This week's games include:

LSU at Florida (assuming their Covid cases don't increase too much) edit, now postponed
Georgia at Alabama
Cincy at Tulsa

#MOTSAGRising Depth Chart Preview: Wide Receivers
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

Alrighty folks–it’s Zone 6 time and I am on deck with the preview at the Wide Receiver position! This is by far my favorite position to cover and I am gushing over the fact that I get to do this. Not only does this room have a superior Coach in Brian Hartline, he has also amassed a ton of talented players that will make noise in this very moment or later down the road. Sure, there will be injuries and attrition, but being able to polish their skills over the course of their time with Coach Hartline–its only a matter of time until they are unleashed.

Wide Receivers: Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Mookie Cooper, Julian Fleming, Gee Scott Jr, Demario McCall, Ellijah Gardiner, Jaylen Harris, Kamryn Babb, Jameson Williams, Sam Wiglusz, Alec Taylor, Austin Kutscher, Marvin Davies, Chris Booker

• WR-X: Garrett Wilson, Gee Scott Jr, Jameson Williams
• WR-Z: Chris Olave, Julian Fleming, Kamryn Babb
• H-B: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Mookie Cooper, Demario McCall

As I stated earlier, there is a ton of talent in this group, and by me leaving out a couple of talented players from this depth chart. At WR-X Garrett Wilson is the leading candidate that could move into the H-Back position if needed. Behind him is talented freshman Gee Scott Jr and Jameson Williams. The next person would be Jaylen Harris as the fourth player in line. This is a group of players that excels at making tough, contested catches routinely with the added ability to gain separation from defenders. Wilson has been a star and he can definitely groom Scott, Williams, and Harris to take their game up a notch.

At the WR-Z it is Chris Olave taking the lead once again with Julian Fleming and Kamryn Babb behind him. The fourth in this group would be Ellijah Gardiner. Olave returns to close his career out on a high note after the end of the Fiesta Bowl. He will lead by example in an effort to win it all this season and he will mentor Fleming, Babb and Harris in the process–like what Wilson is doing. Pay particular attention to Babb to come back strong after injury-plagued seasons. He is another talented player that has been buried by injuries and was left behind with the stockpile of talent at the position. I have a good feeling that he would have a Johnny Dixon type of end to his career–so watch out for him.

Finally, at the H-Back position, Jaxon Smith-Njigba will get the first shot as the new H-Back. Behind him is another talented freshman in Mookie Cooper and Redshirt Senior Demario McCall. Depending on what the offense wants to do, I could see Wilson or Olave filling in at this position to give others a shot at the X and Y positions, but for now, Smith-Njigba and Cooper will get the first shot at it.

This collection of talent is great and I think they’ll put up some Madden stats up if used properly. They will run a balanced offensive attack, but I expect big things from Zone 6 for years to come. There is a lot of potential and I cannot wait for them to unleash it.

#GoBucks




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#MOTSAGRising: Depth Review; Running Backs
Chris 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

With just a Saturday and a wake up call before Ohio State Football returns against Nebraska in The Shoe, we take a look at the positions depth and make some “minor” predictions. I tackle the running backs today.

There was one thing pundits could knock Urban Meyer for and it had to do with not ever having a 1,000 yard rusher at the running back position. Carlos Hyde erased that distinction and there’s been a star RB in Columbus every year since. Add Tony Alford as the position coach in 2015 and the Buckeyes have been one of the best rushing teams in the country.

Now he and head coach Ryan Day have some decisions to make this season after the 1-2 punch they posses in returning letter-man Master Teague III(135 for 789 and 4 TD’s) and graduate transfer Trey Sermon(Oklahoma over 2,000 total yards in 3 seasons). The latest is that both backs will share the duties this season while watching in awe of Justin Fields.

After those two and the moving of Demario McCall to wide-out everyone’s guess is as good as mine! However, I have my hunches that we will see plenty of Marcus Crowley and Steele Chambers this season as we did last.





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Quarterbacks
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

With two Saturday’s left before the opening game of the season, we here at The Men of the Scarlet and Gray are getting antsy–and I am especially excited to provide more content to all the people that have supported us amid the content drought.

With the season fast approaching (finally!), I will be starting out with the basics–talking about our beloved Buckeyes. Today’s content will feature our projected two-deep of the offense and a combination of writing styles between Chris and me over the next couple of weeks. This roster is definitely packed full of talent, but we will make it work. Here we go Buckeye Nation.


Quarterbacks: Justin Fields, Gunnar Hoak, C.J. Stroud, Jack Miller III, Jagger LaRoe, Danny Vanatsky, J.P. Andrade

• QB1: Justin Fields
• QB2: Gunnar Hoak

The QB1 throne belongs to Fields and we can all expect a Heisman type of season from him this year. The heirs to the throne are the pair of C.J. Stroud and Jack Miller III, but QB2 duties would most likely be entrusted to Hoak, due to his in-game experience (for now at least). QB3/3A would fit Stroud and Miller. They are talented and they are the future along with 2021 stud Kyle McCord. Don’t be surprised if either Stroud or Miller overtake Hoak mid-season. The rest of the group are scout team personnel. This is not to devalue their talent, but they are not going to be leaned upon. Looks for the trio of LaRoe, Vanatsky, and Andrade to pull scout team duties.


Why?

Justin Fields is without a doubt the starter of this prolific Buckeye offense. He is a polished product and with his historic numbers in 2019–he will be looking to cap off his Buckeye career with the accolades and a natty. After he left 2019 behind, he has all the motivation in the world and he will lead this deadly offense to the promised land. With weapons at every level this offense is going to be fun to watch with Fields leading the charge!

Hoak at the backup slot is highly dependent on how Stroud and/or Miller perform in camp over the next two weeks. He is a safe pick, but it could change if either perform well. I can see all three getting in-game experience IF Fields and company are blowing out Nebraska, but we will see. I’d love to get a glimpse of the future, but I won’t be mad if Fields pads his stats for a Heisman run.




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MOTSAG Roundtable: Buckeye Football Expectations
Chris 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

When I migrated over to MOTSAG after TWSS with my buddy Scott, I brought some “baggage” with me. I have always liked roundtables and have enjoyed the interactions we have with the fans because of the answers our guys provide. Zack, Richard and I spin our thoughts on some simple questions you will get to answer on Twitter.


As it shall be . . , https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-footbl/schedule/

Sit back, “pop a top” and let us know what you think!

Who do you believe had the best offseason considering all of the COVID issues they had. Explain why this player exceeded your expectations.


Zack – It would easily be Justin Fields and not to beat a dead horse, but the kid is flat out impressive the way he handled everything, and he never wavered from Ohio State. He also attempted to unify all the players, and he received almost 300 thousand signatures to show how much the fans and players wanted B1G 10 football and he didn’t have to do any of this he could’ve left and trained on his own for the draft but he never did because he loves this university so that was very impressive to me.

Richard – Justin Fields, hands down. He became the face of the team and was a vocal leader in the quest to get the season back for us while working on his craft. Overall, he’s improved and I feel something special is coming this season.

Chris – I am with Richard, Justin Fields has gone all out in bringing B1G back to us fans. His leadership has grown by leaps and bounds and might be the difference between a los in the Fiesta Bowl last year and winning it all this year.

What defensive player is going to shock the world and why?


Zack – Zach Harrison – I honestly feel like last year he only scratched the surface of what he will be when his development is complete. It would not shock me if he had 10 sacks even in a shortened season, he is that talented.

Richard – Josh Proctor. That hit on Jack Coan sold me on his potential and the expectation for the 2020 season. Working behind Fuller, he learned alot and he will apply it this season. I fully expect him to be the enforcer on a stingy defense.

Chris – I am rolling with Tommy Togiai simply because it’s his time to shine. He will show people why he has been high on my list since day one!

What offensive player is going to shock the world and why?


Zack – Master Teague – the guy has put in the work to get back and he was very impressive in the time he was able to play last year

Richard – FroZone 6. The combined talent of Smith-Njigba, Scott, Fleming and Cooper has a ton of potential and it adds needed depth to a position that gets developed and heads off to the pros. Pick your poison. Each is capable and with Olave and Wilson garnering the attention of opposing defenses, one or all of these players will shock the world with a highlight play in crunch time.

Chris – I am going to roll with Paris Johnson on the OL, the true frosh is a beast and will work himself into the two deep quickly and push for playing time. He has a nastiness that most frosh don’t bring to the table.

What will be the average score during the season, and will it be because Coombs and Johnson are back together or because Ryan Day wants to hang a hundred on everybody?


Zack – With the offensive firepower we have I think 50 plus points per game is very attainable.

Richard – Fields, Sermon, Olave, Wilson and Ruckert are names you need to pay attention to. Smith-Njigba, Cooper, Scott and Fleming are stars in the wings. Anyone not mentioned, they are still potent offensive threats, at all skill positions. I think an average of 52 points per game.

Chris – As scary as the output of last years offense was 46.9 which was a new record breaking the one set in 2013. This group will leave having one that may be unbreakable and finish in the high 50’s. Sadly this season will forever have a COVID * beside it but it’s scary to think how many points they may score overall!

What is your prediction for the season and will there be games lost due to COVID?


Zack – If there is anything I have learned during this pandemic it is that this team is very close to one another and truly love each other so if there is any games lost to covid it wont be because we didn’t follow the protocols. Ohio State will be 9-0 when its all said and done this schedule is super favorable and we drew no top teams from cross conference.

Richard – The schedule pans out for the Buckeyes and I think an undefeated season lies ahead. Penn State without the whiteout, at MSU, at Illinois and at Maryland is doable. TTUN at home will be fun. 8-0 with a chance to make it to the big tourney.

Chris – I rarely make predictions about the Buckeyes but I think this shortened season will be a walk. They have had the Clemson game on their minds for a very long time and look forward to exorcising those demons this season. I think the B1G will stay in their bubbles and finish the season without losing players or games to COVID. They had a great plan before all things were cancelled.




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Column: Five players to be excited about getting more playing time for Ohio State
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
When you have 10 players get drafted, there are going to be opportunities for new guys to step up. These are the guys to watch out for.

On Friday, I wrote about how it hadn’t yet felt like college football season to me, since Ohio State was still two Saturdays away from kicking off, but man, this past week of games was great. There was a good helping of chaos with a couple of other close calls mixed in as well, and now that there is just one Saturday between us and the Buckeyes being on the field, I am now officially excited.


So, with this newly found excitement in mind, I decided to look at the five players that I am most excited to see get some more playing time this season. Of course we’re all pumped to watch Justin Fields, Shaun Wade, Chris Olave, and the other returning stars, but as has been preached at OSU for generations, the Buckeyes don’t replace, they reload.

With 10 players from the 2019 roster drafted into the NFL, there are now plenty of opportunities for young (and not so young) guys to step up and claim spots in hopes of becoming the next Buckeye to leave his mark on this storied program.

