Ohio State will Scarlet the Shoe on Saturday, making for a fun atmosphere inside Ohio Stadium as the Buckeyes host the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Here are some wallpapers to set the tone for the days leading up to kickoff this weekend:
SCARLET THE SHOE SATURDAY!
— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) October 19, 2022
Oh and here's a cool wallpaper for your phones too. #WallpaperWednesday pic.twitter.com/Cg03cLey2y
We also have a pretty cool game poster this week, which you should definitely check out.
The Buckeye Battle Cry has never looked better than it does in this week's game poster.
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 19, 2022
Download the hi-res version here: https://t.co/rIuN6NyLlH pic.twitter.com/dPkiWq1MrT
Let's have a good Thursday, shall we?
WHERE WERE YOU WHEN...? The last time the Buckeyes attempted a game-winning field goal to claim a walk-off victory, Devin Barclay converted from 39 yards to clinch a 27-24 overtime victory for Ohio State over Iowa.
I remember where I was when it happened.
I was 10 years old. It was Nov. 14, 2009. My fourth-grade travel basketball team had finished up a Saturday full of games – the final one running deep into the evening. Ohio State and Iowa was a 3:30 p.m. kickoff, so my teammates and I knew we had already missed most of it. Still, we convinced our parents to take us to the nearest Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the final moments. It didn't take much effort to make them agree. They wanted to see the ending, too.
We arrived at the B-Dubs, which was already slammed with Ohio State fans. The servers let our large group of adults and elementary school boys huddle in an open bar space. Every TV had the game on, showing the Buckeyes were tied with the Hawkeyes, 24-24, in overtime. Then Barclay ran onto the field.
Devin Barclay's game-winning OT kick (2009) pic.twitter.com/H5Tpq99ObF
— Colton Denning (@Dubsco) October 19, 2022
The restaurant erupted.
Sports, especially college football, are funny sometimes. If only for a moment, hundreds of thousands of Buckeye fans held their breath in unison as Barclay's kick sailed through the air and crossed through the posts, followed by thunderous applause from the Ohio State faithful.
Barclay will never forget that kick, and I hope you haven't, either. Therefore, I ask this question: Where were you when Barclay sank Iowa with Ohio State's last game-winning kick in November 2009?
THAT'S AN EXPENSIVE SHOE. In the most recent episode of The Gene Smith Podcast, the Ohio State athletic director revealed it costs over $2.5 million annually for the university to maintain the Horseshoe.
Smith said $1 million is spent solely on concrete because of the wear and tear weather can cause for the structure made almost entirely of that material. He believes the consistent investment into the stadium has allowed it to stand firm beside the Olentangy River for 100 years.
Season 4, Episode 8
— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) October 19, 2022
In his Q&AD segment, Gene Smith fields listener questions about the Big Tens expansion, the cost of maintaining Ohio Stadium, growing up in Cleveland as a Buckeye fan, and more.
Submit your questions for @OSU_AD :https://t.co/9ejoC6zTfn pic.twitter.com/rm6gqhtWxc
The most important note that Smith makes in the brief podcast is that he doesn't foresee alterations to the structure of Ohio Stadium, only enhancements to make the already-wonderful Horseshoe better for the fans.
"I don't see significant physical, structural changes over the years," Smith said. "I see enhancement with our scoreboard, sound system and maybe some premium seat areas like we added with the Loge areas in the northwest corner of the stadium, but I don't see any major structural issues as we move into the near future."
Smith was not asked about Ohio Stadium's turf now being called Safelite Field. However, after learning about the cost of maintaining the Horseshoe, I am confident that the decision to add the logos to the playing surface was strictly for financial purposes. Hopefully, that thinking doesn't come back to bite me.
Also, I wasn't expecting a dome to be added to the House that Harley Built, but at least I know with certainty that it won't happen anytime soon. The Shoe, as it is currently constructed, will be around for a long time. That means no Northwestern-like stadium designs are heading down the pike, and that's music to my ears.
STOVER'S STOCKS RISING. Entering the 2022 season, Cade Stover had five catches for 76 yards in his Ohio State career. However, through six games, the tight end has the third-most receptions on the team behind Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr., collecting 16 receptions for 206 yards and two touchdowns.
This is a Cade Stover appreciation post. #TouchdownTuesday x @cstov8 pic.twitter.com/XlfTwVTVbq
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) September 27, 2022
It's been a while since we've heard from Stover – who has only four catches for 18 yards since his breakout game against Wisconsin – but that hasn't stopped NFL analysts from talking about his ascension up the 2023 draft boards.
In his most recent mock draft, Josh Edwards of CBS Sports has Stover as the No. 25 overall pick to the Dallas Cowboys, claiming the Ohio State mauler has been "a welcomed surprise" for the Buckeyes this season. And the best part? Edwards isn't alone in his evaluation. Fellow CBS analyst Chris Trapasso put Stover as the No. 24 overall selection to the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Chargers in two of his mock drafts this fall.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic has also not been shy to shower Stover with compliments this season, especially when looking at the tight end's efforts as a blocker.
My weekly Cade Stover is awesome tweet.
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) September 26, 2022
The TE had 2 TD catches vs. Wisconsin, but his blocking was a key part of OSUs offensive success. Stover and LT Paris Johnson spring this run. pic.twitter.com/cUfzV4PXMn
If Stover declared for the draft and was selected, it would be the third consecutive season an Ohio State tight end was picked in the NFL draft. Luke Farrell went to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round in 2021, while Jeremy Ruckert went to the New York Jets in the third round of 2022.
Additionally, should Edwards and Trepasso's first-round projections hold, Stover would be the first Buckeye tight end picked in the opening round since Rickey Dudley in 1996. That would be pretty monumental for a linebacker-turned-edge-rusher-turned-linebacker-turned-tight-end-turned-linebacker-turned-tight-end yeah?
I certainly think so.
OLYMPIC VILLAGE. Ohio State football is in the middle of an excellent season as the No. 2 team in the nation with a perfect 6-0 record. However, it isn't the only program on campus at the top of its game.
12 Buckeye squads ranked in the Top 25 this week !
— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) October 19, 2022
: @OhioStateFB takes on Iowa Saturday at Noon ET
: https://t.co/He7w8az9Zo #GoBucks | @HondaInOhio pic.twitter.com/7Lv50GNyo4
As of Wednesday, 12 Ohio State teams have teams ranked within the top 25 of their respective sports. Women's ice hockey leads the way as defending national champions ranked No. 1 in the USCHO Poll, while women's cross country holds down the back end as the No. 22 squad in the USTFCCCA Poll.
In between the women's ice hockey and women's cross country programs sit these teams, followed by their records:
- No. 5 Women's Swimming and Diving: 0-0
- No. 6 Women's Volleyball: 12-5 (8-1 Big Ten)
- No. 7 Pistol: 2-0
- No. 12 Men's Swimming and Diving: 0-0
- No. 13 Men's Soccer: 8-1-4 (3-1-1 Big Ten)
- No. 14 Women's Basketball: 0-0
- No. 16 Men's Hockey: 4-1-1 (2-0 Big Ten)
- No. 17 Women's Soccer: 10-2-3 (5-1-2 Big Ten)
- No. 18 Field Hockey: 8-6 (2-4 Big Ten)
The bottom line is that it's a good day to be a Buckeye fan. No matter what sport you choose, there's a good chance Ohio State is at the top of the field and competing for conference and national championships. It's an embarrassment of riches wherever you look.
For the fall sports, it's time to win those titles. For the winter ones, the journey starts now.
SONG OF THE DAY. "LEMONHEAD" by Kid Bloom.
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