Ohio State Football

Ohio State football did use an image of Trayvon Martin during a team meeting in 2017 to help enforce the program's "no hoodies" policy. 

Urban Meyer, who was Ohio State's head coach at the time, acknowledged Tuesday that the image was used, but he didn't have any knowledge of it. 

“I didn’t know about it until one hour ago, until after talking to (former safety Tyvis Powell),” Meyer told Rob Oller of the Columbus Dispatch. “I wasn’t there (in the meeting). None of the coaches were present. It was a support staffer who was in error and apologized.” 

Buckeyes cornerback Marcus Williamson brought the situation to light in a Twitter thread on Jan. 1. The fifth-year senior wrote the image of Martin was used during his first team meeting in 2017:

Meyer previously told Ohio State reporter Jeff Snook that he never used an image of Martin as part of a presentation about not wearing hoodies:

Our team rule was no hats or hoodies or sunglasses of any kind but only in team meetings, just so we could see their eyes and make sure they were paying attention and not asleep. We did not, and never would show a picture of Trayvon Martin. My gosh, no. That is absolutely false and you can check with any other player on my teams during that time to confirm what I am saying. Other players know what he is saying is false. I would never do that. He is crossing the line here. It seems people are just piling on now. But that never happened.

Powell, who played at Ohio State from 2013 to 2015, tweeted what he heard regarding the situation:

Martin, 17, was shot and killed in 2012 by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch captain who had earlier called 911 to report a "suspicious person," in a case that gained national attention.

Meyer was Ohio State's head coach from 2012 to 2018. He retired from coaching following the Buckeyes' appearance in the 2019 Rose Bowl against Washington. 

After a three-year hiatus, Meyer returned to coaching when he was hired by the Jacksonville Jaguars in January 2021.

The 57-year-old only made it through 13 games before being fired after a report from NFL Network's Tom Pelissero about "run-ins with players and other coaches in recent weeks" and an accusation by former Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo that Meyer kicked him during the preseason.      

Ohio State is having a good two days. On the heels of their victory over Utah in the Rose Bowl, the Buckeyes got a commitment from Omari Abor during the Under Armour All-America Game.

"The main reason [I picked Ohio State] is Larry Johnson. Just the way he coaches his players, I just really feel like it [will] be a great experience," he said to On3's Joseph Hastings. "[We’re] close. Real close. He called me after every game, like, ‘Yo, you messed up on this. You messed up on that.'"

The 6'4", 240-pound edge defender is the 38th player overall and ranks fourth at his position in 247Sports' composite rankings for 2022. A native of Duncanville, Texas, he's also the No. 8 recruit in his home state.

Gabe Brooks of 247Sports compared Abor to Denver Broncos pass-rusher Bradley Chubb, who had 25 sacks and 54.5 tackles for loss over his final three years at North Carolina State before becoming a top-five pick. Drawing a parallel to Chubb is lofty praise, and Brooks explained what Abor can bring to the table:

If he gets you on your heels, will literally throw you aside. Active hands. Regularly disengages to make plays, whether vs. run or as a pass-rusher. A natural pass-rusher who is particularly dangerous in that department when lined up wide. Shows encouraging fluidity and bend relative to size. Noticeably more fluid with improved lateral range in junior season. Runs the arc well and goes for the ball when he gets home. Instincts and feel for rushing the passer are obvious. Great at setting you up outside and countering inside.

Brooks added that Abor has lined up in multiple positions along the defensive line but spent the bulk of his time on the edge as a junior at Duncanville High School. 

His frame probably leaves him better suited to an edge role. As a comparison, Walter Nolen is the No. 1 defensive lineman in the country. Nolen is the same height as Abor but has 85 pounds on him.

Regardless of where he's starting, Abor figures to spend a lot of time in the pocket harassing opposing quarterbacks.

Rushing the passer has always been critical, and it has only grown in importance as Power Five programs ditched pro-style offenses for the spread and read-option. It's not a coincidence that Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State have become College Football Playoff regulars while at the time regularly sending skilled defensive linemen to the NFL.

Abor figures to be a major difference-maker when he joins the Buckeyes.

