Buckeyes looking for explosive year - Thursday, August 31, 2017 - Delaware Gazette
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OHIO STATE 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW
Buckeyes
looking for explosive year
Thursday, August 31, 2017
2 Thursday, August 31, 2017 OHIO STATE FOOTBALL PREVIEW Delaware Gazette
A championship season or just close?
Ohio State has talent to around.
After OSU was shut out 31-0
injured last season, was the No.
1 kicker in 2014 but lost his job
win a national title but by Clemson in a College Foot- to a walk-on in 2015. Punter
ball Playoff semifinal, it took Drue Chrisman was a highly
there are no guarantees less than two weeks before it rated recruit but has never been
had a new offensive coor- in a college game.
dinator and a new quar-
FIVE REASONS OHIO STATE COULD terbacks coach. 3. Michigan is over-
WIN IT ALL due against Ohio State.
5. Bigger, stronger, The last time Ohio
1. J.T. Barrett turns the faster, older. State went into the
quarterback clock back to OSU got to the College Michigan game as a clear
2014. Football Playoff with a favorite and lost was
Remember the school-record very young team last sea- Jim 21 years ago when the
34 touchdown passes? Remem- son. The ones who came Naveau Wolverines stunned the
ber the two overtime touch- back are a year more Lima News Buckeyes 13-9 in Ohio
downs at Penn State? Remem- mature physically and Sports Stadium in 1996.
ber him being fifth in the Heis- mentally.
man Trophy voting? If Barrett 4. Youthful secondary.
plays like he did in 2014, OSU FIVE REASONS OHIO STATE Replacing three starting
could win it all. MIGHT MIGHT MISS THE PLAYOFFS defensive backs might not be
as easy as OSU made it look
2. The defensive line is as 1. The offensive struggles in 2016. Especially when the
good as expected. could continue. three it has to replace this year
Best defensive line in the Maybe 2014 J.T. Barrett is all were first-round NFL draft
country is a label Ohio State gone and he’s not coming back. choices.
has heard. If the Buckeyes front Maybe the receivers will never
line earns it, they could find live up to their recruiting hype. 5. Something no one is
themselves in Atlanta on Jan. 8. Maybe Mike Weber still doesn’t thinking about.
have breakaway speed. Maybe No one saw a loss to a Penn
3. No letdowns. No injuries. the lack of offensive line depth State team that started its sea-
No freak plays. will catch up with the Buckeyes. son 2-2 coming when the Nit-
Pay attention. Stay healthy. tany Lions beat Ohio State last
Don’t get field goals blocked. 2. The kicking game season. Ohio State’s Damon Arnette (3) and Denzel Ward (12) celebrate after Arnette’s
4. Urban isn’t messing Sean Nuernberger, who was interception against Northwestern last season in Ohio Stadium.
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OSU pitches success, future to recruits
By Jim Naveau Success on the field and in
jnaveau@limanews.com getting players to the NFL obvi-
ously has a lot to do with it.
COLUMBUS – Ohio State’s Meyer is a magnetic, some
2018 recruiting class is ranked would say charismatic personal-
No. 1 in the country and its ity. Recruiting coordinator Mark
2017 freshmen were ranked No. Pantoni directs a 10-person staff
2. which relentlessly identifies,
Next year’s recruiting class evaluates and pursues the top
has two 5-star recruits and gets the Ohio State
recruits and 12 brand out there, including post-
4-stars so far and ing as many as 500 items a week
this year’s class on social media.
had two 5-stars And they all emphasize what
and 17 4-stars. Ohio State can do for an athlete
In Urban Mey- once his playing days are over.
