Comparing the 2014 Sugar Bowl to Saturday’s Peach Bowl
meganhusslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Brooke LaValley / USA TODAY NETWORK

Let’s break down the similarities, and which players need to play like those on the 2014 team in order to win.

Leading up to the Peach Bowl, there has been a lot of comparisons to the 2014 Sugar Bowl against Alabama. Entering as an underdog, going down South, suffering one loss in the regular season. The same magic the 2014 Buckeyes had will be needed for this year’s Buckeye team.

There are definitely a few factors that helped Ohio State win eight years ago, and I think some of those same factors have to play a major role on Saturday.

Miyan needs to go off like Zeke

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

In the Sugar Bowl, Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 230 yards on 20 carries and had two touchdowns. Now, I don’t know if this year’s running backs need to rush for over 200 yards (though it would certainly be nice), but they definitely have a pivotal role to play in this game.

Against Michigan, the run game could not get going, and it hurt the Buckeyes bad. However, now with Miyan Williams having had a month to get healthy, he should be at his best. TreVeyon Henderson is unfortunately out, but that just means Dallan Hayden and Chip Trayanum will have to step up when Miyan needs some rest.

All of the pressure can not be on C.J. Stroud’s shoulders. The Buckeyes cannot rely on the pass game to beat this Georgia defense. The offense needs to be firing on all cylinders, and I believe that Williams is going to play a huge part in that.

Production from multiple receivers

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The stats from the Sugar Bowl are so interesting. There isn’t anything too shocking, besides Zeke’s stats, but Ohio State did what it needed in order to win. For the receiving core, that meant opportunities for everyone to contribute. Devin Smith had 87 receiving yards, Michael Thomas had 66, Jalin Marshall had 55 and Nick Vannett had 23.

I think that’s what needs to happen on Saturday. Obviously, we would all love to see Marvin Harrison Jr. have a huge game — and I hope he does! However, I don’t think that’s going to be enough to win. I also think the Bulldogs’ defense is going to be all over him, so he is going to need some help.

Emeka Egbuka, Julian Fleming and Cade Stover all need to step up. They are all valuable weapons and threats, and if everyone on offense can get going, Georgia is going to have a very difficult time keeping the Buckeyes contained, regardless of how good their defense is.

Defense needs to produce AT LEAST one turnover

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Wow, looking back at the Sugar Bowl, I forgot the defense forced Alabama quarterback Blake Sims to throw THREE interceptions! One of them was even a pick-six by Steve Miller. The defense played a huge role in keeping the Buckeyes in this game, and that may be the key to beating Georgia on Saturday.

Clearly, whenever someone on defense has a big game, it helps out the Buckeyes in a major way. Remember the J.T. Tuimoloau game against Penn State? At least one turnover would be huge for Ohio State. It would knock down Stetson Bennett and give the Bucks a big confidence boost and momentum swing.

These three factors are just a few of the keys Ohio State needs to win Saturday. It’s going to be a battle, but the Buckeyes can get it done if they play physical on both sides of the ball.

Continue reading...

Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for December 29, 2022
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK

All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.

Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.

Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.

You’re welcome!

For your Earholes...


Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio

On the Gridiron


Open practice observations as Buckeyes gear up for Georgia (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes

Ohio State Peach Bowl Wednesday practice report
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

RB Miyan Williams absent from Ohio State CFP practice
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch


Don’t expect a less aggressive Ohio State defense in the CFP: Jim Knowles isn’t budging (paywall)
Andy Backstrom, Letterman Row

Ohio State Defense Playing “Pissed Off” in Bowl Practice, Ready to “Prove Everybody Wrong” in College Football Playoff Semifinal
Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors

Knowles believes his defense has learned from Michigan debacle
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch

Marvin Harrison Jr. playing football indoors for the first time? That could be just what Ohio State’s been waiting for
Doug Lesmerises, cleveland.com

Jim Knowles’ aggression on defense could be key for Ohio State in Peach Bowl (paywall)
Cameron Teague Robinson, The Athletic


Ohio State’s defense with a chance to change the narratives the Buckeyes believe are wrong vs. Georgia
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

What Ohio State needs from C.J. Stroud in Playoff test vs. Georgia (paywall)
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes

Emeka Egbuka: ‘I feel confident in our guys and our ability to sling the rock’
Dave Biddle, Bucknuts

OSU’s center, guards face mammoth task vs. Georgia’s defensive line
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch


Ohio State buckling in for play-action friendly Georgia, Stetson Bennett’s mobility (paywall)
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row

Buckeyes defense aware of, scheming to stop dangerous Georgia tight ends
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Georgia Offensive Player to Watch: Tight end Brock Bowers
Josh Dooley, Land-Grant Holy Land


Minimizing Penalties Will Be Key if Ohio State Wants to Upset Georgia
Josh Poloha, Eleven Warriors

Ohio State heads to Atlanta as 6.5-point underdogs
Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land

Ohio State seeking return to ‘Buckeye football’ against Georgia (paywall)
Jeremy Birmingham, Dotting the Eyes


MC&J: The first of this season’s New Year’s Six bowls will be played on Friday night
Brett Ludwiczak, Land-Grant Holy Land

On the Hardwood


No. 3 Ohio State women return to play with blowout win over Northwestern 81-48
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land

Ohio State women’s basketball point guard Madison Greene out for season with injury
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land

Women’s Basketball: McMahon Named Big Ten Freshman of the Week, Thierry on Honor Roll
Ohio State Athletics


Buckeyes leaning on vets to navigate games around Christmas
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch

Men’s Basketball: Sensabaugh Earns B1G Freshman of the Week Honors, Again
Ohio State Athletics

B1G WBB Weeks 6, 7: Clark makes history, UM tops UNC, Nebraska in overtime
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land

And now for something completely different...


This is the smoothest thing I think I’ve ever seen:


Continue reading...

Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Alabama A&M: Game preview and prediction
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Graham Stokes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Buckeyes have one final game in 2022 before the calendar flips over.

The basketball Buckeyes are back, and it is time for their final game of the 2022 calendar year. The Ohio State men’s hoops team (8-3, 1-0) will take on the Alabama A&M Bulldogs (4-8) as they get ready to ring in 2023.

The Buckeyes have had a fairly predictable start to the season, although they have looked better than some people imagined they would with eight newcomers on the team and Justice Sueing returning from an injury that cost him all but two games during the 2021-2022 season.

Ohio State’s three losses have come to San Diego State, No. 17 Duke and No. 25 North Carolina — two of which are currently ranked, but all are teams who will without a doubt make the NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes also have solid wins over Texas Tech, Rutgers and a convincing 30-point victory over in-state rival Cincinnati in the Maui Invitational.

Alabama A&M is 4-8 on the season after starting out 0-5. Recently, they have fallen to Illinois, 68-47, and Vanderbilt, 70-62. They struggle on the offensive side of the ball and are only averaging around 72 points per game, even against some inferior opponents.

Every team plays some cupcake games throughout the year, and with the Buckeyes playing in the Maui Invitational, plus taking on North Carolina and Duke, they have earned a few easy ones. Another promising trend is how the Buckeyes have handled their “buy” games. In the four games they have played in which they were heavy favorites, they have defeated their opponents by an average of 29.4 points per game.

The Buckeyes are also 6-0 at home so far, and have won those games by an average of 25 points.

Preview

Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Buckeyes are led by now two-time Big Ten Freshman of the week Brice Sensabaugh. The 2022 Florida High School Player of the Year is averaging 15.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in his early Buckeye career, and is coming off a 19-point, seven rebound and seven assist performance. He is also shooting 48.9% from downtown, which is the second-best mark in the Big Ten this season.


Zed Key is averaging 14.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game as the main big man, and Justice Sueing is averaging 13.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

The status of graduate senior Isaac Likekele is unknown for this matchup, as he has missed the last three games due to a personal matter. Junior Eugene Brown is available for the first time this season after dealing with a preseason concussion and placed in the concussion protocol. Brown played in 26 games last season and started in 10 games. He averaged 3.5 points and 2.4 rebounds per game over the span of just over 17 minutes per game, and will be a valuable addition to the Buckeyes’ defense and overall team morale.

The Bulldogs are averaging a huge 9.3 steals per game and play in one of the highest tempo offenses in the country, so they like to pressure the ball and run the floor — two things the Buckeyes really do not do. It will be a matchup of two different styles, with the Bulldogs clocking in at No. 45 in adjusted tempo (possessions per 40 minutes), while Ohio State is No. 236.

The Bulldogs are led by senior guard Garrett Hicks, who averages 15.8 points per game. Junior guards Dailin Smith and Messiah Thompson are averaging 12.1 and 10.6 points per game, respectively.

The Bulldogs only average 32 rebounds per game, while the Buckeyes average 40.4. Key and freshman center Felix Okpara will be important for the Buckeyes versus a team who very clearly are more interested in getting out in transition than they are in crashing the glass.

Prediction

Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

This should be nothing more than just the last tune up game before 19 conference matchups for the Buckeyes. Alabama A&M is 4-8 with four losses to teams outside of KenPom’s top 150: North Alabama, Samford, Tennessee State, Norfolk State and South Alabama.

It will be interesting to see just how many minutes the starters get in this one. The Buckeyes jump right into conference play after this, and with them playing 19 games after the New Year instead of the usual 18, they will need all the depth and minutes that they can get from the rotation.

