Ohio State's spring is over: Discussing the Buckeyes biggest questions heading into summer (video) - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State's spring is over: Discussing the Buckeyes biggest questions heading into summer (video)
cleveland.com
So for the most part, Ohio State sent the more than 100,000 fans who attended the spring game into summer feeling pretty good about the Buckeyes. But the standard Urban Meyer has set at Ohio State has become national championship or bust, and given ...


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OSUWG: OSUWG surges into 2nd Place at Lady Buckeye Spring Invitational
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.)

(Event scoring and statistics courtesy of GolfStat.com)

The OSUWG team has reason to smile after their final round.

This week the Ohio State Women’s Golf (OSUWG) team hosted the Lady Buckeye Spring Invitational at the OSU Golf Club’s Scarlet Course. The course was set up at 6,319 yards long and played to a par of 72.

This is a three round (54 hole) event with a format of ‘play six count four’, where a school fields 6 players, and the low 4 scores for each round are counted. Teams can also have a golfer participate as an Individual. The first two rounds will be played on Saturday and the final round is Sunday. The field consisted of 12 teams, below:

#30 Augusta, Illinois, Indiana, Indianapolis, Iowa, #14 Kent State, Maryland, # 42 Michigan State, #43 Ohio State, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Toledo. Four of Golfstat’s Top-50 teams on the course, so the Buckeyes couldn’t fall asleep on these teams.

The six players participating for the Buckeye team portion were: Jaclyn Lee, Katja Pogacar, Niki Schroeder, Jessica Porvasnik, Rio Watanabe and Zoe-Beth Brake. Lina Aguillon participated as an Individual.

Overall


Ohio State, again, rode a strong 3rd round to move into a 2nd place finish. The first two rounds were “OK, not bad” scoring, and the final round was brutally efficient.

The Buckeyes again showed some golfing “yin and yang” with every team player contributing to the team score this week. Jessica and Rio were steady throughout the 3 rounds. The same with Katja. Niki had two solid rounds, then had the wheels fall off her 3rd round. Zoe-Beth couldn’t find her game the first two rounds, then played very well her third round. Jaclyn did not have a good first round, then played well her final two rounds. That’s the attraction of team golf; you need to see how all three rounds play out.

Ohio State had two Top 10 scorers this week; Jessica Porvasnik (8th place) and Rio Watanabe (8th). Congratulations on a well played weekend of golf.

Below is the Buckeye round by round scoring:

Lady Buckeye Invitational
Par 72 Rd 1 Rd 2 Rd 3 Total
Team 295 296 292 883
Jaclyn Lee 81 74 72 227
Katja Pogacar 74 75 76 225
Niki Schroeder 75 74 79 228
Jessica Porvasnik 72 73 73 218
Rio Watanabe 74 75 72 221
Zoe-Beth Brake 83 79 75 237
Lina Aguillon (I) 77 78 80 235

1st Round


In typical team golf (play 5/count 4) there is a little bit of wiggle room for the team score. In this event’s format (play 6/count 4), teams are afforded a bit more wiggle room, and the Buckeyes needed every bit of it. They shot a team score of 295 (+7) placing them in 2nd position. The Buckeyes were led by Jessica Porvasnik 72 (E), Katja Pogacar and Rio Watanabe with 74’s (+2) and Niki Schroeder 75 (+3). Jaclyn Lee shot an 81 (+9) and Zoe-Beth Brake an 83 (+11). In Individual play, Lina Aguillon shot a solid round of 77 (+5) .

Jessica was the first Buckeye on the Golf Stat score sheet when she opened with a birdie on her first hole. When you take only 3 strokes, it doesn’t take long to record your score.

Katja had 1 birdie/2 bogeys /6 pars on each of her nines. It’s hard to get into trouble when your game is under control like that.

Rio opened with three straight bogeys (uh-oh), then played the next 15 holes in -1. She took control of her round.

Niki led the Buckeyes with 3 birdies, but a double bogey on #5 dampened the round a bit. Still, +3 was pretty good…

Jaclyn had a rough round. After a little over two hours of play, a triple and a double bogey effectively knocked her out of team scoring.

Zoe-Beth had an interesting first 90 minutes. After 6 holes, she had yet to record a par and pretty much shot her way out out team scoring. One of those days. (I’ve had rounds where I’ve started triple-double, and at that point you just want to get through the round without spraining an ankle or losing a club head cover.)

Lina bogeyed 4 of her first 7 holes, then settled in to shoot 10 straight pars. That’s an impressive stabilization.

The seven Buckeyes put together a first round comprised of 11 birdies, 81 pars, 29 bogeys, 4 double bogeys and 1 triple bogey.

I think this was a great “pressure” round by the Buckeyes. Basically, by midway through the round, two of their team mates had effectively shot them selves out of team score. The other four Buckeyes stayed the course and were in the thick of it. Now, on to the 2nd round…

2nd Round


In the afternoon round, the Buckeyes shot a team score of 296 (+8) which slid them down a spot to 3rd place. Leader Kent State was comfortably in first place, but Ohio State had a good chance to overtake second place Indiana. The Buckeyes were led by Jessica Porvasnik 73 (+1), Jaclyn Lee 74 (+2) and Niki Schroeder 74 (+2). Katja Pogacar and Rio Watanabe shot 74’5 (+3) Zoe-Beth Brake a 79 (+7). In Individual play, Lina Aguillon shot a 78 (+6).

