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Google Buckeyes add to QB room with prolific preferred walk-on - 247Sports
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Buckeyes add to QB room with prolific preferred walk-on - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Buckeyes add to QB room with prolific preferred walk-on
247Sports
A QB who put up great stats is headed to Ohio State, accepting the Buckeyes' preferred walk-on offer.
and more »
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via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Buckeyes add to QB room with prolific preferred walk-on
247Sports
A QB who put up great stats is headed to Ohio State, accepting the Buckeyes' preferred walk-on offer.
and more »
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State is better than Alabama, at least according to one metric
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Ohio State is better than Alabama, at least according to one metric
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Is the tide turning in the Buckeyes’ direction?
When Urban Meyer was hired as the head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2012, he was very open about the fact that not only would his new team need to compete with the likes of Penn State, Wisconsin, and The Team Up North, but they would also need to take on the biggest dog in the college football yard, the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Since then, Meyer’s Buckeyes have become one of the dominant forces in the country, but in many ways are still nipping at ‘Bama’s heels. While OSU won the inaugural College Football Playoff— beating the Tide in the semifinals— Nick Saban and company have won two of the three titles since.
That being typed, this past February, the Buckeyes bested the Tide in the composite recruiting rankings for the first time in Meyer’s tenure, and now, thanks to a tip from Ohio State’s Sports Information Director, there is another feather for the Buckeyes to stick in the cap of this intra-conference rivalry.
Ohio State has the best conference record of any team in the nation over the last six years:
Best Conference Records – 2012-17
1. 47-3 - Ohio State
2. 43-5 - Alabama
3. 42-6 - Clemson
4. 45-9 - Oklahoma
5. 39-11 - Wisconsin
— Jerry Emig (@BuckeyeNotes) April 6, 2018
Meyer’s Buckeyes have the best conference record of any team in in the country during his time leading the Buckeyes. Saban’s Crimson Tide come in second, followed by Oklahoma, and Wisconsin.
In the six seasons that Meyer has been at the helm in Columbus, he has a 73-8 overall record, including a 47-3 mark in the Big Ten Conference. His three B1G losses came to No. 9 Michigan State in 2015, Penn State in 2016, and Iowa last year. In his first three years back at Ohio State, Meyer did not lose in conference, and his teams have claimed at least a share of their division title every year he’s been on the job. (RIP Leaders Division.)
Saban, however, has only had one undefeated conference season since 2012— the Tide went 8-0 in the SEC in 2016. Now, I know that some of you will argue that the Southeastern Conference is a better league than the B1G, and that might well be the case, at least over the past decade or so. But, in recent years, the Big Ten has been just as good, if not better than, any conference in the country at the top and in terms of depth; a fact that is due in no small part to Meyer’s arrival in Columbus.
So, between the recent head-to-head recruiting victory, and this impressive conference mark, could the tide be turning in OSU’s favor? We’ll find out when the teams get back on the gridiron this September.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Is the tide turning in the Buckeyes’ direction?
When Urban Meyer was hired as the head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2012, he was very open about the fact that not only would his new team need to compete with the likes of Penn State, Wisconsin, and The Team Up North, but they would also need to take on the biggest dog in the college football yard, the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Since then, Meyer’s Buckeyes have become one of the dominant forces in the country, but in many ways are still nipping at ‘Bama’s heels. While OSU won the inaugural College Football Playoff— beating the Tide in the semifinals— Nick Saban and company have won two of the three titles since.
That being typed, this past February, the Buckeyes bested the Tide in the composite recruiting rankings for the first time in Meyer’s tenure, and now, thanks to a tip from Ohio State’s Sports Information Director, there is another feather for the Buckeyes to stick in the cap of this intra-conference rivalry.
Ohio State has the best conference record of any team in the nation over the last six years:
Best Conference Records – 2012-17
1. 47-3 - Ohio State
2. 43-5 - Alabama
3. 42-6 - Clemson
4. 45-9 - Oklahoma
5. 39-11 - Wisconsin
— Jerry Emig (@BuckeyeNotes) April 6, 2018
Meyer’s Buckeyes have the best conference record of any team in in the country during his time leading the Buckeyes. Saban’s Crimson Tide come in second, followed by Oklahoma, and Wisconsin.
In the six seasons that Meyer has been at the helm in Columbus, he has a 73-8 overall record, including a 47-3 mark in the Big Ten Conference. His three B1G losses came to No. 9 Michigan State in 2015, Penn State in 2016, and Iowa last year. In his first three years back at Ohio State, Meyer did not lose in conference, and his teams have claimed at least a share of their division title every year he’s been on the job. (RIP Leaders Division.)
Saban, however, has only had one undefeated conference season since 2012— the Tide went 8-0 in the SEC in 2016. Now, I know that some of you will argue that the Southeastern Conference is a better league than the B1G, and that might well be the case, at least over the past decade or so. But, in recent years, the Big Ten has been just as good, if not better than, any conference in the country at the top and in terms of depth; a fact that is due in no small part to Meyer’s arrival in Columbus.
So, between the recent head-to-head recruiting victory, and this impressive conference mark, could the tide be turning in OSU’s favor? We’ll find out when the teams get back on the gridiron this September.
Continue reading...
Google Numerous standout recruits made the trek to Ohio State on Thursday - Land-Grant Holy Land
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Numerous standout recruits made the trek to Ohio State on Thursday - Land-Grant Holy Land
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Numerous standout recruits made the trek to Ohio State on Thursday
Land-Grant Holy Land
A former high school teammate of current OSU true freshman running back Master Teague, Knox once again got the opportunity to not only mingle with the coaching staff, but also more of a personal view at what it would be like to be a student athlete for ...
Continue reading...
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Numerous standout recruits made the trek to Ohio State on Thursday
Land-Grant Holy Land
A former high school teammate of current OSU true freshman running back Master Teague, Knox once again got the opportunity to not only mingle with the coaching staff, but also more of a personal view at what it would be like to be a student athlete for ...
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell named 2018 Dawn Staley Award winner
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Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell named 2018 Dawn Staley Award winner
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
It's another award for the Buckeye legend.
Despite ending her Ohio State career just shy of an NCAA Tournament Championship game, Kelsey Mitchell will still go down as a Buckeye, Big Ten, and overall collegiate basketball legend. Her trophy case is already getting pretty full, but Mitchell will add at least one more as the winner of the 2018 Dawn Staley Award.
The Dawn Staley Award is given to the most outstanding collegiate guard in college basketball, and exemplifies certain skills, like ball handling, scoring and distributing the ball to teammates. Mitchell certainly fits all those requirements, and then some, including her career-high 148 assists this season, adding to an already insane stat sheet.
In addition to her penchant for getting her teammates plenty of touches, the four-time All-American also finished the year ranked third in the NCAA in scoring (24.3 ppg), shot 44.8 percent from the floor, 40.2 percent from the arc, and had a career-low in turnovers (78) during her senior season. Her effort wasn’t overlooked either, as she was named the Big Ten’s Player of the Year for her third time.
