2021 Ohio State Football All Things Off-season

[Omega]

Big10 to allow fans for spring sports events

The Big10 has voted to allow member schools to start to allowing attendance at regular season contests. Attendance policies must adhere to state and local health guidelines. Baby steps in the return to normalcy.

https://bigten.org/news/2021/3/24/gener ... dance.aspx

[Omega]

Dallas Gant To Miss Spring Camp

Gant, in the running for the middle linebacker starting job for the Buckeyes, will miss spring practice with a foot injury. Hate to see injury to anyone, but this might be an opportunity for Ironton's Reid Carrico to move up the depth chart as a freshman.

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-sta ... linebacker

[Omega]

Another Buckeye to make miss spring practice. Defensive tackle Haskell Garrett is out with an undisclosed injury. The Buckeyes need healthy bodies if they are going to fix their problems on defense.

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-sta ... -to-injury

[Omega]

The injury bug keeps appearing at Ohio State spring practice.

Ohio State cornerback Sevyn Banks and wide receiver Kamryn Babb are now reported to be out due to injury per Eleven Warriors. Banks injury is a set back to improving OSU's porous pass defence.

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-sta ... ces-due-to

[Omega]

OHIO STATE TO ALLOW LIMITED NUMBER OF FANS AT SPRING GAME, SETS CAPACITY AT 19,180



https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/spring-ga ... announced/

Some fans better than none. At least it is a step in the right direction to allow fans for the coming regular season.

[Omega]

OSU offensive lineman Max Wray enters the transfer portal. Highly recruited out of Nashville , TN, but buried in the depth chart entering his third year.

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-sta ... fer-portal

[Omega]

Ironton's Reid Carrico Sheds Black Stripe


Freshman linebacker Reid Carrico became an official member of the Buckeye football squad. Shedding the black stripe is a symbolic right of passage that indicates a new player has bought into both the physical and mental culture of the OSU football program.

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-sta ... ack-stripe

[Omega]

OSU Spring Game To Feature No Tackling

There will be no tackling in Saturday's spring game.

After saying Monday that Ohio State had not yet determined whether there would be tackling in Saturday's intrasquad exhibition, Ryan Day said Thursday night on 97.1 The Fan that the coaching staff had made the decision not to allow tackling in this year's spring game.

“We’ve actually done a good amount of tackling this spring, more than I can ever remember,” Day said. “There’s been three or four practices where we’ve had 60-plus snaps of guys getting tackled to the ground and live scrimmages, because we’re so far behind fundamentally, just coming off of last year. So we’re gonna stay up to kind of stay healthy here for the game.(excerpt)

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-sta ... e-tackling

Why have the spring game at all?

[Omega]

C.J. STROUD, KYLE MCCORD THROW TWO TOUCHDOWNS APIECE IN OHIO STATE'S 2021 SPRING GAME

From Eleven Warriors:



C.J. Stroud and Kyle McCord each threw two touchdown passes while Emeka Egbuka had 123 receiving yards and Jack Sawyer had three sacks in Saturday's spring game.

Jack Miller started behind center for Team Buckeye and completed six of his first eight passing attempts for 51 yards – and one of his incompletions was dropped by Jameson Williams – but the game’s opening drive ended with Ryan Watts intercepting a Miller pass in the end zone.

C.J. Stroud started the game for Team Brutus and promptly put his arm on display on his second play in the game, completing a 40-yard deep ball to Chris Olave, who made a leaping catch over newly converted cornerback Demario McCall. Stroud completed his opening drive by throwing a 5-yard touchdown pass to freshman receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

Kyle McCord checked into the game for the second Buckeye possession – the quarterbacks alternated series and switched teams throughout the game – and also put his arm strength on display right away, connecting with Garrett Wilson on a 55-yard deep ball. His first drive ended with a Jack Sawyer sack on 3rd-and-9, after which Jake Seibert missed a 40-yard field goal attempt wide right.

The offenses went 3-and-out on each of the next four possessions – two by Miller and one each for Stroud and McCord – before Stroud led his second scoring drive of the game, capping it off with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Chris Olave.

McCord led a 13-play, 75-yard scoring drive for Team Buckeye’s first points of the game on the subsequent series. Jaxon Smith-Njigba capped off the drive with an acrobatic 15-yard touchdown catch.

McCord finished the first half with nine completions for 130 yards on 13 attempts, while Stroud went into halftime with 11 completions for 127 yards on 15 attempts. Miller went 12-of-23 for 100 yards in the first two quarters.

Sawyer had two sacks before halftime, while Harrison had a team-high seven first-half receptions for 49 yards. Fellow freshman Emeka Egbuka had four first-half catches for 45 yards, while Wilson had four first-half catches for 85 yards. Smith-Njigba had five first-half catches for 50 yards, while Olave had three first-half catches for 57 yards. Teradja Mitchell and Cody Simon led all defenders with six tackles before halftime.

The opening drive of the second half – in which the Buckeyes abandoned the Brutus and Buckeye rosters for an untimed offense vs. defense scrimmage – culminated with the first rushing touchdown of the day, as Steele Chambers ran the ball in the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown after a pair of connections from Stroud to Egbuka – for 31 and 12 yards – got the offense inside the 5-yard line.

Miller’s first series of the second half ended without points again after Jake Seibert missed a 45-yard field goal attempt wide left. TreVeyon Henderson did show his playmaking ability on the drive, though, catching three passes for a combined 18 yards while he also had a 14-yard run (in a game where it was difficult to break off long runs since runners were ruled down as soon as they were touched).

Egbuka made another big play with a 35-yard catch-and-run on the next series, which McCord finished by throwing his second touchdown pass of the game to Joe Royer from 12 yards out.

