Game Recap: #5 Ohio State vs. Maryland

For the second straight week, Buckeye fans enjoyed another impressive performance by both the Ohio State offense and defense. The 8-1 and now ranked #5 Buckeyes headed to College Park to face the 5-4 Maryland Terrapins, a team that had just received a drubbing at the hands of the Michigan Wolverines. Unfortunately for the Terrapins, their matchup against the Buckeyes didn't go any better.

Getting the ball first to start the game, QB J.T. Barrett led his team down the field and handed it to star running back Curtis Samuel to finish off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown rush to get the Buckeyes on the board. After Maryland's first drive went backwards, the Buckeyes added a Tyler Durbin field goal on their next drive. A couple drives later Maryland finally got on the board with a field goal of their own but that was quickly answered by a J.T. Barrett 36 yard strikes to Curtis Samuel to give the Buckeyes a 21-3 lead at the end of the first.

If Maryland fans thought the first quarter was bad, they were in for a rude awakening in the second. The Buckeyes opened up the second quarter much like they opened up the first, with an impressive touchdown drive. J.T. Barrett took it in from just a yard out to score the second of four touchdowns he would account for. On the next drive Curtis Samuel found the end zone yet again to extend the lead to 35-3. The Buckeyes needed just 50 seconds to score another touchdown and added a field goal as well. At halftime the Buckeyes took a dominating 45-3 lead into the locker room.

Even as early as the middle of the third quarter, Urban Meyer had become to clear his bench and get experience for players that didn't normally see much game action. A few minutes after another Tyler Durbin field goal, the Buckeyes scored yet another touchdown. This time backup Demario McCall ran it in the end zone from 3 yards away after a 11 play, 81 yard drive. While the offense got a lot of the attention, the defense too played very well, holding Maryland to just 10 first downs and only 172 total yards on the afternoon.

For the second straight game, backup QB Joe Burrow got to see extended playing time and made the most of it, connecting with Binjimen Victor from 25 yards away to give Ohio State their last score of the day. The "silver bullet" defense forced 3 punts to end the game and when the clock hit zeros the Buckeyes celebrated another dominating 62-3 victory in back-to-back weeks. After grabbing their ninth win of the season, the Buckeyes will return home for their last home game of the year against Michigan State.

Week 10 Reaction Blog

In this week's blog, Sam Kusinitz provides six examples of companies using various triggered emails to reach out to their respective customers. Triggered emails, when used correctly, can not only save marketers tons of time but it can also better engage the target audience. Kusinitz lists six different types of triggered emails: welcome, re-engagement, date/time trigger, thank-you, confirmation, and unsubscribe.

There were two of these email types that stuck out to me in particular. First, the welcome e-mail, in my opinion is the most important triggered emails a customer can get because it sets the first impression for the company. Also, the welcome email in particular offers the client important information about the company. For instance, in the example given by Kusinitz, Uber's welcome e-mail provides the customer with a step-by-step process on how to use the company's service.

Secondly, I found the date/time email to be a very intriguing marketing tool. Sometimes customers can get annoyed with blatant, in your face, "come back to our website" styles of advertising. The use of a date/time e-mail provides the marketer with a way to advertise in a much more subtle way. In many situations, the date email is sent on a customer's birthday which often includes a coupon or a similar offer. Not only does this email make the customer feel valued but through the use of the coupon the customer will have a reason to return to the business' website.

While all six types of triggered emails are very important and can be very useful if used in the correct way, I believe that a welcome email and a date/time email can be the most useful for a marketer. Triggered emails are vital to a business not only because it saves the marketer lots of time but it can also be a great way to reach out to customers, engaging them in a way that makes them feel valuable.

Game Recap: #6 Ohio State vs. #10 Nebraska

Ahead of Saturday night's top 10 showdown with Nebraska, Ohio State fans were a bit wary and perhaps even nervous, and with good reason. The #10 and 7-1 Nebraska Cornhuskers entered Columbus having just lost their very first game of the season to the Wisconsin Badgers, a team that the Buckeyes needed overtime to defeat. For Ohio State, the last two weeks had proven quite frustrating and disappointing for player and fan alike. Two weeks ago, the Buckeyes were dealt their first loss by a tough Penn State team and on the following week squeaked out a win at home against a feisty Northwestern team. This week, however, the Buckeyes put on a show that finally put the Ohio State faithful at ease.

