Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett makes yet another preseason award watchlist
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


And he’s not the only Buckeye this time

It’s another eventful day in the world of Ohio State athletics. Let’s take a look at what’s in the news for the scarlet and gray.

“The distinction places Barrett on the preseason watch lists of three prestigious national awards,”

– Ohio State spokesperson


Just a day after he secured a spot on the Davey O’Brien watchlist, quarterback J.T. Barrett found his name amongst 40 other sensational football players on the watchlist for the Walter Camp Football Foundation’s Player of the Year award.

In addition to the O’Brien and Camp lists, Barrett shows up on the Maxwell Award preseason watchlist. However, another Buckeye currently shows up on four watchlists – including the Camp list.

Linebacker Raekwon McMillan, a designated team captain like Barrett, finds his name on the prestigious award list. This season, McMillan is on two defensive player of the year (Nagurski and Bednarik) and Butkus award watchlists.

Whoever wins the Walter Camp award will be receiving a huge honor, as the award is the fourth oldest individually earned trophy in college football.

With the addition of H-back Dontre Wilson in the running for the Paul Hornung Award, an astounding nine Buckeyes are on 17 preseason watchlists.

“More than 280 men and women with disabilities were at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center taking part in their own training camp,”

– Dave Holmes (10TV)


In some uplifting news, players on the Ohio State football team, as well as Head Coach Urban Meyer took part in volunteering a football camp for people with disabilities.

Take a look at the video from 10TV that shows how an idea from a Special Olympics coach reached the man in charge of the scarlet and gray football team.

“Because the school is so frenzied over football, Ohio State's basketball prowess is often overlooked, but it's without a doubt a top-15 program this century on the court.”

– Matt Norlander & Chip Patterson (CBS Sports)


CBS Sports did a very informative write up on the most dominant football and basketball schools since the turn of the century.

On the list, Ohio State came in at No.2. Over the course of the past 16 seasons, the Buckeyes have won two national championships (both in football) and have made two trips to the Final Four. But it’s the consistency of being great that put the Buckeyes high on the list.

As stated in the CBS Sports article, the combined winning percentage of the football and basketball programs is .739. The postseason combined winning percentage is .630. Granted, the football postseason has less games than basketball, but the fact that they both can maintain an average that high is impressive.

Since 2000, the two power programs at Ohio State have a combined two seasons when they were below .500.

While Urban Meyer has been the man in charge over the past four seasons in Columbus Ohio, he was part of the reason why the Florida Gators were ranked as the No.1 team on the list. Meyer won two football titles (2006 v. Ohio State, 2008 v. Oklahoma) with the Gators.

Recruiting News


According to cleveland.com, the Buckeyes have sent out an offer to point guard Courtney Ramey (Saint Louis, MO / Webster Groves). Ramey is a member of the class of 2018 and currently has offers from Big XII powerhouse program Texas and hometown school Saint Louis.

Rated as a 4-star by 247Sports, Ramey is a top 15 PG in the country and a top 5 player in the state of Missouri.

As it stands, Ohio State has one member committed for the class of 2018. Stay tuned to Land-Grant Holy Land for more details on Ramey’s recruiting.

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• A man and the penguin he saved.
• Tom Brady drops appeal; will serve four game suspension.

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Buckeyes pay it forward with Special Skills Invitational - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes pay it forward with Special Skills Invitational
247Sports
The video above includes comments from current OSU players Robert Landers, Tracy Sprinkle, Jalyn Holmes, Josh Alabi and Noah Brown as well as former Buckeye Michael Wiley. Special thanks to NBC4 Columbus' Audrey Hasson for her help with the ...


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TBBC Roundtable: Pre-Season Expectations for Buckeye Football
WVaBuckeye via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


As you all may already know, we love roundtables around these parts and have become pretty good at them. Hopefully, we will have one just about every Friday as the practices and season hit to keep you updated on our pulse as a crew. Let’s get rolling with our pre-season expectations!

What is the one thing that you know to be true about this years team?​

JT is back too





Ben – I know that there will be some growing pains this season. The team is very very young and does not have a lot of senior leadership. I expect to see a lot of mistakes early on in the season, but growth throughout the season as well. This will be a fun team to watch mature as the season progresses. I expect some losses along the way this season, but I expect the games to be enjoyable and fun to watch. I am sure there will be a mixture of blow-outs and nail biters. I know that we will come ready to play against the team up north in November and hopefully hand Harbaugh his second loss in the series!

Jason – That they’re hungry and going to play hard, ala 2014. There seems to be something in the water at Ohio State when they’re the favorite. They play tight and at times seem entitled (Hawaii players even said so last year). When they’re the perceived underdog they rise up. It’s odd and needs to change, but luckily for us, this year is an “underdog” year.

Michael – JT Barrett will be awesome. Barrett knows he’s the QB unless he gets hurt. It’s his team and show. He might have a better year than his freshman season. Yes, I said that. Barrett has young talent around him but holy cow at the level of talent he has. There is speed, speed, and more speed everywhere you see. I don’t expect Barrett to have mind blowing rushing numbers but he will get his. There is no doubt in my mind that Barrett will be in New York in December

Scott – It will be a lot better than people think. Yes, there is a lot of inexperience and a lot of youth. But the roster is full of talented players, and even though they are inexperienced, they are still better football players than almost any other roster of players OSU will face this year.