Mitchell is the kind of player you wish would never leave Ohio State, but she’s stayed as long as she could -- and we should all be honored she did. She’s set all sorts of new benchmarks for elite basketball players throughout the Big Ten conference and NCAA — for both men’s and women’s basketball — including finishing her career as the NCAA’s second all-time leading scorer with 3,402 career points. Combined, Mitchell owns 30 school, conference, and national records, and among only three other players to exceed 3,000 points and 500 assists.
(Please don’t go, Kelsey. Please don’t go.)
Continue reading...
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
It's another award for the Buckeye legend.
Despite ending her Ohio State career just shy of an NCAA Tournament Championship game, Kelsey Mitchell will still go down as a Buckeye, Big Ten, and overall collegiate basketball legend. Her trophy case is already getting pretty full, but Mitchell will add at least one more as the winner of the 2018 Dawn Staley Award.
The Dawn Staley Award is given to the most outstanding collegiate guard in college basketball, and exemplifies certain skills, like ball handling, scoring and distributing the ball to teammates. Mitchell certainly fits all those requirements, and then some, including her career-high 148 assists this season, adding to an already insane stat sheet.
In addition to her penchant for getting her teammates plenty of touches, the four-time All-American also finished the year ranked third in the NCAA in scoring (24.3 ppg), shot 44.8 percent from the floor, 40.2 percent from the arc, and had a career-low in turnovers (78) during her senior season. Her effort wasn’t overlooked either, as she was named the Big Ten’s Player of the Year for her third time.
Mitchell is the kind of player you wish would never leave Ohio State, but she’s stayed as long as she could -- and we should all be honored she did. She’s set all sorts of new benchmarks for elite basketball players throughout the Big Ten conference and NCAA — for both men’s and women’s basketball — including finishing her career as the NCAA’s second all-time leading scorer with 3,402 career points. Combined, Mitchell owns 30 school, conference, and national records, and among only three other players to exceed 3,000 points and 500 assists.
(Please don’t go, Kelsey. Please don’t go.)
Continue reading...
Google Buckeyes add to QB room with prolific preferred walk-on - 247Sports
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Buckeyes add to QB room with prolific preferred walk-on - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Buckeyes add to QB room with prolific preferred walk-on
247Sports
He is coming off a knee injury, but put up spectacular numbers during his senior season as he led Lake Travis to the Texas 6A state title game. Led by Assistant Director of Player Personnel Eron Hodges, the Buckeyes have assembled a super class of ...
and more »
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via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Buckeyes add to QB room with prolific preferred walk-on
247Sports
He is coming off a knee injury, but put up spectacular numbers during his senior season as he led Lake Travis to the Texas 6A state title game. Led by Assistant Director of Player Personnel Eron Hodges, the Buckeyes have assembled a super class of ...
and more »
Continue reading...
LGHL Based on spring practice, is Ohio State’s defense more talented than the offense?
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Based on spring practice, is Ohio State’s defense more talented than the offense?
Chad Peltier via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The defense has reportedly gotten the better of the offense early in spring practice. Is this due to better average talent levels?
According to Urban Meyer (via Cleveland.com), “I think the defense is way ahead of the offense... There are so many strengths on defense right now. Offensively you’re trying to find the right five up front, and that’s hard with Michael Jordan who is not practicing.” In the last scrimmage of spring practice, the offense didn’t feature any champion disignations, while Urban Meyer rattled off a number of champion defensive players.
But how much of that imbalance is due to a new quarterback and offensive linemen, and how much of the defense’s superiority is based on an overall higher talent level?
I dug into the last four recruiting classes on 247Sports to see.
Based solely on the overall offensive and defensive players, the last four recruiting classes have been astonishingly similar talent-wise. Both average roughly .93 in the 247 Composite.
Further, while all of the last four classes have been great, the last two classes saw a noticeable rise in average talent ratings. On offense, the 2015 and 2016 classes averaged a solid .919, but in 2017 and 2018 they averaged .945. On defense, the first two classes averaged .914, but rose to .948 during the last two classes.
This table organizes the annual average recruiting ratings by position in ascending order -- so tight ends and defensive backs have had the lowest four-year average ratings, while H-backs and running backs have had the highest ratings.
Not only does this show overall recruiting and talent strengths and weaknesses, but it also shows which positions are prioritized by the offensive and defensive staffs, as well as which positions can accept more developmental players (which lower the positional averages).
For example, the staff generally only takes a few total running backs and H-backs in any recruiting class, so they have to be top-notch recruits. There’s much less room scholarship-wise for developmental players for only two starting spots. In contrast, the team takes a large number of defensive backs and offensive linemen in every class (an average of 5 DBs and 4.5 offensive linemen), so the team can get top-end players and also accept commitments from lower-rated developmental players (for instance, Jahsen Wint, Rodjay Burns, Damon Arnette, Josh Alabi, and Branden Bowen are all ten of the lowest-rated recruits in the last four classes).
Another interesting note — maybe the most improved position group, at least talent-wise, is on offensive line. The defensive line actually improved significantly as well.
While it’s hardly definitive, it’s interesting that the defensive line and linebackers are the third- and fourth-most talented position groups, which could explain some of the defense’s dominance in spring practice. Even though running backs and H-backs may be more talented overall, those are still just two of the players on the offense, while the defensive line and linebackers include six or seven starters.
Finally, if you only look at Ohio State’s top ten overall recruits in the last four classes, you can see just how well-represented the defense is. Eight of the top 10 overall recruits are defenders, with just Wyatt Davis and Nicholas Petit-Frere, offensive linemen from the last two classes, as the only offensive players in the top 10.
What’s crazy is that nearly all of these players haven’t had a chance to make an impact on the field yet. Eight of those top 10 are from the last two recruiting classes, leaving just Nick Bosa and Justin Hilliard from the 2015 and 2016 classes. Bosa is the only returning starter in the top 10 talent-wise.
What does that mean? Well, it means that the top end of the 2018 team is more talented than just about anything that Ohio State has had before -- and most of that very top-end talent is on defense.
Those names are just starting to make some noise in spring practice: Justin Hilliard is getting mentioned by Meyer with Tuf Borland out, Shaun Wade is getting extensive time now that he’s healthy and Okudah is limited, Baron Browning was a champion in the last scrimmage, and Chase Young will be a starter after impressing as a backup end last season. The others, including Taron Vincent, Tyreke Johnson, and Nicholas Petit-Frere, are coming over the summer.
So yeah, no surprise that the defense is dominating spring practice so far.
Continue reading...
Chad Peltier via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The defense has reportedly gotten the better of the offense early in spring practice. Is this due to better average talent levels?
According to Urban Meyer (via Cleveland.com), “I think the defense is way ahead of the offense... There are so many strengths on defense right now. Offensively you’re trying to find the right five up front, and that’s hard with Michael Jordan who is not practicing.” In the last scrimmage of spring practice, the offense didn’t feature any champion disignations, while Urban Meyer rattled off a number of champion defensive players.
