Track all of today’s NCAA Softball Tournament action
Sean Merriman, BTN.com web editor via Big Ten Network

We have a full slate of NCAA Softball Tournament games on tap today.

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OSUWG: NCAA Championships, Round 1, have Buckeyes in Top 10 - The Buckeye Battle Cry
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


OSUWG: NCAA Championships, Round 1, have Buckeyes in Top 10
The Buckeye Battle Cry
The Buckeyes shot a steady team score of 294 (+5) to place T-8th after 19 holes. They are in a good position after the first round. Remember, the end game is to be one of the top eight teams to make the match play portion. Their first hurdle is to be ...
Ohio State sports roundup | Men's, women's tennis in NCAA quarterfinalsColumbus Dispatch
George Goldhoff knocked off the nation's top-ranked player in Friday's loss to the Buckeyes.TexasSports.com
Men's and Women's Tennis Teams Both Advance to the NCAA Tournament QuarterfinalsEleven Warriors (registration)

all 7 news articles »

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Ohio State's late round draftees may have found excellent homes in the NFL
Ian Hartitz via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


An undefeated college quarterback, three year starter at linebacker, an all around playmaker, and a senior captain make up the rest of the Buckeyes' elite draft class

Welcome to part three of our analysis on Ohio State's 2016 draftees. You can read part one here, and part two here.

No. 102 - LB Joshua Perry to the San Diego Chargers


Joshua was going to be a good fit anywhere he landed with his great combination of size, speed, and production, and the result is sunny California alongside former teammate Joey Bosa. Perry has an interesting fit in the Chargers' 3-4 defense, as the switch to one of the two middle linebacker positions will involve a learning curve for Perry (his college position was as the Will linebacker in the Buckeyes' 4-3 scheme). Joshua is capable of holding his own in the middle against the run game, but may struggle initially in coverage against quick running backs and tight ends. No one is doubting if Perry can contribute to a NFL football team, the question is whether that contribution will come two or three downs at a time.

• Perry's first interview with the Chargers can be found here. Don't get your hopes up for anything too crazy, as Perry provides his usual dose of intelligent and well thought out answers. What's new.
• Looking fresh Joshua!

From San Diego Chargers general manager Tom Telesco:

"His football makeup and intangibles are great...He's very tough. Urban Meyer spoke very, very highly of him. That's a program with a lot of NFL prospects and big-time NFL players, and he's one of their best players...I think he'll be able to do some different things in our defense as he gets older."

No. 139 - QB Cardale Jones to the Buffalo Bills


Good news and bad news for the only undefeated quarterback in Ohio State history. The good news is that Cardale Jones enters the NFL on a team with no real franchise quarterback, but enough competency at the position (Tyrod Taylor) that Jones should be able to sit on the bench and learn for a year or two without too much hoopla. The bad news is that Taylor and EJ Manuel are not exactly the ideal veteran quarterbacks for Jones to learn from, and Rex Ryan's history with quarterbacks is pretty uh... far from okay.

• Despite Ryan's history of quarterback incompetence (in Ryan's defense, he is a defensive oriented football coach), Jones is already a big fan. How big of a fan? Jones remarked that Ryan may actually be Jones' long lost father. Ryan didn't agree, because of the one obvious difference between the two: arm strength.
• Cardale, in typical Cardale fashion, was very excited to be drafted. Very excited:

From New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan:

"Well obviously he's got the physical gifts you look for, there's no question about that. You notice the stature and he's got a big arm and all that, but you also notice that he's just going through everything like it's spinning right now. He's throwing behind guys—he doesn't know where he's going with it right now. He's got a long way to go."

Undrafted Free Agent - WR Jalin Marshall to the New York Jets


While Marshall's path to a top receiver position is crowded on a depth chart with Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker and Devin Smith, it would not be surprising at all to see Marshall returning kicks for the Jets on opening weekend. A fearless punt returner in college, Marshall should be expected to immediately contribute on special teams while he continues to learn the nuances of the receiver position. It was disappointing to not see Marshall drafted, as an extra year in college would have almost assuredly changed Marshall's draft outlook for 2017.

• Fun stuff from Jalin in his 'Path to the Pros' video feature. Highlights include Jalin going through a phase of wearing a Mike Vick Falcons jersey to school everyday, and that Marshall had always dreamed of attending Ohio State.
• It's safe to say Marshall looks good in green:

Jalin Marshall himself on how it is to join fellow former Buckeyes Devin Smith and Darron Lee in New York:

"Me and Devin are real close...We became real, real close over the years at Ohio State. He was almost like a brother. We bonded and I'm glad to be here with him. He said just go to work and everything will be all right...D-Lee came in here today and we both have to make a statement for ourselves...and really just show we're here to play and help this team win."

