraska is..... Nebraska.

Last week’s Tier Talk was a bit lengthy, so I’m going to try and cut it back a bit. Let’s get ignorant, shall we?

Tier 1: The Contenders


The clear best teams in the conference.

Iowa

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Record: 11-2 (5-1)
KenPom Rank: 3
Big wins: No. 16 North Carolina, No. 19 Northwestern, at No. 14 Rutgers, No. 16 Minnesota
Bad losses: None
Last week: Tier 1

Iowa continues to blow the doors off their opponents. Since last week, they went on the road to Maryland and bludgeoned the Terrapins by 22, and then came home and beat a very talented Minnesota team by 15 points. Luka Garza will continue grabbing the headlines (deservedly so), as he averaged 28.5 points per game in those two wins, but the Hawkeyes are absolutely loaded with talent.

Jordan Bohannon, who returned to Iowa after missing his entire fourth year with a hip issue, was the unsung hero in Iowa’s win over Minnesota. He scored 19 points to go along with 14 assists and seven rebounds in 36 minutes, and has scored at least 13 points in each of the past four games. Iowa’s defense is bad, but it’s not horrendous. When you score 85 points per game, you don’t need to play a ton of defense anyways.

Michigan

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Record: 11-0 (6-0)
KenPom Rank: 4
Big wins: No. 19 Northwestern, No. 16 Minnesota, No. 9 Wisconsin
Bad losses: None
Last week: Tier 2 (⬆1)

The knock on Michigan before this week wasn’t that they weren’t good, it was their schedule. The Wolverines beat up Northwestern pretty nicely, but the Wildcats are sliding now. We were waiting for Michigan to step up to the plate and make a statement, and my goodness, did they.

Michigan blew out No. 16 Minnesota at home by 25, which was shocking at the time. The Gophers had already upset Iowa and had just embarrassed Ohio State, but the Wolverines’ balanced scoring attack and aggressive defense were too much too handle.

However, that was only the appetizer, as Michigan then pantsed No. 9 Wisconsin on Tuesday night, 77-54. This game was never close, and Michigan led by as many as 40 points before calling off the dogs with over six minutes to go. This game was so lopsided that Michigan could have dribbled the ball out every possession starting at the 15:07 mark of the second half, and still won. The Badgers scored 54 points on Tuesday. Michigan scored their 55th point with 15:07 to go.

Light. Work.

Illinois

Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 9-4 (5-2)
KenPom Rank: 8
Big wins: At No. 10 Duke
Bad losses: Maryland
Last week: Tier 1

During the preseason I picked Illinois to win the conference, but I’ve backed off that a bit. While Illinois is the most talented team in the B1G, they turn the ball over far too often for a team with their level of talent (13.5 TO per game, 2nd in B1G).

Kofi Cockburn (17.3 PTS, 10.1 AST) and Ayo Dosunmu (22.4 PTS, 6.9 REB, 4.8 AST) are superstars, but they’re combining for over five turnovers per game just between the two of them. The Illini don’t convert at the charity stripe either, knocking down less than 70% of their free throws.

Illinois could win the national championship, but they could also get bounced in the second round of the NCAA Tournament if they have a sloppy day like they’re prone to having.

Wisconsin

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Record: 10-3 (4-2)
KenPom Rank: 9
Big wins: No. 23 Louisville (by 37), at No. 12 Michigan State, No. 21 Minnesota
Bad losses: At Marquette, Maryland
Last week: Tier 1

This week, Wisconsin edged out a pretty average Indiana team 80-73 in double overtime and then got absolutely pooped on by Michigan (see: Michigan).

The Badgers are the most experienced team in the Big Ten and one of the most well-rounded teams in the country. Their entire starting lineup can knock down shots inside and outside the three-point line, and they play the same blue-chip, hard-nosed defense that’s been played at Wisconsin all the way back to the Bo Ryan days.

But after what just happened in Ann Arbor....we have to pause. The Wolverines did it on all levels, driving to the basket and shooting from distance. Everything was working for them, and nothing was dropping for the Badgers. I think this team is still one of the best in the conference, but we need to keep and eye on them and make sure this loss doesn’t snowball into something worse.

Tier 2: The Troublemakers


Not top tier yet, but nobody wants to play these teams if they can avoid it. Could all slide up at some point.