Brandon – There are so many changes to this year’s team that there is not too much we know for sure. One thing we do know is that Coach Meyer and his staff will have the youngsters ready to play. They have done such a wonderful job recruiting over the past couple of years and it will show this year as many people step into the starting role and become stars. People are sleeping on the Buckeyes this year because of the mass changeover but, at a lot of positions, there are guys who have a lot of experience ready to step in. This may be the first year of starting for guys like Samuel, Hubbard, Booker, Lattimore, and Webb but they have seen the field quite a bit in other roles. The coaching staff will have them ready to make a run to the playoffs.

JC – I expect this team to be a fantastic and wonderful surprise. The talk seems to be focused on the rebuilding & lack of Senior leadership…. I don’t see it that way. I see a team with less expectations because of this “rebuilding” mentality that will command our attention each week and deliver above “expectations”. I see a talented team that is under the radar and will bring the “mighty” back into the realm of reality. Look for Price and Elflein and , of course, JT, to be centerpieces of this team. Look also for Weber to be the new Stud.

WVa – I know that this is yet another Urban Meyer coached team that will probably exceed expectations. He has and always will be the best coach for underdog teams. I am not saying that he isn’t a great coach altogether but it seems that his teams that he has needed to motivate typically overachieve. I am looking forward to how he handles this much talent that has little expectations!

What/Who will be the surprise this season?​

Ben – I think Mike Weber will be the biggest surprise this season. I think he ends up earning the starting tailback job, and taking the reigns and running with it. I don’t expect him to have Zeke like numbers or pass protect like him, but I do expect him to help soften the load that JT will have to shoulder this season running the ball. I know JT will get a lot of runs, but I would like to see him protected a bit more this season as the options behind him have zero in-game experience and that worries me. I see Weber getting close to 1000 yards on the ground and 10-12 TD’s. Any more than that would be a really big surprise as I expect Dunn and Samuel to contribute from the backfield as well.

Jason – Hopefully it’s Mike Weber or Bri’ontee Dunn. They can’t rely on JT Barrett as the main running threat.

Michael – The offense. Everyone will point at all the players now gone. Don’t get me wrong, the list is long and has some of the greatest players ever to play for Ohio St on it. I especially think the WR Corp will be a sight to see. I think by the years end Gibson will be one of the most explosive WRs in the country. Ohio St offense is going to be dangerous

Scott – I’m 50-50 on winning in Norman, but OSU is the prohibitive favorite in the B1G and when/if the Buckeyes win the conference title game, it’ll be impossible to keep them out with just one loss or undefeated.

Brandon – I have written about this guy enough over the past few months that hopefully he isn’t a surprise to Buckeye Nation BUT the biggest surprise this season (for the rest of the nation) will be Curtis Samuel. This guy is the play-maker the Buckeyes have been hoping for since Meyer arrived. They have tried numerous players at H-back (Philly, Wilson, Miller, Marshall, etc.) with hopes that somewhat replicate what Meyer did with Percy Harvin. I think that is an unfair comparison for anyone but I think Samuel will come the closest to being that guy. Each one of those players in the past that were very good at one thing and tried working on the others to be a complete H-back. Samuel can run the ball out of the backfield and is very fluid catching the ball as a wide receiver.

JC – This is JT’s team. He has the QB job and all of the confidence of Coach Meyer. This will be JT’s year in the air, and naturally on the ground. I look for conversation reference JT and the NY Athletic Club at the end of the season. And again, Weber …. Yes, indeed he’ll be the horse out of the gate. Samuel too will prove to be a pleasant commodity too.

WVa – I am in the same boat as Scott here. I am on the fence when it comes to winning in Norman and against Stoops. I have seen some pretty good football teams go in there confident and come out with their tails between their legs. The Buckeyes could be facing the Heisman front runner in Baker Mayfield which will be a nice early season challenge for the Buckeyes young and inexperienced defense.

Who has become your favorite player for this season and why?​

Leading The Way





Ben – Pat Elflein. He came back when no one else did, and I always respect that out of kids who can go make millions playing professional football. Not only did he decide to stay, he is changing positions to help solidify the offensive line and improve his overall draft stock in the process. He was an under the radar recruit while Vrabel was the head coach, and had to convince Urban to keep him when he took over as coach. I would say that the move paid off nicely as Elflein has been nothing short of dependable and reliable on the offensive line. I look forward to him and Billy Price working together to grow the offensive line cohesion with the young guys and get them ready for years to come.


Jason – RAEKWONZA!!! (Raekwon McMillan for the uninitiated) Every year my favorite players seem to be linebackers or running backs, those “heart and soul” guys. Josh Perry will forever be a top 5 favorite Buckeye for me so Raekwon is an obvious fit for the role.

Michael – Noah Brown. This kid was primed to have a break out season last year only to break his leg in summer practice. He’s worked hard and will probably be a starting WR this season. I expect great things from him this year. I hope he shows what he can do out there. I’ll be rooting for him



Scott – Don’t have one yet. Need to see a few games first.

Brandon – My favorite player is Sam Hubbard. I think he will explode onto the national scene and dominate opposite of Tyquan Lewis. His speed off of the edge will force teams to double and triple team him just like they did Joey Bosa which will open up things for the defensive line.

