Ohio State could poach former Alabama RB commit after unofficial visit
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes may already have two highly-touted RBs in their 2017 class, but that won't stop the team from recruiting another.

One day after securing a commitment from four-star RB J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State is hosting the No. 3 RB of the 2017 class, according to 247Sports. Dobbins, whose commitment came as a surprise to many, is already the second RB of the Buckeyes' 2017 class, joining four-star RB Todd Sibley.

Ohio State really only needed two RBs in this class and with the limited number of spaces left, about five, it would be hard to argue that the Buckeyes have room to add a third to an already crowded group. However, if that third back is four-star former Alabama commit Cam Akers, things might be different.

Akers is considered one of the top backs of the 2017 class, no matter where you look, and one of the best overall players in his class. The 5'11, 210-lb. RB has offers from top programs across the country, including Ole Miss, Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn, LSU, Florida State and Alabama, from which he decommitted from just last week.

Watching his tape, you will instantly recognize the talent and potential Akers possesses. While lining up at QB for his high school team, Akers showed off both his speed and strength in his run game. He not only has straight-line speed, he also has great footwork, allowing him to make defenders miss before running away from them. Akers is also strong, so if a defender is able to get their hands on him, he has the size to push them off of him or to power through and gain a couple extra yards.

But does Ohio State have room for another RB in this class?

The short answer is yes. Like Sibley, Akers projects as more of a true RB. He looks to be able to handle a large workload and be a three-down back. The wildcard in the group is Dobbins, who looks to be more of an H-back. If Akers is serious in his interest in Ohio State, which seems likely as he is taking a two day visit, Meyer could potentially move Dobbins to H-back or a WR, freeing up space for a talent like Akers.

5-star WR favoring Ohio State


Ohio State currently has the top class for the 2017 recruiting cycle, and frankly it's not even close. With 13 verbal commits that include two five-stars, 10 four-stars, and the class's best kicker, the Buckeyes seem to be in good shape.

To make matters even better, one of the top 2 WRs in the class continues to list Ohio State as his favorite. Five-star WR Trevon Grimes has expressed his interest in Ohio State since pretty much the beginning of his recruitment. Rightfully so, the Buckeyes have equally expressed interest in acquiring his services.

Recently, some have begun to wonder if home-state school Florida had started stealing some of Ohio State's momentum in Grimes' recruitment, and if the Buckeyes were still truly his top choice. Grimes squashed those rumors Sunday.

While participating in (and owning) The Opening's elite regional camp in Miami this past weekend, Grimes spoke with BleacherReport about his recruitment. In the interview Grimes made it known that Urban Meyer and Ohio State were still his No. 1 school.


Grimes did mention that the "biggest threat to Ohio State" was in fact Florida. The recruitment of the St. Thomas Aquinas star WR will be one for all Ohio State fans to follow. Grimes has the talent to step in and earn playing time early in his collegiate career and if he continues to improve, he has the potential to be a great college WR.

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Rob Oller commentary | Ohio State football: Buckeyes set for spring 'Cookout' - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Rob Oller commentary | Ohio State football: Buckeyes set for spring 'Cookout'
Columbus Dispatch
The Grind implied heaviness and drudgery at a time when the Buckeyes already were facing enough pressure by coming off a national championship. If you believe in self-fulfilling prophecy, then breaking out The Grind in March set Ohio State up for ...


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Men's basketball | Big Ten awards: Honorable mentions best the Buckeyes can do - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Men's basketball | Big Ten awards: Honorable mentions best the Buckeyes can do
Columbus Dispatch
Monday evening, the conference announced that Keita Bates-Diop, Marc Loving and Jae'Sean Tate are honorable mention all-Big Ten as voted by both the coaches and media. The last time the Buckeyes didn't have a player on any all-league team was in ...
Ohio State basketball: Buckeyes will be 7th seed in Big Ten Tournamentcleveland.com
No. 19 Spartans Stun No. 9 Buckeyes 82-63 in Big Ten TourneyABC News
No. 9 Buckeyes stall on offense, fall to No. 19 Michigan St.The San Diego Union-Tribune
MLive.com
all 588 news articles »

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Two Buckeyes who merited a closer look for all-conference awards - Columbus Dispatch (blog)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Two Buckeyes who merited a closer look for all-conference awards
Columbus Dispatch (blog)
When you look at how most of the season has transpired, Ohio State's omission from the all-Big Ten teams announced today isn't that surprising. For the first time in 20 years, no Buckeye was named better than honorable mention all-conference by either ...

and more »

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Hall of Famer Orlando Pace has advice for draftable Buckeyes - ABC6OnYourSide.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Hall of Famer Orlando Pace has advice for draftable Buckeyes
ABC6OnYourSide.com
Indianapolis, IN -- At the recently completed NFL Scouting Combine former Buckeye great and soon to be Pro Football Hall of Famer Orlando Pace shared some advice for draft hopeful Buckeyes. "To earn the respect of the veterans in that locker room, go ...
NFL Draft 2016: Where Will the Top Buckeyes Be Selected?NFL Mocks

all 7 news articles »

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Podcast: Previewing Ohio State spring football - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Podcast: Previewing Ohio State spring football
cleveland.com
The Buckeyes open spring practice on Tuesday morning, there will be a lot of new faces you haven't seen before, only because those players were stuck behind the group of stars that's now onto the NFL. So Ohio State has spots to fill and questions to ...