There are a lot of players to be excited about from this year’s roster, but these are my five favorites in single-digit, numerical order; you can also vote for your favorite of the five in the poll below.

Teradja Mitchell | LB | No. 3


I know that this statement will anger some of you, so I’m just going to get it out of the way now: Tuf Borland will be Ohio State’s starter at middle linebacker for the entire season (and likely next season as well), barring some sort of unforeseen injury — and even then, he’d probably find a way to play after having a leg amputated anyway.

However, as we have seen in recent years, when it comes to linebackers, starting does not necessarily guarantee a stranglehold on playing time. Though Borland started the entire 2019 season at Mike, his back-up, Baron Browning, ended up on the field for a significant number of snaps as well, as evidenced by Eleven Warriors’ season total snap count.

By 11W’s count, Borland ended the Fiesta Bowl with 425 plays, while Browning had 368, despite missing two games due to injury. That means that the starter, Borland, averaged 30.36 plays per game, while the reserve, Browning, averaged 30.67. And while the assumption might be that most of Browning’s plays came in garbage time, that’s not really the case, as after the first series, Tuf and Baron more or less rotated for the duration.

With Browning being moved over to the Sam linebacker position for the fall in conjunction with Pete Werner moving to Will, that means that there’s an opening to play behind/alongside Borland, and I think that Teradja Mitchell has earned the opportunity to split time in the middle of Ohio State’s defense.

The Virginia native came to Columbus as the No. 44 player in the 2018 recruiting class, and has patiently waited his turn to get on to the field consistently, and as far as I’m concerned, he’s past due to get that opportunity. The OSU linebackers have been a sore spot ever since Billy “Best Man” Davis decimated the previously iconic position group.

But, under new LB coach Al Washington’s leadership the Silver Bullets are returning to form, and I think that Mitchell can absolutely be a part of that resurgence this year. He is an incredibly athletic and intelligent player, and I am excited to see what he can do with an increased role on the defense this fall.

Garrett Wilson | WR | No. 5


Garrett Wilson had a pretty strong true-freshman season for the Buckeyes in 2019, going for 432 yards and 5 touchdowns on the campaign (fourth best on the team in both categories). But, with the departures of Binjimen Victor, Austin Mack, and especially K.J. Hill, Wilson is poised for a breakout season this fall.

The 6-foot wide receiver was a backup on the outside last season, but with Hill now playing for the Los Angeles Chargers, Ryan Day and Brian Hartline need a talented, sure-handed pass-catcher to play in the slot, and all indications seem to point to that being Wilson.

While Chris Olave led the Buckeyes in receiving yards last season by more than 200 (840 to Hill’s 636), it was Hill who led the team in receptions (57 to Olave’s 48). Olave and Jameson Williams (more on him next) will likely be the starting receivers on the outside (imo), and Wilson’s mix of consistency and explosion will have him occupying the middle of the field.

I am excited by what having a receiver of his talent and athleticism coming out of the slot can do for Fields. Wilson will require attention from opposing safeties over the middle, but should also be able to take advantage of the quick-hitting mesh routes that we have seen Buckeye QBs take advantage of in small doses in recent years as well. We don’t yet know if he has the durability and consistency of Hill, but we do know that he is even more dynamic, which is very, very intriguing.

Jameson Williams | WR | No. 6


Now back to the aforementioned Jameson Williams, or Juiceman if you prefer. Williams didn’t get a ton of opportunities in 2019, only catching six balls for 112 yards and a touchdown, but as he showed on his scoring play against the Miami Red Hawks (in a clip package put together by our old friend Colton Denning), his burst is unbelievable.


I think that Williams will end up starting on the outside opposite Olave, but with the way that Hartline has utilized his incredibly talented WR room over the past two seasons, he is likely to have the opportunity to make an impact even if he is technically a reserve.

However, you can’t not be excited by the flashes of speed and athleticism that the Juiceman showed as a true freshman in 2019, and if he is given the chance to take the top off of a defense, he should be in line to turn in even more highlight-reel plays as a sophomore.

Trey Sermon | RB | No. 8


This one is a little different than the previous three. In those cases, I talked about guys who have had handfuls of opportunities, but have been behind more veteran Buckeyes since arriving in Columbus. However, with Trey Sermon, he is not only completely new to Ohio State, but he’s also had more chances to shine having already wracked up over 2,000 rushing yards as a member of the Oklahoma Sooners.

What I am most excited to see is how he will fare in a much different offense, and much different conference than he has played in before. At 6-foot-1, he’s a fairly tall back, and as his position coach Tony Alford has noted in recent press availabilities, he still has a tendency to run a bit too vertically.

Since we know that everyone in the Big 12 is allergic to playing defense, I am a little concerned about whether Sermon is ready for the physicality that he is going to come up against in the Big Ten — albeit in a shortened season without any crossovers against the toughest B1G West defenses.


If he is able to get his pads low, as Alford wants, I think that his experience and athleticism could provide an interesting addition to the offense. As I’ve said before, I don’t think that the Buckeyes have to have a stud running back to reach their championship goals this season, but if Sermon is able to provide a dynamic option out of the backfield, that can only help to open things up for Fields and the receivers.

Zach Harrison | DE | No. 9


I do not envy Zach Harrison. As if being the 12th ranked player in the 2019 recruiting class wasn’t enough to generate sky-high expectations for a sophomore defensive end, he is also now expected to step up and be the next link in OSU’s chain of dominant DEs that started in 2013 with Joey Bosa, transitioned to Nick Bosa in 2016, and continued unbroken with Chase Young last season.

As a freshman, Harrison notched 5.5 tackles for loss, including 3.5 sacks, and earned the start opposite Young in the Fiesta Bowl after Jonathon Cooper decided to sit out the postseason in order to maintain his redshirt.


Though no depth chart as officially been unveiled yet, because of the unquestioned potential that he displayed in 2019, it is widely assumed that Harrison will be starting opposite Cooper this season, and that has to excite all Buckeye fans.

Harrison has the potential to be an absolutely game-changing, offense-exploding force on the defensive line; heck, there’s a reason that they call him “Sack” Harrison beyond the fact that it rhymes with his first name.

I certainly don’t want to put the pressure of living up to the Bosas and Young’s legacy as a first-time starter on anybody, but if anyone can do it, I certainly think that Harrison can.


After some unexpected start and stops, I am back to posting a column every single day from preseason camp until whenever Ohio State’s football season ends. Some days they will be longer and in depth, some days they will be short and sweet. Let me know what you think of this one, and what you’d like to see me discuss in the comments or on Twitter. Go Bucks!

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Column: Jonathon Cooper wearing Ohio State’s Block ‘0’ is a perfect metaphor for 2020
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Jonathon Cooper | The Ohio State University Athletic Department
Couldn’t happen to a more deserving guy.

Jonathon Cooper’s Ohio State career hasn’t exactly gone according to plan. When the Gahanna native got to Ohio State in 2016, he was the No. 33 player in the country, just on the cusp of being a five-star prospect. Playing behind and alongside Nick Bosa and Chase Young, Cooper has made plays, but has yet to become the dominant defensive end that was expected when he was being recruited.

After becoming a starter for the first time in 2018, he was named an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention, and was primed to have a breakout senior season last fall when he was named a team captain for the first time. However, in preseason practice, Cooper suffered an ankle injury that took most of his 2019 season. He played in four contests, but ultimately decided to skip OSU’s postseason games in order to redshirt and maintain his eligibility for one more complete campaign.

Then, the world — and college football — was hit by a global pandemic, and it became a real possibility that his final collegiate season would either have to come in 2021, or Cooper would need to accept that his injury-shortened 2019 was his last go-around with the Buckeyes.

However, Cooper kept working, and as the B1G went back and forth on whether or not a season would actually happen, he continued to exemplify the commitment and perseverance that has become synonymous with his name across Buckeye Nation. Named a captain for the second-straight season, with games on the horizon, Cooper is now ready to leave his mark as the undisputed leader on a young, and reloaded, defensive line.

However, before the Buckeyes take on Nebraska on Oct. 24, after a full-team scrimmage in Ohio Stadium on Saturday, Cooper earned an honor that feels perfectly made for both him and this point in history. In February, the NCAA announced that football teams would be allowed to use the number 0 on jerseys, so Ryan Day and his coaching staff came up with a way to make it a meaningful, career-defining honor.

Each year, the OSU coaching staff will select one player to wear their new Block “0” jersey, in honor of legendary Ohio State defensive tackle Bill Willis. The College and Pro Football Hall of Famer won a national title with OSU in 1942 and broke the color barrier in modern professional football in 1946; his No. 99 was retired at Ohio State in 2007, just weeks before his death.

The recipient of the new Block “0” jersey will be a player who best exemplifies Willis’ fundamental traits of toughness, accountability, and fight. This year, for the very first time, that player will be Cooper, and that couldn’t be more perfect.

“Jonathon Cooper represents everything that an Ohio State football player should be,” Day said. “He’s tough. He’s accountable. He loves this university and this state. He’s someone who continually embodies our culture of ‘fight.’ And that’s in everything that he does, on and off the field. I’m proud of Coop; he’s the perfect person to wear the Block ‘0’ for the first time.”

Come on, you can’t tell me that you don’t get choked up watching this presentation, can you?


For practically each and every one of us, 2020 has been unforeseeably difficult. From a year’s worth of dreams left unrealized, to opportunities that never came to fruition; from losses large and small, to monumental challenges on both personal and societal levels; 2020 has required all of us to take stock of what’s important and to continue to fight and persevere and be accountable in ways that we likely never even knew that we were capable of before we were forced to confront unparalleled frustration, fear, and disappointment.

Cooper has undoubtedly been through all of these emotions and has fought through to be in a position to leave his mark at Ohio State, just as Willis did before him.

“This honor stands out from the rest,” said Cooper. “Being a captain, all the great things that have happened here at Ohio State, this one stands out a lot more to me personally. It doesn’t just represent me, it represents a great man, a great player who played here. I know when I put that jersey on I’m representing him and I have to go out there and be my very best, and I have to do that every single day. This one really means a lot to me.”

This year and this pandemic have forced all of us to find ways to reinvent ourselves, to meet the challenges placed in our paths, and to accept the unforeseen detours and to make them part of our own unique journeys. Cooper has proven that he is capable of doing all of those things throughout his Ohio State career, and he has already been rewarded for his patience and perseverance; I can only hope that we all will be as well.


After some unexpected start and stops, I am back to posting a column every single day from preseason camp until whenever Ohio State’s football season ends. Some days they will be longer and in depth, some days they will be short and sweet. Let me know what you think of this one, and what you’d like to see me discuss in the comments or on Twitter. Go Bucks!

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12-for-12: Ohio State’s Perfect Season - Game 10 vs. Illinois
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
Braxton Miller and Carlos Hyde beat up on the Illini in this 2012 throwback.

This is 12-for-12: Ohio State’s Perfect Season. Originally, we put this together thinking there would not be an actual football season in 2020, but fortunately that is not the case. So now, this just functions as a fun look at throwback games each week as we prep for Oct. 24.

