Great night for the Cavs, nice cap off to their incredible Championship run.

However, the hero of the night, the brightest shining star of the night goes to Craig Sager. As I remember, dude was told he had 3 weeks to live 6 months ago. His heart felt speech tonight was simply amazing. To anyone out there felling sorry for themself tonight, listen to this man's speech. 1/2 empty glasses will immediately become 1/2 full. A partly cloudy day will become mostly sunny, and ANYTHING that you happen to be pissed off about will seem irrelevant if you take a step back and just think about it for a moment..

Craig is "Jimmy-V" on earth. I lost my dad to cancer almost 9 years ago. I'm sure countless other on this site have lost others as well. Craig does an incredible job of keeping things in perspectice and keeping the hope alive that someday cancer will be treated like a wart. Great man, great inspiration!

KEEP FIGHTING CRAIG! Want YOU to interview LeBron in 2017 post-game after the Cavs Re-Peat!

Peace

Can Rutgers beat Ohio State football? A 2 percent chance the Buckeyes could lose - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Can Rutgers beat Ohio State football? A 2 percent chance the Buckeyes could lose
cleveland.com
Week before the OSU game: The Buckeyes will be opening Big Ten play following their only bye week, while Rutgers will be coming off the start of conference play against Iowa. This will be the Scarlet Knights' first Big Ten road game, though they do ...
Major Crystal Ball for the Buckeyes247Sports
Ohio State football | Elite camp gives recruits a chance to connectColumbus Dispatch
Can the Ohio State Buckeyes continue their recent run of success?Blasting News
247Sports.com -Scarlet and Game
all 49 news articles »

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Buckeyes' Young Secondary Will Face Major Early Test - Scarlet and Game
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes' Young Secondary Will Face Major Early Test
Scarlet and Game
As we dive deeper into the summer days, fall camp and the beginning of the 2016 season inch closer and closer. For Urban Meyer and his young team, it is getting down to crunch time as they look to replace a wealth of starters who are now preparing for ...

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In the market for some long handled torx drivers up to T50 size and a ball-head ratchet/driver and thinking about switching from Sears to Lowes. Craftsman hasn't been made in the USA for over a decade and the quality of the metal and finish has really declined. I know Kobalt used to be a label under Snap On until Lowes bought the name for the their house brand and moved production overseas, but I've still heard good things about the Kobalt tools manufactured recently. They certainly look nicer and more ergonomic.

What say you BP mechanics?

I'm between these two brands for the lifetime warranty/local brick-and-mortar exchange, so I'm going to ignore suggestions to order something off of Harbor Freight.

Can Rutgers beat Ohio State football? A 2 percent chance the Buckeyes could lose - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Can Rutgers beat Ohio State football? A 2 percent chance the Buckeyes could lose
cleveland.com
Week before the OSU game: The Buckeyes will be opening Big Ten play following their only bye week, while Rutgers will be coming off the start of conference play against Iowa. This will be the Scarlet Knights' first Big Ten road game, though they do ...
Major Crystal Ball for the Buckeyes247Sports
Ohio State football | Elite camp gives recruits a chance to connectColumbus Dispatch
Can the Ohio State Buckeyes continue their recent run of success?Blasting News
Land-Grant Holy Land -The Buckeye Battle Cry -scitech nation (press release) (blog)
all 47 news articles »

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Braxton Miller’s only concern with the Houston Texans is making plays
Harry Lyles Jr. via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Good news: That’s what he does.

“When asked on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday to define his role as a rookie, Miller had a simple response: ‘Playmaker.’”

- Kevin Patra, NFL.com


Braxton Miller’s role with the Houston Texans has often been described as multidimensional by the team due to his multiple abilities on the football field. He was also drafted as a wide receiver, after playing his final season with the Buckeyes at h-back. He’s got the speed, strength, and shiftiness to do whatever is asked of him out on the field. But Miller doesn’t seem so concerned with putting a title on what he’s going to be classified on the field. As he told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday, he just plans on making plays.

"Just a playmaker. I'll play slot, outside, inside, play running back. Just whatever is in the game plan. I'm capable of playing any position," he told SiriusXM NFL Radio. That’s pretty much the mentality that Miller and any Buckeye to wear the scarlet and gray under Urban Meyer have acted. They’re willing to do what the team needs them to do to win. Miller knows his best strength is making plays, and he doesn’t care how he does it. He wants to do it, and he wants the team to win. His move to the pro game will be something that will be more interesting to watch, just because of his lack of experience outside of the quarterback position. But Miller feels that he’s made good adjustments, and will be able to contribute.

“The results of Russell’s offseason regiment have been seen on the floor at the Las Vegas Summer League, where he is averaging 22.7 points through three games.”

- Joey Ramirez, NBA.com


D’Angelo Russell is having a good offseason thus far for the Los Angeles Lakers, and it’s something he’s needed after a good, but frustrating and controversial rookie season. He’s been performing great in the NBA summer league games, but his strength and conditioning is going up a notch. Lakers strength and conditioning coach Tim DiFrancesco has been working with Russell, who seems to have the drive and hunger to get better.