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See official 2015-16 All-Big Ten teams & award winners
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

“BTN Live” announced the 2015-16 All-Big Ten Men’s Basketball Teams and award winners Monday night. [ MORE: Big Ten tourney bracket | BTN analysts pick award winners | Power Rankings | Player Rankings | Bracketology | Standings | Stats | Scores ] Indiana’s Yogi Ferrell, Iowa’s Jarrod Uthoff and Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine were unanimous All-Big Ten honorees on both teams, with the latter sweeping Big Ten Player of the Year. Indiana’s Tom Crean and Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ were Big Ten Coach of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year, respectively, on both teams. See the full teams

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Ohio State Buckeyes spring practice preview - ESPN (blog)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State Buckeyes spring practice preview
ESPN (blog)
The first phase in the "Year of Development" is in the books at Ohio State. The next step is throwing a bunch of young Buckeyes into pads and trying to identify several new starters on the practice field. Urban Meyer hasn't bothered trying to downplay ...
Four-star Texas running back JK Dobbins commits to Buckeyes: Ohio State football recruitingcleveland.com
Heat Check: The Buckeyes Have the Nation's Top-Ranked 2017 Class But Big Pieces RemainEleven Warriors
Ohio State's future backfield is getting ridiculously goodLand-Grant Holy Land
Factory Of Sadness -Columbus Dispatch -247Sports
all 47 news articles »

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


He did provide a lot of encouragement.

The Buckeyes (19-12, 11-7) had their season end abruptly with a 91-76 loss to #2 Michigan State on Saturday. The regular season was obviously going to end after this game, so by “abruptly”, I mean ‘over at halftime’. Midway through the 1st half, the teams were tied. Ten minutes later, MSU held a 10 point lead. At a couple points in the second half, the Spartans had the margin at 20 points.

This was a teaching moment for Thad and a learning moment for the young Buckeyes. In short, “Here is what an experienced team can do.”

Congratulations to Tom Izzo, the Spartans and to the three seniors who went out in style in front of their fans. Denzel Valentine, Matt Costello and Bryn Forbes performed well and proved the inspiration to their team mates.

One more thing… I want to tip my hat to Izzo’s classy move of putting senior forward Colby Wollenman into the starting lineup for his last appearance at Breslin. This was Wollenman’s 5th appearance this season. To be a starter in his final home game had to be special for everyone. Well done, Coach Izzo.

Viewing Experience

Aside from the final score, this game had some interesting numbers. For example:

• Rebounds-MSU 34,OSU 24. Ohio State actually had more offensive rebounds than MSU, 6-4. But then MSU didn’t miss too many shots (below) so that’s understandable. There were 62 missed shots in the game, field goals and free throws. The fact that in 50 minutes of game time between Kieta Bates-Diop and Daniel Giddens, they came up with 1 rebound. That is inexcusably bad.
• Ball Handling – OSU 10 Turnovers, MSU 13 Turnovers. This turned out to be a wash as both teams had 13 ‘points off turnovers’ Overall, this was a fairly good game regarding ball security.
• Hot/Hotter. Ohio State actually shot the ball pretty decently, 47% in 3’s and overall field goal percentage. The problem was that Michigan State was much better. The Spartans shot 67% overall. In contrast to the previous outing where Bryn Forbes “3’d” Ohio State to death, the Spartans bludgeoned (40 points in the paint) the Buckeyes into submission.
• Game of Thrones Runs (MSU). The Buckeyes and Spartans were deadlocked mid-way through the first half at 21 apiece. Over the next ten minutes, MSU stretched the lead to 9 points, then OSU would bring it back to 5 points, then MSU would extend, OSU would close. It was like watching an accordion; the lead would expand, then contract a bit, then expand some more, then contract a bit. The problem was, the “expansions” kept outpacing the “contractions.

The Thad Matta Factor

I’m pretty sure that Thad will take this game tape and show it to his team in the off-season. This will be excellent evidence of how a seasoned, in sync team plays. The younger players never wavered in their enthusiasm and effort. Some of the “older” players ran hot & cold in theirs. Kam Williams always brought energy and offense off the bench.

Well, the first regular season with the “young Bucks” is in the books. This is just about what I expected; a season-long teaching/learning experience. There are still some inconsistencies of play, but I thought the team made some progress. Unfortunately, with the schedule back-loaded with playing two of the last three games against Michigan State, you can see where the development looked a bit lacking.

The Three Two Magi:

Marc had an afternoon where he provided an efficient, and much needed 21 points and 3 rebounds to steady the Buckeyes. He had a decent (6-9 FG, 3-4 3-pt, 6-10 FT) offensive game. Marc also had 3 assists (1 turnover) to round out a solid offensive performance. Frankly, I was impressed with his aggressiveness to take the ball to the hoop on numerous occasions. It was obvious that he was trying to raise OSU’s offense to attempt to offset MSU’s onslaught.

Coming off a well played game against Iowa, Kieta Bates-Diop was a non-factor against Michigan State. His 6 points were comprised of 2-5 from inside the arc, 0-2 from outside the arc and 0-3 from the free throw line. I guess the most disappointing thing to me was that he had no rebounds. Nada. Zilch.

Lineup Mix-n-Match:

Mickey Mitchell looked more comfortable in the starting lineup and he may be getting his groove on. His line score of 25 minutes, 5 points (2-4 FG), 7 rebounds and a blocked shot were almost identical to his previous game against Iowa.

Kam Williams (5-12 FG, 5-7 3-PT, 3 rebounds and 2 steals) scored 15 points in 30 minutes. He again provided a higher level of energy, and production, that Thad was hoping for. He provides Thad the lineup flexibility that he can rotate through the lineup in place of Mitchell/Loving/Bates-Diop. Especially since Mitchell is still learning and Bates-Diop tends to run hot-and-cold.