Undrafted Free Agent - SAF Tyvis Powell to the Seattle Seahawks


Tyvis enters the Seahawks in a good situation because he should be able to serve as a backup for both Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. Powell routinely played the center field free safety role that Thomas plays for the Seahawks, but Tyvis also regularly rolled up and played around the line of scrimmage, much like Chancellor. However, there have been some very interesting advancements in Powell's role during the Seahawks rookie camp. Namely, Powell has been getting a lot of work in as an outside corner in the Seahawks cover three scheme. With Powell's length and speed, he is an ideal fit for Pete Carroll, and could become Carroll's latest undervalued corner.

• Whether or not Powell sticks as a corner or safety with the Seahawks, look for Powell to be all over the place on special teams. In coach Urban Meyer's own words, Powell was one of Ohio State's special team 'Aces'.
• One of the fun parts about the NFL draft is getting to relive so many great plays from the player's career, like this one:

From Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll:

"Wow, what a great looking kid he is. Golly... Big and strong, he runs well, he had great workouts, he had a nice career playing ball there. ... He looks like a tremendous athlete. Fits in the mold. He ran in the 4.4s. ... Real bright kid and upbeat kid, so he's off to a good start with us."

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Audio: Joe Dexter and Clair Crawford talk Urban Meyer on The Bill King Show
Joe Dexter via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Clair Crawford and Joe Dexter stopped by The Bill King Show on Thursday to discuss how Urban Meyer has turned things around at Ohio State when it comes to discipline and handling

The post Audio: Joe Dexter and Clair Crawford talk Urban Meyer on The Bill King Show appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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OSUWG: NCAA Championships, Round 1, have Buckeyes in Top 10
Ken via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


(Team photo and tournament information courtesy of Ohio State Athletic Department, the NCAA and GolfChannel.com. Event scoring and statistics courtesy of GolfStat.com)

Coach Hession has secured the head covers. NCAA’s are underway!

You’d be all smiles, too, if you just earned a trip to the NCAA Championships. They done did it! Now, they have a grueling week in Eugene OR. They will play at the Eugene Country Club, to a yardage of 6,369 yards or 6,331 yards (depending on weather; Hole #11 is played at 190 or 152 yards), to a par of 72.

Here we are, the NCAA Championships. This event is a bit more involved than the tournaments we’ve seen. Gere’s the championship format, courtesy NCAA:


The championship has several levels. The familiar 54 hole stroke play format that cuts the field from 24 to 1.5. That’s the first hurdle. Then another 18 holes to determine the best 8 teams. Finally, these eight teams are in involved three rounds of match play to determine the 2016 NCAA Champion. That’s a lot of golf to squeeze into six days; it’s more grueling mentally than it is physically.

The scoring format is the familiar ‘play five, score four’.

This will be fun to watch.

Here are the teams, in alphabetical order, with their Golfstat Top 25 Ranking.

Alabama (1), Arizona (10),Arkansas (11), BYU, Duke (5), Florida (4), Florida State (16), Furman (19), Georgia (6), Miami FL, Michigan, North Carolina, Northwestern (7), Ohio State (25), Oklahoma State (8), Oregon (20), South Carolina (18), Stanford (12), Tennessee (21), Texas (24), UCLA (3), USC (2), Virginia (15) and Washington (13).

The participating Individuals (schools) are: Elise Bradley (LSU), Sarah Burnham, (Michigan State), Olivia Cason (Louisville), Leonie Harm (Houston), August Kim (Purdue), Jennifer Kupcho (Wake Forest), Marianne Li (California), Laura Lonardi (Baylor), Bianca Pagdanganan (Gonzaga), Lauren Stephenson (Clemson), Linnea Strom (Arizona State), Andrea Wong (UC Davis)

The Buckeyes should be familiar to you by now. They are: Katja Pogacar, Jessica Porvasnik, Rio Watanabe, Jaclyn Lee and Niki Schroeder.


1st Round


The Buckeyes shot a steady team score of 294 (+5) to place T-8th after 19 holes. They are in a good position after the first round. Remember, the end game is to be one of the top eight teams to make the match play portion. Their first hurdle is to be one of the top 15 qualifiers after three rounds, and they are four strokes inside the limit at this point.

They shot a team score of 293 (+5), which placed them in a T-8th place with Virginia and South Carolina. The Buckeyes were led by a sub-par round by Rio Watanabe 70 (-3). The rest of the team scoring consisted of Katja Pogacar 73 (+1), Niki Schroeder 75 (+3) and Jaclyn Lee 75 (+3). Jessica Porvasnik’s 77 (+58) rounded out Ohio State scoring for the round.

As a side note, Rio’s round was her second consecutive sub-par round in NCAA ply (Regionals and Championships). She is T-11 place in overall scoring (132 golfers) after one round.

They Buckeyes began their rounds on the back nine, beginning with hole #10. The back nine has par of 35, the front nine a par of 37.

Rio was “Rio” on Friday. She had had back-to-back birdies on holes #7/#8, then bogeyed #9 for a a front nine score of -1, 34. She played her back nine holes in 8 consecutive pars before closing in style with a birdie on her last hole.

Katja had a fairly even keeled round of 2 birdies (both on her opening nine) / 3 bogeys for a very good +1 score.

