JK Dobbins has Buckeyes thinking about new looks in the backfield - ESPN (blog)
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JK Dobbins has Buckeyes thinking about new looks in the backfield
ESPN (blog)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The defenders tasked with stopping No. 10 Ohio State might soon be seeing double when they look into the Buckeyes' backfield. Freshman sensation J.K. Dobbins' 425 rushing yards through three weeks have already made it clear he's ...


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Ohio State vs. UNLV: Game preview, prediction, and 6 things to know
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 have one last non-conference game left before they jump back into Big Ten play

Following their loss to Oklahoma, Ohio State started to put the pieces back together last week, beating Army 38-7. In the grand scheme of things, the win doesn’t mean too much for Ohio State, aside from helping the Buckeyes restore some confidence as they get close to jumping back into Big Ten play.

Now Ohio State will take on UNLV for the first time in school history. Much like last week, the Buckeyes shouldn’t face too tough of a test from the Rebels, as evidenced by Ohio State being installed as a 40-point favorite for Saturday afternoon’s game. While this is the first matchup between Ohio State and UNLV, this isn’t the first time Ohio State has played a current member of the Mountain West Conference, with the last game against a MWC foe coming in 2015, when Ohio State shutout Hawaii 38-0 in Columbus.

Even with last week’s convincing win over Army, Ohio State still dropped a couple spots in the AP Top 25 poll. Despite falling to 10th in the poll, this marks the 42nd straight week in which Ohio State has been ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25 poll. As long as Ohio state doesn’t struggle mightily against UNLV, they have an excellent shot at extending the streak to 43 weeks.

Saturday’s game against UNLV will mark the end of Ohio State’s non-conference schedule, with the Buckeyes traveling to Rutgers next Saturday to play their second conference game of the season. While there still are issues on both sides of the football for the Buckeyes, Ohio State has a friendly schedule which should allow them to iron those problems out before a showdown at the end of next month with Penn State in Columbus.

UNLV had quite a dubious start to the season, becoming the biggest favorite to lose in college football history, falling at home as a 45-point favorite to Howard. At least Tony Sanchez and the Rebels were able to put the loss behind them quickly, beating Idaho 44-16, which gave UNLV their first win on the road against a non-conference opponent since 2008.

Statistically UNLV has one of the better offenses in the country, but the Rebels haven’t had to face an opponent anywhere close to Ohio State’s caliber so far this season. UNLV is averaging 557 yards per game so far this year, which ranks eighth among FBS schools.

UNLV head coach Tony Sanchez does have some familiarity with a couple Ohio State players, but those Buckeyes aren’t likely to see the field on Saturday. After the 2014 season Robbins was hired as UNLV’s head coach after spending the previous six seasons as head coach at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. Quarterback Tate Martell and defensive lineman Haskell Garrett both were a part of Bishop Gorman’s 2014 team, and currently are freshman with the Buckeyes. Even though the two won’t see the field on Saturday, at least they’ll probably get a chance to see a familiar face after the game.

Ohio State’s biggest advantages


Steady Dobbins diet. J.K. Dobbins garnered a lot of hype when he arrived at Ohio State, but after Mike Weber rushed for 1,000 yards last year as a redshirt freshman, many Buckeye fans weren’t expecting Dobbins to make such a big impact so early in Columbus. Last week Dobbins rushed for 172 yards on just 13 carries, and for the second time was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week.

Through three games, Dobbins has rushed for 425 yards, which puts him just behind the 471 yards Maurice Clarett rushed for in his first three games for the best rushing start by a freshman in school history. Dobbins should be able to pad his stats even more this week against a UNLV defense that is allowing 213 yards per game on the ground, and gave up 309 yards rushing to Howard.

The Ohio State true freshman will likely get his work in against the Running Rebels, more important for the Buckeyes this week on the ground could be trying to get Weber more carries. If the Ohio State offense wants to succeed the rest of the season, they’ll need both Dobbins and Weber at the top of their game. After getting 182 carries as a true freshman last year, Weber has only seen seven carries in the two games he has been active for this season. When combining the power of Weber in the running game with the elusiveness and speed of Dobbins, Ohio State’s offense becomes even tougher to slow down than it has been at times this year.

Moving up the ranks. J.T. Barrett has already gotten plenty of criticism this year for his play, especially during the Oklahoma game, but he is working his way through the Big Ten and Ohio State record books. Last week Barrett’s nine-yard touchdown pass to Austin Mack in the fourth quarter broke Drew Brees’ Big Ten record of 106 total touchdowns responsible for.

Now Barrett has a chance to move up to second among Ohio State quarterbacks in career passing yards. Barrett is currently 95 passing yards from moving ahead of Bobby Hoying, who threw for 7,232 yards during his Ohio State career. It shouldn’t be very long after until Barrett moving into the top spot on Ohio State’s all-time passing list, as Art Schlichter threw for 7,547 yards during his career.

Barrett should be able to load the stat sheet this week against UNLV. Last week Barrett and the Ohio State offense found success with more run-pass-option plays. Earlier in the year the Buckeyes were trying to force the football deep, where last week short passing helped the Buckeyes to sustain some drives. Utilizing the run-pass-option can also help Ohio State to create some tempo, which will keep defenses on their heels. Saturday’s game against UNLV should allow for Barrett and the rest of the offense to become a little more comfortable with the shift in offensive philosophy.

Bye, bye triple-option. After having to deal with Army’s triple-option attack last week, Ohio State has to be elated that they are playing a team with a normal offense. UNLV’s spread offense is at least something Ohio State sees on a more regular basis. Now the Buckeyes just have to hope they don’t have a delay on the field in reverting away from trying to defend the triple-option. The last time Ohio State played a triple-option offense, they struggled the next time out and ended up losing to Virginia Tech.