A.J. Harris had a fairly productive 12 minutes. Although he was scoreless (0-2 FG), he did provide 4 assists.

JaQuan Lyle had a very productive game. In 30 minutes, he had 18 points (5-12 FG), 5 rebounds and 5 assists. He did have 4 turnovers, so no one is perfect. Good game, lad.

Ball Control:

The Buckeyes had 10 turnovers, which somewhat surprisingly to me was better than MSU’s 13 turnovers. Look, I’m aware that 10 < 13, but I was surprised that OSU took better control of the ball than MSU.

The points-off-turnovers was a push at 13 points for each team. The good news is that that phase of the game didn’t necessarily contribute to OSU’s loss. The bad news is that MSU was a bit more efficient in converting turnovers into points. That may have contributed to the loss.

Interior play, Center(s) of Attention:

In a pre-game email exchange with fellow writer Brandon Zimmerman, he expressed his concern that MSU’s interior play (Costello/Schilling) would be a tough matchup for OSU’s counterparts. He was correct. The Spartan duo combined for 23 points and 14 rebounds in 39 minutes. Ohio State’s Thompson/Giddens countered with 11 points and 4 rebounds in 34 minutes. Clearly a performance disparity, not in OSU’s favor.

Aside from Loving’s 21 points, our other forwards (Bate-Diop, Mitchell) struggled. They combined for 11 points and 7 rebounds (all by Mitchell). They also combined for 9 fouls. If your fouls are nearly keeping pace with your points, you’re doing something wrong. Although Bates-Diop/Mitchell were pretty good from the field (6-10), they were abysmal (1-7) from the free throw line.



Up Next…

The Buckeyes (19-12, 11-7) play Penn State (16-15, 7-11) Thursday evening in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. Tip off is scheduled for 6:30 PM ET. You can catch the game on ESPN2, and/or 97.1.

The Buckeyes beat the Nittany Lions 66-46 on January 25th. The winner “gets” to play #2 seed and #2 ranked Michigan State on Friday. Good god, not again.

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

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Braxton Miller thinks the Cowboys would be a good fit for his skill set
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ezekiel Elliott isn't the only Buckeye linked to Big D.

"Shoot, two ball hogs on the same side of the ball? Two playmakers? It’s going to be hard for the defenses [to] draw something up for us. It would be one of the best duos to have me and him on the same team."

-Braxton Miller, via Mike Fisher, CBS DFW


Former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback-turned-receiver Braxton Miller is feeling optimistic about his chances of being drafted relatively high in his newfound position. He recently discussed his vision for what he sees as his role on the Dallas Cowboys, should they be the landing spot for Miller come April’s NFL Draft. In Miller’s eyes, with a player like wide receiver Dez Bryant on the squad, it would be a tall order for defenses to be able to defend both Miller and Bryant (we’ll also throw tight end Jason Witten into the mix).

Despite only playing at his new position for a year, Miller has impressed many NFL scouts throughout the spring at the Senior Bowl -- where he was overseen by Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett -- and the NFL Combine, and is projected widely as a second-round pick. In terms of size, Miller is slighter than Bryant, but has him beat in the 40-yard dash. Still, there is a lot that a veteran receiver like Bryant can teach Miller about the position -- something that Miller has recognized over the past few months. Miller had previously stated at the Senior Bowl that he would love to play alongside receiver Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons.

Dallas is sitting on the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s draft. They may have a shot at taking former Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa, or even running back Ezekiel Elliott. Many analysts are predicting that Bosa will be taken at the spot, especially given owner Jerry Jones’s recent comments that the Cowboys will not be selecting a quarterback with their first pick.

"Ohio State announced the first major reorganization of its athletic department in a decade today, with Martin Jarmond ascending to second in command under Gene Smith."

-Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch


For the first time since Gene Smith took over the helm at the department of athletics in 2005, the department is conducting a major reorganization, spurred by retirements of key officials within athletics. Chief financial officer Pete Hagan, who retired last July, will be followed by Miechelle Willis, the deputy director of athletics who announced her impending retirement in June 2017.

In the biggest shift, Martin Jarmond, who has been serving as associate athletic director for development since 2009, will be promoted to deputy director of athletics and chief of staff under Gene Smith starting in July. Jarmond’s new duties will include oversight of external relations, finance, HR, and operations. Other changes include:

• Janine Owens, current associate athletic director for sports administration and performance, will be promoted to senior woman administrator.
• Diana Sabau, current senior associate athletic director for external relations and strategic communications, will be promoted to oversee athletic communications.
• Doug Calland, current head athletic trainer, will be promoted to associate athletic director for sport performance.

"He was big and strong, a good competitor, wrestled hard. His leg as pretty heavy, but it was fun wrestling against somebody that big and seeing what happens."

-Ohio State heavyweight Kyle Snyder, via BTN.com


The seventh-ranked Ohio State wrestling team once again stepped up on a national stage, winning two individual Big Ten titles and earning a third-place finish in the conference as a team after the Big Ten Wrestling Championships in Iowa City over the weekend. While the squad was not able to defend its Big Ten title from last year, it was a strong showing for the Buckeyes, who are coming off of their first national championship in school history last year.

Penn State won the conference tournament with a score of 150.5 points as a team. The Nittany Lions came into the tournament ranked No. 1 nationally. Iowa, ranked No. 4 in the NCAA, finished second with 127 points, with Ohio State falling just behind at 126 points.

Redshirt sophomore Kyle Snyder, an Olympic hopeful after the season, earned his first Big Ten title at heavyweight with a 7-4 decision over Michigan’s Adam Coon, the top-seed in the division.

