Tag: Buckeyes

Ohio State football’s offense line played “unbelievably” well

After the game, Will Howard made sure that everyone understood just how well the Ohio State offensive line played.

Ohio State football put together its most impressive win of the season Saturday, a 20-13 victory over the then-No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions.

In a road match that featured a record crowd at Beaver Stadium, the Buckeyes were walking into a rowdy environment for a noon FOX kickoff, but they proved strong and showed immense resilience, especially considering they started down 10-0 after quarterback Will Howard through a first-quarter pick-six.

What can the win be attributed to though? Well, if you ask Howard, it was the team’s incredible offensive line play.

The Buckeyes’ o-line has been a banged-up unit, and without Josh Simmons, there has been some shake-up in who starts. Zen Michalski was on the injury report as well, so it was certainly a question mark entering the game.

They showed up in a big way though, and Howard certainly appreciated his time in the pocket.

However, it was more evident on the ground as the Buckeyes went for 179 rushing yards. No Penn State rusher topped 50, and both backs for the Buckeyes eclipsed that number.

Geno Smith was at the Oregon/Ohio State game for his cousin Jeremiah

Geno Smith was at the Oregon/Ohio State game for his cousin Jeremiah

The eyes of the college football world were centered on Eugene, Oregon for the matchup of the weekend: the No. 3 Oregon Ducks hosting the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes. The game not only lived up to the hype, it exceeded it.

The Ducks defended home turf and upset the Buckeyes 32-31 at Autzen Stadium. With such a premier matchup, it is only natural some big names would make their way to Eugene.

One such name was none other than Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback Eugene Cyril Smith III, otherwise known as Geno Smith. The Seahawks starter wasn’t just there to enjoy some quality college football. He was there to support his younger cousin Jeremiah Smith, who is a standout wide receiver at Ohio State.

The Buckeyes could not remain undefeated, but Jeremiah Smith put on yet another show for those in attendance. Smith led all Ohio State receivers with nine receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown. Overall on the year, the freshman has 32 receptions and 553 yards, with seven scores as well.

Football clearly runs deep in the Smith family, and it does not seem like an exaggeration to say we will see young Jeremiah play on Sundays in a few years.

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Ohio State football’s Josh Fryar ready for the big moment Saturday

Josh Fryar spoke to the media ahead of Ohio State’s battle with Oregon Saturday and discussed how he’s set to embrace the bright lights.

If there’s one aspect of the Ohio State football program that isn’t talked about as much as it should be, it’s the offensive line. The Buckeyes have one of the best offensive lines in the country.

To push that even further, Pro Football Focus ranked Seth McLaughlin as the top center in Week 6 for his performance against Iowa in the Buckeyes 35-7 win.

With the battle against No. 3 Oregon in sight, one thing that must hold up for the Buckeyes to stay undefeated is the offensive line as Will Howard is going to need time to throw and the Buckeyes have been far more lethal this season when they can get the ground game going.

Have no fear in Josh Fryar though, as he’s ready for this moment and understands it doesn’t come around every week.

“Now, I feel more experienced and just ready to play the game. It’s a cool environment cause you never get to experience anything like this ever again in your life,” Fryar said via Dillon Davis on X.

Fryer also mentioned how in past big-time, high-stakes games he would feel nervous but is more prepared this season given his experience. Let’s hope that preparedness translates to on-field performance as the Buckeyes are going to need him in a big way Saturday.

Ohio State football breaks ridiculous Iowa streak in 35-7 win

Ohio State football beat up on the Iowa Saturday afternoon, and in doing so, it snapped a lengthy Hawkeyes streak.

Ohio State football welcomed Iowa to Ohio Stadium Saturday, and it left the Hawkeyes with one of their worst defeats in quite a while.

The Buckeyes started off slow, taking just a 7-0 lead into the half, but they exploded in the third scoring, totaling 21 points in the first period after the halftime break.

Transfer quarterback Will Howard was a monster and will be in Iowa nightmares tonight as he ended with 209 yards and a total of five touchdowns, four through the air and one on the ground. Freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith chipped in 89 yards and a score as well.

That said, the Buckeyes were the first team to score on the opening drive against Iowa in two years. RJ Young reiterated just how impressive that was.

Ohio State improved to 5-0 with the win, dropping Iowa to 3-2. It will have its most important matchup so far this season in Week 7 as it heads to Eugene, Oregon.

