Ezekiel Elliott shines in mini-camp for the Dallas Cowboys
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Buckeyes are doing well in the pros


“For his part, though, Elliott has been both humble and hard-working as he is focused on helping Dallas get back to winning,”


– Patrik Walker (cowboyswire)

Already in the infancy of mini-camp, Ezekiel Elliott is shining brought in Dallas. Video surfaced of the former ‘hero in a half shirt’ tearing through the defense and scoring a TD.

More impressive: the person Elliott darted past was Byron Jones, the unofficial world record holder at the broad jump.


Granted, this is just the prelude to the pre-season, but it’s always refreshing to see Buckeyes tearing it up on the next level.

Elliott has big shoes to fill as a Cowboy. The No.4 pick of the draft follows the mold made by Tony Dorsett and Emmitt Smith – legendary running backs to dawn the blue and white.

“Here’s the real reason 100,000 people show up for a very basic practice: Ohio State has created a caste system for its football fans,”


– Jeff Long (Columbus Monthly)

It’s no secret that Ohio State people like their football. In the June edition of Columbus Monthly, Jeff Long delves into the reason why 100,000+ plus people would jam into a stadium to watch a glorified practice.

According to Long, a ticket caste system has been created for home games in the Shoe. If you want to watch the Buckeyes take on the likes of Tulsa, that’ll cost you about $75.

Want to see an Ohio State-Michigan game? *laughs incredulously * That will run you about $195 per ticket. As Long notes, that seat will probably be somewhere in the stratosphere (a.k.a. C-Deck).

Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Yes, 100,000 people showed up (and paid) to see a practice back in April. Welcome to Ohio State football fandom.

The “premier” ticket created for bigger games in the Shoe is basic economics at work. Ohio State is riding high during the Urban Meyer era, and are virtually on either national television or primetime every week. Buckeye football is the hottest ticket in town, and Ohio State wants to make money on their product.

Now, is roughly two Ben Franklin’s worth a Michigan football ticket in the Shoe? That’s debatable. However, if the stadium can be packed for the spring game, then certainly someone will buy that ticket at $195.

As the National Football Foundations’ Hall of Fame Ballot deadline approaches, two Buckeyes wait for the call


Monday is the deadline for the National Football Foundation’s Hall of Fame ballot. On the ballot are two former Ohio State greats

Former running back Keith Byars (1982-1985) and fullback Jim Otis (1967-1969) represent the scarlet and gray on the list of potential members for enshrinement.

For Byars, the Heisman runner-up in 1984 (behind Doug Flutie) led the nation in rushing on his way to claiming the Big Ten conference MVP. On top of that, Byars finished his Buckeye playing days with 3,200 rushing yards, good for fifth all-time.


Before the Byars days, there was Otis. Otis was part of the 1968 National Championship team. In 1969, Otis picked up consensus All-American honors (of the first team variety) and was All-Big Ten.

In the name of politics, it isn’t too late to have your voice be heard for who you want in the hall. While you can’t go to a polling place to cast your vote, you can take to social media and push your football writers to make the pick on who is the most deserving to get that call for enshrinement.

I say this because I’ve looked at the ballot daily since it came out, and I can’t reach a final verdict on who to pick.

Here’s the full list of potential hall of fame members:

Geoff Hammersley
Mirror mirror on the wall, who do I pick to make the call? (please help)


STICK TO SPORTS!!!!!!


• You’re never too old for Twitter. Just look at K-State’s Bill Snyder

• Satellite camps may be partnering with the NFL

• But sir... Gotham is a real place

• An insight on law degrees by the New York Times

• If you need to take your mind off the fact that college football is still two months away, may I suggest you play the new Resident Evil VII demo. The Internet is having an an aneurysm trying to solve the hidden ending.

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IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)
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Was at camp today.

Ohio State players who could leave early for the NFL - 247Sports.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State players who could leave early for the NFL
247Sports.com
Ohio State lost a lot of talent to the NFL and graduation from last year's team, but with the way Urban Meyer and his staff have recruited, the Buckeyes should be "reloading" and not "rebuilding" in 2016. In fact, the team shouldn't see much of a drop ...
Tim Beck Continuing to Prove His Worth on the Buckeye Recruiting FrontEleven Warriors (registration)
Ohio State Recruiting Roundup: Top WR To Visit, Offer Puts Buckeyes On Top For 2018 DB TargetChat Sports
4-star ATH gets coveted Ohio State offerLand-Grant Holy Land
247Sports -Rotoworld.com -Campus Sports
all 12 news articles »

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Making The List: Doug Beal
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 we will honor the Men’s Volleyball Program. They are the 2016 National Champions. So I find a necessity to honor one of the Greats of The Ohio State University Volleyball Program – and there is indeed quite a few I could choose from.

