Land-Grant Podcast Network: An Ohio State University podcast

“Bucketheads” is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. In every episode, they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in college hoops.

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On episode 220 of the Bucketheads Podcast, Justin and Connor are welcomed for the fourth time by Joe Jackson of the Boilers in the Stands Podcast and Basket Under Review.

We talked with Jackson about Anthony Thompson, Jake Diebler, the Buckeyes’ ceiling, and what he thinks the fans’ expectations should be this upcoming season.

After that, we talked with Joe about the Big Ten, Michigan State, Illinois, and some teams that he is higher and lower on this upcoming season.

Remember to like and subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen, leave a comment, and review! We have episodes every Thursday morning.

Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGPN

Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor

Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba

Connect with Joe:
Twitter: @joejacksonCBB

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This is the one Ohio State fans have had circled since December. No. 4 Ohio State travels to No. 5 Indiana on Saturday at noon ET on FOX for a rematch of last year’s 13-10 Big Ten title game loss in Indianapolis. The Buckeyes are 3.5-point favorites, but going into Bloomington against the defending national champions is about as tough a road test as there is in the Big Ten.

Indiana looks a little different than last year, but they’re still very good. The Hoosiers rank 20th nationally at 462.7 yards per game and average 40.2 points per game, also inside the top 20. They’re balanced too, averaging 241 passing yards and 221 rushing yards a game.

Josh Hoover has been excellent since transferring in from TCU. He’s completing about 70% of his passes with 17 touchdowns and zero interceptions. That’s a huge change for a quarterback whose biggest knock coming in was that he was interception prone. That says a lot about Curt Cignetti’s coaching staff.

The backfield is a two-headed monster in Turbo Richard and Lee Beebe Jr., who both have over 550 rushing yards. Richard is averaging 8.4 yards per carry. The receiver room is just as dangerous. Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh both have 30 catches for 530 yards. Becker has eight touchdowns and Marsh has six, and it’s hard to find a better receiver duo in the Big Ten.

The defense might be even better. Indiana is allowing just 11.8 points per game, fifth in the country, and 237.8 yards per game, fourth nationally. The Hoosiers also haven’t lost the turnover battle in a single game this season.

The pass rush is led by Tobi Osunsami and Stephen Daley, who each have five sacks. Isaiah Jones and Rojiah Hardy are a strong linebacker duo in the middle. This is a complete, well-coached defense that won’t give Ohio State much for free.

Osunsami and Daley vs. Ohio State’s offensive tackles. This might be the biggest matchup of the game. Phillip Daniels’ status is still worth watching, and whoever starts at the other tackle spot has to hold up against two edge rushers with five sacks apiece. If Indiana can get to Julian Sayin, it changes everything.

Devin Sanchez and Jermaine Mathews Jr. vs. Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh. Ohio State’s corners just had their best combined game of the season against Maryland. Becker and Marsh are a completely different level of challenge, and Becker made two of the biggest catches against Mathews in last year’s title game.

Julian Sayin vs. a good team. Last year against Indiana, Sayin went 21-of-29 for 258 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He was solid, but Ohio State needed more. He’s coming off a sloppy game against Maryland, and this is his chance to show he can be the difference in a game like this.

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Ohio State moved to 5-1 and 3-0 in Big Ten play with a 45-16 homecoming win over Maryland, but it wasn't always pretty. The Terrapins pulled within 14-10 in the second quarter, and for a few minutes in the rain at Ohio Stadium, this one felt closer than it should have.

Then Maryland's secondary simply stopped covering people. Jeremiah Smith found the end zone, Nate Roberts walked in completely uncovered on a 68-yard touchdown, and Ohio State took a 31-10 lead into halftime. Sayin threw an ugly pick-six to open the second half, but it was all Buckeyes after that.

Jeremiah Smith, again. He caught four passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns, scoring on his first two touches and moving within one touchdown catch of Braylon Edwards' Big Ten career record. It was also great to see Kyle Parker make his debut, and Chris Henry Jr. added a nice long catch.