But how much of that imbalance is due to a new quarterback and offensive linemen, and how much of the defense’s superiority is based on an overall higher talent level?
I dug into the last four recruiting classes on 247Sports to see.
Based solely on the overall offensive and defensive players, the last four recruiting classes have been astonishingly similar talent-wise. Both average roughly .93 in the 247 Composite.
Further, while all of the last four classes have been great, the last two classes saw a noticeable rise in average talent ratings. On offense, the 2015 and 2016 classes averaged a solid .919, but in 2017 and 2018 they averaged .945. On defense, the first two classes averaged .914, but rose to .948 during the last two classes.
This table organizes the annual average recruiting ratings by position in ascending order -- so tight ends and defensive backs have had the lowest four-year average ratings, while H-backs and running backs have had the highest ratings.
Not only does this show overall recruiting and talent strengths and weaknesses, but it also shows which positions are prioritized by the offensive and defensive staffs, as well as which positions can accept more developmental players (which lower the positional averages).
For example, the staff generally only takes a few total running backs and H-backs in any recruiting class, so they have to be top-notch recruits. There’s much less room scholarship-wise for developmental players for only two starting spots. In contrast, the team takes a large number of defensive backs and offensive linemen in every class (an average of 5 DBs and 4.5 offensive linemen), so the team can get top-end players and also accept commitments from lower-rated developmental players (for instance, Jahsen Wint, Rodjay Burns, Damon Arnette, Josh Alabi, and Branden Bowen are all ten of the lowest-rated recruits in the last four classes).
Another interesting note — maybe the most improved position group, at least talent-wise, is on offensive line. The defensive line actually improved significantly as well.
While it’s hardly definitive, it’s interesting that the defensive line and linebackers are the third- and fourth-most talented position groups, which could explain some of the defense’s dominance in spring practice. Even though running backs and H-backs may be more talented overall, those are still just two of the players on the offense, while the defensive line and linebackers include six or seven starters.
Finally, if you only look at Ohio State’s top ten overall recruits in the last four classes, you can see just how well-represented the defense is. Eight of the top 10 overall recruits are defenders, with just Wyatt Davis and Nicholas Petit-Frere, offensive linemen from the last two classes, as the only offensive players in the top 10.
What’s crazy is that nearly all of these players haven’t had a chance to make an impact on the field yet. Eight of those top 10 are from the last two recruiting classes, leaving just Nick Bosa and Justin Hilliard from the 2015 and 2016 classes. Bosa is the only returning starter in the top 10 talent-wise.
What does that mean? Well, it means that the top end of the 2018 team is more talented than just about anything that Ohio State has had before -- and most of that very top-end talent is on defense.
Those names are just starting to make some noise in spring practice: Justin Hilliard is getting mentioned by Meyer with Tuf Borland out, Shaun Wade is getting extensive time now that he’s healthy and Okudah is limited, Baron Browning was a champion in the last scrimmage, and Chase Young will be a starter after impressing as a backup end last season. The others, including Taron Vincent, Tyreke Johnson, and Nicholas Petit-Frere, are coming over the summer.
So yeah, no surprise that the defense is dominating spring practice so far.
Continue reading...
Google Ohio State recruiting: Latest news on Buckeyes' 2019 class - Landof10.com
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Ohio State recruiting: Latest news on Buckeyes' 2019 class - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Ohio State recruiting: Latest news on Buckeyes' 2019 class
Landof10.com
Ohio State is just getting started with the 2019 recruiting class, but the Buckeyes are hot on the trail of many of the nation's top prospects. The Buckeyes have only three commitments, but plenty of top prospects have been visiting and staying in ...
Ohio State hosting five-star prospects Brandon Smith and Faatui ...cleveland.com
Buckeyes expected to ink Meyer to extensionThe News Center
CBF Morning Run: Searching for the sound, keeping Urban Meyer in Columbus, peeking at top salaries, asking HAL to ...Columbus Business First
www.brproud.com -Dayton Daily News -CBSSports.com -Bleacher Report
all 70 news articles »
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via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Ohio State recruiting: Latest news on Buckeyes' 2019 class
Landof10.com
Ohio State is just getting started with the 2019 recruiting class, but the Buckeyes are hot on the trail of many of the nation's top prospects. The Buckeyes have only three commitments, but plenty of top prospects have been visiting and staying in ...
Ohio State hosting five-star prospects Brandon Smith and Faatui ...cleveland.com
Buckeyes expected to ink Meyer to extensionThe News Center
CBF Morning Run: Searching for the sound, keeping Urban Meyer in Columbus, peeking at top salaries, asking HAL to ...Columbus Business First
www.brproud.com -Dayton Daily News -CBSSports.com -Bleacher Report
all 70 news articles »
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LGHL Numerous standout recruits made the trek to Ohio State on Thursday
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Numerous standout recruits made the trek to Ohio State on Thursday
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The Buckeyes played host to a solid list of prospects yesterday.
Did you miss out on what took place in the world of Ohio State Buckeyes recruiting on Thursday? Don’t worry, that’s why Land-Grant Holy Land is here.
4-star WR visits OSU
Nearly all spring long, Urban Meyer and the rest of the Ohio State football coaching staff have been trying not to just get the current Buckeyes ready for the upcoming season, but have also been busy playing host to a long list of prospects from across the country.
On Thursday, one of the prospects who made the trip to Columbus to spend time with Meyer and crew on campus was class of 2019 four-star wide receiver Trey Knox of Blackman High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
A former high school teammate of current OSU true freshman running back Master Teague, Knox once again got the opportunity to not only mingle with the coaching staff, but also more of a personal view at what it would be like to be a student athlete for the Buckeyes.
One of the most sought after wide receiver recruits on the market, Knox, who finished his junior campaign with over 650 yards and five touchdowns, is ranked at the moment as the No. 29 wide receiver, and 174th overall prospect in the talent rich class of 2019, according to the latest 247Sports Composite.
Locking in around 20 scholarships so far, Knox will have a hard time ahead of him when it comes to making his pledge to a program. While some believe he could follow his friend, Master Teague, to Columbus, Clemson, Florida, Louisville, Ole Miss, and his home state Tennessee Volunteers are just a few of the schools trying their hardest to make sure that doesn’t happen.
From Florida to Columbus
Trey Knox wasn’t the only four-star wide receiver to make it to the Ohio State campus on Thursday. Chaminade-Madonna Prep (FL) playmaker John Dunmore also made the trek to Columbus to get more familiar with what the Buckeyes are working with.
They Like To Talk Alot, But We Mute 
’s #Zone6 
️ pic.twitter.com/ZBQnbw4A9o
— Jdsunn__ (@JohnDunmore2) April 5, 2018
Making it to the OSU campus for the first time, Dunmore, who played at American Heritage High School last season before transferring, might be a hard recruit to pluck away from the south.