Niki had a rough start, bogeying her first three holes, then settled in by birdieing 2 of her next 6 holes for a front nine score of 36, +1. She recorded 1 birdie/3 bogeys in her final nine for a 39, +2.

Jaclyn had 3 bogeys on each side, but helped herself with 2 birdies (1 on each nine) for was steady round of 75.

Jessica’s round had some early excitement; in her first four holes she had 2 birdies and a double bogey. That’s a lot going on in the first hour of play. She was even par through six holes, but incurred 5 bogeys over her closing 12 holes.

Buckeye scoring, below:

NCAA Championship Rd 1 Rd 2 Rd 3 Rd 3 Total
Team 293 0 0 0 293
Katja Pogacar 73 0 0 0 73
Jessica Porvasnik 77 0 0 0 77
Rio Watanabe 70 0 0 0 70
Jaclyn Lee 75 0 0 0 75
Niki Schroeder 75 0 0 0 75

The Buckeyes put together a round of 13 birdies, 57 pars, 21 bogeys and 1 double bogey.

Ohio State played the par 3’s fairly well, averaging a 3.00, even par, ranking them T-3rd. They played the par 4’s “sort of OK”, to an average of 4,20, +10 to par, ranking them T-13th. They played the par 5’s exceptionally well, to an average of 5.00, even par, ranking them T-11th.

Next up, Round 2.

Go Buckeyes!

The post OSUWG: NCAA Championships, Round 1, have Buckeyes in Top 10 appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Elite DB glad to welcome in Buckeyes, anxious to visit OSU again - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Elite DB glad to welcome in Buckeyes, anxious to visit OSU again
247Sports
On Tuesday Ohio State cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs was in Georgia and stopped at Thomson High School to see 2018 defensive back Christian Tutt. “He talked to my. To continue reading, subscribe now for VIP Access. Are you a current VIP and getting ...


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Ohio State baseball falls to Minnesota, 4-3, thanks to one bad inning
Ben Martens via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Gophers scored all four of their runs in the sixth inning to score a come from behind victory.

Ohio State baseball jumped on Minnesota early, but one bad inning for Buckeye starter John Havird led to a 4-3 defeat and a series even at one game apiece. The Gophers scored all four of their runs in the sixth to claim the victory.

The Buckeyes are now 13-9 in Big Ten play, and depending upon the outcome of other conference games on Friday, could find themselves in third or fourth in the standings heading into Saturday. Minnesota improved to 16-6 and will remain in the top two.

Havird cruised through the first five innings before the Gophers got it going in the sixth. The senior lefty finished with four runs on 10 hits in 6.2 innings of work, striking out four and not issuing a walk.

Senior shortstop Craig Nennig hit his fifth home run of the season, but it wasn't enough on a night when Ohio State went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, left five men on base, and hit into three double plays.

Minnesota's Dalton Sawyer went seven innings and made only one real mistake in the pitch to Nennig. The left-hander allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits in 7.2 innings, striking out nine and walking five.

The Buckeyes took the early 2-0 lead when Nennig took a hanging breaking ball from Sawyer out to left field with Tre Gantt aboard.


Ohio State extended the lead to 3-0 thanks to a passed ball in the top of the sixth. Troy Kuhn walked to lead the inning off, and Troy Montgomery had a bunt single. A groundout by Jalen Washington advanced both runners, and a Sawyer fastball to Ryan Leffel glanced off catcher Austin Athmann's glove, allowing Kuhn to trot home.

The Gophers finally got to Havird in the bottom of the sixth and put up a crooked number.. Three straight singles, including two bunt singles, opened the frame and loaded the bases with nobody out. Matt Fiedler grounded into a 4-6-3 double play, which scored a run, then an infield single from Athmann on a close play at first scored a second, trimming the lead to 3-2.

Micah Coffey then stepped in and lined a ball into the right field corner which went for a triple and scored Athmann to tie the game. A wild pitch from Havird brought Coffey home and gave Minnesota a 4-3 lead.

The Buckeyes had their chances in both the seventh and the eighth, but in both innings saw a double play extinguish the rally. Minnesota closer Jordan Jess recorded the final four outs of the game to earn his ninth save of the season.

The rubber match of the series, which is the regular season finale for both clubs and will carry major Big Ten tournament implications, is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET on Saturday and will stream live on BTN Plus.

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OSU women’s tennis advancing to NCAA Quarterfinals
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Ohio State Women’s Tennis Team, fourth seeded in the NCAA Tournament, will advance into the quarterfinals – with their victory over 17th ranked Georgia Tech in the Round of 16, 4-2. The Buckeyes are now 31-2 this season and are on a 16-game winning streak. They will meet up with 12th ranked Oklahoma State scheduled for 5 p.m. E.T. Saturday in Tulsa.

The Buckeyes against the Yellow Jackets won the doubles point – taking a 1-0 lead. Junior Sandy Niehaus won on Court number six. The Yellow Jackets won the next two matches to bolster their 2-2 team score. Buckeyes freshmen sensation Francesca Di Lorenzo put the Buckeyes ahead with a victory on Court number one. Gabriella De Santis and Niehaus won as well, helping in the scoring for the victory. Miho Kowase came from behind, a 4-1 deficit, winning three games to claim her match – and a Buckeye’s win.

