Podcast: What Week 1 analytics say about Ohio State-Penn State from College Football Nerds
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
We also discuss the mythical ‘bag of wins.’

On Land-Grant Holy Land In Conversation, we talk to people in and around Ohio State athletics, and the sporting world at large, to bring you a different insight and perspective to the teams, athletes, and university that you love.

Listen to the episode and subscribe:


In today’s episode I talk to Josh from College Football Nerds about what can be learned from a statistical standpoint from both Ohio State and Penn State’s very different season-opening games; how the weird, pandemic-altered schedules are impacting advanced analytics; and what Josh thinks will happen in Saturday’s primetime matchup between the Buckeyes and the Nits.

If you are unfamiliar with College Football Nerds, we have been including their computer model predictions in our game day “Tailgate” episodes since last season, and they put together great videos breaking down the biggest matchups every week from a statistical and analytical perspective.

Contact College Football Nerds

Twitter: @CFBNerds

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Contact Matt Tamanini

Twitter: @BWWMatt

Theme music provided by www.bensound.com

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Column: Looking back at five key factors in Oho State’s win over Nebraska
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
I told you the five things that I was going to watch, and here’s what I saw.

Every game day this season, I will be picking out five things to watch in that specific contest, and they will be the focus of that day’s column. Then, on Monday, I will go back and see what I learned (if anything) from keying in on those five points.


On Saturday, the now-No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes finally opened their 2020 college football season against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a 52-17 beating that provided our first look at this year’s OSU team. With the hindsight of about 48 hours, I’m looking back at the five areas of the contest that I wanted to focus on in Saturday’s game.

1) Trey Sermon


The former Oklahoma Sooner’s first day as an Ohio State Buckeye was... fine. It wasn’t anything special, but it also wasn’t as horrendous as some of the Chicken Littles amongst us might want to lead you to believe. On the day, Trey Sermon ran for 55 yards on 11 carries, and as you math whizzes know, that’s five yards per carry. For some context, in 2018, J.K. Dobbins averaged 4.6 yards per attempt while Mike Weber was at 5.5. However, I don’t think either would claim that was their best season running the ball as a Buckeye.

What I did see from Sermon confirmed what his film showed and what you would expect from a back who has played his entire career to this point in the Big 12; he is not going to be a traditional Big Ten, between-the-tackles power back. And yet, the way that Ryan Day and the offensive coaching staff decided to deploy their backs put him in the situation where that’s exactly who he was asked to be.

Throughout the game, Sermon and Master Teague alternated series. This is very similar to the philosophy that Day employed as co-offensive coordinator in 2018 with Dobbins and Weber, and — as evidenced by there middling per carry averages — it didn’t work out so great.


However, when Sermon was allowed to run outside the tackles, he displayed a burst and vision that demonstrated why he can be dangerous in space. For me, that’s how he should be used 3⁄4 of the time. Obviously you don’t want to telegraph that Sermon is going to always run outside and Teague is always going to run inside, but there is a reason that the NFL employs “third-down backs,” because they are built to pick up short yardage even (and especially) when the defense knows exactly what they are going to do.

We know that Teague can be that type of back, but I don’t think that Sermon can. So Day shouldn’t try and force him the OU transfer to morph into a B1G back. If you’re going to use both backs fairly equally, abandon the alternating series philosophy, and put both RBs in positions to succeed.

2) Defensive rotation


Of the five things that I watched on Saturday, this is the one that I learned the most from... or perhaps more accurately, the area in which my assumptions were most wrong. So, I’m going to run through just some of those areas.

1) Tuf Borland played the vast majority of snaps at middle linebacker. I thought that we would see a rotation similar to 2019 in which Borland would start, but would essentially split snaps with a backup. Last year it was Baron Browning (who is now starting at the Sam linebacker position), and this year I thought it would be Teradja Mitchell or Dallas Gant. We saw a little from each, but not nearly as much as I would have thought. But, I’ve got more thoughts on Borland in a bit.

2) Despite Haskell Garrett not appearing on Friday’s availability report, I did not expect to see him start, nor did I expect to see him be an immediate difference-maker in the middle of the OSU defensive line. His return to the lineup — especially if he continues to play like he did on Saturday — is a huge addition to the defense. Now I am left to wonder if this very vague tweet might mean that Taron Vincent is next.