With offers on the table from most of the heavy hitters, the Buckeyes will more than likely have their work cut out for them to land a pledge from the 6-foot-3, 180-pounder. Michigan; Arkansas; Auburn; Georgia; and Florida State, where some around the recruiting scene have him pegged to continue his dreams to the NFL, are just a few of the programs currently trying to add the former University of Florida verbal commit to their future roster.
A couple things are playing in the Buckeyes favor though, as Dunmore is building a solid bond with wide receiver coach Zach Smith, and current OSU standout Binjimen Victor, a fellow Sunshine State native.
Will those relationships be enough to sway Dunmore to relocate to the Midwest? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
2019 LB makes it back to Campus
For the first time since October, and fresh off visiting with the team up north, and Notre Dame, Virginia five-star inside linebacker Brandon Smith finally made it back to Columbus for an unofficial visit to the Ohio State University campus.
Once thought as a Buckeye lean early on in the process, programs such as Florida State, and Penn State, where he plans to visit soon, have made his recruitment interesting.
Earning his chance to wear the Scarlet and Gray last summer while on a visit to campus, the 6-foot-5, 215-pound Smith stated the following to Land-Grant Holy Land on what the offer from the Buckeyes meant to him, and his recruitment.
“Coach Davis extended the offer during my visit yesterday. I have been talking with Coach Davis since he visited my school. I am very excited and honored to get the offer. It definitely means a lot and it’s a special offer that I am thankful for. I think of rich football tradition [when I think of OSU football].”
After he racked up nearly 120 total tackles and six quarterback sacks as a junior last season for Louisa County, see why so many programs are hoping Smith signs on the dotted line with their program with these highlights, courtesy of the team at Hudl:
Quick Hits
Continue reading...
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The Buckeyes played host to a solid list of prospects yesterday.
Did you miss out on what took place in the world of Ohio State Buckeyes recruiting on Thursday? Don’t worry, that’s why Land-Grant Holy Land is here.
4-star WR visits OSU
Nearly all spring long, Urban Meyer and the rest of the Ohio State football coaching staff have been trying not to just get the current Buckeyes ready for the upcoming season, but have also been busy playing host to a long list of prospects from across the country.
On Thursday, one of the prospects who made the trip to Columbus to spend time with Meyer and crew on campus was class of 2019 four-star wide receiver Trey Knox of Blackman High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
A former high school teammate of current OSU true freshman running back Master Teague, Knox once again got the opportunity to not only mingle with the coaching staff, but also more of a personal view at what it would be like to be a student athlete for the Buckeyes.
One of the most sought after wide receiver recruits on the market, Knox, who finished his junior campaign with over 650 yards and five touchdowns, is ranked at the moment as the No. 29 wide receiver, and 174th overall prospect in the talent rich class of 2019, according to the latest 247Sports Composite.
Locking in around 20 scholarships so far, Knox will have a hard time ahead of him when it comes to making his pledge to a program. While some believe he could follow his friend, Master Teague, to Columbus, Clemson, Florida, Louisville, Ole Miss, and his home state Tennessee Volunteers are just a few of the schools trying their hardest to make sure that doesn’t happen.
From Florida to Columbus
Trey Knox wasn’t the only four-star wide receiver to make it to the Ohio State campus on Thursday. Chaminade-Madonna Prep (FL) playmaker John Dunmore also made the trek to Columbus to get more familiar with what the Buckeyes are working with.
They Like To Talk Alot, But We Mute
’s #Zone6 ️ pic.twitter.com/ZBQnbw4A9o— Jdsunn__ (@JohnDunmore2) April 5, 2018
Making it to the OSU campus for the first time, Dunmore, who played at American Heritage High School last season before transferring, might be a hard recruit to pluck away from the south.
With offers on the table from most of the heavy hitters, the Buckeyes will more than likely have their work cut out for them to land a pledge from the 6-foot-3, 180-pounder. Michigan; Arkansas; Auburn; Georgia; and Florida State, where some around the recruiting scene have him pegged to continue his dreams to the NFL, are just a few of the programs currently trying to add the former University of Florida verbal commit to their future roster.
A couple things are playing in the Buckeyes favor though, as Dunmore is building a solid bond with wide receiver coach Zach Smith, and current OSU standout Binjimen Victor, a fellow Sunshine State native.
Will those relationships be enough to sway Dunmore to relocate to the Midwest? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
2019 LB makes it back to Campus
For the first time since October, and fresh off visiting with the team up north, and Notre Dame, Virginia five-star inside linebacker Brandon Smith finally made it back to Columbus for an unofficial visit to the Ohio State University campus.
Once thought as a Buckeye lean early on in the process, programs such as Florida State, and Penn State, where he plans to visit soon, have made his recruitment interesting.
Earning his chance to wear the Scarlet and Gray last summer while on a visit to campus, the 6-foot-5, 215-pound Smith stated the following to Land-Grant Holy Land on what the offer from the Buckeyes meant to him, and his recruitment.
“Coach Davis extended the offer during my visit yesterday. I have been talking with Coach Davis since he visited my school. I am very excited and honored to get the offer. It definitely means a lot and it’s a special offer that I am thankful for. I think of rich football tradition [when I think of OSU football].”
After he racked up nearly 120 total tackles and six quarterback sacks as a junior last season for Louisa County, see why so many programs are hoping Smith signs on the dotted line with their program with these highlights, courtesy of the team at Hudl:
Quick Hits
- Chris Holtmann and Ohio State assistant coach Ryan Pedon made the trek to Glens Falls, NY to meetup with 2019 three-star guard Joseph Girard on Thursday. Blowing up on the scene over the last few months, Duke, Michigan, Oklahoma and Syracuse are just a few of the schools that join the Buckeyes on the hunt for the standout soon-to-be senior.
- Per Corey Evans of Rivals, Ohio State we’re also among the programs to check in on Bettendorf High (IA) four-star rated point guard D.J. Carton yesterday. A 6-foot-1, 180-pound class of 2019 prospect, Carton currently holds a scholarship from not just OSU, but also from the likes of Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Marquette.
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Google Ohio State hosting five-star prospects Brandon Smith and Faatui Tuitele on Friday: Buckeyes...
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Ohio State hosting five-star prospects Brandon Smith and Faatui Tuitele on Friday: Buckeyes football recruiting - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Ohio State hosting five-star prospects Brandon Smith and Faatui Tuitele on Friday: Buckeyes football recruiting
cleveland.com
Ohio State hosting five-star prospects Brandon Smith and Faatui Tuitele on Friday: Buckeyes football recruiting. Updated April 5, 2018 at 5:43 PM ; Posted April 5, 2018 at 5:42 PM. Five-star linebacker Brandon Smith from Virginia is visiting Ohio State ...
