Tag: Ohio State Buckeyes

Sep 7, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) runs for a touchdown against the Western Michigan Broncos during the second half at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-Imagn Images

Marshall optimistic ahead of clash at No. 3 Ohio State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Marshall coach Charles Huff was in a good mood and optimistic during his session with the media Monday as the Thundering Herd prepared to face No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.

He first likened the situation to one of his favorite movies, “Moneyball,” where a frugal major league team in the early 2000s turned to analytics and bargain-basement players in an attempt to compete with the big spenders.

“It’s the Yankees vs. Oakland Athletics, their payroll and where we are,” he joked.

Obviously, Marshall (1-1) would play the role of the underdog A’s, but Huff has been there before and succeeded. In 2022, his Thundering Herd defeated No. 8 Notre Dame on the road and the next season beat Virginia Tech.

“No doubt that Ohio State’s a good football team,” he said. “They’re well-coached. They’ve got really good players, but we’ve got good players as well.

“We’ve got a good plan coming up. It’s going to take our best and that’s what you want. It’s going to take our collective best, our individual best. We don’t have to be superstars. This is not David and Goliath. This is not, you know, high school vs. the pros. This is a really good team vs. a really good team, and when you have that, the margin for error is small.”

The good news for Marshall is that after a 31-14 loss at Virginia Tech on Sept. 7, it had an open week to get ready for the Buckeyes (2-0). The bad news is Ohio State was also idle last weekend after its 56-0 thrashing of Western Michigan on Sept. 7.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day took to calling the time between games an “improvement week.”

“The idea was to get better. I think we did do that last week,” Day said. “We had three hard, physical days out there, and got a chance to step away for a couple days and watch some games on Saturday and we asked everybody to do that, get some rest. It gives you a good perspective. You get the chance to see some games, see some situational things to learn from, get to see some other teams out there just watching the games.”

Day spent time studying Marshall and is impressed with its defense.

“They do a nice job. They’re sound in their scheme,” he said. “They have good players; their front is good and strong and powerful. They had a week off as well and they’re going to come in here and play physical.

“I have a lot of respect for their program and what (Huff) does.”

The Thundering Herd will look to weaponize running back A.J. Turner, who has only 14 carries in two games but has produced 222 yards (15.9 average), including an 80-yard touchdown against Stony Brook in the season opener.

Ohio State has big-play capabilities, too. The Buckeyes gained 683 yards of total offense, and the duo of Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson has 294 yards on 40 carries (7.4) and five touchdowns against Western Michigan.

The Buckeyes’ defense posted its first shutout since 2019 and limited the Broncos to 99 total yards — just 5 in the second half. It was the first time Ohio State held an opponent to fewer than 100 total yards since allowing 66 in a 62-14 win over Maryland on Oct. 7, 2017.

–Field Level Media

Aug 31, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) throws against the Akron Zips during the second quarter at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

No. 2 Ohio State stomps in-state rival Akron

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith caught two of Will Howard’s three touchdown passes as No. 2 Ohio State stampeded visiting Akron 52-6 on Saturday in the season opener in Columbus.

Smith, the nation’s top recruit in the Class of 2024, dropped the first ball thrown to him but had scores of 16 and 9 yards in the first half to help the Buckeyes to a 17-3 lead at the break.

Howard, a Kansas State transfer in his Ohio State debut, was shaky, missing on his first four passes and completing only 10 of 21 for 116 yards through two quarters. He finished the game 17 of 28 for 228 yards.

Akron, a 48 1/2-point underdog, took a 3-0 lead at the 8:44 mark of the first quarter on a 48-yard field goal by Garrison Smith.

The Zips did little throughout the remainder of the half, finishing with 83 total yards, including minus-2 rushing.

The Buckeyes took control when Howard engineered a 75-yard drive capped with his scoring pass to Smith, who contorted to make the 16-yard grab along the left sideline.

After a field goal following a Denzel Burke interception, Howard found Smith on a slant for a 17-3 lead late in the second quarter.

Smith, a possible heir apparent to Marvin Harrison Jr., the No. 4 pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2024 NFL Draft, finished with six receptions for 92 yards.

Smith made a 45-yard catch to set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Quinshon Judkins to make it 24-3 midway through the third quarter. The Buckeyes went up 31-3 on Lathan Ransom’s 27-yard scoop-and-score 18 seconds later.