One way this has showed, is his ability to post up smaller opponents. Russell has great size for a point guard at 6’5, and with his weightlifting and increased strength, he’s been able to take advantage of that more now than ever. DiFrancesco has been putting a focus in on Russell’s lower half, which is obviously key in the game of basketball. The drive Russell is able to get from his lower half is huge, especially when you have footwork as good as his. “He really wants to be able to have people see that he’s not just like an average athlete,” DiFrancesco told Ramirez. If Russell keeps this up, he’ll certainly show people just that.

“Last summer Jared Sullinger embarked on a personal improvement journey that turned out to be a waste of time.”

- Mark Murphy, Boston Herald


Jared Sullinger had a great offseason last year. He lost weight, and improved his conditioning, but it unfortunately went to waste during the season, where he apparently weighed over 300 pounds. Now, that’s different when you stand at 6’9 like Sullinger, but that’s still a big frame. Sullinger wasn’t happy with himself and how he let the hard work get away, and he didn’t perform as well as he believed he could have in a contract year. “Jared understands that if he had controlled his situation better, his options would have been better,” his agent David Falk told Murphy.

But now Sullinger is in Toronto, on a one-year deal worth $6 million. While it’s not the most ideal situation, Sullinger is still on an Eastern Conference playoff caliber team, and has another chance to prove himself. The NBA’s salary cap will be going up once again next year, and if he’s able to make a big impact in Toronto, it will pay off just as it did for Bismack Biyombo this past season. And he’s aware of what he needs to do. “What happened the last two weeks has been major wake-up call for him,” Falk told Murphy. “He’s in the gym twice a day. He knows what he has to do.” It’s unfortunate that it didn’t work out for Sully in Boston, but with a change of scenery and a second chance, he can more than make up for it moving forward.

“‘Ebner’s chances [to make the team] were slim,’ but when asked a follow-up he changed ‘the odds to 50-50.’”

- United States Rugby head coach Mike Friday, via Rich Hill, Pats Pulpit


The United States Rugby Sevens Olympic team will be announced on July 18, and former Ohio State Buckeye Nate Ebner is hoping to see his name on the roster. Ebner was a big rugby star before he joined the Buckeyes football team, and has always kept the rugby dream in his mind, especially in honor of his father. Now, he’s got the chance as rugby makes its first Olympic appearance in 92 years.

If Ebner makes the squad, the Olympics will overlap with the start of training camp, but all indications through the offseason have shown head coach Bill Belichick being fine with this. “Even though he will be away from our team during an important period of our off-season, he will still be getting excellent physical training and I expect him to be ready for the football season like he always is,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick told the LA Times. While his odds are apparently 50-50 to make the team

STICK TO SPORTS

• The Columbus Clippers are opening Huntington Park tomorrow for Pokemon Go
• A review of the new Ghostbusters movie
• BitTorrent will launch an online TV news channel next week

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Urban Meyer stands by Greg Schiano after he denies Jerry Sandusky allegations
Matt Brown via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Ohio State coach says his long-time friend told him about the situation months ago.

Tuesday morning, Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano’s name appeared in an unsealed deposition from former Penn State assistant coach Mike McQueary, who claimed that Schiano was privy to sexual assault involving former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.

Schiano, in a text message to NFL reporter Adam Schefter and from his own Twitter account, denied the allegations, saying that he was unaware of any abuse occurring while he coached at Penn State.

Now, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer has weighed in, and he supports his assistant coach.

On Wednesday, The Toledo Blade spoke to Meyer at a golf event, where Meyer reiterated that he was aware of the allegations, and supported Schiano:


The other assistant coach named in the deposition, former Penn State assistant and current UCLA defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, has also denied knowledge of Sandusky’s crimes while at Penn State.

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5 Ohio State NFL players who are hoping to earn a roster spot in 2016
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Will these Buckeyes get a shot at a long-term career in the NFL?

While loads of Buckeye rookies will be contributing for their new NFL teams this fall, there are some incoming players who might have to work a little harder to wiggle their way onto the starting roster. Despite not having a starting role right away, these players are still likely to make the final 53-man rosters in August and see at least some playing time during the regular season.

The 2016 season could prove to be make or break for at least five former Ohio State players as they try to navigate their way in the NFL. Both Cardale Jones and Adolphus Washington were drafted to the Bills, with the remaining three Buckeyes signing on to various teams as undrafted free agents.

Adolphus Washington


Drafted with the expectation that the Buckeye would see playing time early in the 2016 regular season, he’ll need to show improvements throughout the summer and into training camp if he wants to earn and keep a starting role.

The lineman saw some additional snaps during OTAs due to Kyle Williams unable to participate following his knee injury last season. These reps should hopefully get the rookie comfortable in his new scheme, as well as allow him to grow in some of the areas, like with “gap-responsibility and going down the line of scrimmage to make plays”.