Buckeyes expected to ink Meyer to extensionThe News Center
Buckeyes extend Meyer, gets $1.2M raisewww.brproud.com
Ohio State coach Urban Meyer up for two-year extensionDayton Daily News
CBSSports.com -10TV -Bleacher Report
all 61 news articles »
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Ohio State hosting five-star prospects Brandon Smith and Faatui Tuitele on Friday: Buckeyes football recruiting
cleveland.com
Ohio State hosting five-star prospects Brandon Smith and Faatui Tuitele on Friday: Buckeyes football recruiting. Updated April 5, 2018 at 5:43 PM ; Posted April 5, 2018 at 5:42 PM. Five-star linebacker Brandon Smith from Virginia is visiting Ohio State ...
Buckeyes expected to ink Meyer to extensionThe News Center
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Google Bad start dooms Buckeyes in Frozen Four - The-review
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Bad start dooms Buckeyes in Frozen Four - The-review
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Bad start dooms Buckeyes in Frozen Four
The-review
But instead, the Buckeyes repeated history. Making the Frozen Four for just the second time, the Buckeyes saw Minnesota-Duluth jump to a two-goal just 3:04 into their semifinal at the Xcel Energy Center. The Bulldogs, with a pugnacious defense, made ...
Sylvania native Myer embracing Buckeyes' Frozen Four chanceToledo Blade
Minnesota Duluth beats Ohio State 2-1 in NCAA semifinalsESPN
As the Frozen Four awaits, Buckeyes' Matthew Weis remains just as valuable off the ice as onThe Athletic
Grand Forks Herald
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Bad start dooms Buckeyes in Frozen Four
The-review
But instead, the Buckeyes repeated history. Making the Frozen Four for just the second time, the Buckeyes saw Minnesota-Duluth jump to a two-goal just 3:04 into their semifinal at the Xcel Energy Center. The Bulldogs, with a pugnacious defense, made ...
Sylvania native Myer embracing Buckeyes' Frozen Four chanceToledo Blade
Minnesota Duluth beats Ohio State 2-1 in NCAA semifinalsESPN
As the Frozen Four awaits, Buckeyes' Matthew Weis remains just as valuable off the ice as onThe Athletic
Grand Forks Herald
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Minnesota Duluth beats Ohio State 2-1 in NCAA semifinals
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ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Louie Roehl and Jared Thomas scored in the first 3:04 and Minnesota Duluth held off Ohio State 2-1 on Thursday night to reach the NCAA championship game for the second straight year. Hunter Shepard made 19 saves for the Bulldogs (24 ...
After failing in Fargo, Buckeyes have unfinished business with ...West Central Tribune
Buckeyes Can't Overcome Early Goals and Fall to Duluth in NCAA SemifinalEleven Warriors
Minnesota-Duluth moves to finalSioux City Journal
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Minnesota Duluth beats Ohio State 2-1 in NCAA semifinals
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ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Louie Roehl and Jared Thomas scored in the first 3:04 and Minnesota Duluth held off Ohio State 2-1 on Thursday night to reach the NCAA championship game for the second straight year. Hunter Shepard made 19 saves for the Bulldogs (24 ...
After failing in Fargo, Buckeyes have unfinished business with ...West Central Tribune
Buckeyes Can't Overcome Early Goals and Fall to Duluth in NCAA SemifinalEleven Warriors
Minnesota-Duluth moves to finalSioux City Journal
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Google Buckeyes CB Denzel Ward making pre-draft visit to Bills - Buffalo News
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Buckeyes CB Denzel Ward making pre-draft visit to Bills
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Former Ohio State standout Denzel Ward, widely viewed as the best cornerback in this year's NFL Draft, is scheduled to make a pre-draft visit to the Buffalo Bills, according to a report by NFL.com. Ward has already visited the Chicago Bears and San ...
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Buckeyes CB Denzel Ward making pre-draft visit to Bills
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Former Ohio State standout Denzel Ward, widely viewed as the best cornerback in this year's NFL Draft, is scheduled to make a pre-draft visit to the Buffalo Bills, according to a report by NFL.com. Ward has already visited the Chicago Bears and San ...
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LGHL Ohio State falls down early and loses to Minnesota-Duluth, 2-1, in Frozen Four
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Ohio State falls down early and loses to Minnesota-Duluth, 2-1, in Frozen Four
Matt Torino via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The Bulldogs scored two goals early in the first and held off the Buckeyes for the rest of the game.
That feeling of flying high after the 5-1 win over Denver evaporated pretty quickly on Thursday night as Minnesota-Duluth scored twice within the first 3:04 to go up early on Ohio State, and they didn’t need to score another to hold off the Buckeyes, 2-1, in Thursday night’s Frozen Four matchup in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The Buckeyes just looked outclassed most of the night, quite frankly. Duluth scored twice within the first three minutes, with the second coming on a breakaway, and that was that. Ohio State couldn’t generate any offense through the night and were getting stymied in the neutral zone on rush after rush.
When they dumped the puck in, UMD beat them to the puck. Duluth skated more crisply, didn’t miss nearly as many open passes and aside from a weird Tanner Laczynski third period goal, kept Ohio State from getting almost any high danger chances.
Louie Roehl scored the first for Duluth, at just 1:53 and it looked like Ohio State would really be in for a fight. Then they scored again at 3:04 of a breakaway for Jared Thomas and it looked like it was a dicey situation.
What really nailed this one down for Duluth was not allowing Ohio State to generate anything at even strength. They outshot one of the four top seeds in this tournament 17-4 in the first period. Ohio State needed to rebound after that disastrous start and not only did they not rebound, they were lucky they weren’t down by four or five at the first intermission.
The Buckeyes outshot Duluth 16-11 over the final two periods, but they were, for the most part, from the outside or on relatively harmless opportunities. Minnesota goalie Hunter Shepard was making stops but he wasn’t exactly stopping breakaways out there. There was the random loose puck or crossbar shot from Matt Miller, or stop on an odd man rush—but they were few and too far between for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State had three full power play opportunities in the second and third period, and did convert once, on a Tanner Laczynski goal on the power play in the third, but even that was only because of broken sticks and Minnesota’s defense legitimately thinking the puck was out of the zone.
Mason Jobst was by far Ohio State’s most effective skater on the ice tonight. Ohio State’s offense was at its most effective (though still not very effective) when Jobst freelanced on his own. Laczynski started to do the same toward the end, but Duluth upped the pressure and even that was stopped.
UMD’s speed really took Ohio State’s size, which they’d used to great advantage against Denver and Princeton, out of the game. Dakota Joshua was a game wrecking presence against Denver but when he can’t catch up to the Bulldog with the puck, there’s only so much his size can do. He did what he could in front of the net, but when Ohio State’s most effective power play maneuver was a saucer pass to a guy backing down in front of the net, there was only so much opportunity.
