Was trying to find best way to get tickets. Been scanning all the 3rd party sites but wondering if I should wait till after the PSU game. Is it better to wait for the team allotment or maybe seat prices/locations change once the teams are finalized. Just looking for some recommendations. Thanks!

T-Mobile BTN Kickoff Concert Headlined by Fall Out Boy on Friday, Dec. 6
BTN Communications via Big Ten Network

Big Ten fans and Un-carrier customers traveling to Indianapolis for the 2019 Big Ten Football Championship Game presented by Discover – get ready to rock. Today, Big Ten Network and T-Mobile announced the return of the T-Mobile BTN Kickoff Concert headlined by multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated rock band Fall Out Boy. The free concert in downtown Indy begins at 9 p.m. ET on Friday, Dec. 6, from The Pavilion at Pan Am, with early access for T-Mobile customers. As the Official Wireless Partner of the Big Ten Conference, T-Mobile is once again teaming up with BTN to give fans the MVP treatment

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BASKETBALL PREVIEW: OHIO STATE PLAYS HOST TO PURDUE FORT WAYNE FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW

By Colin Hass-Hill on November 22, 2019 at 11:50a

Andre Wesson says he feels “all right.” He says he’s “definitely” doing better than he was a week or two ago.

But observing his right eye, which remained bright red on Thursday, it’s no wonder that Chris Holtmann deemed him “easily” one of the five toughest players he has ever coached. The injury he suffered in the season-opening win against Cincinnati came when he took an inadvertent elbow from CJ Walker, leading his eye to redden in a way that looks like something causing a doctor to call off a UFC fight.

After missing games against UMass Lowell and Villanova, Wesson returned to action to play in the blowout of Stetson on Monday. He’ll play again – possibly as a starter – when Ohio State takes on Purdue Fort Wayne at the Schottenstein Center at 7 p.m. on Friday.


OHIO STATE PREVIEW

Including Wesson, Holtmann said Ohio State currently has three or four players who have been limited recently due to illnesses or getting banged up. He did not want to disclose the names of anyone else who has been restricted.

Kyle Young, who suffered a stress fracture in his leg during the Big Ten portion of last season, has been healthy thus far. And because of that, his game has taken a major step. He leads the Buckeyes with 11.8 points per game, also grabbing 8.5 rebounds per game.

“Guys want the ball, they need the ball and they want touches, and he doesn't need it to impact the game,” Holtmann said. “He can do it with his energy and playing off of other people. And I also think his teammates really appreciate how unselfish he is. I think you see that. He is a tremendous teammate.”

Against Purdue Fort Wayne, Young will have a shot to keep his hot start to the 2019-20 season rolling. The matchup could test his offensive game, too, since the Mastodons have ample size across their lineup.

OTHER NOTES

• Wesson, with a smile, when asked about Walker being the one who accidentally elbowed his eye: “I mean, he was a little nervous to talk to me for a little bit there. But told him it's all right, happens. Moved on.”
• Holtmann said Wesson tried wearing goggles but didn’t like them, so he took them off during his second practice back from injury.
• Wesson thought about wearing a black mask, similar to the one Kyrie Irving had. Wesson: “It was going to be tough. They said I didn't have to wear anything. I just felt like vision-wise, may be cutting off my vision out my peripheral would definitely hurt. So I just decided not to have anything.”
• Ohio State continues its four-game stretch of playing teams ranked outside of the top 100 in KenPom. With a game against North Carolina just a couple weeks away, it would make sense for the coaching staff to keep an eye on what’s happening with the Tar Heels. However, that hasn’t happened, per Holtmann: “To be honest with you, we really don't. Our sole focus right now is on Purdue Fort Wayne, and then we'll have a quick turnaround to a really good Kent State team. So we have two really good teams that have been our focus right now.” He said the coaches begin preparation a bit earlier when facing a team with an uncommon style, such as West Virginia.
• Ahrens said his back injury stems from two herniated disks pushing into his nerve, which became aggravated while deadlifting early in the offseason. At this point, he says the only areas that are still affecting him are his lateral quickness and speed. Ahrens: “Hopefully I should be back into the swing of things by late December, early January, somewhere in there.”

