Land-Grant Holy Land - Cotton Bowl 2017: Ohio State vs. USChttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46551/lghl-fave.png2017-12-30T16:29:02-05:00http://www.landgrantholyland.com/rss/stream/164960712017-12-30T16:29:02-05:002017-12-30T16:29:02-05:00Ohio State’s QB room could stay stacked with Joe Burrow ‘leaning toward staying’
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<img alt="Ohio State v Rutgers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YI2N1e9b-2REJqwzeQaj5f-K-4M=/0x76:3688x2535/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58155891/856088202.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Plus, Urban Meyer and Kerry Coombs react to Denzel Ward’s decision to sit and declare early.</p> <h3 id="P9YcaM">“I came to terms with it the last couple weeks. Either way, no matter what I do, I’m going to have to come out and compete somewhere. I felt like I got a lot better in the last couple weeks of bowl practice and that was good.”</h3>
<h4 id="wqFFPp">
<em>-</em><a href="https://www.landof10.com/ohio-state/ohio-state-football-joe-burrow-transfer-staying-jt-barrett"><em>Joe Burrow, via William Kosileski of Land of 10</em></a>
</h4>
<p id="pIJmii">The quarterback room at Ohio State has always been filled with more talent than roster spots, and more potential No. 1 than starting opportunities. The latest round of QB controversy focuses on the future of the Buckeye offense now that the <span>J.T. Barrett</span> era is officially behind us. </p>
<p id="HXHUKv">Heading into the 2017 season, the battle for the No. 2 QB spot was neck-and-neck between Joe Burrow and <span>Dwayne Haskins</span>, but with a hand injury and related surgery for Burrow, Haskins took the garbage time snaps and became the clear backup for <span>Barrett</span> throughout the season. As Ohio State also boasts <span>Tate Martell</span>, who just finished his redshirt season, and added yet another potential-filled QB with the 2018 recruiting class.</p>
<p id="FaM2fr">As the quarterback room gets more crowded, Joe Burrow has a decision to make — and soon — about where he plans to play ball in 2018. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/transfer-rumors">Transfer rumors</a> started mid-season, but have certainly seen an upswing in recent weeks. As noted in the Land of 10 article above, <a href="https://www.landof10.com/ohio-state/ohio-state-football-joe-burrow-transfer-staying-jt-barrett">Burrow was blunt</a>, “I don’t know. I’m leaning towards staying.”</p>
<p id="9s0Jlx">He won’t have too long to hedge on his decision, and will have to let Buckeye coaches know soon.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="OIRFMa">
<h3 id="8l7Q4x">“But this game proved one thing to me: the committee got it right. Neither No. 5 Ohio State nor No. 8 USC deserved to be included in the playoff.”</h3>
<h4 id="QSaO8A">
<em>-</em><a href="https://www.thelantern.com/2017/12/opinion-ohio-state-proved-in-cotton-bowl-the-college-football-playoff-committee-got-it-right/"><em>Edward Sutelan, The Lantern</em></a>
</h4>
<p id="8dkSql">With the way Ohio State played last night, especially the defense, questions quickly arose following the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/cotton-bowl">Cotton Bowl</a> win about the team’s potential in the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-playoff">College Football Playoff</a>. And while parts of the team could certainly compete against some of the top-4 teams playing on New Years Day, the offense still struggled enough to pump the brakes on the “Buckeyes were robbed” takes.</p>
<p id="fXPrmx">Both the Big Ten champions and Pac-12 champions being left out of the CFP was a hotly debated topic for weeks, but those talks should have been put to bed with the way the game played out. Certainly competing as top-10 teams, neither sides offense was enough to say they’d have succeeded against a defense like Alabama. That’s just silly.</p>
<p id="ir97qM">It was still a good step for the Buckeyes, who were still fighting off flashbacks of a scoreless bowl game last season against Clemson. Beating a familiar foe in the postseason will give Urban Meyer and team some motivation and momentum heading into 2018, and will hopefully give next year’s squad a better chance of making a run in the CFP. It’s hard to imagine they would have finished on the same positive note had they snagged that final spot in the top-4 this season.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="tL80wO">
<h3 id="POPemW">“We’ve had ongoing conversations. He practiced every day. We prepared for him not to play. I mean that would be foolish not to. So we practiced a lot of guys in those roles, which is why I think they played so well.”</h3>
<h4 id="AZzUg0">
<em>-</em><a href="https://theozone.net/2017/12/urban-meyer-kerry-coombs-denzel-wards-decision-sit/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter"><em>Kerry Coombs, via Tony Gerdeman of TheOzone</em></a>
</h4>
<p id="e2CObi">Denzel Ward’s seemingly last minute decision to skip the Cotton Bowl and forego his final year of eligibility for the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft">NFL draft</a> was a bit of a shocker. Except to those around him for the past few weeks. </p>
<p id="fSLqqw">Following the win over USC, both Urban Meyer and Kerry Coombs spoke about Ward’s decision to sit out of the bowl game, and how they went about preparing for his potential absence. Ward’s decision to still participate in bowl game practices and his honesty about being on the fence, allowed some of the younger guys to prepare for a role they don’t normally take -- and the results were successful on Friday.</p>
<p id="7lsuZs">Meyer spoke about how the discussions among Ward and his family were ongoing following the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/big-ten-championship-game">Big Ten Championship</a> game, and that the talks weren’t taken lightly. The group discussed options for Ward to only play on third-downs or on special teams, but ultimately he decided to sit out altogether. The coaches may not have been made aware of Ward’s final decision until the day before the game, but they had been preparing for that outcome for weeks.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="TgRVqy">
<h3 id="moNH4r">“Ward staying with the Buckeyes to be a part of the team and continuing to mentor his younger fellow DBs helps them out, and they get to shine on the bowl stage while he looks on as a supportive teammate.”</h3>
<h4 id="FhvaDO">
<em>-</em><a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/12/29/16832178/ohio-state-cornerback-sits-out-bowl-game"><em>Richard Johnson, SB Nation</em></a>
</h4>
<p id="F4LqwO">Will Denzel Ward skipping the bowl game look bad to NFL scouts? Probably not. </p>
<p id="vAAQyY">It’s become somewhat of the norm over the past few years, with two of the top running backs (<span>Christian McCaffrey</span>, Leonard Fournette) setting a real precedent and skipping their bowl games. Still, it’s not something Ohio State players and fans really expected from one of their own. <span>Sam Hubbard</span> was emphatic following the Big Ten Championship that he wouldn’t even consider skipping a bowl game, that he’s playing with and for his brothers.</p>
<p id="klhjNy">Now we know, even Buckeye players could make the decision to sit out of a big-time bowl game to protect their bodies and draft stock. It’s a selfish decision, but not in a bad way. The game of football is a tough one and any given play could lead to a career-ending injury, sometimes when you weigh the risks, they just aren’t worth it. </p>
<p id="bs0258">Ward is still expected to be a first or second-round pick, and will now get ready to show off during the 2018 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-combine">NFL Scouting Combine</a> -- to which, I’m sure he’ll get and accept an invite.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="xP66hO">