Not only did Ohio State’s defensive line not get the benefit of rushing the quarterback last week, they had to endure the cut blocks that come with trying to defend a triple-option team. Defensive ends Tyquan Lewis, Sam Hubbard, and the rest of the Ohio State defensive line have to be itching to tee off on a quarterback.

Sophomore defensive end Nick Bosa has already stated that he thinks Ohio State is going to shutout UNLV this week. While that might be asking a little much since UNLV’s offense isn’t chopped liver, it wouldn’t be a surprise for it to happen either. One way for the defense to gain some more confidence for the secondary is to create a lot of heat on the quarterback, forcing some bad throws. At least Ohio State will be trying to backup the talk from Bosa, which should create plenty of big plays on defense.

UNLV’s biggest advantages


Back to the “Runnin’” Rebels. It’s hard to call UNLV’s rushing offense an advantage when it has to get past Ohio State’s front-seven on defense, but the Rebels at least pose a threat to break some big runs. UNLV is currently fourth in the country in rushing, averaging 350 yards per game on the ground.

Tony Sanchez’s team will bring a different kind of running attack to Saturday’s game than Army did last week, which could actually help the Rebels. It usually takes teams a little time to adjust back to their regular defense after having to face a triple-option team. In 2014 Ohio State opened the season with Navy, and after defeating the Midshipmen, the Buckeyes couldn’t stop Virginia Tech in their next game.

UNLV going to upset Ohio State like Virginia Tech did in 2014, but running back Lexington Thomas at least has the ability to make some plays on the ground for UNLV. After rushing for 642 yards and eight touchdowns last year, the junior from Houston already has 341 yards and five rushing touchdowns this year, with 190 yards and three of those touchdowns coming in the win over Idaho.

Thomas isn’t the only one who can make things happen on the ground for UNLV, as redshirt freshman quarterback Armani Rogers has the ability to make plays with his legs when needed. Rogers has rushed for at least 80 yards in each of UNLV’s first two games this year. Ohio State’s defense can’t afford to let Thomas or Rogers find any holes on the ground or this game could be closer than many of the experts are expecting it to be.

Air travel. It hasn’t been too hard to figure out how to move the football on Ohio State so far this year. Through the air. Prior to last week’s game against Army, Ohio State was ranked dead last among FBS in pass defense. Luckily for the Buckeyes they got a little bit of a breather to rest their much maligned secondary, as Army’s triple-option offense only saw them throw the football eight times for 19 yards. The passing output by the Black Knights was the lowest for an opponent against the Buckeyes since the 1990 Holiday Bowl, where Air Force only threw for 11 yards.

Heading into this week’s contest against UNLV, Ohio State has moved up to 102nd amongst FBS teams against the pass, but they’ll have a little bit more work to do against the Rebels than they did against Army. Even though UNLV does prefer to run the football, they can mix in the pass to keep defenses on their toes. Through two games, Armani Rogers has thrown for 413 and two touchdowns,

Ohio State can’t sleep on senior Devonte Boyd, who is one of the best wide receivers in UNLV history. The Nevada native has recorded at least 700 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons with the Rebels, and has hauled in six catches for 208 yards and two touchdowns this year. In both of UNLV’s games this year Boyd has gone for accounted for over 100 yards receiving, giving him 13 games in his career where he has surpassed the 100-yard mark.

Nothing to lose. Nobody is expecting UNLV to walk out of Ohio Stadium with a win, or really for the game to even be close, so what do the Rebels have to lose? UNLV already experienced what will probably be their most embarrassing moment of the season, when they lost as such a huge favorite to Howard to open up the season. Now the Rebels come to Columbus as nearly six touchdown underdogs, so it isn’t like there will be any pressure on Tony Sanchez’s team.

With UNLV being able to play loose with no pressure on them, maybe they force the Buckeyes into some mistakes which help keep the score closer then some are expecting. At least the trip to Columbus to play the Buckeyes will give UNLV some experience against one of the nation’s top ranked teams before the Rebels start play in the Mountain West Conference.

With some of the youth on this UNLV team, as long as they don’t suffer any major injuries, even a loss to Ohio State can have some positives. UNLV hasn’t made a bowl game since 2013, and Tony Sanchez is just 8-18 in his third season with the Rebels. If UNLV can play the Buckeyes to a closer result than many are expecting, it could be the spark the Rebels need to play the rest of their nine games of the regular season with confidence, and possibly put themselves in contention to return to a bowl game.

Summary


F/+ Projection: Ohio State 49, UNLV 14

Win Probability: Ohio State 98.1%

If Saturday’s game against UNLV isn’t an easy win for the Buckeyes, then something probably went terribly wrong. Even though the Rebels do have some pieces of offense, it can’t be forgotten they still lost to Howard to open up the season as a 45-point favorite. It still remains to be seen if former high school football coach Tony Sanchez is over his head at UNLV, but he is definitely in over his head against Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes.

How to watch, stream, listen to UNLV v. Ohio State:


Game time: Saturday September 23rd, 12:00 PM ET

TV: Big Ten Network

Streaming: BTN2Go

Radio: 97.1 WBNS-FM

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Ohio State recruiting: Latest updates on Buckeyes' top-ranked recruiting class - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State recruiting: Latest updates on Buckeyes' top-ranked recruiting class
Landof10.com
After months on top of the national recruiting rankings, Ohio State finds itself coming to a bit of a crossroads on the football recruiting trail. With 18 commitments, the Buckeyes are looking to add between 5-7 more of the country's best 2018 ...
Kurelic: Buckeyes raiding Tennessee; O-tackle commitment watch?247Sports
Ohio State football | Buckeyes might run with Dobbins, Weber in two-back setThe Columbus Dispatch
Ohio city changes Halloween because of Buckeyes' game13abc Action News
cleveland.com -Factory Of Sadness -MyDaytonDailyNews
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Dwayne Haskins second string confirmed.

