Category: Buckeyes Wire

What Ohio State football players are receiving in their “swag bag” for the Fiesta Bowl

Ohio State and Clemson players are receiving quite the gift package from the Playstation Fiesta Bowl this year.

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It’s always fun to see what type of gifts certain bowls hand out annually. Under NCAA rules, bowl games are allowed to provide gift packages that amounts to no more than $550 per player. That’s a decent amount of money, especially for a college kid, so there’s usually some pretty good stuff in what the media-types call the “swag bag.”

So what is the Playstation Fiesta Bowl handing out to each individual player this year? It’s a good thing Sports Business Daily has been tracking this sort of thing since 2006, so we get a peek at what’s being handed out to both the Ohio State and Clemson players in the desert.

You can probably guess what one of those gifts might be with the title sponsor and all. And yes, that’s right, each player’s featured gift is a Playstation PS4 gift package. But that’s not all, also included is a Fossil watch, Ogio Shuttle Pack backpack, a book titled “History of the Bowls: Celebrating the Good of the Game“, and an Ice Shaker insulated bottle.

Now, in a “generous” gesture, the NCAA has allowed for a one-time exception allowance for the History of the Bowls book in honor of college football’s 150 year anniversary.

That’s all a pretty good haul. And for Ohio State, LeBron James also chipped in with some Beats By Dre headphones for the entire football team that’s also separate and an allowable allocation by school individually. Maybe the powers that be should have included some additional luggage for all these gifts.

Of course the most important gift each player would love to have is the Fiesta Bowl trophy for winning this thing on Saturday to move on to New Orleans.

Ohio State Football: LeBron James gifts the team with Beats by Dre

The Ohio State Buckeyes were gifted with Beats by Dre from LeBron James, one of Ohio State’s many diehard fans.

The Ohio State Buckeyes were gifted with Beats by Dre from LeBron James, one of Ohio State’s many die hard fans that just so happens to be one of the best players to ever pick up a basketball.

James, who is now having his Ohio State “alumni jersey” sold by Nike although never officially attending the university, is a superfan for one of the best college football programs in America.

This will be an encouragement to the team that will be facing their most difficult challenge of the season in just a few days.

On Saturday night, at 8 pm Eastern, the Buckeyes will take on the undefeated Clemson Tigers for a chance to play in the College Football Playoff championship game.

That said, here the video of head coach Ryan Day giving his team the Beats.

James will undoubtedly be rooting for his Buckeyes on Saturday, and hopefully the team will be jamming to some celebratory music on those new headphones Saturday night after all is said and done.

Former Ohio State defensive lineman Dremont Jones up for NFL Rookie of the Week

Former Ohio State defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones has been nominated for the NFL’s Rookie of the Week.

Former Ohio State and current Denver Bronco defensive lineman Dremont Jones is up for NFL Rookie of the Week after a fantastic performance against the Detroit Lions.

Jones had himself a day with four tackles and two sacks in a 27-17 victory over a reeling Detroit Lions squad. He continues to develop at the defensive end spot and is showing that he was worth the Broncos taking a chance on him in the 3rd round of last year’s NFL Draft.

Jones is up for the award against Daniel Jones of the Giants, Miles Sanders of the Eagles, Hunter Renfrow of the Raiders, and Derick Roberson of the Titans.

If you want to help Jones with the honor, you can vote directly on NFL.com.

Ohio State Football is the official DBU and will need to back it up against Clemson. Look at this crazy stat from 2019 as proof.

Several programs brag about being DBU in college football. Look at this stat though that provides further evidence that Ohio State BIA.

There’s been a fight all season (for years really) about which team is college football is DBU. Standing for Defensive Back University, it’s been Florida and LSU bickering for the top spot. But somebody has to tell them.

Many believe it’s been Ohio State’s title to lose all along. And that isn’t about to happen this year.

With Jeff Okudah and Damon Arnette, the Buckeyes easily have the most talented corner tandem, with Okudah projected to be the best cornerback prospect in college football.

Arnette and even fellow corner Shaun Wade are supposed to hear their names called in the late April draft as well. It’s not just about the potential on this roster but their success. And that’s before we even begin discussing safety Jordan Fuller who is the eraser on the back-end playing center field. He too, is most likely going to land on an NFL roster.

But wait. Here’s a stat by PFF College that proves exactly why Ohio State is DBU — at least this year.

Only one TD allowed by the combination of Okudah and Arnette in 2019? That’s hard to believe, and speaks volumes for what this group does for a much improved defense this year.

But it’s not just this year.

Ohio State has boasted elite corners such as Marshon Lattimore, Denzel Ward and Eli Apple this past decade. The Buckeye program consistently trains some of the best corners in the world.

That said, with one of the nation’s best defenses, Ohio State’s secondary will be tested like they’ve yet to be this season on Saturday.

The nation’s No. 2 ranked Ohio State pass defense, giving up just 148.5 yards per game through the air, will meet Clemson’s No. 1 pass defense, giving up just over 138.5 per game.