We have put together a full 12-game schedule for the Buckeyes using one game from each of the last 12 years. The docket is complete with three non-conference opponents, nine Big Ten showdowns, and will also include a three-game postseason with a Big Ten title game and College Football Playoff matchups. We tried to use the best games from each of the 12 years to fill the slots, but some had to be left out to avoid duplicate opponents in the regular season.


We will also be keeping a running total of the regular season’s stat leaders as if all of these games were occurring over one full season. There are many different players that have come through the program during this 12-year span, so only the top three guys in each category will be listed. In the end, we’ll have an interesting concoction of who led the Buckeyes over this 12-game Frankenstein season.

We are going to continue this series even with the announced start date for the actual Big Ten 2020 season, and will drop two Perfect Season pieces a week to try and fit the whole series in before the team’s opener against Nebraska. As we anxiously await the return of Ohio State football, we still have a bunch of games from seasons past to help pass the time.

Game 10 on the schedule: Ohio State vs. Illinois (2012)

Tale of Tape


The 2012 season was an odd one for Ohio State. The team went a perfect 12-0 in Urban Meyer’s first season in Columbus, but you certainly wouldn’t have guessed it if you watched them play. Games against Cal and UAB were closer than they should’ve been early in the year, and the Buckeyes even had close calls against Indiana and Purdue — the latter of which took them to OT. Of course, the story of the season was the aftermath of Tattoo Gate, which made Ohio State ineligible for a bowl game and resulted in a mass exodus of talent prior to the 2012 campaign.

Illinois was also in the first year of a new head coach in 2012, but unlike the successful tenure Meyer would see in Columbus, Tim Beckman lasted just three seasons in Champaign. It was a really ugly year for the Fighting Illini, whose only wins came against Western Michigan and Charleston Southern. They finished with a 2-10 record, and an 0-8 mark in Big Ten play — good for dead last in the conference. Illinois failed to make a bowl game for the first time since 2009.

Game Recap


Both offenses came out of the gates slow, with each team suffering a quick three-and-out on their opening possessions. After Illinois put a field goal through the uprights for the first points of the day, the Ohio State offense woke up and realized they had to play a football game. A long run by Carlos Hyde and a deep pass from Braxton Miller to Jake Stoneburner set the Buckeyes up just outside the red zone, and it wasn’t long before Hyde busted it up the gut for a touchdown.


The Illini closed out the first quarter with yet another field goal, and Ohio State opened up the second quarter with three points of their own to make it 10-6 for the home team. After another quick three-and-out for Illinois, the Buckeyes offense began to hit its stride. A few runs by Hyde and Miller had the ball past midfield, and a big 32-yard completion to Corey “Philly” Brown set up another short rushing TD for Hyde to extend the OSU lead to 17-6.


The Illini offense could not move the ball at all, and after mustering just one total yard on their next drive, they were once again forced to punt. The Buckeyes, on the other hand, were making it look easy as they put up points at will. It took just three plays for OSU to hit pay dirt on the ensuing possession, as Miller hit Rod Smith wide open downfield for a 51-yard TD, growing the lead to 24-6.


Another new set of downs resulted in another punt for Illinois, and Ohio State was now basically in autopilot. Starting with the ball at midfield, a five-play 50-yard drive resulted in another touchdown on a 3-yard rush by Hyde, and it was now officially a rout as the lead grew to 31-6.


Shockingly enough, Illinois’ next drive did not end in a punt! Instead, it was an interception.

Travis Howard picked off Illini QB Nathan Scheelhaase, and Ohio State regained possession near the 50-yard line. Neither team would put up anymore points in the first half, and the Buckeyes would be content going into the break with a 25-point lead.

Coming out of halftime, Ohio State continued to run up the score. A long 11-play, 73-yard drive, which included a pair of 20-plus-yard runs by Hyde, ended in a QB keeper for a TD by Miller, and Urban Meyer’s team now led 38-6.


Illinois would wind up going three-and-out for the millionth time, but a fumble by Ohio State gave them the ball back on a short field. It would end up resulting in the first Illini TD of the day on a 1-yard rush by Jon Davis, but the Buckeyes still held a commanding 38-14 lead with under a minute remaining in the third quarter.

OSU got those points back on the next drive anyway. A 37-yard pitch-and-catch from Miller to Brown resulted in a touchdown for the Scarlet and Gray after some nifty moves by the speedy wideout, and that would be the last time we saw the Buckeyes’ starters for the afternoon. A 45-14 lead early in the fourth quarter was more than enough for Meyer to empty the bench.


Illinois would manage one more TD on the day thanks to a fumble by Bri’onte Dunn, but Dunn redeemed himself with a rushing TD on the following drive as Ohio State walked away with a 52-22 victory. The win at the time moved the Buckeyes to 10-0, just as they are now in our Perfect Season here at LGHL.

LGHL Season Stat Leaders (OSU 10-0)

Passing

1. Terrelle Pryor: 696 Yds / 6 TD / 1 INT (3 games)
2. Braxton Miller: 548 Yds / 7 TD / 1 INT (4 games, 3 at QB)
3. Dwayne Haskins: 405 Yds / 3 TD / 1 INT

Rushing

1. J.K. Dobbins: 380 Yds / 6.2 Avg / 1 TD (2 games)
2. Ezekiel Elliott: 313 Yds / 8.0 Avg / 3 TD (3 games)
3. Daniel Herron: 306 Yds / 4.6 Avg / 2 TD (4 games)

Receiving

1. DeVier Posey: 12 Rec / 206 Yds / 1 TD (2 games)
2. Devin Smith: 11 Rec / 196 Yds / 4 TD (4 games)
3. Corey Brown: 12 Rec / 140 Yds / 2 TD (3 games)

Sacks

1. John Simon: 4.0 (4 games)
2. Chase Young: 3.0 (2 games)
3. Three tied at 2.0

Interceptions

1. Chimdi Chekwa: 2 (3 games)
2. Jeff Okudah: 2 (2 games)
3. Eight tied at one

Up Next


There are just two games remaining on the Perfect Season schedule, and they are both classics. Next week, Ohio State battles Saquon Barkley and the Nittany Lions as Penn State (2017) comes to town for a Top-10 matchup in Ohio Stadium.

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Column: Who do I root for when Ohio State’s not playing? I root for chaos, baby!
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Here’s to the most chaotic college football ‘sundae’ possible!

It has technically been college football season for about six weeks now, but speaking for myself (although, I think that many of you will agree), it hasn’t felt like football season without the Ohio State Buckeyes suiting up and taking to the field each Saturday. However, two weeks from tomorrow that will all change as Ryan Day and his team will finally kick off an abbreviated and delayed Big Ten-only schedule against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Oct. 24.

So, now that there is a scarlet and gray light at the end of our long, football-less tunnel, I’m committing to getting my mind prepared for the season by completely diving into the CFB action over the next two weekends. I have tuned in to my fair share of games over the past month+, but with the additional distractions of the NBA, MLB, and NHL playoffs, I have to admit that my attention has been split in ways that would never have happened had the Buckeyes been playing.

However, after everyone’s favorite Buckeye fan LeBron James hopefully wins his fourth NBA title tonight — and the Cincinnati Reds and Columbus Blue Jackets long eliminated from their respective postseasons — I am ready to recommit to my first love, college football.


So, that brings me to an interesting conundrum. With Ohio State still sidelined for the next two Saturdays, I have no real rooting interests to get me especially excited for any particular contest. Obviously I will want to watch the biggest games of the weekend, but I think I’ll need a little more juice to keep me from just mindlessly flipping channels as I doze in and out of consciousness on my couch.

In the before times, the best way that I have found to generate said juice (without risking any money) is to find a way to make whatever game you’re watching some how about Ohio State’s postseason potential. Now, obviously that’s not going to work with every game, but in most years, any contest that includes a top-10 or 15 team you certainly could spin into having an impact on OSU’s playoff chances.

The problem with that in this weird, shortened season is that a lot of the nuance is already gone from the College Football Playoff race. As I’ve written about before, with the Big 12 already imploding and no one having any non-conference games of consequence, as long as Ohio State (or any B1G, ACC, or SEC team for that matter) runs the table, there shouldn’t be any drama about them getting in.


So, if non-B1G games aren’t really going to impact the Buckeyes’ playoff hopes all that much, how do I pick who to root for now, you ask? Simple. I root in the most 2020 way imaginable; I root for chaos.

I’ve advocated for letting every sport be as weird as possible this year, and it’s no different here. I want upsets; I want normally obnoxious fanbases to be embarrassed (except for our normally obnoxious fanbase, of course); I want crazy, Kick-6 level plays to win games every weekend; I want controversial calls to determine outcomes; I want coaches to have absolutely epic meltdowns on the sidelines. Simply put: I. Want. Chaos.

Take tomorrow’s game between No. 1 Clemson and No. 7 Miami. I am dying for this upset to happen; I desperately want Dabo to go down so hard. But, believe it or not, this has nothing to do with last year’s Fiesta Bowl (or 2016’s Fiesta Bowl, or 2014’s Orange Bowl, or 1978’s Gator Bowl), I just want it to happen because I think it would be hilarious.


Of course, Ohio State and Miami have their own complicated history, but for all of the trolling that the Clemson community has sent our way in the past four years, I would laugh hysterically if they lost this game, and put a major damper on their playoff chances.

The fortunate side benefit of Clemson losing would, of course, be that if Ohio State remained undefeated into the playoff, they would have one less potential team in front of them in the rankings. But that’s just a cherry on top.

The banana split of the situation would be the top-ranked team in the country losing to a program that hasn’t been relevant for damn-near two decades, and failing when they finally have a competent conference opponent for the first time in recent memory. Look, OSU has obviously lost to teams far worse than this year’s version of The U, and you know what? People laugh at us when it happens (hell, do you know how many times people still jump in our mentions about Iowa or Purdue? It’s kind of pathetic), and while I won’t actively troll anyone if it happens, I absolutely will be celebrating.

If Clemson going down would be the banana split on the chaos sundae, No. 22 Texas losing to Oklahoma — so that both Big 12 blue bloods would have two loses after just four games — would be the whipped cream. And you know what the sprinkles would be? If in losing, Tom Herman inevitably brings on calls from the Longhorn faithful to fire him and hire Urban Meyer. Can you imagine how chaotic that would be?

I don’t have anything against Herman, and I would never root for someone to be fired simply for my entertainment, but I’m not actually rooting for him to be fired, I hope he has a long, successful tenure in Austin; I’m rooting for the crazy UT Booster rumor mill to get going and to make that seat the most uncomfortably and chaotically hot one in the country. Do you know how many times I will tweet “Ok, cool. Hook ‘em” if those rumors start up?

And look, if the college football gods want to throw in some gummy bears and have No. 21 Texas A&M upset No. 4 Florida, or those mini M&Ms and have No. 14 Tennessee knock off No. 3 Georgia, I certainly won’t complain about that either!