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Problem is Joe, some SEC booster would find a way to turn free hamburgers into a way to get Ricky Lee Fivestar's momma on board for him to go to Ol' Tex...if you know what I mean

Top California LB hints at Ohio State lean during Army All-American shoot
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Solomon Tuliaupupu's dad, at least, looks like a big Buckeye fan.

Tomorrow is already the Buckeyes' fourth football game of the season. As UNLV comes to town, Ohio State and its staff will look to the game as another opportunity to develop the offense and do their best to shore up not only the pass game, but the pass defense as well. With this season being somewhat of a crossroads ever since the Oklahoma loss, Ohio State and its fans need to get back to what they do best: winning, and winning with style. In any time of development there are certain to be some negatives that arise, but fortunately for Ohio State recruiting, positives continue to outweigh any sign of them.

Sure, that'll do


Ohio State is a powerhouse when it comes to landing high-profile linebackers in its recruiting classes. It seems like every cycle, the Buckeyes are in for multiple top linebackers regardless of their geographic location. For instance, in the current 2018 class, Ohio State already has a more than solid commitment from Virginia's Teradja Mitchell, the second-ranked inside linebacker in the country for 2018. However, the old saying is true: two really is better than one, and the Ohio State staff would certainly love to add another top linebacker into the fold for this current class.

Enter Solomon Tuliaupupu (Santa Ana, California/Mater Dei), the nation's third-best inside linebacker, and you have exactly who the Buckeyes would love to complement their other stud 2018 LB. Yesterday, Solomon received his U.S. Army All-American jersey to cement his place not only on the squad, but as one of the few who receive the incredible honor as an Army All-American prep football player. A ceremony that needs no introduction, his family was able to take the stage with him, and that's where things start to get interesting.


While receiving his official jersey, Solomon's father had people taking notice as he was donning the Scarlet and Gray. He is thought to be a clear USC lean due to his relationships with the staff and the short distance to Trojan country. However, the sole other school receiving any votes on the 247sports crystal ball ranking is Ohio State. With over 30 offers, Tuliaupupu may be down to two schools. If the Buckeyes have a real chance, they will certainly find out when Solomon makes his next visit, the first since April. On a positive note, the Buckeyes may have dad in the fold. Could the son be next?

He's not going anywhere, folks


In keeping with the trend, another U.S. Army All-American jersey was presented yesterday to current Ohio State 2018 commit Josh Proctor of Owasso, Oklahoma. The 4-star safety is currently ranked as the ninth-best safety in the country and the third-best player in the entire state of Oklahoma, showing exactly why he has nearly 15 offers from the best programs in the country.


Being from Oklahoma however, there's sure to be a bit of scrutiny Proctor is going to take since he plans to leave his home state for Ohio and a school his home team just beat. But despite the close to home factor and any momentum the Sooners thought they would have with Proctor, he put that to rest yesterday as he stated once again he's "100% committed to Ohio State." The Buckeyes have to love the sound of this victory over the Sooners as they hope Josh is the next defensive back to come to Ohio State and leave not only with Ohio State in his heart, but with the NFL Draft in sight as the next great Buckeye defender.

50/50 chance?


The Buckeye basketball program had seen a little bit of adversity over the last few weeks after losing commits to their current recruiting class. However, enter the start of this week, and in back to back days Ohio State landed two commits for their current class—and more may be on the rise.

Yesterday, we learned that Ohio State could continue to see good news in their direction when Luther Muhammad came up. The 6'4, 185-pound shooting guard currently checks in as the nation's 14th-best shooting guard and the fifth-best prospect at any position in the talent-rich state of New Jersey. Easily deserving of his high 4-star ranking, Muhammad looks to be down to two final schools before he gives his pledge.


Per his high school coach at Hudson Catholic, Muhammad will be deciding between Ohio State and Xavier. For Holtmann and the Buckeyes, they're hoping he decides to head to Central Ohio rather than Cincinnati. If so, that would make three commits for the 2018 class and have the Buckeyes feeling very good about where they sit. This past week Holtmann was able to see Muhammad and hopefully it paid off. We should know relatively soon.

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BM5: Carman (to) Ohio (State)? | Tate's turn - 247Sports
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BM5: Carman (to) Ohio (State)? | Tate's turn
247Sports
Make sure you're in the loop -- take five seconds to sign up for our FREE Buckeyes newsletter now! FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE. The BM5 is available on iTunes and more: * Click here to listen to the show via iTunes · * Click here to listen to the show ...

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KJ Hill embarking on breakout season for Buckeyes? (Full video) - 247Sports
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KJ Hill embarking on breakout season for Buckeyes? (Full video)
247Sports
Third-year sophomore wide receiver K.J. Hill continues to emerge as one of the top players on Ohio State's offense. He also serves as the Buckeyes' primary punt returner. For Hill's thoughts on his role on the team, how he thinks he's performing, what ...


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Buckeyes QB points out irony of Ohio State's athletic department being worth $1.5 billion - SB Nation
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Buckeyes QB points out irony of Ohio State's athletic department being worth $1.5 billion
SB Nation
On Thursday night, Ohio State back-up quarterback Joe Burrow pointed out the irony of NCAA rules compared to what athletic departments generate. Burrow tweeted a link that cited a recent Wall Street Journal piece that values OSU's athletic department ...
Ohio State, Oklahoma State settle trademark dispute, targeting calls increasing, Michigan claims kicker could ...cleveland.com
Ohio State and Oklahoma State reach agreement on OSU trademarkThe Columbus Dispatch
Photo Gallery: Prospects aplenty for OSU's first two games247Sports
Landof10.com
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Shutout powers Buckeyes to sweep over Raiders - Athens Messenger (registration)
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Shutout powers Buckeyes to sweep over Raiders
Athens Messenger (registration)
Bostater served up 27 points in a row at one point during the Buckeyes' decisive sweep. Photo courtesy of Lori Fick. NELSONVILLE — Alexis Bostater joked that she may need to pay a visit to the trainer's room for some ice after Thursday's volleyball match.