In the 125-pound weight class, fellow redshirt sophomore Nathan Tomasello earned his second-straight Big Ten title after defeating Nico Megaludis of Penn State in a closely-fought, 3-1 decision.

Bo Jordan, another redshirt sophomore, lost in the finals of the 165-pound weight class to Wisconsin’s Isaac Jordan. Redshirt freshman Micah Jordan (141-pounds) and freshman Myles Martin (174-pounds) both earned third-place finishes in their respective weight classes in the consolation round of the tournament. In all, seven Buckeyes qualified for the NCAA Championships, including Johnni DiJulius (133-pounds), Bo Jordan, Micah Jordan, Martin, Jake Ryan (157-pound), Snyder and Tomassello. The championships are scheduled for later this month in New York City.



After earning their first No. 1 ranking in program history last week by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, the Ohio State women’s tennis team did not disappoint as it faced Baylor on the road Saturday, posting a 4-0 sweep of the Bears. After clinching the doubles point in three matches, the Buckeyes swept the three singles points with wins by Francesca Di Lorenzo, Gabriella De Santis and Olivia Sneed.

This season was the first that the Buckeyes moved into the top-ten nationally, highlighted by two wins against then-No. 1 Vanderbilt and an individual championship by freshman Francesca Di Lorenzo in the fall National Indoor Championships. The women are now 13-1 on the season, and are scheduled to host a doubleheader against Dayton and Cincinnati in Columbus Wednesday.

The No. 4-ranked men’s squad was also victorious this weekend, posting a 4-1 win over No. 13 Oklahoma in Norman Sunday for the team’s sixth-straight victory. The win is the team’s seventh against ranked opponents this season. The men got off to a quick start, earning the doubles point in three matches. They then went on to win three of four finished singles matches to clinch the day, headlined by Mikael Torpegaard’s 11th win of the season. The team is now 15-1 overall, and has a short break before facing USF in Tampa later this month.

STICK TO SPORTS

• That had to hurt ... best not to try to flip over a line of mascots.
• Watch D’Angelo Russell embarrass Kobe Bryant.
• It’s National Cereal Day! Check out these fun treats you can make with breakfast cereal.
• Zootopia is top at the box office this weekend.

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OHSAA: Should Public and Private schools have their own Tournaments?
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 Ohio High School Athletic Association)

Hello everyone, welcome as I talk Ohio High School state tournaments and the “Big Question”. Should private schools play in the their own state tournaments separate from public schools?? With March Madness starting in College Basketball, its already going on in High School Basketball in Ohio. This is a hot topic debate and I’m here to tell you what I think.

Introduction: Why am I asking this question?


High School sports, basketball in particular, have always been a passion of mine. For many years a group of my dad’s friends and I went to Columbus to watch the state championships. I’ve been following high school basketball for over 20 years, since I was a Sophomore in high school. It was then that my old high school, Newton Falls, won it’s first ever District Championship. Since then, they have won 5 more district championships and Friday night in Warren, OH they won their 6th district championship.

However, I’m going to tell you what usually happens to them and a lot of public schools when they get to the regional tournament in Canton, and other areas around Ohio, and why I feel that Private high schools in Ohio need to have their own tournaments, especially in basketball.

How are you placed in a Division?

In Ohio, there are 4 divisions in basketball. Division 1 is the giant city and private schools, then Division 2 is a little smaller. Division 3 and Division 4 are the much smaller schools. Division 1 schools must have 340 or boys or more, for Division 2 its 185-339 boys, for Division 3 109-184, and Division 4 its 108 or less. What division you are in is based on how many students of each sex you have at your school. It doesn’t go by the size of the city or area you’re in. A private school from a big city could have only so many boys in their school so they don’t have to be in the bigger divisions.

How do you win a state title?

In Ohio in order to win the state championship in basketball you must win 3 mini tournaments. First, you must win your district championship. This is basically all the area teams you play all season in one tournament. Everyone is included regardless of record. You must win 3-4 games to win your district championship. You then go on to the Regional tournament. At this point there are only 16 teams left in the entire state. Regional tournaments are usually played at bigger cities. Like I said previously, my small old high school gets sent to Canton for it’s regional. At this point in time, you must win 2 games to win the regional bracket. If you do that, you get to the State Championships — the Final Four in Columbus, OH. When you get to Columbus, it is just like the Final Four we love to watch on CBS. There are only 4 teams left and if you win 2 more games, you are the state champions in your division.

For any team, that isn’t an easy task. You have to win eight games in a row versus the best teams in the entire state. Legitimately, only a few have a chance of doing it every year. The problem is — that few — is usually private schools. This is mostly true in the 2 smallest divisions 3 and 4. The big city schools in Divisions 1 and 2 can usually stand up to the private schools when it comes to basketball.

How many championships have private schools won recently?


Over the last 10 years, from 2006-2015 a private high school has played in 9 out of the last 10 State Championship games in Division 3, winning 7. In Division 4, a private school has played in 8 out of 10 championship games winning 3. That means out of a possible 20 championship games in both Division 3 and Division 4, a private school has played in 17 of them, winning 10. You also have to realize there are only 1,172 private schools in Ohio, compared to 4,237 public schools. The 1,172 private schools are then broken up in the 4 divisions in basketball.

A few years ago this debate heated up again due to the number of state championships private schools were racking up in Ohio in both basketball and football. In 2010, St. John’s (Delphos) beat public school-foe Shadyside 77-6 for the title in Ohio’s smallest classification, Division VI. From 2008-2010 Ursuline Academy (Youngstown) won 3 consecutive Division V titles by at least three touchdowns over a public schools. This past year in Ohio High School football, of the 7 state championships, 4 were won by Private schools and in 6 of the 7 championship games, a Private School was playing.