Jessica started very strongly, birdieing the par-5 6th and 14th holes to sit at -2 through 12 holes. Three late round bogeys slowed her down, but her 73 had Jessica solidly in 4th place overall in a field of 73 competitors.

Katja stumbled with double bogey on the par-5 6th hole, but closed with -2 in her last seven holes.

Rio opened had a sprinkling of bogeys (5), but she led Ohio State with her 4 birdies.

Niki had a handful of bogeys, but an eagle on the par-5 12th hole fueled her 74 and a one stroke improvement over her first round.

Jaclyn rebounded from her first round with 3 birdies enroute to her 74.

Zoe-Beth started this round much better and as +4 after 10 holes, but back to back double bogeys on #14 and #15 hurt. However, she did collect herself to finish her final 6 holes in -1 (2 birdies).

Lina just couldn’t get untracked in her round. She started with 3 pars, then 3 bogeys, then strung together 6 consecutive pars. And so it went…

The Buckeyes scored 1 eagle 16 birdies, 17 bogeys, 59 pars and only 2 double bogeys. This was a clean round for the Buckeyes.

Not a bad 2nd round. The Buckeyes have a shot at moving into 2nd place. Onward…

3rd Round


Ohio State had the best round of the day, a 292 (+4) which moved them into a tie for 2nd place with Indiana. They overcame Indiana’s 5 stroke lead, and for the 2nd consecutive tournament shot a sizzling +4. The Buckeyes had solid scores throughout the team scorecard. The Buckeyes were led by Jaclyn Lee and Rio Watanabe with 72’s (E) and Jessica Porvasnik’s 73 (+1). Zoe-Beth Brake rounded out the team score with 75 (+3). Katja Pogacar shot a 76 (+4) and Niki Schroeder a 79 (+7) to complete the team play scoring. In Individual play, Lina Aguillon shot an 80 (+8).

Jessica’s 3 birdies tied for the team lead (with Rio) on her was to a 3 birdie/4 bogey round.

Katja had 1 birdie, but sprinkled in a handful of birdies. She didn’t get the birdies to drop like she did in her 2nd round.

Rio led OSU this round with 4 birdies, but a double bogey on #10 was her speed bump for the round.

Niki double bogeyed her second hole, and despite 2 birdies, just couldn’t get her game on track for the round.

Jaclyn in contrast to a rough 2nd round, Jaclyn was in total control on Sunday. She was -1 through 9 holes and 1 birdie/2 bogeys on the back side put her at even par for the day.

Zoe-Beth played off her strong 2nd round finish to post her 75. Although a double bogey on # 13 slowed things down, she punctuated her round with a birdie on the 18th hole to cap off a solid round.

Lina began her round on hole #10 and had a rough first nine holes. However she righted her game for a back nine of +3 to end the day on a positive note.

The third round play was comprised of 15 birdies, 42 pars, 29 bogeys, 3 double bogeys and 1 triple bogey.

Thoughts


In my recap of their previous event, the Silverado Shootout, I commented that:


The Buckeyes made up 5 strokes on Indiana to catch them for T-2nd place; only 4 strokes out of first place. With post-season play next, a word of caution to Ohio State opponents: if the Buckeyes are within a few strokes of you entering the final round… they will hunt you down.

Sifting through the chaff, here is a “what happened” snap-shot. They played the par 3’s extraordinarily well, scoring an average of 3.08 strokes per hole, a total of +5 to par, ranking them 1st of the 12 teams. They played the par 4’s well, to an average of 4.25 per hole, +38 to par, ranking them 4th. They played the par 5’s extremely well, to an average of 4.93, -4 to par, ranking them 1st. They were the only team to average sub-par on the par 5’s.

In terms of team play “to par” scoring, Ohio State recorded 166 pars, ranking them 2nd. They recorded 35 birdies (for the 2nd consecutive event), placing them 3rd. Two eagles were recorded during the event and one was by Niki Schroeder on the par 5 12th hole during the 2nd round.

Up Next

The team heads to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championships on April 22nd-24th. The post-season is upon us, now it gets serious.

Go Buckeyes!

The post OSUWG: OSUWG surges into 2nd Place at Lady Buckeye Spring Invitational appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Ohio State baseball beats Rutgers, 2-1, to take the series
Ben Martens via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Niemeyer's masterful performance helped the Buckeyes secure the Big Ten series win.

Ohio State showed some grit on Sunday afternoon at Bill Davis Stadium, beating Rutgers 2-1 to get a much-needed series win. After losing to the Scarlet Knights on Friday night, the Buckeyes took the final two games of the series to improve their record to 4-5 in Big Ten play.

