Ready, Set, Go! Buckeye Starters Announced, Primed, and Ready To Rock
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



With a handful of days left in the pit of misery, it is officially game week and with that, the starters for positional units have been announced during the presser–and boy the future looks bright. With the drama behind us (hopefully it stays that way!), we can all begin looking forward to how our Ohio State Buckeyes respond to the backlash and the three-game suspension of Head Coach Urban Meyer.

Quarterback: Dwayne Haskins.

Haskins as the heir apparent to J.T. Barrett was one of the worst-kept secrets at Ohio State. He beat out a shifty dual-threat quarterback in Tate Martell, but even he did enough to earn a few reps when called upon.

Haskins has the arm and the talent to make this offense explode. He also has the weapons to make that happen as well. With a collection of talented receivers and tight ends at his disposal, he almost cannot mess this up, but we will have to see once he steps onto the field if he can live up to the hype surrounding him.

Tate Martell might have lost the battle, but he will act as a change-of-pace quarterback when he subs in for certain situations inside of the red zone. It will be an exciting combination and it would also act as his audition for next seasons quarterback battle if Haskins has one hell of a year and leaves for the NFL.



Running Back: J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber.

This is probably the most obvious out of every position announced. The dynamic duo will re-assume their roles on the offense this year.

With Dobbins, he will use his success from his freshman season as he shares the snaps with Weber in what should be his final season. With one final season, Weber will search for holes to better his draft stock and reach his personal goals, while simultaneously helping his team achieve their own season goals.

This is another talented group with two talented freshmen in Master Teague, Brian Snead, and Jaelin Gill in the mix for snaps as well.

Wide Receiver: Johnnie Dixon, Austin Mack, and Parris Campbell.

This is another deep group of players, and the three players above are just the more seasoned players of the group. They still have weapons in the wings in McLaurin, Victor, Hill, and Saunders.

This is a talented group of receivers from a season ago that all came back to play with Haskins before they realize their NFL dreams. This is a potent group of playmakers that could light teams up the entire season.

People say speed kills and this group has all the speed! It will be crazy to see, but I am excited to see big plays consistently and often. Like the Troy Smith years–I cannot wait! With McLaurin, Dixon, and Campbell captaining, it will be an exciting time for sure.

Offensive Line: Thayer Munford OR Joshua Alabi, Malcolm Pridgeon, Michael Jordan, Demetrius Knox, and Isaiah Prince.

The offensive line has been set and you gush with excitement due to the potential. The one move that shocked many was the decision to move another offensive guard to center, this year it is Jordan’s time to lead from the inside.

There is still an on-going battle going on between Munford and Alabi at left tackle, but everything else has been nailed down with Pridgeon at left guard, the aforementioned Jordan at center, Knox at right guard, and Prince at right tackle. With a combination of Jordan at center and one of the seven team captains in Prince on the offensive line, they will lead the newer starters into battle for what could be their last year at Ohio State.

The feel I get from this lineup is salivating. I feel like they could be road graders in the run game and that they will bring that nastiness that has been missing for a little bit, both within and outside of the trenches. While Bowen still recovers, the depth is a little green, but they have a talented group that earned their spot on the two-deep.

Linebacker: Malik Harrison, Baron Browning, and Pete Werner.

Linebacker is one of the deeper position groups and the roster and the starters that were announced are all athletes–quick ones too. The sheer speed and athleticism with this group, not even factoring their backups is crazy, but it is too early to buy into the hype for now.

Run stuffers and gap fillers are their specialties, but Harrison and Browning and can be effective in coverage while Werner acts as the missile to blow up players in the backfield. The previous to can do the same, but after seeing Werner blow people up on special teams, it is not out of the question.

The will get beat sometimes because of their youth and inexperience, but they could also be scary good behind one of the best defensive line collections out there in the nation. With captain Tuf Borland still recovering from an Achilles injury, he will mold these younger players into machines.

Defensive Line: Chase Young, Dre’Mont Jones, Robert Landers, and captain Nick Bosa.

Scary doesn’t do this unit and their backups justice. They will be one of the most active units that will consistently try to harass the opposing quarterbacks and disrupt their offensive attack. They will make then earn every single yard and this offense could be a frustrating bunch to beat and overcome in the trenches.

Jones and Landers have proven that they could blow up plays with their coordinated efforts and it usually frees up Young and Bosa. Behind then are a talented group of underclassmen and a few true freshmen. Togiai and company have made a lot of noise this offseason and they are expected to contribute this season.

Watch out! This could be the best collection of disruptive playmakers in the trenches that we have had in a while. I cannot wait to see what becomes of this unit.

Defensive Backs: Damon Arnette, Kendall Sheffield or Jeffrey Okudah, Jordan Fuller, and Isaiah Pryor.

Captain Fuller will lead his unit to live up to the Ohio State standard. Everyone who was expected to start secured their respective spot on the depth chart and the only question is who will be the starting corner opposite of Arnette.

The battle between Okudah and Sheffield has been tight so far, but either or will do and they are interchangeable players that can play the sideline or the slot. Also, with Shaun Wade getting healthier and the true freshmen stepping up, if someone gets banged up they will be perfectly fine because of their depth at every position.

A fiery leader, Fuller will command everyone and coordinate the attack for his defense with other captains at every level.

Specialist/Special Teams: Sean Nuernberger and Drue Cristman.

I am giving the special team unit some love and it is well deserved. During the spring game, they showed their worth in what was the weakest units a season ago.

They weren’t terrible, but they weren’t great either with a mixture of issues from missed FG’s to pointless penalties that killed the momentum or swung it in the other teams favor. It was also the lack of containment on special teams that opposing teams often exposed the Buckeyes–especially when Barkley took it to the house on the opening kickoff last year.