In singles, Niehaus put Ohio State up 2-0, downing her opponent 6-2 & 6-2, on court six. She is undefeated – 12-0 – in dual matches this spring. #3 Francesca Di Lorenzo held on in her match to claim a win – 6-4, 6-3. Di Lorenzo has a team-best 35 overall and 26 dual match singles victories this year and is on a 14-match winning streak.

Buckeyes Head Coach Melissa Schaub: “It was a long day, a long day for both teams and every team involved, but that is what our team is about. Our team will come out and fight every single day and give it our best shot, and that is what we did today. For two and three doubles to get up 4-0 quickly means a lot to get that momentum under your belt. I couldn’t be more proud.”

On moving onto the Quarterfinals: “At this point in the tournament it isn’t about forehand and backhand, but about competing and fighting and willing to step up in the big moment. That is what we’ll try to preach on Saturday and hopefully for a few more matches. We competed hard. We knew it was going to be a fight and that is what we got. We know it is late, but we know we have a job to do and every match will be tough, but we’ll get ready for Saturday.”

Be around this Saturday (05/21) – check out your local listings & cheer on our Buckeyes to advance onto the Final Four. It’s going to happen.

See you there!
Go Buckeyes!!

The post OSU women’s tennis advancing to NCAA Quarterfinals appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Big Ten Softball: Track today’s NCAA Tournament action
Sean Merriman, BTN.com web editor via Big Ten Network

ROM-BOMB! Romero hammers a solo shot off the front of the RF grandstand fencing. Her 18th HR of the year. 1-0 U-M. pic.twitter.com/KIgOqoaq1E — Michigan Softball (@umichsoftball) May 20, 2016 Big Ten fans will be treated to a full day of NCAA Softball Tournament action. Coverage began today with two games in the Ann Arbor Regional, both featured on BTN TV and BTN2Go. Miami (Ohio) kicked off the action with a 3-2 win over Notre Dame. Currently on BTN/BTN2Go, the tournament’s overall No. 2-seed Michigan is hosting Valparaiso. (Watch here on BTN2Go) Also live right now: Ohio State vs. Arizona,

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Lamont Wade, Ohio State's top 2017 CB target, includes Buckeyes in list of final 10 school - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Lamont Wade, Ohio State's top 2017 CB target, includes Buckeyes in list of final 10 school
cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Four-star cornerback Lamont Wade of Clairton, Pa., has been Ohio State's top cornerback prospect in the 2017 recruiting class for at least a year. And because Urban Meyer and his staff have put so much energy into Wade's recruitment, ...
Lamont Wade narrows his list247Sports
The Hurry Up: Taking a Closer Look at Sitkowski Offer, Lamont Wade's Athleticism on Display, Ohio State Offers 2017 DTEleven Warriors (registration)

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Lamont Wade, Ohio State's top 2017 CB target, includes Buckeyes in list of final 10 school - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Lamont Wade, Ohio State's top 2017 CB target, includes Buckeyes in list of final 10 school
cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Four-star cornerback Lamont Wade of Clairton, Pa., has been Ohio State's top cornerback prospect in the 2017 recruiting class for at least a year. And because Urban Meyer and his staff have put so much energy into Wade's recruitment, ...
The Hurry Up: Taking a Closer Look at Sitkowski Offer, Lamont Wade's Athleticism on Display, Ohio State Offers 2017 DTEleven Warriors (registration)

all 4 news articles »

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Buckeye commit accepts invite to USA Basketball U-17 camp
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


For Ohio State, having a 2017 commit play amongst the best in the nation is always a good sign


"He's the only player currently committed to Ohio State in 2017, but he won't be the only Buckeye recruiting target in Colorado Springs."


– Bill Landis, cleveland.com

If you're a Buckeye fan, you have to like what you're seeing from the future members that will suit up in the scarlet and grey inside the Schottenstein Center.

From next season's recruiting class, center Kaleb Wesson (Westerville South) has accepted an offer to participate in the USA Basketball U17 camp in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The camp will take place from June 10-22, and the finalized roster will take part in the FIBA World Championships in Spain (June 23 to July 3).

If you're curious, here is a list of all the talented rising stars that will be part of the camp. A total of 39 will tryout for 13 spots on the official team.

As Landis has pointed out, quite a few of the invitees are Buckeye targets. Some of those targets include: Troy Brown, Nojel Easton and Gary Trent Jr. – all of which are targets in the 2017 class.

"The biggest thing, I think, that he’s done is he’s settled down and understands this is really what I want to do and I want to be good at it."


– Hue Jackson on former Buckeye Terrelle Pryor, by Michael David Smith (NBC Sports)

Back in the Oakland days, Jackson brought Pryor into the NFL via a third round pick in the supplemental NFL Draft. Now, in Cleveland, they both are reunited again. Recently, Jackson talked about Pryor, and how he's evolved over the past few seasons.

