A week off in the middle of October.

Buckeyes head to Piscataway.

Spartans visit the ‘Shoe during Senior Week.

Buckeyes head to Bloomington for one of the most eagerly anticipated matchups ever in Memorial Stadium.

Terps visit Columbus.

The Nits visit just before Halloween.

Edit - this had been the Senior Week game before the schedule was revised.

I’m assuming two things.

1 - The Game will have its traditional noon kickoff.

2 - The home team won’t be able to skunk-Weasel their way out of facing the Buckeyes.

The Ducks come to Columbus after the Buckeyes’ visit to Autzen was cancelled last year.

The season opener at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

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Allen (TX) Allen High School

Offensive Line
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MIRCO HAS CHANCE TO BE STARTING PUNTER AS FRESHMAN
It didn’t come as a surprise, but the minute Drue Chrisman announced last week that he would not be returning to Ohio State for the 2021 season, it thrust Jesse Mirco into the conversation as the Buckeyes’ starting punter next fall.

That was already a likely scenario, but Chrisman’s decision made it official.

And now, with Mirco having signed with the program all the way back in September as the first official Buckeye in the 2021 class, the punter from Australia will be coming stateside with even more excitement. Which is saying something, because he was already itching to get to America when Eleven Warriors spoke with him in December about soon joining the program.

“I’ve been over there a couple times, once when I was 13 or 14, and I was over last year. But I haven’t actually been to Ohio yet so I’m looking forward to that,” Mirco said. “I’m excited for school and getting into the swing of things. It’s a bit hard when you’re stuck on the other side of the country so it’ll be nice to get around the boys and get to meet everyone.”

Though it’s been a long time since Mirco has gotten the opportunity to come to the United States, he says there isn’t any real anxiety about leaving his Australian home. When asked on a scale of 1-10 how nervous he was, he categorized it as just a “3.”

“I’m pretty excited to get over. There’s only so much training you can do before you get stuck into things and be around the guys and the facilities and get started,” said Mirco, admitting that it’s probably his parents who have the more bittersweet feelings. “They’re pretty excited as well. They’re happy for me to get over. Hopefully things get better with coronavirus for the season next year. They’re a little upset that I am leaving, I guess, but it’s a little sacrifice for a big reward.”
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“I guess they wanted someone that can do a little bit of everything,” Mirco said. “With the Aussie background and the Aussie punts you see a lot of in college these days and pooch punts is something we pride ourselves on. We’re pretty accurate there. And my spirals are still a work in progress, but it’s not too bad. Just gonna keep working on that and work on everything else, and hopefully I’ll give Coach Barnes plenty of opportunities to use me.”

Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that Mirco packs in another punch as a tackler with his background in Australian football.

“I’m sure it’ll be a different technique over there, but in Australian football I’ve grown up playing since I was four or five years old, we have full-contact tackling. No pads, no helmets,” Mirco said. “It’s pretty full-on, and tackling is a pretty big part of our game. It’s a pretty contested game and contact sport so it’s not anything new, but I’m sure we’ll work on it.”

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...ith-opportunity-as-starting-punter-increasing

Just sayin': Remember what Jim Tressel says ........'The punt is the most important play in football'

This really does deserve a thread of its own.

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Got some wet snow last 2 days. Fort Fuck scUM standing watch. Lets see some forts!!





My boys, neighborhood kids and adults love it. Plus gave me a place to pout after the Browns loss.

The completionist in me must ask.....will the CFP Title game vs Bama be posted?

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Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy

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LEAP YEAR COMING
Knowing Ohio State had a deadly 1-2 punch in the receivers room with Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, I still expected true freshmen Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Julian Fleming to make a noticeable impact on the 2020 receiving stats.

The abbreviated season following an extremely short spring no doubt compromised their development but I did not expect a combined 17 catches for 121 yards from the duo.

Smith-Njigba had one of the highlight catches of the entire season but the fact his 10 catches (on 163 snaps) averaged 4.9 yards made me think it was a misprint at first. His longest catch of the season was 15 yards. Smith-Njigba proved to be a very effective downfield blocker especially for a first year player.

