Buckeye Bits: Former Buckeyes on CFB HoF ballot, QB success under Ryan Day, TBT bracket announced, more

Welcome to Buckeye Bits on this fine Tuesday evening. All of the major sports — outside of Major League Baseball (thanks a lot, ownership) — seem to be on track to get back up and running sometime in the near future. When it comes to college football, players have returned to campus and are taking part in voluntary workouts, where strength coach Mickey Marotti is making sure everyone gets back to game speed at a safe pace.

We’ll hopefully get to see our Buckeyes on the field as expected, but until then all we can really do is wait and see. With that being said, let’s catch up on all the latest headlines from all around the Ohio State beat.

From around Land-Grant Holy Land...

• Basketball Buckeyes pick up steam on recruiting trail
  (Dan Hessler, LGHL)

Chris Holtmann has seen a lot of player movement in his short time at Ohio State, forcing him to put in a little bit of overtime when it comes to recruiting. On Monday, he and the rest of the Buckeyes staff spoke with a bunch of the nation’s top prospects as the team looks to rebuild its roster for the coming seasons (and hopefully finds a way to actually keep guys around).

• John Richards went from OSU coach to hated foe
  (Jim Baird, LGHL)

Ohio State and its 11th head coach in program history went through the equivalent of a bad breakup — one where you block your ex on all social media and refuse to attend any social gatherings where they may show up. John Richards left the Buckeyes after one season, and after losing to OSU as the head coach at Wisconsin, refused to schedule Ohio State for the remainder of his tenure.

• Madden NFL 21 trailer features Chase Young
  (Tia Johnston, LGHL)

Unfortunately there still isn't a new NCAA Football video game on the shelves right now, but fortunately for fans of Ohio State, there are a ton of former Buckeyes in the pros that you can play with in Madden. The newest edition of the game comes out this August, and the first trailer shows Chase Young beating up on some NFC East opponents — a precursor of what's to come in real life.

• Play Like a Girl podcast: Systemic racism in college football
  (Tia and Meredith, LGHL)

The Black Lives Matter movement and the protests that accompany them have really opened peoples’ eyes to the race issues in our current society. Sports are not exempt from these issues, and as we have now seen on more than a few occasions, just because a majority of the athletes in a sport like football are black does not mean they still don't struggle with the hardships of racial discrimination.

• Yesterday’s Buckeye Bits
  (Tia Johnston, LGHL)

Check out yesterday’s Buckeye Bits for all of Monday’s biggest headlines, including Ezekiel Elliott tasing positive for coronavirus (he’s fine), a big Ohio State tight end target committing to Tennessee, and a better description of what was actually involved in the waiver OSU football players were asked to sign upon their return to campus.

From around the gridiron...

• Mike Doss, James Laurinaitis, Chris Ward on CFB Hall of Fame ballot
  (Nathan Baird, Cleveland.com)

The latest ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame went out on Tuesday, and on the 78-man list were three former Buckeyes: Mike Doss, James Laurinaitis, and Chris Ward. The selections will be announced sometime in early 2021, and only first-team All-Americans are eligible after 10 full seasons have passed since then end of their college careers. The full ballot can be viewed here.

• Is this good? I feel like this is good. Also, of course Iowa is leading in the tight end department (and I'm kind of shocked Wisconsin isn’t leading in offensive line).

• Ohio State hasn’t exactly been known for it’s quarterback play over the course of program history, but that is changing under Ryan Day. According to 247Sports, the Buckeyes are second in the country to only Oklahoma in producing NFL talent at the QB position over the last five years, and they’ll certainly be adding another one with Justin Fields in 2021.

• Buckeyes deep enough that Fab Four receivers don't need to be rushed
  (Austin Ward, Lettermen Row)

It’s been well documented that Ohio State brought in a ridiculous haul of wide receiver talent in the 2020 class, headlined by five-stars in Julian Fleming and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. While any of the four incoming freshman are likely good enough to start, it isn’t the end of the world if they aren’t ready right out of the gate, as the Buckeyes have some incredible depth at the position this season.

• On Tuesday, Ohio State announced its athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2020, and on it were two former members of the Buckeyes football program. Aaron Brown, a three-year starter at nose tackle for OSU and a letterman from 1974 through 1977, and Regis Monahan, a team captain at guard in 1934, were the lone football players to be inducted in the newest class. He is joined by Francis Schmidt, who coached Ohio State from 1934-1940 and was the originator of the gold pants tradition for beating Michigan.

From around the hardwood...

• The TBT announced its official field of 24 for the tournament which will take place in Columbus beginning July 4 and going through July 14. Making the cut are three teams with Ohio State ties: Carmen’s Crew, Big X and the Red Scare (Dayton). Ironically, this trio of squads will all be competing on the same side of the bracket, with Carmen’s Crew facing the winner of Big X vs. Red Scare in the quarterfinals.

• Also included in Ohio State’s Hall of Fame Class of 2020 is former women’s basketball star Samantha Prahalis. Ranking in the top 10 in program history in nearly every statistical category, Prahalis still holds the record for career assists in the Big Ten with 901, and is one of just three players in NCAA history with 2,000 career points and 900 career assists. Prahalis was a two-time All-American, and was named the 2012 Big Ten Player of the Year.

From everywhere else...

• In the latest rankings by U.S. News and World Report, Nationwide Children's Hospital came in at No. 8 overall among the top children’s hospitals in the nation. It was one of two Ohio hospitals to make the top 10, with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center coming in at No. 3.

• Brian Hartline is subscribing to the look good, play good mentality and he and his kids get haircuts after not being able to do so for a while as a result of the pandemic.

• Ohio State is always on the forefront of the latest technologies, and that is no different when it comes to COVID-19 testing. Researchers are working on a cheap and easy test for the virus that would require just a simple breathalyzer test and could give results within 15 seconds.