How will Ohio State replace the production of Chase Young?
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Buckeyes’ defensive line has some massive shoes to fill

We touched on it briefly in yesterday’s Buckeye Bits, but on Tuesday Bill Connelly dropped a great piece on ESPN about college football’s national title contenders. Specifically, he looked at the teams with the best title odds according to Caesars Sportsbook, and for each program he looked at just how many “ifs” it would take for that school to win it all.

Ohio State was included in the elite group of upper-tier teams that required only two “ifs” in order to contend for a title — the only other programs in that group being Clemson and Alabama. One of the Buckeyes’ ifs required their clearly talented wide receiver core to actually play up to its incredibly high potential, but the other was a bit more of a question mark: If OSU wants to contend for a title, they must keep up the pass rush without Chase Young.

I hate to break it to you, but I don't think Ohio State has another generational talent on the roster quite like the 6-foot-5, 265-pound No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft. Now, that’s not to say there aren’t some really good guys along this year’s defensive line, but Young was absolutely out of this world. The junior led the nation with 16.5 (!!) sacks despite being forced to miss two games, and according to Connelly he generated pressure on 19% of his pass rushes — the most by far of any player with at least 200 attempts.

It’s not just Young that the Buckeyes are tasked with replacing either. Of the nation-leading 54 sacks Ohio State registered in 2019, only 20.5 were by players who will be returning in 2020. Guys like DaVon Hamilton (six sacks), Jashon Cornell (4) and Malik Harrison (3.5) all must have their production replaced this upcoming season as well. Luckily, what the team may lack in pure star power like that of Young, they make up for in depth.

While there is certainly going to be heavy rotation along the defensive line this season, the strength of the unit will really rely on both Zach Harrison and Tyreke Smith.

Harrison, now a sophomore, was a five-star prospect out of high school, and the No. 2 DE in the country in his class. Both Young and fellow defensive end Jonathan Cooper had high praise for the talented edge rusher last season, with Young having called him a “force to be reckoned with,” and Cooper lauding his athleticism and work ethic. Having played in more of a limited role the past season, Harrison will now be expected to take the next step and prove that potential on the field.

Oddly enough, as a freshman Harrison finished with 3.5 sacks and 22 total tackles with five for a loss. Chase Young’s first season in Columbus? 3.5 sacks, 18 total tackles, five for a loss. It’s asking a lot for Harrison to mirror what Young did in 2019, and nobody is actually expecting that of him, but the potential for a breakout season for the second-year man is certainly on the table.

Smith, while not as well-known nationally as Harrison, was also a highly rated prospect out of high school. As the No. 4 WDE in the nation in the 2018 class, the Cleveland native now enters year three looking to make that junior jump we’ve seen from Ohio State players all too often. Injuries have slowed down his progress in his first two seasons in Columbus, but Smith was able to put together a solid year in 2019, finishing with three sacks and five tackles for loss. He and Harrison are expected to be the first-teamers on this year’s defense.

Those guys will have a ton of help, however, as the Buckeyes’ defensive line has some impeccable depth. The aforementioned Cooper is returning for a fifth year after an ankle injury forced him to redshirt last season, and there's reason to believe he’ll be entering the year with something to prove after becoming an afterthought in 2019.

There are also players like Tyler Friday and Javontae Jean-Baptiste. Both four-star recruits out of high school, the pair of third-year defensive ends could become key members of this rotating cast this upcoming season. With two sacks by Friday and 1.5 by Jean-Baptiste last year in reserve duty, there's no reason to think an increase in production is out of the question with another offseason of tutelage under Larry Johnson.

Ohio State should also have some pass-rushing talent up the middle. Last season, Hamilton was second on the team with six sacks from his defensive tackle spot. This year, the team is hoping to see the return of Taron Vincent, who missed all of the previous campaign with a shoulder injury. The top DT recruit in the country in 2018, Vincent, alongside Haskell Garrett and Tommy Togiai, should be able to cause some disruption to help out the rest of their fellow linemen.

I can almost promise you this: nobody on Ohio State’s current roster will match Chase Young’s 16.5 sacks — I will GLADLY be Old Takes Exposed to death if that actually happens. In fact, there may not be one Buckeye that reaches double-digit sacks this upcoming season, but that’s okay. This unit does not have the big flashy names it has in years prior, but it is a deep group with lots of talent and some untapped potential that should not have a problem getting to the quarterback in 2020.

Continue reading...

Didn't see a thread about this and in my opinion, it's one of the best series I've watched since the conclusion of GoT.

Anyone else a fan?

Just finished watching most of the season and the NC game. How did they win the Big Ten, let alone an NC? Coulda, probably shoulda lost to Purdue, Illinois, Michigan and Cincinnati. While Krenzel didn’t fumble or throw a bunch of interceptions, he also wasn’t accurate. Grooms and Nugent, Jenkins and Gamble, Smith, Doss, Wilhelm, Oleva and Stepanovich and the rest was smoke and mirrors. Took me two days to recover from the NC hangover.

Ohio State offers a trio of tight ends on Tuesday
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Westminster School TE Holden Staes | Rusty Mansell, 247Sports
The Buckeyes continue to fill out their target board for the 2022 class

We’ve talked ad nauseam about the strength of Ohio State’s 2021 recruiting class. However, at a program like the one that resides in Columbus, you cannot step back all too often to rest on your laurels. The grind never stops, and before this current cycle is wrapped up a ton of work must be put into getting a head start on 2022 if the team wants to build continued success.

Three new Buckeye offers


As of the time this is being written, 247Sports has the running total for Ohio State’s 2022 scholarship offers at 65. However, with at least two of the newest offers having not yet hit the site, the actual number is likely somewhere north of 67. On Tuesday morning, the Buckeyes had an offer out to just one tight end in the class, but that number grew exponentially later that afternoon.

The first guy to officially add his name to the list is Westminster School’s Holden Staes. Not yet being rated by 247Sports, Staes is listed as a high three-star prospect on Rivals.


The Georgia native adds Ohio State to an already impressive list of at least 20 offers, including the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Michigan, Penn State and others. The 6-foot-4, 240 pound tight end as seen his recruitment pick up as of late with both the Crimson Tide and Tigers offers coming at the end of May and now most recently the Buckeyes. Look for him to be at least a four-star prospect when the next update comes around.

Tight end is a big position of need in the 2022 class for Ohio State, and so the work did not stop there. A short while later, fellow TE Benji Gosnell took to Twitter to announce his latest offer from the Buckeyes.


