Tag: Ohio State Football

With a win Saturday, Ohio State clinches the Big Ten East, spot in Big Ten Championship Game

With a win over Penn State on Saturday, Ohio State clinches the outright Big Ten East title and a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game.

We know it’ll be a top ten matchup Saturday when Ohio State hosts Penn State. We also know the Nittany Lions have posed more challenges for the Buckeyes than maybe any other team in the Big Ten over the last few years. They’ve only knocked the door down one time, but almost every game has been a one possession affair since James Franklin’s been stomping around in Happy Valley.

We also know there will be three national, live shows all converging on Columbus to preview the game, and that says all you need to know about the stakes of this one. There are East Division title, Big Ten Championship, and College Football Playoff implications on the line.

But first things first, what’s front and center is that a win by Ohio State on Saturday over Penn State clinches the Big Ten East outright and a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game. It would be the Buckeyes third straight appearance in Indy.

An OSU win would result in the Nittany Lions’ second loss in conference play, and since Michigan has already been turned back twice, even a loss in Ann Arbor the following week would still leave Ohio State as the only one-loss squad in the East Division.

Surprisingly, no tie-breaker needed this time around.

If however, somehow, someway, Penn State finds a way to beat the Buckeyes, it would more than likely mean a trip to Indy for the Nittany Lions. Their next game would be against Rutgers — almost assuredly a win — with the tiebreaker for the head-to-head in hand.

So hopefully Ohio State stays hungry, focused, and intent on continuing to make history and we you can celebrate Saturday night by booking a trip to Indianapolis.

 

USA TODAY re-ranks Ohio State back at No. 1 after some reconsideration

USA TODAY has put Ohio State football back on the top of the college football world after LSU temporarily holding the spot for a week.

The Ohio State football team is now the best team in the country according to Paul Myerberg of USA TODAY Sports. It’s not the first time the Buckeyes have been placed at the top of his weekly re-rank column. In fact, OSU had a multi-week run as the overall top program re-ranked each and every week.

But … like many analysts and media members, LSU’s win over Alabama just over a week ago changed Myerberg’s mind enough to put the Bayou Tigers into the top spot despite Ohio State scoring 73 points against Maryland. It was apparently resume over domination.

Well, apparently that has all now changed with LSU’s mediocre defensive performance against a rather dismal Ole Miss team this weekend. The Tiger offense looked fine enough, but the D gave up 614 total yards and 37 points. I’ve seen less numbers at an accountant convention.

Here’s what Myerberg said about Ohio State:

“Ohio State is back atop the heap after yet another breeze past a Big Ten opponent, this time Rutgers. With two weeks left in November, the Buckeyes lead the nation in scoring offense, scoring defense and yards allowed per play.”

You can get a look at the entire re-rank by visiting USA TODAY and giving it a gander yourself.

Ohio State Buckeyes only top-ten team in both basketball and football

After Week 12 in football and week 2 in basketball, the Ohio State Buckeyes sit as the NCAA’s only top-ten team in both sports.

After Week 12 in football and week 2 in basketball, the Ohio State Buckeyes sit as the university with the only top-ten team in both sports of the biggest revenue making sports.

It’s not easy to be elite at multiple sports.

The last time the Buckeyes held both teams in the top ten was February 12, 2017, after the university’s football program finished fifth in the final AP Poll and their basketball program slide into the No. 8 spot.

Overall, programs like Duke and Kentucky have outstanding basketball teams on a yearly basis; however, they struggle to compare to the rest of their conference in football.

On the other side, programs like LSU and Alabama typically can’t hold their own on the hardwood yet would easily put 60 points on most opponents in football.

For Ohio State, it just so happens to be one of the best teams in both sports this season, something you could argue comes along with Ohio State historically as well. Believe it or not, the Buckeyes are tied with the most Big Ten basketball titles in conference history, and are a top five program for Final Four appearances all-time.

On the gridiron, Ohio State is currently ranked No. 2 in the nation and has yet to even come close to losing. It has been beat down after beat down in 2019. With Justin Fields leading the way and Chase Young guiding the defense, the Buckeyes have looked invincible.

The Big Ten East division crown is going to all boil down to the Nov. 23 showdown with Penn State. The Buckeyes have already opened as double-figure favorites in that one, but the game must be played.

As for basketball, the Buckeyes recently put a 25-point beatdown on the then-10th-ranked Villanova Wildcats. They’re 3-0 and have moved up to No. 10 in the AP Poll, and No. 9 in the USA TODAY Poll.

Behind the strong play of third-year forward Kaleb Wesson and three terrific four-star freshman recruits, the Buckeyes are once again making Columbus known for its basketball.

All we hope for is sustained success as both programs look to be taking their talent level to new heights.

