Ohio
Does Ohio State or Georgia face more pressure in 2024 season after falling short of expectations?
Two teams stand above the rest of college football entering the 2024 season with a strong case to rank No. 1 in the preseason polls. Both Ohio State and Georgia play spring games on Saturday with major focus on their programs.
Georgia’s quest for a three-peat fell short in last season’s SEC Championship Game, but the Bulldogs exorcized those demons with a 63-3 evisceration of Florida State in the Orange Bowl. A handful of key playmakers are off to the NFL, but Georgia is focused on setting the tone for 2024 despite missing out on a trip to the national championship.
Conversely, Ohio State limped into the offseason after an embarrassing 14-3 loss to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl. In response, coach Ryan Day quickly set his eyes on the most important offseason of his career. His strategy will decide everything.
The 2024 season also marks a demarcation in the history of the sport. The SEC and Big Ten grow by a combined six members, bringing 24 new claimed national championships to the leagues. The path to a national championship also gets more difficult as the College Football Playoff expands from four to 12 teams. Including a conference title game, winning a national championship could involve winning as many as four consecutive games against top-eight opponents.
With both programs facing pivotal offseasons, which program faces the most pressure in 2024?
Georgia’s pressure: Taking advantage of a post-Saban SEC
For all the success Georgia has put together over the past seven years under Kirby Smart, it’s amazing to think the ‘Dawgs only beat Alabama once: the 2021 CFP National Championship to capture their first title in 40 years. The Bulldogs dodged the Crimson Tide during the second national title run the following year and shockingly lost to them as an undefeated to miss the College Football Playoff and ruin a three-peat bid last season.
Now, Nick Saban is gone and college football is Georgia’s for the taking. The Bulldogs return the best quarterback in college football for the first time in more than 15 years, Carson Beck, who projects as a potential No. 1 pick in 2025 after throwing for nearly 4,000 yards as a junior. Transfers Benjamin Yurosek, London Humphreys and Colbie Young join receiver Dominic Lovett and tight end Oscar Delp to create one of the deadliest passing games in college football. Of course, the defense should continue to be a soulless killing machine, the kind that’s become Smart’s signature.
Needless to say, Georgia is a serious national championship contender in 2024, but after Saban’s retirement, more is on the table. Saban set the highest bar in the history of the sport, but Smart towers above all who remain. Only three active coaches have won national championships: Mack Brown, Dabo Swinney and Smart. Swinney’s titles came more than five years ago, while Brown’s lone national title came nearly two decades ago.
Discussions started during the waning years of the Saban era about whether Georgia has surpassed Alabama as the sport’s signature program. The talk should only get louder this season. At only 48 years old, Smart has an opportunity to take over this sport.
Ohio State’s pressure: Going all-in with rebuilt program
After Ohio State lost a third straight game against Michigan for the first time since 1997, Day did anything but rest on his laurels. Instead, he turned to the portal with urgency to try and fill holes. Out is starting quarterback Kyle McCord, rotation running back Chip Trayanum and receiver Julian Fleming. In comes All-American safety Caleb Downs (Alabama), top quarterbacks Will Howard (Kansas State) and Julian Sayin (Alabama), and star running back Quinshon Judkins (Ole Miss).
Perhaps the biggest power move was going to future conference-mate UCLA and stealing coach Chip Kelly to run the offense after Bill O’Brien took the Boston College job. Day has been vocal about wanting to find an offensive coordinator, but landing Kelly was beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.
Combined with a couple of key retentions on defense – including potential first round defensive linemen J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer – the Buckeyes are on track to rank No. 1 in the preseason polls. If Ohio State captures the top preseason slot, it would be the first time since 2015.
The roster comes not a second too soon as frustration builds around Day. Since quarterback Justin Fields departed after the 2020 season, Day has not won a Big Ten championship. An eight-game winning streak against Michigan was snapped in 2021, and then Day became the first coach since John Cooper in 1997 to lose three straight to the Buckeyes’ top rival. Against teams ranked in the top five of the CFP Rankings – teams that should be program peers – Day is 1-6.