WVa – I have a tie here only because it’s difficult for me to choose between an offensive future star and a defensive player that’s already proven his worth. Mike Weber will be one of the stars on offense in a year that there will probably be many and no thousand yard rushers except JT he will be key. Gareon Conley stood out to me last year and he is my favorite on defense. He plays with an edge, loves to hit and is good at what he does. He will be needed to help bring the secondary along quickly.


The post TBBC Roundtable: Pre-Season Expectations for Buckeye Football appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Can Wisconsin beat Ohio State football? A 31 percent chance the Buckeyes could lose - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Can Wisconsin beat Ohio State football? A 31 percent chance the Buckeyes could lose
cleveland.com
Week before the OSU game: Wisconsin will be coming off its bye week, yet the Badgers catch the Buckeyes while in the midst of a brutal six-game stretch. Between Sept. 24 and Nov. 5, Wisconsin plays the six other best teams in the conference - at ...
Wisconsin Badgers have exciting, yet terrifying scheduleSportsBlog.com (blog)

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Making The List: Jim Reeder
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


This week let’s journey into baseball. The Buckeyes had some fantastic players in the wondrous world played on a diamond. Thus far in our journey to bring back a focus on past athletes from The Ohio State University – in baseball – we took a look at Frank Howard (also a basketball star) and Nick Swisher. I have a feeling we should add one more to that list.

James Bartlett Reeder was born in 1924 in Columbus where he would also grow up. He would be the middle son of three born to Faye Bartlett Reeder, a PhD and professor at The Ohio State University.

Jim was an All-American while attending OSU and was a member of the 1943 Big Ten championship baseball team. While with the Buckeyes, Jim lettered in three varsity sports: baseball, football, and basketball. His athletic and academic journey in Columbus though was shortened by World War II. It would be the same case for his teammate Keo Nakama. Jim served with the Marines Corp as a machine gunner. He would earn the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. Once the war was over and Jim returned home he earned his B.S. from the Ohio State University and then headed west where he earned his M.S. from Indiana University in 1953.

Jim went onto coach thereafter, heading to Oberlin, Ohio where he taught at the University and coached baseball. From there he headed north and did likewise in Ypsilanti, Michigan at Washtenaw Community College.

Jim then began to really nail-down his reputation as a phenomenal leader of young talent as he packed up the “station wagon” and headed west. It landed him at California State University, Los Angeles. This was 1955. He would become Cal State’s Head Coach, a fledgling team looking for guidance. He remained as Cal State’s coach while assisting major league baseball teams with scouting until his untimely death at the young age of 47 in January of 1972.

Jim once scored two touchdowns in 1941 against the Wisconsin Badgers in Ohio Stadium in a Buckeye’s victory, 46-34, as a tight end on a end around from 35 yards out and a three yard reception from Quarterback (back-up at the time) Les Horvath. In 1943 in baseball he would, prior to heading into the Marines, smacked two home-runs while pitching seven innings in an 8-3 win against Michigan State. He would have “games” too in basketball (1943: 14 pts. 6 rebs. against NYU. 18 pts. 8 rebs. against Boston University. 19 pts. 9 rebounds against Northwestern.

Jim Reeder though would be remembered in the world of baseball, primarily as a coach at Cal State University at Los Angeles. Their field to this name proudly displays his name: The Jim Reeder Field. He is also a member of the California State University Hall of Fame. He would favor a quote from the Shakespearean play Julius Caesar: “Say to all – the world, This was a man!” This quote dons the entrance to the baseball field with his name.

Jim Reeder is a deserving Buckeye of mention because of two factors. He was a varsity player in three sports (football, basketball, and baseball). Not only was he a lettered player, but a participant of recognizable talent that is worthy of re-mention for those of us who are unaware. His service in the military too at a time of National Unity and of a justifiable journey by The United States is also commendable. His medals (Purple Heart and Bronze Star) prove his highlighted patriotism. Even though he is revered in LA at Cal State, having making their program what is then and has become, he was a Buckeye first. And though we normally do not like sharing our greats, we have no option here. In 1971 Jim put it best: “I love Cal State. They gave me the opportunity on the bigger stage that I knew I was capable of succeeding at. But what many here will never understand is that I am a Buckeye. I bleed scarlet and gray. I love Columbus; it is home in my heart and memories. Go Buckeyes …. Unless it is against one of my teams here at Cal State.”

Let’s face it …. Those words say more than Cal State alumni want to admit.

The post Making The List: Jim Reeder appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Thad Matta is ‘tired of the BS’, says Ohio State basketball ‘got rid of problems’
Matt Brown via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ohio State’s Thad Matta is not messing around.

To say this has been a tumultuous offseason for Ohio State basketball would be an understatement. Three members of Ohio State’s highly regarded class of 2015 transferred (Mickey Mitchell, A.J. Harris and Daniel Giddens) following Austin Grandstaff’s departure in season after a year that saw the team struggle, ending a mostly forgettable season in the NIT.

After the talent exodus, many worried about the state of the program. Thad Matta isn’t. In fact, in some exceptionally pointed commentary, he views these as additions by subtractions.

In a video taken by ThisWeek Sports, Matta made it perfectly clear exactly how he felt about the players leaving his program:


Matta then goes on to specifically point out that three of four players joining the program this season are from Ohio.

