Ohio State concludes a big weekend of recruiting visits
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Three-star 2021 RB David Holloman | via @Dhollo33_David on Twitter
Columbus played host to a number of top recruits the past few days

With the decent weather over the weekend you probably missed out on your Ohio State recruiting fix. Don’t worry, Land-Grant Holy Land is here to get you caught back up with the some of the latest news surrounding the Buckeyes.

Recruits flock to Columbus


The sun wasn’t the only thing that showed it’s face in Columbus over the weekend, as a bunch of top notch high school prospects were in attendance as well. In town to get a closer look at what it would be like to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes football squad, Ryan Day and crew kicked off their spring visit schedule with a pretty solid list of recruits.

It might’ve not ended with any verbal pledges, but Day and crew had the chance to show some of the recruits on their 2021 and 2022 recruiting board around their potential future stomping grounds.

Want to know which recruits made the trek to the Ohio State University campus over the weekend? We’ve got you covered:

Four-star RB Donovan Edwards


Class: 2021

Town: West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield

Size: 5-foot-11/190 pounds

Status: Uncommitted

Offers: Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan, Michigan State, Alabama, etc

Three-star TE Treylan Davis


Class: 2021

Town: Jackson, OH/Jackson

Size: 6-foot-5/215 pounds

Status: Verbally committed to the University of Cincinnati

Three-star RB David Holloman


Class: 2021

Town: Auburn Hills, MI/Avondale

Size: 5-foot-10/189 pounds

Status: Uncommitted

Offers: Boston College, Indiana, Iowa State, Maryland, Nebraska, etc

Three-star QB Lonnie White


Class: 2021

Town: Malvern, PA/Malvern Prep

Size: 6-foot-2/190 pounds

Status: Uncommitted

Offers: Boston College, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, etc

RB Dillon Tatum


Class: 2022

Town: West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield

Size: 5-foot-11/180 pounds

Status: Uncommitted

Offers: Ohio State (During visit), Florida, Miami, Michigan, West Virginia, etc

ATH Randy Masters


Class: 2022

Town: Pearland, TX/Shadow Creek

Size: 6-foot/165 pounds

Status: Uncommitted

Offers: Florida, LSU, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, etc

Quick Hits

• Four-star class of 2021 tight end Moliki Matavao took to his Twitter page over the weekend to let the recruiting world know his top 10 college leaders. Cutting things down from over 30 offers, Ohio State, LSU, Tennessee, Penn State, UCLA, Oregon, Michigan, and Washington made the list for the 6-foot-6, 240-pound Nevada native.
• Trimble High (OH) class of 2020 quarterback/safety Cameron Kittle has accepted a walk-on spot with the Ohio State football team. Now joining other instate preferred walk-on commits such as Patrick Gurd (New Albany), Kyle Moore (Austintown Fitch), Marvin Davies (Pepper Pike Orange), Quinton Burke (Lancaster), and Andrew Moore (Cleveland Heights), Kittle was named All-District and Conference after helping lead the Tomcats to an overall record of 11-1 as a senior this season.

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Moments that mattered: Ohio State’s 80-69 loss to Big Ten champion Michigan State
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
The short-handed Buckeyes battled hard, but this one slipped away in the final ten minutes in East Lansing.

Coming off a come from behind, knock down, drag-out victory over No. 23 Illinois earlier this week, the Buckeyes had a chance on Sunday to crush yet another team’s hopes of winning a share of the Big Ten Championship.

Illinois (20-10, 12-7) needed to win their final two games to collect a share of the conference title, but Ohio State was unrelenting, coming back from deficits of 11, 9, and 8, durnig that game to ultimately dispatch the Illini, 71-63. Kaleb Wesson scored 19 in the victory, but it was E.J. Liddell’s 17 points and 11 rebounds off the bench (both season highs) that sparked Ohio State (21-10, 11-9) to victory earlier this week.

Sunday provided a similar framework for Ohio State’s next opponent. With a win, Michigan State (22-9, 13-6) became part of a three-way tie for the Big Ten championship along with Maryland and Wisconsin. The three are “co-champions” and each get a B1G championship trophy.

