Falcons add Georgia safety in Draft Wire’s latest 3-round mock

After winning their previous two games, the Falcons are unlikely to land Ohio State defensive end Chase Young in the 2020 NFL Draft.

After winning their previous two games, the Falcons are unlikely to land Ohio State defensive end Chase Young in the 2020 NFL Draft.

With the team’s recent pass russ resurgence, it may not be the end of the world, though. Atlanta is likely to focus on the defensive side of the ball regardless of what happens over the final few weeks of the season.

It should come as no surprise that Draft Wire’s newest mock draft has the Falcons going defense with all four of their picks in the first three rounds.

Here’s a look at those four players mocked to Atlanta in Luke Easterling’s latest piece.

1st round (No. 8): Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State

(AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

Jeff Okudah is looking like a better fit as Falcons rookie CB Kendall Sheffield, the former Ohio State standout, continues to shine. Isaiah Oliver had a rough couple of weeks while Desmond Trufant was out, but has looked more comfortable since his return. Okudah is a blue-chip prospect that would immediately give the team another play-maker in the secondary.

Big Ten Quick Thoughts, Takes On Every Game: Week 13. Ohio State Wins Big Ten East

Quick thoughts and takes on every Week 13 Big Ten game. @PeteFiutak Michigan State 27, Rutgers 0 It was only a win over Rutgers, but Michigan State really, really, really, really needed that. It wasn’t perfect, the running game was stuffed a bit too …

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Quick thoughts and takes on every Week 13 Big Ten game.


@PeteFiutak

Michigan State 27, Rutgers 0

It was only a win over Rutgers, but Michigan State really, really, really, really needed that. It wasn’t perfect, the running game was stuffed a bit too much and the offense stalled a bit, but Cody White went off for 11 catches for 136 yards and three scores, and it was a shutout over a team that was supposed to be shutout. The program can exhale for a moment – it hit the putt.

 

Rutgers just doesn’t have the offensive talent. Johnny Langan completed 8-of-20 passes for 57 yards with a pick, led the team with 49 rushing yards, and Isaiah Pacheco was held to 36 yards. It didn’t help that the Scarlet Knights were playing a team that cared.

The Spartans owned this game by more than the final score. They didn’t allow a third down conversion and held the ball for almost 38 minutes. There wasn’t any drama whatsoever.

Michigan State did what it needed to do, and now it closes out with Maryland for a shot at a sixth win and bowl eligibility. Rutgers’ season will come to a brutal but merciful end at Penn State.

Iowa 19, Illinois 10

Iowa played a typical Iowa game. It battled hard, played good run defense, and did enough to keep things moving through the air. It wasn’t easy, and it was a grind to do anything on the ground, but it was the eighth win of the season with just Nebraska to go. A shot at a ten-win campaign is still there.

The Hawkeyes couldn’t get any push up front – the Illinois D line did a nice job. Iowa ended up with just 79 rushing yards, and Nate Stanley wasn’t all that sharp, but he connected on a few bit pass plays with Ihmir Smith-Marsette catching four passes for 121 yards.

Illinois played relatively well despite only scoring ten points. The running backs didn’t get the ball enough – QB Brandon Peters led the team with 76 rushing yards – but the O averaged close to five yards per carry. The passing game didn’t cluck – Peters threw two picks – but it was an okay performance despite the final score.

It was a good fight, and now Illinois gets to go for a seventh win when it finishes up against Northwestern. If a 19-10 loss on the road to Iowa was okay, a loss of any sort to this Wildcat team would be totally unacceptable.

NEXT: Ohio State 28, Penn State 17

Ohio State superfan LeBron James welcomes back Chase Young

The Ohio State Buckeyes aren’t the only ones happy to see Chase Young back on the field; superfan LeBron James is as well.

The Ohio State Buckeyes aren’t the only ones happy to see Chase Young back on the field; superfan LeBron James is as well.

That said, Young, with a partial sack in the first quarter, he’s in the record books as Ohio State’s single-season sack record holder. Combine that with a tackle for loss, and his presence has certainly already been felt.

Everyone, including three-time NBA Champion LeBron James, knew the importance of Young. James, one of the best ever to play basketball, was born and raised in Akron, Ohio and has been a die-hard Ohio State fan ever since.

James took to his Twitter, which has over 44 million followers, to welcome back the protected top-three pick.

