Ohio State football | Warinner says he's excited by new cast on offense - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football | Warinner says he's excited by new cast on offense
Columbus Dispatch
The Buckeyes lost Ezekiel Elliott, their 1,800-yard rusher. Their top receivers are gone, as are three of their offensive linemen. Eight starters in all from the 2015 Buckeyes are gone. That would cause many offensive coordinators to fret about how ...

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An NFL scout would trade his team's defense for Ohio State's in a heartbeat
Luke Zimmermann via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Well duh.

Everyone knows all about how many Buckeyes will be invading Chicago for the 2016 NFL Draft in a little over a month.

And apparently some NFL brass think OSU's 2015 defense was as good as anything they saw from their own franchise this past season:

"I was on the phone with (a scout) just the other day ... he said, "I would trade our NFL defense right now for the Ohio State defense in a heartbeat. I'd do it right now,"' Jeremiah said Friday during NFL Network's coverage of Ohio State's pro day. 'When you hear that you (think), "C'mon," but you start going through the three levels of the defense, and even some younger guys that aren't eligible in this draft class. Oh my gosh, this is a loaded football team."

Eli Apple had told the Cleveland Plain Dealer similar at the Senior Bowl.

With as many as four defensive Buckeyes real possibilities in the first round and another three set to be drafted (and one to two of those in the second round as well), you could do a whole lot worse than loading your team's defense up with promising young Bucks and taking your chances.

Your move, Cleveland Browns.

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Tom Izzo's still got it but the middle of the Big Ten's as strong as ever
Grant Freking via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Big Ten's middle class flexed its muscles, but Sparty still has its eyes on college hoops' ultimate prize.

INDIANAPOLIS -- It's been a wild weekend at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for the Big Ten Tournament, and now we're all set for the title match. Michigan State is gunning for a record fifth tournament title, while Purdue is searching for its first crown since 2009.

But as the country focuses on what should be an entertaining championship game, here are a handful of under-the-radar storylines I noticed over the past four days.

The first two days of the tournament reinforced two themes from the regular season

We knew 13th-seeded Minnesota and 14th-seeded Rutgers, who combined for three victories in conference play, were abysmal outfits, so when the two teams dropped their tournament games by a combined 50 points, no one was surprised. Heck, Rutgers didn't even wait 24 hours after its season ended to fire its coach. The depth of the Golden Gophers and Scarlet Knights' despair is also reflected in their respective positions in KenPom's efficiency rankings: Minnesota is 217th and Rutgers is 290th. On the bright side, Rutgers will probably avoid an inauspicious designation: the first power conference team to finish outside KenPom's top 300.

On Thursday, the Big Ten showed off the depth of its middle class. No. 9 Northwestern took No. 8 Michigan to overtime. No. 12 Illinois controlled No. 5 Iowa all game before holding off the Hawkeyes late. No. 10 Penn State played No. 7 Ohio State to a draw before the Buckeyes edged out a four-point decision. No. 11 Nebraska dominated No. 6 Wisconsin, the defending Big Ten Tournament champion. For the only the second time in the 19-year history of the tournament, two double-digit seeds advanced to the quarterfinal round. And in the quarterfinals on Friday, Michigan upset No. 1 Indiana on Kameron Chatman's buzzer beater, the first time since 2003 (and the fourth time overall), a No. 1 seed was knocked out in the quarters.

Tom Izzo can really, really coach

Nearly all of the media were afforded the opportunity to sit somewhere along the court, and I was lucky enough to be placed behind one of the team benches. It's fairly easy to pick up on all sorts of interesting tidbits when one is seated less than 15 feet away from players, coaches, and other team personnel.

For example, Iowa coach Fran McCaffery came off as less than impressive. For the first first 30-35 minutes of the Iowa-Illinois game, McCaffery was mostly calm/sarcastic despite his team's poor play. But as the game got tighter and Iowa suffered a series of malfunctions, McCaffery -- no stranger to losing control on the court -- erupted on more than one occasion, with Mike Gesell and Adam Woodbury the popular player targets of McCaffery's F-bomb-laced profanity and prolonged staredowns.

When Iowa faltered down the stretch, it really came as no surprise. Maybe McCaffery's coaching style was a factor, and maybe it wasn't. But I wouldn't dream of terming what I witnessed productive coaching, and given that the Hawkeyes have lost six of their last eight games, perhaps Iowa -- much like Slider in Top Gun -- is holding on too tight.

McCaffery's style of coaching and the state of his team stood in stark comparison to Michigan State's coaching staff, specifically Tom Izzo.

Over the course of the tournament, the dynamic that exists between Izzo and his players -- as well as the occasional 'good cop, bad cop' style that Izzo and his coaches occasionally employ -- provided a window into how Izzo's staff gets the most of its players despite some very tough love.

Early in the Spartans' quarterfinal matchup with Ohio State, Izzo pulled Eron Harris and began intensely chiding him for defensive miscues. Like McCaffery, Izzo mixed in some profanity, but at no point did it feel like Izzo was publicly shaming Harris, which is a line I felt McCaffery was close to crossing. And as Izzo rode Harris, senior forward Matt Costello put his arm around the junior guard, who was also listening to calm encouragement from assistant coach Dwayne Stephens. As Izzo finished his diatribe, Harris put his left arm around Izzo, said something to the effect of, "I'll stop screwing up" and checked himself back into the game.

