Ohio State hoops offer 2022 standouts
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images
Chris Holtmann and crew recently threw their hat in the ring for a pair of top juniors.

While enjoying time with family and friends you might’ve missed out on some of the latest news surrounding Ohio State recruiting. Don’t worry! Land-Grant Holy Land is here to help get you caught back up with things.

Schutt talks Buckeyes


Already holding a verbal pledge from three-star Cincinnati Princeton shooting guard Bowen Hardman, Chris Holtmann and the Ohio State basketball squad are hard at work trying to find more pieces to the class of 2022 recruiting puzzle. Searching high and low for future Buckeyes, Jaden Schutt, who holds the state of Illinois single-game record for three pointers in a contest with 17, walked away with a chance to rock the Scarlet and Gray on Thursday.


“We had a Zoom call and coach Holtmann offered. They said they were excited about me and wanted to continue to develop our relationship.” the 6-foot-5, four-star shooting guard told Land-Grant Holy Land. “OSU has a lot of winning history, it’s definitely a great school and I’m honored to have them offer.”

Coming off a season where he averaged 22 points and nine rebounds for the Yorkville Christian Mustangs (IL), Schutt is starting to put together a solid list of potential college homes. Gaining interest daily, Creighton, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska, and Wisconsin are just some of the programs the Buckeyes find themselves up against for the sharp-shooter.

Working to build a rapport with coaches, Schutt has a few things he’s looking for before he shuts things down and commits to a school.

“I’m looking for a great connection with the coaching staff and a school that has great facilities and a great campus.”

Buckeyes offer big man


On Friday afternoon, three-star 2022 big man Kyle Filipowski earned his chance to play for the Buckeyes.


A versatile post player who could play power forward or center on the next level, the 6-foot-10 Filipowski adds the scholarship opportunity from Holtmann and crew alongside over a dozen college programs. Earning offers from schools across the country, Providence, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Boston College, Louisville, Maryland, and UConn are just a few of those currently pursuing his talents.

Not just a rebounder, Kyle can put points up on the board too. During his three years on the court at Wilbraham & Monson Academy (MA) he’s accounted for over 1,000 career points. Last season as a sophomore, Filipowski, the 19th center, and 157th overall prospect in the entire class of 2022, per the 247Sports Composite Rankings, helped the Titans take home the New England Class AA championship by averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds a contest.

Quick Hits

• The OSU basketball coaching staff recently held a Zoom meeting with four-star class of 2022 guard Corey Floyd Jr., according to 247Sports. Yet to lock in a offer from the Buckeyes, the New Jersey native does hold scholarships from programs such as Florida, Georgia, Miami, Providence, and UConn.
• Clarkston (MI) four-star star offensive guard Rocco Spindler verbally committed to Notre Dame on Saturday. Spindler, a class of 2021 standout, had Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, and LSU among his leaders before deciding to roll with the Fighting Irish. The Wolverines have now lost out on two of the top three in-state prospects in the class, with Spindler ranking third in the state.

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Play Like a Girl podcast: Will there be a college football season?
Tia Johnston via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images
Tia and Meredith breakdown Ohio State’s 2020 schedule, and discuss whether or not there should even be a college football season

On LGHL’s podcast Play Like a Girl, Tia and Meredith talk everything from Ohio State football to all the happenings in the sports world today.

Well, safe to say there’s been a lot of rumors floating around the Ohio State beat since we recorded this episode. Many “P5 sources” are saying the Big Ten has all but officially announced their cancelation of the football season. Things aren’t looking great, but until we know for sure, we’ll be over here chatting/speculating about CFB for the small amount of time we have left.

In this week’s episode, we start the show by discussing all that is wrong with Ohio State’s 2020 schedule (why is Michigan in October?), then we get into a discussion on whether or not there should even be a college football season. And if there is one, will we even make it through September before chaos ensues?

On the second half of the show, we unpack the Pac-12 and Big Ten players’ list of demands, and talk about how refreshing it is to see college football players realizing the power they have over their NCAA/conference superiors.

Check out the podcast below, and make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts:

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Column: If the season is canceled, we should be angry, but not just at the Big Ten, NCAA
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
The NCAA and individual conferences haven’t done much during this pandemic, but they aren’t the ones ultimately responsible for CFB potentially being canceled.

Well, friends, it feels like we are in the last throes of a losing battle to have college football this season. Following chilling news on Saturday about the Big Ten moving towards canceling the fall season, it now appears almost an inevitability that should football happen during the 2020-21 academic year, that it will be in the spring of 2021. The common consensus is that the B1G, with new commissioner Kevin Warren at the helm, is the most likely league to pull the trigger first on a cancelation.

Not only has the conference long been the most progressive in making radical decisions, but thanks to the Big Ten Network and lucrative contracts with FOX and ESPN, it is believed that the B1G and its member institutions are the most well-prepared to withstand the inevitable financial shortfall should games be delayed until spring — or even fall — of next year.


As players and their parents are actively campaigning for the season to progress as (re-)scheduled, there is a palpable fear rising from all corners of the college football fandom and media. We are all reading the writing on the wall, and as reality washes over us, we are lashing out at everyone within arms length who has any part in taking the sport that we love away from us, away from the coaches, and away from the players.

You can think and say whatever you’d like about how individual schools and conferences — and the NCAA as a whole — have mismanaged their specific responses to this pandemic, and chances are that you’d be right. While these organizations were fairly proactive in March, moving to cancel unsafe and unnecessary in-person classes and large gatherings, in most cases they have completely abdicated their responsibilities since then when it comes to adequately planning for a return to some semblance of normalcy for their students; athletes or otherwise. So, they are by no means immune to criticism in regard to the handling of COVID-19 and the return of college football.

However, let’s be clear, wide-spread public health is not the responsibility of Ohio State, the Big Ten, or even the NCAA. They are institutions of higher education and intercollegiate athletics. They are simply responding to what is happening in the world around them; despite whatever political pull they might have, they are not dictating what is being done to keep the citizenry-at-large healthy.

That responsibility falls to our elected and appointed officials and to each of us as individual members of a collective society. So, as I said on Twitter on Sunday, for all of the anger and resentment being sent the Big Ten and NCAA’s way, I hope that there are ample amounts being reserved for the actual individuals who have spent the past five months doing little to nothing to get our country into a position in which playing college football was possible in the fall.


This is not a political statement, this is not a scientific statement (lord knows that I am not an expert in either field); this is a blanket statement. There has been a gross dereliction of duty at every level of our nation when it comes to taking the coronavirus seriously and following through on the sometimes painful steps required to keep it in check.

We know that it’s possible to curb the spread the disease enough for life to return to something approaching normal; other countries of have done it. Heck, even in the sporting world, the NWSL has done it, the NBA has done it, the MLS has done it, the NHL has done it. We know what it takes to stop the spread of this highly contagious disease; we’ve always know what it takes to stop the spread of this highly contagious disease.


But, for whatever reasons (some valid, some less so), governmental officials at all levels and of all stripes have been hesitate to put these stringent protocols in place. And all too often when lesser protocols have actually been ordered, far too many people have selfishly refused to comply, thus in turn making it even more politically difficult for officials to do what is necessary to keep people safe and to get the country to a place where collegiate sports could return.

Now, I certainly am not carrying water for the B1G or NCAA, as I think that they have mostly followed the government’s model and washed their hands of any serious leadership and have instead defaulted to hoping for the best. But ultimately, they aren’t the ones to blame if college football is canceled this fall. Sure, they might be the ones that make the final decision, but we are the ones at fault. Both because of our communal unwillingness to do the difficult things needed to slow down the virus’ spread, and because we have not demanded more from the people that we put in power.

We could have had college football this fall; we should have had college football this fall. But if we don’t, I hope that those who are actually responsible for creating a situation that forces the games to be taken away from us are the ones who receive the brunt of the fandom’s collective anger.


From the first official day of preseason camp until whenever Ohio State’s football season ends, I will be posting a column every single day. 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: It’s okay to be conflicted on whether or not there should be college football this fall
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 Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
‘Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself; (I am large, I contain multitudes.)’

Woo boy, today has been a roller coaster of emotions. It started with the news that the MAC has canceled fall football and intends to hold a spring season. Then we had Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel reporting that the Big Ten presidents were meeting on Saturday and could move to cancel the league’s recently rescheduled fall season.


We later learned that this was a meeting that had already been on the books, and was not an emergency meeting to address the prospect of canceling the season. However, shortly after Thamel’s report, the B1G itself released a statement in which it slowed down its preseason schedule, despite the fact that teams had already begun practices.

In their statement, the league office said that for the time being, all teams must remain in the “acclimatization period” of practices, which means that players can workout in helmets, but not in pads.

The B1G closed their statement with a fairly ominous reminder, the emphasis added is ine. “We understand there are many questions regarding how this impacts schedules, as well as the feasibility of proceeding forward with the season at all. As we have consistently stated, we will continue to evaluate daily, while relying on our medical experts, to make the best decisions possible for the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes.”

But that wasn’t it, as it is now being widely reported that new B1G commissioner Kevin Warren is in favor of pushing the season to the spring, a move that would essentially end Ohio State’s title chances as there would likely be a mass exodus for the NFL.

Today’s events have brought up a lot of conflicting emotions for me, which have long been bubbling just beneath the surface as I navigated the implications of this pandemic on college football, and that I have more or less been consciously ignoring.

Not only am a borderline obsessive college football fan as well as a columnist and podcaster here at LGHL, but I’m also someone who believes that we as a nation have not done nearly enough to curb the coronavirus’ spread, and generally believes that college athletes (especially in DI football) are exploited in a cartel-like money-making scheme in which the NCAA and universities generally default to doing the absolute bare-minimum for players while raking in billions of dollars for themselves.

So, I’m torn. In the words of Walt Whitman, “Do I contradict myself?/ Very well then I contradict myself.” As this pandemic has spread, I have adamantly believed that nearly everything needs to be shut down temporarily so that we could minimize the spread as most other developed nations have done; that includes schools, sports, arts (where I make most of my living), restaurants, etc. That has happened in small doses around the country, but obviously not for long enough to make the necessary difference.

So from that perspective, I should be in favor of all college sports shutting down their seasons until it is scientifically safe to resume. But part of me — perhaps my ego that is so tied to the success of my alma mater’s football team — won’t let me completely make that jump, despite the fact that my head knows that it would be the safest thing for all involved, and that my heart hurts for all of those impacted by the virus thus far.

If we were talking about professional sports, I would have a completely different opinion. As the NWSL, NBA, MLS, and NHL have proven, putting teams in a bubble and having strict testing and quarantining protocol in place actually works (so much so that I wish that our government had adopted something similar as experts were advising in February and March).

But the thing is, you can do all of that with professional athletes, even in sports where the minimum salary isn’t hundreds of thousands of dollars. People make sacrifices for their jobs that keep them away from their families, put them through medical testing, and require them to be in danger all of the time. So, with generous opt-out policies in place, while I have a bit of an issue with how many resources are being used to keep these leagues going that could otherwise benefit the community at large, I am more or less comfortable with pro sports returning if that return is handled responsibly (looking at you and your bungled restart, MLB).

But it’s different with college sports. You can’t quarantine the entire B1G in Indianapolis or Chicago or Minneapolis or wherever. Even with online classes, the idea of forcing unpaid athletes to spend three months in a hotel just to play some games for other people to make millions of dollars off of isn’t going to fly — even though that would be much safer for the players than the protocols that are currently in place.


Despite knowing all of that, my inherent fandom still wants to see a season — however shortened it might be. While I could rationalize this by talking about the fact that the players feel safe and want to play (more on that tomorrow or Monday), or that this is an opportunity for many of them to not only live out their dreams, but also to potentially set themselves up financially in the future; all of that would just be a cover for my very simplistic, selfish desire: I want to watch the Ohio State Buckeyes play football this fall with Justin Fields, Shaun Wade, Chris Olave, Wyatt Davis, et al. in uniform one more time.

Until this week, I had been fairly cynical about whether or not there would or should be college football this fall. I refused to get my hopes up, because I could see that things were trending towards the worst case scenarios of at least the season being pushed back to the spring — which would likely mean that all of the players that I mentioned above, and probably more, would opt out to prepare for the NFL Draft.

But when the Big Ten released the updated conference-only schedule on Wednesday, I got extremely excited despite myself. The rush of anticipation that I normally start feeling in mid-June finally pushed its way through all of the negativity and I let my guard down and allowed myself to pretend that the reality in which we are living had somehow evaporated with the release of a single 10-game schedule.

However, that is not our reality. We are still dealing with a global pandemic that is killing roughly 1,200 people a day in our country, and as important as college football is to millions of people (myself and, even more so, the players included), I know that it’s ultimately not worth risking — and inevitably sacrificing — the lives of otherwise healthy young men. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t still want a miracle to happen and all of the stars to align in order to allow us to revel in the pageantry that is the greatest sport in the world this fall.