<h3 id="U5uSGB">“College football fans are never quite going to agree on <span>J.T. Barrett</span>. He might simultaneously be <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/10/17/16487798/jt-barrett-ohio-state-football-2017">the most underrated</a> and overrated quarterback in Ohio State history.”</h3>
<p id="uprEww">-<a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/12/30/16832908/jt-barrett-ohio-state-football">Bill Connelly, SB Nation</a></p>
<p id="q4mWCx">Anyone who has followed Ohio State football since 2014 has noticed the ebb and flow with quarterback J.T. Barrett’s performances. He was never able to recapture the consistent precision and explosion from his first year as the starting QB for the Buckeyes — filling in for <span>Braxton Miller</span> just weeks before the start of the year. </p>
<p id="6E17qW">The QB competition with <span>Cardale Jones</span> in 2015 seemed to crush his spirit, and set him up for a lot more inconsistencies throughout the duration of his Ohio State career. With top receivers turning the NFL, Barrett was the leader among a very young #Zone6 for much of 2016. He took the Buckeyes on yet another CFP run this season, that somehow saw losses to both Oklahoma and Iowa before finishing the season in the Cotton Bowl.</p>
<p id="DUcZRM">With a taste of how good he was early on in his career, the ups and downs weren’t taken very lightly among fans, who were (as always) highly critical of the lackluster passing game and Barrett run-heavy offensive game plan. But having claimed 22-plus school records, and a host of Big Ten conference records -- <a href="https://www.landgrantholyland.com/2017/12/29/16832142/ohio-state-jt-barrett-big-ten-record-total-offense-drew-brees">including most total offense, usurping Drew Brees during the Cotton Bowl</a>.— it’s hard to imagine all of those frustrating things he did in-game wont eventually be forgotten, and legends of his stat lines will live on.</p>
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<h3 id="PBK1Oi">STICK TO SPORTS</h3>
<ul>
<li id="ej50mT">A <a href="http://nbc4i.com/2017/12/30/ringo-starr-bee-gee-barry-gibb-tapped-as-british-knights/">Beatle and a Bee Gee were just tapped</a> as British Knights. No, seriously.</li>
<li id="9ZTAAp">Dec. 30th is National Bacon Day, so go out and celebrate! And if you’re in Columbus, <a href="http://nbc4i.com/2017/12/30/celebrate-bacon-day-in-central-ohio/">here’s a few ways to honor the day</a>.</li>
<li id="536AhL">As Foodies far and wide start preparing their pallets for cuisine in 2018, here’s a look at <a href="https://www.eater.com/2017/12/29/16826078/2017-food-trends-restaurants-dining">some of the top food trends</a> from 2017.</li>
</ul>
<p id="xnxF8t"></p>
https://www.landgrantholyland.com/2017/12/30/16833148/ohio-state-news-joe-burrow-maybe-staying-coaches-react-denzel-wardAlexis Chassen2017-12-30T12:59:02-05:002017-12-30T12:59:02-05:00Sacks, turnovers, and an inefficient run game made for a strangely low-scoring Cotton Bowl
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Cotton Bowl-Ohio State vs Southern California" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ccvN0tUku5YC5dNY42kEd57jTy8=/0x205:4030x2892/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58155243/usa_today_10505855.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It didn’t go as expected, but Ohio State nevertheless got a 17-point win over a top-10 team</p> <p id="kbMsPs">It feels like the end of an era at Ohio State with <span>J.T. Barrett</span> playing his last game and a significant percentage of the Rushmen moving on to the NFL. </p>
<p id="FVB3ZR">But it was a fitting end to the era, and largely representative of Ohio State football since the end of the 2014 season: an underwhelming offensive performance, lots of J.T. running, and still a double-digit win over a top-ten team. </p>
<p id="C9VHb9">It was also a surprising snoozer of a game. Despite both offenses ranking in the top-15 of the offensive S&P+ rankings, all points but one Ohio State field goal — or 90.3% — followed turnovers. And the second half was entirely scoreless. </p>
<p id="JfU1rx"><strong>Ohio State’s win can be described almost entirely by three stats</strong>: </p>
<ol>
<li id="dn3v8T">+3 turnover margin</li>
<li id="E1XJQh">32% defensive havoc rate </li>
<li id="AMVCua">1.4 points allowed per USC scoring opportunity</li>
</ol>
<div id="R92CVR"><div data-anthem-component="table:827840"></div></div>
<p id="VRqVQE">In the table above, scoring opportunity efficiency looks at the average points scored per scoring opportunity -- drives with a first down past the opponents' 40-yard line. Drive efficiency looks at the percentage of drives that were scoring opportunities. Rushing opportunity rate is the % of runs that gained five or more yards. Rushing stuff rate is the % of runs that were for no gain or a loss. Explosive plays are those that gain 15 or more yards. The entire fourth quarter was filtered out due to garbage time adjustments kicking in, with Ohio State up by 17 points. </p>
<p id="7mKMWe">Here are my takeaways from the <a href="https://www.landgrantholyland.com/2017/12/28/16825244/ohio-state-usc-cotton-bowl-stats-probability-2017">Cotton Bowl preview</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p id="ZWiiUO">Ohio State should be able to run on the Trojans defense, which ranks 53rd in rushing S&P+.</p>
<p id="MwsCiz">The Buckeye offense should also create some big plays, since the Trojans rank 115th in plays of 20+ yards allowed.</p>
<p id="iOENTB">The Trojans pass defense is good though, as they rank 12th in opponent-adjusted passing S&P+.</p>
<p id="tfb1e1"><span>Sam Darnold</span> is a great quarterback leading the 8th-ranked passing S&P+ offense in the country, so the key to stopping the Trojans offense might be in creating negative run plays (USC is 54th in stuff rate and Ohio State is 15th).</p>
<p id="C0tpN1">Forcing field goals should be a top priority, as USC is just 74th in red zone touchdown percentage.</p>
<p id="T7VXxP">Ultimately though, Ohio State has been highly volatile this season. So while on average the Buckeyes have been the better team, motivation to be there should be the game’s deciding factor.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2 id="JtxuIt">Offense: What happened to the run game? </h2>
<p id="vKjHod">The most obvious mismatch seemed to be the Ohio State rushing offense vs. the USC defense. It seemed like the Buckeyes could just run the ball all day and be in good shape. And maybe that would have happened, but the run game, like the offense overall, was incredibly disjointed all night. </p>
<p id="TJdqcj">Ohio State had a sub-40% rushing success rate. Barrett had 16 carries while Weber and Dobbins combined for 18. <span>Parris Campbell</span> had 42 rushing yards, more than either Weber or Dobbins. </p>
<p id="O9d3De">Part of that lack of success is due to the USC defense focusing on stopping the run. But the offensive line also failed to open big holes, and so Ohio State’s base run plays never really got established. Without establishing the basic inside zone, the run game morphed into the familiar Barrett-centric offense.</p>
<p id="T0dgwp">Barrett was easily the most reliable runner in the game, averaging 4.1 yards per carry to Dobbins’ 3 and Weber’s 3.6. Dobbins and Webers’ longest carries were for just 7 yards, while Barrett ripped off that 28-yard touchdown run. But without a reliable run game from Ohio State’s running backs, the offense as a whole couldn’t build drives by layering on constraint plays. That was very surprising given that USC ranked 53rd in rushing S&P+. </p>
<p id="62zSzs">The end result was an offensive performance that saw just two converted third downs, despite averaging only 5.3 yards to go, a 38.6% overall offensive success rate, and only creating scoring opportunities on a third of offensive drives. </p>
