Cleveland, OH

Ohio State defense’s growth from crisis to confidence lives in 1 Buckeye: Nathan Baird’s observations

Published

10 months ago

October 8, 2023

Press Room

Ohio State defense’s growth from crisis to confidence lives in 1 Buckeye: Nathan Baird’s observations

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Three observations from Ohio State football’s 37-17 victory over Maryland on Saturday.

1. Josh Proctor’s career full of near-misses and almost-had-its included its fair share of possible pick-sixes.

One of them finally stuck Saturday. He recognized a Maryland tendency pre-snap, read quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa’s plan and stepped in front of a pass in the second quarter. When he reached the end zone 24 yards later, the Buckeyes had their only touchdown of the first half.

Proctor called it “surreal.” That could describe his entire experience through the first five games. He won a job to open the season, and with every week, he earns a little more respect.

His seven tackles Saturday included 1.5 tackles for loss and that interception return touchdown. One of those tackles came after OSU’s touchdown to tie the game 17-17 midway through the fourth quarter. He stuck Braeden Wisloski inside his own 20, helping extend momentum already turning in the Buckeyes’ favor.

“Everything is coming to fruition,” Proctor said. “I prayed about these moments. I’ve dreamed about these moments. Sometimes I had my ups and downs, but honestly, I’m just living in the moment and I’m here now.”

Proctor made his third consecutive opening-day start this season. Yet his path to this sixth-year breakthrough has been anything but linear.

In 2021, it appeared his moment had arrived. He opened the season as the starting free safety in the single-high system. Yet that tenure was cut short halfway through the second game when he suffered a broken leg.

Ohio State lost the game, and it lost the stability Proctor brought to the back end of the defense. New defensive coordinator Jim Knowles arrived that winter, and Proctor had to earn a new coaching staff’s trust and learn a new system while completing his recovery. He opened the season as the starting bandit, missed a tackle on the first play of the season and was replaced immediately by Lathan Ransom.

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That would have been the end for many players. Either they would have moved on to the NFL or found another program to finish their career with a fresh start. Proctor, surprisingly, stuck around — and came back out and won a job, again.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day said earlier that Proctor wanted a full, healthy offseason of preparation before his final season. The word he kept coming back to: “Maturity.” Proctor found it in all aspects of his life.

Day singled him out in the locker room after the game — for what he fought through, for the player he is today, and for the one he can still become.

“He’s playing his best football,” Day said. “He’s the best version of himself. Now, in order for us to get to where we need to be in the next two months, we’re going to need him to play like that.”

This second half of Proctor’s six-year journey spanned an important evolution in OSU’s defense.

Back in 2021, OSU struggled to identify its best 11 defensive players. The entire unit lacked an identity, caught in limbo between the Cover 1 scheme Day preferred and the capabilities of the personnel. Proctor’s aggressive plays on the ball and willingness to deliver big hits might have helped provide that identity, but the fracture rendered him a spectator.

In came Knowles and his attacking, safety driven scheme. Now, the identity is growing, and the Buckeyes are gaining confidence at all 11 positions. That includes Proctor, roaming free around the back end, breaking up passes and making stops.

“I don’t want to think too far ahead,” Proctor said. “I just want to live in the moment and take it day-by-day and just continue to do my job at the end of the day.”

2. Perhaps the most surprising defensive statistic on the roster through four games was the combined zero sacks for J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer. The former finally got off the schneid with his sack of Tagovailoa midway through the second quarter. It was the pivotal play in a three-and-out that led to OSU’s only offensive points of the first half: Jayden Fielding’s 36-yard field goal.

He and Mike Hall Jr. collaborated on another sack in the fourth quarter. Yet his biggest play of the game arguably came in the first quarter, when he helped stop Billy Edwards Jr. on a fourth-and-1 try at the OSU 29 on Maryland’s first possession.

The sheer number of pivotal plays on which the third-year defensive end has been involved keeps piling up.

3. A numbers trend to keep an eye on. Ohio State led the nation in yards per play in both 2021 (7.96) and last season (7.28). After Saturday’s game, its yards per play dipped to 6.91 per game.

Now, come Sunday morning that should still rank in the top 20 or so nationally. But the only national champion in the last six years to average under 7 yards per play was, barely, Georgia in 2021 (6.98). And that team’s accompanying defense ranked among the best anyone has put on the field in recent memory.