For his part, Fleming had seven catches on 128 offensive snaps and seemed a little of out sync at times, dropping a few balls despite being wide open.

Under the watchful eye of Brian Hartline, I expect both players to make huge leaps next fall as they earn their position coach's trust, allowing him to revert back to a more even distribution of snaps among his top four guys.

Just sayin': Also throw Jayden Ballard, Marvin Harrison Jr, and Emeka Egbuka in the mix.

Can the Buckeyes handle the Boilers size inside and avenge the earlier game in West Lafayette?

Anybody watching? Still no CJ or Sotos.

Bucks lead 10-8 at the under 16 time out.

The Reload: Quarterback
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

The combination of the current group of Ohio State quarterbacks and the incoming freshman over the next two seasons helps Coach Day and Coach Dennis build toward the future of the program. They certainly have the talent at their disposal, but even that could be put into jeopardy with a surprise return from Justin Fields. Let’s say he leaves and what do we have left? Who is available to make some noise? Who will come in in the future?

Jack Miller III and C.J. Stroud the understudies to Justin Fields in the 2020 season and they have had their moment when called upon. When games were out of play, they were put in and when each got their shot, the electricity was evident for each. Jack Miller III was the first of the pair to be thrust into the game against Nebraska. He had no pass attempts but carried the ball twice for 23 yards and a score. C.J. Stroud on the other hand played in the Michigan State game and carried the ball once for a 48-yard scamper for six. Both will have a leg up on the incoming players, but even their talent is notable.

Joining Miller and Stroud in the summer, Kyle McCord and is another player that will show up and add to the competition within this position group. McCord, according to 24/7, is a quarterback from Pennsylvania is the #25 overall player in the nation, the third-best quarterback and oh, he’s one of the five five-star players that is coming in. Spicy, but having competition never hurt anyone, especially at a blue blood school like Ohio State.

Looking into the future, we have Quinn Ewers currently committed. Obviously, he is a 2022 recruit and the McCord of the class that will hopefully add to the QB room. He is a big-time player that will be playing in the Texas State Championship Game and he is one of the few players to have a perfect grade of 1.000 on the 24/7 composite. It is still a long way until he signs, but he looks like a gunslinger, and imagine if he is fully developed under Coach Day.

Each of these quarterbacks brings a diverse set of skills. It is up to Coach Day to develop them as men and as players, and the competition this spring will be a storyline to watch. It’ll be a three-way deadlock and the competition will be fierce to be “the man” at Ohio State.

The future at Ohio State is bright. There is no taking away from that. The reload is here. Buckle up.

#GoBucks




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Silver Linings, Onto The Future
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

The offseason is usually a rough time for me, but being able to continue writing about the Ohio State Buckeyes puts my mind at ease. The passion I have and the sheer love for the team prevents me from walking away and here I am talking about the future of the program.

Players will often take some time to make up their minds about their future and here we are in limbo for the time being. Fields, Olave, Fields, Wade and the majority of the linebacking core are likely to leave but the greatest mystery would be to see who stays.

Now, when we find out whoever does stay, it’ll be interesting to see the attrition process play itself out too. Younger players with no shot at being “the guy” for their respective positions—let’s see how mentally tough they are and if they can be patient. This is probably the most interesting part of the year where anything can happen leading up to the annual spring game.

While you can’t bet on the Buckeyes in Ohio just yet, there is optimism in 2021. Sports betting legislation is in the works. If you can’t wait and are in the Michigan area, sports betting in MI is going live this week. You can wager on all the Buckeyes futures bets on DraftKings, FanDuel, or BetMGM, Lineups has the latest news and reviews if you don’t know which book to use.

Anyway, this team should look different this year and the future is too bright to discount the efforts and the strives it took to have a season. These kids are here for our entertainment and for their future. Do not blur the lines. Being able to not let wins or losses dictate our lives is a blessing and for me, I’m just happy that I have found that silver lining in this.