Redshirt sophomore Adam Niemeyer was back on the bump after missing his start last weekend. The right-hander was in control from the very first pitch, and save for one mistake, dominated the Scarlet Knights' bats. Niemeyer, who improved to 3-1 on the season, threw six innings, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out seven and issuing a single walk.

Rutgers starter John O'Reilly was equally as tough, holding the Buckeyes to two runs on four hits in his six innings of work, but came up on the short end. O'Reilly fell to 0-3 in 2016.

Jacob Bosiokovic, who has struggled for Ohio State of late, had a solid game at the plate. The redshirt junior went 2-for-4, scoring a run and driving one in.

Neimeyer was cruising along through the first 2.1 innings, striking out four, but Rutgers' Milo Freeman connected on a fastball high and away that sailed over the wall down the right field line for a 1-0 lead.

On the other side, O'Reilly didn't allow a hit through the first three innings, but the Buckeyes got to him in the fourth. Bosiokovic led off with a single under Freeman's glove at third and Ronnie Dawson ripped a double down the right field line. Nick Sergakis then sent a groundball to John Jennings at second to score Bosiokovic and tie things up 1-1.

It wasn't until the sixth that there was any more offense. Troy Montgomery led off with a triple down the right field line and Bosiokovic delivered an RBI single to give Ohio State a 2-1 lead.

Sophomore Seth Kinker relieved Niemeyer in the seventh and kept the Scarlet Knights off the board for two innings to preserve the lead. Senior Michael Horejsei recorded the first two outs in the ninth before giving way to redshirt sophomore closer Yianni Pavlopoulos, who nailed things down for his eighth save of the season.

The Buckeyes will host a midweek game with Cincinnati on Tuesday night before traveling to Champaign for a three-game Big Ten series against Illinois next weekend. First pitch with the Bearcats is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. ET and will be streaming live on BTN Plus.

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Anyone have a DIY security system? Simplisafe, Abode, Scout, iSmartAlarm, etc? Likes/dislikes? Thoughts?

Enjoy guys!

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Ohio State men’s lacrosse beats Michigan, 10-7
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The win snaps a six-game losing streak for the Buckeyes.

The Ohio State Buckeyes men’s lacrosse team scored a big win over the Michigan Wolverines in front of an ever-growing crowd in the eighth iteration of the Showdown in the Shoe, snapping a six-game losing streak that dated back to March. With nearly 25,000 fans present at halftime, the crowd more than doubled by the end of the game in anticipation of football’s spring game to be the seventh-highest attendance for a regular season lacrosse game in NCAA history.

Midfielder Johnny Pearson opened up scoring with a goal for the Buckeyes just 56 seconds into the game, following up his four-goal performance against Johns Hopkins. Michigan followed up with two quick goals, but Ohio State tied things up once more on a Carter Brown goal late in the opening quarter, though Michigan would take a 3-2 lead into the second quarter. Ohio State scored the only two goals of the second quarter with scores by midfielder Trevor Hodgins and another by Pearson, giving the Buckeyes a 4-3 halftime lead.

The Buckeyes added to their lead in the second half on goals by Hodgins and Eric Fannell, the latter in a man-up situation, to go up 6-3. The Ohio State defense, led by goalie Tom Carey, held Michigan scoreless for 29:06 through the second and much of the third quarter, the streak finally snapped when Michigan scored at the close of the third quarter. The Wolverines would add another goal at the start of the fourth quarter to close Ohio State’s lead to just one.The Buckeyes would turn the tide, however, adding four-straight goals, scoring their final with 4:02 remaining in the game to go up 10-5. Michigan would score two more goals to close out the game, but the Buckeyes sealed their win with their unyielding defense.

Hodgins led the Buckeyes with three goals in the game, while Brown and Pearson added another two goals and assist each to Ohio State’s total. Carey recorded 11 saves on the day, returning to double digits after his seven-save performance last week against Hopkins. Midfielder Jake Withers went 13-8 on faceoffs in the match.

With the win, the Buckeyes are now 6-7 on the season and 1-2 in the Big Ten. Ohio State is scheduled to face Maryland next weekend in College Park.

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6 more thoughts on the Ohio State offense after Buckeyes spring game - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


6 more thoughts on the Ohio State offense after Buckeyes spring game
cleveland.com
Sometimes when a player comes in as a highly-recruiting prospect and changes positions, that's the last you hear about them for a few years. That doesn't look like the case with Gibson. A former five-star quarterback who made a transition to wide ...
QB Joe Burrow, young Buckeyes stand out in Ohio State spring gameUSA TODAY
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Record Crowd watches Gray defeat Scarlet in Spring Game
Michael Smith via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


(Image courtesy chatsports.com)

Hello everyone and welcome as I tell you all you need to know about Ohio State’s spring game as the Gray defeated the Scarlet 28-17.

I need to first give a huge shout out to Buckeye nation. Again and again we prove to everyone why we are the best damn fans in the land. A record crowd of 100,189 came out to support their Buckeyes in a picture perfect day at the Shoe topping the 99,391 from a year ago. Great job Buckeye fans!

