Happy Monday!
It's bowl season, Early Signing Day season and Ohio State men's basketball season all rolled into one, so there is a lot to get into.
Here's 10 thoughts heading into this week.
It's official: Ohio State will play in the Rose Bowl to end the 2021 season.
As soon as Ohio State lost to Michigan in Ann Arbor to end the regular season, it was the game the Buckeyes were penciled in to be a part of: a game of tradition and spectacle, The Granddaddy of Them All.
But it’s a game Ohio State didn’t want to be in.
The difference between how Ohio State and Utah approach this game is staggering.
The Utes see the awe and glory of this game, the reward for a Pac-12 Champion.
The Buckeyes see this as a consolation prize, a chance to look inward, a chance to see what went wrong that led them to sunny Pasadena instead of Dallas or Miami.
This isn’t something Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said publicly. He talked about the prestige of this game, a bowl game the Buckeyes have played more than any other in the program’s history — facing Utah in its 16th trip to the Rose Bowl.
But in the same breath, Day spoke Sunday about the disappointment in Ann Arbor, how if the Buckeyes figured out how to stop the run and develop a run offense, it could have been a different game.
“We’re kind of getting ourselves back up off the floor and getting back on the road recruiting, and it will be great to be back with these guys, get back to preparing for a game again,” Day said Sunday. “That’s what matters.”
To the Buckeyes, it’s not about the game itself.
The focus will be on the preparation, the chance for young guys to get in the fray, to get a glimpse as to what a 2022 roster would look like without Jack Miller III or Quinn Ewers in the quarterback room, a chance to see what defensive depth looks like without safety Craig Young, a chance to get a head start on dissecting the issues surrounding Ohio State in the trenches — stopping the run and making the run game a viable option for the offense to move downfield.
All the Rose Bowl is for the Buckeyes is a wonderful setting for Day and the coaching staff to start focusing on the future, what’s next, but just in the context of “getting a win for the seniors” or “playing for the majesty of this game.”
For Utah, the Rose Bowl is history.
For Ohio State, it’s practice.
So who’s going to play?
That’s really the next question to come to mind.
Really, there’s only two players on Ohio State’s roster universally regarded as first-round 2022 NFL Draft picks: senior wide receiver Chris Olave and junior wide receiver Garrett Wilson.
Both of those players have nothing to prove. The only thing left for Olave to do is to record 64 more receiving yards for Ohio State to become the first team since Fresno State in 2013 to have one 4,000-yard quarterback and four players — three wide receivers and one running back — to have 1,000 yards from scrimmage. Really, it will be even more impressive, with freshman running back TreVeyon Henderson already having 1,172 yards rushing.
But Olave and Wilson have nothing to build in terms of draft stock. In terms of players who could sit out the bowl game, these two could be the ones to watch.
Other than that, though, those who could make a splash in the NFL Draft could up their draft stock a bit, or start that process Jan. 1.
Redshirt junior offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere’s last performance was an ugly one, getting beat on the edge by Michigan defensive end and potential No. 1 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson. The general consensus is that the offensive tackle is a late first-round or early second-round pick, but with the potential to grow that against the Utes.
Even a player like defensive end Zach Harrison, who’s draft stock has seemingly been falling since the season started, has the chance to reassert himself as a dominant defensive end for NFL teams to add.
Outside of Olave and Wilson, everyone should be playing in the Rose Bowl. Now it’s just a question of who will and who won’t?
How similar is Ewers and Justin Fields’ situation?
When the news broke Friday about Ewers’ transfer, I couldn’t help but think back to Justin Fields.
After one year with Georgia, sitting behind Jake Fromm as a freshman, but playing in 12 games for the Bulldogs, Fields transferred to Ohio State, earning immediate eligibility after a racial incident with a Georgia baseball player on the sideline of a football game, and shined immediately.
While he has the same potential as Fields, being rated as the No. 1 quarterback and No. 1 overall player in the 2021 class, Ewers does not have the on-field experience as Fields did coming to Columbus for the first time. Ewers had two snaps compared to Fields’ 173 during their respective freshman campaigns.
But the conversation surrounding the two seem very similar. With Fields, it was the hype, the question as to if Georgia had made the right call picking Fields over proven junior Jake Fromm.
With Ewers, Ohio State really didn’t have that same choice, keeping a Heisman candidate redshirt freshman as the starter with a freshman four-star quarterback behind him while the reclassified freshman figured out what college football is all about.
The movement may be similar, the trend of Ewers picking somewhere where he feels he can start right away. But really, unlike Georgia and Fields, there’s really nothing Ohio State could have done to keep Ewers around.
Who are three players that can really benefit from bowl practices?
There will be more as time goes on, but here’s two offensive players and one defensive player who could really benefit from bowl practices heading into the 2022 season.
There’s not much time left until the Early Signing Period officially begins Dec. 15.
Sunday, Day said he and his coaching staff still have their eyes on a few pieces in the 2022 class, but that he’s satisfied and happy with what Ohio State has been able to bring in so far this class, and, once January hits, all focus will be turned to 2023.
So who are those few players that remain?
One remains obvious: safety Xavier Nwankpa, who, as his signing day inches closer and closer — 4 p.m. Dec. 8 — it seems to be trending further away from the Buckeyes, whether it’s toward hometown Iowa or to resurgent Notre Dame with new head coach Marcus Freeman. While Ohio State has its fair share of defensive backs in 2022, with three cornerbacks and a safety, Nwankpa would be that icing on the cake that puts Ohio State’s 2022 class over the top.
Really, the attention remains in the trenches.
Ohio State still has its eyes on four-star defensive tackle Hero Kanu, along with defensive ends Omari Abor and Caden Curry, which both, according to our own Eric Lammers, is down to Ohio State and Alabama.
On the offensive line, Ohio State’s focus is on four-star guard Earnest Greene, who added Ohio State in his top four along with Alabama, Texas and Georgia, and four-star center/guard Carson Hinzman still seems to be deciding between Wisconsin and Ohio State.
So who is Utah anyway?
Simply, Utah looks like the Pac-12’s version of Michigan.
The Utes have the No. 2 run game in the conference, averaging 216 yards per game and a conference-high 5.6 yards per rush. Thirty five of Utah’s 61 total touchdowns — the most in the Pac-12 — are from the ground game, including 20 by sophomore running back Tavion Thomas, who averages 5.6 yards per carry and has 1,041 rushing yards this season.
Defensively, Utah is one of four teams in the conference with less than 10 interceptions, but leads the conference in sacks with 41, 15 more than second-place UCLA. LB Devin Llloyd and DE Mika Tafua are both of Utah’s main sources of pressure in the backfield, allowing the third-least amount of passing yards per game (195.3) and the least amount of rushing yards per game (122.1).
Utah has a bottom-third pass game in the conference, but still is one of four teams to have more than 20 touchdown passes, 18 of which were by QB Cameron Rising.
Let’s take a look at The Team Up North
I promise this will be quick, but you may not like what I have to say.
This is a fun football team.
From the combination of Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins in the run game, along with Donovan Edwards in both the run and pass game — who I saw in high school at West Bloomfield, and he was a beast there too — to Aidan Hutchinson’s dominance up front, beating everyone in his way, this is a team that is heating up at the right time.
And it’s sustainable, especially if the Michigan defense can put pressure on opposing quarterbacks like it did against Spencer Petras, who completed only 40.9% of his passes.
The turnovers are going to hurt against a team like Georgia, but this is a Michigan team that can play with anybody. Yes, Ohio State beat itself in Ann Arbor. But this is a damn good football team, and one that can make some noise come New Year’s Eve.
Basketball takeaways
Here’s some quick takeaways about Ohio State basketball heading into the week
OK. Ohio State saw something in this kid — the Ohio Mr. Basketball award winner, the first from St. Vincent-St. Mary’s since LeBron James — so I’m not starting anything new here. But Malaki Branham is going to be incredibly special for this Buckeyes team.
Against Penn State Sunday night, you saw it in spurts. You saw a 6-foot-5 wing player that can move like a guard, gliding across the floor, using a quick release to hit jumpers or float into the paint for a layup.
He’s one of the best passers on the team, something he said this week he’s been working on since he’s gotten here. He has the ability to rebound too with his tall lanky frame.
Branham has the pure size and skill set to be able to compliment Liddell every day. He’s not there yet, but you saw a hint of that consistency against Penn State: scoring a career-high 11 points, making five shots on nine attempts from the field.
There’s going to be ups and downs, but by the time tournament play comes, I firmly believe Branham is going to make or break Ohio State’s season.
Keep an eye on this freshman.
Song of the Week
Simply, I have to keep up the brand.
Ohio State is heading to the Rose Bowl, so I am picking one of the best songs ever made with the word “rose” in it.
From April 2-5, 1998, Phish had a legendary run of shows called the “Island Tour,” one of the best stretches in the band’s history. In their April 3, 1998 show, Phish opened the second set with a cover of Ween’s “Roses Are Free,” and took it to a magical place that really just represents what this band does best: turning a four-and-a-half-minute song into this improvisational journey that’s absolutely nuts.
This whole set is unbelievable, weaving “Roses are Free” into one of my favorite songs of all time: “Piper,” along with a Rolling Stones cover of “Loving Cup” and the Phish classic “Run Like an Antelope.”
Yes, I am a nerd when it comes to this stuff, but this is glorious.
Enjoy.
See you on the board.
It's bowl season, Early Signing Day season and Ohio State men's basketball season all rolled into one, so there is a lot to get into.
Here's 10 thoughts heading into this week.
It's official: Ohio State will play in the Rose Bowl to end the 2021 season.
As soon as Ohio State lost to Michigan in Ann Arbor to end the regular season, it was the game the Buckeyes were penciled in to be a part of: a game of tradition and spectacle, The Granddaddy of Them All.
But it’s a game Ohio State didn’t want to be in.
The difference between how Ohio State and Utah approach this game is staggering.
The Utes see the awe and glory of this game, the reward for a Pac-12 Champion.
The Buckeyes see this as a consolation prize, a chance to look inward, a chance to see what went wrong that led them to sunny Pasadena instead of Dallas or Miami.
This isn’t something Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said publicly. He talked about the prestige of this game, a bowl game the Buckeyes have played more than any other in the program’s history — facing Utah in its 16th trip to the Rose Bowl.
But in the same breath, Day spoke Sunday about the disappointment in Ann Arbor, how if the Buckeyes figured out how to stop the run and develop a run offense, it could have been a different game.
“We’re kind of getting ourselves back up off the floor and getting back on the road recruiting, and it will be great to be back with these guys, get back to preparing for a game again,” Day said Sunday. “That’s what matters.”
To the Buckeyes, it’s not about the game itself.
The focus will be on the preparation, the chance for young guys to get in the fray, to get a glimpse as to what a 2022 roster would look like without Jack Miller III or Quinn Ewers in the quarterback room, a chance to see what defensive depth looks like without safety Craig Young, a chance to get a head start on dissecting the issues surrounding Ohio State in the trenches — stopping the run and making the run game a viable option for the offense to move downfield.
All the Rose Bowl is for the Buckeyes is a wonderful setting for Day and the coaching staff to start focusing on the future, what’s next, but just in the context of “getting a win for the seniors” or “playing for the majesty of this game.”
For Utah, the Rose Bowl is history.
For Ohio State, it’s practice.
So who’s going to play?
That’s really the next question to come to mind.
Really, there’s only two players on Ohio State’s roster universally regarded as first-round 2022 NFL Draft picks: senior wide receiver Chris Olave and junior wide receiver Garrett Wilson.
Both of those players have nothing to prove. The only thing left for Olave to do is to record 64 more receiving yards for Ohio State to become the first team since Fresno State in 2013 to have one 4,000-yard quarterback and four players — three wide receivers and one running back — to have 1,000 yards from scrimmage. Really, it will be even more impressive, with freshman running back TreVeyon Henderson already having 1,172 yards rushing.
But Olave and Wilson have nothing to build in terms of draft stock. In terms of players who could sit out the bowl game, these two could be the ones to watch.
Other than that, though, those who could make a splash in the NFL Draft could up their draft stock a bit, or start that process Jan. 1.
Redshirt junior offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere’s last performance was an ugly one, getting beat on the edge by Michigan defensive end and potential No. 1 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson. The general consensus is that the offensive tackle is a late first-round or early second-round pick, but with the potential to grow that against the Utes.
Even a player like defensive end Zach Harrison, who’s draft stock has seemingly been falling since the season started, has the chance to reassert himself as a dominant defensive end for NFL teams to add.
Outside of Olave and Wilson, everyone should be playing in the Rose Bowl. Now it’s just a question of who will and who won’t?
How similar is Ewers and Justin Fields’ situation?
When the news broke Friday about Ewers’ transfer, I couldn’t help but think back to Justin Fields.
After one year with Georgia, sitting behind Jake Fromm as a freshman, but playing in 12 games for the Bulldogs, Fields transferred to Ohio State, earning immediate eligibility after a racial incident with a Georgia baseball player on the sideline of a football game, and shined immediately.
While he has the same potential as Fields, being rated as the No. 1 quarterback and No. 1 overall player in the 2021 class, Ewers does not have the on-field experience as Fields did coming to Columbus for the first time. Ewers had two snaps compared to Fields’ 173 during their respective freshman campaigns.
But the conversation surrounding the two seem very similar. With Fields, it was the hype, the question as to if Georgia had made the right call picking Fields over proven junior Jake Fromm.
With Ewers, Ohio State really didn’t have that same choice, keeping a Heisman candidate redshirt freshman as the starter with a freshman four-star quarterback behind him while the reclassified freshman figured out what college football is all about.
The movement may be similar, the trend of Ewers picking somewhere where he feels he can start right away. But really, unlike Georgia and Fields, there’s really nothing Ohio State could have done to keep Ewers around.
Who are three players that can really benefit from bowl practices?
There will be more as time goes on, but here’s two offensive players and one defensive player who could really benefit from bowl practices heading into the 2022 season.
- WR Julian Fleming: The door will be open for likely two receivers to step up in the absence of Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson next year. While Emeka Egbuka has shown flashes of his potential in the return game, all but securing his spot in Ohio State’s rotation next year, Fleming, a former No. 1 WR in the 2020 class, has never truly broken out, recording more than four catches in a game once in his two-year career with only one touchdown. In his first year of eligibility for the NFL Draft, look for this receiver, who has admitted high expectations moving forward, to break out and start developing rapport with QB C.J. Stroud.
- S Kourt Williams II: With Craig Young transferred from the program, it seems like Ohio State still has a spot for a versatile safety/linebacker, moving around depending on the blitz or coverage package in play. It showed at times a bit this season, recording 17 tackles, while only missing one tackle, and making six total stops including three against Michigan State. As one of the better tacklers on the team when he’s on the field, Williams can use this bowl season to improve in coverage, becoming a vital versatility piece that the Buckeyes don’t have a lot of heading into 2022.
- QB Kyle McCord: The freshman doesn’t really have to look over his shoulder anymore. McCord did what he was asked to in five games played for the Buckeyes this season, showing a level of comfortability in and around a clean pocket with accuracy and an ability to throw the ball downfield. Right now, it seems like McCord is the heir apparent to Stroud in the quarterback room, so continued development into a more complete player and one more comfortable in all situations is something that the freshman could come to rely on as the Buckeyes prepare for Utah.
There’s not much time left until the Early Signing Period officially begins Dec. 15.
Sunday, Day said he and his coaching staff still have their eyes on a few pieces in the 2022 class, but that he’s satisfied and happy with what Ohio State has been able to bring in so far this class, and, once January hits, all focus will be turned to 2023.
So who are those few players that remain?
One remains obvious: safety Xavier Nwankpa, who, as his signing day inches closer and closer — 4 p.m. Dec. 8 — it seems to be trending further away from the Buckeyes, whether it’s toward hometown Iowa or to resurgent Notre Dame with new head coach Marcus Freeman. While Ohio State has its fair share of defensive backs in 2022, with three cornerbacks and a safety, Nwankpa would be that icing on the cake that puts Ohio State’s 2022 class over the top.
Really, the attention remains in the trenches.
Ohio State still has its eyes on four-star defensive tackle Hero Kanu, along with defensive ends Omari Abor and Caden Curry, which both, according to our own Eric Lammers, is down to Ohio State and Alabama.
On the offensive line, Ohio State’s focus is on four-star guard Earnest Greene, who added Ohio State in his top four along with Alabama, Texas and Georgia, and four-star center/guard Carson Hinzman still seems to be deciding between Wisconsin and Ohio State.
So who is Utah anyway?
Simply, Utah looks like the Pac-12’s version of Michigan.
The Utes have the No. 2 run game in the conference, averaging 216 yards per game and a conference-high 5.6 yards per rush. Thirty five of Utah’s 61 total touchdowns — the most in the Pac-12 — are from the ground game, including 20 by sophomore running back Tavion Thomas, who averages 5.6 yards per carry and has 1,041 rushing yards this season.
Defensively, Utah is one of four teams in the conference with less than 10 interceptions, but leads the conference in sacks with 41, 15 more than second-place UCLA. LB Devin Llloyd and DE Mika Tafua are both of Utah’s main sources of pressure in the backfield, allowing the third-least amount of passing yards per game (195.3) and the least amount of rushing yards per game (122.1).
Utah has a bottom-third pass game in the conference, but still is one of four teams to have more than 20 touchdown passes, 18 of which were by QB Cameron Rising.
Let’s take a look at The Team Up North
I promise this will be quick, but you may not like what I have to say.
This is a fun football team.
From the combination of Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins in the run game, along with Donovan Edwards in both the run and pass game — who I saw in high school at West Bloomfield, and he was a beast there too — to Aidan Hutchinson’s dominance up front, beating everyone in his way, this is a team that is heating up at the right time.
And it’s sustainable, especially if the Michigan defense can put pressure on opposing quarterbacks like it did against Spencer Petras, who completed only 40.9% of his passes.
The turnovers are going to hurt against a team like Georgia, but this is a Michigan team that can play with anybody. Yes, Ohio State beat itself in Ann Arbor. But this is a damn good football team, and one that can make some noise come New Year’s Eve.
Basketball takeaways
Here’s some quick takeaways about Ohio State basketball heading into the week
- Jamari Wheeler is so much fun to watch when he controls a game. Was forcing a bit too much from deep against Penn State, but he was doing a bit of everything. That’s going to be extremely valuable in the long run.
- E.J. Liddell is way too careless with the basketball. Yes, he can make it up with three steals and a block, but four turnovers against Penn State and four turnovers against Duke are not going to cut it in Big Ten play.
- Ohio State needs some consistency from Zed Key in the paint if it’s going to go anywhere, especially without foul trouble.
- When they are hot, the Buckeyes are lethal from deep, and can beat anyone on any given night with the 3.
- I actually really like the way Chris Holtmann is utilizing Kyle Young off the bench, playing starter’s minutes, but in certain situations. Shows off his versatility, whether it’s in paint play or his ability to ignite an offense.
- Cedric Russell needs to play more.
OK. Ohio State saw something in this kid — the Ohio Mr. Basketball award winner, the first from St. Vincent-St. Mary’s since LeBron James — so I’m not starting anything new here. But Malaki Branham is going to be incredibly special for this Buckeyes team.
Against Penn State Sunday night, you saw it in spurts. You saw a 6-foot-5 wing player that can move like a guard, gliding across the floor, using a quick release to hit jumpers or float into the paint for a layup.
He’s one of the best passers on the team, something he said this week he’s been working on since he’s gotten here. He has the ability to rebound too with his tall lanky frame.
Branham has the pure size and skill set to be able to compliment Liddell every day. He’s not there yet, but you saw a hint of that consistency against Penn State: scoring a career-high 11 points, making five shots on nine attempts from the field.
There’s going to be ups and downs, but by the time tournament play comes, I firmly believe Branham is going to make or break Ohio State’s season.
Keep an eye on this freshman.
Song of the Week
Simply, I have to keep up the brand.
Ohio State is heading to the Rose Bowl, so I am picking one of the best songs ever made with the word “rose” in it.
From April 2-5, 1998, Phish had a legendary run of shows called the “Island Tour,” one of the best stretches in the band’s history. In their April 3, 1998 show, Phish opened the second set with a cover of Ween’s “Roses Are Free,” and took it to a magical place that really just represents what this band does best: turning a four-and-a-half-minute song into this improvisational journey that’s absolutely nuts.
This whole set is unbelievable, weaving “Roses are Free” into one of my favorite songs of all time: “Piper,” along with a Rolling Stones cover of “Loving Cup” and the Phish classic “Run Like an Antelope.”
Yes, I am a nerd when it comes to this stuff, but this is glorious.
Enjoy.
See you on the board.