There, it’ll take on the top-ten Ducks in a rocking Autzen Stadium. For the Buckeyes, it’ll be their first real test of the season.

Emeka Egbuka may shatter Ohio State football record

Ohio State football had a memorable win over Michigan State Saturday, and Emeka Egbuka inched closer to breaking this receiving record.

Ohio State football went up to East Lansing for the Buckeyes’ first real road test, and they came out with a dominant victory over Michigan State. Ohio State won 38-7, taking a 24-7 lead into the half.

While Jeremiah Smith was the receiver that caught most of the attention with his insane one-handed grabs, Emeka Egbuka, who has been Mr. Consistent for this team, led the team in receiving yards with 96.

He had seven receptions and a 33-yard touchdown as well. Here’s his top highlight from the game, outside of the numerous big-time blocks he had as well.

Egbuka inched closer to the Buckeyes’ all-time receiving record. Michael Jenkins, with bowl stats included, had 2,746 yards with Chris Olave second and Marvin Harrison Jr. fourth.

With this performance, Egbuka jumped Garrett Wilson to land 10th on the all-time list. He’s 76 yards shy of Santonio Holmes. In 528 yards, which he is certainly on pace to do with a 90.5-yard average and 8 games remaining, he will have the crown.

Chase Young is one of the NFL’s fastest pass rushers off the snap

Chase Young is one of the NFL’s fastest pass rushers off the snap. The recovery he’s made from last year’s neck injury needs to be seen to be believed:

Everyone spends the offseason trying to get better. Putting in hours in the weight room and working on the field after practice separates those who are going through the motions from those who want to be great. But some players are dealing with even more unique circumstances. Look at Chase Young, the New Orleans Saints defensive end who signed his contract one day in March and underwent neck surgery the next. He spent his offseason working to recover from an ailment that slowed him down last season.

And the proof is in his performance. ESPN sports analytics writer Seth Walder shared an eye-opening graphic comparing the fastest pass rushers off the snap in the first week of 2024’s games to their averages from 2023. And nobody made more improvement than Young.

Walder found that Young got off the line of scrimmage 0.66 seconds after the snap in the Saints’ season-opening win over the Carolina Panthers. That was a full 0.16 better than his average a year ago (0.81), and it was a bigger jump than anyone else made around the NFL. Walder noted that this is a very stable stat with little variation from one year to the next. New York Giants pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux trailed Young with an improvement of 0.14 seconds, but no other player was faster than 0.13.

That’s a significant gap. It helps explain why Young played like he did last season — he drew a lot of criticism from San Francisco 49ers fans who, excited by their midseason trade for him, noticed he was slow to react and hesitant to rally to the ball. He was playing through a neck injury that required offseason surgery. Now he’s well and looking more like his old self.

Just ask his old teammates. When the Saints kicked off training camp in August, former Ohio State linebacker Pete Werner commented on Young moving with rare agility — something he’d first noticed when they were both Buckeyes, and that he now compared to other all-world athletes in New Orleans side by side. Young is different. We’re seeing that in his stats, the stories his opponents are telling about him, and the advanced stats tracking his every move on the field. If he keeps it up he could be one of the highest-paid players in free agency next spring. He just might end up being too valuable for the Saints to let walk away.

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Mock Draft Monday: Saints pick another big-time Ohio State wide receiver

It’s Mock Draft Monday! The Saints picked another Ohio State wide receiver in this projection. Emeka Egbuka could follow Michael Thomas and Chris Olave to the NFL:

It’s Mock Draft Monday! The New Orleans Saints picked another big-time Ohio State wide receiver in this projection from Curt Popejoy over at Draft Wire. Emeka Egbuka could follow Michael Thomas and Chris Olave to the black and gold.

The Saints made Egbuka the third or fourth wide receiver to go off the board (depending on whether you see Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter staying at wideout or cornerback) by picking him at No. 11 overall. This time he fell behind other pass-catchers like Missouri’s Luther Burden III and Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan.

So what makes Egbuka so special? He’s only appeared in 33 games with the Buckeyes but he’s already caught 124 passes for 1,857 yards with 14 touchdown receptions before his senior year. He ranks top-20 in both catches and receiving yards and is tied for 23rd in touchdowns. He’s also ran the ball 16 times for another 112 rushing yards, with two scores on the ground.