<p id="qpJjCi">One final note — Barrett actually had a slightly better passing success rate than Darnold: 37.5% to 35.5%. </p>
<h2 id="1h0Qka">Defense: Dominant performance from the Rushmen</h2>
<p id="n3B0GW">This was the most dominant that the Ohio State front seven has ever been. <a href="https://twitter.com/11W/status/947095938509737984">According to Eleven Warriors</a>, Ohio State recorded more sacks than any game since the 2007 season. Overall, the Buckeye defense created a havoc play on 32% of USC’s offensive snaps — an incredible percentage. </p>
<p id="hnBQTk">The defensive line’s pressure on the USC offensive line — which ranked a solid 26th in adjusted sack rate heading in to the game — was responsible for the turnovers. From the fire-zone blitz that resulted in Damon Webb’s pick-6, to <span>Tyquan Lewis</span>’ and <span>Jalyn Holmes</span>’ strip-sacks, the Buckeye defensive line played an absolutely elite game. Without going back and charting each defensive play, I’d guess that this was the most blitz-heavy defensive gameplan that Greg Schiano has called since coming to Ohio State (at least until the fourth quarter when the Buckeyes mostly stuck to just 4 pass rushers). </p>
<p id="wrTI76">And honestly, they kind of needed to, given how explosive Sam Darnold was through the air. Darnold had just a 35.5% passing success rate, but 55% of Darnold’s successful passes were explosive. If you include 14-yard completions (explosive plays are typically counted as 15+), then that percentage grows to 91% (and with a 32% overall passing explosiveness rate). Essentially, if Darnold completed a pass at all, then it was for more than 14 yards, and about a third of Darnold’s passing attempts overall were for 14 or more yards. </p>
<p id="dIr9zJ">When Darnold did have time to throw, the Ohio State secondary often looked mismatched. USC has a very talented group of receivers, but Okudah and Arnette were successfully targeted multiple times. It will be important for the secondary, and those two especially, to regain some confidence over the offseason. </p>
<p id="tl8ruB">Finally, the defense was incredible at bending but not breaking. USC had a respectable 45.5% drive efficiency (the percentage of possessions that result in a scoring opportunity), but only averaged 1.4 points per scoring opportunity — one touchdown after five trips inside the Ohio State 40-yard line. </p>
<h2 id="00m7Y1">Looking to 2018</h2>
<p id="QxoDmV">We have an entire offseason to talk about whether Ohio State can make the playoff and contend for a national championship again in 2018, but here are my big questions heading in to the offseason:</p>
<ol>
<li id="zLmGY0">Can Ohio State’s secondary rebuild after losing another first-round draft pick at corner and a senior safety? There was a big dropoff between Ward and everyone else this year. </li>
<li id="8bOYRb">Does Ohio State have enough depth at defensive end? This may be somewhat answered by how they can close out the recruiting class, but outside of the top 3 of Bosa, Young, and Cooper (all former five-star recruits), there’s pretty much no one. Does Ohio State move a slimmer tackle outside or try to bulk up an outside linebacker? Or will a freshman get immediate playing time? </li>
<li id="QRLjWE">Will Haskins, Burrow, or Martell grab hold of the starting job in the spring or will the competition continue into fall camp? How will the offensive playcalling change to suit the new quarterback? </li>
<li id="gTtWkH">What will the offensive line look like next season and can the Buckeyes be dominant enough up front to call non-read running play to running backs and still be effective? </li>
<li id="Puqgys">Is there a dominant, go-to receiver on the roster? </li>
</ol>
<p id="zRA5E6"></p>
https://www.landgrantholyland.com/2017/12/30/16832972/ohio-state-cotton-bowl-2017-stats-recap-sacks-turnovers-run-game-oh-myChad Peltier2017-12-30T11:47:01-05:002017-12-30T11:47:01-05:00Ohio State’s defense shines in Cotton Bowl victory against USC
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<img alt="Goodyear Cotton Bowl - USC v Ohio State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VFLP7PkOGgcN6vN-Bu8WbDU07kw=/0x0:4368x2912/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58154493/899672284.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>J.T. Barrett celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the last game of his career. | Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Sam Hubbard, Nick Bosa, Tyquan Lewis, and more decimated the Trojan offense. </p> <p id="k9spmy">For Ohio State, going into this game was more of a question of what could have been rather than a reflection on the season itself. One spot out of the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-playoff">College Football Playoff</a> (despite a <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/big-ten-championship-game">Big Ten Championship</a> Trophy) made this game feel a bit hollow, but also somewhat of a consolation prize. With nothing but pride to play for, the Buckeye defense demolished the University of Southern California, while the offense mostly watched. </p>
<p id="2ZLtwT">The Buckeyes showed flashes of the team that, at times, could beat anyone, and flashes of a team not deserving of a playoff spot with a turnover-filled extravaganza that included a scoreless second-half. While they did struggle mightily on offense, to their opposite was USC, who may have struggled more, including dismal offensive line play which gave up 8 sacks to the vaunted OSU defense, and 3 turnovers from their star quarterback, <span>Sam Darnold</span>. </p>
<p id="U4NR3U">At the end of the day, the Buckeyes locked up another likely top-5 finish, another 12-win season, another New Year’s Six bowl win, and a capstone on the long and storied career of signal-caller <span>J.T. Barrett</span>. J.T. may not have had the best game of his career but he still managed two touchdown runs and <a href="https://www.landgrantholyland.com/2017/12/29/16832142/ohio-state-jt-barrett-big-ten-record-total-offense-drew-brees">broke the record for offense</a> accounted for in the Big Ten and touchdowns accounted for in a season. It was a game for the record books and a somewhat fitting end for one of the best to ever do it for Ohio State. </p>
<h3 id="1Is74y">Blue chip stocks</h3>
<p id="H7ba3J"><span><strong>Damon Webb</strong></span><strong>, Saf:</strong> Playing in his last game, and with OSU star CB <span>Denzel Ward</span> sitting out, the Buckeye secondary needed something from one of its veterans and <span>Webb</span> delivered. Webb came up with an early fumble recovery off USC’s Deontay Burnett who was stripped of the ball after running and catching for what would have been a first down. Webb was not done yet as he read a second-quarter Darnold pass and stepped in front of it, and taking it untouched into the end-zone for a 23-yard touchdown. All that on top of 5 solo tackles made this a night to remember for Webb, and was a big part of the defensive shutdown that ensued. </p>
<p id="6sFIho"><span><strong>Sam Hubbard</strong></span><strong>, DE:</strong> <span>Hubbard</span> has been a defensive line standout his entire career and playing in his likely last game, the Junior continued to make his mark with the D-Line. Almost certainly leaving early for the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft">NFL Draft</a>, and a likely early-round draft pick, Hubbard dominated the line and recorded one of his best career games statistically. He finished with 2.5 sacks with another tackle-for-loss on top of that and was consistently wreaking havoc in the backfield. This defensive-line for Ohio State’s is undoubtedly one of the best assembled for the school, and this performance was yet another mark in their storied legacy, led by Hubbard. </p>
<h3 id="PBUIvz">Solid investments</h3>