Now back to basketball and my old high school. As I stated earlier they have now won 6 district championships since 1995. They are 1-5 when going to Canton afterwards, 3 times they have played an undefeated #1 state ranked private school, one time they played an undefeated #3 ranked public high school (who they beat, their only win ever in Canton). One of those years was the 1999-2000 season. Newton Falls had won their 2nd district title. First, let me tell you a little about my hometown. Its a small town by Warren, Ohio, which is by Youngstown. It has a population of roughly 4,000 people. After winning the district championship in the 1999-2000 season, Newton Falls, town of 4,000, was again heading to Canton, where they would face #1 undefeated Akron St Vincent-St Mary’s who had a talented freshman on their team who went by the name of LeBron James. Anyone heard of him?? Heard he went pro or something. Anyway, that’s right a little school from a small town had to play LeBron James and Akron St Vincent-St Mary’s. Raise your hands if you think that’s fair.

Here’s the game!




Of course my old high school was completely outmatched and lost the game big. I realize this may seem like I’m crying and throwing a little fit here, but I just want to show how unfair some of these games truly are. Playing LeBron James and Akron St. Vincent-St Mary’s might seem unfair to anyone, and I understand that.

Another reason why private schools have an unfair advantage when it comes to high school sports is that they are allowed to recruit in Ohio where public schools really can’t. When a smaller city school actually produces a great player, a private school can come in, offer him a scholarship, exposure, and more opportunities. Also being a private school, these schools usually have more money, better coaching, and better facilities. What do you think most kids are going to do? I’ll let you answer that.

Now let me tell you the story of Cleveland Villa Angela-St Joseph. This private school from Cleveland, obviously, has bounced from Division 3 and 4 the last 10 years. Now Division 4 in Ohio High School sports, as I said earlier, is for the extremely small schools. These schools have less than 108 boys in their entire high school. Cleveland Villa Angela-St Joseph in 2013 had 4-5 Division 1 college basketball prospects on their team. A small private school had that much basketball talent. They won the state title easily, so easily in fact, they won the final 2 games by margins of 31 points and 24 points to win the state title. Subsequently, they have moved up to Division 3 again and have played for the state title now 3 years in a row (2013-2015), winning 2. Oh, the team they lost to?

Lima Central Catholic, another private school. Cleveland Villa Angela-St Joseph and Lima Central Catholic have played each other for the division 3 state title 2 years in a row, each winning 1. In the past 10 years Lima Central Catholic and Cleveland Villa Angela-St Joseph have played in 5 state championships between them in both Division 3 and Division 4.

As I said, my old high school won another district championship this Friday. They go to Canton this Wednesday , where they’ll play the winner of Garfield Heights District Champion, which was….Cleveland Villa Angela-St Joseph.

Conclusion: What to do?


All is fair in love and OHSAA sports, I guess. Private schools have dominated boy basketball and football in the lower divisions for many years now. I realize life isn’t fair, there are haves and have nots. There are winners and there are losers. That being said, should the playing field be level though? Having public vs public and private vs private would do that, in my opinion.

The post OHSAA: Should Public and Private schools have their own Tournaments? appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Buckeyes hold 'Champions Lunch' prior to start of spring ball - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes hold 'Champions Lunch' prior to start of spring ball
247Sports
All that being said, Smith is my prediction to be the Buckeyes' starting strong safety this year as a junior. The 6-foot, 202-pound Smith has excellent speed and hits as hard as a linebacker. He was ranked as the No. 6 safety and the No. 66 overall ...

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Browns extend qualifying offer to RFA Terrelle Pryor
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The quarterback turned receiver is a restricted free agent, and Cleveland has the chance to match any outside offer.

Terrelle Pryor has seen time with several different NFL teams, but when the Cleveland Browns re-signed him during the 2015 season -- despite cutting him just after making the final 53-man roster -- they made him a restricted free agent. The team has since extended a qualifying offer to the wideout, meaning should he sign an offer sheet with another organization, the Browns can match the offer, or receive draft choice compensation equal to the player's original draft round if he leaves; in Pryor's case this would be a third round pick.

Pryor only played in three games with the Browns, recording one catch for 42 yards, in his first season at his new position. His future in Cleveland became a lot brighter when the team hired new head coach Hue Jackson. Jackson is known for preferring tall receivers, and has a history with Pryor from his time in Oakland.

He spent several years playing backup quarterback, and a short stint as starter, in a host of different cities following his time at Ohio State. After being cut by the Bengals in early 2015, he decided to move to wide receiver in order for a chance to stay in the League just a little while longer.

Pryor's future as a quarterback is all but sealed, even though he was often rumored to be a last-resort option behind Johnny Manziel during his more questionable moments. If Pryor is going to see the benefits of changing positions, his best shot is in 2016 with Jackson at the helm.

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Audio: Hear your men’s basketball coach’s tourney preview
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

On Monday, the 14 Big Ten men’s basketball coaches held a teleconference with reporters from around the country to preview the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament. Dive in and hear from each coach. Remember: BTN will provide a full week of comprehensive coverage of the Big Ten Tournament from Indianapolis, including five games, pre- and post-game analysis, coach and player interviews, and a 90-minute Selection Sunday Special. Coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET today with the exclusive, live announcement of the annual Big Ten basketball awards on the “BTN Live: All-Conference Selection Show.” Host Rick Pizzo and analyst Jon Crispin

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NFL Draft 2016: Where Will the Top Buckeyes Be Selected? - NFL Mocks
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


NFL Draft 2016: Where Will the Top Buckeyes Be Selected?
NFL Mocks
The former Buckeyes greatly outnumbered their peers, five more than national champion Alabama, four more than second-best Notre Dame. With so many elite players from a single school, many wonder where all that talent will end up come draft day.