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Preview: UNLV (1-1) at #10 Ohio State (2-1)
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



The Ohio State Buckeyes will have another hometown showdown against the UNLV Rebels. They shut down the Army offense to hold them well below their average for rushing yards en route to a 38-7 victory after their defeat at the hands of Baker Mayfield and the Oklahoma Sooners.

The UNLV Rebels have rebounded well after losing their home opener to Howard, an FCS team. They had their offense flowing with a 44-16 victory over the Idaho Vandals. This week they will travel to Columbus for a date at the Shoe.

J.T. Barrett is coming off a successful and efficient game against an Army team that was no threat to them and overmatched. His next opponent UNLV will not go away quietly, but this game may get out of hand with the difference in overall talent.

Armani Rogers found passing lanes for 191 yards and a score through the air while carrying the ball for 86 yards for another touchdown. While Lexington Thomas and Devonte Boyd had a total of 293 total yards and 4 total touchdowns between the two as they steamrolled the helpless Vandal defense.

The Silver Bullets rebounded as well as they put the clamps on the Army rushing attack in the second half after the proper adjustments were made. This week they faced a more balanced attack that features a quick Running Back in Thomas and a playmaking receiver in Devonte Boyd. They will have to focus on these two players if they want to be successful in this game.

On the other hand, the Rebels defense will face some pretty good athletes on this Ohio State team. If the Buckeye Zone 6 can break away and make a few plays from all over the field, it will be a long day for their defensive players, but so far, the offense still has a few near major concerns.

This matchup will feature the 77th and the 90th ranked defenses in the nation in Total Defense. It is nothing to scoff about and 90th is expected with UNLV, but the bigger story will can the Buckeyes improve from 77th overall in the nation? Did they buy too much into their own hype when they were projected to be a preseason Top 10 Defense?

Prediction: 38-13 Ohio State defeats UNLV






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Five-star WR wants to take Ohio State official visit, Micah Parsons' situation and another visit for Florida prospect - Landof10.com
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Five-star WR wants to take Ohio State official visit, Micah Parsons' situation and another visit for Florida prospect
Landof10.com
Two weeks ago Ohio State hosted Texas pledge Rondale Moore from Louisville, a prospect the Buckeyes like. But the nation's premier slot receiver, Amon-Ra St. Brown from Santa Ana, Calif., continues saying he wants to visit the Buckeyes at some point ...
More on Alabama's pursuit of flipping nation's No. 3 dual-threat QB from Ohio StateSECcountry.com
Quarterback Emory Jones Discusses Commitment, Visits While Safety Pledge Josh Proctor Receives US Army Bowl ...Eleven Warriors
Take Two: Will it be Ohio State, Texas or LSU for Anthony Cook?Rivals.com (press release)

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Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa has a bold prediction for Saturday’s game against UNLV
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 sophomore doesn’t see the UNLV offense finding much traction against the Buckeyes

“I think we’ll shut ‘em out, so we’ll see.”

-Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa via Tim May, The Columbus Dispatch


Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa has the utmost confidence in what the Buckeye defense will be able to do on Saturday against UNLV. After struggling during the first two weeks of the year, especially against the pass, Ohio State’s defense was able to gain some confidence last week when they shut down the Army triple-option attack.

UNLV’s offense has scored at least 40 points in their first two games this year, so calling for a shutout might be asking a little much. At least it’s likely we’ll see Ohio State’s defense enjoying themselves a little more this week, as Bosa said the triple-option isn’t fun to prep for or play against. UNLV’s spread offense will give Ohio State’s defenders a little more opportunity to showcase their speed and playmaking ability.

“I kind of knew I was going to be rotating in, but I didn’t know my role was going to be to that extent. I’m just thankful for the opportunity.”

-Ohio State linebacker Tuf Borland via Colin Hass-Hill, The Lantern


Even though Tuf Borland knew he was going to see some time against Army last week, I’m not sure even he thought he’d have quite the impact that he did. After Chris Worley injured his foot early in the game against the Black Knights, Borland’s number was called and the redshirt freshman didn’t disappoint, registering a team-high 12 tackles in the victory. The effort by the linebacker from Illinois earned him Ohio State’s defensive player of the game honors.

Not only did Borland have a standout performance in his first game with extended action, but he got to do so in front of his parents, who traveled in from Illinois to watch their son. The trips are nothing new for the Borland family though, as they did it all last year, even with Tuf being redshirted.

With their son Trevor still playing high school football in Illinois on Friday nights, the Borland family usually has to drive through the night to Columbus to make Tuf’s Buckeye games. Last week’s game was a little easier to get to because of the later start time, something they won’t have the luxury of with Saturday’s game against UNLV kicking off at noon. This trip could be even more exciting for the Borland family this week, as Chris Worley is questionable to play against the Rebels, which means Tuf could get his first start as a Buckeye.

“You’ve always got to be ready. You make one play and you may get the opportunity to get another and another. You’ve just got to be ready for your opportunities. You may get one. You may get seven. You never know.”

-Ohio State wide receiver Terry McLaurin via David Jablonski, Dayton Daily News


There isn’t a group on Ohio State’s football team that has gotten more criticism over the past year than the Buckeye wide receivers. After struggling mightily against Oklahoma, last week the receivers were able to gain some confidence with a solid performance against Army.