A similar sequence unfolded early on in Michigan State's game against Maryland. Harris got tangled up with Maryland forward Jake Layman. Both players received technicals even though it was Layman who twisted Harris' arm into what appeared to be a very uncomfortable position, but Izzo repeatedly lit into Harris. Harris responded by scoring eight points through the game's first eight minutes.

There were other instances of Izzo playing the 'good cop' while an assistant teed off on a player. The competitive but healthy relationship between the coaches and players speaks volumes about the ability of Izzo and his staff to connect to the players. Izzo demands that the players are invested as much as he is; otherwise, their spot in the lineup will be taken by someone who does care.

Big Ten basketball fans are well-informed, committed, and weird

Thursday through Saturday, I reserved time each day to walk around Bankers Life Fieldhouse and chat up fans of different schools. As luck would have it, the first guy I approached on Thursday turned out to be a captivating fella. Meet Jim from Cedar Rapids, IA, who has attended every Big Ten Tournament game ever. If Jim, who plans on traveling to Washington D.C. for the 2017 tournament and to New York when the Big Ten's conference gathering moves to the Big Apple in 2018, stays true to his word and attends Sunday's game, he will have attended all 199 games to be played since the Big Tournament started in 1998.

Jim also had some thoughts on Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz, whose Hawkeyes had a surprising run to the Rose Bowl after going 19-19 from 2012-14.


"He’s funny. He’ll have these bad years, then he’ll have a good year and people will forget about the bad years," said Jim, who also traveled to Indianapolis in December to see Ferentz's squad play Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship Game. "The fan base was ready to run him out, but what do you do know? He’s back in the good graces again."

Later in the day, I met Jen and Derek, two Illinois fans from Chicago. Jen, who has been going to the Big Ten Tournament each year for a decade, was willing to cut John Groce some slack this season because of injuries, though her patience is running thin.

"After years of not making the (NCAA) Tournament, you get to the point where that’s not enough," Jen said, noting she'd rather not see the program fire Groce and hire another coach from a mid-major program. (Groce, a former Ohio State assistant, was the coach at Ohio University for four seasons prior to Illinois.)

Derek and Jen both preferred Indianapolis over Chicago when it comes to hosting the Big Ten Tournament.

"It's easier to get around (in Indianapolis)," Jen said. "We even live in Chicago, and getting to the United Center is a pain. It's just not an easy place to get to."

Derek added: "You’re not walking out of the United Center to get a pizza and a beer. You’re stuck there. I like it here way more."

Other fan encounters: Friday, I talked with a Michigan State supporter from Iron Mountain, MI (Izzo's hometown), who consumed and approved of the Spartans' Big Ten potato. ... Saturday, I conversed with Jon and Michelle from Grand Rapids, MI. Jon was a Buckeye fan because his parents are Ohio State alumni. Michelle, who was about to take in the first college basketball of her life, was a Michigan and Michigan State fan...just because. How is that allowed?

Michigan's run to the semis probably avoided a second straight NCAA Tournament-less season

By escaping Northwestern in its opening game and upsetting top seed Indiana on Friday, Michigan most likely played its way into the NCAA Tournament, a strong statement by a program that missed the Big Dance a year ago after early defections to the NBA robbed the Wolverines of the critical talent base that paved the way for Michigan reaching the Elite Eight in 2014 and the national championship game in 2013.

Following the 2013 season, sophomore Trey Burke and junior Tim Hardaway Jr. left school and were first-round picks. A year later, sophomores Nik Stauskas and Mitch McGary and junior Glenn Robinson III departed. Stauskas and McGary were selected in the first round, and Robinson III was a second round pick.

Additionally, Caris LeVert, who averaged 13 points per game in 2013 and was once pegged a future first round pick, played in only 33 of a possible 66 games over the past two seasons. However, the future is bright -- Michigan is similar to Ohio State; just about everyone will be back next season -- and the Wolverines are already used to playing without the services of LeVert.

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Ohio residents agree: Buckeyes would beat Browns in head-to-head game - Sporting News
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio residents agree: Buckeyes would beat Browns in head-to-head game
Sporting News
It has come to this for the poor Cleveland Browns: A poll this week of Ohio residents found an overwhelming majority believe the Ohio State Buckeyes would beat the Browns in a theoretical matchup. Yes, 57 percent of those polled thought the Buckeyes ...
Outside Columbus: Buckeyes vs. Browns247Sports
Poll Finds 57% of Ohio Voters Think the Buckeyes Could Beat the BrownsDawgs By Nature
Poll finds most Ohioans think Ohio State would beat the BrownsNBCSports.com
Total Pro Sports -CBSSports.com
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NIT from bust: Buckeyes get clobbered by Michigan State in B1G Quarterfinals - Waiting For Next Year
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


NIT from bust: Buckeyes get clobbered by Michigan State in B1G Quarterfinals
Waiting For Next Year
The saying may be, “third time's the charm,” but, for the Ohio State basketball team, that statement didn't hold true. For the third time in less than three weeks, the Buckeyes were blown out by Michigan State who is the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten and ...