<p id="UwlIhF"><span><strong>Drue Chrisman</strong></span><strong>, P: </strong>Chrisman has proven himself to be a very solid punter and he further solidified that, flipping the field when needed and booting some excellent punts. He finished with 7 punts and a 45.9 yard average, with three of those landing inside of the 20-yard line. The harrowing part was how often USC defenders seemed to come unblocked towards him during punts, but he managed to successfully get each one off and played a significant part of the consistent bad field position that USC maintained throughout the game. </p>
<p id="xkAVqb"><span><strong>Billy Price</strong></span><strong>, C: </strong>Throughout his Ohio State career <span>Billy Price</span> had a remarkable achievement, he never missed a game. The senior-center started every single game of his career, and performed remarkably well throughout. This trend didn’t stop yesterday as the Rimmington Trophy Award Winner (best center in the country) continued to be a consistent anchor of the offensive-line, and continued the tradition of <span>Pat Elflein</span> before him. The line will no doubt be different next year without him as he embarks on what should be a very long and successful NFL career. In his last game, he continued his tradition of being consistent and protecting <span>J.T. Barrett</span>, in a position that isn’t the flashiest but one of the most important. Hats off to Price for a fantastic Buckeye career and 4 years of consistent and solid O-Line play. </p>
<h3 id="VJV4cO">Junk Bonds</h3>
<p id="JxM1Ej"><strong>The Running Game: </strong>For some reason the running backs just could not get it going this game, and <span>J.K. Dobbins</span> and <span>Mike Weber</span> both struggled mightily at times. This could be for a variety of reasons including offensive-line play, but the most consistent running-back was <span>Parris Cambell</span> who ran off a few excellent shovel pass speed runs. If the game had been closer, the backs play could have proved costly, but in the end, it was just another game to move on from. With both Weber and Campbell having decisions to make about returning this could be the last time we see all three on the same field. </p>
<h3 id="OgyuSC">Buy/Sell</h3>
<p id="D1Am04"><strong>BUY: The Secondary. </strong>This was a question mark coming into the game with <span>Denzel Ward</span>, a likely first-round NFL draft pick, <a href="https://www.landgrantholyland.com/2017/12/29/16831854/ohio-state-defensive-back-denzel-ward-reportedly-to-miss-the-cotton-bowl">sitting out to protect his health</a>. This forced <span>Kendall Sheffield</span>, <span>Jeffrey Okudah</span>, and <span>Damon Arnette</span> to step up and stop the likely second-best quarterback they had faced all year. Despite giving up 356 yards of passing by Darnold, the secondary would consistently bend but did not break, and allowed no truly big plays for USC. They forced Darnold to have pinpoint accuracy, which he largely did, and for the most part, they held strong and seem to be still getting better, a good sign heading into next season. </p>
<p id="B7pZOX"><strong>SELL: The Offense. </strong>Coming into this game many expected the high-powered OSU offense to feast on the 23rd ranked nationally Trojan defense. The Trojans had looked weak against the run and were expected to overcommit stopping it, thus freeing up passing lanes. Instead the Buckeyes couldn’t get anything going on offense, passing or running, and managed just a dismal 3 points off drives they didn’t start coming off turnovers. Without 4 USC turnovers, this game easily could have ended differently due to the ineptitude of the offense. The saving grace was most likely J.T. Barrett, who in his last game had enough left in the tank, and in his legs, to propel the team to victory with his 2 rushing touchdowns. </p>
https://www.landgrantholyland.com/2017/12/30/16833080/ohio-state-defense-shines-2017-cotton-bowl-usc-victory-nick-bosa-sam-hubbardMax Littman2017-12-30T10:59:02-05:002017-12-30T10:59:02-05:004 things we learned from Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl dismantling of USC
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<img alt="Goodyear Cotton Bowl - USC v Ohio State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wauGM704z3YyR16Ap9gDBDNCcC8=/0x765:2205x2235/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58154393/899672262.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>In his swan song, Barrett guides the Buckeyes to one more bowl win. </p> <p id="YeBhXB">It may not have been a College Football Playoff win, but the <a href="https://www.landgrantholyland.com/">Ohio State Buckeyes</a> got the job done against the <a href="https://www.conquestchronicles.com/">USC Trojans</a>, 24-7, in the 82nd edition of the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/cotton-bowl">Cotton Bowl</a> Classic.</p>
<p id="pyrxFQ">In J.T. Barrett’s swan song, he quarterbacked the Scarlet and Gray to a win inside AT&T Stadium—the place where he would’ve QB’d had he not been injured <em>en route</em> to OSU’s 2014 national championship.</p>
<p id="d006fZ">For both Ohio State and USC, the focus shifts to next season. But, before we ride off into the offseason sunset, let’s take a look back and see what we learned from Friday night’s Cotton Bowl.</p>
<h3 id="GYWbgA">
<s>Defense</s> Turnovers Wins Championships</h3>
<p id="pQvTWg">Trojans’ QB <span>Sam Darnold</span> threw for 356 yards on 26-of-45 passing. That’s a pretty decent chunk of yardage against one of the best defenses in college football. USC also outgained OSU 413-277 on offense. However, Darnold threw a Pick-6 in the second quarter to eventual outstanding defensive player of the game <span>Damon Webb</span>, and fumbled the ball twice deep in OSU territory. Those turnovers led to 21 of Ohio State’s 24 points. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Only 1 other FBS player has more than Sam Darnold's 20 turnovers.<br><br>His latest turned into 6 points for the Buckeyes. <a href="https://t.co/oandDIRPqF">pic.twitter.com/oandDIRPqF</a></p>— ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/946933867902062592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2017</a>
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<p id="XY9iKA">There were a few more near interceptions from Darnold, too. Ohio State’s defense, who played without defensive back <span>Denzel Ward</span>, were ready for the bowl game—and it showed.</p>
<p id="8Nhey1">On the Buckeye side, one of their turnovers gave the Trojans life. <span>K.J. Hill</span> muffed a punt in the second quarter at the OSU 14. That costly turnover was converted into the only points for USC. </p>
<p id="1UVMVs">In total, a combined five turnovers were committed in the Cotton Bowl. Of the total 31 points both teams put up on the scoreboard, 28 of them came following a turnover. Holding onto the football is pretty important; let the Cotton Bowl be “Exhibit A” for how games can swing off of costly turnovers.</p>
<h3 id="LwOCeb">A successful homecoming</h3>
<p id="3x38Qx">Not only did Barrett played in his final game as an Ohio State Buckeye, but he also got to do it in his home state in one of the biggest bowl games on the season against a traditional Rose Bowl rival for OSU.</p>
<p id="hiM5uu">While the Buckeyes weren’t a high-flying team in the final 30 minutes, the 24 first half points were enough to seal the deal. Barrett was responsible for both Buckeye rushing touchdowns, and threw three chunk passes in the first half. On one of the longest drives of the night, Barrett led the Buckeyes from their own eight yardline all the way down to the USC 9. The Wichita Falls, Texas native hit two big passes to wide out <span>Austin Mack</span>; one of those plays, a 33-yard completion, came off a third-and-8 from the OSU 10. Granted, the drive only netted three points, but Barrett meticulously moved the team across the field. </p>