While he could see some time as a starter, unless things turn around quickly this might be his role more toward the end of the season, with him starting the 2016 campaign being utilized more in passing situations and less on first or second downs.

Cardale Jones


Ahead of the draft, coach Urban Meyer commented on the potential of Jones’ success at the next level, where Meyer noted importance of a coaching staff that establishes a rapport with Jones on and off the field. The stars may have aligned for both the Buffalo Bills and Cardale Jones with this one.

During rookie camp, Bills head coach Rex Ryan called the rookie quarterback and told him to head to the airport — it turned out that Ryan was sending Jones back to Ohio to witness the birth of his second child. Ryan surprised both Jones and fans when he put the quarterback’s personal life ahead of rookie camp, but it’s moves like that that will quickly establish the relationship Jones needs from his coach to be successful.


With the Bills still looking at Tyrod Taylor as the starter and future of the franchise, Jones’ arm strength is still lauded in the pros. With a year of development — and following a year of contract negotiations that have broken any and all salary ceilings -- Jones could find himself in a bigger role while still under a rookie contract.

Tyvis Powell


One of the more shocking developments from the 2016 NFL Draft was the fast that Powell never heard his name called. He put on a brave face on Twitter, sharing inspirational quotes and promises not to give up, all while in the background negotiating with several teams who were interested in the safety.

After toying with several offers, Powell chose to head to Seattle and work for his chance to join the infamous “Legion of Boom”. Even without an opportunity to start right away with the defense, just the ability to learn from players like Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas will do more for his training than most rookies get to utilize.

Powell will go into a deep backup safety competition, but could land on the roster as a backup as a third safety. In the meantime, Powell — like so many other rookies -- will try his hand on special teams and try to find a niche somewhere on the field to garner playing time come the regular season.

Chase Farris


When the Godfather of lineman calls you a steal, people listen. Former Buckeye and NFL player-turned trainer LeCharles Bentley lauded Farris’ ability following the NFL Draft and made note that he could end up being a big steal for the Detroit Lions.

Signed as an undrafted free agent, Bentley likens Farris to one of the best undrafted players in the league -- Jason Peters.

"I'm not saying he's going to be Jason Peters, but he's the type of guy who in 24 months could legitimately be a top-five starting guard in the National Football League," Bentley said, according to MLive.

Farris has played on all sides of the ball since his high school career, and could land at guard for his new team. If he doesn’t earn a starting role early on, he could benefit from a year on the practice squad before having a monumental second season.

Jalin Marshall


There was a lot of skepticism surrounding Marshall's decision to leave Ohio State early and try his hand at the NFL. At the NFL Scouting Combine he gave interviews from the round table vs podium, and they aired his 40-yard dash times after commercial; he was steadfast that declaring for the draft was the best move for him, but he faced the consequences in late-April when he went undrafted.

Marshall’s skill set and build makes him a perfect special teamer. His speed and catching ability could land him a roster spot solely for his contributions to special teams. Not that he’s giving up on the chance to be an offensive weapon for the Jets, but with successful veterans lined up ahead of him, that time is much further in the future.

One thing that does set the youngster apart from his much more experienced teammates — his speed -- which could wind up being a game changer for the Jets offense.


Marshall joins fellow Buckeye Devin Smith in New York (New Jersey), who is still looking to make some kind of impact at the next level following rehab on his knee.

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BM5: Schiano's denial enough? Outlook of OSU's 2016 season - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


BM5: Schiano's denial enough? Outlook of OSU's 2016 season
247Sports
What is the outlook for the 2016 Buckeyes? Will they be Big Ten champions? Will they advance to the College Football Playoff? Castel gives his opinion on all of that. What's next for the Buckeyes? Make sure you're in the loop -- take five seconds to ...
Newly unsealed documents reveal explosive details of Sandusky casekfor.com
Testimony claims Greg Schiano, current Ohio State assistant, knew of Jerry Sandusky child abuse in 1990scleveland.com
Ohio State football | Schiano denies allegation he saw sexual abuse at Penn StateColumbus Dispatch
CBS Local -247Sports
all 280 news articles »

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A Way Too Early Look at Ohio States 2018 Offensive Recruiting Board
Ben van Ooyen via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


We are still a year and a half away from national signing day for 2018, but it’s exciting to see what kind of talent the Buckeyes have to look forward to in a couple years. Unlike this year – only five seniors will leave after next season. Ohio State stands to lose over 20 players to graduation next year. That will free up a lot of scholarships and give the Buckeyes considerable wiggle room in the recruiting game.

Currently, Ohio State doesn’t have a commitment from anyone in the class of 2018, but that’s bound to change sooner rather than later. A lot of quality players in the class of 2018 have already made their college preferences known, and quite a few of them have the Ohio State Buckeyes atop their lists.

Let’s take a look at who Ohio State might be in the running for next recruiting cycle.