The Buckeye defense had been solid all season even throughout the ups and downs of the year. The "silver bullet" defense started the game out fast, returning an interception for a touchdown just a minute and 34 seconds into the game. Nebraska was able to add a field goal, but towards the end of the first quarter, the Buckeye offense got on the board with a 7-yard TD pass for quarterback J.T. Barrett to extend the Ohio State lead to 14-3.

Ohio State added another touchdown to open the second quarter thanks to Mike Weber's TD dash from 23 yards out. Tyler Durbin added his third extra point of the game and then just a few minutes later booted a 28 yard field goal through the uprights. The field goal was set up by great defense and a poor punt and the Buckeye defense continued to frustrated the Cornhuskers. When it seemed like nothing could go worse for Nebraska, it suddenly did.

Nebraska senior QB Tommy Armstrong Jr. scrambled for a first down on the Cornhusker's next drive. As he was running out of bounds, Armstrong was hit and fell head first on the turf and did not get up. Armstrong was taken by ambulance to the hospital. Fortunately, he was able to return to Ohio Stadium to watch his team finish the game after being diagnosed with a concussion. Ohio State engineered a beautiful touchdown drive to end the half to extend their lead to 31-3.

The second half didn't go much better for Nebraska. On the very first play of the second half, Curtis Samuel caught a 75-yard TD pass from J.T. Barrett and just like that any chance Nebraska had of a comeback had totally vanished. Another touchdown pass and a field goal later and Buckeye fans everywhere were thrilled with their team and the 48-3 lead they possessed. Malik Hooker returned yet another interception for a touchdown to end the third quarter, and after putting up an impressive 24 points in the third, the Buckeyes enjoyed a commanding 55-3 lead heading into the final stanza.

At this point, head coach Urban Meyer was able to play mostly backups on both sides of the ball. Backup QB Joe Burrow got some game experience and even ran 12 yards for a touchdown which would prove to be the last score of the game. Ohio State rolled to a 62-3 victory, much to the delight of the 108,750 in attendance. The win gave the Buckeyes a very respectable 8-1 record and more than anything perhaps it boosted the confidence of the young Ohio State squad.

Week 9 Reaction Blog

In his article "Why Timely Data Trumps Big Data in Email & Mobile Marketing," Steve Dille points out that while e-mail service providers produce tons of data, often the real-time access to that data is lacking. I personally was quite surprised to learn how few providers offer real-time data access, especially considering how important this feature could be to a business. Dille provides a bit more insight into just how meaningful real-time data can truly be.

Steve Dille first points out that marketers in business don't have a problem collecting data. In fact, the amount of data all around us is rapidly increasing and there's no sign that trend will slow down anytime soon. Rather, the challenge marketers face is accessing that data quickly, especially in regards to analytics.

Dille breaks down five different types of data: bounce codes, feedback loops, opens and clicks, mobile data, and analytics. While all of these data types are important, in my opinion, analytics is the most vital for the success of a business. Essentially, analytics provide the means to best improve marketing. However, if the analytics are not up to date the information they provide is not nearly as useful as real-time data.

I found that two ideas posed by Dille were very effective in determining whether the real-time data service is effective enough for a business. First, for analytics to be effective, the analytics reports need to be coming in just as quickly as all other data is coming in. Secondly, ask yourself, "do you have the ability to easily filter the relevant data elements for easy root cause analysis and corrective action?" In other words, Dille is basically asking, can you use the analytics you are receiving to make changes in your marketing strategy to improve it and to better reach more customers?

I believe Dille sums up this topic quite nicely when he states, "For marketers to effectively drive customer experience and engagement for their organizations, they need all relevant data from all messaging channels -- and in a timely manner."

Game Recap: #6 Ohio State vs. Northwestern

Buckeye fans were hoping to see a great bounce back game from Ohio State after their devastating upset loss at Penn State last week. However, those fans were left a little disappointed. After the Nittany Lions handed the Buckeyes their first loss of the season, OSU fell to #6 in the rankings (and Penn State joined the top 25). After playing the last two games on the road, the 6-1 Buckeyes returned home to face the Northwestern Wildcats, a team that had struggled in the early part of the season but had been playing much better the last few weeks.

In previous weeks the Buckeye offense had struggled on early game possessions; just last week they got shutout in the first quarter. However, against Northwestern, Ohio State jumped out to an early lead. On their first drive they put together an impressive 9 play, 94 yard touchdown drive capped off by a Mike Weber 1-yard plunge into the end zone. The Buckeyes added a Tyler Durbin field goal and after the first quarter the lead remained 10-0 Ohio State.

