Happy Monday!
Here’s what’s on my mind heading into this week of Ohio State offseason football and men’s basketball.
Tim Walton: Instant credibility
Tim Walton coached Jalen Ramsey. For Ohio State’s two early-enrollee cornerbacks Jyaire Brown and Ryan Turner, that gives the Buckeyes’ new defensive backs and cornerbacks coach instant credibility.
Just being around the NFL corner, a three-time first-team All-Pro, a five-time Pro Bowler, someone who many consider to be one of the best cornerbacks in the league, who gave Walton his stamp of approval as one of the best defensive backs coaches he’s had in his life makes Both Ohio State freshmen think that some of the same magic is going to rub off on them.
In the short time Walton’s been in the program, his past with Ramsey, his past in the NFL is not something he hides. It’s actually something he uses to motivate members of his room. It’s something he uses as an example.
He preached that he always pushed Jalen Ramsey no matter how big Jalen Ramsey, no matter how good Jalen Ramsey is, he always pushed him,” Turner said. “He never treated him like the No. 1 corner in the NFL. He always pushed him no matter what.”
Turner has been watching the NFL since he was a child, and when the starting lineups were introduced, especially the cornerbacks, which he picked up when he was eighth grade, there was one thing they all seemed to have in common.
“So it’s like watching corners, in the NFL, they always show what college they went to. So you see a corner like ‘The Ohio State University,’” Turner said. “It’s like he went to Ohio State, he went to Ohio State, he went to Ohio State, like it’s crazy.”
For Walton, his job is to provide the fundamentals and the techniques for a room full of cornerbacks that chose Ohio State because they thought they could be next in line behind Eli Apple, Marshon Lattimore, Denzel Ward, Jeff Okudah and all the other NFL cornerbacks who have made the jump from the Woody Hayes Athletic Center to the first round of the NFL Draft.
That’s why Walton is there because he feels those things translate no matter the level. And that’s something that fuels cornerbacks like Brown that want to follow in the footsteps of those who have found success with Ohio State.
Brown feels like Walton can get him there.
“It’s very motivating just knowing that I have a coach that’s seen that and coached that at a high level. Just learning from him, picking his brain on everything,” Brown said. “That’s the most exciting part.”
So where did all of these cornerbacks start on the recruiting trail?
Let’s look at Jyaire Brown and Ryan Turner first:
Brown: 6-foot, 185 pounds; four-star, 5.9 Rivals rating, No. 165 nationally in 2022, No. 16 cornerback, No. 9 in Ohio
Turner: 6-foot, 185 pounds; four-star, 5.8 Rivals rating, No. 184 nationally in 2022, No. 17 cornerback, No. 25 in Florida
Now, let’s look at each of Ohio State’s first-round corners since 2014:
Bradley Roby: 6-foot, 175 pounds; three-star wide receiver, 5.6 Rivals rating, not ranked in 2010 class — No. 31 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft
Eli Apple: 6-foot, 185 pounds; four-star, 5.9 Rivals rating, No. 89 nationally in 2013 class, No. 8 cornerback and No. 3 in New Jersey — No. 10 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft
Marshon Lattimore: 6-foot, 185 pounds; four-star athlete, 5.9 Rivals rating, No. 134 nationally in 2014 class, No. 7 athlete, No. 3 in Ohio — No. 11 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft
Gareon Conley: 6-foot-2, 165 pounds; three-star, 5.7 Rivals rating, not ranked nationally in 2013 class, Np. 50 cornerback, No. 37 in Ohio — No. 24 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft
Denzel Ward: 5-foot-11, 170 pounds; three-star, 5.6 Rivals rating, not ranked nationally in 2015 class, No. 60 cornerback, No. 33 in Ohio — No. 4 in the 2018 NFL Draft
Jeff Okudah: 6-foot-1, 190 pounds; five-star safety, 6.1 Rivals rating, No. 16 nationally in 2017 class, No. 1 safety, No. 4 in Texas — No. 3 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft
Damon Arnette: 6-foot-2, 185 pounds; three-star, 5.7 Rivals rating, not ranked nationally in 2015, No. 51 cornerback, No. 79 in Florida
Let me add one more for the hell of it:
Jalen Ramsey: 6-foot, 190 pounds; five-star cornerback, 6.1 Rivals rating, No. 10 nationally in 2013 class, No. 3 cornerback, No. 1 in Tennessee
So what does this mean?
Brown and Turner fit the mold.
