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Lindenhurst Senior HS (Lindenhurst, NY)
Ht: 6'5''
Wt: 220 lbs
Class: 2018 (High School)

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Can Ohio State reload its defensive line like Alabama has?
Chad Peltier via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Despite their pass rushing excellence, the Ohio State defensive line wasn't up to Alabama's standard in run-defense last season.

Since the Alabama war machine is just becoming fully operational in the trenches, earlier we took a look at how Ohio State is progressing in the same area -- the offensive line. Now it's time to look at the defensive lines.

Former Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart's championship-level defenses have hinged on stellar line play, with mammoth nose tackles and dominating defensive ends fueling the Crimson Tide's defensive legacy.

The Buckeyes recent defensive lines have included NFL Draftees Joey Bosa, Michael Bennett, John Simon, Adolphus Washington, and Noah Spence.

Now that Ohio State has to replace three starters, the focus turns to depth and finding new stars in the making -- though Tyquan Lewis and Sam Hubbard at least have a leg up here, and Jonathon Cooper and Nick Bosa are on the way.

Team Year Adj. Line Yds Opp. Rate Adj. Sack Rate
OSU 2014 47 73 11
Bama 2014 1 8 92
OSU 2015 37 7 4
Bama 2015 2 2 1

Alabama's 2015 defensive line was just about as good as you can get, ranking in the top two in adjusted line yards, opportunity rate, and adjusted sack rate. As opposed to the 2014 unit that excelled at stopping the run but was 92nd in generating sacks, the Tide were able to get consistent pressure.

That kind of consistency between the run and pass defense is something Ohio State hasn't been able to get, and the problem is the opposite of 2014 Alabama. Urban Meyer's defenses have more-or-less steadily improved throughout his tenure, but the defensive line has struggled at stopping the run. Interestingly, while the line jumped ten spots from mediocre to pretty-good in 2015, the line had a huge jump in opportunity rate over the same time period. This indicates that the Buckeye defensive line rarely allowed opponents to run for five yards or more (opportunity rate), but was only pretty-good in holding opponents' to a low adjusted overall rushing average. The opponent-adjustment likely increases the poor games against Penn State and Maryland in October. And while Michigan State's run game wasn't much to speak of, they nonetheless rushed 51 times at nearly four yards per carry.

But with Bosa and the defensive tackles gone, will both the run defense and pass rush fall behind in 2016? I also took a look at recent recruiting for Ohio State and Alabama. Over the last four years, Alabama has recruited eighteen defensive linemen, with an average 247Sports Composite rating of .9374 (a solid four-star recruit). Ohio State has recruited sixteen defensive linemen with a .9078 247Sports Composite rating.

2013 2014 2015 2016
Bama .9612 .9169 .952 .9342
OSU .912 .8934 .8862 .9585

That's a definite gap in overall quality, though it has mostly to do with depth. That is, Alabama and Ohio State's starting defensive lines should be roughly equal, quality-wise -- but Ohio State has recruited more development players than Alabama. The Tide signed five linemen with 247Sports Composite rating below .9 -- Ohio State signed ten in the last four years. But at the top end, prospects like both Bosas, Washington, A'Shawn Robinson, Da'Shawn Hand, and Jonathon Cooper are all roughly equal prospects.

The question will be how deep the defensive line rotations for both schools will be, and whether the Buckeyes run out of gas at the end of games.

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Ohio State baseball | Buckeyes in full stride entering Big Ten tournament - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State baseball | Buckeyes in full stride entering Big Ten tournament
Columbus Dispatch
The fourth-seeded Buckeyes, who face fifth-seed Michigan (35-19, 13-11) in a first-round game at 10 p.m. on the Big Ten Network, have won eight of their past nine games and 10 of 12. What makes the stretch more impressive is Ohio State defeated ...
The Hurry Up: The Buckeyes and The Program, Cass Tech Continues to Dominate, Taron Vincent Still Feeling Ohio StateEleven Warriors (registration)
Has Meyer 'hand-picked' the Buckeyes' future tight end?247Sports
Overlooked or Overrated? Ohio State Is College Football's Great Unknown in 2016Bleacher Report
Land-Grant Holy Land -cleveland.com
all 15 news articles »

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The Hurry Up: The Buckeyes and The Program, Cass Tech Continues to Dominate, Taron Vincent Still Feeling Ohio State - Eleven Warriors (registration)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


The Hurry Up: The Buckeyes and The Program, Cass Tech Continues to Dominate, Taron Vincent Still Feeling Ohio State
Eleven Warriors (registration)
"He's all about the Buckeyes, which is a good sign for us heading forward." In fact, the source went on to say that were it not for his father – Troy, who played at Wisconsin – urging him to slow down, a commitment to Ohio State may have already happened.
Has Meyer 'hand-picked' the Buckeyes' future tight end?247Sports
Big Ten baseball | Ohio State in full stride entering tournamentColumbus Dispatch
Overlooked or Overrated? Ohio State Is College Football's Great Unknown in 2016Bleacher Report
Land-Grant Holy Land -cleveland.com
all 16 news articles »

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5-star CB to visit Ohio State and Michigan before announcing
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Both Ohio State and Michigan will get a chance to woo the No. 1 CB of the 2017 recruiting class, while a five-star WR continues to favor the Buckeyes.

Darnay Holmes to visit Ohio State and Michigan


In the coming weeks, either Ohio State or Michigan could get a win over their heated rival. Five-star CB, Darnay Holmes (Calabasas, Calif. / Calabasas) is currently seen as the best CB in the 2017 recruiting class, according to 247Sports and Bleacher Report Monday, and that he plans on visiting Ohio State and Michigan this summer, with a possible visit to Miami as well.

The 5 feet 10 inch, 190-pound defensive back reportedly plans on announcing his college decision on his birthday, June 23. Assuming he follows through with this plan, there will now be limited time for schools coveting Holmes' talents to get a chance to recruit him. The timeliness of his announcement date makes his planned visits to Ohio State and Michigan this summer that much more important.

As it stands now, it is a different Big Ten school that has the odds on gaining Holmes' services. Nebraska has been leading his recruitment for sometime now, with five of the 14 total 247Sports crystal ball predictions in its favor. Stanford has also played a major role in his recruitment, but the team has dropped off a bit recently.

Both Ohio State and Michigan have been doing their due diligence in recruiting Holmes, however neither school has been looked at as a potential leader. This might change after Monday's interview, in which Holmes had this to say about Ohio State:


Holmes went on to talk about how he thinks highly of Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and how the commitment of his friend, CB David Long (Las Angeles, Calif. / Loyola) in last year's recruiting class gives them an edge.

Holmes' is on commitment watch already, so make sure to keep checking in with Land-Grant Holy Land for the latest.

Trevon Grimes continues to list Ohio State as leader


Five-star WR Trevon Grimes (Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / St. Thomas Aquinas) is a familiar name to those who follow Ohio State recruiting. Grimes has long been viewed as one of the top receivers in the 2017 class, and has been linked with Ohio State for almost just as long.

Grimes has continuously gone out of his way to list Ohio State as his leading school, and he did so again late Sunday night.