3) Leading up to the season opener, we got the feeling that Marcus Hooker would be OSU’s single starting safety, and he was, but I didn’t have a good feel for what I thought Josh Proctor’s role would be in the defense. Sure, he would be the second-string safety, but would the Buckeyes play with two safeties at all? Would Proctor get any run as the “bullet”? Would Proctor and Hooker rotate in the back of the defense?

Without looking at the snap counts, I think that Hooker played the most snaps in the single-high position, but Proctor sure got a lot of PT in the other situations. There was more than a handful of times were you would see the junior DB flying around the line of scrimmage making a play on a ball carrier.

Hooker finished the day with four tackles, while Proctor had three, including one for loss. When I rewatch the game tomorrow, I am going to try and pay closer attention to how these two rotate, but on initial viewing, I felt that both played well enough that it might be time for Ohio State to move to a different defensive look, especially when playing against quarterbacks who provide a running threat.

Now, I have never claimed to be an Xs and Os expert, and obviously the OSU coaching staff doesn’t need to take advice from a blogger who also compares players to characters from “Hamilton” and the MCU, but if Ryan Day asked, I’d recommend mixing in some version of their “bullet”/nickel package as their base.


Play the the four lineman, Pete Werner and Baron Browning at linebacker, then Shaun Wade and Sevyn Banks as the outside corners with Marcus Williamson covering the slot. Let Hooker play the free safety position, since the coaches have told us that that position fits his skill set best, and then let Proctor roam a little bit.

I think this gives the defense a better chance at accounting for running quarterbacks, while also having a player whose athleticism can help eliminate chunk plays. Now, I know that the chances of three-year captain Borland basically being benched are pretty slim, but I think a move to get more athletic in his place is long overdue, whether that’s by going to the nickel, or finally letting someone else have a shot in the middle.

3) Wan’dale Robinson


As I mentioned in my Saturday story, Wan’dale Robinson came into the game on Saturday listed as questionable. He did end up playing, but his impact on the game was minimal. He was the Huskers’ leading receiver with six receptions for 49 yards, but 21 of those came on one catch.

The bulk of Nebraska’s offense came from their running quarterbacks, whether they were lined up at QB or not. The combo of Adrian Martinez and Luke McCaffrey combined for 164 yards on 21 carries, and they both ripped off a few sizable chunk plays (McCaffrey’s long was for 47, while Martinez’s was for 39).

Stopping running quarterbacks is difficult for everyone in college football, that’s why someone like Justin Fields is so valuable, but as I mentioned above, it is especially difficult when you don’t have athletic linebackers able to make one-on-one plays with the QB. Call me either optimistic or cynical — depending on how you want to view it — but I do think that OSU has players dynamic enough to make those plays, I’m just not sure if they are going to end up getting enough time to prove it.

4) When starters come out


When you look at the final score, Ohio State won this game handily. They covered, they hit the over (barely), if you didn’t watch the game, you’d think that Justin Fields and other first-teamers could have come out mid-third quarter, but they didn’t.


There was only one offensive drive that Fields didn’t lead. That honor went to true-freshman quarterback Jack Miller III who scored that final touchdown that either thrilled or depressed many “interested” viewers. But, despite the Buckeye defense holding Nebraska to just a field goal in the second half, the game never completely felt out of hand. Sure, it felt in control pretty early in the third quarter, but the margin was never enough for Day to feel comfortable calling off the dogs.

And despite Day apologizing to Nebraska head coach Scott Frost for scoring that final touchdown, I think that Day’s threshold of when he considers a game to no longer require the starters will be raised this year. One, with the weirdness of 2020, it is difficult to imagine that any lead is truly safe. And two, he’s going to want to impress the playoff committee, just in case they have any apprehension about putting a team in the final four who only played nine games.

Either way, I would love to see the starters play until the mid-fourth quarter more often than the mid-third this season... that is until one of them gets hurt.

5) How many targets tight ends get


For years, we have been hearing that this is the year that Ohio State’s tight ends would become a bigger part of the team’s offense. Well, if we are judging by the incredibly small sample size of just Saturday’s season-opener, then this year will be yet another in which that doesn’t happen.

