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Ht: 6'4"
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Can Ohio State's offensive line be as good as Alabama's next season?
Chad Peltier via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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

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

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


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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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


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


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Ohio State Buckeyes recruit Josh Myers can't wait to be a Slob - MyDaytonDailyNews
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


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

and more »

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Buckeyes go to Arkansas to offer 2017 defensive tackle - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


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


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

“ Hell, there are no rules here – we’re trying to accomplish something…” ~ Thomas Edison

Leave it to Thomas Edison, an Ohioan and considered “The Father Of Invention”, to appropriately summarize the goals for the 2016 Ohio State football team. No rules – just accomplish something.

“Something” is a pretty vague and open concept. Considering how much talent Ohio State lost to graduation and the NFL Draft, considering how I have written throughout spring practice about how 44 players on Ohio State’s roster are either redshirt freshmen or true freshmen…Damn right, Mr. Edison. There are no rules. Ohio State fans are just looking to see what this team can accomplish against a much tougher schedule in 2016 than 2015, with tremendously talented, yet inexperienced, players.

**

Rutgers Scarlet Knights (Game 4)

2016 OSU Opponent Ranking: 10 out of 12

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

Game Date: October 1, 2016

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

Location: Ohio Stadium

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

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

Previous Rankings:
11 – Bowling Green
12 – Tulsa




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


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


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


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

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

No golfers since then.

Shame on me!

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

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

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

His accomplishments as a Buckeye hardly stopped there ….

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Ohio State looks to keep the New Jersey pipeline hot by offering 2018 QB
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Ohio State staff has hit the road at full speed sending coaches all over the country in hunt for the best prospects in the country.

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

2018 QB receives OSU offer


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

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

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





Staff sees Grimes at STA spring game


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

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





2017 TE impressing Buckeyes


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





Cage shows his talents


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



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


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

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


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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


The Hurry Up: Grimes Time in Florida, Buckeyes Working on Alexander Marshall, Preparing for Texas Two-Step
Eleven Warriors (registration)
Tomorrow morning, bright and early, two of Texas' brightest 2017 prospects are heading to Ohio to visit the Buckeyes. Five-star safety Jeffrey Okudah and five-star linebacker Baron Browning will travel to Columbus for what could be a very important ...
Post Pitt visit, now what for Buckeye commit Todd Sibley?247Sports
2 5-star prospects set return visits to Ohio StateLand-Grant Holy Land
Cam Akers, a five-star RB and former Alabama commit, to visit Ohio State in early Junecleveland.com
Scout
all 10 news articles »

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Ohio State AD Gene Smith named Sports Business Journal Athletic Director of the Year
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


This marks the second time Smith has won the award, with the first time coming back in 2010.

"Gene Smith, Ohio State University senior vice president and Wolfe Foundation endowed athletics director, was named 2016 Sports Business Journal Athletics Director of the Year Wednesday at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York City."

-The Ohio State University


For the second time, Gene Smith has been named the Sports Business Journal Athletics Director of the Year. Not only was Smith a finalist for the award in 2008, but he previously won the award in 2010. Following the latest release of the 2016 Directors' Cup standings on April 20th, Ohio State was in second place, and since then has seen the men's volleyball team take home a national title, and are in contention in a number of spring sports.

During the fall and winter sports seasons this year, Ohio State had 10 teams place in the Top 10 nationally. The biggest accomplishment for the athletic department this year has come in the classroom. A record 561 scholar-athletes were recently honored for earning a 3.0 Grade-Point-Average or better. Smith was honored by the Sports Business Journal for his excellence and outstanding achievement in the business of sports from January 1, 2015 to February 29, 2016. The other finalists for the Sports Business Journal Athletics Director of the Year were Oklahoma's Joe Castigilone, Stanford's Bernard Muir, and Navy's Chet Gladchuk.