Despite the constant acknowledgement, there are still those who believe Grimes is just as interested in Florida as he is with the Buckeyes. Of course, there will always be interest in a hometown school, especially one with the history of Florida. However, the only person who could possibly know what Grimes will do come National Signing Day 2017, is Grimes himself and he hasn't given Ohio State fans any reason to worry.

That being said, Grimes still has one more year of high school football to play before he has to make a decision, so theoretically, nothing can be eliminated. However, the only sure thing right now is that Ohio State is the leading school for one of the top talents in the 2017 recruiting class.

Four-star PG sets reclassification announcement date


Before four-star PG Markell Jackson (Cleveland, Ohio / East Technical) decides on where he will play basketball on the college level, he will have to decide on when he will play in college. Currently seen as a 2017 prospect, Jackson may be able to graduate early enough to reclassify to the 2016 class. He spoke with 247Sports Monday, and provided more information on his timeline.

Jackson told 247Sports that he plans on making the decision in July, because he will be able to take summer classes then and start working on graduating early. That is, if he decides to do so, which he is still unsure about.

Jackson would be a terrific addition to Thad Matta's 2016 recruiting class, which mainly features forwards and centers. The four-star PG would bring in a more than capable guard to a team which lacks depth at either position after losing two from last year's recruiting class.

As it stands today, the leading schools in Jackson's recruitment are Ohio State, Xavier, Louisville, Virginia Tech and NC State. Look for this list to be trimmed down quickly if he decides to reclassify.

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Buckeyes look good to elite D-tackle, battling Michigan, USC - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes look good to elite D-tackle, battling Michigan, USC
247Sports
That loss dropped the Buckeyes 4-4 all-time against Louisville. The Cardinals were victorious the last time the teams met, a 72-64 overtime win in Columbus in 2003. Louisville coach Rick Pitino is 3-0 against OSU since taking over the Cardinals program.
Ohio State men's basketball | Louisville on next season's schedule, report saysColumbus Dispatch
2016-17 Louisville basketball schedule: Cards will host Ohio State in ACC-Big 10 ChallengeCard Chronicle
Louisville to host Ohio State in next season's ACC/Big Ten Challengecleveland.com
Eleven Warriors (registration) -Bleacher Report -The Crunch Zone (blog)
all 38 news articles »

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OSUWG: Rio Watanabe Finishes T17th in NCAA Individual Championships
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)

Although the Ohio State team fell short in qualifying for Monday’s round of 15 teams, Buckeye Golf was not yet done for the season. Rio Watanabe completed her first three rounds in even par 216 strokes, which placed her in T-15th place. This qualified her to compete for the individual title.

Rio began her round in her typical aggressive fashion birdieing 2 of her first 4 holes and finishing her front 9 score of -1, 36. However, she could not maintain her momentum and shot a +1, 36 to finish her 72 holes in even par for the tournament. This was good enough for 17th place overall, a very good showing.

Rio played very well in the post-season (Big Ten Championships, NCAA Regionals and NCAA Championships). How well?

• She was under par in 6 of her final 10 rounds.
• For these post-season rounds, she averaged 71.4 strokes

This was a clutch post-season performance. With nearly everyone returning next year, the 2016-2017 season will be fun.

Go Buckeyes!



The post OSUWG: Rio Watanabe Finishes T17th in NCAA Individual Championships appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Ohio State to reportedly play at Louisville in Big Ten/ACC Challenge
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 schedule just got tougher.

We don't know all of Ohio State basketball's schedule for next season, but we do already know the highlights. The Buckeyes will face UCLA in Las Vegas, and will host both Providence and UConn before Big Ten play starts. Their biggest true road trip was likely to be their Big Ten/ACC Challenge game, and now we may know their opponent.

According to John Rothstein of CBS, Ohio State will travel to face Louisville in that matchup.


The Cardinals did not participate in the NCAA Tournament last season thanks to self-imposed sanctions, but they were good enough to have made a run. Louisville finished the season with a KenPom rating of 10, and an RPI of 17. If Louisville is anywhere near that level next season, it will be another excellent boost to Ohio State's computer profile.

Ohio State will open the season at Navy, and will also reportedly host Marshall later in the non-conference schedule. Once we know additional games, we'll share them. With UCLA, Louisville, Providence and UConn already on the slate, another big name addition to the schedule feels unlikely, but you never know.

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Former Buckeyes get the icing on the cake, NFL trading card - ABC6OnYourSide.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Former Buckeyes get the icing on the cake, NFL trading card
ABC6OnYourSide.com
LOS ANGELES -- From one of the most promising and impressive NFL Draft classes in years, 41 of this year's top rookies came together in Los Angeles for the NFLPA Rookie Premiere presented by Panini. Five former Buckeyes took part including Joey Bosa, ...

and more »

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Ezekiel Elliott can't bring his signature crop top to the NFL
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


With the potential of a fine, Elliott won't bring his crop top to the Cowboys.

"I’m just going to stay away from getting fined. I’m going to try to keep all my money in my pocket."

-Former Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott, via SportsDayDFW.com


Despite his abs of steel, former Ohio State Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott will likely not be permitted to roll up his new Dallas Cowboys jersey into a crop top come next season, owing to strict NFL uniform guidelines. The official rule states that the "Jersey must cover all pads and other protective equipment worn on the torso and upper arms, and must be appropriately tailored to remain tucked into the uniform pants throughout the game. Tear-away jerseys are prohibited." Elliott is aware of the rule, and has said that he is planning on avoiding receiving any fines from the league.

Elliott, who was taken with the No. 4-overall pick in the draft, popularized the crop top during Ohio State’s 2014 National Championship run and, despite a subsequent NCAA ban on rolled jerseys in 2015, has continued to wear the style both on and off the field. Most recently, Elliott donned his Cowboys jersey for the first time for the NFLPA rookie premiere over the weekend in Los Angeles and, in typical style, rolled it into a crop top. He also showed off his midriff in a button-down shirt at the NFL Draft in April, causing a stir among some current NFL players including Chicago Bears linebacker Lamarr Houston who called the look "disrespectful."

There is still hope, however, for those crop top lovers and Elliott fans alike in Dallas. Given that the Cowboys are planning on selling crop top-style merchandise with Elliott’s number next season, this may not yet be the end of Elliott’s signature look.

"Once we got going we started to establish what we do and started to put some points on the board and all the way to the end. You know we came back after being down for about two hours and we came back and had our opportunity to win and that’s what you get when you let it slip away from you in the beginning."

-Ohio State men’s tennis coach Ty Tucker, via the Ohio State University


After outstanding seasons for both squads, including conference championships and double-digit win streaks, the season has ended for both the Ohio State Buckeyes men’s and women’s tennis teams.

The fourth-ranked men’s squad fell by a score of 4-3 to No. 12 California in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament Sunday in Tulsa. After going down early, losing the doubles point and the No. 4 and 5 singles, the Buckeyes stormed back with wins at the No. 2 and 3 singles spots to tie the match at 3-3. The season ultimately came down to the No. 1 singles matchup of Ohio State’s Mikael Torpegaard and Cal’s Florian Lakat, which went all the way to a tiebreaker before Lakat sealed the win for the Golden Bears.

Individually, Torpegaard will compete in both the NCAA singles and doubles championships this week, along with his partner, Herko Pollanen. Hugo Di Feo will also compete in singles.