So I have had to become comfortable sitting with the fact that I simultaneously want two mutually exclusive things to happen; there to not be a college football season this fall, and for there to be a college football season this fall. Life — and especially times of trauma and tragedy — is about navigating a maze of seemingly incongruous ideas, and finding a way to accept an outcome that you have no hand in shaping.

Therefore, despite the straw men that certain sports talking heads like to use as a crutch to explain away the realists in the media who candidly discuss the dire situation at hand, I am not rooting for the virus, I am not rooting against college football. I am rooting for safety, sanity, a return to the field, and for the Buckeyes to hang 100 on TTUN.


From the first official day of preseason camp until whenever Ohio State’s football season ends, I will be posting a column every single day. 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: Jim Harbaugh is really weird, and I hope he coaches Michigan for life
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 Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
But not just for the reasons that you’re thinking.

I like eccentric people. Generally the greatest advancements in art, science, and society come from the creativity and outside-the-box thinking of the weirdos amongst us. Even on a micro scale, more often than not, the most enjoyable people to conversate and spend time with are the ones who are just ever so slightly off their rockers.

But then there’s the coach of the Michigan Wolverines football team, James Joseph Harbaugh; he’s a completely different brand of bonkers. He’s cranky and combative and is constantly in search of two things: either a fight, or an opportunity to flaunt his idiosyncrasies, often just for flaunting’s sake.

Those aren’t opinions, they are facts. And I doubt that even the most ardent of Michigan Men would deny that Harbaugh is more than a little bit on the odd side of life; and those of us that don’t have yellow and blue running through our veins would probably be inclined to use even more colorful language than that. But is that weirdness necessarily bad? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Let’s discuss. In addition to his well-documented obsession with milk, eating a booger on national TV, hatred of chickens, slumber parties with recruits, jumping off high dives fully clothed, dedication to khakis, Usher-inspired dance moves, climbing trees to impress high schoolers, and rocking the palest dad bod in history, there have been a few stories in recent weeks about how Jimmy’s eccentricities could be hurting his team on the field; good for the Buckeyes, bad for TTUN.

First, he lost out on five-star (and eventual first-round draft pick) offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson because he refused to take his cleats off when visiting Wilson’s house. First off, why the hell was he wearing cleats in the first place? He was on a recruiting visit, not playing (or even coaching) a game.

It’s like his need to bring a glove with him to every baseball game he ever attends; does he feel like he always needs to be prepared just incase a game breaks out somewhere on his travels and a frantic coach might spot him in the distance and say, “Sonny boy. Yeah you, the one who’s already wearing cleats. We need another player so that the hometown team can win the championship and raise enough money to save our beloved, but dilapidated ball field from the evil real estate developer. You must be one heck of an athlete if you’re already wearing cleats for no discernible reason. Do you want to play with us? If we we win, I’ll take you out for a tall, cold, refreshing glass of milk.”

Grow up, Jim. You have less than zero reasons to wear cleats anywhere off of a football field, and even then it’s a little sus.

Secondly, with all due respect to his mother Jackie Harbaugh, why does he think that wearing cleats indoors is acceptable? I can’t tell you how many times that my mom yelled at me and my siblings after coming home from games, “No cleats in the house!”

And keep in mind, it wasn’t even his house. Have some respect for the people inviting you into their home, Jimmy.

Then this week, we had the whole fiasco with the confrontation on a Big Ten coaches conference call between him and Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day, which reportedly led to Day telling his team that the B1G better have a mercy rule in place because the Bucks are going to “hang 100 on them.”

Get your “Hang 100 On ‘Em” t-shirt now in time for The Game!


According to the original reporting by Bucknuts’ Dave Biddle, the incident started when Harbaugh interrupted Day on the call and accused former TTUN assistant and current OSU linebackers coach Al Washington of working with players before it was permitted by the NCAA. Jimmy allegedly came to this conclusion based on a photo shared on OSU’s social media platforms.

Now, I don’t know what image he is talking about, and I don’t know enough about what was and wasn’t allowed in the NCAA’s two-week pre-camp window, but if Washington was violating the rules, then I have no issue with Harbaugh bringing it up to the Big Ten compliance department. While I doubt that it gave any competitive advantage to the Buckeyes, rules need to be followed and enforced. So, no issue there for me. In fact, if he had evidence that his rival was committing NCAA infractions, he would be doing his team a disservice not to report them to the proper authorities.

But, how he (allegedly) instead chose to bring the accusation up feeds the narrative that Harbaugh is a little bit unhinged and lacks any semblance of interpersonal skills, especially when it comes to his coaching peers and colleagues. And let’s not forget about how he was basically fired by the San Francisco 49ers — despite impressive success — because nobody liked working with him.

This week’s interaction with Day also plays into Harbaugh and Michigan Man’s worst tin-foil hat tendencies. It’s like clockwork, after every edition of The Game, the MGoBlog message boards erupt with all kinds of emotions and excuses for why their team lost to the Buckeyes yet again. From disdain for Harbaugh to resignation that OSU has essentially lapped the rest of the B1G to conspiracy theories about how Ohio State is only better than TTUN because they cheat, it’s all there on full display once a year, usually on the Saturday following Thanksgiving.

Last year, they even latched onto the fact that Justin Fields, a transfer student who came to Columbus after a semester had already started, took mostly online classes. If you ask me, that just shows what a leader Fields is in his preparations for college in the time of COVID.

Now, we, the black sheep of the Ohio State blogosphere, have built our brand on being petty; somehow, it kind of works for us. But it is not a good look for a leader of men. Is Jim’s behavior really the type of thing that you’d want to send your son to play under for three to five years?

But, I will give credit where it is due, I do think that Harbaugh has gotten some things right over his years in Ann Arbor. I thought that his attempts to host satellite camps in talent-rich parts of the country were actually pretty brilliant, and I applaud his willingness to not only talk the talk, but also walk the walk when it comes to supporting Black Lives Matter.

So, if you’ve gotten this far in this column, you either are loving what I wrote and think that I didn’t go far enough, or you are rage-reading and think that I am just another arrogant Ohio State fan. Both might be true, but here’s the thing: I don’t want to see Jim Harbaugh leave Michigan.

Sure, there’s the fact that he’s 0-5 against the Buckeyes in his tenure at his alma mater and hasn’t gotten past third place in the Big Ten East; and that’s all incredibly gratifying to me as someone who’s formative years came during the John Cooper era. But, the real reason that I want him to stay is just that I find his entire schtick to be hilarious. He is just so strange that his whole being becomes entertaining. Jim Harbaugh is the perfect foil and target for meme culture. Hell, Jim Harbaugh is a walking meme.

I mean, we’ve known that he was wackadoo ever since it was revealed that he was Screech Powers’ cousin on an episode of “Saved by the Bell: The New Class;” that really explains a lot, doesn’t it?


But the point remains, Jim Harbaugh is unusually unusual, especially when it comes to the normally buttoned up profession of college football coaching. And while his antics can certainly wear thin — for both fans and foes alike — you cannot argue that they aren’t interesting. I mean, in a world in which coaches are openly stanning for deranged propaganda outlets or actively fighting to prevent players from organizing for economic or racial justice, isn’t it nice to have a coach that we can talk about who’s worst off field offense is just that he’s weird? It’s 2020, bring on the weird.


From the first official day of preseason camp until whenever Ohio State’s football season ends, I will be posting a column every single day. 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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Offered by Ohio St. 6'5 off guard avg. 22 ppg last year and is renowned for making 17 3-pointers in one game this past season.

Get your ‘Hang 100 on ‘em’ shirt today!
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


A new phrase has entered the Buckeye lexicon to go alongside “Because I couldn’t go for three”!

Depending on how immersed in the Ohio State blogosphere you are, you might not have heard about a recent conference call kerfuffle between two Big Ten coaches who have their programs heading in opposite directions.

According to Bucknuts’ Dave Biddle, earlier this week on a call with all of the B1G’s football coaches, Michigan head man Jim Harbaugh accused Ohio State of cheating (which is, after all, the Michigan Man’s only defense for a nearly two-decade long spat of mediocrity) by having linebackers coach Al Washington featured working with players on the field in a social media video, a couple of days before that was permitted by the ever-changing NCAA regulations.

Buckeye coach Ryan Day responded matter of factly by saying that Harbaugh should focus on his team, and let Day focus on his. Then, again according to Biddle, in a subsequent team meeting, Day informed his players that he intended to “hang 100” on TTUN when they meet this November October. And thus a meme and a hashtag that we will likely beat into the ground were born.

But, being who we are here at Land-Grant Holy Land, your friendly neighborhood rabble rousers couldn’t pass up a chance to rub some salt in the Wolverines’ wounds, so we have made available the newest shirt in our long line of homer/trolling apparel.



Our friends at BreakingT performed an admirably speedy turn around to make this gem available ASAP. You can now get this gorgeous, premium, lightweight, durable — yet ultrasoft — tri-blend crewneck here.

You know the story of “because I couldn’t go for three,” but a new chapter rivalry trash talk was written this week. We still aren’t 100 percent sure if The Game will be played this season or not, but this is the perfect shirt to have handy for whenever the Buckeyes next have the opportunity to #Hang100OnEm.

Some of our t-shirt greatest hits are also available here as well, starting at just $10. And, if you spend $70, you get free domestic shipping, so you might as well stock up.

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I accidentally dropped my WD external HD the other day and I can’t get it to connect anymore.

It still spins and the light flashes. It does make a funny beeping noise for a bit but quiets down. Windows will tell me it is setup and I can eject it ok. It just doesn’t show up as a recognizable drive anymore.

I don’t want to send it anywhere with some of the data that is on there. Suggestions?

Ohio State 2020 schedule breakdown
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
The Buckeyes’ football schedule came out on Wednesday, and we’re here to break it down game by game.

On Wednesday morning, the Big Ten finally released its new conference-only schedule. While this by no means guarantees that football will be played this fall, it is certainly a huge step in the right direction. Plus, it just feels a whole lot better to see Ohio State with a list of opponents on the docket.

The 10-game slate features a bunch of very interesting matchups, including rematches with Purdue and Iowa, as well as the Michigan game somewhat oddly being moved to October. Also of note, the Buckeyes will open up the 2020 campaign on a Thursday night, with the matchup against Illinois on Sept. 3 functioning as the season opener for the conference.


We’ll get a lot more in depth in terms of previewing each opponent during the actual game week here at LGHL, but with set matchups now in the tentative future, let’s take a quick tour through Ohio State’s 2020 schedule.

Game 1 (9/3): Ohio State at Illinois


You likely remember one of last years biggest upsets in the Big Ten when an unranked Illinois took down No. 6-ranked Wisconsin (unfortunately coming the week before the Badgers played Ohio State and hurting the strength of that win). The Illini will be looking for an even bigger upset this season when they open the year on a Thursday night in Champaign against the Buckeyes.

On offense, Illinois returns quarterback Brandon Peters, who threw for over 1,800 yards with 18 TDs and eight picks in 2019. Now heading into his senior season, Peters will have his top receiving threat returning in 2020 as well in Josh Imatorbhebhe, who lead the team with over 630 receiving yards last season despite missing the team’s final three games with an injury. On defense, the Illini return one of the Big Ten’s best tacklers in Jake Hansen. Now a senior, the 6-foot-1, 225-pound linebacker has racked up over 160 tackles over the past two seasons.

It’s the first game of the year, so I guess anything really could happen. However, I see the Buckeyes being heavy favorites in this primetime road matchup. Illinois finished with a 6-7 record last season, and although there are many who like the direction Lovie Smith has the program heading, I don't think they are quite ready to compete at Ohio State’s level just yet.

Game 2 (9/12): Ohio State vs. Rutgers


I mean, this is just a really raw deal for the Scarlet Knights. Not only does first-year head coach Greg Schiano have to take his boys on the road to Columbus to take on Ohio State in week two, but they do so with the Buckeyes having an extra three days to prepare after their Thursday night game. As if Ryan Day needed an additional advantage against lowly ole Rutgers.

There wasn’t a whole lot to like about the Scarlet Knights’ offense in 2019, which finished second-to-last in the nation in both total yards and scoring. However, they will be returning one of the lone bright spots in running back Isaiah Pacheco. He led the team a year ago with 729 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, which is especially impressive given the team was down a bunch on most occasions and had to throw a ton to try and get back in it. On defense, they feature linebacker Tyshon Fogg, who led the team in tackles last season with 93 and is as reliable a force up the middle as they come.

As usual, Rutgers is pegged by the majority of folks to finish dead last in the Big Ten. Schiano may have some luck recruiting New Jersey better in the future and at least making the Scarlet Knights into a somewhat competitive opponent in the coming years, but it would be a damn miracle to see it happen in year one. Bucks by a million.

Game 3 (9/19): Ohio State at Purdue

Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images

Doesn’t just reading the words “at Purdue” bring up the worst of memories? In week three, the Buckeyes will be looking to avenge their season-killing loss from 2018, when they shockingly fell 49-20 to the Boilermakers in West Lafayette. Ryan Day was just a QB coach back in those days, and he will now seek revenge in his second go-around against Purdue.