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Ohio State men’s basketball vs Illinois: Game preview and prediction
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo courtesy of OhioStateBuckeyes.com

The basketball Buckeyes are looking to make a BOOM of their own Saturday on the road vs Illinois.

Boasting back-to-back conference wins, No. 21 Ohio State (10-3, 4-3) will now hit the road to take on the No. 14 Illinois Fighting Illini (9-4, 5-2). Saturday’s game against the Illini represents perhaps their biggest challenge thus far, as Illinois entered the season No. 8 in the AP Poll. They have since lost four games and slipped to No. 14, but make no mistake, Illinois is a national championship-caliber team. They are the type of team Ohio State must conquer if they want to make the leap from a good program to a great program.

During their 81-71 victory over Northwestern, Ohio State took control early and never looked back, leading by nine at halftime and never surrendering the lead after that. Northwestern was able to cut the deficit to just one point late in the second half, but Ohio State answered with a Justin Ahrens three-pointer and finished the game on a 14-5 run to close it out.

Illinois, on the other hand, is coming off a head-scratching 66-63 loss to Maryland on Sunday. Illinois turned the ball over just nine times, which is an improvement over their 13.5 turnovers that they averaged coming into the game. The Illini were better than the ‘Terps in nearly every counting stat imaginable, but were doomed by a less than efficient night from their star point guard, Ayo Dosunmu. Dosunmu, who enters today’s game averaging 22.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game, scored 23 points on 9-of-23 shooting. The other nine guys who played for Illinois combined for 38 shots. Not great!

Preview


As a unit the Buckeyes are undersized, with 6-foot-8 Kyle Young playing the five for Chris Holtmann. However, Ohio State has several guys falling in that 6-foot-6 to 6-foot-8 range, which gives them the flexibility to switch constantly, throwing different bodies at opposing bigs until they find something that works (or they find nothing that works and the opposing center eats them alive — that happens sometimes too).

Ohio State has struggled mightily to defend opposing big men this season, getting beat up and taken advantage of by the likes of Dylan Laszewski (17 points, 9 rebounds), Trevion Williams (16 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists), and Liam Robbins (27 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists). It won’t get any easier Sunday when the Buckeyes stare down future first-round pick Kofi Cockburn, who is averaging 17.3 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.

Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports

Cockburn — who along with Dosunmu passed up the 2020 NBA Draft to return to Illinois — was included in nearly every mock leading into the NBA Draft. Standing at exactly 7-feet tall and 285 pounds, the Jamaican-born sophomore is the exact type of player Ohio State has struggled to defend all year — except bigger and better. Cockburn is averaging three offensive rebounds per game and is shooting 69.2% from the floor, so Ohio State cannot afford to give the Illini big man second chances.

What makes this Illinois team even tougher to defend are all of the options Cockburn can defer to if he faces a double team. In addition to Dosunmu (22.4 PTS), Trent Frazier (8.4 PTS), Andre Curbelo (9.3 PTS), and Adam Miller (9.3 PTS) are all dependable scoring options whose point totals are a reflection of their lack of scoring opportunities, not their talent. Illinois averages 83.3 points per game this season, second behind only Iowa in the Big Ten conference. They also average 13.5 turnovers per game, which is second in the conference as well.

To go on the road and author one of the season’s biggest upsets, the Buckeyes will need to follow Maryland’s script from last weekend. They will need to double team — and sometimes even triple team — Cockburn in the post, forcing him to defer to a teammate. Cockburn is subpar moving the basketball, and had a key turnover in the closing minutes during their loss to Maryland, when the Terrapins brought three defenders to him in the post. A panicked Coburn passed the ball wide of an open Dosunmu and directly into the Maryland bench for a turnover. The Buckeyes cannot be afraid to commit multiple defenders to Cockburn. If he is able to pass to the perimeter and Illinois converts, Ohio State will have to live with it.