A four-star prospect, Gosnell is the No. 5 TE in the class and the No. 9 player out of his home state of North Carolina according to 247Sports. The East Surry product currently holds offers from at least 14 programs, including the likes of Florida, Georgia, Notre Dame and Tennessee. Ryan Day was able to snag one of the Tar Heel State’s top prospects in RB Evan Pryor during this current cycle, and he'll be looking to do the same with Gosnell in 2022.

The offers did not stop there for Kevin Wilson and Co., as Bennett Christian became the third tight end in the span of about an hour to announce a scholarship offer from Ohio State on Twitter.


Without yet having a rating on either 247Sports or Rivals, the 6-foot-5, 225 pound tight end has around 10 different offers at this time, including programs such as Kentucky, Michigan State, Nebraska and Pittsburgh. A Georgia native like Staes, coach Wilson must have been doing his homework on tight ends on the East Coast, feeling comfortable enough to send out the trio of offers on Tuesday.

The TE spot is certainly going to be a position of great emphasis in the 2022 class, as both Luke Farrell and Jeremy Ruckert will likely be off to the NFL following this upcoming season. Ohio State currently has one TE commit in the 2021 class in Sam Hart, and could potentially still be adding the four-star Hudson Wolfe to the mix, but it is definitely a position group worth keeping an eye on moving forward.

Quick Hits

• Two of Ohio State’s early commits in the 2022 class are teaming up to give back to their community. Jyaire Brown and Tegra Tshabola will be hosting a youth camp for ages 8-14, with training in both offensive line and skill positions.

• I touched on this earlier on Tuesday in my Buckeye Bits column, but Ohio State running back commit TreVeyon Henderson has drawn some incredibly high praise.

Continue reading...

Buckeye Bits: Ohio State players/staff speak up, how the Bucks can contend for a title, the next great OSU RB, more
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

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

With everything that’s currently going on in the world, it would feel wrong to make some kind of snarky joke or say something sarcastic like I usually would at the beginning of these things. Instead, today we will just be bringing you the latest Ohio State news. Some of it will be sports related to help escape the harsh realities of society, but I feel it is also important to highlight the outstanding work our fellow Buckeyes and others are doing to help take steps toward social justice and equality.

Without further ado, let’s get on with today’s headlines.

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...

• Ohio State offers 2021 four-star combo guard
  (Dan Hessler, LGHL)

Ryan Day isn’t the only Ohio State coach that gets to have some fun in the recruiting game. Chris Holtmann is putting in the work as well, and having already put together the nation’s No. 5 class in this cycle, they are hoping to make the short list for a top prospect later this week.

• Play Like a Girl podcast: A tribute to Phyllis George
  (Tia and Meredith, LGHL)

In this special written edition of the Play Like a Girl Podcast, Tia and Meredith pay homage to one of the trailblazers for women in sports media: Phyllis George. As host of The NFL Today beginning in 1975, CBS’ premier pregame show, George paved the way for so many talented women to make a name for themselves in a predominantly male realm.

• Ryan Day has changed the quarterback position at Ohio State
  (Gene Ross, LGHL)

With no theme week from the mothership over at SB Nation this week, I decided to do a little bit of a dive into Ryan Day’s success coaching quarterbacks at Ohio State. Before he was the headman, he was in charge of the QB room, and since he’s joined the staff the Buckeyes have become one of the most prolific passing offenses in the nation.

From around the gridiron...

• The Ohio State football team put out a very powerful video on their Twitter feed last night, with many of its players and also coach Day advocating for the change that so many in this country are currently seeking.

• This is the first and likely only time I will ever say this, but you have to respect Jim Harbaugh for this move. In times like these, it’s important that those in a position of power and influence take a stand. For once, Day and Harbaugh are on the same page.

Ugly mask, though.

• Ohio State wide receiver C.J. Saunders arrested for curfew violation
  (Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors)

Saunders was detained by Columbus PD after walking from North High Street at 10:45 p.m. despite a 10 p.m. city curfew. The sixth-year senior, who is still awaiting word from the NCAA in terms of his eligibility for this upcoming season, posted bond at the Franklin County Jail on Tuesday morning. The arrest report did not specify if Saunders was participating in the protest, but that is assumed to have been the case. If so, good for CJ for sticking up for what he believes in.

• Why Corey Dennis was the right pick to lead Buckeyes’ QBs
  (Austin Ward, Lettermen Row)

With the departure of Mike Yurcich to Texas, Ohio State was in need of a new quarterbacks coach. Sure, Ryan Day was pretty much the man in charge of the room anyway, but the team needed someone on staff they could trust to carry on Day’s methods and teachings. According to the Bucks’ head coach, continuity among the coaches was a big factor in promoting Corey Dennis to fill the role.

• How each top 2020 college football team becomes a national title contender
  (Bill Connelly, ESPN)

Our good friend Bill over at ESPN put together a great piece looking at the two biggest “ifs” for each team in college football that has a chance to win a national title. When it comes to Ohio State, Connelly said the most important aspects will be finding ways to replace Chase Young’s production along the defensive line and the need for all of their high-upside wideouts to show prove that high upside.

• Charles Power of 247Sports had some incredibly high praise for Ohio State commit TreVeyon Henderson, calling the five-star RB “the most complete running back prospect entering his senior season in several recruiting cycles.” He’s got all the tools necessary to be the next great back for the Buckeyes.

• Speaking of Ohio State running backs, Trey Sermon has arrived.

From everywhere else...

• The Big Ten has announced the creation of Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Coalition, intended to be comprised of the conference’s student-athletes, coaches, and other members of the community as we all work together to create a better world.

• I would highly recommend taking time out of your day to watch this video from Emmanuel Acho. It is incredibly profound and yet another instance of someone using their platform to help inspire change and further the education on such a tough topic.

• Some good news in the world of sports: the NBA is working on a plan to make its return. The proposal, which would include 22 teams either in the playoffs/on the verge of a playoff spot playing at the ESPN complex in Orlando, would have the season resume on July 31, and would extend potentially to Oct. 12.

• We should all be proud to be Buckeyes in times like these, especially with a guy like Ryan Day in charge of things. His unwavering support has not gone unnoticed.

Continue reading...

Play Like a Girl podcast (written edition): A tribute to Phyllis George
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 The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images
Tia and Meredith discuss George’s impact on the industry and how she paved the way for women in sports

On this week’s special (written) edition of Play Like a Girl, Meredith and Tia pay special tribute to Phyllis George, a pioneer of sports broadcasting and one of the first women to report sports on-air.