After the Laczynski goal at 9:27 of the third, Duluth re-upped the pressure and Ohio State finally had run out of answers. You wouldn’t have thought they were the team desperate for a goal in the ten minutes. Duluth kept them off the puck and pretty much out of their defensive end. The announcers stopped saying what OSU could do for a goal and started talking about what they needed to do just to get the puck into the Minnesota-Duluth defensive end. That’s how well they played defensively.
Ohio State didn’t play well tonight, but all the credit for that has to go to Minnesota-Duluth. Ohio State doesn’t have the elite, high end talent to compete with a team that can skate like that while not making mistakes. Laczynski and Jobst did what they could, but they’re not Connor McDavid and Taylor Hall out there. They’re both possible NHLers but they’re not winning you a title on their own.
Romeo kept Ohio State in the game, saving 26 out of 28 and allowing nothing after the first 3:04 of the game. But those first two goals were momentum killers and allowed UMD to sit back and disrupt anything through the neutral zone. Ohio State couldn’t outskate them and just didn’t have the offensive talent to come back against a team like that.
And so it goes. Laczynski may turn pro and Jobst possibly will as well. But most of the Buckeyes will be back next year and with some underclassmen development, there’s no reason this team can’t come back here next year for revenge.
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Matt Torino via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The Bulldogs scored two goals early in the first and held off the Buckeyes for the rest of the game.
That feeling of flying high after the 5-1 win over Denver evaporated pretty quickly on Thursday night as Minnesota-Duluth scored twice within the first 3:04 to go up early on Ohio State, and they didn’t need to score another to hold off the Buckeyes, 2-1, in Thursday night’s Frozen Four matchup in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The Buckeyes just looked outclassed most of the night, quite frankly. Duluth scored twice within the first three minutes, with the second coming on a breakaway, and that was that. Ohio State couldn’t generate any offense through the night and were getting stymied in the neutral zone on rush after rush.
When they dumped the puck in, UMD beat them to the puck. Duluth skated more crisply, didn’t miss nearly as many open passes and aside from a weird Tanner Laczynski third period goal, kept Ohio State from getting almost any high danger chances.
Louie Roehl scored the first for Duluth, at just 1:53 and it looked like Ohio State would really be in for a fight. Then they scored again at 3:04 of a breakaway for Jared Thomas and it looked like it was a dicey situation.
What really nailed this one down for Duluth was not allowing Ohio State to generate anything at even strength. They outshot one of the four top seeds in this tournament 17-4 in the first period. Ohio State needed to rebound after that disastrous start and not only did they not rebound, they were lucky they weren’t down by four or five at the first intermission.
The Buckeyes outshot Duluth 16-11 over the final two periods, but they were, for the most part, from the outside or on relatively harmless opportunities. Minnesota goalie Hunter Shepard was making stops but he wasn’t exactly stopping breakaways out there. There was the random loose puck or crossbar shot from Matt Miller, or stop on an odd man rush—but they were few and too far between for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State had three full power play opportunities in the second and third period, and did convert once, on a Tanner Laczynski goal on the power play in the third, but even that was only because of broken sticks and Minnesota’s defense legitimately thinking the puck was out of the zone.
Mason Jobst was by far Ohio State’s most effective skater on the ice tonight. Ohio State’s offense was at its most effective (though still not very effective) when Jobst freelanced on his own. Laczynski started to do the same toward the end, but Duluth upped the pressure and even that was stopped.
UMD’s speed really took Ohio State’s size, which they’d used to great advantage against Denver and Princeton, out of the game. Dakota Joshua was a game wrecking presence against Denver but when he can’t catch up to the Bulldog with the puck, there’s only so much his size can do. He did what he could in front of the net, but when Ohio State’s most effective power play maneuver was a saucer pass to a guy backing down in front of the net, there was only so much opportunity.
After the Laczynski goal at 9:27 of the third, Duluth re-upped the pressure and Ohio State finally had run out of answers. You wouldn’t have thought they were the team desperate for a goal in the ten minutes. Duluth kept them off the puck and pretty much out of their defensive end. The announcers stopped saying what OSU could do for a goal and started talking about what they needed to do just to get the puck into the Minnesota-Duluth defensive end. That’s how well they played defensively.
Ohio State didn’t play well tonight, but all the credit for that has to go to Minnesota-Duluth. Ohio State doesn’t have the elite, high end talent to compete with a team that can skate like that while not making mistakes. Laczynski and Jobst did what they could, but they’re not Connor McDavid and Taylor Hall out there. They’re both possible NHLers but they’re not winning you a title on their own.
Romeo kept Ohio State in the game, saving 26 out of 28 and allowing nothing after the first 3:04 of the game. But those first two goals were momentum killers and allowed UMD to sit back and disrupt anything through the neutral zone. Ohio State couldn’t outskate them and just didn’t have the offensive talent to come back against a team like that.
And so it goes. Laczynski may turn pro and Jobst possibly will as well. But most of the Buckeyes will be back next year and with some underclassmen development, there’s no reason this team can’t come back here next year for revenge.
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Google After failing in Fargo, Buckeyes have unfinished business with ... - West Central Tribune
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After failing in Fargo, Buckeyes have unfinished business with ... - West Central Tribune
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After failing in Fargo, Buckeyes have unfinished business with ...
West Central Tribune
ST. PAUL — Making their first NCAA tournament appearance in eight years, Ohio State was poised to pull a major upset last year in Fargo. The fourth-seeded Buckeyes had rallied in the third period from a 2-0 deficit to force overtime against Minnesota ...
UMD beats Ohio State 2-1 in NCAA semifinalsKARE11.com
Minnesota Duluth beats Ohio State 2-1 in NCAA semifinalsABC6OnYourSide.com
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After failing in Fargo, Buckeyes have unfinished business with ...
West Central Tribune
ST. PAUL — Making their first NCAA tournament appearance in eight years, Ohio State was poised to pull a major upset last year in Fargo. The fourth-seeded Buckeyes had rallied in the third period from a 2-0 deficit to force overtime against Minnesota ...
UMD beats Ohio State 2-1 in NCAA semifinalsKARE11.com
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Google Ohio State recruiting: Buckeyes' visitor list includes multiple 5-star recruits - Landof10.com
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Ohio State recruiting: Buckeyes' visitor list includes multiple 5-star recruits - Landof10.com
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Ohio State recruiting: Buckeyes' visitor list includes multiple 5-star recruits
Landof10.com
Solomon recently committed to Miami over offers from Michigan and other programs and was not a serious candidate to play for the Buckeyes. Davis remains on the board, but I think he's behind a few other cornerbacks at this point. So, about the visitors ...
Ohio State hosting five-star prospects Brandon Smith and Faatui Tuitele on Friday: Buckeyes football recruitingcleveland.com
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Ohio State recruiting: Buckeyes' visitor list includes multiple 5-star recruits
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Solomon recently committed to Miami over offers from Michigan and other programs and was not a serious candidate to play for the Buckeyes. Davis remains on the board, but I think he's behind a few other cornerbacks at this point. So, about the visitors ...
