Category: Nathan Beighle

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.

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 vs. Clemson: Buckeye QB Justin Fields, “I can’t move like I want to”

Ohio State’s Justin Fields, leading up the Fiesta Bowl, gave an unfortunate update on his MCL, saying “I can’t move like I want to.”

The story of Justin Fields’ first year at Ohio State has been a magical one. He’s transcended the program as a transfer from Georgia, and led the Buckeyes to both an undefeated regular season, and a Big Ten Championship.

The 6-foot-3 sophomore quarterback totaled 40 passing touchdowns and just one interception. A 40:1 ratio is rare, and it’s something that probably should’ve earned Fields a bit more love as a Heisman finalist.

However, that is now behind him, as the star QB is in Arizona preparing for the Fiesta Bowl in which his Buckeyes will take on the undefeated ACC Champs and defensing national champions, Clemson Tigers.

He may not be at full strength though despite having a few weeks off to heal. Fields, leading up the Fiesta Bowl, said he can’t move like he wants to, having dealt with an MCL sprain ever since the Penn State.

When speaking to reporters in Scottsdale, Fields was asked about his health.

“I can’t move like I want to,” said Fields.

Fields has been dealing with a banged up knee and re-aggravated it at least once. It might be that it won’t have the time to fully heal until the off-season. That said, let’s pray that Fields’ health won’t be a deciding factor in one of college football’s premier games.

He’s been praised for his toughness, and he’ll have to battle through another game or two if the storybook he wants comes to fruition.

Ohio State’s blowout win over Villanova just got a lot more impressive

Ohio State blew out Villanova, and the Wildcats just defeated the top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks, helping boost that win on Ohio State’s resume.

The Ohio State Buckeyes dominated the Villanova Wildcats a few weeks ago. The mid-November game was the first one to put Ohio State on the map. They’ve since risen to No. 3 and are currently No. 5.

Back in that game, Ohio State led at halftime 40-22. It was dominant throughout that entire game, and it really wasn’t close at any point. Winning by 25, it was just a complete performance from the Buckeyes.

The Wildcats were then ranked No. 10. Now, entering today, they were sitting at No. 18 — all set to matchup with not Ohio State, but the top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks.

With a drama-filled ending of 56-55, the Wildcats came out on top to knock off the No. 1 ranked team. Without a signature victory, ‘Nova needed this win to solidify itself as a top threat in the eyes of the public.

While building their reputation, Villanova also help Ohio State, who absolutely obliterated the Wildcats.

And, to go along with bolstering Ohio State’s resume, the Cats will now give the Buckeyes a chance to leap into the top spot with a win over Kentucky.

 

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Ohio State’s rush defense away from home could be a mild concern in the Fiesta Bowl

Ohio State has struggled to defend the rush on the road, and that could be an early red flag for their Fiesta Bowl matchup with Clemson.

Ohio State has not had the same success defending the rush away from home, and that could be a bit of an early red flag for their Fiesta Bowl matchup with Clemson.

The rush defense for the Buckeyes has been a tale of two stories in some ways. While at home, they’ve thrived; on the road, they’ve failed to match that same elite success found at Ohio Stadium.

The numbers speak for themselves. Ohio State gives up 73.4 rushing yards at home and 130.7 on the road. At-large, that makes them a top-five rush defense in the nation, but by taking the effort away from Columbus, it would make the Buckeyes an average No. 37 in the country.

Oddly enough, Ohio State’s home performances have seen names like Jonathan Taylor and have included top-tier teams like Penn State and Cincinnati.

On the road, it’s been a completely different story.

The second time facing Jonathan Taylor the Buckeyes allowed him to let loose with 148 yards, as the Badgers notched 200 as a team. They even gave up 150-plus rushing yards to Northwestern in a 52-3 blowout victory.

Traveling to Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl, the Buckeyes will have to face Travis Etienne and a potent and balanced Clemson offense. With an elite combination under center, on the edge and in the backfield, Ohio State must be ready for a lethal attack.

Etienne, the 5-foot-10 junior back, is experienced. He has eight 100-yard performances with two of them being for over 200 yards. He has over 1,500 yards on the season.

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He has the skill set, and although Clemson will try to do plenty of damage through the air, if the Tigers can use him to expose some chinks in the armor on the defense, it could hinder the undefeated Buckeyes from moving on to New Orleans.

Knowing what’s at stake, expect Ohio State’s front, led by Chase Young, to be ready on December 28. It has better be.

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Ohio State DB Jeff Okudah will be key vs. Clemson in Fiesta Bowl

The Ohio State Buckeyes will need star cornerback Jeff Okudah at his best if they want any chance in the Fiesta Bowl.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are a week away from taking on Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl. Both are entering undefeated, and it’ll of course be each team’s most challenging matchup of the season.

For the Buckeyes, it’ll be both Chase Young and Jeff Okudah, two projected top-five picks, that must make their presence felt. However, with what Clemson can do through the air, Okudah might be the most important of the two.

In fact, Okudah will likely be shadowing the Tigers’ most dangerous receiver, Tee Higgins.

A junior, Higgins is a projected first-round pick and tallied over 1,000 receiving yards this season. He’s also been able to find the endzone 13 times, eight of which came in Clemson’s last three games.

