Welcome back for another edition of “A-Deck” at BuckeyeGrove.com, where I’ll bring you thoughts, what I’m hearing, inside scoop, tidbits, and more for Ohio State recruiting and team coverage, every Wednesday.
In last week’s A-Deck, we spoke with Quincy Avery about CJ Stroud, looked at how potentially taking two QBs in 2020 would impact Kyle McCord, and provided the latest on Marvin Harrison Jr.
This week, we take a look at some upcoming visitors for Ohio State, check out the latest College Football Playoff picture, and go inside the latest with Buckeyes hoops.
ANOTHER BIG RECRUITING WEEKEND
While Wisconsin losing to Illinois last weekend put a bit of a damper on the hype around this week’s game in Columbus, it didn’t put a damper on Ohio State’s recruiting efforts, and the big visits ahead for the Buckeyes coming up.
We’ll be releasing a formal visitor’s list in the next couple of days, but some big names are expected to be on campus.
Ohio State 2020 quarterback commit Jack Miller will be making his official visit, his father confirmed to me on Monday night, and that is significant. With all the talk about CJ Stroud and what it means for Jack, I think we’ll have our answers following this weekend. While Miller knows the deal and what is going on, it will give him a chance to sit down and talk about the latest with Ryan Day and Mike Yurcich and all sides will have clarity on where things stand. To be clear here, I am not saying there is any talk of Miller coming out of this visit and leaving the class, but I do think the OSU staff needs to make sure this trip and their discussion goes over well, with all questions answered/any doubts squashed.
Some key underclassmen that the Buckeyes will expect to have on campus include 2021 ATH Charles Montgomery, 2021 DT Damon Payne, 2021 DB Darian “Duce” Chestnut, 2021 RB Will Shipley, and 2021 ATH/WR Emeka Egbuka.
Out of that group, Payne, Shipley, and Egbuka intrigue me the most. Payne will be making his second visit for a game this year, and the word I have from sources is that the Buckeyes are trending up big time for the Michigan-native. With Shipley, getting him on campus for the first time with an unofficial is huge, as it will give Ohio State a chance to get into the top group early. As for Egbuka, he’s been to Columbus before, but it will give the Scarlet and Gray a chance to cement themselves near the top of his list and try to catch Clemson, who I hear is the early leader (never doubt hometown Washington, either).
Jack Sawyer will be on campus with his recruiting hat on, as will a few other commits, so expect them to key in on some of these big time names coming to campus.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PICTURE GETTING CRAZY
As displayed by Wisconsin’s terrible loss to Illinois, this is the part of the season where we find out if teams are contenders or pretenders, and where things start to shake out and provide some clarity when it comes to who will be standing when the College Football Playoff teams are selected in early December. Today, we’ll take a look at all the teams “officially” still in the playoff picture.
Teams that are technically still alive, but are a long shot to get in include Wake Forest, Boise State, Cincinnati, and Appalachian State.
The Demon Deacons are 6-1 with their only loss being by 3 against Louisville a couple of weeks ago. With who else is looking to be in the field, coupled with the fact that their best win is probably against UNC, it’s a longshot they’d get in, even at 12-1 and ACC champs. That’s unlikely anyway as they still play N.C. State and Duke at home, with VaTech, Clemson, and Syracuse on the road.
Boise State is 6-1 and very well could run the table, but a 28-25 loss last game at BYU, not to mention no great wins, makes it a hard case to put them in over any undefeated team or a one-loss Power 5 team.
Cincinnati is also 6-1, with their only loss coming to Ohio State. They too could definitely run the table, but a 42-0 loss to the Buckeyes likely scares the committee away from pitting them against Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma, or Clemson, even if they are the only one loss team left at season’s end.
Appalachian State is 6-0 and ranked 21st in the country. Their problem will be quality wins, even if they run the table. A win over UNC is their best to date, and if they win out, a win at South Carolina will be added to the resume, but won’t be enough to do the trick.
The group of programs that are definitely alive, but don’t necessarily control their own destiny and need some help to get in are Notre Dame, Oregon, Utah, Georgia, Auburn, Florida, and Wisconsin.
The Irish are definitely still in the mix, but with no conference championship game they’re going to need a lot of help. Georgia winning out would be one of the things that could help, as well as a bunch of teams losing a ton of games. Notre Dame likely needs to go undefeated, like last year, to get a spot in the CFP unless there’s total chaos.
The Ducks may be in better shape than the rest of the teams on this list, with their only loss so far coming in game one at Auburn. They only have one ranked team left on their schedule in Arizona State (#24), with the potential with a showdown against Utah in the Pac-12 championship. If the Ducks get a little help they definitely could be in, but right now the Pac-12 is on the outside looking in.