Ideally, Ohio State can take a sizeable lead early in this one and get into the deeper parts of their bench in the second half so the starters that have played a lot of minutes the first two months —like Bruce Thornton, Justice Sueing and Zed Key — can manage their minutes a bit. This would also be a nice time for a get-right game for Sean McNeil. McNeil is the best shooter on the Buckeyes’ team and started off the year well, but has since struggled a bit, averaging 7.3 PPG over his last three games.

According to KenPom, the Bulldogs are ranked 344 out of 363 in adjusted offensive efficiency, so scoring the ball has been a problem this season thus far. It has been the opposite for Ohio State, which ranks third in that category and 15th overall, even though they are unranked in the polls.

This will be an easy win for the Buckeyes, who will then look ahead to New Year’s Day against Northwestern in Evanston to kick off 2023.


ESPN BPI: Ohio State 99.0%
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
TV: BTN
Streaming: Sling TV

LGHL score prediction: Ohio State 84, Alabama A&M 60

Continue reading...

Bucketheads Podcast: Ohio State women’s basketball is on a heater, Brice Sensabaugh could be league-bound
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Ohio State women take on No. 14 Michigan on New Year’s Eve at the Covelli Center.

‘Bucketheads’ is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. Every episode they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in the college hoops world.

Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio


During the 59th episode of “Bucketheads” the guys discuss the media’s and the NBA’s recent fascination with Ohio State freshman forward Brice Sensabaugh. The baby-faced assassin currently leads Ohio State with 15.3 PPG to go along with 4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. He is also shooting 48.9% from three, which is the second-best mark in the Big Ten.

Mock drafts have the 6-foot-6 freshman going anywhere from the 20th pick to the 44th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. He’ll enter the draft without a doubt, but will his likely landing spot be high enough that he’d stay in? These conversations will certainly heat up over the coming months.

Then, Thomas Costello joins the show to discuss the No. 3 Ohio State women’s basketball team. The Buckeyes are on a tear, with wins in each of their first 13 games (Northwestern pending). They take on No. 14 Michigan this weekend, but Kevin McGuff’s team won’t be at full strength, as both Jacy Sheldon and Madison Greene will likely be out against the Wolverines.


Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGHL

Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor

Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba

Connect with Thomas:
Twitter: @1ThomasCostello

Continue reading...

Buckeyes still in pursuit of big time 2024 linebacker, keeping up with portal targets
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ohio State is making a top 2024 linebacker a major priority in the 2024 class.

Buckeyes keeping in close contact with top linebacker in 2024


In Ohio State’s 2023 class, the linebacker position only saw one addition. Thanks to a pretty full stable in Columbus currently, that’s really all the coaching staff needed for this current cycle. Looking ahead, more depth in the room will be needed, and possibly even two LBs in 2024. The Buckeyes already have multiple offers sent out to many of the nation’s best players at the position, but look to be locked in on one in particular.

The No. 12 ranked player nationally, Sammy Brown is the top linebacker in the country and the fourth best player in Georgia per the 247Sports Composite. The five-star is hearing from the Buckeyes regularly, and per Bill Kurelic of Bucknuts, Brown has at least two more visits to Ohio State in mind as his recruitment continues on. The Georgia native is the top linebacker target for every major program in the country, but Ohio State having their defensive coordinator as a linebacker guru by trade may be an advantage. Clearly, being in contact this early and often is making an impression.

Additionally, though the Buckeyes are in full prep mode for the College Football Playoff, the staff has made time to be in contact with Brown during their stay in his home state, and that alone tells you how serious the coaches are about showing Brown how much of a priority target he is for this 2024 class. Knowing linebacker will be a position of need, the most fortunate aspect to Kurelic’s reporting in regards to Ohio State is knowing they’ll be heavily in the mix until decision day.

Quick Hits

• Offensive tackle will continue be a priority for Ohio State in the transfer portal until the need is met. Knowing that experienced additions would drastically help the 2023 season, Ryan Day and Justin Frye are doing all they can to put themselves in position to land at least one major player.

To this point, the Buckeyes have missed out on multiple players they offered since entering the portal, but other options such as Jarrett Kingston — formerly of Washington State — and Walter Rouse of Stanford are both on the market still, and do have at least some interest in the Buckeyes.

Kingston intends to visit Ohio State in January, and Rouse has been in communication with the Buckeyes as well, though visit plans are still in the air. Either way, the staff is busy trying to win a national championship, but there are options out there and both need to be treated as top priorities if they’re going to win out.

Continue reading...

No. 3 Ohio State women return to play with blowout win over Northwestern 81-48
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ben Cole - Land-Grant Holy Land

Freshman Cotie McMahon led the way for the No. 3 Buckeyes in their Big Ten matchup.

Last week, the Ohio State Buckeyes women’s basketball team traveled to the West Coast’s warm temperatures for the San Diego Invitational. Wednesday, they returned to the cold midwest for the restart of Big Ten play, but their play didn’t cool down, beating the Northwestern Wildcats 81-48.

The game started with bad news for Ohio State, with guard Jacy Sheldon still out with a week-to-week lower leg injury, guard Madison Greene joined Sheldon on the injury list. Making it worse, Greene’s out for the rest of the season.

That meant Ohio State continued with guard Rikki Harris at the point and early on she delivered. The Wildcats tried to slow the game down but defensively they couldn’t stop fouling the Buckeyes.

Ohio State went on an 11-point run after Northwestern scored one from the free throw line to start the game. The game began with an 11-1 Buckeyes lead and Northwestern tried to toughen up to stop the scoring.

The tough play did help slow down the Buckeyes quick start to the game, but it backfired with more whistles. That meant the home team needed to go to their bench early. Northwestern’s leading scorer, forward Caileigh Walsh, picked up three fouls in the first half, along with forward Paige Mott grabbing two of her own.

With 6:03 left in the first quarter, Ohio State was in the bonus, with Harris benefiting the most hitting 3-for-6 from the free throw line.

Northwestern also helped the Buckeyes by missing their shots. Even after getting open looks against the Scarlet & Gray’s half court defense, the Wildcats shot 25.8% from the field and 2-for-11 from deep in the first half.

The Illinois-side’s starting five scored five points in the first half, with guard Sydney Wood the only Wildcat to play all 20 minutes to start the game.

For the Buckeyes, leading scorers in guard Taylor Mikesell and forward Rebeka Mikulášiková had a slow start, scoring a combined four points, all from Mikesell. Even so, Mikesell grabbed seven rebounds and four steals in the first half. It shows an improved all-around game that goes beyond scoring points.

Picking up the early scoring was a familiar duo in Cotie McMahon and Taylor Thierry. The pair scored 13 and nine points respectively in the first 20 minutes. For Thierry, it was getting into the paint, hitting 4-for-6 under the basket.

For McMahon, her 13 were spread around the court. The freshman attacked the basket and hit the Buckeyes lone three of the half, which took 14:40 into the game before one fell for the visitors.

Ohio State took an 11-point 35-24 lead into the half.

The Buckeyes didn’t take too much time in the second half getting back into scoring. Within two minutes, Ohio State was on another run, scoring seven straight to get the third quarter going.

Of those seven, the first four came from McMahon who hit two layups, trying to put Walsh into more foul trouble after the forward started the second half on the court. Then, Mikulášiková hit her first points of the night, a three-pointer to put NU on the ropes early.

With fouls hurting the home side, Northwestern couldn’t muster a comeback in the third. Walsh scored only five points after averaging 13.4 entering the game. On the other side of the court, Ohio State kept the runs coming.

The Scarlet & Gray added a nine and six point run, hitting 24 points in the quarter and expanding their lead to 21 points with one quarter to go.

What made it even more difficult for the Wildcats was Mikesell and Mikulášiková getting on the scoresheet in the third quarter. The two went 4-for-6 from deep and accounted for 13 of those 24 points.

Northwestern had a tough night, but a bright spot for the future of the program is forward Courtney Shaw. The bench player led the way for the Wildcats, hitting a double-double early into the fourth quarter. Also, Walsh fouled out with 6:10 remaining in the game with only seven points.

Ultimately, Shaw didn't didn’t deter Ohio State. The Buckeyes built up a 25-point lead to start the final quarter that NU couldn’t clear, giving Ohio State their 14th win of the season, beating the Wildcats 81-48.

McMahon Leads Again


Wednesday’s game against Northwestern came a day after McMahon secured her third straight B1G Freshman of the Week award. The forward began her campaign for a fourth straight against the Wildcats.

McMahon scored 24 points on 66.7% shooting, leading Ohio State on the night.

Mikesell at Point


Although she’s not a point guard by nature, in the third quarter Mikesell slid into the role. It’s a necessary decision for head coach Kevin McGuff right now as injuries mount. Mikesell excelled too, scoring 16 points, grabbed 9 rebounds and added 7 steals on defense.

Looking Beyond Greene


With the news of Greene’s injury, Ohio State needs to build up the depth beyond the starting five, and that began Wednesday. Guards Hevynne Bristow and Emma Shumate made earlier appearances than usual against the Wildcats, with the game within five points in the first quarter.

The time away from competitive minutes was apparent for the guards, but it was in a game that the Buckeyes were favored to win. In 11 first half minutes, the two guards scored no points and committed three fouls.

Ohio State will need that depth as the Michigan Wolverines and Indiana Hoosiers come up quickly in the schedule.

What’s Next


The Buckeyes return home on Saturday, with a game that needs little introduction. Ohio State takes on the Michigan Wolverines.

Michigan sits No. 14 in the AP Poll, and a three-game winning streak against the Buckeyes. Like in football, Ohio State looks to stop the streak and continue their strong start to the 2022-23 season and end the calendar year with a victory.