Northwestern could have easily rolled over and given in to a much more athletic and talented Ohio State team, but the Wildcats just kept fighting. The Northwestern offense responded with an impressive drive of their own that lasted 6:45 and Wildcat QB Clayton Thorson put his team on the board with a 1-yard touchdown run. The Buckeyes then answered back with a drive that lasted 8:34, over half of the second quarter! Mike Weber found the end zone again from 23 yards out to put the Buckeyes up by 10 again once more.

While the Wildcats could not come up with a touchdown at the end of the half, they did piece together a 12 play, 82 yard that led to a field goal. The young Buckeyes took a 17-10 lead into the locker room, perhaps lacking some confidence. Their confidence did not receive a boost in the third quarter. The Buckeyes offense sputtered in the third quarter, punting on all three of their offensive possessions. Northwestern, meanwhile, scored a game-tying touchdown with 3:41 left in the third to push the score to 17-17 to end the third quarter.

While a very anxious 100,000 in Ohio Stadium nervously watched, Buckeye QB J.T. Barrett engineered a crucial touchdown drive, as running back Curtis Samuel found the end zone. Northwestern responded with a promising drive but the Buckeye defense stepped up and held Northwestern to a field goal. With a 24-20 score, the Wildcats kicked off to the Buckeyes with 3:31 left in the game.

The Buckeyes, wanted to avoid any late-game drama, took matters into their own hands, picking up critical first downs, burning Northwestern's timeouts, and ultimately running out the clock for the close victory. It certainly wasn't pretty, but the Buckeyes got the job done in the end. Surprisingly, the Wildcat offense hung with the Buckeye offense, as both teams finished with around 400 total yards and just over 20 first downs. The Buckeyes will face another tough test next week as the Nebraska Cornhuskers come to town.

Week 8 Reaction Blog

The percentage of ad money being spent on mobile ads has dramatically increased over the last few years. In fact, by 2017 an estimated 59% of all ad money will be spent on mobile ads. Because of this rise in mobile ads, mobile marketing is becoming increasingly important for business large and small. Drew Hendricks offers "5 Tips for Perfecting Mobile Marketing" in this week's blog.

Hendricks' first key is to "get responsive." By this, he means a responsive website is key. Because individuals are using their phones to access the internet and to shop more than ever before (in fact, 80% consumers participate in mobile shopping), a responsive website that is mobile friendly is absolutely vital. Hendricks provides a statistic that shows just how important a mobile friendly website is: 85% of smartphone users say a mobile site should be just as good if not better than a normal desktop site.

Secondly, a "click to call" button on a mobile website is a great way for consumers to easily get in contact with the company. Businesses that provide easy, convenient ways for their customers to contact them will attract more customers. Hendricks points out that perhaps the best way to achieve this is through a "click to call" button that would appear on a website. I found it very interesting that Hendricks even pointed out the most ideal size of the button. It makes sense, if a button is too small, it would be too hard to touch on a touch screen of a mobile device, but too big and the button might get pressed accidentally when the user was not intending to press it.

Finally, along the same line of thinking, it's extremely important that e-mails are optimized for mobile devices. Amazingly, Hendricks shows that while nearly half of all e-mails are opened on a mobile device, just 11% of all marketing e-mails are actually optimized for mobile. A better mobile experience will reach more customers. Businesses can get a "leg up" on the competition by optimizing their e-mails for mobile, simply because very few business have done just that.

Game Recap: #2 Ohio State vs. Penn State

After a dramatic road victory against Wisconsin last week, the undefeated and #2 ranked Buckeyes hit the road again for another tough test against a determined rival, Penn State. If someone had no idea of the outcome of the game and saw just the statistics, they probably thought that Ohio State won fairly easily. The Buckeyes led in total yards 413-276. The Ohio State offense held the ball for 15 minutes longer than Penn State and had 6 more first downs as well. However, the statistics don't tell the true story.

Both teams struggled offensively in the first quarter and after one the game was scoreless. In the second quarter the Buckeyes were able to break the scoreless tie, thanks to a J.T. Barrett TD pass and two Tyler Durbin field goals. However, on the touchdown, Durbin missed the extra point, and special teams would prove to be the achilles' heel for the Buckeyes in this matchup. Penn State added a touchdown of their own with 9 seconds left in the second quarter to to cut the Ohio State lead to 12-7 at halftime.