Similar story for the Utes, who are 6-1, with a loss to USC. They don’t play a ranked team the rest of the way, until that potential matchup with Oregon in the Pac-12 championship. Utah would likely need a bit more help than Oregon would right now.
Georgia is in, in my opinion, if they run the table and go 12-1 with a SEC title, as that means they’ll have beaten Florida, Auburn, and then either LSU or Alabama in Atlanta. Those wins would negate the bad loss at home to South Carolina. A two-loss UGA team is out so this one is pretty simple.
Auburn lost to Florida, but if they can beat LSU on the road, Georgia at home, Alabama at home, and then the Gators in the SEC championship, they are in. Good luck with that.
Speaking of the Gators, right now they are looking alright, with a loss at LSU as the only blemish on the resume. They need to win out to be in, as two losses won’t do it. That means defeating UGA in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, and taking down the Tigers or Tide in Atlanta. Do-able, but not easy by any means.
Last, but not least in this group, the Badgers. What a terrible loss this past week to Illinois. Could UW win out and be in at 12-1 with a B1G title? Definitely possible, and my guess is YES, but it means beating Ohio State at least once, if not twice, possibly beating Penn State, and taking down Iowa and Minnesota. Any loss knocks Bucky out of the playoffs, so they need to win out.
And finally, the list of teams that are sitting pretty, and control their own destiny heading into week nine of the season features Alabama, LSU, Clemson, Oklahoma, Baylor, Penn State, Minnesota, and Ohio State.
The Tide sits at 7-0, but things will get interesting down the stretch. They get LSU at home and Auburn on the road, with either UGA or UF waiting in Atlanta. If they lose a game before the SEC title, do they get in at 11-1 if the loss is close to either of the Tigers teams? If they lose to UGA or UF in the SECCG do they get in at 12-1? At 13-0 it’s a no-brainer and they’re likely number one overall. The other scenarios, it’s not so certain.
LSU is in a similar situation to Alabama, sitting at 7-0 as well. They travel to Tuscaloosa in three weeks and that could be a match-up of one vs. two in the CFP standings (they come out Nov. 5). First, LSU has to beat Auburn in the Bayou this week, and then would have to take down Florida (again) or Georgia in Atlanta. At 13-0 it’s a no-brainer they’re in, but like Bama, 11-1 or 12-1 without a conference title and things are a “maybe” not a “definite”.
For Clemson it’s easy: run the table and they’re in, a loss and they’re out. They’ve looked shaky at times this year and the ACC is so weak so it’s undefeated or bust for the Tigers in 2019.
With Oklahoma, they are 7-0 right now and winning out obviously gets them in. Should they lose to, say, Iowa State or Baylor and then win the Big 12 championship are they in? Definitely could be, but not definitely should be. They are probably similar to Ohio State in that they will be on the bubble with a loss and a conference title.
The other team in the Big 12 with a shot is Baylor and right now I see their only way in to be winning out, which would mean likely beating Oklahoma twice. The Bears are 7-0 right now, but it’s hard to see them getting in at 12-1, even with a title. They’d be in the mix for sure, but it’s likely the CFP would take a one-loss Oregon or Ohio State over Baylor.
The Nittany Lions are also 7-0 and they may not need to go undefeated to get to the CFP, but there is no doubt that they cannot lose to Ohio State and make it. Their road to the final four goes through Columbus on November 23 and they have to win that game, as a victory will be not only a great resume builder, but likely punch their ticket to Indianapolis. A loss to Michigan State or Minnesota and a win over Ohio State and then Wisconsin, Minnesota, or Iowa in the B1GCG could very well get PSU in. Going 11-1 with a loss to OSU? They’re out.
Speaking of the Gophers, they are a surprising 7-0 and in control of their own destiny. There is zero room for error here, though. Winning out means victories over Penn State, Iowa, Wisconsin, and likely Ohio State in the Big Ten title. They are IN if that happens. Any loss and they’re out.
As for the Buckeyes, 13-0 obviously gets them in but does 12-1? Without a Big Ten title, I do not see Ohio State getting in. With a B1G title, it’s possible that 12-1 gets them a spot in the final four (I still say YES to that), but it will depend on what happens with other teams and who that loss is to. Rutgers and Maryland remain on the schedule and it seems very unlikely they lose either of those. They play Wisconsin this week at home, get PSU at home on November 23, and travel to Ann Arbor on November 30. A loss to the Badgers, especially a close one, should not derail the Buckeyes’ chances. A defeat to the Nittany Lions and you can likely forget about it, as it means they don’t get to Indy. With UM having two losses, if OSU beats PSU, but loses to their rival, they still likely go to the B1GCG and a win over Wisconsin/Minnesota/Iowa would give them a chance to be in still. Is that latter scenario what Ohio State fans want? No, they never want to lose to Michigan----but if they still get in the CFP and potentially win it all, I think it wouldn’t sting quite as badly.
