Scarlet Sunrise: Buckeyes take down Big Ten favorite Boilermakers in Sunday thriller

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Ohio State upsets Purdue in first game post-coaching shake-up

Excerpt from Lettermen Row’s Andy Backstrom.

Gene Smith surprised the college basketball world Wednesday by firing Chris Holtmann with six regular season games left and four years remaining on Holtmann’s contract. The longtime, and outgoing, Ohio State athletic director — who signed Holtmann to an extension just two years ago — wanted a spark after back-to-back seasons of Big Ten woes.

Smith got it Sunday afternoon in the Schottenstein Center.

Actually, he got a fire — one that Jake Diebler lit under the Buckeyes, as Diebler seized the interim role with creativity, pace and energy, ultimately delivering a 73-69 upset win over No. 2 Purdue.

Diebler unloaded his bench and had his team push the ball in transition and play its best defense of the season.

A 14-2 run gave Ohio State the lead and momentum going into the half. A mid-range jumper from Jamison Battle — halting a 7-0 Purdue spurt that tied the game at 65-65 — and the fifth steal from Zed Key helped the Buckeyes seal the deal in dramatic fashion.

Coaches, not players, with something to prove

Ohio State football starts spring practice two weeks from Tuesday — March 5 — and the buzz about the Buckeyes is contagious.

Between transfer portal additions, early enrollees from the 2024 class and 11 players who spurned the NFL for one more season at Ohio State, there is plenty for the roster to prove in 15 practices.

But what about coaches?

Lettermen Row’s Spencer Holbrook wrote that offensive line coach Justin Frye, linebackers coach James Laurinaitis and head coach Ryan Day all have something to show in spring.

Holbrook writes on Frye.

Frye is a good coach; the results didn’t show that too well last fall. He’s now reunited with new Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, who Frye coached under at UCLA for four seasons. Frye needs to get this depth chart pieced together in the spring and show why he was brought to Ohio State by Ryan Day with a reputation for development.

Via ‘Three Buckeyes coaches with something to prove this spring‘ by Spencer Holbrook (Lettermen Row)

Ohio State in top four schools for coveted offensive lineman

Four-star Evans (Ga) interior offensive lineman Mason Short announced his final four schools over the weekend and Ohio State made the cut.

The 6-foot-5, 300-pound prospect is also considering Georgia, Clemson and Kentucky.

Short is the No. 195 overall prospect and the No. 10 interior offensive lineman according to the On3 Industry Rankings. On3 has Short ranked as a three-star prospect and as the No. 20 interior offensive lineman.

“Coach [Justin] Frye and Coach [Ryan] Day are two amazing coaches and produce a lot of NFL talent and I know I will be developed there,” Short told On3’s Hayes Fawcett. “They have a rich history of developing offensive linemen.”

Ohio State has four-star Toledo (Ohio) Whitmer offensive tackle Carter Lowe committed to its 2025 class.

For more about Short, read here.

Counting Down

Buckeyes vs. Akron: 194 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 285 days

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