There hasn’t been a receiver who has been able to step up and distance themselves from the rest of the group, as evidenced by the depth chart listing six starters at either wide receiver or H-back. Both Parris Campbell and K.J. Hill are leading Ohio State through three games with 15 catches each, but the majority of those have been short passes.

Ohio State is still looking for more of a threat down the field though. The Buckeyes are trying to use the short passing game to try and open up the passing game for the deep ball, but Ohio State still hasn’t been able to put it all together quite yet. There are signs of progress though, and another solid performance against UNLV could help to further what the Buckeyes are trying to do in the passing game.

“Oklahoma State agrees not to use “OSU” in connection with scarlet and gray, Buckeyes, Brutus, or other Ohio State signifiers.”

-Carrie Ghose, Columbus Business First


On Wednesday, Ohio State and Oklahoma State came to an agreement in a recent trademark dispute they have had over “OSU”. Both schools use the abbreviation, but Oklahoma State objected to Ohio State filing an apparel trademark in July.

Both schools will get to keep using “OSU”, with both agreeing not to use it with any colors, likenesses, or signifiers from the other university. Ohio State can’t use “OSU” with orange and black, Cowboys, or the mascot Pistol Pete, while Oklahoma State can’t use “OSU” with scarlet and gray, Buckeyes, or Brutus.

The two schools had a previous agreement in 1976, which allowed for both schools to profit off their trademarks on the OSU abbrevation for use in education and entertainment services, within specific geographic boundaries. Numerous changes, including with the invention of the internet and change in conference boundaries have made this agreement a little more blurry lately, which the new agreement will clear up.

Oregon State could not be reached for comment on this matter.

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UNLV is exactly the kind of opponent Ohio State needs in Week 4
Chad Peltier via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Strong rushing offense, bad defense: sounds like a good matchup for the Buckeyes.

UNLV is just the opponent that Ohio State needs in Week 4. The Runnin’ Rebels will give Ohio State’s offense plenty of opportunities to build on their record-setting performance against Army, but UNLV’s offense is a more traditional test for the Buckeye defense.

OK, it’s not that big of a test. But UNLV’s offense had a top-50 rushing attack last season and currently ranks 59th overall in the S&P+ rankings. So far, Ohio State’s defense has seen two extremely pass-heavy attacks (Indiana’s standard downs run rate is 122nd and Oklahoma’s is 105th) and a triple-option offense. Ohio State’s defense hasn’t really seen any offenses so far that are representative of their opponents for the rest of the season. And at least against bad opponents, UNLV has executed well, ranking second in the country in rushing success rate and scoring over 40 points per game.

But UNLV also lost to Howard, so...


UNLV’s offense is as solid as it is because they had 90% of 2016’s production returning.

When Ohio State has the ball

• The OSU rushing offense has jumped to third in rushing success rate (57.8%) after ranking 29th before the Army game. The passing game made an even more dramatic jump from 83rd (37.7%) to 43rd (45.9%).
• 2016 S&P+ rankings still weigh heavily into this season’s adjusted S&P+ numbers until they get phased out in a few weeks (any statistic with a “+” is opponent adjusted), but this is a really lopsided matchup: 9th vs. 126th. UNLV’s defense is the fifth-worst in the country right now. So don’t really watch Ohio State’s offensive numbers as a sign for how the offense is doing necessarily -- the more important things to watch will be qualitative. For instance, does Ohio State continue to run a high percentage of RPOs with the passes being mostly at or behind the line of scrimmage? Does Kevin Wilson start with inside runs and RPOs to spread the defense out horizontally, then take deep shots later in the game after the corners play tighter on the line? Is J.T. Barrett’s accuracy any better?
• I’ll set the over/under for J.K. Dobbins rushing attempts and yards at 12 and 150. This one could get out of hand quickly and I don’t think Meyer and Wilson will want to risk too much on Dobbins, who is their most consistently explosive player on offense right now. But UNLV’s defense was very bad against the run last year, and might only have decent rushing success rate (27th) and opportunity rate (57th) numbers this year because they played Howard and Idaho in their first two games. On the other hand, maybe it was addition by subtraction for the defense last season, since they lost 59% of their defensive production from 2016 (117th). Even if the defense has gotten better, the successful running plays they do allow are often big -- they rank 96th in rushing IsoPPP. That should mean a lot of big runs for Dobbins, who averages 8.3 highlight yards per opportunity.
• You’d also think the H-backs may get more involved in the run game this week. With Mike Weber sidelined for most of the first three weeks, the rushing offense hasn’t shown many explosive runners outside of Dobbins. For example, while Dobbins average a great 8.3 highlight yards per opportunity, Barrett averages 3.2, Antonio Williams is at 2.2, and Weber 2.5. Parris Campbell has only had 3 runs, but has averaged 9.3 highlight yards per opportunity. Expect him, and likely K.J. Hill, to get more touches this week.
• You would also expect Barrett and Haskins (maybe Burrow too?) to get plenty of work throwing the ball against a pass defense that was 107th in passing S&P+ last season. UNLV hasn’t allowed too many big pass plays (4 over 20 yards this season), so we might expect more of the horizontal throws until intermediate and deep passes open up.

