Indiana looks to stay undefeated, Wisconsin-Michigan clash in Week 4 Big Ten action
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 Justin Casterline/Getty Images
Even though Ohio State is watching at home, there will still be some interesting Big Ten action on the slate this weekend

Last week ATS: 5-8 (2-4 B1G, 3-4 National)

Season ATS: 40-37-2 (7-10-2 B1G, 33-27 National)

Last week was a pretty rough week. It all started with Boise State coming nowhere close to upsetting BYU and it didn’t get much better from there.

The Big Ten games this week lost a little luster when Ohio State’s game was cancelled since Maryland is dealing with COVID-19 issues. Have no fear, there are still games left to pick this week.

B1G games (All games Saturday unless otherwise noted):


Iowa (-3.5) v. Minnesota - Friday 11/13 7:00 PM EST - FS1

The battle for the pig trophy kicks off the Big Ten action this weekend. The Hawkeyes and Golden Gophers will battle for Floyd of Rosedale on Friday night in Minneapolis. Iowa has dominated the rivalry lately, winning seven of the last eight meetings, including last year’s 23-19 victory over Minnesota in Iowa City.

After 0-2 starts to the season, both Iowa and Minnesota were able to secure their first wins of the season on Saturday. The Hawkeyes did so by dominating Michigan State. Iowa was able to find their running game in the 49-7 win, rushing for 226 yards against the Spartans. Tyler Goodson and Mekhi Sargent will now try and keep the momentum on the ground going against a Minnesota defense that is allowing nearly 240 rushing yards per game this year.

To beat the Golden Gophers, Iowa will need to slow down Mohamed Ibrahim. The running back has rushed for over 200 yards in each of the last two games, and scored eight touchdowns on the ground. If the Hawkeyes are able to bottle up Ibrahim, it will put pressure on quarterback Tanner Morgan, who hasn’t been as sharp this year.

I can’t say I’m in love with either team this season, but I can see the Hawkeyes building on last week’s victory over Michigan State. The defense of Iowa has been pretty good throughout the year, while the same definitely can’t be said about Minnesota. Iowa slows down the rushing attack of the Golden Gophers, allowing for the offense to wear down an already weak Minnesota defense.

Iowa 31, Minnesota 21


No. 10 Indiana (-7) v. Michigan State - 12:00 PM EST - ABC

Which Michigan State team is going to show up on Saturday? The Spartans that turned the ball over 10 times in losses to Rutgers and Iowa, or the Michigan State squad that upset Michigan a couple weeks ago? Michigan State has had a real tough time running the football this year, which has put even more pressure on quarterback Rocky Lombardi, who has been inconsistent in three starts this year.

After struggling to find offense in their first two games of the season, Indiana broke out last week against Michigan, racking up 460 total yards. Michael Penix Jr. put together the best start of his college football career, throwing for 342 yards and three touchdowns against the Wolverines.

It would be easy to peg this as a “look ahead” game for Indiana with a trip to Columbus on deck next weekend, but I think we see a strong effort from the Hoosiers, who know how close to greatness they are this year. Indiana’s offensive weapons overwhelm Michigan State, who have struggled to move the football against teams not named Michigan. The Hoosiers snap a three-game losing streak against the Spartans.

Indiana 34, Michigan State 20


Penn State (-3) v. Nebraska - 12:00 PM EST - FS1

Nobody would have thought heading into this season that both Penn State and Nebraska would be a combined 0-5 after three weeks of action. After seeing their game against Wisconsin cancelled two weeks ago, the Cornhuskers played Northwestern tight last week, but fell short against the Wildcats. If Nebraska is going to want to earn their first win of the year, they’ll have to get more consistent play out of their quarterback position.

Last week was supposed to be a game for Penn State to get well after losses to Indiana and Ohio State to start the season. So far the bright spot for the Nittany Lions this year has been Jahan Dotson, who has caught 21 passes for 361 yards and five touchdowns this year. Other than Dotson, there hasn’t been much of note for Penn State. Quarterback Sean Clifford has struggled this season, throwing five interceptions already. While Clifford will remain the starter, we could see more of Will Levis on the field for the Nittany Lions.

Nebraska is better than their record indicates, while I’m not sure if that’s the case for Penn State. The Nittany Lions have been decimated by opt-outs and injuries on both sides of the football. Losses of guys like Micah Parsons, Journey Brown, and Noah Cain have been a big reason for Penn State’s struggles this year. I’ll gladly take the home underdog here to add to Penn State’s woes this year by narrowly defeating the Nittany Lions.

Nebraska 30, Penn State 27


Illinois v. Rutgers (-6.5) - 12:00 PM EST - Big Ten Network

Even with everything that has gone on so far this year, I’m not convinced that Rutgers is at least a touchdown better than Illinois. The Scarlet Knights have gotten a lot of praise for their performance against Michigan State, as well as their second half effort against Ohio State. Can Rutgers move the football consistently without using trick plays? I’m skeptical.

It would be huge if either Brandon Peters or Isaiah Williams can return at quarterback for Illinois this week, but at least Coran Taylor has two starts under his belt if the Fighting Illini need to turn to him again. No matter who starts at quarterback, Illinois needs to get running back Mike Epstein involved early to try and open the offense up to hit Josh Imatorbhebhe through the air.

This game won’t be pretty to watch, which is why I am taking the points. I could really see this game decided by a late field goal. Rutgers pushes their record back to .500, while Illinois will still be searching for the first win of the season after this weekend is over.

Rutgers 24, Illinois 21


No. 23 Northwestern (-3) v. Purdue - 7:30 PM EST - Big Ten Network

Who could have seen this coming? Northwestern and Purdue battling for the lead in the Big Ten West halfway through the season. The Wildcats are getting steady quarterback player from Peyton Ramsey, while Paddy Fisher is leading a Northwestern defense that is one of the best in the Big Ten. The grit that this Northwestern team has shown has to get Pat Fitzgerald all hot and bothered on a regular basis.

We still aren’t sure what we have with this Purdue team. The Boilermakers are 2-0 but their wins have come against Iowa and a Illinois team that was short-handed. Purdue got an unexpected off week last week when Wisconsin wasn’t able to play because of their issues with COVID-19. The cancellation was a win in a way for Purdue, who not only didn’t have to play the Badgers, but it also gave Rondale Moore some extra time to heal up. It isn’t yet known if Moore will play this week.

I’m probably going to get burned for going against Purdue at home under the lights. Northwestern is the pick for this game since it isn’t yet known if the Boilermakers will have Moore available, but I’m going to assume that the wide receiver won’t be able to play. Even if he does, how long will it take Moore to get back into game shape? Northwestern will be too talented defensively even if a rusty Moore plays.

Northwestern 27, Purdue 21


No. 13 Wisconsin (-4.5) v. Michigan - 7:30 PM EST - ABC

The Badgers and Wolverines played in Ann Arbor back in 2018, with Michigan easily handling Wisconsin 38-13. The same definitely won’t happen on Saturday night at Michigan Stadium. Wisconsin may be coming off a COVID-19 outbreak within their team, but they are still one of the toughest teams in the country. Graham Mertz completed all but one of his passes in the season opener against Illinois. If Mertz is able to play on Saturday, expect him to have a huge game against a Wolverine secondary that has been torched the last two weeks.

Right now there isn’t much going right with Michigan. Joe Milton doesn’t look like the answer at quarterback, while the Michigan defense is struggling on the line and in the secondary. Things could get ugly on Saturday night when the Badgers will try and control the clock, wearing out a defense that already has their backs against the wall.

It all depends on how Wisconsin comes out of the gates. There’s no doubt the Badgers will be fresher in this game. The big question is how much rust will Wisconsin have to shake off. If the Badgers come out firing to start Saturday’s game, it’ll be a very long night for Harbaugh and the Wolverines. Even though Wisconsin hasn’t played in a couple weeks, I think they easily handle a dejected Michigan team.

Wisconsin 28, Michigan 17

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Stick to Sports podcast: Help us decide which tortilla chip is the best tortilla chip
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: Jeffrey Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Tia and Matt talk about their obsession with TikTok before getting into a heated debate about tortilla chips

Land-Grant Holy Land’s newest podcast series, Stick to Sports, will be unlike any podcast you’ve heard on the Ohio State beat. Your hosts, Tia Johnston and Matt Tamanini, will (of course) talk Ohio State football, but the primary focus of the show will be on what’s going on around the periphery, such as weird/funny happenings in college football and the sports world at large, as well as other things that keep us interested in between games, whether that’s pop culture, social media trends— you name it.

In this week’s episode, we discuss the ghost town that was Twitter.com during the Rutgers game last Saturday, and why Ohio State fans are the “Aaron Craft of fanbases.” We then get into our obsession with TikTok, our favorite TikTokers and— Chinese spies or not— why it’s the best, most addicting app on the internet.

Here’s a few of the TikToks we mention in the episode:


Download the app and report back when it’s 3 a.m. and you’re on hour 4 of watching dumb glorious videos like these.