So this is pretty unusual. I personally can’t remember an Ohio State coach being so blunt as to say “we got rid of some guys we needed to get rid of”, especially when none of the departing players got in any kind of real trouble. It was clear from watching the team play that the on-court chemistry was not where it should have been, although the fact that the team was exceptionally young was undoubtedly a factor. But Matta’s comments seem to make it clear there were other things going on behind the scenes.

It’s worth noting that while all four players were highly regarded recruits, none really landed in an especially prestigious spot. Grandstaff, a four-star sharpshooter from Texas, left the team after just a few games, transferred to Oklahoma, but then transferred again ending up at DePaul. Giddens transferred to Alabama. Mitchell ended up at UC Santa Barbra, and Harris transferred to New Mexico State, way out in the farthest outpost of D1 college basketball, the WAC.

It probably isn’t fair to just blame the players though. After all, as Bill Landis reminds us, Thad Matta and the Ohio State coaching staff recruited all of these dudes. Transfers in college basketball are not especially uncommon, but if you aren’t Kentucky or Duke, you typically can’t afford to lose nearly an entire recruiting class to transfers and not suffer on the court. The only remaining player on the 2015 class, JaQuan Lyle, wasn’t recruited to be a four year player, and could leave after this season if he does well. That’s a missed opportunity for Ohio State.

It’s worse because these transfers happened late enough in the 2016 recruiting cycle that Ohio State couldn’t really chase many replacement prospects especially hard. 2016 was a good year for Ohio high school basketball, including at positions the Buckeyes need, and Ohio State passed on the chance to heavily recruit them because they had Harris, Mitchell, etc on the roster.

The Buckeyes finished 2016 with the 8th ranked recruiting class in the Big Ten (behind Minnesota, Iowa and Penn State), and if players like Seth Towns, Nick Ward, or Ibi Watson — players Ohio State might have been able to get had they made them recruiting priorities — go on to have great college careers, it will make the mistakes of the 2015 class even worse.

Ohio State returns the bulk of their production from last season, and if the team culture really does make a significant jump, the team could be substantially more competitive in the Big Ten and should be in the conversation for an NCAA Tournament bid. Maybe some bad attitudes in the locker room were keeping the Buckeyes from reaching their full potential. Maybe there was some very bad evaluation going on. Maybe it’s fixed now. Maybe it isn’t.

One thing is clear though: Thad Matta doesn’t seem too broken up about it.

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Our servers are nearly five, the drives have a lot of hours on them, we've weathered some various hardware difficulties along the way but they've treated us well.

The cost of colocating in Menlo Park with a bunch of Google and Facebook engineers (we all have a rack together) is going up because a few people have pulled out of the coop. As our own engineer has moved his family from that area to Arizona to join a custom car company that makes pretty amazing Road Warrior style off-road racers, he's no longer local to the facility.

Because of all of these facts, I'm disinclined to start thinking about new
machines, and we no longer have a warm body in CA to overhaul the old ones.

Instead, I think it may be time to move to the cloud, specifically Amazon. Nothing would change on the user side, really, and there'd be no hardware about which we would have to worry (or purchase).

It means a higher monthly operating expense, but the trade offs are numerous in the pro column.

Either way, this is an open call to anyone who hasn't donated to please consider doing so. Any little bit will help the upfront costs of this transition and make it go much more smoothly.

On that note, I want to talk about ads. I hate 'em, you hate 'em, I'd love to get rid of them. There are a couple ways to go about doing this:

The first notion is we set a monthly goal, and this goal wouldn't be on top of our drive income, it would simply be a goal that includes that. As a loose hypothetical, if our goal was 2.5k a month, that would be a 1.25k increase over the average of our best drive year -- so double what we've done before. We may not have a large enough base to pull that off, but it would allow us to be completely ad free.

The second notion is more complex and I've reached out to some lawdog types for advice. I intend to launch a 501(c)(3) to help the substantial and growing population of toxic water survivors. At least I'm in the very early stages of considering it. As BP has already been a bit of a platform for that, it could be that it could serve as an Ohio-based point of outreach for that cause, and be rolled into the charity. The plus would be that anything given to BP would be tax deductible upon proper realization of the charity status, the minus would be that BP would be owned by an organization with a board outside of my control (but for an organization I'll run) and there are a lot of question marks that go with that. I also don't know what the legal and ethical issues are that come with that, and those are areas of deep concern as too many charities aren't enough about actually helping those in need. Any even loose appearance of impropriety is something I'm keen to avoid. The issue, for obvious reasons, is important to me. I survived (figuratively and literally) the worst of the consequences of my injuries because of the support (emotional and economic) of this very community. Many others aren't so lucky, and I've never slept entirely well knowing that people are suffering not only the physical effects of the poisoning totally out of their knowledge and control, but also the economic devastation as they lose the ability to work, and the social isolation. All of that leads to dark places emotionally, and it becomes a brutal circle that ends in an untimely and avoidable death for many. I don't have lofty goals for this charity, but if gets one person to a doc appointment they couldn't have otherwise made, helps with a medical bill or collection agency for the same for those paying out of pocket for care (I went long stretches ignoring an abscessed tooth, cracked ribs, and other less dignified things because I couldn't afford the tests and appointments and was too sick to travel) -- then it's a wild success in my eyes. But is it related to BP? Maybe that's a stretch.