Since 1968, the Ohio State men’s volleyball team has been a foundation in the world of Division I collegiate volleyball and has produced some “tremendous” names in the sport; along the way too they have had some “serious” success. The motto of the Athletic Department is a reflection and the goal followed by the Men’s Program: “The People. The Tradition. The Excellence.”

One of the biggest names in the volleyball world, Doug Beal, is a Buckeye. Beal as an All-American player in Columbus was a dominant force behind the 1969 Buckeyes and their 24-0 record. He also aided in their first MIVA title; later coaching the squad to the MIVA title in 1972. After leaving OSU, he gained recognition as the coach of the 1984 United States Gold Medal Olympic team, which boasted three former Buckeye players in Marc Waldie, Richard Duwelius and Aldis Berzins, who is the father of current Buckeye player Mik Berzins.

Doug Beal also competed as a member of the U.S. Men’s National Team from 1970 to 1976. A five-time All-America player at The Ohio State University, he was selected to three U.S. Olympic teams, two World Championships teams, and four NORCECA Zone championship teams. He was the 1969 Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association and was voted MVP of the 1975 USVBA Open Championships.

Beal would be named head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team in 1977 and became the driving force for establishing a full-time, year-around volleyball training center. The facility was created in, Dayton, 1978. The center moved to San Diego in 1981 along with the national team program.

With Beal as head coach of the national team, the US captured its first-ever gold medal in men’s volleyball at the 1984 Olympics. Although he stepped down as head coach following his team’s 1984 gold medal run, Beal’s pioneering offensive and defensive systems continued to impact the U.S. volleyball program, yielding gold medals at the 1985 Volleyball World Cup, the 1986 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championships, and the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. After his resignation, Beal became the organization’s National Team Center Director from 1985-87. He remained involved with the organization until 1990 when he moved to Italy to coach a top professional team.

Beal returned to the men’s national team in July, 1993 as a special assistant to the Executive Director/CEO. He worked closely with former USAV Executive Director John Carroll, and was responsible for FIVB relations and player development for the USA national teams. He worked in that capacity until he accepted the program’s head coaching position for the second time in 1997.
During his second leg as head coach of the national team, he guided the team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He became the second coach in USA Volleyball history to guide three teams to the Olympics when Team USA qualified for the 2004 Summer Games by winning the NORCECA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico with a perfect 6-0 record. In the 2004 Summer Games, he guided his squad to a 4-4 record and to a fourth-place finish overall at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.

Need I say more?

To be a member of Making The List we have previously acknowledged that the person (of sports) must be a dominant force in their sport (be it while in Columbus – even beyond), or a unselfish factor in the success of their team, or even a wondrous representation of all that is right in the “good” of sports. Doug Beal has hit “spot-on” on each category. He is more than deserving for a tip of the hat with a flutter of the Buckeye Battle Cry in our hearts.

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

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NFL CFB picks a Mt. Rushmore for Ohio State Football
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Are these the best NFL players to come out of Ohio State?

Who have been the most successful Buckeyes in the NFL? The NFL’s college football syndicate took a look at some of the best players in the league to hail from Ohio State, and came up with a Mt. Rushmore that included four Pro Football Hall of Famers: Orlando Pace (tackle), Cris Carter (wide receiver), Paul Warfield (wide receiver) and Jim Parker (guard-tackle).

Ten Buckeyes earned spots in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and with 12 more players drafted to the league in 2016, Ohio State was one of 10 schools considered for a Mt. Rushmore monument. Other players considered included Eddie George, Lou Groza, Dick LeBeau, Nick Mangold (current player for the Jets), Jim Marshall and Bill Willis.



Ohio State is one of only three schools to have double-digit inductees into the hall of fame, which made choosing only four slightly more difficult. Here is the reasoning for the four that were chosen:


Buckeye football and the NFL go hand-in-hand, as evidenced by the 429 total number of NFL players that have come from Ohio State -- 76 first rounders. It’s hard to narrow down so much talent into only four faces, but the NFL has tried.

Limiting a Mt.Rushmore to just NFL performance does change things a bit, as many names who would probably go on an Ohio State Rushmore, like Chic Harley or Woody Hayes, wouldn’t make the cut.

What do you think? Sound off below.