Like Georgia, the Buckeyes’ boogeyman is gone: Jim Harbaugh departed for the Los Angeles Chargers after leading Michigan to its first title in the BCS/CFP era. First-year coach Sherrone Moore was on the sideline for the Wolverines’ victory over Ohio State last season, but the vast majority of production left with Harbaugh. But in many ways, Michigan taking a temporary step back only adds pressure for Ohio State. There’s no time to waste.
Who faces more pressure?
Georgia and Ohio State face differing quests in 2024, but each brings a unique spotlight and opportunity. For one, the goal is clawing back to national contention. At the other, the focus is wrenching away longterm control of the sport.
Circling above both programs are the winds of realignment. The Big Ten championship race over the past three years has essentially been one game: Ohio State vs. Michigan. But now national contender Oregon joins the league. Washington played in the national championship just months ago. Lincoln Riley’s USC factors into the lineup, too. Penn State faces a critical year after a star-studded 2022 recruiting class. In the SEC, Georgia adds Texas to a schedule that already included Alabama, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Clemson.
But while plenty of attention faces Georgia as the Bulldogs face one of their toughest schedules of the Smart era, the pressure on Day and Ohio State hits fever pitch. On paper, there’s plenty to like about Day’s 56-8 record and 39-3 mark in Big Ten play. But at Ohio State, winning regular-season games only gets you so far.
If Georgia fails to win a national championship next season, the Bulldogs will be back and a favorite once more in 2025. If Ohio State loses early in the College Football Playoff – or, God forbid, loses to a reloading Michigan squad – Day might not get another shot.
Saturday marks the debut of Ohio State’s most important team in a decade. The spring game, amazingly, will be broadcast on network television (Fox, noon ET). A quarterback battle remains open and holes need to be filled, but the roster has everything Ohio State needs to win a national championship. Now, it just has to do it.
WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) – A Warren man indicted in June on charges he had inappropriate conduct with a teenager pleaded guilty Thursday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.
Daniel Procopio, 29, pleaded guilty to one third-degree felony count of attempted illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance.
Howland police arrested Procopio following a report filed by the parent of a teenager who reported Procopio had inappropriate contact with the teen. The investigation by Howland police showed Procopio in February 2026 had asked a 16-year-old female to send nude photos of herself to him, according to Assistant Prosecutor Gabriel Wildman.
The crimes are alleged to have taken place in February and March.
Procopio will be sentenced at a later date.
The Ohio Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 15, 2026, results for each game:
Powerball
Powerball drawings are held Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m.
02-07-18-29-38, Powerball: 16, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 3
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.
Midday: 1-1-8
Evening: 0-9-3
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.
Midday: 7-8-8-3
Evening: 8-6-3-8
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 5
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.
Midday: 6-3-8-0-7
Evening: 5-5-0-3-2
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Rolling Cash 5
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 7:05 p.m.
04-17-19-26-36
Check Rolling Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Classic Lotto
Drawings are held Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, at approximately 7:05 p.m.
04-18-28-41-42-45, Kicker: 2-5-8-9-8-0
Check Classic Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.
Millionaire for Life
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 11:15 p.m.
01-05-18-23-33, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Enquirer digital news director. You can send feedback using this form.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — A former central Ohio couple is facing 12 felony charges after investigators said they defrauded Ohio’s Medicaid program out of $9.3 million by billing for services that were never provided.
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson announced Wednesday that a Franklin County grand jury indicted former Powell residents, Roberta Acheampong, 39, and her husband, Godfred Owusu-Sekyere, 46.
The couple is being charged with engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, telecommunications fraud, theft, forgery, Medicaid fraud, money laundering and identity fraud.
“It’s important to remember that these are your tax dollars being stolen,” Wilson said. “We are committed to rooting out Medicaid fraud and holding offenders accountable.”
The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in Ohio found what it described as widespread fraudulent billing tied to One Community Mental Health, a behavioral-health clinic the couple owned and operated in Franklin County.
Investigators said the husband and wife duo exploited refugees seeking resettlement services, billing Medicaid multiple times a week for entire households, without their knowledge, for unnecessary mental health and therapeutic behavioral services that were never provided.