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2nd Thoughts: OSU vs MSU III
Ken via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Frankly, I think that Thad deserves a hand this season.

It seems like I’ve been doing a lot of ‘2nd Thoughts’ articles with a “MSU beats OSU” theme lately. Thankfully, this is the last one for this season. Friday night’s Michigan State win, 81-54 again highlighted the capabilities difference between these two teams this season. This will be a bit shorter article, since there isn’t too much to add regarding these three games over 17 days. You’ve pretty much seen what you need to see.

I felt there was never any doubt how this game would end up. The magnitude of the defeat was a bit larger than I expected/hoped, but the outcome should never have been in doubt in anyone’s mind.

I think that the Ohio State team is just gassed at this point in the season. This is a freshman-heavy rotation, particularly late in the season after Jae’Sean Tate’s injury. Nearly one-third of the team’s 6,675 floor minutes were played by freshmen. However, that understates their use coming down the home stretch, with Mitchell filling in for Tate and Thad using a two-guard offense (Lyle, Harris) the freshmen floor time was in the 40%-50% range.

This physical, and mental adjustment is something that I think the freshmen have been challenged with the past few games. A year ago, these kids were playing 22-28 games of 32 minutes each. These players were most likely some of the bigger, stronger players on the court. Now, they are playing 30-35 games of 40 minute duration against players who can match them physically.

The physical fatigue leads to mental “fatigue” which can take many forms; lack of focus, poor decision making, indecisiveness, etc. Typically, when a coach has a young team, the opportunity to play additional games, and the practice that accompanies that is seen as a good thing.

Right now, I’m not sure that I agree with that approach. At this point in time, I don’t think this team needs practice, I think it needs rest.



Viewing Experience

Well, here we go…

• Rebounds-MSU 40,OSU 29. Ohio State had 9 offensive rebounds, which isn’t too bad; they contributed to 5 2nd-chance points. Michigan State had 14 offensive rebounds that led to 13 2nd-chance points. In their previous match-up, I excoriated Kieta Bates-Diop and Daniel Giddens for combining for 1 rebound. On Friday they (KBD-6, Giddens-3) did much better). So, it wasn’t all bad…
• Ball Handling – OSU 14 Turnovers, MSU 8 Turnovers. This facet hurt far more than the previous game. Michigan State outscored Ohio State 21-8 in ‘points off turnovers’.
• A Tale of Two Halfs. Ohio State did a nice job of keeping things with “possible upset distance” in the 1st half, trailing only 33-26, but the game got away from them early in the 2nd half. An A.J. Harris jumper two minutes into the half ended a 8-0 MSU run, but over the next two minutes the Spartans went on another 6-0 run to push their lead to 19 points, 47-28. With 15 minutes to play, the Buckeyes had a very steep hill to climb. Ohio State had 19 rebounds in the 1st half, only 10 in the 2nd half. They had 6 turnovers in the 1st half, 8 in the 2nd. When your rebounding and turnover numbers are that close, you are out of sync. To be fair, 2 of the 2nd half turnovers came in the last minute of play, so they were inconsequential.

Up Next…

The Buckeyes (20-13, 11-7) will most likely gt an invitation to play in the National Invitational Tournament. The “who”, “when” and “where” will be determined later.



The post 2nd Thoughts: OSU vs MSU III appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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2016 NIT selection show: TV channel, time and Ohio State bracket predictions
Matt Brown via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ohio State will almost certainly be playing in the NIT. Here's how to follow along, and who they might be playing.

After failing to upset Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament, Ohio States postseason plans are now mostly sealed. The Buckeyes won't be playing in the NCAA Tournament, and will almost certainly be headed to the NIT for the first time since the 2007-2008 season, when they won the dang thing. Exactly who Ohio State will face, and what their route will be toward a tournament championship, gets decided tonight. Here's how to follow along, and get caught up on Ohio State's postseason.

How to watch the NIT selection show


Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPNU
Online: WatchESPN.com

What seed is Ohio State projected to get?


There are three sites that post regularly updated NIT Bracketology. NYC Buckets, updated as of 12:15 a.m. this morning, has a bit of a nightmare scenario for Ohio State. The Buckeyes are slotted in as a three seed, facing Akron. The top seed in their region is San Diego State, a squad who still claims some NCAA hopes, but complicated things when they lost to Fresno State in the MWC Championship game. Other teams in the region include Valpo, BYU and Washington. SDSU, Valpo and BYU present some matchup problems for Ohio State, and Akron is a good team as well. The Buckeyes losing an early round game to an in-state program might be the single worst case scenario for Ohio State. Let's hope that one doesn't happen.

The Bracket Project has Ohio State slotted as a four seed against Virginia Tech, but also hasn't been updated since March 11th. Other teams in OSU's region include Florida, Florida State, Temple and Ole Miss. If this bracket projection is updated before the Selection Show, we'll update it. I feel like I speak for most Buckeye fans when I say that I don't want Ohio State to play Virginia Tech in anything, ever again.

DRatings is the other NIT projection site. They've been a little more down on Ohio State throughout this process, and they have the Buckeyes as the last five seed, and one of the last at-large teams in the entire tournament. Ohio State would play Georgia in this projection, but on the road.