Hey friends - sorry we can’t share our dulcet tones with you this week, but it’s been a couple weeks since Phyllis George passed away, and Tia and I wanted to pay special tribute to this special person who paved the way so much for us and other female sportswriters and broadcasters.

Phyllis George did a lot of things throughout her career, but we’re going to focus on a subset that’s relevant to this podcast (even in written form). George was host of The NFL Today, CBS’ premiere pregame show, starting in 1975. It’s been many decades, the world has certainly changed and, as it relates to George, has opened up to women in sports.

Meredith: I’ll admit that I didn’t know a lot about Phyllis before hearing about her death, so I recognize that I’ve become one of those people who posthumously mourns someone who didn’t really impact me directly, but it was upsetting that I wasn’t really aware of the contributions of Phyllis as a pioneer in a field which is really important in my life. And even though her on-air time was before my time, her influence has certainly been felt: Doris Burke, Robin Roberts, Hannah Storm and others are all broadcasters I’ve looked up to over the years.

Tia: I’m with you in that I didn’t know much about her until now, but after googling her and watching YouTube video after YouTube video, I think she’s my new hero. Here are some good ones that capture who she was and some of the work she did:


It’s almost sad that, when I watch some of her interviews and broadcasts, my thoughts instantly go to “I bet so many people didn’t take her seriously,” which has nothing to do with her performance, and has everything to do with the fact that women sports broadcasters are still, to this day, not taken seriously by some, let alone George who was the very first woman to do it.

Meredith: I was born in 1990, and by that time, there were a few women in sports who I’ve always remembered being on the air (confirmed by The Last Dance, which featured several early- to mid-1990s female reporters), but I can’t imagine what it was like back in the 1970s when it really was “a man’s world.”

One of the things that stuck out to me was something her daughter said about when Phyllis would receive hate mail. “Mom said that when she stopped reading the letters, she gained so much confidence.” We’ve talked about that subject on the show so much, and it’s really such great advice. I mean, you want to be able to take guidance and grow (because a growth mindset is important), but when people are really just insecure about themselves and try to tear you down to build themselves up, it’s best to just ignore them.

What’s horribly depressing is that we continue to see this kind of behavior on social media (or in our comments section) every day. We’ve talked extensively on the pod about the quizzing and the comments that men will make when they find out we like sports, but at least we can laugh together about it. I can’t even imagine what it was like for Phyllis when she was literally the first woman there.

Tia: When you’re in the business of putting out content or speaking on camera, allowing yourself to be judged by everyone reading or watching or listening, I think it’s so easy to tell yourself “oh, I can ignore the trolls! They’re just insecure!” or “I’ll just turn a blind eye,” but turning that into action is incredibly difficult. Not only did George keep her chin up and blatantly ignore the hateful letters, she did so with grace and class. I have nothing against snapping back at awful comments you might get on Twitter— sometimes you just gotta reply— but I’m a firm believer that no reaction is the best reaction. It makes me smile thinking of those men back in the 70s who, even after sending her hate mail, had to watch her grace their televisions once more...with even more confidence.

Meredith: Phyllis was also Miss America back in 1971. I love that she used that platform to grow and pioneer the sports broadcast industry as a place for women. I’m going to be real: I couldn’t name a single Miss America winner, so it’s pretty cool that she continued to leverage that part of her life to build this place for women in sports.

Obviously the disparity still exists today. Brent Musburger, who was on NFL Today with Phyllis back in the day, cited the “dozens” of women whom Phyllis paved the way for when it came to sports broadcasting. “Dozens” is not a lot. There are literally dozens of sports networks with hundreds of shows and thousands of individuals involved over five decades. How are there only dozens of women that Musburger can think of?

Tia: Downsizing her impact to “a dozen” is a slap in the face to George, who literally paved the way for every single female sports broadcaster since 1975. Every single one of them. Like you said, that’s not a dozen, but thousands of women. Not to mention the hundreds of women in the 70s who loved sports, maybe wanted to work in sports, but were told it was not a place for women, only to see George pop up on their screens chatting about football.

“Sometimes you have to see it to be it; you have to know something is a career option in order to aspire to it,” SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm told The New York Times. “Which means someone has to be first. That was Phyllis George — a true trailblazer.”

Continue reading...

Ohio State offers 2021 four-star combo guard
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Westtown School combo guard Jalen Warley | GoFlashWin
The guard received an offer from Ohio State over the weekend and he is now set to trim his list down.

Chris Holtmann and the Basketball Buckeyes have been hard at work putting together elite level recruiting classes during these unprecedented times. The program continued to do so over this past weekend and the work may already be paying off.

Ohio State officially offered four-star combo-guard Jalen Warley (Norristown, PA/Wesstown School) following a virtual visit, according to Jake Weingarten of StockRisers.


The offer puts Ohio State among the likes of Creighton, Louisville, LSU, Marquette, Maryland, Michigan, Penn State, Oregon and Xavier in pursuit of earning a commitment from Warley.

The Buckeyes will soon learn if the virtual visit and offer were well received, as Warley is also planning on trimming his list down this week. He took to Twitter recently saying he will be releasing his top schools on June 7th.


Warley is one of the top prospects in the 2021 class, one where Ohio State already holds the No. 5 spot in the 247Sports class rankings. He is listed as the No. 3 CG in the country and is the No. 28 overall prospect despite position. Warley would make for an excellent addition alongside already verbally committed four-star CG Meechie Johnson and three-star power forward Kalen Etzler.

Quick Hits:

• In news that will surely not be surprising for Buckeye Nation, defensive ends are leading the way in 247Sports Bill Kurelic’s Ohio State 2022 big board.
• The tight end position is one of great importance in Ohio State’s 2022 recruiting class, and four-star Donovan Green spoke with Rivals about the Buckeyes pursuit for him and what he thinks of the program.

Continue reading...

Buckeye Bits: Ohio State in the running for Michigan’s top recruit, Gene Smith supports athletes’ protesting, more
Tia Johnston via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

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

As a sports writer, it’s becoming more and more difficult to “stick to sports” lately. On one hand, sports are a great way to distract yourself from the horribleness that is our world right now. On the other hand, distracting yourself is a privilege that, for many, is not an option. Not to mention, distracting yourself does absolutely nothing to help drive change— something we so desperately need. I guess what I’m trying to say is, if you need a mental health break from taking in all the violence happening in every city in the country, take one. Sports content is a great way to do that. After that, however, I think it’s important that you continue to educate yourself on what it means to be antiracist, sign petitions, donate to charities and proactive groups, vote in local elections, and read these incredibly well written articles:

Our Matt Tamanini’s latest on Seth Towns’ protests and what we can learn from him.


