On Saturday, Dwayne Haskins’ dream of being Ohio State’s starting quarterback will become a reality

“The thing we talk about with Dwayne is he doesn’t have to be JT, he doesn’t have to be Braxton (Miller), he doesn’t have to be Cardale (Jones). All the quarterbacks, they have to be themselves ... you have to find your own way to lead.”

Ohio State interim head coach Ryan Day on quarterback Dwayne Haskins via Bill Landis, Northeast Ohio Media Group

Ohio State fans got just a glimpse of quarterback Dwayne Haskins potential when he was forced into action in the third quarter against Michigan last year, when J.T. Barrett exited the game with an injury. Those who know Haskins weren’t surprised that the then-redshirt freshman thrived on the pressure he faced in Ann Arbor, Mich., last season.

The situation is a little different now though, as Haskins has known for quite some time that he would be Ohio State’s starting quarterback in 2018, which has given opponents a lot more time to gameplan for what he’ll bring to the table. Even with the extra time to try and figure out how to slow down Haskins, actually doing it is something many of his opponents haven’t been able to do during his football career.

Haskins doesn’t quite have the mobility of a J.T. Barrett or Braxton Miller, but he more than makes up for it with his arm. Some of the throws that Haskins has made in practice has left his teammates in awe, and a former Ohio State wide receiver went so far as to say that Haskins is the best quarterback he has seen at Ohio State since Art Schlichter.

What has impressed teammates the most about Haskins is the calmness and poise he has shown so far. It is obvious that Haskins is loose and isn’t pressing, which could lead to Haskins adapting to the starting quarterback role even quicker when the Buckeyes kickoff the season on Saturday. If Haskins is able to live up to the high praise given by his teammates, those preseason Heisman Trophy odds might not seem quite so far-fetched.

“I think the intent was good. There are some changes in there that I think will directly help our game in a positive way for sure that were probably long overdue, but I also think that much more work needs to be done. I’m not sure I would say that I think every change is something I would’ve been in favor of.”

Ohio State men’s basketball head coach on some of the recent changes made by the NCAA via Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch

On Wednesday, Ohio State men’s basketball head coach Chris Holtmann spoke with the media for the first time since the Buckeyes returned from a 12-day trip to Spain. Holtmann covered a number of topics, ranging from the new NCAA rules regarding undrafted players returning to school to the change from the usage of the RPI to the NET, which is a tournament seeding metric.

On Aug. 8, the NCAA announced a number of initiatives that allowed for those invited to the NBA draft combine who go undrafted to return to school, changes to the recruiting calendar, and allowing designated “elite” players to receive limited agent representation. Holtmann said he supports all three of the initiatives that were passed, especially the ability for undrafted players to return to school.

While Holtmann and his team were in Spain, a portion of the scandal has been going on with football head coach Urban Meyer came to light. Holtmann said that he didn’t have much of a chance to follow the investigation while he was with his team, but it served as a reminder of the protocol he is required to follow should there be a similar situation with the basketball team.

Holtmann was a little more bullish on the change from RPI to NET by the NCAA, but that was more from a standpoint of how he didn’t see how it would change much. The biggest thing for Holtmann is to see how the new metric works and once he sees it in action, it’ll be easier to assess.

“It’s a really good tournament. You’re going to get three really different looks, three styles and three coaches who know what they’re doing. We won’t be in Saint John’s, so embracing that trip is something we’ve talked a lot about. We’re excited.”

Ohio State women’s volleyball coach Geoff Carlston on this weekend’s Rebel Invitational via Miranda Lipton, The Lantern

Ohio State’s women’s volleyball started off the regular season perfect last weekend, earning easy wins over Albany, Ohio, and Texas A&M. This weekend the degree of difficulty will be raised, as the Buckeyes will head to Mississippi for the Rebel Invitational. Joining the Buckeyes in Oxford will be Southern Miss, Ole Miss and Samford.

The Buckeyes will open up the invitational tomorrow afternoon against Southern Miss, before taking on Ole Miss in the evening session, followed by Samford on Saturday afternoon. Southern Miss opened up the season with a 3-0 record like Ohio State, while Ole Miss and Samford have each posted a 2-1 record in the early season.

The star from last weekend’s contests for the Buckeyes was sophomore middle blocker Lauren Witte, who earned co-Big Ten player of the week honors for her performances in Ohio State’s first three games. Witte recorded 48 points and just one error, which her head coach called “unheard of”. If Witte is able to even come close to her efforts to start the season, Ohio State should be able to stack up a few more wins this weekend.

Ohio State trustee Jeffrey Wadsworth resigned shortly after punishment against football coach Urban Meyer was handed down. Wadsworth felt the punishment against Meyer wasn’t enough, and he was the lone voice advocating for a harsher punishment against Meyer. Wadsworth stated that he e-mailed university president Michael Drake and board chairman Michael Gasser his resignation about an hour after the punishment was announced.

Wadsworth left the meeting a few hours after it began last Wednesday during a lunch break, and wasn’t aware of the punishment until it was announced. The sticking point for Mr. Wadsworth was how quickly the board decided on a suspension for Meyer, which he thought was would be sending the wrong message. According to Wadsworth, he felt the behavior show by Meyer was not the “high-integrity behavior” that should be shown by the head coach.

Jeffrey Wadsworth was appointed to the Ohio State board by former Ohio governor Ted Strickland. Last year, Wadsworth retired as president and chief executive of Battelle Memorial Institute. Before his resignation, Wadsworth’s term on the board was scheduled to end next year.

STICK TO SPORTS

• Hang Over Easy is opening a location in Olde Towne East in mid-October.
• Three polar bears from the Columbus Zoo will be moving to other zoos this fall.
• KFC will pay $11,000 to the first baby named Harland that is born in America on Sept. 9.
• Sad news for Shameless fans, as it has been announced that Emmy Rossum is leaving the series after this season.
• Apple has announced their annual iPhone event will be held on Sept. 12.