OSU HOOPS GEARING UP FOR ANOTHER SEASON
The first college basketball AP poll came out and Ohio State checked in at No. 18. The Buckeyes are expected to have a big year and have been gearing up for their November 6 opener against Cincinnati.
Before official exhibition tune-ups, teams usually play an unofficial closed scrimmage against a quality opponent to get some work in and use it as a measuring stick of sorts to see what they need to work on.
Ohio State played their “scrimmage” against Louisville, and sources have shared that the Buckeyes came out on top in that one by around 10 or 11 points. Now, these games don’t necessarily serve as an indicator of anything to come this season, but it’s good to see how the team performs against quality competition ahead of the upcoming year.
I’m told that CJ Walker was the starter at point guard for this game and that is likely to be the case when the team opens up the season. “DJ [Carton] is a bit banged up and will be a really good player for us, but CJ is a veteran, has experience, and has a great understanding of everything we ask our point guard to do," a source shared. "I could see both of them [Walker and Carton] playing in the back court together at times this year, but I think CJ is your guy when we open up the season, with DJ being the first guy off the bench.” The source added that Carton didn’t play all that much against Louisville.
Also, from what I am told, both Wesson brothers played a pretty good game against the Cardinals, with Kaleb Wesson specifically looking to be even more slim than the last time we saw him and showing “very obvious improvement in his shot and extended range,” per a source.
The source shared that both Luther Muhammad and Duane Washington scored in the low double digits, but that “both guys were up and down throughout the game”. They also said “Kyle [Young] is Kyle [Young] and just plays his role well.”
I asked specifically about EJ Liddell and the source shared, “I think he had a bit of a tough go with his first live action, but we have high hopes he can be a contributor this year.”
The source added one more thing: “Justice Sueing is going to be a player next year. He’s sitting out this year due to transfer rules, but he’s going to be a guy who can score for us and bring a lot to the table. Wish he could be a part of this year’s team.”
In last week’s A-Deck, we spoke with Quincy Avery about CJ Stroud, looked at how potentially taking two QBs in 2020 would impact Kyle McCord, and provided the latest on Marvin Harrison Jr.
This week, we take a look at some upcoming visitors for Ohio State, check out the latest College Football Playoff picture, and go inside the latest with Buckeyes hoops.
ANOTHER BIG RECRUITING WEEKEND
While Wisconsin losing to Illinois last weekend put a bit of a damper on the hype around this week’s game in Columbus, it didn’t put a damper on Ohio State’s recruiting efforts, and the big visits ahead for the Buckeyes coming up.
We’ll be releasing a formal visitor’s list in the next couple of days, but some big names are expected to be on campus.
Ohio State 2020 quarterback commit Jack Miller will be making his official visit, his father confirmed to me on Monday night, and that is significant. With all the talk about CJ Stroud and what it means for Jack, I think we’ll have our answers following this weekend. While Miller knows the deal and what is going on, it will give him a chance to sit down and talk about the latest with Ryan Day and Mike Yurcich and all sides will have clarity on where things stand. To be clear here, I am not saying there is any talk of Miller coming out of this visit and leaving the class, but I do think the OSU staff needs to make sure this trip and their discussion goes over well, with all questions answered/any doubts squashed.
Some key underclassmen that the Buckeyes will expect to have on campus include 2021 ATH Charles Montgomery, 2021 DT Damon Payne, 2021 DB Darian “Duce” Chestnut, 2021 RB Will Shipley, and 2021 ATH/WR Emeka Egbuka.
Out of that group, Payne, Shipley, and Egbuka intrigue me the most. Payne will be making his second visit for a game this year, and the word I have from sources is that the Buckeyes are trending up big time for the Michigan-native. With Shipley, getting him on campus for the first time with an unofficial is huge, as it will give Ohio State a chance to get into the top group early. As for Egbuka, he’s been to Columbus before, but it will give the Scarlet and Gray a chance to cement themselves near the top of his list and try to catch Clemson, who I hear is the early leader (never doubt hometown Washington, either).