Is it possible for Ohio State to miss the NIT?


It would be pretty unlikely, but it might be possible. Any team that wins their conference regular season title, but does not win their conference tournament is guaranteed a spot in the NIT (unless, of course, they get an NCAA bid). There have been a ton of upsets in the smaller conferences, meaning there won't be as many at-large NIT bids available this season. If Louisiana-Monroe upsets Arkansas-Little Rock in the Sun Belt Championship today, that would remove another at-large bid from the NIT. If Memphis upset UConn in The American championship, that could potentially also remove another NIT spot (if UConn is moved into the NIT field).

If Ohio State really is as low on the NIT pecking order as DRatings projects, it is possible the Buckeyes get left out, although that would be pretty unlikely. Still, root for Arkansas-Little Rock today, just to be safe.

Who are the other teams that we know are going to be in the NIT?


Here are the teams that are guaranteed auto-bids in the NIT so far:

Lost conference tourney and NIT-bound

1. Atlantic Sun: North Florida
2. Big South: High Point
3. Colonial Athletic Association: Hofstra
4. Conference USA: UAB
5. Horizon League: Valparaiso
6. Mid-American: Akron
7. Northeast: Wagner
8. Ohio Valley: Belmont
9. Patriot League: Bucknell
10. SWAC: Texas Southern
11. Summit League: IPFW

There are four other teams that lost their conference tourney, but might still get NCAA bids. Don't be surprised to see any of these teams in the NIT as well though:

Lost conference tourney but on the bubble for NCAA

1. American: Temple
2. MAAC: Monmouth
3. Mountain West: San Diego State
4. West Coast Conference: St. Mary's

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MSU Crushes Buckeyes, Advances to Big Ten Semifinals - WWMT-TV
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


MSU Crushes Buckeyes, Advances to Big Ten Semifinals
WWMT-TV
JaQuan Lyle had 10 points to lead the Buckeyes (20-13), who have lost three of five and must wait until Sunday to see if they'll get in the NCAA Tournament. Ohio State thought one more impressive win could be enough. But Valentine refused to let it ...
Valentine leads No. 2 Spartans past BuckeyesLima Ohio
Photos: Michigan State Throttles Ohio State, 81–54, Knocking Buckeyes Out of Big Ten TournamentEleven Warriors

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Aaron Craft breaks record, gives 111% on this play
Nick Polak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Never let your guard down when Aaron Craft is nearby.

While a member of the Ohio State Buckeyes, Aaron Craft made a habit of out-working and out-hustling his opponents on a nightly basis. It's what helped to make him so successful, and how he played his way into the hearts of Buckeye fans everywhere.

Now, Aaron is playing in the NBA Developmental League for the Santa Cruz Warriors, where he is fighting hard every day to separate himself from the hundreds of other prospective NBA athletes who are hoping for a call-up. One way to make yourself stand out is by making incredibly skilled plays like this.

The other way, is by showing that you're wiling to give your all on every single play, like this.



Never change, Aaron. The NBA can't ignore your unmatched grit forever.

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Adolphus Washington has a chance to become the NFL's next great interior pass rusher
Ian Hartitz via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adolphus Washington's got the production and the athleticism. Now he just needs a chance.

Welcome to Part 8 of our look at Ohio State's 2016 NFL Draft prospects. All of our previous Buckeyes' breakdowns can be found here.

For athletes, there almost always comes a time where they must face a difficult decision: do I quit my secondary sport to focus all of my energy on the sport I am best at? The tricky part about this question is that both options seem to present a fairly compelling argument. Sticking with basketball or baseball as a secondary sport provides competition that off-season workouts simply cannot match, while focusing purely on football for an entire off-season can provide much needed attention to detail on a skill or extra work in the weight room.

Maybe this question is indeed tricky for some of the lesser schools or athletes in America, but for Urban Meyer and Ohio State, there really only appears to be one "right" answer to this question:


Of all the multi-sport Buckeyes to play at Ohio State under Urban Meyer, Adolphus Washington may be the best. A five-star defensive tackle recruit out of Cincinnati, Ohio, Washington was recruited under the Tressel/Fickell regime, but any coach in their right mind would have been okay with taking the 6'4 290 lb beast who was also athletic enough to win Ohio's prestigious Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year award.

Washington was an instant impact player for the Buckeyes, as despite only recording five tackles as a true freshman, three went for sacks. The fast start to Washington's career as a Buckeye made Meyer's initial 12-0 2012 season that much sweeter, but come 2013, it was time for Washington to be unleashed.

From 2013-2015 Washington was a staple on the Buckeyes' defensive line. But, with a player as athletic and big as Washington, he could effortlessly play either of the interior defensive line positions for the Buckeyes. With a star studded supporting cast that included two future first round picks in Noah Spence and Joey Bosa, along with current Jacksonville Jaguar Michael Bennett, Washington slid in as the nose guard of the group, often tasked with eating a double team from the one technique position, located between the center and guard.

By Washington taking his athleticism inside, opponents essentially had to pick their poison against the Buckeyes defensive line. Most college defensive lines are lucky to have one NFL prospect. This line had four.