After a slow start to the first half, Ohio State jumped ahead in the second half after Curtis Samuel broke off a 74-yard touchdown run. After a bad snap on a Penn State punt traveled all the way to the end zone, the Buckeyes added a safety, extending their lead to 21-7. Unfortunately for Buckeye fans, that was the last time Ohio State would score. OSU carried their 21-7 into the fourth quarter, but it was quickly clear that Penn State would not go away without a fight.

On the first drive of the fourth quarter, Nittany Lion QB Trace McSorley punched in a touchdown on the ground from two yards out after an impressive 90 yard drive that took just 5 plays. On the next Penn State drive, they added three more points on the leg of kicker Tyler Davis to cut the OSU lead to  21-17.

On the next drive, Ohio State engineered an 11 point drive that took an impressive 5:06 off the clock. The drive finally stalled on the Nittany Lion 28 yard line, and Tyler Durbin took the field to attempt a 45-yard field goal which would make a Penn State comeback much more difficult. Instead of extending the lead to 24-17, Buckeye fans everywhere stared in disbelief as Durbin's kick was blocked at the line of scrimmage and returned 60 yards by Penn State defender Grant Haley for a touchdown.

Now, Penn State possessed a 24-21 lead, their first of the game. Ohio State had the ball and a chance to take the lead back with 4:27 left in the game, but the Nittany Lion defense stood strong. After 10 plays led to only 12 yards, a J.T. Barrett sack on fourth down with 1:02 remaining sealed Ohio State's fate. After three knees taken, Penn State and the fans that rushed the field enjoyed the program's first win over Ohio State since 2012 and perhaps their biggest win over the last decade.

For Ohio State, the loss doesn't eliminate their playoff hopes, but it certainly doesn't help them. The Buckeyes no longer control their own destiny in their own conference and will need Penn State to lose twice in the Big Ten to jump them again in the standings.

Week 7 Reaction Blog

In his article "The Conversion Imperative," John Lovett discusses investing in optimization and the positive effects that it can have on a business' website of social media page. Lovett defines optimization of a website as the process that includes both measuring and influencing each visitor’s progress toward an outcome that strengthens their relationship with your organization. Businesses which do not actively pursue optimization are at a high risk for bad online experiences from customers. Lovett lists three main ways to make the best use of optimization.

First, a business website that is properly optimized should be attracting lots of consumers. Those designing and optimizing the website can best achieve this by understanding that the customer is the most important person. Paying attention to these customers and providing them with a personalized experience on the website is a great way to enhance their overall experience with the company. Often, news travels by word of mouth (sometimes in the form of social media). Providing customers with great experiences should increase those talking about the business and therefore increase the overall amount of individuals who will be exposed to the company.

Once a website is attracting lots of customers, the next step of the optimization process is to engage those customers. Lovett points out three key ways to engage the target audience: make it personal, be accessible, and build trust. Creating a personalized experience for the customer is not only important for attracting an audience but also for keeping their interest. Lovett believes that one way to be accessible as a business is to offer multiple "touchpoints." Essentially, having a presence across multiple platforms (website, mobile, social media, etc.) is a major factor in engaging customers. Having an honest business plan and showing genuine concern for customers will build their trust and increase the likelihood that they stay with the company for a long time.

Along those same lines, the final step of optimization is to foster commitment. While this can certainly be achieved by building their trust, perhaps the biggest way to foster commitment is by simply listening to them. Customers will feel important if they feel like they are really being listened to. Far too often businesses push any concerns of their customers aside. Instead, if companies truly care for and listen to their clients they could build a long-lasting relationship that could become very beneficial for the business.

Week 6 Podcast

Here is my podcast for week 6 of class discussing Ohio State and the college football playoff!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTcqNUWhyqw

Week 6 Reaction Blog

In this week's blog on social media, Ginny Mineo explains the "Anatomy of an Optimized Blog Post." In other words, what are the elements of a successful, creative, innovate blog? In his article, Mineo lists 12 ideas on how to best optimize a blog post.

Certainly the best blogs contain captivating writing, interesting topics, and often a light-hearted, relatively informal language. However, if a blog can't easily be found by simply searching for it, very few will have the opportunity to read it. Regardless of how good a writer might be, their efforts will do no good if they are not optimizing their blog to reach a large audience.