I don’t point that out to cast doubt on OSU’s championship chances. I’m simply pointing out what form that championship bid may need to take.

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Cleveland, OH

GCSC Summer Golf Classic | Greater Cleveland Sports Commission

Published

5 hours ago

August 4, 2024

Press Room

GCSC Summer Golf Classic | Greater Cleveland Sports Commission

Get Your Golf On!
Golfers of all abilities are invited to play in GCSC’s Summer Golf Classic presented by First National Bank on Monday, August 5, 2024 at Cleveland Metroparks Sleepy Hollow.
Join us for a day of 18 holes with cart featuring beverages, contests & prizes, lunch and a buffet dinner.
FORMAT:…

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Cleveland, OH

Fatal shooting on east side after reports of large fight: Cleveland Police

Published

12 hours ago

August 4, 2024

Press Room

Fatal shooting on east side after reports of large fight: Cleveland Police

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – One man is dead after a shooting following reports of a large fight on the east side, according to Cleveland Police.

Police got reports of a large fight around 2:50 a.m. on Saturday in the 1000 block of East 71st Street.

While officers were en route, they learned that two people were shot.

Police located a 22-year-old man and a 24-year-old man who were both shot, according to a release.

Both of the men were taken to the hospital by EMS.

The 22-year-old man later died at the hospital.

The condition of the 24-year-old is unknown.

Cleveland Police homicide unit is investigating, according to police.

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Cleveland, OH

WWE SummerSlam 2024 Results: Winners And Grades On August 3, 2024

Published

20 hours ago

August 4, 2024

Press Room

WWE SummerSlam 2024 results

Credit: WWE.com

WWE SummerSlam 2024 from Cleveland, Ohio advertised six championship matches. Among them was Solo Sikoa challenging Cody Rhodes for the WWE Undisputed Championship, LA Knight challenging Logan Paul for the WWE United States Championship, Sami Zayn defending the WWE Intercontinental Championship against Bron Breakker and GUNTHER challenging Damian Priest for the WWE World Championship.

This week’s broadcast of WWE Raw garnered 1.412 million viewers on SyFy after being preempted by the Olympics.

WWE SummerSlam Results | August 3, 2024

Liv Morgan def. Rhea Ripley | WWE Women’s World Championship
Bron Breakker def. Sami Zayn | WWE Intercontinental Championship
LA Knight def. Logan Paul | WWE United States Championship
Nia Jax def. Bayley | WWE Women’s Championship
Drew McIntyre def. CM Punk
GUNTHER def. Damian Priest | WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Cody Rhodes def. Solo Sikoa | WWE Undisputed Championship

WWE SummerSlam 2024 Ticket Sales

WWE SummerSlam 2024 Venue: Cleveland Browns Stadium (Cleveland, OH)
WWE SummerSlam 2024 Tickets Distributed: 55,858
WWE SummerSlam 2024 Tickets Available: 807

WWE Money In The Bank 2024 Winners And Grades

Liv Morgan Def. Rhea Ripley

Despite all the talk of The Judgment Day competing by themselves, Dominik Mysterio accompanied Rhea Ripley to the ring.

Michael Cole noted the last time Rhea Ripley lost a singles match was 26 months ago. To Liv Morgan.

This match started as a cat-and-mouse as Liv ran away from Ripley. Fans became frustrated and booed Liv loudly.

Rhea dominated this match until Liv Morgan dodged a charging Ripley and followed up by throwing her, shoulder-first, into the turnbuckle. Ripley could be heard (kayfabe) saying “it’s out, it’s out!”

Fans were split as they made dueling chants of “let’s go Rhea/let’s go Liv!”

Liv Morgan (kayfabe) popped her shoulder back into place by running herself into the announce table and fans went crazy.

Ripley hit the riptide, but did not pin Morgan. Instead, she grabbed a steel chair that Morgan brought into the ring. Mysterio grabbed the chair from her, which was the wise decision because she would have gotten herself disqualified. This led to an Oblivion for a nearfall and “holy s—t” chants.

Dom distracted the ref, leading to an Oblivion on the steel chair for the win. After the match, Dominik Mysterio kissed Liv Morgan and they left together.