The men finished the season with a 33-3 record, and were both Big Ten regular season and tournament champions.

The women’s squad suffered a similar fate over the weekend, falling 4-2 to No. 12 Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. The loss ended a 16-match winning streak for the fourth-ranked team in the country. Still, it was a record-setting year for the team, which also won both the Big Ten regular season and conference tournament and recorded more than 20 wins for the first time in program history. The run to the NCAA quarterfinals was also the furthest that the team has gone in the national tournament.

After losing the doubles point and the first two singles matches to go down 3-0, the Buckeyes rallied with two straight singles wins, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit as Ohio State dropped the final point in a three-set singles match.

Three Buckeyes from the women’s squad will also be competing for individual titles, including Francesca DiLorenzo in singles and Miho Kowase and Anna Sanford in doubles.

"(Friday is) going to be what we call a Memorial Day workout. The players are going to be wearing red, white and blue, and we’ll have some fun with it."

-Urban Meyer, via Bob Hunter, the Columbus Dispatch


For just one day, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer is relaxing his rule banning blue at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. As the culmination of what Meyer calls "Patriot Week" leading up to Memorial Day, players will wear red, white and blue attire on their Friday workout this week.

Meyer does not normally take this ban on blue lightly. In the fall, he made offenders do pushups in his "Coaching Football" class, and this spring kicked three students out of an open scrimmage for wearing the color. But in this instance, the exception is warranted, as Patriot Week aims to teach players about the importance of a democratic system.

Meyer began the Real Life Wednesday program in 2012 after being named head coach at Ohio State. Previously, Meyer had instituted the program at Florida prior to his departure as the Gators’ coach. He uses the off-season program to teach players about life outside of football with speakers on topics ranging from how to invest money to entrepreneurship. Former players like Chris Spielman, whose biggest accomplishments after college came off the field, have also spoken in the forum.

In this week’s extended version of the program, players will learn about the process of voting, the importance of participation and the history of voting rights. All players will also be required to pass a test on the material before leaving for the holiday weekend.

"Considering how much talent the Buckeyes lost and how tough their schedule is, it’s hard to imagine the Buckeyes earning a spot in the 2016 College Football Playoff."

-KC Joyner, ESPN


Despite being just one season removed from winning the inaugural College Football Playoff, and despite having a top-10 recruiting class in each of the last two seasons, few are giving the Ohio State Buckeyes a fighting chance at making the 2016 College Football Playoff. Along with Iowa, Michigan State, Ole Miss, TCU, North Carolina and USC, the Buckeyes just fell short of being a contender for next season’s playoff.

Owing in particular to the fact that the Buckeyes had a dozen players taken in this year’s NFL Draft, there is little experience remaining among starters for Ohio State. Even with quarterback J.T. Barrett returning for his junior season, and two starters coming back on the offensive line, the lack of experience at running back, receiver and the rest of the offensive line are disconcerting. On the defensive side, cornerback Gareon Conley and linebacker Raekwon McMillan lead another set of inexperienced players who could have tremendous upside, but are as of yet unproven.

Further, there is the fact that Ohio State is scheduled to face a pre-season top-five team in the Oklahoma Sooners week three of next season--not giving much time for the inexperienced team to gel. And while the Buckeyes will undoubtedly get past some of their growing pains by November, it will still have to face a tough Michigan team in Columbus.

Still, the 2014 National Championship team was supposedly "one season away," with the outstanding but as of yet unproven squad, especially following their loss to Virginia Tech. Perhaps the 2016 team will experience a similar fate.

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Mom of Ohio State Buckeyes' Apple to work for ESPN - Dayton Daily News
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Mom of Ohio State Buckeyes' Apple to work for ESPN
Dayton Daily News
Annie Apple, the mother of former Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Eli Apple, will join ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown as a contributor, the network announced Monday. The New York Jets drafted Apple with the 10th pick in the first round in April.
Annie Apple lands job on ESPN's Sunday Countdown247Sports

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Draymond Green is the best Big Ten NBA Draft steal since…
Sean Merriman, BTN.com web editor via Big Ten Network

Draymond Green is one of the most talked-about players in the NBA. The former Michigan State star has developed into an NBA All-Star since being selected No. 35 overall in the 2012 draft. In fact, Green recently ran off the names of all 34 players selected ahead of him in an interview with the Mercury News. It fuels him every day as he continues to develop into a rising star and attempts to lead the Golden State Warriors to their second consecutive NBA championship. With that said, I posed the following question to BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart: Who is

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OSUMG: Clark Engle/Will Grimmer Advance to 2nd Round of USGA Four-Ball
Ken via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


This is sort of Ohio State golf related; Buckeyes Clark Engle and Will Grimmer are participating in the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship. This is not a NCAA sponsored event, it is overseen by the United States Golf Association (USGA). This casts the net for qualified participants far wider than under NCAA aegis. This is top level competition.

The Men”s Four-Ball is held at historic Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, NY. The starting field consisted of 128 2-man teams that will be reduced to the low 32 teams, based upon 36 holes of stroke play. These 32 teams will then participate in match play to determine the champion. The four-ball format is:


This match play format is common in local club matches as well as prestigious international competition, such as The Ryder Cup and The Solheim Cup, for examples. I’ve played in quite a few four-ball events, and they are fun, challenging and turns very quickly into a chess-match. I actually prefer this format to stroke play..

Stroke Play


Clark and Will got off to a hot start (always a good thing) with a round of 65 (-5), which placed them within the top ten after the first round. In Sunday’s 2nd round, the Buckeye duo shot an even par 70, which placed them well inside the top 32 teams, seeding them in 17th place.

Mission accomplished: Clark and Will are comfortably in the playoff bracket and can continue their week.



Match Play (Round of 32)


Clark/Will faced off against the 16th seeded side of Mason Glinksi/Jacob Johnson in the first round of match play. The California teenagers are solid players (and play in a golf-friendly area) but Clark/Will bring experience against top level competition.

Clark/Will got off to a quick start, being 3-up after 6 holes. They ended the front 9 holding a 2-up lead. So far, so good. Through 5 holes on the back 9, Clark/Will won a hole while halving (tieing) 4 holes to hold a 3-up lead with 4 holes to go.

At this point, the match is pretty well in hand. All that Clark/Will need to do at this point is to halve two holes to move on to the round of sixteen. The teams halve #15 and Glinski/Johnson win #16. Clark/Will are now dormie 2, which means they are many holes ahead as there are to play. Their opponents must win the remaining holes.

Clark/Will match pars with Glinski/Johnson on #17 and close out the match with a 2-1 win. Clark/Will played this match perfectly. A team needs to jump out to an early lead to establish control, and the Buckeyes did, holding a 3-up lead after 6 holes. This forces your opponents into trying to “force” birdies, which makes them play differently then they probably ordinarily would. Remember, your team has the lead; all that your team needs to do at this point is make pars. Make them chase you; if you’ve already established an early lead, chances are your opponents, barring fortunate bounces, aren’t capable of making enough birdies to overtake you.

Through the 17 hole match, Clark/Will were -7 to par, their opponents -3. Congratulations to Clark and Will.

Their next match is Tuesday morning at 7:00 AM. If successful, they move onto the Elite Eight and a 1:00 PM match. Hopefully a double round on Tuesday; it will be a long day.