Improvements must be made, especially with the new rules regarding this specific unit, where the ball can be fair caught and placed at the 25-yard line. There are some hungry young studs (think Pete Werner) that will look to make an impact. I think it’ll be Mitchell and Gant that will fly around this season and they will bring the boom!

Jeremiah, Tony, and Shannon, I apologize for the lengthy piece, but I am so excited to turn the page from the media storm that occurred a month ago. I am truly excited for Buckeye season and so are Trevor and Mark.




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Podcast: Is Dwayne Haskins destined to be a first round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Also, what are the Buckeyes and Horned Frogs doing to get a motivational advantage?

In the latest “Why is this News?” edition of the “Hangout in the Holy Land” podcast, co-hosts Matt Tamanini and Alexis Chassen catch up on all of the biggest Buckeye stories that from the past week.


Matt and Alexis hold off on talking about the huge football game this weekend to discuss the fact that one of the greatest basketball players in Ohio State history, the leading scorer in professional women’s basketball history, Katie Smith, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., last weekend.

After heaping praise on the legendary Smith, Matt and Alexis turn their attention to Saturday’s primetime football matchup between the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes and No. 15 TCU Horned Frogs.


While they leave the in-depth breakdown to their podcasting cohorts, Colton Denning and Patrick Mayhorn on the previous episode of Hangout in the Holy Land, Matt and Alexis talk about the motivational methods that the Buckeyes and Horned Frogs are employing for their game at AT&T Stadium.

Matt and Alexis also have differing opinions about what Dwayne Haskins will do following this season, they also make their predictions for the game, and Alexis is very optimistic about about the potential Ohio State offensive output.


Alexis also gives a quick recap of the Buckeye news from Week 1 of the NFL season. They also run through the upcoming slate of contests for other Ohio State sports.

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An SEC battle between LSU and Auburn tops Week 3’s national college football betting lines
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Tiger Bowl is essentially an elimination game in the SEC West race, plus a couple Pac-12 showdowns are on tap

Last week ATS: 9-8 (3-2 National, 6-6 B1G)

Season ATS: 17-19 (6-6 National, 11-13 B1G)


Last week was a very small step in the right direction for MC&J. Teams from the Palmetto State were the only thing holding up a perfect week nationally, as South Carolina provided a lot less challenge for Georgia than I thought they would, and Clemson couldn’t score enough to cover against Texas A&M. With another five national games on tap this week, some more progress could be made.

National games:


No. 12 LSU v. No. 7 Auburn (-10) - 3:30 PM EST - CBS

After opening up the season with wins over ranked teams, both LSU and Auburn had little trouble feasting on cupcakes last week. Former Ohio State quarterback Joe Burrow is still trying to find his rhythm with the Tigers, completing less than 50 percent of his passes so far this year. Luckily with the defense LSU has played so far this year, some of the pressure has been taken off Burrow’s shoulders.

The pressure will definitely ramp up for him and the Tigers this weekend, as they’ll travel to Jordan-Hare Stadium, where Auburn hasn’t lost since 2016. Gus Malzahn’s team will look to avoid a repeat of last year’s game, where Auburn fell 27-23 after jumping out to a 20-0 lead on the Tigers.

The last two meetings between these teams have been close, being decided by a total of nine points. This year’s Tiger Bowl won’t be quite as close. Auburn is the more complete team right now, and their defense is going to give Burrow a rude welcoming to SEC play. Jarrett Stidham has plenty of weapons to work with on offense, and will find some holes in a tough LSU defense.

Auburn 30, LSU 17


No. 17 Boise State v. No. 24 Oklahoma State (-2) - 3:30 PM EST - ESPN

Saturday’s game in Stillwater could end up being the most entertaining game of the day. The Broncos and Cowboys are each putting up over 600 yards of offense per game so far this year, with Oklahoma State’s 674 leading the nation.

Last week Boise State rang up 818 yards of offense against UConn, which set a school record. Brett Rypien has already thrown for seven touchdowns, and a win over Oklahoma State would put the Broncos in the early driver’s seat for the Group of 5 bid to one of the New Year’s Six bowl games. A win over Oklahoma State would give Boise State their 200th win since the year 2000.

The Cowboys have so far had little problem adjusting to life after Mason Rudolph. One area that fifth-year senior quarter Taylor Cornelius will have to clean up against the Broncos is in the turnover department. Cornelius has thrown three interceptions so far this year, which is something that he can’t afford to do against a tough Boise State defense.

There is no doubt that Stillwater will be rocking on Saturday, but Boise State will be ready for the challenge. The Broncos could also get stronger this week, as defensive tackle David Moa, who started 24 games the past two seasons, could return from injury. But the main reason I think Boise State covers is because I’m still salty that Mike Gundy got rid of his mullet.

Boise State 38, Oklahoma State 31


Houston (-1.5) v. Texas Tech - 4:15 PM EST - FOX

After Tom Herman left Houston following the 2016 season, who would have thought that the Cougars would be better right now than Texas? Last week Houston shut down Khalil Tate and Arizona, beating the Wildcats 45-18. Quarterback D’Eriq King accounted for six touchdowns against Arizona, and more could be on the way against a Texas Tech defense that is notoriously bad.

This very well could be Kliff Kingsbury’s last shot at building something in Lubbock. In his sixth year with the Red Raiders, Kingsbury has posted a 31-34 record, never winning more than eight games in a season. After getting shelled by Ole Miss in the season opener, Texas Tech got back on track last week, beating Louisiana-Monroe 77-0.