They both are of the right size of the players who came before, matching the description exactly of Marshon Lattimore and Eli Apple when they came into the Ohio State football program.
And it shows that Ohio State can develop.
Only Jeff Okudah was a five star out of the Buckeyes’ six first-round corners since 2014, and he was a converted safety out of South Grand Prairie High School in Texas.
There’s no guarantee that Brown or Turner will turn out to be like Lattimore, Apple, Ward or Okudah, But for a room that had recorded 10 NFL draft picks since Roby in 2014, Walton has a lot to live up to when it comes to developing talent ready for the next level.
It will be interesting to see if those same fundamentals and techniques work, especially after his last stop in college was as the defensive coordinator at Memphis in 2008.
Here’s what’s on the offseason checklist for Ohio State’s tight ends.
Just like we did last week with the wide receivers, here’s three things Ohio State’s tight end room must do this offseason to set up for a successful fall.
Justin Ahrens was important for Ohio State, and that was the story for the Buckeyes out of Sunday’s game. I wrote about it.
But there wasn’t a player on the floor that proved to be more important for Ohio State Sunday than Zed Key.
No, he wasn’t the leading scorer. But he alone set the tone for what Ohio State’s game plan would be against the Terrapins Sunday afternoon.
After guard Jamari Wheeler hit a 3 to begin the game, Key posted up down low, bullied his way inside and got three clean looks, out-scoring Maryland by himself in the first three-and-a-half minutes of the game just by playing physical Big Ten basketball in the paint.
Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann said this is part of Ohio State’s identity: that physical paint play with Key and E.J. Liddell at the helm. Yes, part of this is true, but it’s hard to say it’s an “identity” for a team that seems to live on the 3-point line, forcing shots from beyond the arc as opposed to getting into the meat of the opponent’s defense, drawing fouls and making the defense work.
That could be a part of the identity for Ohio State, sure. But it needs to be something that sets the tone for the offense, opening up space for the shooters to work solely because they have to worry about the paint play of Key, Liddell, Kyle Young and Joey Brunk.
Ohio State has a true center here. He’s not as big as a true center should be, but he has all the intangibles to be successful. And he’s motivated, challenged to pick up the slack he left in West Lafayette after an inconsistent performance full of fouls and just looking dominated down low.
Ohio State needs paint play. And it needs paint play early in games.
That’s the part of the identity Key needs to own.
Here’s a few more notes from Sunday’s win.
I put this on the board, but this is vital for Ohio State moving forward.
The Buckeyes are set to play 10 more games — six at home and four over the road — in 26 days. Assistant coach Jake Diebler was clear Saturday that this is the stretch where Ohio State’s going to find its rhythm, peaking at the right time ahead of tournament play.
“We haven’t peaked yet,” he said.
Now, this stretch of road games against Rutgers and Michigan is going to say a lot about this team, facing a Scarlet Knights team that is one of the better 3-point shooting teams in the conference and one of the best teams at forcing turnovers and a Michigan team that’s main offensive weapon is a 7-foot-1 center.
There are questions about this team that still need to be answered: Who is this team aside from E.J. Liddell? Can this team win big games away from Value City Arena? Can this team finish off a comeback? Can this team be competitive in the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments?
Who is Ohio State?
Next week, the start of the spring to end the regular season, will be a good starting point on the road.
Let’s talk about Harbaugh for a second.
You guys know what’s happening here: Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh takes an interview with the Minnesota Vikings on National Signing Day, comes back after the job went to another candidate and reaffirming his loyalty to the Wolverines.
OK, you know my thoughts here. But I think there’s one tweet that says a lot here:
This was in the fallout of this tweet from ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren after former Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis took the offensive coordinator job with Miami:
In summation: it’s not a good look, one that really, for me, starts with the recruits joining the class. Instead of celebrating the culmination of a recruiting class, “officially” switching gears from 2022 to 2023, the head coach is out interviewing for another job. If anything, that shows an unclear path for the future of the program, especially with a coach who seems to be itching toward the NFL each offseason.
Michigan’s not in a good spot. It was in an incredibly good spot heading into The Game this November, and it seemed like all momentum, from the Big Ten title to the College Football Playoff appearance, was leading to a revitalized rivalry, something that’s very good for college football in general.
Now there’s questions again. There’s no consistency here.
And while many expect for Ohio State to be “up” for hosting the Wolverines Nov. 26, the dive for Michigan could happen well before then.
Super Bowl Prop Bets
I’m not a gambler, but I’ll let you all leave me accountable for these Super Bowl prop bets.