The Buckeyes will need to mix in some full-court and three-quarter court pressure when Illinois is bringing the ball up, which is not something Chris Holtmann’s teams have done much of since he arrived in Columbus. While Ohio State’s defense is most effective when they’re able to get set, Illinois’ offense is far less efficient when they’re forced to pass several times just to get the ball past half court in the allotted 10 seconds.

Dosunmu’s 2:1 assist to turnover ratio is less than stellar, and as a unit Illinois turns the ball over more than everyone in the conference other than Michigan State. The Buckeyes have to create opportunities for themselves off turnovers to have a chance, and this will be made more difficult if both CJ Walker and Jimmy Sotos are out.


Finally, Ohio State needs to dominate the offensive glass, which is something they have been stellar at thus far, despite their size disadvantage. Their 11.5 offensive rebounds per contest ranks fourth in the B1G, just ahead of Illinois’ 10.8 per game. Yes, even with no center, Ohio State is pulling down more offensive rebounds than the team with the 7-footer. Young, Zed Key, and E.J. Liddell have all pulled down 20+ offensive rebounds this season, and they’re going to need to continue that trend Saturday for the Buckeyes to hang with the Illini.

Prediction


Ohio State is 2-3 on the road this season compared to 8-0 when playing at home or neutral site. Conversely, Illinois is 6-1 at home this season and Ohio State has not won in Champaign since the 2015-2016 season. So the home/road splits certainly aren’t friendly to the Buckeyes.

However, one advantage Ohio State may have is familiarity. The Buckeyes bounced Illinois on the final day of the regular season last year when they beat them 71-63 in Columbus on March 5, 2020. While Ohio State’s roster went through a pretty massive turnover, Illinois’ core stayed the same with Dosunmu, Cockburn, and Frazier all returning. Ohio State grabbed 16 offensive rebounds in that game and forced 14 Illinois turnovers, overcoming a seven-point halftime deficit and winning on senior day. Chris Holtmann and the Buckeyes have plenty of film from that game they can review and implement a similar game plan as they did in the second half of last year’s victory.

In the end, I think the combination of Cockburn + Illinois' B1G-best three-point shooting (41.2%) is going to be too much to handle, especially on the road. Ohio State can’t afford to fall behind early like they did against Purdue and Minnesota, or else this one could get out of hand.

ESPN BPI: Illinois 68.1%
12:00 PM ET
TV: FOX

LGHL Score Prediction: 82-71 Illinois

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SHAUN WADE'S EXIT CLEARS PATH FOR OFFSEASON COMPETITION FOR SPOTS IN OHIO STATE'S SECONDARY



In the immediacy of the national championship game, Shaun Wade didn’t rule out one more year at Ohio State. To the contrary, he propped the door for a return wide open.

“You know, I do want to come back and everything,” Wade said less than an hour after the Buckeyes lost to Alabama. “I've got to talk to my parents. It is upsetting that we got here and we just didn't accomplish the goal, and that's just been my goal, winning a national championship and just winning big games like this. I'll just go back with my parents, go talk to them and just go from there.”

Whatever conversations took place over the past four days, however, led to the inevitable conclusion most had predicted.

Wade, who appeared destined for the 2021 NFL draft dating back to the moment he announced he wouldn’t enter the 2020 NFL draft, announced on Friday morning he has decided to go pro. No, the Buckeyes couldn’t cap off his career by beating the Crimson Tide for a title, and no, he didn’t boost his draft stock the way he had hoped in his move to outside cornerback. He fell short of those goals. But after four years, he still felt the time was right to take the long-awaited jump to the next level.

Thus, Ohio State loses a multi-year starter in its defensive backfield whose exit from Columbus clears the runway for what has a chance to be a massive offseason competition for spots in Kerry Coombs’ secondary rotation after a season of lackluster production.

Essentially, there are two factions among returners on the back end of the defense: Returning starters and unproven underclassmen.

