Ohio

5 takeaways from South Alabama’s 27-20 loss to Ohio

Published

2 years ago

September 8, 2024

5 takeaways from South Alabama’s 27-20 loss to Ohio

South Alabama went down in defeat to a “peer” program once again on Saturday, losing 27-20 at Ohio to fall to 0-2 this season.

Major Applewhite’s Jaguars played without starting quarterback Gio Lopez, who was dealing with a turf toe injury suffered last week vs. North Texas. South Alabama had opportunities to tie the game or take the lead in the second half, but could not cash in.

South Alabama drops to 0-2 after 27-20 loss at Ohio

The Jaguars have a short week before hosting Northwestern State on Thursday. Before that, here are 5 takeaways from the loss to the Bobcats:

1. Jaguars’ offense lacked consistency without Gio Lopez

Bishop Davenport played fairly well in his first extended action for South Alabama, but was nowhere near the dynamic force that Lopez is when healthy. Davenport missed a few open throws, and was late with some others that might have been bigger plays. The Jaguars also didn’t take many shots downfield in the passing game, something they’ve done with regularity the last three years.

2. Fluff Bothwell is the best running back on the team

Starting running back Braylon McReynolds didn’t play due to injury, so Bothwell moved up to No. 2 behind Kentrel Bullock. It’s starting to look like the talented freshman should be No. 1, however. He’s just a different kind of runner than anyone else on the South Alabama roster, and the Jaguars probably wasted some opportunities to use him more early in the game. Once Ohio got up by two scores, the running game went away.

3. Defense was better but still not good enough

The Jaguars weren’t completely helpless against the Bobcats, though they still allowed three killer scoring drives. Ohio took control with a pair of long touchdown marches, one right before the half and one right after. Then they killed most of the fourth quarter with a 13-play field-goal drive. The Jaguars did make a few big plays — including a sack/fumble in the third quarter — but couldn’t get off the field when it mattered most against an offense that wasn’t exactly dynamic.

4. Special teams again have a bad day

Other than placekicker Laith Marjan, South Alabama’s kicking game has been pretty horrid this year. A fumbled punt in the second quarter gifted a touchdown to Ohio after the Jaguars’ defense had made a stop. Kick coverage has also been suspect this year, as were kick returns on Saturday. The Jaguars would have been better off just fair-catching all kickoffs instead of trying for a return and winding up with the ball short of their own 20. Aleksi Pulkkinen made his first appearance at punter and had an up-and-down day in windy conditions.

5. It’s getting difficult to find 6 wins on this schedule

South Alabama is sitting at 0-2 despite being favored in both of its games this season. The Jaguars will almost certainly win Thursday vs. FCS opponent Northwestern State, which lost at home to Prairie View on Saturday. But then come consecutive road games against Sun Belt preseason favorite Appalachian State, SEC power LSU and much-improved Arkansas State. The Jaguars will be hard-pressed to enter the nationally-televised Oct. 12 “Battle for the Belt” with Troy at better than 1-5, and thus will struggle to be bowl-eligible for the third straight year.

NEXT UP: South Alabama hosts Northwestern State at 6:45 p.m. Thursday. That game will be streamed live via ESPN+.

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Ohio

Is another team ready to take over the top of the Big Ten from Indiana and Ohio State?

Published

10 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Press Room

Is another team ready to take over the top of the Big Ten from Indiana and Ohio State?

After years of unchecked dominance from the SEC, the Big Ten Conference cemented its place as the best in college football in the 2025-2026 season.

The Indiana Hoosiers completed a remarkable 16-0 season by winning a National Championship, beating Ohio State in the conference championship game, dominating Alabama in the Rose Bowl, then blowing out Oregon in the College Football Playoff semifinal.

That completed a Big Ten trifecta, with the Michigan Wolverines winning a championship in 2024, then the Buckeyes following it up by beating Notre Dame to win the title in 2025. While the SEC might have better depth overall, it’s no question that the top of the Big Ten is as good or better than anyone.

SEC, BIG TEN ARE DOMINATING COLLEGE FOOTBALL THANKS TO MASSIVE ADVANTAGES OVER OTHER CONFERENCES

Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti after defeating the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on Jan. 19, 2026. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

And a new program might be ready to take their turn at the top of the Big Ten: those same Oregon Ducks.