"He’s been around it a little bit. He knows what to expect, what to do, what not to do," said Jackson, as written in the article by Smith.

As you may recall, Pryor turned to the NFL Draft as the NCAA came down on Ohio State as the memorabilia-for-tattoos investigate came to light. Considering that Pryor has still found a home in the NFL after being part of that supplemental draft shows that he has the skill sets to play on the professional gridiron.

Here's hoping that Pryor can be another Buckeye that is dominating after putting up the scarlet and grey uniform.

"However, the Buckeyes are seen as a three- or four-loss team by one Las Vegas sportsbook."


– David Purdham, ESPN.com

Yes, it's the offseason, and that means it's time for the way-too-early-but-we-need-to-throw-down-some-projection from bookies.

Up first is The Golden Nugget Sportsbook, which has Ohio State sitting at 8.5 wins this upcoming season.



*cue the panic*

While Ohio State has to reload (not rebuild) the cabinet after watching 12 Buckeyes get their named called in the first four rounds of the draft, the program has done exceptionally well since Meyer took over the program.

Now, with the Michigan Bros. projected to dance around the Buckeyes 8.5 margin of wins, expect this season to have some twist-and-turns, just like any other season.

However, if you're in Vegas, I would definitely take Ohio State on the 8.5 over.


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Wanna work out to Braxton Miller's playlist? Former Buckeyes create cross of Pandora and Instagram - Columbus Business First (blog)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Wanna work out to Braxton Miller's playlist? Former Buckeyes create cross of Pandora and Instagram
Columbus Business First (blog)
New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. typically warms up with his knack for spectacular one-handed catches. “He always has headphones on,” said Mark Johnson, a former Ohio State Buckeyes defensive back. “It will be cool for people to know what ...


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Can Ohio State's offensive line be as good as Alabama's next season?
Chad Peltier via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ohio State and Alabama are the leaders when it comes to college football talent. Who will have the better offensive line next season?

Through the 2016 NFL Draft and signing day, one thing has become fairly clear: Ohio State and Alabama are at the top of the college football talent food chain. That's not to say that other programs don't recruit consistently well -- Florida State, Notre Dame, and LSU are all close -- but the Tide and Buckeyes have undoubtedly led when it comes to both recruiting and NFL production.

But, as Ian Boyd argued recently, the Tide are just beginning to truly dominate in the trenches:


The Buckeyes are in a similar situation. Not only was the offensive line fairly depleted by the time Urban Meyer got to Columbus, but the Buckeyes also had to replace most of their line prior to the 2014 National Championship season. It's the same case this year, just with a wider talent base.

The chart below lists Alabama and Ohio State's offensive line advanced stats rankings for adjusted line yards, opportunity rate, and adjusted sack rate:

Team Year Off/Def Adj. Line Yds Opp. Rate Adj. Sack Rate
OSU 2015 Off 7 2 53
Bama 2015 Off 12 24 34
OSU 2014 Off 2 1 74
Bama 2014 Off 6 2 6


Just in terms of performance, it's easy to see that while both offenses have excelled at running the ball, pass protection was iffy for both programs last year. The Buckeyes had further to climb (from 74th to 53rd), though part of that low ranking may be due to the offensive system, as running quarterbacks typically take more sacks than quarterbacks in pro-style systems.

So the offensive line's performance against the pass, especially replacing three starters going in to 2016, will be a big concern for the Buckeyes. There's also missing a proven anchor on the left side, like Alabama has in Cam Robinson, assuming all checks out with his legal issues.

Of course, there's plenty of talent waiting to fill in the gaps for Ohio State. I also looked at recent offensive line recruiting for the Tide and Buckeyes. Overall, in the last four recruiting classes, Alabama has signed 19 offensive linemen with an average recruiting rating of .9236. That's five linemen a year apart from the four-man 2013 class.

In the same time span, Ohio State signed 16 linemen with an average recruiting rating of .9089 -- barely a four-star average. That's not without big signees, including likely starters Isaiah Prince and Jamarco Jones, but the Buckeyes were also forced to move away from blue-chippers in favor of rawer prospects. The chart below has the average recruiting rating for offensive linemen by year:

2013 2014 2015 2016
Ohio St .94 .9258 .9016 .9109
Alabama .8995 .9272 .9213 .9415


Given the actual on-field results as seen in the chart above, the talent gap hasn't led to a big difference in run-blocking ability, but two years of data (an admittedly small sample size) suggest that if there is any relationship with recruiting rankings, it is with pass-blocking over run-blocking ability (again, there are a large number of variables at work here, however).

The Ohio State and Alabama offensive lines have performed about the same when it comes to run blocking, but the Tide have been much better overall in pass blocking for the last two seasons. Further, the Crimson Tide have recruited a deeper and more talented pool of blue chip offensive line recruits to win in the trenches.

Will that be the case for next season? There will be new faces on both offensive lines. But for the Buckeyes to play championship caliber football next season, they're going to need championship caliber production from their offensive line, especially in pass protection, as throwing the ball figures to be a bigger part of Ohio State's offense for next season.

