Happy Monday!
As we recover from Super Bowl Sunday and head into another week of Ohio State men’s basketball and offseason football, here’s what I’m thinking about.
And it starts with the game.
Joe Burrow.
He looked like he belonged. For a former Ohio State quarterback, that’s not always a given.
From the days of Art Schlichter in 1982 to Joe Germaine in 1999 to Terrelle Pryor in 2011 and as recently as Dwayne Haskins in 2019, Buckeyes signal callers have not had the best track record in the NFL. It’s something Justin Fields hopes to change, something the people in Chicago saw in spurts when he took over the Bears starting job in the middle of the 2021 season.
But Joe Burrow was different.
He didn’t find his major successes until he left Columbus, earning his stripes with Ed Orgeron and Joe Brady at LSU. But in the eyes of Ohio State, in the eyes of head coach Ryan Day, Burrow is a success story, a prime example of what development in his room can turn into.
In Los Angeles Sunday night, Burrow was poised. Despite constant pressure from a Rams defense that seemed it was straight out of Madden 2018, with guys like Von Miller and Aaron Donald wreaking havoc on the outside of the Bengals’ offensive line, Burrow was accurate and calm, putting the ball in the hands of the receivers that gave him success all season long when he had the time to.
Was he perfect? No, but he has the time to become that next time. Because there seems like there will be a next time.
And like I said Sunday, that’s all that Ohio State needs. Burrow’s a Buckeye success story, something they never have really had at the quarterback position at the next level.
It’s what they hope to see from Fields in the near future, but it’s a clear picture to recruits of: “This is what you can turn into if you chose to be developed by Day.”
Here's why Sam Hubbard is a star at defensive end.
Sam Hubbard was always the second defensive end in line.
Throughout his three-year career with Ohio State, he was always playing second-fiddle to either Joey Bosa or Nick Bosa, bringing in a solid 17 sacks and 30 tackles for loss in 39 games, but not leaving as a heralded first-round pick like the brothers did.
On thing Hubbard showed, though, was that he was only getting better. His tackles-for-loss total only increased over the course of his college career, peaking at 13.5 in 2017, along with seven sacks.
He was a third-round selection by the Bengals in the 2018 draft, but in four years, he’s been one of the more consistent finds on the defensive line. Generating 36 tackles for loss in two years, including a career-high 14 in 2021.
It’s a pressure he showed off in the Super Bowl against Matthew Stafford, recording two tackles-for-loss against the Rams’ tackles.
Yes, Ohio State has always been one to push its first-round draft choices to the center of attention. It’s something Hubbard was used to in Columbus, and is certainly used to now. But he’s becoming a consistent weapon for the Bengals and a major threat in the AFC South.
Not bad for a former three-star outside linebacker.
Who could be the next Ohio State player to play in a Super Bowl?
Jordan Fuller now has a ring, despite missing the last part of the 2021 season with an ankle injury. Who could be next? Here’s a few options:
Note: the players listed all have contracts currently keeping them with their respective teams in 2022.
Cincinnati Bengals: DE Sam Hubbard, QB Joe Burrow, S Vonn Bell, OT Isaiah Prince — This is easily the best option. With Burrow at the helm and a lot of his offensive pieces back, the Bengals are really an offensive line away from a return to the Super Bowl.
Dallas Cowboys: RB Ezekiel Elliott — As the only Cowboys player that has a contract secured to return next season, Elliott and the Cowboys always seem to be right there. Dallas has the quarterback, offensive weapons and a defensive superstar to get it done. When will the puzzle pieces fit?
Los Angeles Chargers: DE Joey Bosa, OC Corey Linsley — You can’t doubt a team with a star quarterback and one of the best defensive ends in the country.
San Francisco 49ers: DE Nick Bosa, RB Trey Sermon — Kyle Shanahan is one of the best minds in all of football. It also helps to have a defensive end with all the potential in the world and a wide receiver that’s one of the most exciting pieces in all of football. They were close in 2021. Even with a new young quarterback, they could be back in the fold in 2022.
Here’s what’s on the offseason checklist for Ohio State’s quarterbacks.
Just like we did last week with the tight ends, here’s three things Ohio State’s quarterback room must do this offseason to set up for a successful fall.
