Welcome to another week of Ohio State (offseason) football and men's basketball.
So kick back, secure that blueberry muffin and cup of joe, and let's set the tone for this week.
Here's what I'm thinking about.
Ohio State has some big-time returners in 2022.
Whether it’s offensive tackle Dawand Jones, cornerback Cameron Brown or defensive end Zach Harrison, the Buckeyes are bringing back experience, key players that can make an impact in high leverage situations next season.
But two players this week announced their return to Ohio State for another season that fit right up there with Jones, Brown and Harrison.
First, there wasn’t really a kicker as accurate as Noah Ruggles was this season.
He finished tied for second in college football with a 95.2 field goal percentage, just .05 points behind Tulsa kicker Zack Long, and was one of 19 kickers in the sport that hit more than 20 field goals this season.
Ruggles was one of two Big Ten kickers, along with Michigan’s Jake Moody, to have more than a 90% success rate.
Second, there wasn’t really a Swiss Army Knife like Mitch Rossi for Ohio State’s offense.
No, he was not used as much as a passing tight end, bringing in four catches for 28 yards and a touchdown in 2021. But there really wasn’t a better blocker for the Buckeyes on the outside, using him at the line of scrimmage as a traditional tight end and as a full back.
What Rossi brings is variety to the Buckeyes’ blocking schemes, creating another level of creativity for an offense that scored the most points and recorded the most yards in college football last season.
Rossi and Ruggles may not be the players that get all the headlines or garner the attention of players like Brown, Harrison or Jones. But if Ohio State wants to return to the Big Ten Championship and the College Football Playoff for a chance at a national title, these two will be vital to that path.
So where does Ohio State stand with the rest of its seniors?
The majority of players on Ohio State’s roster have made their decisions on whether to play another college seasons or to enroll in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Four players for Ohio State remain in terms of making their intentions public: linebacker Palaie Gaoteote IV, cornerback Sevyn Banks, linebacker Teradja Mitchell and defensive tackle Jerron Cage.
Gaoteote, Mitchell and Cage each failed to participate in Ohio State’s senior day activities prior to the final home game of the season against Michigan State, while Banks took part.
With all four on the roster currently, Ohio State currently has 91 players on scholarship, six over the scholarship limit.
Here are my too-early Big Ten power rankings.
Let’s start with the Big Ten East
Just like we did last week with the offensive line, here’s three things Ohio State’s running backs room must do this offseason to set up for a successful fall.
Simply, Ohio State plays its best basketball at home.
It’s done it all season: averaging 78.7 points in each of its nine wins inside Value City Arena compared to 70.6 points in every other game, including four losses in which the Buckeyes failed to score more than 68 points.
The Buckeyes have always found its momentum in Columbus, something that feels necessary as they return to the road in Big Ten play, especially against a Purdue team that will surely be in the Top-10 next Sunday when they face off.
Ohio State needed another home game, one that would get it back into the swing of conference play, finding that confidence and swagger, before trying to win against conference teams on the road, something that has not come easy for the Buckeyes.
But this is something that has been the storyline surrounding Ohio State all season: how it can respond to adversity when it approaches. This isn’t a three-week pause, but with over 10 days between Big Ten games when the Buckeyes travel to Minnesota Thursday, there could be rust involved, something that will not help with a trip to Mackey Arena on deck for the next Sunday.
Here’s a few things I’m watching for with this team this week
I’m going through Twitter on a cold and snowy Sunday afternoon, and I came across this masterpiece.
It was apparently sent in as a Letter to the Editor to the folks at the Columbus Dispatch: a poem taking readers through this author’s time at the Rose Bowl.
I very nearly put this as my song of the week, but nevertheless, thanks to Joey Kaufman, here it is.
Song of the Week
There was no other choice here.
I’ve never been a total fan of Meat Loaf. I honestly don’t know much of his catalog. However, like many of you out there, there’s one song of his that’s close to absolute perfection.
“I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)”
And it’s not just any version of it. No: the long version, the 12-minute opus that takes you on an immaculate journey from the revving up guitar sounds at the start to one of the most iconic and breathtaking piano licks in all of music, to the dynamics accompanied by broadway-like lyric of love and longing, one filled with rock-operatic moments of sheering electric guitars and drums that make you want to stand up and cheer or just headbang until the end of time.
Is it cheesy? Yes, but it’s one of the best examples of a song where a short version of a song really doesn’t do it justice. It’s a song that can’t be contained to a radio edit, one that needs to be consumed in its entirety.
More importantly, though, it’s a song that reminds me of my family.