Ohio State plays the game at the Covelli Center, instead of the Schottenstein Center. The smaller venue gives the Buckeyes’ more of a home court advantage than the multi-purpose cavern that is Value City Arena.

Continue reading...

Ohio State women’s basketball point guard Madison Greene out for season with injury
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ben Cole - Land-Grant Holy Land

Bad news announced for the Buckeyes women’s basketball team before Wednesday’s game at Northwestern.

On Tuesday, Dec. 20, the Ohio State Buckeyes needed overtime and late magic to beat the USF Bulls 88-86. Before guard Taylor Mikesell hit a big three-pointer in the extra period, the Scarlet & Gray were dealt a blow when guard Madison Greene went down holding her knee.

On Wednesday, Dec. 28, the diagnosis became public and it's bad news for the Buckeyes with Greene out for the rest of the season.

Anytime a player is injured this severely, it’s always tough but for Greene, it hits harder. Last season, Greene suffered a season-ending knee injury before the season began, missing the entire 2021-22 Big Ten regular season championship-winning season.

This year, Greene played in Ohio State’s first 12 games. It took a couple of games to get back into game speed but she acclimated quickly. In those dozen appearances, Greene averaged 10.9 points and 5.0 assists per game.

Of those 12, Greene started seven because of another injury. The Pickerington, Ohio guard took the place of Dublin, Ohio guard Jacy Sheldon, who suffered a lower leg injury that started as day-to-day but is now a “week-to-week” ailment.

Sheldon’s injury isn’t all season, but Wednesday she continued to be off the Buckeyes roster as they traveled to Evanston, Illinois to face the Northwestern Wildcats.

In place of the two point guards is now redshirt junior guard Rikki Harris. The Indianapolis, Indiana product stepped into the role for the first time since high school within 24 hours of the Greene injury, starting against the Oregon Ducks.

Against the Ducks, Harris dished a career-high eight assists in the 84-67 Buckeyes victory. Harris has filled in for teammate’s injuries in the last two seasons, most notably last year when now LSU guard Kateri Poole went down and Sheldon slid into the point guard role. Harris became a starter and was in the starting lineup for the last 19 games of the season, through the NCAA Tournament.

Harris can play the position, but both injuries put the Buckeyes’ depth into question. Beyond Harris, there aren’t many on the roster with consistent minutes who can slide in at a moment’s notice, like Harris.

With Greene and Sheldon missing, it will be tough for Ohio State in some of their big games through the rest of the season. Most notably being Saturday, when the Michigan Wolverines travel to Columbus to face Ohio State at the Covelli Center.

Next month it doesn’t get any easier, facing the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Illinois Fighting Illini to start the 2023 portion of the season.

Weather that storm, and get Sheldon back healthy, and Ohio State has the chance to continue its best run since the 2011-12 season.

Continue reading...

And no you can’t say scUM!

For me:

East Carolina
Ball St.
Akron
Indiana
Kent
Minnesota
Rutgers

Georgia Offensive Player to Watch: Tight end Brock Bowers
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Bulldogs’ Swiss Army knife is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses, and he will be deployed in a number of ways against the Buckeyes.

The upcoming Peach Bowl matchup between Ohio State and Georgia is a real battle of the blue bloods — one which features a freshly wounded underdog pitted against a foaming-at-the-mouth defending champion. This is not your typical OSU game, as the Buckeyes are (now, and for a change) the ones facing a far-superior football team... And I don’t believe that many diehard scarlet and gray fans would argue the opposite. So when it comes down to it, Ryan Day and his team find themselves in a rather precarious situation for this one, but the odds are far from insurmountable.

And why is that? Why should Ohio State be given a puncher’s chance? The answer is talent. And tons of it. OSU just so happens to have one of the most talented rosters in all of college football — perhaps even more loaded than their CFP opponents, the Bulldogs. The Buckeyes have more four and five-star recruits than most coaching staffs would know what to do with, and their on-field product often reflects that. The evidence is very, very real.

But talent only gets a team – this team, or any other team – so far. And this season, said talent took Day’s team to the precipice of an undefeated season, before poor coaching and/or execution doomed them against TTUN. There will be no margin for error this time around, if the rare underdogs hope to put an end to Georgia’s back-to-back bid.

While most (I think) would say that Ohio State’s offense is its best chance of putting an end to UGA’s reign, I would argue that stellar play on both sides of the ball will be of equal importance. Like, 50/50, right down the middle. Which means the OSU defense must step up. They (OSU) cannot afford to play well on one side but not the other.

Because the Buckeyes’ most potent weapon – the No. 2 scoring offense in all of college football – does not give them a decided advantage in this contest. Instead, C.J. Stroud, Marvin Harrison Jr., and others will encounter an equally dangerous entity: the Bulldogs’ No. 2 scoring defense. Since there is no great advantage to be had, I believe that this game (and its eventual outcome) will be heavily influenced by individual matchups.

One such matchup will be Georgia tight end Brock Bowers versus... somebody from the Ohio State defense. While I wish I had an answer as to who exactly will match up with this true sophomore (most often), the two-time All-American is simply unlike any other player OSU has encountered this season, making him incredibly difficult to plan for. Moving around like an H-back/TE/WR hybrid, UGA’s ultimate weapon can be a nightmare for opponents.

Regardless of which Buckeye bodies up Bowers on any given play, limiting his effectiveness will be paramount to slowing down the Bulldogs’ offense as a whole. And because Bowers is such a unique Swiss army knife and skilled football player, he has earned the distinction of this week’s Offensive Player to Watch.

Photo by Steve Limentani/ISI Photos/Getty Images

Hailing from the wine mecca of Napa, California, Bowers was a highly coveted recruit coming out of high school. He had dozens of college offers, but chose Georgia over the likes of TTUN, Notre Dame, and USC. Because Bowers is a tad smaller (6-foot-4, 230 pounds) than the Travis Kelce and Rob Gronkowski-types, certain teams may have had trouble projecting his role at the next level. However, UGA experienced little difficulty in doing so and got him onto the field right away. Talent tends to overcome an inch here or five pounds there, and Bowers’ was on display from the moment he set foot in Athens.

As a true freshman in 2021, Bowers put the entire country on notice — immediately. In his first collegiate contest, he reeled in six receptions against a stout Clemson defense. He followed that up with 100 yards and two touchdowns in Week 2. The big games continued, one after another, as the Bulldogs deployed Bowers in a number of ways. He also produced 100-yard games against Kentucky, Georgia Tech, and Alabama last season, on his way to nearly 900 receiving yards. Again, as a true freshman TE! He added 14 total TD, setting all sorts of records and earning countless accolades in the process. A hell of a debut made even more impressive by his age and experience — or lack thereof.

Bowers has been just as impressive in 2022, even if his stats are down ever so slightly. He is still the engine that makes Georgia’s offense go, and that’s saying something given the fact that quarterback Stetson Bennett was a Heisman finalist. Bennett without Bowers is likely not the same caliber of player. But because the versatile pass catcher has been extremely durable, UGA and its fans have had little reason to worry about the offense on a weekly basis.

The 2022 Mackey Award winner heads into this New Year’s Eve bowl game with 52 receptions for 726 yards and six TD through the air. He has also added three TD and 93 additional yards on the ground, on only six rushing attempts. And this is a credit to both Bowers and the Bulldogs’ offensive coordinator, Todd Monken. The latter has moved his TE around like a chess piece, creating confusion for opposing defenses, while at the same time utilizing Bowers’ versatile skillset.

He is a a sure-handed pass catcher, but also excels once the ball is in his hands. This can likely be attributed to his time as a high school running back. Regardless of how Bowers acquired the tools of his current trade, he can use them in a number of unique ways — no matter the pre-snap look and/or play design.


As a blocker, Bowers does more than hold his own. He might struggle with the occasional super-sized rusher, but that is no surprise given his stature. While not small by any means, he is also not an unmovable mountain (like his teammate and fellow TE Darnell Washington). However, Georgia does not ask Bowers to spend too much time as an in-line blocker, and when they do, he is able to use his impressive strength and leverage to keep edge rushers and linebackers at bay. So the “weakest” aspect of Bowers’ game is simply not a weakness, making him the total package.

This superstar is not only the best player at his position, but also one of the best players in all of college football. And he is not even draft eligible! More importantly for Ohio State, Bowers is the head of the UGA offensive snake. If the Buckeyes are able to cut him off, it would go a long way in their effort to upset the Bulldogs. It certainly will not be easy, but taking down a champion in order to claim a title of your own seldom is. Here’s hoping that OSU can put the clamps on a truly special player and come away with a huge victory.

Go Bucks!

Continue reading...

Ohio State heads to Atlanta as 6.5-point underdogs
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images

The defending national champs are nearly a touchdown favorite over the Buckeyes.

DraftKings Sportsbook odds: Georgia -6.5 | o/u 62.5

When looking at how these two teams finished out their respective regular seasons, it is no surprise that Georgia is the favorite in the New Year’s Eve College Football Playoff matchup between the Bulldogs and the Buckeyes.

Kirby Smart’s group has won 15-straight games, including obviously last year’s national title game followed by an undefeated run through the SEC this season en route to an SEC Championship and No. 1 overall seed. Ohio State, on the flip side, lost the last game it played this year in embarrassing fashion to its biggest rival on its own home field, finishing the campaign at 11-1 and sneaking into the CFP after USC’s collapse in the Pac-12 Championship. As a result, Georgia enters the Peach Bowl as nearly a touchdown favorite, which is actually a testament to the Buckeyes’ talent — because the spread could be much bigger!

