Tag: osu football

2022 NFL draft: Jeremy Ruckert scouting report

Everything NFL draft fans need to know about Ohio State tight end Jeremy Ruckert

Once the top-rated tight end prospect in the country coming out of high school, Ohio State’s Jeremy Ruckert will hope to deliver on that lofty potential as he heads into the 2022 NFL draft.

Here is everything you need to know about the Buckeyes’ talented offensive weapon:

Former Georgia, Ohio State QB Justin Fields predicts rookie Madden rating

Former Georgia football and Ohio State Buckeyes QB Justin Fields, now with the Chicago Bears, predicted his rookie rating in Madden 22.

All football players dream of one day seeing themselves featured in a video game. More specifically, EA Sports’ popular game, Madden.

This year’s rookie class will soon get that chance, with the next edition of Madden set to be released in August, just in time for the 2021 season.

The Checkdown recently posted a video of a handful of rookie quarterbacks predicting what their rating will be when the game is released.

Typically, rookie quarterbacks selected in the first round of the NFL draft tend to find themselves rated in the mid-70s.

Out of the quarterbacks that The Checkdown interviewed, former Georgia and Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields was the only one to predict a realistic rating for himself.

“To be honest, I think my Madden rating is going to be like a 78 through 81, of course, just because … rookies,” Fields said.

The Chicago Bears selected Fields with No. 11 pick in the first round of the draft.

 

Locked On Spartans: Well that was a less-than-ideal weekend

Wil and Matt rant about their frustrations with the Michigan State football offense and all of the things that ail it.

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Wil and Matt rant about their frustrations with the Michigan State football offense and all of the things that ail it. Then Wil somehow gets positive in segment three.

You can find the episode on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

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Kirk Herbstreit releases top six rankings: Ohio State enters the mix

ESPN College Football analyst Kirk Herbstreit has released his latest rankings which now feature Ohio State, Georgia, Clemson, and more.

ESPN College Football analyst Kirk Herbstreit has released his latest rankings of the top teams in college football. Herbstreit’s rankings now include the Big Ten conference, which opened up play this weekend.

In the Big Ten, Ohio State had an impressive victory over Nebraska. Former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Justin Fields was the star of the game in a 52-17 win.

Additionally in Big Ten action, Indiana upset Penn State, who many thought would be the second best team in the conference. Penn State faces Ohio State this weekend. Michigan was impressive in a blowout win at Minnesota. Wisconsin is anticipated to be the best team in their division and handily defeated Illinois in their opener.

In the SEC, Alabama dominated Tennessee as expected. The Vols are reeling and Alabama is rolling, but the Crimson Tide suffered a key loss when electric wide receiver Jaylen Waddle suffered a season-ending ankle injury. The LSU Tigers looked formidable against South Carolina as well. The Georgia Bulldogs and Florida Gators had the week off.

Clemson blew out Syracuse at home. Oklahoma State remains the Big 12’s best hope at making the College Football Playoff. The Cowboys knocked off Iowa State 24-21.

Here’s who Kirk Herbstreit rated as the top six teams in the country:

Herbstreit’s ratings look pretty good. Notre Dame proved themselves to an extent in a 45-3 win against Pittsburgh. Oklahoma State is more battle tested than teams like Wisconsin and Michigan.

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Ivy League decision could spell trouble for Ohio State’s fall sports

Could Ohio State’s football be in trouble after the Ivy League decided to cancel or try to push back all their fall sports?

One of the most distinguished leagues in the NCAA with a few of the top schools in the entire world, the Ivy League has voted to cancel their athletic programs for the fall of 2020 according to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander.

This comes just days after Harvard declared that it would be doing online-only instruction. While it doesn’t truly mean anything for the Big Ten, some conferences will likely fall in line with the Ivy League.

That said, there’s much more at stake for a billion-dollar program like Ohio State. The future of many of their players as well as sponsorships and television deals could all go up in fumes if the season isn’t played.

If the trade-off with testing and safety precautions is worth it, the Buckeyes may move ahead with a season, but it’ll be interesting if the Big Ten would trump any individual program’s decision.