We can, of course, leave well enough alone. But the reality is that I limit us to static ads with no auto play, and that's a dead dead dead market. It's all about video, interactivity, full page takeovers, and dynamic creatives that force you to notice them. Because I won't "go there" we've seen our ad revs drop to 1/10th of what they were at their peak.

I don't need the peak back, just want to have an open idea session with the lot of you about it. Keep the ads, drop them entirely, something in between?

The upgrades are indeed coming but they've been on hold while I sort out the hosting issue. As the season is already casting a happy shadow over us, I can't imagine it's all too far off.

Let me know what you think.

Two Buckeyes named to Walter Camp Award Watch List - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Two Buckeyes named to Walter Camp Award Watch List
247Sports
The pre-season honors just keep pouring in for the Ohio State Buckeyes, as the Walter Camp Foundation named their 40 candidates to the Camp Award Watch List on Friday, and it included 2 players from the Scarlet and Gray. What's next for the Buckeyes?
Northwestern boasts two of eight Big Ten players on Walter Camp watch listComcast SportsNet Chicago

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Thad Matta wants to take Buckeyes back to the good ol' days - Dayton Daily News
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Thad Matta wants to take Buckeyes back to the good ol' days
Dayton Daily News
The Buckeyes also had legitimate national title contenders in 2011 and '12, but things haven't been as rosy since as a couple of highly rated recruiting classes have not lived up to the hype. D'Angelo Russell turning out to be a one-and-done player ...
Thad Matta's strong words on Ohio State transfers show fiery shift, but only tell part of storycleveland.com

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East Lansing Equals Even Level For Buckeyes In 2016
chipminnich via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

“ Hell, there are no rules here – we’re trying to accomplish something…” ~ Thomas Edison
Leave it to Thomas Edison, an Ohioan and considered “The Father Of Invention”, to appropriately summarize the goals for the 2016 Ohio State football team. No rules – just accomplish something.
“Something” is a pretty vague and open concept. Considering how much talent Ohio State lost to graduation and the NFL Draft, considering how I have written throughout spring practice about how 44 players on Ohio State’s roster are either redshirt freshmen or true freshmen…Damn right, Mr. Edison. There are no rules. Ohio State fans are just looking to see what this team can accomplish against a much tougher schedule in 2016 than 2015, with tremendously talented, yet inexperienced, players.
**
at Michigan State Spartans (Game 11)
2016 OSU Opponent Ranking: 3 out of 12

Players Recruited By Ohio State:


Players Recruited By Ohio State: DL Malik McDowell, DB Montae Nicholson, DB Demetrius Cox, OL Dennis Finley, RB L.J. Scott, OL Noah Listermann, WR Donnie Corley, WR Justin Layne. There are many players from the state of Ohio on Michigan State’s roster (more on that later), but did not receive offers from Ohio State. A shout-out to Avon Lake FB Collin Lucas, from my hometown. I am more than willing to bet I may have inadvertently missed on some players; please let me know and I am happy to correct my error(s).

Game Date: November 19, 2016
Kickoff Time: TBD
Location: Spartan Stadium
Rationale For The Ranking: Ohio State returns to Spartan Stadium, determined to avenge last year’s heartbreaking, waterlogged, last second 17-14 defeat to Michigan State. http://espn.go.com/ncf/recap?id=400547985

Ohio State fans will eagerly point out how the Buckeyes went up to East Lansing in 2014, and avenged the 2013 B1G Championship Game defeat to Michigan State, 49-37. Good point.
Here’s something to contemplate – Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer is 50-4 since becoming the head coach for Ohio State in November 2011. Want to know which team has contributed two of those four losses?
Yep – Michigan State, in 2013, and 2015. Ohio State has defeated the Spartans twice, both in East Lansing (2012, 2014). Hence my title of this article – one of these teams will pull ahead in this grudge match. This game will go a long way towards determining the B1G Eastern Division representative for The 2016 B1G Championship Game, and may also impact the college football playoff discussion.
Prediction: I have been stating the importance of this young Ohio State team developing experience and toughness for the November stretch run. All of the other games leading up to this one will be crucial in having the Buckeyes ready for what should prove to be a raucous and rowdy environment in East Lansing. Even though it is a later November game, I will not be surprised if this game is a night game; at worst, I expect it to be a 3:30pm kickoff. The number of Ohio players on Michigan State’s roster who did not get offers from Ohio State always give the Spartans that little extra motivation to truly play their hearts out; Michigan State Mark Dantonio always seems to push the right psychological buttons to have the Spartans ready for this game against Ohio State.
Previous Rankings:
4 – at Penn State
5 – at Wisconsin
6 – at Northwestern
7 – Nebraska
8 – at Maryland
9 – Indiana
10- Rutgers
11- Bowling Green
12- Tulsa

The post East Lansing Equals Even Level For Buckeyes In 2016 appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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4-star recruits make visit to Ohio State
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The California duo of Pledger and Radley-Hiles see what being a Buckeye is about

Ohio State is now a week away from their premier recruiting event of the year – the Friday Night Lights camp. With a boatload of high profile and in-state prospects on the attendance roster, Urban Meyer and staff have to be loving what could become of this event. The 2017 class is still considered by every major recruiting service to be the top class in the country and it looks to be getting even better in the near future.

