Tag: Shaun Wade

Joel Klatt wasn’t happy with targeting calls in Nebraska game, compares to Shaun Wade’s ejection in Fiesta Bowl

Joel Klatt didn’t agree with targeting calls made against Nebraska in the Buckeyes 52-17 win. For once, we don’t agree with Klatt.

For the most part, you won’t find a more knowledgeable college football analyst than Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt.  Klatt is a straight shooter and tells it like he sees it… and most of the time he has really insightful takes.

During Saturday’s Ohio State game vs. Nebraska, the Cornhuskers were flagged several times for targeting, leading to two player ejections. Klatt got heated while the reviews were happening, sharing his opinion that he didn’t believe that the Husker players in question did anything wrong in the actual speed of real-time gameplay. Klatt even went on to try and sway the Buckeye faithful watching the game, comparing the hits made against Ohio State receivers yesterday to the hit that got Shaun Wade ejected in the Fiesta Bowl last season. Here’s why I believe he’s wrong.

Klatt tweeted out that the targeting rule needs to be changed and I do agree with that to an extent. While the spirit of the rule is good, the interpretation needs to be fixed.

When Shaun Wade hit Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence in the National Semi-Final, he was in position to make a perfect form tackle. Lawrence saw Wade coming at the last second and ducked into that hit, causing a helmet to helmet collision. Unless you’re a Tiger fan, I think we can all agree with Klatt here that this is a “normal action of football” and the player should stay in the game.

The difference yesterday is that the Nebraska defenders who were ejected launched themselves into defenseless receivers. But what exactly is targeting? The NCAA rules committee defines it as this: “initiating contact against a defenseless opponent and/or with the crown of the helmet.”

Specifically, launching is defined as:

A player leaving his feet to attack an opponent by an upward and forward thrust of the body to make forcible contact in the head or neck area.

The first ejection of Cam Taylor-Britt may have been questionable in real-time, although he clearly lowered his head to make helmet to helmet contact. The second ejection of Deontai Williams was a blatant launching into the head/neck area.

I agree, Joel… the rule needs to be looked at for better interpretation and room for live-action gameplay. However, this wasn’t the case yesterday and the calls were made.

 

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Five reasons Ohio State football wins a national title in 2020

Ohio State is officially into game week for the first time this fall. We give you five reasons the Buckeyes win a national title in 2020.

The last time Ohio State won a national title in football was just a little ways back in the rearview mirror at the end of the 2014 season. But it feels so much longer considering how close the Buckeyes have been since then. Truth be known, Ohio State was probably the best team in college football in 2015 but lost a wacky, rain-soaked game against Michigan State to leave the collective conscience of the College Football Playoff Committee’s mind.

There was a 2016 College Football Playoff appearance that ended dreadfully against Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl, and the program got achingly close to the CFP in 2017, 2018, before bowing out amid some controversy last season despite showing as the better team against Clemson yet again.

The point is, year in and year out, Ohio State has had the talent to win another national championship since that glorious, yet unexpected 2014 season, but lost a break or two along the way to not be able to finish the deal.

And here we are again. For the longest time, we didn’t know if there’d even be a season for the Big Ten, but now that there is, the potential is there again for what should be an outstanding Buckeye squad to hoist another trophy of the national variety.

There’s reason to believe Ohio State can once again seal the deal and we’re giving you five reasons why it’ll happen. We start with the guy under center.

NEXT … Justin Fields

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Trio of Ohio State players earn preseason Big Ten football honors

A trio of Ohio State players were named to the Big Ten’s East Division preseason team on Friday.

Hey folks. We’re just a week away from the start of Ohio State football. The Buckeyes are set to break the seal on the 2020 season next Saturday against Nebraska at home, and the anticipation couldn’t be higher after all the drama of even getting to this point.

To have that reality hit home even further, the Big Ten announced its preseason Big Ten division teams on Friday, and a trio of Buckeyes were recognized. A media panel selected the 10-member preseason list, with five representatives each from the East and West Divisions.

The conference no longer selects a robust selection of preseason awards, but it does name a preseason East and West Division team. On the East Division preseason team, right guard Wyatt Davis, quarterback Justin Fields, and cornerback Shaun Wade all made the team.

Rounding out the East Division team are Michigan defensive end Kwity Paye and tight end Pat Freiermuth of Penn State.