Go Buckeyes!

The post OSUMG: Clark Engle/Will Grimmer Advance to 2nd Round of USGA Four-Ball appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Dienhart: My 4 biggest assistant coach hires in East Division
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

When Chris Ash arrived to help run the Ohio State defense as co-coordinator in 2014, he had an immediate impact—especially on the pass defense. [ MORE: A look at the West’s four biggest assistant hires ] Ash took over a defense that placed 112th in pass defense and 47th in total defense in 2013. In his first season, OSU’s defense ranked 19th nationally in total defense and 29th in pass defense. The Buckeyes also ranked fourth in the country with 24 interceptions en route to Big Ten, Sugar Bowl and national championships. In 2015, the Ohio State defense continued its

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Yup. Michigan has the second best 2016 national championship odds at the moment
Luke Zimmermann via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


*thinking emoji*

If all the chatter surrounding satellite camps, recruiting graphics, and all the other minutiae orbiting Jim Harbaugh's extremely prolific self promotional early run as Michigan's head coach hasn't gotten to you, just wait until we get to the football part.

Before we do though, at least one prominent Las Vegas sportsbook is assuming the hype is real -- or at least that enough UM fans believe it is.

Per ESPN's Brett McMurphy, Westgate Las Vegas Superbook, one of the largest in the world, has the Wolverines at 7-1 favorites to win next January's College Football Playoff national championship. That checks in as second best in the country, behind only Nick Saban and defending national champion Alabama, who have 6-1 odds. Ohio State finds themselves not too terribly far behind Michigan in a three way tie for third at 8-1 odds. The Buckeyes are joined by Clemson and Oklahoma.

So what does this mean? Is Michigan materially better than Ohio State? While the Buckeyes have outrecruited Michigan consistently enough to give them a meaningful talent advantage, they haven't done so to such a degree that a perfect storm of attrition and youth could lend to Harbaugh's best shot at revenge after losing by 29 at home in his The Game debut.

Michigan's defense should be one of the best in the country under its new engineer, former Boston College defensive coordinator Don Brown. Though Brown's never coached outside of the mid-Atlantic at any point in his career, his Eagles defense last year was the country's most stout, despite having virtually no help on the opposing side of the ball during a 3-9 campaign.

The primary unknown for the Wolverines is their signal caller. Finally eligible transfer John O'Korn, he of the "he's even better than Jake Rudock in practice" fan gossip, followed a prolific freshman season in a pass happy offense at the University of Houston by falling off a cliff to such a degree that he was eventually benched for a wide receiver. While Jim Harbaugh's proven his quarterback whisperer skills are top notch, after turning virtually unheard of Josh Johnson into an NFL QB and a mediocre Big Ten QB in Rudock into a late round NFL Draft pick in a matter of months, O'Korn wasn't even the top quarterback selected by his teammates in an intra-squad draft for this past March's 2016 Spring Game.

That said, goodness is their schedule ever so forgiving. Assuming the Wolverines are even to tap a replacement level quarterback, it would take a lot going wrong for Michigan not to be unscathed heading into their end of the season matchup against Ohio State. Even if they had another black swan event loss akin to last year's other rivalry loss against Michigan State, it makes a lot of sense to think they'd be well positioned to beat Ohio State and claim the Big Ten East divisional crown.

Should Buckeye fans worry? Probably not yet. It's May and even Urban Meyer doesn't fully know what he has in his team yet. Assuming a bit of good luck and some maturation and development from last year's team to this, even if the Buckeyes drop a game to, say, Oklahoma out of conference and a team-to-be-determined in league play, OSU should be very capable of continuing Jim Harbaugh's winless ways as a head coach against Ohio State.

Of course should UM play to the level of their lofty Vegas odds, you might want to see if your friendly neighborhood IT person can go ahead and blacklist all relevant Michigan related destination sites by no later than this November. Better safe than sorry.

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Coaches can protest all they want, but college basketball's transfer rule is perfectly fine
Grant Freking via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


There are so many things worth complaining about in college basketball. This isn't one of them.

Transfers are prominent topic in Division I basketball circles these days. ESPN's list of transfers over the past year is so extensive it reads like the graduation role call of a Division I Ohio high school. A handful of Big Ten coaches recently weighed in on the subject at the Big Ten's spring meetings in Rosemont, Illinois.


Et tu, Northwestern coach Chris Collins?


According to ESPN's account of the Big Ten meetings, Nebraska coach Tim Miles believes the current graduate transfer rule that allows players who have obtained their undergraduate degree to play immediately at another school -- such as former Ohio State forward Anthony Lee -- does not "foster or nurture accountability and other things that go with growing up" and that Big Ten coaches would support a rule necessitating that all transfers sit out a season.

So we have Izzo referencing the "real world" consequences of transferring, Collins' comments on an "ultimate free agency" and Miles' pining for a universal one-year ban on transfers. Let's unpack their thoughts one at a time.

Izzo's theory on leaving a job without having another gig lined up in the real world is a reasonable one. But that rationale does not make the situation a black and white comparison, and the real world does in fact allow you to move from one job to another if you feel your employer is short-changing you in some way or if you feel your future does not lie with your current company. And while leaving one job without another occupation waiting in the wings is certainly not ideal, if personal contentment is at stake, splitting from that job should not be viewed as a sign of weakness or personal failure.

Collins' theory of "ultimate free agency" is silly speculation; the only way that an extreme environment of rampant player movement would come to fruition is if the NCAA lifted the one-year playing ban on normal transfers.

And as for Miles' musings on accountability and a universal one-year transfer ban, forgive me for lacking sympathy for coaches who may be forced to re-recruit a player pondering a transfer, especially when said player's future replacement is likely waiting in the wings. The basic tenet of the graduate transfer rule is perfectly satisfactory: permitting players who've already garnered their undergraduate degree to pursue greener pastures at another school. Many of these players are simply seeking more playing time or increased competition at better program, with a sect of those players choosing this particular path with the hope that their next move betters their chances of playing professionally.

At least a portion of the flawed logic and proposals from Izzo, Collins, Miles and other coaches reeks of the control that they all crave over their programs. There's a difference between a player toughing it out through a difficult time and jumping ship at the first sign of hardship. It's hard to know where that line is, but force-feeding values and further player restriction into the situation is not productive path to resolving the uptick in transfers.

The power in revenue-producing programs in college athletics resides with everyone but the players (who are not paid), and in most cases the hub of that authority -- along with the hefty paychecks -- belongs to the head coach. And statistics show that those coaches have a habit of changing schools at a higher rate than players do.

So, is it concerning that players are transferring at a high rate? Maybe.. But I haven't seen a resolution that benefits the players and the programs. But I do know this: placing further limits on player movement is not a prudent answer to the problem, especially not on players who have done everything they've been asked to do in graduating. If anybody should be rewarded with more flexibility, it should be those kids.

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Has Meyer 'hand-picked' the Buckeyes' future tight end? - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Has Meyer 'hand-picked' the Buckeyes' future tight end?
247Sports
70 overall prospect in the country in the 2013 class, per the 247Sports Composite. He originally committed to Oregon, but after Chip Kelly departed for the NFL, Wilson re-opened his recruitment and selected the Buckeyes two days before signing day (Feb.