It will be a real strength on strength battle in this one, with Ohio State’s No. 2-ranked scoring offense going up against Georgia’s No. 2-ranked scoring defense. C.J. Stroud, Miyan Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. will face off against Jalen Carter, Kelee Ringo and Smael Mondon Jr. as there will be no shortage of future NFL talent when these two units are on the field. Ryan Day has made it a habit of calling an incredibly conservative offense against the best defenses on the Buckeyes’ schedule, and if that is the case once again here, Ohio State will have no shot at pulling the upset. Even with good play-calling, it will not be easy to put up points on a defense that allows less than 300 yards per game.

Georgia’s offense against Ohio State’s defense will provide a very intriguing matchup. The Bulldogs aren’t exactly known for having a high-flying offense, but Stetson Bennett, Brock Bowers and the trio of running backs are incredibly efficient and well-coached. They have sneakily averaged nearly 40 points per game to rank 11th in the country, but the Buckeyes defense has been solid as well, allowing just 19.2 points per game to rank 13th nationally. Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers have been sensational against the run, but the OSU secondary has been suspect all season long, and Bennett will have his way through the air if Larry Johnson’s defensive line can’t get pressure on the QB.

Ohio State is undefeated under Ryan Day when scoring at least 30 points, but the problem against the better teams on their schedule has been getting there. The Buckeyes failed to reach the 30-point mark against Alabama, Oregon, Michigan (2021) and Michigan (2022) in the last three years — all loses. Overall, they are just 6-5 in games since the start of 2019 when scoring less than 30, including 2-1 in 2022 with wins over Notre Dame and Northwestern and the loss to the Wolverines. Obviously it is tougher to score points against good defenses, but it is even tougher when your head coach keeps shooting himself in the foot with poor play-calling.

If Ohio State plays the type of game we know they are capable of, they can absolutely pull of the upset against Georgia. As previously said, this line only being 6.5 points is a testament to the Buckeyes’ talent, but they still have to use that talent appropriately. If Day comes out calling bubble screens and stretch tosses, OSU could get blown out. If he lets Stroud sling it and the defense is able to slow down the run and pressure Bennett in the backfield, then we will have a good ballgame down in Atlanta.

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

Continue reading...

B1G WBB Weeks 6, 7: Clark makes history, UM tops UNC, Nebraska in overtime
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

Big Ten women’s basketball returns after a short holiday break, and the conference looks to continue momentum

The Big Ten’s six days off for the Christmas holiday weekend came at an inconvenient time for the conference. In the three days leading up to the mini-break, the Big Ten played in 12 games, winning them all. Included in those wins were ranked match-ups, an NCAA record tied, and overtimes — a lot of overtimes.

Here are a few stories to bring you up to speed on what’s happening around the Midwest powerhouse.

Caitlin Clark Hits 2,000


Scoring 2,000 points in a college career isn’t a new thing, but Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark’s done it so quickly that she’s now connected to one of the best to ever play collegiately.

On Dec. 21, the Hawkeyes played a pretty nice breather of a game before some time away, defeating the Dartmouth Big Green 92-54. It was an expected result, but Clark put the game on the map, tying the record for fastest to the feat — hitting it in 75 games.


Clark’s second-quarter three-pointer matched former Delaware forward and current WNBA star Elena Della Donne. In terms of tie-breakers, Della Donne did it in the Colonial Athletic Association compared to the Big Ten, a top conference in the country.

Either way, Clark is on the national stage and continues to show why she’s a perennial contender for top player in college basketball.

Wolverines Bounce Back Against Tar Heels


In the last installment of the Land-Grant Holy Land Big Ten women’s basketball review, the Michigan Wolverines had a no-good, very bad day against the Toledo Rockets. Most Ohio State fans would love to hear that it humbled the Wolverines, but that’s not the case. Instead, the University of Michigan continues the North Carolina Tar Heels’ nightmare fuel that is playing Big Ten teams in the 2022-23 season.

Until Dec. 1, the Tar Heels had nothing to complain about. They sat at a cool 6-0, with wins over ranked Oregon Ducks and Iowa State Cyclones teams. Then the ACC/B1G Challenge happened.

UNC traveled to Bloomington, Ind., and lost to an Indiana Hoosiers team who was without their star point guard Grace Berger. It wasn’t just a loss, but a loss that showed the top of the Big Ten is strong. The Hoosiers won 87-63 after UNC scored the first seven points of the game and then not seeing a lead ever again.

On Dec. 20, UNC had a chance at redemption for their lone defeat of the season when they welcomed the Wolverines to Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Unfortunately for the Tar Heels, it was the opposite.

After again going up in the first minutes of the game, Michigan dominated. In the second quarter, they ballooned their lead to 23 points, before eventually winning by a more deceptive 76-68 in the final box score.

Michigan guards Leigha Brown and Laila Phelia led the way with 25 and 20 points, respectively. The Wolverines outshot the Tar Heels 58.6% to 36.4% in the first half, and the local side, who were technically the away side at the Jumpman Invitational, couldn’t find a way to come back.

Nebraska and Kansas Battle in 3 OTs


While the Hawkeyes and Wolverines each made headlines with lopsided wins, the Nebraska Cornhuskers took 15 extra minutes of basketball to earn a ranked win. It was against the No. 20 Kansas Jayhawks.

Nebraska started the year ranked, fell out of favor after a tough early season stretch of defeats, but continued their climb back to the collective conversation against Kansas.

Fast forwarding to the fourth quarter of their 85-79 win, the Cornhuskers let a third-quarter 11-point lead slip away. With under three minutes remaining, the Jayhawks went ahead after guard Zakiyah Franklin broke an over three-minute deadlock with a three.

It wasn’t three-point shooting guard Jaz Shelley who tied it up but center Alexis Markowski. The three was the 2021-22 B1G Freshman of the Year’s second of the night, tying the game at 58-58.

Then, with a two-point lead, 1:20 left in the game, and possession, Shelley tripped and lost the ball. That gave Kansas a fastbreak to tie the game at 60-60.

Markowski helped defensively late too. With one minute remaining, the big center made a game-changing block under the basket on an attacking Wyvette Mayberry. Markowski ended the day with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks.


Nebraska had a chance to win with 1.5 seconds on the clock, inbounding from their offensive half of the court. The play worked well, giving Nebraska’s Isabelle Bourne a chance to hit a layup under the basket, but the shot was too close to the rim, hitting off the iron and sending the game to overtime.

The scoring drought that plagued the final minute of regulation continued into the first period of extra time. Combined the two teams scored four points in the first overtime, with Kansas missing a buzzer-beating three, meaning more free basketball.

Shelley scored 10 of her 24 team-high points in overtime, but at the end of the second session, the Australian missed a chance to win it. On a quick layup attempt that didn’t give Shelley much time to react for a clean look, the buzzer sounded and one more period remained.

The Cornhuskers were done with the game at that point and outscored a then-undefeated Jayhawks side 15-9 in the third overtime.

Nebraska’s win makes them 2-2 this season against ranked opponents this season.

Way-Too-Early Standings

AP Poll


Here’s where all the conference sides stack up in the AP Poll. Changes to position noted are from Dec. 19 to Dec. 26.

3 - Ohio State (NC)
4 - Indiana Hoosiers (NC)
12 - Iowa Hawkeyes (+1)
14 - Michigan Wolverines (+5)
16 - Maryland Terrapins (-1)

Nebraska also received 10 votes but didn’t crack the top 25.

Games to Watch (non-OSU)


The conference kicks back into gear this week, creating exciting match-ups outside of the Buckeyesphere. Here are games Ohio State isn’t part of that still grab attention.

Wednesday, Dec. 28

• No. 14 Michigan Wolverines at Nebraska Cornhuskers - 7 p.m. ET

Thursday, Dec. 29

• No. 4 Indiana Hoosiers at Michigan State Spartans - 3 p.m. ET
• Purdue Boilermakers at No. 12 Iowa Hawkeyes - 9 p.m. ET

Friday, Dec. 30

• Minnesota Golden Gophers at No. 16 Maryland Terrapins - 2 p.m. ET

Sunday, Jan. 1

• Nebraska Cornhuskers at No. 4 Indiana Hoosiers - 1 p.m. ET
• No. 12 Iowa Hawkeyes at Illinois Fighting Illini - 3 p.m. ET

Happy New Year


Conference play brings a heap of great games going into 2023, but the main event is Saturday between the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes and No. 14 Michigan Wolverines. It has the potential to show that the Scarlet & Gray are different from last season’s two losses to their rivals, or that the Wolverines are for real.

Making it even better is that the Buckeyes and Wolverines play at the Covelli Center, instead of the cavernous Schottenstein Center. Which is a fantastic thing.

Plus, the 1:00 p.m. ET start time gives all Buckeye football fans ample time to attend — or at least watch at home — the No. 3 team in the country before the Scarlet & Gray play in the College Football Playoff. God bless us, everyone.

Continue reading...

MC&J: The first of this season’s New Year’s Six bowls will be played on Friday night
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


USA TODAY NETWORK

The Orange Bowl will truly live up to its name when Clemson takes on Tennessee.

Season ATS: 106-114-6 (57-65-3 National, 49-49-3 B1G — with a number of results still to be decided)

Bowls ATS: 10-9-1 (9-9-1 National, 1-0 B1G)


Instead of cramming the rest of the bowl games into one article, I figured I’d split them up, with the Thursday and Friday games in this article, and predictions for the games on Saturday and Monday in one last MC&J picks piece that will drop in the near future.