“There are also financial considerations to take into account for the Ivy League. The conference loses more money on football than any other sport,” CBS Sports’ Ben Kercheval wrote.

With COVID-19 still spiking in many areas around the country, this decision to play or not and if fans can be present could come down to the wire. With time running out, expect to hear from other top universities in the near future.

Ohio State Football ranked third-best program in last ten years

The Ohio State Buckeyes were recently ranked the third-best NCAA football program in the last ten years, landing behind Alabama and Clemson.

The Ohio State Buckeyes were recently ranked the third-best NCAA football program in the last ten years, landing behind Alabama and Clemson.

If you look at the last ten years, the Buckeyes have seen some of the best, most dynamic college football players on their roster.

From the recent stars like DE Chase Young and QB Justin Fields to the older stars like RB Ezekiel Elliott and QB Braxton Miller, this program has been elite, and they may have the best outlook of any national powerhouse as well.

That said, as Bender notes, the past few seasons have incredible with the team winning three-straight Big Ten titles.

“The Buckeyes have put together an amazing eight-year stretch with Urban Meyer and Ryan Day. Ohio State has lost just one Big Ten home game in that stretch; a loss to Michigan State that prevented a Playoff run in 2015. The Buckeyes have the second-best winning percentage with the third-most draft picks in the past 10 seasons. The beat goes on in Columbus as Ohio State looks for a fourth straight Big Ten title in 2020,” Sporting News’ Bill Bender wrote.

He gave the Buckeyes the third spot behind a point system justifying the ranking.

Bender gave 10 points for a national championship, 5 points for an appearance in the national championship, 5 points for a CFP appearance, 3 points for a BCS bowl appearance, and then 2 points for each Heisman Trophy winner.

The Buckeyes ended his system with 90.5 points. Clemson and Alabama both crushed Ohio State, notching 122 and 166 points respectively. They were ranked No. 2 and No. 1.

Ohio State ranked in the highest tier of most desirable jobs by ESPN

The Ohio State football program has been getting it done for decades. According to ESPN, it’s one of the most desirable jobs in America.

What makes Ohio State’s football program such an attractive place for top-tier coaches?

The Buckeyes one of the best football programs in America, and it has  been possible by top-tier coaching. But, why did those coaches ever decide to come to Columbus?

A long history of having top regional recruits mixed with five stars from all across the nation have made it a powerhouse for recruiting, one reason for consistently dominant teams.

The program has seemingly always gotten great players from not only Ohio but across the country because of the tradition, resources, history, and culture.

Even Ryan Day, who was promoted from within the organization with not much head coaching experience had fit right in.

Day was a no-brainer for the program, and there is no denying it was slam dunk of a hire. There are multiple reasons why Ohio State coaching positions were ranked in college football’s top tier.

“Great location with excellent access to elite regional and national recruits; strong infrastructure and commitment from university and athletic administration; few financial limitations on assistant coach and staff hires; history as a top-5 program (recent or long term),” ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg said of tier 1 programs.

Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas and USC were ranked as tier 1 schools for having the most attractive coaching gigs. You can get a look at the rest of the schools and tiers by going to the piece by Rittenberg.

Checking every mark and having one of the most proactive athletic directors in the Big Ten. Having one of the profitable programs is also a good start. A nine-digit budget and almost nine figures in revenue are what likely brings those coaches in as well.

From conferences to facilities to financial strength, Ohio State’s football program has been among the top-tier programs in all of college football. And it’s not going anywhere soon either.

 

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Atlanta Falcons “aggressive” in looking to trade up for Chase Young

Chase Young is a player that will transcend a franchise, and teams are starting to call about the availability of the No. 2 overall pick.

Chase Young is a player that could transcend a franchise, and teams are rumored to be starting to call about the availability of the No. 2 overall pick, currently held by the Washington Redskins.

Young is considered by many to be the best player in the draft; however, given his position, Young is expected to go second behind former Ohio State quarterback Joe Burrow.