"We're interested in having great partners that have great platforms, that are interested in marketing and promotion. The market will decide what happens. ESPN has been a great partner, as CBS has, as FOX has. It's a new day. We've approached it that way. We're into the marketplace and we'll see what we shall see. I wouldn't talk about walking away from anybody in the middle of any negotiation."

-Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany via Brian Hamilton, Sports Illustrated


It may sound crazy that the Big Ten is thinking of leaving ESPN when their broadcasting contract with the network runs out, but there has been talk of FOX acquiring the Big Ten broadcasting rights on a six-year deal starting in the fall of 2017. Given that FOX has partnered with the Big Ten to produce the Big Ten Network since it's inception, the move starts to make a little more sense. Many thought the Big Ten Network wouldn't work when it first was announced, but Delany took the risk with it. Now he might be on the verge of taking another risk by moving away from ESPN, but it wouldn't be a surprise if this move worked out just as well.

When other athletic directors around the conference were asked about the possibility of the Big Ten moving to FOX and away from ESPN, they seemed to be in full support of the move. A big reason Delany has the support of the schools in this matter is because it could net each Big Ten school around $30 million annually. Members can see that Delany is thinking outside the box and is trying to keep the conference out in front. Even though the conference hasn't finalized a deal for broadcasting rights for the near future, Delany probably already has a plan for when that contract runs out. As long as he keeps helping the schools in the conference rake in the cash, they'll have no problem letting Delany see those plans through.

"Coach Matta is in the process. We'll get to that when we all get together. He's going through the process right now. Hiring Chris is something we're excited to have. Whatever Coach asks me to do, I'm gonna do and I'm gonna do it to the best of my ability."

-Ohio State assistant coach Greg Paulus via Bill Landis, Cleveland.com


In two of the last three years Ohio State's offense has struggled mightily, with the exception during that span coming during D'Angelo Russell's only season in Columbus. There is reason for optimism heading into this year though, as assistant coach Chris Jent is returning to Thad Matta's staff. Prior to leaving Ohio State in 2013 to take a position on the Sacramento Kings' staff, Jent was the assistant coach in charge of running the Buckeye offense. After finishing 128th in 2013-14 and 151st last year in offensive efficiency according to KenPom, Ohio State will be looking to restore their offense, which had only finished worse than 50th in offensive efficiency two other times under Matta.

Thad Matta still has a question to answer heading into this season when it comes to which assistant coach is going to run the offense. Even though Jent seems like the obvious choice to try and overhaul the offense, assistant coach Greg Paulus has been in charge of the offense the last three seasons. The good news for Buckeye fans is Paulus has said that no matter what Matta asks him to do, he's going to put his all into it to help this Ohio State team succeed. It should help that the Buckeyes have a number of starters returning this year, after spending the last few years dealing with some significant player losses.

"This is something that's real. Everywhere I go, everybody seems to be mesmerized by this coming election. I'm mesmerized by it as well. ... We're asked to walk in those high school gyms and punch a ticket, and I know that for years my dad told me to 'vote this way.' That's not what were supposed to do. So we're going to take this thing to the nth level, which we normally do around here."

-Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer via Tim May, The Columbus Dispatch


Since taking over as Ohio State's head coach in 2012, one thing Urban Meyer has brought with him has been "real life Wednesdays", where guests are brought in to speak on Wednesdays about real-life issues. With Memorial Day weekend coming up, Meyer is planning to highlight the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and wants his players to realize their responsibility to be active, informed voters if they plan on participating in the presidential election in November. This won't be about trying to tell players who they should vote for, but more about educating players on the differences between the candidates to help them form their own opinion.

Meyer is labeling this coming week as "patriot week" with Memorial Day on the horizon. To start off the week, on Monday Bradley Holland, an assistant professor of political science at OSU, will detail the responsibilities of a president. Tuesday will see Navy SEAL Scott Daly speak on wars that have been fought, and the sacrifices that have been made.On Wednesday, Stacy Rastauskas, vice president for government relations at OSU, and U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley will talk about the election process. To close out the team's week on Thursday, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted and former state legislator Otto Beatty will speak on the importance of making one's vote count, and the struggle for voters' rights. While those on the team might not agree with the candidates and where they stand, at least after this coming week they'll be a lot more informed about what their options are.