The run game was the story of the day. Ohio State ran for more than 200 yards, led by Bo Jackson with 107 yards and two touchdowns, the Buckeyes' first 100 yard rusher of the season. Ja'Kobi Jackson added 76 yards, and it was good to see Legend Bey back and getting carries.

The secondary was outstanding. Ohio State held Malik Washington to a career low 64 passing yards and Chris Durr Jr., one of the country's most productive receivers, to only 15 yards. Maryland's only offensive touchdown came on a drive extended by a roughing the passer penalty. The rest of their points came off Ohio State turnovers.

Julian Sayin threw four touchdown passes and still may have had one of his worst games of the season. He missed throws, looked pressured and sped up at times, and had both a pick-six and a lost fumble on a sack. Against Maryland, Ohio State can get away with that. Against Indiana, they cannot.

The second receiver spot is still a question as well, especially with Brandon Inniss and Devin McCuin both out. Ohio State needs someone besides Smith to consistently win on the outside. The pass rush was also a problem. Zero sacks against Maryland is pretty pathetic, and it's the biggest thing the defense needs to fix before facing Indiana's offense.

There was plenty of chaos around the country this weekend:

We spent some time on Iowa, which looked like a completely different team after the Ohio State loss. Is a playoff run realistic for the Hawkeyes? Indiana stayed unbeaten with a tight win over Nebraska, setting up a massive top five game in Bloomington next Saturday between the reigning national champions and the Buckeyes.

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“Bucketheads” is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. In every episode, they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in college hoops.

Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio

On episode 219 of the Bucketheads Podcast, Justin and Connor are back, and Connor is back from Cincinnati after getting boots on the ground and covering the Ohio State and Cincinnati exhibition game.

The Buckeyes fell to Cincinnati 79-68 in an outdoor game, so the shooting numbers left much to be desired. We talked about our takeaways from the game, whether anything changed our opinion of the team, and anything else Connor learned at the game.

Afterward, we discuss the Big Ten preseason poll, the All-Big Ten preseason teams, and Dana Altman's retirement.

Remember to like and subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen, leave a comment, and review! We have episodes every Thursday morning.

Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGPN

Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor

Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba

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Ohio State gets a favorable matchup with Maryland, while Cole and Joey discuss the biggest surprises of the season and make their College Football Playoff top four picks.

Ohio State is back in action Saturday, taking on Maryland at 4:15 p.m. ET on BTN. The Buckeyes enter as 34.5-point favorites, and after a dominant defensive performance against Iowa, this one could get out of hand quickly.

Maryland enters at 2-3 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten play. The Terrapins opened the season with wins over Hampton and UConn before losses to Virginia Tech, UCLA and Nebraska. Maryland was particularly ugly in its 51-point loss to UCLA, losing 54-3. The numbers don't exactly inspire confidence, either. The Terrapins are averaging 30.4 points per game while allowing 30.2, and they rank 80th nationally in total offense while converting just 35 percent of their third downs.

Quarterback Malik Washington has thrown for seven touchdowns and six interceptions, while Maryland has split the workload in the backfield between Iverson Howard and Dejuan Williams. Chris Durr Jr. has been the team's top receiving threat with 42 catches for 461 yards and four touchdowns. Defensively, five-star Maryland commit Zion Elee has been one of the few bright spots, already recording two sacks this season.

We also made our picks for the current College Football Playoff top four, breaking down which teams we believe have done enough to establish themselves as legitimate national championship contenders.

And, of course, we had plenty more to discuss before Ohio State heads to Maryland on Saturday.

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Ohio State took care of business against Iowa on Saturday, winning 31-14 and getting back on track in a big way after a concerning defensive performance against Illinois. Cole got the exact score right, so naturally we had to talk about that first.

The Buckeyes jumped out to an early 7-0 lead after Kenyatta Jackson Jr. recorded a strip sack that was recovered by Alliegro. Two plays later, Julian Sayin found McCuin over the middle for a touchdown, and Ohio State never looked back.

