Scarlet Sunrise: Ohio State women's basketball ties highest AP ranking in program history

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Ohio State women’s basketball ties highest AP ranking in program history

Ohio State women’s basketball clocked in at No. 3 in the latest AP Poll, tying the program’s highest AP ranking ever. The Buckeyes are now 8-0 on the season after beating Louisville on the road in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and then winning at Rutgers in their Big Ten opener. Head coach Kevin McGuff’s team has been dominant this fall.

Ohio State kicked off the year with a 12-point victory over then-No. 5 Tennessee. Then it went to Boston College and won by 18 points. The Buckeyes have won every game this season by double digits. In fact, they are eighth nationally in scoring margin (29.8 points per game).

Five different Ohio State players are averaging double figures right now, most notably forward Rebeka Mikulášiková and guard Taylor Mikesell, both of whom are posting more than 19 points a game this season.

Ohio State won the Big Ten regular season title last year and made the Sweet Sixteen. As of now, McGuff’s Buckeyes are on track for more in 2022-23.

Two Buckeyes defenders hit the transfer portal

The transfer portal officially opened on midnight Monday. What ensued was absolute chaos. By 8 p.m., more than 1,000 players had entered the portal for the 2023 cycle, according to On3.

That included two Ohio State defenders: second-year safety Jaylen Johnson and veteran linebacker Teradja Mitchell. Johnson was one of three safeties in the Buckeyes’ 2021 class, but he tore his ACL his first spring with the program and didn’t see the field much after that. Meanwhile, Mitchell posted 63 career tackles and seven TFLs in his Ohio State career — he played his most snaps (354, according to Pro Football Focus) in 2021 when he was a captain. He didn’t have nearly the same on-field impact when Jim Knowles took over as defensive coordinator/linebackers coach, though.

Mitchell has one year of eligibility remaining. Johnson has three.

READ: Buckeyes reserve safety Jaylen Johnson enters transfer portal

READ: Buckeyes linebacker Teradja Mitchell enters transfer portal

But, remember, Ohio State is pretty selective when it comes to the portal market

The portal opened in late 2018. Since, Ohio State has taken only eight players from the transfer portal, and two of them were kickers. Head coach Ryan Day wants to build the program through its robust recruiting pipeline that has produced a top-five recruiting class each of the last three cycles and is headed for another such class this time around.

That said, here are three position groups Ohio State could target in this cycle’s transfer portal.

READ: Six Ohio State transfers who made an impact elsewhere in 2022

Ohio State OC/TEs coach Kevin Wilson is finally a head coach again

It’s about time Kevin Wilson got another crack at being a head coach. After six years as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator and tight ends coach, Wilson was hired as Tulsa’s leading man Monday.

Wilson joined the Buckeyes coaching staff after being fired as Indiana’s head coach. He went 26-47 in six years in Bloomington. Before that, he was the OC at Oklahoma, Northwestern and at Miami (Ohio).

At Ohio State, Wilson has been a key component of the Buckeyes’ offensive staff during the Day era. He’s also given the program a lift in recruiting, particularly when it’s come to reeling in tight ends and offensive linemen.

Here’s a look at where Ohio State has ranked nationally in scoring offense since Wilson and Day were hired…

2017: T-6th (41.1 ppg)

2018: 8th (42.4 ppg)

2019: 3rd (46.9 ppg)

2020: 11th (41.0 ppg)

2021: 1st (45.7 ppg)

2022: 2nd (44.5 ppg)

C.J. Stroud is a Heisman Trophy finalist for the second time

Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud is a Heisman Trophy finalist for the second year in a row. The redshirt sophomore signal caller is up for the prestigious honor, along with USC quarterback Caleb Williams, TCU quarterback Max Duggan and Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett IV.

Stroud finished fourth in Heisman voting last year.

He’s tied for first nationally with 37 touchdown passes this season, and he’s tops in the country with a 176.25 passer rating, not to mention that he’s posted five 300-yard games and rounded out six outings with at least four touchdown throws.

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.

The winner will be announced Saturday at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba declares for NFL after injury-riddled season

Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who played in just three games this season because of a lingering hamstring injury, has declared for the NFL Draft and will not play in the College Football Playoff.

“I did everything possible to put myself in a position to get back on the field multiple times this year,” Smith-Njigba said in a statement he released on Twitter. “I wanted it as much, if not more, than anyone else.

“After consulting with my doctors, it has been determined that I will not be able to participate in the playoffs. Having prayed on it with my family, I have decided to focus on getting 100% healthy and commit to my training for the next chapter.”

Smith-Njigba set Buckeyes single-season records for receptions (95) and receiving yards (1,606) last year. He also has the program’s single-game record for receptions (15, twice) and receiving yards (347, an all-bowl record).

Counting down

Peach Bowl: 26 days away

Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 355 days

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