Howard’s third touchdown pass went for 34 yards to Carnell Tate with 10:16 to play for a 45-6 lead.

Akron quarterback Tahj Bullock was 9 for 13 for 68 yards and rushed for 42 yards in relief of starter Ben Finley, who was 8-for-14 for 53 yards with an interception.

–Field Level Media

Michigan running back Blake Corum warms up before the Ohio State game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.

Blake Corum fuels No. 3 Michigan past No. 2 Ohio State

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Blake Corum rushed two touchdowns and J.J. McCarthy threw for another to lift No. 3 Michigan to a 30-24 win over second-ranked Ohio State on Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Corum finished with 88 rushing yards for Michigan (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten), which plays Iowa in the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis next Saturday.

Corum broke a 17-17 tie late in the third quarter with a 22-yard run for a touchdown, one play after center Zak Zinter was carted off with a leg injury.

James Turner padded the lead to 27-17 on a 38-yard field goal with 11:57 left in the fourth quarter. Marvin Harrison Jr.’s 14-yard TD at the 8:05 mark of the fourth pulled the Buckeyes (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten) to within 27-24.

Turner added a 37-yarder to cap the scoring. The Buckeyes reached the Michigan 40 before Kyle McCord was intercepted by Rod Moore at the Wolverines’ 21 with 25 seconds left.

Michigan has won three straight versus the Buckeyes for the first time since 1995-97.

McCarthy was 16 of 20 for 148 yards and a TD.

McCord was 18 for 30 for 271 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Harrison had five catches for 118 yards and a score.

Michigan held a 14-10 halftime lead.

A 50-yard field goal by Turner made it 17-10 but TreVeyon Henderson’s 3-yard run tied it with five minutes left in the third quarter tied the game.

Michigan took the early lead when Corum scored from the 1-yard line to make it 7-0 at 5:36 of the first quarter after Will Johnson returned an interception 18 yards to the Ohio State 7.

The Buckeyes got a 43-yard field goal from Jayden Fielding for a 7-3 score but the Wolverines expanded the lead following the kickoff.

McCarthy led the Wolverines on a 75-yard, 14-play drive that resulted in a 22-yard TD catch by Roman Wilson for a 14-3 lead with 10:22 left in the second quarter.

The Buckeyes responded with a long drive of their own, going 73 yards and ending with a McCord 3-yard pass to Emeka Egbuka to make it 14-10 with 6:27 to play in the half.

–Field Level Media

Nov 11, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State coach Ryan Day watches the team during the NCAA football game against Michigan State University at Ohio Stadium.

No. 2 Ohio State vows not to look past Minnesota

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Ohio State has one more obstacle before its showdown at Michigan — the No. 2 Buckeyes will host banged up Minnesota on Saturday in Columbus.

The Buckeyes (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) fell one spot in the College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday after holding the top spot the first two weeks. Georgia is ranked first, Michigan third.

Ohio State will play at Michigan on Nov. 25, with the winner advancing to the Big Ten championship game.

While the Buckeyes know wins in the next two games should secure one of the four playoff spots even if they were to lose in the conference title game, the Golden Gophers (5-5, 3-4) are vying to become bowl eligible by winning at least one of their final two games. Minnesota will finish the season at home against Wisconsin.

The Gophers are coming off a 49-30 loss to Purdue in which Minnesota starting linebacker Cody Lindenberg did not play because of an injury and backup Maverick Baranowski exited after the first series. Also, safety Aidan Gousby was out with an injury.

“Unfortunately, some of our best players are out, and it seems like every week it’s just the inconsistency of who’s actually out there,” Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck said Monday. “There’s no excuses. I mean, 100 percent falls on the coaches and what we have to do to get better.”

Ohio State played its most complete game of the season last Saturday, a 38-3 win against Michigan State in which the usually slow-starting Buckeyes scored on five of six drives in the first half.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Tuesday he has no concerns that the Buckeyes will look past the Gophers.

“Coming to work every day with these guys, this is a great team to be around,” Day said. “We’re going to do it again this week and keep swinging. … The urgency has to be at an all-time high at this point of the season.

“P.J. does a great job. They’re going to come in here and play hard. We’re going to have to prepare for it like any other game.”