The Ohio State-Clemson matchup will be a battle of two elite defense going against two potent offense. Something’s got to give right?

The dynamic QB-WR trio of Trevor Lawrence, Tee Higgins, and Justyn Ross will meet Okudah, Arnette and gang in the Fiesta Bowl, and it will be a matchup for the ages. The 6-foot-4 Higgins has averaged over 140 yards per game over Clemson’s last two games alone and is a red-zone nightmare for opposing secondaries.

Will Ohio State’s defensive backs continue to lock down some of the nation’s best? This will be the real test of whether or not it deserves the title of DBU.

Or in the case of what they’ve dubbed themselves — BIA (Best in America).

WATCH: Ohio State Football releases insane hype video ahead of Fiesta Bowl

The Ohio State Football team dropped an insane hype video just two days ahead of its Fiesta Bowl matchup with the Clemson Tigers.

The Ohio State Football program dropped an insane hype video just two days ahead of their Fiesta Bowl matchup with the Clemson Tigers.

This matchup could define the program’s decade, and they’ll have the chance to seek revenge on a team that’s had its number in the past, embarrassing them in past playoff matchups.

Both undefeated, this will be an 8 pm Eastern matchup, and it’s primed to be the best of the season. The No. 2 vs No. 3 ranked team for a chance to play in the College Football Playoff final in New Orleans.

All season Ohio State has made hype videos preparing for their next game. This one is no different, but the program’s staff takes it to the next level.

Here, see for yourself.

Does that not have you hyped for the game Saturday?

It’s time. Justin Fields. J.K. Dobbins. Chase Young. It’s time to shine. This is college football’s brightest stage, and it’s time for OSU to prove that it belongs.

Ohio State offensive linemen Wyatt Davis, Josh Myers to return next year

According to sources close to Lettermen Row, Wyatt Davis, Thayer Munford and Josh Myers all appear to be returning for their senior seasons.

It’s that time of the year when we start to hear rumblings about players that could leave early for the NFL. That might be put off a wee-bit because Ohio State is in the middle of a College Football Playoff run, but at some point we’ll begin to hear who is declaring and who isn’t for those players three years removed from high school.

On that note, the Buckeyes have already received good news on its offensive line — at least according to a report from Lettermen Row. You could even say that Christmas came a day late for offensive line coach Greg Studrawa. That’s because according to the online Ohio State fan site, both right guard Wyatt Davis and center Josh Myers are planning on returning for their senior seasons.

Both spoke to Lettermen Row and confirmed the intentions to forego the NFL Draft and come back for another year in Columbus.

“Yes, I did [submit draft feedback paperwork], but I want to put out there that I’m returning next year,” Davis told Lettermen Row. “I haven’t received [feedback] yet. I’m still waiting on it just to see it. But, yes sir, I’m coming back.”

The report also cites sources close to the program that also say left tackle Thayer Munford could also return, confirming that he did not even submit paperwork for feedback in preparation for the draft. The same boat that Josh Myers is in — having completely skipped the process with the intentions of coming back.

If true, the return of all three could be an important development for an offensive line that was one of the best in the country this year. The program could have lost all three and had to go through another rebuild year.

Myers took the starting center job and has excelled to the point of being one of the best in the country. Davis earned All-American honors, and Munford is the anchor on the left side that protects the blind-side of the right-handed Justin Fields.

Now, Davis could potentially change his mind if he gets a first round grade that would be enticing, but he appears to be well set in his decision to come back and be a big part of embarking on another run in 2020.

You can bank on other early departures on the team, but this is at least some very good news for the future of the Ohio State offense.

WATCH: Ohio State head coach Ryan Day gets jokingly swarmed by his offensive line

Ohio State is preparing for Clemson, but it’s also having fun out in the desert. Get a look of the offensive line swarming Ryan Day.

If you’ve been wondering what the mood of the Ohio State football team is out in Phoenix, wonder no more. Of course the team is down to business and focused on preparing to install a game plan to slow down defending champion Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl, but the team also seems to be finding ways to stay loose and have fun out in the desert.

Take the video shared by the Playstation Fiesta Bowl for example.

Ryan Day is out welcoming the offensive line, joking with some resistance with a tackling pad, when a training apparatus is removed to allow the entire offensive line group to begin going after him like free tacos have just been offered up.

Click on the below to watch the humor of the team having fun at the expense of Ryan Day. Of course, it’s all in good fun.

We can only wonder if the team would have done this to Urban Meyer under the same circumstances.

Ohio State vs. Clemson: Colin Cowherd makes his pick while trashing the Big Ten

Colin Cowherd has made his pick for Ohio State vs. Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl. He did it while trashing the big ten.

The narrative continues to be set. Clemson is just too much for this Ohio State team. More and more media members are giving the Buckeyes no shot at hanging with the Tigers because of their speed, coaching and athleticism.