<p id="yNiPXa">The second half didn’t feature drives (and points) as seen in the first 30 minutes of play, but the let down didn’t happen. Urban Meyer may have employed “Treeselball” tactics, but everything went without a hitch, and OSU walked away from Jerry World with their second Cotton Bowl trophy. </p>
<p id="790lWO">On top of that, Barrett broke Drew Brees’ Big Ten record for total offense. Barrett eclipsed the mark of 12,692 and put himself atop <em>another</em> all-time list. Arguably Ohio State’s most prolific quarterback, Barrett ends his career with 12,697 yards and another offensive MVP award in a bowl game—he was awarded the Sanford Trophy (outstanding offensive player of the Cotton Bowl). Back at the 2016 Fiesta Bowl, Barrett was the offensive player of the game in the Buckeyes’ 44-28 win against Notre Dame. </p>
<h3 id="3w3QME">The streak is over (and others begin)</h3>
<p id="kKWkat">USC has been a bugaboo for Ohio State, with the Bucks losing their previous seven encounters with the Trojans. Jim Tressel dropped both his meetings to the Trojans, as did John Cooper. Earl Bruce lost both meetings to John McKay’s Trojans in 1979 and 1985 by a combined four points in Rose Bowl contests. Woody Hayes lost 18-17 in the Rose Bowl to USC in 1975.</p>
<p id="cBiEiJ">Hayes secured the last win against USC in 1974, a 42-21 win. </p>
<p id="NqQBWT">It’s been such a long time since the Buckeyes claimed a victory against the Men of Troy, but, alas, it happened on Friday night. The win snaps a 7-game losing streak, and lifts the Big Ten a little higher this postseason.</p>
<p id="cq7UGK">So far, the first five bowl games that the Big Ten has played in have all been victories. Purdue won the Foster Farms Bowl in a thriller with Arizona, Michigan State rolled to a Holiday Bowl win, Northwestern hung on against Kentucky in the Music City Bowl, and Iowa fended off Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl. </p>
<p id="f0H69G">Like beating USC, it’s a weird feeling to see the Big Ten winning in the postseason. I’m not complaining about that—I think it’s <em>muy bueno</em> that the Big Ten is laying waste to the opposition so far. </p>
<p id="2S9UYA">While we’re on the topic of winning, the Buckeyes now improve to 2-0 all-time at AT&T Stadium. The last time that they were there, they defeated Oregon for the inaugural <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-playoff-national-championship">College Football Playoff national championship</a>. Also, the Bucks are 2-0 in Cotton Bowls. They took down Texas A&M in 1987—a win that was fueled behind two(!) Pick-6s. </p>
<p id="e6H5ii">Ohio State’s 24-7 lead at the break was the ninth time they headed into halftime with the lead this season. In all nine games, they won. </p>
<p id="n9116W">And one last oddity: Since the Cotton Bowl moved from its namesake venue in Dallas to AT&T Stadium in Arlington in 2009, the nine winners have all been different. Three of them have come from the Big Ten. Michigan State beat Baylor in 2015, Wisconsin beat Western Michigan last season, and Ohio State won this season.</p>
<h3 id="nCNfK6">
<span>Tyquan Lewis</span> is a good guy</h3>
<p id="O9t3Az">In the waning moments of the game, drama ensued. Darnold rushed out of bounds but was hit by Malik Harrison. The play appeared to be a late hit, which then ignited pushing, shoving, and instigating from the USC bench—one of their players was eventually ejected from the game because of this kerfuffle.</p>
<p id="H497MI">On the initial hit, though, an ESPN parabolic microphone operator was clipped by Darnold as he was pushed by Harrison. As the pushing and shoving began, Buckeye defensive lineman <span>Tyquan Lewis</span> made sure to go over and check to make sure she was okay.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">In all this scrum of the <a href="https://twitter.com/OhioStateFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OhioStateFB</a> game kudos to Tyquan Lewis who was trying to help the lady for <a href="https://twitter.com/espn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@espn</a> showing tremendous character. Those times r when character really shows. <a href="https://t.co/qCYA6vNJBQ">pic.twitter.com/qCYA6vNJBQ</a></p>— Steve Thompson (@EurekaAD) <a href="https://twitter.com/EurekaAD/status/946971750360928256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2017</a>
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<p id="P1upx8">Lewis practically shielded the operator from the extracurricular activities. Personally, that is worthy of player of the game honorable mention. </p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="OWqWSU">
<p id="ExQgRv">What did you learn from the Cotton Bowl? Let us know in the comment section. </p>
https://www.landgrantholyland.com/2017/12/30/16832892/ohio-state-usc-cotton-bowl-analysis-2017Geoff Hammersley2017-12-30T00:17:23-05:002017-12-30T00:17:23-05:00Ohio State uses huge first half to get past USC in Cotton Bowl, 24-7
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Cotton Bowl-Ohio State vs Southern California" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/cO3iFo1eDbyXxM9jjHsGRmmCKYI=/0x0:2799x1866/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58152553/usa_today_10505087.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Buckeyes scored 24 points, as USC committed three turnovers in the first 30 minutes of play. </p> <p id="gy368X">In the early going, the <a href="https://www.landgrantholyland.com/">Ohio State Buckeyes</a> came out firing on all cylinders against the <a href="https://www.conquestchronicles.com/">USC Trojans</a>. A fumble on USC’s first drive led to OSU quarterback <span>J.T. Barrett</span> securing the first score of the game via a 2-yard rush. From there, the Buckeyes controlled the game, defeating the Trojans 24-7<strong> </strong>in the 82nd edition of the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/cotton-bowl">Cotton Bowl</a> Classic.</p>
<p id="MdaxAp">For the game, the three-time Buckeye captain passed for 114<strong> </strong>yards on 11-of-17 passing. On the ground, Barrett picked up 66 yards on 16 carries; he also scored two touchdowns on the ground, too. In the fourth quarter, Barrett passed Drew Brees’ mark for total offense by a Big Ten player. He got the accolade in his 50th and final game as a Buckeye. </p>
<p id="UDESzj">The other storyline for the night was the Buckeyes’ defense. USC quarterback <span>Sam Darnold</span> was pressured all night, and struggled to find receivers. Darnold was sacked <strong>e</strong><strong>ight </strong>times on the night, and went 26-of-44 for 356<strong> </strong>yards. Darnold committed three turnovers that tipped the momentum towards Ohio State. He threw a Pick-6, and fumbled the ball in the second quarter; and fumbled the ball again deep in OSU’s territory in the fourth quarter. </p>
<p id="VH6RSw">By defeating the Trojans, the Scarlet and Gray broke a 7-game streak of losses to the Southern California program. Prior to the Cotton Bowl, the last time that Ohio State secured a win against USC was in 1975—when Archie Griffin was the running back. </p>
<p id="braamB">With the win, OSU ends the season 12-2 and improves the Big Ten’s stock this postseason. USC falls to 11-3, and adds to the Pac-12’s struggles in this bowl season. </p>
<p id="Tzd3J6">Here’s how this one went down.</p>
<p id="73RDTl">The opening kickoff from <span>Blake Haubeil</span> soared 63 yards into the air, and was fielded by Velus Jones for 12 yards. The return put USC on their own 14—but disaster would strike on the third play of the game for the Men of Troy. </p>
<p id="H4yXk6"><span>Deontay Burnett</span> caught a slant route on third-and-6 and went 16 yards, however, <span>Kendall Sheffield</span> knocked the ball out. <span>Damon Webb</span> scooped up the ball and went 20 yards to the USC 19. </p>