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Buckeyes could ultimately add Texas's best to top-ranked class - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes could ultimately add Texas's best to top-ranked class
247Sports
In that same vein, who will have the biggest impact between Curtis Samuel or Michael Weber? What will be the biggest strength of this year's OSU team? What is the biggest question mark the Buckeyes are facing? Bucknuts contributor Jonah Booker drops by ...
OSU's over/under for wins already moved from 8.5 to 9247Sports

all 5 news articles »

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A Conversation With Amanda Furrer
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


(photo courtesy of www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com)

I want to provide the conversation that I had with Buckeye and Olympian, Amanda Furrer. This conversation took place on Tuesday May 17, 2016. I hope that you enjoy it as much as we did.

tBBC: Thank you for calling ….

Amanda: I’m a little early … I hope that’s okay ….

tBBC: Absolutely. I’m ready. I was just going over my notes and I’m ready. We’re going to have fun….

Amanda: Is this a recorded interview?

tBBC: Yes it is … I am recording just to assure accuracy. I don’t want to add or delete something down the road because I don’t know, or forgot … I won’t be prying or asking anything crazy…

Amanda: Oh that’s okay I’m an open book …. for the most part, almost to a fault…

tBBC: We’re going to have some fun … it’s going to be all about our love of the Buckeyes …. That’s what it’ll all come down to …

Amanda: There you go! That’s great!

tBBC: I do want to thank you for spending some time with me and pass on a little of yourself to Buckeye Nation … I must start with a little edge of honesty. I initially had four pages of questions and ideas for our conversation. But my wife, God love her, reviewed these four pages ad set them down and said “really?” reminding me that we were going to have a conversation …

Amanda: (Laughs)

tBBC: Thank God for women, right?

Amanda: (Laughs again)

tBBC: It’s about us having some fun, chatting, and talking about Amanda Furrer that’s why …

Amanda: Thank you.

tBBC: …that’s why we are here.

Amanda: I appreciate that. That’s so cool …

tBBC: Let me ask you – you’re back home … home being Washington, the State …

Amanda: Yeah, I actually grew up in Spokane, Washington. Right now I moved to Seattle …

tBBC: Oh, really? That’s a beautiful city … I’ve never been there – but certainly what I see on TV …

Amanda: Oh yeah – it’s great. It’s kind of new for me too. I’m sort of in a transition period right now. It is allowing me to get out and enjoy the outdoors, enjoying nature ..

tBBC: Hiking and trails? That’s a lot of fun…

Amanda: Yeah. There’s like hundreds and hundreds of trails here, valleys – it’s the perfect place…

tBBC: Beautiful I bet…

Amanda: It’s like the TV series Twilight – I mean the scenery. It actually looks like that over here. It’s just as beautiful. So I’m enjoying that, the scenery, and all that, right now.

tBBC: That’s great. See I’m in NYC so there isn’t much of nature here to feast on …

Amanda: Oh but New York is a great place. I have a friend who has a place there. It’s a great place.

tBBC: Yeah. I do love New York – it’s a part of me now. I’m originally from Columbus – so this is a new world for me … or it was way back when. Now it’s home. I do enjoy it.

Amanda: That’s cool.

tBBC: Let me ask you what possessed a West Coaster when searching for a College to find the cornfields of the Midwest and Columbus, Ohio?

Amanda: (Laughs) This is actually a funny story …I was going to get a shooting scholarship no matter what, that was already determined I had been shooting all through High School so I was going to be shooting through College as well. I was pretty limited from the schools I could choose from and I had my heart set on between two different schools, and then I found out about Ohio State. I actually didn’t know they had a shooting program. So I went to the other schools and about to commit – I don’t want to say which school that was …

tBBC: Oh – let me tell you I was o the verge of asking which school…
Amanda: (Laughing) Yeah! So I was about to commit and my Dad was in his office and he called me and he had been looking through websites of all the Universities that had the program I was in and he said “Did you see that Ohio State has a program? They also have one of the best Business Schools in the Country.” That’s what I was going to go into. See I was never into all the sports like football, basketball, and all those, so I was really unaware of Ohio State and their power in these sports. See to me I thought Ohio State was just in the middle of nowhere, you know just another State University. I said to my Dad, “I’m not going to Ohio State – probably nothing but a bunch of cornfields. See I’m from a city and there was no way I was going to go there. And he said “Well – just go take a visit and if afterwards if you aren’t interested then the other schools can be the decision.” So I went to Ohio State and as soon as I got there I absolutely fell in love with the place. And after my first day I called my parents and said I wanted to go to Ohio State. I was sold. I went to one of the football games and I was able to hang out with the team … it was everything I imagined a College to be…

tBBC: That’s nice. That’s a great story. See I don’t see through the eyes of those beyond. I was born and raised in Columbus. So Ohio State was ‘home-planet’ for me. I drank the Kool-Aid…

Amanda: (Laughs)

tBBC: …see I had the Kool-Aid from birth so the bottom line is that’s it – nothing else … but you are right. I have seen many campuses and The Ohio State University is beautiful, very Collegiate, I mean, The Oval, the whole area, Mirror Lake, so soothing. You do fall in love with it…

Amanda: Oh yeah – totally awesome. It’s just so funny because it turned out to be everything I did not expect. Everything I had thought of Ohio wasn’t this place. Ohio State is just a universe upon itself. I just had no idea. And now after going there I have become a huge sports fan. I follow it all…

tBBC: You are addicted now, huh?

Amanda: (Laughs) Yeah – oh yeah – I am!

tBBC: And it doesn’t matter what sport does it? You know the Pistol Team won the National Title recently…

Amanda: Oh yeah. I follow all of Ohio State’s teams. See when you’re from Washington you root for only Washington teams. But my family and I weren’t into all those sports… Ohio though is another level and participating in it is really cool.

tBBC: That’s great. Tell us – what’s Amanda Furrer up to these days?

Amanda: Well I just retired from competitive shooting …

tBBC: So there’s no 2020?

Amanda: No not for me. I was recently living in the US Olympic Center in Colorado and then I transitioned to Washington. Right now I am working on a couple TV Shows…

tBBC: Really?

Amanda: Yeah. One is called The American Marksman for the Outdoors Channel. It’s a competitive shooting show – so I’m hoping that takes off. The other channel, well it’s not a channel, its with MTV, and it’s going to be on where The Flash is on – but a show in the works. I spent a weekend a month on those. So in the meantime I am taking some time off. I am learning a lot about firearms, training and different disciplines. I’m getting a lot more experience …

tBBC: That’s fantastic. You said the Outdoors Channel?

Amanda: Yeah the Outdoor Channel.

tBBC: Whenever that comes on let me know I would love to help in any way that I can.

Amanda: Yeah it isn’t on yet … it’s a show for amateurs who try out for the show – for anybody who feels they got it … they can try out at any local range that is involved in the program. So I hope it kicks up some interest – so they are playing that now trying to get people involved. Then once that happens then the show can go forward. I think next Monday they will be playing that same segment – I’ll have to check. So that’ll be the beginning of that show.

tBBC: Great … congratulations.

Amanda: Thank you.

tBBC: I wish you much success.