Ohio State

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 10-3 (4-3)
KenPom Rank: 16
Big wins: No. 11 Rutgers, No. 15 Rutgers
Bad losses: None
Last week: Tier 3 (⬆1)

I wanted to wait until after the Northwestern game to decide on Ohio State, and here we are. Without their starting point guard and their backup point guard, the Buckeyes withstood a furious Northwestern rally to exact revenge on the windy city kitties, 81-71. E.J. Liddell finished with six points and 10 rebounds, but did not make one basket. All of his points came off free throws, while other Buckeyes such as Justin Ahrens (12 points) and Duane Washington Jr. (23 points, six assists) stepped up.

This Ohio State team is extremely balanced and playing very well despite being down a few men. Their game against Illinois this weekend probably won’t be pretty, but the long-term picture is looking good for the Buckeyes.

Rutgers

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 7-4 (3-4)
KenPom Rank: 40
Big wins: No. 13 Illinois
Bad losses: None
Last week: Tier 2

Since last week, Rutgers went on the road and got blasted by Michigan State 68-45 — their lowest point total of the year— and then came home and were promptly swept by Ohio State. Rutgers looked completely inept while playing Michigan State, hitting 30.5% of their shots and knocking down just six of their 17 free throws (35.3%).

Then, after talking up a big game against the Buckeyes, they went flat, losing at the RAC by 11 points in a game that wasn’t nearly as close as that final score would indicate.

Rutgers has lost three in a row and are dealing with lingering injuries to Ron Harper Jr. and Jacob Young, while starting center Cliff Omoruyi is still out with a knee issue. If Rutgers can get healthy, they’re a top-10 team in the country. But will that happen in time to turn this ship around?

Minnesota

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Record: 10-4 (3-4)
KenPom Rank: 23
Big wins: St. Louis, No. 4 Iowa, No. 17 Michigan State, No. 25 Ohio State
Bad losses: None
Last week: Tier 2

It was a tough week for Minnesota, who went on the road twice to play top-10 teams and got abused by both Iowa and Michigan at their places. Minnesota kept it close into the second half in both games, but the Gophers’ inability to knock down the triple doomed them while playing two teams who excel at just that.

After starting the season on fire, Marcus Carr is struggling over his last three games (14 PTS, 27.7% FG), and Liam Robbins has not been able to replicate the same success he had against the Buckeyes (7.5 PTS, 5 REB per game since beating Ohio State). Minnesota is one of the better teams in the conference, but they’re clearly a notch below the big boys.

Tier 3: Purgatory


At one point seemed to have a high ceiling and still may, but they need to show us some sign of life to climb into Tier 2.

Northwestern

Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 6-5 (3-4)
KenPom Rank: 58
Big wins: No. 4 Michigan State, No. 23 Ohio State
Bad losses: None
Last week: Tier 2 (⬇1)

The Wildcats’ depth is enticing, but too many of their major contributors have gone ice cold at the same time, and Northwestern is reeling. Boo Buie has been especially bad, scoring just seven points over the last four games. They’ve now lost four in a row after starting out 3-0, and have No. 5 Iowa coming up next.

KenPom has them all the way down at 58 and gives them less than a 50% chance to win each of their remaining 13 games, which includes six games against ranked teams. I don’t get into stocks, but this is one team you definitely want to sell now.

Michigan State

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* This team has paused activities due to COVID-19 cases within the program. Their next game has been postponed. *

Record: 8-4 (2-4)
KenPom Rank: 43
Big wins: At No. 6 Duke, No. 15 Rutgers
Bad losses: None
Last week: Tier 3

The Spartans stuffed Rutgers into a locker defensively, holding them to just 45 points during their 23-point win last week. It seemed like Michigan State had finally woken up after playing opossum for the first month of the season, and now were ready to wreak havoc on the Big Ten, zombie Izzo-style.

Wrong.

They followed up the win over Rutgers with a head-scratching loss at home versus Purdue in a game where they led by 15 points at halftime. The Spartans couldn’t figure out how to guard Trevion Williams, nor can they figure out who their own go-to scorer is. Their defense is stout, but the Spartans have some work to do on the offensive end.

Indiana

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Record: 8-5 (3-3)
KenPom Rank: 24
Big wins: None
Bad losses: None
Last week: Tier 3

The Hoosiers nearly shocked Wisconsin in Madison last week, taking them to double overtime before ultimately falling, 80-73. Trayce Jackson-Davis (20.1 PTS, 9.3 REB) is one of the most talented bigs in the country, but without Armaan Franklin (ankle) Indiana doesn’t have enough support for their sophomore star. Al Durham (15.7 PPG over last four games) has been great the last two weeks, and he’ll need to continue at that pace if Indiana wants to tread water while Franklin is out.

