Ryan Shazier and his fiancee Michelle announce their first child is due in January
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


This man deserves nothing but good things and happiness for the rest of his life.

It’s been a tumultuous week in Buckeye Nation (and it’s only Wednesday). So, why don’t we start the morning off with some good news? Yesterday, Ohio State and Pittsburgh Steeler legend Ryan Shazier announced on Twitter that his fiancee Michelle Rodriguez is expecting the couple’s first child in January. Shazier has a son from a previous relationship.


A beloved figure in both Columbus and Pittsburgh, Shazier suffered a horrific back injury on Dec. 4 in a “Monday Night Football” game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Shazier suffered a spinal contusion that left him without use of his legs. He underwent a spine stabilization surgery, and has been on the road to recovery ever since.


Shazier served as an honorary coach for the OSU spring game in April, and then made an appearance at the NFL Draft that brought tears to the eyes of millions of football fans, as he walked across the stage to announce that the Steelers had taken safety Terrell Edmunds with the 28th overall pick.

While he has officially been ruled out of playing in the 2018 season, Shazier has been very open about his intention to return to the field once he is fully recovered. While the thought of the beloved former Buckeye suiting up to play football again makes me a little nervous, if anybody can overcome an injury like this, it’s Ryan Shazier.

Congratulations to Ryan and Michelle! We’ll send a scarlet and gray onesie for Christmas!

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Ohio State freshman Kamryn Babb likely out for season with torn ACL - Lettermen Row
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State freshman Kamryn Babb likely out for season with torn ACL
Lettermen Row
Coming off a knee injury that cost him his senior season at Christian Brothers College (St. Louis), Babb suffered a new one with the Buckeyes during offseason workouts in June that will likely keep him on the sideline for all of the 2018 campaign as well.

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Bucknuts Recruiting Radio: Getting to know Jake Wray - 247Sports
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Bucknuts Recruiting Radio: Getting to know Jake Wray
247Sports
The previous episode of BRR featured 247Sports Director of Basketball Recruiting, Evan Daniels, talking with us about the Buckeyes' recruiting efforts and latest pick-up. This next episode goes back to football, and welcomes Class of 2020 commit Jake ...


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Buckeyes, Badgers place two on preseason list - Petoskey News-Review
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Buckeyes, Badgers place two on preseason list
Petoskey News-Review
CHICAGO (AP) — Ohio State and Wisconsin each placed two players on the Big Ten preseason honors list. Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa and running back J.K. Dobbins made the roster for the East Division, and Wisconsin linebacker T.J. Edwards and ...

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Quiet period arrives ahead of huge weekend for Ohio State
Patrick Mayhorn via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Will the Buckeyes make some moves during this upcoming quiet period?

After a few weeks of dead period, in which no face-to-face contact is allowed between coaches and recruits, we entered a quiet period at midnight. This is a huge deal for Ohio State (more on this soon), but before we get too far into it, what exactly is the quiet period? What’s the difference between quiet and dead? SBNation’s Bud Elliott has you covered:


The quiet period is a short one, just from midnight (July 25) to midnight next Tuesday night, but it’s a crucial one for Ohio State. They’ve been waiting for this for weeks, because of a few recruits with quickly approaching announcement dates: Zach Harrison and Marcus Washington.

The Buckeyes also have several massive visits scheduled this week, that just happen to coincide very nicely with the ending of this quiet period, before another dead period takes over that’ll take us to the end of August. That visit includes some of Ohio State’s biggest 2020 targets, including guard Jakai Moore today, and Darrion Henry, Tre Williams, Rashawn Williams, Rakim Jarrett, Deamonte Trayanum and Michael Drennan this weekend.

While I don’t think of ton of those guys are on commitment watch, a few are worth paying attention to, specifically Henry, Jarrett and Drennan. My guess is that Henry joins the 2020 class this weekend. That may not be the end of the booms in the coming weeks either, because Ohio State will be in heavy contact with Marcus Washington and Zach Harrison, who are set to commit Aug. 7 and Aug. 14, respectively. I think Ohio State lands both of them.

First?


It’s not too often that Ohio State is the first team to offer a recruit. It’s much more Urban Meyer’s style to notice offers from smaller schools in the MAC, or mid-level Big Ten programs like Indiana, Purdue, or Michigan, and then swoop in and extend an offer later on in the process. That wasn’t the case with Indiana defensive tackle Dane Middlebrook.