After his 12-point performance Saturday night against Michigan, redshirt senior guard Cedric Russell said it just comes down to the mindset E.J. Liddell gives him: just to stay ready.
Russell waited his turn. Against the Wolverines, he looked like a completely different player.
He was aggressive, pushing the offense up and down the floor, making open looks, while also just garnering enough attention on the outside to make open loos for others. Hewas aggressive defensively, feeding off the similar energy Jamari Wheeler brings to Ohio State’s backcourt.
“Just going through my same routine, man, staying sharp. It didn’t start this night. It started earlier this week throughout good practices and stuff, continuing to build good habits. Tonight it showed,”
What Russell showed Sunday was the player he was for Louisiana is still there.
In four years with the Ragin’ Cajuns, he became one of their leading scorers, averaging 17.2 points per game, while shooting 40% from deep last season.
He was aggressive, something that may have led to him averaging more than two turnovers per game in his last two seasons in the Sun Belt, but he set the tone for that offense.
That’s what he did Saturday night, scoring a season-high 12 points with an efficient five makes on eight attempts including both attempts from deep.
It’s what he’s been all season, shooting 46.2% from the field and 45.5% from 3 — both career hights — but with a career-low 11.8 minutes per game.
Ohio State is looking for that third offensive option behind Liddell and Malaki Branham. Could Russell be that guy for Ohio State moving forward?
Why is Eugene Brown III so impactful?
He’s not an offensive juggernaut, and he really never has been.
In two seasons with the Buckeyes, he’s attempted five shots or more in a game six times, averaging nearly two points per game in 44 games played through his Ohio State tenure.
But that’s now who Brown is.
Nothing is a mismatch for Brown defensively, posting up when he needs to post up, using his size to his advantage in the backcourt, using his speed to keep up with guards at 6-foot-6, 195 pounds.
Brown did it against Hunter Dickinson in the post, switching onto him near the rim and doing just enough to lead with a block by Liddell. He may have not been on the receiving end of the satisfying play to cap off the position, but Brown helped make the play happen. He finished the game with eight rebounds in 27 minutes, connecting on his only shot attempt from the field, while missing one free throw.
That’s who Brown is. And that’s why he’s so important for the Buckeyes moving forward.
Holtmann would like for Brown to be more aggressive offensively. He’s said this in the past. But that’s the next step in the development of Ohio State’s Swiss Army Knife, one that is molding into something that will be vital for the Buckeyes in this home stretch and into next season.
More Michigan game notes
Ohio State secured a commitment from 2023 center Austin Parks Sunday, the Buckeyes’ second-straight class with a true center, joining 2022 four-star Felix Okpara.
With that, let’s look at the potential starting lineups for the next few years for the Buckeyes.
Note: Holtmann has been clear that after each offseason, he wants to bring in a transfer or two to round out the rotation, bring some experience into the program, a’la Russell, Wheeler and Joey Brunk. This will not predict who those players will be, but to see how the recruiting classes figure their way into the rotation.
Here’s a look at the next three years.
2022-23
G Meechie Johnson Jr.
G Malaki Branham
G Eugene Brown III
F Zed Key
F Kalen Etzler/Justice Sueing (if he takes another season)/transfer -- Filling the role of E.J. Liddell will be incredibly difficult for Ohio State. I think it will become Brice Sensabaugh’s spot that season, but likely not from the get-go.
2023-24
G Meechie Johnson Jr.
G Bruce Thornton
G Eugene Brown III/Roddy Gayle Jr. — With the wing option, I could see Ohio State going three forwards here too with Etzler, depending on how he develops.
F Brice Sensabaugh
F Zed Key — Expect center Felix Okpara to get some time here too
2024-25
G Bruce Thornton
G Roddy Gayle Jr.
G George Washington III
F Brice Sensabaugh
C Felix Okpara/Austin Parks
This Super Bowl ad got me.
I shouldn’t fall victim to a Super Bowl ad, but man, Chevrolet got me good.
Here it is if you missed it: a frame-by-frame reenactment of The Sopranos theme, directed by the creator David Chase himself, but with the driver being Meadow Soprano, Tony’s daughter, played by Jamie Lynn Sigler.