Bowl games 12/29 - 12/30


(All lines courtesy of Draftkings Sportsbook.)

Pinstripe Bowl: Syracuse v. Minnesota (-9.5) - Thursday 12/29 2:00 p.m. - ESPN

Both of these teams had their eyes on more prominent bowl games after the way they opened up their seasons. Syracuse started the season 6-0, while Minnesota opened up the year 4-0 before dropping three straight games. To the credit of the Golden Gophers, they rebounded with four wins in their final five games of the regular season.

After blowing a 21-10 lead in the fourth quarter against Clemson, Syracuse didn’t show much life the rest of the season, dropping four more games before beating a lifeless Boston College team in their final game of the regular season. The Orange will not only be without running back Sean Tucker in this game, their offensive and defensive coordinators have already left to take other jobs.

As if Syracuse wasn’t dealing with enough issues right now, they’ll have to try and slow down Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim, who ran for 1,594 yards and 19 touchdowns this year. I just don’t see that happening. The Orange show about as much pop in Yankee Stadium as the New York Yankees did in the playoffs.

Minnesota 27, Syracuse 13


Cheez-It Bowl: Oklahoma v. No. 13 Florida State (-9.5) - Thursday 12/29 5:30 p.m. - ESPN

Remember when this was a BCS National Championship Game? Never forget that Florida State’s only score of the game was a safety against the Sooners. The Seminoles should be able to score quite a few more points than they did a couple decades ago against Oklahoma. The Seminoles have scored at least 38 points in each of their last five games.

Brent Venables’ first season in Norman has been a mess. Oklahoma finished the season 6-6, marking their lowest win total since 1998 when they won just five games in John Blake’s final season as head coach. Even though the Sooners have a dynamic quarterback in Dillon Gabriel, their defense is grotesque. In a 51-48 loss in overtime to Texas Tech to end the regular season, Gabriel threw six touchdowns, but got no help from the defense.

After wondering if Mike Norvell was the right man for the Florida State job, it looks like the Seminoles are headed in the right direction. A win on Thursday would give Florida State their first 10-win season since 2016. Oklahoma’s offense won’t be quite as tough to stop in this game since running back Eric Gray has opted out of the bowl and declared for the NFL Draft. Even had Gray played, I likely would have still sided with the Seminoles here.

Florida State 44, Oklahoma 28


Alamo Bowl: No. 20 Texas (-3.5) v. No. 12 Washington - Thursday 12/29 9:00 p.m. - ESPN

Find yourself something you love doing as much as Texas loves going to the Alamo Bowl. The Longhorns will be making their third Alamo Bowl appearance in the last four years, winning in San Antonio in both 2019 and 2020. Texas will be without running back Bijan Robinson in this game, who unsurprisingly declared for the NFL Draft. Former Ohio State quarterback Quinn Ewers will try and give the coaching staff something to think about before top prospect Arch Manning arrives in Austin.

What a first season it was for Kalen DeBoer in Seattle. After coming over from Fresno State, DeBoer brought in Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr., and the Huskies finished the season at 10-2. Penix had a monster season, throwing for 4,354 yards and 29 touchdowns, setting himself up for a possible run at the Heisman Trophy in 2023. As a whole, the Washington offense averaged 521 yards per game this year.

This should be a real fun game to watch, even without Robinson on the field for Texas. Both quarterbacks are looking to make statements before the calendar turns to 2023. Even though the Longhorns have plenty of experience making the short trip to San Antonio, I just think Washington is the better team. Texas may be more talented, but the Huskies play better together. I’ll gladly take the points here.

Washington 38, Texas 34


Duke’s Mayo Bowl: Maryland v. No. 23 NC State (-1) - Friday 12/30 12:00 p.m. - ESPN

Before the season I thought NC State could be a sleeper team for a New Year’s Six bowl. Obviously that didn’t pan out. The Wolfpack were looking good after starting the season 4-0, then they lost at Clemson and Devin Leary got hurt a short time after. NC State did find a way to piece some nice wins together late in the year, beating Wake Forest and then closing out the regular season with a double overtime win against North Carolina.

Will Maryland run all over a team from the ACC in a bowl game for the second year in a row? I don’t think it’s going to be as easy this year against NC State as it was last year at Yankee Stadium against Virginia Tech. Taulia Tagovailoa won’t have many reliable targets to throw to, as Rakim Jarrett, Dontay Demus, Jacob Copeland, and CJ Dippre all won’t play in this game. The Wolfpack still have a stingy defense, which will be tough for Tagovailoa to find much success against.

NC State 24, Maryland 20


Sun Bowl: Pitt v. No. 18 UCLA (-5.5) - Friday 12/30 2:00 p.m. - CBS

This will be the second time Pitt will be making the trip to El Paso for a bowl game under Pat Narduzzi. In 2018, the Panthers fell to Stanford 14-13. Pitt enters this game having lost five of their last six bowl games, with the only win during that span coming in the 2019 Quick Lane Bowl.

The Panthers will be without key players on both sides of the football in this game. Running back Israel Abanikanda, who rushed for 1,431 yards and 20 touchdowns this year, and leading tackler SirVocea Dennis have declared for the NFL Draft, while quarterback Kedon Slovis is transferring to BYU.

Unlike Pitt, UCLA has pretty much their whole roster available for Friday’s game. Dorian Thompson-Robinson will take the snaps, and be joined by running back Zach Charbonnet and wide receiver Jake Bobo. Even though Pitt likes to pride themselves on playing gritty football, they just don’t have the horses to keep up with a UCLA offense that averaged over 500 yards per game this year.

UCLA 37, Pitt 17


Gator Bowl: No. 21 Notre Dame (-2.5) v. No. 19 South Carolina - Friday 12/30 3:30 p.m. - ESPN

Marcus Freeman’s first season as head coach of the Fighting Irish certainly hasn’t been boring. Notre Dame opened up the year with losses to Ohio State and Marshall, lost starting quarterback Tyler Buchner to injury, and then went 8-2 in their final 10 games. Following the loss to USC, Drew Pyne announced he would be hitting the transfer portal, and we’ll see Buchner back behind center against the Gamecocks.

Not that South Carolina’s season was boring, either. For most of the year Spencer Rattler was a running joke because he wasn’t doing much of anything after transferring from Oklahoma. Then Rattler and the Gamecocks finished the regular season with wins over Tennessee and Clemson, with Rattler throwing for 438 yards against the Volunteers, followed by 360 yards in the 31-30 win over their in-state rival.

Not only will Notre Dame be trying to shake some of the rust off Buchner in this game, the quarterback will be without massive target Michael Mayer, who has declared for the NFL Draft. Even though Notre Dame did get better as the year went on, South Carolina will be a little sharper in this game.

South Carolina 28, Notre Dame 24


Arizona Bowl: Ohio (-1.5) v. Wyoming - Friday 12/30 4:00 p.m. - Barstool

Barstool is a cesspool and it’s a farce they have a bowl game. This is the only bowl game I can definitively tell you that I won’t be watching this year since I can’t under any circumstances support Dork Portnoy and the rest of the trash in that company.

Ohio puts the loss to Toledo in the MAC Championship Game behind them and wins their fourth straight bowl game. I would expand on why I picked the Bobcats but I’m not going to waste your time with a game I’m not going to watch one second of.

Ohio 31, Wyoming 20


Orange Bowl: No. 6 Tennessee v. No. 7 Clemson (-5) - Friday 12/30 8:00 p.m. - ESPN

This is going to be the orangest Orange Bowl to ever orange. The only way this Orange Bowl could be any oranger is if it was sponsored by Sunkist or Crush. Can we get Orange Cassidy (all my professional wrestling peeps will get that reference) on commentary or reffing this game?

It’s too bad we didn’t have a chance to see Hendon Hooker in this game. Maybe the Tennessee quarterback would have opted out, but the decision was made for him when he was injured in the 63-38 loss to South Carolina. Hooker was outstanding this year, throwing 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Also not available for the Volunteers in this game are wide receivers Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman.

It’s not like Clemson won’t be without a few players in this game, most notably defensive end Myles Murphy. Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei has already announced he is transferring to Oregon State, leaving freshman Cade Klubnik to take the snaps. Honestly though, Klubnik has already proven to be an upgrade, leading the Tigers to an easy 39-10 victory over North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game.

I can’t take Tennessee seriously with former Michigan man Joe Milton at quarterback. Not only that, Milton won’t have Tennessee’s two best wide receivers in this game. We are going to see a lot better effort from Clemson in this game, as they work to get Klubnik even more comfortable running the offense, sending the freshman into the offseason with plenty of confidence for 2023.

Clemson 38, Tennessee 23

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

Continue reading...

Column: Who will be the ‘next man up’ in the College Football Playoff?
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Because bowl games are where stars are born.

It would be folly to say we didn’t expect Marvin Harrison Jr. to be really good when he first arrived at Ohio State. However, every player has that game that puts them on the map, and Harrison’s performance in the 2022 Rose Bowl was truly his coming out party.

Harrison had five catches for 68 yards and zero touchdowns in three 2021 regular season games. Then he had six catches for 71 yards and three incredible acrobatic scores against Utah to give Ohio State the win in the Granddaddy of Them All.

We had high expectations for Harrison in 2022 and he’s certainly lived up to them. But it begs the obvious question: Who will be the ‘next man up’ in the College Football Playoff? The good news is we have some options.