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Reshuffling The Deck: Buckeyes' 2018 Top Targets - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Reshuffling The Deck: Buckeyes' 2018 Top Targets
247Sports
Last week Bucknuts reshuffled the list of the Buckeyes' top 2017 targets. This week we are back with our reshuffle of the Buckeyes' top 2018 targets. It is still very early for the class of 2018, but the Ohio State staff has been out on the road and ...


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Justin Boren Theft Case Update: 1 Arrest made, 1 still Sought
Jeremiah (SYR) 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

Earlier this week we heard the news that former Ohio State Buckeye Justin Boren’s company Grass Groomers being broken into. Here is the info from Justin’s Facebook account….


According to the Columbus Police today they have discovered who the thieves are…




If you know where Paul Arthurs is please contact the police ASAP and lets help out our fellow Buckeye.




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Vegas book sets Ohio State's over/under win total at just 8.5, one less than Michigan
Luke Zimmermann via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Surely Ohio State can hit the over, right? Right?!

One prominent Las Vegas sportsbook is apparently a bit sheepish on the young 2016 Ohio State Buckeyes' chances for success on the field this coming fall.

Per Friend of the Holy Land David Payne Purdum, the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas has pegged OSU's over/under at just 8.5 wins.

While generally the number is supposed to peg the median expected number of wins, there can be tweaks or adjustments to account for projected fan base betting enthusiasm. This usually more favorably impacts the Buckeyes, who historically solicit a lot of homer action, but even accounting for that this go around, the oddsmakers have only projected them to win around 9 games.

Also curious, Michigan is projected to finish around 9.5 wins, a full game better than OSU and ostensibly ahead of OSU in the Big Ten standings.

Don't get too down on one particular book's lack of optimism, however. SB Nation's Bud Elliott, a bit of a college football odds enthusiast in his own right, thinks there may be more than meets the eye at play here.

"Early betting lines are often a reflection of what the expert bookmakers believe, offered at low limits to allow early betting action to serve as feedback shaping the line before the limits are raised to accept larger bets," he told Land-Grant Holy Land.

"Releasing these early lines is also great publicity for books via the free advertising they receive through media for its newsworthiness."

If you're not fully cynical on the remaining O/U, here's the full sampling of high profile schools, courtesy once again of Purdum:

Michigan 9.5 (-120o)
Ohio State 8.5 (-115o)
Notre Dame 9 (-125u)
Tennessee 10
Clemson 10 (-120o)
Alabama 9.5
Florida State 10 (-120o)
Oklahoma 10 (-130u)
LSU 9.5 (-140o)

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Ohio State baseball concludes regular season at Minnesota with Big Ten title shot
Ben Martens via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes are just 2.5 games behind the frontrunning Gophers. A series sweep and a little help could give the scarlet and gray a regular season conference title.

It's going to be a wild final weekend in the Big Ten. All eight seeds for next week's conference tournament will be up for grabs, and Ohio State is very much in the hunt. At 13-8, the Buckeyes are currently tied for third with Nebraska, and sit just 2.5 games behind current frontrunner Minnesota, which also happens to be their final opponent.

Ohio State has hit its stride at just the right time, winning six straight and eight of its last nine in Big Ten play. It's not out of the question for the team to land the top seed with a sweep and some help. A series win against the Gophers, regardless of how the final standings shake out, though, is hugely important to the momentum the team has built over the past month.

