J.T. Barrett likes the progress of the Ohio State passing game

“It's not just me, but the leaders on our team. We have a lot of leaders in our position groups. When it comes to the times when coaches can't be out there, and we have the footballs out, we're coaching each other and doing things we know how to as older guys.”

- J.T. Barrett via Bill Landis, Cleveland.com

Ohio State’s offseason is still in full swing as the Buckeyes continue to train for the upcoming 2017 campaign. Expectations are high in Columbus, as always, but specifically for the changes that are coming to the offense. Kevin Wilson was named the offensive coordinator, which should bring plenty of firepower to an offense that last season struggled to make big plays when it mattered most. The lack of playmaking came mostly from the passing game, led by senior quarterback J.T. Barrett. Barrett has shown he’s capable of running a high-octane offense in the past, helping lead the 2014 edition of the Buckeyes to the Big Ten championship before going down with injury against Michigan. After some ups and downs over the past two seasons, Barrett says things are going well with the changes in the passing game so far.

Taking what they implemented in the spring, Barrett and several of his teammates have been working on improving their technique during non-mandatory practices on the field without any coaches around. It’s up to the players to be accountable for each other as they work on their chemistry on the field. For the players, the waiting until they can be coached again can be frustrating, but with the season approaching soon enough, it won’t be long before the Buckeyes hit the field for fall practices.

“Just as importantly, though, is the message that the Ohio State brand – even after a pair of rough years – still resonates with top Ohio talent. That has been up for debate as of late, and Young’s decision shows that it is possible to grow up within the Buckeye State but not in central Ohio and still covet the chance to play in Columbus.”

- Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch

With the recent hiring of Chris Holtmann, there was early talk of former Butler commit Kyle Young following Holtmann to Ohio State after the hire was official. Now, as we know, Young decided to go through with following the head coach that recruited him. This is a big deal for the Buckeyes who haven’t had the greatest success when it comes to recruiting the past couple of years. Holtmann’s flipping of Young from Butler to Ohio State helps the Buckeyes both on the court and off of it. Young is an Ohio-native and was rated as the second-best prospect in Ohio behind Kaleb Wesson. He was also part of a recruiting class at Butler that was on its way to being considered one of the best in school history.

Now, Young is committed to the Buckeyes and things are already starting to look up. It’s still going to be a process to get Ohio State back among the Big Ten’s best, but this is a step in the right direction in both competitiveness and recruiting. Young was going to be a key factor at Butler but it’s up to him and the coaching staff to decide what kind of role he’ll have with the Buckeyes.

“[The Basketball Tournament 2017] #2 Scarlet and Gray (Ohio State Alumni)”

- TheTournament.com

Speaking of Ohio State basketball, do you miss the good old days of Aaron Craft? Greg Oden? David Lighty? Well, there’s some good news. The Basketball Tournament (TBT) hosts a basketball tournament (duh) with teams from all across the country and more importantly, has teams compiled of former college and even professional basketball players. The Scarlet and Gray team which consists of mostly Ohio State alumni, is listed as a two-seed in their region (similar to the NCAA tournament) and includes former greats like Craft, Oden, Lighty and more.

Former players also include William Buford, Jon Diebler, Evan Ravenel, Dallas Lauderdale, and even include Scoonie Penn as the team’s general manager. All in all, this seems like it should be a fun event filled with old beloved names, and will even be shown on ESPN once the tournament reaches the Super 16.

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