HOW IT PLAYS OUT
Purdue Fort Wayne’s length and ability to chuck from beyond the 3-point arc could keep the game close for a bit. Eventually, though, it’s difficult to imagine the Buckeyes not pulling away. Per Bart Torvik, their win probability is 99 percent.

The Mastodons haven’t played a team quite as talented as Ohio State. So unless they can’t miss from deep, they likely won’t be able to hang.

Prediction: Ohio State 80, Purdue Fort Wayne 62

Anyone doing any shopping or know of some great deals? If so give us a heads up.

Probably gonna just scalp when I get out there, but I'm looking for one for this weekend.

Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Stetson: Game preview, prediction

The Buckeyes look to avoid the hangover as they take on the Hatters tonight.



The 16th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes men’s basketball team clearly came to play this season. After opening up their 2019-20 campaign with wins over Cincinnati and UMass Lowell, the Buckeyes followed-up with a surprisingly commanding win over No. 10 Villanova in Columbus in last week’s Gavitt Tipoff Games. Now, Ohio State hopes to avoid a hangover as they prepare to take on Stetson, with the game scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET tonight in Value City Arena in Columbus.

Preview
Ohio State had a couple of slow starts in the team’s opening games against Cincinnati and UMass Lowell. Against Villanova, however, Chris Holtmann’s team made the necessary adjustments and, even down a starter, got off to a hot start against the Wildcats, never relinquishing a lead through 40 minutes.

That quick scoring led to a 76-51 win -- the largest margin of victory on the young season for Ohio State. In fact, it was the largest margin of victory over an AP top-10 opponent since 2011, when the top-ranked Buckeyes beat then-No. 10 Wisconsin. Against the Wildcats, offensively, 76 points is tied for the most scored by the Buckeyes through three games, while the 51 points allowed defensively was the fewest all season. Not bad at all for the team’s first matchup against a ranked opponent this season.

Ohio State shot 60% from the field, including connecting on 9-of-16 from range. Defensively, the Buckeyes held the Wildcats to 30.6% shooting, including 33.3% from three-point range (yes, Villanova shot better on three-pointers than inside the arc). Additionally, the Buckeyes gave up 10 turnovers to Villanova’s 12 and had six steals to Villanova’s zero. While Ohio State has demonstrated improvement in many areas compared to last season, the Buckeyes struggled once again from the charity stripe, connecting on just 7-of-12 from the line.

While sophomore guard Duane Washington Jr. led the Buckeyes in scoring with 14 points on the day, Ohio State demonstrated the ability to spread the ball around, with five players scoring in double digits. Junior forward Kaleb Wesson recorded his second-straight double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds on the night. Guard D.J. Carton had another solid game himself, adding 11 points for the Buckeyes to continue his strong freshman campaign.

Now, Ohio State looks to move to 4-0 on the season as the team prepares to face Stetson in Columbus. The Hatters are members of the Atlantic Sun Conference. Last season, Stetson finished at the bottom of the conference and did not qualify for the Atlantic Sun tournament, but the Hatters look to make a comeback under a new head coach with new freshmen talent on the roster.

The Buckeyes have faced off against Stetson three times in program history, with Ohio State holding a 3-0 advantage over the hatters. However, the pair hasn’t played since 1984, when the Buckeyes earned a 73-67 win in the Citrus Classic in Orlando. In all, Ohio State is 11-0 against Atlantic Sun teams, though the Buckeyes haven’t played an ASC team since 2013.

Stetson is led by Donnie Jones, who is in his first season at the helm. Prior to joining the Hatters, Jones spent time as an assistant at Dayton and Wichita State. Previously, Jones was also head coach at UCF, where he amassed a 79-88 record through six seasons with the Golden Knights, and Marshall where he spent three seasons.

Jones is off to a good start with the Hatters this season, with a 2-1 record to kick things off. Already, Stetson has posted wins over Trinity Baptist and Western Illinois, though the Hatters fell Saturday to Purdue Fort Wayne (coincidentally, the Buckeyes are scheduled to face Purdue Fort Wayne Friday).

In the Hatters’ most recent matchup, in which they fell to the Mastodons 79-55, freshman center Mahamadou Diawara had 15 points and five rebounds. Spreading the ball, however, seemed to be a problem, since in all, the Hatters had just 12 points off the bench. Playing from behind for most of the game, the Hatters largest lead was just one point early in the first half.