Radley-Hiles visit recap


It was mentioned yesterday, but one of the early top prospects in the 2018 class is defensive back Brendan Radley-Hiles (Calabasas, CA / Calabasas).

While it was originally thought to be a visit for Friday Night Lights, Radley-Hiles made it to campus a week earlier than expected. Following his visit yesterday, he had nothing but positive remarks for the Buckeyes and his visit. Brendan went as far as to say "it doesn't get too much better than Ohio State" in an article covering his visit with Bucknuts via 247sports.com.

Radley-Hiles currently has over 20 scholarship offers with many more to come as he's still only two years into his prep career. As things stand right now, Nebraska is thought to be in the driver's seat for his pledge as the Cornhuskers have done a remarkable job recruiting California recently. However, the 4-star defensive back has more than enough time to decide on his final destination and that gives Ohio State and Urban Meyer plenty of time to make their pitch and become a major player for the nation's seventh best 2018 cornerback.

Pledger comes away impressed with OSU


Accompanying Brendan Radley-Hiles on the trip to Ohio State yesterday, West Hills, California prospect T.J. Pledger (West Hills, CA / Chaminade) was also in attendance for an unofficial visit. The Chaminade running back was offered back in January by Ohio State, but made his first trek to Columbus since the offer yesterday. Much like his visit partner Radley-Hiles, Ohio State did nothing but impress the seventh best ranked running back in the 2018 class. Via his twitter, you can tell Pledger was enjoying his time spent on campus.

Woodbey heading to Columbus


If it seems as if each passing day brings another high-profile visitor to Ohio State this coming weekend for the Friday Night Lights camp, that's because it's true. Last night, Ohio State received word that yet another top prospect would be in attendance next Friday night. This time, Jaiden Woodbey (Upland, CA / St. John Bosco), a recent Buckeye offer, announced via his twitter that he would be making the trek to Columbus for his visit.


Woodbey, a 4-star safety, is currently ranked as the third best safety in the 2018 class and the fourth best prospect at any position in the state of California for 2018 according to 247sports. With the Buckeyes offering not even a full month ago, this upcoming visit shows how serious of a contender Ohio State is for Woodbey. Thought to be a USC lean, Woodbey is staying in the Ohio State headlines which can only be good for Urban Meyer and his staff. The relationships Ohio State is creating at St. John Bosco with the recent 2017 commitment of Wyatt Davis and in California in general, shows the national exposure Ohio State is recruiting at.

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Video: J.T. Barrett Assassinates Pikachu, Tells Younger Buckeyes to Get to Work - Eleven Warriors
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Video: J.T. Barrett Assassinates Pikachu, Tells Younger Buckeyes to Get to Work
Eleven Warriors
It may be the offseason, but the only children's game J.T. Barrett will tolerate in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center is football. In the above video, running back Mike Weber (gray shirt) and H-Back Curtis Samuel (scarlet shirt) can be seen competing ...


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Nick Weatherspoon, 4-star 2017 PG, has Buckeyes in top 10: Ohio State basketball recruiting - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Nick Weatherspoon, 4-star 2017 PG, has Buckeyes in top 10: Ohio State basketball recruiting
cleveland.com
There are a few in the class whom the Buckeyes have targeted. One has officially included Ohio State in his final list of schools. Nick Weatherspoon, a four-star point guard from Camden, Miss., released a new graphic on Thursday morning with his top 10 ...


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Ohio State Football: Meet Dante Booker, the Buckeyes' Next Freak Linebacker - Bleacher Report
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State Football: Meet Dante Booker, the Buckeyes' Next Freak Linebacker
Bleacher Report
Since Urban Meyer took over at Ohio State in 2012, the Buckeyes defense has been fueled an athletic freak at linebacker. From 2012-13, Ryan Shazier brought his rare blend of speed and power to Ohio State's outside linebacker position, leading the team ...


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Buckeyes give back at Goodwill Special Skills camp - NBC4i.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes give back at Goodwill Special Skills camp
NBC4i.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio – In just under a month, the Ohio State football players report to camp and begin workouts for the fall season. Today, the players took the field at The Woody Hayes Athletic Center to help instruct special needs athletes at the Goodwill ...
See Ohio State football's new Bosa era on display: It's freshman Nick in Joey's familiar No. 97cleveland.com

all 2 news articles »

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Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett named to Davey O’Brien Award watch list
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Another day, another award watch list for the Buckeye quarterback.

“Ohio State junior quarterback and two-time team captain J.T. Barrett is one of 30 quarterbacks named today to the Davey O'Brien Award watch list.”

- Ohio State Buckeyes


The award, presented by the Davey O'Brien Foundation, is the second watch list the quarterback has been added to ahead of the 2016 season — the first being for the Maxwell Award. The Davey O’Brien Award will announce 16 semifinalists on Nov. 10, and will select three finalists Nov. 22. The Award winner will be announced on Dec. 8 at The Home Depot College Football Awards.

Without a quarterback competition to muddle up the division of first-team snaps, consistency could lend well to another season full of school and conference records broken, and another run at the National Championship. Barrett is 15-2 as the starter for the Buckeyes, and is the clear starter heading into 2016. He stands just a few touchdowns, completions and percentage points away from upending several records held by both Braxton Miller and Troy Smith, and with two years of eligibility left, will almost certainly surpass them.