Martell er’s six years as Here’s what some of the top
OSU’s head coach, recruits in the 2017 recruiting
he has had only class said convinced them Ohio
one recruiting State was the place for them.
class ranked lower Jeffrey Okudah, a 5-star cor-
than No. 5 in the nerback from Texas, said, “What
country. sold me was the plan they had
So, how do set out for me after football. Not
the Buckeyes do many schools go into that much
it? What started detail. That really sold me and
Okudah
this tidal wave of my family.
incoming talent, “They were pretty close to Don Speck/The Lima News
beginning with my family. They did a really Ohio State freshman Brendon White (80) works against Shaun Wade (24) in Ohio State’s spring game. White has since
switched to safety from wide receiver and wears number 25.
the all-world class good job of recruiting everyone
of 2013, which around me. And I knew in my
included players head I wanted to compete with spot.’ They knew we knew we’d Martell said he felt a connec- parents love him.
like Joey Bosa, the best players in the country. have to come in and work for it tion with Meyer. “I think we “What sold me was he told me
Ezekiel Elliott, From the start, that always from Day 1,” he said. both have a passion for football he would help me get a job after
Vonn Bell, Darron caught my eye. Tate Martell, a 4-star quar- that is second to none. It just felt football or if I get hurt he would
Wade Lee, Eli Apple, “The one thing I liked about terback from Las Vegas, said, “I like a perfect fit for me,” he said. help me get a great job. If they
Billy Price and Ohio State’s coaching staff was knew this was the place for me Shaun Wade, a 4-star corner- didn’t have anybody go to the
Tyquan Lewis? And what has the honesty. They never said as soon as I got offered. This is back from Florida, said, “He NFL I would still be here,” Wade
kept it going? anything like, ‘We’ll give you a where I wanted to be.” (Meyer) does a great job. My said.
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4 Thursday, August 31, 2017 OHIO STATE FOOTBALL PREVIEW Delaware Gazette
Offense still needs playmakers
By Jim Naveau “We’ve had guys get open, we’ve had
jnaveau@limanews.com guys not get open. The quarterback
doesn’t make a great throw, the offensive
COLUMBUS – The search for play- line doesn’t protect. Call it the perfect
makers at wide receiver is now into its storm,” he said.
second year at Ohio State. A perfect storm that produced far from
Ohio State’s best receiver last season perfect results and might have played
was running back Curtis Samuel and the a big role in a coaching shake-up that
deep ball was absent from the Buckeyes’ saw Kevin Wilson replace Ed Warinner
offense in most games. as offensive coordinator and Ryan Day
There were only four receptions of get the quarterbacks coach job that Tim
more than 40 yards by OSU players last Beck had last season.
season – a 79-yard catch against Bowling Those changes came not long after
Green and a 75-yarder against Nebraska Ohio State threw for 86 yards, 124 yards
by Curtis Samuel, a 47-yard catch by and 127 yards and only one touchdown
K.J. Hill against Bowling Green and a in its last three games a year ago against
43-yarder by Dontre Wilson against Wis- Michigan State, Michigan and Clemson. Photos by Don Speck/The Lima News
consin. Here’s a look at the Buckeyes’ top In a scene seen often last year, Ohio State missed connections in the passing game. Here Terry McLaurin
It’s not like Ohio State hasn’t tried to receivers, their credentials and their pro- just misses a throw from J.T. Barrett at Michigan State late last season.
address the issue. All six of the players duction so far:
expected to get most of the playing time Johnnie Dixon: He was a 4-star recruit Parris Campbell: The Akron St.
at wide receiver this season were nation- and the No. 9-ranked wide receiver Vincent-St. Mary graduate was a 4-star
ally ranked 4-star recruits and so were nationally when he signed with Ohio recruit who was ranked No. 23 nationally
the top receivers in this year’s freshman State in 2014. Knee problems have lim- among wide receivers in 2014. All 13 of
class. ited him to seven catches in his career, his career catches came last season. He
So what are the problems? Why six of them last season. will be used mostly as an H-back this
haven’t the Buckeyes been able to hit big Dixon, a fourth-year junior, considered season.
plays in the passing game? quitting football after the Fiesta Bowl, K.J. Hill: He was a 4-star recruit who
Some people blame quarterback J.T. but stayed and was a standout in the was the No. 17 wide receiver nationally
Barrett. Others say it’s the receivers. spring game. in the 2015 recruiting class. He caught
Receivers coach Zach Smith says it’s a Binjimen Victor: He was a 4-star 18 passes for 262 yards and a touchdown
combination of a lot of things. recruit and the No. 13-ranked receiver last season.