When UNLV has the ball

• Ohio State has the third-most efficient rushing offense in the country after three games, going by opponent-unadjusted rushing success rate. Ranked one spot ahead of the Buckeyes? The Runnin’ Rebels (They have running in their name, how could they not?). UNLV has only played Howard and Idaho this season. But in those games, UNLV has been excellent on the ground, with a 61% success rate and ranking 10th in IsoPPP. They are 22nd in runs of 10 or more yards with 21, and tie Ohio State (16th) with 7 runs of 20+ yards. The defense hasn’t had to face a more traditional rushing offense so far this season — like I said earlier, Indiana and Oklahoma are among the least run-heavy offenses in the country on standard downs. This will be a good test of how disruptive the run defense can be. While UNLV has only allowed 9.5% of their runs to be stuffed (4th in the country), you would expect the Ohio State defensive line to really get after their run game and improve their 63rd ranking in stuff rate right now.
• UNLV’s big names to know are junior running back Lexington Thomas, who averages 9 yards per carry and has a 47.4% opportunity rate, and freshman quarterback Armani Rodgers, who averages 7.3 yards per carry and has an even better 54.2% rushing success rate. Essentially, these two power an extremely efficient rushing offense that is also highly explosive on the ground.
• 6’5 Armani Rodgers is great on the ground, and has performed well through the air too. Against Howard and Idaho, Rodgers has a 48.7% passing success rate (30th) and only one interception. Rodgers is also UNLV’s highest-rated player on their roster, having decommitted from Cal before signing day last year. His top receiving threat is senior Devonte Boyd, who has twice as many targets as anyone else on the team and more than 4 times as many receiving yards, but just a 38.5% success rate. He’s essentially a big-play machine, averaging 34.7 yards per catch after six catches, and will likely be the guy running deep who could actually challenge the Ohio State secondary. If Army can almost complete a long touchdown pass, then so can UNLV.

The 4 most important stats

1. Defensive rushing explosive ratio. UNLV’s offense lives on big plays on the ground — it will be a decent test for Ohio State’s defense.
2. Defensive rushing success rate. UNLV could run on even lesser opponents, but it shouldn’t be able to run on Ohio State. Still, UNLV runs on 77.7% of standard downs — 11th most in the country. Ohio State’s defense should thrive here.
3. Defensive passing explosive ratio. The secondary is clearly still a work in progress, so it’s not out of the question that the combination of Armani Rodgers and Devonte Boyd could lead to a long score.

Picks

• S&P+: Ohio State 49, UNLV 14, 98% winning percentage
• F/+: Ohio State by 36.2, 98.2% winning percentage
• Adj. S&P+: Ohio State by 52, 99.9% winning percentage
• The Power Rank: Ohio State by 28.9, 97% winning percentage
• My pick: Ohio State 52, UNLV 14

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How fast? How far? Chips inside the NFL’s new footballs track every last stat



Are you ready for some football … tracking? The NFL has placed coin-sized radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips from Zebra Technologies inside footballs for every game this season to provide a deeper dive into statistics, information the league has never effectively captured. The advanced stats the NFL will collect from players and footballs could be used in fantasy football — but the NFL tracking footballs might not be as dramatic as some might hope.

The RFID chips in the footballs will track data such as velocity, rotation, ball speed, and location. Traditionally, an 80-yard pass attributed to a quarterback could have resulted from a 10-yard pass followed by 70 yards of running after the catch by the receiver. With chips in footballs, the NFL can more accurately track how many yards the ball was thrown before it was caught. The days of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton’s stats hiding behind his star wide receiver A.J. Green’s elite speed could be numbered.
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For the past three years, Zebra has placed its chips on players’ shoulder pads, on referees, and on first-down measuring sticks to cull information for the league’s Next Gen Stats initiative, which was started in 2013 to deliver more in-depth stats. When Adrian Peterson rushed for an 80-yard touchdown against the Oakland Raiders in 2015, Zebra’s chips in his shoulder pads revealed what his max speed was during the run. While these chips have been used to produce highly detailed and stylized highlight reels, they have mostly helped the NFL in ways the average fan would not think twice about.

Entire article: https://sports.yahoo.com/fast-far-chips-inside-nfl-170311160.html?src=rss

High School Wrestling: Another Jordan headed to Ohio State - Springfield News Sun
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


High School Wrestling: Another Jordan headed to Ohio State
Springfield News Sun
Rocky will be the third Jordan brother to wrestle for the Buckeyes. In March, oldest brother Bo was NCAA runner-up while Micah earned All-American status for the Buckeyes. Bo will be a senior this season, Micah a junior. Rocky claimed his state title ...

and more »

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Audio: Big Ten preseason hockey coach’s teleconference
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

Get audio from every Big Ten hockey coach's weekly teleconference here.

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Week 4’s national College Football betting lines features a battle between TCU and Oklahoma State
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 contest between the Horned Frogs and Cowboys is just one of two this weekend between ranked teams.

Last week ATS: 8-7 (1-4 National, 7-3 B1G)

Season ATS: 26-24-1 (7-8 National, 19-16-1 B1G)

Last week was pretty much the inverse of the prior week. Last week I was terrible at picking the national games, while I excelled with most of the Big Ten games. One of these weeks I’ll put everything together for a complete week. Now whether that week will be completely great or completely awful still remains to be seen.

National games:


N.C. State v. No. 12 Florida State (-13) - 12 PM EST - ABC/ESPN2

It feels like it has been years since Florida State has last been on the field thanks to Hurricane Irma. Not only did the Seminoles game against Louisiana-Monroe from two weeks ago get cancelled, but last week’s rivalry battle with Miami was pushed back to later in the season.

Luckily for Florida State they have had some extra time to prepare for spending the rest of the season without Deondre Francois, who was injured in the loss to Florida State. True freshman quarterback James Blackman will assume the responsibilities behind center for the Seminoles.

North Carolina State doesn’t nearly have the issues at quarterback that Florida State does, with Ryan Finley having a firm hold on the job. Finley has thrown 192 passes without tossing an interception, which is the longest active streak in the country. H-back Jaylen Saunders is Finley’s most trusted playmaker, with the senior already having five touchdowns on the season, three of them on the ground and two of them through the air.

The battle between Saunders and Derwin James will be worth the price of admission itself. Who knows if Florida State will be rusty after all the time off or fresh and ready to go. Maybe three weeks is the perfect amount of time before getting back on the field after playing Alabama. Florida State wins at home, but they certainly don’t cover the spread.