From 2013-2014 Washington posted 14.5 TFLs and 6.5 sacks from the interior of the defensive line. His play in the 2014 playoffs was exceptional, as Washington was firm enough against the run to force Alabama to take their chances through the air (or whatever Lane Kiffin's reason was), and Washington even tacked on a sack against 2014 Heisman winner Marcus Mariotta in the National Championship.

As an encore, Washington switched positions to the three technique of the Ohio State defensive line for the 2015 season. With Bennett graduating, this new role allowed Washington to line up between the guard and tackle of the offensive line, providing new opportunities for Washington to pass rush and penetrate the backfield. My personal favorite Washington moment was when he made Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Brewer hilariously eat his own words during the Buckeyes' trip to Blacksburg.


While a solicitation charge led to a undesirable ending at Ohio State, Washington's senior season was nothing to be ashamed of. A first team All-American by Sporting News, Washington regularly made plays in the opponent's backfield, and by all accounts would have set statistical highs across the board if he would have played in more than 11 games.



Washington's combination of production and athletic upside have made him an intriguing prospect for any NFL team. But what specifically makes Washington so good? Let's take a look.

Strengths: athleticism, pass rush ability


While this phrase can often be misinterpreted as calling a player "soft", Washington's pass rush game leads most to label him as a "finesse rusher". The opposite of Washington would be called a "power rusher" and this more or less means that Washington is less likely to bull rush his way to the quarterback. Instead, Washington relies on an array of pass rush moves including a b-e-a-u-tiful spin that we are going to break down now.



Ohio State is facing a Penn State offense that not only lacks ideal offensive linemen to protect their quarterback, Christian Hackenberg, but has also been forced into playing from behind and is thus likely to pass. Washington (remember that versatility nugget from earlier?) is lined up in his old home, the one technique. This is because the Buckeyes are in their famed "rushmen" package, which put Ohio State's four best pass rushers (Sam Hubbard, Tyquan Lewis, Bosa and Washington) all on the field at the same time.



Like most teams, the Nittany Lions chose to double team Bosa and take their chances with single blocks on the rest of the defensive line. Washington does a great job of getting his arms extended from the start, giving him control of the offensive lineman. Offensive lineman love to hold, and if they are able to get their hands inside of the defensive lineman and gain control themselves, the hold will almost never be called because it is simply too hard to identify in the mosh pit that is a college football line of scrimmage. By Washington winning the initial control battle, this puts him in a great position to work a pass rush move.



In this case, Washington turns to his spin move that leaves the Penn State guard off balance and ultimately completely removed from Washington. Thanks to Lewis' pressure off the edge, Hackenberg was forced to step up into the pocket in an attempt to buy some more time.



Washington was right there to meet Hackenberg, and Washington managed to not only sack the battered quarterback, but also strip the ball as well and effectively end the game for the Buckeyes. Sometimes in college football the less technically sound defensive linemen rely solely on power and speed to get to the quarterback. Washington's athleticism and array of pass rush moves gives him a maturity and edge at the position that most do not possess.

Weaknesses: pad level, off the field issues


As mentioned before, Washington doesn't have a great physical game to compliment his finesse side, and a lot of that has to do with his normally high pad level. "The low man wins" is an often used phrase in football, but it's often used because it's true. Washington is big and strong enough that he managed to get away with his pad level a fair amount in college, but as an interior lineman in the NFL, he'll get pushed around if Washington doesn't devote himself to improving this part of his game.

And then there's the whole soliciting charges thing. Suspended for the BattleFrog (RIP) Fiesta Bowl, Washington will inevitably face a bunch of questions from any NFL team interviewing him about this whole fiasco. Whether this ultimately effects his draft position or not is still to be determined.

Best Case NFL Comparison: Tyrone Crawford


The Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle is a name that may not be known at a national level, but opponents regularly need to account for this disruptive cog in the Cowboys' defensive line. At 6'4, 282 lbs, Crawford is a slightly skinnier version of Washington, and with eight sacks in his last two seasons working as the Cowboys' three technique, Crawford represents the type of interior pass rushing force that Washington hopes to become at the next level.

Worst Case NFL Comparison: Michael Bennett (draft wise)


The Ohio State alumni hasn't played enough in the NFL for myself to make an on the field analysis, which is why this comparison is only concerning the potential similarities in Bennett and Washington's draft fall. There was a time before the 2015 season started that Washington was widely considered a first round pick. Washington's play didn't necessarily do anything to curve those talks back, but the before mentioned solicitation incident, combined with an underwhelming NFL combine, could potentially lead to Washington falling in a very deep defensive lineman draft.

Bennett was thought to be a pick who could fall anywhere from round one to round three, and he ended up falling all the way to round six. I don't expect Washington to make it past the third round in the draft, but again, the worst case scenario for Washington is taking a Bennett-esque fall in the draft that could lead to Washington being a bit of a bargain for teams later in the draft.

NFL Projection: Round 2-3


While we just discussed the scenario that could have Washington fall further down into the draft, I find it hard to believe that Washington will make it out of the third round. The NFL (as the Broncos just demonstrated) is becoming reliant on great pass rushers who have the ability to thwart high octane passing offenses, and Washington has too much upside as a potentially great NFL pass rusher to fall too far in the draft.