“It’s not looking for a deep ball guy, it’s nationally when he signed with OSU in Terry McLaurin: He was a 4-star Binjimen Victor, shown going up for a pass against
Clemson in a College Football Playoff semifinal last
looking for the offense to complete deep 2016. He had 4 catches for 64 yards and recruit and was ranked No. 35 nationally season, could be a receiver who provides much-
balls and execute them,” Smith said. a touchdown last season. as a receiver in 2014. All 11 of his career needed big plays in the passing game for Ohio
State this season.
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Delaware Gazette OHIO STATE FOOTBALL PREVIEW Thursday, August 31, 2017 5
Parris Campbell (21) warms up before an Ohio
State game last season. He is being counted on
to be productive in the role Curtis Samuel had in
OSU’s offense did at H-back last season.
Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett avoids the
tackle of Indiana’s Marcus Oliver during a game
last season. Barrett hopes to go out with a big
senior year after appearing to struggle at times
last season.
catches were last season.
Austin Mack: He was a 4-star recruit in
2016. He was the No. 11 receiver nation-
ally in his class. He caught two passes
last season and played on special teams.
Jaylen Harris and Trevon Grimes: The
two incoming freshmen were both 4-sar
recruits. Grimes, who had ACL surgery
as a senior in high school, was ranked
Ohio State running back Mike Weber (25) fights for yardage in the Buckeyes’ game at Oklahoma. OSU is looking for more big plays from Weber, too. No. 6 nationally and Harris was No. 28.
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6 Thursday, August 31, 2017 OHIO STATE FOOTBALL PREVIEW Delaware Gazette
Worley can play anywhere
By Jim Naveau
jnaveau@limanews.com
COLUMBUS – Ohio State middle line-
backer Chris Worley has a new position
this season, which is not really a new
story.
Actually, it’s an old story that goes all
the way back to when he first arrived at
OSU four years ago.
The fifth-year senior from Cleveland
Glenville started out practicing half the
time with the linebackers and half the
time with the safeties in his first training
camp as part of OSU’s outstanding 2013
recruiting class. Since then, he’s played
all three linebacker positions in Ohio
State’s defense.
Last year Worley had 70 tackles, 4.5
tackles for losses and an interception in
his first year as a starter.
He nearly became a starter two years
before that when he battled future first-
round draft choice Darron Lee for a spot
in the lineup right down to just before the
2014 season opener. Lee kept the job for
two years, but Worley’s teammates insist-
ed there was not much, if any difference
between the starter and the back-up.
When Raekwon McMillan decided to
leave OSU after his junior season to enter
the NFL draft, Worley was on the move
again.
Worley, who once described himself as
“crazy confident” doesn’t expect any dif-
ficulties getting used to his new position
“It might sound crazy but it’s not that
much of a transition,” he said. “I’m not
where I need to be in my opinion, but I’m
not too far off.”
Probably the next most-asked ques-
tion after that is if he has the size to play
middle linebacker at around 230 pounds.
Once again, he says that will be no prob-
lem.
“I’m about the same size (as last year). Don Speck/The Lima News
There is not too much bulking up you can Ohio State’s Chris Worley (35) makes an interception in the end zone to stop Michigan State’s attempt for a two-point conversion last season in East Lansing,
Mich.
Delaware Gazette OHIO STATE FOOTBALL PREVIEW Thursday, August 31, 2017 7
do. Fifteen pounds is not going to change
much. It’s really not about size,” Worley
said.
Jerome Baker and Worley are return-
ing starters at linebacker. But in Worley’s
mind, OSU has three returnees at that
position because Baker’s chance to start
came after starter Dante Booker suffered
a strained medial collateral ligament in
last year’s opener and eventually was red-
shirted.
“We do have to replace Raekwon but
technically we have three starting line-
backers back from last year,” Worley said.
He described Booker as “one of the
fiercest competitors I’ve ever been
around.”
“Every year when Coach (Luke) Fickell
was here we’d all go over to his house in
the summer as a linebackers group. Me
and Book would be at his house all day.