J.T. Barrett said after the game:


The game started a little slow with both defenses showing up early in the game. The first touchdown was scored on a 82 yard Pick Six by Sophomore DB Malik Hooker, who had 2 INTs on the day. Ohio State is replacing 3 starters in the secondary and Hooker looks to be very solid in helping fill those holes.

Here’s Hooker’s amazing Pick Six.


Sophomore LB Jerome Baker probably made the play of the day with his one handed dazzling INT of a Joe Burrow pass. The defenses of both teams played very solid. The Defenses combined for 6 sacks and 4 INTs




With J.T Barrett fully entrenched as the starting QB come this fall, there were more eyes on who would be his back up. RS Freshman Joe Burrow made huge steps to be that back up. Burrow impressed with his arm and accuracy in completing 14-23 for 196 yards and 3 TDs. Burrow’s favorite target was RS Sophomore Terry McLaurin who had the game clinching 47 yard TD catch in the 3rd quarter to give the Gray team a 28-17 lead. McLaurin lead all WRs with 111 yards receiving.

Also impressive in his Ohio State debut was Torrance Gibson. The amount of raw talent this kid has is unbelievable. A QB in high school, Gibson switched to WR during his red shirt year last year. He had 6 catches for 50 yards and 2 TDs. He showed off all his skills in catching and running with the ball. He also attempted a pass, which could be used down the road.

There were a few positions that are still up for grabs. The running backs for the spring game were RS Freshman Mike Weber and true Freshman Antonio Williams. Both showed how good they can be but will need time to develop. Weber led all RBs with 38 yards rushing on 8 carries with 2 TDs. Presumed starting RB Bri’onte Dunn didn’t play. I was impressed with Weber’s ability. I expect him to be the starting RB at some point this season.

In the end this spring game showed the unbelievable amount of talent Ohio State has coming in for the future. They are young and raw, though. This season should be fun to watch and who knows what will happen with this young talented team? The schedule is rough with trips to Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Penn St, and Michigan St.

Congrats to the Gray team! But in the end the big winners is us, Buckeye nation!

Till the next time, Chill!

The post Record Crowd watches Gray defeat Scarlet in Spring Game appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Is Ezekiel Elliott Ohio State's best pro prospect running back ever?
Ian Hartitz via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ezekiel Elliott is as complete a running back as Ohio State has ever had enter the NFL Draft.

Ezekiel Elliott's time at Ohio State was a majestic mixture of long touchdowns, huge blocks, and awkward moments on live television. The running back who head coach Urban Meyer has stated is "the best player I've ever coached without the ball in his hands", Elliott has made an impact at Ohio State from day one whether or not he had the football.

And I mean day one. As a true freshman on a team with Braxton Miller and Carlos Hyde, there weren't a bunch of extra carries to go around on the 2013 Ohio State Buckeyes. Sure, against a team like Florida Atlantic Elliott got to show off with 162 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, but it was special teams duty the rest of the year for Zeke.

For a lot of stud running backs only playing on special teams could be a tough pill to swallow. Not for Elliott, as special teams just means another chance for Zeke to knock someone the hell out.


Yes, possibly the only thing more terrifying than watching Elliott come at you with the ball might be watching him come at you without the ball. But, Elliott was recruited by Ohio State to score touchdowns, and Zeke was happy to comply as the starting running back of the 2014 Buckeyes.

While Elliott's first few games as Ohio State's bell cow running back weren't too much to brag about, things changed once the Cincinnati Bearcats came to town. With folks thinking the 2-1 Buckeyes may be poised for a rebuilding year without Miller, Elliott took over the offense to the tune of 223 total yards and a touchdown.

As the season wore on Elliott became harder and harder to stop. 154 yards and two touchdowns against the stingy Michigan State defense was followed up by 121 yards and two more touchdowns against the Spartan's little brother. However, the infamous season ending injury to starting quarterback J.T Barrett meant that Elliott would need to carry a heavier load than ever before.

What followed was perhaps the most impressive three game stretch from a running back in college football history. 220 yards and two touchdowns against Wisconsin, 230 yards and two touchdowns against Alabama, and finally 246 yards and four touchdowns against the Ducks of Oregon. Yes, Ohio State rode the Zeke bus straight to Dallas to win the national championship, and Zeke's happiness at the conclusion of all this is what makes college football so great.



Elliott's junior year was one dominant game after another. A career high of 274 rushing yards against Indiana was highlighted by touchdown runs of 55, 65, and 75 yards, and it seemed the only people who could stop Zeke were his own coaches. Still, an incredible career was capped off with two last huge games against Michigan and Notre Dame that saw Elliott go for a combined 363 yards and six touchdowns.

Taking a look at Elliott's career stats should only backup what your eyes have told you all along: Zeke cannot be stopped.



Yes, Elliott has set himself up quite well for a potentially great NFL Career. But what exactly has some calling Elliott the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson?

Strengths: Literally everything


Seriously, what doesn't Elliott do well? The guy just ran a faster 40 than Braxton Miller at the NFL combine, has never met a linebacker he couldn't run over, makes one-handed catches while on the phone, and his blocking is the stuff of legends. Let's take a look at just one of many examples that demonstrates most of these skills.