The offense struggled at times to finish drives, but Ryan Day’s ability to win the “Middle 8” once again proved to be one of his biggest strengths. Ohio State scored a touchdown in the final 10 seconds of the first half before adding 21 unanswered points after Iowa had cut the lead to 10-6.

Julian Sayin was once again excellent, while Jeremiah Smith continued to make his case as one of the best receivers in the country. The Jacksons also had a big day, with Jakobi, Bo and Kenyatta all making an impact. Qua Russaw and James Smith were two of the Alabama transfers who stood out, while John Walker and Eddrick Houston continued to show why there are high expectations for Ohio State’s defensive line.

Simeon Caldwell also played well, and Cam Calhoun appears to have firmly established himself as the clear backup at strong slot corner over Dominick Kelly. Jordan Thomas also got into the game.

After Illinois put up 500 yards of offense, there were plenty of questions about Ohio State’s defense heading into Iowa. Those questions were answered pretty emphatically.

The Buckeyes held Iowa to just 238 total yards, forced a fumble and interception, went 5-for-11 on third down and, most importantly, held the Hawkeyes to under 40 rushing yards. That was the biggest takeaway for us. Ohio State looked much more physical up front and much more comfortable defensively.

There was plenty happening around the country this weekend.

And yes, we had to talk about Northwestern. Why in the world is Chip Kelly there? That said, with the new stadium, the money coming into the program and the resources around Penn State, we’re making a bold prediction. The Wildcats will play in a Big Ten Championship Game within the next five years.

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“Bucketheads” is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. In every episode, they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in college hoops.

Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio

On episode 218 of the Bucketheads Podcast, Justin and Connor are back, and Connor is back from Ohio State Men’s Basketball Media Day with a ton of new information and we discussed all of it.

All of the players and coaches were available to talk, so we discussed who Connor talked to, what he asked, and what we learned about the team this season.

Also, we touch on some recent recruiting news and what is going on with Demarcus Henry’s recruitment.

Remember to like and subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen, leave a comment, and review! We have episodes every Thursday morning.

Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGPN

Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor

Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State is 3-1 and heads to Iowa City for a top-15 matchup against an undefeated Iowa team. The Hawkeyes are coming off a dramatic 20-19 win over Michigan and have one of the nation’s best defenses, allowing just 8.0 points per game.

Iowa has been balanced offensively, averaging 215.5 rushing yards and 213.5 passing yards per game. Quarterback Hank Brown has completed 68% of his passes for 700 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions, while Kamari Moulton leads the rushing attack with 284 yards at more than seven yards per carry.

But the defense is what makes this Hawkeye team dangerous. Iowa ranks second nationally in scoring defense at just 8.0 points per game, setting up a major test for an Ohio State offense that has been rolling early in the season.

Joey: Control the line of scrimmage. Ohio State cannot let Iowa dictate the pace of this game. The Buckeyes need to establish the run, win first and second down and force Iowa to throw the football early and often.

Cole: The other key will be getting production from the wide receivers outside of Jeremiah Smith. If Ohio State can consistently win those matchups, it will make life much easier for Julian Sayin and the entire offense.

Joey: Ohio State 27, Iowa 14

Cole: Ohio State 31, Iowa 14

Ohio State and Iowa kick off Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET from Kinnick Stadium, with the game airing on CBS. College GameDay will also be in Iowa City for the matchup.

(7) Alabama @ (16) Mississippi State

(8) Florida @ (25) Missouri

(4) Miami @ Clemson

(10) BYU @ TCU

Washington @ (18) USC

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Ohio State is 3-1 after opening Big Ten play with a 42-19 win over Illinois. The offense looked excellent once again, but the defense raised some serious concerns heading into a massive matchup with Iowa next week. Cole and Joey recap the win, discuss what went right and wrong, highlight the players who stood out, and look ahead to one of the biggest games on Ohio State’s schedule.

