Ohio State's Secondary Rated #1 Overall In Big Ten

Roby is ready for a break-out year

The Ohio State secondary was rated as the best overall secondary in the Big Ten according to Tom Dienhart of the B1G Network. Dienhart goes one step further, continuing his praise for Ohio State's secondary unit by calling it "one of the best secondaries in the nation."

Here's how he looks at the secondary:

"1. Ohio State - All four starters are back for what should be one of the best secondaries in the nation. Cornerback Bradley Roby was a freshman sensation in 2011. His next stop: stardom. Travis Howard forms the other half of this strong corner tandem. 

Christian Bryant (strong) and C.J. Barnett (free) are a stout duo at safety. Barnett is one of best safeties in the Big Ten. In fact, he may be the top safety, flashing instincts, tackling ability and coverage skills."

The rest of the top 5 include Michigan State, Nebraska, Michigan and Illinois. He ranks the rest of the B1G, but here are the explanations for the top 5.

"2. Michigan State - Losing star safety Trenton Robinson hurts, but this still shapes up as a strong secondary. Johnny Adams rates as one of the top corners in the Big Ten—and the nation. He’s a legit Thorpe Award candidate and likely first-round draft choice. Darqueze Dennard is the ying to Adams yan, a corner with size and coverage skills who often is tested with Adams on the other side. 

Strong safety Isaiah Lewis came into his own as a premier talent with All-Big Ten ability last season. Kurtis Drummond is penciled in at Robinson’s strong safety slot. Coaches like his potential."

"3. Nebraska - The Cornhuskers are strong at safety even with the loss of Austin Cassidy. Strong safety Daimion Stafford should be one of the stars of the secondary and maybe the best player on the defense. He’s a big hitter who covers a lot of ground. Free safety P.J. Smith is a veteran who knows the defense and rarely is out of position. There is talent at cornerback but little experience. Standout Alfonzo Dennard is gone, which hurts. Mohammed Seisay arrived from a junior college in the spring and looks like a potential star as the No. 1 corner. Andrew Green and Ciante Evans—among others–also figure in at corner. Former running back Braylon Heard could an asset as a nickel or dime back."

Ohio State Basketball Ranks As 2nd Best Coaching Job In The Big Ten

Matta is in an enviable position at OSU

Over at ESPN, it's "Coaches Week" and during this week, the writers go through each conference to rank the best and worst coaching jobs, as voted on by 14 of their writers and television analysts.

For a little more on how it works, here's the explanation:

"A few important notes: This is not an attempt to rank the programs or their histories. A school's tradition was taken into account of course, but more emphasis was given to recent years and how hard or easy it is for a new coach to win there. Current recruits don't remember much beyond, what, 2008?

When voting, our 14 panelists were asked to take into consideration facilities, expectation level, athletic budget, wins and losses, recruiting base, fan support/pressure and all of the other factors that go into determining the "best" jobs in the ever-crazy profession of college basketball coaching.

In short: If you were an agent and every single job was open in a particular conference, where would you direct your client? Where would you tell him to avoid if there are better options?"

The Top 5

1. Indiana

2. Ohio State

3. Michigan State

4. Michigan

5. Wisconsin

Join us after the jump to look at the breakdown of each of these jobs.

Ohio State Basketball Will Face Marquette On Carrier Next Season

Matta will bring the intensity to the sea

Word started about two days ago that the Buckeye basketball team was looking to play against Marquette on an aircraft carrier (a la North Carolina-Michigan State) when the new season started. 

Now it seems that the Ohio State men’s and women’s basketball teams plan to open their seasons on the same night at the deck of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier in Charleston, S.C as was rumored.

"A contract has been signed for the women’s team to play Notre Dame on Nov. 9 in the Carrier Classic, according to Mike Whalen, founder and managing partner of the nonprofit Morale Entertainment Foundation, the event promoter.

An agreement to match the Ohio State men the same night against Marquette, also on the deck of the USS Yorktown, is close to being completed, said Miechelle Willis, an executive associate athletic director at Ohio State who oversees both basketball programs.

The games will be televised by ESPN networks, Willis added. ESPN.com first reported yesterday that Ohio State and Marquette were negotiating to play the game."