I used to be a little more leery of betting against Texas Tech in Lubbock, but they haven’t been as good at home the last two years, losing seven games over that span. The Red Raiders will find some offense at times during the game, but Ed Oliver leads Houston’s defense to some stops which will allow the Cougars to their second straight win over a Power Five school.

Houston 44, Texas Tech 34


No. 22 USC v. Texas (-3) - 8:00 PM EST - FOX

After Ohio State reached the 900 win mark last week, Texas will be looking to join the Buckeyes as the third school to hit that number. To get there, Texas will have to take down a USC team that beat the Longhorns 27-24 in double overtime last year in Los Angeles. Saturday’s game will be the first time since 1966 that USC has visited Austin.

After a successful debut against UNLV, freshman quarterback JT Daniels had a rough go of it last week against Stanford. Not only did Daniels throw two interceptions, but he also suffered a bruised throwing hand against the Cardinal, but all signs point to Daniels being able to play on Saturday.

After getting embarrassed in the season opener against Maryland, the Longhorns struggled to a 28-21 win over Tulsa last week. I learned my lesson after the loss to the Terrapins. If Tim Beck is heavily involved in the offense, then it is wise to stay away from siding with Texas. I’m not crazy about backing a freshman quarterback in Austin, but the Trojans have a lot of experience on defense, which I think could easily sniff out Beck’s terrible play calling. USC sweeps the home-and-home with the Longhorns.

USC 28, Texas 24


No. 10 Washington (-5.5) v. Utah - 10:00 PM EST - ESPN

Pac-12 after dark time! I have a feeling that things are going to get silly in Salt Lake City. Washington rebounded from a loss in the season opener against Auburn with a 45-3 victory over North Dakota last week. Running back Myles Gaskin has been pretty quiet so far this year, and that trend could continue this week against a Utah defense that is allowing just over 80 yards per game on the ground.

If Utah is going to pull the upset of Washington on Saturday night, the Utes are going to need to get more from their running game. Last week Utah mustered just 68 yards on the ground against Northern Illinois in a 17-6 win over the Huskies. That type of effort won’t cut it against Washington.

Much like last week when a ranked Michigan State team traveled to Arizona State, I like an unranked Pac-12 home team against a ranked squad. Even though they haven’t beaten Washington, the Utes have played the Huskies tough the last two years, losing those contests by a combined 10 points. Third time is a charm for Kyle Whittingham’s team.

Utah 24, Washington 21


No. 23 Arizona State (-6) v. San Diego State - 10:30 PM EST - CBS Sports Network

We are all eating a lot of crow for all of the Herm Edwards jokes we made when Arizona State hired him to be their head coach, aren’t we? Last week the Sun Devils gutted out a 16-13 win over Michigan State, and now Arizona State will hit the road for the first time this year.

There are some incredible ties in this matchup. Not only is Herm Edwards’ alma mater San Diego State, but he hired defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales and defensive passing game coordinator Tony White away from Rocky Long’s staff.

At the beginning of this season this game seemed like a prime spot for San Diego State to take down another Power 5 school, but that isn’t the case anymore. The Aztecs will be missing quarterback Christian Chapman, who sprained his MCL in last week’s win over Sacramento State. Ryan Agnew will have his hands full in his first career start, as he’ll have to deal with a swarming Arizona State defense,

Maybe Agnew is more comfortable at quarterback after getting a week of starter’s reps, but I’m not counting on it. The knowledge of what San Diego State’s defense will likely try to throw at them will help quarterback Manny Wilkins and wide receiver N’Keal Harry have another big game. Herm stays perfect in his college football coaching career.

Arizona State 34, San Diego State 20

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Ohio State vs. TCU: Game preview, prediction and 6 things to know
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes head to Arlington for their toughest test yet of this young season.

No. 4 Ohio State continued to build its early-season momentum in its outing against Rutgers last week, defeating the Scarlet Knights 52-3. The win was the 900th in program history and, though coming against Rutgers, gave the Buckeyes an early leg up in the Big Ten East. Ohio State controlled the game from start to finish, with a stout defense that gave up just 134 yards from scrimmage. The Big Ten game also provided a crucial tuneup for the Buckeyes’ matchup this week with No. 15 TCU, its toughest non-conference test of the season.

After finishing ninth in the final AP Poll last year, TCU has had a strong start to 2018, opening with a 55-7 win over Southern in Week One, and following up with a 42-12 victory in driving rains over SMU. Ohio State is the final non-conference game of the season for the Horned Frogs, who are scheduled to go on the road against Tom Herman’s Texas squad in Week Four to open their round-robin schedule of Big 12 play.

Gary Patterson, the Horned Frogs’ lead man since 2000, is the second-longest tenured head coach in the FBS behind Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz. Despite the switch to a Power 5 conference in 2012, Patterson has brought home seven 11-win seasons in the last decade and earned a Big 12 co-championship in 2014 (more on that later). Last season, the Horned Frogs finished second in the conference behind Oklahoma, capping the season with an Alamo Bowl victory over Stanford.

However, the loss of Kenny Hill— who played two seasons under Patterson after transferring from Texas A&M— left uncertainty at the quarterback position heading into 2018. Just two weeks before the start of the season, Patterson named sophomore Shawn Robinson to the starting role. Robinson served as Hill’s backup last season, but had been locked in a battle with Penn transfer Michael Collins for the starting job since spring practice.

Despite his new role as a starter, Robinson presents a real threat to the Ohio State defense, since he is the first true dual-threat quarterback the unit has faced in a long time. He was the sixth-ranked dual-threat passer in the 2017 recruiting class, but the Buckeye defense might be better prepared than it would seem: Tate Martell, who practiced on the scout team last season, was No. 2 in the same class.

