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You’re Nuts: What is your most unreasonable Unreasonable Expectation for the Ohio State season?

Published

7 months ago

May 19, 2024

You’re Nuts: What is your most unreasonable Unreasonable Expectation for the Ohio State season?

From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about our Unreasonable Expectations. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our Unreasonable Expectations here.

Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.

In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.

Today’s Question: What Is Your Most Unreasonable Unreasonable Expectation for the Ohio State Football Season?

Jami’s Take: Will Howard will be a Heisman finalist

Will Howard saw a lot of playing time at Kansas State, and as Ohio State’s starting quarterback job is still very much up for grabs, there’s been a lot of talk about whether he can actually fill that role for the Buckeyes now that he’s transferred.

And while we probably shouldn’t throw out the tapes from Kansas State altogether, I also don’t think they’re indicative of his potential as a Buckeye. In fact, I don’t think we have any idea what he’s capable of yet.

So my first expectation for this season (a not-at-all unreasonable one), is that Howard will be the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback.

My second expectation — a far more unreasonable one — is that he will be a Heisman finalist (I know that’s pretty unhinged even for me. I’m leaning in, though).

In large part, a quarterback is only as good as the players around them, including the offensive line and the receivers. And with no disrespect to Kansas State (ranked 18th in the final 2023 AP Poll), Howard certainly didn’t have players of the same caliber around him in Kansas as he will in Columbus.

At Kansas State, he was surrounded largely by some very talented three-star players. There is nothing wrong with being a three-star player! You’re batting above average, you’re definitely better than me! I am not knocking three-star players! But in Columbus, that rating largely bumps up to four or five stars.

Not only does this mean he will be set up for more success (both in terms of the quality of receivers he needs to connect with and in terms of how much time he’ll have to throw the ball), but there’s also a strong possibility that playing with better players will force him to elevate his own game. The guys around him will make him look good, yes, but they will also make him better.

Even if, by some mystery, he plays exactly the same, we know the Heisman committee loves a quarterback, and we’ve seen finalists in recent years who weren’t even the strongest guys on their OWN offense, let alone in the country. But because the other guys on their offense were so strong, their job at quarterback looked easy. And making it look easy is very convincing to the Heisman committee.

It’s deceptive, but it happens often.

And this year, with better weapons and a higher bar, I believe Howard will have a breakthrough season that puts him in the same ballpark as Quinn Ewers at Texas (currently the preseason favorite to win the Heisman) or Carson Beck at Georgia. With receivers like Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate, plus an offensive line powered by guys like Donovan Jackson, expect Howard to surprise everyone.

He doesn’t have to be the best player in the country to be a Heisman finalist. He just has to be one of the best, and with the right people around him, I believe he has what it takes to nurse the Buckeyes’ wounds from last season and make an impression with the Heisman powers-that-be.

Matt’s Take: Ohio State will have the Big Ten’s Offensive, Defensive, Quarterback, Running Back, Wide Receiver, Defensive Lineman, Defensive Back, and Coach of the Year

Look, the idea for this prompt was to go way overboard, like even more overboard than normal, so I did just that. The Ohio State football program has had some dominant runs when it comes to Big Ten awards, but that was the old Big Ten when it was just a 14-team league and the Buckeyes were really the only serious team in the conference.

Now, we are coming off three straight seasons of That Team Up North winning the league title and the Corn and Blue are now the defending national champions (sorry, I just threw up in my mouth a little bit). Not only has OSU been dethroned as the league’s only dominant team, but the Powers That Be have added four West Coast-based teams with loads of football prowess and pedigree of their own. This fall, Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington will be Big Ten members, meaning that Ohio State will have to contend with even more competition for the conference crown as well as post-season awards.

However, in my most unreasonable of unreasonable expectations, I do think that Ryan Day’s squad can walk away with both the Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, as well as the quarterback, running back, wide receiver, defensive lineman, and defensive back awards. And, in what might be the most unreasonable expectation of all, that Day himself will win the B1G Coach of the Year honor… outright! Day shared the award with Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck in 2019, but before that, a Buckeye coach hadn’t won the award since Earl Bruce in 1979.