Several of Mineo's 12 ideas cover how to reach the largest audience possible. Search engines are perhaps the biggest way to attract a lot of traffic to a blog. Mineo points out that keywords located within the blog's URL are key to getting a blog to the top of the search list. He adds that keywords and topics that people are interested in will increase the popularity of the blog.

Another way to increase a popularity of a blog is through other social media. Ginny Mineo says that share buttons should be "prominently displayed." A single reader may have hundreds of followers and friends on social media. If that reader hits the share button, suddenly hundreds of people that may not have otherwise seen the blog now learn about it through social media.

Once a blogger gains an audience, the goal becomes to keep that audience. Mineo describes various ideas such as shorter paragraphs, relatively informal, conversational language, and appealing headlines as great ways to keep the audience interested in the blog. Readers will want their voice to be heard, and offering a comments section is a great way to do that! Starting conversation among consumers will increase the overall popularity and interest in the blog.

Game Recap: #2 Ohio State vs. #8 Wisconsin

60 minutes was not enough to decide the winner of the top-10 showdown between #2 Ohio State and #8 Wisconsin. In a matchup that had both Buckeye and Badgers fans sitting on the edge of their seats throughout, the game itself was one of the best games to date so far this college football season. Historically, Camp Randall Stadium had been a very difficult place for Ohio State (and really all other college football programs) to play, and Saturday night was no exception.

In the several of the past few games, the Buckeyes got off to slow starts to begin games and they found themselves in a similar dilemma against the Badgers. Wisconsin jumped out to a 10-0 lead thanks in large part to running back Corey Clement, who finished with a game-high 164 yards on the ground. Towards the end of the quarter, Ohio State finally got on the board with a Tyler Durbin field goal.

The second quarter didn't go much better for Ohio State, who found themselves trailing 6-16 after a lackluster performance that left Buckeyes fans feeling rather disgusted to say the least. Head coach Urban Meyer is perhaps the best coach in college football at halftime adjustments and it showed in Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday night.

The Buckeyes defense, which had been strong all season, stepped up significantly in the second half, frustrating the Badgers offense. Finally, the offense got it going too. With 2:52 left in the 3rd quarter, QB J.T. Barrett plunged ahead into the end zone on a one yard run giving Ohio State it's first touchdown of the game. J.T. followed it up with another touchdown run which provided the Buckeyes with their first lead of the game 20-16.

Wisconsin, however, kept fighting and kept giving Ohio State all kinds of trouble. The Badger offense pieced together an impressive 11 play, 81 yard touchdown drive that sucked 6:15 off of the game clock. The Buckeyes, now trailing 23-20 found themselves in a must-score situation late in the 4th. J.T. Barrett guided the offense across the field. While they did get stopped just short of a first down with 3:57 left to play, they were deep in Badger territory and Tyler Durbin hit a clutch field goal to tie the game.

The Badgers had a chance with 3:57 left in regulation to drive the field for a game-winning score. However, the Buckeye defense stepped up when they were needed most and forced a punt. Ohio State got the ball back on offense, but with just 41 seconds remaining, Urban Meyer was content to send running back Mike Weber up the middle and let the clock tick down to triple zeros.

Wisconsin won the coin flip to start the overtime period and put the Buckeye offense on the field first.  When the game is on the line you often turn to your best players to take control of the game, and that's exactly what J.T. Barrett did. He needed just 4 plays to drive the 25 yards for a score, hitting favorite target Noah Brown in the corner of the end zone for a TD.

With the Buckeyes leading 30-23, Wisconsin needed a touchdown to tie the game and extend the game to a double overtime. After just the second play of the drive, the Buckeye defense found themselves with their backs against the wall. Wisconsin had the ball on the 4 yard line and had 4 chances to put it in the end zone. The Buckeyes stuffed the Badger offense not once, not twice, but three times! The game came down to one last play, a 4th and goal from the 4 yard line.

Wisconsin QB Alex Hornibrook dropped back to pass, and before he could do anything with the football, the Buckeye defense swarmed into the backfield. Tyquan Lewis got to Hornibrook and threw him to the turf for a sack to win the game and the Buckeye sideline erupted in celebration. The Buckeyes improved to 6-0 with the dramatic win and 3-0 in the Big Ten conference.

Enjoy this recap video presented by the Big Ten Network!

Week 5 Reaction Blog

Over the past few years, social media has had a dramatic effect on many different areas of society as a whole. Business, certainly, has been significantly impacted and changed due to the effects of social media. College professors W. Glynn Mangold and David J. Faulds discuss the effects of social media on business promotion, specifically, in their article for the Kelley School of Business.