Decked out in alternate uniforms that Buckeyes fans either loved or hated, Ohio State was driving and faced a first and goal against the Penn State defense.



Elliott takes the hand-off and immediately explodes through the hole. What makes a running back special is the ability to turn a four yard run into 40, but sometimes in college football running backs depend too much on their speed and won't follow the play design. College athletes can get away with this at times, but it simply won't work in the NFL. Elliott consistently hits the designed hole fast, and this is a trait which is necessary in the NFL.



Now going backwards isn't exactly something that Elliott should make a habit of, but in this case it simply showcases his speed and ability to pull away from defenders. We've seen plenty of carries where Elliott puts his head down and gets what he can, but plays like this demonstrate he still has that innate ability to simply be a playmaker and find open space.



Upon getting his shoulders squared, Elliott leaves a defender grasping for air after a pretty juke move. Zeke may not have the total repertoire of moves that a guy like Braxton Miller has, but Elliott has consistently demonstrated the ability to juke, spin, and even hurdle the first man to get in his way.



Finally, Elliott shrugs off two more tackle attempts with pure strength, and manages to stay in bounds long enough to find the end-zone. Watching Elliott consistently stay inbounds for as long as possible is a trait not often seen from too many skill position players, but it's a trait that helps turn plays like this into touchdowns.

Weaknesses: Literally nothing


I'm not calling Elliott a perfect running back, but what is there to critique about the guy? The weaknesses NFL.com presented are laughable, and while Elliott may not be ‘elite' at any particular skill, he's at the worst above average in everything. As for questioning Zeke's maturity when he made some questionable comments following the Michigan State loss, c'mon. What was he supposed to say? Say he was more than okay with receiving just 12 carries? Call me a homer but I'm not going to sweat one instance of ‘immaturity' when evaluating a running back who routinely gives more effort without the ball in his hands than any other play in the country.

Best Case NFL Comp: Priest Holmes


The former Kansas City Chiefs star, Priest Holmes made a living as one of the most versatile running backs the NFL has ever seen. A career average of 4.6 yards per carry shows just how dominant Holmes was over his 10 year NFL career, and with an average of 34 receptions a year, the defense was never safe when Holmes was anywhere on the field.

Elliott's ceiling is very similar to what Holmes brought to the table: an explosive three-down running back who defenses must account for in all facets of the game. While Ohio State had trouble getting any of its pass catchers consistently involved in 2015, expect Elliott's great hands to be put on display in the pass friendly NFL.

Worst Case NFL Comp: Laurence Maroney


Laurence Maroney, aka the less entertaining half of the once feared Minnesota Golden Gophers backfield, served a fairly productive six year NFL career that saw him consistently battling a barrage of injuries. At his best, Maroney was a consistent weapon out of the backfield for the late 2000s New England Patriots, but the former first round pick just couldn't quite establish himself as a NFL bell cow worthy of 20 plus carries a game.

For Elliott to have a ‘bad' NFL career, it's going to have to be because of struggles to consistently run the football. Zeke's blocking and receiving skills are going to give him a very long (as far as running backs are concerned) life in the NFL, as even if Elliott does not turn out to be a running back worth building your offense around, his unselfishness on the football field will always make him a productive player. Elliott's before mentioned tendency to impose his physicality on any and every defender could also be worrisome when projecting a NFL career over six or seven years.

NFL Draft projection: First half of the first round


Originally projected as a bottom of the first round type of prospect, scouts have not stopped gushing about Elliott's potential as an elite NFL running back. While Dallas at number four once seemed like a fairly possible destination, it now appears that the Philadelphia Eagles at pick number eight or the New York Giants at pick number 10 could be Elliott's new home.

Most "Ezekiel Elliott" play: ROLL ZEKE ROLL


What else could it be? 85 yards to the house. I look forward to seeing this play multiple times a year until the end of time.

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Chris Worley vs. Jerome Baker feels unsettled: 7 thoughts on Buckeyes defense after Ohio State spring game - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Chris Worley vs. Jerome Baker feels unsettled: 7 thoughts on Buckeyes defense after Ohio State spring game
cleveland.com
That was Baker stating his goals as a Buckeye. He's not there yet, though, because he he hasn't even won the job to replace Lee at walkout, or Sam, linebacker. That's still a battle with Chris Worley. That Worley started for the Gray team, and not the ...
WATCH: Ohio State linebacker makes ridiculous interception247Sports

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Ezekiel Elliott stays loyal to Ohio State Buckeyes in mock draft - Hamilton Journal News
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Ezekiel Elliott stays loyal to Ohio State Buckeyes in mock draft
Hamilton Journal News
If Ezekiel Elliott had his say, his former Ohio State Buckeyes teammate, Taylor Decker, would be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. Elliott, the starting running back for Ohio State the last two seasons, did his own mock draft for ESPN on Friday and ...


