Category: Buckeyes Wire

Kerry Coombs visits Ohio State target Cameron Martinez

New Ohio State defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs spent time visiting with four-star 2020 target Cameron Martinez Wednesday.

New Ohio State defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs is wasting no time working on priorities. The Buckeyes are looking to keep four-star Michigan athlete Cameron Martinez committed, so that’s where Coombs spent time “planting flags” Wednesday.

You had to believe that paying a visit to the lone holdout from the early signing period would be one of the main things Coombs would jump on right away, and it took him all of two days on the job to get it done. How’s that for letting Martinez know how much he means to the program?

In fact, Martinez seemed to enjoy getting to know the new defensive coordinator and replacement for Jeff Hafley — with whom he developed a great relationship with. The two-time MLive Michigan football player of the year shared the visit on his Twitter feed.

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Martinez recently told the Detroit Free Press that he’s still planning on signing with Ohio State, and this sure looks like a good move towards that. We’ll all find out on February 5 when the traditional signing day comes around.

 

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Ohio State uses solid defense to head to halftime up on Minnesota

Ohio State basketball went into the break up by nine against Minnesota. Defense ruled the first twenty for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State got out to a slow start, but slowly it began to impose its will and went into halftime up 37-28 on the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

The Buckeyes are shooting the ball much better, nailing 11 of 22 shots for a 50% clip from the floor, but it’s been the defensive end that has made the difference. Ohio State held Minnesota to 37 percent shooting, outrebounded the Gophers 22 to 12, and were able to lock down the inside effectiveness of Daniel Oturu.

Surprisingly enough, Kaleb Wesson has yet to register a point. The Buckeyes have used a more liberal approach with its guards to take advantage of a collapsing Gopher defense. Guards C.J. Walker and D.J. Carton led OSU in scoring with eight points apiece. Kyle Young chipped in six, and Duane Washington five.

It’s not all roses though. The Buckeyes were still plagued with turnovers — committing seven in the first half alone. You can bet the Gophers will make a run if the carelessness continues in the second twenty.

For now though, Ohio State has put itself into position to get a much-needed win. Time to take care of business in the second half.

WATCH: Ohio State receiver K.J. Hill make ridiculous one-handed snag at Senior Bowl practice

Ohio State wide receiver K.J. Hill made a ridiculous one-handed grab during Senior Bowl practice Thursday.

Ohio State wide receiver K.J. Hill just keeps on impressing during Senior Bowl practices. He’s already made a few defensive-backs look silly, and now he’s just showing off. While running a drag pattern in practice Thursday, Hill had a ball delivered to him late and on his back shoulder while running across the field. Did he slow down? Of course not.

Rather than break stride, Hill just kept running, reached back and grabbed the ball with one hand and never brought it into his body, he just kept it away from the defender as he ran upfield. The most amazing part is that he made it look so easy.

If you haven’t seen it yet, you can get a look by clicking on the below Twitter video shared by Andrew Mason of DNVR Sports.

If you’ve watched Hill, this is nothing new. He has routinely hauled in passes with one hand with ease. It’s just nice to see the rest of the country see what Buckeye fans have for four years now.

WATCH: Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann Minnesota preview press conference

Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann met with the media today to discuss the home matchup with Minnesota. Watch here.

Ohio State basketball will try again to begin a turnaround towards something resembling what it looked like at the beginning of the year Thursday night when it hosts Minnesota. It’s a game the Buckeyes sorely need to get some positive momentum going for a season that is all of a sudden in a downward spiral.

Chris Holtmann met with the local media to preview the matchup and to provide a status on his team heading into the crucial home matchup. We’ve got the complete press conference for you thanks to the fine folks at Ohio State and the post on OhioStateBuckeyes.com.

You can click on the below and listen to Holtmann discuss the psyche of his team, the challenge of playing Minnesota, the status of Musa Jallow, and more.

Ohio State and Minnesota will do battle at 6:30 PM on FS1.

Musa Jallow done for the year, will undergo reconstructive ankle surgery

Chris Holtmann met with media in Columbus and confirmed that Ohio State forward Musa Jallow will redshirt and undergo ankle surgery.

Ohio State Chris Holtmann met with the local media in Columbus today to preview the home contest against Minnesota and dropped a bit of a bombshell. If you’ve followed this team from the preseason on, it’s no secret that forward Musa Jallow has been out of the lineup with an ankle injury. Up until now, there was still hope that he would return at some point.

But that appears to no longer be the case.

According to Holtmann, Jallow will undergo reconstructive ankle surgery on Friday and will be out the remainder of the year. Because of the injury, he will be redshirting for the 2019-2020 season, rehab, and hope to come back 100 percent next year.

The Buckeyes have been without the services of Jallow the entire year so the news doesn’t impact much for this season. But having him back next year should be a boost for the program.

Ohio State baseball schedule for 2020

We’re just three weeks away from the beginning of the 2020 Ohio State baseball season. Here’s the full schedule.