Amanda: Yeah it’s going to be a lot of fun. It won’t be what I am looking to do in the long run. I plan to use my degree in Finance. I hope to get into Business Development or contract negotiations for Government contracts especially in the Military Industry or something in the firearms or for the lack of a better word – weapons. I am a big advocate of the Military. My dad, my brother, my boyfriend were all in the Military. I have always been a big supporter. I want to get into that Industry. I want to help out as much as I can.

tBBC: That’s absolutely great. That actually answered where I was heading which was what lays in the future for Amanda Furrer…

Amanda: Yeah it looks like I’ll be traveling around to different bases. It looks like I will have an opportunity to move around to get the training I’ll need. So yeah, I am really looking into that Industry right now. So I believe it’ll be Government contracts …

tBBC: That could be a life-long thing too. That’ll keep you busy ….

Amanda: Oh yeah – for sure.

tBBC; Congratulations on that too. You are heading into a positive direction.

Amanda: Thank you.

tBBC: I also wanted to talk about – you in your rifle competition you have had astonishing accomplishments…

Amanda: (Laughing) Yeah I’ve done alright!

tBBC: Yeah you have. You have done very well for yourself. Just looking over some of your accomplishments – you were in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. The 2015 Pan-Am Games. You were in the national Championship of 2014 … I mean I can go on – I mean there’s many, many more – you have done quite well. How does that all feel – I mean, speaking for myself and for many others we can never imagine being an Olympian. Could you open that door for us?

Amanda: Well that was always the goal – The Olympics – just performing at a top level. I mean I started competing when I was ten or eleven so that is always the goal. I grew up with all that, the competing, always pushing for the next level. So a lot of those things just didn’t feel like enough. You know something like the Pan-Am Games or the National Championships – they just never seemed like enough. I know they were great accomplishments but just with the goal of being in the Olympics, trying to be the best in the world, they were just another stepping stone. So I never look at that list and go “Wow”. I just know they were great things and they were just a part of my past and they were something I had to do to be where I wanted to be – The Olympics. I am very appreciative to compete in those events and I loved every part of it. I love the entire journey. I didn’t just love being in the Olympics – I loved being in each and every competition I’ve been in and everything in between. But it just all seems like a natural part of the past.



tBBC: Yeah the learning you must have traveled through. In those competitions you’ve been to many places. You have seen places, dealt with cultures that most of us only visit in reading.

Amanda: Yeah – it’s kind of funny. I was talking to my Mom about that. The other day we were in the car with my nephew – he’s twelve. And I was thinking how old we are all getting. I mean I started traveling alone when I was fifteen. I went to Korea by myself. It was Korea or China – I don’t remember. I had just turned sixteen. And I was thinking all those airports … we were about the same age and I was so much “older” you know mature and I was traveling the world by myself (laughing) I mean I was a little older then him, it was crazy. My first trip, I mean I have been to London a few times but the first time was with my local club that I grew up with we went to London a few different times and then for my first competition that I went to outside of the USA, my first World Cup was when I turned sixteen. So that year was Australia, Korea, Germany, The Czech Republic, and the Brazil for the Pan-Am Games and that all on the first year I was on the Team. It was a world-wind and I was in High School. I was very fortunate in High School – I mean they worked with me they said the experience I was getting was invaluable and it was something they couldn’t teach so they worked with me and let me take tests and assignments on my trips and mail them back …

tBBC: Kind of like a Home School situation?

Amanda: I was probably missing about a half-a-day a year from sixteen on through Senior Year. I mean I was hardly there. I was always away or at the range…

tBBC: I mean you weren’t a normal sixteen year old. You had major goals insight ….

Amanda: Yeah, that’s the thing. I didn’t have a normal childhood. I mean my parents tried to give me as normal of a childhood that they could. But the fact that I was one of the youngest on the Team … everyone was mid-twenties, thirties, even younger twenties. I was sixteen and was competing with them and was still trying to be a kid. So I missed a lot of things at School, sleepovers, things like that. I didn’t like it at the time, but looking back I don’t regret it. You know because of everything I accomplished.

tBBC: That’s true. When we are young we don’t have the vision to see ahead. When you’re at that age there is so much that you think you are missing, or that you have it all figured. Only when you are older you recognize that there were just other things and that you didn’t necessarily have it all figured.

Amanda: Yeah. Right… You know I had a pretty close group of friends through High School that I hung out with, the ones from home, and those I got to know through the country from competitions. I had a really tight knit group of friends. They were really supportive of what I was doing and never took me away from it.

tBBC: You were lucky…

Amanda: Yes I was.

tBBC: You have done well…

Amanda: Thank you.

tBBC: I have to ask about training. We all figure a lot of time on the range, but in other sources of training but is there anything like weights, running, things like that?
Amanda: It all depends on the individual. What I was doing – it all based on the cycle, when the next competition was coming up. I would train between somewhere of two-to-six hours a day. I know that’s a big gap, but again, it depended on the cycle. Normally it would be around three-to-four hours a day. I would spend time at the range, take a break at lunch, lift in the afternoon. I would work five or six days a week. I would do three lifts and at least two days a week of cardio, sometimes three. I do free weights and that’s for where you have to hold position for a very long time and cardio helps out on that too. Yeah I lifted really actively. I would be involved in outdoor activities as well. On the Team we would have psychologists and they would test our blood to see where, this wasn’t like a daily thing, but every few months, or six months to get your blood tested to see what level everything was at to make sure you weren’t missing anything in your diet, or something that might be useful for you and make sure you were capable of this level of competition. So they were constantly testing what was up with you to see what supplements you should or should not be taking. See shooting is very internal sport so it’s all about feeling. It’s about how your body is reacting to certain things. You could be sitting still for two hours trying to focus on a target and wanting to be perfect and anything off with your body and mind can effect everything. So they want to constantly test you to assure you give your best performance.





tBBC: So the sport of Rifle – I don’t know if people fully understand just how competitive it is. How many would you estimate goes out competitively nationwide for the level, or dreams of the level that you have reached?

Amanda: Well, if you think about it – it all starts at the local clubs then it advances people regionally then people go to the national level. To get to those levels you must have met certain things. Then you can move on. So the elimination grows. It’s a big sport. It’s everywhere. I mean it isn’t as big as football or basketball but it is big in its own right…

tBBC: When you look around there’s a lot of clubs around, more in certain places then in others. But it is a big sport…. If you were to pop into any of those clubs you would actually see a bigger number of faces than you would have guessed…

Amanda: Exactly. A lot of people don’t really know they are around. They don’t know how to get their kids involved. They really don’t even know where to begin to look. Clubs are everywhere.

tBBC: So do you think your passion and love for the sport will still be burning when you are sixty plus and gray?

Amanda: Oh yeah! You know you miss a lot when you stop competing – I miss all the friends I have made in the sport. As someone who is older I will look back and know I want to contribute to the opportunity of someone else seeing their dream. I don’t know if that will be a local club, a mentor. I know my passion for the sport will always be there. It has done so much for me. I would absolutely do whatever I can to see someone else get the opportunity that I got.
tBBC: We did mention that the Pistol team won the National Title. The Men’s Volleyball Team did too. And the Women’s Tennis Team is advancing nicely in the NCAA Tournament – in the Round of 16 for the first time ever….