On Saturday, TEs Jeremy Ruckert and Luke Farrell each caught a single pass and the two combined for an underwhelming 11 total yards. Fields did target Ruckert on one other pass; he threw a fastball well ahead of his intended target, but was bailed out by a suspect pass interference call against Nebraska’s Cam Taylor-Britt.

I would like to think that Day and company could get two talented athletes like Ruckert and Farrell into the offensive mix somehow, but, to be honest, I just don’t think that it’s a priority for them.

When Fields is so in sync with receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, and a defense doesn’t seem to have any ability or desire to stop those two playmakers, why go anywhere else? I do think that against a better defense like Penn State (an overtime loss to Indiana notwithstanding), Fields might rely a bit more heavily on his tight ends, but I certainly wouldn’t put money on it.


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: Frost has no issue with Miller’s late touchdown, primetime with the undefeated Rutgers(!), 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

Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
All of the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond.

The best thing about being 1-0? Not having a worse record than Rutgers!

What a wild college football Saturday, eh?! We have a lot to cover from over the weekend, so let’s get into it!

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...


Woody, Zeke, Brutus, Can’t Guard Mike, the Bosas spell O-H-I-O in new bobblehead series

Matt Tamanini, LGHL

For the first time ever, you can now display up to six of your favorite Ohio State icons to spell out “O-H-I-O.” All six of the bobbleheads are available for order now and you can purchase them for $35 a piece. Plus, Matt included a fun fact about the O-H-I-O chant!

Column: Why officiating is like the weather

Meredith Hein, LGHL

And why officiating can’t be like the weather when it comes to targeting calls — either get on the same page, or change the penalty.

Ohio State’s 2022 commits tease potential addition to the class

Gene Ross, LGHL

Something “huge” and “really big” is coming to the class of 2022, and Gene has a pretty good idea of who it’s going to be.

Column: Haskell Garrett’s performance against Nebraska is the feel good story we needed

Matt Tamanini, LGHL

If you read nothing else today, read this. It’s the perfect reminder that whatever you’re complaining about on this fine Monday, is probably not all that bad.

Podcast: ‘Hangout in the Holy Land’ recaps the Nebraska game

Gene Ross and George Eisner, LGHL

Podcast: Fields, Day, Koombs, Davis react to Nebraska victory

Matt Tamanini, LGHL

I don’t know about you, but I can’t get enough of all the analyses, columns, recaps and coverage of Saturday’s game. We’ve waited months and months for this season to arrive, and I’m soaking in every bit of it while it’s here. That being said, we’ve published two new podcasts recapping Ohio State’s win over Nebraska— one from two of our best X’s and O’s writers, Gene and George, and the other from the players and coaches themselves.

From around the gridiron...


Near the end of his opening comments following Ohio State’s 52-17 win against Nebraska, Ryan Day issued an apology to Huskers head coach Scott Frost.

“I just want to say it publicly and I’m gonna text (Frost), at the end of the game, if I could do that again I would have taken a knee,” Day said after the game. “I feel bad about that at the end of the game. I had a younger quarterback in the game, and I didn’t feel like we had the personnel to take the knee, and I probably should have done that. So I just want to publicly apologize for that to Scott.

Look Ryan Day, it’s time to stop being such a good guy. This is Ohio State. We stuff our talent down the world’s throat and we do so unapologetically!

On Monday, Frost acknowledged Day’s apology with an A+ response.


Okay, now where’s Frost’s apology for his defense playing like they were out for blood?

Ohio State is now ranked No. 3 in the Absolutely Pointless Poll.


The AP Poll is biased, has nothing to do with the CFP rankings and exists for no other reason than to get people fired up.

Exhibit A:


However its stupid-ness catapulted through the roof on Sunday when one of the Poll’s voters, Auburn beat writer Tom Green of Al.com, had Ohio State at No. 16.

Six. Teenth.

This professional sports reporter put the football team that Justin Fields plays for behind the likes of Marshall, Liberty and his No. 4-ranked BYU (!)

I —


Safe to say Nebraska fans are not taking this tweet well.


After reading George’s film study on how the hell Fields completed 95% of his passes on Saturday, check out Eleven Warriors’ Kyle Jones’ film study on Ohio State’s run game. You’ll be glad you did... especially if you’re worried about it.


Speaking of it being too early to panic...first-game jitters are very much a real thing.