Ohio State's loss to Michigan perfectly encapsulated how what was once one of the team's biggest strengths had fallen off. The Wolverines were constantly harassing C.J. Stroud in the pocket with Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo off the edge, and that was a weapon the Buckeyes didn't have in their defensive arsenal.

Perhaps Abor can help the program return to the days when Joey Bosa, Nick Bosa and Chase Young were causing nightmares for opposing quarterbacks.

Former Ohio State defensive back Marcus Williamson ripped former Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer and the culture of college athletics in a Twitter thread Saturday night.

Williamson, who retired from football and did not make the trip to the Rose Bowl with Ohio State, said Meyer told him he would "ruin [his] f--king life" if he was caught smoking. He also accused the program of using a photograph of Trayvon Martin to illustrate hoods being banned under Meyer.

While Williamson said he loved playing in the college atmosphere, he said college athletics strips players of their rights, with time-consuming workouts that hurt them academically while not providing them compensation for their work. He said he was "repeatedly pushed past my injuries as if I was completely expendable." 

"The industry is often silent because everyone is obviously chasing the big pay day. But the injustices these players face just isn’t right. We literally put our bodies and lives at risk with 0 guarantee. ... Why don’t you leave? Quit? Most of us have only been athletes our entire lives. This is how we try to feed our families and children. It’s either play their game or have 0 chance at the lottery," Williamson wrote. 

Williamson's accusations are the latest in a long string of bad headlines for Meyer, who was fired as Jacksonville Jaguars head coach last month. The Jaguars fired Meyer for cause after an ugly 2-11 tenure saw reports of him clashing with players and assistant coaches, facing criticism for attempting to hire a strength and conditioning coach who was accused of racism against Black players and an incident in which Meyer was shown on video with a woman who was not his wife after failing to accompany the team back to Jacksonville from a Week 4 game in Cincinnati. 

Meyer was suspended for the first three games of the 2018 season at Ohio State for his handling of domestic violence allegations made against a former assistant coach. 

Former Ohio State quarterback Jack Miller committed to Florida on Tuesday.

Miller will fill the void in the Gators' quarterback room left by Emory Jones, who entered the transfer portal. The Arizona native went 7-of-14 for 101 yards in mop-up duty for OSU during the 2021 season.

The redshirt freshman was a 4-star recruit and the No. 13 pro-style quarterback in the 2020 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Had he stayed with the Buckeyes, Miller would've seen his path to the starting job blocked by Heisman Trophy finalist C.J. Stroud and Kyle McCord in 2022. The Buckeyes already had former No. 1 overall recruit Quinn Ewers transfer to Texas for presumably the same reason.

Miller's situation in Columbus was complicated by his November arrest for operating a vehicle while impaired. He subsequently pleaded guilty to reckless operation, a misdemeanor.

In terms of playing time, Miller will probably have little in the way of guarantees since Anthony Richardson isn't going anywhere.

The freshman had Florida fans demanding he be named the starter after throwing for 192 yards and two touchdowns and running for 275 yards and two touchdowns in the team's first two games.

Former head coach Dan Mullen looked a bit more justified for taking a cautious approach with the 6'4" signal-caller when the Gators lost 34-7 to Georgia on Oct. 30. 

Inside the final three minutes of the first half, Richardson committed three turnovers (two interceptions and one fumble) that Georgia turned into 21 points to take a commanding 24-0 lead.

A meniscus injury will keep him out for Thursday's Gasparilla Bowl against UCF, eliminating the chance for him to end 2021 on a high note.

With the experience he gained this year, Richardson should be better next season. Any advantage he might've had over Miller in terms of continuity is probably nonexistent, though, since the offense could look a lot different under new coach Billy Napier.

The pro-style QB's transfer will likely make that position battle one of the more closely followed when spring practices begin.

Quarterback Quinn Ewers has decided to transfer to Texas after spending one season at Ohio State:

Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports previously reported the news earlier Sunday.

Ewers entered the transfer portal after losing the starting quarterback battle to C.J. Stroud and not attempting a single pass for the Buckeyes.