Jack Sawyer will be on campus with his recruiting hat on, as will a few other commits, so expect them to key in on some of these big time names coming to campus.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PICTURE GETTING CRAZY
As displayed by Wisconsin’s terrible loss to Illinois, this is the part of the season where we find out if teams are contenders or pretenders, and where things start to shake out and provide some clarity when it comes to who will be standing when the College Football Playoff teams are selected in early December. Today, we’ll take a look at all the teams “officially” still in the playoff picture.
Teams that are technically still alive, but are a long shot to get in include Wake Forest, Boise State, Cincinnati, and Appalachian State.
The Demon Deacons are 6-1 with their only loss being by 3 against Louisville a couple of weeks ago. With who else is looking to be in the field, coupled with the fact that their best win is probably against UNC, it’s a longshot they’d get in, even at 12-1 and ACC champs. That’s unlikely anyway as they still play N.C. State and Duke at home, with VaTech, Clemson, and Syracuse on the road.
Boise State is 6-1 and very well could run the table, but a 28-25 loss last game at BYU, not to mention no great wins, makes it a hard case to put them in over any undefeated team or a one-loss Power 5 team.
Cincinnati is also 6-1, with their only loss coming to Ohio State. They too could definitely run the table, but a 42-0 loss to the Buckeyes likely scares the committee away from pitting them against Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma, or Clemson, even if they are the only one loss team left at season’s end.
Appalachian State is 6-0 and ranked 21st in the country. Their problem will be quality wins, even if they run the table. A win over UNC is their best to date, and if they win out, a win at South Carolina will be added to the resume, but won’t be enough to do the trick.
The group of programs that are definitely alive, but don’t necessarily control their own destiny and need some help to get in are Notre Dame, Oregon, Utah, Georgia, Auburn, Florida, and Wisconsin.
The Irish are definitely still in the mix, but with no conference championship game they’re going to need a lot of help. Georgia winning out would be one of the things that could help, as well as a bunch of teams losing a ton of games. Notre Dame likely needs to go undefeated, like last year, to get a spot in the CFP unless there’s total chaos.
The Ducks may be in better shape than the rest of the teams on this list, with their only loss so far coming in game one at Auburn. They only have one ranked team left on their schedule in Arizona State (#24), with the potential with a showdown against Utah in the Pac-12 championship. If the Ducks get a little help they definitely could be in, but right now the Pac-12 is on the outside looking in.
Similar story for the Utes, who are 6-1, with a loss to USC. They don’t play a ranked team the rest of the way, until that potential matchup with Oregon in the Pac-12 championship. Utah would likely need a bit more help than Oregon would right now.
Georgia is in, in my opinion, if they run the table and go 12-1 with a SEC title, as that means they’ll have beaten Florida, Auburn, and then either LSU or Alabama in Atlanta. Those wins would negate the bad loss at home to South Carolina. A two-loss UGA team is out so this one is pretty simple.
Auburn lost to Florida, but if they can beat LSU on the road, Georgia at home, Alabama at home, and then the Gators in the SEC championship, they are in. Good luck with that.
Speaking of the Gators, right now they are looking alright, with a loss at LSU as the only blemish on the resume. They need to win out to be in, as two losses won’t do it. That means defeating UGA in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, and taking down the Tigers or Tide in Atlanta. Do-able, but not easy by any means.
Last, but not least in this group, the Badgers. What a terrible loss this past week to Illinois. Could UW win out and be in at 12-1 with a B1G title? Definitely possible, and my guess is YES, but it means beating Ohio State at least once, if not twice, possibly beating Penn State, and taking down Iowa and Minnesota. Any loss knocks Bucky out of the playoffs, so they need to win out.
And finally, the list of teams that are sitting pretty, and control their own destiny heading into week nine of the season features Alabama, LSU, Clemson, Oklahoma, Baylor, Penn State, Minnesota, and Ohio State.
The Tide sits at 7-0, but things will get interesting down the stretch. They get LSU at home and Auburn on the road, with either UGA or UF waiting in Atlanta. If they lose a game before the SEC title, do they get in at 11-1 if the loss is close to either of the Tigers teams? If they lose to UGA or UF in the SECCG do they get in at 12-1? At 13-0 it’s a no-brainer and they’re likely number one overall. The other scenarios, it’s not so certain.
LSU is in a similar situation to Alabama, sitting at 7-0 as well. They travel to Tuscaloosa in three weeks and that could be a match-up of one vs. two in the CFP standings (they come out Nov. 5). First, LSU has to beat Auburn in the Bayou this week, and then would have to take down Florida (again) or Georgia in Atlanta. At 13-0 it’s a no-brainer they’re in, but like Bama, 11-1 or 12-1 without a conference title and things are a “maybe” not a “definite”.
