Football

Here's our recap of Friday Night Lights 2015, which saw the Buckeyes hosting dozens of top prospects from around the country - here's a partial list, including the twenty Buckeye commitments who were in attendance. We will provide more updates as they become available.

Two Verbal Commitments

Ohio State earned a pair of verbal commitments at Friday Night Lights (July 24th). The first was long expected, namely tight end Luke Farrell (Perry, Ohio; 6' 6" 240 lbs; Rivals 4*, #7 TE; #158 overall; Scout 4*, #7 TE, #195 overall; 247Sports 4*, #5 TE, #147 overall) who finally pulled the trigger after favoring Ohio State for months. Farrell becomes the third tight end in the...

By now, everyone is likely aware that FNL will be stocked with talent spanning from the class of 2016 all the way down to the class of 2018. With so many Ohio State commitments and prospects with the Buckeyes high on their list, this Friday may well give a glimpse into the future of matchups in practice. Regardless, there will be a number of elite matchups that will catch the attention of our loyal recruitniks here at BP. In particular, here are the matchups I cannot wait to see unfold (bear in mind that the visitor list morphs almost every day, so the list is subject to change and certain players may not end up actually competing if they do attend):

• 2016 WR Austin Mack vs. 2016 DB Damar Hamlin: With Mack (Buckeye verbal)...

July 24th (Friday Night Lights)

2016 RB Demario McCall (North Ridgeville, OH) - Ohio State verbal
2016 RB George Hill (Hubbard, OH) - Ohio State verbal
2016 WR Austin Mack (Ft. Wayne, IN) - Ohio State verbal
2016 WR Ahmir Mitchell (Egg Harbor City, NJ)
2016 WR Donnie Corley (Wyandotte, MI)
2016 WR/TE...

2017 Names to Watch:

• Mission Viejo (CA) WR Keyshawn Johnson Jr. (4*, #18 WR, #124 nationally). Offered by the Buckeyes all the way back in March of 2014. Keyshawn is the cousin of current Ohio State WR Michael Thomas, and of course the son of former Southern Cal great Keyshawn Johnson, Sr. Many believe this will be an OSU-USC battle, with Nebraska also being in the mix.

• Maple Heights (OH) WR JaVont'e Richardson (4*, #35 WR, #227 nationally). Richardson...

Top 2016 Uncommitted Targets:

• 2016 Cedar Creek (NJ) WR Ahmir Mitchell (4*, #6 ATH, #78 nationally composite) checks in at 6' 3", 206 lbs. Mitchell was offered by the Buckeyes in December of 2014, and he has visited campus several times since then. Ahmir now looks to show off his skills in front of the Buckeye staff. Michigan currently leads the Crystal Ball Predictions.

• 2016 Detroit (MI) Martin Luther King WR Donnie Corley (4*, #18 WR) was also...

On November 18, 2006, #1 Ohio State and #2 Michigan played in the most-hyped edition of The Game in its long and storied history. The Buckeyes entered the contest with a scoring average of 36 points, while the Wolverines, with the nation's #1 rushing defense, allowed only 12 points per game. Something had to give.

During that game, Ohio State exploited a fundamental issue with the Michigan defense, namely a lot of big slow linebackers and defensive backs with questionable coverage skills. Lloyd Carr and his defensive staff had assembled a group that was very adept at stuffing the inside running game, but was susceptible to misdirection, edge pressure, and a dynamic passing attack. The Buckeyes were successful in exposing Michigan's defense to the tune of 42 points and 503 yards of total offense.

On the other hand, Ohio State showed in that game that their own defense was trying to evolve into the kind that could stop a high-powered offense, but subsequent events soon proved that...