I’m not going to get into what this commercial represents in the overall lore of the show. There is a definite meaning behind it, which, if you have watched the show, you understand.
But it’s super cool to see the return of a show I was just introduced to over the last year or so, discovering it on a watch with my family. It’s what brought us together, watching a few episodes each week — starting in the height of COVID-19 — and talking about it over Zoom at our family dinners that weekend.
But there is an Ohio State connection here too.
So with each shot make, Joey Brunk celebrates with a little italian hand gesture, something he started when he was at Indiana as a admiration and emulation of the character Tony Soprano.
He even said that his father has a “Tony Soprano” energy, with both of his parents dressing up as Tony and Carmela Soprano for Halloween.
All of that is to say, this is a cool commercial, giving a level of conclusion for one of the most memorable shows ever released.
Song of the Week
I won’t go in depth here, but that halftime show was legendary.
And it was the triumphant return of Kendrick Lamar.
See you on the board.
As we recover from Super Bowl Sunday and head into another week of Ohio State men’s basketball and offseason football, here’s what I’m thinking about.
And it starts with the game.
Joe Burrow.
He looked like he belonged. For a former Ohio State quarterback, that’s not always a given.
From the days of Art Schlichter in 1982 to Joe Germaine in 1999 to Terrelle Pryor in 2011 and as recently as Dwayne Haskins in 2019, Buckeyes signal callers have not had the best track record in the NFL. It’s something Justin Fields hopes to change, something the people in Chicago saw in spurts when he took over the Bears starting job in the middle of the 2021 season.
But Joe Burrow was different.
He didn’t find his major successes until he left Columbus, earning his stripes with Ed Orgeron and Joe Brady at LSU. But in the eyes of Ohio State, in the eyes of head coach Ryan Day, Burrow is a success story, a prime example of what development in his room can turn into.
In Los Angeles Sunday night, Burrow was poised. Despite constant pressure from a Rams defense that seemed it was straight out of Madden 2018, with guys like Von Miller and Aaron Donald wreaking havoc on the outside of the Bengals’ offensive line, Burrow was accurate and calm, putting the ball in the hands of the receivers that gave him success all season long when he had the time to.
Was he perfect? No, but he has the time to become that next time. Because there seems like there will be a next time.
And like I said Sunday, that’s all that Ohio State needs. Burrow’s a Buckeye success story, something they never have really had at the quarterback position at the next level.
It’s what they hope to see from Fields in the near future, but it’s a clear picture to recruits of: “This is what you can turn into if you chose to be developed by Day.”
Here's why Sam Hubbard is a star at defensive end.
Sam Hubbard was always the second defensive end in line.
Throughout his three-year career with Ohio State, he was always playing second-fiddle to either Joey Bosa or Nick Bosa, bringing in a solid 17 sacks and 30 tackles for loss in 39 games, but not leaving as a heralded first-round pick like the brothers did.
On thing Hubbard showed, though, was that he was only getting better. His tackles-for-loss total only increased over the course of his college career, peaking at 13.5 in 2017, along with seven sacks.
He was a third-round selection by the Bengals in the 2018 draft, but in four years, he’s been one of the more consistent finds on the defensive line. Generating 36 tackles for loss in two years, including a career-high 14 in 2021.
It’s a pressure he showed off in the Super Bowl against Matthew Stafford, recording two tackles-for-loss against the Rams’ tackles.
Yes, Ohio State has always been one to push its first-round draft choices to the center of attention. It’s something Hubbard was used to in Columbus, and is certainly used to now. But he’s becoming a consistent weapon for the Bengals and a major threat in the AFC South.
Not bad for a former three-star outside linebacker.
Who could be the next Ohio State player to play in a Super Bowl?
Jordan Fuller now has a ring, despite missing the last part of the 2021 season with an ankle injury. Who could be next? Here’s a few options:
Note: the players listed all have contracts currently keeping them with their respective teams in 2022.
Cincinnati Bengals: DE Sam Hubbard, QB Joe Burrow, S Vonn Bell, OT Isaiah Prince — This is easily the best option. With Burrow at the helm and a lot of his offensive pieces back, the Bengals are really an offensive line away from a return to the Super Bowl.