As we’ve all been made well aware by now, the Boilermaker’s top player on offense is Rondale Moore. One of the most dynamic playmakers in all of college football, Moore absolutely demolished Ohio State’s defense in their last meeting (thanks largely to some highly questionable schemes) to the tune of 12 catches for 170 yards and two TDs. On defense, Purdue is hoping to see the continued rise of defensive end George Karlaftis, who put up a team-high 7.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss in 2019 as a true freshman.

While most of the offensive starters from that 2018 meeting are now gone, there are still a good amount of defensive players on Ohio State’s roster that probably have a good memory of the beat down they received on that field. The Buckeyes should be well rested coming into this game after likely benching the starters at half against Rutgers, and should be chomping at the bit to get this one going. Expect Shaun Wade to shadow Moore this time, resulting in a much better result on the scoreboard.

Game 4 (9/26): Ohio State vs. Indiana


Ohio State will then return home to face Indiana, whom many don't quite know how to prognosticate in 2020. Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, they open up their season with an absolute gauntlet, having to face Wisconsin and Penn State right off the bat followed by a slight break against Illinois and then the Buckeyes the following week.

The biggest player to watch out for on offense is quarterback Michael Penix. He was very highly regarded a year ago as a redshirt freshman, completing nearly 69 percent of his passes for almost 1,400 yards with 10 TDs and four picks before. Unfortunately, he was banged up much of the year and suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the team’s game against Northwestern, but is now healthy and ready to go. On defense, the Hoosiers return Micah McFadden, who led the team a year ago with 60 total tackles and nine tackles for loss from his linebacker spot.

Indiana is still an up-and-coming bunch, and I think they will give at least one of the big dogs in the Big Ten a scare this year (~cough cough~ Michigan ~cough~). They finished 8-5 last season, and Tom Allen has done a really nice job in Bloomington thus far. Penix is very good and is only going to get better, but Ohio State will be up for the task knowing they can relax a bit afterwards with a bye the following week.

Game 5 (10/10): Ohio State vs. Nebraska


When these two teams met last year in Lincoln, many had pegged it as the dreaded West division trap game that Ohio State had fallen victim to the previous two seasons. That was not exactly the case. The Buckeyes thoroughly dominated the Cornhuskers 48-7 as Justin Fields put up nearly 300 total yards and three total TDs while the OSU defense picked off Nebraska QB Adrian Martinez three times. Ryan Day gets to play host this time around, with his team coming off a bye the week prior.

Martinez was not great in 2019, and as a result the Huskers did not meet expectations in year two under Scott Frost. He finished the year completing under 60 percent of his passes for around 1,960 yards with 10 TDs and nine interceptions, while rushing for an additional 626 and seven scores. Martinez was banged up a bit at times last year, and is hoping that improved health in this his junior season will lead to better results. Nebraska will be tasked with replacing a lot up front on defense this year, but the secondary has a ton of talent including the likes of Dicaprio Bootle, who started at both corner and safety last season.

Entering the 2019 season, Martinez was actually tied with Justin Fields and Jalen Hurts for the third-highest preseason Heisman Trophy odds at +600. This year, Fields is second (behind only Trevor Lawrence, according to Odds Shark) at +400, and Martinez is near the bottom of the list at +7500. At lot can change in a year, and if the Huskers want to be successful in 2020, they will need Martinez to find the form everyone expected to see last season.

Game 6 (10/17): Ohio State at Michigan State


The Spartans have really fallen off in the last few years, and after a 7-6 finish in 2019, longtime head coach Mark Dantonio finally decided to call it quits. This will be the program’s first season under former Colorado head coach Mel Tucker, whose team has a tough start to the season with an opener against Minnesota and back-to-back games against Penn State and Michigan two weeks later. Fortunately for Tucker, his team then gets a bye week before taking on the Buckeyes.

Quarterback Brian Lewerke is now gone — after what felt like a 10-year career at MSU — and it is unclear who will start in his place. It will likely be a battle between junior Rocky Lombardi, who was shaky in mop up duty last season, and sophomore Theo Day, who possesses good size and arm strength but threw just three passes last year. They do, however, return running back Elijah Collins, who ran for 988 yards as a redshirt freshman. The defense lost a bunch of production from last season, but does return the team’s leading tackler in senior linebacker Antjuan Simmons, who posted 90 tackles with 15 for loss in 2019.

My nervousness for this becoming a trap game in East Lansing will be based on how the Spartans perform through their first five games. If Tucker is able to lead his guys to wins over Minnesota, Penn State or Michigan, then Ohio State will have to make sure they don't fall victim on the road. However, this Michigan State team has had some glaring issues for multiple years now, and so it appears unlikely they can challenge the Buckeyes just yet.

Game 7 (10/24): Ohio State vs Michigan

Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The decision to move this game to the end of October is a puzzling one to me. If you were worried about the season being cancelled before the end of the year as a result of COVID-19, then why not put The Game in the first few weeks of the season? If you are confident enough that the season will make it this far in, then why not just leave it as the final game on the calendar? Either way, Jim Harbaugh already pissed off Ryan Day during the Big Ten teleconference, so this should be a good one.

Michigan’s offense is still unsure of who their starting QB will be between Dylan McCaffrey and Joe Milton. Whoever it is, they will be playing behind an offensive line that is replacing four of five starters. What they do know is that they still have a pair of decent running backs in Hassan Haskins and Zach Charbonnet, as well as their two leading receivers from a year ago in Ronnie Bell and Nico Collins. On defense, Don Brown will be hoping to see the next step in the progression for sophomore linebacker Cameron McGrone, who had 60 tackles with nine for loss and 3.5 sacks last season.

Harbaugh has a lot riding on this game. A loss would move the Wolverines head coach to 0-6 against the Buckeyes, and you have to think that his seat is getting hotter with each additional defeat at the hands of his program’s biggest rival. It will be his best chance to beat Ohio State in The Shoe yet, as there will likely be little-to-no fans allowed in attendance, but he must do so against an offense that he has had absolutely no answers for, and one which is now being led by Justin Fields in year two. Good luck.

Game 8 (10/31): Ohio State at Maryland


The Buckeyes then get a bit of a fortunate buffer between Michigan and Penn State when they take on the Terrapins on Halloween. Whereas Indiana had a tough road at the beginning, Maryland has perhaps the toughest road at the end of the year, finishing the season against Penn State, Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan, and Minnesota. The Terrapins have not defeated the Buckeyes in six tries since joining the Big Ten in 2014.

Starting QB Josh Jackson is back for another year, but it’s a little tough to figure out who exactly he is. He had a hot start for Maryland last season, but sputtered near the end. Jackson would finish the campaign completing just over 47 percent of his passes for nearly 1,280 yards with 12 TDs and six picks. He will have the benefit of his top receiver returning in Dontay Demus Jr., who caught 41 passes for 625 yards last year. The Terrapins were dead last in the Big Ten in total defense a year ago, but they do return linebacker Ayinde Elay who ranked 12th in the conference in 2019 with 7.2 tackles per game.

Maryland is like Rutgers’ slightly older but just as confused brother. While they do actually win a few conference games each year, they are still very much trying to find their way in the Big Ten. A lot of people think Mick Locksley can really help turn this program around, but he will not be able to make magic happen just yet in year two. Ohio State will likely be at least three-touchdown favorites in this one.

Game 9 (11/7): Ohio State at Penn State

Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Ah, yes. The annual OSU-PSU showdown. The Nittany Lions have given the Buckeyes their biggest test each year for the past few seasons, and that is likely not going to change in 2020. Ohio State may benefit from this season’s lack of fans, as they will probably not have to travel into Penn State’s annual whiteout game (at least at full capacity). They will, however, still need to knock off James Franklin’s very talented group.

Sean Clifford returns at quarterback after throwing for over 2,600 yards and 23 TDs with seven picks a year ago while rushing for an additional 400 yards and five scores. The Nittany Lions have five guys with starting experience along the offensive line, but are lacking in wide receiver depth. Luckily, they still have star tight end Pat Freiermuth, who caught 43 passes for 507 yards and seven TDs last season. On defense, Penn State took a huge blow with the decision of Micah Parsons to opt out. Defensive end Shaka Toney (6.5 sacks last year) and safety Lamont Wade (67 tackles in 2019) will have to step up big time in his absence.

The loss of Parsons cannot be overstated for the Nittany Lions, as he was likely their best player on either side of the ball. Ohio State would’ve defeated Penn State rather handily last season had it not been for a ridiculous amount of fumbles, but Franklin’s team always seems to give OSU trouble regardless of the situation. If the Buckeyes can get out to a lead early and hold on to the ball this time, they should be able to leave Happy Valley with a win.

Game 10 (11/21): Ohio State vs. Iowa


After their second bye week of the season the week prior, Ohio State closes out its schedule with yet another Big Ten West revenge game against Iowa. Even more shocking than the loss to Purdue was the beating the Buckeyes took in Iowa City in 2017, wherein the Hawkeyes ran away with an eye-opening 55-24 win. OSU should be a bit more prepared this time around, even though very few players remain from that last meeting.

Kirk Ferentz will need to replace QB Nate Stanley, and the most likely candidate is sophomore Spencer Petras. He threw just 10 passes a year ago as Stanley’s backup, but at 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, he has the size and the arm talent to fit in quite nicely. Whoever starts at QB will have the luxury of playing behind an offensive line returning four starters and a deep wide receiver group. The Hawkeyes return last year’s leading receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette, coming off a campaign wherein he caught 44 passes for 722 yards with five TDs. Iowa has to replace six starters on defense, and they will be hoping All-Big Ten defensive end Chauncey Gholston can really step up this year in the absence of A.J. Epenesa.

The Hawkeyes are dealing with some off-the-field issues at the moment, and while many preseason polls have them somewhere near the bottom of the Top 25, I don't see a big year in store for Iowa. They have a tough road at the end of the season, with their final four games coming against Penn State, Michigan State, Wisconsin and finally Ohio State. There likely isn’t all that much animosity left towards Iowa from a player standpoint, but I expect Ryan Day will have his guys ready to go and finish the season strong.

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Sleepers of the Room: Running back injuries open the door for Steele Chambers
Tia Johnston via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
Ohio State’s redshirt freshman running back could find himself second on the depth chart this season

Welcome back to our Sleepers of the Room series, where we take a look at each position group and find the player who tends to fly under the radar—the guy you may have never heard of, but who you should get to know ASAP.

Next up: the running back room

Occupants: Demario McCall (RS-SR), Trey Sermon (SR), Master Teague (RS-SO), Marcus Crowley (SO), Steele Chambers (RS-FR) and Miyan Williams (FR).

If you’ve been staying up to date on Ohio State’s running back saga this offseason, then the last few months probably went something like this:

Dec. 28— As soon as Dobbins took his last snap as a Buckeye, you were all-in on Master Teague the Third. Teague finished his red-shirt freshman season with 789 yards rushing—good for seventh-best in the Big Ten—and four touchdowns as Dobbin’s backup. Sure, his Fiesta Bowl performance worried you a little (he ran for just 9 yards on seven carries against Clemson), but you were all like “No worries! Teague has the whole offseason to get bigger, faster, stronger!”

March 3— One day into spring practice, you read that Teague has been added to Ohio State’s status report with an Achilles injury. And while they’re “optimistic” that he’ll still play this season, he could be out for six months. So you’re all like “Uhhh...our starting sophomore running back can’t practice until AUGUST?”

March 3 to March 22— You went from “Just hand over the national championship trophy already” to “Will we score a touchdown at all this season?” Not only is Teague’s status for the season still an unknown, but the guys behind him are also injured and/or inexperienced. Marcus Crowley suffered a knee injury against Maryland on Nov. 9 and was listed as unavailable for spring practice. No one knows what position Demario McCall plays anymore, and you two have trust issues anyway. The only two RBs left are Steele Chambers and freshman signee Miyan Williams who’s arriving in the summer. Are these youngsters ready to take snaps as the starting running back for one of the best teams in the country if it comes down to it? Also, when do you think they’ll let us leave our houses?

March 22— Ahhh yes. March 22. The day of the “BOOM” heard ‘round the world, when Oklahoma Sooners graduate-transfer Trey Sermon confirmed to Austin Ward of Lettermen Row that he was transferring to Ohio State for the 2020 season. Sermon rushed for over 2,000 yards and 21 touchdowns in three seasons with the Sooners, his best season being 2018 when he rushed for 947 yards and 13 touchdowns. Ohio State desperately needed an experienced Power Five running back in its lineup, and Sermon was it.

Fast-forward to late July, and we still have questions we thought would be answered by now. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic cancelling in-person practices and workouts, we’re left wondering: Was Sermon worth the hype? What’s Teague and Crowley’s status? If they’re still injured, can Sermon pull off a one-man show similar to Dobbins and Zeke?

In our Leaders of the Room series, our own Matt Tamanini attempted to answer those very questions, and while he did name Sermon as the most likely candidate to take most of the snaps come Game 1, it’s a little more complicated than that.


Matt isn’t convinced Sermon or a coming-off-of-an-injury-Teague have what it takes to be the difference-making back that we’re used to seeing on Ohio State’s offense. But his proposed group effort idea just might work considering they’ll be lining up behind one of the best offensive lines in the country with a dual-threat QB right beside them.

So, if Matt’s proposed plan actually happens, that means the other healthy backs will split 20 percent of the carries, and I’d suspect Crowley will be the first name called off the bench. Last season as a true freshman, he had 25 carries for 237 yards and a touchdown. If healthy, he could see substantial playing time behind Sermon and Teague. However, Crowley is still nursing an ACL injury, and while Ohio State’s coaching staff are hopeful that he will be back in action this season, there’s still no guarantee.

So again, the situation is this: Ohio State has Sermon, who shows immense promise but will likely not replicate Dobbins’ 2,003-yard performance by himself. Instead, he’ll share snaps with Teague, who, along with Crowley, are still questionable in terms of health. Even if Teague and Crowley are back to 100 percent, they each missed out on months of practicing, and there’s still the chance that they’ll be more cautious on the field so as not to re-injure themselves.

Which brings me to the main point of this article: You might want to get to know Steele Chambers, also known as the only Ohio State running back who ended the spring both healthy and with a full season of experience on his resume.

A former four-star, Chambers was recruited by Ohio State as an athlete, and by Clemson as a linebacker. He ultimately found himself a home at running back, and is expected to stay there for his entire collegiate career.

“The 6-foot-1, 220-pound tailback has a bit of a different build than the rest of the tailbacks on the roster, which makes him an intriguing long-term option – provided he stays at the position, as expected,” writes Colin Hass-Hill of Eleven Warriors.

While redshirting as a true freshman last season, Chambers racked up 135 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, highlighted by a 61-yard, one-score performance against Miami (Ohio), averaging 7.6 yards per carry. He also totaled 16 yards on two touches against Cincinnati, and ran 56 yards on nine carries against Rutgers.

If Day keeps McCall at slot receiver—which is where he practiced during the three spring practices in March—if Crowley remains inactive and God forbid Teague tweaks his Achilles again at some point during the season, Chambers could find himself as the second RB on the depth chart.

And if Ohio State running back coach Tony Alford isn’t overlooking Chambers, we shouldn’t either. Here’s what he had to say about his RB in late spring:


You know who else was known for being “hard on himself” and a “perfectionist”? That’s right... Dobbins. And no, I’m not saying Chambers will be the next J.K. (ya never know!), but it certainly doesn’t hurt that they have similar qualities and work ethics, right?

So, if I were you, I’d let go of your high expectations for Ohio State’s injured running back room, and leave room in your brain for the possibility of a Trey Sermon-Steele Chambers duo. Either way, whether Sermon does it by himself or if it takes a village, we’ll still put up 200+ rushing yards on Michigan.

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Ohio State recruitment of top 2022 athlete picking up steam
Tia Johnston via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Dasan McCullough (right) with his dad (Deland McCullough) | Twitter via @Dasan2022
The Buckeyes picked up another 247Sports Crystal Ball for the No. 1 prospect in Kansas

Things are beginning to heat up in the college football world. We officially have a football schedule to work with and Ohio State’s fall camp begins Thursday, Aug. 6. Hopefully in the coming weeks, we also receive an update on whether or not recruits can finally make in-person visits. Until that happens, we probably won’t be hearing much from the top guys in the 2021 class, meaning Ryan Day and his recruiting staff have had more time to focus on the 2022 class—and it shows.

Another puzzle piece was put into place on Wednesday, when four-star athlete Dasan McCullough added another Ohio State crystal ball prediction from 247Sports’ Allen Trieu. He now holds two CBs for OSU, each with “high” confidence levels.

Early last week, Ohio State commit C.J. Hicks hinted that another “BOOM” was coming to the 2022 class, to which McCullough replied “what if (eyes emoji)?”


You know they mean business when they include an eyes emoji.

A 6-foot-5, 220 athlete, McCullough is the top-ranked player in Kansas, and the No. 7 athlete in the ‘22 class. His dad is the current running backs coach for the Kansas City Chiefs, and happened to also play and coach for Miami (Ohio).

As our own Caleb Houser reported last week, McCullough, while listed as an athlete, will likely play linebacker in college.

Quick Hits

• While he’s still waiting to find out about visits and the status of his high school season before making a decision, five-star offensive tackle Nolan Rucci included Ohio State in the list of schools he’s keeping in touch with, along with Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan, Stanford, Notre Dame and Clemson.

“I keep in close contact with (Ohio State offensive line coach) Greg Studrawa,” Rucci told Brian Dohn of Bucknuts. “We are doing those calls where we go over film, and learning technique from coach Stud and how he goes through progression drills with his guys, all the way up to game situations. I think it has been really helpful just to learn.”

Rucci is the No. 1 player in Pennsylvania and the No. 13 prospect in the class of 2021.

• Florida, Texas A&M and Alabama are still “pushing” for Ohio State commit Tunmise Adeleye, he told Blake Aladerman of Bucknuts. The Gators even sent him an official offer at the start of August. However, Adeleye said he is content with his commitment to the Buckeyes, due to his relationship with both his position coach and his “brotherhood” with the 2021 class.

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Buckeye Bits: Fall camp begins Thursday, Big Ten players’ unity group, more
Tia Johnston via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
All of the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas football season! The Big Ten announced its conference-only schedule and medical protocols for the 2020 season, the NCAA published a list of mandates that actually benefit the players, Big Ten players formed a unity group and are asking for more safety measures, and Harbaugh just found himself a spot front and center on Ohio State’s bulletin board. Let’s get into it!

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...


Sleepers of the Room: Plenty of Ohio State defensive linemen are ready for their shot

Brett Ludwiczak, LGHL

Next up on our series focused on highlighting the under the radar guys, Brett takes a look at the defensive linemen, who are tasked with replacing three starters this season. Zach Harrison, Jonathon Cooper and Tyreke Smith have been getting most of the limelight, but there are also a few sleepers who might surprise you.

Ohio State, Michigan in October, Big Ten releases 2020 conference-only schedule

Matt Tamanini, LGHL

The Big Ten schedule is finally here! And it’s... not good!

24 Club: Wes Fesler coached OSU to its first Rose Bowl win

Jim Baird, LGHL

The next coach in our 24 Club series is Wes Fesler— the first Ohio State head coach to win a Rose Bowl, but who struggled with consistency during his four years in Columbus. He resigned due to the pressure that the position holds, and I bet ya know the guy who took his place.

From around the gridiron...


After months of waiting, we will finally get to see Justin Fields throw a football on Sept. 19.


Ohio State will kick the season off on Thursday, Sept. 3 in Champaign, Illinois. Plus, for the first time since 1933, Ohio State will play Michigan in October. You probably know how we at LGHL feel about this...


For more on the schedule deets, Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors has you covered.


Fall camp begins Aug. 6.


Since Ohio State is now scheduled for a Sept. 3 start-date, the team will be back practicing at full speed for the first time in five months starting Thursday, one day earlier than originally planned.


COVID-19 medical protocols for Big Ten conference include twice-weekly testing, sharing positive test results with opponents, 14-day quarantines for positive tests

Zack Carpenter, Eleven Warriors

Along with the 2020 football schedule, the Big Ten also announced its COVID-19 medical protocols for the season. Here’s a bullet-point version:

• Twice-weekly testing
• Symptoms questionnaire prior to entering the athletics facilities
• The results of all positive tests must be shared with that week’s upcoming opponent, as well as the previous opponent if applicable.
• Those who test positive and anyone who came within close contact of those who test positive must quarantine for 14 days

Big Ten players follow Pac-12, form unity group to address concerns

Mark Schlabach, ESPN

Three days after players from the Pac-12 released a list of demands for returning to play this season, Big Ten players issued a “unity proposal” of their own through College Athlete Unity and The Players Tribune.

Unlike the Pac-12’s demands however, the Big Ten players are not threatening to opt out of the season, nor are they asking to get paid. Rather, they just want both the NCAA and the Big Ten to implement more safety guidelines/rules for players in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among other things, the players have asked for a ban on the use of COVID-19 liability waivers, an automatic medical redshirt for any player who misses games due to a positive test, and coverage for all out-of-pocket medical expenses related to COVID-19.

In response to the demands, Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren said he would “spend some time with the letter” and communicate with the players.


The NCAA caring about its student-athletes????


The NCAA Board of Governors published a list of guidelines for its member schools on Wednesday, including a mandate that says all schools must honor scholarships for any athletes who choose to opt out due to COVID-19 concerns and that they must cover all student-athletes’ medical expenses related to COVID-19.

Also, Boards of Directors for each division in the NCAA must determine by Aug. 21 whether or not they will have a fall sports season.


Hang 100 on ‘em


Apparently there was a bit of Ryan Day/Jim Harbaugh drama in the Big Ten head coaches’ teleconference on Tuesday. Allegedly, Harbaugh called Day out for cheating, Day told him to mind his beeswax, and then went and told his team that “the conference better have a mercy rule, or the Buckeyes are going to hang 100 points on the Wolverines.”

Honestly, why does Harbaugh do this to himself?


Where you can watch Day terrorize TTUN.


Guys, the only goal for this season is to #MakeItToMichigan. Anything past The Game is just a bonus.

From everywhere else...


Down goes the first FBS team.


UConn has cancelled its 2020 football season, becoming the first top-level NCAA team to do so. The school’s athletic director David Benedict said that “the safety challenges created by COVID-19 place our football student-athletes at an unacceptable level of risk.”


Also not participating in this year’s football season:


Penn State stand out linebacker Micah Parsons is expected to opt out of the 2020 season to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft, where he will likely be a top-10 pick. Very bad news for Penn State. Very good news for the Buckeyes.

Speaking of which, Justin Fields and Shaun Wade, who are also projected to come off the board early in the 2021 Draft, said in a teleconference on Tuesday that they are not considering opting out of the season. Love that for us.


Michigan State DE Jacub Panasiuk opts out of season due to coronavirus concerns

Matt Wenzel, cleveland.com

The only returning starter on the Spartans’ defensive line this year, Jacub Panasiuk, has also opted out of the season, saying he “cannot risk his health and safety in order to play football.” He plans on taking a redshirt and returning for his senior season.

Panasiuk has made 81 tackles, including 18.5 for a loss, eight sacks and four forced fumbles in 38 career games. Last season, he posted career-highs of 34 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss and five sacks. Not great for Michigan State.

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24 Club: Wes Fesler coached OSU to its first Rose Bowl win
Jim Baird via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Fesler’s team won the Rose Bowl but he was undone by losses to Michigan.

There have been 24 head coaches in the history of Ohio State football. Each has a story and legacy. This offseason, Land-Grant Holy Land’s new series 24 Club will help you get to know the coaches from past and present who built the program. Today we look at Ohio State’s 18th head coach Wes Fesler.


Name: Wes Fesler
Seasons Coached: Four (1947-1950)
Overall Record: 21-13-3

Where Does He Rank in the 24 Club?
Overall Wins: No. 12 out of 24 OSU Coaches
Winning Percentage: No. 18 out of 24 OSU Coaches


A six and a half point underdog, Ohio State took the field in the Rose Bowl against California in 1950. It was OSU head coach Wes Fesler’s third year leading the Buckeyes. Fesler, a three-time All-American end at OSU in his playing days, now led Ohio State in search of the program’s first Rose Bowl win. The Buckeyes sprang the upset — walking out of Pasadena with a 17-14 victory before a record crowd of more than 100,000.

The Rose Bowl was a high point for Fesler, but the Snow Bowl would soon be a low point. On November 25, 1950, Fesler’s eighth-ranked Buckeyes took the field in a blizzard against the unranked Wolverines in Columbus. Now in his fourth season, coach Fesler had yet to beat the Wolverines. The game was one of the most unique in the history of the rivalry — and Michigan walked away a 9-3 winner without recording a single first down. The Wolverines scored on a safety and recovered a blocked punt in the end zone to spoil the day. Fesler’s record against Michigan fell to 0-3-1, and he resigned shortly after citing the pressure that came with the coaching position.

Fesler’s four years as coach was a microcosm of where the Ohio State program stood — it had Rose Bowl winning potential but struggled with consistency. Consistency started at the top — the revolving door of OSU coaches had now seen five coaches come and go in 11 seasons. OSU needed a winner. A coach who would call Columbus home for decades. A coach who knew how to beat Michigan.

OSU’s next coaching move would tick all those boxes — Ohio State hired Woody Hayes.

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Ohio State, Michigan in October, Big Ten releases 2020 conference-only schedule
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
The Game is coming earlier than ever this fall (if it happens at all).