Purdue

Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 8-5 (3-3)
KenPom Rank: 38
Big wins: No. 20 Ohio State
Bad losses: At Miami
Last week: Tier 3

Purdue is still a really boring team that scores the fewest points in the Big Ten and also moves slower than molasses, but this buzzer-beater against Michigan State last week was fantastic.


The Boilermakers don’t have enough support for Williams, but that win at Michigan State brought them back to .500 in B1G play. They have winnable games against Indiana and Penn State coming up; if they win both, then maybe I’ll change my tune about them.

Tier 4: Bottom Feeders


Pretty much the worst of the conference, but not a gimme-win. Also not Nebraska.

Maryland

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Record: 7-6 (2-5)
KenPom Rank: 46
Big wins: At No. 6 Wisconsin, at No. 12 Illinois
Bad losses: None
Last week: Tier 4

To give Maryland credit, they have played an insanely tough schedule so far, with four of their last five games coming against top-20 teams. I think if you picked up Maryland and plopped them back into the ACC (where they belong), they would probably be a mid-level team and lock up an NCAA Tournament bid.

Unfortunately this isn’t the little leagues, and it’s unfortunate that their upcoming game against Nebraska is postponed, because the ‘Terps could’ve used that win. Maryland still has a ceiling of just 6-7 conference wins.

Penn State

Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

* This team has paused activities due to COVID-19 cases within the program *

Record: 3-4 (0-3)
KenPom Rank: 47
Big wins: VCU, at No. 15 Virginia Tech
Bad losses: None
Last week: Tier 4

Penn State’s last four games have been postponed due to COVID-19 cases within the PSU program. They jumped from 48 to 47 in KenPom’s rankings, despite not playing last week. Their next scheduled game is Sunday at Purdue. Refer to last week’s Penn State analysis for a more in-depth breakdown of PSU up to this point.

Tier 5: Nebraska


Nebraska.

Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

* This team has paused activities due to COVID-19 cases within the program *

Record: 4-8 (0-5)
KenPom Rank: 121
Big wins: None
Bad losses: Nevada
Last week: Tier 5

I’ve got nothing here.

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Buckeyes make the cut for top 2022 LB, five-star DB hints at possible commitment date
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Five-star 2022 LB Shawn Murphy | Bill Kurelic, 247Sports

With the season completed, Ohio State’s attention can now be focused on recruiting.

Now that the season is completed, though it didn’t end how Ohio State wanted, the time to finally unwind is here. After hearing Ryan Day in the championship post-game presser talk about how long of a road this season has been, you can really sense the exhaustion in he, the players and the rest of the coaching staff as well. Day mentioned it’s time for those in the program to get away and see their families, which they haven't been able to do much in the face of a pandemic. While the Buckeyes take some much deserved time away, the program will be looking to what is on the horizon in the near future.

Simply put, recruiting will once again take the first priority when this coaching staff starts to hit it again. Ryan Day and his crew are always focused on recruiting, but it’s obviously easier to give that area of the program your full attention when games aren’t being played. Doing their very best to hammer down the one or two remaining spots in 2021 and continuing their incredible hot-streak in 2022, the loss this past Monday night stings, but shouldn’t worry you too much. Considering the amount of elite talent continuing to choose Ohio State, there’s every reason to believe the Buckeyes will be back on the biggest stage in no time at all.

Buckeyes make the cut for Murphy


In Ohio State’s 2022 class, the linebacker position is a major priority. With the current veteran status of the position group and the fact that Ohio State only took one true linebacker in 2021, Al Washington knows this next cycle is a big one for the health of his crew. Fortunately, the Buckeyes and Washington have been able to get off to an incredible start already having three top caliber linebackers in the fold and committed.

Thanks to C.J. Hicks, Dasan McCullough, and Gabe Powers, the class is already pretty much set in terms of both quality and quantity. However, that doesn’t mean Ohio State won’t try their best to add even more elite talent to the fold.

One target the Buckeyes would love to make it four linebackers is the nation’s top inside linebacker and the 17th-best player nationally, Shawn Murphy. The five-star has been a recurring topic of discussion in regards to Ohio State recruiting because of the mutual interest between the two sides. Boasting nearly 50 offers from any and every top college program in the country, Murphy will be pursued relentlessly by everyone until he signs on the dotted line. Whether the Buckeyes were the thought to be leaders at one time and have since fizzled a bit or not, Murphy is a can’t miss prospect and would be another gem in an already loaded class.

