Category: Buckeyes Wire

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day believes Ohio State should have three Heisman candidates

Ohio State University’s head coach Ryan Day believes his Buckeyes have three Heisman Trophy candidates.

The Ohio State football team is 12-0, and it has been largely been due to the Buckeyes’ first-year head coach Ryan Day. He has figured out how to thrive with one of the most talented teams in the nation.

One of just three teams to enter the conference championship weekend undefeated, the Buckeyes have been dominant, crushing most teams en route to clinching the Big Ten East a week early.

Although Day has constructed most of the team’s quintessential gameplans, they’ve executed them behind three players that could all be considered finalists for the Heisman Trophy.

And Day is drinking his own Kool-Aid, also believing he has three players that deserve to be in New York for the ceremony.

Chase Young, Justin Fields, and J.K. Dobbins are the three. That trio involves one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks, the nation’s best defender and arguably the best running back in college football.

Young, with potentially three games remaining, already has the most sacks in a single season in Ohio State history this season — all while missing two because of a suspension.

As for Dobbins, he’s broken into the university’s top-two in all-time rushing yards while not even seeing the bulk of the second-half carries in what feels like the majority of Ohio State’s games.

Lastly, Fields has been the engine that’s created such a dynamic Ohio State offense.

In his sophomore season, Fields has 37 passing touchdowns and ONE interception. Tack on almost 2,700 passing yards, 470 rushing yards and ten more rushing touchdowns, and Fields has seemingly made every big play when it’s mattered most.

Fields and Dobbins put up four touchdowns each against Michigan. It wasn’t just this past Saturday that they’ve been atop their game, the dynamic duo has been running the Big Ten all season.

Had Ohio State been in more four-quarter games, we could be talking about any of these three as Heisman favorites. Sadly, it seems LSU’s Joe Burrow is running away with the award.

Still, getting at least two from Ohio State to make the trip to New York would be special.

J.K. Dobbins announced as B1G Offensive Player of the Week

The Buckeyes put a beatdown on Michigan, and J.K. Dobbins put up a performance worthy of being dubbed the B1G Offensive Player of the Week.

The Buckeyes put a beatdown on Michigan, and J.K. Dobbins put up a performance worthy of being dubbed the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.

That performance resulted in the third-year running back ending with a career-high 211 yards and four touchdowns. This has been Dobbins fourth time as a B1G Offensive Player of the Week just this season alone.

Dobbins was an absolute game-changer, rushing for 6.8 yards per carry. With both Ohio State touchdowns in the second quarter, Dobbins had three scores in the first half alone.

He capped off the Buckeyes dominant, 29-point victory with the team’s last fourth-quarter touchdown as well.

The junior back is looking like the best in college football. He’s also one of the best in Ohio State history, moving into second all-time in rushing yards, passing Ezekiel Elliott.

Both three-year backs, Dobbins is arguably the dominant back to ever come through Columbus. That is not said lightly, and Dobbins’ performances do back up the claim.

Dobbins is continuing his bid as a first-round pick in the ever-nearing NFL Draft. He could top 2,000 all-purpose yards with 143 in the Big Ten Championship Game this Saturday.

Ohio State Football names its Players of the Week against Michigan

The Ohio State Buckeyes put a 29-point beatdown on their northern rivals, and it was behind the dominant performances of their four players.

The Ohio State Buckeyes put a 29-point beatdown on their northern rivals this past Saturday. From start to finish, it was all Ohio State after Michigan got out to a lead early.

Michigan took their first drive to the house and put up sixteen first-half points on the nation’s best defense. While that wasn’t expected, Ohio State did respond in a big way, scoring the very next drive.

The Buckeyes took a 28-16 lead into half time. After a 14-3 third quarter, the 42-19 ballgame was all but over as the sea of red started to crowd one of the endzone sections.

That said, Ohio State has released its offensive and defensive players of the week.

Offensively, it was J.K. Dobbins and Justin Fields.

There are no questions asked here.

Dobbins ran for 200-plus yards, averaging 6.8 yards per game. He found the endzone four times. Fields then threw for four more touchdowns and 302 yards, his second 300-yard performance of the season.

Defensively for the Buckeyes, they appointed Davon Hamilton and Jeff Okudah.

Okudah, the nation’s best corner and projected top-five pick, was all over the field against the Wolverines. Surprisingly, they opted to actually throw his way, ending the game with two pass deflections.

For Hamilton, he finished the game with four solo tackles, two tackles for loss and one big-time sack. Chase Young was neutralized against a sturdy Michigan front.

Moving forward, although they didn’t need the victory to clinch the Big Ten East, the Buckeyes will be taking on Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game this coming Saturday at 8 pm EST.