The West Division team consists of two players from Minnesota. Wide receiver Rashod Batement and quarterback Tanner Morgan made the cut, and are joined by Northwestern linebacker Paddy Fisher, Purdue wide receiver Rondale Moore, and Wisconsin linebacker Jack Sanborn.

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The complete preseason teams look like this:

EAST DIVISION
Kwity Paye, DE, MICH
Wyatt Davis, OG, OSU
Justin Fields, QB, OSU
Shaun Wade, CB, OSU
Pat Freiermuth, TE, PSU

WEST DIVISION
Rashod Bateman, WR, MINN
Tanner Morgan, QB, MINN
Paddy Fisher, LB, NU
Rondale Moore, WR, PUR
Jack Sanborn, LB, WIS

Now, let’s hope Ohio State also a slew of players that get some postseason recognition as well.

 

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Ohio State football has three top fifteen NFL prospects

Before a game of the 2020 season is played, the Ohio State football team has three players at the top of NFL Draft boards.

Before the season even starts for the Ohio State football team, they have three top fifteen prospects for next year’s NFL draft. I do a lot of work covering the NFL draft every year and I tend to start pretty early in the season. This year, I started looking at prospects and the Buckeyes have three players I would consider to be near the top of many “Big Boards.”

It’s no secret that Ohio State is a venerable NFL factory that sends gobs of players to the next level on an almost yearly basis. The Buckeyes also crank out first-round draft widgets second to none, and we’ll likely see the same thing for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Let’s roll through the three OSU players that will likely go in the first round.

Next … QB1

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WATCH: Shaun Wade, Garrett Wilson battle for catch in the ‘Shoe Saturday

Ohio wide receiver Garrett Wilson and cornerback Shaun Wade had one epic battle for a ball Justin Fields threw in the ‘Shoe on Saturday.

We’ve always heard stories of how heated practices can get, even on teams as close as what we see with the brotherhood at Ohio State. In fact, a little infighting and competition amongst teams can be a healthy thing if handled correctly.

The Ohio State Football Twitter account shared a video of one of those instances on Saturday with the Buckeyes getting in the ‘Shoe and staging a little scrimmage. From what it looks like, with the ones going against the ones, quarterback Justin Fields lobbed a pass up to the corner of the end zone targeting Garrett Wilson.

There’s only one problem with that. The talented sophomore wide receiver was being checked by future NFL first-rounder Shaun Wade and both went up for the ball. A battle and wrestle for position ensued and it looked like Wilson may have won the battle, coming down in the end zone with the football, but it was close and tough to tell for sure.

Also: Projected Ohio State two-deep depth chart

You can clearly see the two “passionately debating” the whole thing after the incident with teammates celebrating or joining in on the cause. No matter what the complete outcome of the play was, it was easy to see the talent and athleticism from both.

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Ohio State’s Shaun Wade, Wyatt Davis officially cleared to play this fall says Ryan Day

Ohio State football head coach Ryan Day confirmed on radio Monday that both Shaun Wade and Wyatt Davis are all set and cleared to play.

You may have thought it was a done deal when defensive back Shaun Wade and Wyatt Davis were seen practicing with the program again, but these things are complicated with where things stand in this COVID-19 pandemic.

To be fair, there are a slew of kids that opted-out through all the drama and turmoil of the Big Ten, Pac-12, and other programs deciding whether they were going to play or not. It’s not just at Ohio State. Still though, the NCAA is going to have to make some decisions across many teams and fronts on this thing, and according to Ryan Day, both Davis and Wade got the news they wanted.

When asked about the official status of both while appearing on the Buckeye Roundtable radio show on the IMG Radio Network Monday, Day confirmed both are officially cleared.

“It’s great to have those guys back,” Day said. “Wyatt got great news and Shaun’s good to go.”

The sticking point in all of this is official and unofficial interactions with agents. Wade had all along said that he did not sign anything so there was no worry there, but the status of Davis and any agents was not truly known in. In fact, he communicated his intentions to enter the 2021 NFL Draft a couple of days earlier and may have been further along in the process.

Regardless, it looks like all is set for Ohio State’s two players that decided to opt-out. As far as other programs go, Day also shared that he believes unprecedented times call for the NCAA to be flexible and accommodating on all of the cases.

“I also just think that that’s the right thing to do for these guys in the Big Ten, whether it’s Rondale Moore (Purdue) or (Rashod) Bateman at Minnesota, I just think those guys deserve to play,” said Day. “They got kind of put in a different situation than we’ve ever seen before in the history of college football, and now that we’re playing again. I think all of those guys deserve the opportunity to play. I think it’s good for football and good for the Big Ten.”