In terms of the overall schedule, Ohio State has not been shy about scheduling premiere non-conference matchups early in the season, though these generally have taken the format of a home-and-home. The results from these matchups, as would be expected when pitting top teams against one another, has been mixed. Ohio State split matchups with Virginia Tech from 2014-15 and with Oklahoma in 2016-17.

Ohio State has faced off against TCU six times in program history, winning the last three head-to-heads in 1966, 1969 and 1973. The Buckeyes also won in 1937 and tied in 1961, with the only series loss coming in 1957. Woody Hayes was at the helm at Ohio State in five of the six games between the two schools.

For Ohio State, this week marks the final game with Ryan Day as interim head coach before Urban Meyer returns versus Tulane. Day’s team has been impressive in its first two outings, but a ranked matchup away from Columbus will be an entirely different sort of test.

Ohio State’s biggest advantages


Across (and down) the field. Despite all of the questions surrounding how he would manage to replace J.T. Barrett, Dwayne Haskins hasn’t shown any serious growing pains in his first two starts at quarterback. Some even have Haskins listed as a Heisman candidate.


In his opening outings, he has emerged as one of the most accurate passers in the country, completing greater than 79 percent of his throws— good for third in the FBS. He has three touchdowns of 20 yards or more, and has enabled the growth of a vertical passing game which has been largely absent in recent years in Columbus. And while he has shown skill with the deep ball, Haskins has also demonstrated his ability in short passing situations, patiently managing sustained drives with his offense instead of jumping to the long pass.

Haskins’ downfield passing threat means nothing without reliable receivers, and those receivers have shown up through the first two games of the season. Against Oregon State, Terry McLaurin turned a 15-yard reception into a 75-yard touchdown in the third quarter to start and finish a one-play drive. Versus Rutgers, Johnny Dixon opened the scoring with a 44-yard touchdown catch. Through just two games, 11 receivers have catches of 10 or more yards.

Reliable rushing. For an offense which has been so running-centric in recent years, it’s been a fascinating break to watch a vertical passing game emerge in the opening games of 2018. However, the ground game, led in tandem by Mike Weber and J.K. Dobbins, has remained a consistent and reliable source of yardage and points for the OSU offense. Though much of the hype surrounded Dobbins, who had a breakout, 1,400-yard season as a true freshman last year, it’s been Weber who has gained the most ground rushing in his redshirt junior season. Weber’s totaled 217 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries in 2018, while Dobbins is sitting at 147 yards and one touchdown on 27 carries.

Then there is the Martell factor. Haskins’ backup has played cleanup duty mainly in the second half of the first two games, but did well enough against Rutgers to earn Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week honors last week. The freshman went 10-for-10 passing for 121 yards and a touchdown. Importantly, he added another 47-yard score on the ground to demonstrate his running ability. Though Haskins is clearly the starter, it helps to have a quarterback with a different skill set comfortable and ready to step in if need be.


TCU boasts the best defense in the Big 12, so a diversified set of offensive weapons will be vital for Ohio State. Establishing the run early will help to open up that beautiful downfield passing that’s already become so familiar this season.

Second(ary) to none. The Silver Bullets were without some of their firepower in the season opener against Oregon State. Safety Jordan Fuller missed the matchup with a strained hamstring, while linebacker Tuf Borland, recovering from an Achilles injury, only played 10 snaps versus the Beavers. Without the pair for most of the game, the Ohio State defense gave up 196 yards each rushing and passing, including more than 300 yards on just seven chunk plays.

However, with safety Jordan Fuller back and with Borland more than doubling his snap count last week against Rutgers, the Buckeyes locked up their defense, eliminating the big plays which had caused them such trouble Week One. Fuller recorded three tackles and a pass breakup, while Borland had three tackles himself. As a team, Ohio State allowed just 65 yards through the air and 69 on the ground, giving up just three points to the Scarlet Knights.

It was a massive improvement against a theoretically better opponent. While credit certainly goes to the rest of the defense for making the adjustments from week to week, the presence of Fuller especially eliminated much of the threat of a big play through the air. This week, those pieces will be even more necessary as the defense takes on the dual-threat of Robinson, and his multi-faceted offensive weapons.

TCU’s biggest advantages


Total defense. The Big 12 might not be known for its defense, but the fact that TCU has the best defense in its conference should not be discounted. Last season, the Horned Frogs finished the season allowing just 331 yards per game (by comparison, Ohio State allowed 301) in a conference famous for racking up yardage seemingly just for the sake of it.

This season, though coming versus Southern and SMU, the defense has given up under 220 yards per game, and allowed less than 23 percent of attempted third down conversions. The Horned Frogs defense is led by defensive end Ben Banogu, who opted to return to TCU for his senior season, losing out on, by some projections, a first-round selection in the NFL Draft. He was named the preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year over the summer after recording 8.5 sacks in 2017.

For a defense that is used to defending high-wire passing games, Ohio State will need to be prepared to make adjustments, balancing its offensive firepower to keep the Horned Frogs on their toes.

A special teams speedster. Senior KaVontae Turpin may stand at just 5-foot-9, 157-pounds, but he has proven to be one of the most elusive returners in his conference over the course of his career. Last season, Turpin led the Horned Frogs with 1,202 all-purpose yards, including more than 700 combined return yards. In fact, Turpin was named to the Big 12 Media Preseason Football Team this past July as the top projected return man in the conference. In the first two weeks of this season, he’s shown why.

Turpin has returned seven punts for a total of 145 yards— the second-highest total yardage in the FBS. His 20.7 yard average return is good for sixth in the country, and Turpin’s 78-yard return for a touchdown last week against SMU— in the rain and after a delay, no less— was the fifth special teams touchdown of his career.

