Tag: buckeyes football

Why Indiana should be the No. 1 team in the country if it beats Ohio State

The Ohio State Buckeyes will welcome Indiana, a top-five team, to Columbus. If Ohio State loses, the Hoosiers should jump to No. 1.

One senior writer for The Athletic, Chris Vannini, brought up a good point on Sunday via Twitter/X, and that is, that if Indiana beats Ohio State in Columbus, it should have a claim to be the team in the country.

There have been a handful of upset wins in college football this season, but few of been where a top-five team is at home and fails to come out on top. Both Georgia and Alabama have lost multiple games, and all those defeats came on the road.

It isn’t easy to go on the road in any environment and win, as the Buckeyes saw earlier on in their season against Oregon. It especially isn’t easy to do that against another top-five team in November.

Despite a weak non-conference schedule, Indiana has proven it is the real deal, having yet to lose a game this season. The Hoosiers don’t have a top-25 win though, so downing Ohio State would be the icing on the cake.

While Buckeyes fans, myself included, hope to see a resounding victory on Saturday, if that’s not what they get, then there’s no doubt Indiana would be leaving with the most impressive win in college football this season.

Urban Meyer thinks Ohio State-Oregon CFP semifinal is doomsday scenario

Ohio State football may take on Oregon in the Big Ten Championship and in the CFP Semifinal. Urban Meyer doesn’t think that’s a good combo.

Ohio State football will have one of its biggest games of the season on Saturday as the No. 5-ranked Indiana Hoosiers come to Columbus.

However, the Buckeyes are a heavy favorite despite their opponent coming in without a loss. Ohio State is expected to win the remainder of its regular season games, as is expected of the Oregon Ducks.

That would mean, without divisions in the Big Ten, the Ducks and Buckeyes would face off for a second time in the Big Ten Championship.

If the Ducks win, the Buckeyes should still remain as the best team without a conference championship, which will place them 5th in the College Football Playoff.

Assuming they beat the No. 12-ranked side and then the No. 4-ranked Miami, they could face the Ducks for a third time in the CFP Semifinals, also assuming Oregon beat the winner of Notre Dame–Tennessee.

Obviously all these matchups could change, but this has been what has been projected for the last few weeks, and it has an increasingly likely chance of becoming a reality.

Former National Championship-winning head coach Urban Meyer outlined how that could become a “nightmare” scenario for the Buckeyes and current head coach Ryan Day.

On The Triple Option, a weekly show hosted by Meyer, Mark Ingram II and Rob Stone, the former laid out why he isn’t a fan of the scenario from a coaches perspective.

“How about this, stare at this for a minute, so you got Ohio State, they’ll beat Boise (State) or at least they should. Then (if) they beat Miami they’re going to play Oregon for the third time this season,” Meyer said. “That’s a nightmare for a coach in a playoff. So they played in Eugene, they’re going to play in Indianapolis, probably, and then they’re going to play again in the [semifinals], unbelievable. First time ever.”

But, as we were reminded, teams change and morph into better versions of themselves. The Buckeyes should be better on a neutral field as well.

That said, with the new CFP rankings dropping later today, it should be a similar dance for a third straight week as the Buckeyes will come in at No. 5 and the Ducks will remain as the No. 1 seed.

Will Howard earns top Pro Football Focus passer grade for Week 12 effort

Will Howard went off against Northwestern, and he earned the top passer grade in the country because of his performance.

The Ohio State Buckeyes and Northwestern Wildcats squared off at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Saturday, and as expected, the former came out with another easy Big Ten victory.

While their defense continued to perform at a high level and the running back duo did their part as well, quarterback Will Howard was the star of the show, earning the top passer grade from Pro Football Focus in Week 12.

Howard ended the game with 247 passing yards and two touchdowns, going 15-of-24 as a passer. Freshman Jeremiah Smith accounted for nearly half of those yards, ending with four receptions for 100 yards.

While there’s really no talk of Howard in the conversation for Heisman, he has quietly put together a complete resume, throwing just five interceptions and having a conference-high 24 passing touchdowns. He also has 2,484 passing yards and should pass his total from last season (2,643) against the Hoosiers on Saturday.

Now, those might not be like the video game numbers Cam Ward is putting up, but they are among the most efficient in the country.

High-profile SEC analyst names Ohio State best team in college football

Ohio State football is arguably the best team in the country, and per Paul Finebaum, that conversation isn’t much of a discussion.