We used to take a lot of road trips when I was a kid, making the drive from the suburbs of Houston to Columbus each summer to visit my mother’s family. And though all the playlists and the music we listened to, this was a staple year after year.
To this day, whenever me and my brother are in a car together, it’s a song that ignites a fury of air drumming and guitar playing, going back and forth with the duet of Meat Loaf and Lorraine Crosby as the song nears its conclusion. It’s simply a song that reminds us why we love music so much in the first place.
It’s something that doesn’t change with each full listen. It just doesn’t get old. It’s truly a masterpiece.
It’s the only Meat Loaf song on my playlist, but it’s one that has brought a lot of joy to me and to those close to me.
And that’s really all I can ask for in a song.
See you on the board.
So kick back, secure that blueberry muffin and cup of joe, and let's set the tone for this week.
Here's what I'm thinking about.
Ohio State has some big-time returners in 2022.
Whether it’s offensive tackle Dawand Jones, cornerback Cameron Brown or defensive end Zach Harrison, the Buckeyes are bringing back experience, key players that can make an impact in high leverage situations next season.
But two players this week announced their return to Ohio State for another season that fit right up there with Jones, Brown and Harrison.
First, there wasn’t really a kicker as accurate as Noah Ruggles was this season.
He finished tied for second in college football with a 95.2 field goal percentage, just .05 points behind Tulsa kicker Zack Long, and was one of 19 kickers in the sport that hit more than 20 field goals this season.
Ruggles was one of two Big Ten kickers, along with Michigan’s Jake Moody, to have more than a 90% success rate.
Second, there wasn’t really a Swiss Army Knife like Mitch Rossi for Ohio State’s offense.
No, he was not used as much as a passing tight end, bringing in four catches for 28 yards and a touchdown in 2021. But there really wasn’t a better blocker for the Buckeyes on the outside, using him at the line of scrimmage as a traditional tight end and as a full back.
What Rossi brings is variety to the Buckeyes’ blocking schemes, creating another level of creativity for an offense that scored the most points and recorded the most yards in college football last season.
Rossi and Ruggles may not be the players that get all the headlines or garner the attention of players like Brown, Harrison or Jones. But if Ohio State wants to return to the Big Ten Championship and the College Football Playoff for a chance at a national title, these two will be vital to that path.
So where does Ohio State stand with the rest of its seniors?
The majority of players on Ohio State’s roster have made their decisions on whether to play another college seasons or to enroll in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Four players for Ohio State remain in terms of making their intentions public: linebacker Palaie Gaoteote IV, cornerback Sevyn Banks, linebacker Teradja Mitchell and defensive tackle Jerron Cage.
Gaoteote, Mitchell and Cage each failed to participate in Ohio State’s senior day activities prior to the final home game of the season against Michigan State, while Banks took part.
With all four on the roster currently, Ohio State currently has 91 players on scholarship, six over the scholarship limit.
Here are my too-early Big Ten power rankings.
Let’s start with the Big Ten East
- Ohio State — Even with an unknown defensive identity from a unity that really held the Buckeyes back in 2021, Ohio State returns enough pieces on offense to be right up at the top of the Big Ten East again. And with the track record of defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and his ability to turn around defenses incredibly quickly, Ohio State seems to be in the driver’s seat for another Big Ten title.
- Michigan — Much of the offense, specifically the run game, that gave Ohio State trouble in the regular-season finale will be back in 2022. But the Wolverines will have to revamp its defense without Aidan Hutchinson, Dax Hill and David Ojabo. With the schedule, it should be easy enough to keep Michigan at the top of the standings. But will it be enough for the Wolverines to extend its win streak against Ohio State to two games?
- Penn State — Sean Clifford will have to find new weapons for his offense to keep the Nittany Lions near the top here, replacing Jahan Dotson in the passing game and finding someone to help a run game that averaged only 107.8 yards per game. Defensively, Manny Diaz will be tasked with revamping a defense who has only two of their top-six tacklers returning: safety Ji’Ayir Brown and linebacker Curtis Jacobs.
- Michigan State — The Spartans’ offensive identity will be forced to change a bit with the departure of Kenneth Walker III. But it will be easier with a returning quarterback in Payton Thorne and a returning wide receiver in Jayden Reed. As for its defense, it can’t get much worse than in 2021, finishing with the worst pass defense in college football.
- Maryland — Another season of Taulia Tagovailoa with Dontay Demus Jr. and Rakim Jarrett could create some fireworks for the Terrapins in College Park. The defense will need a makeover, finishing as one of two teams, along with Indiana, to allow more than 30 points a game last season.