Ohio State has not allowed a single punt return yard this season (they’ve only punted five times, with no returns), but the team also has yet to face someone on the level of Turpin. Combined with the fact that the Buckeyes will be facing a tougher defense and a higher chance of punting on a given possession, and TCU’s return game in general, and Turpin in particular, will become much more viable threats.

A thirst for revenge. Remember that time Ohio State won the first ever College Football Playoff championship in 2014? Remember how Ohio State got the last playoff spot and ran through Alabama and Oregon to win the title? Anyone remember who got shut out of the playoff that year?

TCU does. Ohio State had been out of the playoff picture heading into the Big Ten Championship game in 2014, sitting at the No. 5 spot. TCU was No. 4, and finished its season with a win over 2-10 Iowa State. Baylor, at the No. 6 spot, capped off the year with a much narrower victory over No. 9 Kansas State. However, it was Ohio State who ultimately won the day. The Buckeyes’ 59-0 pummeling of Wisconsin was enough for the committee to move the Buckeyes to the No. 4 spot--jumping TCU and staying ahead of Baylor.

The Big 12, naturally, shifted. After an NCAA rule change in 2015 which allowed for any conference, regardless of size, to host a title game, the Big 12 immediately opted to reinstate its championship game starting in 2017. They reaped the rewards immediately, as Oklahoma made its second playoff in 2017.

At TCU, which still has not made a playoff, only the coaching staff and redshirt seniors remember the feeling of being left out personally, but you have to believe that the Horned Frogs will be hyping up the snub from 2014, and beating Ohio State in 2018 would go a long way in TCU’s hunt to finally get that elusive playoff berth.

Summary


F/+ Projection: Ohio State 35, TCU 23

Win probability: Ohio State 86.7%

While still heavily in favor of Ohio State, the win probability isn’t nearly as high as it has been the first two weeks of the season. TCU presents a real foe with a significant pool of talent on both sides of the ball. The offense has molded well in the opening weeks of the season, but Saturday’s matchup will be a significant challenge against a strong non-conference opponent, and Ohio State will have to respond accordingly.

How to watch, stream, listen to Ohio State at Rutgers:


Game time: Saturday September 15th, 8 PM ET

TV: ABC

Streaming: WatchESPN

Radio: 97.1 WBNS-FM

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Even away from home, Ohio State still hosting top prospects
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes will have the nation’s top safety watching Saturday night.

Tomorrow evening, the Ohio State Buckeyes face their toughest test of the season as they’ll battle TCU in a top-15 showdown at the home of the Dallas Cowboys. With what the Buckeyes have displayed so far this season, there’s more than enough reason to be both excited and confident in their ability to take home the win. With this game being the primetime game of the weekend, eyes across the country will be on Ohio State. That also includes recruits, as one of the nation’s top safeties will be in attendance at the game.

The best will have his eyes on OSU


Ohio State’s ability to recruit Texas as successfully as they have in recent years has correlated to instant success on the field. When the Buckeyes come on to the field tomorrow night, they’ll be starting most likely four players from the state of Texas—and that alone will have top recruits not only watching on television, but also in person. One highly sought after prospect that will be in attendance is the top overall safety prospect in the 2020 class, RJ Mickens. Yesterday, Bucknuts.com recruiting writer Bill Kurelic took to Twitter to let Buckeye fans know that Mickens will in fact be in attendance, and it looks to be very clear who he will be watching.


A Southlake, Texas product, Mickens is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound safety. A hard hitter who is also a great player defending the pass, Mickens is a very polished player already as a high school junior. He currently holds 27 offers, but Ohio State and Texas A&M are the only two schools with 247sports crystal ball predictions.

To brag a little more on RJ’s elite level talent, he’s considered to be the fifth best Texas player for the 2020 class as well as the 34th best player in the entire country. According to Bill Kurelic, TCU has recruited Mickens, but has since closed the lines of communication a bit. With RJ having a pre-existing friendship with current Buckeye Jeffrey Okudah, you can see why he’s high on Ohio State. Saturday night has the potential to really make an impression on this star safety, and that’s exactly what Buckeye fans want to see.

Ohio still loaded with talent


It’s hard to even imagine, but even with how great Ohio State has recruited with Urban Meyer and this coaching staff, there’s still been the occasional complaint that the Buckeyes don’t always make in-state Ohio prospects a true top priority. With a national recruiting approach, the focus gets pulled away from the home state.

Yesterday, 247sports published a tweet showing the top states in the country that produce the largest amount of current NFL players, and Ohio came in at No. 5. The four states in front of Ohio were Florida, California, Texas, and Georgia. No coincidence, Ohio State lands guys from those states year in and year out. This data shows a lot, but what it shows more than anything is that the Buckeyes are going after the right guys, and that’s exactly what they’ll continue to do.


But, at the same time, Meyer and OSU still do recruiting within the home state, and sometimes pull away with the recruiting win. Maybe the in-state recruiting will heat up over the next couple years?

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Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa is bullish on his Heisman Trophy chances
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The junior defensive end knows that history isn’t on his side when it comes to the Heisman Trophy

“I don’t think any defensive player is winning a Heisman, so we’ll see.”

Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa via Bill Bender, The Sporting News


The list of defensive players in the mix for the Heisman Trophy is few and far between, but if there was ever a player to be a part of the discussion, it might be Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa. Despite his strong start to the season, Bosa isn’t exactly booking tickets to New York City in early December.

Through two games this year, Bosa has registered three sacks, five tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, and a touchdown. If the junior can keep that pace up, it’ll be hard to omit Bosa from the Heisman fesitivies.