The learning curve for Stetson is surely steep, as Jones started three freshmen in the Hatters’ lineup Saturday. This trio totalled 31 of the Hatters’ 55 points against Purdue Fort Wayne, and will surely continue to gel as they get deeper into their first collegiate basketball season.

Against the Mastodons, Stetson shot 40.7% from the field, including 27.8% from range. While the Hatters struggled offensively, they did hold Purdue Fort Wayne to 47.5% shooting on the day. Still, Stetson had 15 turnovers and had 28 rebounds to the Mastodons’ 36

Three different players have led the Hatters in scoring in each of their three games. On the season, freshman Rob Perry leads Stetson with 17 points per game, while senior guard Jahlil Rawley leads the team in both rebounds (seven per game) and assists (2.7 per game).

Entire article: https://www.landgrantholyland.com/2...ame-preview-prediction-kaleb-wesson-dj-carton

No. 2 Ohio State uses highlight plays to down Rutgers, move to 10-0
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

No. 2 Ohio State moved to 10-0 with a 56-21 win Saturday at Rutgers. The Buckeyes, who close out the season with Penn State and Michigan, used several highlight plays to cruise to the victory.

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Couple of years ago I stayed at the Palmer House for a Vietnam Vet reunion. Got a hold of ORD who met me at Miller's Pub --- should really say introduced me to Miller's Pub.

Anyway, great place to eat, drink, and people watch. Old school sports bar with photos from way back. I highly recommend the next time you're in Chicago.

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Fort Washington (MD) National Christian Academy

Defensive End
6-4
249 lbs
Class of 2021


Ohio State offered last January, he’ll finally be making his first visit for the Penn State game per Kurelic.

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Marysville (OH) Marysville High School

Linebacker
6-4
220 lbs
Class of 2022


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This is surprising......

Esper says military academy athletes can delay service to go pro, reversing Mattis decision

Athletes attending U.S. military academies can now delay entry into the armed forces upon graduation to play professional sports if they make the cut.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper signed a memo last week that allows students attending service academies such as West Point and the Naval Academy to seek a waiver that would delay their entry into the armed forces so they could play professional sports.

The waiver would have to be approved by the defense secretary, and the athletes must eventually fulfill their military obligation or repay the cost of their education.

President Trump asked Esper in May to come up with a policy to allow athletes to play professional sports upon graduation.

Other service academy graduates can elect to attend prestigious graduate school programs and also delay entry into the armed forces.

The decision reverses a policy by former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who argued that the academies exist to train military officers, period.

Entire article: https://www.foxnews.com/sports/espe...delay-service-go-pro-reverses-mattis-decision

Re: The waiver would have to be approved by the defense secretary, and the athletes must eventually fulfill their military obligation or repay the cost of their education.

Re: The active duty obligation is the nation's return on a West Point graduate's fully funded, four-year college education that is valued in excess of $225,000.
Degree: Bachelor's degree

Just sayin': We aren't talking about too many athletes here, there hasn't been a "Roger Staubach" or "David Robinson" in a military academy for decades now. However, it would probably be a wise idea for any of these athletes to take out an insurance policy to cover that amount in case they (for what ever reason) are unable to fulfill their military obligation after playing their professional sport.

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Gaithersburg (MD) Quince Orchard High School

Defensive Line
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270 lbs
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A LOOK AT OHIO STATE'S 2018-19 PERFORMANCE REVIEWS FOR COACHES AND OTHER FOOTBALL STAFFERS



At the end of each academic year, each of Ohio State’s football coaches and other staffers undergo performance reviews to both self-evaluate and receive evaluations from their superiors on how well they performed over the past 12 months.

In response to a public records request from Eleven Warriors, Ohio State released this year’s performance reviews for the Buckeyes’ football staff on Tuesday, giving us a glimpse into what the Buckeyes’ coaches were working on this offseason and what their expectations were coming into this season.

Eleven Warriors requested performance reviews for Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, each of his 10 assistant coaches and several other key members of the football staff, including director of sports performance Mickey Marotti, director of player personnel Mark Pantoni, director of football operations Brian Voltolini, director of player development Ryan Stamper and executive director of football relations Tim Hinton. Eleven Warriors also requested this year’s performance review for Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith.