Why no defensive players, you might ask? Well, the future of the Ohio State defense has already made itself known this season. Looking at you, J.T. Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer and Michael Hall.

Jayden Ballard

Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images

Ballard might be the most parallel comparison to Harrison when we consider where Harrison was this time last year. The redshirt freshman has eight catches for 155 yards and one touchdown this season with action in four games. Notably, four of those catches (and 113 of those yards and his single touchdown) all came against Toledo earlier this season.

Ballard is also behind Harrison on the depth chart. Harrison has a couple inches on the 6-foot-2 Ballard, but the more junior receiver also has hints of the hands and speed that have made Harrison so exciting to watch this season.

Gee Scott Jr.

Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Like Ballard, Scott came to Ohio State as a four-star receiver, but Scott has had another season to develop under the tutelage of the star receivers who came before him in Columbus. He’s also moving over to the tight end spot — one that Ohio State is incorporating more and more. Scott has five catches for 28 yards and a score this season. He saw similar numbers in 2021, when the rotation was so deep that it was impressive Scott managed five catches.

As C.J. Stroud will be looking for more outlets Saturday, Scott could be the mid-range target he needs in third-down situations.

Chip Trayanum

Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images

Of course there’s going to be a running back on this list, and of course it’s not going to be freshman Dallan Hayden, who’s already had three 100-yard games this season. Enter: Chip Trayanum, who’s listed at second on the depth chart behind Miyan Williams and who might just be the Trey Sermon of 2022.

Like Sermon, Trayanum came to Columbus as a transfer from Arizona State, though the younger back has more eligibility remaining. Though he came to Columbus to move back to linebacker, the needs of the many outweighed that pull and, alas, the transfer found himself lining up on offense for the first time against Iowa. Trayanum had 83 yards against Michigan which is certainly respectable against one of the top rushing defenses in the nation.

He’ll need another strong performance against the top rushing defense in the nation come Saturday.

Continue reading...

Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for December 28, 2022
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.

Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.

Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.

You’re welcome!

For your Earholes...


Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio

On the Gridiron


Ohio State’s Miyan Williams ‘under the weather’ but Buckeye running backs ‘at full force’ for CFB Playoff
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Buckeyes keeping same game-week routine amid busy bowl experience schedule
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Chip Trayanum hopes to stick at running back for Ohio State
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch

What are the injury situations for Georgia, Ohio State ahead of the Peach Bowl?
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land


Key Takeaways for Buckeyes offense ahead of Peach Bowl (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes

Ohio State Not Putting Much Stock in LSU’s Passing Success Against Georgia: “That Wasn’t Necessarily the Formula to Win the Game”
Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors

Busy Kevin Wilson is keeping focus on Ohio State before College Football Playoff run
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts


Ohio State coach Ryan Day identifies Georgia defense’s strength entering College Football Playoff’s Peach Bowl
Will Backus, 247Sports

‘You feel those guys on tape’: Buckeyes strapped in for fight with Georgia defensive line (paywall)
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row

Georgia D, Ohio State O set for a meeting years in the making (paywall)
Seth Emerson, The Athletic


Ohio State chasing championship, not perfection, in Peach Bowl (paywall)
Jeremy Birmingham, Dotting the Eyes

Stroud on task facing Georgia in Peach Bowl: ‘We have to play Buckeye football’
Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts

Ryan Day talks slowing down Georgia’s rushing attack
Kevin Flaherty, 247Sports


Changing of bowl seasons: Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr. went from future to leaders of Zone Six (paywall)
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row

We’ll talk about this later: They are who we thought they were (Bills fans, that is)
Meredith Hein, Land-Grant Holy Land

On the Hardwood


Chris Holtmann and Sean McNeil Reflect on Ohio State’s Start to 2022-23 Season, Preview Alabama A&M Matchup
Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors

Eugene Brown III will be available to play against Alabama A&M
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row

If you screw this up for us, Southwest, I’m never flying you again.


Brice Sensabaugh Wins Second Straight Big Ten Freshman of the Week Honor
Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors

Outside the Shoe and Schott


You’re Nuts: What is your new year’s resolution for any Ohio State team?
Brett Ludwiczak and Meredith Hein, Land-Grant Holy Land

And now for something completely different...


What an unmitigated disaster...


Continue reading...

Game Preview: No. 3 Ohio State travels to Northwestern
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ben Cole - Land-Grant Holy Land

Buckeyes women’s basketball resumes conference play, which will continue on through March Madness.

Wednesday, the Ohio State Buckeyes women’s basketball returns to conference play. On the schedule are the Northwestern Wildcats (6-5). In the first of two matchups of the season, the Buckeyes take on a Wildcats team without three-time B1G Defensive Player of the Year Veronica Burton, who left for the Dallas Wings of the WNBA.

For the Scarlet & Gray, they have their own issues to contend with, including playing with their third different starting point guard of the season and trying not to look ahead to New Year’s Eve.

Preview


Before the Christmas holiday weekend, the Ohio State Buckeyes had an up and down two days at the San Diego Invitational. Up because they beat a tough USF Bulls team in overtime and handled the No. 16 Oregon Ducks with relative ease. The down? Losing point guard Madison Greene to an apparent knee injury.

After sustaining the injury in the fourth quarter of the Dec. 20 win against USF, Greene didn't play the next day. Instead, veteran redshirt junior Rikki Harris came in and delivered. Literally.

Harris had eight assists in the first half, leading to a 54-37 first half lead. That production playing point guard for the first time in the starting lineup since high school. The guard from Indianapolis, Indiana isn’t a stranger to stepping into spots opened through injury though.

Last season, Harris jumped into the starting five after starting point guard Kateri Poole sustained an injury in Jan. 2022 that had head coach Kevin McGuff slide guard Jacy Sheldon into the facilitator role. Harris started through the end of the season.

This season, Harris took more of a “veteran off the bench” role, like forward Tanaya Beacham last season. Within 24 hours though, she slid into a role vacated by Greene and Sheldon, who’s nursing a lower leg injury.

Wednesday’s game against the Wildcats gives Harris a chance to get more practice under her belt at the position.

Missing guards Sheldon and Greene is tough. No team wants to go down their two starting point guards, but another gap it creates is in on-court experience. This season, when the Buckeyes needed a stable presence, it was Harris playing alongside either Greene or Sheldon who calmed the team down.

Now, that same caliber of veteran presence is gone — until Sheldon returns, putting Harris back as a sixth player. Fortunately for the Scarlet & Gray, they might not need it on Wednesday.

Northwestern is not a bad team, but this season they’ve struggled against top opponents. The Wildcats faced the Oregon Ducks on Nov. 7, tipping off the season, and lost 100-57. Against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish it was only slightly better, losing 92-58.

The Wildcats aren’t necessarily a bad team, but they’re a team undergoing changes. Burton’s absence is the largest, but stepping in on defensive duty is forward Caileigh Walsh. The 6-foot-3 sophomore’s come on strong this year, after working her way into the starting lineup last season.

Walsh leads the Wildcats with 13.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. She also has 17 blocks in 11 starts, good for fourth in the conference with a 1.5 blocks per game average.


Caileigh Walsh (10) provides presence in the paint in Wednesday’s game against the Buckeyes

At the San Diego Invitational, Ohio State had trouble against the bigs from USF and Oregon, with Bulls center Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu scoring 34 points and adding 17 rebounds. Although the Scarlet & Gray held Oregon’s Phillipina Kyei to no points scored the next night, the 6-foot-8 Canadian still grabbed 10 rebounds, making presence in the paint something to watch for Ohio State.

Also, even though those score lines from early in the season look bad, the team of eight underclassmen are starting to gel. Even though they’ve lost to the likes of the Michigan Wolverines and Duke Blue Devils, they’ve stayed in games longer and kept games closer.

Projected Lineups

Lineup Notes

• Forward Cotie McMahon’s moved her points per game average up to 11.5 over the past three weeks, highlighted by her 30-point performance against USF.
• Forward Taylor Thierry still leads the NCAA with a field goal percentage of 73% and has raised her freshman 2.9 ppg average up to 12.6 ppg this year.
• Five different Buckeyes have led the scoring for Ohio State so far this season.

Lineup Notes

• Point guard Kaylah Rainey sits 12th in the conference in assists.
• Northwestern is last in the B1G in threes made this season, hitting only 51 in 11 games.
• The Wildcats average the third most turnovers in the Big Ten, allowing 18.1 per game.

Prediction


The Buckeyes and the Wildcats shouldn’t be a game Ohio State loses, but with Michigan looming three days later, it wouldn’t be a shock to see a slow first half. Ohio State’s entered games against teams they are heavily favored to beat with less energy than coach McGuff’s liked. Northwestern has that kind of performance written all over it.

Even so, the scoring and defense is there to make it a tough 40 minutes for the Wildcats.

How to Watch


Date: Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Where: Welsh-Ryan Arena - Evanston, Illinois
Television: Big Ten Network
Stream: FOX Sports with Big Ten Network subscription

LGHL Prediction: 88-64 Ohio State Buckeyes

Cotie McMahon Goes Back-to-Back-to-Back


The Ohio State Buckeyes needed a hero against USF in the San Diego Invitational, and got it with freshman Cotie McMahon. McMahon scored a career-high 30 points against the Bulls. Beyond that, McMahon’s been the Buckeyes’ catalyst to start games with high energy and playing a key role in the Scarlet & Gray’s defensive press.

After an inconsistent start to the season, McMahon’s coming into her own quickly in her first collegiate season.

Continue reading...