Dallas Cowboys: RB Ezekiel Elliott — As the only Cowboys player that has a contract secured to return next season, Elliott and the Cowboys always seem to be right there. Dallas has the quarterback, offensive weapons and a defensive superstar to get it done. When will the puzzle pieces fit?
Los Angeles Chargers: DE Joey Bosa, OC Corey Linsley — You can’t doubt a team with a star quarterback and one of the best defensive ends in the country.
San Francisco 49ers: DE Nick Bosa, RB Trey Sermon — Kyle Shanahan is one of the best minds in all of football. It also helps to have a defensive end with all the potential in the world and a wide receiver that’s one of the most exciting pieces in all of football. They were close in 2021. Even with a new young quarterback, they could be back in the fold in 2022.
Here’s what’s on the offseason checklist for Ohio State’s quarterbacks.
Just like we did last week with the tight ends, here’s three things Ohio State’s quarterback room must do this offseason to set up for a successful fall.
- Continue to develop C.J. Stroud — This is a quarterback who showed what he could be in 2022 at the Rose Bowl, throwing for 573 passing yards and six touchdowns. He was a superstar, and that’s seemingly what’s expected of him next season. What does that mean for Ohio State’s offense? That’s what’s being worked on now, whether it’s continued development with the offensive weapons he’s used to, or working with the new ones around him, or adding new wrinkles to the offense: the option game, learning to tuck and run when he needs to. Stroud’s offseason has a lot of weight, especially with how he finished 2021. It’s an offseason to ensure he can live up to it.
- Prepare for battle heading into 2023 — Devin Brown’s ready for the spotlight. It was easy to tell just in the 20 minutes we talked to him in his first days as an early enrollee. Kyle McCord waited his turn, getting an audition and performing well enough in a full game against Akron and four other games in 2021. There’s a battle brewing, folks, one that will lead to a very interesting offseason likely if Stroud moves on to the NFL after this season. So what does that mean for Brown and McCord, Ohio State’s only other two scholarship quarterbacks? Keep learning, keep growing, keep molding into something the Buckeyes could use because one of their times are coming soon.
- Keep recruiting — In the transfer portal age, anything can happen. With it, Day and the staff needs to continue to find their “quarterback” in each recruiting class, continuing to build for the future as a safety net for what could happen, but also as a pipeline of continuous talent at the position.
After his 12-point performance Saturday night against Michigan, redshirt senior guard Cedric Russell said it just comes down to the mindset E.J. Liddell gives him: just to stay ready.
Russell waited his turn. Against the Wolverines, he looked like a completely different player.
He was aggressive, pushing the offense up and down the floor, making open looks, while also just garnering enough attention on the outside to make open loos for others. Hewas aggressive defensively, feeding off the similar energy Jamari Wheeler brings to Ohio State’s backcourt.
“Just going through my same routine, man, staying sharp. It didn’t start this night. It started earlier this week throughout good practices and stuff, continuing to build good habits. Tonight it showed,”
What Russell showed Sunday was the player he was for Louisiana is still there.
In four years with the Ragin’ Cajuns, he became one of their leading scorers, averaging 17.2 points per game, while shooting 40% from deep last season.
He was aggressive, something that may have led to him averaging more than two turnovers per game in his last two seasons in the Sun Belt, but he set the tone for that offense.
That’s what he did Saturday night, scoring a season-high 12 points with an efficient five makes on eight attempts including both attempts from deep.
It’s what he’s been all season, shooting 46.2% from the field and 45.5% from 3 — both career hights — but with a career-low 11.8 minutes per game.
Ohio State is looking for that third offensive option behind Liddell and Malaki Branham. Could Russell be that guy for Ohio State moving forward?
Why is Eugene Brown III so impactful?
He’s not an offensive juggernaut, and he really never has been.
In two seasons with the Buckeyes, he’s attempted five shots or more in a game six times, averaging nearly two points per game in 44 games played through his Ohio State tenure.
But that’s now who Brown is.
Nothing is a mismatch for Brown defensively, posting up when he needs to post up, using his size to his advantage in the backcourt, using his speed to keep up with guards at 6-foot-6, 195 pounds.