And this one by Cleveland.com’s Doug Lesmerises.


Now, here’s what’s happening around the Ohio State beat and beyond.

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...


Column: How “no fan” sporting events might affect home field advantage

Meredith Hein, LGHL

In Meredith’s latest column, she highlights the many other types of advantages that playing at home brings, even without fans in the stands.

Column: TBDBITL has always made me cry, but sometimes those tears are exactly what I need

Matt Tamanini, LGHL

Matt capped off “Sports Moments That Made You Cry” Week by describing, in detail, the sports moment that makes him cry every single time without fail: The Ohio State Marching Band’s entrance into the ‘Shoe.

This upcoming season will likely be the first one since I was five that I will not get to see TBDBITL perform inside the ‘Shoe, which made this column even more of a tearjerker.

Podcast: I Want to Go Back - Chic Harley and the unstoppable 1916 Buckeyes

Jim Baird, LGHL

Next up on his podcast series I Want to Go Back, Jim talks about one of Ohio State’s most legendary running backs, Chic Harley, and how he shifted the entirety of college football.

Ryan Day has changed the quarterback position at Ohio State

Gene Ross, LGHL

If, somehow, you are still not sold on Ryan Day, Gene pulled some receipts for you.

From around the gridiron...


Coombs continues strong bid to land No. 1 Michigan recruit

Bill Kurelic, Bucknuts

Ohio State is a strong contender for Michigan’s No. 1 2022 prospect/ the nation’s No. 4 cornerback, who, according to 247Sports is not even considering Harbaugh’s Wolverines as his future team, which, according to yours truly, is hilarious.


Ohio State’s 11 most experienced players entering the 2020 season

Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

Hope took a look at the 11 most experienced Buckeyes heading into the season, ranked by the number of snaps each of them have played in their Ohio State careers. When Chris Olave is listed as the least experienced, you know you’ve got a pretty good list.


Arm strength helps make Justin Fields Heisman-ready quarterback

Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Justin Fields was near perfect last season with just three thrown interceptions, 41 touchdowns, and over 3,000 yards. What’s scary (for other teams) is that he’s piling on a whole second year of training with some of the best quarterback coaches in the country, including QB Whisperer Ryan Day and the rest of Ohio State’s offensive staff, meaning he’s just going to come back...more perfect.


Ohio State Buckeyes alternate helmet concepts

Brad Crawford, Bucknuts

Check out these alternate helmet options designed by IU_Customs on Instagram. Not gonna like, I like all of them.


Predicting Ohio State football’s 2020 sacks leader: Buckeye Talk Daily Pod’s ‘Mark It Down Monday’

Nathan Baird, Cleveland.com

Now that Chase Young is off doing bigger and better things, who will be this season’s head quarterback terrorizer? Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means of Cleveland.com discuss their picks, as well as how many sacks they’ll tally up, in their latest podcast.

From around the hardwood...


Seth Towns continues to protest in downtown Columbus.


Towns is already becoming many Ohio State fans’ favorite player and he hasn’t even worn a scarlet and gray jersey yet. No matter what he does on the court, I could not be happier that Chris Holtmann snagged this guy from Harvard.


New TBT podcast


Lettermen Row’s Drive The Lane Podcast—hosted by former Ohio State men’s basketball captain, Joey Lane, and Andrew Zoldan— are teaming up with TBT to produce the official podcast for the tournament, Inside TBT, where they’ll provide TBT content all summer long.

From everywhere else...


Gene Smith supports Ohio State athletes’ right to protest, encourages them to participate in conversations about racial injustice

Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

Gene Smith “wholeheartedly” supports Seth Towns’ and other Ohio State athletes’ right to protest, stating that “they have the ability to do what other generations haven’t done.” He also says it’s “extremely important” for head coaches to advocate for change, as well— something they have done, while other prominent head coaches have yet to do.

Hope has more on that, along with Smith’s personal thoughts on the matter.


Good news for music majors and performers!


Ohio State is getting a long overdue new music building, thanks to a $17 million gift from alum Ratmir Timashec and his family’s charity foundation. It will be named the “Timashev Family Music Building” in their honor, and will “be among the most acoustically and technologically advanced facilities in the nation upon its completion in 2022,” according to Ohio State.


Former Ohio State fullback Dionte Johnson’s downtown Columbus shoe store, Sole Classics, was damaged and looted during a protest on Friday night.


You can donate via a link he provided on his Instagram to help pay for damages and stolen inventory. He states that any donations that exceed the costs of said damages will be donated to neighboring minority-owned small businesses who also suffered damages.

Continue reading...

A sweet set of 2020-21 rosters was just finished. All transfers are there, including a small handful of impact transfers that will "redshirt" in 2020 (like lil Tua) since they aren't yet eligible to bypass the rule to sit a year.

Anyone interested in a 360 online dynasty? We have 9 so far, and are looking to fill out 3 more spots.


@osustamm @IronBuckI @GomerBucks @BuckeyeSoldier @Merih @buckeyemac @Bucknut24 @eobuck @scott91575 @scooter1369 @Wells4Heisman @TooTallMenardo @buckeyemania11 @redbenn @Rookie

They have done offense check it out...

https://cfbsaturdays.com/college-football-player-rankings/

Lots of bucks looking good. Solid amount of buckeye content for a new site.

Rumors are that the Chancellor of the SUNY system is stepping down to take "a job" at Ohio State.

Johnson, an electrical engineer by trade who holds dozens of U.S. patents and invented a camera to detect cancerous and precancerous cells on cervical smears, served as dean of Duke University’s engineering school and provost of Johns Hopkins University prior to her arrival at SUNY.

Somebody break it to Jeff Snook.

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Atlanta (GA) Westminster School

Tight End
6-4
220 lbs
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Pilot Mountain (NC) East Surry High School

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Columbus (GA) Hardaway High School

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Baltimore (MD) St. Frances Academy

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If the season happens
If it starts on time

There are 100 days until it begins

Tomorrow we begin with Bill Willis

MOTSAG Pretend College Playoffs: #1 Ohio State vs. #8 Memphis
Scott via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

A couple seasons ago the pretend college football playoff matchup between top-seeded Ohio State and No. 8 Memphis would have scared the Michigan out of Buckeye fans.
But this isn’t a couple years ago. This is now.
And now does not belong to the Memphis Tigers. The Buckeyes scored on their first play of the game and rolled to a devilish 66-6 win over the AAC champs.

Memphis came in averaging 40 points and 485 yards of offense per game and a stingy defense that allowed less than 200 yards passing per game. All week the Tigers talked about how they felt they could slow down Ohio State’s high-octane offense. They were so confident that after winning the coin toss the deferred and sent their defense on the field first.