Yesterday, the Virginia native updated his recruitment with the latest news that he’s come to a final list of eight schools still in the running to land his services. Making the cut for the top linebacker in the class included Alabama, Clemson, Penn State, Oregon, Georgia, Florida, Oklahoma, and Ohio State. Trimming the list down to a final eight from the nearly 50 offers he has is quite impressive, and for any program to make this list is a great feat considering how talented Murphy is.


As this recruitment moves on, the Buckeyes will do their very best to not only stay in the mix but separate themselves from the rest of the pack. Currently, there is not a single prediction forecasted on the 247Sports Crystal Ball, but it looks as if Alabama has become a serious player here. While Ohio State does have three guys already in the fold, they’ll still work tirelessly to bring in a fourth with the likes of Murphy.

A commitment date being set?


Much like the linebacker position, Ohio State will continue to recruit with relentless effort at defensive back even with top-10 national prospect Jaheim Singletary committed in the 2022 class as a cornerback. The Buckeyes are going to reload at the position of importance and as usual are off to a great start but want more. Fortunately, in the 2022 class the cornerback position is as loaded as it has ever been with five corners ranked within the top 10 overall players in the entire country. Ridiculous depth like this couldn’t come at a better time with the priority the staff has at adding elite talent in the secondary.

The top corner in the country and the No. 3 player overall, Domani Jackson isn’t a new name to Ohio State fans, and sent shockwaves just months ago when it seemed he was on the verge of committing to the Buckeyes after several social media posts of his hinted towards a pledge. Fast forward a bit and things have definitely slowed down. He has since visited rival Michigan, and USC is the nearby program that has also seemed to gain some serious momentum in the last few weeks. Still, Ohio State has more than a puncher’s chance at eventually landing Jackson and adding him to their stellar 2022 class.

Yesterday, Jackson took to his Twitter account to release something of importance coming on Jan. 23, which is of course now just over a week away. Whether it’s Jackson releasing an updated final schools list or him actually giving a program his commitment, no one yet knows, but certainly something worth paying attention to is coming down the pipeline. Until then, Ohio State will have to pick back up their momentum and stay in his ear.

Regardless of the nature of the announcement, a top caliber player like Jackson would be someone Ohio State will be in on until the very end. In the coming days we should know where they sit in regards to their chances with the five-star CB.

Quick Hits

• Five-star cornerback Will Johnson is slated to visit USC this coming weekend. Johnson has trimmed his list to a final five schools including Ohio State, Michigan, Arizona State, USC, and Oklahoma. Before committing, Johnson wanted to see his other finalists, and USC was one of the remaining schools he’s yet to visit. With this trip coming, look for Johnson to commit within the coming weeks. It will be tough to fend off Michigan here, but Ohio State does have a legitimate chance.
• 2022 four-star running back prospect Terrance Gibbs named a top 12 schools list yesterday. The Winter Park, Florida native included Ohio State, LSU, Auburn, Georgia, Florida, West Virginia, Miami, Texas A&M, Michigan, Penn State, Texas, and Alabama. Though the Buckeyes are in it for the 16th-best running back in the country, it doesn’t look as if Ohio State has a real shot here — at least right now. Other backs look to be more of a priority to the program at this point.

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What we saw in Ohio State’s 81-71 win over Northwestern
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

The Buckeyes split the season series with the Wildcats on Wednesday night behind a career-high 23 points from Duane Washington Jr.

The No. 21 Ohio State Buckeyes hosted the Northwestern Wildcats on Wednesday night looking to win back-to-back Big Ten contests for the first time this season. Chris Holtmann’s team came up just short the last time these two teams met, with Duane Washington Jr.’s potential game-winning layup just barely missing as OSU fell 71-70 in Evanston less than a month ago. Ohio State was able to get the best of Chris Collin’s guys this time around, defeating the ‘Cats 81-71 in Columbus to move to 10-3 overall on the year and one game above .500 (4-3) in conference play.

The Buckeyes got a fantastic effort from Washington, scoring a career-high 23 points to go along with six assists and three boards while turning the ball over only once as the team’s primary ball-handler. Justice Sueing was strong with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Justin Ahrens added 12 points on a 4-of-5 effort from three-point land including some big shots down the stretch. Ohio State was able to survive a career game from Northwestern guard Chase Audige, as he led the Wildcats with 25 points.

Ohio State had one of its best shooting performances of the season, hitting 50% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc. They won the battle on the boards 39-35, led by E.J. Liddell’s 10 rebounds and Kyle Young’s nine. It was an impressive effort all around from a Buckeyes unit that was playing without a few key guys.