Ohio State hosting five-star prospects Brandon Smith and Faatui Tuitele on Friday: Buckeyes football recruitingcleveland.com
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Ohio State investigating sexual misconduct allegations against former wrestling team doctor
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Ohio State has opened an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against a former physician for the wrestling team, the school announced Thursday. Dr. Richard Strauss has been accused of misconduct that extends from the mid-1970s through ...
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Ohio State investigating sexual misconduct allegations against former wrestling team doctor
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Ohio State has opened an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against a former physician for the wrestling team, the school announced Thursday. Dr. Richard Strauss has been accused of misconduct that extends from the mid-1970s through ...
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LGHL Ohio State men’s hockey takes on Minnesota-Duluth tonight in the Frozen Four
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Ohio State men’s hockey takes on Minnesota-Duluth tonight in the Frozen Four
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 Buckeyes will be looking to reach their first national title game in school history
“A lot of people overlooked us, even though we are a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. We go up against a team like Denver, who is highly touted. But to put up five on them and only give up one, I think that’s unbelievable. It says a lot about our team. I think moving forward, teams are going to have to worry about us, not the other way around.”
-Ohio State men’s hockey forward Tanner Laczynski via Cameron Thompson, The Lantern
Ohio State will be competing in their first Frozen Four since 1998 tonight, as they’ll be taking on Minnesota-Duluth. The winner will move on to face the winner of the second semifinal later tonight between Michigan and Notre Dame.
A major reason why Ohio State has been able to advance all the way to the Frozen Four is because of the many doubters out there, who didn’t give the Buckeyes much of a chance when the brackets were announced. Ohio State has used the doubts as motivation, and are playing some of their best hockey of the season at the perfect time.
Ohio State will have a bit of revenge on their mind as well, after Minnesota-Duluth sent the Buckeyes home in last year’s NCAA Tournament, beating Ohio State 3-2 in the first round. A win over the Bulldogs tonight would give Ohio State their first appearance in the national title game in school history.
Head coach Steve Rohlik is trying to keep his team loose for tonight’s game, and telling the Buckeyes to control their emotions and play their game. Defeating Minnesota-Duluth won’t be easy though, as the Bulldogs have five underclassmen who represented the United States in the World Junior Hockey Championship. At least if there is a team with the confidence to topple such a tough foe, it is the Buckeyes.
“I played with this injury senior year of high school, my junior year of high school, and my freshman year at Ohio State. I’m kind of interested to see if there will be a change in performance now that I’m getting back to being fully healthy.”
-Ohio State cornerback Jeffrey Okudah via Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
It’s scary to think that cornerback Jeffrey Okudah could even be better on the football field this year. After dealing with a shoulder injury over the past three years, in January, Okudah had surgery to repair a torn labrum. The surgery has limited the sophomore to individual drills during spring practice, but there is no question big things are on the horizon for Okudah.
New cornerbacks coach Taver Johnson hasn’t been able to work with the Buckeye yet since taking over for Kerry Coombs, but Johnson is impressed with what he has seen on tape from Okudah. Between the CB’s intelligence and physical skills, Johnson is excited to be able to get to work with Okudah once he is healthy.
While Damon Arnette and Kendall Sheffield are returning starters at cornerback for Ohio State, Okudah figures to be in the mix heading into fall camp. The Buckeyes have used a cornerback rotation over the past few years, and with talents like Okudah sitting behind the starters, there’s no reason to think the Buckeyes won’t be able to utilize the same practice that became popular under former CB coach Kerry Coombs.
“There’s no set three-rotation now. We’re not set in stone with that yet... It hasn’t been that rotation just set in stone for the spring.”
-Ohio State cornerbacks coach Taver Johnson via Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
During Kerry Coombs’ time at Ohio State as cornerbacks coach, the Buckeyes flourished by using a rotation at the position. With the talent Ohio State has been able to amass in the defensive backfield, corners like Gareon Conley, Marshon Lattimore, and Denzel Ward have all been able to make a name for themselves in the Ohio State cornerback rotation.
While Coombs joined Mike Vrabel’s staff with the Tennessee Titans, Ohio State brought back a familiar face to fill Coombs’ place. Taver Johnson was a part of Jim Tressel’s staff from 2007-11 before making stops at three different schools over the past six seasons.
Johnson is hoping to utilize Coombs’ strategy of rotating CBs, but the practice will depend on if the players step up to earn those spots. As of now, Johnson hasn’t started using the cornerback rotation in practice, but he knows the talent is there to make it successful.
Starters Damon Arnette and Kendall Sheffield return this year, while talented corners Jeffrey Okudah, Marcus Williamson, and Shaun Wade are others who could demand more playing time with their play. Once Okudah is back on the field, Johnson’s rotation vision should start to take shape.
“Injuries are tough. It’s not only a physical battle, but I would say mostly mental. I’ve been blessed to have a lot of the guys behind me, who are some of my best friends, always pushing me through to never let me feel sorry for myself. It’s tough, but you get through it.”
-Ohio State linebacker Justin Hilliard via Tim Bielik, Northeast Ohio Media Group
So far, Justin Hilliard’s time at Ohio State has been marred by injuries. The Cincinnati native was a part of Ohio State’s 2015 recruiting class, but since then, the linebacker has suffered two torn biceps and a torn meniscus. Hilliard was able to play for the Buckeyes in 2017, but most of the action he saw was as part of the special teams unit.
This spring marks the first time during his time in Columbus that Hilliard hasn’t been recovering from an injury. The Buckeyes are going to need Hilliard to stay healthy this offseason with the loss of Tuf Borland to an Achilles injury. While Borland should be healthy for the start of the regular season, his absence has allowed for Hilliard to take first-team reps this spring.
Ohio State is going to need Hilliard at full strength this year even when Borland is back, especially with the losses of Chris Worley and Jerome Baker to the NFL. Hilliard knows he still has plenty to prove, and he is working to put himself in position to make people remember why he was the top-rated recruit in Ohio State’s 2015 recruiting class.
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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 Buckeyes will be looking to reach their first national title game in school history
“A lot of people overlooked us, even though we are a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. We go up against a team like Denver, who is highly touted. But to put up five on them and only give up one, I think that’s unbelievable. It says a lot about our team. I think moving forward, teams are going to have to worry about us, not the other way around.”
-Ohio State men’s hockey forward Tanner Laczynski via Cameron Thompson, The Lantern
Ohio State will be competing in their first Frozen Four since 1998 tonight, as they’ll be taking on Minnesota-Duluth. The winner will move on to face the winner of the second semifinal later tonight between Michigan and Notre Dame.
A major reason why Ohio State has been able to advance all the way to the Frozen Four is because of the many doubters out there, who didn’t give the Buckeyes much of a chance when the brackets were announced. Ohio State has used the doubts as motivation, and are playing some of their best hockey of the season at the perfect time.