With the main course of Ohio State football still two weeks away, here’s to the most chaotic college football weekend (and sundae) possible!


After some unexpected start and stops, I am back to posting a column every single day from preseason camp until whenever Ohio State’s football season ends. Some days they will be longer and in depth, some days they will be short and sweet. Let me know what you think of this one, and what you’d like to see me discuss in the comments or on Twitter. Go Bucks!

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Buckeye Bits: Tommy Togiai’s crucial role on the defensive line, Duane Washington Jr.’s offseason growth, more
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
All of the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond.

Happy Friday, Buckeye Nation. We only have to suffer through two more weekends of Ohio State-less college football before we get to see the Buckeyes take the field on Oct. 24. The season is rapidly approaching, and we here at Land-Grant Holy Land are just as excited as you are.


Before we jump right into today’s headlines, we of course have to run through our Bits Bets segment for this Saturday. Last week was a tough one, I'm not gonna lie to you. After going 2-0 in the afternoon games, we went an awful 0-3 in prime time (that’s what I get for believing in Auburn and Mississippi State), which brings our overall record on the year to 9-7. While we’re still positive in 2020, that mark simply isn’t going to cut it, and so we’ll have to be better this week.

Here are some of my favorite plays for this weekend (10/10):

• Syracuse (+1) vs. Duke
• Boston College vs. Pittsburgh (under 43)
• No. 3 Georgia (-12.5) vs. No. 14 Tennessee
• No. 1 Clemson (-14) vs. No. 7 Miami
• No. 5 Notre Dame (-20.5) vs. Florida State

Tough slate this weekend, and there is a lot of bad weather expected to roll through the South with Hurricane Delta in town that may muddy some things up, but we’ll look to bounce back regardless. With that out of the way, let’s get to the headlines.

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...


The top five college football teams in the AP Poll are all in action on Saturday
(Brett Ludwiczak, LGHL)

If you want some more insightful gambling stuff from someone who has done far better research than I, head on over to today’s edition of Money, Cash & Joes. Brett went 5-2 last week, and he’s got breakdowns and picks for all of Saturday’s biggest matchups.

Hancock opts back in, Hicks invited to All-American Bowl
(Caleb Houser, LGHL)

A little bit of recruiting news for you to get yourself up to date on what Ohio State commits have been up to. Jordan Hancock, a 2021 OSU commit, is opting back in to his senior season at North Gwinnett, while C.J. Hicks, a 2022 commit, has earned an invitation to the All-American Bowl.

Ohio State 2020 Virtual Season Preview: Michigan Week!
(George Eisner, LGHL)

As the real Ohio State season approaches, our virtual Ohio State season is winding to a close. It has been a fun ride to watch the Buckeyes beat up on their opponents each week, and the last game of the regular season is of course against TTUN. Join us on Twitch on Saturday at 3:15 p.m. ET as OSU looks to stay undefeated.

From around the gridiron...


Ohio State’s defense looks to limit big plays in 2020
(Chris Lauderback, Eleven Warriors)

After an absolutely horrendous defense in 2018 (thank you, Bill Davis, Alex Grinch and Greg Schiano), the Buckeyes bounced back in a tremendous way in 2019. Ranking 95th in the country in 20+ yard plays allowed (67) and 118th in 30+ yard plays allowed (39) in 2018, they allowed only 44 plays of 20+ yards (12th) and 16 plays of 30+ yards (5th) in 2019.

Now, with Kerry Coombs back in the fold, and in the absence of Chase Young/Jeff Okudah/Damon Arnette/Jordan Fuller, they will have to find a way to mirror their defensive efforts from last season.


Not all that much has changed from the spring in terms of Ohio State’s depth chart. Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson are still going to be out there catching passes from Justin Fields, and the offensive line is going to play out exactly as everyone thought it would. We have, however, learned a little bit more in terms of how the Buckeyes will roll out their running backs, as well as their back seven on defense. Dan takes a stab at how the depth chart will shake out as a whole in two weeks.


Tommy Togiai is known as a big man, now wants to be a big-play maker
(Nathan Baird, Cleveland.com)

Defensive tackle is one of the few positions on the depth chart where Ohio State is a bit thin. They lost a ton of talent from last season, with Jashon Cornell, DaVon Hamilton and Robert Landers all gone to the NFL Draft or graduation. On top of that, Haskell Garrett is still recovering from being shot in the face this offseason, and Taron Vincent is still rehabbing the injury that forced him to miss all of 2019.

Tommy Togiai has been expected by many to be the lead guy among the defensive tackles this season, and his importance becomes even greater with so many question marks around him.


Recruiting isn’t always as simple as a kid choosing where he wants to play football for the next four years straight out of high school. There are many twists and turns in the road, and you don't always end up in the place you began. That is true of both Antwuan Jackson and Trey Sermon, who committed elsewhere despite building relationships with Ohio State’s coaching staff in the recruiting process, but ended up playing for the Buckeyes in the end anyway.


Now healthy, Tyreke Smith working to become an impact player
(Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts)

Ohio State will be looking for the next great defensive end to step up in the absence of Chase Young. While everyone expects Zach Harrison to be the guy, don't sleep on Tyreke Smith. Missing three games in 2019, the sophomore registered five tackles for loss and three sacks as part of a crowded rotation. Smith has been banged up with injuries in his first two years in Columbus, but he is now fully healthy and ready to show the world what he is capable of.


These are always fun. It’s great to hear these guys in their element.

From around the hardwood...


Summer of Introspection: Duane Washington Jr. believes he turned a corner
(Colin Hass-Hill, Eleven Warriors)

With Kaleb Wesson off to the NBA Draft, Ohio State hoops is going to need Duane Washington Jr. to really step up his game in 2020. He was the team’s second-leading scorer a year ago, but as he would be quick to tell you himself, there were times where his decision-making as a sophomore was not at the level Chris Holtmann would want it to be. Spending the offseason working with his father and watching film of both himself and NBA players, Washington feels he can take it to the next level this season.


In case you forgot that Chris Holtmann is a phenomenal coach and overall great person, he and the guys took part in some team-building this week with a little players vs. coaches dodgeball. You can check it out on Holtmann’s personal Instagram account:

From everywhere else...


We saw it first in baseball, and now both the NFL and the college football world have caught on. While the Big Ten won’t be allowing fans in the stands this season — at least for the time being — there is still a way you could see your face in the crowd. Ohio State is now selling fan cutouts to be placed around Ohio Stadium for the team’s four home games this year.


In case you thought this pandemic was over: it’s not. Wear your masks, people.


To end things on a more upbeat note, Delonte West appears to be doing well after Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban personally picked up the ex-NBA star at a gas station last week and vowed to get him off the streets. Not everyone is a huge fan of Cuban, but everyone can admit that this is a great feel-good story.


Enjoy your weekend everybody, and stay safe!

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For discussing this week’s games.

Florida at aTm

Oklahoma vs Texas, Red River Shootout

Tennessee at Gawja

Bama at Ole Miss (Kiffin factor)

Florida St at Notre Dame

Cryami at Clemson

and others.

Ohio State makes the cut for No. 1 WR in 2022
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Five-star Del Valle WR Caleb Burton | Photo via @thecalebburton/@shotsbyzaid on Instagram
The Buckeyes made the Texas native’s Top 12 on Tuesday

Ohio State is on one heck of a run recruiting wide receivers.

The hot streak began in the 2019 class, when the Buckeyes went down to Texas and hauled in a five-star WR by the name of Garrett Wilson. With Brian Hartline at the helm of the position group, Ohio State not only snagged the No. 1 WR in the 2020 class in Julian Fleming, but also five-star WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba and another pair of top-100 national recruits in Gee Scott Jr. and Mookie Cooper.

Now, the Buckeyes seem to be on the fast track to once again come away with the No. 1 WR — this time in the 2021 class — as Emeka Egbuka has been pegged an OSU lean for some time now. However, as usual, Ryan Day and his staff can never rest on their laurels in the recruiting game, and so they are already looking ahead to 2022.

They got one step closer with the nation’s top pass-catcher in the junior class on Tuesday, as five-star WR Caleb Burton included Ohio State in his Top 12.


Likely one of Ohio State’s top targets in the 2022 class regardless of position, Burton is the No. 1 WR in the country and the No. 10 overall prospect in the cycle. The Texas native cut his list from nearly 40 offers down to just 12, with the Buckeyes making the cut alongside Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, Oregon, Stanford, Texas and USC.

It was not a surprise to see Brutus’ face alongside the other mascots on Burton’s graphic, as the 6-foot, 165-pound stud receiver has been high on Ohio State for quite some time. Hartline and crew offered Burton back in March, and since then the two parties have been in constant contact. Speaking to Bucknuts back in May, Burton said things have been going great between he and the Buckeyes’ wide receivers coach.

“I send [Hartline] videos of me working out and he critiques them,” Burton told Bucknuts. “Our relationship is going very well. And my dad and gets along well with coach Hartline and likes the work he has done in the past.”

Burton continued to speak highly of Hartline and the rest of the Ohio State staff when discussing his latest Top 12 with 247Sports on Tuesday.

“Obviously the relationship me and Coach Hartline and Coach Day have and their wide receiver room is always ridiculous and it’s nice to have a ex NFL wide receiver coaching you and looking at what he’s done he’s sent a lots players to the league,” Burton said in regards to why OSU made the cut.

Burton would be a massive get for Ohio State, even with all the wide receiver talent already on their roster. Catching 50 passes for 906 yards and 12 touchdowns in his sophomore season, he has drawn rave reviews for his abilities. 247Sports’ Midlands Region Recruiting Analyst Gabe Brooks even compared him to Jerry Jeudy.


It will still be quite a while before we find out Burton’s college destination, as the Del Valle product expects to make his commitment sometime between the end of his junior year and the beginning of his senior year. As things currently stand, expect Ohio State to be in the mix until the very end.

Quick Hits

• According to Bill Kurelic, five-star OT Tristan Leigh is making his ‘best effort’ to visit Ohio State for what has become known as “Buckeye Bash” on Oct. 24. LSU has pulled ahead and appears to be in the drivers seat for Leigh’s commitment, but getting the Virginia native on campus and around the rest of Ryan Day’s stacked 2021 class would likely be Ohio State’s best chance at stealing the talented offensive tackle away from the Tigers before the buzzer.
• Ohio State is also still in the hunt for four-star safety Derrick Davis Jr., but is probably lagging behind Penn State in a two-horse race. Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports spoke with Davis’ father recently, and he said the Buckeyes are still a “major player,” and have conducted a number of Zoom calls with the talented DB. However, at this time it seems that the in-state Nittany Lions are the team to beat.

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Column: Ohio State probably won’t have a thousand-rusher this year, and that’s okay
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Next year might be a different story though.