Beat up backcourt


Before things tipped off on Wednesday night, Ohio State knew it would be down a pair of guards. The Buckeyes were already without starting point guard C.J. Walker last time out in the win against Rutgers, as the senior remains out indefinitely with torn ligaments in his right hand. On top of that, Chris Holtmann’s team has now lost Walker’s replacement in the starting lineup, as Jimmy Sotos missed tonight’s matchup against Northwestern with a shoulder injury he sustained in the final minutes against the Scarlet Knights.

The Bucknell transfer played well last game in Walker’s absence, playing a season-high 28 minutes with six points and four assists. In addition to Sotos and Walker, Ohio State was already without grad transfer Abel Porter, whose basketball playing days came to a halt after the discovery of a career-ending heart condition this offseason. This leaves the Buckeyes incredibly thin at guard, but especially so when it comes to running the point.

Holtmann’s starting five against Northwestern saw Duane Washington Jr. lined up at point guard, with Justin Ahrens joining him in the backcourt and the usual trio of Justice Sueing, E.J. Liddell and Kyle Young as the forwards. The lack of guard depth will likely lead to more playing time for guys like Ahrens, Musa Jallow and Eugene Brown. Reclassified freshman Meechie Johnson Jr. could also see increased minutes moving forward.

An Audige-ous start


It was the Chase Audige show for Northwestern to open things up. The sophomore guard scored the Wildcats’ first 11 points of the game, and scored 15 of the team’s first 17 points overall on an impressive 7-of-8 from the field over the first 10 minutes of action. It quickly turned into a one-on-one battle between Audige and Washington, as the Ohio State guard had 11 of the Buckeyes’ first 19 points at the other end over that same stretch.

Having seen Ohio State’s previous shooting woes, the ‘Cats were giving up a bit of space at the three-point line early on, but this time around the Buckeyes were knocking it down. The home team drilled five of their first eight attempts from beyond the arc, including Washington’s 3-of-4 start from deep. With guard depth an issue, Ohio State looked to Sueing and Washington to run the offense, and the pair were facilitating things well despite the unusual assignment.

Audige had a field day in the first half, heading into the locker room with 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting to go along with four rebounds and an assist.

Meechie for three!


The 6-foot-2 freshman guard from Cleveland is supposed to be a senior in high school. Instead, he elected to reclassify to the 2020 class, knowing that he was ready and could make an impact right away in Columbus. With so many guys down for Ohio State in the backcourt, Johnson got his first real chance to show his stuff on Wednesday night, and he made the most of it as he knocked down his very first career shot in a Buckeye uniform on a corner three in the opening period of action.

Speaking of three-point shooting, Northwestern looked like they had taken a page out of the Ohio State playbook with how poorly they shot the rock from downtown in the first period. As a team, the Wildcats managed to hit just one of their first 11 shots from beyond the arc. Conversely, the Buckeyes — who ranked 12th in the Big Ten hitting at a 32.1% clip from range coming into the game — managed to hit at a higher than average 8-of-18 (44.4%) from three-point land through the opening 20 minutes. Led by Washington’s 17 points, Ohio State was able to take a 42-33 lead into halftime.

Johnson finished the first period with six points on a pair of three-balls with one rebound and one assist as the young man was clearly building confidence with every additional minute he saw the floor.

Getting sloppy with it


Ohio State was outplaying Northwestern in almost all facets of the game, but the one area they really started to struggle — especially in the second half — was in the turnover department. The Buckeyes came into the night with the second-least turnovers per game in the Big Ten at 9.8 per contest, but on the other end the Wildcats rank in the upper half of the conference averaging 5.9 steals per game. Something had to give, and Ohio State gave indeed to the tune of 11 turnovers.

These giveaways seemed to come in bunches in the second half, and after leading by as much as 13 points, the Buckeyes allowed Northwestern to get back within six points less than midway through the second period. What was especially troubling were the points off turnovers, where the Wildcats had 16 points off Ohio State’s giveaways. On the flip side, the ‘Cats turned the ball over just four times all game, helping to offset some of their poor shooting and allowing them to hang around for longer than they should've.

There was, however, this key Northwestern turnover:

Deja vú — or not!