Obviously. But the amount of freaking out since Nov 26th is over the top.

Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: Previewing College Football Playoff against Georgia
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Brooke LaValley/Columbus Dispatc / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Buckeyes will take on the nation’s No. 1 team on New Year’s Eve.

The latest episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s flagship podcast ‘Hangout in the Holy Land’ is here! Join LGHL’s co-managing editor Gene Ross alongside his co-host Josh Dooley as they cover everything from football to basketball to recruiting and more!

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio


The Holy Land boys are back with their first game preview episode in nearly five weeks! The time has finally come, as Ohio State will take the field for the first time since the loss to Michigan. In their way are the Georgia Bulldogs — the defending national champions and the No. 1 team in the country. Gene and Josh are here to break down Kirby Smart’s 2022 roster and how they match up with this year’s Buckeyes. What will it take for Ohio State to pull off the upset?

“Hangout in the Holy Land” will be posting two episodes per week during the regular season, with an episode before and after each Ohio State game to give you all the preview and recap content you may need. Be sure to download and listen in wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple to let us know your thoughts and how we can make things even better!

You can also follow us on Twitter @HolyLandPod, where we will want to hear from you guys even more! If there’s anything you’d like us to talk about on the show, @ us and let us know!

As always, Go Bucks.


Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @HolyLandPod

Connect with Gene:
Twitter: @Gene_Ross23

Connect with Josh
Twitter: @jdooleybuckeye

Continue reading...

Four-star athlete from Tennessee includes Ohio State as a top school
Bret Favachio via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Boo Carter | 247Sports

The Buckeyes remain a real threat for one of Tennessee’s top prospects in next years class.

Ohio State found themselves as a finalist for yet another blue-chip prospect on Tuesday, just 24 hours after a highly-coveted tight end did so. Plus, one transfer portal option for the Buckeyes came off the board to an SEC powerhouse.

Carter reveals top group


Fresh off of making the top three for tight end Christian Bentancur on Monday night, the Buckeyes found themselves in another top group on Tuesday. Narrowing down his list last night was 2024 four-star athlete Boo Carter of Brainerd (TN) and Ohio State was among the programs that remain an option for the Chattanooga native.


Carter trimmed down his list of over 30 scholarship opportunities and will now focus on the likes of Colorado, Michigan, Oregon, Tennessee, and of course the Buckeyes as potential options for him at the next level. The 247Sports Crystal Ball currently reads that the Volunteers are the team in the best position to land the in-state talent, but Ohio State was able to bring in the 5-foot-10, 184-pounder for a visit last month.

In a brief discussion with Chad Simmons of On3, Carter broke down his feelings on the handful of schools that remain in play and had this to say about the Buckeyes

“I have taken two visits to Ohio State and I have felt at home. Me and coach Alford have already had some great talks and he makes me feel comfortable. Ohio State likes me as a running back and they have had some great players come through there. I really liked the game-day atmosphere, the fans and the love the fans show the players. There is something about the feeling I had when I visited Ohio State. It is different.”

While Carter is listed as an athlete, he is a player that could play in the offensive or defensive side of the ball at the collegiate level. The Tennessee standout is being pursued by some as a running back while others are hoping to welcome his services to their respective defensive back room.

Carter currently slots in as a Top 300 prospect overall in next years cycle as he stands at No. 268 overall in the 247Sports Composite Rankings. The versatile prospect from the volunteer state is also penciled in as the 32nd highest graded athlete in the class and is the fifth best player from the state of Tennessee.

Buckeyes miss out on transfer TE


As expected, Ohio State came up empty handed in their pursuit of Maryland transfer tight end CJ Dippre, as the Pennsylvanian native announced his pledge to Alabama on Tuesday.


The Buckeyes were able to get the former Terrapin on campus for a visit but it never felt as if they were a serious contender and were likely more of just a hat on the table. With Dippre no longer an option, it is unclear if Ohio State will make a play for any other players at the position in the transfer portal but would obviously be unsurprising if they did.

Dippre will head to Tuscaloosa with a resume that features 33 receptions for 339 yards and 3 yards touchdowns over two seasons in College Park. The 6-foot-5, 260-pounder was a former three-star recruit that originally chose Maryland over offers from Boston College, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Temple, Virginia, and more.

Quick Hits

• 2024 three-star center Raleigh Burgess of Sycamore (OH) was named MVP in game two of the Holiday Hardwood Classic against Milford High School. The 6-foot-10, 205-pounder, who already holds an offer from Ohio State, finished with 20 points in the 59-45 win.

Continue reading...

Login to view embedded media
Can't wait for Reed to get a PAC-12 job in a couple of years, so he can go head-to-head against Deion Sanders.

I-70 Football Podcast: Big Ten recruiting, College Football Playoff semi-final previews
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

In this episode, we take a look at how each team’s recruiting class looks and preview the college football playoff semi-finals.

Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s I-70 podcast. On this show, we talk about all things Big Ten football and basketball. After every week of action, we will get you caught up on all the conference’s games and look ahead at the matchups, storylines, and players that you should be paying attention to in the next week. My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host Dante Morgan.

Listen to the episode and subscribe:


Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! The guys are back after spending the holidays with family to discuss Big Ten football. In between episodes the early signing period has come and gone and the future of the Big Ten is set, aside from a few transfers and some late signings. Ohio State’s reign in recruiting continues, it hasn’t translated on the field against Michigan but they continue to be the best recruiting program in the conference and one of the best in the nation.

Seeing that these 2023 recruits will most likely see most if not all of their playing time as members of the Big Ten we included USC and UCLA in this conversation. Penn State, USC, Michigan, and Michigan State round out the top five. There should be no surprises with that list, besides USC coming in at 15th in the country, behind Penn State at 14. This will probably be the lowest USC ends up in the Lincoln Riley era.

Transitioning back to on-field football Jordan and Dante preview the two college football playoff semi-final games. Starting with Ohio State vs. Georgia, the guys give Ohio State a 35% chance to upset Georgia. On paper Ohio State is pretty equal to Georgia, they both recruit at a high level and the Buckeyes have some clear advantages over the Bulldogs at quarterback and wide receiver.

Regardless, the game is won on the margins and Georgia has the better head coach, better strength and conditioning staff, and game plans around their player’s strengths better. Ryan Day will need to coach the best game of his career to put his team in a position to upset the reigning national champions. This game has a chance to be the best semi-final game in the four-team playoff era.

Michigan is the popular choice to beat TCU and make the national championship. Many people in the country are not giving TCU a real shot thinking that Michigan will steamroll them. Jordan disagrees with that assumption giving TCU a 45% chance to upset the Wolverines. TCU will be the toughest team mentally that Michigan has faced, their strategy of leaning on teams and throwing body punches until they quit won’t work against TCU.

Led by Max Duggan, TCU has fought back all season refusing to give up. If it comes down to Duggan vs. McCarthy we’re taking Duggan 100% of the time. Michigan has the physical advantage and they are the best team in the Big Ten, their winning won’t be a surprise but don’t count out the Horned Frogs.

In their pitstops, Jordan talks about the success of Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave in their rookie seasons. In the NFL, it is rare for rookie wide receivers to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards. Barring injury, both players will reach 1k yards and one will most likely win offensive rookie of the year. Dante complains about the NBA games played on Christmas. The games were far from interesting this year with player injuries and blowouts.


Connect with us on Twitter:

Jordan: @JordanW330
Dante: @DanteM10216

Continue reading...

What are the injury situations for Georgia, Ohio State ahead of the Peach Bowl?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Brooke LaValley / USA TODAY NETWORK

Miyan Williams is apparently sick today, but otherwise should be as close to 100% as he has been in a while.

By the time the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes and the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs take to the field in Atlanta for the Peach Bowl, it will have been 35 days since OSU last played a football game and 28 for the Dawgs. During that time period, both teams have had an opportunity to get guys healthy so that they are entering the College Football Playoff as close to 100% as humanly possible.

Of course, since college football coaches are paranoid and refuse to share any information whatsoever that they don't absolutely have to, we don’t really know what’s going on in the injury department, but let’s take a look at what we know from each team.

At this point, all of the injuries have likely been baked into the odds and, unless something major happens between now and Saturday, the lines won’t change too dramatically. Currently, DraftKings Sportsbook has the Buckeyes as 6.5-point underdogs with a 62.5-point over/under line.

Georgia Injury Situation


Even though the Bulldogs routed LSU in the SEC Championship Game, two starters had to leave the contest due to injuries. The team’s No. 1 wide receiver Ladd McConkey left the game with an apparent knee injury. Of course, for the UGA offense, being the No. 1 WR doesn’t mean that you are the No. 1 pass catcher. While McConkey has 51 receptions for 675 yards and five scores, he is behind tight end Brock Bowers in all three of those categories (although just by a single reception).

The other noteworthy injury from the SEC title Game was to right offensive tackle Warren McClendon who reportedly sustained an “upper-leg injury” during the game. McClendon has started 37 consecutive games for the Bulldogs.

During his media availability on Monday, UGA head coach Kirby Smart declined to provide any specific status updates on either player, opting instead to keep it vague... something that Buckeye fans are very familiar with from Ryan Day.

“We’re excited to get those guys hopefully back,” Smart said, “and we’ll see how they do this week.”

Certainly not a full-throated declaration that both will be playing, but not ruling them out completely either. so instead of having any clarity on the situation, we — along with the Ohio State team — are left having to wait and see what the situation will be for both players on Saturday.