Middlebrook, a 6-foot-1, 310-pound class of 2020 prospect looks like a future nose tackle, and Ohio State is apparently very, very high on his game. He camped at Ohio State in June, and has been on campus several times, so the staff is very familiar with him. They’ve been considering this offer for weeks, and they were comfortable leading the pack here.

Middlebrook isn’t yet ranked in 2020, but with an Ohio State offer on board, he will likely be ranked shortly. Ball State, Indiana, Michigan State, Missouri and Purdue have all expressed interest as well. It’s not clear if this offer is commitable yet, and I imagine it’ll be a few months until we know if it is, but depending on that, Middlebrook could be a Buckeye really soon.

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Kurelic: Buckeye QB recruiting; where is former OSU star now? - 247Sports
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Kurelic: Buckeye QB recruiting; where is former OSU star now?
247Sports
Good evening Bucknuts subscribers! There is plenty going on with Ohio State football recruiting so let's get started! I will of course have plenty more throughout the day and tomorrow. 1) After months and months and months of evaluating and recruiting ...
Ohio State freshman Kamryn Babb likely out for season with torn ACLLettermen Row

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Buckeyes release WR coach - Martins Ferry Times Leader
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Buckeyes release WR coach
Martins Ferry Times Leader
According to his statement, “coaching staff adjustments will be announced at a later date.” Smith is the grandson of former Ohio State coach Earle Bruce. He had been on the Buckeyes' staff since Meyer arrived in 2012, and he previously worked as a ...


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Urban Meyer says assistant's firing best thing for Buckeyes - 10TV
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Urban Meyer says assistant's firing best thing for Buckeyes
10TV
CHICAGO (AP) — Ohio State coach Urban Meyer has a saying he uses with his program: Event + Response = Outcome. The outcome this time was the dismissal of a longtime assistant. Meyer is facing questions about his relationship with former receivers ...


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Ohio State Buckeyes football: Marcus Hooker suspended one game ... - 247Sports
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Ohio State Buckeyes football: Marcus Hooker suspended one game ...
247Sports
CHICAGO – Ohio State freshman safety Marcus Hooker will be suspended one game for an of the field incident this offseason head coach Urban Meyer ...
Ohio State freshman Kamryn Babb out for season with torn ACLLettermen Row

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Meyer says assistant's firing best thing for Buckeyes - The Seattle Times
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Meyer says assistant's firing best thing for Buckeyes
The Seattle Times
The Buckeyes open against Oregon State on Sept. 1, and the expectations in Columbus are as high as ever. Ohio State returns 49 lettermen from last season, when it went 12-2 and beat Southern California 24-7 in the Cotton Bowl. One of its deepest ...
After longtime assistant fired, Buckeyes' Urban Meyer has more explaining to doChicago Sun-Times
Ohio State football: Urban Meyer likes what he sees as Buckeyes prepare for campThe Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State Buckeyes fire assistant Zach Smith after ex-wife granted protection orderESPN
Facebook -The Columbus Dispatch
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Big Ten media days 2018 10 questions for Ohio State Buckeyes ... - 247Sports
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Big Ten media days 2018 10 questions for Ohio State Buckeyes ...
247Sports
Ohio State's will kick off its portion of Big Ten media days on Tuesday, July 24, as eighth-year head coach Urban Meyer and a trio of Buckeyes travel to Chicago ...

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Meyer says assistant's firing best thing for Buckeyes - 13abc Action News
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Meyer says assistant's firing best thing for Buckeyes
13abc Action News
CHICAGO (AP) Ohio State coach Urban Meyer has a saying he uses with his program: Event + Response Outcome. The outcome this time was the dismissal of a longtime assistant. Meyer is facing questions about his relationship with former receivers coach ...
Ohio State Buckeyes fire assistant Zach Smith after ex-wife granted protection orderESPN
Ohio State football: Urban Meyer likes what he sees as Buckeyes prepare for campThe Columbus Dispatch
Brett McMurphy - A domestic violence civil protection... | FacebookFacebook
Eleven Warriors -The Columbus Dispatch
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Report: Kamryn Babb tears ACL, likely out for the season - 247Sports
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Report: Kamryn Babb tears ACL, likely out for the season
247Sports
It hasn't been a great last year for Kamryn Babb. The Ohio State freshman tore his ACL in August of 2017 and missed his entire senior high school season. He was expected to be healthy and ready to go for the Buckeyes for the 2018 season, but a report ...