Quarterbacks:

The Buckeyes are in wait-and-see mode with Emory Jones out of Franklin, Georgia. He visited back in June and followed that up with visits to Clemson and Tennessee. Jones currently holds 18 offers, but it seems to be down to the Buckeyes and the Volunteers, with Clemson on the outside looking in. He was pretty much all Vol before Ohio State got involved, but since then the needle has moved in favor of the Buckeyes. Jones is set to visit Tennessee again before making his way north to be a part of Friday Night Lights. Rumor has it he’s thinking about committing this summer, and his choice might become clearer after his visits at the end of July.

The Buckeyes have also offered spots to three other quarterbacks. Artur Sitkowski hails from New Jersey – which seems to be a recruiting hot bed for Michigan right now – and currently holds a 75% crystal ball prediction to the Wolverines. Casey Thompson, from Moore, Oklahoma, is expected to stay down south, most likely at Oklahoma. Jalen Mayden is the last of the quarterbacks with an offer for 2018, and Ohio State is his biggest offer to date.

The Buckeyes already have two quarterbacks slated for the class of 2017, so if Jones commits to the Buckeyes, then I believe quarterback recruiting will be closed for 2018.

Running Backs:

Teams usually take two running backs each year to stockpile talent, and I don’t expect 2018 to be any different. So far the Buckeyes have offers out to eight running backs, and only one – James Cook – has committed (to Florida State). The best bet to become a Buckeye is certainly Jaelen Gill from Westerville South, Ohio. Gill has long been considered a Buckeye lean; however, he continues to make visits across the country. He was one of the few kids from the 2018 class to be invited to the prestigious Opening out in Oregon, where he was surrounded by a lot of future Buckeye commitments. I think he’ll continue making visits, and I don’t see him making a decision soon. When he does, though, I expect him to end up in Columbus.

The Buckeyes also have offers out to most of the other top backs in the country, including Zamir White from North Carolina, Lorenzo Lingard from Florida, and Ricky Slade from Virginia. It looks like White will stay down in the SEC or ACC, and Lingard is 100% crystal-balled to Florida State. This leaves Slade as my early pick to be the second back in this class. He’s been getting a lot of attention from Penn State and Virginia Tech recently, and he already has 25 offers to his name. Right now, Slade has a 57% crystal ball prediction to Ohio State, with Penn State and South Carolina also receiving predictions. He’ll be at Penn State for its Lasch Bash this weekend and then at Florida for its Friday Night Lights.

Other backs who have received offers are Brian Snead out of Florida and T.J. Pledger and Maurice Washington out of California. Washington just received his offer after camping at Ohio State, and the Buckeyes immediately picked up a crystal ball prediction for him. It’s still really early in the recruiting process for these kids, so I don’t expect to see much action before their junior seasons get underway this fall.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends:

The Buckeyes still don’t have a commitment from a wide receiver or tight end in the 2017 class, but that’s likely to change in a big way at the end of August when Trevon Grimes and Tyjon Lindsey announce their schools of choice. I fully expect the Buckeyes to nab two or three wide outs for the class of 2017, and all of them will be high-star recruits.

What does that mean for future recruiting outlooks? It means the Buckeyes’ wide receiver room will be full come 2018. Unless we see some transfers or medical issues, the wide receiver position will have 11-12 scholarship players headed into the 2018 season. However, I can see the Buckeyes trying to lure a couple of wide outs and a tight end in this class, especially since they don’t look to be taking a tight end in the 2017 class.

Here are some names to keep an eye on just in case. Jalen Hall – the consensus #1 wide receiver in the class of 2018 – has 28 offers and is trending towards USC, which is his hometown school. Brian Hightower is another with a Buckeye offer, and he’s playing his high school ball at the IMG Academy along with a slew of other Ohio State commitments and targets. Jahan Dotson from Pennsylvania, Kamryn Babb from Missouri, and Elijah Moore from St. Thomas Aquinas in Florida are three other 2018 kids with current offers from Ohio State. Matthew Hill out of Snellville, Georgia is the latest to receive an offer.

Jermaine Eskridge and L’Christian Smith are currently listed as athletes, but they’re likely to play wide receiver. Eskridge will be visiting for Friday Night Lights later this month, but with 47 offers on the table, he could go anywhere. He’s the #7 athlete in the class of 2018, and right now his predictions are split between Florida and Kentucky. We’ll see if his visit to Ohio State has any effect on his recruitment.

Smith is from Ohio, which usually means the scarlet and grey is a forgone conclusion. He’s been getting a lot of attention from Michigan State lately, though, and I expect other top-ranked programs will battle for his services. Although I think Smith ends up a Buckeye, this one is far from over.

The Buckeyes took three tight ends in the 2016 class and likely won’t take one in the 2017 class. That means they’ll probably take one in the class of 2018. Right now they have offers out to three: Zack Kuntz from Pennsylvania, Mustapha Muhammad from Texas, and Jeremy Ruckert from New York. I think Ohio State will be very selective in its tight end recruitment, so don’t expect a commitment for a while.