The Carrier Classic made its debut last season when the Michigan State and North Carolina men squared off aboard the USS Carl Vinson in San Diego. This will be the first such women’s game promoted by Morale Entertainment, which conducts overseas tours for American armed forces.

Buckeyes Fall To Michigan State In B1G Championship

Sullinger  is ready for March Madness

Draymond Green now has the winning chapter in Michigan State history he has longed for.

Green had 12 points and nine rebounds to help the eighth-ranked Spartans beat No. 7 Ohio State 68-64 on Sunday in the Big Ten tournament championship game.

Green and the Spartans claimed both the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles, and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Big Ten player of the year and the tournament's most outstanding player felt he needed to win something for coach Tom Izzo to include him in the conversation with Michigan State greats.

Brandon Wood scored a season-high 21 points. Wood transferred to Michigan State after graduating from Valparaiso last year with eligibility remaining. He received a waiver from the NCAA to play immediately because he entered graduate school. He only started because starter Branden Dawson tore a left knee ligament in the regular-season finale against Ohio State.

B1G Tournament Basketball Preview: Ohio State vs. Michigan State

Buckeyes look to finish as champs

Ohio State and Michigan State met in a last-second thriller a week ago, with the Buckeyes prevailing to earn a share of the Big Ten regular-season title.

Only one team will leave the court with a championship -- and a possible No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament -- when the seventh-ranked Buckeyes face the eighth-ranked Spartans for the conference tournament crown Sunday in Indianapolis.

William Buford's jumper with 1 second remaining gave Ohio State (27-6) a 72-70 victory last Sunday in East Lansing, forcing a three-way tie with Michigan State and Michigan atop the Big Ten standings.

It was the second failed attempt at winning an outright conference title for the Spartans (26-7), who also lost at Indiana on Feb. 28.

Big Ten player of the year Draymond Green scored 14 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in Saturday's 65-52 semifinal win over No. 14 Wisconsin, and he said Sunday's game is a chance at redemption for top-seeded Michigan State.

Ohio State Pounds Rival Wolverines On Way To B1G Championship Game

(Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Jared Sullinger scored 24 points to help No. 7 Ohio State defeat Michigan (No. 13 ESPN/USA Today, No. 10 AP) 77-55 on Saturday in the Big Ten tournament semifinals.

Deshaun Thomas scored 22 points and William Buford added 10 for the third-seeded Buckeyes (27-6), who advanced to play No. 8 Michigan State in the final on Sunday. Michigan State defeated Wisconsin (No. 12 ESPN/USA Today, No. 14 AP) 65-52 in the other semifinal on Saturday.

The Buckeyes shot 49 percent from the field to earn a shot at their third straight Big Ten tournament title.

Tim Hardaway, Jr., led No. 2 seed Michigan with 13 points, but he made just 3 of 10 shots. Trey Burke, Michigan's other star player, scored five points on 1-for-11 shooting and had eight turnovers

The Wolverines (24-9) shot 31 percent from the field, made just 4 of 25 3-pointers and committed 18 turnovers in one of their worst offensive performances of the season.

Buckeyes Earn Share Of Big Ten Title With Last Second Win Over Spartans

Buford's game winner lifts OSU

Ohio State's only senior ended Michigan State's regular season on a sour note.

William Buford made a high-arcing jumper from the top of the key with 1 second left, lifting the Buckeyes (No. 11 ESPN/USA Today, No. 10 AP) to a 72-70 win over the fifth-ranked Spartans on Sunday to forge a three-way tie for the Big Ten championship.

Draymond Green had a chance to put the Spartans ahead in his final home game with 32 seconds left, but missed a long fadeaway from the right wing. Just before the buzzer, Green had a heave that missed the mark.

Buford's game-winning shot made a once-raucous arena nearly silent and gave a group of people elsewhere in the state a reason to shout with joy.

Friday's Buckeye Bits

Good Friday morning! We've got a good deal of news and stuff to talk about today, so let's get right to it.

Jordan Whiting headed back home. As Ian told you yesterday, the Kentucky-born linebacker is transferring to Louisville. After sitting this year, he'll have only one year of eligibility left to play.

He never got the playing time he expected as a four-star recruit, as he could never move up the depth chart. Despite being part of Tatgate, he seems to be a fine young player and gentleman, tweeting thanks to Coach Tressel and AD Gene Smith. Best of luck, Jordan.