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Ohio State’s Brian Hartline could be in line for coaching wide receivers
Ian Cuevas via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ohio State’s wide receivers will have a new coach - is Hartline the answer?

“As for evaluating the move, it’s still a bit early to know for sure exactly how successful this move will be. Hartline has all the qualifications anybody could need for this role, but he hasn’t been a full-time coach or a recruiter yet.”

- Austin Ward, Lettermen Row


With the recent firing of former Ohio State wide receivers coach Zach Smith, the questions are already coming as to who will replace the assistant coach. The most popular answer for the time being seems to be Brian Hartline.

Hartline, a former Buckeye himself just a few years ago, spent some time in the NFL before joining Urban Meyer’s staff in Columbus as a quality control assistant. Now he’s the interim wide receivers coach with the departure of Smith. But does Hartline have what it takes to take on the position?

That’s a question that will surely come again and again until an official announcement or decision is made, but Hartline seems to have the tools to be successful. After all, he was a successful receiver at Ohio State and in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins and later on the Cleveland Browns.

“[Top 50 Ohio State football players for 2018] No. 1: Nick Bosa”


- Bill Landis, Cleveland.com

The folks over at Cleveland.com are breaking down their top 50 Ohio State football players for the upcoming season and the list finished off with defensive end Nick Bosa.

Bosa made the list at No. 1 overall, which is a large step up for him from last season, where he was ranked No. 30 overall. It makes sense for Bosa to be this high, and although he isn’t playing quarterback for the team, he might be its most important playmaker in the end. The younger brother of Joey Bosa has already pretty much lived up to the hype and he’ll look to continue to build upon that in 2018.

Last season Bosa accounted for (and led) the Buckeyes in sacks and tackles for loss. While he hasn’t yet had an explosive season like his brother, Nick has still made opposing teams spend a lot of their focus on him, opening up chances for others with his disruption.

“The recruiting approach really hasn’t changed for the Buckeyes, even as far back as Barrett. Yes, they want quarterbacks that can run when needed, but the idea has always been to find a dude who is pass-first and will run when the situation calls for it.”

- Jeremy Birmingham, Lettermen Row


There seems to have been a recent shift in how Ohio State and Urban Meyer are recruiting their quarterbacks. Not necessarily in the process, but more about what kind of quarterbacks they’ve recruited. In the first couple of years under Meyer, the top prospects they landed at quarterback were Stephen Collier, Joe Burrow, and Dwayne Haskins. Two of those were considered dual-threat quarterbacks and they’ve recruited one since then - Tate Martell. But Haskins and the quarterbacks after him (sans Martell) have all been pro-style quarterbacks.

Which is noteworthy, considering such a shift. But the truth of the matter is Meyer and his staff are just looking for the right players that can make plays to move the offense in an efficient manner. For them it might not be so much about dual-threat vs. pro-style. It’s who can throw the ball well and make plays on their feet when needed. You can read more about that in the article linked above.

STICK TO SPORTS

• The annual butter cow statue at the Ohio State Fair has been unveiled.
• You can put actual holograms in your home.
• How New York is preparing for the next superstorm, six years after Hurricane Sandy.

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Meyer says assistant's firing best thing for Buckeyes - KIRO Seattle
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Meyer says assistant's firing best thing for Buckeyes
KIRO Seattle
The Buckeyes open against Oregon State on Sept. 1, and the expectations in Columbus are as high as ever. Ohio State returns 49 lettermen from last season, when it went 12-2 and beat Southern California 24-7 in the Cotton Bowl. One of its deepest ...
Ohio State Buckeyes fire assistant Zach Smith after ex-wife granted protection orderESPN
Ohio State football: Urban Meyer likes what he sees as Buckeyes prepare for campThe Columbus Dispatch
Brett McMurphy - A domestic violence civil protection... | FacebookFacebook
Eleven Warriors -The Columbus Dispatch
all 229 news articles »