While losing any starter is less than desirable, these won’t likely be death blows for the UGA offense, even if both are out. While McConkey is the team’s leading wide receiver, as I mentioned before, Bowers is their primary receiving weapon and running back Kenny McIntosh is the team’s third-leading receiver. So the WR passing game is not exactly at the center of the Dawgs’ offensive attack.

As far as McClendon goes, while he has started every game for practically three seasons, on depth charts, Georgia lists him as a co-starter with sophomore Amarius Mims. While the veteran has gotten the nod, clearly the coaching staff sees something from Mims, meaning that with nearly a month to prep, should he be called upon in the Peach Bowl, Buckeye fans shouldn’t expect a major decline in protection.

Earlier in the month, Smart said that the pair was getting some work in, but hadn’t really rejoined the team on the practice field.

“I don’t know when exactly we’ll get those guys back,” Smart said. “They’re not practicing with us right now, but they’re conditioning. They’re going and moving around, but they’re not practicing just yet.”

Whether they have fully gotten back into the flow of practices is not yet fully known. There is at least one other Georgia injury worth noting, but it isn’t anything new. The Bulldogs lost linebacker Nolan Smith in the team’s 42-20 win over Florida in late October. The defensive leader tore his pectoral muscle and underwent season-ending surgery to repair it. At the time, Smith had 18 tackles — seven for loss, including three sacks, which was the team lead at the time.

Though the defense has responded since Smith’s departure, and Jalen Carter is unquestionably the star of the unit, losing a player who was considered a first-round draft pick had he stayed healthy is always difficult to replace.

Ohio State Injury Situation


As we have chronicled throughout the season, the injury bug has bitten the Buckeyes in the butt at nearly every turn. From week to week, one was never sure who was going to be active and who wasn’t; which running back would be carrying the rock, and which one would be in a walking boot; which cornerback would be on the sideline with a strained hammy, and which one would be on the field with a cast on his hand.

If there is any silver lining to the Buckeyes losing to Michigan on Nov. 26 (and it is difficult for me to even wrap my head around there being a positive out of that) it is that they got an extra week to get healthy without having to risk anyone else getting beaten up in the Big Ten Championship Game.

There has been precious little said about the Buckeye cornerbacks in terms of their health recently, so we’re hoping that no news is good news. If OSU can roll out a healthy Cam Brown, Jordan Hancock, and Denzel Burke, that would be a huge positive for the team. Even though UGA’s wide receivers are not likely to light the world on fire, that is mostly because of the style of offense, rather than their athletic abilities. But, if Ohio State’s CBs can play them one on one, that will open up safeties to cover the tight ends and running backs who are even more likely to catch balls for the Dawgs.

But in terms of specifics, it sounds like both offensive guard Matt Jones and running back Miyan Williams are nearing 100%, although Williams missed a media availability on Tuesday due to illness. Given his injury issues this season, I’m just glad if he had to get sick that it was early in the week and not later.

OSU out-going offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said that Jones has been practicing for the past two weeks after dealing with a severely sprained ankle that kept him out of the regular-season finale against the Wolverines. so while Josh Fryar and Enokk Vimahi could likely go if necessary, it sounds like Jones will be back in the starting rotation.

In terms of Williams’ health, quarterback C.J. Stroud said that the RB is looking more like his old self in practice lately, which should be good news for the offensive; having a legitimate running threat to balance out the pass-first attack should hopefully keep the Georgia defense at least a little bit on its toes.

Of course, the biggest injury news for Ohio State since the end of the regular season was getting official confirmation that neither Jaxon Smith-Njigba nor TreVeyon Henderson would be playing in the game. JSN has been hampered with a nagging hamstring injury that has reemerged as an issue every time he attempted to play this season, and Henderson has undergone surgery on his foot.

Obviously having two of the most talented players in the country at their positions would have been a major boon for the Buckeyes as they head into the CFP, they have primarily played all season without Smith-Njigba, and Henderson (like Williams) has been in and out of the lineup so much, that I’m not sure that the offense was ever able to solidify a singular running identity with either back. So, perhaps it is better that they know for sure who their starting running back is (unless Woody forbid something else happens) so that a game plan can be built around what Miyan brings to the table.

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

Continue reading...

You’re Nuts: What is your new year’s resolution for any Ohio State team?
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.

New year, new me; it’s resolution time! As we enter 2023, we’re probably all thinking of goals we want to achieve this year. Some of the most common resolutions include living healthier, personal improvement, weight loss, career goals and financial goals, and we probably have our own methods of trying to achieve them.

However, since we’re us, Brett and Meredith also thought through resolutions they have for Ohio State and what we’d like them to achieve this year. And while most people give up on their New Year’s resolutions by February. But Brett and Meredith are hoping Ohio State can keep them up longer — at least through March.

Today’s question: What is your new year’s resolution for any Ohio State team?

We’d love to hear your choices. Either respond to us on Twitter at @Landgrant33 or leave your choice in the comments.

Brett’s answer: For the Ohio State men’s basketball team to stop losing on the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament


The last time the Ohio State men’s basketball team made it out of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament was back in 2013, when they lost in the Elite Eight to Wichita State. Since then, the Buckeyes have made the NCAA Tournament six times, losing in their first game twice, and in the second round four times.

The lack of a Sweet Sixteen appearance has some Ohio State fans questioning if Chris Holtmann is the right man for the job despite Holtmann winning at least 20 games in each of his first five seasons in Columbus. Even though Ohio State looks like they’ll be headed towards another 20-win season, I’ve already seen people assuming the Buckeyes will waste this season and get bounced early in March.

I love March Madness, whether Ohio State makes a run in the tournament or not. Buckeye Nation is due to see the shootyhoops team threaten to make a Final Four. Plus, this team has a great mix of players that could do some damage in the tournament. Not only are Zed Key and Justice Sueing fun to watch when they are on, Holtmann has brought in a couple talented freshmen in Brice Sensabaugh and Bruce Thornton.

It feels like a bit of a must to make a deeper journey into the tourney this year, since Sensabaugh is looking like he could be a one-and-done player, and the Buckeyes already wasted the little bit of time they had Malaki Branham last year.

While I’ve been a Holtmann defender over the last few years — since it’s hard to think of a realistic replacement that would be better than the Ohio State head coach — my position would undoubtedly change if we got another season that ended with an early NCAA Tournament exit.

Meredith’s answer: For the Ohio State women’s basketball team to make a Final Four


I’m also going to stick with hoops and resolve for a Final Four appearance from the Ohio State women’s basketball team. In a time when it feels like parity is finally coming into play for women’s hoops, Kevin McGuff has had the Buckeyes well-positioned for a run in recent years. This year could be the time they break it open.

A good resolution follows SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely) goal setting practices. A Final Four run for the women’s team would be a natural extension of last year’s success, which saw the Buckeyes’ first Sweet Sixteen appearance since 2017. They also won the Big Ten regular season in 2022.

Speaking of which, the Big Ten is on the rise on the national stage when it comes to women’s hoops. Though perennial powers like South Carolina, Stanford and UConn remain teams to beat, undefeated Ohio State remains No. 3 in the AP Poll this week, just ahead of Indiana. Iowa, Michigan and Maryland are also contenders for a conference title.

Ohio State hasn’t made a Final Four since 1993, which feels like the Golden Age of Ohio State women’s basketball, but they have all the pieces to be able to make a run this season. Six players, including a healthy mix of new faces and veterans, are averaging in double figures as the team enters the meat of conference play.

Continue reading...

Bucks back in action on Thursday

We’ll talk about this later: They are who we thought they were (Bills fans, that is)
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images

Your dose of lighthearted takes from this week’s happenings.

Each week, we’ll break down something that happened during the Ohio State game (and occasionally other games and events) that we’ll be talking about for a while—you know, the silly sideline interactions, the awful announcing and the weird storylines that stick with us for years to come. We’ll also compare each of these happenings to memorable moments in pop culture, because who doesn’t love a good Office reference?

Hoping you all had a very Merry Christmas! Amid the gifts this weekend brought us were a host of NFL games starting on Christmas Eve, including the Buffalo Bills traveling to Chicago to take on the Bears.

Saturday was famously chilly in the Windy City. As dangerous weather crossed the nation, the story of the NFL weekend quickly became the sub-zero temperatures and wind chills that would set the stage for the day’s matchups.


For my part, Christmas Eve morning found me at brunch with my husband ahead of the matinee performance of The Nutcracker here in Chicago. It was interesting enough that the Joffrey Ballet’s interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s most well known work included scenes from the 1892 World’s Fair — which happened to feature a vignette of “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show” on the day the modern football Bills were visiting the city.

As we traversed perhaps 100 yards from our parking spot to brunch, I feared my excessive outerwear would not be enough to sustain me and I would end up frozen like Anna at the crescendo of Frozen.


Thawing indoors, I glanced outside the window to see a Bills fan clearly moving toward a tailgate. Wearing a hoodie and jeans, he carried in his ungloved hands an unopened pack of hand warmers, a bottle of Bulleit and a Diet Coke.

When I imagine the mythical Buffalo fan, this dude — outside, rawdogging it on a -10 degree morning while walking much more than 100 yards — was exactly it. Like Dennis Green famously said of the Chicago Bears, they are what we thought they were.


When it came to the game itself, of course Buffalo was prepared to handle a struggling Bears squad whatever the weather. And also deal with the snow when they got back home.


Continue reading...

247
Rivals
Twitter
HudL




Class: 2025
School: Alpharetta (GA) Alpharetta
Position: TE
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 220 lbs

Login to view embedded media