Most "Adolphus Washington" Play:


With all this talk about how athletic Washington is, how about a play that exhibits the type of ball skills and speed that we would expect from a former Ohio basketball player of the year winner? Thank you from Buckeyes nation for a great career, Adolphus.

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Stellar defensive effort leads Pride past Buckeyes - The Hofstra Chronicle
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Stellar defensive effort leads Pride past Buckeyes
The Hofstra Chronicle
In a showdown between two top-25 teams, the Hofstra men's lacrosse team put on a tremendous defensive display, holding a very potent Ohio State offense to just five goals, en route to an 8-5 victory over the Buckeyes on Saturday afternoon. Fans came ...
Ohio State men's lacrosse falls to Hofstra in defensive battleOSU - The Lantern
Von Bargen, Concannon Lead #14 Hofstra Past ... - Lacrosse NewsLaxPower

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Ohio State men's basketball | Buckeyes likely to settle for NIT bid - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State men's basketball | Buckeyes likely to settle for NIT bid
Columbus Dispatch
INDIANAPOLIS — For the first time in seven years, an NIT bid is all but certain for Ohio State — if the Buckeyes want it. In the immediate aftermath of an 81-54 loss to Michigan State on Friday in a Big Ten tournament quarterfinal, coach Thad Matta ...
Where will Ohio State basketball land when the NIT field is announced Sunday night?cleveland.com

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How to watch 2016 Big Ten men’s hockey tournament
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

Every game of the 2016 Big Ten Men’s Hockey Tournament will air live on BTN, as well as on BTN2Go. The tournament runs Thursday-Saturday at the the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Minnesota, which claimed its third consecutive Big Ten crown in Saturday night’s win vs. Wisconsin, is the No. 1 seed and earns a first-round bye, along with No. 2 seed Michigan. Thursday, March 17 #6 Wisconsin vs. #3 Penn State – 5 p.m. ET on BTN (also available live on BTN2Go) #5 Michigan State vs. #4 Ohio State – 8:30 p.m. ET on BTN (also available

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Minnesota win Big Ten crown, gets No. 1 seed in Big Ten hockey tourney
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

The Big Ten announced on Saturday the bracket for the 2016 Big Ten Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament, with Big Ten Champion Minnesota collecting the top seed after earning its third consecutive Big Ten title. [ MORE: Here’s how to watch the Big Ten tourney on BTN/BTN2Go ] The Gophers clinched the outright conference crown and the No. 1 seed with a 4-1 win against Wisconsin on Saturday night. Minnesota led the conference with 42 points and a conference record of 14-6-0-0. Michigan enters the tournament as the No. 2 seed, earning a first-round bye along with Minnesota. The Wolverines finished

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Buckeyes hold off Penn State to set up meeting with Spartans - Comcast SportsNet Chicago
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes hold off Penn State to set up meeting with Spartans
Comcast SportsNet Chicago
Loving hit a pair of triples on the run, and Keita Bates-Diop added one, too, with the Lions going about four minutes without a made basket during the Buckeyes' surge. The lead fluctuated between three and nine for the majority of the half, sitting at ...
What We Learned: Ohio State Buckeyes 79, Penn State Nittany Lions 75BT Powerhouse (blog)
Twenty and counting as Buckeyes top PSUYoungstown Vindicator
Ohio State Basketball: Buckeyes Focused On Penn State In Big Ten TournamentScout
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette -Akron Beacon Journal -Sports Chat Place
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Ohio State Basketball: Buckeyes Defensive Effort Inconsistent Again - Scout
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Ohio State Basketball: Buckeyes Defensive Effort Inconsistent Again
Scout
That wasn't the case against Penn State, but the Buckeyes woke up. Ohio State had a clear talent advantage over the Nittany Lions, allowing it to get by with inconsistent defensive effort. That certainly won't be the case every time out, and not in ...
2016 Big Ten Tournament Preview: #7 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. #10 Penn State Nittany LionsBT Powerhouse (blog)
Ohio State basketball holds off Penn State 79-75 to advance to Big ...cleveland.com

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Men's basketball | Big Ten tourney: Buckeyes' task is tough, not without precedent - Columbus Dispatch
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Men's basketball | Big Ten tourney: Buckeyes' task is tough, not without precedent
Columbus Dispatch
Today, the Buckeyes will face Michigan State in a Big Ten tournament quarterfinal at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The meeting is the third between the teams in fewer than three weeks, and the Spartans won the first two by an average of 17 points. As Ohio ...
Ohio State Basketball: Buckeyes Routed Again By SpartansScarlet and Game

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Can Buckeyes upset No. 2 Michigan State at Big Ten tourney? - 247Sports
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Can Buckeyes upset No. 2 Michigan State at Big Ten tourney?
247Sports
The bad news is to do that the Buckeyes will have to defeat what is quite possibly the best team in America … as well as a team that has handed them a pair of double-digit drubbings in the last 17 days. But that is the hand that seventh-seeded Ohio ...
What We Learned: Michigan State Spartans Charge By The Ohio State BuckeyesBT Powerhouse (blog)
Men's basketball | Big Ten tourney: Buckeyes' task is tough, not without precedentColumbus Dispatch
Ohio State Basketball: Buckeyes Routed Again By SpartansScarlet and Game