Another DB coach? Yep, and again Ian's on top of it. I really need to quit my job so I can get these awesome breaking stories. Or not...Anyhow, Kerry Coombs comes north from the University of Cincinnati to fill Bill Sheridan and Taver Johnson's shoes. Coombs led Colerain High to a state championship in 2004, so he certainly knows his way around recruiting. However, considering he's the third guy to hold the DB job in about six weeks, chances are he'll be hired as a head coach somewhere in a few weeks...

Wednesday's Buckeye Bits

Good morning, Buckeye fans!  I’m happy to announce this is the first ever post on Inside The Shoe on February 29!  Happy Leap Day!

However, I’m getting tired of writing about Ohio State having to bounce back from a weekend defeat against an inferior opponent on the road, but that’s exactly what I have to write again today. 

The Buckeyes face off against Northwestern tonight at 8:30 Eastern Time, needing a win to keep any shot at a share of the B1G title alive.

Hoosiers take down Sparty.  Ohio State needs to send a big thank you down to Bloomington after Indiana knocked off Michigan State 70-55 at Assembly Hall last night.  With wins tonight against Northwestern and at Michigan State this weekend, the Buckeyes would clinch a share of the Big Ten regular season title. 

Michigan State Handles Buckeyes, Snaps 39-game home streak

The two best coaches in the B1G.

With four minutes to play and Ohio State trailing Michigan State by eight points, Jared Sullinger went up for a basket against former AAU teammate Adreian Payne. It looked like Sullinger was hacked on his way to the rim, but a charge call sent Value City Arena into a frenzy of boos. OSU head coach Thad Matta looked daze and confused while Jared’s dad, Satch, glared at the court with his hands on his hips.

For the first time in 40 games, the Buckeyes (21-4, 9-3) fell on their home floor, 58-48, to Michigan State (20-5, 9-3), and in the process blew a chance for a two-game lead in the Big Ten standings.

Ohio State opened the game with a 9-4 lead, but both teams struggled to find a rhythm offensively. Sullinger finished with a triple-double, but not the kind he will put on his résumé. The Buckeyes’ star sophomore grabbed a season-high 16 rebounds to go with 17 points, but also turned the ball over 10 times in the loss. It did not help that Sullinger’s teammates were largely ineffective against the Spartan defense. 

Basketball Preview: #3 Ohio State vs. #12 Michigan State

Time for the stretch to March Madness

Seven games left before the B1G tourney. All of them big. But today's matchup at the Schott is perhaps the biggest home test left for these young Bucks. 

Eleventh-ranked Michigan State brings the two headed big man attack known as Derrick Nix and Adreian Payne to bear against Jared Sullinger.

Besides control over the Big Ten conference race, another thing is at stake: The Streak. 39 home wins in a row, to be precise, one of the longest such streaks currently active. The Buckeyes have the home crowd as a decisive sixth man. But Tom Izzo's teams know how to walk into hostile environments and come out victorious.

Even though the Buckeyes (21-3, 9-2 Big Ten) will still have six conference tilts left after the game, coach Thad Matta knows a head-to-head matchup with the closest pursuer is important because of the balance throughout the league.

It was good to see William Buford with the hot hand Tuesday against Purdue. He's been getting some heat lately for his lack of clutch shooting. The Bucks will need more Buford today. He put up 23 in last year's only game against the Spartans. Both the Spartans (18-5, 7-3) and the Buckeyes can attest to the B1G being a tough league this year, as they had to overcome struggles against lower teams just this week leading to the showdown.

Ohio State Offers Top TE Adam Breneman In 2013 Class

Breneman has some speed

Ohio State and Urban Meyer are continuing their quest on the recruiting trail by dipping into the 2013 class. 

This time in the form of top rated tight end Adam Breneman.

Meyer and the Buckeyes join the likes of Alabama, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State, South Carolina, Stanford and Virginia in offering the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Breneman. The Camp Hill (Pa.) Cedar Cliff standout checks in as the country’s No. 32 prospect overall according to 247Sports 2013 recruiting rankings.

Breneman has been been an absolute dynamic player these past two seasons. The future Under Armour All-American caught 72 passes for 1,120 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior, following up a sophomore campaign of 59 receptions for 863 yards and eight scores.

