Ohio State To Play 3 Night Games In October

Miller gets a shot at Nebraska in prime time

The Big Ten and its TV partners released their prime time schedule today.

Ohio State joins Nebraska with three night games this season.

The Buckeyes will play three of their October games at night with the Oct. 6 Homecoming game against Nebraska at 8 p.m., the Oct. 13 game at Indiana at 8 p.m. and the Oct. 27 game at Penn State at 6 p.m. (see full schedule below; exact TV assignments will be firmed up in the fall).

The Nebraska game will be Ohio State’s Homecoming and it will be the Cornhusker’s first visit to Ohio Stadium since playing games in consecutive years at Ohio Stadium in 1955 and 1956.

Ohio State is 34-18 all-time in night games (those starting after 5 p.m. local time) with a 7-3 record in Ohio Stadium, an 18-8 mark on the road and a 9-7 record at neutral sites.

This means OSU’s remaining nine games should all be afternoon starts (typically noon or 3:30 p.m.). The September games should be set sometime before July 1. The rest of the season is typically decided on a six- to 12-day basis.

After the jump, you can see the Big Ten’s prime time football schedule for 2012

Top OLB Alex Anzalone To Attend Ohio State's Spring Game

Anzalone has met Meyer before

4-star linebacker Alex Anzalone attended an Ohio State junior day in February and came out of Urban Meyer’s office with a scholarship offer from the Buckeyes. Anzalone made that visit with his mother and father.

Anzalone was back in Columbus near the end of March for another Ohio State visit, this time with just his mom as his father had to work.

Three of the top schools Anzalone is considering are Ohio State, Penn State and Notre Dame, and all three will hold their spring game on April 21.

After visiting Penn State yesterday, Anzalone has told the media he will definitely be in Columbus next weekend. Anzalone has over 30 scholarship offers. His list includes Ohio State, Penn State, Notre Dame, USC, Stanford, UCLA, Florida, Alabama, Oklahoma, Michigan, Florida State and Arkansas. Anzalone will probably start to narrow his list down in the near future.

The 6'3", 220-pound Anzalone could play inside or on the perimeter at the next level. Fickell has told him he could play any of the three linebacker positions at Ohio State.

He is the No. 4 prospect in Pennsylvania, the country’s No. 97 overall prospect and the No. 6 outside linebacker.

This could be a huge factor on where Anzalone ends up playing college football, as he wasn't expected to attend the OSU spring game. Now that he is, Urban is sure to be ready to pull out all of the stops for Alex. 

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

2012 4-Star Cornerback Recruit Armani Reeves Commits To Ohio State

Reeves is the 24th commitment in '12

2012 4-star cornerback Armani Reeves has just committed to Ohio State via Twitter, giving Ohio State it's 24th commitment.

Reeves picked Ohio State after decommitting from Penn State along with fellow Buckeye Camren Williams, and then choosing over the Wolverines, who were the only other choice besides OSU.

It has been a very busy week for Reeves. Last Saturday Michigan coach Brady Hoke visited him. On Monday, Urban Meyer, Everett Withers, Mike Vrabel and Luke Fickell met with Reeves. Then on Tuesday Michigan assistant Greg Mattison met with Reeves.

In addition to all of the football visits, Reeves is in the middle of his high school basketball season.

The 5-foot-11 and 180-pound Reeves made 57 tackles and intercepted a pass playing cornerback during his senior season. He is a 4-star prospect in the 247Sports rankings, the country’s No. 82 overall prospect and No. 7 cornerback, and the No. 1 prospect in the state of Massachusetts.

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

Monday's Buckeye Bits

It's time again..

Good morning Buckeye fans, and welcome to a new week. National Signing Day is almost upon us, which is next Wednesday, and coaches are looking to make those final pushes towards the best recruits in the country. Meanwhile, basketball is still being played as the inching towards March continues rolling on. The NFL has it's conference champions, and the Super Bowl match up is set.

With all that being said, it's time to get started with our Monday Buckeye Bits!

Joe Paterno Leaves A Legend. As you may know already, legendary and former Penn State coach Joe Paterno passed away on Saturday. He was 85, and died due to a battle with lung cancer. A great coach, his final season of coaching was cut short when he was fired for the recent situation at Penn State. Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer commented on JoePa's death, saying "I was a coach that really admired him and followed him," Meyer said. "Any chance I had to visit with him, I'd wear him out with questions. I was always trying to learn from him.". This is not only a great loss for the Penn State community, but for College football itself. We wish the best for the Paterno family in their time of need.

Tuesday's Buckeye Bits

So many Bits..

Welcome to your Tuesday morning Buckeye Bits here at ITS. During the painfully long College football offseason things can get pretty slow. 