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Ohio State Assistant Coach Greg Paulus Talks Next Step For Buckeyes' Point Guard JaQuan Lyle - Eleven Warriors (registration)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State Assistant Coach Greg Paulus Talks Next Step For Buckeyes' Point Guard JaQuan Lyle
Eleven Warriors (registration)
It's precisely why Paulus, now an assistant coach with the Buckeyes who just finished his fifth year in the program — the third as an assistant — since his playing days ended with the Blue Devils, flashed a smile when he was asked about the current ...


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Ohio State Buckeyes recruit Josh Myers can't wait to be a Slob - MyDaytonDailyNews
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Ohio State Buckeyes recruit Josh Myers can't wait to be a Slob
MyDaytonDailyNews
Ohio State Buckeyes recruit Josh Myers can't wait to be a Slob MARC PENDLETON / STAFF Miamisburg junior OL Josh Myers. Lima Senior defeated host Miamisburg 44-42 in OT in a D-II, Region 6 high school football first-round playoff game on Friday, Nov.

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Buckeyes go to Arkansas to offer 2017 defensive tackle - 247Sports
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Buckeyes go to Arkansas to offer 2017 defensive tackle
247Sports
What's next for the Buckeyes? Make sure you're in the loop -- take five seconds to sign up for our FREE Buckeyes newsletter now! With Ohio State holding commitments from Haskell Garrett and Jerron Cage at defensive tackle, the staff could be looking to ...


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Rutgers May Leave Columbus In October Feeling Ash(en)
Chip Minnich via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

“ 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.

**

Rutgers Scarlet Knights (Game 4)

2016 OSU Opponent Ranking: 10 out of 12

Players Recruited By Ohio State: DL Darius Hamilton, DB Ronnie James. There may be more players on Rutgers’ roster that had offers from Ohio State, but Hamilton and James are the only ones I could find in my research. Please correct me if I am mistaken.

Game Date: October 1, 2016

Kickoff Time: 12pm EST. Network television has not yet been announced.

Location: Ohio Stadium

Rationale For The Ranking: Ohio State’s homecoming game is against an opponent that has posed little to no threat to Ohio State over the past two seasons. Ohio State defeated Rutgers 56-17 in 2014, and traveled to New Jersey in 2015 and handled the Scarlet Knights 49-7. That averages out to a usual score of 52-12, favoring the Buckeyes.

Prediction: Former Ohio State assistant Chris Ash has taken over the Rutgers program, and is doing everything in his power to mold the Buckeyes into a program that will be able to compete within The B1G East’s typical powers in Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, and Penn State. Ash will try to mold Rutgers into a tough, physical program, but how quickly can Ash transform the Scarlet Knights, with the talent on hand? Throw in the fact that Ohio State will have a week off prior to this contest, and this one could be another blowout win for the Buckeyes in Ohio Stadium.

Previous Rankings:
11 – Bowling Green
12 – Tulsa




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Buckeyes offer one of the nation's best quarterbacks - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes offer one of the nation's best quarterbacks
247Sports
They won't be terrible or anything – they'll be decent – and because of the environment anything can happen, but I expect October to be relatively drama-free if the Buckeyes can avoid any serious injuries to key players. November is what I find really ...


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


I haven’t chosen many golfers for Making the List, have I?

The second installment of this column, following the great Jesse Owens, I did pick Jack Nicklaus…

No golfers since then.

Shame on me!

The Ohio State University has had a host of wonderful, talented, and great golfers. John Cook was one of them.

John Neuman Cook was born in 1957. The son of PGA Tour official Jim Cook, John Cook was born in Toledo, Ohio, but grew up in Southern California. Besides being a talented golfer early on he was also a promising, though a bit undersized, quarterback in football through his sophomore year. He was advised by his high school golf coach (also the football coach) to focus on golf; thus the best opportunity for a collegiate scholarship. The coach, Wilbur Lucas, later said it was the only time he suggested an athlete drop a sport.
It would prove to be genius.

Cook was offered a scholarship to the Ohio State University, and had been “personally” advised to accept by Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf. As a Buckeye John would be a member of the 1979 NCAA Championship team, which also included Joey Sindelar. John would go to win the U.S. Amateur title in 1978 at age 20. In 1979 he almost repeated the title, losing to Mark O’Meara in the finals. He would also win the Sunnehanna Amateur in 1977 and 1979 and the California State Amateur in 1975. Cook also won the 1978 and 1979 Northeast Amateur held at Wannamoisett Country Club.

His accomplishments as a Buckeye hardly stopped there ….

He would be the individual Big 10 Champion in 1978. He holds 6 individual tournament wins as a Buckeye. John would be a First team All-American in 1977, 78 and 79. The 1979 World Cup Champion was.. John Cook. The Walker Cup trophy went to, yep(!) John Cook; as did the Sun Bowl title in 1977, 78. While a Buckeye John participated in the Masters in 1978. He would be the Eisenhower trophy winner in 1978. The Ohio State University inducted John into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1986.