After weeks of rumors about the Big Ten’s 2020 conference-only schedule, the league office in Rosemont, Ill. unveiled the recently reconfigured slate of games for all 14 conference teams on Wednesday. Initially, Sports Illustrated reported that the slate of games would be released early in the morning on Tuesday, but that was before Rutgers had yet another COVID-19 flare up, which might have delayed the announcement.


Despite the delay and the elimination of non-conference games, action will kick off on Thursday, Sept. 3, and instead of opening the season against Bowling Green on Labor Day weekend, the Ohio State Buckeyes will get back into action against the Fighting Illini.


We’ve been pretty pro-opening the season with The Game here at Land-Grant Holy Land, but the Buckeyes will instead play That Team Up North on October 24.

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Sleepers of the Room: Plenty of Ohio State defensive linemen are ready for their shot
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Kevin French/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Ohio State will be replacing three starters on their defensive line this year, which should give a number of Buckeyes a chance to make a name for themselves in 2020.

Over the last decade, it has been hard to find many better defensive lines around the country than what Ohio State has produced. Since 2010, Ohio State has seen 16 defensive lineman picked in the NFL Draft, with half of those drafted coming in the past three seasons.

The Buckeyes have dominated the second pick in the NFL Draft the last two years, with Nick Bosa being taken by the San Francisco 49ers in 2019, and Chase Young taken by the Washington Football Team in 2020. Prior to those two getting taken with the second pick, Joey Bosa was taken with the third pick in 2016.

With Chase Young having moved on to the professional level, there isn’t much question about who is looking like the next star of the defensive line. Zach Harrison is only heading into his sophomore season, but the sky looks like the limit for the central Ohio product. Along with Harrison, Ohio State will lean on veteran Jonathon Cooper, who returns as a fifth-year season after taking a redshirt last season because of injury.

Defensive end Tyreke Smith and defensive tackle Haskell Garrett figure to play huge roles in 2020 for Ohio State, but who are some sleepers who could make a name for themselves? There are a few guys who got their feet wet last year, along with one promising defensive tackle who missed last season due to injury.

Defensive end

Tyler Friday


Friday appeared in 11 games for Ohio State last year as a sophomore, recording 11 tackles and two sacks. His best game came early in the year when he was credited with two tackles for loss, with one of those being a sack against Indiana. The other sack that Friday recorded came in the Fiesta Bowl loss to Clemson.

Coming out of high school in New Jersey, Friday was a four-star defensive end and a top-100 prospect. Friday played his high school football at Don Bosco Prep, which is one of the most prestigious high school football programs in the country, so the edge rusher was already used to playing for a marquee football team.

Even though Harrison, Cooper, and Smith figure to see the majority of snaps at defensive end, expect Friday to see time on the field because of the frequency the Buckeyes rotate defensive ends. This will likely benefit Friday, as he’ll be fresher than the offensive linemen he’ll be going up against. While Friday’s playing time won’t likely be at the level of a starter, he’ll make sure he makes the snaps he is on the field for count.

Javontae Jean-Baptiste


Another Buckeye defensive end to keep an eye on is also from New Jersey. After redshirting in 2018, Javontae Jean-Baptiste played in 14 games in 2019. Like Friday, Jean-Baptiste also was a four-star prospect coming out of high school. The similarities don’t stop there, as he too recorded two sacks in 2019.

Jean-Baptiste came to Ohio State as a 215-pound linebacker, but now is a 250-pound defensive end. The scary thing is that he is still learning and becoming more comfortable at his new position. This year we should see even more out of Jean-Baptiste at defensive end, and he could set up a fun final couple years as an upperclassman in Columbus.

Defensive tackle

Tommy Togiai


It’s probably hard to be much of a “sleeper” when you are the size of a defensive tackle, but the Buckeyes have a few who could explode in 2020. The first DT to keep an eye on is Tommy Togiai. The junior made history before even stepping on the field for the Buckeyes, becoming the first player from Idaho to sign with Ohio State. Togiai was the third-ranked defensive tackle and the 55th overall player in the class of 2017.

Entering his junior season, Togiai has played in 26 games in Ohio State, so he’ll be leaned on heavily this year to fill the void left by the graduation of two fifth-year seniors. Last year, Togiai recorded 16 tackles, with two of those tackles being for loss. In combination with Haskell Garrett, Togiai is a prime candidate to break out this season, as the two should form a strong interior of the Ohio State defensive line.

Taron Vincent


The defensive lineman who could be the biggest sleeper this year is Taron Vincent. The son of former NFL defensive back Troy Vincent came to Ohio State as a five-star recruit and the top-ranked defensive tackle in the country according to 247Sports. Vincent won the Maxwell Club’s first-ever defensive player of the year award in 2017 as a senior in high school.

After appearing in 10 games as a true freshman in 2018, Vincent missed the 2019 season because of a shoulder injury. While the defensive tackle was ready to play through the pain as a sophomore, the training staff thought it was best that Vincent not play until he was fully recovered from the injury.

With guys like Garrett and Togiai also at defensive tackle, the coaching staff can ease Vincent back into the fold, but once Vincent gets out onto the field, expect to see why he was one of the most sought-after recruits in the country. He has all the tools to become one of the best defensive tackles in college football, the redshirt sophomore just needs to see some snaps and stay healthy.

Antwuan Jackson


Much like Vincent, Jackson was one of the most sought-after defensive tackles coming out of high school. Jackson was the 49th overall prospect in the class of 2016, originally committing to Auburn, redshirting with the Tigers before eventually transferring to Blinn Junior College.

In 10 games at Blinn, Jackson recorded 70 tackles, nine sacks, and three forced fumbles. What he showed on the field earned him the Southwest Junior College Football Conference Most Valuable Player Award, as well as the attention of Ohio State, who were able to bring Jackson in as a transfer in 2018.

After appearing in four games with the Buckeyes in 2018, Jackson earned himself a spot in the defensive tackle rotation, playing in all 14 games last season. His best performance came against Rutgers, when he was credited with four tackles. For the season, Jackson finished with 13 stops, 3.5 of which were for a loss.

Since he already was being used in the defensive tackle rotation last season, expect to see even more of the senior this year. Jackson could team with Haskell Garrett to provide some veteran leadership to a group that just lost two seniors.

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Buckeye Bits: Ohio State announces captains, still no B1G schedule, Rutgers gonna rutger
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

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

Welcome to Buckeye Bits, our daily news roundup of all things Ohio State. We got a whole bunch of news today thanks to a teleconference, but the news that a formerly legacy brand promised did not come. So, let’s get into the news that we do have, as — believe it or not — the Ohio State Buckeyes are still planning on beginning fall camp in just two and a half days.

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...


Ohio State virtually visits with four-star small forward

Dan Hessler, LGHL

Do we need to start changing the hashtag that we use when the Buckeyes get a commitment from #BOOM to #ZOOM?

Sleepers of the Room: Ohio State’s wide receiver room is even deeper than you think

Gene Ross, LGHL

There are so many talented dudes in this room, it’s tough to call any of them sleepers. I mean, I’ve been driving the Demario McCall train for four years; Kamryn Babb was a four-star, top-75 prospect; and Jameson Williams is fast enough to win the Kentucky Derby on his own.

Brian Hartline has done an incredibly good job amassing perhaps the most talented wide receiver room in the country. Sleepers or not, there’s plenty of guys who can have a huge impact.

Who had a better first three years, Thad Matta or Chris Holtmann?

Connor Lemons, LGHL

I mean, the answer is clearly Thad Matta, but that shouldn’t diminish the job that Chris Holtmann has done.

From around the gridiron...


Ohio State football’s Justin Fields, Shaun Wade say they have not considered opting out of 2020 season

Nathan Baird, cleveland.com

On Tuesday, Ryan Day and the seven new Ohio State Buckeyes football captains chatted with media on a teleconference. We have some of the bigger individual stories listed below, but I wanted to run through some of the key points here to lead things off.

- Justin Fields said that while he understood why some players are opting out of playing this fall, he hasn’t really considered it. He said that he comes from a financially stable situation, and his parents have encouraged him to do what he thinks is best.

- He said that his goals for the upcoming season are simple, “I want to show everybody that I’m the best quarterback in the nation. Of course, I want to win a Heisman Trophy and all that,” he said. “[but] if none of that happens, I’m fine with a national championship trophy sitting in the front of the Woody.”

- Fields also said that there has been some discussion amongst players in the Big Ten about creating a group similar to what Pac-12 players have done, but the discussions have not progressed beyond basics.

- Both Wyatt Davis and Josh Myers said that they felt comfortable with Ohio State and the B1G’s testing and safety policies. Justin Hilliard said that the coaches have been transparent in what they know about — and how they are planning for — the season.

- Hilliard also said that it is incumbent on the captains to keep the team focused as camp and the season begins, and they aren’t able to return to normal life.

- Shaun Wade said that he has no regrets in choosing to come back to school, despite the unusual situation.

Justin Fields might never play another game for the Scarlet and Gray, but he sure knows how to endear himself to the fans.


C.J. Saunders denied sixth year, will join Buckeyes coaching staff

Jeremy Birmingham, Lettermen Row

With this news, the Buckeyes are now officially at their 85 scholarship limit, meaning that their roster is set for the fall (season pending, of course). The fact that the NCAA denied C.J. Saunders’ sixth year of eligibility is another one of those situations where it doesn’t seem like there is any consistency in their rulings. I don’t think that the would-be sixth-year senior would have contributed significantly to the team’s output on the field this season, but his story is an impressive one, and hopefully he will continue to have an impact on the squad as member of the staff.

With the former walk-on no longer a member of the team, that means that he will not be a two-time OSU captain, however, there are a pair of returning captains to the 2020 group. Linebacker Tuf Borland joins former quarterback J.T. Barrett in becoming the program’s only three-time captains; Jonathon Cooper was also selected by his teammates for the second-straight year. Congrats to all seven of the players on this important honor.


I’ve always been a sentimental crier, and this one got me good.


Jim Harbaugh’s Weird Insistence on Wearing Cleats Inside Cost Michigan a Five-Star Commitment

Kevin Harrish, Eleven Warriors

I just... I don’t... I mean... what? Why? Who even... ? <sigh> Never stop being you, Jimmy.

That’s a whole lot of shrugging money.


Rutgers coronavirus outbreak nearly doubles after entire program put into quarantine

Ryan Young, Yahoo Sports

On Monday, the once venerable, now laughingstock, tech-bro shell of its former self publication Sports Illustrated reported that the Big Ten would be releasing their modified schedule on Tuesday morning. Well, that clearly did not happen. I have to wonder if that had anything to do with the Scarlet Knights pulling a Rutgers. Perhaps the B-One-G is looking into options to relegate Greg Schiano’s squad (cool new/old unis and all) back to the Big East.

I’m going to let this perfect meme — created by our co-managing editor Gene Ross — speak for itself.

From around the hardwood...


College basketball rankings: Gonzaga holds off Baylor for top spot in preseason Top 25 And 1

Gary Parrish, CBSSports

Chris Holtmann’s Buckeyes come in at No. 17 here. Parrish highlights the fact that Seth Towns chose to return home to Columbus, instead of heading to Durham, along with the returns of Duane Washington Jr., C.J. Walker, and Kyle Young as reasons to be high on the new-look Buckeyes whenever they get back to the court.

They are joined in the CBS rankings by Big Ten brethren No. 5 Iowa, No. 6 Illinois, No. 10 Wisconsin, No. 11 Michigan State, No. 21 Rutgers, and No. 23 Indiana.

I’m sorry, I’m just going to need a minute. Our rosy-cheeked baby boy is finally starting medical school. I’m just so proud of him.

From everywhere else...


Welp, looks like you’re gonna need to make new plans for Aug. 23.


You know, if students are going to be required to wear masks at school, perhaps it’s not safe for them to return to school at all.

And now for something completely different...


Obviously not ideal for the House of Mouse, but I think this is a smart move.


It’s much easier to do a rental/streaming release for a stand-alone movie than it is to do it for something like “Black Widow,” which is part of an expansive cinematic universe. Between cross-promotion, the scheduling between inter-connected projects on screens large and small, and much more means that it would have a longer lasting impact for Disney to release an MCU film this way, than the stand-alone “Mulan.”

However, if this goes well, I am sure that the Bobs could change their mind and start scheduling Disney+ premium tier releases at the drop of a hat.

Continue reading...

Land-Grant Holy Land, an Ohio State Buckeyes community

FWIW, this site is running a story on each of Ohio State football's head coaches. Those interested in Ohio State football history and/or trivia should find them interesting. So far there were 24 different head coaches, they call the series of articles the "24 Club".

Ohio State's 1st head football coach was Alexander Lilley....

24 Club: Alexander Lilley
The pony riding, first-ever head coach of OSU left a big legacy — despite few wins.

There have been 24 head coaches in the history of Ohio State football. Each has a story and legacy. This off-season, Land-Grant Holy Land’s new series 24 Club will help you get to know the coaches from past and present who built the program. We start with OSU’s first ever head coach: Alexander Lilley.