The mythical national championship has been played with Bama outlasting LSU 21-0. As for non-SEC football, besides recruiting news, there isn’t much to discuss and or argue about until the spring game chatter heats up. Have no fear fellow bucknutters! ITS is here to scour the news wire for you to uncover any interesting tidbits to quench your thirst for Buckeye news (or anything else that we find funny/exciting/interesting). Let’s get to it!

The BCS Is A Joke.  I continually pile on to the current system we have for choosing a national champion every chance I get. I think most would agree that using computers and biased voting is the most un-American selection process out there. Once the current television deal is up, the college football brass will once again sit down and discuss tweaking the format. I guess it is a step in the right direction but there are many roadblocks ahead (cough.. Jim Delany.. cough) before we get the playoff that the nation has been clamoring for. Why can’t these fools see there is even more money to be made from a true playoff? Sigh…

Sitting Down With 2012 Linebacker Recruit Camren Williams

Williams is down to two schools

The 2012 recruiting class took a huge momentum shift nationally, when Urban Meyer raced into the picture for Ohio State. Enough cannot be said about how Luke Fickell and Mike Vrabel continued to recruit, and recruit well. Before Meyer came onto the coaching staff, Fickell had wrapped up 9 recruits on his own, and had picked up some pretty decent players.

Once Urban stepped in though, the bar was set a couple of feet higher. Recruits are gaining interest fast, and now are taking a serious look at where they stand.

Now another recruit has joined the mix, and we didn't have to wait long to hear from another star prospect.

That prospect is Camren Williams of West Roxbury (MA) Catholic Memorial. Williams, a 6-2/200 linebacker, is a four star recruit that is currently committed to Penn State. He the brother of current UNC offensive lineman Brennan Williams.

We talked with Camren on Tuesday night, and he gave us the latest info on his recruitment and thoughts on Ohio State.

Recap: Ohio State 14, Penn State 20

Posey did his best to try and get a win

The last time Penn State won a game without Joe Paterno as coach was December 1965.

That day, the Nittany Lions used a strong defensive effort to beat Maryland, behind the coach who mentored Paterno, Rip Engle.

On Saturday, No. 21 Penn State earned its first victory since Paterno was fired with a similarly stingy defense.

Stephfon Green ran for two touchdowns and the Nittany Lions held Ohio State (6-5, 3-4) scoreless in the second half of the 20-14 victory on Saturday.

"We talked about the last two teams to win here were `78 and `08," said interim coach Tom Bradley, who was promoted after Paterno was fired 10 days ago. "I said to them, `I want to know: How are you going to be remembered?"

They'll be remembered as at least co-champs of the Big Ten's Leaders Division, while Ohio State falls again.

Live Blog: Ohio State vs. #19 Penn State

The Buckeyes are facing a rival in Penn State as the Nittany Lions invade the 'Shoe. If Penn State wants to keep their Leaders division hopes alive, they must pass through Columbus. Let's get this party started.

Please join the Live Blog with us at 3:15 PM EST! Go Bucks!

Preview: Ohio State vs. #19 Penn State

Can OSU step up to the challenge?

The football programs at Penn State and Ohio State have had troubled and troubling seasons.

A year ago when Penn State and Ohio State played, the game matched the two winningest active Division I coaches.

On Saturday, the Nittany Lions visit the Buckeyes again with both programs in flux.

"There's no question that a lot has happened in the past year for our programs," said two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin, now president and CEO of Ohio State's alumni association. "At this point, you just have to focus on moving forward and learning from things that have happened."

Tom Bradley and Luke Fickell, formerly defensive assistants, are now the interim head coaches for the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes, respectively. There is a lot riding on the game -- a Big Ten division title -- yet it's clear that the world has wobbled off course for both.

Braxton Miller: Proving Himself

Miller showed poise in the Purdue game

In an otherwise very ugly game for Ohio State against Purdue, Braxton Miller showed at times what has made him so special.  Miller escaped pressure time and time again to make a play, none seemingly more important than on 4^th down on what should have been the game-winning touchdown.  Miller was pressured, but showed great composure to keep his eyes downfield to find Jordan Hall behind the defense.

Miller definitely was not perfect on Saturday, but at this stage in his career, you cannot expect him to be.  He overthrew several open receivers deep down the field throughout the game.  His accuracy is something that needs to improve.  Miller was 8-18 against the Boilermakers for a career-high 132 yards, but the low completion percentage brought his season average to exactly 50 percent.

One has to wonder if this stage is getting to Miller, as he was hailed out of high school as being a “true dual-threat that is advanced as a passer in comparison to most,” according to ESPN.  His accuracy has been off almost all season, but his legs and his ability to make the big play have overshadowed this a bit.  Hopefully this is just a result of growing pains, coming from high school to college football.