Ohio State named 16 players of the game, one special teams player of the week and four scout team players of the week. We’re going into Week 2 with positive momentum, baby!


Ohio State’s game against the *checks notes* undefeated Rutgers will be a *checks notes* primetime game on Nov 7. at 7:30 p.m. ET.


However Ohio State has one game between them and their toughest opponent of the season. The Buckeyes are headed east this weekend to face the good ole Nittany Lions, who are coming off a pretty devastating (and by devastating I mean glorious) loss against Indiana.


Thoughts?


Considering Wisconsin QB Graham Mertz already tested positive for COVID-19, I’m on board with this. I don’t care if they have to move games to 7 a.m. ET on a school night.

From around the hardwood...


Here we go again.

Due to concern about some of the testing requirements for early-season tournaments, College basketball tournaments and events in what was supposed to similar to the NBA bubble in Orlando have been canceled.

The Athletic reports that there were “ongoing differences” between ESPN and the participating schools over COVID-19 health and safety protocols required for participation,

From everywhere else...


This moment was *chef’s kiss*


So was this one.


In case you missed it, Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf defied the laws of physics on Sunday.


It’s the Super Bowl/Cowboys meme for me.


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Film Room: How Justin Fields completed 95% of his passes vs. Nebraska
George Eisner via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
The Ohio State passing game looked as prolific as ever in the season opener, with Fields hitting Buckeyes in the hands on all 21 of his throws.

Ohio State football is finally back. Thank goodness.

Two months ago, that idea seemed completely outside the realm of possibility given the tumultuous state of our world. So beyond reality, in fact, that I coped by streaming on Twitch with an Ohio State football dynasty in NCAA Football 14 featuring the original 2020 schedule and updated rosters.

Broken football simulations aside, in a year that has seen as much turbulence as any in my lifetime, consistency is always welcome in any form it takes.

If you watched the Buckeyes’ 52-17 thumping of the Nebraska Cornhuskers this past weekend, you already know it doesn’t get much more consistent than what fans saw out of Justin Fields.

Still widely regarded as a Heisman Trophy candidate despite playing fewer games than most of the other frontrunners for the award, Fields’ path to college football’s greatest individual honor was always going to be via efficiency. Given he threw just one interception in all of 2019 prior to the College Football Playoff, a similar systematic season for Fields absolutely appeared on deck heading into 2020.

But a 95% completion rate on over 20 throws in the first Ohio State football game in nearly ten months? No one saw that coming.

However, such alarmingly efficient numbers do not come without A+ efforts from every sector of the offense, so for this week’s film session, lets take a look at how a full team effort led to Fields shining through the air on Saturday:

First Completion: Chris Olave for 14 Yards


Play action served a crucial role in establishing the air attack for Ohio State last season, and before the running backs could get even one tote on the ground in the opener, Ryan Day was already dialing up fakes. What made this formation particularly interesting was having Chris Olave operate out of the slot, given how much hype Garrett Wilson had coming to the season as the firm occupier of that receiving role.

Instead, Wilson lines up on the outside and streaks up the far sideline, while Olave runs a deep out route to the newly open space. One of the key elements to observe that sets the tone for much of the rest of this game is the way Olave performs a softer and curvier break than the sharp cuts receivers typically perform on these routes. This results in a less robotic and predictable execution, which allows the receiver locate the safest placement for the incoming ball

Given Fields does not have time to set his feet on the rollout, Olave finding the area with the highest likelihood for a successful catch is critical. As a result, Fields is able to put the ball nearly five yards away from the nearest defender, and Ohio State converts a first down on their very first play of the season.

Second Completion: Garrett Wilson for 24 Yards


There are two different components of this play that should leave Buckeye fans feeling very encouraged about the progression of the offense from 2019, but let’s start with the obvious one.

Garrett Wilson’s first catch of 2020 immediately demonstrates why he is going to be an absolute headache for opposing defenses out of the slot. Wilson navigates three different defenders in the zone defense on this play by skillfully giving a brief cut back inside to continue what appears to be a streak out of the slot.

Right as the final defender commits to covering over the top, he perfectly times planting his outside foot to sharply cut into a deep in route. With Jameson Williams already flying down the near sideline and Luke Farrell forcing the underneath defensive back to commit to a delayed release, this leaves the same sideline area from the previous completion wide open once again. Fields doesn’t provide the cleanest placement of the ball, but Wilson’s catch radius thankfully allows for some flexibility with respect to execution.