Alexander Lilley
Seasons Coached: Two (1890-1891)
Overall Record: 3-5 (.375)
Overall Wins: No. 23 out of 24 OSU Coaches
Winning Percentage: No. 23 out of 24 OSU Coaches

George N. Cole was a bored college student. Of course he would not be the first bored college student — nor would he be the last. But he was indeed bored, and Cole wanted to try something new.

One day Cole had an idea — but like any idea, it needed some money to come to life. So Cole turned to his fellow students to raise the cash. It paid off, and Cole made a small purchase that would have big consequences. In fact, this particular purchase would change the history of Ohio State: Cole bought a football.

But a ball wasn’t enough. What good was a football if you didn’t have some folks to play with? Cole needed a team. Of course, any team also needed a half-decent coach. So soon a team was formed, and Cole recruited his friend Alexander Lilley to coach the new football squad.

The year was 1890. Times were certainly different. Coach Lilley lived on East Main Street and rode a pony to get to football practice. He was also an unpaid volunteer — he didn’t earn a single penny to coach the Buckeyes.

Out of those humble ingredients — a bored college student with an idea, and an unpaid coach with a pony — Ohio State football was born.

Lilley’s time as Ohio State’s first head coach was short and sweet. The Buckeyes went 1-3 in 1890, and 2-2 in 1891. OSU got its first ever win against Ohio Wesleyan in 1890, and its first back-to-back wins in 1891 against Denison and Akron. Though it’s still up for debate how many games Lilley actually coached from the sidelines, as record-keeping was spotty.

Lilley’s total wins (3) and winning percentage (.375) rank near the bottom among OSU coaches — 23rd out of 24 — but his tenure can’t really be measured by games won and lost. Most importantly, his time will always stand as the starting point for all that came after.

Entire article: https://www.landgrantholyland.com/2...-football-head-coach-alexander-lilley-24-club

Anyway that's what their articles look like.

Who had a better first three years, Thad Matta or Chris Holtmann?
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Holtmann made Ohio State basketball relevant again immediately upon arrival. But how do his first three seasons stack up to the GOAT?

Chris Holtmann now has three seasons under his belt as the head coach of the Ohio State men’s basketball program. By all accounts, his first three years have been successful, if not a little surprising, too.

While the cupboard was by no means bare when he arrived, (Jae’Sean Tate, Kaleb Wesson, Keita Bates-Diop, etc.), the Buckeyes had not made the NCAA Tournament in two seasons, and the general outlook of the program was trending downward.

Having been hired mid-summer, Holtmann was not given much time to recruit a class of incoming freshman. Still, he was able to hang on to Wesson, persuade Kyle Young to follow him to Ohio State after originally committing to play for him at Butler, and get a commitment from Musa Jallow, who also reclassified to 2017 so he could play for the Buckeyes that fall.

Since Holtmann took over, Ohio State has not missed an NCAA Tournament. At the same time, they’ve been unable to win more than one game in either of those tournament appearances. Recruiting has been hot, but the program has also seen six players transfer out of the program for one reason or another.

Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

Today, we take a look at Chris Holtmann’s body of work from his first three seasons and compare it to his predecessor, Thad Matta. While Matta is undoubtedly the greatest coach in Ohio State history and one of the best in Big Ten history, his first season (2004-2005) wasn’t stellar, and the Buckeyes were ineligible for the NCAA Tournament due to a self-imposed one-year ban. This self-imposed ban stemmed from the actions of Matta’s predecessor, Jim O’Brien, who paid a recruit $6,000 in 1999 to attend Ohio State (the recruit did not end up playing in a single game for Ohio State).

We’ll look at each of the coaches records, including their record in-conference and in the tournament. We’ll also look take a look at recruiting, because pulling in high quality players is the fastest way to take a good program and make it great, or a great program and make it elite.

Records


Overall record in first three seasons:

Thad Matta (2004-2007): 81-22

Chris Holtmann (2017-2020): 66-34

Tournament record in first three seasons:

Thad Matta: 6-2

Chris Holtmann: 2-2

Conference record in first three seasons:

Thad Matta: 35-13

Chris Holtmann: 34-24

Record against Michigan in first three seasons (because why not):

Thad Matta: 6-0

Chris Holtmann: 3-2



Okay, so it isn’t quite as close as we may have thought. A big part of the disparity between the two overall records is because of the 2006-2007 season, when Matta’s Buckeyes went 35-4 (.897) and lost in the National Championship game to Florida. Their 35 wins set a program record that still stands today.

But even if we ignore that phenomenal year, even Matta’s second season (2005-2006) was better than any of Holtmann’s first three years. The 2005 team went 26-6, won the Big Ten, and won one game in the NCAA tournament. While he has without question exceeded expectations, Holtmann’s best season to date was his first, when he and the Buckeyes went 25-9.

Both coaches experienced a season where they were left out of the NCAA tournament for reasons beyond their control. As previously stated, Matta’s 2004 team was unable to participate due to a self-imposed one-year ban. Holtmann’s 2019 Buckeyes were left out because COVID-19 cancelled the tournament altogether. With those seasons removed, Matta still holds a four-game edge over Holtmann in tournament victories, 6-2. Five of those wins came during the 2007 tournament, when Greg Oden devoured everything in his path on the way to the National Championship game.

Recruiting


Number of five-star commits in first three seasons:

Thad Matta: 3

Chris Holtmann: 0

Number of four-star commits in first three seasons:

Thad Matta: 5

Chris Holtmann: 7

Average class ranking (national):

Thad Matta: 21

Chris Holtmann: 22



If you remove the historic 2006 recruiting class where Thad Matta somehow pulled Greg Oden, Daequan Cook, and Mike Conley all in, then Chris Holtmann’s recruiting has actually been superior to Matta’s, at least in the first three seasons.

Unfortunately, we can’t do that.

That 2006 class could be credited with returning Ohio State basketball to national prominence all by itself. Oden, Cook, and Conley, who played on the same AAU team in high school, more or less came as a packaged deal. All three were in top-30 players in the 2006 class, headlined by Oden, the No. 1 player in the class. Also in that group and often forgotten is David Lighty, who was the 33rd-ranked player in the 2006 class and went on to set the Ohio State record for total games played.

Matta’s first two recruiting classes did not even land in the top 40 nationally. Leftover talent from the O’Brien era, like Terence Dials and J.J. Sullinger, was great to step into (much like Holtmann having Bates-Diop on the roster in his first season), but Matta did not strike gold with recruiting until that 2006 class put the Buckeyes back on the map. Matta continued to recruit at a high level after this, but Ohio State will never have a freshman class like that again.

While it’s probably too soon to tell, Holtmann appears to have what it takes to become an even better recruiter than Matta was. Each of Holtmann’s first three recruiting classes have included at least two four-star recruits. Of those three classes, D.J. Carton was the highest-ranked recruit at No. 34 nationally, but he also pulled in two other top-50 recruits in that same class in E.J. Liddell and Alonzo Gaffney. Holtmann’s 2021 class may be his best so far (currently ranked No. 4 nationally), but because we are focusing on just the first three seasons, we won’t get into that.

The one thing that gives many Ohio State fans pause about Holtmann’s recruiting is the rate at which players are transferring out of the program. Bringing in talent is crucial, but does it even matter if they’re turning around and leaving less than a year later?



Here is a list of all the players who have left the program since Chris Holtmann took over in 2017. Not all players listed here were originally his recruits.

• D.J. Funderburk
• Micah Potter
• Luther Muhammad
• Jaedon LeDee
• D.J. Carton
• Alonzo Gaffney

Funderburk had some off-court and disciplinary troubles. Potter saw the writing on the wall with Wesson, who was a year younger than him, already having passed him on the depth chart. LeDee and Gaffney saw little playing time as freshmen, which may have influenced their decisions. Muhammad was a head-scratcher because he started 56 games in two seasons, therefore playing time could not have been the issue. Carton took a leave of absence to focus on mental health issues during his lone season and later chose to transfer, but months later also told his followers on Instagram that he was “forced out.” He did not specify who forced him out, allegedly.

The reasons are neither here nor there. While Holtmann’s recruiting has been impressive and consistent, it is not sustainable for half of the players who enter the program to also walk out shortly thereafter. Hopefully the trend does not continue, and these were unique cases. It is certainly something to keep an eye on, though.

Ruling


Record: Major edge to Matta

Recruiting: Slight edge to Holtmann

Overall: Edge Matta


Photo courtesy of Associated Press

There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it, Thad Matta was dominant basically his entire time at Ohio State, and it started from day one. Before breaking down the numbers, I thought the two would be much closer during the span of their first three years in Columbus, respectively.

But it isn’t even close.

Thad Matta made it to a National Championship game within three years and put together a recruiting class that wasn’t just the best in Ohio State history, but one of the greatest of all-time. He set a program record for wins in a single season, and won nearly 75% of his conference games in those first three years.

What makes this even more impressive is that right now I feel great about where Ohio State’s basketball program is. Chris Holtmann and his staff have done a fantastic job so far, and I hope they call Columbus home for many years to come. Holtmann took a stagnant program and made them relevant. He took a program that so many people were calling a sleeping giant and woke it up. AND he beat North Carolina by 25 in Chapel Hill.

With all that considered, Matta was still head and shoulders above Holtmann during his first three seasons. That’s why Thad Matta’s name hangs in the rafters at the Schottenstein Center. And that is why when you talk about the greatest coaches in Big Ten history, you have no choice but to put Thad up there with the greats.

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Sleepers of the Room: Ohio State’s wide receiver room is even deeper than you think
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Tony Quinn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Buckeyes have a few diamonds in the rough that could make a big impact this season

Ohio State has no shortage of depth at wide receiver this year. With the Buckeyes bringing back their leading receiver from last season in Chris Olave, a superstar in the making in Garrett Wilson, as well as a litany of five-star and otherwise talented freshmen now joining the roster, Brian Hartline should have no problem with his unit in 2020.

However, we’ve already taken a detailed look into just who is going to lead this productive group this year in our Leaders of the Room series. This time around, we are going to dig a little deeper. You know Olave, Wilson, and the highly-touted trio of freshman in Julian Fleming, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Gee Scott Jr. Even someone like Jameson Williams, who didn’t play a whole bunch last year, is a guy many expect to see a much bigger role this season.

Most teams would be elated to have six legitimate starting-caliber wide receivers on their roster, but at Ohio State the talent does not stop there. There are at least three other players in this year’s unit who could come out of nowhere and make a significant impact.

The first is someone you’ve probably heard discussed a bunch this offseason: Kamryn Babb. The third-year wideout came to Columbus as a four-star prospect and the No. 73 player in the country in the 2018 class. Unfortunately for Babb, knee injuries forced him to miss his first two seasons on campus. Heading into the 2020 campaign, the 6-foot, 197-pound receiver looks like he is finally healthy, and is ready to make his much anticipated Buckeye debut.

The coaches have raved about Babb’s attitude as he’s battled through injury, and he was named one of the team’s most improved players during winter workouts. The Missouri native put together a monster junior campaign before tearing his ACL ahead of his senior year of high school, catching 41 passes for 902 yards and 10 TDs at Christian Brothers College High School.

“It’s tough, because one, he’s such a great guy.” said Hartline back in March 2019. “You want guys to earn things, but he’s attacked it the right way whether it be the weight room or academics and studying and being in my hip, and he really is a great young man from a great family,”

If Babb can finally stay healthy — and that is a rather large “if” given his numerous serious knee injuries — he could make a serious impact this season catching passes from Justin Fields. It will be an uphill climb with all of the guys ahead of him on the current depth chart, but at 100%, Babb is talented enough to force his way onto the field.

Another guy that has gotten lost in the shuffle of the Ohio State receiver room is Jaylen Harris. Now a senior, Harris has had a largely forgettable first three years in Columbus. He has caught just five passes for 54 yards in his career to this point, and has been passed by on the depth chart by players like Austin Mack, Binjimen Victor and most recently Garrett Wilson.

However, this season Harris has a real shot to make an impact. With Wilson likely moving to the slot, that puts him right in the middle of the competition to start at the other outside spot opposite Olave. Having practiced with the first team offense before COVID shut down spring practices, the 6-foot-5 wideout could be a great compliment to Williams, with Harris being their high-point big-bodied target and Williams more in the Parris Campbell speed mold.

There also still remains the possibility of Demario McCall’s long-awaited breakout year. Although currently listed on the depth chart as a running back, I'm not sure McCall fits well with either unit, really being more of the now mostly extinct H-back position that was a favorite of Urban Meyer. McCall is in his fifth year with the program, so if he is going to make an impact at some point in his Ohio State career, it has to be right now.

The 5-foot-9 speedster has shown flashes of potential, but has not yet been able to earn any regular playing time. It will not get any easier to see the field now with all the options around him, but maybe Ryan Day will find some way to utilize McCall’s skillset this season. Buckeye fans have been rooting for McCall to make it big ever since he first stepped foot on campus, and maybe those dreams will finally come to reality in 2020.