The award has largely been dominated by quarterbacks and running backs, which is why Bosa is tempering his expectations. Of the last 18 Heisman Trophy winners, 15 of those award recipients have been quarterbacks. It also doesn’t help Bosa’s case that teammate Dwayne Haskins has put up monster numbers at quarterback in Ohio State’s first two games.

In the history of the Heisman Trophy award, just eight times have defensive linemen finished in the top five in voting, with the last being Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh in 2009. The best finish overall for a defensive lineman in Heisman voting came in 1957 with Iowa’s Alex Karras and Pitt’s Hugh Green in 1980, who both finished second.

Bosa understands why he likely won’t be a part of the final discussion for the award, since with the added attention in the press, he’ll see opponents throwing more blockers at him to try and slow him down. Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano also thinks Bosa likely has an uphill battle to win the award, as it would have to be a year in which no offensive players had tremendous stats.

Even though he thinks he’ll miss out on winning the award, Bosa is fine with that. Bosa just wants to help his team win a couple other trophies, in the Big Ten title and a national championship. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that he’ll likely be one of the first players taken in the 2019 NFL Draft.

“Honestly, it’s just school and dogs and girlfriend and family. I don’t really let the football stuff get to me. One practice at a time, one game at a time is what I think about.”

Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins via Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch


From what Ohio State fans have seen of Dwayne Haskins so far, it almost feels like nothing can rattle the redshirt sophomore quarterback. There isn’t many situations that are more pressure packed than what Haskins went through last year, having to replace an injured J.T. Barrett in the third quarter in Ann Arbor with the Buckeyes trailing Michigan.

In two starts this year, Haskins hasn’t been tested, leading the Buckeyes to easy wins over Oregon State and Rutgers. Saturday night will be Haskins’ first true test as Ohio State’s starting quarterback, as the Buckeyes travel down to Texas to take on TCU in primetime. Haskins says a game like Saturday night’s showdown on national television is something he has been dreaming about since he was a young kid.

While all has seemed perfect so far for the quarterback, Haskins knows there is always room to grow. The biggest area Haskins knows he needs to improve in is with his leadership skills. Former quarterback J.T. Barrett showed a little more intensity as a leader, which Haskins has been working on. Although if the results continue like the first two games of the season for the Buckeyes, Haskins might not want to change things too much.

For now, Haskins is just having fun out there with his teammates. The quarterback has inserted himself into the Heisman Trophy discussion with his performance so far this season, and a big performance of TCU could put him near the top of the early season list for the prestigious award.


There isn’t a whole lot of history between Ohio State and TCU, but something that happened off the field between that involved the two teams helped to shape an important Ohio State tradition.

In 1934, Ohio State was searching for a new head coach. After head coaches from Purdue and the University of Chicago turned down the Buckeyes, Ohio State looked to Fort Worth, where Francis Schmidt had put together a 45-6-5 record over five seasons as head coach. The 45 wins by Schmidt still rank fourth on TCU’s all-time wins list.

When asked about Ohio State’s rivalry with Michigan, Schmidt uttered the famous phrase, “Hell, they put their pants on one leg at a time, the same as we do”. After Schmidt’s statement, Ohio State began the tradition of awarding Gold Pants trinkets to the team when they defeated the Wolverines.

Schmidt’s Ohio State teams would shutout the Wolverines in his first four years as head coach, but fail to beat Michigan in the final three years of his time in Columbus. In seven years as head coach of the Buckeyes, Schmidt would finish with a 39-16-1 record. Along with the introduction of the Gold Pants, Schmidt also did bring in a more diverse offense, helping set the very early groundwork for what will be seen by Ohio State fans when the Buckeyes take on Schmidt’s former team on Saturday night.


New Orleans may have dropped their season opener to Tampa Bay on Sunday, but a former Ohio State wide receiver can’t be blamed for the loss. Thomas hauled in 16 of his 17 targets and totaled 180 receiving yards and a touchdown. The effort is even more valuable when considering Thomas is making just under $1.3 million per year on his rookie contract.

Thomas is in the third year of a four-year contract, so the time is going to come soon where the Saints will have to pony up to keep Thomas in New Orleans. The former Buckeye caught 104 passes last year after recording 92 receptions in his rookie year. Without Thomas, it would have been a lot tougher for New Orleans to make the playoffs last season.

So how much will it cost for New Orleans to keep Thomas in “The Big Easy”? Odell Beckham Jr just signed a 5-year, $90 million dollar contract with the New York Giants, and it’s likely Thomas will be looking for similar numbers. While Thomas might not get exactly that type of money, it’s easy to see him getting somewhere in the range of 5-years and $80-$85 million, which would be similar to deals Brandin Cooks and DeAndre Hopkins recently signed.

With Drew Brees likely in the twilight of his NFL career, it would be wise for the Saints to lock up Thomas as soon as they can. With Thomas signed to a long-term deal, it would certainly make life easier for whoever is tasked with trying to replace Brees in the future.

STICK TO SPORTS

• Ohio State’s Suicide and Mental Health Task Force has released their recommendation report after four people have fallen or jumped from campus parking garages in 19 months.
• Hilliard has a “mini North Market” which could include a craft brewery in the works.
• 10 years ago tomorrow, the remnants of Hurricane Ike caused havoc in Ohio.
• How do you determine damage during a natural disaster? If Waffle House closes then things are really bad.
• Jon Hamm wants to play Batman, but if that happened he should only be able to play the role as Don Draper.

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These OSU commits will be featured on a game tonight in Arizona (Chapparal vs. Saguaro). If anyone is interested, here's where you can watch a stream of the game.

https://www.yurview.com/chaparral-vs-saguaro-football-9-14-18

How Ohio dentistry students are spreading smiles for miles: BTN LiveBIG
BTN.com LiveBIG Staff via Big Ten Network

Mobility and outreach are key in the College of Dentistry's goal to see more Ohioans get the dental care they need.

