Matthew Baldwin, a Pro-Style Quarterback, committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes and it's Head Coach, Urban Meyer this week. Baldwin's football career started in high school at Lake Travis in Austin, Texas. Baldwin, like many young adults, changed his mind at the last minute.
Matthew Baldwin originally committed to attend and play for the Colorado State Rams. On November 30th, 2017 Baldwin withdrew his, Colorado State, letter of commitment. Shortly afterward, Baldwin announced his commitment to play for coach Urban Meyer and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
On November 11th, Baldwin toured the Ohio State facilities during an "unofficial" visit to the campus. This visit happened to coincided with the rivalry game against Michigan State University. Matthew Baldwin enjoyed watching the Ohio State Buckeyes crush the Michigan State Spartans 48 to 3.
Baldwin made the trip to the Columbus campus with his mother. Mathew Baldwin and his mother left the campus visit happy with a scholarship offer from the Ohio State Buckeyes.
The Ohio State Buckeyes got the victory Monday night despite trailing the Michigan Wolverines by as much as 20 points in the first half. The brutal first half included seven turn overs by the Buckeyes. They would end the first half with a 13 point deficit against the Wolverines.
The second half started with the Buckeyes on fire sinking 10 of 13 first shots. The Wolverines, who started the first half sinking 60 percent of their shots, cooled in the beginning of the second half missing the first four shots of the half. Ohio State would see their first time in the lead with a little over 12 minutes left in the game. C.J. Jackson and Keita Bates-Diop sank the free throws that would put the Buckeyes in the lead.
It comes as a shock to many that the Wisconsin Badgers are considered the underdogs in the upcoming game against Ohio State. It is a surprise as the Badgers are the only team to win 12 straight in all of the Football Bowl Subdivision.
This unwelcome title is being attributed to low rank of the Badger opponents. Only one of the Badgers victories have been against a team with a top ranking in the AP. Wisconsin themselves ranks a mere 45th in the FBS. Their upcoming opponent, Ohio State, ranks an impressive third.
Even with victories coming from low ranking opponents, twelve straight victories is no small feat. The lowest ranking teams have proven to be formidable opponents against even the best teams. An example is the defeat of the number one ranked Clemson to Syracuse, a team whose ranking does not even make them eligible for a bowl game.
Terry Glenn, the well-known Ohio State legend and NFL star, has tragically died in a car accident in Irving, Texas. He was only 43 years old.
Glenn initially joined the Buckeyes as a walk-on but distinguished himself and was honored as an All-American and All-Big Ten wide receiver. He won the Fred Biletnikoff Award in 1995 for being the best receiver in the nation. He still holds Ohio State's record for the most receiving yards scored in a game, including 253 yards and four touchdown catches from his impressive nine-reception game against Pittsburgh in 1995.
In Glenn's final season with Ohio State, he achieved a total of 17 touchdowns and ran 411 receiving yards. He still retains his ranking as the second highest wide receiver scorer in Buckeye's history. Only David Boston, who ran 1,435 yards in 1998, scored higher.
The one major change for Ohio State’s game against Michigan on November 25th is Erick Smith starting at Safety along with Jordan Fuller. Fuller had taken over the position after the first game but this week, both players are back as co-starters. Fuller had a leg injury last week and did not play.
The Illinois coach Lovie Smith, makes a return to the Ohio State Buckeyes. Smith returns after a 22 year absence. His prior appointment was as the assistant coach and a lot has happened since this time.
In those 22 years, Smith has coached for several teams in the NFL including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the St. Louis Rams, and the Chicago Bears. Before making his way to the NFL he spent a brief season coaching for Ohio in 1995.
However, the 59 year old coach has made a return to college ball in what is now his second season as head coach with Illinois. Smith is looking forward to being back in the Buckeyes stadium when his team competes against the Buckeyes in Saturday's game.
Smith has fond memories of his time with the Buckeyes. He fondly recalls working John Cooper and the amazing traditions of Ohio State. He also recalled his time coaching several defensive backs for Ohio that would go on to the NFL like Ty Howard and Antoine Winfield.
Chris Holtmann and Ohio State welcome in four new members for the 2018 Men’s Basketball roster. With the early signing period starting Wednesday this week, Ohio State and the men’s basketball coaching staff welcomes in four members of the new 2018 recruiting class. Previous verbal commits got the opportunity to make it official and begin their careers as Buckeyes.
Luther Muhammad 6’3”
Luther Muhammad was the highest rated player in the class and comes at a position the needs more depth. From Hudson Catholic NJ, Muhammad is a four star shooting guard who rated 72nd to 75th overall nationally.
Justin Ahrens 6’5”
Small Forward Justin Ahrens is the only player from Ohio to sign in the class, he’s from Versailles. Ahrens is a three star prospect ranked as the 10th best in Ohio. He had opened up his recruiting after Thad Matta was let go from the program but returned to Buckeyes after Holtmann offered him another scholarship.
It comes as little surprise to anyone that J.T. Barrett of Ohio State was named Big Ten's offensive player of the week. The quarterback for Ohio State was a practical shoe in after this stellar performance against the Penn State Nittany Lions. The comeback on Saturday night was historic and certainly worthy of the title for J.T. Barrett.
Barrett's amazing stats for the night included running for 95 yards, four touchdowns and 33- for-39 for an impressive 328 yards. His performance did have its flaws with a turnover caused by a poor hand-off. He made up for his transgressions in the fourth quarter with three touchdowns and 13 for 13 for 170 of those 328 yards. The game ended with 16 straight attempts completed.
When the Ohio State Buckeyes play, they bring major ratings for TV networks. This is especially the case when they are up against another popular, ratings-drawing foe.
Before kickoff even took place, Penn State vs. Ohio State was already being billed as the biggest game of this season. It's safe to say it was, and the TV ratings proved it.
The game was the highest rating for a college football match in network history. As for that the metered market rating was, FOX said it was a 6.4. This also means it was the second-highest rating for a college football match on any network this season.
Ohio State will host the Penn State Nittany Lions this Saturday at 3:30pm in Ohio Stadium. A number of national television broadcasts will be on-hand in addition to some special pre-game events. The game will be broadcast on FOX for those watching from home. The Big Ten Network, FOX, and ESPN will all be in town for special shows leading up to the second ranked Penn State against the sixth ranked Ohio State Buckeyes.
The Buckeyes will be wearing new alternative Gray Uniforms and are asking fans to wear all black for the infamous Black-out. Make sure to purchase your tickets through authorized sites to avoid fakes. And make sure to print out your print-at-home tickets to insure you get into the stadium.
Ohio State Basketball Open Practice
If you’re an Ohio State Basketball/Chris Holtmann fan, there’s a special open practice in the Schottenstein Center staring at 11am until 12:30pm. Fans can enter the building starting at 10am.