<p id="vXiOOz">A Dobbins rush, followed by a third down completion from Barrett to <span>Marcus Baugh</span> set the Bucks up at the USC 2. Two plays later, Barrett dove to the end zone from a yard out. </p>
<p id="F40X4M">The Texas native got the first score, and put the Buckeyes up 7-0. </p>
<p id="cYu3kM">USC would get the ball back with 12:19 left in the first quarter. <span>Ronald Jones</span> opened up the drive for six yards. Then Darnold used two big pass plays—including a 27-yard sideline pass to <span>Tyler Vaughns</span>—to get to the OSU 37. But, the Trojans’ drive would stall as a questionable defensive pass interference on cornerback <span>Jeffrey Okudah</span> wasn’t called, much to the dismay of the USC bench.</p>
<p id="CP2KL0"><span>Reid Budrovich</span> booted the ball on a punt to <span>K.J. Hill</span>, putting the starting point of OSU’s second drive at their own 10. <span>Parris Campbell</span> opened up drive #2 with a six yard run; <span>Mike Weber</span> then took a completion and a rush for seven yards and one yard, respectively. The drive then went stale as an incompletion, and a third-down sack forced <span>Drue Chrisman</span> to punt. </p>
<p id="vRYBUB">As the Trojans were still looking for their first points of the game, their third drive left more to be desired. Darnold hit 2-of-4 passes, but missed on a third-and-5 attwmpt. (Actually, his receiver, Burnett, caught the ball out of the air—but Sheffield pried it loose as they both hit the ground.)</p>
<p id="3YShWE">With 5:01, the Scarlet and Gray were back on the attack. The subsequent OSU drive took 13 plays and marched 83 yards down the field. Short yard rushes and a big reception by <span>Austin Mack</span> for 33 yards at the start of the drive helped set up <span>Sean Nuernberger</span> for a 26-yard field goal. Barrett made two big plays on the drive: a 10-yard sweep to the left side of the field on a third-and-12, and a 16-yard play on the following snap—a fourth-and-2. </p>
<p id="nJuOPY">After the ensuing kickoff, the turnover bug struck the Trojans again. This time, Darnold telegraphed a pass right to <span>Damon Webb</span>, who sprinted 23 yards the other way for a touchdown. Ohio State was off to a commanding 17-0 lead with 14:42 left in the half.</p>
<p id="tpX7dC">USC opened up their next drive with a headful of steam. Jones darted for 17 yards, nearly getting to midfield. On the next play, a 4-yard rush put the Trojans at their own 49. But, things would cool off in a hurry. Jones surrendered those four yards back on the next play, and Darnold threw the ball away on third down. The punt unit came back on—and OSU went back on offense. </p>
<p id="1tx3BQ">This would be one of Ohio State’s least productive drives of the first half, ending in a three-and-out. Dobbins opened up the drive with a seven-yard carry, then Baugh caught a 2-yard pass; Dobbins on third-and-1 was stopped—and pushed back a yard. Chrisman would be called on to punt, and sent the ball to the USC 12.</p>
<p id="ZLGMGn">Needing a score, USC had to get points on this drive. A big third-and-5 completion to Michael Pittman for 20 yards propelled USC to their own 42. Darnold then took off for 14 yards, then followed that play up with a 14-yard completion. Working their way down to the OSU 23, Darnold rushed to get a third-and-5 snap off. This proved to be costly, as the pocket collapsed—enabling him to be sacked. That wasn’t the only thing that happened; Darnold had the ball poked loose by Tyquan Lewis. Jerome Baker picked the ball up and raced down the field for 13 yards.</p>
<p id="1t8u10">At their own 41, Barrett hit Mike Weber for a 16-yard screen pass. USC compounded their woes by committing a face mask penalty, giving OSU 15 free yards. On the next play, Barrett went around his left tackle and took off for the remaining 28 yards for a touchdown. </p>
<p id="ZDac1N">Ohio State had a commanding 24-0 lead with 5:27 left in the second quarter.</p>
<p id="kNdtg8">USC didn’t materialize any points on their next drive. Once again, a pass heavy drive centered around Darnold had one chunk play (a 32-yard snag by Pittman) but nothing outside of that. <span>Reid Budrovich</span>’s 52-yard punt placed OSU on their own 14, however, Hill was running back for the ball with outstretched arms. This caused him to fumble it, and USC recovered. Hill was shaken up on the play—he took a helmet to the left shoulder as he dove for the ball.</p>
<p id="LqY8nm">The Buckeyes’ misfortune was turned into the Trojans first points of the game, courtesy of a three play, 15-yard march. </p>
<p id="atjcEN">Both teams traded scoreless drives in the remaining two minutes of the half, bringing us to halftime with Ohio State leading 24-7.</p>
<p id="jA0FMF">Here’s what the first half stats looked like.</p>
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<p id="rFXvja">Coming off the break, Ohio State would get the ball first. Parris Campbell took a reverse sweep for 21 yards to the far side of the field. A no-gain by Dobbins, followed by an 8-yard catch by Austin Mack brought OSU to a third-and-2 situation. Barrett took the ball on a sweep, but came up a yard short. On fourth-and-1, Urban Meyer elected to go for it; Barrett took the ball up the middle, but was stopped just inches short of the first down line. The play was reviewed, but the play stood. For the first time, the spot was not good. </p>
<p id="VH746a">With the ball on their own 42, USC had a chance to get back in the game. This would not be the drive that would spark the feared comeback. Darnold went 1-for-3 for two yards on the drive—leading to another three-and-out.</p>
<p id="vxXYp1">OSU got the ball on their own 25 following the USC punt. On their first drive of the second half, the Buckeyes followed a similar fate as their Trojan counterparts. After Barrett’s 16-yard rush, the Scarlet and Gray failed to gain anything on their following three plays. Chrisman came back on to punt; this time, he kicked it 54 yards into the end zone for a touchback. </p>
<p id="TFgt3K">A potent rushing attack moved USC on this drive. Aca’Cedric Ware and Jones were the go-tos on the first three plays of this series. Darnold would then atone for an incompletion with an 18-yard pass completion on a third-and-17. Jones had two more 1-yard rushes before Darnold took a heave down field. From the OSU 33, Darnold missed Steve Mitchell for a near TD. (Fans in the arena, though, thought there was a clear defensive pass interference call that didn’t get noticed). On the next play, Darnold took a sack that put USC out of field goal range. A punt was incoming, again.</p>
<p id="7H5FbI">USC’s punt pinned the Buckeyes on their own 15. Dobbins had two rushes that combined for six yards, and a pass on third-and-5 fell incomplete to a well guarded Mack. </p>
<p id="gfFLFu">However, the referees thought Mack was a little too well guarded. Pass interference was called on USC, giving OSU a fresh set of downs. They couldn’t take advantage of the gift, though. Campbell lost three yards, and Barrett hit Baugh for nine yards over the middle; the third down pass fell short to the receiver. Chrisman nearly got the punt blocked, but managed to kick it 34 yards to the USC 24. </p>
<p id="L2f9RF">Darnold made two big passes in the early going on the next drive. A 17-yard pass to Pittman and a 37-yard sideline one-foot-in-bound snag by Vaughns put the Trojans on the OSU 16. But, a misfire by Darnold and rushes that were stuffed forced <span>Chase McGrath</span> to kick a 28-yard field goal. </p>
<p id="9ijD5w">McGrath’s kick would hit the far right upright—and continued the tough night for USC. </p>