Ohio State forward Kaleb Wesson named Big Ten Player of the Week

The Big Ten has named Ohio State big man Kaleb Wesson its Player of the Week.

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Kaleb Wesson, a third-year power forward for the Ohio State Buckeyes, was named the Big Ten Player of the Week after two dominant efforts, both resulting in Buckeye victories.

Wesson played an integral role in the team’s 25-point blowout of the then-top 10-ranked Villanova Wildcats. He ended the game with 10 points and a team-high 11 rebounds.

While he may’ve been the most important player on the court against Nova, Wesson’s dominance over UML may’ve been equally as impressive. He totaled a double-double with 13 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists, leading the team in each category respectively.

This season, Wesson is averaging 10.3 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. Even more impressively, Wesson is shooting 43% from deep. Overall, he’s captaining his team the way a third-year star should.

Now 3-0, the Buckeyes are a top-ten team in the nation, something we haven’t been able to say through Wesson’s first two seasons.

That said, he’ll have Stetson and Fort Wright on the calendar this week trying to push his Buckeyes to 5-0.

Michael Thomas sets NFL record for receptions after ten games

Former Ohio State wide receiver Michael Thomas has set an NFL record for receptions in the first ten games of an NFL season, with 90.

With his 90th reception on the season, former Ohio State wide receiver Michael Thomas set a new NFL record for receptions in the first ten games of the season, breaking a record previously shared by Marvin Harrison and Julio Jones, in 2002 and 2015, respectively.

Thomas’ 90th catch of the year was also his fourth of the game, and it came shortly before the halfway point of the second quarter. The former Buckeye went on to catch four more passes in the game, so the current record for receptions over the first ten games of the season now stands at 94.

The current record for most receptions in a season is held by Marvin Harrison, who caught 143 passes in 2002. Thomas currently is averaging 9.4 catches per game, which is on pace to break Harrison’s record. If Thomas can continue his current pace, he will reach about 150 receptions on the year.

Thomas also made an incredible catch along the sidelines last week, which reminded Buckeye fans of his all-time great touchdown catch before halftime of the 2015 Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama.

Whether Thomas can keep up this pace or not is anyone’s question. Drew Brees’ brief absence due to injury doesn’t seem to have hampered him too much, though. Whether or not he sets the full-season record, this has already been a historic season for the former Ohio State standout.

Ohio State vs. Penn State 2019 football Preview And Prediction

Ohio State is all set to host a big one against a top ten Penn State squad on Saturday and we’ve got your preview and prediction.

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Records

Ohio State (10-0), Penn State (9-1)

Broadcast, TV, Game Time

Date: Saturday, November 23
Game Time: Noon ET
Network: FOX
Venue: Ohio Stadium – Capacity: 104,944
All-Time Series: Ohio State leads 19-14
Last Meeting: Ohio State defeated Penn State 27-26 in 2018

All the games matter, it’s what makes college football so special, but some games matter just a little more. For Ohio State, it’s been business as usual for the first ten games of the season, but now the real fun begins.

Penn State comes to town on Saturday for another highly touted matchup which will basically decide the Big Ten East champion. With a win, the Buckeyes clinch the division crown. Should the Nittany Lions pull the upset,  they’d still need to take care of Rutgers in the season finale which wouldn’t be much of a problem.

Penn State has become somewhat of a secondary rivalry to TTUN and has provided much more drama in the past few seasons than the Maize and Blue. In 2016, it was PSU pulling the upset with a blocked field goal in the final moments of the game. The 2017 and 2018 editions saw two of the most epic comebacks in Buckeye history.

The stakes are high once again this year. So much so, ESPN’s College Game Day will be in town, along with FOX’s Big Noon Kick crew and BTN’s Tailgate pregame show. You know something special is in the air when all three converge on the same scene.

Will the Buckeye’s finally be tested or steamroll another opponent on their way to the College Football Playoff? Let’s take a closer look.

Next … The game plan

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Ohio State opens up as -18 point favorite against Penn State according to BetMGM

BetMGM has published its early line for Ohio State vs. Penn State and it has started at eighteen in favor of the Buckeyes.

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The Ohio State football season starts for real Saturday. Up until now it’s all been window dressing and beat down after beat down. Now comes a top ten Penn State team with the same dreams of grandeur Ohio State has. Win the game Saturday, cruise on into the Big Ten Championship Game in Indy, win and then hopefully get a crack at the College Football Playoff.

It’s such a big game nationally that ESPN’s College Game Day, FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff Show, and BTN Tailgate are all converging on Columbus to rub elbows with fans and each other.

We now have a line on the game too. According to the online sportsbook BetMGM, Ohio State has been installed as an eighteen point favorite for the titanic struggle in the ‘Shoe Saturday at Noon.