The Buckeyes will look to receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to lead them again. Against Michigan State, he had a 19-yard run for his first career rushing touchdown and caught seven passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns despite being pulled along with several other starters after the first series of the third quarter.

“The Heisman Trophy goes to the most outstanding player in the country. … I get to see him every day,” Day said. “I think he is the most outstanding player in the country.

“He wants to be great. I know that. You can just tell that, and his actions back that up, and his production speaks for itself on the field.”

Harrison is second nationally with 12 receiving TDs and seventh with 1,063 receiving yards.

Fleck knows the Gophers’ defense will have a task trying to contain Harrison.

“I think he has a great knack and feel for how defenses are going to be played and how they are going to stop him and what the route concept is and what the route calls for,” Fleck said.

–Field Level Media

Nov 4, 2023; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) is tackled by Rutgers Scarlet Knights defensive back Robert Longerbeam (7) during the first half at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

No. 1 Ohio State rights ship, zooms past Rutgers

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TreVeyon Henderson racked up 208 yards from scrimmage and helped No. 1 Ohio State defuse an upset bid from host Rutgers, winning 35-16 Saturday in Piscataway, N.J.

Ohio State (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) trailed 9-7 at halftime but Henderson ran for one touchdown and set up another after a long reception to guide the Buckeyes’ rally. Henderson gained 128 yards rushing and had five catches for 80 yards.

Kyle McCord went 19-of-26 passing for 189 yards and three touchdowns for Ohio State, including two short scoring passes to Marvin Harrison Jr. The Buckeyes improved to 10-0 all-time against Rutgers (6-3, 3-3).

Christian Dremel’s 35-yard catch-and-run for Rutgers to open the fourth quarter led to JaQuae Jackson’s 19-yard touchdown reception with 14:07 left, cutting the deficit to 21-16.

But Henderson weaved through defenders to take a third-down catch 65 yards, setting up Harrison’s 4-yard touchdown catch in the corner for a 28-16 lead with 12:02 to go. Rutgers reached the Ohio State 6-yard line on its next possession but could not convert.

Kyle Monangai rushed 24 times for 159 yards for Rutgers, and Gavin Wimsatt completed 10 of 25 passes for 129 yards, a touchdown and a crushing pick-6.

Rutgers outgained Ohio State 361-328. The Scarlet Knights reached the red zone six times but scored just one touchdown.

The Buckeyes opened the scoring at the 8:35 mark of the first quarter when tight end Gee Scott Jr. pulled in a 14-yard touchdown catch mostly one-handed.

Rutgers’ offense awoke in the second quarter thanks to a fumblerooski-style trick play. On fourth-and-1, Wimsatt handed Monangai the ball between his legs while pretending he dropped the snap. Monangai ripped off a 45-yard gain, setting up Jai Patel’s first field goal, a 22-yarder.

Ohio State was short on a fake punt run from its own 30, and Rutgers took advantage when Patel connected from 21 yards to make it 7-6 with 2:03 left before halftime.

McCord then threw a soft pass and Mohamed Toure leapt up to grab the interception. Again, the Scarlet Knights couldn’t convert inside the 10, but Patel’s 20-yarder with 1 second gave them the halftime lead.

Ohio State stopped Rutgers’ first drive of the second half when a pass was deflected into the hands of Jordan Hancock, who sprinted 93 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-9. Henderson’s 9-yard TD run made it 21-9 late in the third.

Harrison added a 2-yard touchdown catch with 2:07 left in the game.

–Field Level Media

Oct 28, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord (6) hands off to running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Ohio State won 24-10.

Newly minted No. 1 Ohio State focuses on Rutgers

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A reporter asked Ohio State coach Ryan Day if he would spend Tuesday night watching the initial College Football Playoff rankings show or trick-or-treating with his family for Halloween.

“I’ll be watching film of practice,” Day deadpanned.

When Day checks his phone, he will find that the Buckeyes (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) earned the CFP committee’s first No. 1 ranking of the season. It came as a bit of a surprise after Georgia held the top spot in every AP poll to date and Ohio State hadn’t risen past No. 3.

The Buckeyes’ next task is a game against Rutgers on Saturday in Piscataway, N.J.