For generations, the statistical mark used to define a successful season for a running back has been rushing for 1,000 yards. From Jim Otis becoming the first Buckeye to accomplish the feat in 1969 with a nice 1,027 yards to Eddie George’s then-program record 1,927 in 1995 to seven-straight years of Carlos Hyde, Ezekiel Elliott, Mike Weber, and J.K. Dobbins eclipsing the mark, this accomplishment has been used to separate the good from the great.

However, as we are just 18 days away from the start of Ohio State’s 2020 season, we can already say that it is pretty unlikely that an OSU RB will rush for 1,000 yards this season. Obviously, the first factor working against their favor is that the B1G decreased the number of regular season games on the schedule from the traditional 12 to eight. Now, with the Champions Week game and a potential College Football Playoff run, the Buckeyes could play as many as 11 games this season, but even then, it is tough for me to imagine a back going for 1K, barring an injury that results in one runner getting the majority of the carries.

Don’t get me wrong though, if either Master Teague or Trey Sermon do rush for more than 90.91 yards per game over an 11-game season, I will be happy to submit my own article to @OldTakesExposed. But, beyond the reduced games, the biggest barrier between a Buckeye back and the revered mark is the fact that I’m not even sure which runner is most likely to get enough carries to reach 1,000 this year.

In a Zoom press conference today (which Gene went in depth on in today’s Buckeye Bits), Ohio State running back coach Tony Alford said that while Teague has done incredible work rehabbing from his spring Achilles injury, they are still working to up his reps. While he would certainly play if they had a game tomorrow, it’s clear that Teague — who, don’t forget, was a third-team all B1G selection last year — isn’t yet back full-strength.

Sermon is also coming off of his own injury, which ended his final season at Oklahoma last November. Though Sermon (who rushed for 947 yards in 2018 for the Sooners) said that he is 100% recovered from his knee injury, Alford admitted that they were still working to adjust his running style, since his tall, vertical strides might work in the Big 12 where playing defense is actually against the rules, the more physical B1G defenses will punish backs who run that way.

Alford also praised true-freshman Miyan Williams and redshirt-freshman Steele Chambers who are likely to get garbage-time carries, especially until Marcus Crowley is fully recovered from his own knee injury.

So, we’ve got fewer games and a crowded, RB1-less backfield working against a Buckeye back from going for 1,000 yards. Then there’s also the guy who will be handing the ball off to them, Justin Fields, screwing things up for the backs’ quest for 1,000.

Ryan Day was very hesitant to allow their stud signal-caller to run the ball in his first season as the OSU QB, because there was little to no depth behind Fields. While they are pretty young and inexperienced, there is now more, competent depth in the QB room in C.J. Stroud and Jack Miller.


Therefore, it seems likely that Day and his offensive braintrust will explore more of the athletic options that Fields brings to the... well, field. This is likely to hurt the running backs’ raw numbers in two ways; with a stable of insanely talented receivers, Fields is going to have a lot of options to throw to while being protected by arguably the best offensive line in the country. More throws equals fewer carries.

Then, it also means that Fields is probably going to keep the ball on more designed runs than he did last year. In 2019, Ohio State running backs accounted for 35.57 rushes per game, while Fields threw the ball 25.29 times per contest. While I expect the backs to have plenty of blowout carries in second halves this season, it seems likely that Fields will be putting the ball in the air more than he did last year. If I had to guess, I would assume it is closer to the 30-35 times per game range; I could also imagine a situation in which Day calls his name six to eight times on designed keepers, not including scrambles or sacks.

So, let’s add in more throws and more runs for Fields to our growing list of fewer games and multiple backs and it’s looking likely that this will be the first season since 2012 that doesn’t see an Ohio State RB hit 1,000 yards (and yes, Braxton Miller did go for 1,271 yards that season, but he wasn’t a running back, so he doesn’t count in this discussion).

But you know what? Who cares? It doesn’t really matter. Having a cavalcade of options is a good thing for an offense. Sure, the backfield being anchored by someone like Dobbins is always a massive advantage, but with a Heisman-finalist QB like Fields, it’s not necessary.

If Teague and Sermon both end up in the 65-85 yards per game range, with other backs getting 25-40 yards a piece in mop-up duty, that will be more than enough to balance out the Buckeye offense all season. There is plenty of firepower on the OSU offensive to sustain a championship run even without all-world back toting the rock.

But, not to look too far into the future, the question will be whether having a top-line tailback will work in 2021 after Fields, Sermon, and potentially Teague have moved on. With either Stroud or Miller likely entering their first season as a starter next fall, will a running-back-by-committee be OSU’s only option or will someone — perhaps incoming, five-star freshman TreVeyon Henderson — step up to be the the latest bell-cow in a long legacy of OSU backs?

I don’t know, but with the talent accumulated on their roster, chances are that the Buckeyes can win either way.


After some unexpected start and stops, I am back to posting a column every single day from preseason camp until whenever Ohio State’s football season ends. Some days they will be longer and in depth, some days they will be short and sweet. Let me know what you think of this one, and what you’d like to see me discuss in the comments or on Twitter. Go Bucks!

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Buckeye Bits: Lots of running back talk, updated Heisman odds, more
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
All of the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond.

Happy Tuesday, everybody. It really is starting to feel like we are now fully in the swing of the college football season. We’ve had Top 10 matchups, massive upsets, the Big 12 continuing to not play a shred of defense, and all the other usual fall happenings. The only thing missing, of course, is Ohio State.

Luckily, we are now less than three weeks away from the Buckeyes’ opening kickoff, and the excitement is palpable.


Let’s hop right into all of today’s headlines.

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...


Polls are stupid, but I'm fine with where Ohio State is currently ranked
(Matt Tamanini, LGHL)

The AP Poll has surpassed its usefulness with the advent of the College Football Playoff, and now just serves to pump up TV ratings. You shouldn’t care where Ohio State is currently ranked, as it will not matter come December as long as they take care of business.

Buckeyes still viewed as leaders for five-star DE
(Dan Hessler, LGHL)

Ohio State’s 2021 class only has a few spots left to fill, but theres a good chance at least one if not two of those spots will be filled with five-star talents from the West Coast. J.T. Tuimoloau is a name those that follow the Buckeyes’ recruiting are well aware of, and there is no reason to believe he isn’t still leaning towards OSU after announcing his top schools.

Buckeye Clips: NFL Week 4 highlights
(Tia Johnston, LGHL)

Terry McLaurin and Denzel Ward both balled out as usual, and one-time Buckeye Joe Burrow recorded his first NFL win in a game in which he threw for over 300 yards. Check out all the highlights by former Ohio State players in the NFL from this past weekend.

From around the gridiron...


We have slowly been hearing from each position group at Ohio State as camp has progressed, and today that group was Tony Alford and the running backs. One of the more intriguing groups on the team with the absence of J.K. Dobbins and guys like Master Teague and Trey Sermon coming off injuries, it was good to get a glimpse into the room.

Alford began by lauding Teague’s efforts in his rehab from his achilles injury, saying that the RB never wavered in his faith and completely immersed himself in his recovery. Ultimately, he is a bit surprised Teague is ahead of Marcus Crowley health-wise. Aflord went on to say that while they are still building up Teague’s workload, if the team had a game tomorrow he would be playing.


When it comes to Sermon, Alford says he is a different kind of back than the Buckeyes are accustomed too as he is a longer, more upright runner good at coming out the backfield as well as blocking. The position coach says they are working on dropping Sermon’s pad level, but that he has deceptive speed. They loved what they saw on film from his time at Oklahoma, and are excited for what he can do in Ohio State’s offense.


Freshman Miyan Williams is being described as the prototypical ‘muscle hamster’ — a shorter guy with tremendous power and strength. Alford joked that Williams is “two-and-a-half feet tall,” and that his smaller size is actually a benefit as he can get lost behind the big offensive linemen and make it harder for defenses to find him.


Alford said that Teague is probably the leader in the RB room right now, but Sermon has started to speak up more having played the most football of any of the guys. As has seemingly every person to speak for Ohio State thus far, he also praised Justin Fields’ leadership during this offseason.

Teague himself spoke to the media next, and he talked about how important it was to stay disciplined during quarantine as he had to do most of his rehab on his own. He thought he would have been ready to go even if the season began in September as originally planned. Teague also talked about playing behind J.K. Dobbins, and how watching an elite back like Dobbins work will make himself a better player this season.

Teague is also working to forget his performance in the Clemson game, and wants to prove he can step up in big games when Ohio State needs him the most.


Sermon spoke next, and he explained that he chose Ohio State because he fell in love with the culture, the coaches and the players. He claims he is back to 100% after rehabbing from his knee injury, and says right now is the best he’s ever felt.


Sermon says the offense at Ohio State is similar to the one they ran at Oklahoma, and the way the Buckeyes use their running backs appealed to him. Like everyone else, he praised Fields, and having played along Heisman winners in Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, Sermon says he would compare Fields more to Murray.


Switching up from the running back talk, BetOnline.ag released their updated Heisman Trophy odds on Tuesday, and Justin Fields remains near the top of the list at 7/1. The current favorite is Trevor Lawrence (7/2), followed by Kyle Trask (15/4), Mac Jones (4/1) and then Fields. So far, no one player has really been lights out through the first few weeks of the season, and so Fields will definitely still have a chance in this race despite playing fewer games.


That Terry McLaurin fella is pretty darn good.

From everywhere else...


We may see another college football postponement this weekend, but not for COVID this time. Hurricane Delta is expected to make landfall in the next few days, and it could have an impact on the LSU-Mizzou game. For now, the game will take place as planned.


The Holy Trinity of Ohio State: The RPAC, Morrill Tower and Ohio Stadium. Glory.


OH MY. What a glorious collab.


Rest In Peace to an absolute legend of the rock community, Eddie Van Halen.


You have no excuses. Get out there and VOTE.


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Buckeye Clips: NFL Week 4 highlights
Tia Johnston via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Denzel Ward seals the deal for the Browns and Joe Burrow makes NFL rookie history

It’s Tuesday, aka the worst day of the week. Reality sets in as we have realize we must wait two full days until football is on our televisions once again. What are we meant to do tonight? Watch Netflix? (If you do, might I suggest “American Murder: The Family Next Door?” because wow) Read a book? Go to bed at a decent hour? Ugh.

I suppose our only saving grace until Thursday is, well, yours truly, along with the other highly regarded members of sports media. Because what better way to get through these next two football-less days than to recount the times when there was football being played? Lucky for us at LGHL, there’s almost always something to report on Tuesday mornings after the weekend’s slate of NFL games have ceased. Buckeyes across the league continue to make headlines, and we’ve gathered all the highlights for you in our newest series, Buckeye Clips. But before we get into that, let’s get the bad stuff out of the way.

Injuries


After Nick Bosa, Malik Hooker, Parris Campbell and Dre’Mont Jones all suffered significant injuries two weeks ago, the list of injured Buckeyes continues to grow. Five former Ohio State players were inactive for their first games this season on Sunday, including three members of the Buckeyes’ rookie class.

Chase Young missed Washington’s loss to Baltimore on Sunday due to a groin injury he suffered in Week 3. The injury is not believed to be serious, but it’s unknown when he will return to play.