They also allegedly forged documents and stole the identities of translation and transportation staff members to submit fraudulent Medicaid claims under those workers’ names.
Banking records showed the stolen Medicaid funds were moved through multiple accounts to finance lavish purchases including real estate and a Porsche.
The couple is believed to be living in Kenya or Ghana and extradition could potentially be on the table.
In separate cases, 10 other Medicaid providers were indicted in Franklin County this week.
Accused of stealing a combined $563,860 from Medicaid, the list of those indicted is as follows:
- Angel Barker: 48, of Cleveland – allegedly billed for home-health services on dates she was traveling, when she failed to show up, and/or while her clients were hospitalized. Clients reported that Barker worked fewer days than scheduled, refused required tasks, and asked them to sign blank timesheets, with some signatures later found to be forged. The loss to Medicaid totaled $4,284.
- Natoshia Branscome: 36, of Columbus – allegedly billed for 30 hours of weekly services while working only 10 hours per week, resulting in a loss of $5,893 for Medicaid. Video evidence showed Branscome visiting her client briefly on just two occasions over a nine-day period. When interviewed by investigators, she acknowledged her wrongdoing and attributed her actions to personal stress.
- Toni Heldman: 68, of Mason – accused of defrauding Medicaid by falsely claiming that she lived separately from her client, a relative, to bill at a higher reimbursement rate. As a home-health aide, Heldman billed for Homemaker Personal Care rather than the lower-paying Shared Living rate. Investigators discovered that Heldman even leased an Airbnb for a few days to trick a county caseworker during a routine monitoring visit. Another aide confirmed that Heldman asked her to lie to investigators about the living arrangement. The loss to Medicaid totaled $7,149.
- Josh Jackson: 29, of Cincinnati – charged after investigators identified a $20,131 loss to Medicaid. The home-health aide allegedly continued submitting timesheets and clocking into his employer’s electronic visit-verification system for a year after he stopped providing services to a client. A witness reported that Jackson often worked fewer hours than scheduled before he stopped showing up altogether. Employment records from Cincinnati Public Schools and a sporting-goods store showed that he was working other jobs while billing Medicaid for services.
- Dez’Aray Keith: 45, of Eastlake – allegedly billed for home-health services while working another job, while attending personal appointments and while a client was participating in an adult daycare program. The loss to Medicaid totaled $2,016.
- Ashley Lawton: 40, of Fairfield – allegedly defrauded Medicaid of $91,969 by billing for home-health and transportation services that she did not provide between 2021 and 2026. Investigators identified extensive billing during periods when Lawton was traveling in Denver; Cancun, Mexico; Destin, Florida; Las Vegas; Orlando, Florida; and New York City. Records also show that she consistently billed beyond her authorized service and mileage limits. Clients reported that Lawton routinely billed for far more hours than she worked.
- Karen Saunders: 63, of Westerville – charged with telecommunications fraud, Medicaid fraud and theft for allegedly stealing $361,053 from the program. While employed by New Albany Home Health Solutions, Saunders allegedly billed Medicaid for therapeutic behavioral-health services that she did not provide between 2020 and 2025. Investigators discovered that she repeatedly billed for services on dates that she was traveling or working a separate job, or when clients were elsewhere. Some clients denied receiving any services at all. When confronted, Saunders admitted that her actions were intentional and financially motivated.
- Summer Sheridan: 39, of Columbus – accused of double-billing for home-health services, resulting in a $62,806 loss to Medicaid. Investigators discovered that Sheridan submitted overlapping timesheets to two home-health agencies for the same client for roughly a year.
- Kandis Smith: 32, of Cincinnati – accused of submitting fraudulent timesheets for 35 days of in-home services while her client was hospitalized or in a nursing home. The loss to Medicaid totaled $4,246.
- Leo Ulery: 32, of South Point – accused of submitting fraudulent documentation to bill Medicaid for services that were never provided. Working as a counselor at New Life Recovery, Ulery allegedly cloned treatment notes to bill for counseling sessions when clients were not present. The loss to Medicaid totaled $4,313.
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