Length of National Anthem: Over 122.5 seconds — always have to take the over
Coin Toss: Tails — Never Fails
Game Winner: Bengals
Song of the Week
I’m a big concert-goer.
I’ve loved them, ever since I saw Arcade Fire with my brother in high school for my first concert— sorry Toby Mac and Skillet, you don’t count. I try to go to as many as possible, whether I’m one of the only ones in a bar (Wild Pink, Garcia Peoples) or in a stadium full of people (Phish, Radiohead), it’s really one of my favorite things to do.
I went to my first concert of 2022 Friday night, braving the cold rain and snow (Grateful Dead reference) to see The War On Drugs for the first time. This band put out one of my favorite albums of 2021 in “I Don’t Live Here Anymore” and I couldn’t wait to see it live.
And, my friends, it lived up to the expectation.
This isn’t one of their new songs. Actually, it’s one of the older ones in the catalog. But it’s one that was incredible to hear live. Hope you all enjoy it!
See you on the board.
Here’s what’s on my mind heading into this week of Ohio State offseason football and men’s basketball.
Tim Walton: Instant credibility
Tim Walton coached Jalen Ramsey. For Ohio State’s two early-enrollee cornerbacks Jyaire Brown and Ryan Turner, that gives the Buckeyes’ new defensive backs and cornerbacks coach instant credibility.
Just being around the NFL corner, a three-time first-team All-Pro, a five-time Pro Bowler, someone who many consider to be one of the best cornerbacks in the league, who gave Walton his stamp of approval as one of the best defensive backs coaches he’s had in his life makes Both Ohio State freshmen think that some of the same magic is going to rub off on them.
In the short time Walton’s been in the program, his past with Ramsey, his past in the NFL is not something he hides. It’s actually something he uses to motivate members of his room. It’s something he uses as an example.
He preached that he always pushed Jalen Ramsey no matter how big Jalen Ramsey, no matter how good Jalen Ramsey is, he always pushed him,” Turner said. “He never treated him like the No. 1 corner in the NFL. He always pushed him no matter what.”
Turner has been watching the NFL since he was a child, and when the starting lineups were introduced, especially the cornerbacks, which he picked up when he was eighth grade, there was one thing they all seemed to have in common.
“So it’s like watching corners, in the NFL, they always show what college they went to. So you see a corner like ‘The Ohio State University,’” Turner said. “It’s like he went to Ohio State, he went to Ohio State, he went to Ohio State, like it’s crazy.”
For Walton, his job is to provide the fundamentals and the techniques for a room full of cornerbacks that chose Ohio State because they thought they could be next in line behind Eli Apple, Marshon Lattimore, Denzel Ward, Jeff Okudah and all the other NFL cornerbacks who have made the jump from the Woody Hayes Athletic Center to the first round of the NFL Draft.
That’s why Walton is there because he feels those things translate no matter the level. And that’s something that fuels cornerbacks like Brown that want to follow in the footsteps of those who have found success with Ohio State.
Brown feels like Walton can get him there.
“It’s very motivating just knowing that I have a coach that’s seen that and coached that at a high level. Just learning from him, picking his brain on everything,” Brown said. “That’s the most exciting part.”
So where did all of these cornerbacks start on the recruiting trail?
Let’s look at Jyaire Brown and Ryan Turner first:
Brown: 6-foot, 185 pounds; four-star, 5.9 Rivals rating, No. 165 nationally in 2022, No. 16 cornerback, No. 9 in Ohio
Turner: 6-foot, 185 pounds; four-star, 5.8 Rivals rating, No. 184 nationally in 2022, No. 17 cornerback, No. 25 in Florida
Now, let’s look at each of Ohio State’s first-round corners since 2014:
Bradley Roby: 6-foot, 175 pounds; three-star wide receiver, 5.6 Rivals rating, not ranked in 2010 class — No. 31 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft
Eli Apple: 6-foot, 185 pounds; four-star, 5.9 Rivals rating, No. 89 nationally in 2013 class, No. 8 cornerback and No. 3 in New Jersey — No. 10 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft
Marshon Lattimore: 6-foot, 185 pounds; four-star athlete, 5.9 Rivals rating, No. 134 nationally in 2014 class, No. 7 athlete, No. 3 in Ohio — No. 11 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft
Gareon Conley: 6-foot-2, 165 pounds; three-star, 5.7 Rivals rating, not ranked nationally in 2013 class, Np. 50 cornerback, No. 37 in Ohio — No. 24 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft
Denzel Ward: 5-foot-11, 170 pounds; three-star, 5.6 Rivals rating, not ranked nationally in 2015 class, No. 60 cornerback, No. 33 in Ohio — No. 4 in the 2018 NFL Draft
Jeff Okudah: 6-foot-1, 190 pounds; five-star safety, 6.1 Rivals rating, No. 16 nationally in 2017 class, No. 1 safety, No. 4 in Texas — No. 3 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft
Damon Arnette: 6-foot-2, 185 pounds; three-star, 5.7 Rivals rating, not ranked nationally in 2015, No. 51 cornerback, No. 79 in Florida
Let me add one more for the hell of it:
Jalen Ramsey: 6-foot, 190 pounds; five-star cornerback, 6.1 Rivals rating, No. 10 nationally in 2013 class, No. 3 cornerback, No. 1 in Tennessee
So what does this mean?