Obviously, if Jami’s Will Howard prediction comes true, I will take him as the B1G QB of the year, but the beauty of this unreasonable expectation is that on all of the others, I have options. Like with the Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year, that could legitimately be either TreVeyon Henderson or Quinshon Judkins. The Richter–Howard Receiver of the Year could be Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate, or even Jeremiah Smith; Smith–Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year… J.T. Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer, Tyleik Williams; Tatum–Woodson Defensive Back of the Year… Denzel Bruke, Caleb Downs, Lathan Ransom.

I know that the voters like to spread these awards around, but with how stacked this roster is, I could see it being a case where they have no other choice than to just give all of the awards to the boys in scarlet and gray.

Let us know who you are agreeing with:

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Who has the right answer to today’s question?

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Jami: Will Howard will be a Heisman finalist

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Matt: Practically Sweep the B1G awards

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3.3-magnitude earthquake reported near Chesapeake in southern Ohio along the Ohio River

Published

1 hour ago

December 16, 2024

Press Room

3.3-magnitude earthquake reported near Chesapeake in southern Ohio along the Ohio River

The U.S. Geological Survey reports that a 3.3-magnitude earthquake struck Monday morning less than two miles northwest of Chesapeake, Ohio, in far southern Ohio along the Ohio River.

Chesapeake is a village of around 730 people in Lawrence County, located across the Ohio River from Huntington, W.Va. and about 131 miles from Columbus.

The earthquake occurred at 9:39 a.m. at a depth of more than 14 miles below the surface, the USGS reported.

Residents in the area likely felt a weak to light shake, the USGS reported, but no damage.

According to the USGS Community Internet Intensity Map, the quake was felt not only in Chesapeake, but in Brentwood, Proctorville and Rome to the east and all the way to Ironton to the west in Ohio.

Besides Huntington in West Virginia, which is home to Marshall University, the map indicates the tremor was felt in Ashland, Barboursville and Milton.

jwilhelm@dispatch.com

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Drone sightings lead to airspace shutdown at Ohio Air Force base, arrests near Boston airport

Published

9 hours ago

December 16, 2024

Press Room

Drone sightings lead to airspace shutdown at Ohio Air Force base, arrests near Boston airport

BOSTON (AP) — More suspected drone sightings in the eastern U.S. led to a temporary airspace shutdown at an Air Force base in Ohio and arrests near Boston’s Logan International Airport, as elected officials increased their push for action to identify and stop the mysterious unmanned flights.

Drones flying around Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, forced base officials to close the airspace for about four hours late Friday into early Saturday, said Robert Purtiman, a base spokesperson.

READ MORE: Schumer calls on U.S. agencies to use advanced technology to identify mysterious drones

It is the first time drones have been spotted at the base, one of the largest in the world, and no sightings have been reported since early Saturday, Purtiman said Monday. He would not say how many drones were flying in the area, adding that they ranged in size and that they did not impact any base facilities.

In Boston, city police arrested two men accused of operating a drone “dangerously close” to Logan Airport on Saturday night. Authorities said an officer using drone monitoring technology detected the aircraft and the location of the operators. A third man who fled police remains at large. Authorities said the two men face trespassing charges, and could face more charges and fines.

Boston police urged drone operators to adhere to federal safety guidelines.

“Even small drones pose significant risks, including the potential for catastrophic damage to airplanes and helicopters. Near-collisions can cause pilots to veer off course, putting lives and property at risk,” police said in social media posts.

National security officials have said the drones recently spotted in the eastern part of the country don’t appear to be signs of foreign interference or a public safety threat. But because they can’t say with certainty who is responsible for the sudden swarms of drones — or how they can be stopped — leaders of both political parties are demanding better technology and powers to deal with the drones.

“There’s a lot of us who are pretty frustrated right now,” Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said on “Fox News Sunday,” as drone sightings were being reported in his state. “‘We don’t know’ is not a good enough answer.”

Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer on Sunday called for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to deploy better drone-tracking technology to New York and New Jersey to identify the drones and their operators. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said federal officials had agreed to send a drone detection system to the state.

“New Yorkers have tremendous questions about it,” Schumer, the Senate majority leader, told reporters of the drone sightings. “We are going to get the answers for them.”

READ MORE: What we know about the mysterious drones flying over New Jersey

The federal government did little to answer those questions in its own media briefings over the weekend. “There’s no question that people are seeing drones,” U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Sunday. “But I want to assure the American public that we are on it. We are working in close coordination with state and local authorities.”

