Brett Ludwiczak
Guest
You’re Nuts: What April event involving Ohio State are you looking forward to?
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
Now that we have hit April, there isn’t a ton going on when it comes to Ohio State sports. The basketball season for the men’s and women’s team have both wrapped up, the women’s hockey team closed out their season with their second national title in the last three years, and Jesse Mendez won a wrestling national championship at 141 lbs. Add in the football players that announced they were returning to the team, the talents that joined the team from the transfer portal, and the upgrades Ryan Day has made with his coaching staff, the first three months of 2024 have been very interesting when it comes to Ohio State athletics.
Today we want to know what you are most looking forward to this month when it comes to Ohio State sports. Maybe it’s the weather eventually getting warmer so you can take in some baseball, softball, lacrosse, or any other outdoor spring sporting events. Then there is the spring game, which is an affordable way for a family to get to Ohio Stadium to see the football team in action. Or there are the NFL and WNBA drafts where former Buckeyes will find out where they’ll be starting their professional careers. If we are missing any exciting events when it comes to Ohio State, please let us know so we can put them on our radar.
This year’s draft might not be quite as juicy as last year when three Buckeyes were taken in the first 20 picks, but there will still be some intrigue at the top of the draft for one Ohio State player. Marvin Harrison Jr. is undoubtedly the best wide receiver in this year’s draft and will be the first non-quarterback to come off the board later this month. It feels like the first three picks in the draft will end up being quarterbacks, which currently leaves the Arizona Cardinals as a likely landing spot for Harrison with the fourth pick in the draft. If somehow Arizona either trades their pick or passes on Harrison, then the Buckeye wide receiver might have to go play for Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers. Hopefully, Harrison is off the board before Harbaugh has a chance to draft him.
Another fun thing to watch at the draft this year is who will be the next Ohio State player to be selected after Harrison. Unfortunately, we’ll likely have to wait until the second day of the draft to find out who that will be. Defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. has seen his stock rise with his performance last season, as well as his physical gifts. Tight end Cade Stover is also in the mix to be the second Ohio State player taken in this year’s draft after finishing his Buckeye career with the second-most catches by a tight end in school history. “Farmer Gronk” will be an immediate fan favorite for the team that ends up selecting him.
When it comes to the rest of this year’s draft, there are two Ohio State players who feel like a lock to be taken at some point in the seven-round event. Linebacker Tommy Eichenberg and safety Josh Proctor both starred on the defense over the last few years and with the pedigree of some of the players that came before them, there are NFL teams that would love to have them on their teams. Then there are guys like Steele Chambers, Miyan Williams, and Xavier Johnson, who all feel like they could be late-round picks, but might be better suited to join teams as undrafted free agents since they’ll be able to have more of a choice in where they’ll start their professional careers.
No matter where all the Buckeyes in this year’s draft pool are taken, I’m hoping they all have long and successful professional careers!
There are a lot of things that I could throw in at this point, from the highly ranked tennis teams to the always great track and field squads to what’s going on with the baseball and softball teams, but I’m going to keep it real with you, Ohio State fandom is mostly about football. I know, I know, that’s a shock to a lot of people, but I promise you it’s true. So, I am going with the spring game.
The last time that Ryan Day’s squad was seen on a field, it was brutal, it was ugly, and it was embarrassing. So much so that I wrote an article in the hours immediately following the game in which I laid out what I thought needed to be done in order to get the football Buckeyes back to where they belong, at the top of the Big Ten and legitimately competing for the national title every year.
Now, I’m not saying that Day read my article and went about implementing every suggestion exactly as I made them, because not everything was hit exactly as I prescribed, and even some that were took rather circuitous routes to get there. But, a lot of what I thought needed to be done ended up happening in one way, shape, or form, so I am excited to see what this new iteration of the team looks like; not only to get a glimpse of the future of the program, but also to wash away whatever lingering sourness that the Cotton Bowl had deposited in our collective mouthes.
From new coaches and coordinators to one of the most pound-for-pound impressive transfer hauls in recent memory to true freshmen already making an impact, I am ready to see what the Ohio State football team looks like as we enter the expanded playoff era. Obviously what we see on Saturday will not be the finished product that we witness come fall, but it will at least be a bridge to get us there, both in terms of the fans and the team.
There will be some key contributors not participating and others will be limited (I mean how much do we really need to see TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins in a scrimmage?), but seeing what kind of shenanigans Chip Kelly can come up with, what Jeremiah Smith can do in his first time wearing scarlet and gray, what Little Animal can draw up with Sonny Styles and C.J. Hicks at his linebacking disposal... what’s not to be excited about?
I’m calling it now, this is The Year of the Buckeye
, football fans and it all starts on Saturday at the Spring Game.