Offensive Line:

The Buckeyes are coming off an impressive haul of linemen from the 2017 class – assuming everyone remains committed – and I expect them to continue to hoard high- level talent at this position, especially with Greg Studrawa joining Ed Warinner to coach the offensive line. You can always assume teams to take at least three linemen in a given year – sometimes upwards of 5. A couple of players haven’t panned out at this point, so the Buckeyes might be inclined to take more to fill in those holes. Until we know the transfer situation, however, this is all just assumption.

Let’s start off with Jackson Carman shall we? He’s the #3 offensive tackle recruit in the country, and he hails from Ohio. Unsurprisingly, he has nine crystal ball projections, and every one of them points to the Buckeyes. He has over 30 offers currently, but it would shock me if this one goes anywhere but Ohio State.

The Buckeyes have offers out to a few other linemen in this class like Darrell Simpson out of Texas, Michael Thompson out of Missouri and Nicholas Petit-Frere from Florida. The Buckeyes have offers out to at least five other linemen in this class, including Verdis Brown from Illinois, Will Lawrence from Tennessee, and Dylan Wonnum from Georgia. Right now, Brown is the only one of them with a crystal ball prediction to Ohio State.

Other than Carman, there really isn’t another name that sticks out to me as a potential Buckeye, but that will change over the next few months as visits are scheduled and lists are cut.

Summary:

Yes, it’s way too early to talk about 2018 recruiting since the 2017 class won’t be finalized for another six months, but that’s the fun in recruiting. We can speculate and guess all we want until the kids sign on the dotted lines in February. With Urban Meyer at the helm, I expect the Buckeyes to continue recruiting at a historic pace. He’s been able to attract attention from the best in the country, not just in Ohio and the surrounding states. Once we know more about the scholarship situation, we can make a better hypothesis on how this class will end up. For now, we can just sit back, watch what takes place over the new few months, and revel in the success.

The post A Way Too Early Look at Ohio States 2018 Offensive Recruiting Board appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Morning Roundup: Trump now leading Clinton in key battleground states, plus Buckeyes coach denies seeing abuse at ... - Columbus Business First
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Morning Roundup: Trump now leading Clinton in key battleground states, plus Buckeyes coach denies seeing abuse at ...
Columbus Business First
Morning Roundup: Trump now leading Clinton in key battleground states, plus Buckeyes coach denies seeing abuse at Penn State. Jul 13, 2016, 7:46am EDT. Industries & Tags: Roundup · Doug Buchanan Managing editor-digital Columbus Business First.

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Ohio State has two more commitments for Friday Night Lights
Austin Kemp via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Another 4-star and 5-star recruit will be heading to Columbus, Ohio in the next couple weeks

With The Opening in the rearview mirror, there's one more big-time camp that will put Ohio State in the spotlight– Friday Night Lights. FNL isn't too far away, and the closer we get to it, the more we will hear about prospects confirming their plans to attend it, or not attend it. Yesterday, a couple prospects made it apparent that Friday Night Lights is in their plans.

2018 4-star CB “likely” to be at Friday Night Lights


Cornerback Houston Griffith (Chicago, IL / Mount Caramel) made his intentions known on Tuesday that he plans to be at Ohio State for Friday Night Lights in less than two weeks. Griffith picked up an Ohio State offer back in June. A four-star prospect, Griffith holds 21 total offers as it stands right now and is ranked as the No.7 overall cornerback in the class of 2018. Being from Chicago, Notre Dame is thought to be the favorite with Michigan State chasing the Irish. However, a good visit to Columbus could change things and vault Ohio State into a position to make a run.

Griffith has ideal cornerback size at an even 6-foot, 180 pounds. His length presents challenges for receivers to deal with, especially in man-to-man coverage where he's able to extend his arms on receivers right away. The Buckeyes need Griffith to be on campus this summer at some point and Friday Night Lights could be what they need to jumpstart this recruitment in a favorable direction.

Star wideout confirms FNL


Though it isn't earth-shattering news, 2017 wide receiver Tyjon Lindsey (Corona, CA / Centennial) did confirm that he will be at Friday Night Lights. Ohio State has led for the better portion of this recruitment and is expected to solidify their relationship even more with the number four overall receiver in the country when camp rolls around. Lindsey impressed at The Opening over the weekend, proving why he's one of the top prospects in his class. Lindsey's decision date is about four weeks after Friday Nights Lights--a date that has been set for a couple months now. Ohio State is in a real good position to land the four-star prospect.

It’s a B1G Week


While he is slated to be at FNL, Brendan Radley-Hiles (Calabasas, CA / Calabasas) has some visits around the Big Ten, according to his high school’s Twitter page.


The 247Sports crystal ball predictions have Radley-Hiles going to Nebraska, another Big Ten program, but the flurry of offers from the Wolverines and Buckeyes make things interesting.

Standing at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, the California native has already pulled in over 20 offers – and would be a huge get for anybody looking to secure a 4-star WR/CB for their 2018 class.