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1984

Thank You Ken Kohl
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


I find it necessary to write about one of tBBC’s own. By no means is it a fluff piece of back-patting of colleagues.

Of recent a colleague of ours here at tBBC retired – bringing a well deserved focus on himself and his family.

Ken was a great colleague and in my case mentor.

Ken was the deliverer for our site for women’s and men’s golf. He also mastered football, basketball (men’s and women’s). I am at a loss, because to speak of Ken’s importance for our site – facing every assignment before him – always taking on more than the rest of us.

I cannot express properly what Ken means to me. I am a writer. My journey has taken me via many routes. I can tell you that when I joined the tBBC staff I was felt welcome immediately by all of the staff. The two honchos Joe Dexter and Ken though I feel went out of their way to welcome me.

One of my fondest memories of Ken was when I began reporting on The Ohio State University Rugby Team as their 2015 season began. I clearly slanted an opinion based on my loyalty (The Buckeyes). I received a tremendous response that was more negative than positive. Folks ripped into me and spoke of my “biasness”. Ken’s advice to me was priceless:

“Perhaps we should be Rugby all-the-time. My God they do voice their opinions, don’t they?”

I could share many more stories reference what I had written and Ken’s advice but I would only journey into the path I do not seek. My intent is purely to exhibit the importance Ken was to both tBBC and me.

Ken is missed.

In closing one of my most recent Ken fantastic truths was concerning the piece I wrote about Jim Harbaugh. I went on a tear and expressed what I felt was an agreement among all of Buckeye Nation. Ken and I were texting all of the absurdities I excluded. It was amazingly funny, real, and precious.

Personally speaking the tBBC will not be the same. That by no means is an exclusion of all the great writers with us at tBBC – specifically Joe Dexter. I love The Ohio State University. I have drunk the Kool-Aid. I love the freedom they allow me and the possibilities because of Ken and his advice I have spoken to Olympians and written about some of the greatest athletes in the history of whatever sport.

Ken helped me get there.

I will miss you Ken. Enjoy your time with your family. As you told me that time when I could not complete a piece for a basketball result because of the emergency reference my wife…” Take care of your family. They are the most important…”

Take care Ken and may God Bless you.

The post Thank You Ken Kohl appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Who are the 14 most important players in the Big Ten? - ESPN
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Who are the 14 most important players in the Big Ten?
ESPN
This story appears in ESPN College Football 2016, on newsstands June 7. Order online today! It's a pretty simple equation for Ohio State in 2016: A great year from QB J.T. Barrett probably means a great year for the Buckeyes. So that makes Barrett the ...


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BTN LiveBIG: Mandela Washington Fellows experience Big Ten hospitality
Brian Summerfield via Big Ten Network

Rebel. Prisoner. Leader. Nelson Mandela was all of these things and more. He led the fight against the injustice of the South African apartheid state and was jailed for nearly three decades because of it. Then, shortly after he was freed, he became the father of the “new” South Africa when he was democratically elected as president of the “rainbow nation.” Though he passed on in 2013, Mandela’s name and legacy endure both in his home country and around the world, thanks in part to programs like the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. Several Big Ten universities are

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Script Ohio: A Big Ten Free For All?
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 discuss a potential non-division Big Ten Conference and how it would play out for all of the teams in the conference.
Plus, the one player in the B1G that Clair would start her program with.

For more Ohio State Buckeyes podcasts, follow us on Twitter: @BuckeyesRadio

The post Script Ohio: A Big Ten Free For All? appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Many Thanks To Men of the Scarlet and Gray For The Opportunity
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

This article will mark my last as a contributing editor for Men of the Scarlet and Gray. I have enjoyed my opportunities here immensely, and I profusely thank each and every one of you who have been kind to read, review, and interact with me along the way. It has truly been a pleasure writing for all of you, and I hope that you will keep in touch with me through Twitter.

Rest assured – this is not the end of my writing career. Think of this as more of a temporary pause. In the meantime, look for articles from me via my blog From The Mind Of Minnich, or my occasional articles that have been appearing on Athlon Sports.

Thank you, and as always, #GoBucks,

Chip Minnich
@ChipMinnich




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4-star ATH gets coveted Ohio State offer
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Looking at 2018, Ohio State makes a move on an all-around player

Ohio State's camp season has officially launched, taking nearly all of the staff's time and attention. With a satellite camp taking place nearly everyday, Urban Meyer and his staff have shown that in this business, recruiting never stops.