Florida State 27, N.C. State 24

No. 1 Alabama (-19.5) v. Vanderbilt - 3:30 PM EST - CBS

Alabama just keeps rolling along. Last week the Crimson Tide beat Colorado State 41-23, but in all honesty it wasn’t that close, as a couple of touchdowns later in the game by the Rams made the score look closer than it actually was. Now Alabama makes their first trip to Vanderbilt since 2007 to open up their SEC schedule.

Vanderbilt is coming off an upset win over Kansas State, and now they are looking to make it two straight wins against ranked foes. The Commodores rely on a stout defense, but they do have solid quarterback in Kyle Shurmur, who has thrown for eight touchdowns already this year.

At first I was thinking there was no way I was going to lay the points in this matchup, but the more I thought about it, the better Alabama is looking. Shurmur is a good quarterback, but he’ll get nothing against the Crimson Tide defense. Sabanbot 3000 can’t be happy Alabama gave up nearly 400 yards to Colorado State, and Alabama responds with a blowout win in Nashville.

Alabama 37, Vanderbilt 10

No. 5 USC (-16.5) v. California - 3:30 PM EST - ABC

Will USC decide which team they are actually going to have show up the rest of the season because they aren’t helping my picks record so far this year. I expected the Trojans to have problems with Stanford two weeks ago, and last week to have little trouble with Texas. Obviously those picks were way off.

Sam Darnold has been sharp at times, but also has thrown two interceptions in each of USC’s first three games this year. Those mistakes might not fly against a California team who is noticeably improved under new head coach Justin Wilcox, who served as defensive coordinator at USC in 2014 and 2015.

It’s hard to believe we might be wondering if Cal has enough offense to keep pace here, but Wilcox has already flipped the culture in Berkeley. Not only is USC coming off a tough game against Texas, but next week they play Washington State in Pullman on Friday. The Trojans win, but they don’t put together all that impressive of a performance in victory.

USC 33, California 23

No. 16 TCU v. No. 6 Oklahoma State (-14) - 3:30 PM EST - ESPN

The last few years I have really hated on Oklahoma State, mostly because I thought their teams were overrated. I’m definitely changing my tune this year. The Cowboys are for real, and if you need anymore evidence that they are, just watch last week’s first half against Pitt.

Mason Rudolph has himself firmly in the Heisman Trophy race through three games, throwing for over 1,100 yards and 11 touchdowns despite getting a bunch of time off in the second half of those games after building some big leads. The Cowboys are averaging 54 points per game this year, which is fourth in the country.

TCU won a couple weeks ago against Arkansas, but what else really have they done this year? Sure the 20-point win over SMU was nice last week, but Oklahoma State isn’t SMU. After two weeks on the road, Oklahoma State returns home and continues their impressive start to the season with a convincing win over Kenny Hill and the Horned Frogs.

Oklahoma State 48, TCU 24

No. 17 Mississippi State v. No. 11 Georgia (-11) - 7:00 PM EST - ESPN

Mississippi State might have pulled off the shocker of last week’s college football action with their destruction of LSU. How good is LSU really though? Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald accounted for four touchdowns in the win over the Tigers, but I’m not convinced he can do it two weeks in a row, especially on the road against a very tough Georgia defense.

Georgia has been able to navigate some injuries so far this year, and now will be looking to win their SEC opener. Sony Michel was held out of last week’s game with an ankle injury he suffered against Notre Dame, and quarterback Jacob Eason is back practicing after getting injured in the season opener against Appalachian State. Georgia has trips to Tennessee and Vanderbilt on tap after this week’s game, which makes earn a win to start off conference play even more important.

I trust this Georgia team a little more than I trust Mississippi State. While Dan Mullen’s squad has the edge at quarterback, I can see Georgia shutting down Fitzgerald and leaving Mississippi State searching for answers more than I can see Mississippi State putting together another convincing win against an SEC foe for the second straight week.

Georgia 23, Mississippi State 14

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Ohio State recruiting mailbag: The Buckeyes will have to make tough decisions on Jackson Carman, Micah Parsons - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State recruiting mailbag: The Buckeyes will have to make tough decisions on Jackson Carman, Micah Parsons
Landof10.com
Have Ohio State football recruiting questions? We've got answers. Join us every Thursday for the Land of 10 Ohio State recruiting mailbag to discuss Buckeyes recruiting. This week, official visitors return to Columbus, and with them come your questions.
Ohio city changes Halloween because of Buckeyes' game13abc Action News
BM5: Carman (to) Ohio (State)? | Tate's turn247Sports

all 4 news articles »

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UNLV’s spread offense will test Ohio State’s defense
Christopher Jason via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Rebels possess talent at the skill positions.

Coming off of a physical battle against Army’s triple-option offense, the Ohio State defense can get back to their base defense this week versus UNLV.

UNLV deploys a run-first spread offense -- with the ability to stretch the defense vertically — which allowed the Buckeyes to finally breakdown the Oklahoma film. The coaching staff wanted the defense to focus on stopping the triple-option last week, rather than breaking down their defensive performance against Oklahoma’s spread.

“[The defense] spent all day yesterday on Oklahoma,” Urban Meyer said. “Graded the effort and rewarded the effort in here with me and the team, and they went to work. And they’ll continue to work on, because now we’ll see another spread offense.”

Although UNLV is best known for losing Week 1 to FCS Howard, the biggest point-spread upset in college football history, don’t blame the Rebels’ offense. Through two games, the offense has averaged 42 points per game, good for 22nd in the nation. They’re led by an electrifying quarterback-running back combo and have an NFL-caliber wideout who will likely go down as the school’s all-time leading receiver.