The offense was really good from start to finish. Ohio State finished with 518 total yards, including 367 through the air and 151 on the ground, while turning the ball over zero times. Julian Sayin had another excellent performance, throwing for 367 yards and four touchdowns while adding a rushing touchdown. That five-touchdown performance was a career high, and Jeremiah Smith was somehow even better, catching 12 passes for 217 yards and four touchdowns.

There were also plenty of other players who stood out, including Ja’kobi Jackson, Riley Pettijohn, Jay Timmons and Jaylen McClain. McClain, Timmons, Pettijohn, Jermaine Matthews Jr and Kenyatta Jackson were among the defensive players who showed up despite what was otherwise a rough afternoon for the unit.

This is the biggest takeaway from Saturday. Ohio State allowed Illinois to rack up 462 total yards, including 199 rushing yards on 6.0 yards per carry. The Illini also converted 50% of their third downs and didn't turn the ball over. After the Texas loss, it was easy to chalk some of the defensive struggles up to playing one of the best teams in the country. That's getting harder to do now.

The defensive line in particular has not looked like the dominant unit Ohio State has had in recent years. The secondary has actually been one of the brighter spots, but the Buckeyes are going to need much more from the front seven as the schedule gets tougher.

Ohio State heads to Iowa next Saturday for a massive Big Ten matchup in Iowa City. No. 17 Iowa just knocked off No. 18 Michigan 20-19 on a last-second touchdown, setting up a top 15 matchup for the Buckeyes. And yes, College GameDay will be there.

Week 4 was absolutely ridiculous.

No. 17 Iowa beats No. 18 Michigan 20-19
No. 1 Texas beats No. 14 Tennessee 20-17
No. 21 Florida beats No. 4 Ole Miss 52-28
No. 20 Oregon beats No. 12 USC 41-27
Wake Forest upsets No. 16 Louisville
Wisconsin upsets No. 13 Penn State
No. 10 LSU beats No. 23 Texas A&M 35-6
No. 24 Mississippi State beats No. 19 Missouri 31-24

College football officially got chaotic this weekend.

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Ohio State is finally ready to get into Big Ten play. After bouncing back from the Texas loss with a 59-3 demolition of Kent State, the Buckeyes welcome Illinois to Columbus on Saturday for the first conference game of the season. Cole and Joey preview the matchup, discuss what they want to see from Ohio State, break down the biggest threats Illinois brings to the table, and make their game predictions.

The biggest thing is pretty simple, consistency. Ohio State looked exactly how they needed to look against Kent State, but Illinois should provide a much better test. The Buckeyes are still trying to figure out what this team looks like after the Texas loss, and Big Ten play is where those answers start to matter.

Julian Sayin has looked extremely comfortable through three games, and the offense is averaging more than 46 points per game. Jeremiah Smith is already doing Jeremiah Smith things, while the bigger question is whether Ohio State can establish the run and continue getting contributions from the players around its stars.

Defensively, the Buckeyes also need to continue building on what we saw against Kent State. The defensive line has plenty of talent, but Illinois will present a much different challenge than the Golden Flashes.

Katin Houser is probably the biggest thing to watch. The East Carolina transfer has been very good through three games, completing 74.1% of his passes for 758 yards, eight touchdowns and just two interceptions. He's averaging 252.7 passing yards per game and has looked extremely comfortable running Illinois' offense.

And then there's Collin Dixon. Dixon has been one of the best wide receivers in the country through three games, with 25 catches for 367 yards and seven touchdowns. Yes, seven. That's actually the most receiving touchdowns in the country entering Week 4. He also went absolutely crazy against Duke, catching 11 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns. This could be a huge Devin Sanchez week.

Ohio State's secondary has plenty of talent, but Dixon is the type of receiver who can punish even small mistakes. If Houser gets time and Dixon gets matched up one-on-one consistently, this could become an interesting matchup.

Week 4 is absolutely loaded.

There are ranked matchups basically all day Saturday, so this is where the college football season starts to get really fun.

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