Those Dwayne Haskins numbers still blow my mind. Hard to wrap my head around fhe fact that he was a one-year starter.

Intriguing. I think this is a move to potentially allow Donovan Jackson to kick out to LT and bring this guy in as an interior lineman. The biggest knock on our returning depth guys appears to have been pass protection, which is *checks notes* a big part of the Day-Hartline offense, so I wonder if they think Cutler's time on the edge can translate to better pass blocking when he's got help on the inside.

First Mazi Smith, then Harbaugh lying to the NCAA (haha), and now this? What kind of semi-organized criminal enterprise does UM have going on up in Ann Arbor anyway?

Excellent depth move for a guy who will be motivated to study hard and mentor his compatriots. It'll be like having an extra GA in the QB room.

I'm not gonna lie, I've definitely had my questions about Stroud's leadership and willingness to take contact at times throughout the past two seasons, but to say all our recent failures are on him is a bit harsh. He wasn't responsible for some of the worst defenses in Ohio State history and the complete decimation of the running back room to injury. I struggle to see how JT Barrett or Cardale Jones could have overcome these deficiencies on their own.

Does anyone know if he got a scholarship to go to MSU? If so, good for him!

Normally, I wish our transfers only the best, but in his case, I hope he has the worst game of his life on September 23

Massive BOOM. Only the secondary left to shore up!

This is a huge opportunity for Jones. He was unlikely to substantially impact his draft stock by playing another season at guard, but if he has a good year at C, he can show NFL GMs that he has the versatility to play anywhere on the interior. A great opportunity for a great young man!

Oof. Makes our transfer portal whiffs sting a little more. Oh well, next man up!

If he's starting (which I assume he was given strong assurances that he likely would) in Los Angeles, he probably will.

Man, all this talk about our NIL not being up to snuff is really starting to come home to roost. I think that we've been able to get top flight high school recruits who care more about culture, fit, and coaching development to commit, but NIL is killing us in the transfer portal, since most of these guys are looking to play 1-2 years, make some cash, win some hardware, and get to the league. Also makes Lincoln Riley's move to USC make all the more sense now since the plethora of NIL opportunities in LA essentially means that he gets to run the program like a pro franchise. Less time spent on recruiting and development.

Agree with you completely, but in a game that close (by 1 point), every little thing counted. As you probably know from other threads, I am far from Jim Knowles' biggest fan (I think he was a terrible disappointment in Year 1) but every little thing went against us on December 31.

Fuck Pac12 refs.

Not a Bears fan, but CHI is in an incredible position to trade down and blow up the offense in the coming draft. Taking a young QB #1 overall is a terrible plan at this point (you simply put him in the exact same position that Fields was in, but with less experience), unless for some reason the Bears really think they could get a first round pick for him.

Most expensive $2M ever paid for a 1.8 point per game improvement from last season...

I'd have some choice words for Jim Knowles.

Can't believe the refs fucked us like this. With the truckload of injuries we had, it just wasn't meant to be this year...

Excited about all the offensive firepower headed to Columbus, but really hoping the DBs coming in can make an impact quickly! It's increasingly clear that the major hurdle the Buckeyes must overcome to make it to the big dance (and do well in it) is shoring up the leaky pass defense, particularly in the back end.

Great news. Our RBs haven't all been able to make it through a season healthy, so we need all hands on deck, especially since the running game will need to shoulder the load with us breaking in a new QB

Ramzy, thank you for putting things all into perspective.

The situation surrounding the carries matters, though. Backups tend to be fresher, playing at the ends of games where both teams already know the outcome and people are trying to avoid serious injury. The starters, meanwhile, are playing against the best defenders while both sides are still playing as hard as they can with the outcome of the game still uncertain. Things get even dicier in close games in the fourth quarter, when both squads are playing hard while tired and banged up.

He also played in a three-safety scheme (a 3-3-5) so he will be familiar with the type of coverage responsibilities inherent to such systems.

No offense, but if I were a complete, top corner, I wouldn't want to play in Knowles' scheme either. This isn't a durr hurr #FireKnowles comment but rather the fact that the CBs play a more limited role in this defense. The cloud/shell coverage means a lot less bump and run, less opportunity to use your physicality at the LOS. The fact that the safeties handle the more complicated handoffs in coverage also reduces your opportunities to showcase your talents in this regard.

Whew! Probably our biggest question in the safety lineup has been solved. We needed a solid cover corner since McCallister is heading off to the league, and Martinez's limited performances had left things looking iffy out there. With all the buzz about Styles, Stokes, and Williams, I figured our strong and free safety positions were in line for a potential upgrade. Now if only we could snag an OT and a CB...