Almost every year, those returning after a season starting would have a significant advantage. Remember all of the times over the past few years when fans wondered if there would be changes among the starting linebackers? If Tuf Borland or even Pete Werner would at some point get placed? Those who entrenched themselves as starters hung on as years passed.

If we’re putting odds on what will happen over the course of the next eight months ahead of the Sept. 2 season-opener at Minnesota, it’s fair to view cornerback Sevyn Banks, slot corner Marcus Williamson and safety Josh Proctor as favorites to become second-year starters with Cameron Brown having the edge at the other cornerback opening. But after what transpired on the field in the 2020 season, nobody should – or will – view their starting jobs as completely safe.



This was, of course, a secondary that was arguably the No. 1 reason why Ohio State ended the season ranked 85th of 127 teams nationally in opposing yards per pass attempt, 87th in opposing quarterback rating, 111th in opposing completion percentage and 122nd in opposing passing yards per game. The porous nature of the defensive backfield allowed Indiana's Michael Penix. Jr. to toss for a career-high 491 yards and five touchdowns in mid-November, then didn’t improve enough to avoid Mac Jones and DeVonta Smith torching the Buckeyes for 464 passing yards and five touchdowns in the national championship game.

Each year, the Buckeyes have a stated goal for their secondary to be the Best In America. As Jeff Okudah used to say, that’s more important to this team than the DBU moniker that’s so often debated. This past season, Ohio State's secondary was nowhere close to being the Best In America.

The way to fix what went wrong in 2020 and to reclaim that BIA status won’t be to simply trot out the same group of guys in 2021. Coombs needs to – and will – explore all options over the course of the offseason.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...r-spots-in-ohio-states-secondary-after-subpar

Buckeyes future is… BRIGHT
Mike via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

When the Big Ten’s fall season fell apart, the thought of Ohio State playing in the national championship seemed like an imagination.

Coach Ryan Day, Justin Fields, and the Buckeyes fought hard for this season and made it a reality. Fields started a #WeWantToPlay petition which received 250,000 signatures and it took off from there.

That’s all this Buckeye team wanted, a chance. On Sept. 16, when the Big Ten announced a season will take place in October, they got just that.

The Buckeyes ran with the opportunity and didn’t disappoint. This team faced more obstacles then imagined throughout the year. They faced COVID difficulties from week 6 of the season until the end but didn’t stop the fight.

This team was doubted from the start and proved all the doubters wrong winning the Big Ten championship, beating Clemson in the Sugar Bowl championship, and finished the historic season with a heartbroken national championship loss to one of Alabama’s most talented teams we’ve seen in years.

Looking ahead

Leaving (accepted senior bowl invite or most likely to enter draft.): Justin Fields, Wyatt Davis, Shaun Wade, Chris Olave, Trey Sermon, Jonathan Cooper, Tuf Borland, Baron Browning, Marcus Williamson, Drue Chrisman, Justin Hillard.

POSSIBILITY of returning: Tommy Togiai, Haskell Garrett, Pete Werner, Sevyn Banks, Nick Petit-Frere, Jeremy Ruckert, Tyreke Smith.

2021-2022 Season

The Offense

The Quarterback Battle…during the offseason will be as competitive as it gets. CJ Stroud and Jack Miller will be looked at as the front runners for the job heading into the season, but incoming 5-star freshman Kyle McCord may add a three-way race to be the Buckeyes next quarterback.

• CJ Stroud: Class of 2020 (4 star, #2 QB, #42 overall)
• Jack Miller: Class of 2020 (4 star, #13 QB, #334 overall)
• Kyle McCord: Class of 2021 (5 star, #3 QB, #25 overall)

Offensive Line…remain dominant. Nick Petit-Frere, Matthew Jones, Harry Miller, Dawand Jones, and Paris Johnson Jr. will be a force up front.

Running Backs…competition will be interesting. The Buckeyes will have Master Teague, Miyan Willams coming back, but incoming #1 ranked, 5-star running back TreVeyon Henderson will add some fuel to that competition.