Some of the drones reported above parts of New York and New Jersey have turned out to be “manned aircraft that are commonly mistaken for drones,” Mayorkas said. “We know of no foreign involvement with respect to the sightings in the Northeast. And we are vigilant in investigating this matter.”

New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy posted on X Sunday night that he had been out looking for drones with state police in West Trenton, New Jersey. “The public deserves clear answers — we will keep pushing the federal government for more information and resources,” he said, adding that the FBI had briefed him about the sightings in Colts Neck, New Jersey.

Federal aviation authorities have required certain drones to broadcast their remote identification since last year, including the location of their operators. It’s not clear whether that information has been used to determine who is behind the drones plaguing locations over New York and New Jersey. Mayorkas’ office didn’t respond to questions about whether they’ve been able to identify drones using this capability.

Dozens of mysterious nighttime flights started last month over parts of New Jersey, raising concerns among residents and officials. Part of the worry stems from the flying objects initially being spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster.

“It didn’t concern me at first,” said Trisha Bushey, of Clinton Township, New Jersey, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of the Picatinny Arsenal. “I just didn’t think anything of it until it started becoming like every night, the same time, same places.”

Bushey said she thought it was military drills at first, but then officials said the military wasn’t involved.

“And then once they came out and said that they’re not and they don’t know what they are and they’re not foreign, but they’re not ours and they don’t pose a threat, that’s when it becomes concerning,” she told The Associated Press.

Drones are now being reported all along the northeastern U.S.

Some U.S. political leaders, including Trump, have called for much stronger action against the drones, including shooting them down.

Certain agencies within the Department of Homeland Security have the power to “incapacitate” drones, Mayorkas said Sunday. “But we need those authorities expanded,” he said.

Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut. Associated Press writers John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, Mike Catalini in Trenton, New Jersey, and Joseph B. Frederick in New York City contributed to this report.

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Have Ohio State and Tennessee played before? A rundown of their history ahead of CFP game

Published

17 hours ago

December 16, 2024

Press Room

Have Ohio State and Tennessee played before? A rundown of their history ahead of CFP game

Ohio State and Tennessee are football blue bloods with long histories of excellence.

But the Buckeyes and Volunteers, who face off Saturday in the first round of the College Football Playoff, have played only once.

Ohio State record vs. Tennessee

The Buckeyes and Volunteers played in the 1996 Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando. Ohio State was 11-1 entering the game while Tennessee was 10-1. The teams were both ranked No. 4 nationally heading into the game,

Tennessee won 20-14 in front of 70,797 rain-soaked fans..

Future Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning was the Tennessee quarterback and had a relatively quiet day. He threw for only 182 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown.

Ohio State tied the game on a 32-yard pass from Bobby Hoying to tight end Rickey Dudley in the fourth quarter. But Jeff Hall kicked two short field goals for the final points. Volunteers running back Jay Graham ran for 154 yards – 69 on a second-quarter touchdown – to earn MVP honors.

OSU’s Heisman Trophy-winner Eddie George ran for 101 yards and a touchdown.

Did Tennessee cheat against Ohio State?

Don’t be surprised if Eddie George shows up at the Tennessee-Ohio State game with a measuring stick and asking to see the Vols’ cleats.

That’s because at the end of the 1995 season, George’s senior year at Ohio State, the Buckeyes faced Tennessee on New Year’s Day in the Citrus Bowl on a rain-soaked field. The slippery surface led to 19 Vols players opting to wear soccer shoes with cleats longer than the NCAA allowed.

Did the longer cleats make a difference? Who knows, but the sure-footed Vols stopped Ohio State with just over five minutes left on a fourth-and-inches at midfield, with the Buckeyes trailing 17-14. Tennessee held on for a 20-14 victory.

George, who went on to become the Tennessee Titans’ all-time leading rusher and is now the coach at Tennessee State, laughs today when asked about the cleats and the edge the Vols — who admitted to wearing the illegal shoes — tried to gain in that game. But he doesn’t believe the cleats made a difference.

“I would never use that as an excuse. They beat us fair and square,” said George, who rushed for 1,927 yards that season and won the Heisman Trophy. “It was what it was. We’ve talked about it and laughed about it a few times over the years. (Former Vols receiver) Joey Kent was on our (Oilers/Titans) team and I got a chance to talk with him about it. It’s an ongoing joke.”