As more things develop with the recruitment of Radley-Hiles, we’ll have you covered on Land-Grant Holy Land.

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Buckeyes have most Max Preps offense pre-season All-Americans - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes have most Max Preps offense pre-season All-Americans
247Sports
It is well known how good the Ohio State Buckeyes' 2017 recruiting class is. It is the country's No. 1 recruiting class in the 247Sports recruiting rankings. So it should not come as a big surprise that Ohio State has the most commitments on the Max ...
Ohio State football | Elite camp gives recruits a chance to connectColumbus Dispatch
Can the Ohio State Buckeyes continue their recent run of success?Blasting News
5-star WR will be at Ohio State's Friday Night Lights campLand-Grant Holy Land
scitech nation (press release) (blog) -Eleven Warriors -Digital Journal
all 37 news articles »

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Major Crystal Ball for the Buckeyes - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Major Crystal Ball for the Buckeyes
247Sports
The Buckeyes struck gold when it came to 2016 defensive end recruiting landing two 5-stars, Nick Bosa and Jonathon Cooper. They want one great one for their 2016 class and I now feel comfortable enough to Crystal Ball their No. 1 class of 2017 ...
Ohio State football | Elite camp gives recruits a chance to connectColumbus Dispatch
Ohio State Still Going Strong With 2017 Five-Star Defensive End Chase YoungEleven Warriors
Ohio State Buckeyes Football Tickets: CapitalCityTickets.com is Slashing Their Prices on Ohio State Buckeyes ...Digital Journal
scitech nation (press release) (blog) -Today's U (blog) -Land-Grant Holy Land
all 29 news articles »

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Watch: 5 bold predictions for Buckeyes in 2016 - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Watch: 5 bold predictions for Buckeyes in 2016
247Sports
Bucknuts editor Dave Biddle joined Nick Kostos of CBSSports.com to give five bold predictions regarding Ohio State's 2016 football season. * Will J.T. Barrett make the trip to New York as a Heisman finalist this season? * Will the Buckeyes lose a ...
Ohio State football | Elite camp gives recruits a chance to connectColumbus Dispatch
Ohio State Still Going Strong With 2017 Five-Star Defensive End Chase YoungEleven Warriors
Ohio State Buckeyes Football Tickets: CapitalCityTickets.com is Slashing Their Prices on Ohio State Buckeyes ...Digital Journal
scitech nation (press release) (blog) -Today's U (blog) -Land-Grant Holy Land
all 28 news articles »

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15 Big Ten players land on SI ‘Top 100 College Football players’
Sean Merriman, BTN.com web editor via Big Ten Network

It’s that time of year when fun-filled college football lists flow through your Twitter timeline like running water. Today, Sports Illustrated released a list of the Top 100 Players in College Football. A total of 15 Big Ten players were included on the list, highlighted by Michigan CB/LB Jabrill Peppers at No. 5 and Iowa’s DB Desmond King at No. 7 overall. Michigan defensive back Jourdan Lewis (14) and Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett round out the list of Big Ten players in the Top 20. Who get’s your vote for the top Big Ten player this year? Tweet me

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Ohio State's Jae'Sean Tate injury rehab right on schedule
Ian Cuevas via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Forward Jae'Sean Tate is taking his shoulder rehab seriously and seems to be on track to play according to plan.

"The next goal is just to be the best player that I can be. I lost a lot of time with the injury for player development, but in August I've still got two months until the first practice. Those two months are going to be key for me."

- Jae'Sean Tate via Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch


Junior forward Jae'Sean Tate has been an improving player for Ohio State over the past two seasons and despite suffering a torn labrum in his right shoulder back in February against Northwestern, Tate is still confident he can make up for the time lost to rehabbing his shoulder and continue to progress his game overall. Before the injury last season, Tate was averaging 11.7 points per game (good enough for third on the team) and led the team in steals with 35, all while shooting 52 percent from the field. Even with the shoulder and a lingering ankle injury during the preseason last year, Tate is expected to be fully healthy by August and will be full-go for team activities barring any changes.

With a healthy amount of the team from last season returning in 2016, Ohio State should be a better team than they were in 2015. The Buckeyes finished 21-14, and made an appearance in the NIT before losing to Florida in the second round of the tournament. Tate was out by that point, but will look to help lead the team this upcoming season as Thad Matta tries to get back into contention for the Big Ten.

"Ohio State junior linebackers Raekwon McMillan and Dante Booker were each named to the Butkus Award watch list today."

- Ohio State press release via Dave Biddle, Bucknuts


It's the offseason, which means plenty of watch lists for various awards. Tuesday, the Butkus Award - given annually to the nation's best linebacker - announced its watch list for the 2016 season and surprisingly, Raekwon McMillan wasn't the only Buckeye on the list. Ohio State junior linebacker Dante Booker was also included, despite 2016 being the first season he's expected to start. During his career in Columbus thus far, Booker has made 29 career tackles but with 22 of those coming last season alone. McMillan was the more obvious choice, coming off of a 2015 campaign where he finished as a finalist for the award as a sophomore.