James and the rest of Buckeye Nation will be watching intently as Ohio State looks to capture its tenth win of the season.

Still undefeated, if the Buckeyes win today and again in the Big Ten Championship, they’re a virtual lock to be in the College Football Playoffs. Ohio State is currently leading 7-0.

Chargers in attendance to scout Ohio State vs. Penn State

Los Angeles Chargers well-represented at the showdown between Ohio State and Penn State.

The Los Angeles Chargers are one of several teams in attendance for the big matchup between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Penn State Nittany Lions. In fact, the team will have two representatives to scout the game.

There are a few players worthy of scouting attention in this game.

Ohio State

WR Binjimen Victor (#9)

WR K.J. Hill (#14)

RB J.K. Dobbins (#2)

NT Davon Hamilton (#53)

LB Malik Harrison (#39)

CB Shaun Wade (#24)

CB Jeffrey Okudah (#1)

CB Damon Arnette (#3)

Penn State

WR KJ Hamler (#1)

DT Robert Windsor (#54)

DE Yetur Gross-Matos (#99)

LB Cam Brown (#6)

CB Tariq Castro-Fields (#6)

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How to Watch Penn State vs. Ohio State, NCAA Football Live Stream, Schedule, TV Channel, Start Time

Stream Penn State vs. Ohio State Live Online.

This is a game that both schools have had circled on their calendars for months. Saturday’s showdown between No. 8 Penn State and No. 1 Ohio State at the Horseshoe will have ripple effects for the Big Ten Championship and the College Football Playoff. 

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Penn State vs. Ohio State

When: Saturday, November 23

Time: 12:00 p.m. ET

TV: FOX

Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

Penn State will have to do something that only one other Big Ten team has been able to accomplish since 2011. OSU has lost exactly one Big Ten game at home since 2011. However, The Nittany Lions nearly beat the Buckeyes in Columbus two years ago.

The winner of this game has not only won the East but the entire Big Ten, three seasons in a row. The last three meetings have been decided by a combined five points. In all three of those games, the winning team rallied from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter.

Defensive end Chase Young returns for the Buckeyes after a two-game suspension. He is the heart and soul of the defense and teams have to take extra time preparing just for him. The last time the superstar stepped on the field at the Horseshoe, he delivered four sacks against Wisconsin. Ohio State is also ranked first in the country in total defense, allowing 216 yards per game.

While Young has been getting a lot of attention, so has quarterback Justin Fields, who in his first year as OSU’s quarterback, has 31 touchdowns and just one interception. Last weekend against Rutgers, Fields went 15-for-19 with 305 yards and four touchdowns in a 56-21 win. Running back J.K. Robbins also has 13 touchdowns on the season and is averaging seven yards per carry.

How healthy are the Nittany Lions. Running back Noah Cain did more in warmups last Saturday than he did at Minnesota, but he still did not play against Indiana. With the absence of Cain, Journey Brown has stepped in. For the second week in a row, he rushed for at least 100 yards. Star wide receiver K.J. Hamler left last week’s game with an injury, but head coach James Franklin said the team is hopeful it will have Hamler this weekend. He has the speed to change a game in one play. Hamler turned a short reception into a 93-yard catch-and-run score against the Buckeyes at Beaver Stadium last season.

Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford sure hopes Hamler will return. Hamler is his go-to wide receiver. Clifford ran for two touchdowns and threw for another in the Lions’ 34-27 win over Indiana. The redshirt sophomore is ranked first in the Big Ten in total offense (2,450 passing yards, 374 rushing yards).

The Penn State defense has shown its vulnerabilities these last few games but has still been solid this season. PSU has allowed a total of 58 points in the last two games and the secondary struggled to keep up with the Minnesota and Indiana passing attacks. Ohio State’s offense is better than both of those, so the secondary will need to step up its game.

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An Ohio State loss to Penn State could ruin Buckeyes dominant season

If the Ohio State Buckeyes lose to the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday, their historically dominant season could be in trouble.

Ohio State, in 2019, won’t settle for a Rose Bowl-type finale. They need to make the College Football Playoff, and after the dominance it has shown this season, that’s the only possible way to dub this season successful.

However, the Buckeyes’ matchup with Penn State could put a serious sour note to the entire season if it doesn’t go their way.