Woodbey receives OSU offer


The latest offer sent out by the Ohio State staff was sent out yesterday to Jaiden Woodbey (Upland, CA /St. John Bosco), a 4-star ATH in the 2018 class. Jaiden, a projected safety at the next level, fits the perfect mold Urban Meyer would want in his defensive backfield.


Standing at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, Jaiden possesses the speed and athleticism to not only defend the pass, but also come downhill and be a real threat to the run-game.

With seventeen offers from the likes of USC, UCLA, Washington, Alabama and most recently Ohio State, Woodbey is drawing heavy interest from many of the nation's top programs. While the 247sports crystal ball graph has the home-state USC Trojans leading the way in predictions, yesterday, Buckeye fans received good news that the offer actually changed things up in the mind of Woodbey giving the Buckeyes the "top school" remark. There's still a long way to go in the recruitment of this 2018 star, but Ohio State certainly sits well with Jaiden.

Top guard heading to Columbus


Staying in the state of California, Wyatt Davis (Bellflower, CA / St.John Bosco) is the latest 5-star prospect to have plans in coming to Columbus for an unofficial Ohio State visit.

With the visit planned for this coming Saturday, the nation's top offensive guard will have the chance to continue to build his relationship with the Buckeye coaching staff. Having Ohio ties in his family, Davis is thought to be a strong Alabama lean, but this visit with Ohio State could certainly help their chances of brining in yet another top lineman for the 2017 class. Standing at 6-foot-5, 310 pounds and possessing 27 scholarship offers, it's easy to see why Davis is considered the best guard in the country for the 2017 class – and why he get’s cool graphics like this:

Camps Camps Camps


Today, Ohio State will be back home in Columbus as they host the final of three mega camp dates including several other top programs from around the country. With the 2017 class being basically hand-picked, it's not guaranteed new 2017 offers will arise, but look for 2018 and beyond to be the focus of the staff's attention as they look to build for the future and keep dominating the recruiting cycle.

Satellite camp tour in GA and FL


Yesterday was a busy day for the Ohio State staff as the morning saw a trip to Georgia, followed by an evening trip even further south pushing into Florida.

Thursday morning, Urban Meyer and company headed to Central Gwinnett High in Lawrenceville, Georgia and attended the satellite camp put on by the Black Knight's coaching staff at Central Gwinnett. People of importance in attendance for this camp included Jamyest Williams (Lawrenceville, GA / Grayson), one of the nation's top cornerbacks still on the market. With nearly 50 scholarship offers, the sixth best cornerback in the country, according to 247sports, was able to perform once again in front of the Buckeyes – and hear from the head man himself. While the in-state Georgia Bulldogs look to be the ending favorite to land Williams, Ohio State's still in the mix.


At the conclusion of the camp in Atlanta, the staff made their way to a familiar place in Southern Florida. Arriving at St. Thomas Aquinas, an Ohio State pipeline in recent years, Trevon Grimes (Fort Lauderdale, FL / St. Thomas Aquinas) was yet again the focus of the coaching staff. The 5-star receiver recently announced a late August commitment date and will be in Columbus in the coming days. The Buckeyes love where they stand with Grimes already, but having him on campus will only help to solidify in what most believe ends as Ohio State being the choice for Trevon.

Quick Hits:

• The Legacy Center in Brighton, Michigan has 65 kids camping at Ohio State's Mega Camp today.
• 4-star cornerback Amir Riep (Cincinnati / Colerain) camps at Ohio State today.
• Outside linebacker Dallas Gant (Toledo, OH / St.John’s Jesuit) camps with Ohio State today.

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It's GrimeTime as fave suitor Buckeyes camp at St. Thomas - Sun Sentinel
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


It's GrimeTime as fave suitor Buckeyes camp at St. Thomas
Sun Sentinel
He missed Michigan's stop at St. Thomas Aquinas earlier this month, but Raiders senior Trevon Grimes made a five-star appearance at Ohio State's satellite camp at Brian Piccolo Stadium on Thursday. The Buckeyes, after all, have long held favored status ...
Top 5 all-time coaches: Ohio State BuckeyesESPN (blog)
Buckeyes visit 5-star WR Grimes247Sports.com
Ohio State Buckeyes use Tim Tebow to help in recruitingNFL.com
247Sports -Columbus Dispatch
all 69 news articles »

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Sports in a Minute: Buckeyes coach with a message for high schoolers - Eagle-Tribune
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Sports in a Minute: Buckeyes coach with a message for high schoolers
Eagle-Tribune
In the college football world, Urban Meyer does not need an introduction. From 2005-2010 he coached Florida to two BCS national championships, and in 2014 he coached Ohio State to the national championship in the sport's first four-team playoff format.