More intriguing for me, however, is the way Fields adjusts the protection and the pass blockers deliver. Not even three minutes into the season or into the opponent’s territory for the first time in 2020, Fields is already making telepathic pre-snap reads of the forthcoming coverage and pass rush.

Fields motions Farrell over to the right and calls out the blitz from Nebraska SAM linebacker. After Farrell executes a solid chip on the defender before breaking into his delay route, Nicholas Petit-Frere adjusts from providing assistance to Wyatt Davis to picking up the blitz coming off the edge.

On the other side, Thayer Munford correctly dedicated his primary attention to the WILL linebacker, and after identifying that the defender is dropping into coverage, he shifts his focus back to helping Harry Miller. Miller got beat on a swim move at the beginning of this play, so the communication and senses of responsibility from both sides of the line were critical to this play’s success.

For all of the success the offense had last season, pass blocking mishaps frequently resulted in more sacks than perhaps should have taken place. Though the Buckeyes still gave up four this past Saturday, there were still plenty of instances such as this one that demonstrate their ability to pick up the rush has improved from last year.

Third Completion: Garrett Wilson for 14 Yards


Another example of a softer break on a sharp angle route as well as another great instance of blitz pickup. In a critical fourth down situation early on in the game, Wilson runs an in route to the opposite direction of his previous catch, and he gives a nice series of stutter-steps before curving back into the middle of the field.

On both catches already, Wilson has showcased his impeccable sense of timing when it comes to forcing a defender to commit to a direction, then turning them around to get open for safe placement of a ball. Combined with a catch radius and certain hands, Wilson is going to wreak havoc over the middle all season line.

Elsewhere, pass protection again saves the day for the Buckeyes on this play. Fields brings Master Teague III back into the backfield to provide extra blocking for the forthcoming blitz, and even with two delayed pass rushers coming from Nebraska’s linebackers, Wyatt Davis does a great job picking up the blitz from the strong side while Teague squares up and meets his man well in front of the pocket.

Fourth Completion: Chris Olave for 16 Yards


Another soft break from Chris Olave towards the far sideline, as he begins curving his out route roughly five yards downfield before finishing the change of direction another six yards later. That angling allows Olave to get open without losing speed as he heads towards the sideline, again creating a safer area for Fields to deliver the ball.

Fifth Completion: Garrett Wilson for a 42-Yard Touchdown


One of the classic abilities of an NFL-caliber quarterback is the ability to look off a safety to set up big plays. The best examples are normally more exaggerated than what takes place here, but Nebraska’s safety in the middle of the field also somewhat set himself up for failure by creeping up prior to the snap.

With the safety’s body already drifting to a shallower position, Fields gives a quick glance towards Jeremy Ruckert’s crossing route over the middle, which leaves the back half of the middle of the field completely open. Garrett Wilson—to this point now consistently putting defenders in helpless positions out of nearly every break thanks to incredible footwork— performs a great stutter on the outside corner to get separation over the top.

Even on a play where the play action fake did absolutely nothing to fool any members of the defense, Fields’ execution is so sharp elsewhere that Nebraska already finds themselves completely overmatched when it comes to guarding against Ohio State’s offense.

Ninth Completion: Luke Farrell for five Yards


Nothing particularly special about this play, but hopefully as the season progresses, we’ll see a bit more involvement from the tight end room than what transpired in this game. Coming off a season where all four tight ends for Ohio State caught 25 combined passes, it wasn’t very encouraging to see this serve as the only catch of the game between Luke Farrell and Jeremy Ruckert.

Buckeye tight ends have gotten plenty of burn as blockers, decoys, and safety valves; but seldom to they get the spotlight or glory they probably deserve. That was again the case on this play, where all the Buckeye receivers run routes at least fifteen yards downfield while Farrell merely serves as a primary check-down on a buttonhook just shy of the sticks.

Farrell is a great all-around player for his position and Ruckert may be one of the most talented overall pass-catchers on the team. Fans can only hope as the season progresses and opposing defenses require more dynamic looks to find success against that the tight end room sees more involvement than it did last season.