With some early Heisman talk as well, the junior quarterback is looking to add quite a bit of hardware to his trophy case come season end.

“...pairing Elliott with the Cowboys O-line will be an exciting thing for the Cowboys.”

- One.Cool.Customer, Blogging the Boys


The Dallas Cowboys don’t have a lot to be excited about offensively with the latest round of suspensions and aging quarterback, but they do have Buckeye Ezekiel Elliott. Already considered one of the top prospects for Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2016, Elliott projects to be the main target this fall.

As a three-down back, Elliott will shoulder most of the load and is projected by ESPN to have a 1,200-plus yard season — making him worth the fourth overall pick in the draft. His toughness will be tested as veteran rusher Darren McFadden broke his elbow over Memorial Day weekend and will be limited early on. And with a defense that has three starters facing suspensions to start the year, Elliott needs to do what he can to keep the ball moving and keep them on the sidelines as much as possible.

While most analysts are down about the overall offense for the Cowboys, no one is overlooking Elliott, whose name you can expect to hear a lot on Sundays this fall.


Fifteen new Buckeyes might be in the NFL, but that doesn’t stop them from coming back to campus when they need a good workout. With July being a relatively relaxing period in between offseason workouts and training camp, some players go on vacations or get married, and some go back to their alma mater to continue training. The extra time these young NFL players are putting in will only help develop and jettison their potential, and when they head to their first training camp, they’ll be well-conditioned and ready to go.

Vonn Bell already has a comfortable spot on his new team in New Orleans, but Powell, having signed as a undrafted free agent with the Seahawks, is still working for a roster spot. Training with someone who has already impressed during offseason workouts can’t be a bad thing for the safety/special team player as he gets ready to make a run for the final 53-man roster.


Powell, Bell and Grant weren’t the only ones on campus this week, with Braxton Miller, Cardale Jones and Jalin Marshall all getting in workouts at the Woody Hayes Athletic Facility into the wee-hours of the night. Route-running, foot work drills and even some THROWS by Braxton Miller were all part of the midnight workout. Joshua Perry was also spotted around the WHAC in the weight room during the week. No days off!

They may suit up for different teams now, but they are still brothers in Columbus and continue to work together and train together in their off time. They might not be friends on Sundays, but they’ll always cheer for the same team on Saturdays.

STICK TO SPORTS

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• Note to self: Don’t jump a fence at the zoo in search of Pokemon...

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Just three Buckeyes included in Sports Illustrated Top 100 - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Just three Buckeyes included in Sports Illustrated Top 100
247Sports
McMillan: "The Buckeyes return only three starters on defense, but McMillan is a pretty good one around which to build. The versatile linebacker led Ohio State with 119 tackles last season in addition to four tackles for loss, five quarterback hurries ...
JT Barrett is sick of Buckeyes teammates playing Pokemon GoComcast SportsNet Chicago
JT Barrett has had enough of Pokemon, gamesESPN (blog)
Barrett, Beathard and Armstrong are Big Ten's top QBs entering 2016Today's U (blog)

all 8 news articles »

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JT Barrett is sick of Buckeyes teammates playing Pokemon Go - Comcast SportsNet Chicago
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


JT Barrett is sick of Buckeyes teammates playing Pokemon Go
Comcast SportsNet Chicago
J.T. Barrett doesn't care if Pikachu is on the 50-yard line. He wants his teammates to get back to work. The Ohio State quarterback starred in a video tweeted out by the Buckeyes on Thursday, in which he is tired of the Internet-fad shenanigans of ...
Just three Buckeyes included in Sports Illustrated Top 100247Sports

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Video: Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett is tired of Pokemon Go craze
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

Pokemon GO this, Pokemon GO that. The game, released earlier this month, has the world abuzz. It also has millions of players walking all over, everywhere, in hot pursuit of more than a hundred species of Pokemon.

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Biddle chat transcript: What position battles are at forefront? - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Biddle chat transcript: What position battles are at forefront?
247Sports
Instead of going into this season with an unproven redshirt freshman at quarterback, the Buckeyes are returning a player in Barrett who finished fifth for the Heisman during his only season as the full-time starter. QB is the most important position on ...


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Wow, some marvelous golf going on today. Phil was back and better than ever with that 63. He almost drained that last putt for the record at 62. Long way to go but should be a good one.

Make it five future Buckeyes now pre-season All-Americans - 247Sports
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Make it five future Buckeyes now pre-season All-Americans
247Sports
It is very 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 did not come as a big surprise that Ohio State has the most commitments on the Max ...
100 Teams in 100 Days: Bob Funk's Foot Bails Out Ohio State's 1965 TeamEleven Warriors

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Ohio State’s NFL rookies look to take the league by storm
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


You could be hearing “THE Ohio State University” a lot more this fall.

The Buckeyes may have had an impressive showing in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft, but those selected in later rounds still have a good chance of seeing playing time come the start of the regular season. The five non-first rounders with the greatest chance of making an impact their rookie season include three offense and two defense players.

It didn’t take long for several Ohio State players to make names for themselves with their new teams; with hard work and dedication, they are scoffing at any indication they won’t be successful at the next level.