After starring at Southlake Carroll High School in Southlake, Texas, Ewers reclassified from 2022 to 2021 and committed to OSU. At the time, 247Sports' composite rankings rated Ewers as a 5-star prospect and the No. 1 overall recruit in the class.

Ewers was a candidate to replace Justin Fields as the Buckeyes' starting quarterback, but after Stroud won the job and established himself as a Heisman Trophy candidate, it was clear there was no immediate path to playing time.

Going to Ohio State wasn't a total loss for Ewers, though, as the NCAA's name, image and likeness (NIL) rule changes allowed him to sign a $1.4 million contract with GT Sports Marketing, per ESPN's Paolo Uggetti.

Before committing to Ohio State, Ewers committed to play at Texas in August 2020, but he decommitted just two months later.

After entering the transfer portal, it was considered a strong possibility that Ewers would go back to his home state of Texas to continue his college football career.

While there isn't any game film on Ewers as a college player, he was dominant during his high school career at Southlake Carroll.

Ewers threw for 3,998 yards and 45 touchdowns as a sophomore and followed that up with 2,442 yards and 28 touchdowns during a junior campaign that saw him miss six games with an injury.

Given his track record, Ewers is a strong candidate to serve as Texas' starting quarterback when eligible.

There was some question whether Ewers would commit to Texas again after decommitting in the first place, but he will indeed continue his college career with the Longhorns.

Steve Sarkisian's first year as head coach at Texas was disappointing, as the Longhorns went 5-7, marking their first losing record since 2016.

Still, Sarkisian is considered one of the best offensive minds in college football, and Ewers committing to Texas suggests he believes Sark will give him a great chance to succeed.

Safety prospect Sonny Styles is reportedly "reclassifying from the 2023 class to the 2022 class and will sign with Ohio State on Wednesday in the early signing period," according to Tom VanHaaren of ESPN. 

Styles, a 5-star prospect from Pickerington Central in Ohio, is considered the No. 13 player in the Class of 2022, the No. 1 safety and the No. 2 player from Ohio, per 247Sports.com's Composite Rankings.

Allen Trieu of the scouting service called Styles a "physical prototype with height [and] length" who is "already well into his physical development as a high school junior."

He added that there are questions about whether Styles will end up being more of a linebacker or a hybrid safety given his size (6'4" and 215 pounds), though he has the athleticism to play safety at the next level. 

That potential versatility makes him intriguing. Trier noted the "likelihood is he continues to grow towards being in the front seven, but will be a unique athlete at that spot who can still move around and play different roles. The possibilities for him are numerous because of a rare skill set and measurables."

Styles is taking a similar route to quarterback Quinn Ewers, who last year reclassified and joined the Buckeyes.

Ewers won't be long for the Buckeyes, however—he plans to enter the transfer portal and leave Columbus after just one season, which doesn't come as a huge surprise after freshman C.J. Stroud was a Heisman finalist this year and looks to have a vise grip on the starting quarterback job for at least one more year. 

As for Ohio State's Class of 2022, it remains loaded, coming in at No. 4 in 247Sports.com's Composite Rankings. Styles is one of two 5-star prospects in the class, joined by linebacker C.J. Hicks, while the Buckeyes have 14 incoming 4-star players. 

Why is Ohio State not headed the College Football Playoff? The answer to that question will haunt them for quite a while.

Two weeks ago, the Buckeyes lost to bitter rivals the Michigan Wolverines for the first time since 2011. That game had huge implications, too, sending Michigan to the CFP and Ohio State to the Rose Bowl.

Now, instead of playing for the national championship, the Buckeyes will travel to Pasadena, California, to face Utah on New Year's Day.

The Utes finished the season ranked No. 11 in the CFP rankings and won the Pac-12 championship for the first time since it joined the conference back in 2011.

This will be Ohio State's 16th time playing in the Rose Bowl, while Utah will be appearing in the prestigious bowl game for the first time in the school's history.

2022 Rose Bowl Information

Date: Saturday, Jan. 1

Site: Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif.

Time: 5 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: ESPN

Odds (via DraftKings Sportsbook): Ohio State -6.5, O/U: 67

Preview, Predictions

Ohio State is favored to get its ninth win in the Rose Bowl, but that depends on one big factor: whether or not Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson will both play.