The Buckeyes’ single-season sack leader, Young is a hot commodity, and the Redskins have apparently been receiving offers for the pick, one that doesn’t seem likely to switch teams.

That said, one team that is looking to trade up for Young reportedly the Atlanta Falcons.

Slowly losing ground in the NFC South, a division that saw Teddy Bridgewater switch teams to Carolina, the addition of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski to Tampa Bay, and the signing of Emmanuel Sanders to New Orleans, the Falcons must make a significant move to improve or be left at the bottom yet again.

At 6-foot, 5-inches, and 265 pounds, Young is an absolute monster. Notching 16.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss his junior season, there’s no doubt his dominance will transfer to the next level.

For now, we aren’t positive what the value of the pick is, but we know whatever Atlanta was offering in their “aggressive” pursuit didn’t seem to be good enough.

Four-star cornerback Latrell McCutchin includes Ohio State in top ten

It’s down to ten for four-star cornerback Latrell McCutchin, and the Ohio State Buckeyes are one of his ten finalists.

It’s down to ten for four-star cornerback Latrell McCutchin, and the Ohio State Buckeyes are one of his ten finalists. McCutchin is the tenth-ranked cornerback in the nation and thee 14th-best recruit in Texas according to 247Sports.

Losing both Jeff Okudah and Damon Arnette this season to the NFL Draft, the Buckeyes will be bringing in just one four-star cornerback to tag team with Shaun Wade. Though Cam Williams could also end up there.

They’ll eventually need strong reinforcements, and that could come in the form of the Class of 2021.

Along with a pair of safeties, the Buckeyes have one four-star and one three-star cornerback also committed to the Class of 2021. That said, McCutchin would be a big-time get for the star-studded program.

Here are the other finalists for the Texas-native who surprisingly kept the Longhorns out of his top ten.

Several of these programs are among the best in the nation, but looking at the list, one thing pops out.

The bulk of them are southern schools. Over half are from the SEC, making the conference many view as the best top to bottom the ultimate favorite for McCutchin.

However, 247 Sports’ lead expert on McCutchin, Brandon Drumm, gives Oklahoma an 83% chance at securing his talents.

Let’s hope the legacy of Ohio State cornerbacks can get them to the top of the race before the potential star commits.

College Football News releases 2020 bowl projection for Georgia Bulldogs

College Football News released bowl projections for Georgia in the 2020 season.

Kirby Smart has transformed the Georgia program into one that’s consistently in the College Football Playoff conversation each preseason.

Smart guided the Dawgs to the playoff during the 2017 season and came so close to doing it again in both 2018 and 2019.

Could 2020 be the year that Smart gets the Dawgs back into the playoff? Pete Fiutak of College Football News thinks it’s a good possibility.

In his SEC bowl projections, Fiutak has Georgia sliding in and facing off against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.

Yep, you read that correctly.

Georgia vs Ohio State, or as the media would read it come December: Georgia vs Justin Fields.

Could you imagine? Bulldogs vs Buckeyes in the Grandaddy of Them All, where replays of Sony Michel’s walk-off touchdown are still playing clearly in the brain of DawgNation.

Fiutak also recently projected Georgia’s win total for 2020, predicting 10 regular season wins for the Bulldogs next season.

With that in mind, it sounds like Fiutak has the Dawgs sneaking into and winning the SEC Championship Game with two regular season losses. In this scenario, that win in Atlanta would impress the committee enough to let a two-loss Georgia team, that played a very difficult regular season schedule, into the playoff.

I asked Fiutak for some more information on what led to this projection:

“Without spring ball to go on, just projecting talent – and Georgia has it. Here’s the deal. If the Dawgs split the Bama and Florida games, can they avoid a South Carolina loss like last year? They have to beat Auburn, too, but that’s at home. It’s still April – going with the call now that they win two of those three, and FINALLY pull off the SEC Championship. These things always change and adapt as we go … let’s see how these teams actually look, first.”

Fiutak also has Alabama and Clemson squaring off in the Sugar Bowl. Sadly, he predicts Ohio State and Alabama both advance past the semifinals and meet each other in Miami for the College Football Playoff National Championship.