Scarlet Sunrise: Ohio State to host Merrimack in November

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Ohio State to host Merrimack in November

Ohio State will host Merrimack on Nov. 15, according to CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein. This will be the programs’ first-ever meeting.

Source: Ohio State will host Merrimack on November 15th as part of its 2023-24 non-conference schedule.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 25, 2023

Merrimack made the move from Division II to Division I ahead of the 2019-20 season. Immediately, the Warriors achieved success, winning the regular season NEC title that year. But, because of NCAA policy for reclassifying programs, Merrimack hasn’t been eligible for the NCAA Tournament until this season, 2023-24. That’s why the Warriors didn’t receive a bid last year, even though they won the NEC Tournament.

The team they beat to win the conference tourney? Fairleigh Dickinson. So, with Merrimack still ineligible for March Madness, Fairleigh Dickinson got the NEC auto bid. The rest is history, of course: Under Tobin Anderson, now the head coach of Iona, Fairleigh Dickinson defeated Texas Southern in the First Four and then wrecked brackets with an upset of No. 1 seed Purdue in the Round of 64.

It’s unlikely Merrimack would have pulled off the same feat, but it’s possible — after all, head coach Joe Gallo’s team closed the season with the nation’s longest win streak: 11 games.

Here’s an updated overview of what November looks like for Ohio State:

Note: * denotes neutral site games

• Nov. 6 vs. Oakland
• Nov. 10 vs. Texas A&M
• Nov. 15 vs. Merrimack
• Nov. 19 vs. Western Michigan
• *Nov. 24 vs. Alabama (Emerald Coast Classic)
• *Nov. 25 vs. Oregon/Santa Clara (Emerald Coast Classic)

Why Buckeyes are better off without naming a starting quarterback in spring

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said before spring ball got going that he hoped a starting quarterback emerged during the 15 practices the Buckeyes held across March and April.

“I think the way that our dynamic is, I think it’d be great for our program to be able to do that,” Day said in February. “There were times in the past where I just didn’t see that happening. I’m hoping that can happen. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. But some vision on who the starter is coming out of the spring would be nice.”

That’s not the ways things went, however. By the end of Ohio State’s spring game, no starter had been named. And, so, the quarterback battle between junior Kyle McCord and redshirt freshman Devin Brown continues. Lettermen Row writes why that can actually be beneficial for the Buckeyes this summer.

Check it out here.

Five underclassmen quarterback prospects we hope to see camp at Ohio State

There are fewer than 100 days until the Buckeyes’ regular season opener, and that means that it’s that time of year again: Ohio State camp season is right around the corner.

Hundreds of high schoolers, including Buckeyes commits from the 2024 class, will practice outside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center in June. Ohio State targets from that recruiting cycle as well as future cycles will be on hand, too.

Lettermen Row has five high school underclassman quarterback targets we hope to see at Ohio State camp next month. To find out who, go here.

Full coverage of Quarterback Week at Lettermen Row

READ: Five Questions as Buckeyes gear up for new era at quarterback

READ: Mapping out career path of each Buckeyes QB so far

READ: Knowing the basics of Buckeyes starting quarterback candidates

READ: Tristan Gebbia proving to be important addition to Buckeyes quarterback room

FILM ROOM: Breaking down Ohio State QB Kyle McCord’s 2021 snaps

READ: Making case for Kyle McCord to be Buckeyes starting quarterback

READ: Examining 2023 Ohio State quarterback NIL valuations

FILM ROOM: Breaking down Devin Brown’s 2022 spring game, high school tape

READ: Why Buckeyes are better off without naming a starting quarterback in spring

READ: Top-five Ohio State QB performances since Ryan Day became head coach

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Indiana: 99 days

Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 183 days

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