Amanda: Wow – that’s cool!

tBBC: Yeah whenever they are on find a TV and root them on…

Amanda: Yeah!

tBBC: Tell me though how does it feel to be an actual part of such a powerful and successful organization such as The Ohio State University’s Athletic Program?

Amanda: It’s crazy to me. I initially had no idea about it before going there. But learning about it and experiencing it is amazing. Knowing the people while I was there and the people before me is so cool knowing you are growing up I an organization with so much success and they continually breed success … I mean one person and one team at a time, they are always good ad always will be…. They offer so much, academically, competitively, just everything they can to make you better

tBBC: I know Ohio State is just one of those schools that is always good. If they aren’t on any such year, it won’t be long, they’ll be back. Ohio State isn’t one of those schools that someone likes. It is either love or hate. If someone loves it – it’s a religion….

Amanda: Yeah!

tBBC: If they hate it – it’s hate!…

Amanda: Yeah everyone I talk to says that too…

tBBC: You never hear someone say “I like Ohio State.” It’s either “I love Ohio State” or “I hate Ohio State.”

Amanda: Yeah, no in-between’s like Michigan State….

tBBC: Yeah, or some other Big Ten School – other than The Team Up North. I think they fall into the same bracket as Ohio State. People love or hate them too. Like Alabama, or most SEC teams for me. I hate them all ….

Amanda: See I have no compassion for any team other than Ohio State.

tBBC: That’s the only answer….

Amanda: (Laughs) Being from Spokane though, even though I didn’t follow them when I was younger, but I do now, and that’s because they are local and are nationally good is Gonzaga….
tBBC: Any thoughts about the Team up North?

Amanda: We don’t give a damn about the whole State of Michigan….

tBBC: (Laughs) Only answer.

Amanda: Yes, the only answer.

tBBC: Pat Cherry. (Ohio State Rifle Coach) Tell us about Pat.

Amanda: I love Pat. He was like a Grandfather to me. He was someone who told me from the beginning, I mean I had already accomplished so much prior to coming to Ohio State, he told me that he didn’t know how much he could teach me as a shooter, but he said he would do all he can to do my best and accomplish everything you want to accomplish. And he absolutely did that. He was a great man and a great coach.

tBBC: The Buckeyes did well under Pat…

Amanda: Yeah. He was there for a very long time and I enjoyed being around him. He was extremely helpful. Not just as a coach but as a person he was very invested in that we all succeeded and that we had everything we needed to do our best.

tBBC: That’s what young athletes need – someone that loves ad respects the sport they are teaching…

Amanda: Absolutely. When the Coach as the passion and love for what they are doing it reflects to the athlete.

tBBC: Definitely a trickle down. It’s nothing but good.

Amanda: I agree.

tBBC: In final … some of my toughest questions to date and they are coming your way….

Amanda: Toughest questions?.

tBBC: Yeah ….Scuba diving or water slides?

Amanda: (Laughs) I was just talking to my boyfriend about scuba diving today or was it yesterday? But, anyway, one of my worst fears is drowning – so I get claustrophobic in weird situations. I’m not claustrophobic in small areas but things like wet socks o beds – I start to get claustrophobic… (laughs) … the scuba diving would be the other thing because I am absolutely afraid of the water without any air. So the answer is water slides.

tBBC: Water slides? The safe bet…
Amanda: Absolutely… water slides.

tBBC: Can you share with us any of your pet peeves?

Amanda: Ewwww! (Laughing) They’re really stupid ….

tBBC: No such thing as a stupid pet peeve. Our obsessions won’t ever accept that categorization….

Amanda: Okay … here we go … but, I don’t care about other people, but I absolutely cannot have socks on a bed. When I want to sleep I just feel like I’m drowning basically. Also listening to people chew their food…

tBBC: Oh yeah … that’s up there with me. I cannot stand that. That’s a big irritation. .

Amanda: Yes. That’s a big one….(Laughing) That’s all. I’m really easy going. I really don’t have that many things that bother me a lot.

tBBC: I had fun. This is it. Unless you want to add anything … promote your shows again…tell us more….

Amanda: I don’t have much more to add… but as far as the shows go if you’re interest you can go to Sun TV and American Marksman – people can go – if they think they have a shot, or even if they are a beginner and want to try out they ca go to a local qualifying range and try out for the show. It’s a pretty cool opportunity to try out – they just need to go to the range and shoot a couple targets and see if they qualify for the show. It’s pretty cool. They can checkout the website too. It’s www.ammarksmen.com....

tBBC: www,ammarksmen.com?

Amanda: Yeah. AM – Marksmen .com www.ammarksmen.com Anyone can follow me on social media. I will update info from there. I’m on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram …

tBBC: That’s a good idea. I’m a little slow on this Social Media explosion…

Amanda: Are you?

tBBC: I do the Twitter thing, though I’ve slacked. I follow you on twitter …

Amanda: Oh really. I haven’t put anything up on Twitter lately. Instagram is where I am posting now – is what I’ve been doing…

tBBC: That’s the new one, right?

Amanda: It’s not very new….(laughing)

tBBC: See what I meant earlier … shows you where I’m at ….

Amanda: It is one of the popular ones though. I’m @Amanda_Furrer.

tBBC: Well thank you. I appreciate for you taking the time with me and get this out for all your fans in Buckeye Nation ….

Amanda: I’m glad you wanted to talk to me ….

tBBC: Well, you know better than I that Buckeye Nation loves their athletes, which you are…. You are on that pedestal we dream of ….

Amanda: Thank you so much.

tBBC: I do appreciate your time. If you ever feel a need to rant or rave about a Buckeye win or loss in any sport, or talk Buckeye anything, including the School itself keep me in mind. I would love to be the vessel to pass it on. And when you show comes on stop by and tell us about it….

Amanda: Great. Thanks.

The post A Conversation With Amanda Furrer appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Looking ahead: Buckeyes' growing pains should be over - ESPN (blog)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Looking ahead: Buckeyes' growing pains should be over
ESPN (blog)
It's never too early to look at what's to come. Over the next few weeks, we will give you a peek at what is ahead for teams in the Power 5 conferences and some other teams expected to be players on the national scene. Next up: Ohio State Buckeyes.
ESPN analyst: Why Buckeyes will be better in 2016 than 2015247Sports
Ohio State Football: 5 Toughest QBs Buckeyes Will Face in 2016Bleacher Report
OSUWG: Buckeyes in Top 15 after 2nd RoundThe Buckeye Battle Cry
Eleven Warriors (registration) -Columbus Dispatch -TexasSports.com
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Script Ohio: Baker Mayfield is the best quarterback Ohio State will face in 2016
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 the toughest signal callers that Ohio State will face during the 2016 season, including Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield and discuss the Bosa crime family, and the amount of snaps from players last year that the Buckeyes will have to replace.

The post Script Ohio: Baker Mayfield is the best quarterback Ohio State will face in 2016 appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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OSU Women’s Tennis NCAA Championship Run Ends
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 University’s Women’s Tennis Team’s 2016 NCAA Championship run ended Saturday, May 21st, in Tulsa – falling to the # 12 Oklahoma State University Cowboys, 4-2.

The Buckeyes in the quarterfinals for the first time in Program history were also denied improving on their 16-match winning streak.