He doesn’t have a huge frame at a listed 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, but Egbuka is a special player, and the Saints would be lucky to land him — even if they may have bigger fish to fry while picking at No. 11. A draft slot that high in priority would mean Derek Carr was a big bust in Klint Kubiak’s offense, and they might need to take a hard look at the quarterbacks available in next year’s class. Even if Spencer Rattler has earned a fan in Olave.

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Ryan Day thinks Carnell Tate has unlimited potential this season

The Ohio State Buckeyes have always had a slew of dynamic receivers, and Carnell Tate is one of them, at least that’s what Ryan Day believes. #GoBucks

The Ohio State football team has consistently had some of the nation’s best wide receivers. From Michael Thomas to Garrett Wilson, there has been no shortage of talent coming through Columbus.

This season, The Buckeyes will be returning Emeka Egbuka and then adding standout freshman Jeremiah Smith, both of which are expected to have a good amount of impact on the offense this season.

In the midst of those high-profile players, Carnell Tate is often forgotten about, but when asked about his development and what he brings to the table after practice, head coach Ryan Day gave an uplifting answer.

“The limit for Carnell is just through the roof. I don’t think there is a limit to what he can be,” Day said after the first day of fall camp. “He’s not someone you typically hear but feel out there,” Day said after the first day of training camp.

Tate spent his freshman season with the Buckeyes, ending the year with 18 receptions and 264 yards, snagging one touchdown as well. He played in 13 games, so he was used fairly often.

Originally a 5-star recruit from Bradenton, Florida, Tate was the 3rd-best wide receiver in the Class of 2023 and has the talent to explode this season.

Chase Young eager to learn from Cameron Jordan, join team full of Buckeyes

Chase Young is looking forward to sharing the field with several Buckeyes in New Orleans, plus a “future Hall of Famer” in Cameron Jordan:

Chase Young will be taking the field with the New Orleans Saints alongside several new teammates — but also many familiar faces. The team features several former Ohio State Buckeyes who played with Young in college.

Outside of Young, the Saints currently have three Ohio State alumni on the roster between cornerback Marshon Lattimore, linebacker Pete Werner and wide receiver Chris Olave. To say nothing of leaders he respects like Cameron Jordan and Tyrann Mathieu. He is looking forward to reuniting with them and getting to learn under the Saints coaching staff as he adjusts to a new team.

“Yeah, looking great. Excited to be with Coach Allen, be with Cam, Tyrann,” Young told Yahoo! Sports before the 2024 NFL draft, standing tall and looking at ease after offseason neck surgery in March. He continued, “Pete Werner who I went to college with. Marshon (Lattimore), he was before me. I was there with (Chris) Olave. So it feels like Ohio State University over there a little bit. I’m definitely excited to be a part of that defense. I’m definitely settled in, I’m ready to go.”

Young also says that he’s eager to have the chance to work with and share a defense with standout defensive end Cameron Jordan: “Hoping I don’t get too annoying. I’m definitely going to be asking him, picking his thoughts on everything. Obviously Cam, he’s a future Hall of Famer. Hundred-plus sacks, just an O.G. in the game. So it’s definitely a great opportunity I don’t take for granted.”

Young was originally selected by the Washington Commanders as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, taking the field for the team for four seasons before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers last year. He was signed by the Saints in March to a unique $13 million deal. Young totaled 2.5 sacks and 10 tackles with 16 pressures over nine regular-season appearances for the 49ers, also accounting for a sack in the team’s Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

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2024 NFL Draft – Commanders Select Notre Dame’s Javontae Jean-Baptiste

Make it 6 former Golden Domers going in the draft!

A sixth former Notre Dame football standout has been selected in the 2024 NFL draft as defensive lineman Javontae Jean-Baptiste was selected by the Washington Commanders near the start of the seventh round.

Jean-Baptiste heard his name by the Commanders with the 222nd overall pick.  He spent one season at Notre Dame after being a graduate-transfer last year from Ohio State.

He played all 13 games for the Fighting Irish last season, making 49 tackles and leading the team with 10.5 tackles-for-loss, five sacks, and 11 quarterback hurries.

Jean-Baptiste deserves credit for his development but it also speaks to the skill of defensive line coach Al Washington who originally helped recruit the now Washington Commanders defender to Ohio State.

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