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Why is this news?: Joey Bosa a Bednarik semifinalist, Ohio State wrestlers shine at MSU Open

All the big Ohio State news in one helpful place.

By Dan Vest

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Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

The semifinalists have been announced for the 20th annual Chuck Bednarik award and Joey Bosa’s name is on the list. The Award is handed out each season to the "College Defensive Player of the Year" and is voted on by NCAA head football coaches, members of the Maxwelll Football Club, and sportswriters and sportscasters from across the country. Bosa is one of 20 semifinalists for the award. No Buckeye has ever been awarded the Bednarik Award in its previous 19 years of existence.

If a Buckeye ever were to win the award, Joe Bosa just might be the guy to do it. He’s been a destructive force this season, racking up huge numbers and often making his biggest plays when his team needs them the most (just ask Penn State or Gunner Kiel). His three TFLs and two sacks in last weeks game against Illinois bring Bosa’s totals for the season to 14.5 and 10.0 respectively. With somewhere between five and seven games remaining in the season, Bosa is only four sacks away from tying Vernon Gholston’s single-season Ohio State record. Barring injury, that record is probably going to fall. Hard.

It’s a deep field and no Buckeye has ever won the award, but if Joey Bosa keeps doing what he’s doing, he is going to be hard to deny. Not bad for a true sophomore.

The Ohio State wrestling team began the 2014/2015 season this weekend at the Michigan State Open and captured four individual championships along the way. The number could have been even higher, but 174-pounder Mark Martin had to medically forfeit his championship final match.

Winning titles for the Buckeyes were Nathan Tomasello (125), Josh Demas (157), Bo Jordan (165), and Kyle Snyder (197). Tomasello earned bonus points in all of his tournament matches and Demas, Jordan and Snyder all defeated top-10 opponents in the finals.

Johnni DiJulius (133), Logan Stieber (141), Hunter Stieber (149), and Kenny Courts (184), who would have all been favored to at the very least contend for titles, did not compete this weekend.

Early reviews are starting to roll in on Ohio State freshman D’Angelo Russell and so far they’re glowing. According to Yahoo’s NBA guru Adrian Wojnarowski, NBA scouts are high on Russell, praising his vision and passing. Jeff Borzello, a recruiting insider for ESPN, is also high on Russell, calling him one of his favorite players in the class and lauding his smoothness with the ball and long-range shooting ability.

Russell, a 6’ 4" shooting guard ranked the 13th-best recruit of last year’s class by ESPN is going to be a major reason why the Buckeyes either do or don’t exceed expectations this season. If the expert’s opinions are accurate, there is plenty of reason to be optimistic in Columbus.

Former Buckeye and Green Bay Packer tight end Jake Stoneburner is back in the NFL, this time with the Miami Dolphins. Stoneburner had been recently cut by the Packers after recording zero catches in two years, spending most of his time on the practice squad. Here’s to hoping Jake gets more of an opportunity to shine at his next stop.

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