Backstage, Damian Priest was furious with Dominik Mysterio for his actions. Finn and the rest of the Judgment Day vowed to go find him. I don’t trust them.

Rhea Ripley vs. Liv Morgan Grade: A-

Bron Breakker Def. Sami Zayn

Bron Breakker hit his always impressive Breakkensteiner early on, then he proceeded to scream “quit!” at Sami Zayn.

Bron Breakker cut Sami Zayn off with a Spear, then he hit ayn with another Spear for the win. This wasn’t necessarily a squash match, but it was definitely a dominant win for Breakker.

Bron Breakker vs. Sami Zayn Grade: B

LA Knight Def. Logan Paul

Logan Paul wore a Cleveland-inspired American Flag vest and greeted two security guards on his way to the ring. One of hte security guards turned out to be Cleveland’s own MGK.

LA Knight shattered the glass on Logan Paul’s Prime vehicle before making his way to the ring.

Paul cleared the table, but LA Knight got the better of him with a modified TKO, though the table didn’t break.

Paul won these people over with a springboard moonsault on LA Knight. Though they cheered the spot, they eventually came to their senses and chanted “you still suck!”

After jumping up on the top rope, LA Knight hit a scary looking superplex. Fans chanted “this is awesome” after a nearfall.

Logan Paul borrowed brass knuckles from MGK. After a shot to LA Knight, Knight countered with a BFT.

Logan Paul vs. LA Knight Grade: A-

Nia Jax Def. Bayley

Bayley relentlessly knocked Nia Jax off her feet early in the match.

Nia Jax took control of the match, to the point where she hit the Annihilator, but Bayley kicked out.

Jax called herself “reckless” and “clumsy” while trash-talking Bayley on offense.

Bayley hit an awesome power bomb on Nia Jax from the top rope. The fans were fervently into a match that struggled to follow Logan Paul vs. LA Knight.

A Tiffany Stratton cash-in was thwarted by Bayley, but the distraction led to two power bombs and two Annihilators for the win.

Nia Jax vs. Bayley Grade: A-

Drew McIntyre Def. CM Punk

Seth Rollins walked out in a long cloak, and what was under the jacket was certain to be even wilder.

WWE used ref cameras on the referee’s ear, and there were never more ref cam shots than during Seth Rollins’ entrance.

Rollins’ referee outfit were baggy, bedazzled pants and a cutoff shirt similar to Shawn Michaels.

Fans chanted “CM Punk” to start the match as punk donned pink gear in homage to Bret Hart.

Rollins did a great job working the fans into a frenzy before ringing the bell. When the bell rang, Punk and McIntyre brawled like crazy.

Instead of counting to 10 while Punk and McIntyre were outside of the ring, Rollins instead chose to tie his shoes. Rollins also took immense pleasure in seeing Punk and Rollins beat the hell out of one another.

During an Anaconda Vice on McIntyre, Punk secured his friendship bracelet and the entire stadium celebrated.

Punk stopped his GTS on McIntyre dead in its tracks and confronted Rollins about wearing his bracelet, which Rollins picked up off the ground did wear, but out of no malice.

After a ref bump and a nearfall (followed by a second visual pinfall), Punk and Rollins got into a heated argument. Punk hit a Go To Sleep on Rollins and took his bracelet back, but it cost him the match.

Drew McIntyre vs. CM Punk Grade: B+

GUNTHER Def. Damian Priest

Finn Balor wished Damian Priest luck before the match. Famous last words.

GUNTHER already had chop marks on his chest before the match even started.

GUNTHER and Priest chopped the hell out of one another to the point where GUNTHER was bleeding from the chest.

Finn Balor hit the ring, presumably to save Priest, but he ended up costing Priest the WWE World Heavyweight Championship by putting GUNTHER’s leg on the bottom rope.

After this match, Jelly Roll, The Miz and R-Truth took out A-Town Down Under.

GUNTHER vs. Damian Priest Grade: B+

Cody Rhodes Def. Solo Sikoa

Cody Rhodes ran into Arn Anderson backstage, and Anderson said he called in a few favors to a few allies of Cody Rhodes. Some of whom he knows, some he doesn’t.

For a full recap of Cody vs. Solo Sikoa in Bloodline Rules, click here.

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