Whoops.

Following a 25-yard kick return by Garrett Wilson, JK Dobbins took a pitch from Justin Fields and motored 75 yards for a touchdown. Coach Ryan Day felt that was so easy, he called for a surprising onside kick, which was recovered by Chris Olave near midfield.

Since he made such a nice play on the kick, Day called his number again on the first play of the possession — a slant play that totally burnt the Memphis defense for a long and easy pitch and catch from Fields.

Memphis managed two yards on its next possession and was forced to punt. The Buckeyes took over on their own 35 and methodically marched down the field, covering the 65 yards on 10 plays, using some short runs and passes to physically wear down the Memphis defense.

Both teams punted on their next possessions, ending the first quarter at 21-0 Buckeyes.

With the ball on its own 30, Memphis tried some trickeration as QB Brady White pitched to Kenneth Gainwell, who then attempted a pass back to White.

OSU’s Jordan Fuller had other ideas and picked off the pass at the OSU 30, returning it 70 yards for the score.

Memphis was actually able to move the ball a little on the ensuing drive, partly because OSU had some backups in and partly because the officials were apparently backups as well, calling several bogus penalties.

But the Tigers had a drive stall and settled for a field goal to make it 28-3.

On their next drive, the Buckeyes went 70 yards on five plays, highlighted by a 50-yard from from Dobbins. Fields called his own number to score on a 15-yard run to make it 35-3.

Memphis got another field goal shortly before halftime to make the score 35-6 Buckeyes at halftime.

On the first play of the second half, Gainwell fumbled on the OSU 35.

Two plays later it was 42-6 after Wilson turned a crossing route into a 30-yard score.

That was it for both team’s starters as Day wanted to give some younger guys a chance, while making sure the starters stayed healthy. Memphis Coach Ryan Silverfield waved the provebial white flag as well.

OSU got three TD runs from Master Teague and a field goal to account for the final points.

OSU finished with 710 yards of offense, tons on the ground in the second half, and limited Memphis to 120 total yards.






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MOTSAG Pretend College Football Playoffs: #6 Utah vs. #3 Clemson
Charles via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



Great defense vs a great offense always makes for an intriguing matchup. Do the heralded units cancel each other out, which of the unsung, or at least less-sung, units steps up to make the difference? This quarterfinal game will provide an answer as the powerful defense of 6th seeded Utah faces off against the high-powered offense of 3rd seeded Clemson. Clemson enjoyed a first round bye while Utah pulled off a close win against Florida Atlantic in the opening round.

Clemson got the ball to start the game and was promptly shut down by the Utah defense, going three and out. Clemson got off a good punt but Utah broke a nice 25-yard return to give their offense the ball near midfield. An efficient mix of run and pass plays followed, capped off with Tyler Hunting find Jaylen Dixon open in the endzone for a touchdown to put Utah up 7-0. Clemson’s quick strike ability was on display on the next drive as two plays gained them over 50 yards but Utah’s defense stiffened and held the Tigers to a field goal.

The two teams traded punts for the next several possessions with Clemson slowly winning the field position battle. Midway through the second quarter, the Tigers capitalized, getting the ball near midfield and going on a quick 5 play drive capped by Trevor Lawrence scampering into the endzone to put Clemson up 10-7. That would mark all of the scoring in the first half as the defenses held sway.

Utah opened the third quarter with the ball and found a bit of offensive success, moving the ball into Clemson territory before being forced to punt. A big stop by the Utah defense on 3rd and 3 led to a short Clemson punt, giving the Utes great field position. They once again capitalized as star running back Zack Moss ran over Clemson’s defense, ultimately finding the endzone to put Utah back on top 14-10. The Utah defense snuffed the next two Tiger drives and suddenly all the momentum seemed to be with the Ute’s who once again found themselves with good field position to start a drive. Unfortunately, quarterback Tyler Huntley’s first down pass was intercepted and the Tigers wasted no time, taking advantage of the short field to retake the lead, 17-14 thanks to a Travis Etienne touchdown run. Huntley, clearly rattled, threw another interception on Utah’s next drive and Clemson looked positioned to take complete control. However, the Utah defense held, forcing a field goal to keep it a one score game, 20-14.

Clemson had another scoring opportunity early in the fourth quarter but missed a 44-yard field goal. The Utes took advantage, using a big pass from Huntley to Brant Kuithe to get them deep into Clemson territory. Three successive runs were stuffed and Utah had to settle for a field goal to pull within three, 20-17. The momentum swung again as a promising Clemson drive fizzled out, ending in another missed field goal and Utah responded with a run dominated drive that ended in a 36-yard field goal to tie the game at 20. Another defensive stop gave Utah the ball with a chance to take the lead late in the fourth quarter but they couldn’t capitalize, giving the ball back to Clemson with two minutes to go. We were set with the ultimate showdown, tied game, clock running down, and a great offense with the ball facing a great defense. The Utah defense had been stellar for most of the game, coming up with key stops to keep the Utes in the game but the battle had worn them down and the Clemson offense moved quickly and easily as Lawrence completed four straight passes, the last one to Justyn Ross in the back corner of the endzone. Clemson led 27-20 but there was still 30 seconds left on the clock, giving Utah one more chance. All season the Utah offense had hung its hat on being well balanced and using the run to set up the pass; something they couldn’t take advantage of with so little time on the clock. The Utes hit a couple short passes but couldn’t get find anything open downfield as time ran out, giving Clemson the win, 27-20.




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MOTSAG Pretend College Football Playoffs: #5 Georgia vs. #4 Oklahoma
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



In a battle for conference supremacy this round pits #4 Oklahoma up against #5 Georgia. Oklahoma got some much needed rest as Georgia ran managed to stave off Miami (OH) with a clutch field goal and a crucial defensive stop to end their dreams of advancing.

These two teams have explosive offenses and the last time both of these teams met was in the Rose Bowl the 2017-2018 season. That very game was a barn burner and it ended in a 54-48, double overtime thriller. This years hypothetical matchup would future a familiar foe for Georgia in Jalen Hurts, the former Alabama quarterback. Jake Fromm versus Jalen Hurts vie for a shot to advance.

During the coin toss, the calm before the storm was evident. Both teams stand tall, calm and stoic and Georgia calls the toss and defers giving Hurts the balls first. After a touchback in the opening kickoff Hurts approaches the huddle and calls the play out. Georgia, who had struggled against inferior opponents finds themselves with their pants down on the opening snap. Boom! Hurts finds Lamb on a slant and he takes it to the house for six. On the ensuing kickoff, Swift nearly provides an immediate answer as he takes it to the 50 yard line. Georgia takes their times during the drive, but is stopped in the red zone. Blankenship puts the Bulldogs on the board.