The authors point out that internet-based messages have become a major factor in influencing consumer behavior. Consumer behavior is a very significant factor of business and sales. Therefore, those in the marketing and promotions field want to get a grasp on how to best use social media to influence consumer behavior. Achieving this goal will provide a big boost for their business. However, marketing managers have found this difficult because there is very little guidance for using social media in integrated market communications (IMC).

Marketers don't have a choice -- they have to embrace the changes due to social media and can't afford to ignore them. Why? Well, social media is becoming the primary means of communicating and now advertising via social media is more trusted than "traditional elements of the promotion mix." So what can marketers do? Mangold and Faulds point out that conversations through social media are the key for the IMC of businesses. While managers can't directly control those conversations, the authors point out several strategies to help guide those conversations to be most beneficial to a business's marketing.

Among a list of several ideas, Mangold and Faulds argue that providing networking platforms is a vital component of a successful IMC, because the target audience has a place (where the consumers share something in common) to connect. The writers also stress the importance of using many different kinds of social media (including blogs) to maximize promotion efforts.

Game Recap: #2 Ohio State vs. Indiana

If you didn't know the score of the Ohio State vs. Indiana game and took to Twitter following the game, you might have thought that the Buckeyes lost based solely on the reaction of fans. However, this was not the case. The #2 Buckeyes defeated Indiana by a score of 38-17, which doesn't seem like much to complain about. However, the process of getting that win wasn't as smooth or as pretty as Buckeye fans have gotten accustomed to this year.

On the very first drive of the game, QB J.T. Barrett fumbled the ball, and Indiana jumped on the football and scored a field goal on their very first drive. The Buckeyes "righted the ship" a little bit more on the next drive, kicking a field goal of their own. Those two field goals were all of the points in a very sluggish start for Ohio State.

After two punts on their next two respective drives, the "silver bullet" defense forced an Indiana fumble, and the offense punched it into the end zone two plays later. The Buckeyes were able to find "pay dirt" on the ground twice more before halftime. Indiana added a touchdown of their own, and at halftime the Buckeyes found themselves ahead 24-10.

On the opening possession of the second half, Indiana engineered a long scoring drive capped of by a Richard Lagow TD pass to cut the Buckeye lead to 24-17 and giving the 100,000 plus at attendance in Ohio State something to worry about. In the end, the Buckeyes would find a way to score two more touchdowns, but for a while the two teams simply traded punts.

Will still a very strong Heisman candidate, it was not J.T. Barrett's best day. While the Buckeye quarterback did run for a team-high 137 yards, he completed just 9 passes for an underwhelming 93 yards and turned the ball over twice.

The defense, however, still performed well. They forced two Hoosier turnovers including the fumble that set up the offense with their first touchdown. While Ohio State has given up 54 points, the defense has only given up 40 points and is currently ranked in the top 5 nationally in several defensive categories.

It wasn't always pretty, but the Buckeyes did improve to 5-0 on the season and will head to Camp Randall Stadium to face #8 Wisconsin on Saturday night in what will be their toughest challenge of the season so far.

Game Recap: #2 Ohio State vs. Rutgers

The Ohio State Buckeyes took the field on Saturday to begin Big Ten Conference play against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights following a bye week. After convincing wins against Bowling Green, Tulsa, and Oklahoma, the Buckeyes entered the game ranked #2 in the nation behind only defending national champion Alabama. Meanwhile, Rutgers came into Ohio Stadium quite overmatched on both sides of the ball. The Scarlet Knights, who joined the Big Ten in 2014, possessed a pedestrian 2-2 record with a recent loss in their Big Ten opener to Iowa.

After a slow start to the opening quarter, Ohio State quickly began to assert their dominance and quite soon the outcome of the game was no longer in doubt. The Buckeyes rebounded from a sluggish first quarter which included a missed extra point and pounded Rutgers for 24 points in the second quarter, pushing Ohio State to a 30-0 advantage at halftime.

With just a few minutes left in the half, J.T. Barrett found tight end Marcus Baugh in the endzone from 16 yards out for a touchdown. That passing touchdown gave Heisman candidate Barrett the all-time Ohio State record for passing touchdowns in a career.