Ohio State football entered the week and will continue after the week to be ranked as the second-best team in the country.

The Buckeyes have been No. 2 since taking down the then-undefeated Penn State Nittany Lions three weeks ago. They are only currently bested by the Oregon Ducks, who beat them earlier this season.

As for the other top teams in the country, many look to the Texas Longhorns, Tennessee Volunteers, Miami Hurricanes and many others.

But, per one SEC analyst, it isn’t much of a conversation as of now as Paul Finebaum is making the claim that Ohio State is the best college football team in the country.

“I think Ohio State’s the best team in the country. It could change, but right now, it hasn’t,” Finebaum said via Athlon Sports’ Jaron Spor.

From its defense, which has been exalted as one of the best in the country, to its receivers, who have shown time and time again they can play at an elite level, the Buckeyes have talent all over the field.

They feel like the most complete team in the country, and the numbers back that up. Finebaum’s comments seem spot on. Let’s just hope in the coming weeks Ohio State continues to prove him right.

Ohio State vs. Indiana pegged as “biggest” game in IU regular season history

The Ohio State Buckeyes battle the Indiana Hoosiers next weekend, and it is being pegged as one of the biggest games in IU history.

The Ohio State Buckeyes and the Indiana Hoosiers are both among the best teams in the country. The Hoosiers have consistently taken care of business and are among the few undefeated teams still standing.

However, they have yet to play a top-25 program, and they won’t get that with their last matchup of the season against Purdue, a team that has yet to win a Big Ten game, either.

The game against Ohio State could be the opportunity that makes or breaks their College Football Playoff chances.

That’s why Indiana play-by-play and “Voice of the Hoosiers,” Don Fischer, is ready to argue that it is among the biggest games in the Indiana football program history.

Cignetti, who was a quarterback for West Virginia from 1979-1982 and the current head coach at Indiana, noted that, as the team gets better, the stage gets brighter, and he’s certainly not wrong there.

As an impressive coach with a strong resume, captaining James Madison over the last few seasons, Cignetti should be ready for Ohio State, but the Buckeyes’ size in the trenches will certainly pose problems for Indiana.

For Ohio State, even a two-loss team could likely get into the CFP because of its win over Penn State on the road. For Indiana, this could be it, so expect the Hoosiers to give it their all next Saturday as they make the trip to Columbus.

Ryan Day’s son, R.J., sets high school passing record

Just a sophomore in high school, R.J, Ryan Day’s son, has become his high school’s all-time passing yardage leader.

Ryan Day is the head football coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes, and his son, R.J., is quite the player and still has a few years to develop at the high school level.

Day played quarterback and linebacker for New Hampshire, so there is some good genetics helping R.J. out as well. R.J. plays for St. Francis DeSales in Columbus.

He is part of the Class of 2027 and has already become the all-time passing yardage leader per MaxPreps. R.J., who has an offer from Boston College, took visits to Clemson and South Carolina this past spring.

Per the MaxPreps report, he threw for 1,425 passing yards on the season, and while it might sound crazy given his age, the school has been around for more than 80 years.

Day has more than just Boston College after him though as both Marshall and Toledo have given him offers as well.

The elder Day started his coaching career at New Hampshire, where he played form 1998-2001, in 2002 and eventually went through the ranks at multiple colleges with his next coaching stop ironically at Boston College.

Recent report suggests Ohio State football quarterback may transfer

Ohio State football may lose a quarterback this offseason as Air Noland may be looking to hit the transfer portal.

There are a lot of mouths to feed in Columbus, and Ohio State football will only have one starting quarterback entering next season.

Julian Sayin, Air Noland, and five-star recruit Tavien St. Clair could all be fighting for the position throughout the offseason. Will Howard, who transferred from Kansas State, has been the team’s starter this season.

That said, it doesn’t make much sense for them all to stay, and St. Clair certainly looks like he will have dibs on the future of the position as he’s one of the most talented and highly-coveted quarterbacks joining the Buckeyes out of high school in recent history.

As for next season, Sayin should be the next man up, leaving Noland potentially on the outside looking in, which might be why he is being dubbed as the “most likely” transfer portal entry in the room by A to Z Sports’ Ryan Roberts.

The 6-foot-2 Noland committed to Ohio State on April 8, 2023, and he was the 7th-best quarterback in the Class of 2024. He ranked 61st in the country for his class.