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Ohio State basketball: 7 thoughts on the Buckeyes and the Big Ten Tournament - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State basketball: 7 thoughts on the Buckeyes and the Big Ten Tournament
cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Take Marc Loving, Ohio State's only junior, out of the equation and the Buckeyes basketball team has exactly 24 minutes worth of experience playing in the Big Ten Ten Tournament. Those 24 minutes belong to Keita Bates-Diop (11) and ...
Ohio State opens Big Ten tourney play against Penn StateDayton Daily News

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NFL Draft 2016: Where Will the Top Buckeyes Be Selected? - NFL Mocks
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


NFL Draft 2016: Where Will the Top Buckeyes Be Selected?
NFL Mocks
The former Buckeyes greatly outnumbered their peers, five more than national champion Alabama, four more than second-best Notre Dame. With so many elite players from a single school, many wonder where all that talent will end up come draft day.

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Ohio State Buckeyes: It's Barrett's Turn to Star this Spring - Factory Of Sadness
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Ohio State Buckeyes: It's Barrett's Turn to Star this Spring
Factory Of Sadness
Once installed as the starter full time, the Ohio State Buckeyes' offense took flight and brushed off any of the red zone struggles that plagued the team early in the year. Barrett still threw for 992 yards and 11 touchdowns in what was basically half ...

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Power Rankings: Michigan State No. 1 on Jon Crispin’s last list
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

As the regular season came to an end Sunday night and the Big Ten tournament bracket was finalized, I realized that this would be my last submission of Big Ten Power Rankings, presented by ArcelorMittal. [ MORE: View Big Ten tourney bracket | BTN analysts picks award winners | Standings | Stats | Scores ] In no way does that sadden me, because coming up with justifiable list every week is more difficult that you may realize. Throughout the season, I spend a great amount of time with coaches, players and staff, and I do my best to get to

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Keep an eye on BTN’s Instagram account this week
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

For this week’s Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament in Indianapolis, BTN asked a special guest to take over the BTN Instagram account and fill it with the best shots from the games and the atmosphere. Fred Daniels, a talented artist and Chicago native, will be the first to participate in BTN’s Artist Instagram Takeover filing photos from before the games, during the games, and after the games. You can find his work on Instagram (@justxfred) and read our quick Q&A with him in this post. If you’re interested in doing a BTN’s Artist Instagram Takeover like this one down the road, use the

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BTN to provide complete coverage throughout Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament
BTN Communications via Big Ten Network

BTN will provide a full week of comprehensive coverage of the Big Ten Tournament from Indianapolis, including five games, pre- and post-game analysis, coach and player interviews, and a 90-minute Selection Sunday Special. Coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET today with the exclusive, live announcement of the annual Big Ten basketball awards on the BTN Live: All-Conference Selection Show. Host Rick Pizzo and analyst Jon Crispin will reveal All-Big Ten selections, as well as Big Ten Player, Freshman and Coach of the Year. Interviews with select award winners will also be included. At 6 p.m. ET Tuesday, BTN Live will

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BTN analysts hand out Big Ten men’s basketball awards
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

“BTN Live” will announce the 2016 All-Big Ten teams and award winners at 6 p.m. ET tonight. Watch the show on BTN2Go. [ MORE: View the complete Big Ten tourney bracket ] Before the teams and superlative winners become official, BTN’s team of analysts share their award winners. See our experts’ selections below. JON CRISPIN (@BTNJonCrispin) Player of the Year: Denzel Valentine, Michigan State Coach of the Year: Tom Crean, Indiana Freshman of the Year: Ethan Happ, Wisconsin *** TOM DIENHART (@BTNTomDienhart) Player of the Year: Denzel Valentine, Michigan State Coach of the Year: Tom Crean, Indiana Freshman of the

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Ten Questions With Mary Ormsby
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


I am thrilled to pass onto all of our loyal readers here at tBBC and Buckeye Nation this week’s participant for Ten Questions. Mary Ormsby is a star. A setter on The Ohio State University’s Women’s Volleyball Team from 1977 to 1980, Mary’s contributions were essential in two visits to the National Championship in this time frame. As a member of the Canadian National Team she too would display her prowess on the world stage. Mary is a member of The Ohio State University Athletic Hall of Fame. I am proud to share with you our brief conversation.

tBBC:


As a Canadian what inspired you to attend The Ohio State University?

ORMSBY:

A lucky break from a kind Buckeye! Former OSU men’s coach Doug Beal was working at a summer volleyball camp I attended in northern Ontario in the mid-1970s. He wrote a very nice skills summary in my camper’s “report card” which I cherished, even though I was too shy to speak to him. In 1976, I made Canada’s junior national team and as part of our summer training experience, we worked as ushers at the Montreal Olympics in the volleyball venue. Well, who but Doug Beal comes strolling into my section of the grandstand one day to watch matches! I introduced myself, he remembered me and immediately asked what my future plans were. Remember, I’m 16 and had given my future zero thought but for some reason I stammered I was hoping for a volleyball scholarship. He said “Good,” took my phone number and asked the women’s coach at the time, Sue Collins, to contact me. She did. I was a freshman in the fall of 1977.

tBBC:


Back at Senator O’Connor High School did you ever imagine the journey you were about to undertake?

ORMSBY:

The NCAA was a spectacular universe of academics and athletics that I watched from afar when I was growing up, never dreaming I could be part of it. I still had to pinch myself when I was at OSU. I’d gone from a small high school in Toronto to this huge university where I needed a detailed map to find campus buildings. The best four years of my life.

tBBC:


You were named to the All-Big Ten Team in 1980, a scholar-athlete in ’78 & ’79. You made The Canadian National Team in 1979. Is there any special honor you are most proud of?

ORMSBY:

I am actually most proud of our team making it to the national championship twice during my four years there. Sue Collins had recruited a very strong freshman class, including DiAnn Gorham and Kim Cline who was key to that success. Karen Alsbrooks was a year ahead of us and a spectacular middle player. I loved setting Karen – my favourite target!

tBBC:


This seems like a rather common question – but I find it to be quite important, primarily because there just may be a young girl out there reading your response that will find a kinship with what you say – how did volleyball, competitively speaking, come into your life?

ORMSBY:

It was all due to my grade school teachers and principle. I ran track competitively in grade school then switched over to volleyball seriously in the 8th grade. We had a pretty good team. My grade school principal, Gerry Levert, turned our school team into a club team. We traveled around the province playing older kids with Mr. Levert and other teachers coaching us on their own time. We stayed together for a couple of years, winning quite a bit, improving, attending skills clinics and ultimately, I was invited to national team tryouts. I was very fortunate.

tBBC:


I feel every student at The Ohio State University has that special spot where they yearn for either quiet time, or even positive interaction. Did you have such a spot – and if so where was it?

ORMSBY:

Mirror Lake. Without fail!

tBBC:


In 1977, your Freshmen Year, the Buckeyes won the Big 10 Tournament … how special was it – being your first year?

ORMSBY:

I had just competed with the Canadian team at the world junior championship in Brazil (no medal, though!) and arrived at OSU about a week after classes started. I missed training camp, didn’t know anyone except Sue Collins (whom I’d met once) and was terrified about not fitting in. The girls were great, though; they were warm and welcoming, which made the Big 10 victory really sweet as the season marched on.

tBBC:


Who is your favorite Ohio State athlete of all-time – it can be anyone from any era?

ORMSBY:

Jesse Owens. I looked at his bronzed spikes in a display case at St. John Arena pretty much every day we played or practiced. In a tiny way, it made me feel close to his incredible life.

tBBC:


What were your strongest contributions on the court – is it the same as what you enjoy the most of the game?

ORMSBY:

I liked to run the offence. As a setter, it was up to me to decide each offensive play, with outlet options. My greatest enjoyment of the game was two-fold: Watching hitters bury the ball off a strong set and seeing great defence on our side if the ball was blocked.

tBBC:


The Ohio State University Athletic Hall of Fame inducted you in 1995 … please share that moment with us?

ORMSBY:

My parents, my husband and our first child (we now have four kids) came down for all the fun. We also flew in former coach Sue Collins, who was then at George Mason University; she was integral to my life as an athlete, a student and a person. I owe her so much. We also got to stand on the football field at halftime and were introduced to the crowd. Part of that ’95 class: Kelly McCormick; Butch Reynolds, Galen Cisco and Tom Cousineau. Awesome weekend.

tBBC:


Please tell your fellow Buckeyes what you love about The Ohio State University and what it means to you to be a Buckeye?

ORMSBY:

I always felt special when I was at The Ohio State University and by that, I mean I felt challenged every day on the court or in class. Some days were tough, I cannot lie (yes, that meant tears and a few botched class assignments!!) but the rest of the time was a joy. Attending OSU was a gift. I knew that, my family knew that. To be welcomed in another country was, and remains, a treasured part of my life, along with the dear friends I made. To me, being a Buckeye is not a temporary designation; it is a life-long responsibility to challenge yourself every day in order to make a positive impact – big or small – on your world.

Thank you Mary for answering my questions. The time that you set aside for me was generous and is appreciated. I feel it is both kind and unselfish of sports stars who allow a brief view into their thoughts and memories for their fans. I know that our contact, though short, was positive and welcoming. I hope that you stay in contact with us here at tBBC – as evidence shows Buckeye Nation loves Women’s Volleyball and their stars. I am convinced that your fans loved hearing from you and will want to know what you’re up to.

The post Ten Questions With Mary Ormsby appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Pre-Spring Outlook: Overall Depth Chart
Brandon Zimmerman via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Over the past three weeks, I have taken an in-depth look at each and every position for the Buckeyes going into spring practice, which is set to begin on tomorrow and culminate with the spring football game at Ohio Stadium on April 16th.

It will be exciting to see the progress some of the younger players have made, especially those redshirt freshmen. Many of these young student-athletes have the chance to jump into a pretty big role for the 2016 team. Guys like Mike Weber, Torrance Gibson, and K.J. Hill are poised to jump into the two-deep and show Buckeye Nation what they can offer. Additionally, six true freshmen early-enrollees will be suiting up in the scarlet and gray for the very first time. Will Jonathan Cooper, Austin Mack or Antonio Williams be able to crack the 2016 depth chart?

These spring practices are very important to all of these young men and will go a long way to determining how much time they spend on the field this year. Let’s take a look at my complete predicted 2016 depth-chart:

OFFENSE

POS NAME HT WT CLASS
QB J.T. BARRETT 6’2” 225 JR (R)
JOE BURROW 6’3” 208 FR (R)
STEPHEN COLLIER 6’4” 225 SO (R)
RB CURTIS SAMUEL 5’11” 200 JR
MIKE WEBER 5’10” 215 FR (R)
BRI’ONTE DUNN 6’0” 215 SR (R)
WR1 NOAH BROWN 6’2” 222 SO (R)
TORRANCE GIBSON 6’4” 205 FR (R)
JOHNNIE DIXON 5”11 194 SO (R)
WR2 COREY SMITH 6’1” 195 SR (R)
K.J. HILL 6’0” 195 FR (R)
AUSTIN MACK 6’2” 205 FR
H-BACK DONTRE WILSON 5’10” 195 SR
PARRIS CAMPBELL 6’1” 205 SO (R)
DEMARIO MCCALL 5’9” 171 FR
TE MARCUS BAUGH 6’5” 255 JR
JAKE HAUSMANN 6’4” 230 FR
LUKE FARRELL 6’6” 240 FR
LT MALCOLM PRIDGEON 6’8” 315 JR
ISAIAH PRINCE 6’7” 305 SO
LG BILLY PRICE 6’4” 315 JR (R)
MATT BURRELL 6’4” 300 FR (R)
C PAT ELFLEIN 6’3” 300 SR (R)
BRADY TAYLOR 6’5” 300 SO (R)
RG DEMETRIUS KNOX 6’4” 305 SO (R)
EVAN LISLE 6’7” 305 JR (R)
RT JAMARCO JONES 6’5” 310 JR (R)
ISAIAH PRINCE 6’4” 305 SO

As you can see, I think the Buckeyes will have a lot of experience on offense this year even if they are replacing a lot of players. I have them starting nine upper-classmen and both of the under-classmen are third year sophomores. If everyone stays healthy, I think the offense has a chance to be very special this year. The biggest key will be how quickly the offensive line comes together.

Behind the starters, I have a major influx of youth looking to make a major impact. With the veterans dominating my starting line-up, 15 of 17 back-up positions are filled with freshmen or sophomores.

The two biggest battles to watch this spring are at running back, where we will find out what the plan is with Curtis Samuel, and on the offensive line where you have six guys battling for three positions.

DEFENSE

POS NAME HT WT CLASS
DE TYQUAN LEWIS 6’4” 260 JR (R)
JAYLIN HOLMES 6’5” 265 JR
DT NICK BOSA 6’4” 265 FR
JASHON CORNELL 6’3” 265 FR (R)
DT DONOVAN MUNGER 6’4” 300 JR (R)
MICHAEL HILL 6’3” 295 JR (R)
DE SAM HUBBARD 6’5” 265 SO (R)
JONATHON COOPER 6’2” 234 FR
SLB JEROME BAKER 6’1” 215 SO
CHRIS WORLEY 6’2” 225 JR (R)
MLB RAEKWON MCMILLAN 6’2” 240 JR
NICK CONNER 6’3” 230 FR (R)
WLB DANTE BOOKER 6’3” 233 JR
JUSTIN HILLIARD 6’1” 230 FR (R)
CB GAREON CONLEY 6’0” 195 JR (R)
JORDAN FULLER 6’1” 196 FR
CB DAMON WEBB 5’11” 193 JR
ERIC GLOVER-WILLIAMS 5’9” 175 SO
S ERICK SMITH 6’0” 202 JR
CAM BURROWS 6’0” 208 SR
S MARSHON LATTIMORE 6’0” 195 SO (R)
MALIK HOOKER 6’2” 205 SO (R)



The 2016 version of the Silver Bullets will have a nice mixture of upper and lower classmen. The starting line-up has the same feel as the offense where juniors lead the way as I have seven juniors, three sophomores, and one freshman.

On the two-deep, it shows the balance of youth and experience in which Coach Fickell and Coach Schiano will have to play with this year. There are 11 upper-classmen (10 juniors/1 senior) and 11 lower-classmen (5 sophomores/6 freshmen) showing up on this initial draft of the defensive depth chart.

The biggest question marks going into spring is who will step up at defensive tackle and how will the secondary play out. At defensive tackle, will guys like Munger, Hill or Landers be able to hold off some of the younger defensive ends who may move inside? In the secondary, Coach Combs enjoys the versatility of the young players. Will guys like Lattimore or Webb be given the chance to move to safety? Or will a young unproven player like Hooker step up and have a great spring?

SPECIAL TEAMS

POS NAME HT WT CLASS
P CAMERON JOHNSTON 5’11” 195 SR
K SEAN NUERNBERGER 6’1” 220 JR
LS LIAM MCCULLOUGH 6’2” 210 FR (R)
PR ERIC GLOVER-WILLIAMS 5’9” 175 SO
AUSTIN MACK 6’2” 205 FR
KR DONTRE WILSON 5’10” 195 SR
PARRIS CAMPBELL 6’1” 205 SO (R)



The special teams depth chart will be hopefully be a little more stable than it was last year. It seemed like every week we were all left wondering who the Kicker was going to be and both guys struggled mightily. At punter, they have the Aussie sensation Cam Johnston back. At long-snapper, they have to replace Bryce Haynes who was phenomenal. The biggest question mark will be who is going to be the returners?

For now, I went with Glover-Williams at punt returner. He was a highly explosive player with the football in high school and came to Ohio State as an athlete. At kick returner, I think Wilson will initially get the job from Coach Meyer. He has a lot of experience at this spot and always seems like he is about to break one.

OVERALL

I think this team has the chance to be very good by the end of the year but I worry about having to face Oklahoma in the second week of the season. I think the offense will score points from the get go but I wonder how the new secondary will fare against Baker Mayfield. Luckily in my predicted depth-chart, the Buckeyes will have 16 upper-classmen starting which will help relieve the burden of replacing so many starters.

Over the summer, I will come back and update my depth charts after we get a chance to get through spring practice and see who impresses the most.

The post Pre-Spring Outlook: Overall Depth Chart appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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