One of the most predictive measures of a team’s strength from year to year is how much production they return from the previous season. It makes sense; the more key players that stay with the team, the better it is for continuity and development.

The Big Ten, oddly enough, has several teams that return much of their production on both sides of the ball. ESPN’s Bill Connelly ran the numbers, finding that teams like Maryland, Nebraska, Minnesota and UCLA all ranked in the top 10 nationally in returning value. Though given how these teams played in 2025, that’s less important. Number 12, though? The Oregon Ducks.

And that carryover production is coming from a team that lost just two games all season, both to Indiana. They handled a very good USC team, 42-27, overcame miserable conditions to outlast the Iowa Hawkeyes on the road, beat the rival Washington Huskies, and most impressively, shut out an elite Texas Tech team 23-0 in the College Football Playoff. And they bring back the players responsible for 66% of their overall production, including star quarterback Dante Moore.

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) warms up prior to the 2025 Orange Bowl and College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Sam Navarro / Imagn Images)

Just behind them at 65%? USC, heading into a pivotal season under Lincoln Riley.

Here’s where Oregon has the advantage, however. They bring that percentage back from a team that was significantly better than USC. It’s no surprise then, that per Connelly’s SP+ projections, Oregon is expected to be the No. 2 team in the country, by efficiency on offense, defense and special teams.

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A BIG 12 WINNER NOT NAMED TEXAS TECH OR BYU, CONSIDER THE HOUSTON COUGARS

What about the other Big Ten schools, though?

USC is the biggest wildcard. They sit at No. 13 in the SP+ projections, thanks to an elite offense and a defense that’s expected to be solid, if unspectacular. But their special teams projections are all the way down at No. 100 in the country, thanks to a series of disastrous mistakes in 2025. Special teams, though, should be the easiest area to improve upon. So if the Trojans can make some adjustments, they could exceed the eight game win expectancy.

Ohio State and Indiana, the two most recent champions, have a bit of a tougher hill to climb, though their roster composition is far from disastrous. The Buckeyes bring back 60% of their production, while Indiana is at 56%, even with several huge departures. That ranks at No. 31 and No. 52, respectively. Important, but not enough to push either team out of the top 5 in the national projections. And Ohio State sits at No. 1, thanks to consistently elite recruiting and key players like Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith returning.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning attends Oregon Pro Day on March 17, 2026, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

But if there is an upset brewing at the top of the conference, Oregon might be the place to look. The question then becomes, can they put it all together against a difficult schedule? The Ducks play USC on the road, host Nebraska, travel to Illinois, play Ohio State on the road, host Michigan and have their rivalry game against Washington at Autzen.

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It won’t be easy, but don’t be surprised if at the end of the season, Dan Lanning and the Ducks are right back in the mix.

Ian Miller is a writer at OutKick.

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Woman missing for more than 2 weeks found dead in Ohio

Published

20 hours ago

July 8, 2026

Press Room

Woman missing for more than 2 weeks found dead in Ohio

July 8, 2026 / 7:40 PM EDT
/ CBS Pittsburgh

A Kentucky woman who had been missing for more than two weeks was found dead in her vehicle in Ohio, authorities said.

The body of Debra Wireman was found in her vehicle on July 3 in Clermont County, Ohio, the Flemingsburg Police Department in Kentucky said on Facebook on Wednesday. Investigators were called to the scene after a report identifying the vehicle as belonging to a missing person, police said. The remains were identified as Wireman’s by the Clermont County Coroner’s Office on July 7, according to law enforcement.

Debra Wireman, a Kentucky woman who had been missing for more than two weeks, was found dead in her vehicle in Ohio.

(Photo Credit: Flemingsburg Police Department)

Police in Kentucky said the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office in Ohio is investigating the woman’s death. No additional information will be released by Flemingsburg police “out of respect for Debra’s family and the integrity of that investigation.”

“While this is not the outcome any of us hoped and prayed for, we are thankful that Debra has been found and that her family can now begin to receive the closure they deserve,” police added on Facebook.

Wireman, according to police, was last seen on June 17 at around 4:30 p.m. in Aberdeen, Ohio, while traveling toward Maysville, Kentucky. She was driving a white 2020 Kia Forte with front-end damage. Police said family and friends were “concerned for her welfare.”

“The overwhelming response from our community, neighboring agencies, the media, and countless individuals across the region demonstrated the very best of people coming together in the hope of bringing someone home safely,” Flemingsburg police said.

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