In almost a mirror image of the last time these two teams met, Ohio State went cold down the stretch and allowed Northwestern right back into a game that the Buckeyes had largely dominated for the first 30 minutes. After Young’s layup made it 64-52 Ohio State with 9:32 remaining, Holtmann’s team proceeded to miss seven of their next eight shots as the Wildcats opened up an 8-0 run. With 4:05 to go, all of the sudden Northwestern trailed just 67-66 as the Buckeyes continued to sputter on the offensive end.

Luckily for Ohio State, this time around they got a massive bucket from Justin Ahrens. The forward drilled a three — his fourth of the game — to break the Northwestern run and put the Buckeyes back up by four. A few possessions later, Justice Sueing drove down the court and converted a layup through contact for an and-one. Shortly thereafter, Ohio State got yet another and-one by Kyle Young. The trio of highlight plays really sparked the home team, and momentum seemed to swing back in the Buckeyes’ favor as they opened up a nine-point lead with a little over two minutes remaining.


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Buckeye Bits: Jimmy Sotos out for tonight’s game, ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Todd McShay think Justin Fields should stay at Ohio State, more
Tia Johnston via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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All of the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond.

How we feeling Buckeye fans? Still mourning? Over it? Glad the season’s over? At least we beat Clemson? A little of everything? Look, this college football season was pure insanity, and the fact that the Buckeyes played football at all, let alone made it to the national championship, is pretty amazing.

Moving on. There isn’t a lot happening across the Ohio State beat (for once), so today’s round up is pretty short and sweet! So check out today’s headlines below, and then turn on Big Ten Network to catch the Ohio State men’s basketball team take on the Northwestern Wildcats at 7 p.m. ET!

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...

From around the gridiron...


Heading into the national championship game, Thayer Munford had 224 pass-block snaps, two QB pressures allowed and zero sacks allowed, earning him the fourth-highest grade in PFF’s rankings of Big Ten OT seasons.


Let’s not dwell on the past and, instead, direct our gaze to the future. Because friends, the future is oh so bright in Columbus. Keep an eye on some of the Buckeyes’ rising stars, including an extremely talented group of freshmen wide receivers, linebacker Cody Simon, kicker Jake Seibert, safety Lathan Ransom, and many more who are expected to have much bigger roles come September.


Why does it feel like the 2020 NFL Draft was two days ago? It’s somehow time to reenter the world of mock drafts, and what better way to begin than with the ESPN draft expert himself, Todd McShay. In his latest mock draft, released on Jan. 7 before the national championship game, McShay has Shaun Wade going No. 13 to the Chargers, Justin Fields going No. 15 to the Patriots and Chris Olave with the No. 25 pick to the Jets. However, after the Buckeyes’ loss to Alabama, McShay adjusted his predictions. During his First Draft Podcast with Mel Kiper, McShay said Wade’s draft stock decreased:


Olave’s draft stock increased:


and Kiper said that Fields would benefit from staying another year:


Dabo: Not Over It.

From around the hardwood...


Both of Ohio State’s top point guards will be out in Wednesday’s game against Northwestern. It was announced Wednesday afternoon that senior guard Jimmy Sotos has been ruled out due to a shoulder injury, joining senior guard CJ Walker, who is out due to torn ligaments in his right hand.

From around the mat?...


Apparently we should keep our eyes and ears on Ohio State’s wrestling team, as the head coach just teased us all via Twitter on Wednesday afternoon.


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*apologies if this is retreading old ground - please merge as needed*

As unsatisfying as the result was this past Monday, by the final whistle I think we all knew that while this was a good OSU team - every now and then you're going to show down with a great team when you make it to that level of competition.

This lead me to wonder what is a realistic expectation for NC win rate is for the Buckeyes moving forward.

If I start this "era" at Tressel's hiring, we have 20 seasons worth of football. In that span, we have 2 national championships (10% win rate) and 11 B1G championships (55% win rate).

If I start this "era" at Urban's hiring, we have 10 seasons worth of football. In that span, we have 1 national championship (10% win rate) and 5 B1G championships (50% win rate).

It was shocking to me that we haven't technically been more successful in relative terms over the past 10 years vs the past 20 in terms of B1G and NC win rates. Granted I would argue there are more "great" teams in this past 10 years ('14, '15, '19, arguably '20) vs the first 10 years ('02, '05, '06) and more talent overall.

So that leads me to my question. Looking forward, what expectations do you think we should have for the Buckeyes?

My answer for whatever its worth. I think with how the program is trending, I think one title every five years is a good expectation (20% win rate) and we should be winning three out of five B1G at least (60% win rate).