What Should We Expect From Ohio State Against Penn State?

It's Penn State week. In previous years people would be clamoring for this game. Media demands would be huge. You would have Jim Tressel battling with Joe Paterno. The Senator verses The Legend. I think it is safe to say that things have changed over the last 12 months.


First, you have the NCAA mess at OSU.This mess was precipitated by players and worsened by the head man himself. So in late May this rivalry lost Jim Tressel to a forced resignation. Okay so we lost Tressel and Pryor, but this game could still have had the winningest coach in college football history, coaching for a division title against a young, inexperienced, seemingly talented team playing at home for the final time this season. But then, all hell broke loose at PSU. 


I don’t want to get into the scandal, we all know what happened, and now this rivalry has rightfully lost Joe Paterno on the other sideline. I can truly say that a Luke Fickell vs Tom Bradley battle does not have the same classic ring as to what could have been. Now on to the game.

Ryan Shazier Emerging

Glorious

This season has been a rollercoaster ride from the beginning. It was apparent OSU wasn't really going to contend this year but I, along with many of you, tried to convince myself that this team had a chance to contend. After all this was Ohio St. and we still had the athletic cream of the crop in the big ten.

Unfortunately, many of those top athletes were suspended for more than half the season and our starting quarterback bolted for the NFL to hold a clipboard. It was OK I told myself. We had one of the top-rated quarterbacks coming in to replace him and a slew of young talent itching to see the field and become the next set of stars in Columbus.

The defense always played with a chip on its' shoulder and the running backs went almost 5 deep heading into the Akron game. It all sounded great in my head and looked even better on paper. Unfortunately that’s not how things have played out this year. This team has been extremely tough to watch at times. Beginning the year with Akron served as a temporary cloak as to what OSU really was. Things went downhill in a hurry after that opening game and culminated with the disaster in South Beach.

Depth Chart Breakdown: Penn State Week

Posey ready to contribute again

The depth chart for the Ohio State Buckeyes was released earlier this week, with some shake ups as well as returnees to the football team. When Penn State comes into town on Saturday, some faces of old will rejoin the team, including DeVier Posey. Injuries that took place are healing up, which means some more shifting around. Let's take a look at the key moves in this week's depth chart.

Interesting Notes
- DeVier Posey makes his return to the gridiron for the first time since the 2010-2011 Sugar Bowl. The thing really perking my interest here is that he's listed next to Philly Brown as "Philly Brown OR DeVier Posey". If I'm correct in thinking, this means Posey and Philly will be the starters at split end.

- Johnathan Hankins, who left the Purdue game with an injury, is listed at DT again, so he must be OK to play.

- Ryan Shazier is in at weak-side linebacker, which means Andrew Sweat is still feeling the effects of the concussion, and will not be able to play. I'm kind of glad Shazier finally gets his shot to prove he's a playmaker as a starting linebacker, though.

- T.Y. Williams is not listed on the depth chart this week. Not sure if he was pushed down due to Posey, but even if he was, he should still be able to get some playing time. Very odd after his performance against Purdue, which wasn't outstanding, but showed improvement.

For the actual Depth Chart for the Penn State game, hit "Continue Reading"

Luke Fickell: Is He Done?

I do get to stay, right guys? Right? Guys?

Honest to goodness I don’t know where to start with this team. Even though I don’t know where to start I do know who to blame. Unfortunately the blame lies within the coaching staff and their decisions. Personally, I have no problems with Luke Fickell, he is a home grown Buckeye who loves this school like no other. He wants to succeed, he wants to be a winner, but he just is not ready. This is not his fault, it is not the fault of the players he has, it is the fault of the man who caused this mess. No, I am not talking about Pryor, I am not even talking about Jim Bollman. I am talking about Jim Tressel. 

We don’t know if Tressel had the plan to groom Fickell for the job, and steadily promote him over the next few years. Was he the heir apparent? God only knows. Jim Tressel resigned in disgrace (thankfully, his disgrace is nowhere in the same galaxy as the former coach of Penn State’s disgrace), and with Darell Hazel gone, Luke Fickell got thrust into the position of head coach. 

What Went Right/Wrong: Purdue

Miller fought hard all game

While Ohio State has knocked themselves out of a chance to get into the Big Ten Championship Game, there is still an opportunity to build on these last games. This season could very well end in 6-6, or it could end in 8-4. It's a huge difference not only towards the attitude of the team, but for momentum into next year.

When Braxton Miller rolled to his right on 4th and 3 from the Purdue 13, and then saw Jordan Hall with a step on his man on the opposite side of the field, he threw it up. Very similar to the Wisconsin game, it seemed as if the ball hung up in the air for hours, finally floating into the outstretched hands of Hall. We know that the next play was awful, but there were other key points and factors throughout the game that resulted in the Buckeye loss. Let's take a look at what went right and wrong for Ohio State on Saturday.