Ohio State will have a bit of revenge on their mind as well, after Minnesota-Duluth sent the Buckeyes home in last year’s NCAA Tournament, beating Ohio State 3-2 in the first round. A win over the Bulldogs tonight would give Ohio State their first appearance in the national title game in school history.
Head coach Steve Rohlik is trying to keep his team loose for tonight’s game, and telling the Buckeyes to control their emotions and play their game. Defeating Minnesota-Duluth won’t be easy though, as the Bulldogs have five underclassmen who represented the United States in the World Junior Hockey Championship. At least if there is a team with the confidence to topple such a tough foe, it is the Buckeyes.
“I played with this injury senior year of high school, my junior year of high school, and my freshman year at Ohio State. I’m kind of interested to see if there will be a change in performance now that I’m getting back to being fully healthy.”
-Ohio State cornerback Jeffrey Okudah via Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
It’s scary to think that cornerback Jeffrey Okudah could even be better on the football field this year. After dealing with a shoulder injury over the past three years, in January, Okudah had surgery to repair a torn labrum. The surgery has limited the sophomore to individual drills during spring practice, but there is no question big things are on the horizon for Okudah.
New cornerbacks coach Taver Johnson hasn’t been able to work with the Buckeye yet since taking over for Kerry Coombs, but Johnson is impressed with what he has seen on tape from Okudah. Between the CB’s intelligence and physical skills, Johnson is excited to be able to get to work with Okudah once he is healthy.
While Damon Arnette and Kendall Sheffield are returning starters at cornerback for Ohio State, Okudah figures to be in the mix heading into fall camp. The Buckeyes have used a cornerback rotation over the past few years, and with talents like Okudah sitting behind the starters, there’s no reason to think the Buckeyes won’t be able to utilize the same practice that became popular under former CB coach Kerry Coombs.
“There’s no set three-rotation now. We’re not set in stone with that yet... It hasn’t been that rotation just set in stone for the spring.”
-Ohio State cornerbacks coach Taver Johnson via Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
During Kerry Coombs’ time at Ohio State as cornerbacks coach, the Buckeyes flourished by using a rotation at the position. With the talent Ohio State has been able to amass in the defensive backfield, corners like Gareon Conley, Marshon Lattimore, and Denzel Ward have all been able to make a name for themselves in the Ohio State cornerback rotation.
While Coombs joined Mike Vrabel’s staff with the Tennessee Titans, Ohio State brought back a familiar face to fill Coombs’ place. Taver Johnson was a part of Jim Tressel’s staff from 2007-11 before making stops at three different schools over the past six seasons.
Johnson is hoping to utilize Coombs’ strategy of rotating CBs, but the practice will depend on if the players step up to earn those spots. As of now, Johnson hasn’t started using the cornerback rotation in practice, but he knows the talent is there to make it successful.
Starters Damon Arnette and Kendall Sheffield return this year, while talented corners Jeffrey Okudah, Marcus Williamson, and Shaun Wade are others who could demand more playing time with their play. Once Okudah is back on the field, Johnson’s rotation vision should start to take shape.
“Injuries are tough. It’s not only a physical battle, but I would say mostly mental. I’ve been blessed to have a lot of the guys behind me, who are some of my best friends, always pushing me through to never let me feel sorry for myself. It’s tough, but you get through it.”
-Ohio State linebacker Justin Hilliard via Tim Bielik, Northeast Ohio Media Group
So far, Justin Hilliard’s time at Ohio State has been marred by injuries. The Cincinnati native was a part of Ohio State’s 2015 recruiting class, but since then, the linebacker has suffered two torn biceps and a torn meniscus. Hilliard was able to play for the Buckeyes in 2017, but most of the action he saw was as part of the special teams unit.
This spring marks the first time during his time in Columbus that Hilliard hasn’t been recovering from an injury. The Buckeyes are going to need Hilliard to stay healthy this offseason with the loss of Tuf Borland to an Achilles injury. While Borland should be healthy for the start of the regular season, his absence has allowed for Hilliard to take first-team reps this spring.
Ohio State is going to need Hilliard at full strength this year even when Borland is back, especially with the losses of Chris Worley and Jerome Baker to the NFL. Hilliard knows he still has plenty to prove, and he is working to put himself in position to make people remember why he was the top-rated recruit in Ohio State’s 2015 recruiting class.
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- The tracklist for the Arctic Monkeys’ new album is something else.
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Google On the Beat: 'Roamer' role on Ohio State coaching staff perfect fit for Greg Schiano -...
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On the Beat: 'Roamer' role on Ohio State coaching staff perfect fit for Greg Schiano
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That, too, might be underselling Schiano's role as he returns for a third season with the Buckeyes and a new, big-picture role overseeing the defense. Schiano was already a coordinator for Ohio State, but he previously was responsible for the safeties ...
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On the Beat: 'Roamer' role on Ohio State coaching staff perfect fit for Greg Schiano
Landof10.com
That, too, might be underselling Schiano's role as he returns for a third season with the Buckeyes and a new, big-picture role overseeing the defense. Schiano was already a coordinator for Ohio State, but he previously was responsible for the safeties ...
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Google Urban Meyer up for two-year contract extension - 10TV
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Urban Meyer up for two-year contract extension - 10TV
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Urban Meyer up for two-year contract extension
10TV
Ohio State University head football coach Urban Meyer is expected to receive a two-year contract extension pending approval by the University Board of Trustees. The Athletic Department says a committee approved the extension which Meyer would remain ...
Ohio State football: Urban Meyer's contract extension makes him top-paid coach in Big TenLandof10.com
Ohio State coach Urban Meyer up for two-year extensionDayton Daily News
Ohio State, coach Urban Meyer reach agreement on contract extension through 2022 seasonCBSSports.com
Fox 28 -OSU - The Lantern
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Urban Meyer up for two-year contract extension
10TV
Ohio State University head football coach Urban Meyer is expected to receive a two-year contract extension pending approval by the University Board of Trustees. The Athletic Department says a committee approved the extension which Meyer would remain ...
Ohio State football: Urban Meyer's contract extension makes him top-paid coach in Big TenLandof10.com
Ohio State coach Urban Meyer up for two-year extensionDayton Daily News
Ohio State, coach Urban Meyer reach agreement on contract extension through 2022 seasonCBSSports.com
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Google Offensive line 'reload' is key for Buckeyes to make title run - 247Sports
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Offensive line 'reload' is key for Buckeyes to make title run - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Offensive line 'reload' is key for Buckeyes to make title run
247Sports
Listen to any clip of Urban Meyer talking to the media this off-season and his focus is primarily on one area. It's not at quarterback, where three young players are fighting to replace a school and conference legend. It's not at linebacker, where two ...
and more »
Continue reading...
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".
Offensive line 'reload' is key for Buckeyes to make title run
247Sports
Listen to any clip of Urban Meyer talking to the media this off-season and his focus is primarily on one area. It's not at quarterback, where three young players are fighting to replace a school and conference legend. It's not at linebacker, where two ...
and more »
Continue reading...