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NORTH CAROLINA/UCF AND WEST VIRGINIA/NC STATE GAMES CANCELLED DUE TO HURRICANE FLORENCE

This weekend's college football slate got a little lighter.

With hurricane Florence currently heading towards the coast of North Carolina and expected to be the most catastrophic storm to hit the region in decades, Saturday's West Virginia-NC State and UCF-North Carolina have been cancelled.

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Wake Forest also moved its Thursday night game against Boston College up to 5:30 p.m. because of the impending hurricane.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...ate-games-cancelled-due-to-hurricane-florence

Virginia-Ohio football game moved to Nashville due to Hurricane Florence

Virginia’s home football game against Ohio, which was scheduled for 3 p.m. on Saturday at Scott Stadium, has been moved to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, due to the potential threat from Hurricane Florence.

The game, which was originally slated to kick off at 3 p.m. in Charlottesville, will now be played at 4:30 p.m. EST (3:30 p.m. local time in Nashville).
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Tickets for Saturday’s game will be refunded if they were purchased through the University of Virginia ticket office. Admission to the game in Nashville will be free.

Entire article: https://www.dailyprogress.com/caval...cle_912cde0a-b5fa-11e8-b559-a31f02c0461d.html

Why wouldn't they just agree to move these games to the visitor's school (i.e. WVU, UCF, & OU) and split the gate? Then the visiting school could agree to play a future game at the home team's place (i.e. UNC, NCSU, & UVA) for a makeup.

This map asks the question, “What if college football games were played for more than just wins and losses, but also for land?”

Each FBS team is given a territory to begin the season, and if they lose, the team that beats them takes their land. Teams are then always in the process of trying to either regain land or expand their land by beating teams that have land.

The territories for each team are determined by which school is closest in straight-line distance to the geometric center of each county.



And here’s what it looks like after Week 1.

Due to the land obtained by Hawaii and Wyoming in Week 0, their Week 1 games were worth slightly more land than the average opener.



Entire article: https://www.sbnation.com/college-fo.../college-football-imperialism-map-week-1-2018

Let me know if you plan on coming to DFW and have any questions. I will do my best to make solid recommendations.

Good luck this weekend.

Audio: Listen to your Big Ten coach’s Week 3 teleconference
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

Each Tuesday morning during the Big Ten football season, the 14 Big Ten football coaches hold a Big Ten teleconference with reporters from around the country. We post the audio for each segment of the call here.

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Rivals Profile
247 Profile
HUDL Highlights



North Gwinnett (Suwanee, GA)
Ht: 5'10''
Wt: 160 lbs
Class: 2020 (High School)

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HUDL Highlights



Oakleaf HS (Orange Park, FL)
Ht: 6'4''
Wt: 210 lbs
Class: 2020 (High School)

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Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor headlines Week 2 Big Ten honors
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

Following Big Ten football games on Sept. 8, the Offensive, Co-Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week and Co-Freshmen of the Week in the Big Ten were announced Monday morning.

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Hi guys! My fiancé and I are trying to come up to the October 6th game against IU (on my birthday!). We are from VA and have only attended one game and it was last season. I need help in 1. Finding a good hotel (under $150/night) and 2. Within walking distance from the stadium OR a hotel that provides a shuttle to the stadium. I’m having trouble finding something that’s not all booked up. Last year we stayed at Staybridge Suites on Olentangy. We loved it and it was a reasonable walk to the stadium and the hotel was amazing. This is the problem- everywhere is booked. We don’t have tickets yet either. Any place to get reasonable priced tickets other than Ticketmaster, etc.? Also anyone have knowledge or hotels with shuttle services to and from the stadium? I know minimal information and am also new to the forum so I honestly don’t know what I’m doing! Someone please help!!! TIA!

Big Ten Power Rankings: 2-0 Minnesota rises in post-Week 2 list
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

It's Monday, and that means it's time for BTN analyst James Laurinaitis to reveal his latest Big Ten Power Rankings, presented by ArcelorMittal. Get his latest list inside.

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Torrent attached.

Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins, Tate Martell pick apart Rutgers in rout
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

For the fifth straight season, it was all Ohio State in its annual matchup vs. Rutgers. The fourth-ranked Buckeyes rolled the Scarlet Knights, 52-3, and it did so behind a historic day from its quarterbacks. Long story short: Backup Tate Martell set the program record for completion percentage in a game, completing 10 of 10 passes, and starter Dwayne Haskins completed 20 of 23 for four more touchdowns, giving him nine scoring strikes through two weeks. Ohio State QBs Dominate in Rout vs. Rutgers

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BTN Announces 2018-19 Big Ten Men and Women’s Basketball Television Schedule
BTN Communications via Big Ten Network

In conjunction with the Big Ten Conference, BTN today announced its complete television schedule for the 2018-19 men’s and women’s basketball seasons. BTN will air at least 132 men’s basketball games, including 77 conference games and 10 Big Ten Tournament games. The network will also broadcast at least 68 women’s basketball games, featuring four ACC-Big Ten Challenge matchups alongside 12 conference tournament games, including both semifinals. The men’s schedule begins with non-conference action on Nov. 6 as the Indiana Hoosiers and heralded freshman Romeo Langford host Chicago State, and continues with the inaugural U.S. Bank Stadium Basketball Classic on Nov.

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In 2007.....

Ohio State researcher plants his Buckeye pride



From the air, you can see Scott McIntyre's pride in the scarlet and gray spelled out in yellow and green.

In May, the Ohio State University research associate carefully planted plots of yellow-leafed soybeans amid a more typical green-leafed variety in an unused, four-acre field at the university's Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center about 50 miles south of Cleveland.