We were in the pool wrestling. We were
playing half court basketball. We’re going
to compete until one of us taps out or one
of us wins or there is no more time left.”
Ohio State’s linebackers have a defen-
sive line in front of them that is being
described as one of the best in the coun-
try.
If there is a question about OSU’s Ohio State’s defense celebrates after stopping Indiana on a fourth-and-goal situation last season in a game at Ohio Stadium.
defense, it is if it will be able to replace
starters at three of the four positions in
the defensive backfield for a second sea-
son in a row.
Cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore and
Gareon Conley and safety Malik Hooker
were all NFL first-round draft choices this
year.
Two players seem to have clinched
starting spots – returning starter at safety
Damon Webb and cornerback Denzel
Ward. Transfer Kendall Sheffield, Damon
Arnette and freshman Jeffrey Okudah are
competing for the other cornerback spot.
And Jordan Fuller and Erick Smith are
in the running for the start at the other
safety position.
“We have a bunch of older guys return-
ing and a lot of young guys who are com-
ing in who look like they’re destined to be
great,” Worley said. “So it’s like once we
can figure out the middle part of our team
and figure out what type of people they
are, it’s just going to build up.”
Ohio State linebackers Chris Worley (35) left and Jerome Baker (17)
Reach Jim Naveau at 567-242-0414 or on Twitter at @ Defensive lineman Robert Landers (bottom) and Dre’Mont Jones sack Rutgers
Lima_Naveau. combine to sack Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight last season in
quarterback Chris Laviano during a game last season. Ohio Stadium.
8 Thursday, August 31, 2017 OHIO STATE FOOTBALL PREVIEW Delaware Gazette
OSU defensive line wants to be best
By Jim Naveau
jnaveau@limanews.com
four standout defensive ends –
Sam Hubbard, Jalyn Holmes,
Nick Bosa and Lewis.
COLUMBUS – It didn’t get Hubbard and Holmes were
the attention of his spread honorable mention All-Big Ten
offense. It wasn’t attached to a last season and Bosa had five
memorable image, like saying sacks as a freshman in a season
he wanted assistant coaches in which he was brought along
who coached like their hair was slowly after ACL surgery his
on fire. senior year of high school.
But very soon after Urban “We’ll be as good as anybody
Meyer was hired as Ohio State’s in America at defensive end,”
football coach in 2011, he said Meyer said during spring prac-
one of the most important ele- tice.
ments in building a great foot- The interior line is good and
ball team was having a strong deep, too, with players like
defensive line. Dre’Mont Jones, Robert Land-
Seven years later, Ohio State ers and Tracy Sprinkle, a starter
has a defensive line so talented until he suffered a season-end-
and so deep that it has been ing torn patellar tendor injury
called the best in college foot- in the first quarter of last year’s
ball. opener against Bowling Green.
It is a label both the players Michael Hill eventually could
and Meyer have embraced. join them if he returns from a
“We definitely care about that suspension.
because who wouldn’t want to It wasn’t just players that
be known as the best defensive Meyer recruited to build this
line, not only this year but in impressive front line of the
history,” defensive end Tyquan Buckeyes’ defense. Since 2014,
Lewis said. the line has been coached by
Lewis, the 2016 Big Ten Larry Johnson who, like his
Defensive Lineman of the current defensive line, has also
Year, surprised some people by been called the best in the coun-
returning for his senior year try at what he does.
instead of going into the NFL He has coached seven first-
draft. round NFL draft picks at OSU Don Speck/The Lima News
That decision gave Ohio State and Penn State and eight of his Ohio State defensive end Tyquan Lewis (59) prepares to hit Rutgers quarterback Chris Laviano during a game last season at
Ohio Stadium.
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Delaware Gazette OHIO STATE FOOTBALL PREVIEW Thursday, August 31, 2017 9
players have been named Big If Ohio State is going to be
Ten Defensive Lineman of the the best defensive line in the
Year. country, sacking the quar-
Ohio State defensive coordi- terback is probably the area
nator Greg Schiano gives the where it needs to show the
defensive line and Johnson most improvement.
high grades. OSU’s 28 sacks last season
“The defensive line is really ranked seventh in the Big Ten
good. I think we have the and 58th nationally. Lewis led
best defensive line coach in the Buckeyes with eight and
America in Larry Johnson. Bosa’s five were second.