Although the performance reviews were not released by Ohio State until this week, they were conducted in June, so they do not reflect what the Buckeyes have done so far this season, which has started out with nine consecutive wins. Even so, Ohio State did conduct performance reviews for each of its five new assistant coaches – Matt Barnes, Jeff Hafley, Greg Mattison, Al Washington and Mike Yurcich – even though they had not yet coached a game.

Performance reviews are only conducted for current staff members, so performance reviews were not conducted for the coaches from the 2018 season who are no longer on staff.

We take a look at each of the performance reviews we obtained and what you should know from them below.

RYAN DAY, HEAD COACH

Even though he is only in his first season as Ohio State’s head coach, Day set high expectations for himself going into the year. On his performance review this summer, Day listed four performance goals: Beat Michigan (which he listed simply as TUN), win the Big Ten, win the national championship and achieve a team grade-point average of better than 3.0.



Day also set out to create an environment “of transparency and compliance,” and to continue and enhance the Real Life Wednesdays program that Urban Meyer created.

From a professional development standpoint, Day set out to attend at least two leadership seminars in the next calendar year, attend weekly meetings with Smith and hold regular meetings with deputy director of athletics Diana Sabau and the sports information department to discuss media relations.

In his review of himself, Day noted that the Buckeyes started 3-0 under his leadership as acting head coach while Meyer was suspended for the first three games of 2018, that he coordinated one of the nation’s top offenses in 2018 and that he held the Buckeyes’ recruiting class of 2019 together while picking up some crucial commits late in the recruiting cycle after being named as Meyer’s successor.

As opportunities for improvement, Day listed that he needed to continue to address the issue of the transfer portal and how it can affect Ohio State’s roster, find ways to engage the student body and to make a bigger impact on special teams.

According to Day’s performance review, the Ohio State football team had a cumulative GPA of 2.897 during the spring semester, with 50 student-athletes over 3.0. He wrote that statistically, that was one of the Buckeyes’ best academic semesters in the past five years.

Day also noted that the Buckeyes “have created new policies in educating our staff” in which any questions asked by staff members are answered for the entire staff. Day also stated that one of his goals was to provide an environment where his players “can feel comfortable communicating their concerns, thoughts and issues.”

Smith commented that Day “has handled the transition from Associate Head Coach to Head Coach masterfully.”

“His focus on developmenting a great staff, developing our student athletes, recruiting, creating a culture of respect, compliance and excellence has (been) outstanding,” Smith wrote. “His (communication) and organizational skills truly emerged in his new role and the entire staff has benefited.”

See Gene Smith's, all the coaches', and other staffer's performance reviews: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...views-for-coaches-and-other-football-staffers

Brian Hartline just got a 4 out of 5 in "productivity in recruiting and needs to work on "recruit best WR unit in the nation".....
Larry Johnson needs to work on "1) recruiting of interior linemen and 2) enhancement of defense game planning".....

Arrogant Ryan Day showing his evil side, going after Arrogant Urban Meyer....

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Honoring Veterans across the Big Ten: BTN LiveBIG
BTN.com LiveBIG Staff via Big Ten Network

A B1G thanks to all those who have served.

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Villanova Basketball’s Jay Wright will face-off with former Big East coach Chris Holtmann
32
The Wildcats will be on the road, but they’ve had a week to prepare.

By BrendanJReilly@BrendanReilly37 Nov 11, 2019, 6:30am ESTShare this on Facebook (opens in new window)

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Happy Veterans Day Nova Nation! First off, a heart-felt thank you to all of our country’s service men and women. And a special thank you to those Villanova Alumni who have served or are serving. Words are not appreciation enough for the sacrifices you have all made, or continue to make on a daily basis. Sincerely, thank you for your service. And for anyone looking to engage more with veterans from a Villanova angle, I highly suggest giving our friends at Villanova Vets a follow on Twitter. And with that said, back to the far less important distraction of basketball.

This week marks the first two of four games Villanova has scheduled against teams from Ohio this season. First up is Ohio State, a team Villanova hasn’t been matched up with since 2003. The Wildcats are 1-1 all time against the Buckeyes, with both games being decided by a single point. But it’s not the schools or the players that are the central story line in this contest, it’s the coaches.