Cook’s first PGA Tour victory came in the 1981 storm-plagued Bing Crosby National Pro-Am. The event was shortened to 54 holes due to the weather conditions. Cook won the title on the third extra hole after a five-way sudden-death playoff that included Hale Irwin, Bobby Clampett, Ben Crenshaw, and Barney Thompson. Hale Irwin, the last of the four men that Cook eliminated in the playoff, was gracious in defeat. Irwin said: “John is a special young man. He deserved to win. He is one of the best new young players on the tour.”
Cook’s second PGA Tour win came in the 1983 Canadian Open. Cook won the tournament with a birdie putt on the sixth extra hole of a playoff against Johnny Miller.

Cook has had seven top-10 finishes in major championships. The closest he came to winning a major during his career was when he led the 1992 Open Championship at Muirfield by two shots late in the final round. Cook missed a two-foot birdie putt on the 17th that would have given him a three-shot lead before he bogeyed the 18th and lost the Open by one stroke to Nick Faldo. The Brit birdied two of the last four holes to surpass Cook. After the tournament Cook said: “I definitely let one slip away. I had a chance to win a major championship and I didn’t.”

During three consecutive years – 1996 through 1998, Cook had at least one PGA Tour win. His 1996 victory in the FedEx St. Jude Classic came after his opening three rounds of 64-62-63 for a 54-hole score of 189 broke the lowest total in PGA Tour history.

As an amateur John has 7 titles. Professionally he has 27. He has certainly done well for himself.

John is a great Buckeye. His consistency in a sport that promises a career span equivalent to ripped elastic certainly outlines his superiority during his era which included some of the greatest names in the game. Without any doubt John Cook deserves to me included in our Making the List. During his collegiate era at The Ohio State University he is one of the absolute greatest golfers that the Buckeyes have had the privilege of witnessing.

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

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Ohio State looks to keep the New Jersey pipeline hot by offering 2018 QB
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 Ohio State staff has hit the road at full speed sending coaches all over the country in hunt for the best prospects in the country.

Ohio State seems to be making the headlines daily in the sports world. Whether it's coverage of the newest Buckeyes in the NFL, 2016 Buckeye football predictions or just recruiting, Urban Meyer and staff never cease to stop their efforts. This summer will be pivotal for Ohio State as they look to develop a very young squad in 2016 as well as host many of the country's top high school prospects in hopes to bring them to Columbus for their college years.

2018 QB receives OSU offer


The quarterback position is arguably the most important position of each recruiting class. In Urban Meyer's time as a head coach, his success in recruiting quarterbacks has easily helped him become one of the elite coaches in college football. Names such as Alex Smith, Tim Tebow, and countless others highlight a list that proves just how good Meyer's teach record really is.

In hopes of keeping the momentum going at the quarterback position for the Buckeyes, Tim Beck hit the road and handed out an offer to a 2018 prospect yesterday. Via his twitter, Artur Sitkowski (Matawan, NJ / Old Bridge) announced publicly that the Buckeyes had pulled the trigger and extended an offer his way. The 6 foot 4 inch, 215-pound signal caller already possesses a very impressive offer list including many of the country's top programs.

Schools on the offer sheet for Artur as of now include Maryland, Michigan, Rutgers, South Carolina, and most recently Ohio State amongst others. The 4-star prospect holds predictions for Michigan and Rutgers as of now on the 247sports crystal ball chart, but it's far too early to peg Artur anywhere. Having visited Ohio State already this spring, the Buckeyes can certainly be a factor in his recruitment.





Staff sees Grimes at STA spring game


Once again, 5-star receiver prospect Trevon Grimes (Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / St. Thomas Aquinas) is in the news again. Luckily for Floridian prep athletes, spring football occurs as a head start to the summer and fall season. Yesterday, St. Thomas Aquinas held their spring game as the conclusion to spring football. In attendance at the Blue and Gold game were Buckeye coaches Zach Smith and Greg Schiano. Certainly, the main prospect of attention was Grimes, but plenty of other talented prospects bolster the Raiders roster.

With the familiarity between Grimes and Ohio State, things have seemed to be all Buckeyes for the recruitment of Trevon from the start. With his comments on Ohio State recently and the heavy dose of Buckeye presence in South Florida, the comfortability between the two parties seems to be growing even deeper. With an Urban Meyer and Ohio State satellite camp planned for St. Thomas Aquinas in June and Grimes heading to Columbus with family the following week, things are looking better than ever for the Buckeyes to land Grimes' pledge. Who knows, it could even happen this summer.





2017 TE impressing Buckeyes


It remains to be seen whether or not Ohio State will take a tight end prospect in 2017 due to taking two in 2016 and a numbers crunch in this year's class. However, one tight end is seeing attention from the Ohio State coaching staff and this attention seems to be increasing. Alexander Marshall (Andover, Mass. / Andover) product was vocal this week via his Twitter that he had talked with Urban Meyer and yesterday was no different. Co-offensive coordinator, Ed Warinner made the trek to see Alexander, and the relationship with the Buckeyes looks to be getting stronger with each passing day. The 3-star is a heavy Florida State lean based on the 247sports crystal ball predictions, but with Ohio State in the picture, anything can happen.





