COLUMBUS, Ohio — Which would benefit Ohio State football more — one fewer Big Ten championship challenger, or the long-term weakening of the sport’s most elite program of the last two decades?
Neither outcome is guaranteed after Alabama’s hire of Washington’s Kalen DeBoer to succeed Nick Saban on Friday. Other big-time coaching candidates — Oregon’s Dan Lanning, Texas’ Steve Sarkisian, Florida State’s Mike Norvell — reaffirmed their commitment to their programs after their names came up in the wake of Saban’s retirement Wednesday.
DeBoer, though, pulled the trigger on Friday — four days after coaching the Huskies against Michigan in the national championship game. He built a pristine 104-12 record over nine seasons at Sioux Falls (with three NAIA championships), Fresno State and Washington.
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Now he succeeds the best to ever do it.
Washington must now replace one of the profession’s rising stars as the program moves into Big Ten membership later this year. We don’t yet know the effects of extra travel and the repercussions for recruiting for the Huskies and their fellow West Coast additions. We can assume someone with DeBoer’s background helped the chances for a smooth transition.
Ohio State is already engaged in a battle for Big Ten supremacy with Michigan — one it is currently losing. Penn State looms as a potential power waiting to be taken for granted in the wrong season. Oregon, USC and Washington enter the league as nationally relevant programs with proven abilities to find and develop quarterbacks at or near the same level as the Buckeyes.
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If DeBoer moving to the SEC forces Washington to regroup or stalls the momentum of this playoff run, that on the surface looks good for Ohio State.
However, what if DeBoer passed on Alabama, which then had to look farther down its candidate list after all of the above pulled out of contention?
What if Alabama went the way of Texas and USC for the next decade — once mighty powers seemingly happy to nap as sleeping giants? Ohio State’s recruiting took full advantage of those deficiencies in recent years, pulling in numerous major prospects from those states.
If a weakened Alabama opened up more prospects from the deep south, that could arguably help OSU more than Washington taking a hit. With no Big Ten divisions to worry about, and an expanded College Football Playoff on deck, maybe tougher early levels are preferable en route to facing a softer final boss.
The less compelling the hire at Alabama, too, the more likely significant Crimson Tide players would enter the NCAA transfer portal. (A new 30-day window opens for any players whose team loses its coach.) With 2024 recruiting essentially wrapped up, DeBoer’s first order of business is making sure talents such as safety Caleb Downs and edge rusher Keon Keeley stay in Tuscaloosa.
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Washington players can enter the portal now, too. Two defensive backs did so as outlets confirmed DeBoer’s departure. Perhaps that last point becomes a wash.
Regardless, Ohio State will feel the effects of this game of musical chairs. it plays Washington in Seattle in 2025 and at home in 2028. It is also scheduled to play Alabama in 2027-28.
Does this switch lower a hurdle to a Big Ten championship, or does it stabilize — or even bolster — an impediment to a national championship?
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CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The Cleveland Division of Police is investigating after a man was shot and killed after a fight on Cleveland’s west side Tuesday night.
According to police, at around 6:39 p.m., officers responded to the 2000 block of West 105th Street for a report of a man shot.
When officers arrived, they found a 39-year-old man in the street with a gunshot wound.
Cleveland EMS and Fire rendered first aid, and the man was taken to the hospital.
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Medical staff later pronounced him dead.
Investigators believe two men got into a fight in the street just before shots were fired.
Cleveland Police arrested a 29-year-old man on the scene, and charges are pending.
The Cleveland Division of Police Homicide Unit is still investigating the shooting.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Homicide Unit at 216-623-5464.
Ohio State Buckeyes football recruiting newscleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Four-star athlete and Ohio State commit Legend Bey has delayed his commitment decision until Friday.
National Signing Day’s early signing period began on Wednesday, but Bey will delay his signing until Dec. 5. On3 reported the news late in the morning on Wednesday.
Bey is the No. 175 overall prospect and No. 9 athlete in the 247Sports composite rankings. He plays quarterback for North Forney High School in Texas, but will be an athlete at Ohio State.
The Buckeyes’ intention was to use him as a hybrid type of player that can play both running back and wide receiver. Much in the same way that Curtis Samuel was used at Ohio State, Bey was set to have a similar role.
Now, his future with the Buckeyes will be unclear for the next 48 hours.
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Andrew Gillis covers Ohio State football and recruiting for Cleveland.com. He provides updates on Ohio State football as a whole, its prospects and the Buckeyes each week. He previously covered the Bengals for…
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Shontel Brown’s (OH-11) legislation to name the Collinwood neighborhood Post Office in Cleveland, Ohio in honor of Tech Sergeant Alma Gladys Minter (1920-2007) today passed the House Oversight Committee and is one step closer to becoming law.
In July, Brown introduced legislation (H.R. 4635) to name the post office on East 152nd Street in Cleveland in honor of Minter, a long-time Cleveland resident who served in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion during World War II. The “Six Triple Eight” was the first and only all-Black Women’s Army Corps unit to serve overseas during the war. Brown’s legislation is supported by the Minter Family.
Bill Text Available Here
“Alma Minter delivered for our country, and today Congress is one step closer to finally delivering for her. I am proud that my bill to rename the Collinwood post office in honor of Tech Sergeant Minter is one step closer to becoming law. Putting her name on the post office on East 152nd is a way to say thank you, to keep the story of Six Triple Eight alive, and to right past wrongs. These women served with courage and excellence, yet far too many never lived to see their country recognize them. The least we can do now is make sure their names and their stories are remembered. I am grateful for the support of my colleagues and will continue to work with members of both parties to get this done,” said Congresswoman Shontel Brown.
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In 1945, Minter along with over 800 other women, were deployed to clear a backlog of over 17 million pieces of mail in Europe. The Six Triple Eight completed their mission in less than 90 days, ensuring that mail from the Homefront could reach American troops in Europe.
The Six Triple Eight was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by an act of Congress in 2022 and honored at a ceremony at the Capitol this year. In February, Congresswoman Brown spoke on the House floor in Washington to recognize Minter’s service and share her story. She also presented Minter’s family with additional military medals at her State of the District address in Cleveland.
The legislation is cosponsored by: Rep. Troy Balderson (OH-12), Rep. Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Rep. Mike Carey (OH-15), Rep. Warren Davidson (OH-08), Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-04), Rep. Dave Joyce (OH-14), Rep. Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Rep. Greg Landsman (OH-01), Rep. Bob Latta (OH-05), Rep. Michael Rulli (OH-06), Rep. Emilia Sykes (OH-13), Rep. Dave Taylor (OH-02), Rep. Mike Turner (OH-10), Rep. Gwen Moore (WI-04), Rep. Andre Carson (IN-07), Rep. Shomari Figures (AL-02), and Rep. Deborah Ross (NC-02).
For more information on the Six Triple Eight, click here.