From a running perspective, they’re led by junior Lexington Thomas, who stands at only 5’9, 170 lbs, but is blazing fast. Through two games, Thomas has racked up 341 yards and 5 touchdowns on only 38 carries — a 8.97 yard per carry average. Because they are a run-first spread team, their redshirt freshman quarterback Armani Rodgers is second on the team with 168 yards on the ground, averaging 6.72 yards a pop.

Thomas has a lightning-quick first step and possesses pretty good vision. Once he gets to the second level, he utilizes his quickness and agility to make the next guy miss, then it’s off to the races.


Here’s a second clip of Thomas showing off his one-cut ability to find the hole, then he puts the poor safety in a blender before moving the chains. His quickness really pops when you watch him run the ball.


On the perimeter, the Rebels really only have one legitimate wideout in Devonte Boyd. With UNLV starting a redshirt freshman this season, Boyd’s targets are down but he’s still putting up numbers. On only six receptions, Boyd has racked up 208 yards and 2 touchdowns — highlighted by a 94-yard touchdown. I wouldn’t say he has elite NFL speed, but he does the little things to create separation downfield and possesses consistent hands.

Below is an example of his detailed route-running, which helped him get off the line of scrimmage against man-coverage. After getting into his route, he gave a last second move to the defensive back to make him pause his feet, giving Boyd even more space to make the catch. it’s the little things that make him such a productive receiver.


With Ohio State being able to go back to their base Cover 4 against UNLV, they’ll once again be tested. Ohio State’s defensive line should limit the run game, but a player like Lexington Thomas only needs a mental lapse from a linebacker to gain a chunk of yardage. On the perimeter, Boyd will test the secondary, but doesn’t necessarily bring the big body that the Ohio State corners have had issues with to start the 2017 season. Ohio State’s offense will score at will against the Rebels’ defense, but Greg Schiano’s defense could have their hands full if this turns into a track meet. The corners haven’t been tested since Baker Mayfield toyed with them, and it’ll be interesting to see if the secondary comes out slow after seeing the triple-option over-and-over again.

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Two Buckeyes make Todd McShay's Top 32 draft prospects - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Two Buckeyes make Todd McShay's Top 32 draft prospects
247Sports
On Wednesday, we told you about ESPN's Mel Kiper placing one Ohio State draft-eligible player on his Big Board. On Thursday, we've got another draft expert who likes two Buckeyes in the top 32. ESPN's Todd McShay released his Top 32 this week (Insider) ...


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Ohio city changes Halloween because of Buckeyes' game - 13abc Action News
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio city changes Halloween because of Buckeyes' game
13abc Action News
They did it because of a Buckeyes' game. The OSU/Penn State game was originally planned for Saturday, October 28th at Noon, but it got moved to 4:30pm, and that's right during Circleville's weekend trick-or-treat. So, Circleville will now hold ...


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Is J.K. Dobbins already a legitimate Heisman contender?
Colton Denning via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Our latest podcast breaks down Dobbins’ ridiculous start, and previews UNLV.

It’s been quite the month for Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins. After breaking the school record for yards rushing in a single game by a freshman —in his first career game, no less— Dobbins posted strong performances against both Oklahoma and Army, and has already earned The Big Ten Conference Player of the Week award twice.

Despite having only 55 carries, Dobbins ranks 8th nationally in yards rushing through three games. Add in Mike Weber Jr.’s current injury situation, and Dobbins stands to see even more action going forward. If he keeps it up, how long will it take him to vault near the top of the Heisman Trophy conversation?

On this episode of the Hangout in the Holy Land, Matt Brown and Colton Denning assess what it will take for Dobbins to become a major factor in the Heisman race, and preview everything about this week’s game versus UNLV, including:

• Previewing UNLV’s explosive running game, and why the linebackers —including Tuf Borland-- will take center stage in stopping it.
• Getting used to Ohio State’s offense relying heavily on run/pass options
• The benefits of using those RPO’s for J.T. Barrett and his receivers.
• The importance of getting Dobbins the ball early.
• Why the Buckeyes should win by 30 points, and more.

The guys also wonder what it will take for Mike Riley to be fired at Nebraska, take a look at the most important games going on around college football, and give their predictions.

You can find the podcast on our iTunes page, and we encourage reviews, comments, criticisms, etc. to help us deliver the best possible audio product. The more we hear from you, the better we can make it. We’re also on Soundcloud, and you can subscribe via RSS on your Android and Windows Phone devices here.

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Ohio State men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann to throw out first pitch for the Cincinnati Reds
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The new Buckeye coach will take the mound at the Great American Ballpark Thursday for the ceremonial honor.

The new Ohio State men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann has been embracing every moment he can as a Buckeye. From taking recruits to Saturday night football games to now throwing out the first pitch for the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday against St. Louis at 7:10 p.m. ET.


He will be the latest in a long list of Buckeye athletes and coaches to take the mound at the Great American Ballpark for the ceremonial honor. Football coach Urban Meyer threw out the first pitch for the Reds just months after winning the 2014 National Championship, and players like Braxton Miller and Curtis Samuel have enjoyed the honor as well.

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Ohio State football vs. UNLV outrageous predictions: Will the Buckeyes blank the Rebels? - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football vs. UNLV outrageous predictions: Will the Buckeyes blank the Rebels?
cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Will the Buckeyes validate Nick Bosa's words that UNLV will not score on Saturday? Is Ohio State due for a massive day running the ball? That's what we think may happen as we made our outrageous predictions for Saturday's game, ...
Watch: Ohio State releases hype video for UNLV247Sports
Ohio State releases hype video for UNLV game - Land-Grant Holy ...Land-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State Linebacker Jerome Baker Not Satisfied With His Play So Far This SeasonEleven Warriors
Landof10.com -OSU - The Lantern -The Hillsdale Daily News
all 24 news articles »

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