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QB Joe Burrow, young Buckeyes stand out in Ohio State spring game - USA TODAY
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


QB Joe Burrow, young Buckeyes stand out in Ohio State spring game
USA TODAY
Getting a chance because of injuries to the Buckeyes three top pass-catchers this spring, McLaurin led all receivers with 111 yards on four catches, including a 47-yard TD pass from Burrow in the third quarter. Sophomore Parris Campbell caught three ...
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6 more thoughts on Ohio State's defense - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


6 more thoughts on Ohio State's defense
cleveland.com
But Saturday was much less about the final score, and more about the little things you can point to as evidence that the Buckeyes can replace 16 starters next season without a significant drop off. There's talent on the defensive side of the ball, no ...

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Ex-Luers star Mack impresses Buckeyes - Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (blog)
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Ex-Luers star Mack impresses Buckeyes
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (blog)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Austin Mack stood on the Ohio Stadium turf surrounded by hundreds of adoring fans. As the marching band played the “Buckeye Battle Cry,” the scarlet-and-gray-clad faithful celebrated as if they'd just witnessed a win over archrival ...


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Wolverines Power Past Buckeyes to Clinch Weekend Series - MGoBlue
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Wolverines Power Past Buckeyes to Clinch Weekend Series
MGoBlue
Michigan tacked on another run off a unique play three batters later when Romero smacked a low liner at the Buckeye second baseman, who hesitated to throw after incorrectly thinking she had caught the ball on the fly. Junior shortstop Abby Ramirez ...
Michigan beats Ohio State, 5-1, in second game of seriesThe Michigan Daily

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Ohio State baseball drills Rutgers, 11-3
Ben Martens via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


As the Buckeyes honored Zach Farmer, the offense came alive for a big bounce-back win.

Maybe there was just extra energy in the air on Ohio State's campus on Saturday as a result of the football team's record-breaking spring game attendance, or perhaps the emotions involved in honoring fallen teammate Zach Farmer gave a group of ballplayers a lift, but the Buckeye baseball team looked different on Saturday in an 11-3 win over Rutgers.

Farmer, whose parents threw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game, lost his battle with leukemia last August. The Ohio State baseball program has partnered with Be The Match the past three seasons to help register potential marrow donors and raise needed awareness for the disease. The Buckeyes have been wearing a ZF patch on their caps throughout this season.

Ohio State had lost four straight Big Ten games, and five of seven overall, coming into the game, and responded with the kind of urgency that could help it turn things around in 2016. The Buckeyes are now 3-5 in conference play and 22-12-1 overall.

Senior John Havird, who threw eight no-hit innings last weekend against Maryland, was locked in once again. The lefty is really settling in as a consistent part of the rotation, as he tossed seven innings of three-hit ball, allowing just two unearned runs and improving to 3-1 on the year.

Kyle Driscoll took the ball for the Scarlet Knights, but wasn't around very long. The 6-foot-7 right-hander allowed seven runs on nine hits in his 3.1 innings of work.

Nick Sergakis continued to make his case for All-American status, belting his seventh home run of the season and driving in two runs. Troy Kuhn and Tre Gantt also picked up two RBIs apiece to drive the offensive attack.

Troy Montgomery, Ronnie Dawson, and Jalen Washington all had multi-hit games as well, as only one member of the starting nine went hitless.

Unlike Friday night's lid lifter, Havird kept Rutgers off the board in the early going. Ohio State struck first in the bottom of the second when Kuhn's leadoff double paid dividends. A single by Craig Nennig moved Kuhn to third and two batters later Gantt laid down a squeeze bunt to bring him home on a crafty slide just under the outstretched glove of Scarlet Knight catcher R.J. Devish.

Washington followed with a solid single to left that scored Nennig for a 2-0 lead.

Rutgers tied it up in the top of the third, though Havird had little to do with it. Nennig slipped around the bag at second on what should have been an inning-ending double play, and what looked to be an inning-ending third strike was called a ball by the home plate umpire. It all concluded with a two-run single for Mike Carter.

The Buckeyes stormed right back, though, scoring twice in the bottom of the frame and reclaiming the lead at 4-2. Dawson led off with a single and Sergakis hit a high drive over the wall in left.

Driscoll was chased in the bottom of the fourth after an RBI single by Dawson that extended the lead to 5-2. Washington and Montgomery had both singled and Jacob Bosiokovic had put down a sacrifice bunt to move them over and set the table.

A balk by Scarlet Knights' reliever Dante Scafidi enabled Montgomery to score, and Dawson and Sergakis both came around on a single back up the middle by Kuhn to make it an 8-2 ballgame.

Montgomery's speed made it a 9-2 lead in the fifth with a little help from defensive miscues by Rutgers. The Buckeye center fielder sent a sharp grounder off Kevin Baxter that was booted by John Jennings, and put his head down to make it into second when the ball carromed away. Montgomery then stole third and scored when the throw from Devish ended up in left field.

Gantt drove in the tenth run of the day with a single in the bottom of the sixth that scored Brady Cherry. It was Ohio State's 13th hit on a day when the team needed to show some offensive explosion.

Rutgers scored an unearned run off Buckeye reliever Kyle Michalik in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Luke Bowerbank, but it was too little, too late for the Knights.