Cage shows his talents


Current 2017 commitment, Jerron Cage (Cincinnati, Ohio / Winton Woods) showed exactly why the Buckeyes raved and desired to have Cage as a part of the 2017 class while competing at the Chicago Opening regional camp. In an article with scout.com, the top ten defensive performers of the showcase were listed and Jerron cracked the list. To see what Cage will bring to the Buckeyes defensive line in the future, take a look below.



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Ohio State Football: 3 Recruits Who Would Be Perfect Fits for Buckeyes Defense - Bleacher Report
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State Football: 3 Recruits Who Would Be Perfect Fits for Buckeyes Defense
Bleacher Report
Ohio State already has seven elite defenders in its No. 1-ranked recruiting class, highlighted by 5-star cornerback Shaun Wade. But Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes are looking to tighten their grip on that top spot by recruiting some of the nation's top ...
Fear Mongering: Areas Where Question Marks Outnumber Exclamation Points for Ohio StateEleven Warriors (registration)
Vegas sets over/under for Ohio State wins at 8.5247Sports
Rich Rodriguez in the Woody Hayes Center? Arizona, Boston College, TCU to work Ohio State campscleveland.com
Land-Grant Holy Land -FanSided
all 10 news articles »

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Ohio State baseball wins seventh straight, 3-2 over No. 24 Minnesota
Ben Martens via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes took sole possession of third place in the Big Ten with their road win over the Gophers.

The Ohio State baseball team picked up its fifth straight win against a ranked opponent, and its seventh straight win overall with a 3-2 outlasting of Minnesota on the road on Thursday night. The Buckeyes improved to 14-8 in Big Ten play, and moved into sole possession of third place in the standings.

Ohio State came up with clutch two-out hitting in their final at-bat to score the go-ahead run. Craig Nennig hit a seeing-eye single, Ronnie Dawson floated a single, and Troy Kuhn chopped a ball to short with no play to be made to break a 2-2 tie and give the Buckeyes a big series-opening win.


Troy Montgomery, who has been hitting fifth the past couple of weeks after leading off the past two seasons, showed he likes hitting in Minneapolis. The junior reached base four times, going 3-for-3 with three singles, a walk, a stolen base, and a run scored.

Starting pitcher Tanner Tully continued to be on top of his game for Ohio State. Though he didn't factor in the decision, the junior lefty tossed his ninth quality start of the season, going 6 innings while limiting the Gophers to two runs on 10 hits, striking out four and walking one.

For Minnesota, starter Matt Fiedler matched Tully, giving up two runs on seven hits in 6.1 innings of work, though his four wild pitches would factor in the Buckeyes' scoring.

In the top of the second, Ohio State claimed the early 1-0 lead thanks to the speed of Montgomery. The Buckeye center fielder led off with an infield single, advanced to third on a single by Jalen Washington, and scored when Fiedler uncorked a wild pitch.

Minnesota tied the game in the bottom of the frame after a single by Austin Athmann and a double by Micah Coffey set up Matt Stemper for an RBI groundout.

The Gophers used some timely two-out hitting in the bottom of the fifth to claim their first lead of the ballgame. Fiedler, Athmann, and Coffey all singled off Tully, with the last resulting in a 2-1 lead.

Minnesota maintained the lead until the top of the seventh when Tre Gantt got the Buckeyes going with a one-out single. Gantt moved to second on a wild pitch, went to third on a Nick Sergakis single, and tied the game when Fiedler let loose another wild pitch.

Tully ran into trouble in the seventh the first two batters singled, but Seth Kinker came in out of the bullpen and put out the fire. The sophomore rolled a double play and got a fly out from Athmann to strand a runner at third.

On the other side, Lucas Gilbreath took over for Fiedler in the seventh and shut Ohio State down until the top of the ninth.

Senior Michael Horejsei took over in the eighth and recorded the final six outs to shut down the Gophers and seal the victory.

The two teams will take field at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday for Game Two of the series, which will air live on Big Ten Network. Ohio State's John Havird will be on the bump against Minnesota's Dalton Sawyer.

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The Hurry Up: Grimes Time in Florida, Buckeyes Working on Alexander Marshall, Preparing for Texas Two-Step - Eleven Warriors (registration)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


The Hurry Up: Grimes Time in Florida, Buckeyes Working on Alexander Marshall, Preparing for Texas Two-Step
Eleven Warriors (registration)
Tomorrow morning, bright and early, two of Texas' brightest 2017 prospects are heading to Ohio to visit the Buckeyes. Five-star safety Jeffrey Okudah and five-star linebacker Baron Browning will travel to Columbus for what could be a very important ...
Post Pitt visit, now what for Buckeye commit Todd Sibley?247Sports
2 5-star prospects set return visits to Ohio StateLand-Grant Holy Land
Cam Akers, a five-star RB and former Alabama commit, to visit Ohio State in early Junecleveland.com
Scout
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