Early in the process, Breneman doesn't seem to have any favorites. In the past he’s taken visits to the campuses at Alabama, Boston College, Maryland, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Rutgers and Virginia. Coach Meyer and the rest of the coaching staff have been in "constant" contact with Breneman, and it so far it sounds like Breneman is taking it all in right now. 

Urban has shown in the past that he likes tight ends that can move, and change a game quickly. Meyer loves the tight ends that aren’t big and slow, and word is that he is going full force on getting Breneman to end up being a Buckeye. 

Keep it at Inside The Shoe for the latest news, updates, and opinions on Ohio State athletics.

National CFB Games This Weekend

I've got to get myself to do this every week, I keep forgetting. Oh well, we all know I would have picked correctly anyway. At least that's what I tell myself to keep myself from crying every night.

Last Week's Record: 0-0
Season Record: 9-4 (69% correct thus far)

Texas Tech Red Raiders (4-2, 1-2) at #3 Oklahoma Sooners (6-0, 3-0), 8 PM EST, ABC/ESPN3
The Red Raiders are a pretty decent team this year, and have aspirations of upsetting the course of the Sooners way to the Big 12 championship game. The Sooners most likely won't have too much difficulty as they are in Norman, but anything can happen. Prediction: Oklahoma Wins 44-21

North Carolina Tar Heels (5-2, 1-2) at #9 Clemson Tigers (7-0, 4-0), 12 PM EST, ESPN/ESPN3
Tajh Boyd and the rest of the Tigers came back against Maryland last week after being down 18. Twice. Yes, really. North Carolina had some good momentum, but stepped on their feet, and dropped from our BlogPoll rankings. If they can upset the Tigers, I would be surprised. Prediction: Clemson Wins 31-21

#22 Washington Huskies (5-1, 3-0) at #4 Stanford Cardinal (6-0, 4-0), 8 PM EST, ABC/ESPN3
If you're a Cardinal fan and you're upset that the Cardinal has dropped a couple spots in the AP Poll because of a weak schedule, here's why: Washington is one of 2 games that is truly important for Stanford when it comes down to the BCS. The other? Oregon. If you're a Huskie fan, you've got to be impressed with how well this team is doing, and are hoping for a huge upset. Prediction: Stanford Wins 24-10

MSU Game/Other Thoughts

Vintage, nice

Wow, what an awful game to watch. To start off, I am happy that the game mercifully came to an end. I am happy that the Buckeyes were not shutout for the first time since 1993 and for the first time at home since the early 1980s. I am happy that the Buckeyes bend don’t break defense made some very big plays to keep the team and our anemic offense in the game up until the very end. I am also very happy that the suspended players (those who are still part of the team, and those not named Herron or Posey) will be back this week. I am also happy that Ben Buchanan’s leg did not fall off. He was a very busy young man.

I am also sort of happy that one excuse (if excuses are allowed) of this offense pathetic play is that they are young. A good number of our skill players were either in high school this time last year or were red shirted and haven’t played a big time game like this in a long time. That is really all I am happy for from that game yesterday, because our Buckeyes looked bad. We looked so bad, I am not sure if an NCAA bowl ban will even effect this team, because I am not sure I can figure out 3 more wins for this team.

Live Blog: Ohio State vs. Michigan State

The first Big Ten clash for Ohio State this season is against the Michigan State Spartans, a tough match, but the Buckeyes are at home. Join us today to cheer on the Buckeyes.

Join the chat at 3:15 PM EST ! We hope to you see you there!

Preview: Ohio State vs. Michigan State

Can Braxton find his receivers? 

Ohio State (3-1) and Michigan State (3-1) are both unranked for losing at the wrong times, to the wrong teams. OSU losing just two weeks ago to Miami (Fl.) and Michigan State losing a crazy game to Notre Dame. Now, both are on the verge of being ranked again but need to open up the Big Ten season with a win. That won't come easily for either team as the Buckeyes are scrappy with young freshman Braxton Miller in at quarterback after making his first start just one week ago. Michigan State has a lot of veterans that look to make an impact in the opening day of B1G conference play and to make a national statement in the 'Shoe. Ohio State owns a 27-12 series lead over Michigan State, which includes seven straight wins over the Spartans. The teams haven't played since 2008, when Beanie Wells was stiff-arming people all over the place.