So there you have it. Day is a man of the people, whether they wear scarlet and gray or — heaven forbid — maize and blue.

For now at least, Ohio State, along with Davis and Wade, can move full speed ahead towards a 2020 fall football season set to kick off in late October.

 

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Look. Wyatt Davis and Shaun Wade are back at practice

The Ohio State Football Twitter account shared images of both Shaun Wade and Wyatt Davis back at practice on Wednesday. Time to get excited.

You’ve heard it, but sometimes seeing is believing. After getting multiple reports and confirmation from both Wyatt Davis and Shaun Wade themselves that they wanted to come back to the Ohio State program after opting out, we received some images of both back at practice Wednesday.

It comes courtesy of some tweets the Ohio State Football Twitter account shared of the two in action along with their teammates at the Woody.

Obviously, getting them both back is a huge win for the Buckeye program. Both stiff-armed heading to the NFL last season and wanted one more run with the brotherhood. Both are captains and both are projected to go in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Adding two guys in the starting lineup with that type of talent is massive for the program’s chances of winning a fourth-straight Big Ten title and making a run for the College Football Playoff.

Here is a look at both performing some magic back as a collegiate student-athlete.

Seeing all of this makes playing and competition for some pretty special things a reality for Ohio State fans. As long as all the games can be played, this is really going down in 2020.

 

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Ohio State CB Shaun Wade opting back into 2020 college football season

Ohio State cornerback Shaun Wade is changing course, and will opt back into the 2020 college football season

Just days after opting out of the 2020 college football season, Ohio State cornerback Shaun Wade is doing exactly what the Big Ten Conference is doing: Changing course and playing football this fall, after all.

Wade announced on ESPN that he would be opting back into the 2020 season after the Big Ten’s reversal on postponing their fall season. He joins Ohio State teammate Wyatt Davis in making that decision.

Much like Davis, Wade is expected to be one of the first players selected at his position in the 2021 NFL Draft, and returning for another year with the Buckeyes will give him an opportunity to improve his draft stock even further as he chases a national title in Columbus.

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Shaun Wade gets his own Ohio State football hype video

Shaun Wade is returning to Ohio State for some unfinished business. Watch the hype video the creative team put together for his return.

Are you as excited to have cornerback Shaun Wade back as much as we are?

Getting both he and Wyatt Davis back in the fold when it looked like they were off to bigger and better things in the NFL is huge for this team. Getting a potential first-round draft pick to build around on the back end of the defense that is otherwise unproven is especially massive.

The Ohio State creative team is the best out there, and they took the opportunity to welcome Wade back in grand fashion by creating a hype video for his return.

If the news itself didn’t get your blood flowing, this trailer of some moments we’ve already seen from Wade will. Click on the below, give yourself some space and get ready to feel the burn of Wade and the rest of the Ohio State team coming your way in just a little over a month.

Are you ready for all of this?

 

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What getting Shaun Wade back means for Ohio State

Shaun Wade’s return instantly improves the Buckeyes, what looked like a question yesterday, was answered today with Wade returning.

Yesterday, there were questions about whether Shaun Wade was going to return to the Ohio State Buckeyes. We here at Buckeyes Wire went into the depth of this team and one of the things we touched upon was what the secondary would look like if Wade did not return. However, today news broke that Wade was going to return to the Buckeyes, and what a huge boost it is.

Before we get into what it means for Ohio State, the decision means a lot for Shaun Wade himself. Wade was already considered one of the best corners for the 2021 NFL Draft, but there were some questions as to whether he was just a slot corner, or would he be able to take his skills and convert them to the outside. By Wade coming back he can help his draft stock and lock in being a first-rounder by showing he can be an outside corner.

For the Buckeyes, getting Wade back will boost a secondary that had questions. Now, Wade and Cameron Brown will be one of the best corner duos in college. Sevyn Banks will be a great third corner with others vying for time behind them. But make no mistake, it all starts with Wade.

Brown and Banks will fight it out for the second corner spot and will be able to give rest to Wade if he should need it without much drop-off. Having the three of them will allow Ryan Day to work match-ups better. Wade can follow the best receiver or Day can put him in a position to make plays with Brown or Banks on the top receiver.

Wade now gives the Buckeyes a much more formidable defense. He should be able to lock down receivers enough to help a young pass rush get to the quarterback. Wade coming back greatly improves the Buckeyes, now they just have to play the games.

 

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