For The Ohio State University it has arguably been the best season ever in their history. The team was 31-3, the first time with more than 20 wins in a season, and was ranked in the Top 6 (a program high) since early February, including a moment at No. 1. The squad won the outright Big Ten regular season title with an 11-0 ledger and claimed the first conference tournament title in school history. For the first time, the Buckeyes reached the NCAA Championship quarterfinals and hosted NCAA first and second round matches.

Oklahoma State won on courts one and three to clinch the doubles point. Katrina Adamovic and Vladic Babic defeated Francesca Di Lorenzo and Olivia Sneed, 6-1, to open doubles. On court two, the Buckeyes’ No. 58-ranked team of juniors Gabriella De Santis and Sandy Niehaus topped No. 54 Viktoriya Lushkova and Carla Tur Mari, 7-5, breaking to win the match and improve to 14-1 in dual play. Doubles came down to court one. The No. 9-ranked Buckeye duo of junior Miho Kowase and sophomore Anna Sanford came back from 15-40 down to break and get on serve at five all. The Cowgirls’ team of Maria Alvarez and Kelsey Laurente broke back and then held to win the last two games and claim the match and the doubles point for Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma State won the first two singles matches off the court for a 3-0 lead. On court two, Babic was a 6-4, 6-3 winner over No. 89-ranked Sanford, followed by a 6-1, 6-3 win by Lushkova over No. 96 De Santis.

The Buckeyes tied the match with back to back wins. On court six, Niehaus, ranked 81st, topped Alvarez, 6-2, 7-5. Niehaus was 14-0 in dual play and 19-3 overall this season. Kowase then posted a 6-0, 7-6 (2) win over Laurente on court four to tie the match. In dual play, Kowase was 24-2, with a 30-4 overall mark.

Three Buckeyes will compete for NCAA individual titles. Di Lorenzo is the No. 3 seed in the singles draw, while Sanford and Kowase were selected for the doubles tournament. Singles play starts Wednesday, followed by the start of doubles Thursday. Scoring, video and updated brackets are available on the tournament central page.

Coach Melissa Schaub: “It stings right now, obviously. I think that if we can look back on it we had an unbelievable year. These guys fight really hard, but it didn’t go our way today. It hurts, it hurts right now but we do have everybody in our starting lineup coming back next year. If we can focus on that and the kind of year that we had I think in a little bit when this starts to wear off we will be really proud of what we were able to accomplish this year.”

“The doubles point was big, we knew that coming in. They have a couple spots that are really tough and I think we fought hard. Ferny (Angeles Paz) fought to the end, maybe had some chances there, but these guys played well. All the credit goes to Oklahoma State and it is going to be a good final four.”

The Buckeyes are deserving of great applause. Their achievements this year was phenomenal.

We are proud of them.

The post OSU Women’s Tennis NCAA Championship Run Ends appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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41 rookies, including several former Buckeyes, get NFL trading card - ABC6OnYourSide.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


41 rookies, including several former Buckeyes, get NFL trading card
ABC6OnYourSide.com
LOS ANGELES -- From one of the most promising and impressive NFL Draft classes in years, 41 of this year's top rookies will come together this weekend in Los Angeles for the NFLPA Rookie Premiere presented by Panini. The annual event features one of ...

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Texas standouts check out Ohio State
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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It was a busy weekend for Urban Meyer and crew.

A pair of Longhorn State prospects made the trek to Columbus over the weekend. Getting a chance to see the campus with their own eyes, and mingle with Urban Meyer, and the rest of the Ohio State coaching staff, class of 2017 five-star recruits Jeffrey Okudah and Baron Browning invaded the Capital City.

In recruiting it's all about having a strong relationship, and that is exactly what the Buckeyes are trying to build with the Texas duo. Holding OSU in high regard throughout their recruitment, it was the 6 feet 1 inch, 195-pound South Grand Prairie High standout, Okudah's second time visiting OSU, while it was Browning's first time having the opportunity to make the trip north.

Holding well over 30 scholarship offers apiece, Okudah, and Browning have their fair share of college programs trying to keep them out of the Scarlet and Gray. Alabama, Stanford, and others are in the mix for Okudah, but some around scene believe he will end up choosing Ohio State in the end.

Browning on the other hand is a little different. All signs pointed towards his OSU visit going very well, but he isn't done checking out college programs anytime soon. Wanting to take more trips, the 6 foot 3 inch, 230-pound Kennedale, Texas native will visit Notre Dame next month.

With nearly eight months left until national signing day, and Urban Meyer, Greg Schiano, Tim Beck and others on the prowl, could the Buckeyes strike Texas gold once again? I guess we'll have to wait and see. Keep checking Land-Grant Holy Land for the latest.

Buckeyes offer 2017 DT


Always looking to bring in talent up front, the Ohio State coaching staff have entered the recruiting race for another one of the most sought after defensive tackle prospects in the class of 2017. On Friday afternoon, the Buckeyes dished out Fayetteville, Ark. native and four-star rated recruit Akial Byers an opportunity to join the Big Ten powerhouse program.

Announcing his scholarship from Ohio State via his Twitter page, Byers now holds around a dozen offers from schools across the country. Alabama, Florida State, Michigan, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss,and Washington State are just a few of the other programs to give the 6 feet 4 inch, 275-pound standout a chance to attend their university on the next level.



When it comes to rankings, Byers finds his name mentioned among some of the best prospects on the high school level. Currently considered the 15th defensive tackle, and 263rd overall recruit in the class of 2017, according to the 247Sports Composite, he definitely backs the accolades he receives off the field, on it. Last season as a junior at Fayetteville High School, Byers accounted for nearly 70 total tackles, and three quarterback sacks to help lead the Bulldogs to a 13-2 overall record, and a state championship title.

Quick Hits

• The Buckeyes are still in the mix for one of the top class of 2017 cornerbacks. On Friday, four-star standout Lamont Wade announced he is still considering taking his talents to Penn State, Tennessee, UCLA, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Duke, West Virginia, Alabama, Virginia Tech, and Mississippi State. The 5'9, Clairton, Pennsylvania native, who received his scholarship offer from the Buckeyes in March of 2015, has made numerous trips to Columbus, including earlier this month.
• Following in the footsteps of Wade, and others, a pair of OSU targets were selected to participate in this summers The Opening, a elite camp held on the grounds of the Nike headquarters. After shining against other elite recruits at the events regional camp held in Oakland on Sunday. class of 2017 running back Najee Harris, and defensive tackle Jay Tufele were among the nine recruits picked to travel to Oregon in July. The five-star rated Harris is currently committed to Alabama, but visited Ohio State during the spring, while Tufele reportedly has the Buckeyes currently out in front over programs such as BYU, Michigan, and Oregon.

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BTN LiveBIG: Big Ten sends some of its brightest to Britain
Brian Summerfield via Big Ten Network

Students from Big Ten universities accounted for an impressive five out of 15 Churchill Scholars for 2016-2017. These students will travel to the United Kingdom this fall to study their academic disciplines for a year at the University of Cambridge’s Churchill College. Each academic year, the Churchill Scholars selects a few graduate-level students from throughout the United States who excel in mathematics, engineering or hard-sciences fields. The prestigious academic program was started more than a half-century ago by the legendary British statesman Winston Churchill, who requested the scholarship be set up through the foundation that bore his name. Here are

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