10th Completion: Chris OIave for 29 Yards


More curvy route running from Chris Olave on what was arguably the best-schemed play of the day for Ohio State. With both tight ends serving as pass blockers on a play action disguised as an inside zone run, Olave is really the only player that has any chance to get open on this play. Garrett Wilson’s streak opens up the deep part of the left sideline, but the defensive back is playing too far off the ball pre-snap to get easily beat over the top, and Nebraska covers Trey Sermon’s route into the flat coming off the play action perfectly.

But Wilson’s previous success on the last touchdown forces the middle safety in cover 4 to turn away from Olave as the latter crosses the middle of the field. With both downfield defenders now focused on Wilson, Olave has a safe pocket in which to make an easy catch that puts the Buckeyes back in scoring range.

Roughly 30 yard completions against downfield zone coverage with one realistic target available are not easy to execute correctly against any defense. Fortunately, Ryan Day’s contextual play-calling skills appear sharp as ever in the infancy of Ohio State’s season.

12th Completion: Garrett Wilson for 11 Yards


More outstanding blitz pickup on both a stunt and disguised coverage from the Cornhuskers. Nebraska shows a five man rush before dropping both linebackers into coverage and sending the weak side defensive end on an inside rush, while also adding a near-side cornerback blitz for good measure. This is a pretzel of a pass rush on third down.

But Master Teague III shows why he’s probably going to get a few more snaps than Trey Sermon this season thanks to superior pass blocking skills. He completely takes the corner blitz out of the play by sealing off the edge, while Josh Myers does an excellent job of recognizing the inside stunt and picking up the defensive end right away.

The resulting protection gives Justin Fields plenty of time to find Garrett Wilson running a deep buttonhook in the middle of the field. A big part of Ohio State’s success on offense last year was their ability to convert third and long, and this was a crucial conversion in a two-minute drill scenario that helped set the Buckeyes up for points before the half.

14th Completion: Garrett Wilson for 16 Yards


Wilson has run streaks, outs, ins, posts, and buttonhooks already through two quarters. His infinitely-branching route tree continues to sprout here, as Ohio State simply runs a classic mesh concept that sees all four potential pass catchers perform crossing routes over the middle.

This is free cheese against a defense operating in man coverage, and Wilson’s footwork is so crisp that it doesn’t even appear he needs to run full speed to get open underneath. Farrell also does a good job of making sure he gets in the way of the defense without leaving himself in a position to make contact and get called for an OPI pick penalty.

Last Completion: Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 5-Yard Touchdown


I’ll conclude with this, as no quarterback finishes a game with only one incompletion across 20+ throws without a bevy of talented receivers at their disposal. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is perhaps WR5 on this team’s depth chart, and teams that get this kind of talent from the lower rungs of their skill players simply don’t come around very often.

When a true freshman receiver makes what might go down as the most impressive catch of the team’s season in the first game, it speaks volumes about the talent the Buckeyes are brimming with at just about every skill position.

We may not see Justin Fields complete 95% of his passes in a game again in 2020, but if the season opener is any indication of what’s to come, fans could very well be in store for one of the most efficient passing attacks college football has ever seen.

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Woody, Zeke, Brutus, Can’t Guard Mike, the Bosas spell O-H-I-O in new bobblehead series
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


I don’t know why we need three Os, but otherwise, these are pretty sweet.

For the first time in the illustrious history of those charming, head-nodding collectibles known as bobbleheads, thanks to FOCO and the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, you can now display up to six of your favorite Ohio State icons proudly using their bodies to spell our favorite word “O-H-I-O.”

Last week, on the eve of the Buckeyes’ season opening victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum released six gorgeous new bobbleheads featuring OSU legends Woody Hayes (O), Ezekiel Elliott (also O), Michael Thomas (H), Nick Bosa (another H), Joey Bosa (I), and Brutus Buckeye himself (yet another O for good measure).



All six of the bobbleheads are available for order now, and you can purchase them for $35 a piece (plus an $8 flat-rate shipping charge per order) or if you are a completist like me and need all six, you can get the set for $200. Not a bad deal when you consider that at the rate that our country is going, sports memorabilia might be our primary form of currency by the end of the calendar year.

Did you know (because I didn’t until I read it in the bobblehead press release) that originally, a chant of “O-H-I-O S-T-A-T-E” was done by sailors in World War II aboard the aircraft carrier USS Lexington to express their unbridled enthusiasm for Ohio State athletics?