Ohio State likes to play its wide receivers in a rotation, which makes it a bit easier for guys like Babb, Harris and McCall to get their fair share of opportunities. The Buckeyes currently have some incredible depth at the position, and if any of these three guys are able to step up and become an important part of this year’s roster, it will only make the offense all that much more dangerous.

The last thing the rest of the college football world wants to see is Ryan Day with even more weapons.

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Ohio State virtually visits with four-star small forward
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
The Buckeyes reportedly played virtual host to a 2022 basketball prospect

Chris Holtmann and the Basketball Buckeyes have shown no signs of slowing down when it comes to recruiting despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ohio State recently added its newest commitment when the No. 1 recruit in Ohio, Malaki Branham, became the third member of its 2021 recruiting class. The addition boosted the Buckeyes to the No. 4 team in the 247Sports Recruiting Rankings.

However, Holtmann and the Buckeyes coaching staff are not solely focusing on the 2021 class. Over the weekend, it was reported that the team virtually met with 2022 small forward Trae Clayton (DeSoto, TX/Waxahachie Faith Family Academy).


Despite just two seasons of high school ball under his belt, Clayton already holds scholarship offers from multiple schools, including Nebraska, Texas, TCU and others. The Buckeyes have not yet offered the 6-foot-5 hooper, but that could change following the recent virtual meeting.

Clayton would make for an excellent addition alongside three-star Ohio State SG commit, Bowen Hardman.

Ohio State has some groundwork to make up here, especially if it is serious about getting him to commit further from home than some of the more local schools that have already offered the Texas native. However, in his short time leading the helm of the basketball Buckeyes, Holtmann has proven to be just as good virtually recruiting as he is the more traditional way.

Clayton is the No. 22 SF in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and the No. 100 overall prospect in the 2022 class.

Future Buckeyes listed in MaxPreps top recruits list


MaxPreps recently released a list of the top high school football player from each state, and future Buckeyes were littered throughout. Below are the Ohio State commits representing the Scarlet and Gray as the top recruit in their perspective state:

Four-star CB Jakailin Johnson


Class: 2021
Hometown: Saint Louis, MO/DeSmet
Recruitment Status: committed to Ohio State

Five-star DE Jack Sawyer


Class: 2021
Hometown: Pickerington, OH/Pickerington North
Recruitment Status: committed to Ohio State

Five-star QB Kyle McCord


Class: 2021
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA/St. Joseph’s
Recruitment Status: committed to Ohio State

Five-star RB TreVeyon Henderson


Class: 2021
Hometown: Hopewell, VA/Hopewell
Recruitment Status: committed to Ohio State

Five-star WR Emeka Egbuka


Class: 2021
Hometown: Stellacoom, WA/Stellacoom
Recruitment Status: has Ohio State among top schools

Quick Hits:

• Recent Ohio State four-star DB commit Jordan Hancock announced he will opt out of his senior season of high school football. The nation’s No. 5 corner in the 2021 class cited family health concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic as the primary reason for his decision.

• Late Monday night, Ohio State sent out a scholarship offer to five-star athlete Keon Sabb. The 6-foot-3 New Jersey native is the No. 1 athlete in the 2022 class, and the No. 8 player in the cycle overall. Already holding over 28 offers this early in the game, Sabb is clearly a highly sought after prospect. He projects as a defensive back at the next level, and so Kerry Coombs will likely look to work his magic in this recruitment.

Continue reading...

Buckeye Bits: Ohio State commit Jordan Hancock sitting out his senior season, no fans in the Shoe, 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

Twitter via @jordanhancock_7
All of the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond.

I am happy to report that there’s finally...a lot to report! Things are happening in the sports-world, and there will likely be even bigger news coming later this week when the Big Ten announces its plans for the 2020 season. Until then, keep scrolling for everything you may have missed over the weekend, including some updates on a few of Ohio State’s biggest 2021 commits, the newest plans for fans in the stands, the Pac-12 players’ ultimatum and more.

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...


Column: Why Notre Dame needs the ACC to save its own brand

Meredith Hein, LGHL

In her column this week, Meredith talks all things marketing (which happens to be her day job), including the decline of Notre Dame’s brand over the years. What was once one of the most powerful brands in all of sports, The Fighting Irish have lost significant brand equity in recent years, now living in the shadows of the likes of Ohio State, Alabama, USC, Texas and Oklahoma.

Meredith attributes many reasons to the demise of ND’s brand— the main one being the fact that they’re the odd one out of college football, which has been made especially obvious due to this year’s conference-only scheduling in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Notre Dame has opted to play in the ACC this year, and if they were to remain in the conference indefinitely, Meredith notes that it would give them the opportunity to regain some brand equity by reaching a new audience and by winning some conference titles.

Sleepers of the Room: Don’t count Gunnar Hoak out for the backup job

Tia Johnston, LGHL

Ohio State’s quarterback room is full of talent this season. With Justin Fields at the helm and a freshman duo in CJ Stroud and Jack Miller battling each other for the starting job next season, it’s easy to overlook the other QB in the room— Gunnar Hoak, who will likely be playing many a fourth quarter this season.

Ohio State offers Georgia commit over the weekend

Gene Ross, LGHL

Lots of recruiting updates in this morning’s State Secrets, including Ohio State’s latest offer to a 2023 athlete, a commitment from the nation’s No. 2 OLB and the five recruits who could be next to commit.

From around the gridiron...


State order prohibits fans at Ohio State, Bengals, Browns games

Garrett Stepien, Bucknuts

A new order was signed in Ohio on Aug. 1, which allows sports to continue...sans fans. This applies to the state’s NFL and college football teams, and will remain the case until Gov. DeWine’s state of emergency is no longer in effect.

*pretends to be shocked*


Looming questions as Buckeyes, Big Ten face critical-decisions week

Austin Ward, Lettermen Row

We’ve heard from just about every other Power Five conference regarding their schedules and plans for the upcoming season....except the Big Ten. The B1G’s commissioner, Kevin Warren, hinted that the league would announce on Wednesday whether or not teams can start full practices on Friday (Aug 7) as originally planned, which means it will also need provide the teams with some type of schedule and glimpse into their plans.

Austin lists some other questions that we should get answers to this week, including: Will any Ohio State players opt out? And how will Ryan Day tweak practice schedules/training groups?


Ohio State commit Jordan Hancock sitting out 2020 season

Steve Wiltfong, 247Sports

2021 cornerback Jordan Hancock will not be playing his senior season of high school football. Both of his parents are at-risk individuals, and Hancock wants to limit his face-to-face contact with other people so as not to bring home the virus. He has already informed Day of his decision.

Hancock is the No. 4 cornerback and No. 40 prospect overall in the 2021 class.


TreVeyon Henderson, Evan Pryor Named to SI All-American Top-10 List at Running Back

Adam Prescott, BuckeyesNow

A pair of future Ohio State running backs were selected to the Sports Illustrated All-American Watch List Top 10. TreVeyon Henderson tops the list and Evan Pryor is No. 4.

Henderson is the No. 1 running back in the 2021 class and Pryor is the No. 2 all purpose back.


Everything that makes Ohio State QB Justin Fields an ideal Heisman Trophy candidate: Buckeye Take

Doug Lesmerises, cleveland.com

Well for starters, he was a Heisman Trophy candidate last season so....

Lesmerises names a few more valid reasons why the stud Buckeye QB will likely be in the running for the trophy again this season, including the edge he has over Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence, and how he compares to past Heisman winners.


OSU staffer Justin Perez creates GoFundMe for son with cancer

Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

The Ohio State Assistant Director of Player Personnel, Justin Perez, learned this summer that his six-year-old son, Peyton, has been diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, a blood and bone marrow cancer that affects the white blood cells. The Perez family is now facing more than three years of chemotherapy and hospitalizations for their son.

If you can, please consider donating to their GoFundMe page, where they hope to raise $40,000 to help cover the cost of Peyton’s treatments. You can do so here.


Trey Sermon doubles up.


Ohio State running back Trey Sermon—who wore No. 4 during his three years at Oklahoma—will wear No. 8 as a Buckeye.

From everywhere else...


Let’s check in on the PAC 12.


Over the weekend, a group of Pac-12 football players from multiple schools put a letter in The Players’ Tribune threatening to opt out of fall camp and the 2020 college football season unless a list of demands were met by the conference. The demands included in that list (among many others) are as follows:

1. Better health and safety precautions, such as allowing players not to play during the pandemic without losing athletics eligibility or their spot on the roster
2. Conference commissioner Larry Scott, administrators, and coaches to voluntarily and drastically reduce excessive pay in order to help preserve existing sports.
3. End racial injustice in college sports and society. Players want to form a permanent civic-engagement task force made up of our leaders and experts of their choice to address outstanding issues when it comes to racism.
4. Guaranteed medical expense coverage for sports-related medical conditions, including COVID-19 illness, to cover six years after college athletics eligibility ends.
5. Fair market pay, rights, and freedoms, including the right to earn money from their name, image and likeness

The group is reported to include hundreds of Pac 12 football players, and while the group realizes that many of these demands will take time to negotiate, the coronavirus-related asks remain the top priority for the group.

In my personal opinion, all of this stuff should have been done a long time ago, and while most of these demands will likely not be granted, I’m happy to see college athletes discovering the power they have over the coaches/directors/commissioners/administrators who profit off of their talents.


Report: Washington State players who support Pac-12 movement ‘released from team’

John Taylor, NBC Sports

Gotta agree with the first sentence in this article: “This is not a good look for Washington State or first-year head football coach Nick Rolovich. At all.”


According to Taylor, Washington State has not addressed these claims, nor have they even attempted to clarify the allegations which, quite frankly, tells us (and recruits) all we need to know about Rolovich.


Jashon Cornell signs rookie deal with Detroit Lions

Jaylon Thompson, 247Sports

Good news! Former Ohio State defensive tackle Jashon Cornell agreed to his rookie deal with the Detroit Lions after being selected as a seventh-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Cornell recorded 30 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks last season with Buckeyes.


Bad news! Steelers released J.T. Barrett.


The Steelers waived the former Buckeye quarterback, along with seven other players on Sunday. Barrett signed to the Steelers’ practice squad last Dec. 24, then signed to a reserve/futures contract six days later.

The Steelers were Barrett’s third NFL organization in his first two seasons.


Odell is skeptical.


The Pac 12 players aren’t the only ones speaking out about their discomfort playing football this season. In fact, Cleveland Browns WR Odell Beckham Jr. told The Wall Street Journal that he wouldn’t mind not having a season at all. However, it was later reported that his comments were made before seeing the Browns’ facilities and the safety precautions they’ve put in place, and Beckham is now not expected to opt out.

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Column: Why Notre Dame needs the ACC to save its own brand
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
A decline in brand equity means a necessary shift in strategy.

The concept of sports franchises and teams as brands has been bubbling subtly under the surface of many of the conversations surrounding sports this summer, both in light of COVID-19 and systemic racism in the U.S. Obviously it’s not of primary, secondary or even tertiary concern, but it is interesting to consider how this underlying and oft unrecognizable brand loyalty has worked against progressing toward a better future in sports.

The most obvious example was the conversation surrounding the Washington Football Team’s (formerly Redskins’) long-overdue name change this summer. How many people did you hear say “they’ve always been the Redskins. What’s the big deal?” What these folks are really saying is they identify with a brand and branding that’s remained static almost since its founding — at least when it comes to naming, logo and traditions.

Then there’s the consideration of no fans in stadiums. Yeah, that’s a huge bummer for a lot of reasons (so wear your masks, people), but there’s also the subtle component of fanbases contributing to sports brands, and how maybe a less-than-full Ohio Stadium wouldn’t feel like an Ohio State game at all. There’s a reason the NBA invested in building a digital fan base for its return to basketball bubble.

I could go on for hours. Really, I could: My day job is in marketing. The discussion around branding in sports is fascinating, in particular because of the brand loyalty it evokes. Consider the fire that comes to each of your bellies when you see a fellow Ohio State fan in Disney World (not now, obviously) or the irrational rage you feel when you witness someone in maize and blue with the AUDACITY to be walking down High Street.

Which obviously begs the question: Where is the brand equity for these teams built? For Ohio State, we have visuals and associations that build symbolism. For example, as an Ohio State fan, what do you associate the colors “scarlet and gray” with? How do you feel about a man with a giant light-and-dark brown nut for a head? Is “horseshoe” a game or a place? These parts have been drilled into our conscience for years by watching the Buckeyes play on TV, living in Columbus and seeing flags everywhere, and going to Graeter’s and getting Buckeye Blitz ice cream, ultimately building the aforementioned associations.

These components also build loyalty and a community around that loyalty, because brands can be badges you use to express yourself (looking at you, Apple people). You might think you are just wearing your Woody Hayes classic black Ohio State hat because it looks cool, but you’re also linking back to the symbolism it expresses and projecting that as an indication of who you are.