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What We Learned: Michigan State Spartans Charge By The Ohio State Buckeyes - BT Powerhouse (blog)
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What We Learned: Michigan State Spartans Charge By The Ohio State Buckeyes
BT Powerhouse (blog)
The Buckeyes played the Spartans tight in the first half and trailed 33-26 at the break. A 14-2 run by Michigan State to start the second half all but ended Ohio State's upset bid. The Spartans lead had ballooned to 19 in the first 5 minutes of the ...
Men's basketball | Big Ten tourney: Buckeyes' task is tough, not without precedentColumbus Dispatch
Ohio State Basketball: Buckeyes Routed Again By SpartansScarlet and Game

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Ohio State falls to Michigan State in shootout, 1-0
Matt Torino via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ohio State saw its four game winning streak snapped by the Spartans, falling in the shootout 1-0 in three rounds.

It's pretty hard to score three or four goals every game when you have a young team without a large amount of NHL talent. Ohio State had been doing that lately, but their scoring momentum took a dive into the abyss on Saturday night as Michigan State took down the Buckeyes in the shootout, 1-0, after going through regulation and overtime tied at 1-1.

Coming in, Ohio State hadn't scored less than four goals in a game since Feb. 19 versus Penn State in a 6-1 loss. The Buckeyes had scored at least six in five of their last six games, with their only losing effort, again in a shootout, coming in a game that ended overtime tied at 4-4. But the Bucks would only be able to score one before the shootout on Saturday night on Jake Hildebrand and Michigan State and would be held scoreless in the shootout, giving the Spartans the opportunity they needed to go in for the kill.

Thomas Ebbing gave MSU the first goal of the game for the second straight night, putting one past Christian Frey at 3:41. The Spartans looked to have taken a 2-0 lead later in the period, but the goal was waved off due to a Spartan illegally in the crease. Ohio State would take advantage of the waved off goal and Mason Jobst, the freshman, scored with just over seven minutes left by bouncing the puck off the boards from the neutral zone and beating the MSU defenders to it for his best effort to ruin MSU's senior night.

OSU led in shots 13-8 in that first period, and looked to have all the momentum with that Jobst goal. But Hildebrand wouldn't let anything cross for the rest of the game. Ohio State would take a penalty early in the second and then take another one almost immediately after they killed the first one off. Thankfully for the Buckeyes, MSU wouldn't score, but that would prove to be valuable time that Ohio State would have liked to have later. Brandon Kearney would get five minutes later in the period while MSU's Ryan Keller only received four for their after the whistle infractions, again costing OSU some time and a player who scored last night on MSU.

MSU took advantage of this powerplay time to the best of their ability and led in shots in the period 13-4. Frey kept everything out but the momentum had clearly swung toward Michigan State after the penalties from OSU. Ohio State would kill off that extra minute from the Kearney penalty in the third but would take a five minute major penalty with ten minutes left, again putting themselves in a hole they themselves dug.

They'd again kill it off, but they just ultimately cost themselves too much time trying to dig out of self made holes. Eventually the game remained tied into overtime and, unlike last night, neither team would be able to end it during the actual hockey playing. So, to a shootout we went.

The shootout would only last three rounds. Nick Schilkey, Matt Weis and David Gust, the team's three leading scorers, all were stopped by Hildebrand while Joe Cox, after tying last night's game with 1.6 seconds left, scored on Frey in the second round to send MSU's seniors out in style.

On the bright side, OSU finally got a solid effort from Frey again after he was giving up goals in bunches and seeing his save percentage drop to .908. He stopped 29 out of 30 shots for a .967 save percentage and if he puts up those numbers in the conference tournament, it's highly unlikely anyone is going to beat Ohio State if just a little offense shows up.

Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, it didn't tonight. They'll get another chance at Hildebrand and Michigan State on Thursday, however, when the two teams play again in the Big Ten conference tournament quarterfinals in Saint Paul, MN.

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Ohio State Buckeyes: Embarrassed By Sparty Again - Factory Of Sadness
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Ohio State Buckeyes: Embarrassed By Sparty Again
Factory Of Sadness
I almost switched to another game instead of watching this fiasco! The Ohio State Buckeyes had no business being on the same floor with Michigan State! There was no defense or any offense to speak of. If I were the coach, I would make Ohio State watch ...
Buckeyes hold off Penn State to set up meeting with SpartansComcast SportsNet Chicago
Twenty and counting as Buckeyes top PSUYoungstown Vindicator
Inconsistent Nittany Lions fall to Buckeyes247Sports
CBSSports.com -Eleven Warriors -cleveland.com
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Ohio State baseball routs UNLV, 20-3
Ben Martens via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


That's not a football score. The Buckeyes had an offensive explosion in the desert on Saturday.

Ohio State baseball broke out of its doldrums in a big way on Saturday against UNLV. The Buckeyes exploded for a 20-3 win over the Rebels to snap a three-game losing streak.

The 20 runs were a season-high for Ohio State, as were the 21 hits and 10 extra-base hits. In the past five games, the Buckeyes were 1-4 and scored only 13 runs total. With the win, the squad improved to 7-5-1 in 2016.

Starter Adam Niemeyer got his first win of the season, and looked good doing it. The redshirt sophomore righty tossed six innings, allowing two runs on four hits, with seven strikeouts and just one walk.