<p id="gNRFV4">After another uneventful drive for OSU (that included another Barrett sack), USC went back on offense. The Buckeye defense gave up another big pass play (a 30-yard completion to Vaughns) but came up big when they had to. Down inside the Buckeye red zone after an Okudah pass interference, Darnold was bouncing around in the pocket looking to throw, and when he finally decided on a target, <span>Jalyn Holmes</span> hit his hand—causing the ball to come loose. <span>Robert Landers</span> picked up the ball and OSU’s fourth turnover recovery of the night at the 8:04 mark of the fourth quarter.</p>
<p id="8jc3qm">From there, the Buckeyes were all roses and had the Cotton Bowl victory sealed up.</p>
https://www.landgrantholyland.com/2017/12/30/16832120/ohio-state-usc-cotton-bowl-final-score-recap-2017Geoff Hammersley2017-12-29T23:43:10-05:002017-12-29T23:43:10-05:00J.T. Barrett passes Drew Brees for Big Ten total offense record
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Cotton Bowl-Ohio State vs Southern California" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pMnliWjsbpXhjWYkfL0-Ov-67hk=/0x165:4347x3063/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58152383/usa_today_10504652.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>With over 175 offensive yards in the Cotton Bowl, the Ohio State quarterback now holds another record.</p> <p id="WOaeAu">It seems fitting that in J.T. Barrett’s 50th and final game as the quarterback for Ohio State, he goes and breaks yet another record; this time the Big Ten all-offense record. Heading into the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/cotton-bowl">Cotton Bowl</a> matchup against USC, Barrett needed just 175 yards to tie the record previously held by Purdue’s Drew Brees (12,692 yards). </p>
<p id="C1LY2m">Barrett broke the record on one of his few downfield completions of the game, a 20-yard connection with tight end Marcus Baugh, nearly three minutes into the fourth quarter. Barrett finished his career with 12,697 yards. </p>
<p id="XbdnsT">This was one of the few school and conference records that the fifth-year quarterback hadn’t yet broken in his legendary career, and now #16 has claimed one more top spot. His legacy at Ohio State has been marred with untimely injuries and QB controversies, but Barrett has been a leader since the beginning and his effort and dedication has never been questioned since first suiting up in the Scarlet and Gray.</p>
<p id="mEsdmJ">Heading into his final game leading the Buckeyes, Barrett was already one of the most decorated players to ever compete at Ohio State, holding over 20 school records as he finishes his collegiate career. Before the bowl game, Barrett had just under 3,000 passing yards (2,939) and 732 rushing yards, along with 104 and 41 touchdowns, respectively.</p>
<p id="LYrznV">As Barrett’s Ohio State career comes to a close, it’s nice to see that he’s once again cemented himself in both Buckeye and Big Ten history.</p>
<p id="KAeP5E">(Plus, he’s now bested just about every record held by <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl">Super Bowl</a>-winning QB Drew Brees, and that’s pretty cool.)</p>
https://www.landgrantholyland.com/2017/12/29/16832142/ohio-state-jt-barrett-big-ten-record-total-offense-drew-breesAlexis Chassen2017-12-29T20:14:32-05:002017-12-29T20:14:32-05:00Ohio State defensive back Denzel Ward decided to sit out the Cotton Bowl on gameday
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Ohio State vs Wisconsin" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4WnI8rDpqNpmXUa0N1xl3ayhGG0=/0x0:2064x1376/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58151209/usa_today_10454779.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The All-American practiced with the team while he “wrestled with the decision.”</p> <p id="jIgVBq"><strong>UPDATE: </strong>Despite the tone that Ward set in his social media post, apparently the Columbus Dispatch is reporting that an Ohio State spokesman said that the final decision to not play was not made until today. </p>
<p id="ij0xJx">While the cornerback did help the younger DBs throughout the bowl practices, he also prepared as if he would play, even while he “wrestled with the decision to play (or not).” </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OhioState?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OhioState</a> football spokesman says coaches didn't know until today that Denzel Ward would sit out the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CottonBowl?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CottonBowl</a>. <a href="https://t.co/Z6jjQUnZ12">pic.twitter.com/Z6jjQUnZ12</a></p>— Brian Hofmann (@BrianHofmann) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrianHofmann/status/946919740546715648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2017</a>
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<p id="Wb3rzO"><strong>UPDATE: </strong>Just before kickoff, All-American cornerback Denzel Ward posted a message on social media explaining why he would not be playing. He says that while he decided not to play in the Cotton Bowl to protect his NFL prospects, that it was important to him to be a part of the team’s preparations throughout. </p>
<p id="0zQq0q">It appears that this decision was not made at the last minute, but had been the plan throughout bowl prep. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Go bucks! <a href="https://t.co/DfBOKYQzhO">pic.twitter.com/DfBOKYQzhO</a></p>— Denzel Ward (@Flash_Ward12) <a href="https://twitter.com/Flash_Ward12/status/946917197510860803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2017</a>
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<p id="gotXzm">Ohio State’s All-American junior cornerback <span>Denzel Ward</span> will reportedly miss tonight’s <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/cotton-bowl">Cotton Bowl</a> Classic. According to The Columbus Dispatch’s Tim May, <span>Ward</span> will not be in the lineup when the No. 5 Buckeyes take on the No. 8 <a href="https://www.conquestchronicles.com/">USC Trojans</a>. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Apparently CB Denzel Ward is NOT going to play for Ohio State tonight.</p>— Tim May (@TIM_MAYsports) <a href="https://twitter.com/TIM_MAYsports/status/946905826165444608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2017</a>
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<p id="BYO8Fv">Details are still scarce at this point, but at yesterday’s press conference, OSU head coach Urban Meyer said that all players were expected to be available for the game. So, the assumption is that something transpired in the past 36 hours to change the DB’s status. </p>
<p id="9XawqA">It could be that <span>Ward</span> opted not to play in the game to preserve his <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft">NFL Draft</a> stock, <a href="http://insider.espn.com/nfl/draft/rankings?year=2018"><strong>ESPN currently has him ranked</strong></a> as the 10th best draft eligible player over all, but that has not yet been confirmed. </p>
<p id="dv3emd"><span>Damon Arnette</span> and <span>Kendall Sheffield</span> are expected to start at corner for the Buckeyes in Ward’s stead, and true-freshman <span>Jeffrey Okudah</span> will likely see more action in the secondary than he has for the majority of the season. </p>
<p id="BOOXZ5">Other than Ward, the rest of the Buckeye roster appears to be going through pre-game warmups as expected. </p>
<p id="EoDL5e">Ward accounted for 17 passes defended and 15 break ups this season, both of which rank third in the Big Ten. He also turned in 37 tackles on the campaign. His veteran leadership and athletic ability will be sorely missed against potential No. 1 overall draft pick, USC quarterback <span>Sam Darnold</span>. </p>
https://www.landgrantholyland.com/2017/12/29/16831854/ohio-state-defensive-back-denzel-ward-reportedly-to-miss-the-cotton-bowlMatt Tamanini2017-12-29T18:29:02-05:002017-12-29T18:29:02-05:00Can the Urban Meyer era usher in new hope for Ohio State against USC?