Yes snow is falling, temperatures are freezing, and the wind is biting. Believe it or not though, college baseball season is just about three weeks away in some of the sunnier and warmer climates. And since Ohio State baseball gets a jump on the season by going to warmer locations and tournaments, the Buckeyes are set to break the seal on the season as well.

In case you are a college baseball junkie, or just a fan of all Ohio State sports in general, we’ve got your 2020 Ohio State baseball schedule. The Buckeyes are ranked No. 24 in the preseason and are expected to contend for the Big Ten title and potentially another appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

We’ve got it all for you on the next page. Print it out, plan your time, and enjoy.

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Ohio State football No. 3 in average attendance for home games in 2019

The Ohio State football program finished No. 3 in average home attendance for the 2019 season.

The Big Ten has some of the most iconic stadiums in all of college football. Part of what makes them some of the cathedrals of the sport are their sheer size as well. The three largest stadiums in all of college football reside in Big Ten country. There is of course the Big House in Ann Arbor, the largest in the country, but there’s also Penn State’s Beaver Stadium, and Ohio Stadium in Columbus as the third largest.

So it makes sense then that all three of those programs enjoyed the three highest average attendance at home in 2019, in that order. Michigan was tops, Penn State second, and YOUR Ohio State Buckeyes at No. 3.

Credit to Dustin Schutte of Saturday Tradition for uncovering these figures.

This has become an annual tradition of sorts for the Big Ten. With some of the largest venues, it’s a little easier for these three teams to continuously show well despite some of the attendance challenges college football is starting to experience.

Still, there has to be interest in the program to fill a stadium of that size, and that’s clearly there for Ohio State.

 

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Matt Carpenter, Dillon Dingler named Ohio State baseball captains for 2020

Ohio State baseball chose its captains for the 2020 season. Both Matt Carpenter and Dillon Dingler will lead the team.

In preparation for the college baseball season that’s set to open up in about three weeks, the Ohio State baseball team has named its 2020 team captains. Both infielder Matt Carpenter and catcher Dillon Dingler were chosen by their teammates last week.

“Both Carp and Ding have the pulse of the locker room,” said coach Greg Beals. “They each have a great feel for the game and they know how to win. Both are well-deserving of their roles as captain.”

Both are upper-classmen. As a fifth-year senior, Carpenter has already appeared in 67 games, including starting 41 one season ago. He batted .257 last year with eight doubles, two triples, 25 runs scored, and 15 RBIs. He is a four-time OSU Scholar-Athlete and three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection.

Dingler was selected as a captain as a sophomore last year as well. He was named Second-Team All-Big Ten and was named to the All-Big Ten Tournament Team last year. He has appeared in 102 games with 88 total starts. In two seasons, he has accumulated 17 doubles, three triples, seven home runs, 62 runs scored, and 36 RBIs. He is a two-time OSU Scholar-Athlete and a 2019 Academic-All Big Ten Selection.

The team should be in good hands with this duo leading the team in 2020.

Ohio State using Clemson loss as motivation, has new sign with Fiesta Bowl score

Ohio State has installed a sign in the weight room reminding all the players of the loss to Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl.

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Ohio State strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti met with the media today to provide an update on the team and winter conditioning. The team is Ryan Day’s, but during the offseason, it’s coach Mick’s wholly and specifically.

One of the revelations that came from the media session is the motivation the loss to Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl is providing. Coaches always look for ways to get teams going. They push buttons, they try unusual tactics and prod and pry where they think they can, to mold the future state of the team.

In this case, the coaching staff has decided to install a sign of the Fiesta Bowl score in the weight room — a place where pushing that extra mile yields tangible results.

We already know about the Michigan countdown clock, and the one that show’s the time of the next opponent, but now it appears as though the players and coaches will be reminded of how close they came every time they enter the weight room.

If that’s not worth one more bench press, bicep curl, or military press, I don’t know what is.

WATCH: Ohio State return of Kerry Coombs hype video

Kerry Coombs is back on the Ohio State football coaching staff and the OSU creative team capped it off with a hype video for the ages.

Kerry Coombs is back, but of course you knew that by now. After a five year stint under Urban Meyer where every starting defensive-back he coached landed in the NFL, Coombs took a two-year hiatus to coach under Mike Vrabel with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.

I mean, who could blame him? But now, he’s getting a promotion to come back to Columbus with his high-energy, coffee, Red-Bull and all.

We’re used to seeing the Ohio State creative team put out hype videos throughout the year, but rarely do we see one centered around a coaching hire. But that was before the excitement level of getting Coombs back on staff went through the roof.

If you haven’t seen the return of Kerry Coombs hype video, you can click on the below. Just be prepared. Coombs can make about anyone want to run off a cliff into boiling water, so clear all breakables before you watch it.

Are you and everyone around you safe? Just checking.

 

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion.

We have a forum and message board now. Get in on the conversation about Ohio State athletics by joining the Buckeyes Wire Forum.