TreVeyon Henderson racked up 162 rushing yards and a touchdown on 24 carries in Ohio State’s 24-10 win at Wisconsin last week. Day felt the Buckeyes’ offensive line has made good progress with its run blocking.

“We’ll see where that takes us on Saturday against Rutgers, but we want to be playing our best football down the stretch, and that’s a big part of what we’ve been focusing on,” Day said. “This time of year, you want to be enhancing the things you’re doing well and improving the things that you feel like you need to improve on.”

Henderson is back in the fold after missing three games with an injury, but fellow running back Miyan Williams is out for the year following a knee procedure.

Rutgers (6-2, 3-2) is fourth in the Big Ten East behind Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State following a 31-14 win at Indiana two weeks ago. That victory made the Scarlet Knights bowl-eligible, giving them six wins for the first time since 2014.

Greg Schiano’s second stint as Rutgers’ coach is progressing similarly to the first, when he brought a once-moribund program to a string of bowl games beginning in 2005. Schiano said that in both instances, it has taken patience to build up the program.

“We don’t get ready-mades like the team we are playing this week,” Schiano said. “They get some guys that come in that are five-star guys. We don’t get a lot of those, but that’s OK. We know who we are. That’s the key to being us at Rutgers is we develop guys, they believe in what we’re doing, they believe in the development, and we’re getting close to having the pipeline full and that’s where things get fun when that pipeline gets full.”

Schiano rained praise on the Buckeyes, declaring wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is “arguably one of the best players in the country” and every starter on defense would reach the NFL.

He is also familiar with Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord, who grew up in New Jersey and whose father Derek played quarterback at Rutgers from 1988-92. Schiano overlapped with the elder McCord while working as a graduate assistant in 1989.

“(Kyle McCord) is a fiery leader, and you can see his teammates believe in him,” Schiano said. “He’s a young quarterback who is getting better every week.”

McCord threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns against Wisconsin but tossed two interceptions in the first half.

“That was all positive there that he was able to move on from that, because some guys struggle with that. They can’t quite get over what just happened,” Day said.

McCord was seen limping after the game with ice wrapped around an ankle, but he is expected to play against Rutgers.

For the Scarlet Knights, Kyle Monangai ranks second in the Big Ten with 744 rushing yards. Rutgers has allowed the fewest sacks in the league (seven), allowing junior quarterback Gavin Wimsatt room to grow. He had 143 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground against Indiana.

Ohio State leads the all-time series 9-0, scoring 49 points or more in all nine meetings. Rutgers’ defense has not given up more than 24 points in a game this season.

–Field Level Media

Oct 14, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers coach Luke Fickell leads the football team onto the field for warmups prior to the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

No. 3 Ohio State turns full attention to Wisconsin

Posted on | by Field Level Media

After a statement-making victory over a previously undefeated Top 10 opponent, No. 3 Ohio State will look to avoid a letdown in Saturday night’s Big Ten clash with Wisconsin in Madison, Wis.

Ohio State (7-0, 4-0) is fresh off a 20-12 win at home against then-No. 7 Penn State, which dropped to 10th in the rankings. The Buckeyes are second in the Big Ten East, a half-game behind Michigan, the nation’s No. 2-ranked team.

Wisconsin (5-2, 3-1) overcame a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit to stun Illinois 25-21 behind redshirt freshman quarterback Braedyn Locke, who was making his first collegiate start.

The Badgers moved back atop the Big Ten West, a half-game in front of Iowa, which lost at Minnesota.

“We talked about it on Sunday as a team, that we’ve got to bring it this week,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Tuesday about Wisconsin. “They’re playing well, they’re a good football team, they’ve got a really good opportunity to win their side. And we can’t let last week affect this week.”

Ohio State limited Penn State to two field goals until a touchdown in the final minute. The Buckeyes’ defense held the Nittany Lions to 240 total yards, including 49 on the ground.

“They were 1-for-16 on third down and 1-for-3 on fourth down, so 2-for-19 on third and fourth down is tremendous,” Day said after the Penn State game. “If we could play like this, then this is that champion-level defense, and if we grow as a team, we will be tough to beat down the road.”

First-year starter Kyle McCord completed 22 of 35 passes for 286 yards and one touchdown. Marvin Harrison Jr. had a career-high 11 receptions for 162 yards and a TD and was named the conference’s co-Offensive Player of the Week.