The main reason why it would be so disastrous is that Ohio State would then fail to make the Big Ten Championship game, not being the front-runner to come out of the East with just one game to go.

The Nittany Lions may be 6-1 in conference play, losing to Minnesota, while Ohio State is a clean 7-0, but what’s important is the record within the conference and Penn State would hold the head-to-head tiebreaker.

A one-loss Penn State or Minnesota team that takes over as Big Ten Champs would be going against Ohio State in terms of making the Playoff. The committee seems to favor teams without bad losses and with conference championships. Or, that have an SEC logo on their chest.

That means Oregon and Penn State would both likely be competing directly with the Buckeyes. But, let’s remember one thing first: Penn State must actually beat Ohio State.

We saw Wisconsin, who once considered a top-two team in the Big Ten, get absolutely manhandled by Ohio State. There’s no reason to think the same won’t happen to Penn State.

With the return of Chase Young, Ohio State will be at nearly full strength, and this could be over in the first 45 minutes. If it’s not, this game could spell trouble for Ohio State’s historic season.

The game kicks off Saturday, at noon EST on FOX. Be there, and be loud.

Ohio State drains Mirror Lake ahead of Michigan matchup to deter dangerous tradition

Ohio State has drained Mirror Lake in an attempt to protect its student body of a dangerous tradition prior to their matchup with Michigan.

Ohio State has drained Mirror Lake in an attempt to protect its student body of a dangerous tradition prior to their matchup with Michigan.

It’s been a tradition over the last few years to jump into Mirror Lake prior to the team’s annual matchup with the University of Michigan. However, the late-season matchup and tradition has spelled trouble for students in the past.

After all, this upcoming week the temperatures will likely be in the 40s. Jumping into a lake at that temp is just asking for chaos, and Ohio State understands that.

In 2015, a student, participating in the tradition, was killed. This has made Ohio State use an “abundance of caution” as their matchup with Michigan nears.

Here’s the release directly from Ohio State Police on why they made the decision.

The statement, as seen above, notes that the lake will be refilled at a later date. That said, Ohio State clearly wants to promote tradition but not in a way that’s dangerous to their student body.

However, students likely won’t care too much when the Buckeyes march up to Ann Arbor and absolutely demolish their northern rivals.

Broncos GM John Elway will scout Penn State-Ohio State game

Broncos general manager John Elway will scout Saturday’s game between Penn State and Ohio State.

Before traveling to New York for the Broncos’ game against the Bills on Sunday, general manager John Elway will make a stop in Ohio to watch Penn State take on Ohio State in a college football showdown with possible Playoff implications.

Elway confirmed during his interview with the team’s official website this week that he will be scouting the game.

Elway attended Missouri vs. Arkansas last year, a game that featured four touchdowns from quarterback Drew Lock. Five months after that game, Elway selected Lock in the second round of the NFL draft.

Notable Buckeyes playing in Saturday’s game include defensive end Chase Young, running back J.K. Dobbins, linebacker Malik Harrison, safety Jordan Fuller and wide receiver K.J. Hill. Young is a candidate to be one of the top players selected in next year’s draft.

The list of Nittany Lions who may interest the Broncos includes offensive lineman Steven Gonzalez and wide receiver/returner KJ Hamler.

The PSU-Ohio State game will air on Fox at 10:00 a.m. MT on Nov. 23. Next year’s draft will take place from April 23-25 in Las Vegas.

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Angry Tweets: CFB fans react to Georgia’s No. 4 ranking

Angry college football fans tweet after Georgia football checked in at No. 4 in the CFP Rankings.

On Tuesday night, Georgia checked in at No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings, remaining the highest ranked one-loss team.

According to the most recent edition of the CFP rankings, Georgia’s ranked wins include:

No. 16 Notre Dame

No. 10 Florida

No. 15 Auburn

The full top-six is as follows:

1. LSU

2. Ohio State

3. Clemson

4. Georgia

5. Alabama

6. Oregon

Surprisingly, Texas A&M, which Georgia hosts this weekend, remained unranked despite checking in at No. 23 in both the Amway Coaches Poll and the AP Top-25.

Following the release of the rankings, college football fans gave their thoughts on Twitter.

Originally, I was planning on making this an article that included happy tweets from UGA fans. Then, as I browsed Twitter all I saw was triggered fans of other schools…mostly Alabama. 

Enjoy.