Dark Days For Happy Valley

A legend is out

Update: Joe Paterno is out at Penn State, effective immediately.

The latest scandal to hit college football may be the king of all scandals. Penn St. is the latest university to deal with a public relations nightmare much like Oregon, Miami, Auburn and Ohio State dealt with over the past year. Unfortunately this scandal is hands down the most disturbing and outright disgusting story I have read in a long time. While those investigations involved illegal cash benefits, tattoos and recruiting agencies this story is about sexual assault and molestation with at-risk teenage boys. I will preface this article by saying that we are still dealing with allegations but if even half of what is alleged is true, I have no problem sending Jerry Sandusky away for the rest of his days.

Once the story broke I have to admit I was pleased that another university was taking the spotlight off of Ohio St. for awhile. I posted things on my Facebook and Twitter accounts such as “ESPN had better lead with this stroy for a month considering the attention they gave to Ohio St.” and “how does that little tattoo scandal look now?”. That was before I read the Grand Jury indictment and found out just how awful this case was. It was literally the most horrifying 23 pages I have read in a long time.

2011 Big Ten Tournament Preview

With the first round of the Big Ten Tournament finished in Indianapolis, eight teams are left vying for the championship and automatic berth into the Big Dance.  Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin are locks to make the tournament, while Illinois is almost certainly in.  Joe Lunardi has Michigan in as an 11 seed, but they may need to beat the Illini to give them a chance to dance.  Michigan State scraped by Iowa in their first round game to enhance their bubble chances, while Penn State defeated Indiana in the nightcap to earn their place in the quarterfinals.  Despite defeating Minnesota in their first round matchup, Northwestern will likely need to win the championship to advance to the NCAA Tournament.



Jared Sullinger leads the Buckeyes into March



Ohio State is a lock for the NCAA Tournament and possibly a lock for a 1 seed going in to the Big Ten Tournament.  The Buckeyes will look to continue their hot shooting from the record-setting performance against Wisconsin into the postseason. 

Sullinger, Craft Powers OSU Over Penn State

With less than a minute left, you saw why this team is the new soon to be #1 team in the country.

Freshman Jared Sullinger scored 19 points and hit a three-point play with 13.2 seconds left to lift the second-ranked Buckeyes to a 69-66 victory over Penn State on Saturday. Fellow freshman Aaron Craft also had 19 points, a career-high, to go with seven assists and brilliant defense against Penn State (10-7, 3-3) star Talor Battle. Battle's 3-pointer with 2 seconds left came up well short of extending the game, but before that he was held to just 15 points, which came up to be second best for the Nittany Lions tonight.


David Jackson had 19 for Penn State and the Buckeyes also held Jeff Brooks under 17 points, keeping him at 11. All game the defensive plan was to keep Battle at bay, and it worked for the most part. Towards the end Talor got a couple of calls that continued to make the game exciting at the finish.


On offense, it seemed early on that the Buckeyes focused on the perimeter shooting and passing. Not a lot of action went on in the paint, which may be why Sullinger was quieter in the first half, having to shoot mostly outside jump shots and free throws.

Live Blog: #2 Ohio State vs. Penn State

Join us at 5:15 PM EST for the live chat! If the Buckeyes win, they get the #1 spot, and the best start for a basketball team at Ohio State in 50 years!

Preview: #1 Ohio State vs. Penn State

Sullinger has led the Buckeyes to 17-0

The Buckeyes are coming off a close win over Michigan, in which Brady Hoke was introduced, on their way to a 17-0 start, the third best start in school history. They will be looking to keep this train going, whether or not it means much to them for being #1 in the country:

"It doesn't mean anything at all, really," Lighty said. "I've been No.1. I'll be happy. If I'm No. 1 at the end, I'll be excited."

Today, Ohio State faces an interesting challenge in Penn State. They have beaten consecutive ranked opponents for the first time in more than half a century by knocking off two of the Big Ten's premier programs in the past week, and Ohio State (17-0, 4-0) hasn't quite looked like a juggernaut during its three January wins. The Buckeyes have been tested, but rallied to win 73-68 at Iowa on Jan. 4, defeated Minnesota 67-64 on Sunday and knocked off Michigan 68-64 on Wednesday.


Penn State had lost four of five heading into a visit from then-No. 18 Michigan State last Saturday, but beat the Spartans 66-62 despite conference scoring leader Talor Battle finishing with 13 points on 3-of-14 shooting. There is no doubt that Battle is the leader of this team, but he is also a dangerous threat to this OSU defense, and should provide Penn State with a chance.