Wide Receivers…loaded. Garrett Wilson will be returning for his junior season and looks to have a Heisman type of year. He has the talent and ability to put up record-breaking numbers for this Buckeyes offense next season. The WR core will also bring back Jameson Williams and stud freshmen Jaxon Smith-Njiba and Julian Fleming. The Buckeyes also bring in the #1 and #8, and #15 WR’s in Emeka Egbuka, Jayden Ballard and Marvin Harrison Jr.

The Defense

D-Line…dominant and ready. The D-line will consist of Tyreke Smith (if returns), Taron Vincent, Jerron Cage, Zach Harrison, Tyler Friday. Along with these five, Incoming freshman Jack Sawyer (ranked #4 in the country) will make an immediate impact for the defense.

Linebackers…will consist of some new faces but will be poised for a big year: Dallas Gant, Craig Young, Cody Simon, and Javontae Jean-Baptiste

Secondary…improved and prepared. Sevyn Banks and Josh Proctor will be returning and looking for a strong offseason translating it into next fall. Cornerback Cameron Brown will be back after suffering a Torn Achilles against Penn State early in the season. Along with these three true freshman Lathan Ransom showed his star potential to be a stud for this secondary.

The Buckeyes will also have the #3 and #4 ranked cornerbacks in the country coming in (Jakailin Johnson, Jordan Hancock).

The 2021 Recruiting Class: according to 247sports

• Jack Sawyer, DE (#4 player, #3 pos)
• Emeka Egbuka, WR (#9 player, #1 pos)
• Donovan Jackson, OG (#17 player, #1 pos)
• TreVeyon Henderson, RB (#24 player, #1 pos)
• Kyle McCord, QB (#25 player, #3 pos)
• Jakailin Johnson, CB (#47 player, #3 pos)
• Mike Hall, DT (#49 player, #4 pos)
• Jayden Ballard, WR (#66 player, #8 pos)
• Jordan Hancock, CB (#67 player, #4 pos)
• Evan Pryor, ARB (#81 player, #2 pos)
• Reid Carrico, LB (#84 player, 5 pos)
• Marvin Harrison Jr, WR (#91 player, #15 pos)
• Ben Christman, OG (#124 player, #6 pos)
• Tyleik Williams, DT (#161 player, #12 pos)
• Andre Turrentine, S (#167 player, #9 pos)
• Denzel Burke, ATH (#191 player, #8 pos)
• Jantzen Dunn, S (#202 player, #12 pos)
• Zen Michalski, OT (#318 player, #23 pos)

Early 2022 Recruiting Class look: according to 247sports

• Quinn Ewers, QB (#1 player, #1 pos)
• Jahiem Singletary, CB (#10 player, #5 pos)
• Caleb Burton, WR (#14 player, #1 pos)
• Gabe Powers, LB (#33 player, #2 pos)
• C.J. Hicks, LB (#38 player, #3 pos)
• Dasan McCullough, ATH (#54 player, #6 pos)
• Jyaire Brown, CB (#123 player, #13 pos)
• Tegra Tshabola, OT (#138 player, #15 pos)
• Benji Gosnell, TE (#265 player, #12 pos)

Future is bright.




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MOTSAG Sign Off: Thank You Guys
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

The season has come to a heartbreaking close and give props to these young men that made it happen. Making it to the title game in the manner in which this Buckeye team did is an achievement in its own—and they deserve the praise through the highs and the current low.

The Buckeyes were outmatched and it only took a half to see that. There are few silver linings in this story, but they are left with another question-filled offseason. Who will be leaving, who will be retuning, who will transfer in or out, which coaches will leave or come in—a lot can be said after this crushing defeat at the hands of Alabama.

Whether it was due to poor preparation or poor game planning, there is no reason to abandon ship just yet. Yes, the Buckeyes were whooped with everyone watching but what is another lesson for Coach Day? Or even Coach Coombs? I have no insight as to what will or won’t transpire in the future but this looks to be a turbulent offseason for the players, coaches and us fans.