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<img alt="USC v Ohio State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/U8TsPT-1zKC3EHs4ib8reT_j6ck=/0x1:3000x2001/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58149391/90666088.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The last half-century doesn’t favor the Buckeyes over the Trojans, but things could be different under Meyer.</p> <h3 id="s4qVyY">“Let’s start our story 50 years ago in 1968, when Ohio State and USC met in the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/rose-bowl">Rose Bowl</a> for the first time in 14 years. The teams had met four times in the regular season in the intervening period, with the home team winning all four times.”</h3>
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<em>-</em><a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/12/29/16823020/ohio-state-usc-history-streak-rose-cotton"><em>Michael Bird, SB Nation</em></a>
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<p id="2CCgrQ">The Ohio State-USC rivalry goes way back. The series includes a handful of home-and-home matchups, but the big marquee events tend to be in the postseason at the Rose Bowl. In fact, all seven of the teams’ postseason meetings have been in the Rose Bowl, until now.</p>
<p id="RHBqmB">While the Buckeyes once had a handle on the West Coast squad, under the direction of legendary head coach Woody Hayes, it’s been the Trojans’ show ever since the three-year War of the Roses, which saw the Buckeyes and Trojans square off in the Rose Bowl three seasons in a row.</p>
<p id="itgzMO">In the decade or so that followed, Ohio State and USC would meet three more times in Pasadena, with the Trojans winning all three by fewer than a combined five points. Things didn’t improve under head coaches John Cooper and Jim Tressel, with USC continuing their 40-plus year dominance over the Buckeyes.</p>
<p id="GanlpN">This will be the first time these two teams meet during the Urban Meyer era, who will certainly be looking to shift the series momentum in the other direction — for the first time in almost half a century.</p>
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<h3 id="mZtLYL">“Beyond the intrigue surrounding Darnold, there are plenty of players who make the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/cotton-bowl">Cotton Bowl</a> the best bowl game outside of the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-playoff">College Football Playoff</a> for NFL talent evaluators.”</h3>
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<em>-</em><a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-mock-draft/2017/12/29/16823164/sam-darnold-2018-nfl-draft-cotton-bowl-ohio-state-defense"><em>Dan Kadar, SB Nation</em></a>
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<p id="POJHTa">There will be a lot NFL scouts keeping a close eye on the Cotton Bowl tonight, with one of the more prospect-heavy matchups this postseason. Not only does USC boast one of the top quarterback prospects in the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft">2018 NFL draft</a> class, but the Buckeyes are looking at another impressive defensive haul headed to the league.</p>
<p id="UgbEB5">Both programs produce incredible NFL talent, and things have not changed in the eight years since they last met on the gridiron. Two of the Buckeyes’ top draft targets will be CB <span>Denzel Ward</span> and C <span>Billy Price</span>. </p>
<blockquote><p id="vUEU6d">“He’s one of the best center prospects I've seen in the past decade,” former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nfl.com%2Fnews%2Fstory%2F0ap3000000893205%2Farticle%2Fbrowns-could-be-juggernaut-5-bowls-that-will-shape-nfl-draft%3Fcampaign%3Dtw-cf-sf176534667-sf176534667%26sf176534667%3D1%26utm_source%3Dt.co%26utm_medium%3Dreferral" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">recently said of Price</a>. “He has tremendous upper body torque, quick feet and outstanding awareness.”</p></blockquote>
<p id="X5pTjK">In addition to the (almost certainly) first-round locks, the defensive line could feature many other prospects like <span>Jalyn Holmes</span>, <span>Tyquan Lewis</span> and possibly <span>Sam Hubbard</span> and/or Dre’Mont Jones should either decide declare early — <span>Hubbard</span> is extremely likely.</p>
<p id="eLFeD2">There’s no shortage of NFL talent on both sides of the ball for both teams, and the scouts in attendance on Friday will be looking at more than just the 2018 haul of players. They’ll be keeping an eye on potential 2019 targets, like <span>Nick Bosa</span>.</p>
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<h3 id="Tptd7p">“The Buckeyes and Trojans have the most talented rosters in the country outside of Alabama’s, according to the 247Sports <a href="https://247sports.com/Season/2017-Football/CollegeTeamTalentComposite">Team Talent Composite</a>. They’d have made the Playoff if not for losing second games in embarrassing fashion earlier in the year (OSU to Iowa, USC to Notre Dame).”</h3>
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<em>-</em><a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/12/28/16826116/cotton-bowl-ohio-state-usc-pick-preview-2017"><em>Alex Kirshner, SB Nation</em></a>
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<p id="MiHs9L">The Buckeyes might not have history on their side, but Kirshner notes in his article above that the talent level on both sides of the ball for Ohio State should be enough to outdo the Trojans on Friday night. In his preview, Kirshner calls for a big, 41-24 Buckeye victory, and defends his decision.</p>
<p id="B9qojI">His first argument is the strength of the Buckeye run game. With the three-headed rushing monster back in effect, the Trojans will have to try and stop, not only <span>J.K. Dobbins</span> and <span>Mike Weber</span>, but quarterback <span>J.T. Barrett</span>. Against other top offenses, the Trojans allowed an average of 6.5 yards per carry, and could have a tough time trying to stop Ohio State on the ground.</p>
<p id="FFq8Si">Even if USC is able to stop the ground game, the Buckeyes are no slouch via the pass. With more than enough able-bodied receivers to keep the Trojans secondary guessing, #Zone6 also has incredible talent and speed after the catch, which keeps players like <span>Parris Campbell</span> as threats even off eight-yard passes. Kirshner also cites USC’s inconsistent run game and the weight of the world on Sam Darndold’s shoulders as reasons the Buckeyes should come out on top.</p>
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<h3 id="2DkFNy">STICK TO SPORTS</h3>
<ul>
<li id="JizEUq">Netflix <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/18-netflix-original-series-excited-161328829.html">released their list of new original series</a> for 2018.</li>
<li id="4it1Wq">If you’re a gamer, here’s a list of <a href="https://www.polygon.com/features/2017/12/29/16822542/top-50-games-of-2018">50 titles to be excited about</a> in 2018.</li>
<li id="3eNjvU">
<a href="http://nbc4i.com/2017/12/29/ohio-mans-obituary-blames-hopeless-condition-of-cleveland-browns-for-his-death/">Ohio man’s obituary cites</a> “hopeless condition of Cleveland Browns” for his death.</li>
<li id="f8Vm7z">There are some <a href="https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/BWWs-Theatre-Business-Podcast-The-OHenry-Report-Looks-Back-at-the-Biggest-Stories-of-2017-and-What-Might-be-Big-in-the-New-Year-20171228">fun things to look forward to on Broadway</a> next year, but is <em>Springsteen on Broadway</em> one of them?</li>
</ul>
https://www.landgrantholyland.com/2017/12/29/16831148/ohio-state-news-usc-cotton-bowl-2017-series-history-nfl-prospectsAlexis Chassen