Hurts starts at the 30 on this drive and he leans on Sermon and Brooks and they drive to the 30 before adding three to their lead. Fromm begins the drive and he finds George Pickens on a streak to tie the contest at 10-10. Georgia usually struggles with the quick scoring game, but the cheating safety misjudged Pickens’ speed and got burnt for six.

Hurts controls the current drive late into the first quarter with a balance of QB option runs and timing routes and they are knocking at the door before the quarter came to a close. To open the second quarter, Brooks finds the seam and he barges in for a touchdown. Georgia’s defense was just bloodied in the last drive and the Bulldog’s got them some well deserved rest as they use up the majority of the second quarter before Swift plunges it into the end zone with a little over two minutes left in the half.

In a 17 all game, Hurts runs the two minute drill to perfection. Finding his running backs on swing passes before finding Lamb once again for a touchdown, Hurts puts his teams back up 24-17 before Fromm took a knee to send it into the half. To open the second half, Georgia came out firing. Fromm finds Cager in the seams at will, but in the red zone, Fromm forces a errant pass over the middle that ended up becoming a pick-six–Oklahoma extends their lead to 31-17.

On Fromm’s next possession, the timing and the momentum was all in the Sooners’ favor as they end up punting in the next three possessions. Both teams are struggling to find a rhythm on offense but the defenses are playing lights out. Hurts’ team has the ball late into the third quarter and he loses the exchange with Brooks and Georgia recovers. Three players later, Swift breaks through for a 20 yard dash to the end zone to cut the lead to 24-31.

The Sooners respond with a strike to Charleston Rambo to put them back up by double-digits early in the fourth quarter. Georgia tried to respond, but after back-to-back drive ending interceptions by Kenneth Murray and Brendan Radley-Hines, the Bulldogs fall 38-24. The same turnover-prone quarterback play resurfaced and Fromm just couldn’t put it all together. The Sooners get their revenge and advance.




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MOTSAG Pretend CFP Playoffs: Quarter finals; #2 LSU versus #7 Oregon
Chris via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



This should be a match-up for the ages as far as playoff games go in this first ever quarter final, but #7 Oregon hasn’t had much of a break after winning the PAC12 championship game and coming right back and playing a very game Appalachian State the following week in a play-in game.

Justin Herbert had to lead the ducks down the field on the final drive to defeat the Mountaineers 35-28.

These two teams met in 2011 and it was mostly the Tigers as they won 40-27.

Joe Burrow and his on fire Tigers of the Bayou have had a nice rest since rolling over Jake Fromm and the Georgia Bulldogs 37-10 in the Mercedes-Benz Dome in Atlanta, Georgia and appear perched for a run to possibly meet his former Buckeyes in the final.

First Quarter – The Tigers wasted little time scoring and Joe Burrow had nothing to do with it. On the first play from scrimmage for the Ducks, Derek Stingley Jr. stepped in front of an Justin Herbert quick out and took it to the house 27 yards later. The next drive by the Ducks stalled at their own 43 and after a 45 yard punt, Joe burrow and the guys took over at their 17.

The expected winner of the Heisman Trophy completed a 12 play 83 yard drive eating most of the first quarter clock and made the score 14-0 at the end of one.

Second Quarter – Justin Herbert, Oregon’s all-time leader in pass completions (827) and pass attempts (1,293), took a golden opportunity after a great kick-off return by Mykael Wright for 65 yards to LSU’s 35 yard line and then connected with Johnny Johnson III on a 35 yard scoring strike and pulled within 7 at 14-7.

That lasted for all of 15 seconds as Edwards-Helaire return the kick-off for a 100 yard score and put the Tigers back up two scores 21-7. That’s would be the score at the half and neither team had much offensive statistics to boast. Herbert finished 4-9 for 57 yards, one pick-six and one score. Joe Burrow wasn’t much better but was enjoying a perfect day throwing the ball, 8 of 8 for 75 yards and one score.

Third Quarter – Joe Burrow and the tigers got the second half kick-off and did what they have been doing all season. Continuing to be perfect in the passing category, he lead the team down the field and finished the drive with a 7 yard TD toss to a wide open Thaddeus Moss all but sealing the Duck’s fate. 35 – 7

Fourth Quarter – Justin Herbert tried to make things better for his draft prospects but finished he day with two pick-sixes and two scored himself finishing with stats he’d probably like to forget. Joe burrow finally had an incompletion but did what he has been doing to defenses all season. The former Buckeye finished the day 15 of 18 for 234 yards and three scores. Final Score from the Bayou, Tigers 42 the Ducks 14.





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Ohio State heavily targeting five-star center
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Andrews Osborne Academy center Charles Bediako | FIBA
The Buckeyes recently completed another virtual visit with a top basketball prospect

The Ohio State football program celebrated with fireworks of their own this Memorial Day weekend. The Buckeyes secured their 19th verbal commitment in their 2021 recruiting class when four-star athlete Denzel Burke announced he would continue his football career in Columbus.

The addition separated Ohio State even further from the field in the 247Sports class rankings, and Burke is now the 15th top-200 player to commit to Day and the program.

However, the football team was not the only sport hitting the recruiting trail during the extended weekend. Chris Holtmann and the basketball Buckeyes have gotten off to a quick start in the 2021 recruiting class and continued to do so last weekend.

Jake Weingarten of stockrisers.com reported that Ohio State completed another virtual visit with five-star center Charles Bediako (St. Catharines, ON/Andrews Osborne Academy).


Bediako is both one of the top talents in the nation and one of Ohio State’s top targets in the class. He is listed as the No. 4 center and the No. 22 overall prospect of the 2021 recruiting class.

In addition to the five-star ranking, Bediako’s play has also earned him an impressive offer letter. Alongside Ohio State, he holds offers from the likes of Maryland, Illinois, Rutgers, Duke, Louisville, USC, Arizona State, TCU, Baylor, USC, Tennessee, Alabama and a handful of others.

Currently, there have been no Crystal Ball predictions made for him on 247Sports. However, Holtmann and Co. have made Bediako a priority and it appears the interest is mutual, giving the Buckeyes a legitimate chance of securing a commitment from him in the future.

Bediako will likely wait to make a decision to see if he is able to make in-person visits with his schools of choice.