As has been the case all season, pitching is where the Buckeyes hung their hats in last weekend's sweep of Michigan. The starting rotation of Tanner Tully, John Havird, and Adam Niemeyer yielded just four runs in 20.1 innings of work against the most explosive offense in the conference. The trio also issued just three walks against 24 strikeouts, grounding a Wolverine lineup that had been tearing up opposing pitching all season.

While the pitching has been a mainstay all year, what was truly encouraging during the sweep was the timely hitting Ohio State produced. Michigan scored first in all three games, but the Buckeye lineup always fought back, scoring 18 runs, pounding out 24 hits, and taking 13 walks. The approach at the plate is night and day compared to just six weeks ago when the team was swept by Maryland.

In order to emerge from Minneapolis with a series victory and charge into the Big Ten tournament with some serious swagger, Ohio State will need to continue playing its best baseball of the year. With an outside shot at seeing their NCAA Tournament hopes realized, the Buckeyes simply cannot experience any letdowns the rest of the way.

Minnesota Golden Gophers (33-16, 15-5 in Big Ten play)


Much as was the case with Michigan last week, Ohio State will be facing one of the most productive offensive teams in the conference when they take the field against John Anderson's Minnesota squad. The Gophers have exceeded expectations to contend for a Big Ten title, and it has a lot to do with their bats.

Minnesota leads the conference in batting average, slugging percentage, hits, runs scored, and runs batted in, and is in the top two in on-base percentage, doubles, and home runs. Flat out, this team can hit, so the Buckeyes' pitching staff will have its hands full again.

All nine regulars in the Gopher lineup are hitting .297 or better, but the standouts are juniors Matt Fiedler and Austin Athmann. Fiedler, an outfielder and designated hitter who works double duty as the team's Friday starter on the mound, is second in the Big Ten with a .388 average, and leads the team with 78 hits, 42 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases. The Eagan, Minnesota native is also second on the squad with seven home runs and 36 runs driven in.

Athmann is Anderson's catcher and cleanup hitter, and is having an all-conference type of season, hitting .366 with 13 doubles, 11 homers, 37 RBIs, and a 1.092 OPS. After homering just twice in 181 career at-bats coming into 2016, the power surge is a sign of Athmann's perseverance after undergoing three different surgeries in his time at Minnesota.

From a pitching perspective, the Gophers are in the middle of the pack of the Big Ten, allowing about 4.5 runs per game, but they have given up the third-fewest hits and the fourth-lowest opponent batting average. Where Minnesota really benefits is having the top-ranked defense in the conference.

Fiedler is the Friday starter and has been very solid in that role. The righty is 7-2 on the season, posting a 3.86 earned run average, .247 opposition batting average, and 1.26 WHIP in a team-high 77 innings of work.

On Saturday, senior left-hander Dalton Sawyer takes the ball, and he has excellent stuff. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound native of Waconia, Minnesota is second in the Big Ten with 92 strikeouts, and carries a 6-5 record with a 3.41 ERA. Sawyer averages more than 11 punchouts per nine innings and holds opponents to just a .236 batting average.

Junior Toby Anderson will be on the bump on Sunday, and is also having a breakout season. The right-hander is 7-1 with a 3.12 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, and a .236 batting average against. Coupled with a strong bullpen, the Buckeye bats will face a major challenge against the Gophers.

Game times and probable pitching matchups


Thursday, May 19th, 7:30 p.m. ET (streaming live on BTN Plus)

Tully (7-3, 2.26 ERA) vs. Fiedler (7-2, 3.86)

Friday, May 20th, 7:30 p.m. ET (airing live on BTN)

Havird (6-2, 3.14) vs. Sawyer (6-5, 3.41)

Saturday, May 21st, 3 p.m. ET (streaming live on BTN Plus)

Niemeyer (4-2, 3.38) vs. Anderson (7-1, 3.12)