Los Angeles Rams rookie Jordan Fuller missed his team’s win over the New York Giants on Sunday with a shoulder injury he also suffered in Week 3. He is expected to return next week.

Las Vegas Raiders CB Damon Arnette underwent thumb surgery last week after falling awkwardly on it the weekend before. Per Ian Rapoport, the rookie is expected to miss 6-8 weeks.

Marshon Lattimore missed the Saints’ game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday with a hamstring injury, joining Michael Thomas on the sidelines. Thomas is expected to return to the field in Week 5 after missing the last three games due to a high ankle sprain.

A shoulder injury kept Seattle Seahawks running back Carlos Hyde sidelined on Sunday.

Additionally, Gareon Conley (who had ankle surgery during the offseason) and Pat Elflein (thumb) are currently on their teams’ injured reserve lists.

Eli Apple was reactivated by the Carolina Panthers last week after missing the first three games of the season with an ankle injury. However, he only made a brief appearance on special teams on Sunday before suffering a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the rest of the game.

And that’s that on the importance of in-person OTAs.

Now, here are some of the awesome things former Ohio State players did over the weekend.

The Rookies


With Young, Fuller and Arnette on the sidelines, there’s not a whole lot to report in this section. However, former Ohio State football player (!) and current Ohio-based football player (!) Joe Burrow got his first NFL win on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, during which he became the first rookie in NFL history to throw for 300 yards in three straight games. This feat obviously earned him the game ball, but Burrow’s gonna Burrow.


Other miscellaneous news and notes for Buckeye rookies:

• RB J.K. Dobbins had 5 carries for 16 yards and one reception for one yard in the Raven’s win against Washington. Also, this is hilarious:

The Ravens and Washington Football Team are big Buckeye enthusiasts.

• Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton recorded five tackles and two QB hits in his team’s loss against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.
• After grabbing his first NFL interception in Week 3, Detroit Lions CB Jeff Okudah seems to have found his stride. The rookie recorded five tackles in his team’s loss against the Saints on Sunday.
• Jonah Jackson started his fourth-straight game at left guard for the Lions.

The Veterans


The Cleveland Browns — yeah, those Cleveland Browns! — won their third straight game of the season on Sunday — against the Cowboys, no less! And the man who sealed the deal? None other than former Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward, who intercepted Dak Prescott’s pass intended for Amari Cooper inside the Browns’ 10-yard line with less than two minutes to play. He ended the game with four tackles, one interception and one pass deflection.


On the opposing side, Ezekiel Elliott had 12 carries for 54 yards and eight catches for 71 yards, while Noah Brown had an NFL career-high four catches for 43 yards.

Despite The Washington Football Team suffering their third straight loss to Baltimore on Sunday, Dwayne Haskins and Terry McLaurin each had career-high performances.

Haskins completed 32 of his 45 pass attempts for 314 yards. Before Sunday Haskins had never completed more than 21 passes or thrown for more than 261 yards in his professional career. And while none of those passes were for a touchdown on Sunday, Haskins did score the first rushing touchdown of his career.


Terry McLaurin (did you really think we’d get through one of these without a Terry McLaurin highlight?) led the team in receiving for the fourth week in a row with 10 catches for 118 yards, which was the first time he has had more than seven catches in an NFL game.


Other miscellaneous news and notes for Buckeye veterans:

• Chicago Bears wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. recorded two catches for eleven yards, and three punt returns for 18 yards against the Colts.
• Saints safety Malcom Jenkins had five tackles and one pass breakup in their win against the Lions. He now leads the Saints with 27 total tackles and three pass deflections.
• Chargers DE Joey Bosa recorded one tackle and two QB hits against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, and leads the Chargers in sacks (3).
• Texans CB Bradley Roby had seven tackles and two pass breakups against the Vikings. He now leads the team with three total pass deflects.
• Eagles punter Cam Johnston had six punts for 51.2 yards per punt and three inside 20s. His career average of 47.7 is highest in NFL history.
• Taylor Decker, Michael Jordan, Corey Linsley and Andrew Norwell all started for their respective offensive lines.
• Carolina Panthers WR Curtis Samuel had three receptions for 51 yards and three carries for -1 yard in the Panthers’ win against the Arizona Cardinals.

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Buckeyes still viewed as leaders for five-star DE
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Five-star Eastside Catholic DE J.T. Tuimoloau | Brandon Huffman, 247Sports
Ohio State should like where it is sitting when it comes to arguably the nation’s top prospect in 2021.

Late last week, Ohio State 2021 five-star defensive end target J.T. Tuimoloau (Sammamish, WA/Eastside Catholic) included the Buckeyes in his top seven schools. The announcement itself of the top schools was somewhat surprising, and while the programs he listed were not all that shocking, it did offer a glimpse into a recruitment that has been rather close to the vest.

Despite Tuimoloau keeping quiet on his recruitment, Ohio State has long been viewed as the frontrunner in the race for his services. A large reason for their success with the Washington native has been because of the Buckeyes recent success in sending defensive ends to the NFL Draft, as well as his relationship with OSU defensive line coach Larry Johnson.

247Sports National Recruiting Editor, Brandon Huffman, spoke on Tuimoloau’s recruitment and what he believes is each of his seven finalists chances to land him are. When speaking of Ohio State and Tuimoloau, Huffman had the following to say:


Tuimoloau will likely look to cut his list of seven down to five here shortly. These will be the five official visits that he would take as well, given that the dead period gets lifted eventually.

As was previously mentioned, Tuimoloau has played his recruitment close to the vest, and as a result will likely not reach a decision by the early signing period. Instead, look for the blue-chip prospect to wait until the traditional National Signing Day in February.

Tuimoloau is the No. 2 DE in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and is the No. 2 overall prospect in the nation in 2021.

Quick Hits:

• Ohio State five-star OL target Tristan Leigh showed off some Ohio State gear in a Tweet on Monday. Leigh has been trending towards LSU with Oklahoma and Ohio State seemingly still involved. The Buckeyes chances of landing a commitment from Leigh has dwindled as of late, but could this be a sign that things are heating back up, or is this a simple tease from Leigh?

• Ohio State 2021 four-star DT target Tywone Malone (Oradell, NJ/Bergen Catholic) will no longer be considering the Buckeyes, as the team missed the cut to his final six teams. OSU made his top 14 schools back in May of this year.

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Column: Polls are stupid, but I’m fine with where Ohio State is currently ranked
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
Also, Danny Kanell is still a clown.

Hey, remember all the way back, six or seven years ago in August 2020 when in the both the AP and Coaches preseason polls, the Ohio State Buckeyes were ranked second, hot on the heels of the Clemson Tigers with a healthy number of first place votes to boot?

Fast forward a month and a half and the Buckeyes haven’t taken to the field yet, but they have already dropped out of the rankings all together, then jumped back in, but now seem to be stuck in sixth place?

I don’t think that anybody with a brain needed these past six weeks to convince them that the polls are stupid, but can you believe that for the vast majority of college football history they are what determined the sport’s champion (and in some cases champions)? Really dumb, huh?

But here’s the thing, these days, the polls only matter for entertainment purposes — no, not those entertainment purpose, like actual entertainment purposes. They give fans reasons to pump their chests and/or complain, while also providing pundits like Danny Kanell an opportunity to show just how obtuse and intellectually dishonest they are.


But as we inch closer and closer to OSU finally kicking off their season, it is worth taking a sober look at where they sit in the national title pecking order. According to the most recent national titles odds published by BetOnline.ag on Monday morning, the Buckeyes are back where they were to start the season, just ever so slightly behind Clemson.

While I fully intend to pick Ohio State to win the national title when we unveil our (delayed) preseason predictions later this month, I am totally fine with Dabo’s boys occupying the top spot for the time being.


One of the express reasons that guys like Wyatt Davis, Thayer Munford, Shaun Wade, and (post-cancellation) Justin Fields said that they wanted to come back for another season in Columbus is to make up for what happened against Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl last December.

So, while it might be annoying to be stuck behind them yet again — not to mention watching the Bucks on the outside of the top-5 for literally no discernible reason — I am pretty confident in saying that this all gives Ryan Day’s team a little extra motivation when it comes to play and preparation.

The polls will undoubtedly work themselves out after Oct. 24 when the Big Ten season starts, just in time for them to become completely irrelevant again when the College Football Playoff committee begins releasing their rankings a month later.

While the polls are pretty pointless nowadays, the CFP committee is the exact opposite in terms of power, but still pretty close in terms of cluelessness. Their inability to adhere to any type of coherent or consistent criteria has both helped and hurt Ohio State in the past. However, unlike with the polls, the committee actually matters. And thanks to the Big 12 essentially eliminating itself from the playoff discussion already (settle down Oklahoma State), the Buckeyes almost certainly control their own destiny yet again.

Beat the rest of the B1G, as they are expected to do, and OSU will be back in the College Football Playoff with an opportunity to extract a measure of revenge on Clemson... assuming they avoid the ACC landmines and are actually ranked highly enough to make the playoff this year.


After some unexpected start and stops, I am back to posting a column every single day from preseason camp until whenever Ohio State’s football season ends. Some days they will be longer and in depth, some days they will be short and sweet. Let me know what you think of this one, and what you’d like to see me discuss in the comments or on Twitter. Go Bucks!

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Buckeye Bits: Ohio State remains at No. 6 in AP Poll, more black stripes were lost, 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

Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
All of the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond.

Happy Monday!


Is it just me or does 19 days feel like an eternity? How am I supposed to survive two more Big Ten-less college football Saturdays? Sigh. On the bright side, it seems as though teams have, for the most part I guess, been keeping coronavirus cases at bay. Considering the Big Ten has the strictest rules and safety precautions of the all the conferences, Ohio State should have similar success. Even still, Ryan Day and the Buckeyes are prepared for the worst-case scenario, which, as Day said, is the key to success this season.


Yet another thing a head coach to worry about on top of recruiting and, you know, leading a football team to a national championship. But if anyone can come out on top in all three aspects, it’s Ryan Day.

So, now that I’ve set the tone with some optimism, let’s see what else is happening around the beat.

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...


Ohio State has a BOOMING recruiting weekend

Charles Doss, LGHL

Like I said above, Day can do it all as he picked up his 20th 2021 commitment in three-star offensive tackle and former Louisville commit Zenuae “Zen” Michalski over the weekend.

Column: It’s gonna take Ohio State time to reach peak performance

Matt Tamanini, LGHL

In case you missed it, Matt will be writing a column a day for the remainder of Ohio State’s football season. They will vary in length and topic and are almost guaranteed to spark conversation. Sunday’s column is no exception, as he says what no one else wants to admit via an eloquent metaphor: Ohio State might not be a “finely oiled machine on Oct. 24,” rather they could be an “adequately oiled contraption.”