And now you can count FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd in that crowd. While appearing on his morning sports talk show, the sports personality sided with the Clemson Tigers in the Fiesta Bowl matchup set to take place Saturday.

“Clemson minus two, I like Clemson to win by a touchdown,” said Cowherd. “I thought the number was low, I think we’re undervaluing Clemson. I think we look at their conference and say they didn’t play anybody, and that is a huge benefit. They are healthy, they got a ton of depth, and I believe when you don’t know who’s going to win, you go with the coaching staff in college, and I think Clemson has the best coaching staff by a wide margin. They have three current head coaches, capable guys that could run programs. Dabo is just the No. 1 guy. I’m going to take Clemson here.”

Cowherd then went on to talk about Trevor Lawrence and Clemson’s defense.

“First of all, Trevor Lawrence since week nine — good luck. Ohio State’s defense gets the credit, I could argue Clemson’s is actually better — first in the country in multiple categories. Trevor Lawrence since week nine has been unstoppable.”

But Cowherd didn’t stop there. He went on to trash the entire Big Ten.

“I don’t think the ACC is great, but who who in the Big Ten is amazing outside of Ohio State,” Cowherd said. “Michigan? Lost to all the good teams they played. Wisconsin? Well-coached certainly, not a ton of great NFL players. Who else you selling me in that conference? Iowa? Okay, not special. Listen, right now Ohio State’s defense is good, but in the last four games, they’re allowing 21 (points) a game. That’s against Big Ten defenses (meant to say offenses we’re sure). Clemson — NFL back, NFL quarterback, NFL offensive line, NFL tight end, NFL receivers. I think Clemson is going to win 36-30, I’m not sure it will feel that close, but I think this is the type of speed Ohio State has not seen anything close to, and Clemson has. They’re 5-0 in the last two years against SEC speed and they’ve blown most of those SEC teams like Alabama out.”

You can catch the entire segment below thanks to it being shared by his radio show.

Okay. There are so many things we could point out with this horrible and lazy analysis. Are we really still on the SEC speed thing despite Ohio State being one of the fastest teams in the country over the last few years. We’ve seen wide receivers, DBs, and other defensive players translate very well to the NFL, and scouts and metrics would tell you that this team is even more talented. That doesn’t mean OSU will win the game, but that’s a lazy and uneducated argument.

Also, to say Ohio State will struggle because Clemson will have more speed than anyone the Buckeyes have faced is the same argument you could make for what the Tigers will face. Cancel that out. You can’t use past history as experience and anyone should know that in college football. This year’s Clemson team has a totally different defense than what it’s had over the last couple of years.

Lastly, any analyst (besides Cowherd apparently) would take playing against Michigan, Wisconsin, (OSU didn’t play Iowa by the way), or Penn State, who Cowherd didn’t even mention, over the likes of what Clemson has faced. In fact, the Big Ten has three teams going to New Year’s six bowls. That’s tied with the SEC for the most of any conference.

Look, I know Cowherd gets paid to say things and it’s tough to come up with stuff when teams are pretty equal in the talent department, but none of these reasons make a bit of sense. After all, remember, this is the same guy that didn’t know Joe Burrow played for Ohio State originally.

Five-star defensive end includes Ohio State in list of final six teams

Five-star 2021 defensive end Tunmise Adeleye out of Katy, Texas has included Ohio State in his final six list of schools.

Ohio State is in the running for one of the best defensive ends in the class of 2021. Tunmise Adeleye is a 6-3, 260 lb. five-star recruit out of Katy, Texas that has offers from almost every big-time program in the country.

According to 247Sports, he’s the No. 3 rated defensive end, and No. 26 overall recruit in the entire class. He’s had offers from the likes of Oklahoma, Alabama, Texas, LSU, and others. And now, he’s announced his list of final six schools that include the prospects of playing for defensive line coach Larry Johnson and the Ohio State program.

The other five schools include Texas A&M, LSU, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Florida. There is no timeline for a decision, and there’s a ton of time before one has to be made, but as further news develops we’ll be on top of it.

For now though, it looks like Ohio State has made enough of an impression on another Texan to at least grab his attention.

Ohio State vs. Clemson: 5 reasons the Buckeyes win the Fiesta Bowl

Ohio State is finishing up its preparations for a matchup with Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl. Here’s five reasons the Buckeyes win.

We’ve said it before, but now there’s no doubt. The Ohio State football team is about to face its greatest opponent of the season to date, maybe of the year no matter what, when it plays defending national champion Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl.

We’ve heard about talent equated games, but this is the first time that it’s really true. Unless, that is, you believe teams like Penn State, Wisconsin and Michigan have the same NFL-types on their team as the Buckeye do.

We’ll wait on that answer and raise you winning by double digits in all four of those matchups this year.

Clemson has talent to match what’s on Ryan Day’s sideline, so it’s going to come down to key matchups, preparation, and execution. On that note, here’s five reasons Ohio State beats Clemson in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl Saturday night.

Next … The defensive backs on Ohio State

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