Ohio State Wrestling bounces back with win over Cornell

The Ohio State Buckeyes wrestling team picked up a much-needed bounce-back win after losing to Virginia Tech last week.

The Ohio State Buckeyes wrestling team needed a good performance, coming off a surprising and disappointing loss against Virginia Tech two weeks ago. The team got exactly that this weekend, beating Cornell 23-9, though there is still work to be done if it wants to contend for a national title.

The Buckeyes still have two No. 1 wrestlers in their weight classes, with Luke Pletcher at 141 pounds and Kollin Moore at 197 pounds. Neither has lost yet this year, and both pulled out strong wins on Sunday, with Moore’s coming as a Major Decision. Pletcher, as he is wont to do, kept the score tight, but he was never in danger of losing to Cornell’s Noah Baughman.

Sammy Sasso bounced back from his shocking pin against Virginia Tech to dominate Hunter Richard. The final score was a very close 12-9 as it seemed like Sasso just ran out of gas in the final minutes of his match. He will likely have to work on conditioning as the season goes on, or maybe it was just a bad day. We will find out more at the Cliff Keen Invitational this coming weekend, when Sasso will likely have to face multiple talented wrestlers on the same day.

Kaleb Romero looks to have the Buckeyes established at 174 pounds, and he silenced the doubters with a big win over Top 15 foe Brandon Womach. Romero pulled out a late takedown to break a 4-4 tie and win the match. Malik Heinselman (125 pounds) and Ethan Smith (165) were both pretty impressive in wins, and used matches against weaker opponents to work on getting bonus points.

The Buckeyes still have some real holes that need to be filled, though. No one has yet stepped up at 157 or 184 pounds. There are decent options at the first, but unless Gavin Hoffman or Zach Steiner improves, 184 pounds will be a real weakness in Ohio State’s lineup this year. The Buckeyes haven’t quite had enough individuals in the National Championship hunt to take the team competition from Penn State the past few years, but have been the most competitive top-to-bottom in all ten weight classes. Unless there’s a fix at 184 pounds soon, though, that streak may come to an end.

Ohio State vs. Michigan was FOX’s most watched college football game of the year

The Ohio State vs. Michigan game gathered viewers en mass as it normally does. FOX Sports reports it to be the 2nd most viewed game of 2019.

This FOX Big NOON Kickoff experiment has been widely successful. More and more numbers keep pouring in on the noon window and how the biggest FOX college football game of the week does against its competition, and it has more than held its own on several occasions.

And now we have more to add to the numbers.

According to a press release from FOX, the Ohio State vs. Michigan game was the most watched telecast of the day, and the most viewed college football game on FOX for the entire college football season. In fact, to date, only the LSU vs. Alabama matchup had more eyes on it so far this year.

Of course a lot of it probably had to do with Urban Meyer’s presence in a lot of the Ohio State games that were in the noon window, but that just makes good business sense does it not?

Also, another important note from the network — the 11AM to Noon Eastern time slot showed a bigger rating from the FOX Big Noon Kickoff Show than what ESPN’s College Game Day pulled in. That too is significant and hard to fathom for a show that just got started this year, going against a mainstay on ESPN that’s been around for more than two decades in its current format.

Now, you could say the numbers might change a little when you account for the mid-week roll-up, but either way, it’s clear FOX is cutting into the ESPN market share.

Ohio State stays at No. 2 in NFF Super 16 College Football Poll

Ohio State remains steady in the latest release of the NFF Super 16 College Football Poll.

Ohio State football has hit the trifecta. It is now confirmed as the No. 2 team in college football in the AP, Amway Coaches, and now the NFF Super 16 College Football Poll to end the regular season.

The only team ahead of the Buckeyes continues to be the LSU Tigers who have put together an impressive resume. Clemson, Georgia and Utah round out the top five. Following them are Oklahoma (6), Baylor (7), Alabama (8), Florida (9) and Wisconsin (10).

Like the other polls, the Buckeyes did narrow the gap a bit after their impressive showing on the road at Michigan, but will probably remain at No. 2 until LSU loses.

Ohio State next takes on No. 10 Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game Saturday. You can find the complete 16 team rankings in the graphic below.

Now we await the College Football Playoff Committee’s penultimate rankings set to be released on Tuesday.

Ohio State football remains at No. 2 in AP Poll

Ohio State continues to win big, and continues to stay steady in the lastest AP College Football Poll.

The regular season is over, and the AP poll continues to stay the same at the top with LSU holding onto the top spot, with Ohio State and Clemson following at No. 2 and 3 respectively.

There was a little bit of a shakeup in the top ten because of losses by Alabama and Michigan, and things are going to be very interesting to see what the College Football Playoff Committee does in its penultimate rankings that will be released on Tuesday.

