Scarlet Sunrise: Paul Finebaum says Ohio State has best shot to dethrone Georgia in CFP

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Paul Finebaum says Ohio State has best shot to dethrone Georgia in CFP

On Friday’s episode of ESPN’s “First Take,” the question was posed: Which team in the College Football Playoff has the best chance to upset top-ranked and undefeated Georgia, the defending national champions. SEC expert Paul Finebaum picked the Buckeyes, almost reluctantly, though.

“This is a Hobson’s choice question because there really isn’t a good answer,” Finebaum said. “Because I’m forced to, I’ll say Ohio State, primarily because of C.J. Stroud. On a given day, maybe with all the compliments around him with Marvin Harrison Jr., he could explode and cause Georgia some issues. Although, I’m not counting on that.

“I think Michigan has a really ground-it-out team. They’re very solid, but I don’t think they’re going to be a match for Georgia. And I know you can’t compare last year to this year, but Georgia just toyed with them like a mouse and a cat last year. I don’t think that would be any better this year. TCU, if they sneak in there, could create some issues. But I’m going with Georgia with a question that really doesn’t have a good answer. It’s all Georgia.”

39 Buckeyes players earn Academic All-Big Ten honors

Thirty-nine Ohio State football players earned Academic All-Big Ten honors Friday. The qualifications required for such recognition are being enrolled at the institution for minimum of a year, being an athlete on a varsity team at said institution and posting a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Graduate tight end/fullback Mitch Rossi and graduate long snapper Bradley Robinson have now both received the distinction five times in their careers. Rossi has an undergraduate degree in finance and is pursuing a human resources management degree in his graduate program. Meanwhile, Robinson already has degrees in human nutrition and in human development and family service — plus, he’s studying for another in kinesiology.

Buckeyes place kicker Noah Ruggles earned his undergrad degree from North Carolina. But since transferring to Ohio State, Ruggles has started pursuing a master’s in sports coaching. He is one of 56 student-athletes in the Big Ten this season with a 4.0 GPA.

For the full list of the Buckeyes’ honorees, go here.

Big Ten admits missed call that would have prevented Tanner Holden buzzer beater

The Big Ten issued a statement Friday night, admitting that its officiating crew missed a call Thursday night in the final seconds of Ohio State’s dramatic, 67-66 win over Rutgers that would have ruled the ball dead before Tanner Holden got a chance to attempt his buzzer-beating 3-pointer.

Here’s the complete statement from the Big Ten:

“During regulation play, an OSU student-athlete passed the ball to a teammate who had drifted out of bounds and returned to the court to complete the game-winning shot. The action of stepping out of bounds and being the first player to touch the ball after returning inbounds constituted a violation of NCAA Rule 9, Section 3, Article 1. The play should have been stopped, and the ball ruled dead.

“The officiating crew that was on the court is one of the best in the country but unfortunately missed the call. The Big Ten Conference takes officiating very seriously and has addressed the matter with both member institutions and the officiating crew. Additionally, the conference will be providing added education and rule reinforcement to our basketball officials.”

Not only was Holden’s violation not called, but a whistle also wasn’t blown when Buckeyes point guard Bruce Thornton stepped out of bounds prior to his pass to the Wright State senior transfer.

Holden made the most of the opportunity, scoring his only points of the night on a memorable game-winner in The Schottenstein Center.

READ: Tanner Holden’s buzzer beater delivers Buckeyes win over Rutgers

READ: Three Points: Zed Key turns in admirable effort during Rutgers thriller

READ: Ohio State adjusting with ‘no real timetable’ on Isaac Likekele’s return

A WALK-OFF 3️⃣ FOR @OhioStateHoops ‼️ pic.twitter.com/fprzioLyeD

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) December 9, 2022

How to watch Heisman Trophy ceremony

Live coverage of the Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York City kicks off Saturday night at 8 p.m. on ESPN. It can also be streamed on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.

Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud is a finalist for college football’s most prestigious award for the second year in a row. Stroud is up against USC quarterback Caleb Williams, TCU quarterback Max Duggan and Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett IV.

At the moment, Williams is the favorite with -1600 odds, according to Vegas Insider. Meanwhile, Stroud has the worst odds of the four finalists at +5000.

Ohio State is tied with Oklahoma and Notre Dame for the most Heisman Trophy winners (seven) all-time — that, of course, includes running back Archie Griffin, the only two-time Heisman winner in the sport’s history. The last Buckeyes player to hoist the trophy was quarterback Troy Smith in 2006.

READ: C.J. Stroud named Heisman Trophy finalist for second straight year

Counting down

Peach Bowl: 22 days away

Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 351 days

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