The Buckeyes and running back Mike Weber continued their dominance in the second half. Weber ripped off a 46 yard run for a touchdown, capping off a 144-yard afternoon. At the end of three, Ohio State possessed a 51-0 lead and many of the backups had already gotten some playing time.
 Johnnie Dixon's 5-yard run in the 4th quarter capped off the scoring, and the Buckeyes cruised to an easy victory 58-0. The Buckeye offense racked up an astounding 669 total yards an 32 first downs.

As impressive as the OSU offense was, the young Buckeye defense once again impressed. Not only did the "Silver Bullet" defense shutout the Scarlet Knight offense, but they held Rutgers to a measly 116 total yards. In addition, they forced Rutgers to punt on each of their first 10 offensive possessions.

The undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes will take on the Indiana Hoosiers next week at home while 2-3 Rutgers will face another difficult opponent in Michigan.

(Video via Big Ten Network, stats via ESPN)

A History of Ohio State Football Uniforms

In recent years, the Ohio State Buckeyes have worn several different uniforms on the gridiron. Some uniforms honor past Buckeye teams while others appeal to a younger audience. Throughout the last several years, Nike has sponsored Ohio State athletics, and has significant influence on the recent alternate jerseys worn by the Buckeyes.

For many years, Ohio State stuck to their traditional uniforms for each game. However, starting in 2009, the Buckeyes took the field wearing new uniforms inspired by the 1954 OSU national championship team. The set, which debuted against bitter rival Michigan, featured a white helmet which displayed the players' number on both sides.  The Buckeyes have not worn a white helmet since.

In 2010, Ohio State debuted a second consecutive "Rivalry" uniform. This time, they faced the Wolverines at home and featured a new scarlet jersey and helmet. Once again, the uniform set honored a past Buckeye national championship team, this time from 1942.

The following year, the Buckeyes introduced Nike Pro Combat uniforms against Wisconsin. Once again, the uniform drew from the past, honoring the 50-year anniversary of coach Woody Hayes' 1961 national championship.

In 2012, the Buckeyes resumed their "Rivalry" uniform series against Michigan at Ohio Stadium. Unlike the previous three years, the Buckeyes brought back this flashy uniform set in later games (against Wisconsin and Penn State in 2013, Clemson in 2014, and Virginia Tech and Illinois in 2015.) The uniform paid homage to the 1968 title team.

The "Rivalry" uniforms continued in 2013 with what was essentially the "away" version of the set from 2012. The Buckeyes went with a white jersey and pants, and the helmets remained the same from the previous season. OSU also featured the uniforms against Penn State in 2014.

While nothing new was introduced during the regular season of 2014 for the Buckeyes, Ohio State did add very subtle changes to their jerseys in both of their playoff games which were later dropped from the uniform the following season. Last season, Ohio State went with "black out" uniforms against rival Penn State.

This season, Ohio State will debut throwback uniforms (from the 1916 season) at home against Nebraska as part of military appreciation night. Reports indicate that the uniforms may look like this:

Overall, Ohio State does a great job with their football uniforms. I believe their traditional scarlet and gray look is one of the best in college football. While some of their alternate uniforms have been hit or miss in my opinion, I am excited to see what Nike and Ohio State continue to produce in the following years.

(information found via elevenwarriors.com)

Week 4 Reaction Blog

Approximately 1.71 billion people use Facebook (as of 2016). While some from the younger generation might consider Facebook their parent's social media, regardless, Facebook is still extremely popular. Businesses worldwide use Facebook as a source of advertisement and a way to promote themselves.

Ginny Mineo talks about the ways businesses can most effectively use Facebook in his article "The Do's and Don'ts of How to Use Facebook for Business." He lists six "do's" and six "don'ts." Some of these ideas are very obvious (don't violate Facebook's terms and conditions) but others are not.

Mineo discusses posting during strategic times during the day to reach the maximum audience. Some statisticians believe that 1 PM to 4 PM is the time that people are most active on Facebook and other social media sites and are most willing to click and interact with an advertisement from a business. I believe that businesses are using analytics and/or advanced statistics more and more. This statistic is one example of that.

Similarly, Ginny Mineo discusses tracking URLs and Facebook insights. The goal from this "do" is to determine which posts are thriving and reaching a large audience. This again is another example of analytics in business.

Finally, Mineo talks about not posting too much. When I read this I definitely think I cheered inwardly. Nothing is more annoying than seeing the same advertisement over and over again. In my opinion, that may do the opposite effect of what the business had intended in the first place. If a business posts less, it will make the post that they do put forth more memorable.