The five-star prospect would make for a great addition to Ohio State’s already No. 5-ranked recruiting class, already holding verbal commits from four-star combo-guard Meechie Johnson and three-star power forward Kalen Etzler.

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Buckeye Bits: Impact of Denzel Burke’s commitment, Harry Miller is a man of many talents, 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 Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
All of the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond.

Happy Memorial Day, friends! In between grilling out, playing corn hole, sitting around the bonfire, taking the boat out, or whatever else you’re doing on this lovely holiday, please take a moment to honor what this day is really about.


In other news (literally), let’s take a look at what our friends around the Ohio State beat have been up to over this holiday weekend.

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...


What if there had been a 2020 NCAA Tournament? Predicting the madness that never was

Connor Lemons, LGHL

Just when you’re finally starting to get over the heartbreak from the 2020 NCAA Tournament getting cancelled, Connor goes and writes about what could have been.

Column: I kind of miss Ohio State being an underdog

Matt Tamanini, LGHL

To cap off last week’s underdog theme, Matt wrote about why he misses the excitement and satisfaction that being an underdog brings. Sorry, Matt. I don’t think you’re going to be feeling any of that excitement anytime soon.

Podcast: I Want to Go Back - A Legend Arrives on Campus

Jim Baird, LGHL

In the second episode of Jim’s podcast series I Want to Go Back, he walks us through the time Ohio State turned to a new head coach to guide them in their first season of play in the Western Conference.

Just how important is Trey Sermon to Ohio State’s plans this season?

Gene Ross, LGHL

Spoiler: Pretty important. Gene writes about the Buckeyes’ running back room, what Oklahoma transfer Trey Sermon brings to said room, and whether or not he has the potential to replace the infamous J.K. Dobbins.

From around the gridiron...


Analyzing impact of Denzel Burke committing to Ohio State

Birm, Lettermen Row

In case ya missed it, Denzel Burke—a four-star athlete from Scottsdale (Ariz.) Saguaro High School and one of the country’s top-ranked 2021 prospects— committed to Ohio State on Sunday despite never making an in-person visit.

Birm of Lettermen Row writes about what Burke brings to the table and how his commitment impacts Ohio State’s 2021 recruiting class.


Seven recruits who could be next to commit to Ohio State

Bill Kurelic, Bucknuts

Speaking of the 2021 class, Bill Kurelic of Bucknuts predicts the seven prospects who may be next to announce their commitment to Ohio State.

With Burke’s commitment, Ohio State now has 19 commits in its class, nine of which are top 2021 recruits. Now, Ohio State running back commitment TreVeyon Henderson wants to know...


Potentially overlooked players at every position who could make an impact for Ohio State in 2020

Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

Similar to the article our Gene Ross wrote last week in honor of Underdog Week, Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors took a look at one Buckeye from five position groups on both offense and defense who have the potential to make a name for themselves this year.

This is one of those times where, if you read this article and then one of the players listed has a breakout game, you can be like “oh yeah, I totally knew he was good, like, way before everyone else.”


Michigan president says no college football in the fall if students aren’t on campus

Phil Harrison, Buckeyes Wire

After a week filled with nothing but hopeful news, leave it to Michigan to put a damper on everyone else’s fun. This obviously brought about some good tweets, as you can imagine:


College football has hurdles to clear in making safe return this fall

Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch

Now that the first steps have been taken by the NCAA, various conferences and schools toward a possible football season this fall, the question remains: How will it work?

Bill Rabinowitz of The Columbus Dispatch asked several medical experts how football can return safely, considering the entire sport is based on contact.


Pro Football Focus named Ohio State guard Wyatt Davis its most valuable returning guard in college football for the 2020 season.

After a dominant season as a redshirt sophomore in 2019, with 459 pass-blocking snaps and zero sacks allowed, this should come as no surprise.


I’d argue Harry Miller is also a valuable returning guard...for many reasons.


My favorite is the extra screen he filled with him just snacking on watermelon.

From around the hardwood...


National sites update projections for 2020-21 Ohio State hoops

Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts

Since the NCAA extended their former June 3 deadline for basketball players who have declared for the draft to announce a return to their college program, some college programs’ rosters are a little unpredictable at the moment.

So, if we have to eat, drink and sleep roster projections until we know what the heck is happening, then so be it. Steve Helwagen of Bucknuts rounded up some of the recent projections of Ohio State’s roster from national websites, along with schedule updates.


A little pick-me-up from Carmen’s Crew.


Anyone else pumped for this season of TBT?!

From everywhere else...


Cannon Kingsley is an amazing name for a tennis player.


After his first season as a Buckeye, Ohio State freshman Cannon Kingsley was given the nation’s top award for a rookie as he was named the ITA National Rookie of the Year, becoming the first Ohio State freshman to be named national rookie of the year and the fourth freshman to earn All-American honors.

Check out all of Kingsley’s 2019-20 accomplishments via the link in the tweet above, because it is literally too long to list here.


We know.


Not sure how valid or official this rankings list is, but hey, we’ll take it.


My goosebumps’ goosebumps have goosebumps.


Wow, I miss sports.

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Just how important is Trey Sermon to Ohio State’s plans this season?
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 Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Replacing J.K. Dobbins will be no easy task for the Buckeye backfield

Ohio State expects to compete for a national title in 2020, but that doesn’t mean the team doesn’t come without its fair share of question marks. While many expect the Buckeyes offense to dominate this upcoming season with a returning Justin Fields and a stacked receiver core, there is still a bit of cause for concern surrounding the running back position.

It’s mostly uncharted territory for OSU in the past few years, as since 2017 they have been able to rely on the trustworthy legs of J.K. Dobbins. After Mike Weber began that season with an injury, a true freshman Dobbins got the rock for the very first time in the opener against Indiana. That night in Bloomington, the Texas native ran for 181 yards as he instantly burst onto the scene. He’d finish his freshman campaign with over 1,400 yards rushing despite having less than 200 carries as Weber bounced in and out of the lineup.

His sophomore season was just a bit less productive as he was forced to fully split carries with Weber, albeit still rushing for over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. It was this last year that Dobbins reached his final form and cemented himself as the next great Ohio State running back.

A true bell-cow back for the Buckeyes in 2019, Dobbins ran the ball 301 times for just over 2,000 yards with 21 rushing TDs. Finally with the full brunt of the workload, the junior was able to put his entire skillset on display, and really was the cog that kept Ohio State’s offense on schedule. The speed and power demonstrated by Dobbins alongside the threat of Fields keeping the ball and taking it himself created a powerful one-two punch for Ryan Day — both halves of which they were without when both players were hobbled against Clemson.