The are expected to be first-round picks in the 2022 NFL draft, so everyone would understand if they chose not to play in Pasadena.

If this were the CFP, they might not get that kind of grace, but this game is a consolation prize for the Buckeyes, no matter the tradition of the game.

"I feel like it's the right thing to do, especially leave the seniors out with a win," Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud told Patrick Murphy of 247 Sports. "Definitely a big-time game anyways. So just being a competitor. At this level, if you don't wanna play, I don't know why you're on this team. No one on my team is like that, though, thank God. I don't really question anybody's kind of willingness to play, except for, of course, the guys who are going to the League next year, which I totally understand."

If Olave and Wilson do suit up and play alongside Jaxon Smith-Njigba, they'll be hard to stop. They are three of the main reasons why Ohio State had the No. 1 scoring offense in college football with 45.5 points per game.

Stroud came up short against Michigan and then Bryce Young for the Heisman Trophy this past Saturday, so he'll be extra motivated to play well and put numbers on the board.

Add to that the fact that he's from nearby Rancho Cucamonga, and it's basically a home game for the gun-slinging quarterback.

"Growing up back home in California, being a full-fledged Cali guy, born and raised there. So it's definitely a blessing to be able to play in this game," Stroud told Murphy. "I'm definitely excited. Of course, it's not where we want to be but it's where we're at and I'm super excited for that. I'm gonna try and go out the right way and just have fun back home and just have fun with the game."

The Buckeyes will have their hands full with Utah, though. First-team All-Pac-12 selection Britain Covey and the Utes won six straight games to close out the season and will be out to extend that streak to seven.

Utah beat Oregon twice this year, and the Ducks beat Ohio State 35-28 back in September, so that's something to consider when sizing up the matchup between these two teams.

"For us, it's a great opportunity for our program. It's the next step in the evolution of our program, getting to the Rose Bowl. Most years, that's what the Pac-12 champion gets to experience," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham told Jeff Call of Deseret News. "It was the next step and the next goal for our program. It's something we've been shooting for and had our sights on for a number of years. We've finally been able to get over that mountain and we're very excited to have that opportunity."

The Utes will rely on running back Tavion Thomas and their top-25 defense to thwart the Buckeyes, but if look for the latter to emerge with the win and bragging rights if it has all its stars available.

Prediction: Ohio State 38, Utah 31

Oklahoma State's Jim Knowles will join Ohio State as a defensive coordinator on Ryan Day's staff, per ESPN's Adam Rittenberg.

Knowles will replace Kerry Coombs and become Day's third defensive coordinator in three seasons.

"What is most important at this time is that we put our players in the best position possible to finish the season with a win in the Rose Bowl," Day told reporters. "To that end, we will continue our planning and preparation for the game with our current staff of 10 assistant coaches."

Knowles has served as Oklahoma State's defensive coordinator for the past four seasons and was a 2021 finalist for the Broyles Award, which is given to college football's top assistant coach.

Oklahoma State's defense is ranked third in the nation in yards per game. In addition, it ranks fourth in yards per play and seventh in scoring. According to The Athletic's Bill Landis, Oklahoma State also ranks second in third-down defense, a category in which it led in 2020.

The Cowboys allowed 273.6 yards per game in 2021: 89.2 yards on the ground and 184.4 in the air.

Ohio State, meanwhile, finished the 2021 season allowing 366.6 yards per game, which ranked 52nd in FBS. The Buckeyes defense allowed 119.7 rush yards per game, in addition to 246.9 passing yards per game. This comes after the team's defense gave up 401.9 yards per game in 2020, the second-highest mark in the school's history.

Knowles began his coaching career at Cornell in 1988 and served in various roles until he was hired as the defensive line coach at Western Michigan in 1997. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2001 and remained in that position until 2002.

Knowles then joined Ole Miss in 2003 as a linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator before joining Duke as a defensive coordinator from 2010 to 2017.

With Knowles' hiring, at least one member of the Buckeyes' coaching staff will need to leave the program so the school remains under the allowed limit for assistant coaches.