Chris Holtmann is now in his third season at Ohio State, but before that he spent three years at Butler as a member of the Big East. Holtmann took over just one year after the Big East realigned, a milestone that has also marked Villanova’s dominance in the conference. Jay Wright hasn’t just ruled over the Big East, but has won two National Championships during that time and is arguably one of the best coaches in the country. Don’t take my word for it, Chris Holtmann agrees.

But since that 2013-14 realignment season, Holtmann holds a very unique distinction. He’s the only coach that currently has an active winning streak against Jay Wright in the last seven years. Hotlman’s Butler Bulldogs defeated Wright’s Wildcats twice in the 2017 season, and then Holtman left for Ohio State before facing Villanova again. Only Creighton’s Greg McDermott (2014) and Seton Hall’s Kevin Willard (2014-15) have managed to beat Wright in consecutive games, but neither was able to do it a third time. On Wednesday, Holtmann will get the opportunity to be the first coach to accomplish that feat since Wright has been elevated into the conversation for the nation’s best coach.

I don’t love his chances.

In other “news”, Myles Powell suffers a serious ankle injury, Jay Wright reflects on Eric Paschall’s time at Villanova, and Villanova Football returns to its winning ways with a 4th quarter comeback. Enjoy!

Villanova vs The State of Ohio
Evidence of Talented Ohio State Team in Early Stages of Development Apparent in Blowout of UMass Lowell | Eleven Warriors
There'll be more to learn on Wednesday against Villanova, but even in a blowout win over UMass Lowell, the pieces of a talented and developing Ohio State team were readily apparent.

AP poll: Minnesota up to No. 7, No. 24 Indiana ranked for first time since 1994
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

Ohio State is No. 2 and Minnesota is up to No. 7 in the latest AP poll, released Sunday. But, perhaps, the biggest Big Ten development in poll is that No. 24 Indiana's ranked for the first time since 1994.

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UMass Lowell goes up against Ohio State

UMass Lowell (0-1) vs. Ohio State (1-0)

Value City Arena, Columbus, Ohio; Sunday, 4 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: UMass Lowell pays visit to Ohio State in an early season matchup. UMass Lowell fell short in a 79-64 game at UMass on Tuesday. Ohio State is coming off a 64-56 home win over Cincinnati on Wednesday.

DID YOU KNOW: Ohio State limited its 13 non-conference opponents to an average of just 62.5 points per game last year. The Buckeyes offense put up 75.3 points per contest on their way to an 11-2 record against competition outside the Big Ten Conference. UMass Lowell went 6-7 against non-conference schools in 2018-19.

https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and http://twitter.com/AP—Top25

https://www.ohsaa.org/Sports-Tourna...9/2019-OHSAA-Football-State-Playoffs-Coverage

Coldwater vs Archbold

Harding vs Massillon

Also, my personal favorite

Ross Rams vs Badin Rams

Hey Buckoffs. Glad to see a BIG team lead the Playoff polls for once. And not only that... PSU is #4.

This Husker will be pulling for you guys the rest of the way... shut the big southern mouths of the talking heads on ESPN & so forth and STAY ON TOP.

Good luck Bucks. ( I dunno what your rallying cry is, or I'd say that instead.)

Big Ten Power Rankings: Get Dave Wannstedt’s post-Week 10 list
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

The second November weekend of action is just days away, and it features one of the biggest cross-division game of the year: 8-0 Penn State at 8-0 Minnesota. That said, it's time to take a look at Dave Wannstedt's latest Big Ten Power Rankings.

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Robbie Hummel shares 2019-20 Big Ten basketball predictions
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

AP No. 1 and 2019 national semifinalist Michigan State is the overwhelming pick to win the Big Ten. BTN analyst Robbie Hummel likes the Spartans in 2019-20, as well, but he likes another team even more.

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Big Ten Power Rankings: Michigan State tops Robbie Hummel’s preseason list
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

With the season tipping Tuesday night, it's time to get BTN analyst Robbie Hummel's preseason Big Ten Power Rankings. See his first list of the 2019-20 season inside.

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