Previous winners from Ohio State include Andy Katzenmoyer in 1997 and James Laurinaitis in 2007. If McMillan or even Booker were to win the award this season, they'd join some pretty impressive company. Last season, Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith won the award. Last season, McMillan was named to first-team all-Big Ten and racked up 119 tackles, leading the team.

"I just can't wait until we're actually able to do stuff with him. He's just a great coach. The ceiling is high for us."

- Jae'Sean Tate via Doug Lesmerises, Cleveland.com


Ohio State's Jae'Sean Tate spoke to the media about his recovery from injury this summer but also about one of the more recent changes on the coaching staff - particularly when it comes to what the offense will look like in 2016. Tate spoke highly of Chris Jent, who was hired by the team back in April after previously coaching with the Buckeyes in the past. After a few seasons with some dismal statistical offenses at Ohio State the past three seasons (151st, 28th, and 128th in Ken Pomeroy's offensive efficiency rankings), Jent hopes to bring back some of the upper level offenses that he played a role in back in the days of Jared Sullinger, William Buford, and Deshaun Thomas.

Greg Paulus has been the "offensive coordinator" since Jent originally left Ohio State, and the offense, as mentioned above, hasn't been up to par for the Buckeyes. Though some of it may be bad luck and and some struggles with recruiting, Jent will likely add a boost this season. With six of the top scorers last season returning in 2016, Ohio State should be able to have at least a consistent offense that's able to be somewhat formidable.

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Senior Bionic Buckeyes make a game of playing softball with artificial joints - cleveland.com
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Senior Bionic Buckeyes make a game of playing softball with artificial joints
cleveland.com
But, to join the Bionic Buckeyes men's senior softball team, you have to have more than a competitive spirit. You have to have at least one artificial joint replacement. Sponsored by Ortho West, Ltd., Several team members have double artificial knees ...


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Reddit: Most popular college football teams in each state
Sean Merriman, BTN.com web editor via Big Ten Network

Folks on /r/CFB voted for their favorite team in each state, with some interesting results: https://t.co/Lz31WeVlVh pic.twitter.com/C47HnIjaJ8 — RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) July 12, 2016 College football fans can always rely on Reddit for a fun-filled football article every couple of months. The popular social news website recently released an article on the most popular college football teams by state. Reddit polled college football fans to gather their information for the article, which is actually full of surprises. In total, seven Big Ten football teams appear on the graphic, which can be seen at the top of this post. Michigan: Michigan Wolverines

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5-star Buckeye target Cam Akers receives another honor - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


5-star Buckeye target Cam Akers receives another honor
247Sports
The Buckeyes are a serious contender for Clinton, Miss., 5-star running back Cam Akers who will be one of country's most decorated high school football players by the time he finishes his senior year. Today Akers was named to the Clarion-Ledger Dandy ...

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Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano aware of Jerry Sandusky child abuse at Penn State, per unsealed testimony
Matt Brown via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Additional documents that were unsealed by a Philadelphia court include testimony showing that multiple coaches at Penn State knew about sexual abuses from former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky earlier than 1998.

In addition to former Penn State head coach Joe Paterno and former Penn State and current UCLA assistant Tom Bradley, former Penn State assistant and current Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano is also named.

The testimony came from former Penn State assistant coach Mike McQueary, a key figure in the Sandusky trial. The specific documents can be found here:


In McQueary’s testimony, he indicated that he had discussed witnessing Sandusky abusing a victim. Per the testimony:

"[Bradley] said he knew of some things... He said another assistant coach had come to him in the early '90s about a very similar situation to mine, and he said that he had -- someone had to come to him as far back as the early '80s about Jerry doing something with a boy."

That other assistant coach was identified later in the testimony as Greg Schiano. Schiano was a graduate assistant at Penn State in 1990, and coached defensive backs from 1991-1995.

When asked if Bradley provided any additional details on what Schiano had told him, McQueary’s testimony stated:

"No, only that he had -- I can't remember if it was one night or one morning, but that Greg had come into his office white as a ghost and said he just saw Jerry doing something to a boy in the shower. And that's it. That's all he ever told me."

The testimony does not specify if Bradley or Schiano reported the incidents to the police, or to anyone else.

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Two Buckeyes named to Butkus Award watch list - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Two Buckeyes named to Butkus Award watch list
247Sports
He led the Buckeyes in tackles with 119, a total/average that ranked fourth in the conference. The 2013 national high school Butkus Award winner enters his junior campaign with 168 career tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss, four quarterback sacks, one ...

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BM5: How did OSU commits, targets perform at The Opening? - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


BM5: How did OSU commits, targets perform at The Opening?
247Sports
Okudah worked out at the Buckeyes' camp last summer and visited Ohio State this spring. The 6-foot-1 and 194-pound Okudah is a 5-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite. He is the country's No. 7 overall prospect, the No. 1 safety, and the No. 2 ...