Jake Brobst capped the day with a pinch hit RBI single to score Ryan Leffel and give Ohio State 11 runs on 17 hits for the afternoon.

The rubber match of the series will take place at 1:05 p.m. ET on Sunday at Bill Davis Stadium, and will be streamed live on BTN Plus. With a win, Ohio State could salvage a series win ahead of hitting the road for a tough Big Ten matchup against Illinois next weekend.

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Ohio State Football: Hear From JT Barrett And Other Buckeyes After The Spring Game - Scout
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State Football: Hear From JT Barrett And Other Buckeyes After The Spring Game
Scout
J.T Barrett didn't play in the second half – there was little reason to jeopardize his health even if he was in a no-contact jersey – but the Buckeyes leader praised Ohio State fans for turning out in record numbers before speaking to which of the ...


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Dienhart: 5 things I learned in Ohio State spring game
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

Ohio State has a lot of holes to fill as it heads into 2016. That made Saturday’s spring game in front of spring game record 101,189 fans interesting. It actually carried some heft. [ MORE: Watch a replay of the Ohio State spring game on BTN2Go ] Here are five things I learned about the Buckeyes on Saturday. 1. The secondary could be good. Three new starters are needed with Eli Apple, Tyvis Powell and Vonn Bell gone. Malik Hooker looked good, picking off a J.T. Barrett pass and racing 82 yards for a TD. Hooker also intercepted an offering

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Ohio State Spring Game Reactions
Brandon Zimmerman via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


It was a painful three months since we were last able to watch the Ohio State Buckeyes take the field and play some football. The rabid fan base responded to the requests of the Buckeye coaching staff and set a new spring game attendance record with 100,189. The game played out exactly how many of us thought it would. There were some great plays by young players and some areas of concern to really focus on before the season opener.

THE GOOD

• Sophomore Malik Hooker looks like a star in the making. He had two interceptions, a pick-six, and seemed to always be in the middle of every play. The pick-six was impressive but what excited me the most was his speed. Shortly after the second half began, sophomore Parris Campbell made some guys miss and had a clear path for a touchdown but Hooker was able to take a great angle and made up a lot of ground quick.

• Freshman Joe Burrow looks like he will be a very good quarterback for the Buckeyes after Barrett leaves for the NFL. He was under immense pressure all game but continued to stay in there and make some impressive throws. He was consistently on target and has beautiful touch on the deep ball. His touchdown throw to freshman Torrance Gibson was a thing of beauty. He took some big shots and continued to get up.

• Junior Marcus Baugh was a big target for junior J.T. Barrett. He was a consistent and dependable safety valve. This may be the year the Buckeyes utilize their tight end.

• Two defensive linemen stood out to me. Jashon Cornell was an absolute dominant force up-front. The move inside was a great move and will pay off big this season. Tracy Sprinkle continued to impress. He made his presence known early and often. I think both are in good position to start this year.

• Sophomore Jerome Baker had the play of the game. With Burrow and the white team driving, Baker went up high on a pass over the middle and made a very impressive one-handed catch.

• Other Tidbits:
  • Junior kicker Sean Nuernberger booted a 57-yard field goal on his third attempt. The first two had the distance but they were wide right.
  • Denzel Ward showed off his great speed on a blitz off the edge.
  • Sophomore Marcus Lattimore, who is in line to start opposite Gareon Conley, had a interception off of junior Barrett.
  • Freshman Mike Weber ran hard and looked good. He had two touchdowns

THE BAD

• As expected, the offensive line was absolutely brutal. When you are mixing and matching people on the line, the defensive line is at the advantage and it showed. Freshman Michael Jordan looked good at guard and may seriously have a shot at starting.

• There were a few drops by some of the young wide receivers. A lot of them would have been tough catches but they were balls that should have been caught if you want consistent playing time at Ohio State. Freshman Austin Mack shows great body control on numerous contested throws but was unable to come down with the catches. Sophomore Terry McLaurin had a touchdown catch but had a few contested drops.

• I know it means nothing but Barrett was not the most accurate we have seen him. He forced a few throws when he was under pressure which resulted in interceptions or passes way off target.

PLAYERS OF THE GAME

• Offensive
  • Torrance Gibson: Two touchdowns and showed a lot of promise.
  • Joe Burrow: I was very impressed with how calm and collected he was under pressure. Three TD passes.
• Defensive
  • Jashon Cornell: He looks like he may be a big time disruptor up the middle.
  • Malik Hooker: He impressed me more than anyone else today. 2 INTs and a T

The post Ohio State Spring Game Reactions appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Watch Jerome Baker haul in leaping one-handed interception
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

Big Ten fans might not see a better highlight in 2016 spring games than the one Jerome Baker executed in Ohio State’s annual Scarlet and Gray Spring Game on Saturday afternoon. [ MORE: Watch a replay of the Ohio State spring game on BTN2Go ] Late in the third quarter, Baker made a terrific leaping one-handed interception to thwart a likely Gray scoring drive. As impressive as the one-handed catch was, the strength Baker showed in holding onto the ball as he hit the turf was even be better. Watch the highlight-reel play in the video above, and get more

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2016 Ohio State spring game showcases the excitement of uncertainty for Urban Meyer's young team
Luke Zimmermann via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


A beautiful day in Columbus produced some entertaining exhibition football.