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Toughest stretch: Ohio State Buckeyes - ESPN (blog)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Toughest stretch: Ohio State Buckeyes
ESPN (blog)
17, but the Buckeyes have already demonstrated that a high-profile game outside of the Big Ten isn't going to make or break title chances in the playoff era no matter the outcome. What truly counts is the league race, and the Buckeyes will find out ...
Ohio State baseball | Focus is on Big Ten title, not rankingsColumbus Dispatch

all 3 news articles »

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2nd Annual Jill Griesse Memorial Invitational Is This Weekend
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Teresa Fightmaster, an OSU swimming legend, an All-American in ’83 & ’85, All Big Ten her entire stay at The Ohio State University ’83, ’84, ’85, & ’86, along with holding records as a member of the 200 & 400 Medley Relay – which still to this day stands. She is also the individual record holder for the Buckeyes in the 50, 100 & 200 yard Breaststroke – but to Teresa these are simple accolades, nice indeed, but not the essence of her mission in life. She is busy nowadays as the Head Coach of a swim club she started – Pau Hana (translation in Hawaiian means – ‘your work is finished’). This coming weekend (05/21 & 05/22) will be one of the busiest times of the year for her.

The 2016 Jill Griesse Memorial Invitational is hosted by the Pau Hana Swim Team at Denison University’s Trumbull Aquatic Center in Granville, Ohio which is a two-day event – May 21st & May 22nd with three sessions each day. The morning session will start at 8:15 a.m., the afternoon session begins at 12:15 p.m. and the final session begins at 6:00 p.m.

The teams participating are:

1. Buckeye Swim Club
2. Dayton Raiders Swim Club
3. Delaware YMCA
4. Dublin Community Swim Team
5. Greater Columbus Swim Team of Ohio
6. Lancaster YMCA
7. Liberty Twp-Powell YMCA
8. New Albany Aquatics Club
9. Oak Hills Youth Athletics
10. Pau Hana Swim Team
11. Springfield Family YMCA
12. United Swim Association
13. Upper Arlington Swim Club
14. Westerville Aquatic Club
15. Worthington Swim Club
16. Wsy Swimming

The event is held in the honor of Jill Griesse, highlighting her numerous contributions of complete unselfishness to swimming – with the countless lives she touched throughout her coaching career and life.



Jill Harms Griesse had a deep love for the sport of swimming. She was responsible for instilling a sense of dedication and commitment into all of the athletes she coached. At the age of 30, Jill was one of the youngest and only female head coaches in the country coaching an AAU swim team. She was also a member of the Olympic Competition Committee responsible for deciding how the Olympic swim camps were conducted and what international competition the teams would participate in.

Jill’s parents were both Olympic officials. She learned her sense of dedication and commitment early in life. She was a competitive swimmer by the age of 9 in her home state of New Jersey. Her parents quickly realized better training would benefit their daughter and sent her to Hawaii to train with Soichi Sakamoto, the best swimming coach in the country at that time. Jill spent two years in Hawaii with the Sakamoto family. When she returned home, she included synchronized swimming into her busy schedule which she continued throughout her high school and college career.

Following her graduation from Washington State University and her marriage to Paul Griesse, the couple moved back to Hawaii where Jill began her coaching career as an AAU swim coach at Hickam Air Force Base for the next four years.

After Jill returned to the mainland and moved to Licking County, she began coaching at the local YWCA. There she founded the Pau Hana Swim Team. Jill wanted her team to be known as something different. The name Pau Hana means “your work is finished”. It is a Hawaiian phrase that her coaches would often use at the end of each practice. During her time as head coach for Pau Hana, Jill’s swimmers shared impressive success. Many of her athletes were nationally ranked in AAU swimming including number one rankings in the United States, Top finishes in Europe and multiple top 10 rankings in the world. Her swimmers were State High School champions and multiple record holders throughout the United States. Many of her swimmers went on to swim in college and compete at the junior and senior national level.