Brown did it against Hunter Dickinson in the post, switching onto him near the rim and doing just enough to lead with a block by Liddell. He may have not been on the receiving end of the satisfying play to cap off the position, but Brown helped make the play happen. He finished the game with eight rebounds in 27 minutes, connecting on his only shot attempt from the field, while missing one free throw.
That’s who Brown is. And that’s why he’s so important for the Buckeyes moving forward.
Holtmann would like for Brown to be more aggressive offensively. He’s said this in the past. But that’s the next step in the development of Ohio State’s Swiss Army Knife, one that is molding into something that will be vital for the Buckeyes in this home stretch and into next season.
More Michigan game notes
- E.J. Liddell is a full-fledged NBA player. With his size and his versatility both offensively and defensively, I’m convinced more and more each time I watch him play that he will make a team very happy in the 2022 NBA Draft.
- While Russell’s 24 minutes off the bench were vital, Kyle Young’s 26 were just as important, with Holtmann saying after the game that Ohio State wouldn’t have beaten Michigan if it wasn’t for the redshirt senior forward.
- Ohio State has not had a game with double-digit turnovers since its road loss to Wisconsin Jan. 13 — a streak of seven games in which Ohio State has won five. Sense a trend?
- Ohio State has not lost back-to-back games in 2021-22 yet. But it has three stretches of games in which the Buckeyes have lost two out of three. However, between each set, there has been a win streak of at least three games. And with three-straight home games ahead, the Buckeyes should be confidence that it could continue the trend, despite matches with Iowa and Indiana.
- Red Panda rules. That is all.
Ohio State secured a commitment from 2023 center Austin Parks Sunday, the Buckeyes’ second-straight class with a true center, joining 2022 four-star Felix Okpara.
With that, let’s look at the potential starting lineups for the next few years for the Buckeyes.
Note: Holtmann has been clear that after each offseason, he wants to bring in a transfer or two to round out the rotation, bring some experience into the program, a’la Russell, Wheeler and Joey Brunk. This will not predict who those players will be, but to see how the recruiting classes figure their way into the rotation.
Here’s a look at the next three years.
2022-23
G Meechie Johnson Jr.
G Malaki Branham
G Eugene Brown III
F Zed Key
F Kalen Etzler/Justice Sueing (if he takes another season)/transfer -- Filling the role of E.J. Liddell will be incredibly difficult for Ohio State. I think it will become Brice Sensabaugh’s spot that season, but likely not from the get-go.
2023-24
G Meechie Johnson Jr.
G Bruce Thornton
G Eugene Brown III/Roddy Gayle Jr. — With the wing option, I could see Ohio State going three forwards here too with Etzler, depending on how he develops.
F Brice Sensabaugh
F Zed Key — Expect center Felix Okpara to get some time here too
2024-25
G Bruce Thornton
G Roddy Gayle Jr.
G George Washington III
F Brice Sensabaugh
C Felix Okpara/Austin Parks
This Super Bowl ad got me.
I shouldn’t fall victim to a Super Bowl ad, but man, Chevrolet got me good.
Here it is if you missed it: a frame-by-frame reenactment of The Sopranos theme, directed by the creator David Chase himself, but with the driver being Meadow Soprano, Tony’s daughter, played by Jamie Lynn Sigler.
I’m not going to get into what this commercial represents in the overall lore of the show. There is a definite meaning behind it, which, if you have watched the show, you understand.
But it’s super cool to see the return of a show I was just introduced to over the last year or so, discovering it on a watch with my family. It’s what brought us together, watching a few episodes each week — starting in the height of COVID-19 — and talking about it over Zoom at our family dinners that weekend.
But there is an Ohio State connection here too.
So with each shot make, Joey Brunk celebrates with a little italian hand gesture, something he started when he was at Indiana as a admiration and emulation of the character Tony Soprano.
He even said that his father has a “Tony Soprano” energy, with both of his parents dressing up as Tony and Carmela Soprano for Halloween.
All of that is to say, this is a cool commercial, giving a level of conclusion for one of the most memorable shows ever released.
Song of the Week
I won’t go in depth here, but that halftime show was legendary.
And it was the triumphant return of Kendrick Lamar.
See you on the board.
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