He knows how to keep them Those 28 sacks were the
all involved. We should never lowest total during Meyer’s
have a tired defensive lineman five seasons at OSU an 17
out there if, God willing, we short of the highest total of
stay healthy,” Schiano said. his tenure, 45 in 2014. That
Despite all the talk about was two short of the school
being the best, Ohio State’s record of 47.
Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa (97) puts his hands up Tyquan Lewis, the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, rushes linemen say they won’t get Schiano offered the theory
to try to knock down a pass by Michigan quarterback Wilton Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson during a College Football
Speight during a game last season at Ohio Stadium. Playoff semifinal game last season.
caught up in it. during a Fox.com interview
“We talk about it in the earlier this year that Ohio
meeting room and it’s more State emphasized disrupting
of a motivation thing than the pass rather than hitting
hyping up our heads. Coach J the quarterback last season as
(Johnson) says if that’s what a possible explanation for the
they’re going to say about us low sack numbers.
then we’ve got to work and Johnson said during spring
actually achieve it,” Hubbard practice that his defensive
said. linemen just needed to be
Holmes said, “You want quicker once the ball was
praise. I’d be lying to you if I snapped to pump up the sacks
said I didn’t care. But at the numbers.
end of the day you have to “What you saw is that we
know that’s just preseason weren’t taking that first step
stuff. At the end of the day fast enough across the line
you want the postseason of scrimmage. At the end of
awards and you don’t really the day we have to get the
care about the preseason stuff. quarterback on his back. We
“I feel like we’ve been keep- have to rev up our pass rush,”
ing a real humble mind and Johnson said.
working to push to be better,”
Reach Jim Naveau at 567-242-0414 or on
Ohio State defensive linemen Jalyn Holmes (11) and Dre’Mont Jones (86) put pressure on Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield he said. Twitter at @Lima_Naveau.
during a game in Norman, Okla. last season.
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10 Thursday, August 31, 2017 OHIO STATE FOOTBALL PREVIEW Delaware Gazette
2016 OHIO STATE PRESEASON AP TOP 25
LEADERS The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press preseason college football poll,
with first-place votes in parentheses, 2016 records, total points based on
PASSING 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and
J.T. Barrett.............................................. 2555 2016 final ranking:
Joe Burrow............................................... 226
RUSHING Record Pts Prv
Mike Weber.............................................1096 1. Alabama (52) 14-1 1513 2
J.T. Barrett................................................ 845 2. Ohio St. (3) 11-2 1414 6
Curtis Samuel........................................... 771 3. Florida St. (4) 10-3 1396 8
Demario McCall........................................270 4. Southern Cal (2) 10-3 1325 3
RECEIVING 5. Clemson 14-1 1201 1
Curtis Samuel.......................................... 865 6. Penn St. 11-3 1196 7
Noah Brown............................................. 402 7. Oklahoma 11-2 1170 5
Dontre Wilson...........................................352 8. Washington 12-2 1150 4
Marcus Baugh.......................................... 269 9. Wisconsin 11-3 926 9
K.J. Hill..................................................... 262 10. Oklahoma St. 10-3 889 11
TACKLES 11. Michigan 10-3 881 10
Raekwon McMillan....................................102 12. Auburn 8-5 880 24
Jerome Baker..............................................83 13. LSU 8-4 784 13
Malik Hooker............................................... 74 14. Stanford 10-3 695 12
Chris Worley................................................70 15. Georgia 8-5 690 -
Damon Webb...............................................57 16. Louisville 9-4 629 21
W
Dre’Mont Jones...........................................42 17. Florida 9-4 624 14
Sam Hubbard............................................. 46 18. Miami 9-4 492 20
TACKLES FOR LOSSES
Jerome Baker.............................................9.5
19. South Florida
20. Kansas St.
11-2
9-4
327
317
19
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Jalyn Holmes.............................................8.5 21. Virginia Tech 10-4 240 16 488 W CHERRY ST | SUNBURY, OH 43074 M
22. West Virginia 10-3 207 18 misombrerosunbury.com
Sam Hubbard.............................................8.0
Raekwon McMillan..................................... 7.0 23. Texas 5-7 173 - A
Nick Bosa................................................... 7.0 24. Washington St. 8-5 133 -
25. Tennessee 9-4 114 22
INTERCEPTIONS
Malik Hooker.................................................7 Tu
Marshon Lattimore.......................................4 Others receiving votes: TCU 98, Utah 85, Notre Dame 65, Boise St. 37, NC
State 26, Northwestern 25, Pittsburgh 23, Oregon 21, Houston 19, Colorado
Gareon Conley..............................................4
Jerome Baker................................................2 18, UCLA 9, San Diego St. 9, BYU 5, BYU 4, Nebraska 4, Tulsa 4, Kentucky 3,
Texas A&M 3, Michigan St. 1.
W
Rodjay Burns................................................. 1
Chris Worley.................................................. 1
Damon Webb................................................. 1 T
Damon Arnette............................................. 1 OHIO STATE Sept. 30 – at Rutgers, TBA
Oct. 7 – Maryland, 3:30 or 4 p.m.
SACKS
Tyquan Lewis.................................................8 SCHEDULE Oct. 14 – at Nebraska, TBA
Oct. 28—Penn State, 3:30 p.m.
Fr
Weekly Specials
Nick Bosa......................................................5 Aug. 31 – at Indiana, 8 p.m.
FIELD GOALS Nov. 4 – at Iowa, TBA
Sept. 9 – Oklahoma, 7:30 p.m. Nov 11 – Michigan State, TBA
Tyler Durbin...........................................17/22 Sept. 16 – Army, 4:30 p.m. Nov. 18 – Illinois,740-965-1313
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Playoff forecasts start with ‘Bama
By Jim Naveau
defensive backs who were first-round NFL
draft choices, they could be contenders.
back, but coach Bob Stoops, running backs
Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine and wide WASHINGTON
jnaveau@limanews.com receiver Dede Westbrook are all The Huskies have quite a bit of talent back
USC gone. from last year’s playoff semifinalist team
Chances are good that a lot of people The Trojans finished last season on and a schedule that might not be overly
predicted three of the four teams who a nine-game winning streak behind challenging until November.
eventualy got into the College Football redshirt freshman Sam Darnold.
Playoff last season.
It wasn’t going out on a limb to predict that
the two teams in the 2015 championship FLORIDA STATE
game, Alabama and Clemson, would return If Florida State’s offensive line,
for another round. And it wasn’t a surprise which allowed 36 sacks
to see the 2014 champion, Ohio State, there last season, plays a little
either. better, quarterback AP Photo
The only surprise in the semifinals was Deondre Francois, Alabama coach Nick Saban
Washington. So, will this year bring any running back Cam works with his players
unanticipated playoff teams? Or will it belong Akers and others during NCAA college
will put points on the football practice
to the tried and true powers of the college
scoreboard. earlier this month
game again? in Tuscaloosa,
It would not be a shock to see the four Ala.
College Football Playoff semifinalists come CLEMSON
from this list of eight teams: Alabama, Ohio The big question,
State, USC, Florida State, Clemson, Penn obviously, is who will
State, Oklahoma and Washington, who replace Deshaun Watson at
have all been near the top of the preseason quarterback. But, as Ohio
national rankings. State learned, the Tigers can
play a little defense, too.
ALABAMA
Quarterback Jalen Hurt is a year older and a PENN STATE
season more experienced. The defense has Quarterback Trace McSorley,
two returning starters at every level — line, running back Saquon Barkley
linebackers and defensive backfield. The Tide and a good receivers group
came within seconds of winning Nick Saban’s make the Nittany Lions one of
fifth national championship last season. the most explosive offensive
teams in college football.
OHIO STATE
If the Buckeyes restore the deep pass to OKLAHOMA
their offense and find replacements for three Quarterback Baker Mayfield is
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