Starting out the gates with uptempo offense and never really relenting, the Ohio State Buckeyes spring game did pretty much everything you imagined. While just about all the quarterbacks involved had moments they'd love to have back, plenty of playmakers showed a preview of things to come, and with around 100,000 OSU faithful in attendance for the second straight year, things couldn't have gone much better overall.

Mortal lock for starting quarterback J.T. Barrett didn't exactly have his best day -- 13-22 for 102 yards with two interceptions -- but two years ago after the quarterbacks didn't particularly look the part, OSU went on to win a national championship. One of the biggest problems on the day for Barrett and his probable backup, Joe Burrow, was the extremely suspect play of a backup-laden offensive line. Poor Burrow, who unlike Barrett didn't have a non-contact jersey, was blasted all afternoon playing behind various mixes of second- and third-string offensive linemen.

Among the standouts on the afternoon, defensive back Malik Hooker showed why OSU took a chance on the underrated prospect, hauling in two interceptions. The first, a pick-six off of Barrett, was the first touchdown of the game. Defensive linemen DaVon Hamilton and Tracy Sprinkle, the latter a player singled out by coaches for having a great spring, running back Mike Weber (who had several scores on the afternoon), Burrow, defensive back Denzel Ward, and tight end Marcus Baugh all turned heads making plays at various junctures.

Terry McLaurin was the leading receiver while former quarterback Torrance Gibson caught two touchdown passes.

And though he wasn't necessarily the most memorable standout during the exhibition, there's no doubt that linebacker Jerome Baker made the play of the spring game -- and maybe any this spring.

Urban Meyer said during a pregame interview with the Big Ten Network's (and former Ohio State Buckeyes LB) Bobby Carpenter that "spring games are usually awful." And while last year's game probably left some to be desired, a beautiful day in Columbus, Ohio proved to be pretty fun on the whole. If you cared, the Gray were the winners, 28-17, meaning the Scarlet team had to walk back from Ohio Stadium to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. They'll also have to do landscaping work on Buckeye Grove, where OSU's former first-team All-Americans have trees planted in their honor.

With so many starting positions up for grabs and so much exciting young talent, the best is yet to come for one of the most intriguing groups of Buckeyes in recent memory.

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Watch top highlights from Saturday’s Big Ten spring games
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

Saturday featured a handful of Big Ten spring football games. [ MORE: Get all of our spring football game highlights, interviews ] Maryland, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State and Purdue all put a wrap on their spring schedules Saturday afternoon. The Buckeyes closed their spring in front of a spring game record 101,189 fans at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State honored late defensive end Will Smith, 34, who died last weekend in after a traffic dispute in New Orleans, prior to kickoff. Check out some of the top plays from all five of Saturday’s spring games below. MARYLAND: Red 51, White

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Ohio State LB Jerome Baker made the catch of all spring games
Luke Zimmermann via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


WOW!

During a spring game riddled with interceptions, perhaps no player made a better individual play than Ohio State linebacker Jerome Baker.

A year removed from seeing mostly special teams action while a true freshman, Baker made an unbelievable interception late in the third quarter of OSU's 2016 spring game:


Unfortunately for Baker's Scarlet team, the very next play was an interception by Malik Hooker, Hooker's second of the afternoon.

Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes will undoubtedly be hoping their QBs are a little more careful with the ball when the games start to count.

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Mike Thomas' Urban Meyer shirt wins the Ohio State spring game
Luke Zimmermann via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Can't out-style Mike.

Mike Thomas is never one to shy away from attention on the football field.

Though he's moved on to the professional level and likely can't wait to hear his name called in less than two weeks at the 2016 NFL Draft, that doesn't mean he can't get the spotlight on himself in a different way: from the sidelines at the 2016 Ohio State spring game.

After apparently getting it made just for today's event, the former OSU wide receiver showed off a wild "Urban Meyer" T-shirt during a sideline interview with BTN's Bobby Carpenter:



The only question now is where we can get one of these of our own.

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Ohio State sets national spring game attendance record for the second straight year
Luke Zimmermann 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 spring game homefield advantage is better than your favorite team's regular season one.

The Ohio State University's a perennial College Football Playoff contender. Now it looks like they're well positioned to be amongst the best spring game crowds each year as well.

This afternoon, an announced crowd of over 100,189 Buckeye fans made the trek to Ohio Stadium on a beautiful spring afternoon for the annual spring football game, setting a new national record. This breaks last year's record of 99,391. A year ago, they broke their own previous national record of 95,722 from 2009. Alabama is one of the only other schools to regularly be competitive in the spring game attendance race with OSU. Michigan's spring game attendance was reportedly just 35,000 several weeks back on a frigid Friday night in Ann Arbor.

Sure it's a fake football game and we know it amounts to little more than an intrasquad scrimmage. But where else would you rather be than getting a trailer of the action to come this fall in Ohio Stadium?

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