On that critical fourth down, George never got the chance to make a difference. The Buckeyes were not an option team, but tried to catch the Vols off guard by running an option to get the ball to George on the outside.

Instead, quarterback Bobby Hoying’s errant pitch bounced off the helmet of fullback Matt Calhoun — George’s lead blocker — and was recovered by defensive back Tori Noel.

“It was really hard for us to get going because of the rain,” George said. “Tennessee did a nice job defensively of limiting our explosive runs and passes. They really shut down our run game in the middle.”

−Mike Organ, Nashville Tennessean

When does Ohio State play Tennessee in CFP?

The Buckeyes (10-2) will face Tennessee (10-2) on Saturday, Dec. 21.

What time Ohio State plays Tennessee in CFP

The Buckeyes and Tennessee will play at 8 p.m. Dec. 21.

Where is Ohio State vs. Tennessee?

Ohio State will face Tennessee at Ohio Stadium.

This will be the first game played in December in the 102-year history of the stadium.

Ohio State vs. Tennessee predictions

From Joey Kaufman of The Dispatch:

Ohio State 30, Tennessee 24

The early feeling here is that the Buckeyes recover from a tough loss to rival Michigan and bounce back for the playoff as they did two years ago with a near upset of Georgia, the eventual national champion, in its backyard. Tennessee is formidable with a fast-paced offensive attack led by Dylan Sampson, the Southeastern Conference’s leading rusher, but it hasn’t been as explosive as Josh Heupel’s more recent teams with a first-year starting quarterback in Nico Iamaleava, a redshirt freshman. Look Jim Knowles’ side of the ball to get enough stops in a tight win for Ohio State.

From Rob Oller of The Dispatch:

Ohio State 24, Tennessee 20

Call me a sucker for a good comeback story, and Ohio State coming back from that mess against Michigan would be quite the rally cap moment. Tennessee’s strength is its defensive front — uh-oh — but I have to believe, er, choose to believe that Ryan Day and Chip Kelly have learned their lesson and will throw the ball to set up the run. The No. 8 Buckeyes’ defense will be just good enough to win the day, sending OSU to a rematch against No. 1 Oregon in the Rose Bowl.

From Paul Myerberg of USA TODAY:

Ohio State over Tennessee

This is the premier pairing of the opening round and a nice barometer of how playoff games could unfold between the best of the best in the Big Ten and SEC. Given two evenly matched teams with similar traits, two factors will make the difference in Ohio State’s favor: homefield advantage and a more credible offense. Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard has more experience and better skill options. But another big game from Volunteers signal caller Nico Iamaleava could easily shift this game in the opposite direction.

Ohio State CFP predictions

To win the national title, the Buckeyes would need to win four games.

Their quarterfinal vs. Oregon would be at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. The semifinals are the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl on Jan. 9 and 10. The championship game is in Atlanta on Jan. 20.

Here are Dispatch columnist Rob Oller’s predictions for the CFP:

First round:

Ohio State over Tennessee
Texas over Clemson
Penn State over SMU
Notre Dame over Indiana

Quarterfinals:

Texas over Arizona State
Ohio State over Oregon
Penn State over Boise
Georgia over Indiana

Semifinals:

Texas over Ohio State
Georgia over Penn State

Championship:

Texas over Georgia

Ohio State national title odds

Ohio State is the No. 4 betting favorite to win the CFP title, according to Bet MGM.

The Buckeyes are at +500 to win the national championship. Oregon and Texas, at +350, have the best odds, followed by Georgia at +400.

The Ducks, who handed Ohio State one of its two losses this season in a 32-31 thriller on October 12, are the lone remaining undefeated team in the FBS.

Ohio State vs. Tennessee odds

Ohio State is a 7.5-point favorite over Tennessee, by BetMGM.

Ohio State vs. Tennessee over/under

The over-under for the Ohio State-Tennessee game is 47.5, per BetMGM.

Ohio State vs. Tennessee tickets

Tickets for the Ohio State Tennessee game range from $263-$1,228.

Ticket prices for the Ohio State vs. Tennessee game in Columbus start at $285 on VividSeats, $271 on StubHub, $263 on Gametime and $291 on Seat Geek.