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Brookwood (Snellville, GA)
Ht: 6'1"
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Class: 2018 (High School)

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Rivals - Satellite Camps Notebook

Offered during the satellite camp today at Central Gwinnett HS.

Tim Beck Continuing to Prove His Worth on the Buckeye Recruiting Front - Eleven Warriors (registration)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Tim Beck Continuing to Prove His Worth on the Buckeye Recruiting Front
Eleven Warriors (registration)
What Beck walked into – a talented but uncertain quarterback room and the larger-than-life shadow of Tom Herman – meant unreasonably high expectations as he left the cozy confines of Lincoln, Nebraska for the high-pressure job with the Buckeyes.

and more »

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St. John Bosco (Bellflower, CA)
Ht: 6'1"
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Class: 2018 (High School)

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Buckeyes visit 5-star WR Grimes - 247Sports.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes visit 5-star WR Grimes
247Sports.com
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Top247 wide receiver Trevon Grimes is a heavy Ohio State lean. On Thursday, the Buckeyes held a satellite camp at Grimes' high school — St. Thomas Aquinas. (Photo: Ryan Bartow , 247Sports). “It's an honor for them to come ...


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Brutus Buckeye will now march in Pride parade - ESPN
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Brutus Buckeye will now march in Pride parade
ESPN
The university spirit team coaches had earlier cited safety concerns after the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Florida that left 49 dead as the reason for pulling Brutus Buckeye from this weekend's Pride festival in Columbus. But in a statement ...
Ohio State pulls mascot from gay pride parade, some Buckeye reps will still take partOutsports

all 49 news articles »

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Woody Hayes tops ESPN's list of top-5 Ohio State football coaches of all-time
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The list is made up of five of the last six Ohio State football head coaches.

"Hayes is synonymous with the Buckeyes, and few coaches have ever won more at a school than he did at Ohio State."

- Brian Bennett, ESPN.com


This week ESPN's Big Ten blog is taking a look at the top-5 coaches all-time for each Big Ten program, and today Brian Bennett dove into the best coaches in Ohio State history. The Buckeyes have had 24 head coaches in school history, but has only had six head coaches since 1951. Five of those six head coaches fill out the list, with the only coach not making the list being Luke Fickell, who was named interim head coach for the 2011 season following the resignation of Jim Tressel. It should come as no surprise that Woody Hayes tops the list of Ohio State head coaches, after he led the Buckeyes to five national titles and 13 Big Ten championships. The 205 wins Hayes notched during his time in Columbus are the most in school history by a wide margin. John Cooper, who came in fifth place on this list, sits second in school history with 111 victories.

While it was pretty easy to see why Hayes tops this list, the most interesting question was who would be ranked next after Hayes? Even though he has been only coached Ohio State for four years, Urban Meyer comes in second on Bennett's list. Meyer has already ranked up 50 wins for the Buckeyes, along with a national title and a Big Ten title. Had it not been for the loss to Michigan State in November, Meyer would still be undefeated in Big Ten regular season play. Jim Tressel is slotted third in this list, and he might have taken second on the list had it not been for the tattoo scandal which forced his resignation, along with 12 wins being vacated. Earle Bruce was ranked fourth on the list. Even though Bruce had the tough task of following Hayes as Ohio State's head coach, he still went 81-26-1 during his time on the sidelines for Ohio State.

"Brutus will join a campus-wide group of faculty, staff, and senior officials led by President Michael Drake and Athletics Director Gene Smith."

- Mary Mogan Edwards & Emily Tate, The Columbus Dispatch


After announcing on Wednesday that Brutus Buckeye wouldn't be attending this weekend's Columbus Pride parade following security concerns after Sunday morning's shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, the university announced earlier today that Brutus will in fact be at this weekend's parade. Ohio State said they reversed their decision "after additional consideration and reviews." Along with Brutus, it was announced today that Ohio University's mascot Rufus the Bobcat would also be attending.

"Special teams is a big key for me and a big key to help this team win."

- Jalin Marshall via Giovanni Annatelli, Scout.com


While Jalin Marshall had to have been disappointed when he was chosen in April's NFL Draft, he isn't letting it bring him down as the Jets wrap up mini-camp. So far Marshall has done what he did during his time at Ohio State, impress on special teams. The spark that Marshall provides on special teams could be what earns him a spot on the Jets this year. During his two years with the Buckeyes, Marshall accounted for 754 yards on special teams, as well as a punt return for a touchdown. With five weeks until training camp starts, Marshall is going to continue to work on special teams so it might help him early a spot with the Jets this year.