After learning the chant as a member of the Navy, Matthew Sidley joined the cheerleading squad at Ohio State and taught the cheer to fans in Ohio Stadium in 1947. The second part was ultimately dropped (it is kind of hard to get your body to make an S), and the now famous chant that echoes throughout Big Ten stadiums during blowouts every fall was born.

“We’re excited to release this unique Ohio State Buckeyes O-H-I-O series for fans to add to their bobblehead collection,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “The O-H-I-O chant is one of the most notorious in all of college sports and a staple of the Ohio State gameday experience and we think fans will love these new bobbleheads.”

This one-of-a-kind bobblehead series is produced by National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum and manufactured by FOCO.

Continue reading...

I have no idea how this is working. Some teams played "playoff" games then non-playoff games. I have no idea who's in it or who is out.

I do know this: In their last 5 games, 2 of them playoffs, Marion Local has outscored their opponents 203-0

203-0!!!!

2020 Ohio State Football Game Videos Thread

tenyardtracker has the nebraska game in 720p and 2160p, should I post the .torrents? (unclear if they support cross posting)

Some Post-Game Thoughts

1. After being tied 14-14 with 8:24 left in the 2nd quarter, Ohio State outscored Nebraska 38-3 over the rest of the game. Ohio State started slow and sloppy, Nebraska started hot and played hard. The talent gap between the two programs is literally amazing. There are plenty of third-stringers on Ohio State who would start (or see significant playing time) for Nebraska.

2. Justin Fields was 20/21 for 276 yards and 2 TDs. His only incompletion was a "drop" by Chris Olave on a 43-yard pass into the end zone. It was definitely a tough catch, but an All American caliber receiver should have come down with the ball. If Olave does so, then Fields is a perfect 21/21 for 319 yards, 3 TDs, and an off-the-charts QB rating.

3. Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave were the primary beneficiaries of Fields' outstanding performance, as Wilson had 7 receptions for 129 yards and a TD, while Olave had 6 receptions for 104 yards. The rest of the receiving corps didn't do much, although true freshmen Julian Fleming (1 reception, 13 yards) and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (2 receptions, 5 yards) each made the first reception of his Buckeye career. Smith-Njigba's second reception was a 5-yard TD where he was barely able to get his foot down in the end zone, a play reminiscent of Michael Thomas's famous catch against Alabama in 2014.

4. Fields also had 15 rushes for a team-high 54 yards and another TD. Those would be acceptable numbers if it were 2016 and our QB were JT Barrett. The Buckeyes need to find a running game from their tailbacks, none of whom had a good (or even a decent) game: Trey Sermon 11 carries, 48 yards, no TDs; Master Teague 12 carries, 41 yards, 2 TDs; Steele Chambers 4 carries, 32 yards, 0 TDs; Xavier Johnson (a walk-on who played on the final drive) 4 carries, 17 yards, no TDs. As a unit, the Buckeyes tailbacks had 31 carries for 138 yards (4.45 average), with 2 TDs, and a long run of just 17 yards. Are we going to miss JK Dobbins this season?

5. In an interesting move, true freshman QB Jack Miller relieved Fields at the end of the game and led the Buckeyes on their final scoring drive. Miller played before both Gunnar Hoak, who was on the team last season and played in 5 games, and fellow true freshman CJ Stroud, who was the much more highly-rated prospect. Miller did not attempt a pass, but he did have the Ohio State's longest run of the game (21 yards) and scored his first Buckeye TD on a 2-yard run with 18 seconds left in the game.

6. Ohio State was 10 of 15 on 3rd- and 4th-down conversions (66.7%), which is extremely good. On the other side of the field, Nebraska was 4 for 10 (40.0%). Ohio State also won the total yardage battle (491 to 370), first downs (28 to 17), and time of possession (33:14 to 26:46).

7. The Ohio State defense looked positively awful on Nebraska's first drive, then progressed to mediocre by the end of the first half. After the Buckeyes scored on their first possession of the second half to take a 31-14 lead, Nebraska's playbook shrunk and the Buckeye defense was able to tee off a bit. Still, the Buckeyes were killed by designed QB runs from Adrian Martinez (13 attempts, 85 yards, TD) and Luke McCaffrey (9 attempts, 80 yards), and passes to the tight end. Opposing offensive coordinators will not fail to notice these holes in the Buckeye defense, and good teams will exploit them much more so than a bottom feeder Big Ten team.