Column: Don’t be that guy, enjoy this season no matter what happens

Matt Tamanini, LGHL

And we can’t forget about Saturday’s column explaining SB Nation Reacts — sign up here! — while also calling out those who voted that they were not (?) confident (?) in the direction Ryan Day is leading the program.

12-for-12: Ohio State’s Perfect Season - Game 8 vs. Northwestern

Gene Ross, LGHL

Next up in Gene’s 12-for-12 series: 2008 Ohio State vs. Northwestern. Come reminisce with us as we remember Terrelle Pryor, Brian Hartline, Beanie Wells, Brian Robiskie and a 45-10 win against the Wildcats.

From around the gridiron...


Ohio State remains at the No. 6 spot in the AP Poll behind Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Notre Dame for the second week in a row. The Buckeyes also received two first-place votes after receiving four first-place votes last week.

Other Big Ten teams ranked include Penn State (No. 9), Wisconsin (No. 16), Michigan (No. 20), and Minnesota who, despite having yet to play a football game, made its debut in the AP Poll this week at No. 25.

Ohio State also comes in at No. 6 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, behind the same five teams mentioned above. The Buckeyes received two first-place votes in the Coaches Poll.


As David Regimbal of Eleven Warriors writes, successful backup plans in regards to coronavirus outbreaks will be absolutely crucial this season if the Buckeyes want in on the college football playoff. And some of those backup plans come in the form of freshmen.

We’re all well aware by now that the wide receiver room is stacked with five- and four-star youngsters (Re: Julian Fleming, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Gee Scott Jr.) who will all more than likely contribute heavily this fall. But what about the other position groups? Regimbal lists other standout freshmen who could potentially make a big impact, and who should be ready to go at the drop of a hat.


Ohio State took their practice to the stadium, and even allowed the members of the media inside to watch and, of course, document.

There’s something about seeing the scarlet and gray uniforms inside the ‘Shoe that makes me equal parts ecstatic for the season and terribly upset that we won’t get to be there to watch. Check out Eleven Warriors’ Colin Hass-Hill and Dan Hope’s long-awaited observations of the Buckeyes’ session here.


Plus, more black stripes were lost during Saturday’s ‘Shoe-practice. Offensive lineman Josh Fryar, safety Lathan Ransom and running back Miyan Williams became a few of the last members of the 2020 class to lose their black stripes.


Turns out, having too many talented veteran linebackers is the opposite of a problem. Who knew? But now the question is, how does one utilize all that talent?


Georgia fans: still not over it.

From everywhere else...


Ohio State fans: still not over it, except this one is warranted. RIP Big 12.


Here’s how the rest of college football panned out on Saturday. Again I ask, can we get the Big Ten’s start date pushed to this weekend? Pls.


Wisconsin QB Jack Coan is out indefinitely with a foot injury. Sophomore Graham Mertz will be taking his place until they know more about the severity of Coan’s injury. I don’t know much about Mertz, however he was the No. 1 prospect in Kansas and No. 3 prostyle QB in his class, so I don’t think this is cause for too much panic if your a Badgers fan (especially without Ohio State on the schedule).


We’ll have a montage of video highlights of Buckeyes in the NFL on Tuesday, but here’s how they did on Sunday per Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors. I think we can just accept that Terry McLaurin will be on every single one of these highlight recaps until the season ends.


Remember at the beginning of this when I said (most) teams seem to be keeping the virus at bay? Hahahahahaha


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Ohio State has a BOOMING recruiting weekend
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Floyd Central OT Zen Michalski | Jody Demling, 247Sports
Ryan Day and the Buckeyes picked up another piece to their 2021 recruiting puzzle over the weekend.

Unless you were hiding under a rock all weekend long, you probably know by now that Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes football program locked up another class of 2021 verbal commitment when three-star offensive tackle and one-time University of Louisville pledge Zenuae “Zen” Michalski publicly shut down his recruitment once again.

Deciding to call Columbus his soon-to-be college home over the Cardinals, Penn State, and Florida State, the 6-foot-6, 288-pound Indiana native gives Ohio State their 20th commitment of the 2021 cycle.

Committing to the Buckeyes via his Twitter page nearly a week after making a trip to Columbus to get more familiar with Ohio State University campus, Michalski didn’t get to mingle with his now future coaches, but at the end of day saw enough to know it was the right spot for him on and off the gridiron.

“I am going to be going to Ohio State,” the future Buckeye told Rivals.com. “I am a very young offensive lineman and I haven’t been playing the position that long. I want to go somewhere I can develop the best physically and technically. The coaches are amazing there, and I don’t think I’ve met a better group of people in this whole process. That was a big thing for me.”


Currently looked at as the 48th offensive tackle, and 625th overall prospect in the entire senior class per the 247Sports Composite Rankings, Michalski might not be pegged as a five-star prospect, but has the potential to one day hear his name called in the NFL Draft. Just now growing into his frame and the position, he’s put on over 60 pounds in the last year, turning him into one of the most sought after linemen in the Midwest this fall.

Using his new physic to help lead his Floyd Central High upfront, Zen is a key reason why the 5-2 Highlanders offense attack averages nearly 400 yards per contest this season.

Always looking for line depth on the recruiting trail, Michalski is the third offensive lineman to give Day and crew their word. He joins fellow big guys Donovan Jackson and Ben Christman in the Buckeyes class of 2021.

With all the excitement surrounding Michalski and what he brings to Ohio State, some of his future coaches and teammates took to their Twitter pages to personally welcome the offensive lineman to Buckeye Nation:

Quick Hits

• Class of 2022 five-star wide receiver Caleb Burton will announce his top 12 college programs on Tuesday, and the Buckeyes will almost certainly make the cut. Burton, a Del Valle, Texas native, holds a long list of scholarship offers from the likes of Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, and Oklahoma, among many others. Suffering a knee injury last week that will sideline him for the rest of his junior season, Burton is the No. 1 WR in the 2022 class, and is at the top of Brian Hartline’s target board.

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MOTSAG Rising; WVaBuckeye
Chris 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

Hello everyone and thanks for stopping by to read this! This is a newer, fun-styled segment that introduces the writers in the #MOTSAGRising movement that is on Twitter. It is a closer look at our origins and our backstories that is needed to better get to know us as a unit.



I am wvabuckeye on Twitter, but my name is Chris. I was born and raised in SE Ohio (not in Joe Burrow country but close) I am a proud NAVY veteran and have been employed by DuPont for over 23 years. I became a Buckeye fan after watching Archie Griffin run for a TD in the pouring rain on my grandmothers TV in the early 70’s!

I am a high school football and basketball official and worked college women’s for about 7 years at the D2 and D3 level. My family always comes first in my life, three kids, one grandson and a niece thats like a daughter who has a son who’s like a grandchild to us. I have been happily married to the love of my life for over 30 years and I do not know how she does all that she does but I am blessed to have her.

I began my blogging journey with The Buckeye Battle Cry in December of 2012 and have been enjoying it ever since! Hopefully MOTSAG will be my last stop. It’s a fun bunch of guys(Except Jeremiah’s big brass spoon) who like to have a good time writing and covering the best damn team in the land!

Thank you for hanging out with us regularly and have fun!





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MOSTAG Rising: Tongaricious
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

Hello everyone and thanks for stopping by to read this! This is a newer, fun-styled segment that introduces the writers in the #MOTSAGRising movement that is on Twitter. It is a closer look at our origins and our backstories that is needed to better get to know us as a unit. I am up first.

I am Tongaricious on Twitter, but my name is Richard. I was born and raised in Guam and I am a little over 15 years into a career in the Air Force. I became a Buckeye fan after watching them thrash Nebraska in their first season after joining the Big Ten and I never looked back.

I enjoy talking about games and I pay close attention to recruiting. I wish I had insider powers and I hope to follow it more closely, but with the lack of sources–I am just a fan and a regular guy. I started out with the Men of the Scarlet and Gray for a few years–I did my interview with Jeremiah in 2015 and I have been a staple for the brand since.

I still enjoy writing and I jumped at the chance to get things back since the season is about to begin. It is crazy that I have been writing for five years and I am glad for every person that has contributed and is still contributing today. I am also glad for every person that I have interacted with over the years. Let us bring it forward as we all prepare to have another awesome season. I am excited to continue the tradition of bringing you awesome content.

#GoBucks




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Ohio State Buckeyes 2020 Schedule
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


Revised BIG Ten schedule 2020. Credit: @BIGfootball (Twitter)

I know we are a week late, but with under a month away from the start of the Big Ten season, I have returned with a preview of the 2020 season. Although the Big Ten will start much later than the ACC, Big 12, and the SEC. October 24th will be the beginning of an odd 2020 season, and if you are like me, I would rather have Buckeye football as opposed to not having none of it in the fall.

In an eight game slate, the schedule as a whole is balanced. Yes, it is an easier than expected path with no prime time games (at Oregon), but as I said earlier, I’d rather have football over having none of it. With the schedule, the Buckeyes should have an easy path to an undefeated regular season, but on the side of caution, I would take it game by game.

I am not casting doubt on the team and I believe they are one of the best teams in the nation, but only they could trip themselves up this season. They have a plethora of weapons on offense and an experienced defensive unit in tow. The icing on the cake? They managed to convince Shaun Wade and Wyatt Davis to return for one last ride for another Championship run. Here is a breakdown of the upcoming season.

Home Games: Nebraska, Rutgers, Indiana and TTUN

The home game slate is highly favorable with the Buckeyes facing a perennial bottom feeder in Rutgers, who brought back Greg Schiano to accelerate the rebuilding process. They also have brought Brendon White in to help as well. He was a star in the making that got lost in the shuffle due to his size and lack of speed, but I feel he fits Schiano’s scheme and will excel in the defense.

They also face two mid-tier teams in Indiana and Nebraska, which should be interesting to watch. Indiana always seems to be game for contests with the Buckeyes, against their former Head Coach Kevin Wilson. For some odd reason, they always give the Buckeyes fits, but this year could be different with the Buckeyes vying for another dominant season.

Nebraska on the other hand has beaten the Buckeyes once in their time in the Big Ten. The last loss was in 2011 and I see an improved offense showing up, but the talent gap is still too large to win the game. The conference big wigs may have gotten the last laugh after Nebraska made some waves by suing and threatening to leave the conference. Let us just say they got the last laugh by giving them the Buckeyes for their first game. Allies turned into enemies for at least the first week of the upcoming season.

To finish the home slate, the TTUN comes to Columbus for another installment of The Game. This one game is always interesting and this year will be no different. In the typical TTUN style, they are already licking their chops and after the “100-point” rumor starting spiraling out of control, certain team captains are trying to turn in around to end the skid. They have suffered some major losses with COVID opt-outs and NFL draft declarations. I am not saying that they don’t have a shot, but to me, if it comes down to getting into the Playoffs with style points? I am putting my trust into Day and Fields to racking the points up in every game and if they need to–they will get it done to ensure their place in the Top-4.