While we were not better than Bama this year, it does sting a bit that we didn't win a title in this 2 year window with Fields. That would've kept us on pace to my mental model at least.

But who knows - next year all the top teams lose a lot and we may find ourselves right back in position.

Once the season is over I do a mass update of my Scholarship by Class chart to incorporate incoming Frosh and remove seniors.

https://sites.google.com/site/scholarshipbreakdown/home

Well.... this year that is interesting.

Without including any late signees, we are at 106 scholarship athletes - none of whom are obligated to leave. My understanding is that the NCAA will allow a higher number for 2021 but is looking at getting back to 85 in 2022.

Certainly we are going to lose some kids to the pros, both juniors and seniors. We will also have some transfers.

But at the moment we have 55 Freshmen. Those are classified as true Frosh (class of 2021), COVID Frosh (kids from the class of 2020 who may or may not have played this year) and Redshirt COVID Frosh (class of 2019 kids who Redshirted last year but will still be freshmen for a third consecutive year in 2021).

We have 20 defensive backs. Only one is a senior and he has already indicated he plans to return. Thirteen are freshmen.

We have 20 OL, 11 of whom are classified as Freshmen. Nine of our DL are Frosh.

This is not going to resolve itself by 2022.

In order to return to an 85 cap in two years the NCAA would have to dramatically reduce the number of incoming Frosh for 2022. This would not only create a challenge at the college level, it would be unfair to the HS kids graduating that year to a reduced number of available scholarships. Kids who have already had their lives turned upside down by COVID.

The issue is not the seniors who aren't leaving this season and who will be gone next year in any case. It is the combined 2020/2021 classes all of whom will have the eligibility of true Frosh beginning next season. For OSU that is 46 plus any late signees. The natural resolution of this will only happen over 4 or 5 years.

And OSU is arguably in a better situation than most schools as we have so many kids who leave after 3 years anyhow. For the Indianas and Wisconsins of the world it could get even trickier.

Flip side to the What Brands Are You Loyal To thread, what brands or companies will you never buy again?

Starting off the fun from my posts in the General Vexations thread...Samsung Appliances. Never again.

Abenaki said:

I don't know is there's an opposite to the "Brands You're Loyal To" thread...if there is I couldn't find it so I'm posting it here.

Samsung appliances. Holy shit are they complete and utter garbage. Don't ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever EVER buy Samsung appliances.

Click to expand...

Abenaki said:

Update, as expected, we're out of warranty and have been directed by Samsung to call a local technician. We did that last time because what the fuck do I know about ovens? I won't be doing it again...we'd be close to $600 invested in the oven above and beyond the purchase price in just over 4 years. I'll order a $30 igniter off Amazon and see if that works, otherwise we'll put that money towards a brand that will last us more than 2 years.

Click to expand...

AuTX Buckeye said:

there should be a “Brands we hate/stay away form thread” because Samsung appliances would be at the top

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Northwestern faces tough test vs No. 21 Ohio State

Northwestern (6-4, 3-3) vs. No. 21 Ohio State (9-3, 3-3)

Value City Arena, Columbus, Ohio; Wednesday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: No. 21 Ohio State presents a tough challenge for Northwestern. Northwestern has won two of its five games against ranked teams this season. Ohio State has moved up to No. 21 in the latest AP rankings following a win over Rutgers last week.

SENIOR STUDS: Ohio State has relied heavily on its seniors this year. Duane Washington Jr., Justice Sueing, Kyle Young and CJ Walker have combined to account for 54 percent of the team's scoring this year and 49 percent of all Buckeyes points over the last five games.

STREAK STATS: Ohio State has won its last six home games, scoring an average of 80.3 points while giving up 59.7.

Entire article: https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/preview?gameId=401263312

Please....PLEASE beat those arrogant inbreeds.

The fake championships they claim are bad enough. Real ones are even worse.

A good 80% their fan base can't find Tuscaloosa on a map, but act like they played for "da Bar".

Thank you in advance for your cooperation, and good luck.

Guess I’ll start it.

Game tips now. Bucks head to the RAC with Rutgers going for revenge. Get excited.

I took Rutgers -3.5

Miami we are coming! But we know not where to go. What bar or restaurant should we go watch the big game, where can we go to support our buckeyes or see the band? Any info anybody has on a pep rally or press conference, that sort of help would be very welcomed as we are going last minute and haven’t planned at all yet. Even a popular place to stay would be helpful. Whatever info on Miami festivities you got is welcomed. Thank you. We are Arriving Friday mid day and staying through Wednesday.