Game Recap: #3 Ohio State vs. #14 Oklahoma

Even before the season began, sports fans and analysts all throughout the country highlighted the Ohio State vs. Oklahoma game as one of the top games to watch this college football season. Just a few weeks ago, the Associated Press came out with a ranking of the top college football programs of all time. Ohio State ranked #1, and Oklahoma ranked #2. Ohio State came into the game as the #3 team in the country, having easily defeated Bowling Green and Tulsa. The Sooners, on the other hand, dropped their opening game against Houston but rebounded with a win against Louisiana-Monroe. A lot was on the line for both teams, but the #14 Sooners were especially in need of a victory as a second loss would essentially eliminate Oklahoma from playoff contention. 

Plenty of drama surrounded the game leading up to kickoff. Oklahoma backup quarterback Austin Kendall called the OSU defense “really basic.” He added that OU starter Baker Mayfield would “light them up.” Ohio State heard about the comments and took to Twitter to respond. College football analyst Kirk Herbstreit commented, it was “not a smart decision during a hyped game week by a backup QB.” It seemed as if Buckeye and Sooner fans had waited for ages for this matchup, and as the time drew near to kickoff they would be forced to wait just a little longer. Severe thunderstorms in the Norman, Oklahoma, area delayed the game by an hour and a half. Finally, it was time for kickoff. 

Despite the delay, a record crowd filled Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium. On the Sooners’ very first drive, a field goal attempt glanced off the upright -- it served as a representation of how the rest of the night would go for Oklahoma. Ohio State’s motivated “silver bullet” defense frustrated Oklahoma all night and forced two interceptions from Baker Mayfield. As impressive as the defense was, OSU WR Noah Brown stole the show. Not only did he catch four touchdowns, but his third touchdown was an incredibly acrobatic catch that many analysts described as one of the best catches ever.

Led by Heisman candidate JT Barrett, the Buckeyes punished the Sooners offensively and won the game rather comfortably, 45-24. Head coach Urban Meyer praised the young Buckeyes after the game, saying he was "very proud of them." Moving forward, OSU looks like a legitimate national title contender. Ohio State is off next week and will open up Big 10 play against Rutgers the following week.

Week 3 Reaction Blog

I really benefitted from reading Neil Patel's article "How to Develop an Unforgettable Voice in Your Writing."  I found his post very intriguing because it focuses on how to improve article writing specifically. It is a writing medium that is become increasingly popular and widespread. Often articles or blog posts are generally shorter so I completely agree with Patel's idea that every article must have a "laser focus" and be to the point. While it's probably not a good trend, we as a society have such a short attention span. If something doesn't immediately catch our eye we move on without even giving it a thought. It's for this very reason, then, that Neil Patel's other sub-points are so vital. To be successful in this style of writing, you have to be willing to be risky and opinionated. Whether it's fair or not, writers are forced more than ever to give a reason for their audience to read their material.

Perhaps my biggest takeaway from his article is Patel's point that successful article writing tells a story. Stories transcend generations; every single person can relate to a story. In regards to writing for sports, specifically, I believe this concept is absolutely key. Sports tell stories. Whether it's a story of a team's journey to a championship or a player's remarkable comeback from an injury or hardship, sports are filled with different stories.

For me personally, I would love to be a sports information director. SID's often take the lead in writing articles for a team website as well as posting to social media. Patel's post hit on some very important points on how to best catch the attention of an SID's target audience. I will definitely work on implementing Patel's tips in my blogs for this class as I prepare for the future!

Welcome! (Week 2 SM3410 Blog Post)

Hi everyone! My name is Aaron Lynn and I am a sophomore sports management student from Plain City, Ohio. For my social media assignment for this year, I have chosen the Ohio State Buckeyes football team, my favorite sports team since the age of six. Sports have been a passion of mine since a very young age and I am currently working on my degree so that I can pursue a job as a sports information director of a major college athletic program. While college football is probably my favorite sport, I am also a big fan of SpikeBall. SpikeBall is a relatively new sport that has only existed for a few years but that is rapidly growing in popularity. I also really enjoy music and spending time with friends and family. This summer I toured with HeartSong Ministries as a keyboard player and really enjoyed that experience!

For those of you who may not have ever heard of SpikeBall, here's a video of the top 10 SpikeBall plays from July, it's pretty amazing! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT4DKcJYht4

I'm excited to get to know all of you better and to follow along with the teams that you all have chosen for your social media assignments. Have a great day!

-Aaron