Away Games: Penn State, Maryand, Illinois and Michigan State

For the away games, the first game is at Penn State and without a full-blown White Out–I really think this game won’t be as close. With Micah Parsons still debating a return, the defense will be missing their best player. Their offense that is normally good has talent, but they are unproven. This might be a good one, but with so many questions and the talent on the Buckeyes roster, I expect a close game that’ll turn ugly once the Buckeyes begin to click together. I could be wrong, but my gut feeling is that of a blowout.

Maryland is an up-and-comer team and there is no denying their talent. It is just a matter of getting them to gel together. There is talent in true freshman Rakin Jarrett and he could be a problem. The Buckeyes always seem to struggle against teams like this and I remember the point-filled contest against the Terrapins a few years ago. We will see how much change has occurred, but they are projected to do better than usual.

Illinois, the Battle for Illibuck is one of those contests that have been one-sided over the years. I remember the last loss to this team after Juice Williams took over and willed his team to victory. Lovie Smith has been developing his players and it is evident that they love playing for him, but again, the talent gap is as wide as it is tall. They’ll make it a contest, but they won’t be able to sustain it.

Lastly, at Michigan State is a game that I am afraid of. Sparty always finds a way to be that roadblock late in the season and I still have the image of the kick-air guitar loss burned into my brain. I hope that doesn’t happen and they have lacked an offense that could compete. Defensively, they’ve suffered some losses to the draft and COVID opt outs, but that is hardly an excuse. This game will be gritty and it’ll be close until Fields has his Heisman moments.

To summarize, this schedule is favorable and it should be fun to watch them pack on the points. There are some tough tests ahead, but it is completely doable. I expect an undefeated season with a few heart-racing conclusions to games. I hope you enjoyed the schedule preview and I am happy to be back to doing what I love to do. #GoBucks




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BOOOM! Ohio State flips 2021 OT Zen Michalski from Louisville
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Three-star 2021 OT Zen Michalski | Photo via @ZenuaeM on Twitter
The Buckeyes added another offensive lineman to their loaded 2021 class.

Even in the face of a global pandemic, Ryan Day and his staff have put together the nation’s No. 2 recruiting class, and still have their eyes set on that No. 1 spot. Buckeye Nation has had very little reason to worry about the program’s recruiting efforts, although it has seemed like things have quieted down in the last few months. Ohio State got a lot of the heavy lifting done early, but are still a few key pieces a way from a complete class.

Today, they were able to haul in one of those key pieces, as three-star offensive tackle Zen Michalski announced his commitment to Ohio State.


Michalski is an intriguing prospect, and one that rapidly shot up the Buckeyes’ target board in the past few weeks. After receiving an official offer from Ohio State on Sept. 8, it seemed as though momentum had been building between the two parties almost daily. That became even more apparent when Michalski decommitted from Louisville on Sept. 28, signaling to many who follow OSU recruiting that he was likely headed to Columbus.

Despite being just a three-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite, Michalski is a four-star recruit in 247Sports’ own rankings, coming in as the No. 33 OT in the country and No. 3 player in Indiana. His recruitment really seemed to pick up steam once Ohio State got involved, with Florida State and Penn State both throwing their hat in the ring with offers shortly thereafter. With his play at Floyd Central clearly turning some heads, it would not be a surprise to see him achieve four-star status in the Composite Rankings before this cycle is complete.

Here is what 247Sports national recruiting analyst Allen Trieu had to say of Michalski:


Michalski is the 20th commit in Ohio State’s loaded 2021 class. He becomes the third offensive lineman to join the group, alongside five-star guard Donovan Jackson and four-star guard Ben Christman, but is the first offensive tackle of the bunch. If the 6-foot-6.5, 288-pound blocker does eventually achieve four-star status, he would become the 13th four-star recruit in the class. For now, he is the fourth three-star prospect.

With the commitment from Michalski, the Buckeyes are a mere .08 points behind Alabama for that No. 1 recruiting class. There is still a ways to go in this cycle, and with both schools still chasing a number of five-star commits, this race will likely go on until pen meets paper at the very end.

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12-for-12: Ohio State’s Perfect Season - Game 8 vs. Northwestern
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images
The Buckeyes face-off against a ranked Wildcats squad in Evanston as we look all the way back to 2008.

This is 12-for-12: Ohio State’s Perfect Season. Originally, we put this together thinking there would not be an actual football season in 2020, but fortunately that is not the case. So now, this just functions as a fun look at throwback games each week as we prep for Oct. 24.

We have put together a full 12-game schedule for the Buckeyes using one game from each of the last 12 years. The docket is complete with three non-conference opponents, nine Big Ten showdowns, and will also include a three-game postseason with a Big Ten title game and College Football Playoff matchups. We tried to use the best games from each of the 12 years to fill the slots, but some had to be left out to avoid duplicate opponents in the regular season.


We will also be keeping a running total of the regular season’s stat leaders as if all of these games were occurring over one full season. There are many different players that have come through the program during this 12-year span, so only the top three guys in each category will be listed. In the end, we’ll have an interesting concoction of who led the Buckeyes over this 12-game Frankenstein season.

We are going to continue this series even with the announced start date for the actual Big Ten 2020 season, and will move to two Perfect Season pieces a week to try and fit the whole series in before the team’s opener against Nebraska. As we anxiously await the return of Ohio State football, we still have a bunch of games from seasons past to help pass the time.

Game eight on the schedule: Ohio State vs. Northwestern (2008).

Tale of the Tape


In 2008, Ohio State signed who is to this day the highest-rated recruit that has ever come to Columbus in five-star dual-threat QB Terrelle Pryor. Naturally, Pryor would start for the team as a freshman, helping lead the Buckeyes to a 10-3 record and and share of the Big Ten title in the program’s eighth season under Jim Tressel. After defeating Michigan 42-7 to end the regular season, OSU came up just short in the Fiesta Bowl with a 24-21 loss to No. 3 Texas.

Man, Pat Fitzgerald has really been at Northwestern for forever, huh? The 2008 season marked his third year at the helm of the program, and after not receiving a bowl invitation with a 6-6 record the season prior, led the Wildcats to a 9-4 campaign — which included wins over Michigan and No. 20 Minnesota. Northwestern made it to the Alamo Bowl, where they would fall 30-23 in overtime against No. 25 Missouri.

Game Recap


This one started out as a classic Big Ten battle, with both Ohio State and Northwestern looking to establish the run early on. The Buckeyes had the ball first, and after lulling the defense to sleep with the ground game, Terrelle Pryor was able to hit Brian Hartline over the top for a huge 44-yard gain.


That play would set up an easy two-yard rushing TD by Chris “Beanie” Wells, and just like that Ohio State took a 7-0 lead.

Not to be out-done, the Wildcats put together their own stereotypically B1G possession. A 13-play, 67-yard yard drive — which featured just two passing plays and ate up over six minutes of clock — resulted in six points, as QB Mike Kafka punched it in on the goal line for a 1-yard TD, tying the game up at 7-7.


After the two sides traded punts, it was Ohio State with the ball again to begin the second quarter. Pryor completed a 22-yard pass to Rory Nicol on third-and-long to earn a new set of downs, and Wells was able to take it from there. On a play that looked to be destined for a loss, Wells broke a tackle out of the backfield and shot up the middle for what would wind up being a 55-yard TD run as the Buckeyes took a 14-7 lead.


The Ohio State defense had tightened up after that early score by Northwestern. On the second play of the ensuing drive by the home team, Malcolm Jenkins forced a fumble to set up his offense just outside the red zone. The Buckeyes would not be able to capitalize on the short field, however, and would muster only a field goal to make it 17-7 early in the second quarter.


Following another punt by the Wildcats, the scarlet and gray offense started to heat up. A 12-play, 90-yard drive culminated in yet another Ohio State TD, as Pryor completed a pass to Brian Robiskie in the corner of the end zone for a 15-yard score. The Bucks now led 24-7, and they would take that lead into halftime as things looked like they were beginning to slip away from Pat Fitzgerald’s group.


Northwestern began the second half with a field goal to cut the deficit to 24-10, and after forcing Ohio State to punt it looked as though they may have begun to seize a little momentum. However, the offense could not keep things going, and the Wildcats were forced to punt themselves.

The Buckeyes offense then put together perhaps their most impressive drive of the afternoon. A 13-yard rush by Wells was followed up a few plays later by another big 46-yard pass-and-catch from Pryor to Hartline to get OSU down just outside the red zone. A 16-yard run set them up first-and-goal, and Pryor was able to escape a sack and hit Nicol in the end zone to extend the lead to 31-10.


From there, Ohio State seriously took control of the game and never looked back. A pair of sacks forced the Wildcats to punt once more, and another long drive by the Buckeyes ended with points. Pryor completed a big 34-yard TD pass to Robiskie for his third passing score of the day, and the rout was now officially on as the lead grew to 38-10.


If there was any life left for Northwestern in this game, it was taken away on their next drive as Kafka was intercepted by James Laurinaitis. The home team was actually able to get a stop on the ensuing OSU possession, as the backups had now entered the game for Jim Tressel, but would go on to turn it over yet again on their next offensive series on a sack fumble.

Keeping the ball on the ground to kill time, Ohio State’s backups joined the scoring party. Maurice Wells and Daniel Herron slowly worked the ball down the field, and it was Herron who put a bow on the afternoon with a 16-yard rushing TD.


It would be the final scoring play of the afternoon, as the Buckeyes walked out of Evanston with a 45-10 win over Northwestern. Pryor finished the day completing nine of his 14 pass attempts for 197 yards and three TDs, and as a team Ohio State put up 244 total yards rushing, led by Well’s 28 carries for 140 yards and two TDs.

LGHL Season Stat Leaders (OSU 8-0)

Passing

1. Terrelle Pryor: 696 Yds / 6 TD / 1 INT (3 games)
2. Dwayne Haskins: 405 Yds / 3 TD / 1 INT
3. Braxton Miller: 322 Yds / 5 TD / 1 INT (3 games, 2 at QB)

Rushing

1. J.K. Dobbins: 380 Yds / 6.2 Avg / 1 TD (2 games)
2. Daniel Herron: 306 Yds / 4.6 Avg / 2 TD (4 games)
3. Terrelle Pryor: 218 Yds / 4.7 Avg / 1 TD (2 games)

Receiving

1. DeVier Posey: 12 Rec / 206 Yds / 1 TD (2 games)
2. Johnnie Dixon: 7 Rec / 131 Yds / 0 TD (2 games)
3. Terry McLaurin: 4 Rec / 118 Yds / 1 TD

Sacks

1. Chase Young (2), John Simon (3): 3.0
2. Ryan Shazier (2), Nathan Williams (3): 2.0
3. Tyquan Lewis: 1.5

Interceptions

1. Chimdi Chekwa: 2 (3 games)
2. Jeff Okudah: 2 (2 games)
3. Seven tied at one

Up Next


Next on the schedule is the first J.T. Barrett-era game of the Perfect Season, as we take a look back at the clash with Michigan State (2014) in East Lansing that really put Ohio State on the map as a national title contender that year.

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