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in college football face off in what should be a great NC game in less than a week, hopefully.

Hello Buckeyes, I'm an Alabama fan and it's great to be here and it's great to have a chance to discuss this topic. I love stats like this and I'm sure many of you do also.

What better time to talk about things like this then when two titans are about to clash once again.

Here:

Alabama
957-322-44
.740 winning percentage. Best in nation.

Ohio State
943-326-53
.733

is how it stands as we type to each other.

Notre Dame and Michigan round out the Top 4. Boise State not included because Boise State. Ohio State is not only second best in winning percentage, all time, but I feel they are also right behind Alabama as the second best college football team to ever exist, edging out ND.

Good luck on Monday and I hope all of you have a good week and stay in good health.

Just to make the 2020 game a little sweeter, or if you archive games. Sorry it took SOOO LONG to post this, I could not bring myself to do it until now.

The voting has been done since before the bowl games, and the ‘show’ is tomorrow night.

This is unofficial, and just my best guess, but I don’t think I need to see the show to predict these results.

1. Devonta Smith, Bama
2. Mac Jones, Bama
3. Barbie, aka Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
4. Kyle Trask, Florida

They have released the results of those 5th through 10th:

CBS

7th place - Justin Fields

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Okay guys...I didn't know where to post this with all that I'm reading, so here goes...

I wanna know - what freaking secret sauce y'all usin? Can I get the recipe?

What do I mean? Look at the last couple weeks for you all. How?!?

B1G Changes rules (honestly, don't know why Hoosiers thought it would be any different) to get you all another conference championship.
Dabo's team plungered.
Titty Bar Tom Fired.
Simplllllle Jim gets a long term contract extension after repeated plungerings.

How in the hell can I be down with the secret sauce?!? Y'all gonna bottle it and sell that ish?

Damn, ya'll - 2021 only 3 days in and y'all having a Merry 2021 Christmas already....

Semifinal Fun!

Not sure the legitimacy of this but I thought I’ve heard that Josh Myers is the type that could stick around longer than some might suspect. If so, the idea of the O Line next year is very encouraging.

NPF/PJ
Miller
Myers
D Jones or M Jones
NPF/PJ

Obviously there are options and I’m not an expert on where guys would be, ie: NPF staying at RT or moving over, etc. Also, the Jones battle at OG would be interesting, etc.

What’s exciting about Myers return would be the continued leadership at the all important C position and how it allows Miller to continue his development.

I have to imagine Josh will go and get paid and, Miller sliding to C would settle the Jones/Jones debate. But if Josh comes back then.......wow. You bring in a new QB and the 2 young RBs behind a lot of stability.

(Reuterrs) Citing "clear irregularities" and "widepsread fraud" Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney has filed suit in Circuit court looking to overturn Ohio State's Sugar Bowl victory over Clemson. "There was fraud everywhere" Swinney told the Clemson Post and Courier, "we're the best football team in the country, it's impossible that we lost by 3 Touchdowns to the 11th best team, it's common sense." Senator Lindsey Graham (R, SC) filed suit on behalf of Clemson in South Carolina's 3rd Circuit Court looking to remove 4 TDs by Ohio State that appeared to "no way in hell happened".
Reaction was swift. Tiger fans took to social media supporting Swinney. On Twitter: "I dun seen a dead guy score a TD in the 3rd qwarter" posted "Clemson #1 Fan". "GoTigers1346579 added "We can't have them win, they're un Amricun and dangeros"
Elected officials weighed in as well. Ohio Governor Mike Dewine (R) told the Columbus Dispatch that there were procedures and protocols in place to prevent irregularities from happening. "The referees were vetted by both sides before the contest. Plus, the thing was televised" a clearly perplexed Dewine remarked. When asked about the suit President Trump said "it's clear Clemson lost, they need to get over it"

Saw them beat Bama in New Orleans 2014 and want to witness another victory! Airfare and hotel booked - just need a ticket! Let me know if you have a spare...

So the season was postponed, then cancelled, then reduced to 8 regular conference games.

Then Covid wiped out games against Maryland and Illinois.

The asinine B1G 6-game rule was looming to keep tOSU out of the CCG.

Then TTUN wimped out of The Game.

Then NW’ern made the Buckeye offense look limited until Sermon preached.

And then the CFP Committee arranged the matchup to exact revenge on Dabo and Barbie.

And just like EVERYBODY expected all year long:

THE Ohio State Buckeyes get a shot at #1 Bama with a Natty on the line!

Go Bucks!