The Buckeyes are ranked fourth in the country in total defense at 260.1 yards per game, and third in scoring defense at 10 points per game.

First-year Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell played for the Buckeyes, then coached at Ohio State from 2002 through 2016, including the 2011 season as interim head coach.

“The first thing, to start off with is, it’s not about me,” Fickell said Monday. “We have some guys on our staff, myself included, who have some obvious history there, whether they went to school there or played there. But that’s not what it’s about.”

“It’s about the players, it’s about our team, it’s about our program,” he said.

Locke started against Illinois in place of injured Tanner Mordecai, who broke his throwing hand the previous week in a loss to Iowa.

Locke completed 21 of 41 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns vs. Illinois, including the game-winning 3-yard toss to offensive lineman Nolan Rucci with 27 seconds remaining. Braelon Allen ran for 145 yards on 29 carries with one score.

Ohio State has won nine straight games against Wisconsin since the Badgers’ last victory, 31-18 in 2010 over the then-No. 1 Buckeyes.

The Buckeyes defeated Wisconsin 52-21 last season, rolling up 539 yards offense while holding the Badgers to 296. Allen ran for 165 yards on 23 carries, including a 75-yard touchdown.

–Field Level Media

Penn State's Adisa Isaac celebrates after recovering a fumble during a White Out football game against Iowa Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in State College, Pa. The Nittany Lions shut out the Hawkeyes, 31-0.

Elite defenses clash as No. 7 Penn State visits No. 3 Ohio State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Forget scouting reports. The outcome of Saturday’s game between No. 7 Penn State and No. 3 Ohio State may be impacted by the availability report released by the host Buckeyes hours before the Big Ten battle in Columbus.

Attention will focus on the injury status of three running backs and standout receiver Emeka Egbuka for the Buckeyes (6-0, 3-0) when they try to take down the Nittany Lions (6-0, 3-0) and their defense that ranks in the top five nationally in several categories.

The Buckeyes finished their 41-7 win over Purdue last Saturday without their top three runners — TreVeyon Henderson, Chip Trayanum and Miyan Williams. Also, cornerback Denzel Burke left the game with an injury.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day was tight-lipped when asked Tuesday about his quartet of injured players.

“I’m not going to get into all those guys, but hopefully we’ll have those guys back for Saturday,” Day said.

Henderson has missed the past two games. Williams sat against Purdue, and Trayanum was injured late in the first quarter against the Boilermakers.

Dallan Hayden, who was considered for a redshirt season, came off the bench to rush for 76 of the Buckeyes’ 152 yards, with a long run of 19 and a 1-yard touchdown.

“You do have to get creative,” Day said. “You have to figure out ways to kind of make it work because ultimately nobody cares (about the injuries). You’ve got to figure out a way to get it done.”

Egbuka sat out the Purdue game, and his return would divert some of the focus off Marvin Harrison Jr., who hauled in six throws for 105 yards and a score against Purdue.

“It is another top-10 opponent,” Penn State defensive end Adisa Isaac said. “Obviously we’ve been battling these guys for years and years, so this is a great test for us.”

The Buckeyes will need to be as healthy as possible against a defense that ranks first in the nation in pass defense (121.2 yards per game) and total yards (193.7) and second in points (8.0) and rushing yards allowed (72.5). The Nittany Lions have held opponents under 100 rushing yards in five straight games.

Ohio State is no slouch either on defense and will be a challenge for Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar, a native of Medina, Ohio, who has thrown 12 touchdowns without an interception this season through 181 passes.

The Buckeyes’ pass defense is fourth (154.3) in the nation. The defense also is third in average points allowed (9.7) and seventh in total defense (263.5).

“I feel like we’ve definitely been battle-tested; we’ve played some really good opponents,” Allar said. “Offensively, we’ve gotten better each week, gotten more consistent each week, and we just need to keep building on that. We can’t change our routine based on the opponent.”

With each team still having to play No. 2 Michigan, the winner will have the inside track to the Big Ten East Division and further down the road a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Ohio State has won six straight in the series and 10 of the past 11. Penn State coach James Franklin is 1-8 vs. the Buckeyes and has lost all four games in Ohio Stadium. Penn State has not won in Columbus since 2011.

–Field Level Media