After its dismantling of Michigan on Saturday, the Buckeyes did gain a bit on LSU, picking up some 1st place votes, but it’s unlikely OSU will catch the Tigers in either the AP, or Amway Coaches Poll unless LSU loses in the SEC Championship Game.

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Here’s a complete look at the complete AP Top 25 Poll for post week 14:

1. LSU
2. Ohio State
3. Clemson
4. Georgia
5. Utah
6. Oklahoma
7. Florida
8. Baylor
9. Alabama
10. Wisconsin
11. Auburn
12. Penn State
13. Oregon
14. Notre Dame
15. Minnesota
16. Memphis
17. Michigan
18. Iowa
19. Boise State
20. Appalachian State
21. Cincinnati
22. Virginia
23. Navy
24. USC
25. Air Force

Former Michigan star Charles Woodson agrees Ohio State wants rivalry more

Charles Woodson has some words for the Michigan program after it got beat down by Ohio State once again.

Ohio State administered another public flogging of arch rival Michigan. After a year of so-called culture changes, defensive adjustments, and likely holy water and fasting, nothing really changed. The Buckeyes blew the doors off a Wolverine program once again, this time even worse than the 62-39 embarrassment of last year.

Hard questions must be asked, but solutions are hard to find.

One thing appears to be evident though. Ohio State just wants it more, and it The Game is a way of life, not just something you really want when late November rolls around.

Former Michigan defensive back and Heisman winner Charles Woodson had an honest and sobering assessment after the game. After watching his former team get rolled over once again, he agreed that the rivalry just means more to Ohio State.

When talking and responding to former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer on FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff postgame show, Woodson admitted that the Buckeyes were the better team, and that Michigan has to get back to making it a way of life like Ohio State does.

You can watch Woodson’s comments below thanks to the video posted to the official Twitter feed of FOX College Football.

You have to appreciate the honest assessment from Woodson. He may bleed Maize and Blue, but he knows the reality of where things stand, and isn’t afraid to call out the Michigan staff and players.

Former Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano to be named Rutgers head coach

According to multiple reports, former Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano has agreed in principle to become Rutgers’ head coach.

Groundhog day has officially struck a couple of months early in Piscataway, New Jersey. That’s because according to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman and others, former Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano has agreed in principle to become the next head coach at Rutgers — for a second time.

Schiano put the Rutgers program on the map back in the mid 2000’s by using a workmanlike attitude sorely needed in a program that had struggled to string together any type consistent competitiveness. The Scarlet Knights enjoyed their most productive seasons in school history under his watch.

He then used that success to make the leap to the next level with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but never met expectations there and was fired during the 2013 season after just two seasons. He then went back to the high school ranks before being hired as the defensive coordinator by good friend Urban Meyer at Ohio State in 2016.

Schiano though, was not retained by new head coach Ryan Day and had a short stint with the New England Patriots in the offseason before deciding to concentrate of family rather than the rigors of the NFL.

Now, it appears. he is back to familiar surroundings in the state he knows and loves well. The deal is reportedly an 8-year $32 Million deal also according to the same sources that detailed the arrangement to The Athletic.

It remains to be seen whether Schiano can duplicate the success he had in his first stint. It’ll be an uphill climb both ways with all the disadvantages built into the program, but time will tell.

Big Ten football power rankings after week 14: The writing is on the wall

The regular season is over and most teams are locked into the Big Ten football power rankings for 2019. There’s a change near the top.

All the regular season games are now complete in the Big Ten, and only two teams have a conference game left. That would be the Big Ten Championship game of course, and there are two familiar combatants.

Ohio State and Wisconsin are the two teams that have reached Indy the most, so off we go again. It’s a little zany because the Buckeyes blew the doors off the Badgers earlier this year, so there’s that. Make of it what you will. Either way, it’s a chance to get some more hardware so both teams will put the pads and helmets on and perform feats of athletic endeavors in Lucas Oil Stadium.

Meanwhile, the rest of the conference is done aside from those nine teams that are going bowling. But that won’t likely change the destiny of what’s been written in stone almost for this 2019 season.

Here’s the final power rankings for the regular season.

14. Rutgers – (Last week 14)

The season is mercifully over, and now the Scarlet Knights can begin the Greg Schiano era — again. There’s a ton of wood to chop folks.

13. Maryland – (Last week 13)

The season is mercifully over, and now the Mike Locksley era can continue. They’re all out of wood folks.

12. Northwestern – (Last week 12)

Yup. The season is mercifully over and now Pat Fitzgerald can quite being so salty towards the media. Where the heck did this pile of turds season come from anyway?

11. Nebraska – (Last week 11)

You guessed it. The season is mercifully over and now Scott Frost and company can start the promotional train on being the darkhorse to win the Big Ten West again. Boy was everyone wrong on that one.

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