- Rutgers — The Scarlet Knights will have a few defensive pieces returning, like defensive end Mohamed Toure and cornerback Max Melton. Offensively, there could be some promise there with the emergence of 2021 four-star Gavin Wimsatt, who will battle with Noah Vedral for the starting quarterback job, along with the return of Aron Cruickshank. If Wimsatt is who head coach Greg Schiano thinks he is, this could be a sleeper team in the East.
- Indiana — There’s a lot of changes going on in Bloomington, from hiring former Cincinnati defensive ends coach Chad Wilt as its new defensive coordinator and former University of Massachusetts Amherst head coach Walt Bell as offensive coordinator, to a new quarterback in Missouri transfer Connor Bazelak. There’s really nothing to go off of, especially with such a horrid defensive performance in 2021. Could there be new life in Bloomington, or will Tom Allen have to find a new strategy here soon?
- Wisconsin — With the emergence of Braelon Allen as one of the most exciting running backs in the league, along with the return of Graham Mertz at quarterback and three members of the offensive line, Wisconsin has some stability returning offensively in 2022. Along with leading sack-totaller Nick Herbig, the Badgers could find some success in 2022.
- Minnesota — Minnesota’s offensive core of quarterback Tanner Morgan and running back Mohamed Ibramhim will both be back in 2022, along with wide receiver Dylan Wright. Defense is a little more sparse for a group that allowed 17.3 points per game — the second least in the Big Ten — but will have safety Tyler Nubin back.
- Iowa — Iowa may be without OL Tyler Linderbaum, RB Tyler Goodson or DB Dane Belton in 2022, but the Hawkeyes will have a vital piece back: Riley Moss, the Big Ten’s defensive back of the year. Moss will return with linebackers Jack Campbell and Seth Benson. Offensively, Iowa will have to find a run game outside of Goodson, but quarterback Spencer Petras, who will have wide receiver Arland Bruce IV at his disposal for an offense that struggled mightily at points a season ago.
- Purdue — Aidan O’Connell is back. And while he doesn’t have David Bell to work with, Milton Wright is set to return, despite not being with the Boilermakers at the Music City Bowl. along with running back King Doerue. Purdue will also have some key defensive players back in linebacker/safety Jalen Graham, safety Cam Allen and safety Marvin Grant back for a group that finished in the middle of the pack in 2021.
- Nebraska — There’s a new era in Lincoln. The Cornhuskers will have someone not named Aidan Martinez as its starting quarterback for the first time since 2017, landing Texas transfer Casey Thompson to work with running back Rahmir Johnson. The Huskers also return leading tackler Luke Reimer and leading tackles-for-loss getter Garrett Nelson. If Thompson doesn’t miss a beat at quarterback, this could be a team to watch in the West.
- Illinois — With both Isaiah Williams and Chase Brown returning as key pieces to the offense, Illinois will have a new quarterback getting the ball to each of those weapons in Syracuse transfer Tommy DeVito. Even with a defense that finished in the middle of the pack last season, the Fighting Illini will need some offensive consistency it didn’t have in 2021 to make some noise in this conference.
- Northwestern — Other than Evan Hull, there’s not much to look at here. Northwestern is in the process of really rebuilding here, something that could prove to be hard to watch during the 2022 season.
Just like we did last week with the offensive line, here’s three things Ohio State’s running backs room must do this offseason to set up for a successful fall.
- Get TreVeyon Henderson rest, but get him prepared for an increased workload: As exciting as Henderson was for Ohio State this past season, his production seemed to wane a bit when he was used as more of a traditional workhorse back. Henderson exceeded 15 carries only six times in 2021, averaging 6.34 yards per carry compared to his 6.8 average for the entire season, raised dramatically by his 277-yard performance on 24 carries against Tulsa. A lot of that has to do with Ohio State’s offensive line and the run fits they have given the freshman back, especially late in the season, but balance rides on this sophomore’s ability to carry the football consistently.
- Get depth back: Behind Henderson, depth was a problem at points. There were only a few games where Ohio State’s running back room had enough depth to work with, whether it was Master Teague III or Miyan Williams. In 2022, that means that Williams stays healthy, serving as that distinct No. 2 back for the offense. That means, if possible, getting Marcus Crowley healthy enough to play or getting Evan Pryor ready to take that leap.
- Continue to find versatility in the room: Whether that means integrating more of a run-pass option offense and encouraging quarterback C.J. Stroud to tuck and run more or get out in the flat and become more of a threat in the receiving game, Ohio State’s running back room needs to find a bit of creativity in its offensive approach to keep things moving and keep the offense ahead of schedule.