There is no shortage of talent at the offensive skill positions on either squad, although the Buckeyes do have less experince. MSU QB Kirk Cousins, who has completed 69.2% of his passes for 947 yards and 5 TD's compared to 2 INT's. The ground attack is nothing to skim over, thought, with Le'Veon Bell having 217 yards and six TD's while the "main" man coming into the season, Edwin Baker, has 216 yards on the ground. Both are capable backs, and are something the Silver Bullets need to watch out for in this very balanced offense. 

The Big Ten Season Begins

Here comes the B1G..skirts?

Well folks, the fake season is officially over and it is time to finally enter conference play. I guess it really isn't a fake season although it felt like one this year. Going into the season I think we all knew, even if you didn't want to admit it to yourself, this was going to be a rebuilding year. After the fallout from over the summer it was hard to picture the Buckeye’s demolishing opponents and vying for a spot in the National title game. If Tatgate and the mess it caused never happened I think that would have been a possibility.

Unfortunately, our worst nightmares were realized which in turn thrust numerous young and unproven players into the limelight.

The dust has settled somewhat and OSU now stands at 3-1 heading into the Big Ten gauntlet. At many other schools, 3-1 would be cause for parades but here in Ohio it is a tough pill to swallow. We have been spoiled over the past decade and expect to beat teams like Miami. That didn’t happen this season (thanks Joey Ballgame) and the focus must lie on getting into that inaugural Big Ten title game. It won’t be easy though, especially right out of the gate this weekend with MSU coming to town.

Colorado Thoughts/Feelings

Braxton played well, but he's still learning

Well, we are four games into the season, and let me tell you something I have absolutely no idea what to think about this team. I can tell you we are not as good as we thought we were after the Akron game, and we are definitely not as bad as we thought we were after the Miami debacle. This year we have played 2 decent teams (Toledo who got robbed last week and Miami), one incredibly average team (Colorado), and one really really bad team in Akron.

We are 3-1 and we don’t know much. Let’s take a look at the Colorado game. First of all we finally got a true look at our future. We are Braxton’s team now. He played well. He showed the escapability that we all expected. He also showed that as a runner he is more like the QB from That School Up North, then Terrelle Pryor. He doesn't glide as he runs, he doesn’t have the famous stiff arm. What Miller does is fake a defender right out of his socks and then outrun the rest down the field. It appears at this time he is a run first QB with happy feet.

Jordan Hall: The Next Big Thing

Hall looks to improve even more in B1G play

In his second game of the season, Jordan Hall once again proved he was the real deal, dominating the Colorado defense on offense and special teams.  Hall scored a rushing touchdown, although he had just 84 yards on 18 carries.

There were not many yards to be had for anyone on the Buckeye offense since their average starting field position was in Colorado territory.  Hall set up Carlos Hyde’s 5-yard touchdown run with a 90-yard kick return in the 3^rd quarter.  He also returned the opening kick past midfield but it was called back for a holding penalty.

In just two games this season, Hall has rushed for more yards (171-161) than he did all of last season.  He showed last season that he was a dangerous return man, and he proved that all three times he got the ball on kick and punt returns.

What Went Right/Wrong: Colorado

You could say Brutus was happy

The Buckeyes bounced back in their fourth game of the season, as they took on the Buffaloes of Colorado. After suffering their first loss to the hands of the Hurricanes (Who got beat the next weekend by undefeated Kansas State), Luke Fickell and the coaching staff finally decided to start true freshman quarterback Braxton Miller. For Buckeye fans across the nation, it was finally Miller's time to shine, and we would get to see how a whole playbook would look like under his reins. A solid 37-17 win showed a couple of things from the offense, as well as the defense. While the win may not have looked so grand on the television, the fact of the matter is that Ohio State scored 20 more points than the Buffaloes, with a freshman quarterback with no real playing experience other than a couple designed runs against Miami, one of which ended in a turnover.

This week might prove to be will be a real Big Ten test for the Buckeyes, who are headed into conference play with a 3-1 (0-0) record. Starting off for Ohio State they meet the Michigan State Spartans in the 'Shoe. After that, they travel to Lincoln to take on the new-comers to the B1G, Nebraska. For now, though, they have to set their sights on MSU, and to do that, they'll have to improve on some things from the Colorado game. With that, let's take a look at what went right and wrong for the Buckeyes on Saturday.