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5-star WR will be at Ohio State’s Friday Night Lights camp
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The list just keeps on getting longer for FNL

Despite being in the middle of a dead period, college football recruiting is in full swing. This past weekend was the annual The Opening camp held at the Nike headquarters in Oregon and multiple Ohio State commits shined at the prestigious camp. There were also some important recruits the Buckeyes have targeted throughout the recruiting process that participated in the camp, including a five-star wide receiver who continues to express interest in the Buckeyes.

5-star confirms Friday Night Lights attendance


Trevon Grimes (Fort Lauderdale, FL / St. Thomas Aquinas) has continually gone out of his way to list Ohio State as his favorite program. The camp provided the five-star WR to spend time with recruits already committed to Urban Meyer's football program –and he will have another chance to do so again, shortly.

Monday afternoon, Scout.com announced that Grimes confirmed he will be in attendance for this year's annual Friday Night Lights camp at Ohio State. Urban Meyer brought the camp with him to Ohio State, a tradition he started while at Florida, which has since grown into arguably the biggest recruiting event held at The Shoe.

The 6-foot-3, 202-pound WR has long been a favorite to commit to Ohio State and he has never shied from dropping hints as to his favoritism. This trend continued over the weekend when he threw up the Block O with his arms while posing for a picture for SBNation.


Grimes is one of four WRs recent QB commit Tate Martell (Las Vegas, NV / Bishop Gorman) has been recruiting since officially becoming a Buckeye. Grimes could easily wait until National Signing Day to announce his commitment to ensure he is making the choice he feels is best, but the elite WR could be on commitment watch July 22, the day of this year's FNL camp.

5-star safety lists Ohio State in list of top 6 schools


Meyer has been hard at work putting together what could end up being the best recruiting class in Ohio State history. Already sitting at the top spot in the the recruiting rankings, Ohio State made the cut for the best safety in 2017.

Jeffrey Okudah (Grand Prairie, TX / South Grand Prairie) has long been connected with the Buckeyes football program. Making it no surprise that late Monday afternoon, when Okudah announced the list of his top 6 programs, Ohio State made the cut.

Joining Ohio State on the list were Clemson, Florida State, Oklahoma, Georgia and USC. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound safety has made multiple visits to Columbus, Ohio in the last few months and the Buckeyes sit as the favorite to land him in the 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions.

The Buckeyes already have two commits at the position for 2017 in Brendon White (Powell, OH / Olentangy Liberty) and Isaiah Pryor (Bradenton, FL / IMG Academy), but rest assured Meyer would do whatever is necessary to make room for Okudah in the class.

Buckeye commits help recruit for Ohio State


As previously mentioned, five-star QB commit Tate Martell has been hard at working trying to bring in more elite prospects to the already No. 1 recruiting class at Ohio State. Martell has been mainly focusing on WR's and he has four in particular that he would like to see play with him in Columbus next season, with the aforementioned Grimes and five-star WR Tyjon Lindsey (Corona, CA / Centennial) being the two more likely to choose to play for the Buckeyes. Lindsey is a former teammate of Martell's and the two could look to reunite in the future.

However, Martell isn't the only Buckeye commit working hard to build on the 2017 class. His current and future teammate, four-star defensive tackle Haskell Garrett (Las Vegas, NV / Bishop Gorman) and five-star offensive lineman commit Wyatt Davis(Bellflower, CA St. John Bosco) were both out working the recruiting trail over the weekend at The Opening.

Both linemen spoke with Scout.com about who they were working on trying to get to join them at Ohio State next year and both sounded confident. Garrett mentioned the No. 1 DT in 2017, Marvin Wilson (Bellaire, TX / Episcopal,) as one of the guys he has been focusing on, as well as five-star DE's Xavier Thomas (Florence, SC / Wilson), Chase Young (Hyattsville, MD / DeMatha Catholic) and four-star DT Jay Tufele (South Jordan, UT / Bingham.) All four have offers from the Buckeyes and would make great additions to the class.

Davis made sure it was known that he was also out recruiting some of the best players to join him at Ohio State. He mentioned current teammate, Jaiden Woodbey (Bellflower, CA / St. John Bosco) as the main recruit he has been talking to. Woodbey is a four-star safety in the 2018 class and will likely be one of the top safeties in his class. Davis did admit that Tate and Garrett were putting more work in recruiting talent to this class, though. Regardless, Buckeye Nation has to be thrilled with the way this class is shaping up.

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Ohio State football | Elite camp gives recruits a chance to connect - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football | Elite camp gives recruits a chance to connect
Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State had the most commitments of any college program at The Opening with 10. But the Buckeyes are nowhere near done with their next recruiting class. Even by Ohio State's and Urban Meyer's lofty standards, the Buckeyes' 2017 recruiting class ...
BM5: How did OSU commits, targets perform at The Opening?247Sports
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