The Tigers started off the season as a more run-heavy offense, but have transitioned back to Trevor Lawrence and the receivers throughout these last few weeks. And while there’s more than Higgins that can make electric plays, he’s been the biggest threat to make the most important game-breaking moments throughout the year.

He’s totaled over 280 yards his last two games. It’s clear that for the majority of the season Higgins has been Clemson’s No. 1 target on the edge. That’s where Okudah must come on strong.

Arguably the best cornerback in college, Okudah has forced many opposing offensive coordinators to limit where their offense to one-half of the field. He’s that good.

However, college football’s top wide receiver prospects are from Clemson, Oklahoma, and Alabama. Okudah faces players like Chris Olave and K.J. Hill in practice every week, but Higgins may be a different animal with his size, speed and ability to high-point the ball.

This will be the matchup of the game, and if Okudah wins it, you can expect the Buckeyes to have a good chance to come out on top.

Ohio State is staring down a complete rebuild in the secondary for 2020

All four DBs for Ohio State could head to the NFL after this season, and the Buckeyes could be staring at a rebuild there in 2020.

The Ohio State Buckeyes lost Clarke Phillips III yesterday, and it may end up hitting them hard as the NFL Draft could take the bulk of their star defensive backs.

All three cornerbacks for Ohio State could head to the NFL after this season, and the Buckeyes could be in trouble if that happens. At the very least, Jeff Okudah and Damon Arnette are expected to leave. The secondary will also lose All Big-Ten performers Jordan Fuller at safety to graduation.

Okudah is a projected top-five pick while Arnette may be able to sneak into the first round as well, and will certainly be selected before the draft’s final day.

The wild card for Ohio State is Shaun Wade.

Will the Buckeyes third-string corner leave as well?

Wade, a five-star recruit coming out of high school, is projected as top-50 pick according to USA Today’s Draft Wire. After missing the 2017 season, Wade’s tenure hasn’t been what many had hoped, but the skill is still there, and he’s been coming on. He would be the most talented and experienced pass-defender heading into next season.

The loss of the entire back end of the defense could be back-breaking for the team that’d have to figure out their defensive sets without the help of a superstar roaming the field.

With four-star cornerback Ryan Watts inbound and four-star safety Lathan Ransom also coming in, the Buckeyes should have a capable secondary taking the field next season, but it certainly won’t be the same strength we’re currently seeing. There will need to be some development, and likely a lot of growing pains with so much youth.

Guys like Cameron Brown, Amir Riep and Sevyn Banks return and will factor in, but they too will need an offseason of development and seasoning.

Clark Phillips would also be a young one, but it would be one more talented and athletic DB to drop into a competitive situation. That can never hurt. Now Ohio State will need to have a plan for all the losses in the secondary, and it’ll be doing it without Jeff Hafley.

Todd McShay’s first mock draft has Chase Young and Jeff Okudah as top-five picks

In his first mock draft, ESPN’s Todd McShay has Ohio State Football’s Chase Young and Jeff Okudah both as top-five picks.

The Ohio State Buckeyes have been a hotspot for first-round picks over the last few seasons.

With Nick Bosa and Dwayne Haskins both drafted in the first round last year, the Buckeyes should have at least two more this year. However, it’s likely both of them come on the defensive side of the ball.

Widely regarded as the best defensive player in college football, Chase Young is almost a guaranteed top-two pick. Cornerback Jeff Okudah is the wildcard. He could go in the top three or dip outside the top five.

That said, in his first mock draft, ESPN’s Todd McShay has Ohio State Football’s Young and Okudah both as top-five picks. He has Young as the No. 2 overall pick while Okudah is taking at No. 5.

The two players are respectively taken by the Giants and Lions, both three-win teams. Both teams also seem relatively confident in their offenses and could use the added weaponry on defense.

While there will certainly be variation in the projected top-five before the draft, which is currently scheduled to start on April 23 and run through the 25, we can rest assured that Young and Okudah will both at least be first-round picks.

Six former Ohio State players selected to 2020 NFL Pro Bowl

Ohio State football will be well represented in the 2020 NFL Pro Bowl. Six former Buckeyes are on the rosters for the game in Orlando.

The Ohio State football program has always been well-represented at the highest level. With the NFL releasing the 2020 Pro Bowl rosters, it was clear the Buckeyes would again hold numerous roster spots.

And sure enough, six Buckeyes were named to the 2020 Pro Bowl which will take place in Orlando, Florida. All of them outside of Ezekiel Elliott were named starters for their respective conferences as well.

The six selected were San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa, Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward, New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore and wide receiver Michael Thomas.

All six have been highly impressive this season with three of the six having already helped their team clinch a playoff spot.

As for the Bosa brothers, this will be Joey’s second nomination while rookie Nick will obviously have his first. To round out the defense, this will be Lattimore’s second and Heyward’s third appearance.

Zeke, a perennial Pro Bowler, will also be making his third appearance in four seasons. Lastly, we have Michael Thomas, who has bigger plans than just a Pro Bowl.

Thomas is on track to set the league’s single-season receptions record, just 11 shy of Marvin Harrison’s record. He already broke the Saints’ single-season receptions record with 12 against the Colts on Monday Night Football.

The Pro Bowl will take place on Jan. 6 at 3 p.m. EST.