With receivers like Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, and former Ohio State teammate Devin Smith heading the Jets depth chart, it isn't likely to see Jalin Marshall on the field at wide receiver for the Jets much if he makes the roster this year. But from what his coaches and teammates are saying, Marshall has already improved a lot at receiver during his short time with the team. If he continues his growth at a position he is still relatively new to, after spending his high school career as a quarterback, Marshall could turn out to be a steal for the Jets, who signed Marshall as an undrafted free agent following this year's draft.


"That's the hard part, man. It's not where you want to be, but then again in a sense you have to re-prove yourself again and again. In the grand scheme of things, bro, I'm just trying to claw and scratch my way back to 'The Show' one more time. I still feel like I can do a lot in this game."

- Former Ohio State Buckeye Nick Swisher via Jacob Myers, The Lantern


Last week Ohio State had six players taken in the 2016 MLB Draft, which brought back some fond memories for former Ohio State baseball player Nick Swisher. Following the 2002 season, Swisher was drafted with the 16th overall pick by the Oakland Athletics. Not only did Swisher make his mark on the field for Ohio State, as he was part of the last NCAA Regional championship team for the Buckeyes, but he has also done so off the field since making it to the majors. In November 2011, Swisher donated $500,000 to the program which was used for the installation of artificial turf at Bill Davis Stadium. To honor Swisher, the school renamed Ohio State's baseball home "Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium".

While Swisher is pleased with the strides Ohio State's baseball program is making, he also is focused on trying to make it back on a major league roster. Currently Swisher plays for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, who is the Triple-A affiliate for the New York Yankees. Over the weekend Swisher was in Columbus as his team took on the Columbus Clippers. The 35-year-old made the most of the return to his hometown, hitting three home runs and driving in six runs over two games. Swisher won a World Series with the Yankees in 2009, and was an All-Star in 2010. Now he is hoping with the injuries the Yankees have had to deal with this year that the team feels has another chance to make some noise for "The Bronx Bombers".


STICK TO SPORTS

• Here's all you need to know about closures and parking associated with this weekend's Columbus Pride Festival.
• Columbus has been named as the host of the 2017 North American Gay Volleyball Association Championships.
• Bill Murray gets a champagne shower.
• Netflix has acquired the rights to Ricky Gervais' 'The Office' spinoff movie.

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Debate it: Who is the Big Ten’s top darkhorse Heisman candidate?
Sean Merriman, BTN.com web editor via Big Ten Network

It is not secret that Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett will be a Heisman Trophy contender heading into the 2016 college football season.

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What will Ohio State baseball’s pitching staff look like in 2017?
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 season is over and the draft has come and gone. What does the future of Buckeye baseball hold?

One of the main reasons that Ohio State baseball enjoyed such a successful 2016 campaign was the performance of its pitching staff. The Buckeyes' hurlers were among the best in the Big Ten, leading the conference in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, and placing third in earned run average.

With the season over and players moving on due to the draft and graduation, head coach Greg Beals now looks ahead to what Ohio State's pitching staff will look like in 2017. Two-thirds of the weekend rotation must be replaced with the likely departure of Tanner Tully to the professional ranks and the graduation of John Havird, and the end of Michael Horejsei's college career means the team must identify a reliable left-handed bullpen arm.

Unlike the everyday lineup, which we focused on yesterday, the mound corps for the Buckeyes has plenty of questions for next season already answered. A strong bullpen returns, and two of the three weekend rotation spots appear to be in very capable hands. The key during the offseason for Beals and pitching coach Mike Stafford will be to fill in the missing pieces and keep the scarlet and gray staff among the Big Ten's elite units.

What the pitching staff returns in 2017


While the loss of Tully and Havird will certainly impact Ohio State's weekend rotation, there are plenty of options to absorb their innings. Redshirt sophomore Adam Niemeyer, who manned the third weekend spot in 2016, can be penciled in once again. Niemeyer showed flashes of dominance on the mound this season, but a hamstring injury hampered his performance down the stretch.

The right-hander went 4-2 with a 4.31 ERA in 14 starts covering 71 innings. Niemeyer's strikeout-to-walk ratio of nearly 6-to-1 was excellent, as was his 1.21 WHIP. The only concerns are that opposing batters hit .270 off him, and he was seventh in the conference with nine hit batters.