Seven different players had two or more hits, and five had at least two runs batted in. Troy Mongtomery was 4-for-6 with an RBI and four runs scored, Tre Gantt was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and three runs scored, Jalen Washington was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored, and Brady Cherry went 3-for-5 with four RBIs and two runs to lead the charge.

Ohio State was the first on the board once again on Saturday, scoring two runs in the top of the first off UNLV starter Dean Kremer. Montgomery led off with a single back up the middle and came home when Cherry tripled to right-center. Cherry then scored himself thanks to a throwing error on the play by Rebels' second baseman Justin Jones.

UNLV responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the second against Niemeyer. A.J. VanMeetren singled back up the box to lead off and moved to second on a sharply-hit ball by Jones that glanced off Niemeyer's shin. Two batters later, Nick Ames delivered a two-out single up the middle to score VanMeetren.

Kremer continued to have issues in the third and didn't survive. Cherry, Ronnie Dawson, and Nick Sergakis all reached with singles to load the bases with nobody out. Washington and Tre Gantt followed with back to back doubles, pushing the lead out to 5-1. Troy Kuhn then singled home another to make it 6-1 and prompt the Rebels to go to the bullpen.

Righty Cody Roper relieved Kremer, who lasted just 2+ innings and allowed seven runs on nine hits, and had a tough time himself. A sacrifice fly by L. Grant Davis was the last damage done by Ohio State, making it a 7-1 game, but a pair of walks to Montgomery and Cherry loaded the bases once again. A swinging strikeout by Dawson finally ended the inning.

In the bottom of the frame, UNLV got one back with a lot of help from Niemeyer. Kyle Isbel doubled to left-center, then advanced to third on a wild pitch. A second wild pitch allowed him to trot home.

Gantt ended Roper's day in the top of the fourth with his second RBI double of the day. Sergakis was hit by a pitch after a good at-bat that saw the co-captain foul off four pitches with two strikes, and Washington followed with a walk. Gantt then found the gap in right-center to make it an 8-2 game and send Roper to the showers.

Right-hander Christian Myers came into the game and abruptly bounced a breaking ball in the dirt that skipped away from catcher Andrew Yazdanbakhsh, allowing Washington to score. A sacrifice fly by Kuhn then brought Gantt plateward for a 10-2 lead. The runs were charged to Roper, who gave up three runs on one hit in 1+ innings.

But the Buckeyes weren't done there, as Myers walked Daulton Mosbarger and hit Davis. A Montgomery double brought around Mosbarger and put two runners in scoring position with one out. Cherry then lifted a fly ball into center that scored Davis, and an error on the throw to third allowed Montgomery to cross the plate. By the time Myers got out of the inning, it was 13-2.

Myers was replaced after his one inning by lefty Tevita Gerber, and once again Washington got things going for Ohio State. The junior co-captain hit the first pitch of the inning into left field for a double, and scored two batters later on a groundout by Jake Brobst. It was the third run scored by Washington in the game, and made it a 14-2 game.

Montgomery got his third and run scored of the game in the sixth, extending the lead to 15-2. The junior center fielder doubled for the second time and scored two batters later when a ground ball by Dawson got through UNLV shortstop Nick Rodriguez.

In the seventh, Gantt, Kuhn, and Cherry continued the assault as the Buckeyes scored four more times. Gantt led off with a single and moved to third on a Kuhn double. After an RBI bloop single by Brobst, a walk by pinch hitter Ryan Leffel, and a run-scoring wild pitch, Gerber finally got Montgomery out, but Cherry followed with an RBI single.

Montgomery singled in the ninth to cap off his great day at the plate and Dawson doubled to move him to third. A Sergakis ground out brought him home for Ohio State's 20th run of the game

The Rebels got a late run off of Buckeye reliever Connor Curlis in the eighth inning, but it was far too little, too late.

Game three of the series will played at 4:05 p.m. ET on Sunday. Lefty John Havird will get the start for Ohio State against UNLV's Kenny Oakley. The game can again be streamed live here.

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Spartans look championship-caliber in flying past Buckeyes - Comcast SportsNet Chicago
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Spartans look championship-caliber in flying past Buckeyes
Comcast SportsNet Chicago
The Spartans once more look destined for March greatness under Tom Izzo, and they looked the part of a championship contender Friday night with an 81-54 crushing of the Ohio State Buckeyes to earn a spot in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals.
Michigan State Basketball: MSU 81 - Ohio State 54 Knee Jerk ReactionsThe Only Colors
Ohio State still not fazed by talent of MSUThe State News

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Outside Columbus: Buckeyes vs. Browns - 247Sports
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Outside Columbus: Buckeyes vs. Browns
247Sports
We know everyone in the Buckeye State loves their team, right? Right? But what does the rest of the viewing sports public think of Ohio State? Here is your weekly tour through selected media coverage of the program penned, inked or posted by those ...


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Ohio State notebook | Nick Vannett puts in extra work for scouts ... - Columbus Dispatch
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Ohio State notebook | Nick Vannett puts in extra work for scouts ...
Columbus Dispatch
Nick Vannett was asked to stay after school Friday, and that was a good thing.

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