Jill was the recipient of innumerable awards, including her 1994 election to the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame, the 2007 Licking County Foundation Everett D. Reese Award, the 2011 Granville Good Scout Award, the 2013 Robbins Hunter Women’s Board Victoria Woodhull Woman of Distinction and the 2013 Central Ohio Technical College Legends of Loyalty Award.

Jill brought joy while enhancing the lives of everyone she came upon, inspiring each to try a little harder to fulfill their purpose. Considered by many a force of nature, she dreamed up inventive ways to entertain, often fund raising for her favorite causes while sharing pure fun with her friends and family. She left the world a better and more beautiful place, and she was afforded the tremendous opportunity to live her goodbyes with everyone she loved.

This is the 2nd annual event for a wondrous cause. If you are local, or nearby to Denison University (with the above mentioned times) go have some fun for something that is right. In lieu of an admission fee, a $5 minimum donation to the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation (NPCF) is requested. Again, it’s this Saturday and Sunday, May 21-22. The three sessions will start at 8:15 a.m., at 12:15 p.m. and at 6:00 p.m.

If you are unable to attend donations can be made at The National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation in her honor. T-shirts of the event (all purchases go for the cause as well) are available too.

Last year’s event raised over $6,500. As Buckeyes we can make this a better year.

Teresa Fightmaster, one of those kids that benefited from the coaching prowess of Jill fondly recalls: Jill had a unique way of making all of us feel special … she was a great motivator… and instilled in us a belief that we could do anything. She knew exactly what to do to get the most out of each of us. Looking back now at some of her workouts…I wonder how I survived … but it was all worth it because it has made me a better person and coach.
I want my kids (swimmers) to feel that special. I am proud to have the name Pau Hana swimming back!!

We can do this Buckeye Nation.

The post 2nd Annual Jill Griesse Memorial Invitational Is This Weekend appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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The Ohio State Men's Baseball Team wraps up its regular season with a 3-game set in Minneapolis against conference foe Minnesota. The Buckeyes enter the series at 36-16-1 (13-8 B1G). The Golden Gophers stand at 33-16 (15-5 B1G). A sweep coupled with an Indiana loss in their series against Nebraska could possibly give the Buckeyes the B1G lead.

http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/051816aaa.html

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State baseball team will look to continue its impressive run this Thursday, Friday and Saturday at No. 24 Minnesota in its final series of the 2016 regular season that will have big implications for the regular season conference crown as well as the Big Ten Tournament held next week in Omaha, Neb. The Buckeyes (36-16-1, 13-8 B1G) are one of the hottest teams in the country, winning 12 of their last 15 games, including eight of their last nine in Big Ten play, and open the series at 7:30 p.m. ET Thursday against the first-place Gophers (33-16, 15-5 B1G) at Siebert Field in Minneapolis, Minn. The middle contest will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET Friday live on BTN, while the finale is set for 3 p.m. ET Saturday.

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Buckeyes make their QB play; Akers rumor and hitting Michigan - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes make their QB play; Akers rumor and hitting Michigan
247Sports
Good evening/morning Bucknuts subscribers! There is plenty going on with Ohio State football recruiting so let's get started! I will of course have plenty more. To continue reading, subscribe now for VIP Access. Are you a current VIP and getting this ...


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Ohio State basketball: Buckeyes think offense will be better, but still unclear which coach will run it - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State basketball: Buckeyes think offense will be better, but still unclear which coach will run it
cleveland.com
After a somewhat tumultuous spring that saw player transfers and a change on the bench, the Buckeyes finally seem settled as they prepare to enter the summer. Those players, 11 scholarship players and one walk-on, will be back on campus in a few weeks ...
2016 football schedule analysis: Ohio State BuckeyesBig Ten Network
Ohio State football | Buckeyes to learn about the power of the voteColumbus Dispatch
Buckeyes offer No. 1 prospect in Missouri247Sports
Eleven Warriors (registration) -BT Powerhouse (blog) -247Sports.com
all 23 news articles »

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Two five-star prospects set return visits to Ohio State
Bret Favachio via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Jeffrey Okudah and Cam Akers are the latest to make visits to Columbus.