*Odds via BetMGM. Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 9:00 a.m. ET. 

That might seem a little outlandish considering the Nittany Lions have played almost every game tight with Ohio State during James Franklin’s tenure, but apparently Vegas believes this Buckeye squad is just different.

And based on what we’ve seen this year, the oddsmakers might be right. We’ll find out Saturday.

“Want to get in on the action? Place your bet now at BetMGM.” 

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Big Ten football power rankings after week 12: Movement at the top?

We’ve got the latest Big Ten football power rankings. Is there some movement at the top with Minnesota’s loss? What about Ohio State?

The season is now hitting the home stretch in the Big Ten and in college football in general. We’re now eleven weeks into the college football season, and we have a fairly good feel about who’s in this thing, and who’s not. Michigan continues to be a bit resurgent, Ohio State has clearly separated  itself, and everyone else is looking to position themselves for the postseason.

We’re here to make sense of it all, and teams like Penn State and Wisconsin are still right there for a trip to Indy.

As we do each week, here’s your Big Ten football power rankings after the latest round of games. As always, give me a break on these, after being in vacation in Mexico, I had to catch up on This is Us, A Million Little Things, and The Purge. The struggle is real.

14. Rutgers – (Last week 14)

Things aren’t good when a 35-point loss is a moral victory, but that’s what we had when the Scarlet Knights were able to put up 21 points against the Ohio State defense Saturday.

13. Maryland – (Last week 13)

Nothing to see here really. The Terps were on a bye week and it’s still the same Maryland team that’s quite on the season.

12. Northwestern – (Last week 12)

The Wildcats stepped out of conference and finally got another win. It’s still an awful season for Pat Fitzerald and crew.

11. Nebraska – (Last week 11)

Another week, another loss for everybody’s preseason dark horse in the West Division. The ‘Huskers now have to win their last two games just to get to a bowl. That’s sounds like a proverbial corn maze with a gain against Iowa to end things. It’s doable, but you have to make all the right turns.

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Next … 10 thru 6

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Big Ten Football 2019 Bowl Projections, College Football Playoff picks after week 12

Here’s the latest look at where we project Big Ten teams to be playing in the postseason, as well as a look at the Playoff projections.

The Big Ten has a rich, rich history in historical bowl games, and the expectations are set for that to continue in 2019. Here at Buckeyes Wire, we’re keeping with tradition and giving you a peek at where we think all the teams in the conference will end up when all the dust settles on the season.

We reassess after each week of games and project based on what we’ve seen.

And as a reminder, don’t get too upset with these just yet. The season might be a rounding the corner into the home stretch, but there’s still a lot that could — and will — happen. So this whole things remains in flux and we’ll adjust each and every week.

Keep in mind that these scenarios are very complicated with projecting when there’s not enough teams from certain conferences with tie-ins, and the agreements with bowls to not repeat the same program over a certain time-frame if at all possible.

Here’s a look at the projections now after twelve weeks of results on the field.

Quick Lane Bowl

Thursday, December 26
8:00 ET, ESPN
Ford Field, Detroit, MI
ACC vs. Big Ten

Projection: North Carolina vs. Michigan State

New Era Pinstripe Bowl

Friday, December 27
3:20 ET, ESPN
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
ACC vs. Big Ten

Projection: Illinois vs. Louisville

San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl

Friday, December 27
8:00 ET, FS1
SDCCU Stadium, San Diego, CA
Big Ten vs. Pac-12

Projection: Michigan vs. USC

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Next … Continued

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Ohio State beats Rutgers: 5 things we learned in victory

Ohio State took care of business against Rutgers on Saturday. Here’s five things we learned.

Okay, so maybe it wasn’t quite the score most people projected, but Ohio State still more than took care of business against a Rutgers team that’s just looking to turn the page into a new era.

Like most games, the Buckeyes raced out to a big lead, then cruised from there. The second and third teamers may have took it on the chin just a wee-bit toward the tail-end of the game, but it was still good experience and something the whole team can grow from.

Next up is the big one against Penn State, but first we take time to reflect with five things we learned from the Ohio State win over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

Anyone can make the spectacular play at anytime

Yeah, you know about Justin Fields, J.K. Dobbins, and Chase Young, but there’s so much NFL talent on this roster it’s a bit ridiculous. I think we’re going to look back on this year’s team and be absolutely floored by how many kids end up playing ball on Sundays.

Wide-receiver Chris Olave made a draw-dropping catch, cornerback Shaun Wade made a highlight-reel interception, and they aren’t the only ones to get into the spotlight.

Again, maybe it didn’t go as well with after the first-teamers as you would have thought against Rutgers, but this team has a depth of talent maybe nobody else in the country has.

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Next … Justin Fields can indeed sling it

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