Michael Thomas


The Saints are already excited for their new WR3. Thomas has impressed with his work ethic and commitment to his craft; quarterback Drew Brees liked the extra reps Thomas asked for after practice, and the extra time he spent learning at the facility.

The transition from college to the NFL can be tough with so much to learn; putting in the effort early on as a rookie not only earns you respect, but quickens the time between newbie and starter.

The chemistry between QB Brees and his new wideout has been likened to that of Marques Colston, which could mean big things for Thomas in New Orleans.

But as Thomas would likely tell you himself, “Shhhhhh”.

Vonn Bell


Thomas wasn’t the only Buckeye to head to the Saints, with Vonn Bell being picked up shortly after the wide receiver. Bell has impressed at the next level, not only with his “ball-hawking” abilities, but also his potential and commitment to special teams.

“To me, the thing that really stood out is his ability to play specials teams, and his ‘want to’ to play special teams,” Aaron Glenn, Saints secondary coach, said after rookie camp. “A lot of times that tells you a lot about a player. They’re a starter – how do they operate on special teams? He made a lot of good tackles on special teams. That says a lot about who he was, a special teams guy and a starter on defense.

It’s no surprise that someone coming from an Urban Meyer-coached team would feel strongly about the importance of special teams, but the rarity for starters wanting to put in the extra work and extra load on their bodies for the position is lauded in the NFL.

His defender skills won’t go to waste but you could see Bell as a starter right away in a special teams role.

Braxton Miller


The Texans didn’t hide their excitement for their latest wide out draft pick, with the highly regarded former quarterback being one of the wild cards of this years rookie class. With only one season at receiver under his belt, but the kind of athleticism most coaches dream about, his potential in the NFL has been somewhat hard to discern.

Texans head coach Bill O’Brien faced Miller and the Buckeyes back in 2012 and 2013 when he was the head coach during Penn State’s “transitional” years. Knowing the kind of competitor Miller is had to give the coach confidence taking the young talent in the third round of the draft, and noted soon thereafter they have a plan for Miller.


Miller may not be a starter when the regular season kicks off in early September, but he is sure to see some playing time and could contribute right away. As he gets some reps under his belt, he’ll be able to settle into a rhythm and really make a dent in the offensive roster, but will need some consistent success to build up his confidence at the next level.

Nick Vannett


One of the biggest steals of the draft will (predictably) be the tight end out of Ohio State. The Seahawks are already excited about the potential of the “Gronk-like” Buckeye; Vannett’s size is a big plus, but add to that his ability to protect the quarterback AND catch the ball, he’s looking at a good place to jump start his career in Seattle.

“He’s surprised us,’’ head coach Pete Carroll said after mini camp. “He has surprised us, We knew that he could catch the ball and all that, but he’s a very natural catcher. He shows the savvy and instincts that you hope a guy has. I know (quarterback) Russell (Wilson) has really clicked into him. He picked up on it and has already shown trust and working the ball his way. He’s exceeded our expectations a little bit in only a positive, great way for us.’’

Such high praise from a coach who knows first-hand the possible issues transitioning from college to the NFL could bring. The team is excited to get him in pads and see his blocking ability later in the summer, but for now is looking like the No. 2 tight end behind Luke Willson — Jimmy Graham is still rehabbing, but could wind up losing his backup role if the rookie continues to shine.

While Vannett might not be a starter right away, the Seahawks tend to play multiple tight ends, and could lend to the Buckeye contributing throughout the year.

Joshua Perry


The linebacker was not only drafted by the San Diego Chargers, but first-round pick and Ohio State teammate Joey Bosa was the one who announced the pick. The unique situation led to two Buckeye superstars landing on the same defense out west, and landed them as roommates when they first headed to camp.


Unsurprisingly, Perry stepped out into the community his first week in San Diego to learn how he can contribute off the field. As a fan favorite at Ohio State, he will undoubtedly win the hearts of Charger fans everywhere. Perry doesn’t want to limit his success to just that off the field, and looks to contribute early on as well.

Chargers linebackers coach Bob Babich spoke about how Perry can find success his rookie season, explaining, “So number one, he needs to make sure he does a good job on special teams. Then as a linebacker, there is a lot that has been thrown at him this spring as far as scheme. He is doing just fine, but the longer he is in the scheme, the better player he’ll become. All we want to do in the linebacker room is play fast. If you make a mistake, we talk about making it full speed. That is all we are trying to do, and Joshua is doing a good job.”

Perry is one of the selfless players who is willing to do whatever is needed to help the team, whether it be on special teams or defense. As he gets more adjusted to his new schemes and teammates, he’s sure to find just as much success as he had in college.

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BTN Big 10K Selects Kyle Schwarber as Grand Marshal
BTN Communications via Big Ten Network

The Big Ten Network today announced Chicago Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber as the grand marshal of the BTN Big 10K. Schwarber will join thousands of Big Ten fans and runners on Aug. 6, 2016, for 10K and 5K runs, as well as a football-themed tailgate party afterwards. “It will be a blast to relive my Big Ten days at one of Chicago’s best summer tailgates,” said Schwarber, who was an All-American baseball player at Indiana University. “I can’t wait to see Big Ten and Cubs fans hit the city streets to represent their schools and support Special Olympics Chicago.” Schwarber

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