8. Defensive back Sevyn Banks scored on a 55-yard fumble recovery, which is tied for 5th-longest in Buckeye history. Banks also scored on a 33-yard blocked punt (longest in Buckeye history) against Michigan in 2018

9. Ohio State had only 3 penalties for 15 yards, while Nebraska had 8 penalties for 90 yards. Nebraska had four targetings - two called and upheld; one called and reversed; one obvious but not called that led to a concussion for Chris Olave. I understand that Scott Frost is trying to make Nebraska a tougher, meaner, more aggressive team, but headhunting isn't the way to do it in this era of college football.

Late starting this.

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G) None of the above.....

Boise State Broncos - Albertsons Stadium: BLUE
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Brooks Stadium: TEAL
Luther College - Carlson Stadium: BLUE
Central Arkansas Bears - Estes Stadium: PURPLE and GRAY alternating every five yards
Lindenwood Lynx - Lindenwood Stadium: RED and GRAY alternating every five yards
New Haven Chargers - Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium: BLUE
Eastern Washington Eagles - Roos Field: RED
Eastern Michigan Eagles - Rynearson Stadium: GRAY
Hosei Tomahawks - Tomahawks Field (Japan): BLUE

Just sayin': A kind of scarlet and gray might be the best of the lot:

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Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy

Offensive Tackle
6-4
290 lbs
Class of 2022


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Chandler (AZ) Chandler High School

Wide Receiver
6-1
170 lbs
Class of 2022


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Let's try to keep this non-political, please.
We did "absentee ballot" voting last week. And our votes are "validated".

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This video is wild. This may need to be moved to recruitment area to remind people that this is still a HS aged kid. I believe he is a 3* recruit. He doesn't have a thread so I doubt there was any interest on either side to play in Columbus.

BRADLEY ROBINSON



Position: Long Snapper

• HEIGHT 6-1
• WEIGHT 230
• HOMETOWN TROY, MICH.
• LAST SCHOOL ATHENS
• YEAR SENIOR

Ohio State Overview
• Bradley Robinson is in his fourth year with the Ohio State football program, having initially walked on to the team in the summer of 2017
• Will compete for the starting long snapper job in fall camp following the graduation of starter Liam McCullough
• Was one of 56 Ohio State student-athletes, representing 17 varsity sports, to take part in the Fourth Annual Wolstein Leadership Academy Retreat in May 2018
• Is a Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar, an Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a two-time OSU Scholar-Athlete who is pursuing a dual degree in human development and family science and human nutrition with hopes of attending medical school.

Honors & Awards
2019: Academic All-Big Ten
2018: Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar, Academic All-Big Ten, OSU Scholar-Athlete
2017: OSU Scholar-Athlete

More on Bradley
• Robinson was a member of the Michigan State football team in 2016 before transferring to Ohio State
• As a prepster, he lettered for two years in football and four in lacrosse at Athens High School in Troy, Mich.
• Played offensive tackle, long snapper and middle linebacker for the Red Hawks
• Ranked as Michigan’s No. 1 long snapper and No. 20 nationally coming out of high school
• High school coach was Josh Heppner
• A Dean’s List student for three semesters at Michigan State
• Son of Brad and Susanna Robinson
• Has an older brother, Andrew, who was a long snapper at Michigan. We'll forgive the family for that....

Entire article: https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/roster/bradley-robinson/

Just sayin': If the man is going to be a starter (and it appears that he will be, see next post) he deserves his own thread.....

https://www.knightcommission.org/wp...-d-i-model-session-3-slide-deck-101320-01.pdf

Time to take the little kids table out to the garage for good.

Vote is set to come today.

Hopefully its like Football where the school will have the option to bring back our three seniors without it counting towards the scholarship limits on the schools dime if they wish.

Good news for a guy like Sotos that we requested instant eligibility for that the team was looking at sitting out this season to play next instead. Now they can use him both if approved.

Also burning El Diablo's redshirt last year was a bit questionable, but with this extra year, looks like the right move for sure to keep him involved and growing.

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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