Walk-on quarterback Jagger LaRoe capped off the spring game with a 20-yard touchdown pass to fellow walk-on Sam Wiglusz.

Stroud finished the game with 16 completions on 22 attempts for 185 yards and two touchdowns, McCord finished the game with 12 completions on 17 attempts for 184 yards and two touchdowns and Miller finished the game with 17 completions on 30 attempts for 128 yards and zero touchdowns with one interception.

Egbuka finished the game with seven catches for 123 yards, while Sawyer finished the game with three sacks. Henderson led all running backs with six carries for 26 yards and five catches for 29 yards. Mitchell led all defenders with 10 total tackles.

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-sta ... pring-game

The scrimmage format left unanswered the battle for starting quarterback and if there will be improvements on defense. Yet from second hand video clips, Ohio State is again blessed with great skill and athleticism.

[JChipwood]

Ironton's Reid Carrico Sheds Black Stripe


Freshman linebacker Reid Carrico became an official member of the Buckeye football squad. Shedding the black stripe is a symbolic right of passage that indicates a new player has bought into both the physical and mental culture of the OSU football program.

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-sta ... ack-stripe

Anyone surprised? People are gonna hate probably but if buying in and working hard is the leading criteria, Reid was a gimme. Congrats young man! 1 of 6 frosh that had lost their stripe as of Saturday. Among a group of very shiny stars!

[Omega]

Ironton's Reid Carrico Sheds Black Stripe


Freshman linebacker Reid Carrico became an official member of the Buckeye football squad. Shedding the black stripe is a symbolic right of passage that indicates a new player has bought into both the physical and mental culture of the OSU football program.

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-sta ... ack-stripe

Anyone surprised? People are gonna hate probably but if buying in and working hard is the leading criteria, Reid was a gimme. Congrats young man! 1 of 6 frosh that had lost their stripe as of Saturday. Among a group of very shiny stars!

Some in SEOP land might begrudge the success of Carrico and Ironton, but it should serve as an example of what can be achieved through hard work and dedication. Carrico and Ironton should be emulated as their example can elevate all of SEO high school football.

[Omega]

OSU RECEIVER JAMESON WILLIAMS ENTERS NCAA TRANSFER PORTAL

From Eleven Warriors:

Another former top-100 prospect is leaving Ohio State's receivers room.

Jameson Williams, the No. 13 receiver and No. 82 overall player in the 2019 class, has entered the NCAA transfer portal, Ohio State confirmed on Wednesday afternoon.

Entering his third season of college football, Williams played sparingly early in his Buckeye career as a young player in a loaded Buckeye receivers room, but emerged as a starter last season alongside Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson.

Last season, Williams played 308 snaps for the Buckeyes, the third-most of any wide receiver, nearly doubling Jaxon Smith-Njigba's 163 snaps. In his two seasons in Columbus, Williams caught 15 passes for 266 yards and three touchdowns. (excerpt)

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-sta ... fer-portal

[Omega]

And Speaking of Jameson Williams:

FORMER OHIO STATE WIDE RECEIVER JAMESON WILLIAMS TRANSFERRING TO ALABAMA

From Eleven Warriors:

Williams chose Alabama among a list of seven finalists that also reportedly included Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Florida, Michigan State, USC and Michigan.

After two seasons at Ohio State, Williams entered the transfer portal following a spring in which he was demoted from the starting lineup in favor of Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He told 247Sports' Allen Trieu over the weekend that there was “nothing personal” about his decision to leave the Buckeyes, and he told 247Sports on Monday that he chose Alabama because of his relationships with the coaches and because he could tell how badly the Crimson Tide wanted him. (excerpt)

https://www.elevenwarriors.ch/ohio-stat ... to-alabama

An interesting turn of events. Might give some answers to the debate that Bama is better than OSU in not only recruiting but in player development. Some feel Williams is equal in talent to Bama's Heisman winner Devonta Smith and wonder why Jameson was buried on the Buckeye depth chart.

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Governor Dewine Confident of 100% Capacity Allowed For Fall College Football

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Roll Tide Gets Richer Again At Ohio State's Expense

Prized transfer portal linebacker Henry To'o To'o has chosen to continue his college career at Alabama. Ohio State had reportedly been considered a favorite to land the former Tennessee Vol. National Championships matter:

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Ohio State Cornerback Tyreke Johnson Enters Transfer Portal




The former 5 star recruit in 2018 played sparingly in his time with the Buckeyes. His departure however leaves Ohio State's already porous defensive backfield thin in depth given that Sevyn Banks and Cam Brown are still out with injury.

[countywide35]

the Bucks have been beneficial and also hurt by the NCAA Transfer Portal.

[Omega]

the Bucks have been beneficial and also hurt by the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Early signing dates, transfer portal, now Name,Image, and Likeness benefits. Being a college head coach has suddenly become a lot more complicated. What will the unintended consequences be.

[countywide35]

the Bucks have been beneficial and also hurt by the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Early signing dates, transfer portal, now Name,Image, and Likeness benefits. Being a college head coach has suddenly become a lot more complicated. What will the unintended consequences be.

The term “student-athlete” seems to be heading for a thing of the past.

[Omega]

TOSU Still In Running For 2021 Recruit J.T. Tuimoloau


The Buckeyes are still in the running to land J.T. Tuimoloau, a defensive lineman considered by many to be the nation's number one recruit. Tuimoloau has scheduled an official visit to Columbus for next month. Once considered a strong OSU lean, that may no longer be the case as Alabama has entered the recruiting battle. What Saban wants, Saban gets.

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-sta ... nd-alabama