Simply, Ohio State plays its best basketball at home.
It’s done it all season: averaging 78.7 points in each of its nine wins inside Value City Arena compared to 70.6 points in every other game, including four losses in which the Buckeyes failed to score more than 68 points.
The Buckeyes have always found its momentum in Columbus, something that feels necessary as they return to the road in Big Ten play, especially against a Purdue team that will surely be in the Top-10 next Sunday when they face off.
Ohio State needed another home game, one that would get it back into the swing of conference play, finding that confidence and swagger, before trying to win against conference teams on the road, something that has not come easy for the Buckeyes.
But this is something that has been the storyline surrounding Ohio State all season: how it can respond to adversity when it approaches. This isn’t a three-week pause, but with over 10 days between Big Ten games when the Buckeyes travel to Minnesota Thursday, there could be rust involved, something that will not help with a trip to Mackey Arena on deck for the next Sunday.
Here’s a few things I’m watching for with this team this week
- Ohio State junior forward E.J. Liddell is 12 points away from becoming the 59th player in school history to hit 1,000 career points.
- Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann is one win away from becoming the seventh coach in school history to reach 100 career wins.
- Can Justin Ahrens break out of his dry spell from 3 after a late make against IUPUI in the Buckeyes’ last game?
- Who shows up for Ohio State off the bench if Meechie Johnson Jr. continues to be sidelined with his facial injury? Can Eugene Brown III and Cedric Russell continue to take that next step?
- Can Ohio State find momentum down low with Zed Key and Kyle Young, especially with a game against Purdue coming?
- I’ve talked to a lot of recruits in the past few days, stories you will hear in the next few days. But it reiterates just how far of a reach Ohio State has. Many of the kids I talked to were out of Georgia, and they talked about watching the Buckeyes every week, growing up watching Chase Young, Joey Bosa and Nick Bosa. This is a national brand and one that’s not slowing down.
- The Bosa brothers and Young talk makes me feel incredibly old.
- The first impressions of Perry Eliano and Tim Walton are incredibly positive. The coaching staff seems to be comfortable putting them out there, sending the message of the Ohio State brand through these coaches who have been a part of the program for about a week. All I’ve heard are how personable, professional and “cool” each of the coaches are.
- Same applies to both Justin Frye and Jim Knowles.
- WIll Smith Jr. is huge for Ohio State. I wrote about this Sunday, but to set the tone on the defensive line, especially for a position the Buckeyes had to fill late is massive heading into 2023.
- Also, to continue the focus on in-state kids is great for the program, recruiting a state that seems to only be getting better and better when it comes to high school football.
I’m going through Twitter on a cold and snowy Sunday afternoon, and I came across this masterpiece.
It was apparently sent in as a Letter to the Editor to the folks at the Columbus Dispatch: a poem taking readers through this author’s time at the Rose Bowl.
I very nearly put this as my song of the week, but nevertheless, thanks to Joey Kaufman, here it is.
Song of the Week
There was no other choice here.
I’ve never been a total fan of Meat Loaf. I honestly don’t know much of his catalog. However, like many of you out there, there’s one song of his that’s close to absolute perfection.
“I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)”
And it’s not just any version of it. No: the long version, the 12-minute opus that takes you on an immaculate journey from the revving up guitar sounds at the start to one of the most iconic and breathtaking piano licks in all of music, to the dynamics accompanied by broadway-like lyric of love and longing, one filled with rock-operatic moments of sheering electric guitars and drums that make you want to stand up and cheer or just headbang until the end of time.
Is it cheesy? Yes, but it’s one of the best examples of a song where a short version of a song really doesn’t do it justice. It’s a song that can’t be contained to a radio edit, one that needs to be consumed in its entirety.
More importantly, though, it’s a song that reminds me of my family.
We used to take a lot of road trips when I was a kid, making the drive from the suburbs of Houston to Columbus each summer to visit my mother’s family. And though all the playlists and the music we listened to, this was a staple year after year.
To this day, whenever me and my brother are in a car together, it’s a song that ignites a fury of air drumming and guitar playing, going back and forth with the duet of Meat Loaf and Lorraine Crosby as the song nears its conclusion. It’s simply a song that reminds us why we love music so much in the first place.
It’s something that doesn’t change with each full listen. It just doesn’t get old. It’s truly a masterpiece.
It’s the only Meat Loaf song on my playlist, but it’s one that has brought a lot of joy to me and to those close to me.
And that’s really all I can ask for in a song.
See you on the board.
Last edited:
