Maxwell watch list time!
Watchlist season is upon us. On Monday, a couple Buckeyes popped up on the Maxwell’s radar. Both on offense, quarterback Justin Fields and running back J.K. Dobbins were announced to the Maxwell Award watch list. At the end of the season, the award goes to the best all-around player in college football.
This Buckeye hasn't even taken a snap in a Big Ten game. Doesn't matter. The Maxwell Watch list also includes @justnfields, who is vying to be @OhioStateFB's starting QB. Here's more on Justin, right here right now: https://t.co/PsuGCZ7LnF pic.twitter.com/OoA3mFEDgW
— Jerry Emig (@BuckeyeNotes) July 15, 2019
There’s hype behind Fields, who wasn’t taken a regular season snap yet for the Buckeyes. But because of the track record of successful QBs under Ryan Day, it’s easy to see how successful Fields can be when the snaps count. He is agile on the ground, and will develop even more as a passer with Day helping.
Signal-callers have done well in the Maxwell running, with the last three (Tua Tagovailoa, Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson) winning the award. Will Fields make it 4-for-4 for QBs? He’s definitely one of the favorites—but the deck is stacked. Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts, Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond and Michigan’s Shea Patterson are just four of the 37 total QBs on the list.
Running back wise, Dobbins is just one of 31 preseason picks at the position vying to take home the Maxwell Award.
Back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher @Jkdobbins22 for @OhioStateFB has been named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award, presented to college football's player of the year. Here's more on J.K.: https://t.co/w5FsFCQ40t pic.twitter.com/kZqbwyrT5q
— Jerry Emig (@BuckeyeNotes) July 15, 2019
There may be even more eyeballs on the Texan this time around, as we’ve come to know him as a shifty (and speedy) rusher. He’s had 1,000-yard seasons on back-to-back occasions, tearing up decent Big Ten defenses in the process. With Mike Weber gone to the NFL, there will be more reliance on Dobbins to be the leader at the position. We’ll probably see others get carries out of the backfield (e.g., Demario McCall) but look to Dobbins to be carrying the rushing attack.
“Everything is right there, and moronic questions aside, we’d like to see what Harbaugh says on Friday about his mindset heading into this season. Because if he doesn’t achieve his goals, he very well could lose the goodwill of an impatient fan base that’s managed to remain relatively sanguine the past few years.”
— Isaiah Hole | WolverinesWire
Big Ten Media Days will take place toward the end of the week in Chicago. Reporters are probably drafting up questions to ask coaches and players before flying into the Windy City, and bloggers are throwing some of those questions online—predicting what the responses could be.
On WolverinesWire, Isaiah Hole wrote about storylines heading into the event for Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. One of the storylines is how the Wolverines, who have had New Year’s Six-level teams, have fallen apart in the last week of November against Ohio State. With a new coach at OSU, now looks to be the best time for Harbaugh to get his first win against his archrival.
But Hole wonders what the response will be from Harbaugh if questions come his way about his lack of beating the Buckeyes. Will Harbaugh be upset? Will there be a sense of urgency in his speech?
This has been the best of times for Ohio State fans, and the worst of times for Michigan fans. Winning in this rivalry has made careers, and also ended tenures. For Harbaugh, how many more OSU losses and College Football Playoff misses can he withstand before the fanbase begins to turn on the Schembechler disciple?
“The Buckeyes are the New York Yankees of college football, except with helmet leaves instead of pinstripes. Just as the top major leaguers bolt for the Bronx, the top high school recruits flock to Columbus, where they become NFL draft picks.”
— Rob Oller | The Columbus Dispatch
Over the weekend, Rob Oller wrote a column for The Columbus Dispatch. Talking about how some have turned their nose at Columbus as a city, Oller’s case for what really brings prospects to Ohio’s capital city isn’t the city itself—but what’s within it.
Oller compares the Buckeyes to the Yankees, in the sense that if you’re a somebody, you want to go to Ohio State. And in a closer microcomparsion, he looks at how the Blue Jackets, Cavaliers, Indians, Reds, Browns, Bengals attempt to attract and keep talent from leaving. Especially in the case of the Columbus Blue Jackets, they lost a lot of their talent that helped pull together a Second Round playoff appearance. Artemi Panarin, one of the breakout stars for the CBJ, packed his bag—heading to New York City to play for the Rangers.
There are similarities and differences between the college and professional game, but when it comes to bringing in top talent, it’s not just the city that is the dealmaker. The institution that resides there is also an important factor. And for Columbus, they have Ohio State to help bring together the best of the best.
Big Ten Championship tickets go on sale July 20
For those who are trying to schedule and budget out a trip to the Big Ten Championship this season, the first big piece of the puzzle can be complete on July 20, as tickets for the event on Dec. 7 event at Lucas Oil Stadium can be purchased.
Below is the snippet from the press release detailing ticket information.
Tickets for the 2019 Big Ten Football Championship Game presented by Discover will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, July 20 at Noon ET. The ninth annual Big Ten Football Championship Game will be played on Saturday, December 7 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The contest will be broadcast nationally on FOX with kickoff set for 8 p.m. ET.
Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (800) 745-3000. Tickets will range from $50 to $95 depending on the seat location and each order will be limited to eight tickets. In addition, every Big Ten Football Championship Game ticket includes complimentary admission to the Big Ten Fan Fest presented by Dr Pepper, to be held at the Indiana Convention Center on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 6-7.
With a little luck, the Buckeyes will be back to hopefully complete the three-peat.
Stick to Sports
- Survey seeks input from Ohioans on walking/biking plans.
- Best deals during Amazon Prime Day.
- With ‘The Farewell’ set to release in August, can it be a summer hit at the theaters?
- Speaking of hits, early numbers are in from the Chinese release of ‘The Lion King.’
- On this day in history: (1799) The Rosetta Stone is found.