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
Now that we have hit April, there isn’t a ton going on when it comes to Ohio State sports. The basketball season for the men’s and women’s team have both wrapped up, the women’s hockey team closed out their season with their second national title in the last three years, and Jesse Mendez won a wrestling national championship at 141 lbs. Add in the football players that announced they were returning to the team, the talents that joined the team from the transfer portal, and the upgrades Ryan Day has made with his coaching staff, the first three months of 2024 have been very interesting when it comes to Ohio State athletics.
Today we want to know what you are most looking forward to this month when it comes to Ohio State sports. Maybe it’s the weather eventually getting warmer so you can take in some baseball, softball, lacrosse, or any other outdoor spring sporting events. Then there is the spring game, which is an affordable way for a family to get to Ohio Stadium to see the football team in action. Or there are the NFL and WNBA drafts where former Buckeyes will find out where they’ll be starting their professional careers. If we are missing any exciting events when it comes to Ohio State, please let us know so we can put them on our radar.
Today’s question: What event in April involving Ohio State are you most looking forward to?
We’d love to hear your choices. Either respond to us on Twitter at @Landgrant33 or leave your choice in the comments.
Brett’s answer: The NFL Draft
This year’s draft might not be quite as juicy as last year when three Buckeyes were taken in the first 20 picks, but there will still be some intrigue at the top of the draft for one Ohio State player. Marvin Harrison Jr. is undoubtedly the best wide receiver in this year’s draft and will be the first non-quarterback to come off the board later this month. It feels like the first three picks in the draft will end up being quarterbacks, which currently leaves the Arizona Cardinals as a likely landing spot for Harrison with the fourth pick in the draft. If somehow Arizona either trades their pick or passes on Harrison, then the Buckeye wide receiver might have to go play for Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers. Hopefully, Harrison is off the board before Harbaugh has a chance to draft him.
Another fun thing to watch at the draft this year is who will be the next Ohio State player to be selected after Harrison. Unfortunately, we’ll likely have to wait until the second day of the draft to find out who that will be. Defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. has seen his stock rise with his performance last season, as well as his physical gifts. Tight end Cade Stover is also in the mix to be the second Ohio State player taken in this year’s draft after finishing his Buckeye career with the second-most catches by a tight end in school history. “Farmer Gronk” will be an immediate fan favorite for the team that ends up selecting him.
When it comes to the rest of this year’s draft, there are two Ohio State players who feel like a lock to be taken at some point in the seven-round event. Linebacker Tommy Eichenberg and safety Josh Proctor both starred on the defense over the last few years and with the pedigree of some of the players that came before them, there are NFL teams that would love to have them on their teams. Then there are guys like Steele Chambers, Miyan Williams, and Xavier Johnson, who all feel like they could be late-round picks, but might be better suited to join teams as undrafted free agents since they’ll be able to have more of a choice in where they’ll start their professional careers.
No matter where all the Buckeyes in this year’s draft pool are taken, I’m hoping they all have long and successful professional careers!
Matt’s answer: Football Spring Game
There are a lot of things that I could throw in at this point, from the highly ranked tennis teams to the always great track and field squads to what’s going on with the baseball and softball teams, but I’m going to keep it real with you, Ohio State fandom is mostly about football. I know, I know, that’s a shock to a lot of people, but I promise you it’s true. So, I am going with the spring game.
The last time that Ryan Day’s squad was seen on a field, it was brutal, it was ugly, and it was embarrassing. So much so that I wrote an article in the hours immediately following the game in which I laid out what I thought needed to be done in order to get the football Buckeyes back to where they belong, at the top of the Big Ten and legitimately competing for the national title every year.
Now, I’m not saying that Day read my article and went about implementing every suggestion exactly as I made them, because not everything was hit exactly as I prescribed, and even some that were took rather circuitous routes to get there. But, a lot of what I thought needed to be done ended up happening in one way, shape, or form, so I am excited to see what this new iteration of the team looks like; not only to get a glimpse of the future of the program, but also to wash away whatever lingering sourness that the Cotton Bowl had deposited in our collective mouthes.
From new coaches and coordinators to one of the most pound-for-pound impressive transfer hauls in recent memory to true freshmen already making an impact, I am ready to see what the Ohio State football team looks like as we enter the expanded playoff era. Obviously what we see on Saturday will not be the finished product that we witness come fall, but it will at least be a bridge to get us there, both in terms of the fans and the team.
There will be some key contributors not participating and others will be limited (I mean how much do we really need to see TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins in a scrimmage?), but seeing what kind of shenanigans Chip Kelly can come up with, what Jeremiah Smith can do in his first time wearing scarlet and gray, what Little Animal can draw up with Sonny Styles and C.J. Hicks at his linebacking disposal... what’s not to be excited about?
I’m calling it now, this is The Year of the Buckeye
, football fans and it all starts on Saturday at the Spring Game.Continue reading...