Now, Dobbins is off to continue toting the rock for the Baltimore Ravens, where he and Lamar Jackson will look to repeat a very similar rushing attack to the one in Columbus. For Ohio State, they still have Fields, but the Heisman frontrunner QB will need a strong backfield mate if the Bucks have aspirations of winning it all in 2020.

Heading into this offseason, Master Teague was the guy tasked with filling the large shoes left by Dobbins’ departure to the NFL. As a redshirt freshman this past season, Teague did show flashes of high potential, finishing the year with almost 800 yards rushing and four TDs at just under six yards per carry. However, most of his carries came in mop up duty against lesser teams whose defenses had already been beaten to a pulp by Ohio State’s starters through two or three quarters.

It’s a bit tough to say for sure how good Teague truly is, and I'm sure the fans and coaching staff alike were excited to see what he’d be able to do in spring ball. That would not come to fruition unfortunately, as before COVID-19 shut down practices for good, Teague went down with an achilles injury. With Marcus Crowley already out recovering from an ACL injury, this left just Steele Chambers as the only healthy scholarship RB on the roster.

Enter: Trey Sermon.

Ryan Day has done a phenomenal job utilizing the transfer portal in his early tenure with Ohio State, obviously snagging Fields from Georgia but also getting a big piece along the offensive line in Jonah Jackson out of Rutgers. He and position coach Tony Alford are hoping to strike gold once again with the addition of Sermon to a beat up running back room.

Having originally been recruited by Alford back in 2017 before committing to the Sooners, Sermon spent the past three seasons in Norman, racking up over 2,000 yards and 23 TDs. Despite only carrying the rock 54 times in 2019 in Oklahoma’s pass-heavy offense, the back averaged a very good 7.1 yards per carry (384 total yards) and found the end zone four times. He joins Ohio State as a grad transfer, able to suit up immediately.

Now, Sermon obviously does not come without his own injury woes. In his final season with the Sooners, he suffered an ACL injury that ended his campaign after just nine games. Having not been added to the roster until after practices had shut down, Buckeye fans really had no gauge of the current bill of health for their new RB. However, he has recently been seen working out in a video on Twitter, cutting and practicing his footwork, and looks to be in great shape.


With Teague’s return in question, it looks as though Sermon will be Ohio State’s starting RB when the season finally comes along. His skillset meshes very well with the Buckeye offense, and his running style is actually very similar to that of Dobbins.

With decent speed, having been clocked at around a 4.5 40-time (compared to Dobbins’ 4.4), Sermon is your prototypical five yards and a cloud of dust runner between the tackles. Given the strength of Ohio State’s offensive line this season, especially on the interior, Sermon will have a chance to absolutely flourish on this offense if fully healthy. The added benefit of Fields’ ability with his legs will just make it that much harder for opposing offenses to slow down the Buckeye run game once again.

Still, it’s tough to put true expectations on just how good Sermon will be at Ohio State. Is he going to be the next J.K. Dobbins? Probably not, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be an incredibly important player in 2020.

Everyone expects Ryan Day to air it out a bit more this upcoming season given the way the roster is configured, albeit likely not as much as the pass-heavy offense the Buckeyes saw with Dwayne Haskins in 2018. With the skill and depth from the team’s receivers, Sermon doesn’t have to be a Heisman contender for Ohio State to be successful. As long as he is able to keep the offense on schedule and provide a serviceable rushing attack to then build the passing game off of, the team in Columbus will be in phenomenal shape.

Anything extra would be gravy.

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More on Ohio State’s latest commitment, the 2021 class
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Four-star athlete and OSU commit Denzel Burke | Brandon Huffman, 247Sports
The Buckeyes continue to haul in the nation’s top talents

Hopefully you’re enjoying your Memorial Day Weekend. As you embark on your extra day off, you may have missed some of the Ohio State news from the past couple days. In the land of recruiting, that means yet another BOOOOM from the Buckeyes’ No. 1-ranked 2021 class. We here at Land-Grant Holy Land are here to get you up to speed on the latest commit for Ryan Day and the gang and what it means moving forward.


In case you went full Zero Dark Thirty to enjoy the holiday weekend, on Sunday Ohio State picked up a commitment from four-star athlete Denzel Burke. The 6-foot Scottsdale, AZ native is the No. 7 athlete in the nation, and the No. 4 player out of Arizona in the 2021 class. Playing both receiver and corner at Saguaro, Burke projects as a DB at the next level.

Heres what Mountain Region recruiting analyst Blair Angulo has to say of Burke’s skillset:


High praise for the latest Buckeye DB commit, now the sixth member of the position group in the current class. Which begs the question — are the Buckeyes now done in the secondary in this cycle?

Already holding commitments from a trio of four-star prospects in safeties Andre Turrentine and Jantzen Dunn and corner Jakailin Johnson as well as a pair of three-star DBs in Jaylen Johnson and Devonta Smith, the room is starting to get a bit crowded. However, that does not mean you should entirely rule out Ohio State making at play at some of the nation’s top remaining defensive backs. A couple of guys still remain on the target board, with the main focus appearing to shift to Derrick Davis Jr. and Jaylin Davies.

No. 1 on the Buckeyes’ list seems to be Davis, the nation’s No. 2 safety and the No. 55 overall recruit in 2021. Out of Monroeville, PA, Ohio State would be fighting off heavy opposition from both Clemson and the in-state team, Penn State. The four-star safety currently seems to be leaning towards the Nittany Lions according to the 247Sports Crystal Ball, but never rule out Ryan Day and Kerry Coombs. If the Buckeyes are looking to add a seventh DB, they would take Davis right now.

However, it does not put to bed the recruitment of the four-star corner Davies. The 6-foot-1 Mater Dei product is the No. 12 CB in the nation, and the No. 139 player overall in the cycle. About a week ago, Davies listed Ohio State in his final four alongside Arizona State, Oregon and USC. There is clearly mutual interest between the two parties, but the Buckeyes would like to get Davies on campus before adding him to the fold, and with COVID-19 restrictions still in place, who knows when that would be.

Regardless, even if Burke is the final commit for Ohio State in the secondary, the team is in fantastic position moving forward with all of the young talent coming in the last two classes. You don't get the nickname “DBU” for nothing. It starts with recruiting.

Quick Hits

• In case you thought the OSU staff would rest on their laurels and take the rest of MDW off, think again. This group of 2021 commits has done a phenomenal job of doing some recruiting themselves via social media, and they seem to be pretty well tied in to what is going on and when the next commitments are coming. If this tweet by RB commit Evan Pryor is any indication, the class could be adding another member sooner rather than later.

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