Which brings us to why this topic is interesting and relevant now. If we were to build a Mount Rushmore of college football brands, there is a limited set of the 130 FBS teams who would even be marked for consideration for inclusion in those coveted spots. My personal bias aside, few could argue against including Ohio State as one of those brands (my Michigan fan husband agrees). Alabama surely tops the list in the SEC, while USC, Texas and Oklahoma also have strong arguments in their favor. Schools like Florida, Michigan, Clemson, Miami, Florida State, Nebraska and a slew of others are firmly on that second tier.

Because I know I’m ruffling a lot of feathers, I want to clarify that when I’m talking about a “brand” in this sense, I’m not actually talking about who is good and bad at football. I’m talking about those associations I mentioned earlier - the recognition, for example, of a Michigan fan from a mile away because of that distinct and horrid color scheme, or of a Browns fan for an equally distinct yet warm, kind and inviting palate (am I being biased here?), or of Nebraska’s block N, Florida’s gator or the longhorn logo of Texas. For the teams mentioned above, those associations are strong to the point that particular shades of blue and yellow - just colors on a palate - suddenly mean something when put together.

Back to the topic at hand. You’ll notice there is a notable absence from the top tier; a team so fiercely independent and yet so inconsequential that it’s managed to fall from grace.

Yep. It’s Notre Dame.

Once among the most powerful brands in sports, Notre Dame has lost significant brand equity in recent years. We could cite the decline of the influence of the Catholic church in the U.S. as a factor in reducing the reach of the historically Catholic university as a brand. Contributing to the decline in reach, and the crux of this column, is also the fact Notre Dame remained and, after 2020, could return to being an independent. In fact, the Fighting Irish have built their brand equity on being so inherently sought after and worthwhile that they were above being part of a mere conference like these other mere mortal football programs.

So how has this brand impacted the Fighting Irish on the field?

Ohio State doesn’t win a national championship every year, but it sure as heck vies for and wins most conference championships in the Big Ten. Teams in the Power-5 are similar, in that even if they don’t win the Playoff, which only one team can win in a given season, they have chances to win conferences or divisions or boast conference players of the year.

A real area where these banners have impact is in recruiting. The consideration set for recruits isn’t limited to CFP teams, but for top recruits, it is often limited to those schools who compete year in and year out to win something - like a conference title. That’s why Ohio State crushes Michigan in recruiting every year. That’s why James Franklin has Penn State creeping up the recruiting rankings in recent years.

Notre Dame? Not in the top 10 in recruiting. In fact, Notre Dame hasn’t had a higher than 10th-ranked recruiting class since 2013 (fifth) — the year after the Irish’s embarrassing loss to Bama in the BCS title game.

Notre Dame recruits like the third or fourth best team in the Big Ten. In fact, if they were in the Big Ten, they would have been in fourth place, just ahead of Nebraska, in 2020. When you’re not getting the talent to play for a national title and you don’t have any conference banners to hang your hat on, the recruiting pitch tends to fall back on history. The problem with that strategy is that Notre Dame’s most recent national title was in 1988. Their most recent Heisman winner (Tim Brown) won the trophy in 1987.

Of course, the Irish football team is not helped by the stringent academic standards which might keep out a four- or five-star recruit — one who would otherwise attend Ohio State or Michigan.

There’s also an impact of this independence on scheduling. Unlike Power-5 teams, who are something of known entities and whose schedules can be generally racked and stacked by the end of a given season, Notre Dame remains a mystery. The Irish boast of their standing rivalries - USC, Navy, Stanford - and their other scheduling nuances which pit the Irish against many Power-5 schools year in and year out, but the fact is that teams like Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State have to play teams like Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State for nine weeks of the year. (Maybe even 10! We’ll see how this season goes I guess). It’s not hard to recognize that, on the whole, Ohio State, Clemson, Alabama and any other Power-5 team that wins its conference has played a more challenging schedule than the hodge-podge Notre Dame puts forth every season.

This equity, built on independence, on panache, on being the top destination for recruits in the midwest, has not kept up with the times. The rest of college football consolidated, leaving the Fighting Irish on the outskirts. The squeaky wheel lost a lot of what credibility it had remaining when it fell to Clemson in the CFP in 2018.

You’ll notice that, at the outset, I said that the brand wasn’t about who was good and who was bad at football, but that those points are what I’m arguing have been the downfall of Notre Dame. For comparison, consider Nebraska: another great college football brand who was also last good decades ago. Nebraska was sitting in a floundering Big 12 conference before shifting to the Big Ten, building a new market of rivals (cough, Iowa) and growing its brand recognition to a new region of the country. Nebraska hasn’t won any more national titles, but the Huskers made an appearance in a Big Ten Championship game and have continued to extend their brand rather than losing equity by remaining in the Big 12.

It took a global pandemic that threatened the college football season for Notre Dame to recognize the financial disaster awaiting its programs. While other conferences quickly made the jump to conference-only seasons, the Fighting Irish became the odd team out. Even the service academies, with two independents in Army and Navy, were guaranteed a couple games in 2020.

If it chose to remain in the ACC, Notre Dame would have the opportunity to regain some brand equity by reaching a new base and possibly even by winning some games and conference titles. But they’d have to rethink the fundamentals of what’s built their equity - since being a fiercely independent being is what led to its shrinking influence in the first place.

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Sleepers of the Room: Don’t count Gunnar Hoak out for the backup job
Tia Johnston via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
Experience and seniority gives the redshirt senior an edge in the backup QB battle

Now that we’ve addressed the leaders of each group on Ohio State’s roster, it’s time to take a look at the guys that just might surprise us this season—the guys who tend to fly under the radar, but carry immense potential.

To begin, we’ll start with one of the most reputable and, arguably, one of the most important positions on the roster: The Backup Quarterback.

As Buckeye fans, we know all too well the impact a backup quarterback can have on a game, hell, an entire season. I probably don’t have to remind you of the 2014 quarterback saga, but I’ll give you the SparksNotes version just in case. Backup quarterback J.T. Barrett became the team’s starter in the blink of an eye after Braxton Miller suffered a season-ending injury eight days before the first game. A few months later, Barrett went down early in the fourth quarter of the Michigan game, leaving the rest of Ohio State’s national championship run in the hands of their third-string QB, Cardale Jones. You know the rest.

Then there’s the infamous Kenny Guiton, who did the impossible against Purdue in 2012 after Miller was carted off the field. Guiton had to go 61 yards for the touchdown AND get the two-point conversion to tie the game, all within 47 seconds. He did just that, and then went on to win the game in overtime.

And most recently, when Barrett injured his knee (again) during the third quarter against Michigan in 2017, it was redshirt freshman Dwayne Haskins who took over, completing six of his seven pass attempts for 94 yards, and making his case for the starting job the following season.

However, last season is when I think we all really felt the importance of having a reliable backup QB. Justin Fields went down in the third quarter against Michigan (I think it’s safe to assume Ohio State will probably need their backup in the second half of every Michigan game) after aggravating a sprained MCL injury. Sure, he was out for all of three minutes, but for those long (so...so long) three minutes, the fate of Ohio State’s season fell right into Chris Chugonov’s lap. In that moment, we all prayed for a Guiton/Barrett/Jones/Haskins performance to occur.

I don’t know about you, but I wasn’t exactly confident in Chugonov’s ability to lead us through the playoffs, but then again I was pretty skeptical about Jones, too. While Chug never got the chance to prove us all wrong, the lesson to be learned is this: Ohio State should have a damn good QB2 ready to go every. single. year.

And luckily, we just might have that this fall, as this season’s quarterback room is the deepest it’s been in quite sometime. Lined up behind Fields is redshirt senior Gunnar Hoak, and the highly acclaimed freshmen, CJ Stroud and Jack Miller.

Stroud and Miller have certainly been the headline grabbers since they arrived in Columbus in January. Not only are they each battling Hoak for the backup job, but they’re also in the mix to become Field’s successor in 2021.

Stroud was a five-star, No. 41 overall prospect and No. 2 pro-style QB in his class. He threw for nearly 6,500 yards in 35 games at Rancho Cucamonga, Cali., completing just under 63 percent of his passes with 70 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, earning him Elite 11 MVP honors.

Miller was a four-star recruit who, due to injury, dropped to No. 334 overall during his final year of high school. Miller threw for just under 9,500 yards in 38 games at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, Ariz. He completed over 56 percent of his passes and totaled 115 touchdowns with 31 interceptions.

So yeah, they deserve all the hype, and I make the argument as to why one of them could easily snag the QB2 spot at some point in the season here.

But if Fields goes down early in the season, I don’t think it’s Stroud’s or Miller’s name Ryan Day will be calling— not when there’s another guy on the list who’s had a full year to study the playbook, along with four years of experience in the Power Five.

Hoak — a Dublin, Ohio-native and the only other returning scholarship quarterback besides Fields — spent three years at Kentucky before graduate transferring to Ohio State last summer. Hoak served as Ohio State’s third-string quarterback behind Fields and Chugunov last season, and took advantage of every opportunity he was given. He completed all six of his pass attempts for 104 yards and one touchdown.

Before they were cancelled, this year’s spring practices were supposed to serve as the big stage for Hoak, allowing him to show off his experience and understanding of the playbook—something he has over Stroud and Miller. However one could also say that the lack of in-person practices gives Hoak somewhat of an edge in the backup battle. Sure, he could have benefited from spring practice, but as freshmen, those reps are even more crucial for Stroud and Miller to get acclimated to the increased speed and intensity of the college game.

Now, as game one approaches, the two freshmen have spent minimal time with their coaches and teammates, having to learn most of the playbook virtually, while Hoak is well-versed in the system, is accustomed to the college game, has practiced with most of the receiving unit already and is without question the most reliable option on the depth chart right now.

Maybe as the season progresses, Stroud or Miller get in the swing of things and inch their way past Hoak, but it’s always hard to look past the veteran. As Hoak is approaching his final year of college eligibility, it could be his most important one yet.

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Ohio State offers Georgia commit over the weekend
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Trinity Christian Academy athlete Treyaun Webb | Andrew Ivins, 247Sports
Catching you up with the latest Buckeye recruiting news from the past few days

Ryan Day and the rest of the Ohio State staff are making sure the team stays loaded with talent for years to come. Still looking to close out the 2021 class strong and finish with the No. 1 group in the nation, the Buckeyes have been hard at work scouting talent in both the 2022 and 2023 cycles. Recruiting never stops, and at a powerhouse program like the one that resides in Columbus, you must always be a step ahead of the competition to remain at the top.

On Saturday, the team sent out its latest offer to a member of the 2023 class, reaching out to Georgia commit Treyaun Webb. The Florida native announced the offer via his Twitter page.


Webb, an athlete out of Trinity Christian Academy, has been committed to the Bulldogs since November of last year. The 6-foot, 188-pound standout now holds over 36 different offers from nearly all of the nation’s top programs, including the likes of Alabama, Florida, LSU, Oklahoma, Penn State and obviously Georgia. With his primary recruiter being Tony Alford, the Buckeyes likely see him as a running back at the next level.

Ohio State has been busy early on in the 2023 class when it comes to the talent-rich Florida area. According to 247Sports, the Buckeyes currently have eight offers out in the cycle, and five of those are from the Sunshine State. In addition to Webb, the program has offered a trio of Florida offensive tackles in Payton Kirkland, TJ Shanahan, and Clay Wedin in addition to defensive end Derrick LeBlanc.

Ratings for the 2023 have not yet been released, so we will have to wait and see where these guys stack up with the rest of the class. However, you know if Ohio State is offering players that are currently high school sophomores, they will likely be pretty high up the list.

Quick Hits

• On Sunday, Bill Kurelic of Bucknuts dropped a list of five recruits he thinks could be the next to commit to Ohio State, regardless of current class standing. At the top of the list was 2022 linebacker Dasan McCullough. The nation’s No. 7 athlete and No. 69 player overall, McCullough has flirted with the Buckeyes for quite a while now, and just this past Thursday received a Crystal Ball to OSU from 247Sports director of recruiting Steve Wiltfong with a confidence of seven.

Here he is reacting to the commitment of Gabe Powers on Saturday:

• Oh yea, in case you somehow missed it, Ohio State got a commitment from the nation’s No. 2 OLB on Saturday. Powers, the No. 1 player in Ohio in 2022, chose the Buckeyes out of 18 different scholarship offers, including Kentucky, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State and others. Powers’ commitment, the fourth in the class, gave OSU the No. 2 group in the cycle thus far, trailing only LSU (who has five total commits).

• A big reason for Ohio State’s early success in 2022? Look no further than C.J. Hicks, who has taken on the role as “Captain Buckeye” in his relentless pursuit of adding talent to his class. Between Hicks’ efforts in 2022 and TreVeyon Henderson’s in 2021, Ryan Day’s job gets just a little bit easier as his recruits continue to do work on the trail themselves.

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