Okudah on campus this weekend


It's a big weekend coming up for Ohio State in regards to their pursuit of 2017 S Jeffrey Okudah (Grand Prairie, Texas / South Grand Prairie). According to Gabe Brooks of Scout.com, the 6 foot 1 inch, 190-pounder will be making a visit to Columbus this weekend and the Texan native opened up to Brooks about what he likes about Ohio State:


Okudah is thought of as one the biggest priority recruits for the Scarlet and Gray for the 2017 recruiting class. He is currently graded as the No.7 player in the class, No.1 at his position and No.2 in the state of Texas. Luckily for the Buckeyes, the five-star safety has the majority of his 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions in favor of Ohio State – currently 50 percent of the forecasts.

Akers visit scheduled


Another prospect who will be seeing the Buckeyes campus – not this weekend, but in the coming weeks – is 2017 RB Cam Akers (Clinton, Miss. / Clinton). In an interview with Scout.com's Chad Simmons, Akers revealed a timeline of his upcoming visit and Ohio State was included.

The 5 feet 11 inch, 212-pounder will be making an unofficial visit to the campus on June 3rd and 4th. The visit will came after stops to LSU this weekend, as well as Auburn and Georgia soon after. On his way back from Columbus, Akers will then check out Florida State and Tennessee. While the Clinton, Miss. standout still has plenty of time to make a decision, this six school stop could be pivotal in his recruitment.

Perhaps the most important thing to take away from the chat Akers had with Simmons was when he spoke on his official visits. Akers didn't say much, but he did say something that could possibly open up some eyes on where the Buckeyes currently stand. "The only official visit right now I probably will take is to Ohio State." In the long run,we'll see what that means but for now, it's certainly good news for Head Coach Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes.

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No Jurkovec no problem - Buckeyes make new quarterback offer - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


No Jurkovec no problem - Buckeyes make new quarterback offer
247Sports
On Monday the Buckeyes had a top two of Phil Jurkovec and Emory Jones when it came to their 2018 quarterback board. They had scholarship offers out to both. However, when Jurkovec committed to Notre Dame on Monday evening, it took the Buckeyes ...
Buckeyes Lose Out On Top 2018 QB Target, Focus On AnotherScarlet and Game
Ohio State's Top 2018 Quarterback Target, Five-Star Phil Jurkovec, Commits to Notre DameEleven Warriors (registration)
Ohio State loses top quarterback target Phil Jurkovec to Notre DameFOXSports.com
247Sports.com -Campus Insiders
all 66 news articles »

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8th grade linebacker receives verbal offer from Alabama

In recent "we are all aging and time's inevitable maw is upon us" news, a middle schooler in South Florida has received a football scholarship from the University of Alabama.

Youth1.com's Alan Popadine (h/t Bleacher Report's Joe Pantorno) reports that Jesus Machado, an 8th grade student from Hialeah, Florida, has received a verbal offer from the Crimson Tide.

That fact alone is incredible and ridiculous and borderline insane. But it gets crazier: this is just the latest in the growing pile of verbal offers Machado has received thus far.

At 6'0", 190 pounds, Machado's already been approached with verbal offers from Michigan State, Iowa State, N.C. State and West Virginia. He's not even a true freshman, but plays linebacker and defensive end at the varsity level for Champagnat Catholic High School. In 2015, Scout1.com listed him as a top ten player in the class of 2020.




Spartan Avenue ‎@SpartanAvenueFS
#MichiganState offered an 8th-grade OLB on Wednesday in Jesus Machado. http://spartanavenue.com/2016/05/12/michigan-state-recruiting-8th-grader-jesus-machado-offered/ …
3:05 PM - 12 May 2016

Entire article: http://www.foxsports.com/college-fo...grade-linebacker-florida-jesus-machado-051816