It was also senior day on Sunday for Cassius Winston, the Spartans’ leading scorer and an all-time MSU great. Winston’s brother Zachary committed suicide in the fall, and Michigan State coach Tom Izzo recently said that coaching this team through the tragedy has been “the most difficult thing he’s had to do in his career.” Winning a conference title with this team and what they’ve been through would be an impressive feat, but first they had to get through the Buckeyes.

With a win, Ohio State would have entered the Big Ten Tournament as the five-seed and would play the winner of the 12-13 game on Thursday. With a loss, they would either be the six or seven-seed, depending on the outcome of Sunday night’s matchup between Illinois and Iowa.

While the Buckeyes punched back several times Sunday after falling behind by as much as a dozen, ultimately they were not able to corral Winston and his Spartans, as Ohio State fell 80-69. After trailing by six at halftime, OSU came right out of the gate in the second half and tied the game 42-42.

They continued to go punch-for-punch with the Spartans until about the 10:00 mark, but Winston and Rocket Watts, who combined to score 46 points, were too much for the short-handed Buckeyes. Saddled with foul trouble early, Ohio State did not have much depth to lean on with Kyle Young, D.J. Carton, and Alonzo Gaffney all unavailable. Because of this, the Buckeyes had to play defense less aggressively, and Michigan State took full advantage.

Duane Washington Jr. led Ohio State with 16 points. CJ Walker chipped in 14 as well. MSU was led by Winston’s 27 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds.

What were the key plays from Ohio State’s loss on Sunday? Here are the moments that mattered:

Rocket Watts blasts off


With Ohio State leading 7-4 early, Michigan State went on a 12-0 run over the course of the next 2:12, including eight straight points from Michigan State freshman guard Rocket Watts. This early outburst gave Michigan State a 16-7 lead, forcing Holtmann to use a timeout at the 14:31 mark of the first half. Ohio State never regained the lead from that point on.

Muhammad’s trouble with Cassius


The matchup of Luther Muhammad guarding Cassius Winston was supposed to be a great one, with Muhammad being one of the best on-ball defenders in the conference and Winston being possibly the toughest guard in the conference to defend. Muhammad struggled right from tip, picking up two fouls in the first eight minutes, including fouling Winston on a three-pointer at the 12:29 mark. Winston hit all three free throws, giving MSU a 21-10 lead.

Dueling PGs


CJ Walker has really stepped up lately for Ohio State, averaging just over 14 points per game during their four-game winning streak. Winston has been doing it all season, averaging 18.3 points per game this season. Winston had 27 for MSU, while CJ Walker dropped 14 on seven-of-ten shooting. Walker’s coast to coast layup at the 1:00 mark of the first half pulled the Buckeyes to within four points, 36-32.

Tillman’s buzzer beater


On Michigan State’s final possession of the first half, with three Buckeyes collapsing around him, Xavier Tillman hit a fading, turnaround jumper at the buzzer to give the Spartans a 36-32 halftime lead.

Big trouble on the boards


MSU out-rebounded Ohio State 36-30, including 11 offensive rebounds. Ohio State had only six offensive rebounds. Michigan State also had 14 second-chance points compared to Ohio State’s nine.

The Rocket returns


After his initial outburst, Watts stayed mostly quiet until the 9:35 mark of the second half, when he hit a three and was fouled by Walker. He hit the free throw, completing the four-point play. On the very next MSU possession, he was hand-checked by Walker, drawing the foul. Already in the bonus, Watts hit both free throws to give the Spartans a 62-51 lead. Watts would finish with 19, his third-highest scoring output of the season.

Washington Jr.’s shot clock-beating triple


At the 8:37 mark with Ohio State down 11, Duane Washington Jr. hit a three-pointer with the shot clock down to two seconds. His shot got the Buckeyes back to within eight points while Michigan State threatened to blow the game open. Washington Jr. would end the game with a team-high 16 points.

Up Next:


Ohio State’s next game won’t come until Thursday in the Big Ten Tournament. Ohio State will enter the tournament as either the six or seven seed, depending on the winner of tonight’s Iowa-Illinois game. The times for these games are still to be announced. All games will be played in Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The first two rounds will be broadcast on BTN.

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

Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
With the last regular season game upon us, the Buckeyes look to finish on a high note.

The No. 19 Ohio State Buckeyes men’s basketball team has certainly made a comeback in the last month, and this hot streak is the one Ohio State fans have been hoping for as the squad wraps up the regular season.

After a serious slump in January, which included one stretch where the Buckeyes lost six-of-seven games, Ohio State has emerged with a four-game win streak which has included three victories over ranked opponents and one dominant conquest on the road. With these wins in the books, the Buckeyes rose to the No. 15 spot in the latest NET rankings. All told, Ohio State has truly flipped the script from the early Big Ten season, now having won six of the last seven as the Buckeyes seem to have gotten hot at exactly the right time.

The Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament opens in Indianapolis next Wednesday, but Ohio State won’t start play until Thursday or (hopefully) Friday. That’s because the Buckeyes still have a narrow shot at a top-four seed and two byes, though they’ll need some help along the way to get there.

Now, the Buckeyes prepare for their final regular season game of the year as they hit the road to take on No. 16 Michigan State at 4:30 ET in East Lansing.

Preview


Ohio State’s recent win streak has proven that the Buckeyes can win the close game (e.g., Michigan, Maryland) as well as put away an opponent while maintaining a big lead early (e.g., Nebraska). However, what they’d yet to show recently was a true comeback win.

That changed Thursday when the Buckeyes defeated the No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini 71-63. Despite being down 37-30 at the half, with the Illini leading by as many as 11 and holding a lead well into the second half, Ohio State surged late at home to secure the eight-point victory.

In Thursday’s matchup, junior forward Kaleb Wesson emerged once again for the Buckeyes, pouring in 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting. And once again coming off the bench to provide an injection of scoring for Ohio State was freshman forward EJ Liddell, who totaled 17 points on the night. Junior point guard C.J. Walker added 15 of his own, also off the bench, though 11 of those points came from the free throw line as Walker connected on just two field goals all night. Senior Andre Wesson played all 40 minutes for the Buckeyes, adding eight points.

Ohio State finished the game shooting 38.6% from the field while giving up 43.6% to Illinois. The Buckeyes won the rebound battle 38-31, and had 11 turnovers to Illinois’ 14. A crucial point in such a tight game, the Buckeyes shot 28 free throws (making 24) compared to just 10 for the Illini.

Additionally, despite the three-point shot having proven a critical part of Ohio State’s success thus far this season, the Buckeyes also proved they could win without the three, as Ohio State was just 3-for-15 from beyond the arc.

With injuries to forwards Kyle Young (high-ankle sprain) and Alonzo Gaffney (illness), it certainly helped that guard play has been outstanding for the Buckeyes in recent weeks, and that Liddell has stepped up to such a degree as he has.

Michigan State, meanwhile, is well on the verge of winning its third-straight regular season conference championship. That opportunity is surprising, given the overall strength of Maryland and the fact the Spartans lost four of five in the middle of February. However, Tom Izzo is not one to let his teams get down when it comes to March, as Michigan State hasn’t missed the big dance since 1997. Like the Buckeyes, Sparty is surging at the right time, with Michigan State jumping to the No. 7 spot in the latest NET rankings.

On that note, Tom Izzo has been at the helm in East Lansing since 1995. Through 24 seasons, Izzo has won nine Big Ten regular season titles, tournament titles or, on three occasions, both. Truly a living legend. Izzo has also taken his team to eight final fours, winning a national title in 2000.

On the court, Izzo once again has a superstar in Cassius Winston — the senior point guard who has stuck with the team despite an opportunity to enter the draft last season. Winston was the 2018-19 Big Ten Player of the Year and hasn’t slowed down in the 2019-20 campaign. In his final year in East Lansing, Winston is averaging 18.3 points per game, which is good for third in the conference behind Iowa’s Luka Garza and Minnesota’s Daniel Oturu. Winston has also been a threat from range, connecting on nearly 43% from beyond the arc — a Big Ten-best. Rounding out the point guard’s skillset, Winston is averaging 5.9 assists per game.

Xavier Tillman has also been a boon for the Spartans this season. In addition to his 13.7 points on 55% shooting (!), Tillman is pulling down 10.4 rebounds per game — also a top-three mark in the Big Ten — while averaging three assists, 1.2 steals and 2.1 blocked shots per game.

Overall, the Spartans are second in the conference in scoring offense, averaging just under 76 points per game on 46% shooting. Sparty also boasts the best field goal defense in the conference, allowing just 37.6% of all shots and a mere 28.7% from range. Michigan State is also tops in the conference in blocked shots per game (5.0) and assists per game (17.7).

While the Buckeyes’ recent win streak has been something to celebrate, Michigan State has been riding its own in recent weeks. After falling at home against No. 9 Maryland Feb 15, Sparty has posted a 4-0 record, with wins at Nebraska, home against No. 18 Iowa, on the road against Maryland (the Terps’ first loss and so far only loss at home this season) and, most recently, on the road against No. 20 Penn State.

The three recent wins in particular are feathers in the cap for Michigan State’s tournament resume, with the Spartans sitting as high as a No. 3 seed according to some projections. Of notable importance is the victory over Maryland which, like Ohio State’s win over the Terps, gave the Spartans a signature conference win. However, the one-upper in favor of Michigan State is the fact Sparty accomplished this feat on the road.

Prediction


ESPN BPI: Ohio State 27.4%

This afternoon marks the first and, obviously, only time Ohio State and Michigan State face off in the regular season this year. Per the usual, it doesn’t help that the Buckeyes are facing Izzo’s squad on the road, and Ohio State isn’t getting a ton of respect in the lead up to this game.

On the whole, it bears emphasizing just how loaded the conference is this season, and just how much Big Ten teams have beaten one another up. Regardless, up to 11 Big Ten teams (more likely 10) could make the 68-team NCAA Tournament field. That number feels right, since, in the latest AP Poll, the Big Ten had eight teams ranked, with Maryland holding the highest spot at No. 9. Michigan State has a lot to play for this afternoon, as Sparty is still actively fighting for the top-seed in the Big Ten Tournament.

For the Buckeyes, this afternoon marks a chance to end the regular season on a high note, but they’ll have to overcome an opponent that, so like themselves, is getting hot at just the right time. Additionally, they’ll have to keep playing through adversity, With Kyle Young day-to-day, and with freshman point guard DJ Carton still out, the Buckeyes have grown used to operating with a team that’s not 100%. Players like Liddell will need to continue to step up, not only today, but also with the start of the Big Ten Tournament next week.

LGHL final score prediction: 75-72 Michigan State

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Ohio State settles with 11 victims of Richard Strauss
Tia Williams via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
The university agreed to a monetary settlement with 11 of the 18 abuse lawsuits against them.


After a year-long investigation into sexual abuse claims against Richard Strauss, a deceased Ohio State University-employed physician from 1978 to 1998, the university issued a report detailing acts of sexual abuse against at least 177 former students for more than 20 years. The report concluded that employees of the university did not appropriately respond to or prevent Strauss’ abuse at the time.

On Friday, Ohio State announced that they have agreed to a monetary settlement with victims in 11 of the 18 lawsuits pending against the university.

“Strauss’ conduct was reprehensible, and the university’s failures at the time are completely unacceptable,” said President Michael V. Drake. “While nothing can undo what happened here years ago, today’s university has a responsibility to support our former students and alumni, and this initial settlement is another important step in the process of restorative justice.”

Funds in the settlement will be allocated on an individual basis and will depend on the damages experienced by each survivor. The funds will not come from taxpayers, tuitions or donors. Instead, Ohio State said they will be paid with “existing institutional discretionary funding.”

More details will become available as the legal process moves forward.


Think about what Garrett Wilson was able to do as a freshman wide receiver. Now picture him as a sophomore wide receiver, post-offseason training and conditioning with the best strength/coaching staff in the country. And now go buy a CFP national championship ticket.


So, if you recall, last week during NFL combine interviews, a reporter questioned former Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah on his technique, calling him “sloppy” due to “penalties and stuff.”

Okudah responded by informing him that he, in fact, did not have a single pass interference or holding penalty the entire season and to “cut the tape again.”

The identity of said reporter was pretty much unknown until today, when his tweet defending himself went viral Friday afternoon when the college football world finally came across it.

Pranav Rama, a writer for a website called TheScoreCrow.com, tweeted out that “a play or two” can be “the difference between a Super Bowl and a couch sitting at home,” and that it’s his “job to ask the tough questions whether the general people like it or not.”

I mean, it’s not really a matter of whether or not we the people like the question. It’s the fact that the question was about “penalties and stuff” that...never happened.

According to Rama, however, he was referring to the penalties the refs missed, and he will provide evidence once he has finished his “NFL media work.”


I’m truly looking forward to the tapes he comes up with and, in other news, I need a hobby.


Sporting events all over the world are getting cancelled due to the pesky Coronavirus, such as the ones Tom Orr of The Ozone listed:


And while there hasn’t been any confirmed cases of the Coronavirus in Ohio, the Ohio Department of Health is limiting spectator access to the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus this weekend.

And while the Big Ten Tournament and Ohio State spring game are nearing in, representatives from both events confirmed that they should resume as scheduled.

“While there are currently no changes to the (Big Ten Tournament), we are in consultation with the Marion County Public Health Department, our hosts and the venue in an effort to monitor the situation with the medical experts in the area,” said Adam Augustine, the Big Ten’s Assistant Commissioner for Communications.

The Ohio State spring football game is Saturday, April 11. Ohio State spokesman Benjamin Johnson told The Ozone that the university is taking precautions, but there is no need to change any routine campus activities due to the Coronavirus, and that includes the spring game.

Friday afternoon, the NCAA’s COVID-19 Advisory Panel issued a statement, urging people to practice “risk-mitigation at all events.” Still, they did not recommend canceling or rescheduling major events.


B O O M. Cuban native and Arizona high school state champ, Anthony Echemendia, is officially joining Ohio State’s wrestling roster in May.

Echemendia was originally committed to Iowa State, but reopened his commitment last fall and took official visits to several top programs before pledging to the Buckeyes in mid-November, according to Andy Vance of Eleven Warriors.

After a few months of academic and compliance issues, he received the good news that he was officially accepted into Ohio State.

STICK TO SPORTS

• The NBA fined Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban for “public criticism and detrimental conduct regarding NBA officiating,”
• Harry and Meghan made their first joint public appearance since royal exit
• Harvey Weinstein was moved from the hospital to Rikers Island jail after a heart procedure
• Ohio can start testing for coronavirus this weekend

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Reg season finale

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West Bloomfield (MI) West Bloomfield High School

Running Back
5-11
180 lbs
Class of 2022


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Council Bluffs (IA) Lewis Central High School

TIGHT END
6'5''
217 LBS
CLASS OF 2021

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Thinking of going solar.

Anyone here have experience with solar panels?

The window just opened for season ticket holders to pay for their 2020 tickets and apparently you have until March 27, 2020 to do so. The season ticket price for 2 seats is ($1404 for 2 tickets plus a $35 processing fee) $1439.

The site listed the individual game "reserved seat" prices as (note: club and box seats are a little more):

Bowling Green - $70
Buffalo - $63
Rutgers - $80
Iowa - $150
Nebraska - $150
Indiana - $90
Michigan - $220.....

https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/tickets/football-tickets-2/

Height: 6-4
Weight: 160
High School: Lewiston Porter Senior
Home Town: Niagara Falls, NY
Class of 2022

https://247sports.com/Player/Roddy-Gayle-Jr-46057178/

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