Brown and Turner fit the mold.
They both are of the right size of the players who came before, matching the description exactly of Marshon Lattimore and Eli Apple when they came into the Ohio State football program.
And it shows that Ohio State can develop.
Only Jeff Okudah was a five star out of the Buckeyes’ six first-round corners since 2014, and he was a converted safety out of South Grand Prairie High School in Texas.
There’s no guarantee that Brown or Turner will turn out to be like Lattimore, Apple, Ward or Okudah, But for a room that had recorded 10 NFL draft picks since Roby in 2014, Walton has a lot to live up to when it comes to developing talent ready for the next level.
It will be interesting to see if those same fundamentals and techniques work, especially after his last stop in college was as the defensive coordinator at Memphis in 2008.
Here’s what’s on the offseason checklist for Ohio State’s tight ends.
Just like we did last week with the wide receivers, here’s three things Ohio State’s tight end room must do this offseason to set up for a successful fall.
- Determine what the role will be for the offense in 2022: Ohio State’s tight end room didn’t play much of a factor in the passing offense in 2021. While Jeremy Ruckert put together career highs in both catches and receiving yards, comparatively, it was non-existent in the offense. Tight ends only mustered 11.7% of the total receptions, 9.4% of the total receiving yards and 8.7% of the total receiving touchdowns. Can tight ends coach and offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson turn the room into a legitimate red-zone threat and passing option, or will it serve as another blocker in the both passing and run game, running flats to block downfield?
- FInd a face for the room: Based on the veteran coming back in the room in 2022, the latter seems more likely. Mitch Rossi served as a vital blocker both from the outside and as a full back for the offense last season. He did see a couple moments in which he was used in the passing game, whether it was the 22-yard swing pass in the Rose Bowl against Utah or the one-yard touchdown pass against Rutgers. Other than Rossi, it's seemingly wide open, with Gee Scott Jr., Joe Royer and Sam Hart each coming back. Who will take control and define what the position is in 2022?
- Develop Bennett Christian: He’s coming in with a body ready to take the field Day 1 at 6-foot-6, 240 pounds. He’s coming in with experience in a block-first tight end role, passing up an opportunity to play at IMG Academy to stay with his high school in Allatoona, Georgia. If Christan can find that balance, he has the potential to be a red zone threat and make an impact very, very early in his college career. The potential was seen right away. Can he make a difference?
Justin Ahrens was important for Ohio State, and that was the story for the Buckeyes out of Sunday’s game. I wrote about it.
But there wasn’t a player on the floor that proved to be more important for Ohio State Sunday than Zed Key.
No, he wasn’t the leading scorer. But he alone set the tone for what Ohio State’s game plan would be against the Terrapins Sunday afternoon.
After guard Jamari Wheeler hit a 3 to begin the game, Key posted up down low, bullied his way inside and got three clean looks, out-scoring Maryland by himself in the first three-and-a-half minutes of the game just by playing physical Big Ten basketball in the paint.
Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann said this is part of Ohio State’s identity: that physical paint play with Key and E.J. Liddell at the helm. Yes, part of this is true, but it’s hard to say it’s an “identity” for a team that seems to live on the 3-point line, forcing shots from beyond the arc as opposed to getting into the meat of the opponent’s defense, drawing fouls and making the defense work.
That could be a part of the identity for Ohio State, sure. But it needs to be something that sets the tone for the offense, opening up space for the shooters to work solely because they have to worry about the paint play of Key, Liddell, Kyle Young and Joey Brunk.