With a comparison to Michael Penix Jr. by 247Sports Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins, expect many teams to be ringing Noland’s phone if this report becomes a reality which will be known in just a few short months.

What Ohio State football must to do win with ease Saturday

The Ohio State Buckeyes are huge favorites against Northwestern Saturday, and if they do this, they should win with ease.

Ohio State football will battle the 4-5 Northwestern Wildcats on Saturday. It is expected to dominate in its third-to-last game of the season, but no game against any opponent should be seen as a layup.

The 8-1 Buckeyes must keep their foot on the gas, and against Northwestern, there is one thing they must do to come out on top by a wide margin.

That one thing is to slow down the Wildcats starting quarterback, Jack Lausch, who threw for 250 yards and a touchdown against the Boilermakers in Northwestern’s last game on November 2.

Lausch has thrown for more than 200 yards in three of the Wildcats’ four wins this season, and in two of their last three games, he has failed to top 100. He’s been the key to their offense this season.

In those two games he’s failed to hit 100 yards, the Wildcats were outscored a combined 63-17. Ohio State shouldn’t have any problem limiting him though as it has had one of the most dominant defenses in the country over the last few months.

The Buckeyes will have a significant edge in the trenches, and they should be able to get pressure on Lausch that he has yet to see this season. Northwestern has yet to have a leading rusher top three figures this season.

Stop Lausch and you win the game with ease. Expect Day to think similarly on Saturday.

How Ohio State football would matchup with Miami in CFP quarterfinal

Ohio State football is wildly projected to be the No. 5 seed and would then face Miami in the quarterfinal. How would it match up?

The College Football Playoff rankings are out, and despite losing Miami still remains as the favorite to win the ACC. Ohio State is pegged as the best non-conference champion with Oregon still expected to take the Big Ten.

In the scenario that is widely projected as of now, the Buckeyes would take on a team like Boise State or Alabama in the first round. A win would mean the Buckeyes would see the Miami Hurricanes in the quarterfinal as they will more than likely be the No. 4 seed if they win the ACC.

Let’s assuming that becomes reality. How does Ohio State match up with Miami? Well, Miami is led by QB Cam Ward, who has done it all and has 3,494 passing yards on the season.

No rusher for Miami has over 700, so it is certainly a pass-heavy side, one that lives or dies by Ward’s play. Ohio State ranks 22nd in the nation in opponents’ average passer rating. Of 134 programs, that’s a pretty solid rank and shows a capable secondary.

Defensively, it has allowed 31 or more four times, to Duke, Louisville, California and Virginia Tech.

Louisville is probably the best among those teams, and QB Tyler Shough went for 342 passing yards and four touchdowns while the Cardinals racked up just 106 rushing yards. Against Georgia Tech, in Miami’s lone loss, it was the opposite as it gave up 271 yards on the ground.

That said, Ohio State may have its options when it comes to how it wants to pick apart Miami. At the end of the day, the Hurricanes performances this season is more about their offensive showing and stopping Ward.

If Ohio State can do that, it would, in this scenario, be able to advance and be one of the four teams left standing.

Ohio State-Indiana announced as FOX’s Week 13 Big Noon Kickoff

Ohio State vs. Indiana is going to be a Big Noon Kickoff, the conference announced. No one appears happy about that.

You would’ve been told you were clinically insane to think Ohio State vs. Indiana would be one of the two biggest games on the Buckeyes schedule at the start of the season.

Well, that’s the case now as both the Buckeyes and Hoosiers are top-ten teams with the latter still being among the few undefeated teams. This game could have massive implications on both teams College Football Playoff journey.

While the battle at Oregon still takes the cake for the Buckeyes top game, this game has the potential to have just as impactful consequences. Should they lose, they will likely still crack the CFP, but they more than likely won’t be in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Nonetheless, fans would love a night game, and if you look at Twitter/X for just a few seconds, you could tell the disappointment among the fanbase. Don’t tell FOX Sports that as they have elected to make Indiana vs. Ohio State the Big Noon Kickoff for Week 13.

Ohio State has a good chance of having ESPN’s College Gameday in Columbus as well, especially if both teams stay undefeated through Week 12.

It should be a special game regardless of when it is, and with Indiana on deck for Week 13 then Michigan in Week 14, it’ll be a big end to the season after the Buckeyes ideally take of business on the road against Northwestern Saturday.