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After longtime assistant fired, Buckeyes' Urban Meyer has more explaining to do - Chicago Sun-Times
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After longtime assistant fired, Buckeyes' Urban Meyer has more explaining to do
Chicago Sun-Times
He stepped to the podium Tuesday at the downtown Marriott for his latest Media Days press conference, the morning after Buckeyes assistant coach Zach Smith was fired amid reports of multiple domestic-violence allegations against him. Smith — the ...
Ohio State men's basketball | Buckeyes 10th in national Big Ten preseason predictionThe Columbus Dispatch
Badgers, Buckeyes picked to meet for Big Ten football title one more time in IndyMilwaukee Journal Sentinel
Overreaction Monday: Badgers, Buckeyes Favorites With Big Ten MediaBlack Heart Gold Pants
Minneapolis Star Tribune -UPI.com -247Sports -cleveland.com
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Hooker to be suspended for Buckeyes' opener - New Castle News
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Hooker to be suspended for Buckeyes' opener
New Castle News
CHICAGO – Marcus Hooker will be suspended for Ohio State's season opener against Oregon State, Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer said Tuesday. According to the OSU Lantern and other online sources, Meyer said at Big 10 Football Media Days that ...

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Ohio State freshman receiver Kamryn Babb out for season with ACL tear, per reports
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Babb was the Buckeyes highest-rated WR in the 2018 class.

Word out of Big Ten Media Days is that one of Ohio State’s prize 2018 recruits might have to wait to get onto the field. Lettermen Row’s Austin Ward reports that former four-star wide receiver Kamryn Babb from St. Louis, Mo. suffered an ACL tear during June workouts that will more than likely keep him from suiting up for OSU this season.

Babb previously suffered an ACL tear in his opposite knee during his senior season in high school, in addition to breaking his leg as a sophomore. Despite his injury history, Babb was rated as the 13th best receiver in the country, according to 247 Sports’ composite rankings.

Babb committed to Ohio State along with his high school teammate Cameron Brown and Dayton’s L’Christian “Blue” Smith to make one of the most impressive trios of pass-catchers in the 2018 recruiting cycle. Unfortunately, it now appears that Babb will have to wait a year to get on the field with his new squad.

Whether or not Brown or Smith are able to become impact players as freshmen or not, head coach Urban Meyer and whomever ends up leading the WR room would have likely preferred to take advantage of the new redshirt rule that will now allow players to see action in at least four games before forfeiting a year of eligibility.

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Middlebrook talks Buckeyes offer - 247Sports
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Middlebrook talks Buckeyes offer
247Sports
Ohio State's will kick off its portion of Big Ten media days on Tuesday, July 24, as eighth-year head coach Urban Meyer and a trio of Buckeyes travel to Chicago for the conference's annual media event. Accompanying Meyer this year will be fifth-year ...

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Watch: Biddle, Helwagen talking Buckeyes from B1G media days - 247Sports
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Watch: Biddle, Helwagen talking Buckeyes from B1G media days
247Sports
CHICAGO -- Big Ten media days continues to roll on in Chicago, and Ohio State will have the rest of its obligations Tuesday afternoon and early evening. Head coach Urban Meyer will field questions from 3:15-4:15 p.m. ET. Then the Buckeyes' three player ...

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The ghosts of Ohio State basketball past, present, and future
Patrick Mayhorn via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Basketball Tournament has reminded us what Ohio State basketball can be.

It isn’t every day that you get to relive the glory days of a sports team. No matter the sport, be it professional or collegiate, it’s very rare to be able to run back the best years of any team. Now, can you rewatch that super bowl win, that national title, or that come-from-behind win on YouTube? Sure. But as anyone that’s tried it knows, it just isn’t the same.

Ohio State fans had the chance to re-experience the glory days of Buckeye basketball, live, nationally televised, and called by the best play-by-play announcer in all the land this past weekend. Is it exactly the same? No, of course not.

Some key faces are gone, some eras are crossed over, and for some reason a Penn State alum is there too, but the Ohio State alumni team, Scarlet & Gray, in the annual “Basketball Tournament” (also known as TBT) is about as close to a reenactment as you’ll find in sports.

With Aaron Craft, Jared Sullinger, David Lighty, William Buford, Jon Diebler, Dallas Lauderdale, Evan Ravenel, and Greg Oden all on the team, it’s a bit of a who’s who of beloved stars from the Thad Matta era. With Evan Turner and Sconnie Penn coaching the team, there’s plenty to love about this group.