Since the plants started coming up in late July, the two-tone field has displayed the words "OHIO STATE BUCKEYES" with an accompanying smiley face.

McIntyre, 43, said he was

inspired by how well Ohio State did last football season, when it went undefeated until a 41-14 loss to Florida in the BCS national championship game.

He also pointed out that his tribute is best seen from an aircraft, flying about 1,000 feet up.

Yellow-leafed soybeans yield less and aren't used often, and they start to turn green as they mature, he said, so the message may not last more than another week.

But the plants also hold on to their leaves longer than regular green-leafed ones, so the show of Buckeye spirit should be visible again at the height of football season this fall, McIntyre said.

Entire article: http://www.toledoblade.com/Ohio-State/2007/08/18/Ohio-State-researcher-plants-his-Buckeye-pride.html

Now today.......

PRECISION AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGY POWERS WORLD'S LARGEST SCRIPT OHIO



Move over, corn mazes, hello Script Ohio.

Agricultural engineers at the Ohio State University's College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences demonstrated the power of precision agriculture technology this growing season by turning a 100-acre field near the Molly Caren Agricultural Center near London into the world's largest version of "The Incomparable Script Ohio."

Experts in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering typically use "smart planting" devices guided by GPS to help farmers grow corn and soybeans more efficiently, using fewer crop inputs and fuel to plant and harvest their crops.

Those experts have also spent the past four years demonstrating the efficacy of the technology by crafting a series of aerial pictures in a given field, including a simple Block O in 2015, Brutus Buckeye in 2016, and the Athletic Department's version of the Block O logo in 2017.

This year, the project took on a much grander scale.

"We decided to start and continue this project to show the potential of new multi-hybrid/variety planting technology and demonstrate that it can complete tasks with accuracy and precision to the point of making logos in field scenes,” said Andrew Klopfenstein, a senior research associate engineer.

The Script Ohio was created using components from Precision Planting that turn a traditional planter into a “smart planter.” From a monitor inside the tractor, farmers can control the plant population and see hybrid type planted in coordination with a mapping of GPS coordinates.

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“There are benefits to matching plant hybrids/varieties to soil landscape,” Klopfenstein said. “Farmers in the future will consider multiple factors when generating prescriptions. Some of these factors may include moisture holding capacity, soil organic matter content, slope, and historical yield data, just to name a few.”

By creating a map using GPS coordinates, a grower can program their planter to distribute less seed to an area with rocky terrain with an expected lower yield as opposed to an area rich in organic matter where higher plant populations will increase productivity.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/the-...-technology-powers-worlds-largest-script-ohio

College Football Playoff committee announces release dates of weekly rankings

The College Football Playoff selection committee announced Thursday the first CFP rankings will be released on Tuesday, Oct. 30 at 6-7 p.m. central time (7-8 p.m. ET.)

"We've had four very successful seasons and I look forward to a fifth," Rob Mullens, chair of the selection committee and athletic director at the University of Oregon, said in a statement. "We're in good shape heading into this upcoming year."

During the meeting this week, the committee reviewed timing for the weekly announcements of its rankings, reviewed its protocol and finalized its list of members who will be recused from voting or discussions regarding selected teams.

The committee will announce its first of six rankings following the ninth week of the season. The committee will convene in person, on Mondays and Tuesdays.
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Here is the schedule for the release of the rankings:

Tuesday, Oct. 30 6-7 p.m. central (7-8 p.m. ET)
Tuesday, Nov. 6 8-8:30 p.m. central (9-9:30 p.m. ET)

Tuesday, Nov. 13 6-7 p.m. central (7-8 p.m. ET)

Tuesday, Nov. 20 6-7 p.m. central (7-8 p.m. ET)
Tuesday, Nov. 27 6-6:30 p.m. central (7-7:30 p.m. ET)
Sunday, Dec. 2 11 a.m.-3 p.m. central (Noon-4 p.m. ET)

Entire article: https://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2018/08/college_football_playoff_annou_2.html

College Football Playoff schedule
Dec. 29

College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
4 p.m. or 8 p.m. ET on ESPN
AT&T Stadium
Arlington, Texas

College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl
4 p.m. or 8 p.m. ET on ESPN
Hard Rock Stadium
Miami Gardens, Florida

Jan. 7
College Football Playoff National Championship Presented By AT&T
8 p.m. ET on ESPN
Levi's Stadium
Santa Clara, California

Entire article: http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...018-19-college-football-playoff-bowl-schedule

Ohio State files action against Oklahoma for block 'O' trademark


Pride of Oklahoma drum major Julie Siberts leads a chant of "Boomer Sooner" during the Rose Bowl Game, a College Football Playoff Semifinal, between the Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and Georgia Bulldogs (UGA) at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, Monday, Jan. 1, 2018. Georgia won 54-48 in double overtime.

Ohio State has filed an action against Oklahoma to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. The item in question? A block "O."

The notice of opposition was filed last week. Ohio State uses the block "O" as its primary logo, and the school extensively outlines the history of its use in the action.

The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents filed a trademark application for the mark in December 2017. OU claims its block "O" has been in commercial use since 2001. The mark is most noticeable to Sooner fans as the logo on the chest of the drum major.

Ohio State claims it has used the block "O" since 1898 and that Oklahoma's applied-for mark is "highly similar" and that "confusion is likely."

Baker Mayfield tried to stake claim to the block "O" by planting an OU flag in it after Oklahoma's 31-16 win in Columbus, Ohio last season.

Entire article: https://newsok.com/article/5607063/ohio-state-files-action-against-oklahoma-for-block-o-trademark

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...action-against-oklahoma-for-block-o-trademark