Joining Niemeyer on the weekend will be Ryan Feltner, whose development throughout his freshman season was extremely encouraging. Possessing a fastball in the low 90s, a sharp breaking ball, and a solid changeup, the 6-foot-4, 195-pound Hudson, Ohio native went 3-4 with a 4.06 ERA in 20 appearances that included 11 starts. Feltner figures to be among the top prospects in the Big Ten for the 2018 Major League Baseball draft if he continues to progress.

Just as the starting staff has a solid foundation to build off, the bullpen has a number of key performers returning, and sets up to be among the best relief groups in the conference. Redshirt sophomore Yianni Pavlopoulos came back from Tommy John surgery with a vengeance in 2016, leading the Big Ten with 14 saves, limiting the opposition to a .229 batting average, and averaging more than 10 strikeouts per nine innings. Pavlopoulos was a weapon at closer for Beals and Stafford, and should continue to be.

Setting him up will be the right-handed duo of Seth Kinker and Kyle Michalik. Kinker led the Big Ten with 38 appearances as a sophomore this season, going 6-1 with a 1.65 ERA and two saves of his own in 54.2 innings. He held opponents to a .250 batting average and sported a WHIP of 1.10.

Michalik had very similar success, coming on in relief 19 times, going 4-1 with a 1.69 ERA and a save. The side-armer limited opposing hitters to a .198 average and had an astounding 0.84 WHIP. Michalik and Kinker give the Buckeyes two versatile, tough to hit right-handed options out of the pen, and should continue to be used in a variety of situations.

Another righty is redshirt sophomore Austin Woodby, who appeared 19 times, including three starts, in his first season in Columbus after transferring from Cincinnati. Woodby had his struggles, posting an ERA of 6.00 and a .323 opponents' batting average, but he went 5-1 and his 39 innings were fifth on the team.

Jake Post, who missed the 2016 season after Tommy John surgery, should also be returning, and has experience both out of the bullpen and in a starting role. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Indiana native is 7-7 with a 3.48 ERA in 38 career appearances that include 13 starts.

The loss of Horejsei leaves the bullpen without a proven left-handed option, but redshirt junior Joe Stoll and freshman Connor Curlis should both be back after combining for 16 appearances covering 25.1 innings.

How will the staff fill holes?


Even with a number of experienced arms expected to return in 2017, Ohio State will need to find a third weekend starter, a couple of guys who can start in the midweek, and another matchup lefty out of the bullpen. The incoming recruiting class, as it turns out, addresses these needs very well.

One of three transfer students from McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas that will be donning the scarlet and gray is Reece Calvert, a big right-hander that could step right into the third weekend spot. The 6-foot-6, 210-pound Calvert went 11-2 with a 3.70 ERA in 2016, with a fastball in the low 90s that has room for velocity growth.

Along with Post, Woodby, and perhaps Curlis, incoming freshmen Michael McDonough and Jake Vance could compete for time in the midweek. McDonough, a lefty and top ten prospect in the state of Ohio according to Prep Baseball Report, aggressively attacks the strike zone with his fastball and features a breaking ball that has been referred to as "nasty, with tight spin and late break." Vance is a lanky righty with a ¾ arm slot, a plus changeup, and a lot of room for development.

In the bullpen, Calvert's teammate and fellow transfer Dustin Jourdan could turn Kinker and Michalik's duo into a trio. The righty went 4-0 with a 1.14 ERA in 11 appearances for McLennan that included two starts, covering 23.2 innings. Jourdan averaged over 10 strikeouts per nine innings and posted a 9-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Four other incoming freshmen pitchers will also join the staff in right-handers Collin Lollar, Gavin Lyon, and Clay Surrell, and lefty Andrew Magno. Whether any of these arms will be able to contribute meaningful innings right away is a question that won't likely be answered until fall ball comes around.

So Ohio State's pitching isn't in too bad of shape, right?


At this early juncture, nothing is assured, but the Buckeye pitching staff in 2017 appears as though it should be a strength for the team. There are established players both in the weekend rotation and the bullpen that should provide stability for a team that is going to be very young.

Niemeyer and Feltner give Beals a solid foundation to build the starting staff on, and the returning Pavlopoulos, Kinker, and Michalik should give Ohio State one of the top bullpens in the Big Ten.

Given the offensive production the team will be losing after its championship 2016 campaign, the Buckeyes will need their pitching staff to look as good in reality as it looks on paper if they are to avoid falling off the proverbial cliff in 2017. If that happens, Ohio State may be able to remain in contention for postseason play as it embarks on its rebuilding project.