Ohio State has a true center here. He’s not as big as a true center should be, but he has all the intangibles to be successful. And he’s motivated, challenged to pick up the slack he left in West Lafayette after an inconsistent performance full of fouls and just looking dominated down low.
Ohio State needs paint play. And it needs paint play early in games.
That’s the part of the identity Key needs to own.
Here’s a few more notes from Sunday’s win.
- No offensive rebounds in the first half: BIG problem that could have been fatal against a slightly better team. Ohio State picked it up in the second half, but allowing seven offensive boards before recording one is something that will lose them a lot of games if not fixed.
- Malaki Branham struggled mightily. Luckily for Ohio State, it was masked by the return of Ahrens and the consistent scoring ability in the paint by Liddell and Key. Ohio State just needs someone to pick up the slack of Liddell, which has been Branham as of late. When the freshman has a “freshman game,” the Buckeyes need another option, which it had Sunday.
- The first half against Maryland was some of the best defense Ohio State has played all season long. It was aggressive, matching the intensity Wheeler brings in the back-court every play, forcing inconsistent looks and three key turnovers. It may have not been the ball-hawking defense that turns heads, but it’s a defense that stopped a struggling offense in its tracks.
- Liddell: the playmaker is vital. And his ability to run an offense and dictate everything that’s going on only helps him in the eyes of the NBA.
- The turnover numbers are getting much, much better,
I put this on the board, but this is vital for Ohio State moving forward.
The Buckeyes are set to play 10 more games — six at home and four over the road — in 26 days. Assistant coach Jake Diebler was clear Saturday that this is the stretch where Ohio State’s going to find its rhythm, peaking at the right time ahead of tournament play.
“We haven’t peaked yet,” he said.
Now, this stretch of road games against Rutgers and Michigan is going to say a lot about this team, facing a Scarlet Knights team that is one of the better 3-point shooting teams in the conference and one of the best teams at forcing turnovers and a Michigan team that’s main offensive weapon is a 7-foot-1 center.
There are questions about this team that still need to be answered: Who is this team aside from E.J. Liddell? Can this team win big games away from Value City Arena? Can this team finish off a comeback? Can this team be competitive in the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments?
Who is Ohio State?
Next week, the start of the spring to end the regular season, will be a good starting point on the road.
Let’s talk about Harbaugh for a second.
You guys know what’s happening here: Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh takes an interview with the Minnesota Vikings on National Signing Day, comes back after the job went to another candidate and reaffirming his loyalty to the Wolverines.
OK, you know my thoughts here. But I think there’s one tweet that says a lot here:
This was in the fallout of this tweet from ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren after former Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis took the offensive coordinator job with Miami:
In summation: it’s not a good look, one that really, for me, starts with the recruits joining the class. Instead of celebrating the culmination of a recruiting class, “officially” switching gears from 2022 to 2023, the head coach is out interviewing for another job. If anything, that shows an unclear path for the future of the program, especially with a coach who seems to be itching toward the NFL each offseason.
Michigan’s not in a good spot. It was in an incredibly good spot heading into The Game this November, and it seemed like all momentum, from the Big Ten title to the College Football Playoff appearance, was leading to a revitalized rivalry, something that’s very good for college football in general.
Now there’s questions again. There’s no consistency here.
And while many expect for Ohio State to be “up” for hosting the Wolverines Nov. 26, the dive for Michigan could happen well before then.
Super Bowl Prop Bets
I’m not a gambler, but I’ll let you all leave me accountable for these Super Bowl prop bets.
Length of National Anthem: Over 122.5 seconds — always have to take the over
Coin Toss: Tails — Never Fails
Game Winner: Bengals
Song of the Week
I’m a big concert-goer.
I’ve loved them, ever since I saw Arcade Fire with my brother in high school for my first concert— sorry Toby Mac and Skillet, you don’t count. I try to go to as many as possible, whether I’m one of the only ones in a bar (Wild Pink, Garcia Peoples) or in a stadium full of people (Phish, Radiohead), it’s really one of my favorite things to do.
I went to my first concert of 2022 Friday night, braving the cold rain and snow (Grateful Dead reference) to see The War On Drugs for the first time. This band put out one of my favorite albums of 2021 in “I Don’t Live Here Anymore” and I couldn’t wait to see it live.
And, my friends, it lived up to the expectation.
This isn’t one of their new songs. Actually, it’s one of the older ones in the catalog. But it’s one that was incredible to hear live. Hope you all enjoy it!
See you on the board.