I am not one for handing out trophies during situations like this but I think Fields deserves a huge pat on the back after fighting until the end. Yes, we had injuries and Covid issues but there is no excuse. We were hit hard with injuries right off the bat and it hurt this team and it only got worse as the depth along the defensive line was lacking, just like the pressure or the lack of tackling.

Regardless, great season, great players, great memories. Thank you for all you’ve done to make this missable year go by. Always behind you guys.

Go Bucks.




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Ohio State vs. Alabama national championship key player matchups: by Mike Scharf
Mike via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

We are officially one day away from the 2021 National Championship between Ohio State and Alabama. Both the Buckeyes and Crimson Tide are coming off dominant performances in the CFP semifinals and are prepared for the biggest game of the year.

Both teams are led by star players in key positions, and the outcome will come down to these players and the matchups that present themselves on both sides of the ball.

The four key matchups for Monday night are seen below:

Trey Sermon vs Dylan Moses

Trey Sermon has been rolling and making a name for himself this postseason dominating on the ground in the Big Ten championship and CFP semifinals rushing for a combined 524 yards and 3 touchdowns. The ground game has been near perfect for Sermon and this Buckeye offense but come Monday the biggest threat to the Tide may be Sermon in the pass game. Sermon had 61 receiving yards on 4 catches against Clemson and will look to be more of a factor in this aspect against this Alabama defense.

This is when the matchup with Alabama’s star linebacker Dylan Moses comes into play. Moses has been dominant stopping the run as he has 38 tackles this season but has struggled in pass coverage as of late.

Look for the Sermon-Moses matchup in open field — with Sermon taking full advantage of it. —

Devonta Smith vs OSU’s Secondary

Coming into the biggest game of the year, everyone knows how dominant Heisman winner Devonta Smith has been all year. Smith can beat you in more ways than one — catching, handoffs, punt returners — He’s the real deal.

The Buckeyes are known to have highly talented defensive backs. Their best this season is Shaun Wade. Wade flourished in the slot last year, while coming back this season to play on the outside to prove he’s capable of playing both positions. Although Wade has not been as solid on the outside this season, he’s still a Thorpe Award semifinalist and has all the tools to be a factor in this matchup.

The matchup will be an interesting one — I expect to see the Buckeye secondary to show more zone and focus more help containing Smith whereas leaving him on an island could lead to success for the Tides offensive game plan.

Chris Olave vs Patrick Surtain

SEC Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain has been locked down all season, and not many quarterbacks throw his way.

The 6-foot-2 junior recorded 32 tackles, 10 pass breakups and one interception this season.

With that being said, Chris Olave is the real deal. Buckeye Nation saw how valuable Olave is as he missed the Big Ten championship against Northwestern, and the Buckeyes found struggles opening up the pass game in a 22-10 victory.

Olave was available in the CFP semifinal against Clemson and didn’t disappoint as he had 6 receptions for 132 yards and 2 touchdowns.

In a short season for the Buckeyes, Surtain will be Olave’s toughest matchup thus far and the two will be in a battle all game.

If Justin Fields finds trouble throwing Surtain’s way, look for Garrett Wilson to have a monster game on the other side for the Buckeyes.

Najee Harris vs OSU’s Defensive Line

Along with Devonta Smith, Najee Harris has been a working force for the Crimson Tide offense. Harris has 1,387 yards and 24 touchdowns while averaging 6.1 yards per carry.

With more COVID issues swirling around the Buckeyes program, we are not sure who is suiting up for game time.

But — Zach Harrison, Jonathan Cooper and Haskell Garrett are players we expect to see. Look for these three to control the line of scrimmage against the Tides front and contain Harris from making explosive plays.

If the Buckeyes defensive line can contain Harris and apply pressure on quarterback Mac Jones, look for this team to find success Monday night.

These are two of the best programs in the past century we’ve seen in College Football.

The stage is set. The matchups will be exciting. A champion will be crowned.

Ohio versus the world.




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