For Clemson it’s easy: run the table and they’re in, a loss and they’re out. They’ve looked shaky at times this year and the ACC is so weak so it’s undefeated or bust for the Tigers in 2019.
With Oklahoma, they are 7-0 right now and winning out obviously gets them in. Should they lose to, say, Iowa State or Baylor and then win the Big 12 championship are they in? Definitely could be, but not definitely should be. They are probably similar to Ohio State in that they will be on the bubble with a loss and a conference title.
The other team in the Big 12 with a shot is Baylor and right now I see their only way in to be winning out, which would mean likely beating Oklahoma twice. The Bears are 7-0 right now, but it’s hard to see them getting in at 12-1, even with a title. They’d be in the mix for sure, but it’s likely the CFP would take a one-loss Oregon or Ohio State over Baylor.
The Nittany Lions are also 7-0 and they may not need to go undefeated to get to the CFP, but there is no doubt that they cannot lose to Ohio State and make it. Their road to the final four goes through Columbus on November 23 and they have to win that game, as a victory will be not only a great resume builder, but likely punch their ticket to Indianapolis. A loss to Michigan State or Minnesota and a win over Ohio State and then Wisconsin, Minnesota, or Iowa in the B1GCG could very well get PSU in. Going 11-1 with a loss to OSU? They’re out.
Speaking of the Gophers, they are a surprising 7-0 and in control of their own destiny. There is zero room for error here, though. Winning out means victories over Penn State, Iowa, Wisconsin, and likely Ohio State in the Big Ten title. They are IN if that happens. Any loss and they’re out.
As for the Buckeyes, 13-0 obviously gets them in but does 12-1? Without a Big Ten title, I do not see Ohio State getting in. With a B1G title, it’s possible that 12-1 gets them a spot in the final four (I still say YES to that), but it will depend on what happens with other teams and who that loss is to. Rutgers and Maryland remain on the schedule and it seems very unlikely they lose either of those. They play Wisconsin this week at home, get PSU at home on November 23, and travel to Ann Arbor on November 30. A loss to the Badgers, especially a close one, should not derail the Buckeyes’ chances. A defeat to the Nittany Lions and you can likely forget about it, as it means they don’t get to Indy. With UM having two losses, if OSU beats PSU, but loses to their rival, they still likely go to the B1GCG and a win over Wisconsin/Minnesota/Iowa would give them a chance to be in still. Is that latter scenario what Ohio State fans want? No, they never want to lose to Michigan----but if they still get in the CFP and potentially win it all, I think it wouldn’t sting quite as badly.
OSU HOOPS GEARING UP FOR ANOTHER SEASON
The first college basketball AP poll came out and Ohio State checked in at No. 18. The Buckeyes are expected to have a big year and have been gearing up for their November 6 opener against Cincinnati.
Before official exhibition tune-ups, teams usually play an unofficial closed scrimmage against a quality opponent to get some work in and use it as a measuring stick of sorts to see what they need to work on.
Ohio State played their “scrimmage” against Louisville, and sources have shared that the Buckeyes came out on top in that one by around 10 or 11 points. Now, these games don’t necessarily serve as an indicator of anything to come this season, but it’s good to see how the team performs against quality competition ahead of the upcoming year.
I’m told that CJ Walker was the starter at point guard for this game and that is likely to be the case when the team opens up the season. “DJ [Carton] is a bit banged up and will be a really good player for us, but CJ is a veteran, has experience, and has a great understanding of everything we ask our point guard to do," a source shared. "I could see both of them [Walker and Carton] playing in the back court together at times this year, but I think CJ is your guy when we open up the season, with DJ being the first guy off the bench.” The source added that Carton didn’t play all that much against Louisville.
Also, from what I am told, both Wesson brothers played a pretty good game against the Cardinals, with Kaleb Wesson specifically looking to be even more slim than the last time we saw him and showing “very obvious improvement in his shot and extended range,” per a source.
The source shared that both Luther Muhammad and Duane Washington scored in the low double digits, but that “both guys were up and down throughout the game”. They also said “Kyle [Young] is Kyle [Young] and just plays his role well.”
I asked specifically about EJ Liddell and the source shared, “I think he had a bit of a tough go with his first live action, but we have high hopes he can be a contributor this year.”
The source added one more thing: “Justice Sueing is going to be a player next year. He’s sitting out this year due to transfer rules, but he’s going to be a guy who can score for us and bring a lot to the table. Wish he could be a part of this year’s team.”