Their emergence in this tournament, and their impressive success (set to play in the Sweet 16 next Saturday) hasn’t just been a delight to revel in, it’s also been a great throwback to what Ohio State basketball once was. Watching this team play feels a lot like what watching Ohio State in 2011, or 2006, felt like. Their chemistry, teamwork, and talent makes them one of the tournament’s top teams, and brings up memories of massive wins over Duke, Purdue, and Syracuse. It reminds you of just how crazy Aaron Craft is, how strong Jared Sullinger is, and how much you love David Lighty.

It also reminds of what Ohio State basketball once was. Just eight years ago, the Buckeyes lost just three games in a season. They went to a Final Four seven years ago, and an Elite Eight six years ago. The eventual collapse under Thad Matta that ended last summer after a 17-15 season wasn’t a slow drip, it was a downpour.

Ohio State was great, until they weren’t.

While remembering the old times, and watching those old faces playing together at least one more time is awesome, it’s a bit melancholic. These players, no matter how much we love them, and no matter how much we miss them, will never play for Ohio State again. That era of Buckeye basketball is dead, and while we can reminisce, The Basketball Tournament is a reunion, not a revival.

The revival, however, may be coming. Of all the great moments from TBT this past weekend, my favorite was easily when it was pointed out on the broadcast that Micah Potter, Kaleb Wesson, Andre Wesson, Keyshawn Woods and Luther Muhammad were all in attendance, watching the ghosts of Buckeye basketball past. Current Buckeyes could learn a lot from the Buckeyes on the court this past weekend. If they do, we could be in for another golden era of Buckeye basketball.

It’s rare to be able to relive the best era of a sports team, but it’s even rarer to see the best era forming. We may be doing both right now. After their excellent 2017 season, Chris Holtmann and the Buckeyes have brought in a great 2018 recruiting class, and added two five-stars in the 2019 class. There’s hype around the program for the first time in years, and as we saw with a sold out alumni game, fans in Columbus are more than willing to support a basketball program (hell, I’m wearing my Jim Jackson jersey as I write this).

It probably won’t happen in 2018, which many expect to be a bit of a bridge year. However, when looking at the talent returning (almost everyone) and talent incoming (two five-stars) in 2019, it doesn’t take much to let your imagination run wild. Can they win a Big Ten title? A national title? We’ll just have to see.

However, because of the golden era under Thad Matta, and because of some of the players participating at The Basketball Tournament, we have a pretty good idea of what Buckeye basketball can look like.

There’s no way to know if Ohio State will ever reach those heights again, so enjoy the reunion while it lasts. While you do, remember that the present and future of Buckeye basketball are watching the same games, and I can say this safely, with no hedging or prognosticating. They’re hungry to return Buckeye basketball to its rightful place.

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Ohio State football: Urban Meyer likes what he sees as Buckeyes prepare for camp - The Columbus Dispatch
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Ohio State football: Urban Meyer likes what he sees as Buckeyes prepare for camp
The Columbus Dispatch
As in years past, the Buckeyes will have a symbolic passing of the torch from head strength coach Mickey Marotti to Meyer on the eve of camp. But Meyer won't need Marotti's assessment to know what he'll get to mold starting Aug. 3. “I've been at the ...
Meyer on Tuf Borland: 'He is on course to perform this fall'247Sports

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URBAN MEYER ANNOUNCES OHIO STATE WILL BEGIN FALL CAMP ON AUGUST 3



Football season is nigh.

Urban Meyer gave the formal date for the start of Ohio State's fall camp when he addressed the press at Big Ten media days. The Buckeyes will take the practice field on August 3.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...s-ohio-state-will-begin-fall-camp-on-august-3

Three Buckeyes on Outland Trophy watch list - 247Sports
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Three Buckeyes on Outland Trophy watch list
247Sports
Entering this week, the Wolverines sat one spot ahead of Ohio State, despite having five more verbal pledges than the Buckeyes. That changed on Monday afternoon, though, when Jim Harbaugh's program lost one of their top-rated recruits in the class, ...
Jones, Prince, and Jordan Make Outland Preseason Watch ListBuckeye Wire

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Dwayne Haskins takes over at quarterback for the Buckeyes - CBS sports.com (blog)
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Dwayne Haskins takes over at quarterback for the Buckeyes
CBS sports.com (blog)
On CBS Sports HQ, 247Sports director of scouting Barton Simmons joins Tommy Tran to break down what can we expect from Haskins at quarterback this season. Watch your Team Videos ▽. Please log in or register to view your favorite teams video.


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