Dwayne Haskins, Ryan Day named award semifinalists

“On Wednesday, Haskins was named as one of 16 semifinalists for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award presented by The Davey O’Brien Foundation.”

- Patrick Murphy, 247Sports

“Ohio State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Ryan Day has been named as one of 53 nominees for this year’s Broyles Award, which honors college football’s top assistant coach.”

- Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

I’ve always thought award season was a little silly in college football. From the preseason watch lists that name nearly every player, to the numerous ceremonies held all over the country, it all just feels a little strange. Unlike other industries that give out awards (film, music, television, etc...), football has objective winners and objective losers based on the results on the field. The award is winning games.

At the end of the day though, awards are just a fun thing for players and coaches, as it gives them a chance to go to a cool place and dress up, and it gives programs a thing to boast about. I don’t have an issue with that, and anyone that actively complains about “participation trophies” is just looking for something to get mad about.

With that all said, Ohio State picked up two more accolades today, as Dwayne Haskins was named an O’Brien semifinalist, while Ryan Day was named a Broyles semifinalist. The O’Brien recognizes the nation’s best quarterback, while the Broyles is presented to the nation’s top assistant coach. Haskins is one of 16 quarterbacks named a semifinalist, and Day is one of 53 coaches.

Haskins feels like a better bet to actually win at this point, but I’m sure it’s an honor for both to be listed. Congratulations to both Dwayne and Ryan!

Watch the basketball team

Do you like Ohio State football? Would you like it even more without the pressure of winning every game that comes with being a massive football program? Allow me to introduce you to the Ohio State basketball team!

For those who haven’t watched Ohio State basketball in several years because they were awful for like four seasons in a row, I have great news: they’re back, baby, and they’re good again. Despite the loss of Keita Bates-Diop, Jae’Sean Tate, Kam Williams, Andrew Dakich and now Micah Potter, Ohio State should still be a ton of fun to watch this season, and they tip off in the first game of the year tonight at 6 p.m. ET at Cincinnati on ESPN2.

You can read a preview of the game from our Cincinnati sister site, Down The Drive right here, and if you want a deeper look at the Buckeyes this year, we ran a massive, awesome season preview that can be found here!

“Despite struggling to defeat Nebraska at home last week, Ohio State hits the road again for likely the second-most difficult game left on its regular season slate in a matchup with Michigan State. And Tuesday, the Buckeyes released their two-deep depth chart for their clash with the Spartans.”

- Nick Clarkson

Ohio State’s depth chart for their matchup with Michigan State this Saturday is out now, and while it’s mostly unchanged, there is a few big differences from the past few weeks.

Firstly, and most importantly, Brendon White has found his way into the starting lineup, jumping over previous starter Isaiah Pryor and being listed as co-starter with Shaun Wade, who filled in for an injured Pryor last week. With that, it’s fair to assume that Ohio State will likely go with Jordan Fuller and Brendon White at safety, and Shaun Wade at nickel, as we suggested earlier this week.

The other thing to note, while it’s not a change from last week, is the presence of Jeffrey Okudah. Okudah was listed on the last depth chart but didn’t play because of an injury. His listing this week seems to indicate that he’s ready to play this week, hopefully.

Stick to sports

• Michigan is officially a better state than Ohio.
• Polygon has you covered with their official Hitman 2 preview.
• House of Cards season six is “horrible”.