We end the show with our debut of our Chip Bracket. Matt goes over the rules, guidelines and how it’s going to work before we kick things off with the tortilla chip region. We argue it down to two types of tortilla chips, but we need your help to crown a champion! Head to our Twitter (@LandGrant33) to vote for your choice between Tostitos Hint of Lime or Tostitos Cantina.



Contact Tia Johnston

Twitter: @TiaJohnston_

Contact Matt Tamanini

Twitter: @BWWMatt, @LandGrant33


Listen to the episode and subscribe:

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Ohio State still going after five-star LB in 2022 class
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Shawn Murphy | Bill Kurelic, 247Sports
Though the position is crowded, the Buckeyes still want more linebackers in the junior cycle

Yesterday’s news of the cancellation between Ohio State and Maryland just plain sucked. You can’t really say much more than that. All things considered, it’s probably wise to count the blessings that Ohio State has played any game in these trying times, but cancelling a game including the Buckeyes is unfortunate to say the least.

Ryan Day and his crew got their first real bout of bad news in this shortened season, and while nothing is promised moving forward, I think we can all agree that hopefully this is a one-and-done scenario with the Buckeyes back on the field next week as they take on an Indiana team who is playing with some boosted confidence.

With more time to look towards Indiana as their next opponent, there does seem to be a bit of time freed up this weekend. Knowing the hours spent and effort Ohio State puts into recruiting, odds are the staff pays a little extra attention to the 2022 class the rest of this week all while trying to secure up the couple remaining spots in 2021 as the early signing period quickly approaches.

Fortunately, the good news is aplenty in the realm of Buckeye football recruiting.

Could they really want more?


Ohio State’s 2022 class is currently ranked as the top group in the country. Of the many reasons this class is off to an incredible start, the incredible trove of linebackers already in the fold tell the bulk of the story. With three elite guys already committed to the Buckeyes thanks to the likes of C.J. Hicks, Gabe Powers, and Dasan McCullough, Ohio State has not only re-stocked their linebacker core, but re-loaded it with players that are some of the most sought after at their positions.

A tremendous feat for position coach Al Washington, you would think having these three players locked in would pretty much close the door on the potential to recruit anyone else at the same spot, but that’s not how Ohio State rolls.

Five-star inside-linebacker, Shawn Murphy (Manassas, Virginia/Unity Reed) has long been a player the Buckeyes have been after, and they will continue to be until he makes a final college decision. Ranked as the top player at his position in the class and the No. 17 player overall nationally, Murphy would give Ohio State arguably the greatest recruiting haul of linebackers anyone could ask for if he were to commit.

As recent as the last couple of weeks, rumors had been swirling around that Murphy may be ready to make a pledge, and many believe with the momentum Ohio State has in the 2022 class that a verbal to the Buckeyes could be in the cards.

It would be incredible, but Murphy’s recruitment is not quite over yet, as he has mentioned to multiple recruiting analysts that he intends to visit several schools before coming to a final call. Schools in the SEC, ACC, and even out West were all mentioned by Murphy, and that further proves that this recruitment could go on for a bit being that NCAA limitations make it impossible to get on campus to meet with any member of the staffs associated with the schools he’s interested in.

Still, this looks to be a four-team race, with Penn State, Alabama, Miami, and Ohio State rounding out the likely programs Murphy will be choosing from. Having said great things about each of them, these are the four programs to pay the closest attention to moving forward.

The Buckeyes do have an extra thing going for them in the race for Murphy, as current Ohio State class of 2021 commit Tyleik Williams is his teammate at Unity Reed. It bodes well for OSU to have a familiar face preaching first-hand the great things the Buckeyes have to offer. In addition, Al Washington is already a major piece in this recruitment.

In an interview with Brian Dohn of 247Sports, Murphy went into detail about his relationship with Washington, calling it a “spiritual and mental bond” as they speak over the phone weekly. Add this with Murphy’s cordial relationships with current commits such as Hicks, and you can see why Ohio State seems to be trending in the right direction in this recruitment.

Never too early to look towards the future


Thanks to Ryan Day, Ohio State is bringing in elite quarterbacks at a never before seen pace, and that in large part is why they are having the on-field success at this rate. When you have a top target caliber player at the most important position, it makes a lot of sense why things go as well as they have. For example — Justin Fields. Nothing else really needs to be said there.

In terms of what’s to come, in 2020 the Buckeyes landed two top quarterbacks in the class, a five-star in 2021, and of course now look to be the likely destination for the No. 1 quarterback in the country in 2022, Quinn Ewers. Truly incredible work and a testament to how good of a recruiter Day is, the Buckeyes are at the top of the mountain right now.

Coach Day has made it clear that they’re going to go after the best guys in each cycle and not just be content with what they have. Already, the class of 2023 is taking notice, as the second-best pro-style quarterback in the class, Cameron Edge. has told Bill Kurelic of Buckuts that he has “very high interest” in Ohio State.

It feels too early to mention, but if there’s one thing to take away from all this, it’s that the Buckeyes have put in the effort to create meaningful relationships this far in advance so they pay off in the end. A DeMatha Catholic product — the same school that produced Chase Young — Ohio State would love nothing more than to go get another top caliber player from an elite prep program.

Quick Hits

• A congratulations is in order for current five-star running back commit TreVeyon Henderson — the nation’s top back according to 247Sports. Proving that Ohio State recruits excel both on and off the field, Henderson finished his high school career with an academic performance as good as his athletic performances.

• 2021 defensive back commit Jakailin Johnson was awarded his All-American Game jersey yesterday. Though the game will not be played, unfortunately, it’s still an incredible honor only the nation’s best prep players are able to receive.

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Buckeye Bits: WELP
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
All of the latest Ohio State news from around the beat and beyond.

Let’s just get right to it eh?

Biggest news of the Day...


The inevitable (imo) happened. Ohio State’s game against Maryland has been canceled after eight Terps tested positive for COVID-19.


Hindsight is 20/20, however OSU athletic director Gene Smith said the Buckeyes will stay on schedule with their practices as the season is not over and the CFP is still on the horizon.

What does this mean for the Big Ten championship?


I’ll let the Bills explain...


Meanwhile, I’m over here like...


via GIPHY


Luckily, we have people who are much smarter than I am on our writing staff, so if you want a full rundown of some answers you’re probably seeking in light of this news, Matt has you covered in his latest column.


Okay, now, I feel the need to remind everyone that we’re talking about actual human beings (dare I say kids?) contracting a highly contagious, extremely serious (and sometimes deadly) virus. I think that sometimes this fact gets pushed aside in the midst of all of the disappointment that fans are experiencing because they don’t get to watch their favorite college football team play on Saturday. And quite frankly, our Saturday football-watching plans should be at the bottom of our priority list. Which brings me to...

The worst tweet of the day


Let me preface this by saying that the notion that college kids (college! kids!) are at fault here is as tone deaf as it gets. Firstly, you think every single Ohio State player or staff member is “handling their business” off the field? Every single freshman? Every single walk-on? Every single intern?

Secondly, who’s to say these players got it by being “careless”? All it takes is ONE player to contract the virus at the grocery store, at the bank, at the pharmacy, from a food delivery guy.


Thirdly, Maryland is 2-1 with a second year head coach coming off of victories over both Minnesota and Penn State, and saying that these players have nothing to play for in general — positive tests and winning record aside — is exactly why people hate Ohio State fans (and not in the fun “Ohio Against the World” kind of way) and I’d like to think that the vast majority of fans aren’t actually this out of touch. Now it’s time for...

The second worst tweet of the day


In all his glory, Sir Yacht has resurfaced.


Friendly reminder that he’s like 0-47 in his rumors coming true. Here’s a credible reporter explaining why this one won’t either...


Speaking of Alabama...

Four SEC games will not be played this weekend

So...the college football playoff?


The total is now 8 games canceled or postponed across major college football this week and more than 50 since late August, according to AP News. As if the committee’s job wasn’t hard enough, it’s safe to say the College Football Playoff race just got a little more tricky.


Honestly though, it’s 2020 and nothing would surprise me anymore.


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Column: Ohio State-Maryland was canceled, so what does that mean?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
Honestly, who knows? Up is down. Black is white. Dogs and cats living together. It’s 2020, baby. Just roll with it.

Well, poop nuggets. We all knew that this was a possibility, and perhaps even an eventuality, but it became real today as the Maryland Terrapins paused team activities following eight players testing positive for the coronavirus over the past seven days. That means that the game previously scheduled for this Saturday against the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes ain’t gonna happen.


Now, I’m not going to relitigate the Big Ten’s decision to cancel and then uncancel the season; I’m not going to get into whether or not they should have stuck with the original conference-only schedule; I’m not going to entertain if their protocols and thresholds are too stringent compared with those from other conferences, but since four of the seven games on the SEC’s schedule for this weekend have also been canceled, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that things aren’t exactly going great anywhere right now when it comes to COVID.

In a statement following the announcement, OSU head coach Ryan Day said, “We wish Maryland, their student-athletes and programs well as they battle through this issue.”

According to sources...


With the game canceled, the question becomes, what happens next and how does this impact Ohio State? Well, if we’re being honest, what almost certainly happens next is that Ohio State has an off week and is already turning its attention towards the No. 10 Indiana Hoosiers game that is currently scheduled to take place on Saturday, Nov. 21.

Of course, with No. 1 Alabama also having their game against LSU postponed this weekend, it would be a lot of fun to see these two highly rated teams have an impromptu meeting on Saturday.


That is of course, not going to happen (no matter what you saw on Twitter and/or TikTok), as we saw the B1G put the ixnay on Nebraska scheduling a game against FCS Chattanooga when Wisconsin first began canceling games due to COVID last month. So, playing a team outside of the Big Ten isn’t going to happen, due to concerns about having the same level of testing. Done, glad we got that out of the way.

So, what if another conference game gets canceled in the next 24 hours? Presumably, there would be one team who is dealing with an outbreak, and one team who is not. So, could the Buckeyes play the other non-break out team?

It certainly wouldn’t give Ohio State and this theoretical second team much time to prepare for what is awaiting them on the field, but it also wouldn’t give one of them much time to prepare to travel. Now, that might be okay in regular circumstances, but OSU rented out an entire hotel to be as safe as possible when the team traveled to Penn State a few weeks ago. Perhaps the visiting them in this hypothetical situation doesn’t need to spend the night anywhere, but that level of caution isn’t something that can be easily planned for in just a few hours.

As of now, there is no indication that any other B1G games are in danger of being canceled this weekend, but it’s 2020, so who the hell knows what’s going to happen. But, while it could be possible that OSU might play another league team this weekend if the opportunity presented itself, I wouldn’t think that it is all that likely, even if another game gets canceled.

All eyes on you, IU


So, with Ohio State losing one of its nine regular season games (I’m counting the B1G Champions Week — or whatever they’re calling it — since everyone in the conference is scheduled to play), what does that mean for the Buckeyes?

Well, first off, it does open the door for No. 9 Indiana to edge out No. 3 Ohio State in the race for the B1G East, even if they don’t end up playing on the 21st.


Now, I’m not going to begin to predict whether or not any other games might be canceled moving forward, because that is the opposite of something that I want to spend any of my time or very limited brainpower on. So, I’m just going to assume that all of the other scheduled B1G games will happen until I hear otherwise (I’m sure that I will hear otherwise).

But, since the Big Ten was already playing fewer games than most of the other Power Five conferences, it does mean that Ohio State has yet another data point removed from their resume should things get dicey with the College Football Playoff committee. What happens if due to some fluke of the schedule, the Buckeyes go undefeated on the season, but don’t play in the B1G Championship Game, like in the example above?

If the Hoosiers are also undefeated, will the committee give IU the berth since they have the advantage of being a conference champion? Who knows? But, I do feel fairly confident in saying that as long as Ohio State is undefeated and has played seven games before the committee convenes to determine the official final four, they are in.

There is no way that they can legitimately look at this offense, led by the best quarterback in program history, and ding them that severely for having games canceled by their opponents.

So, Ohio State, by the power of Scarlet and Greyskull, I hereby declare that if you win out and stay healthy, you’re in the CFP. So it shall be written. So it shall be done.

Strike a pose


But, remember that program-best quarterback I just mentioned? You know, this guy, the one who’s already posing like the Heisman Trophy:

Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

How does losing a game impact Justin Fields’ chances of being the first Buckeye to win the Heisman since Troy Smith in 2006? I don’t know. I mean, it certainly doesn’t help, but Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence has missed two games because of a positive COVID test, and as I mentioned earlier, Alabama’s Mac Jones also had a game canceled this weekend because his team’s opponent had an outbreak.

The difference is, of course, that both of those candidates (as well as BYU’s Zach Wilson and Florida’s Kyle Trask) started out with more games on their schedule to prove themselves; therefore, Fields has been playing catchup from the jump.

Even though he has been near perfect so far this year, I would think that having another opportunity to show out pulled from the schedule is going to automatically hurt the guy with fewer games.

So, it’s not the end of Justin Fields’ Heisman chances — since having two more TDs than incompletions is still pretty impressive — but every time he’s not on the field, it takes away another chance for him to continue to be extraordinary.

Percentages and tiebreakers and averages, oh my!


Ok, the last piece of this puzzle relates back to a few of the previous ones.

First: I wouldn’t even begin to know how to predict whether or not Ohio State will have any other games canceled this season, let alone a team that I don’t follow or care all that much about. But, it does matter.

Second: Even in the Reddit scenario above, if Indiana cancels next week’s game against OSU, an eventual 7-0 Hoosiers wouldn’t automatically go to the B1GCG over a 6-0 Buckeyes. The first tiebreaker is “the best cumulative winning percentage of non-divisional opponents.” Kind of a stupid tie-breaker when you’re only playing two non-divisional team, but it’s the Big Ten in 2020, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

That means that it’s the winning percentage of Nebraska and Illinois for the Buckeyes vs. the winning percentage of Wisconsin and Purdue for IU. Ok, so maybe the Hoosiers would automatically go to the title game after all, but it’s 2020, who knows what the hell might happen the rest of the way. Perhaps Wisky is so rusty from two weeks off dealing with COVID stuff that they forget how to play football and lose their next five games. It could happen... maybe.

But that’s not the only part of this situation that needs to be figured out. If things go sideways and more games are canceled for the Buckeyes, they might not even be eligible for the B1G title game.


This is all way too much math for me, and it’s making my head hurt, but just keep this in mind as events unfold, or as people erroneously tell you that OSU is automatically out of contention because those selfish, horrible, awful, Maryland players who are coming off of two of the biggest wins in recent program history got this game canceled because they don’t actually care about the season or what happens on the field.

Real talk


That last bit was a joke, folks. Don’t blame the players for this, especially without reporting on them being reckless. Odds are that they got a highly contagious disease, despite taking all precautions, because it’s a highly contagious disease, and as the past eight months have shown us, shit happens.

But, in his statement following the announcement, Day reminded everyone what is really important.

“The health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes is our main concern,” he said. “Obviously, we are disappointed at not being able to compete this week, but I am incredibly proud of our team and the way they have handled themselves throughout this entire pandemic.”

From the word go, the Buckeyes have been proud of their precautions to battle COVID. I have no reason to not believe that they are doing everything within their power to keep the team and staff healthy, and I hope it stays that way. But, if it doesn’t, don’t act like the players who tested positive purposely contracted a potentially deadly or devastating disease, just to mess up your weekend.

Ohio State football might be our entertainment, but it is their lives.

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Buckeyes-Knights Clash
Mike via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Ohio State will be playing its first game under the lights this 2020 season at Ohio Stadium as the Buckeyes clash with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.

The environment in the Shoe won’t have the fiery, loud atmosphere it usually gets during past prime time games due to the no fan rule. With that being said, the Buckeyes are heavily favored in the matchup.

Since meeting in 2014. Ohio State has won 6 in a row, including all games being won by 35 plus averaging 46.5 points in those matchups.

The Scarlet Knights head coach, Greg Schiano returns to Columbus. Schiano has not faced a Ryan Day coached team, and so far, so good for this Buckeye group to start the 2020 season as it continues their quest for a championship.

This Rutgers team is different than years past. The Scarlet Knights head into Columbus already winning a road game which they haven’t done in years past, beating Michigan State 38-27. The Knights followed that up with a 37-21 loss to No. 17 Indiana but showed flashes of good plays throughout.

The Scarlet Knights are led by Nebraska-transfer dual threat quarterback Noah Vedral, who has 299 yards and 3 touchdowns on the season.

Justin Fields looks to continue his dominance this Saturday. Fields has an incredible QBR of 97.2 (1st in the nation) to go along with 594 yards, and 6 touchdowns. There’s no denying Fields will look to continue his Heisman campaign Saturday night. In company with Fields, wide receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson set an all-time Ohio State record. For the second straight game, each of them accounted for 100+ yards receiving. Olave and Wilson look to keep it rolling come game time.

Since clashing with the Scarlet Knights in 2014, the Buckeyes have only not scored 50 plus points one time. (in 2015, when the score was 49-7). Schiano’s team has improved greatly from years past, look for the Buckeyes to continue their dominance this season.

KEYS:

Ohio State K Blake Haubeil and TE Jake Hausmann will not be active for the game.

PREDICTION:

58-10














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#MOTSAGRising: Conquering White Out-less Happy Valley
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

Credit: reportdoor.com

At The Men of the Scarlet and Gray, we were due to get into the Podcast scene and due to technical issues–we will hold off for about a week until we prepare for it. For now, I am doing it old-school and just bear with me.

As you know, our team has a ton of rising stars and I haven’t been writing that much, but I make it up by upping the tweeting to ensure you are all entertained. Today, it is a post game reaction and I am going to do my best to follow in the Stat Masters step (looking at you Jeremiah!). Here we go.

Saturday night, in the Prime Time TV slot #3 ranked Ohio State faced the #18 team in the land Penn State in a COVID styled White Out minus the mass amount of fans in the stands. Due to the state of the nation and how they are combating the global pandemic–the fans have been narrowed down to family members and cardboard cutouts were in the seats. An odd environment indeed in a collision between two teams with a ton of history.

The past three or four contests have been fire and this one went in the Buckeyes’ favor early and then the Nittany Lions offense showed up to make it interesting despite eventually losing by double-digits. This game always was exciting for both sides and they have been so close over the past couple of seasons. In a game that is not considered a real rivalry game–these games always have a lot on the line.

For perspective, Ohio State and Penn State, although deemed a “Rivalry Game” have played a total of 34 times. The inaugural game was played in 1913 and they began the rivalry by winning the first four meet with the Buckeyes with a margin of 81-13. The early years of this rivalry saw Penn State take win after win, but as of late–the Buckeyes overtook them for the overall lead in the series. Ohio State leads the series 20-14 and the Buckeyes just won their fourth straight. Fun fact: The Buckeyes have also tied Notre Dame’s 10 road game win streak against ranked teams. If Michigan State continues their upward trend–they could break that in East Lansing, but this season has been difficult to get a beat on.

Now back to the game itself, the Buckeyes started fast and with urgency as they quickly shot up to a 14-0. They looked calm and poised, but after a Penn State Field Goal–they kind of took their foot off of the pedal and went into the half with what looked like a 14-3 lead. Not so fast my friend (Lee Corso voice) on a fourth and short, Fields took a knee to drain the clock, but left a second that led to another kick for three. The Buckeyes were already in the locker room before being returned to the field and you could hear and see the frustration by a late start of the play clock.

In the second half, the Nittany Lions turned it up and Jahan Dotson had a game against Shaun Wade. He finished with 8 catches, 144 yards and 3 scores in what was a highlight reel type of performance for him against a likely 1st Round talent in Wade. The Buckeyes definitely attacked the secondary in the second half and they rattled off 24 more points in the second half.

Buckeye Stickers

Justin Fields continues to tear it up as he finished 28 for 34, for 318 yards and 4 scores. Although he took a huge hit from his blindside–he quickly popped up but we all took a collective exhale. In the Big 10, Fields is 3rd in passing yards and is tied for 1st with 6 TD’s. He will face a renewed Rutgers team with a familiar face, which would make things interesting to say the least.

Master Teague and Trey Sermon haven’t been playing well, but they are starting to put things together. Together, they combined for 166 total yards and a score, much improved from 89 from last week. They are finding holes and it is only up from here. Things obviously need to improve, but for now give them their sticker!

The Olave and Wilson connection is still going strong and they went off again in week 2. Both receivers went over 100 yards receiving and now they are 4th and 2nd in the Big 10. This connection between both of these studs and Fields is crazy and it is looking like Wilson is having his breakout season while teams focus on Olave. This duo is so valuable and they take the attention off of the other pass catchers so they could make plays. They deserve the recognition so far!

The Slobs also did well cutting their total sacks surrendered in half to two this game. A brutal blindside sack and a coverage sack is better than the four from two weeks ago. The O-Line showed up and contained the Parsons-less defense that usually gives teams fits. They looked strong and mauled the D-Line and pushed them back. They is more room for improvement, but the increase in yardage is a good sign of things to come.

Lastly, the Buckeye front seven showed you why they are one of the best groups of unheralded players in the nation. A bunch of forgotten players that were buried in the depth chart, the Rushmen were disruptive and played well racking up the sacks and spooking Clifford. 5 sacks with 3 going to Tommy Togiai. Cooper and Harrison combined for a sack and Jean-Baptiste gathered the last sack.

Room For Improvement

The Special Teams unit could improve. With two missed Field Goals inside of the 20, they need to be better. Haubeil and DiMaccio combined for 1 of 3 with Haubeil leaving with a groin injury on his only attempt. Punting was also an issue. Two punts with two touchbacks with one that should have been downed in the 5. Robinson bounced it off of his knee with Olave around and they gave up valuable field position. These things need to be cleaned up if they truly want to control every phase of the game.

The secondary looked bad and they were exposed by Jahan Dotson. He made them look some type of way with the cushion they gave them. Slants and streaks worked for a bit and they need to improve because that will be on film for other teams to try to do the same. They didn’t do terrible, but they didn’t do well either. The upside is Hooker (Malik’s little brother) had a key takeaway that swung the door closed on Penn State’s comeback hopes. That is encouraging to say the least.




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#MOTSAGRising #BuckeyesVNittanyLions: Studs & Duds
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

The Buckeyes began the Non-White-Out in UnHappy Valley looking like they were going to maul the Lions and ended up needing their offense to continue being studs! “The best thing about being 2-0″

Justin, Fields, Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson continued their onslaught of the record books while the secondary continued to find out what needed fixed!

Offense


Stud(s) – After being #TongaTrains duds a week ago against Nebraska the slobs along with Master Teague III as well as Trey Sermon asserted their will early and often and the perfect misdirection to start the game with Garrett Wilson set it all up. At one point in the broadcast, bot commentators expressed their feelings on just how good the Buckeyes O-line is and will be.

Stud(s) – Once again the three headed monster of Fields, Olave and Wilson reared it’s beautifully ugly head and showed America they may have three viable Heisman candidates. Olave and Wilson both had 100 yard receiving nights (120 and 11 respectively) and its the first time in the history of the storied program that has happened. Could it be they have 8 straight with what the schedule looks like? Justin fields has definitely cemented himself atop the Heisman board after two games.

Dud – No real dud this week, as much as the offense can improve they put together a pretty good night altogether and play calling was superb

Defense


Stud(s) – In our preseason roundtable I mentioned Tommy Togiai as being the one defensive player that would shock everyone. I am not shocked at the night he had in Happy Valley and the future will only get better. As much credit as Jonathon Cooper deserves for the game he had, Tommy benefitted from the attention the Buckeye DE’s were recieving.

Stud(s) – This LB core(and back to Tonga’s duds a week ago) played it’s best game in the last two years. Having Browning and Werner tag team the PSU TE Pat Freiermuth kept him out of the game. Leaves me to ask the question, where has tis kind of work against a TE been?

Dud(s) – As much as it pains me, and we knew it was going to experience some growing pains, but the secondary might have had it’s worst half of the young season. Specifically against their best receiver and it could mean a move for Shaun Wade as the season goes. Coombs will continue to help this young group improve but it needs Wades leadership to shine!

Game


Stud – Ryan Day arrived awhile ago and sent a pretty clear message when he took over this offense. We will have the best QB play and there will not be a time the offense isn’t aggressive. With Urban Meyer still in the fold we did not see it all the time, but now that he is calling all of the shots? Well, you get what I am saying, he is as aggressive a coach on 4th and 1 as any that we have ever season. You do not know if you are getting a QB sneak under center or a wide open TE in the end zone that causes the entire secondary to shrug.

Dud(s) – I officiate HS football and basketball and nothing infuriates me more than inconsistent calls. I got a text from my best friend early on after the first penalty against the Buckeyes and it simply said, “oh no, not this crew!” I agreed with Gary and just sat back to watch the typical phantom calls they have against the Buckeyes. I needed to go back and look at it but they penalized the Buckeyes for 6 yards on a 5 yard penalty and the end of the half debacle will go down as a Halloween treat for ages.




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#MOTSAGRising #NewBlood Buckeyes Set For A Silent Night in Beaver Stadium by Mike Scharf
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

Penn State’s traditional prime time, “Whiteout” game against Ohio State is the most exciting game of the year and has an atmosphere like no other. Although, the 7:00 primetime game will NOT have that same electric feeling due to fans not being in attendance as a limited number of family members of players, coaches, along with the staff are the only ones permitted in the stadium.

This includes no gathering around the stadium. The Big Ten announced fan attendance and tailgating is prohibited this year because the health and safety concerns regarding the spread of COVID-19.

That being said, the primetime game will have an uncanny feeling of not seeing 110,000 in white screaming for all 3 hours and 24 minutes giving the Buckeyes an advantage come game time.

There’s no denying that Coach Franklin’s team uses their Whiteout game to bring them liveliness. No better example of this as last season Michigan was forced to call a timeout on the first play of the game due to the noise created by the fans in the stadium. When the Big Ten announced there was no season former Buckeye quarterback Kirk Herbstreit voiced his disappoint (on ESPN) with regards to a Penn State whiteout against the Buckeyes not taking place saying: “I always tell people that have never been to Penn State, or they ask ‘What’s your favorite venue to watch a game? You go to Penn State at night when it’s a White Out, it’s as good as a scene there is,” Herbstreit said. “When Ohio State comes in there it seems to be amped even a few more notches.”

Ohio State will take full advantage of the atmosphere this Saturday as play-calling will come much more relaxed in the sense of thousands not being there making noise. The Whiteout would have been many of the Buckeyes first, notably big-name players on the offense: Justin Fields, Master Teague, Trey Sermon, Garrett Wilson, Josh Myers, Jameson Williams, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Julian Fleming. True Freshman Julian Fleming, a Pennsylvania native also has some added incentive since earlier this week speaking about his home state team and how his recruitment went down. Looks for Fleming to do as much damage as he can against a Nittany Lion team that desperately wanted him on their team a year ago.




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Podcast: ‘Hangout in the Holy Land’ previews the Maryland game
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 Taetsch/Getty Images
The Terrapins pose a bigger threat to the Buckeyes than we originally thought

Hangout in the Holy Land is back to give you their breakdown of all things Buckeyes. The hosts are new, the football season is new, but the sarcasm hasn’t changed a bit. Join George Eisner and myself all year long as we break down Ohio State’s opponents and recap the Buckeyes’ performance each weekend.

Listen to the episode and subscribe:


When Ohio State’s schedule originally dropped, pretty much everyone expected the Penn State game to be the Buckeyes’ biggest test, with a big lull in the schedule between the matchup against the Nittany Lions and the season finale against Michigan. That is no longer the case, as this weird COVID season has flipped the Big Ten on its head, and now Maryland is one of the toughest teams in the conference to figure out.

On one hand, they lost 43-3 to Northwestern in the season opener, but on the other, they’ve significantly improved in their last two games, defeating Penn State on the road their last time out. George and I discuss the enigma that is the Terrapins, talking about some of the strengths and weaknesses of this year’s team under second-year head coach Mike Locksley. We attempt to separate fact from the fiction in this two-game stretch for Maryland, as the program has had a tendency to pick up a big early win before a total collapse in the past.

We will be back on Sunday following the game. We hope you will tweet us @HolyLandPod with your postgame questions and hot takes, and we will try to read as many of them as possible on the show.

Looking forward to hearing feedback from you guys. As always, if you like what we’re doing, be sure to subscribe and drop a review on Apple Podcasts. We’ll see ya after the game!

Contact Gene Ross
Twitter: @Gene_Ross23 / @HolyLandPod

Contact George Eisner
Twitter: @EasyEis

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Buckeye Bits: Ryan Day and a host of players discuss Rutgers game, preview Maryland
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

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

Happy Tuesday, everybody! Hopefully this week brings you much less stress than the week we all just went through. Some of you may even have off tomorrow in observance of Veterans Day. Whatever the case may be, be sure to take some time for yourself once and a while. Especially during tough times like these, it is important to step back and focus on your mental health and all the good things in life — like the fall foliage!


Maybe instead you choose to fill your free time checking in with all the latest Ohio State news. For that, we’ve got you covered! Let’s hop right into today’s headlines.

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...


Column: Is Jim Harbaugh overrated?
(Matt Tamanini, LGHL)

Can you call a coach overrated when there don't seem to be all that many people out there that think said coach is all that good at his job in the first place?

Top recruits put Ohio State on short lists
(Dan Hessler, LGHL)

Ohio State’s recruiting has really been heating up over these past few weeks, both in football and basketball. Another five-star prospect on the gridiron has listed the Buckeyes among his top schools, while a four-star shooting guard trending toward Columbus appears set to make his decision this Friday.

Buckeye Clips: NFL Week 9 highlights
(Gene Ross, LGHL)

Seemingly every week a former Buckeye makes a huge splash in the NFL, and this week it was undrafted wide receiver Austin Mack for the New York Giants.

Podcast: Ben Koo discusses declining sports ratings, ESPN firings, more
(Matt Tamanini, LGHL)

Koo, owner and editor in chief for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, sits down with Matt to discuss some of the behind-the-scenes action going on in the sports media world.

From around the gridiron...


On Tuesday afternoon, we got to hear from head coach Ryan Day and a handful of Buckeyes. They talked about their performance in the Rutgers game this past weekend, and also gave a small look ahead to their upcoming matchup with Maryland. Day was up at the podium first.

When asked about the running game, Day doesn’t seem overly concerned. He says despite some of the struggles Ohio State has had 200 yards rushing in every game so far this season, and that is a good sign. They also expect Trey Sermon to be ready for Saturday’s contest after he left the Rutgers game late with an apparent injury.


Day says kicker Blake Haubeil is still day-to-day with his groin injury, and they're not sure if he will suit up against the Terrapins. He liked what he saw from Jake Seibert in his absence.


In terms of the most improved player thus far this season, Day named Nicholas Petit-Frere. On the flip side, he wants to see more out of Marcus Hooker, who needs to be the ‘eraser’ as the last line of defense.


Day says Ohio State is where they need to be since they’ve made it to 3-0, but the team is not yet playing at a high level. He is also a bit concerned that the backups have not gotten enough reps to this point, but says they need to practice better to earn that right.


Day is impressed by what he has seen from Maryland to start the year, and acknowledged that if the Terps play the way they did against Penn State last week, it could be the toughest team Ohio State has faced. He says that Taulia Tagovailoa has the same ‘it’ factor as his older brother Tua.


Next up to the mic was the aforementioned Petit-Frere. NPF says he has learned a lot from fellow tackle Thayer Munford and has watched film on the Ohio State tackles before him.


Petit-Frere is not concerned about the holding calls on Harry Miller in the Rutgers game. If anything, he thinks it will make him a better player in the long run as he learns from his mistakes.


The next in line for Tuesday’s press conference was Jonathon Cooper. The senior says he is typically focused on one game a time during the season, but doesn’t want to lose focus of the team’s ultimate goal to win a championship.


Cooper emphasized not taking a team like Maryland for granted, alluding to the 2018 game.


Garrett Wilson was the next man up at the podium, and began his time with praise for both Justin Fields and Chris Olave. He says that Olave is so good because he never has a bad practice, and Fields always puts them in a position to make plays as long as they execute.


Wilson is not yet satisfied with his play thus far, looking to “break some records” this year.


Shaun Wade was the last guy to speak on Tuesday, and he was critical of his own play. He says even the best corners get beat sometimes, but he has to make sure he is in good position and getting the ball down. He admits he has been too focused on getting interceptions, and instead has to look to break up the pass instead.


Wade cares more about winning a title than he does his own personal accomplishments. He says if he plays bad but Ohio State still wins the championship, he will still be happy. He is disappointed in how he’s started, but continues to try and improve.


And now for a little segment I like to call, “the analytics say that Ohio State is really good and you shouldn’t freak out about minor occurrences late in blowouts”

From around the hardwood...


The Ohio State women’s team will begin the year at No. 20 in the preseason AP Poll.


In case you missed it, the men’s team will begin the year at No. 23 in their preseason poll.

From everywhere else...


The SEC has been having some significant COVID-19 issues. Wear a mask.


Someone please explain to me how this is physically possible...


1) This is creepy and 2) you left out the ACTUAL top Heisman candidate.


Going to cap off Bits today by leaving this here for no reason in particular.


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Podcast: Ben Koo discusses declining sports ratings, ESPN firings, more
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 Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Editor of AwfulAnnouncing.com discusses the hottest topics in sports media.

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

Listen to the episode and subscribe:


On today’s episode, we are in conversation with the Owner and Editor in Chief for AwfulAnnouncing.com and TheComeback.com Ben Koo.

Not only is Ben one of the most plugged-in sports media analysts in the business, but he is also a die-hard Ohio State fan. In our conversation, we talk about last week’s layoffs at ESPN, how college football pregame shows have dealt with COVID-19, the odd experience of watching a game with no fans in the crowd, and of course, the bizarrely controversial topic of declining sports ratings.


Contact Ben Koo
Twitter: @BKoo

Awful Announcing: AwfulAnnouncing.com | @AwfulAnnouncing
The Comeback: TheComeback.com | @TheComeback

Contact Matt Tamanini
Twitter: @BWWMatt

Theme music provided by www.bensound.com

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Buckeye Clips: NFL Week 9 highlights
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 Patrick McDermott/Getty Images
Terry McLaurin shines as usual, while Austin Mack has a breakout performance

Weekends in the fall are always the best. On Saturdays, you get to watch the current crop of Buckeyes easily dispatch their opponents, while Sundays provide an opportunity to watch all of the Ohio State football alum tear it up in the NFL. This week was no different, as there were no shortage of standout performances from your favorite crop of OSU alum in the league.

The Rookies


The biggest rookie performance of the weekend was by none other than Austin Mack. An undrafted free agent wide receiver, Mack got an expanded role with the New York Giants on Sunday, and he sure did make the most of it. He finished the afternoon with four catches for 72 yards to lead the team, and nearly had his first NFL touchdown before he was ruled down just a yard short.

Mack was the Giants’ highest-graded player on offense against Washington, according to PFF, despite playing less than half of the team’s offensive snaps.


There was not a ton of other action from Ohio State’s NFL rookies this past weekend, especially with guys like Damon Arnette (injury) and Jordan Fuller (bye week) not on the field this Sunday. We did, however, get good news on the Fuller injury front.


Other miscellaneous news and notes for Buckeye rookies

• Chase Young had a sack and two QB hits for the Washington Football Team.
• Malik Harrison led the Baltimore Ravens with 11 total tackles, while teammate J.K. Dobbins had 12 carries for 30 yards.
• Jonah Jackson started at guard for the Detroit Lions.

The Veterans


On the other sideline opposite Mack, Terry McLaurin continued to put on a show as he has done all season long for Washington. The newly appointed captain finished with a team-high seven receptions for 115 yards and a TD, including this impressive 68-yard score.


McLaurin wasn’t the only former Ohio State wide receiver putting up numbers on Sunday. It appears the Carolina Panthers have figured out that Curtis Samuel is a Swiss Army knife on offense, as the speedster now has six total touchdowns in his last three games, including this 14-yard score on a pop pass. Samuel finished his afternoon against the Kansas City Chiefs with nine receptions for 105 yards and a TD, with another 13 yards rushing on three carries.


There was also this, which in and of itself is just awesome.


There were a treasure trove of Buckeye performances in the Sunday night game, where the Ohio State-heavy New Orleans Saints dominated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. One of those impact performers was Malcolm Jenkins, who picked off Tom Brady in the third quarter.


Jenkins is truly an iron man, and in an era where injuries to major stars happen all the time, the incredibly talented safety has missed only TWO (2!!!) snaps since 2018.


His running mate, Marshon Lattimore, is a certified Mike Evans stopper.


Star wide receiver Michael Thomas also made his return back from an ankle injury that has kept him sidelined since Week 1, catching five passes for 51 yards.


Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward made a huge play in their game against the Dallas Cowboys, helping to sack Garrett Gilbert in a crucial situation late in the fourth quarter on this impressive bullrush move. Heyward finished with four total tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, and three QB hits.


Other miscellaneous news and notes for Buckeye veterans:

• Ezekiel Elliott had 18 carries for 51 yards for the Dallas Cowboys.
• Dre’Mont Jones had two tackles, a sack, a pass breakup and a QB hit for the Denver Broncos.
• Jerome Baker led the Miami Dolphins with seven total tackles.
• Kendall Sheffield had three tackles and a forced fumble for the Atlanta Falcons.
• Taylor Decker, Corey Linsley and Andrew Norwell started for their respective offensive lines.

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Top recruits put Ohio State on short lists
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

2022 five-star DE Enai White | Brian Dohn/247Sports
The Buckeyes’ recruiting efforts are paying off, making the cut for some of the nation’s top talents in both basketball and football.

The Ohio State football team had a very productive weekend. The Buckeyes won on the field Saturday night versus Rutgers, moving to 3-0 on the year. Additionally, the team won off the field, making the short list for multiple of the nation’s top recruits.

The streak continued Monday, as another of the nation’s highly regarded prospects listed Ohio State among his top schools. 2022 five-star defensive end Enai White (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Institute) included the Buckeyes in his top 13 schools.


Alongside Ohio State, White included Clemson, LSU, Alabama, Tennessee, USC, Ole Miss, Penn State, Miami, Oklahoma, Texas, Florida and Oregon in his list of schools moving forward.

While White was able to whittle his list of suitors to 13 schools, there are no further insights into his recruitment at this time. He will likely wait to visit some of the above mentioned schools before cutting things down further.

Ohio State’s 2022 class is already off to a historic start. The class currently sits atop the 247Sports Class Rankings with seven verbal commitments. However, the Buckeyes do not yet hold a commitment from a defensive linemen.

White is the No. 2 weakside DE in the 247Sports Composite Rankings, and is the No. 25 overall prospect in the class.

Basketball Buckeyes make the cut for four-star SG


Ohio State isn’t just winning over recruits on the gridiron. The Buckeyes also made the cut for one of the nation’s top prospects on the hardwood.

2022 four-star shooting guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (Youngstown, NY/Lewiston Port Senior) announced his top six schools Monday and included the Buckeyes.


Alongside Ohio State, Gayle Jr. also included UConn, Pitt, Marquette, Syracuse and Georgetown in his list of top schools. Not only did Gayle Jr. announce his final schools, he also announced his planned commitment date of Nov. 13.

Upon first glance, Ohio State would seem like the school with the hardest route to a commitment. The five other schools in contention are all basketball powerhouses with prolific histories. However, Holtmann has proven to be one of the nation’s top recruiters, and the hard work may soon payoff as the Buckeyes are the runaway favorite in this race.

While the 247Sports Crystal Balls are nowhere near an exact science, they are able to provide a strong glimpse into what the recruit is thinking based off of conversations with the experts. With this, Ohio State holds 100 percent of the predictions (five in total) with a confidence score of 7/10.

This will definitely be one to follow for Buckeye Nation, as Gayle Jr. could become the second member of Ohio State’s 2022 basketball class, joining three-star SG Bowen Hardman. Gayle Jr. is the No. 7 SG in the cycle, and the No. 76 player in the country overall.

Quick Hits

• Ohio State 2022 OLB commit Gabe Powers was named the Defensive Player of the Year in the Ohio Capital Conference. The five-star Marysville native is the highest rated player in the Buckeyes’ class, coming in as the No. 1 OLB in the nation and the No. 33 player overall.

• Ohio State 2021 four-star WR commit Marvin Harrison Jr. is now the all-time Catholic League leader in career receiving yards with 2,467 yards, passing Houston Texans WR Will Fuller. Harrison spoke with Bill Kurelic of BuckNuts on breaking the record.

• Five-star 2022 OT Zach Rice will be announcing his top eight schools this Saturday, the prospect announced via Twitter. Rice, who was one of the guys involved in the Ohio State social media buzz a short while back, is the No. 2 OT in the class and the No. 29 player in the country overall. Expect the Buckeyes to make the cut.

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Please see main thread here:

https://www.buckeyeplanet.com/forum/threads/2020-fundraising-please-read.663011/

Can't go to DC as I have for most of the last 20 years, but thinking of 1LT Joseph "Al" Lofton, USMC, KIA, November 10, 1968, I Corps. OSU Class of 1967 and a friend. And Spec 4 Hugh Douglas Knott, Fairmont High School, class of 1961, jr hi basketball teammate, and a good friend.

The Auburn-Miss St game has been postponed.

Wiscy thinks they’ll be able to play in Ann Arbor.

Tuesday, Nov. 10

Akron at Ohio | 7 p.m. | CBSSN
Kent State at Bowling Green | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2
Miami (Ohio) at Buffalo | 8 p.m. | ESPN

Wednesday, Nov. 11

Eastern Michigan at Ball State | 7 p.m. | CBSSN
Toledo at Western Michigan | 8 p.m. | ESPN
Central Michigan at Northern Illinois | 8 p.m. | ESPNU

Thursday, Nov. 12

Colorado State at Boise State | 8 p.m. | FS1

Friday, Nov. 13

Iowa at Minnesota | 7 p.m. | FS1
Florida Atlantic at FIU | 7 p.m. | CBSSN
East Carolina at No. 7 Cincinnati | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2

Utah at UCLA | 10:30 p.m. | FS1

Saturday, Nov. 14

No. 9 Miami (FL) at Virginia Tech | 12 p.m. | ESPN2
No. 10 Indiana at Michigan State | 12 p.m. | ABC
No. 12 Georgia at Missouri | 12 p.m. | ESPN
Illinois at Rutgers | 12 p.m. | Big Ten Network
No. 15 Coastal Carolina at Troy | 12 p.m. | ESPNU
Western Carolina at No. 22 Liberty | 12 p.m. | ESPN3
Penn State at Nebraska | 12 p.m. | FS1
Wake Forest at North Carolina | 12 p.m. | ACC Network
Vanderbilt at Kentucky | 12 p.m. | SEC Network
TCU at West Virginia | 12 p.m. | FOX

No. 2 Notre Dame at Boston College | 3:30 p.m. | ABC
No. 3 Ohio State at Maryland | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
No. 5 Texas A&M at Tennessee | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
No. 20 USC at Arizona | 3:30 p.m. | FOX
Colorado at Stanford | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2
Louisville at Virginia | 3:30 p.m. | ACC Network
Baylor at Texas Tech | 4 p.m. | FS1

No. 1 Alabama at LSU | 6 p.m. | CBS
Nevada at New Mexico | 6:30 p.m. | FS2
Arkansas at No. 6 Florida | 7 p.m. | ESPN
No. 19 SMU at Tulsa | 7 p.m. | ESPN2
Pitt at Georgia Tech | 7 p.m. | ESPN3
No. 11 Oregon at Washington State | 7 p.m. | FOX
No. 13 Wisconsin at Michigan | 7:30 p.m. | ABC
Florida State at NC State | 7:30 p.m. | ACC Network
South Carolina at Ole Miss | 7:30 p.m. | SEC Network
No. 23 Northwestern at Purdue | 7:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network

Air Force at Wyoming | 10 p.m. | CBSSN
Cal at Arizona State | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN2
UNLV at San Jose State | 10:30 p.m. | FS2
Oregon State at Washington | 11 p.m. | FS1

Q: Can a 49-27 win be unimpressive?

A: Yes. See Rutgers @ Ohio State, 11/07/2020.

Part of the reason the score was unimpressive is that Rutgers left eleven easy points on the field. Rutgers attempted 2-point conversions after each of their four touchdowns, and they failed each time. And in the final minute of the game, Rutgers had the ball first-and-goal from the 2-yard line against the Buckeyes' reserve defenders, and their third-string QB fumbled the ball away without even getting hit. Give Rutgers those eleven easy points and it becomes a 49-38 game. It looked like a 49-38 game. It felt like a 49-38 game.

Another reason the win was unimpressive was the effort level by Ohio State. The Buckeyes lost the battle of the trenches all night long, and quite frankly they seemed bored and even entitled for much of the game. I get it - the Mighty Mighty Buckeyes don't want to play Lowly Rutgers in an empty Horseshoe on a Saturday night. They didn't want to be there. They'd rather be doing something else. But you know who did want to be there, and who wanted to do nothing else but play to a crowd of cardboard cutouts? Rutgers, that's who. The Scarlet Knights were hungry, they were aggressive, they were smart, and, thanks to their coaches, they were innovative. Rutgers had no real chance to win last night - Ohio State was simply too talented to allow that to happen - but they played one Hell of a game. And they made Ohio State look unimpressive.

Now on to some specific news and notes:

1. Justin Fields once again played like a future Heisman winner, completing 24 of 28 passes for 314 yards, with 5 touchdowns and no interceptions. No complaints here.

2. The primary beneficiaries of Fields's largesse were, as usual, Garrett Wilson (6 receptions, 104 yards, TD) and Chris Olave (5 receptions, 64 yards, 2 TDs). Jameson Williams caught just one pass, but it was a 38-yard touchdown for the Buckeyes' first score. Julian Fleming added a 27-yard reception but also had an obvious dropped pass (one of Fields's four incompletions on the night). Tight end Jeremy Ruckert had 4 receptions for 29 yards and another TD deep in the red zone (7 yards).

3. As Mark Twain famously said: "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." If you look at the statistics, the Buckeye running backs had a great game last night: 30 carries for 191 yards (6.4 average), with three runs of 25+ yards (each by a different back) and a touchdown. Then you look more closely at the numbers: Master Teague's 25-yard run came on the first offensive play of the game; Steele Chamber's 38-yard run came on a fake punt; Trey Sermon's 36-yard run came in garbage time, on Ohio State's second last offensive play of the game (their last offensive play was a fumble by Chambers on first-and-goal with 4:38 left on the clock). Take out the two big runs that bracketed the game action, and the fake punt trickeration, and the running backs don't look quite so hot: 27 carries, 92 yards, 3.4 average. Five rushes went for negative yards, and ten others went for two yards or less.

4. On the plus side of the equation, the running backs caught 4 passes for 48 yards. I don't know if those outlet passes were part of the game plan or if Justin Fields is becoming more adept at finding his 3rd/4th option and taking what the defense is giving him.

5. The offensive line played a bad game. The interior of the line, which is supposed to be their strength, had an especially rough night. The line had four holding penalties, three by Harry Miller, one by Wyatt Davis. Rutgers had two sacks and six other TFLs. Defensive tackles Julius Turner (3 TFLs) and Michael Dwumfour (a Michigan castoff) seemed to blow up half the Buckeyes' plays. Thanks to the all the penalties and negative plays, Ohio State faced 2nd-and-10+ an incredible ten times last night. Fortunately, when you have Justin Fields throwing to Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, down and distance are pretty much irrelevant.

6. The Buckeye defense did just enough to hold the large early lead and win the game. The defense gave up three touchdowns (Rutgers's fourth came on a punt return), which is disturbing enough, but a deeper dive into the numbers paints an even uglier picture. Rutgers's four scoring drives went as follows: 9 plays, 63 yards, FG; 6 plays, 91 yards, TD; 13 plays, 65 yards, TD; 9 plays, 64 yards, TD. And their final drive, which ended in a fortuitous unforced fumble in the red zone, covered 82 yards on 21 plays. In other words, Rutgers scored no cheap touchdowns and the Ohio State defense couldn't get off the field.

7. In terms of specific performances, Baron Browning (5 tackles, TFL) seemed to have a good game, Marcus Hooker (2 tackles) seemed to have a bad game. Shaun Wade got beat for another touchdown when Rutgers tight end Jovani Haskins made a great catch in the end zone. Wade's coverage was solid, and he got his hands on the football, but the larger and stronger Haskins simply outmuscled him and made an exceptional play. Even the best cornerbacks are going to get beat from time to time, but a great corner has to win his share of 50/50 balls and Wade hasn't done much of that this season. And that's why he's been on the wrong end of at least three highlight reel plays in the first three games.

8. Punter Drue Chrisman had three punts downed inside the 10-yard line. His fourth punt was returned 58 yards for a touchdown.

9. Ohio State had 517 yards of total offense (to 373 yards for Rutgers); won the time of possession battle, 31:09 to 28:51; and converted 8/13 (61.5%) on 3rd and 4th downs. On the negative side of the ledger, the Buckeyes had 9 penalties for 74 yards, and the defense allowed Rutgers to convert 10/20 (50.0%) on 3rd and 4th downs.

10. Give credit to the Rutgers coaching staff for creative game plans - offense, defense, and special teams - and to the Scarlet Knights for executing them nearly to perfection. No credit to the Ohio State coaches, who apparently didn't think that former Buckeye DC Greg Schiano was going to pull out all stops to win the game, nor to the Buckeye players who fell for every trick, misdirection, and sleight of hand that Rutgers threw at them. Even the cardboard cutouts knew that Rutgers couldn't hang with Ohio State by playing a conventional game, that their only chance to win (or even keep the game close) was to take risks (and lots of them). In the end, talent won out (as talent usually does), but there should be plenty of embarrassment in the WHAC after last night's under-performance.

11. Specific credit goes to Rutgers wide receiver Bo Melton, who had 7 receptions for 86 yards, as well as a 58-yard touchdown on a punt return where he received the ball on a lateral from a teammate (one of the many successful trick plays). Running back Isaih Pacheco had a 66-yard run on another trick play that set up Rutgers first touchdown (which was scored on yet another trick play, a lateral to offensive tackle Raiqwon O'Neal). As a Wisconsin Badger last season, wide receiver Aron Cruickshank gained 45 yards against Ohio State on a pair of jet sweeps; he continued his success as a Scarlet Knight with a 22-yard jet sweep to go along with 7 receptions for 50 yards. Linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi had 13 tackles and 2 TFLs.

12. Right now, Ohio State looks too good to lose to anybody in a down Big Ten, but not nearly good enough to beat anyone of substance in the playoffs. Yes, we're only three games into a season that has been strange, to say the least, so we could see this team suddenly gel at any time during the next month and roll into the postseason as an unstoppable juggernaut. Next week, Ohio State plays a motivated and athletic Maryland team on the road. That would be a good time for Ohio State to start gelling, because another sloppy, disinterested performance like last night's might very well lead to the Buckeyes getting upset.

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Jacksonville (FL) Robert E Lee High School

Cornerback
6-1
170 lbs
Class of 2022


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The Spring League Oct-Nov 2020 Schedule & Details



The Spring League‘s fall season is right around the corner and former XFL players along with many CFL and College opt-outs will be participating.

The 6 team, 12 game season will be played entirely in San Antonio, Texas at The Alamodome, with friends and family allowed to attend the games, and tickets also being sold to the general public.

The sole purpose of The Spring Leagues’ fall season is to give these players another opportunity to build up their game film and impress professional football teams in the NFL, CFL, or maybe even XFL. Something that will definitely help is The Spring League has confirmed that they will be sending both practice and game film to every NFL and CFL team’s front office.

Who will participate in The Spring League?

It has been confirmed that “Any player who is currently eligible for the 2021 NFL Draft or a previous year’s NFL draft is eligible to sign with a team in The Spring League.”

Players that have so far been reported to be participating include former CFL QB and passing touchdown leader, McLeod Bethel-Thompson, as well as Former XFL LB Jerimiah Spicer.

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Entire article: https://xflnewshub.com/xfl-news/the-spring-league-oct-nov-2020-schedule-details/

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MARVIN DAVIES

PLAYER PROFILE

• HEIGHT 5-11
• WEIGHT 200
• HOMETOWN CLEVELAND, OHIO
• LAST SCHOOL ORANGE
• YEAR FRESHMAN

Prior to Ohio State
• Joined the Ohio State football program in June of 2020

More on Marvin
• Honorable mention Northeast Lakes All-District in 2019 at Orange High School for head coach Adam Bechlem
• Despite missing four games as a junior in 2018, finished with 29 receptions for 599 yards and four touchdowns
• Was the Class of 2020 president at Orange High School
• Ran track at Orange, placing fourth in the state in the 4×200

Entire article: https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/roster/marvin-davies/

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Duncanville (TX) Duncanville High School

Defensive End
6-4
240 lbs
Class of 2022


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For games from Wednesday, 11-04 through Saturday, 11-07. Times are Eastern.

Wednesday, Nov 4 - MACtion returns!

Buffalo at Northern Illinois | 7 p.m. | ESPN2
Ohio at Central Michigan | 7 p.m. | ESPN
Ball State at Miami (Ohio) | 7 p.m. | CBSSN

Bowling Green at Toledo | 8 p.m. | ESPNU

Thursday, Nov. 5

Utah State at Nevada | 7 p.m. | FS1

Wyoming at Colorado State | 9 p.m. | CBSSN

Friday, Nov. 6

No. 11 Miami at NC State | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN

San Jose State at San Diego State | 9 p.m. | CBSSN
No. 9 BYU at No. 21 Boise State | 9:45 p.m. | FS1

Saturday early games:

Air Force at Army | 11:30 a.m. | CBS

No. 23 Michigan at No. 13 Indiana | 12 p.m. | FS1
West Virginia at No. 22 Texas | 12 p.m. | ABC
Nebraska at Northwestern | 12 p.m. | Big Ten Network
North Carolina at Duke | 12 p.m. | ESPN2
Arizona State at No. 20 USC | 12 p.m. | FOX (9 am LA time kickoff)
Tulsa at Navy | 12 p.m. | CBSSN
No. 25 Liberty at Virginia Tech | 12 p.m. | ACC Network
Michigan State at Iowa | 12 p.m. | ESPN

3:30 games:

No. 8 Florida vs. No. 5 Georgia (WLOCP, at Jax) | 3:30 p.m. | CBS
Houston at No. 6 Cincinnati | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
Purdue at No. 10 Wisconsin — CANCELED
Kansas at No. 19 Oklahoma | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
Maryland at Penn State | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Minnesota at Illinois | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network

No. 14 Oklahoma State at Kansas State | 4 p.m. | FOX
Arizona at Utah | 4 p.m.
Pitt at Florida State | 4 p.m. | ACC Network

Night games:

Baylor at No. 17 Iowa State | 7 p.m. | FS1
No. 7 Texas A&M at South Carolina | 7 p.m. | ESPN
Louisiana Tech at North Texas | 7 p.m. | CBSSN
UCLA at Colorado | 7 p.m. | ESPN2

No. 1 Clemson at No. 4 Notre Dame | 7:30 p.m. | NBC
Stanford at No. 12 Oregon | 7:30 p.m. | ABC
Rutgers at No. 3 Ohio State | 7:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Tennessee at Arkansas | 7:30 p.m. | SEC Network

South Alabama at No. 15 Coastal Carolina | 8 p.m. | ESPNU
Louisville at Virginia | 8 p.m. | ACC Network

Washington State at Oregon State | 10:30 p.m. | FS1
Washington at California | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN

2020 Ohio State at Penn State

Penn State Post-Game Thoughts

1. With the 38-25 win, Ohio State now leads the series versus Penn State, 22-14 (.611 winning percentage), including 20-8 (.714 winning percentage) in Big Ten play. Ohio State has outscored Penn State 834 to 678 (23.2 to 18.8 on a per game basis). In Big Ten games, Ohio State has outscored Penn State 773 to 531 (27.6 to 19.0 on a per game basis).

2. A 13-point win against a pre-season top-10 team seems pretty impressive, but the game wasn't really that close. Ohio State settled for three FG attempts inside the 5-yard line, and missed two of them (one with an injured Blake Haubeil; one with his backup, walk-on Dominic DiMaccio). Penn State was clearly gifted a FG of their own when the clock malfunctioned (or something) at the end of the first half, and a second FG after a phantom roughing the passer call allowed them to convert a 3rd-and-12. If Ohio State makes their two short FG, and the refs don't gift Penn State six points, then your final score is 44-19. If Ohio State converts TDs in those goal-to-go situations, then the final score is 56-19. You get the idea.

3. Justin Fields had another Heisman-caliber performance. He was 28/34 (.824) for 318 yards, 4 TDs, and no interceptions.

4. If I have one quibble about Fields - or perhaps it is really a quibble about the Ohio State offense in general - it is this: The Buckeyes have a difficult time converting touchdowns inside the 5-yard line. Over the past four games with Fields at QB (Wisconsin and Clemson last season; Nebraska and Penn State this season), Ohio State has been at or inside the 5-yard line eleven times, with the following results: 4 TDs; 4 FGs; 2 missed FGs; and 1 fumble. Four touchdowns in eleven tries inside the 5-yard line is quite simply awful. Granted, Wisconsin, Clemson, and Penn State have solid defenses, and perhaps one or two of those FG attempts were dictated by the game situation, but the Buckeyes clearly have some major difficulties in scoring when the playing field gets compressed.

5. Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson are the best receiving duo in the country, and quite possibly in Buckeye history. For the second straight game, both receivers eclipsed the 100-yard mark, which has never happened before at Ohio State. Olave had 7 receptions for 120 yards and 2 touchdowns (26 yards; 49 yards), while Wilson had 11 receptions for 111 yards (no TDs) and added another 62 yards on a rush.

6. Jeremy Ruckert had a big game, at least by the standards of Buckeye tight ends, with 4 receptions for 25 yard and a pair of touchdowns. Luke Farrell (1 reception, 16 yards) and Jake Hausmann (1 reception, 13 yards) also made it onto the stat sheet. A big tight end can be a real asset in goal-to-go situations (see above), and Ruckert (or Farrell or Hausmann) could be the X-factor that finally allows Ohio State to become more efficient inside the 5-yard line.

7. The Buckeyes' tailback tandem of Master Teague (23 carries, 110 yards, 4.8 average, TD) and Trey Sermon (13 carries, 56 yards, 4.3 average) were somewhat better this week, but it's becoming apparent that Ohio State will not be able to win a close game against a top opponent by relying on its running game. It's Justin Fields or bust in 2020.

8. Q: How often does a defensive tackle lead the team in tackles? A: Basically never, but Tommy Togiai accomplished that rare feat last night. Togiai had seven tackles (4 solo, 3 assists) and added 3 sacks for 13 yards lost. Javonte Jean-Baptiste had a solo sack, and Zach Harrison (4 tackles, TFL) and Jonathon Cooper (5 tackles) combined for a fifth sack. After a rough game against Nebraska in week one, Cooper had a much better and more physical game against Penn State.

9. Marcus Hooker looked like his big brother on a 31-yard interception return that he almost took to the house. Hooker's near pick-six late in the 4th quarter pretty much clinched the game for Ohio State, although the Buckeyes certainly made things interesting by: (1) not scoring a touchdown inside the 5-yard line, and (2) subsequently missing the chip shot field goal. Hooker also added 6 tackles (5 solo, 1 assist) for the contest.

10. The Buckeye front seven were stout all night long, with 5 sacks, 2 additional TFLs, and surrendering just 44 yards rushing on 27 attempts (1.6 average, no TDs). After being torched recently by running quarterbacks (Trevor Lawrence, Adrian Martinez, Luke McCaffery), the defense did an especially nice job on Penn State QB Sean Clifford. Subtracting out the five sacks for minus 23 yards, Clifford had 13 rushes for just 28 yards (2.15 average) and a long run of 11 yards.

11. Where Clifford hurt the Buckeyes was in the passing game. Although Clifford's stats weren't great - 18 for 30 (.600) for 281 yards, 3 TDs, INT, 5 sacks - he made several big plays, including eight completions of 16+ yards. Clifford's biggest plays of the night were a 37-yard completion to Jahan Dotson to convert a 3rd-and-17, and a 21-yard TD to Dotson on the very next play to cut Ohio State's lead to 31-19. Those two plays kept the game fairly close and the final score almost respectable.

12. Turn back the clock to September 28, 2013. #4 Ohio State versus #23 Wisconsin. The Buckeyes win the game, 31-24, but Badger quarterback Joel Stave connects with wide receiver Jared Abbrederis 10 times for 207 yards and a touchdown, including receptions of 23, 33, 36, and 64 yards. Who was guarding the otherwise forgettable Abbrederis that evening? None other than Buckeye All American cornerback (and future first round draft pick) Bradley Roby. I've never seen a Buckeye corner get torched quite so badly as Roby that night, but Shaun Wade certainly entered the discussion with his "coverage" on Penn State's Jahan Dotson, who had 8 receptions for 144 yards and 3 touchdowns (14, 20, 21 yards). Sure, Dotson made some nice individual plays, but there were times when Wade simply looked overmatched and/or disinterested. Bradley Roby was able to rebound from his awful night back in 2013, so maybe Shaun Wade can do the same thing in 2020. If Wade can't be a lockdown corner going forward, then the Buckeye defense will have a difficult (if not impossible) time stopping the high-powered offenses that they hope to meet in the playoffs.

13. Remember how I said that the game wasn't really as close as the final score? Ohio State outgained Penn State 526 total yards to 325 total yards, and won the time of possession battle 37:01 to 22:59. In addition, Ohio State was 12 for 21 (.571) converting 3rd and 4th downs, while Penn State was just 3 for 10 (.300). Ohio State basically dominated the game everywhere but on the scoreboard.