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How good will the 2016 Ohio State rushing attack be?
Chad Peltier via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Ezekiel Elliott may be gone, but Buckeye fans should still have high expectations

Ezekiel Elliott may be gone. There's no clear starter at running back between Bri'onte Dunn and Mike Weber. The offensive line has to replace four starters, including both tackles. Only 15% of Ohio State's offensive experience will return for 2016.

In short, there's a lot of uncertainty for the 2016 Buckeye run game -- but there are also reasons to be optimistic. Below I'll look at four factors that should influence our benchmarks for a successful 2016 run game: precedent, J.T. Barrett, the offensive line, and recruiting talent.

From Zeke to Weber, but with Barrett as the constant


The Buckeyes are familiar with uncertainty in the run game. Ohio State had new names at both running back and quarterback in 2014. Ezekiel Elliott and J.T. Barrett were hardly known outside of the Buckeye community entering the season, but combined for 2,972 rushing yards en route to a national championship.

We're in a similar place for 2016. While Bri'onte Dunn could definitely win the running back race (or he and Weber could split carries), Mike Weber is the odds-on favorite. So what can Zeke and J.T.'s first year as starters tell us about next year?

In Zeke's sophomore year, he averaged 6.88 yards per carry and 6.64 highlight yards per opportunity, while maintaining a 46.5% opportunity rate. Opportunity rate is the percentage of carries that gain five yards or more -- which is theoretically the percentage of yards that the offensive line is responsible for (though, as a side note, Geoff Schwartz noted on the Solid Verbal that some running backs make their lines look much better).


Essentially, that means that Zeke was both dependable -- nearly half of his rushes gained at least five yards -- and explosive -- with nearly 6.64 average highlight yards (average yards after the initial five -- a measure of how big a player's big runs are). So even with a mostly-new line in 2014, Zeke was able to be both efficient and explosive, fueling the stretch run of the Buckeye's playoff push. He nearly repeated those numbers in 2015 despite a less-efficient passing game and quarterback uncertainty for much of the season.

So, assuming Mike Weber wins the job and doesn't share carries, it's fair to expect roughly a 6-6.25 yards per carry, 5.5-6 highlight yards per opportunity, and a 42-45% opportunity rate out of Weber.

Stability at quarterback with J.T. Barrett certainly will help. Not only will a healthy passing game benefit the run game, but so will a reliable second ground threat from the quarterback. J.T.'s rushing numbers declined by over a highlight yard per opportunity, though his opportunity rate only dropped by 2%. This indicates that J.T. was nearly as efficient with fewer touches last season, but he didn't generate as many explosive runs as he did in 2014.

But stability should benefit J.T. greatly for 2016, so it's fair to expect similar numbers at J.T.'s 2014 campaign: over 6.5 yards per carry, 6 highlight yards per opportunity, and a mid-50s opportunity rate.

Replacing The Slobs


The other half of the equation is the offensive line. Despite replacing four starters, there's reason to expect good things from this year's group. For one, the first stringers will all be incredibly talented, no matter who ends up in that first group. Second, the team replaced four starters for the 2014 season -- what's to say they can't repeat that successful transition for 2016?


The 2014 line, which only returned Taylor Decker, managed to lead the country in opportunity rate, meaning that they created the most efficient overall rushing attack, and were second in opponent-adjusted line yards. Their one deficiency was in power success rate, which measures short-yardage situations.

The 2015 line, which was much more experienced, was still top-ten in the first two categories, but improved in short-yardage situations and fell in allowing negative rushing plays. It remains to be seen whether the 2016 version will achieve the same level of excellence, but I wouldn't bet against Ed Warinner's group.

Looking at talent


Finally, I looked at the recruiting rankings for Zeke and Mike Weber according to the 247 Composite. As you can see, they're neck and neck, with Zeke holding a slight edge. So all in all, it's fair to have high expectations for the 2016 run game, despite the near-total turnover on offense.


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Big Fish
Meet Joe Black

Top 5 all-time coaches: Ohio State Buckeyes - ESPN (blog)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Top 5 all-time coaches: Ohio State Buckeyes
ESPN (blog)
Hayes is synonymous with the Buckeyes, and few coaches have ever won more at a school than he did at Ohio State. His achievements include five national titles (1954, '57, '61, '68 and '70) and 13 Big Ten championships. He also captured four Rose Bowl ...
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