To see a full list of ticket prices, visit StubHub, VividSeats, Gametime and Seat Geek.

See Ohio State tickets prices for playoff game

When do Ohio State CFP tickets go on sale to the public?

General public tickets for Ohio State’s game against Tennessee on Dec. 21 sold out in minutes on Thursday morning.

CFP schedule

First round (Dec. 20-21)

No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame, Friday, Dec. 20: 8 p.m. | ABC/ESPN

No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State, Saturday, Dec. 21: 12 p.m. | TNT

No. 12 Clemson at No. 5 Texas, Saturday, Dec. 21: 4 p.m. | TNT

No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State, Saturday, Dec. 21: 8 p.m. | ABC/ESPN

Quarterfinals (Dec. 31-Jan. 1)

Fiesta Bowl: No. 3 Boise State vs. No. 6 Penn State/No. 11 SMU winner, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31 | ESPN

Peach Bowl: No. 4 Arizona State vs. No. 5 Texas/No. 12 Clemson winner, 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1 | ESPN

Rose Bowl: No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 8 Ohio State/No. 9 Tennessee winner, 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1 | ESPN

Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 7 Notre Dame/No. 10 Indiana winner, 8:45 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1 | ESPN

Semifinals (Jan. 9-10)

Orange Bowl: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9 | ESPN

Cotton Bowl: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10 | ESPN

CFP National Championship

7:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia | ESPN

What do Ohio State fans need to know about Tennessee?

Josh Heupel’s rebuild of Tennessee involved perimeter talent.

During the Volunteers’ breakthrough in 2022, few offenses in the nation were as explosive through the air. The centerpiece was Jalin Hyatt, the Biletnikoff Award winner who stretched the field with his deep speed.

But the ninth-seeded Volunteers’ road to the expanded College Football Playoff, where they visit eight-seeded Ohio State for a first-round matchup on Dec. 21, has looked different.

Their primary playmaker is Dylan Sampson, a running back who was the leading rusher in the Southeastern Conference with 1,485 yards and 22 touchdowns this year.

It is the first time in four seasons under Heupel, a former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at Oklahoma, that the Volunteers have averaged more yards rushing (232) than passing (231).

The Volunteers don’t have a receiver with more than 35 receptions. Hyatt caught 67 passes when he edged out Marvin Harrison Jr. for the Biletnikoff Award two years ago.

Sampson has been a workhorse back with 256 carries. Only nine in the Football Bowl Subdivision have totaled more in 2024. His role has helped to take the load off Nico Iamaleava, a redshirt freshman quarterback who has experienced growing pains at times in his first season behind center.

Between Hendon Hooker and Joe Milton, the Volunteers had relied on senior quarterbacks in previous season to push the ball down the field vertically.

With a 5-foot-11 frame that allows him to run low to the ground, Sampson is an elusive back. He has forced 70 missed tackles while rushing, a total that leaves him tied for fifth in the FBS, per Pro Football Focus, and grinds out yards. He has gained 927 after contact.

Tennessee’s formidability in the interior extends to the defensive side of the ball as it has the nation’s eighth-ranked rush defense, allowing just under 100 rushing yards per game.

James Pearce Jr. is a star along the Volunteers’ defensive line, leading them with 7.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss.

“Their front is very good,” Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said, “on the edge and inside.”

The Volunteers allow only 13.9 points per game, ranking fourth nationally, and have only once allowed an opponent to score more than 30 points, coming in their 31-17 loss at Georgia last month.

They play at fast pace.

Tennessee averages 24 seconds per play, the 21^st-fasted tempo in the FBS, a contrast to the Buckeyes’ competition in the Big Ten. Based on this measurement, Akron, averaging 26 seconds per play, ranking 57th, was the most up-tempo opponent that Ohio State saw during the regular season.

The Volunteers’ 888 plays are the 13^th-most as well.

As the Buckeyes began scouting Tennessee last week ahead of their potential matchup, it was apparent.

“They try to put stress on you with space and tempo,” Day said, “so we have to be prepared to play fast in this game. We’ve kind of started that process of what we’re going to do, getting lined up and making sure that our guys got their cleats in the dirt and go play football.”

−Joey Kaufman

What bowl games are in CFP?

The Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl will host quarterfinal games. The venues for this season’s semifinals are the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl.