Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Ohio State emphatically delivers a message - Buckeye Beatdown - Meyer Coaching Staff Watch





Craft, Buckeyes take advantage of weary Duke in decisive victory
seth davis
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Immediate question: Was Ohio State that good or was Duke that bad?
Answer: Yes.
Long-term question: Is Ohio State really that good, and is Duke really that bad?
Answer: Not really.
The truth is, there's not much that can be learned from a 22-point beatdown. "We've had our butts kicked, and we've kicked some butt," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "Right now my butt is sore." My brain's sore trying to riddle a few salient lessons from this massacre. Here's what we learned tonight:

1. Until further notice, Aaron Craft is the best point guard in the country.
There is no obvious designee for this honorific, nor is there any shortage of worthy candidates. But nobody has better overall command of the game on both ends of the floor than Ohio State's 6-foot-2 sophomore. Tuesday was the third time in five games that Craft had eight assists. (He also had a season-high four turnovers.) He also had his best shooting night of the season, making seven of his 11 attempts overall, and three for four from three-point range. One of those makes was accidentally banked in from the top of the key. They say it's better to be lucky than good, but on this night Craft was both -- and it didn't seem fair.
Craft is certainly lucky to be surrounded by so much talent. As Krzyzewski put it, "part of being a good point guard is having good players you can point-guard for." But Craft also thinks the game at a very high level. Buckeyes coach Thad Matta said that at one point, when he warned Craft he had three fouls, Craft corrected him and said he only had two. (Matta had to check with his assistants to see if Craft was right. He was.) Last Friday against Valparaiso, Craft told Matta that he should stop the game because a teammate had just made a three but the refs only credited him for a two. (Matta asked the refs to check the monitor to see if Craft was right. He was.) Matta also said he lets Craft pretty much decide how many minutes he's capable of playing each game. He played a season-high 38 on Tuesday night and didn't seem the least bit tired.
There may be other point guards who will have a brighter NBA future. But if I could pick one point guard to win a college basketball game tomorrow night, I would pick Craft. I have a feeling I'm not alone.

2. Columbus is a long way from Maui.
Technically, it's 4,457 miles, but it felt even longer for Duke. When Krzyzewski pointed out early in his postgame news conference that his team had played seven games in 13 days, he wasn't making an excuse, he was stating a fact. Part of being a great team is learning to fight through fatigue, but Duke had much more fatigue than fight. Krzyzewski parked three of his starters -- guards Andre Dawkins and Seth Curry, and forward Ryan Kelly -- on the bench with 10 minutes to play in the second half and left them there. When he said that he did that so he could see what his reserves could do, he was unconvincing. That was a sit-your-ass-down move if ever there was one.
Not only did the Blue Devils play three games in three days at the Maui Invitational, they jammed in four games before they left because the school wanted to ensure Krzyzewski would break Bob Knight's alltime wins record on the mainland. Flying home, then flying out to play a road game at 9:30 p.m. against the No. 2 team in the country is a brutal turnaround. "We didn't handle that well," Coach K said. "When you play on the road, you have to be juiced up. Even if we were, we might not have won, but [the schedule] did have a bearing."
Matta agreed. When he was told that Krzyzewski thought the schedule had left his guys out of gas, Matta quipped, "Now will you guys stop asking me why we don't go to Maui?"

3. Austin Rivers is the real deal. There obviously weren't many bright spots for Duke, but the play of their much-heralded freshman was one of them. It's not just that Rivers scored a game-high 22 points and only had two turnovers in 37 minutes. It's the way he competed. Krzyzewski yanked Rivers from the game early in the first half after he blew some defensive assignments, but the freshman bounced back in impressive fashion. For most of the game, he was the team's only semblance of offense, and he was pretty much creating it on his own. Rivers has begun the season in fits and starts, but I'm sure he gained a lot of confidence from this game.

4. Ohio State is a versatile defensive team.
The Buckeyes' primary concern coming in was Duke's three-point shooting. "We told our guys, they're going to make shots. You can't be surprised when they do," Matta said. Imagine their surprise when Duke didn't. The Blue Devils made exactly one made three-pointer (in seven attempts) in the first half. For the game they were 3 for 20. Yes, the tired legs were a factor, but so was the Buckeyes' D.
Matta wasn't sure who would guard whom, so he gave all of his players a DVD of all of Duke's guards and let them know they should be ready to check any of them. He started with 6-4 sophomore Lenzelle Smith on Rivers, and throughout the game Matta rotated his batch of long-armed swingmen (William Buford, Deshaun Thomas and Evan Ravenel) on to Duke's perimeter snipers. Aside from the occasional burst from Rivers, the Devils were silenced. Mission accomplished.

5. Deshaun Thomas is Ohio State's X factor.
We know Jared Sullinger is a player of the year candidate, Craft is an outstanding point guard, and Buford is a future pro. We know less about what the Buckeyes are going to get each night from Thomas, but we also know this: If he keeps giving them what he gave them Tuesday night, they are going to be near-impossible to beat.
Thomas had a typically up-and-down freshman season a year ago. He started off with a blast, hanging 24 points on North Carolina A&T in the season-opener. From there, he mostly disappeared into the background, but he was front and center Tuesday night -- especially at the end of the first half when he scored the team's final nine points to send them into the locker room up 19. He finished with 18 points (on 8-for-12 shooting) and five rebounds in 28 minutes. That's what you call a good night's work.
Thomas, like many of his young Buckeye teammates, still has some growing up to do. After he turned in a lackluster effort at the start of the Valparaiso game, Matta told him at halftime, "I had a feeling before the game you weren't ready to play." But even a great defensive team can only plug so many dikes. If your top priority is holding down Sullinger, and if your second priority is stopping Craft's penetration, and your third is keeping Buford off the glass ... well, the last thing you need is Thomas, who is also a lockdown defender, going off for 18 points. "You hope he keeps doing this," Matta said. "We're going to keep working him, that's for sure."








Ohio State emphatically delivers a message

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- As Deshaun Thomas exited the postgame press conference that followed No. 2 Ohio State’s 85-63 victory over Duke on Tuesday night, NBA stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade escaped Value City Arena through a nearby loading dock.
The duo watched Thomas and Co. destroy the fourth-ranked Blue Devils in the most marquee matchup of this year's Big Ten/ACC Challenge. When James and Wade arrived, photographers scurried like paparazzi on a red carpet.
“I saw them,” said Thomas, who scored 18 points. “It was great motivation to show off for them because they show off for us all the time on TV.”
But LeBron and D-Wade weren’t the headliners on this night.
Under the brightest lights of the young season, Ohio State embraced the moment and destroyed a team that just won the prestigious Maui Invitational, handing Duke its most lopsided nonconference loss in the regular season since 1995.

The stars were out in force in Columbus on Tuesday, including LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.The Buckeyes weren’t distracted by the frenzy that preceded the game -- fans had camped outside the venue for days and there was legitimate buzz in a city and on a campus dominated by football and the arrival of new coach Urban Meyer.

Competing while two NBA All-Stars sat courtside obviously didn’t rattle them, either. And more importantly, Duke’s threats of 3-balls and aggressive interior defense never moved beyond the planning phase due to Ohio State’s execution.
The Buckeyes put together the most defining performance of the 2011-12 season and legitimized all the “Ohio State is the best team in America right now” kudos that will follow.
OSU nailed a ridiculous 59 percent of its shots -- a mere 57 percent from beyond the arc. Beyond the box score, however, the Bucks had the backbone to crush a vulnerable opponent when the opportunity arose. That’s the DNA of a champion.
They turned a 26-17 edge with eight minutes to play in the first half into a 19-point halftime lead.
“This basketball team is tough," said Jared Sullinger, who scored a team-high 21 points. "That’s pretty much our motto: mental toughness and physical toughness, and we showed that today."
Against Ohio State’s defense, Duke played like a claustrophobe stuck in a trunk.
Freshman Austin Rivers scored 22 points, but threw away about a half-dozen opportunities because OSU wouldn’t let him finish at the rim. Seth Curry called a timeout on his team’s first possession with Ohio State’s Lenzelle Smith Jr. swarming him. It was a sign of things to come.
A Blue Devils team with a 46 percent success rate from long range before Tuesday’s game hit just 3 of 15 on this night.
A Blue Devils defense that gave up just 61 points in its Maui final victory over Kansas gave up 47 to Ohio State -- in the first half.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said the fatigue from last week’s trip to Hawaii played a role in the Blue Devils’ struggles.
“I thought Ohio State played a great game against us. They were a fresher team,” he said. “I thought our team played tired.”
But getting whipped for 40 minutes will wear down any team.
Despite losing 3-point ace Jon Diebler, versatile performer David Lighty and shot-blocker Dallas Lauderdale to graduation, these Buckeyes might have more potential than last season’s squad, which won 34 games but was knocked out as a 1-seed in the Sweet 16.
They’re more athletic, and with the evolution of Thomas and sophomore point guard Aaron Craft, they’re more versatile on both ends of the floor.
Craft alone held Duke’s guards to four points on 2-of-8 shooting and four turnovers. Thomas entered the game shooting 28 percent from beyond the arc, but connected on 2 of 4 treys Tuesday.

Jared Sullinger contributed 21 points and eight boards against the Duke frontline.In the first half, former Ohio State stars Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr., Daequan Cook, Evan Turner and Michael Redd were introduced at midcourt. Oden, Cook and Conley formed the nucleus of Ohio State’s 2006-07 team, which lost in the national title game to back-to-back champion Florida.

Sullinger said he’s learned from predecessors who fell short of their national championship dreams.
“You just gotta keep your composure,” he said when asked what it will take for this year’s team to fulfill its potential.
Ohio State is as balanced as any team in the country. And with a stud point guard, a consistent wing (William Buford scored 20 points) and a big man like Sullinger, the Buckeyes appear to be as well-equipped for March Madness as any squad in the country.
But coach Thad Matta would like to erase the preceding sentences. The hoopla is premature, he said during his postgame delivery.
He said he’s paranoid about praising his team too early because that’s what happened just before Turner broke his back during the 2009-10 season.
Plus, the program suffered a backlash last season, when Matta’s team won its first 24 games but ultimately ended in disappointment in the NCAA regional semifinal against Kentucky.
Perhaps that’s why he dismissed any comparisons to the 2006-07 team.
“No. Honestly, I don’t. You had some veteran players, you had some seniors,” Matta said when he was asked if he saw any similarities between this season’s team and Oden’s squad.
That team, however, was led by freshmen. This season’s Buckeyes are guided by three outstanding sophomores.
“That team would do things in practice that I had never seen before,” Matta added later.
Well, how many times has a top-five Duke team taken that kind of a beating? Duke’s 63 points and three 3-pointers were both season lows.
“I still think this team has so far to go,” Matta concluded.
The latter is understandable for a coach who doesn’t want young players to get overconfident. And based on the multiple years he’s had where in-season success failed to match postseason projections, Matta's refusal to get too excited about the victory makes sense.
But Matta can’t completely disregard what happened here at Value City Arena. His young roster dominated a previously unbeaten Duke team in every area of the game.
That doesn’t guarantee any success in the future. But as of now, it’s undeniable proof that the Buckeyes are as good as, and probably better than, any team in the country.
“What can I say -- this basketball team is something special,” Sullinger said.
He probably shouldn’t convey that thought to his coach.
But most who watched Tuesday’s game would agree.



Drayton Expected to Stay On Under Urban Meyer
By Brandon Castel

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Urban Meyer is just now starting to piece together his new coaching staff at Ohio State, but there will be a few familiar faces to help get him started.
On Monday evening, Meyer announced that interim head coach Luke Fickell would be the first member of his new staff in Columbus. One day later it appears that group has expanded to include Stan Drayton.
The 40-year old Cleveland native spent this past season coaching the wide receivers at Ohio State, but before that he was the running backs at Florida under Meyer from 2005-07 and again in 2010.
It was rumored that Drayton would be one of the Ohio State coaches to remain on staff under Meyer, and that was all but confirmed Tuesday by OSU commit Mike Thomas.
“Coach Drayton will remain one of my coaches at Ohio State,” the wide receiver from Fork Union Military Academy posted on his Twitter account.
Thomas was one of the recruits who received a phone call from Meyer on his first night as head coach of the Buckeyes. He seemed excited about playing in Meyer’s system and about the fact Drayton would be one of his coaches when he got to Columbus in January.
Drayton left Gainesville after Meyer resigned following the 2010 season and landed in Columbus on Jim Tressel’s coaching staff. Tressel’s brother, Dick, was already coaching the running backs, so Drayton agreed to try his hand at coaching the receivers.
He has a reputation as an intense coach and a fierce recruiter. He told The-Ozone.net during the season that he is willing to “give it up” for his players every day in practice, but he expects a lot from them in return.
That fits perfectly with Meyer’s coaching philosophy, which could not have fallen closer to the Woody Hayes tree. Hayes was known for his toughness and for outworking his opponents.
Ohio State could not officially confirm the news that Drayton would remain on staff, but our sources have indicated from the start that he would be welcomed aboard. As for his exact role, that has yet to be determined.
Drayton has created a relationship with the young wide receivers at Ohio State, as well as a number of high school receivers who are headed to Columbus, but he is a running back by trade.
He was an All-American tailback at Allegheny (Pa.) College, where he is the school’s all-time leading rusher and scorer. He was a part of the 1990 Division III national championship team, and still holds the single-season record for touchdowns per game (3.2).
He was inducted into Allegheny College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005, and had been a running backs coach for his entire collegiate career. That includes stints at Villanova, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Syracuse. He also spent three seasons (2001-03) as an offensive quality control assistant with the Green Bay Packers.
If Drayton is on board with Meyer and Fickell, that leaves seven permanent coaching spots available on Ohio State’s staff. The current group will remain in place until after a potential bowl game, but Meyer will likely have his entire staff picked in the coming weeks.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Urban Meyer officially joins Buckeyes - Spielman Says Ohio State 'Perfect Situation' For Meyer - College Basketball Top 25 - Ohio State vs Duke




#2 Ohio State

6-0, 0-0 Big Ten

Roster | Schedule November 29, 2011

9:30 PM ET - ESPN
——
The Schott

Columbus, OH
#4 Duke

7-0, 0-0 ACC

We pause all the Urban Meyer talk for a few hours Tuesday night and put the focus back on Thad's squad, as they take on the Duke Blue Devils in the marquee matchup of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
This is Ohio State's 10th time in the Challenge, entering the game at 4-5, but they have won their last 3. OSU and Duke faced off back in '02, where the Dukies took down a Brent Darby lead Buckeye group in Greensboro, 91-75.
Both these teams come in undefeated on the season and each received first-place votes in this week's AP poll. With UNC/Kentucky battling on Saturday, the winner of this game could find themselves atop the rankings come next week.

# Name PTS REB ASST POS # Name PTS REB ASST
4 Aaron Craft 9.2 3.0 5.5 G 30 Seth Curry 15.1 3.3 3.1
32 Lenzelle Smith Jr. 5.8 4.8 3.0 G 0 Austin Rivers 14.4 2.4 2.1
44 William Buford 17.7 4.2 3.2 F 20 Andre Dawkins 10.1 1.4 0.4
1 Deshaun Thomas 12.3 3.7 0.7 F 5 Mason Plumlee 11.4 10.0 2.1
0 Jared Sullinger 18.8 10.7 1.8 C 34 Ryan Kelly 14.6 4.6 1.3


Opponent
Duke is a bit more tested this young season and is fresh off winning the Maui Invitational. Thad has always said he doesn't like the Maui trip, because it takes a team 2 weeks to recover from the games and travel, so it will be interesting to see if the are any adverse affects for the Blue Devils. Duke hasn't played since Wednesday, after taking down Tennessee, Michigan and Kansas in Hawaii. Coach K and his crew also defeated Michigan St., 74-69 in a Madison Square Garden tilt.
The Blue Devils are a veteran group, but their best player may be a freshman. The starting lineup consist of 4 juniors and the freshman, Austin Rivers. Duke comes in scoring 79 PPG, on the strength of 49.4% shooting from the floor. As is the case with OSU, Duke hasn't relied on the 3-point shot as much this season, but unlike OSU, they are hitting at a 45.9% clip, which is good for 5th in the country. What's interesting with this squad is the lack of assist and rebounds per contest. Even though Mason Plumlee is 6'10" and Kelly is 6'11", the Dukies rank 248th in the country with 34 RPG and have been outboarded in 4 of their 7 games.
The lack of assists could mean plenty of one on one action tonight, which should give the advantage to Ohio State. Curry and Rivers are both scorers and only Rivers, against Presbyterian has had more than 4 assists in a game. The matchup of Smith Jr./Craft vs. Curry/Rivers is going to be fun to watch. If OSU's guards can pressure them, it could lead to some questionable shots and TO's, as Kansas showed last week.
Curry attempts almost half of his shots (28 of 62) from beyond the arc, where he is hitting an outstanding 57.1 percent(16/28). Rivers is more of a slasher, attempting just 24 of his 76 shots from deep. Rivers, the son of Doc, has hit 9/24 from deep, but is second on the team with 40 FT attempts. Andre Dawkins leads the team in both 3-point attempts and makes, with 38 and 17 respectively. Kelly will also step outside, hitting 11/27 thus far.
Coach K makes his first trip to Columbus, even though he has over 900 career wins and brings with him a short bench. All five starters average more than 28 minutes, with Miles Plumlee, Tyler Thorton and Quinn Cook coming in off the bench. Plumlee is a 6'10" SR. who plays about 15 MPG, going for 5.6 PPG and 5.3 RPG, but he only played 7 minutes against Kansas. Thorton, a 6'1" SO. plays just over 18 minutes a game, scoring 3.4 PPG and dishing out 1.6 APG. He hit a huge 3-pointer on Wednesday night, that helped lift Duke to the Maui title. Cook is a 6' FR., who may not see much, if any action tonight, averaging 8 minutes and 3 points.

Buckeye Breakdown:
This is the type of matchup Thad has been working towards since he arrived and the Blue Devils are the highest ranked team to visit Cbus since the #1 Tar Heels beat the '07 team, 66-55. There is no doubt Duke has a longer run of a winning tradition, but Thad has worked his Buckeyes into the same sentence in recent years and we can only hope he has a run similar to Coach K's here at Ohio State. It's too bad once again he will be overshadowed by all the football news and the hiring of Urban Meyer.
Will Spoon see some action tonight?Last week was kind to Ohio State, as they saw their shooting average rise roughly 5 points and thier per game assists total now ranks 4th in the country. The Buckeyes come in shooting 51.5 percent, which puts them ninth in the NCAA and equates to 85.2 PPG, good for 12th nationally. Their assists are up to 20 a game, while the TO's are holding steady at 12 per contest. Though it was better last week, the 3-point shot is still incinsistent at 31 percent(27/87) and the FT's dipped a bit, now sitting at 66.3(114/172). After grabbing 38 more rebounds than their opponents last week, they are now grabbing 40 per game and only Florida has outboarded the Bucks.
William Buford found his groove last week, averaging 20 PPG and has hit his last 6 shots from deep. He now is up to 50% from the arc on the year (10/20), after starting the season 2/12. For me, there isn't a smoother stroke in the conference and if Ohio State is going to be a national force this year, Buford has to continue to get 13-16 shots a game, while continuing to improve his rebound and assists numbers, which are reaching career high status.
Jared Sullinger is working on a streak of 4 straight double-doubles, which is a career high, but obviously the competition is much stiffer tonight. The Buckeyes haven't necessarilly gone early and often to Sully inside to start games, but I really think they need to get him going early tonight. Duke is tall, but thin across the front line and if Sully can get either Plumlee or Kelly in early foul trouble, it could opens things up for the Buckeye offense. Plus making FT's is one of Sully's strengths this year, where he has made 35 of his 41 attempts.
Protecting the lane is key for OSU tonight, so Deshaun Thomas, along with Evan Ravenel and possibly J.D. Weatherspoon are going to have to step it up if the Bucks are to win. Thomas is still struggling with consistency on offense, but he is taking immense pride in his defense this year and will be guarding a taller player tonight, who can also step outside the arc. Ravenel has been getting the most minutes inside off the bench and has hit 14 of his first 19 shots, but J.D. Weatherspoon's energy and leaping ability could come in handy tonight. The buzz at the Schott is going to be unprecedented and a thunderous Weatherspoon rim-rattler could blow the roof off the place. J.D. has hit 11/14 shots and is scoring almost 6 PPG in just under 9 minutes.
After attempting a combined 4 shots against JSU and North Florida, Aaron Craft has hit 9/16 in the last 2, setting season high marks with 13 and 15 points respectively against VMI and Valpo. He also has 8 assists in that span and leads the conference with 3.5 steals per game, which puts him fifth nationally. His peskiness on either Curry or Rivers will be entertaining.
After devouring some turkeys for the Thanksgiving week, Duke will be the first measuring stick game for the Buckeyes over the next three(@Kansas on 12/10). Ohio State controlled 75% of the Florida game and has won thier last 4 by at least 33 points, so there's no reason to think they can't win tonight. They are giving up 54.7 PPG, holding teams to 37.4 percent shooting and forcing 21 TO's a contest, while only giving up 7 offensive boards. If they can guard the perimeter and hold Duke to under 35% shooting form deep, they should come away with a win.
It's a great time to be a Buckeye, so sit back and enjoy this one, it doesn't get any better in the early season. I think Ohio State has the talent to win and the Schott is going to be LOUD tonight, which is going to be a difference maker. Hopefully the OSU guards can win the battle of the backcourts and the Bucks can take home a 78-73 win.






Urban Meyer officially joins Buckeyes

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- If Ohio State did not come calling, Urban Meyer says he was planning to stay away from coaching for at least another year.
Meyer, the former Florida coach and native Buckeye, was officially hired Monday by Ohio State, a program with a glittering past that has suffered through a difficult year of NCAA violations.
"If not for the coaching position at Ohio State, I would not have coached this year," he said.
Meyer resigned as Gators coach after last season, citing health concerns and a desire to spend more time with his family.
"A year ago in my mind I was convinced I was done coaching," he said.
He added that he is feeling great.
"I've been checked out and I'm ready to go," he said. "I've been to a place and I don't want to go back."
Meyer will become one of the highest paid coaches in college football, along with Alabama's Nick Saban, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops and Texas' Mack Brown. The school says he will receive a six-year contract that pays $4 million annually, plus another $2.4 million total in "retention payments." He also can qualify for supplemental bonuses.
Interim coach Luke Fickell, who took over when Jim Tressel was forced out for breaking NCAA rules, will coach the Buckeyes (6-6) in their bowl game and be retained by Meyer as an assistant, although Meyer declined to say in what capacity.
Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said his first conversation with Meyer about becoming coach was on Nov. 20 by phone. Smith said the two met face-to-face Nov. 23.
Meyer won two national championships in six years as the coach at Florida. Now, the 47-year-old will return to the place where his college coaching career began in 1986 after spending a year as an ESPN game analyst.
Smith said he was won over by Meyer.
"There's a right time for certain leaders," he said. "This is the right time for Urban Meyer to lead this football team. ... He gets it."
Earle Bruce, the coach at Ohio State when Meyer was a graduate assistant, has remained a close friend and confidant of Meyer through the years. He said he had no concerns about Meyer's health.
"Well, if he'd had a heart attack and his heart was bad, I'd be worried about that," the 80-year-old Bruce said on Monday. "I'm not worried that he was stressed out over the game of football because he was thinking too much and not doing some things (exercising) that would have kept him straight. I think he got everything back under control by sitting out a year. I think he missed football. And he's good at it."
Meyer's news conference had to be stopped momentarily when a woman operating a camera for the Big Ten Network kneeled over during the middle of Meyer's remarks. She was helped out of the meeting room.
Meyer met with the team on Monday before his news conference. He said he was impressed with the players' enthusiasm and acceptance.
Alabama's Saban, who played at Kent State and coached at Toledo in the Buckeye state, said he was happy for Meyer.
"I'm sure he's excited about it, and I'm excited for him that he has an opportunity to go back to his home state and be the head coach here," Saban said. "I think it's a wonderful opportunity and I think he'll do a great job."
Meyer takes over a program that is likely facing NCAA sanctions and was crippled by the forced resignation of Tressel. The Buckeyes completed their only season under Fickell with a 40-34 loss to Michigan on Saturday that snapped a seven-game winning streak to their rivals.
Wolverines coach Brady Hoke underplayed the role of the head coaches in the rivalry.
"I've known Urban, he's a good football coach, a good guy and I welcome him in," Hoke said on Monday. "But it's still Michigan and Ohio and neither one of us is going to play the game."
Meyer called the rivalry with Michigan "the game of games," but didn't predict a win for the Buckeyes next season.
"One thing I know about that game ... there's always a lot of respect in that rivalry," he said.
In 10 seasons as a head coach -- two at Bowling Green, two at Utah and six at Florida -- Meyer has a 104-23 record. His teams are 7-1 in bowl games, including the Gators' 41-14 victory over unbeaten and top-ranked Ohio State in the 2007 Bowl Championship Series title game.
Meyer had persistently denied all the talk surrounding him and Ohio State. Soon after Tressel stepped down, Meyer said he wasn't interested in leaving ESPN, where he was a college football analyst.
The chance to coach Ohio State changed his mind, he said.
"A year ago in my mind I was convinced I was done coaching. Then I moved away," he said. "I didn't realize I'd miss it so bad."
"He enjoyed what he was doing, but I think he also had the bug to start coaching again," ESPN broadcast partner and former Ohio State linebacker Chris Spielman said. "This was just an opportunity that he couldn't pass up."
Meyer inherits a program still facing NCAA sanctions. But he also inherits a young team led by a freshman quarterback, Braxton Miller, who would seem to be a perfect fit for his spread offense.
"We're putting a lot of pressure on this cat," Meyer joked once after several questions about the freshman. "He's special."
A native of Ashtabula, Ohio, Meyer becomes the 24th head coach at Ohio State. He succeeds Fickell, who took over last spring when Tressel's 10-year reign came crashing down. Tressel was forced out for knowing but not telling his superiors that Buckeyes players had most likely broken NCAA rules by taking cash and free or discounted tattoos from the subject of a federal drug-trafficking investigation.
Ohio State's .500 record this season marked the most losses at Ohio State since John Cooper's 1999 team also went 6-6 overall and 3-5 in the Big Ten.
The Buckeyes had already lost their string of six Big Ten titles when the school was forced to vacate the 2010 season for the NCAA violations. The school has also self-imposed two years of NCAA probation, offered to return $339,000 in bowl revenue from 2010 and to give up five scholarships over the next three seasons.
Ohio State is awaiting final word from the NCAA's committee on infractions. The committee tagged Ohio State with a "failure to monitor" label -- second only to a lack of institutional control on the list of most egregious charges against a university. The school could still be hit with a bowl ban, a loss of more scholarships, or other penalties.
At the urging of Bruce, Meyer took his first head coaching job at Bowling Green (2001-2002) where he led the Falcons to records of 8-3 and 9-3 before jumping to Utah.
Using a spread offense featuring quarterback Alex Smith, the Utes went 10-2 in his first year. In 2004, he led Utah to an 11-0 season and a Bowl Championship Series berth.
After a bowl win over Pittsburgh to cap the 12-0 season, he was the top candidate for the jobs at both Notre Dame and Florida. He surprised many by becoming a Gator.
In his second season with the Gators, No. 2-ranked Florida beat unbeaten Ohio State, coached by Tressel, 41-14 to win his first national title.
Two years later, the Gators won another national title, beating Oklahoma 24-14 behind Tim Tebow.
The next year Florida contended for a repeat, but after losing the SEC title game to Alabama, Meyer said he was retiring from coaching, citing health problems. He changed his mind and was back the next day, saying he would only take a leave of absence.
After the 2010 season, he stepped down again.



Spielman Says Ohio State 'Perfect Situation' For Meyer
By Tony Gerdeman

COLUMBUS, Ohio — In the back of the capacity-breached room, watching intently as his friend Urban Meyer was introduced as Ohio State's 24th head football coach, stood former Buckeye great Chris Spielman. The College Football Hall of Famer was witnessing the next stage in Ohio State football history, and it just happened to be his friend and colleague who was going to be leading the Buckeyes through it.
The former All-American linebacker couldn't have been happier. Spielman, having dedicated the rest of his life to helping his university raise funds for breast cancer research, had no doubts that Ohio State had landed the right man, and not only had they had landed the right man, but they had also kept the right man as well.
“In my eyes it's a homerun,” Spielman said moments after Monday's press conference.
“That being said, I would like Luke [Fickell] to be a head coach because I think he'd be a great coach. But if he doesn't want to do it yet, or he still wants to be a part of this, I think that's a win-win. It's a huge win for Urban. I couldn't be more pleased and happy for both guys.”
Part of the reason for asking Fickell to stay was to keep Meyer from returning to a place that he said he had no desire to go back to—being consumed with trying to do everybody else's job. Meyer has intentions of delegating more than he did in his final season at Florida, and his family has designs on holding him to that.
But this is very big-time college football. Is it even possible to win if you're not consumed by it? Meyer said he spoke to many different coaches about it and is convinced that it's not impossible, and Spielman agrees.
“You've got to hire good people,” he explained.
“You've got to be able to delegate and hire good people, and trust people to do what you want them to do, and then do your job. Woody wrote the book on it—you win with people. In all walks of life, it's who you surround yourself with. A coaching staff is a team within a team.”
Luke Fickell is one piece of that team, with many more yet to come. Spielman is confident that Meyer will lean on his staff more than he has in the past because the level of consumption that he was working with in the past just wasn't healthy for him or his family.
“We talked a lot about life issues,” Spielman said.
“I think that he's always been a great father and a great husband, but I think sometimes things can consume you—especially football if you're a competitor, and I'm very open about that as a player, it consumed me completely and totally.
“There's choices that we all have to make. But I think he has checks in place to make sure he maintains that balance. And people will hold him accountable to what he says. I think it's very possible that he can be just as successful, just as effective, just as great a coach without ever having to sleep in the office, because that accomplishes nothing.”
Throughout the weeks of broadcasting games and the various talks that the two have had, it became quite clear to Spielman that Meyer missed coaching. Meyer would draw up plays that he liked during broadcasts, or while watching film. He and Spielman would compare notes and it was obvious that Meyer was keeping tabs on the things that he was seeing.
“I knew it was a matter of time, but it had to be the right situation,” he said. “I think if he was going to get back into it, this is the perfect situation for him personally to get back into it.”
Meyer's own statements echoed Spielman's, saying that “if it was but for the coaching position at The Ohio State University, I would not have coached this coming year”.
But it was Ohio State, and so now he is coaching this coming year. There is no coincidence in Meyer's decision because it had everything to do with The Ohio State University.
It couldn't have come as a surprise to Spielman, who saw the Buckeye fire in Meyer's eyes in the first game they broadcast together—Ohio State's season opener against Akron.
“Watching him get excited when we did the Akron game,” Spielman reflected back.
“When I saw the passion and tears come to his eyes when the band came out doing 'Script Ohio'. Right before we went on the air I said, 'Dude, you've got to get yourself together here, man! You've got to get it going.' His passion is there for Ohio State. He knows what he is. He's a Buckeye.”
Spielman knows his Buckeyes well, and when he says somebody is a Buckeye, understand that he knows what he's talking about. He also knows his football, so when talk turns to the possibility of joining Meyer's staff, he doesn't hesitate to answer with a quiet “No” before the question can even be fully asked.
“I think for me, I serve my university in a more important capacity than being a football coach,” he said.
“And not that that's not important, but I've made promises that I intend to keep until I'm dead. Those promises were to Steph and many other people at Ohio State, and to myself.
“If ever I were to coach, it would be for him because I believe in the guy so much and what he stands for. But I think I serve our university in a more important capacity with my involvement with the fundraising for The Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research.”
Two friends, each dedicating their lives to the university in different ways, but both thrilled to be doing so.
“It's something that you embrace,” Spielman said.
“I think it's just awesome to watch and see. I know what it means to be an Ohio guy and be able to take upon this responsibility and what an honor it is, and I know he'll treat it like one.”


According to the ozone.net here are some possibilities for Urban Meyer's Coaching Staff

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Greg Studwara (47, Ohio): Has been the offensive line coach at LSU since 2007. Was recently promoted to offensive coordinator for the 2011 season. Served as the offensive line coach at Bowling Green under Meyer 2001-02 and became BG offensive coordinator under Gregg Brandon when Meyer left in 2003.
"We're going to attack people. We're not going to be passive on offense,” he told The Times Picayune.

“We want to attack people. Takes shots and, at the same time, be physical and run the football.”

Born in Fostoria, Ohio, he played offensive tackle at Bowling Green (’84-87) and started his coaching career at Cincinnati. Also served as a offensive graduate assistant at Ohio State in 1997.

Chad Morris (43, Texas): In his first season as the offensive coordinator at Clemson and has already made a drastic difference. After being at the bottom of every offensive category last season, the Tigers ranked No. 2 in the ACC in total offense and scoring offense this season. They were the No. 1-ranked passing offense and Tajh Boyd quickly became a household name, throwing for 3,300 yards and 28 touchdowns as a sophomore.
Morris took over as Tulsa’s offensive coordinator after Gus Malzahn was hired at Auburn in 2009. Like Malzahn, Morris was a high school football coach before he cracked into the college game as an offensive “guru.” He won 82 percent of his games as a high school coach in Texas and led Lake Travis High School to back-to-back, undefeated (16-0) state championship seasons. He coached a number of high-profile quarterbacks in high school, including Garrett Gilbert, Jevan Snead, Kody Spani, Andrew Smith and Scott Elliott. His experience there could help Ohio State crack into the state of Texas for recruiting.

Paul Petrino (44, Montana): Has no real history with Meyer, but he knows the spread offense and is considered to be one of the brightest offensive minds in college football. Meyer said he plans to recruit the best assistant coaches in the country, and Petrino is suddenly available after Ron Zook was let go at Illinois. Was the offensive coordinator under brother Bobby Petrino at Louisville and Arkansas. Also coached receivers for Atlanta Falcons. Led the nation in total offense (539.0 ypg) and scoring offense (49.8 ppg) at UL in 2004 and his offenses at Arkansas and Illinois have ranked among the best in the country.
Gregg Brandon (55, Colorado): In his first season as offensive coordinator at Wyoming after two seasons as OC at Virginia. Was Meyer’s OC at Bowling Green from 2001-02. In 2002 the Falcons’ offense set 17 school and seven MAC records and led the nation in red zone efficiency (96.8 percent). Took over as BG head coach from 2003-08 after Meyer left.
QUARTERBACKS COACH

Scott Loeffler (37, Ohio): Currently in his first season as the offensive coordinator at Tempe. Was the quarterbacks coach for Meyer at Florida from 2009-10, where he worked with Tim Tebow. Also coached the quarterbacks at Michigan from 2002-07, where he worked with Drew Henson, John Navarre and Chad Henne. Before that, he spent two seasons as a student assistant (1996-97) and two more as an offensive graduate assistant (1998-99) in Ann Arbor, where he worked with Brian Griese and Tom Brady. He graduated from Michigan in 1998, but was born in Barberton, Ohio.
Mike Sanford (56, Calif.): Was the offensive coordinator at Louisville under Charlie Strong, who was Meyer’s defensive coordinator at Florida. He was relieved of his duties back in October, but Sanford was Meyer’s offensive coordinator at Utah from 2003-04.
Utah, which finished last in the MWC in scoring offense in 2002, ranked third in the nation in 2004 at 43.3 points per game, third in total offense at 499.75, third in passing efficiency (173.41) and boasted Heisman Trophy finalist Alex Smith, who went on to become the top pick in the 2005 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers.

Sanford also worked as the quarterbacks coach at Notre Dame from 1997-98 while Meyer was the wide receivers coach in South Bend. A former quarterback at USC is familiar with the spread offense along with recruiting in California.

RUNNING BACKS COACH

Stan Drayton (40, Ohio): After one season as the receivers coach at Ohio State, Drayton could return to his natural coaching position under Meyer. He coached the running backs at Florida under Meyer from 2005-07 and again in 2010. In between, Drayton coached the running backs at both Tennessee and Syracuse. After playing running back at Allegheny College in Pa., Drayton was running backs coach at Villanova and Mississippi State prior to Florida. He is a native of Cleveland and took a job at Ohio State to be closer to his family.
Tim Hinton (51, Ohio): In his second season as the running backs coach at Notre Dame. Hinton worked as the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator at Cincinnati under both Mark Dantonio and Brian Kelly. He was a graduate assistant at Ohio State alongside Meyer in 1986. He graduated from Wilmington College in Ohio in 1982 and got his masters degree from Ohio State in 1987. He knows Ohio high school coaches as well as anyone, having been the head coach at Zane Trace (87-88), Van Wert (89) and Marion Harding (1993-2003).
WIDE RECEIVERS COACH

Zach Azzanni (35, Michigan): In his first season as the offensive coordinator at Western Kentucky after one season as the wide receivers coach at Florida under Meyer in 2010. He was also an offensive graduate assistant under Meyer at Bowling Green from 2001-02.
“He is a tireless worker, relentless recruiter, and a great teacher of fundamentals,” Meyer said when he was hired at Florida.

“He is also very familiar with our philosophy and will be a good fit with our players and staff.”

In the past 10 years, Azzanni has been called a “relentless” recruiter by Meyer. He has most notably been a staple in the recruiting areas of the state of Florida, in particular the Miami/Fort Lauderdale areas.

Billy Gonzales (40, Colorado): In his second season as the receivers coach and passing game coordinator at LSU. Coached the receivers under Meyer at Florida from 2005-09, where he was also Meyer’s recruiting coordinator from ’08-09. He served as Meyer’s receivers coach and special teams coordinator at Utah from 2003-04 and held the same position under Meyer at Bowling Green. Gonzales was also a receiver and return man at Colorado State under Earle Bruce when Meyer was a graduate assistant. He has a masters degree from Kent State and coached the Flashes from 1995-2000.
Gonzales left Florida in 2009 to take the position at LSU. Meyer said he wished he hadn’t gone to a rival SEC team.

Zach Smith (27, Ohio): In his first season as the special teams coach at Temple, where he followed former Florida offensive coordinator Steve Addazio. This is Smith’s first full-time coaching job. He worked as an offensive and special teams graduate assistant at Florida under Meyer from 2007-09. He was also a quality control assistant and recruiting evaluator for the Gators from 2006-07. He is a native of Dublin, Ohio and the grandson of former Ohio State head coach Earle Bruce.
TIGHT ENDS COACH

John Peterson (43, Ohio): The 2011 season was his eighth season as Ohio State’s tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator. Peterson is a member of the Middletown High School Hall of Fame and he played offensive line for the Buckeyes from 1987-90. His freshman season at Ohio State’s was also the last for Earle Bruce as a head coach and Urban Meyer as a graduate assistant. Peterson himself went on to become a graduate assistant for the Buckeyes from 1993-94. He also coached the offensive lines at both Akron and Miami University (Ohio).
Tim Hinton (40, Ohio): Has coached a number of different positions in his career, including wide receiver, tight end and defensive line. Could be added to the staff as either a running backs coach or tight ends coach.
OFFENSIVE LINE COACH

Greg Studwara (47, Ohio): If Studwara is hired as the offensive coordinator, he would likely also coach the offensive line at Ohio State, much like Jim Bollman has done since 2001. Even if they go a different direction for coordinator, it’s still possible Studwara could reunite with Meyer as the offensive line coach.
John Peterson (43, Ohio): It is possible that with his experience both playing and coaching the offensive line, Peterson could be reassigned to that role. He has already been working with the offensive tackles at Ohio State.





College Basketball Top 25
November 28th, 2011

1 Kentucky (22) 6-0 765 2
Last Week: Def Radford 88-40 (11/23), Def Portland 87-63 (11/26)
This Week: 12/1 vs. St. John's (4-3), 12/3 vs. No. 5 North Carolina (5-1) Tickets
2 Ohio State (8) 6-0 748 3
Last Week: Def North Florida 85-50 (11/21), Def Virginia Military 107-74 (11/23), Def Valparaiso 80-47 (11/25)
This Week: 11/29 vs.
No. 4 Duke (7-0), 12/3 vs. Texas-Pan American (2-6) Tickets
3 Syracuse (1) 6-0 701 5
Last Week: Def Virginia Tech 69-58 (11/23), Def Stanford 69-63 (11/25)
This Week: 11/29 vs. Eastern Michigan (4-2), 12/2 vs. No. 9 Florida (5-1) Tickets
4 Duke 7-0 691 6
Last Week: Def Tennessee 77-67 (11/21), Def No. 15 Michigan 82-75 (11/22), Def No. 14 Kansas 68-61 (11/23)
This Week: 11/29 at No. 2 Ohio State (6-0) Tickets
5 North Carolina 5-1 628 1
Last Week: Def Tennessee State 102-69 (11/22), Def South Carolina 87-62 (11/25), Lost to UNLV 90-80 (11/26)
This Week: 11/30 vs. No. 7 Wisconsin (6-0), 12/3 at No. 1 Kentucky (6-0) Tickets
6 Louisville 5-0 620 7
Last Week: Def Arkansas State 54-27 (11/22), Def Ohio 59-54 (11/25)
This Week: Def. Long Beach State 79-66 (11/28), 12/2 vs. No. 19 Vanderbilt (5-2) Tickets
7 Wisconsin 6-0 530 11
Last Week: Def UMKC 77-31 (11/22), Def Bradley 66-43 (11/25), Def Brigham Young 73-56 (11/26)
This Week: 11/30 at No. 5 North Carolina (5-1), 12/3 vs. No. 16 Marquette (6-0) Tickets
8 Baylor 5-0 509 10
Last Week: Def South Carolina State 70-50 (11/22), Def Texas-Arlington 75-65 (11/23)
This Week: 11/29 vs. Prairie View A&M (2-5), 12/4 at Northwestern (5-0) Tickets
9 Florida 4-1 493 9
Last Week: Def Wright State 78-65 (11/21), Def Jacksonville 107-62 (11/25)
This Week: Def. Stetson 96-70 (11/28), 12/2 at No. 3 Syracuse (6-0) Tickets
10 Connecticut 6-1 456 4
Last Week: Def North Carolina-Asheville 73-63 (11/24), Lost to UCF 68-63 (11/25), Def No. 20 Florida State 78-76 (11/26)
This Week: 12/3 vs. Arkansas (4-1) Tickets

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Urban Meyer: Offer would force decision -


Urban Meyer: Offer would force decision
If Ohio State offers Urban Meyer its coaching job, "I'll have a decision to make," the ex-Florida coach said, according to The Gainesville Sun.
There is no offer at present, Meyer, currently a college football analyst at ESPN, told the newspaper.
"I'm in a good place right now mentally and physically. So if something happens with Ohio State, I'll have a decision to make. But there has been no interview. There has been no offer to make a decision about," he said, according to the report.
Saturday, ESPN.com reported that according to sources, Ohio State and Meyer have been in contact about the job and that there was strong interest on both sides.
Meyer, whose resignation from Florida a year ago was fueled in part by health and family concerns, still has those concerns, he told the Sun. But in the past year, he's learned that a balance between the demands of coaching and home life can be found.
"I've found that it is possible to have balance between your job and your family, that there are coaches out there who are doing it," he said, according to the Sun.
"I love football," he added, according to the Sun. "It's what I am. I miss it."
Last week, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said no deal had been struck with Meyer. Other Ohio State athletic officials also have denied the reports.
The 47-year-old Meyer is an Ohio native. He started his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach for the Buckeyes in 1986.
He resigned as Florida's coach on Dec. 8, 2010, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family. Meyer won two national championships at Florida and 104 games over 10 years with the Gators, Utah and Bowling Green.
Ohio State promoted Luke Fickell to interim coach nearly six months ago when Jim Tressel resigned amid an investigation into players trading memorabilia for tattoos in violation of NCAA rules.

Monday, November 21, 2011

BCS Standings - Sid the Kid is back.- Buckeys, Penn St Reflection


10 Things we Learned from Penn St. Game
brandon castel
1. November really is for contenders. Remember that old slogan? Turns out it is exactly right. The Buckeyes have proven that over the last decade with eight Big Ten championships in the last 10 years, but they couldn’t fake it this year. After winning three straight games against Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana, Ohio State was close to controlling its own destiny in the final month of the season. Turns out, they actually did. It was never this team’s destiny to compete for a Big Ten title. They just aren’t good enough. There are a million different excuses, but the reality is, November separated the contenders from the pretenders, and we all know where Ohio State stands now.

2. Time is running out on this coaching staff. Regardless of who you want to coach Ohio State next season, the reality is that no one in their right mind can be OK with what they have seen this season, especially from the offense. Whether it’s Gordon Gee, Gene Smith or the Board of Trustees, whoever is making the final decision has to be terrified at the idea of bringing back this offense for next season, let alone the future. The Buckeyes are going to finish the 2011 season as the worst passing team in the Big Ten and one of the worst in the entire country.
They will have decent rushing numbers, but nowhere near what teams like Navy, Georgia Tech or even Wisconsin do on the ground. Ohio State’s total offense and scoring offense will also be among the worst in the country, but it all works out because at least they don’t turn the ball over. They also don’t score points, which means this 1950’s coaching philosophy is no longer going to cut it in Columbus. Whatever happens, a chance is coming. Even if Fickell were somehow retained as head coach, which seems highly unlikely at this point, there is no way he could bring back this offensive staff and expect to win football games.

3. Seniors set the tone. It is hard to lump everyone in this senior class together. You have guys who were suspended, other guys who were suspended twice and guys who had to pay the price for their classmates’ transgressions. The fact of the matter is that seniors always set the tone for the team. Jim Tressel knew that and made it about the seniors. This season became about the youth, and that’s never a winning formula. Luke Fickell and the staff can say what they want about guys like DeVier Posey and Boom Herron, but they are the guys who put Ohio State in this position to begin with. It’s not a surprise that their teammates didn’t leave their blood and guts out on the field for this senior class.

4. False starts are no longer joking matter. OK, they weren’t really a joking matter before, but Ohio State fans made themselves feel better about J.B. Shugarts and his obligatory false start every game by adding humor to the mix. There was nothing funny about Shugarts’ false start late in the fourth quarter. He has had so many in his career, but none that ever cost the Buckeyes quite like this one. Instead of a 4th-and-5, the Buckeyes had to go 10 yards to get a first down. Miller went nine. He couldn’t reach the marker with his dive and Penn State got the ball back. How Shugarts can false start in that situation is impossible to understand. Then again, it’s pretty hard to fathom how he can manage to have (at least) one every single game. Someone needs to add up all the negative yardage. On second thought, don’t. OSU fans are already having a rough night.

5. DeVier Posey can make a difference. We knew Posey was the best receiver on this team, but we didn’t know exactly what type of impact he would make in his first game back. He had not played in a game since January, and the Buckeyes weren’t going to throw the ball around against Penn State’s defense. Miller did throw it 17 times Saturday. He had seven completions and four of those went to Posey. That included a big 39-yarder on a broken play, which is exactly where I thought Posey could make the biggest difference. Corey Brown was the only other wide receiver who caught pass, which is why the Buckeyes probably wish they had called more passes in Posey’s direction.

6. It takes hands to catch. One reason Posey is such a difference-maker for the Buckeyes is the fact he can actually catch the football. Novel idea, right? It’s more than Ohio State’s other receivers have done this season. Evan Spencer almost had a big catch on OSU’s final drive that would have given them one shot at a Hail Mary into the end zone. Almost being the key word there. And then there is Corey Brown. How can you not feel for this kid? He is one of the fastest players on the team and he has gutted it out through an ankle injury this season.
How he got three steps behind Penn State’s defense with that bad wheel is beyond me, but it doesn’t matter how open you are if you can’t catch the football. Brown has a history of this, but his drop Saturday was devastating. It wasn’t a perfectly thrown ball—Brown had to wait on it—but it was thrown over the defenders and well enough to hit Brown in the hands. The fact that it came on 3rd-and-7 in the fourth quarter says everything about how important that play was.

7. Centers should not wear gloves. LeCharles Bentley Tweeted that after the game, but we didn’t need an All-American and All-Pro center to let us know. Watching Michael Brewster struggle to get the ball back to Braxton Miller was enough to let us know that centers have no business wearing a glove on their snapping hand. Especially Brewster. He has had issues all throughout the year with his snaps and continually blames it on his gloves. If that’s the case, why would he even bother with them? And more importantly, why wouldn’t one of the coaches step in and ask him to take it off? They have to know, or at least ask, what is causing all of these bad snaps from their “All-American” center. There is no question that Brewster had one of his worst games at Ohio State Saturday and his bad snaps really hurt the offense, especially in the second half.

8. Shazier is going to be a star. If you were watching closely, you noticed that Ryan Shazier was out of position quite often Saturday against Penn State. That was especially true in the first half, where Shazier got creased on a couple of the Nittany Lions long runs up the middle. He also settled in and played some pretty good football in the second half. He wasn’t always right where he was supposed to be, but what freshman is? This was the first start of his career and he led the team with 15 tackles. Nobody on this team has had 15 tackles in a game all year. Shazier was flying around out there making plays and the youngster out of Florida has “star” written all over him.

9. Carlos Hyde should stay off Twitter for a while. Those who follow me on Twitter, or read my reports here on the-Ozone know how much I like Carlos Hyde. He has power, he has speed and he’s starting to develop some good vision now that he is getting more playing time. I’ve been clamoring for him to see more carries since Boom Herron returned, but they continue to use him in the strangest of ways. First it was on kick return and Saturday it was in the wildcat. I’m not sure either of those are his strengths, but none of that matters after Hyde put the ball on the Turf in the third quarter. The Buckeyes had just captured momentum with their huge goal line stand, and they were driving down the field for the go-ahead touchdown. Hyde looked good running the ball and then it popped out at the worst time. It killed Ohio State’s momentum and it proved why freshmen and sophomores should keep their mouths shut until they have a resume of doing all the right things for an extended period of time.

10. The Buckeyes are in trouble. With this being Ohio State’s fifth loss of the season, many people are acting like the year is over. For all intents and purposes, it is. There is really nothing to play for next week except pride and of course the glory of the Ohio State-Michigan game. That’s right, the Buckeyes have to travel to Ann Arbor next weekend to play a Wolverines squad that hammered Nebraska 45-17 Saturday. They are now 9-2 on the season and 5-2 in the Big Ten. They aren’t going to the Big Ten title game, but they’ve been waiting eight long years to knock off the Buckeyes. They are going to be hungry and excited and they are capable of putting a lot of points on the board. If the Buckeyes don’t show up to play next weekend, they could be on the wrong end of a blowout. That’s not an exaggeration. This defense has had all kinds of issues tackling this season, and that’s not a good thing when facing Denard Robinson.







Sid the Kid is back.

Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby will make his season debut on Monday against the New York Islanders, his first game in nearly a year since being sidelined with concussion-like symptoms.
Crosby hasn't played since taking head shots in consecutive games in January against Washington and Tampa Bay.
The 2007 NHL MVP spent the last 10 months undergoing a painstakingly thorough rehabilitation that left him wondering when - or even if - he'd play again and forced the league to take a harsher stance when it comes to policing head hits.
His return ends weeks of speculation that appeared to put the ever-polite Crosby on edge but hardly bothered his teammates. The 24-year-old declined repeated interview requests in recent weeks as the speculation about a possible return date reached a fever pitch.
The announcement made an immediate splash. Versus quickly said it would televise the Islanders-Penguins game instead of its previously scheduled broadcast of Boston's trip to Montreal.
Crosby missed the remainder of the 2010-11 season after taking a hit from Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman on Jan. 5. The expected brief absence turned into an extended one that rendered him a spectator for Pittsburgh's loss to the Lightning in the opening round of the playoffs.
He vowed to be ready for training camp but spent much of the summer in seclusion in his native Canada, his silence fueling speculation his career may be in jeopardy.
Crosby came forward in September and - flanked by the two doctors who have overseen his recovery - said it was "likely" he would be back this season.
He began training camp wearing a white helmet to signify he wasn't to be hit, working feverishly for a month before switching to a black helmet after being cleared for contact on Oct. 13.
Coach Dan Bylsma preached caution, though his teammates did their best to accommodate their captain, jostling with him in practice when given the opportunity.
Crosby has traveled with the team throughout the season. He's missed one skate since camp began in September, skipping a practice in Los Angeles on Nov. 5 so he could travel back east to visit with his medical advisers.
His teammates stressed there was no need for Crosby to rush, and the Penguins have been one of the league's top teams through the season's first six weeks behind the crisp goaltending of Marc-Andre Fleury and a dynamic offense led by Evgeni Malkin and James Neal.
Despite a miserable road trip to Florida ended with losses to Tampa Bay and the Panthers, Pittsburgh enters Monday with an 11-6-3 record and is tied for the Atlantic Division lead with 25 points.
Crosby was cleared on Sunday after meeting with his medical team, and Bylsma could feel Crosby's excitement when he was finally given the OK.
"He's excited and anxious," Bylsma said.
So are the Penguins, who have been good without Crosby. His job is to make them great.
Bylsma said Sunday he will pair Crosby with Pascal Dupuis and Chris Kunitz. How many shifts Crosby will see is unclear, though Byslma said it's highly unlikely he'd throw Crosby out there for 20-plus minutes.
Not that it matters. Not this week anyway. His return will start with a three-game homestand that will generate the kind of buzz normally reserved for late spring.
"We know what he means to this team, this city," defenseman Kris Letang said. "He's a special player."
One that spent months dealing with "fogginess" that at times made it difficult for him to drive or watch television. He also endured painful migraines and likened the recovery process to a roller coaster.
The ride appears to be finally pulling into the station, sending Crosby out into the great unknown.
For all the steps he's taken during his recovery, the real test will come when he gets hit for the first time at full speed. Though the nature of the game may be changing thanks in part to Crosby's ordeal.
New discipline czar Brendan Shanahan, only three years removed from his playing days, has been suspending players for taking unnecessary head shots at opponents. It's a movement Crosby embraces.
"A guy's got to be responsible with his stick, why shouldn't he be responsible with the rest of his body when he's going to hit someone?" Crosby said. "Whether it's accidental or not accidental, you've got to be responsible out there."
He hasn't backed down during practice, often being one of the last to leave the ice before heading to the dressing room.
The Penguins have raved about Crosby's intensity during even the more informal skates. While he's looked perfectly fine to the naked eye, Crosby wouldn't allow himself to come back until he was at full strength.
"Maybe I can get by with 90 percent, maybe I couldn't but I'm not going to roll the dice with that," Crosby said in September.
When he finally glides onto the ice in his No. 87 jersey, Crosby will put to rest speculation his career was over. His teammates, who did their best to give Crosby distance over the summer, never doubted he would return.
"I figured he was getting enough of it from everywhere else," teammate Jordan Staal said. "All that matters to us really is that he's healthy. All that stuff you thought you heard, I didn't pay any attention to it."
How quickly it takes Crosby to get back to his pre-injury level is uncertain.
He was playing arguably the best hockey of his brilliant career before getting hurt, leading the league in goals and points as the Penguins steamrolled through the first three months of the season.
The team soldiered to a fourth-place finish in the Eastern Conference despite missing Crosby, Malkin and Staal. The magic disappeared in the playoffs as the Penguins lost in seven games.
Crosby's comeback pushes a team considered a Stanley Cup contender into a Stanley Cup favorite. But after months and months of rumors and worry, Crosby's return is cause enough for celebration.
"We know how badly he wants to play," teammate Matt Cooke said. "We want it too, because it means that he's healthy, and that's all you ever really want for him."








BCS Standings
November 20, 2011
1 LSU 1.0000 1 1 2875 1.0000 1 1475 1.0000 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1.000
2 Alabama .9491 3 2 2758 .9593 2 1413 .9580 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 .930
3 Arkansas .8985 6 3 2619 .9110 3 1349 .9146 4 4 5 6 4 4 4 .870
4 Oklahoma State .8408 2 6 2267 .7885 6 1156 .7837 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 .950
5 Virginia Tech .7842 8 5 2302 .8007 4 1242 .8420 7 7 10 7 9 18 7 .710
6 Stanford .7711 9 4 2371 .8247 5 1222 .8285 9 8 4 10 14 11 9 .660
7 Boise State .6881 10 8 2037 .7085 8 982 .6658 8 9 7 8 12 10 8 .690
8 Houston .6684 11 7 2060 .7165 7 1075 .7288 12 10 16 9 11 15 12 .560
9 Oklahoma .6526 5 10 1719 .5979 11 826 .5600 6 6 8 4 6 6 6 .800
10 Oregon .6469 4 9 2036 .7082 9 933

Friday, November 18, 2011

NCAA Basketball Power Rankings-Tebow Time-College Football TV Schedule


Friday, Nov. 18

8:00 PM
Oklahoma State (2) at Iowa State
ESPN
Oklahoma State is killing teams on their way to the Dec. 3rd showdown against Oklahoma.

Toledo at Central Michigan
ESPN-U
Wait were you fulfilled with just three helpings of MAC action? Well, here’s a fourth to finish you off.


Saturday, Nov. 19

12:00 PM
Citadel at South Carolina (12)
ESPN-3.com
South Carolina still is treading water in the SEC East division.

Kentucky at Georgia (14)
SEC Network
Georgia has two games remaining before playing in front of their fans in the Georgia Dome for the SEC Title.

Nebraska (16) at Michigan (18)
ESPN
Loser of this game can kiss good bye any chance of winning the Big Ten Legends Division.

Wisconsin (17) at Illinois
ESPN-2
Wisconsin needs a win to say in contention for the Big Ten Leaders Division.

Cincinnati at Rutgers
ESPN-U
Cincinnati still has a chance to lose their lead in the Big East conference. They have to lose two of their last three to miss on a BCS game.

1:00 PM
Samford at Auburn (24)
ESPN-3.com
Auburn is the only four loss team in the BCS Standings.

Army at Temple
ESPN-3.com
It seems as if Temple is the only MAC team this week that doesn’t get to play on ESPN, ESPN 2 or ESPN U.

2:00 PM
Georgia Southern at Alabama (3)
ESPN-3.com
Alabama on upset watch this week?

3:00 PM
Arkansas State at Middle Tenn
ESPN-3.com
Arkansas State working on a perfect conference record this year.

3:30 PM
Mississippi State at Arkansas (6)
CBS
Mississippi State can play a very tough defense and will give this Arkansas team some trouble this week.

Clemson (7) at North Carolina St.
ABC
Clemson has clinched the ACC Atlantic division. So they will lose this game by 21 this week for no reason.

Colorado State at TCU (19)
Versus
TCU playing the jealous love last week telling Boise State, “If we can’t get into a BCS Bowl Game you can’t either!”

Penn State (21) at Ohio State
ESPN/ABC
Both teams that suffered horrible scandals to their football programs in the ’11 season.


Miami (FL) at South Florida
ESPN-U
Miami lost last year to South Florida, which resulted in their head coach being fired.

Texas Tech at Missouri
ABC
Did Texas Tech get extremely lucky against Oklahoma a month ago or what?

4:00 PM
Navy at San Jose St
ESPN-3.com
Navy needs a win to stay bowl eligible.

Boston College at Notre Dame
NBC
Notre Dame can continue their winning streak, as they head to the final game against Stanford.

5:00 PM
Utah State at Idaho
ESPN-3.com
If no one watches this game, does it still count?

7:00 PM
LSU (1) at Ole Miss
ESPN
Ole Miss is playing for nothing. Is that the perfect recipe for an upset?

Vanderbilt at Tennessee
ESPN-U
Vanderbilt needs a victory to become bowl eligible, while Tennessee needs a win for their first in the SEC.

7:30 PM
Virginia at Florida State (25)
ESPN-2
At one time this would have been an Ole Miss blow out. Now, who knows if they can win the game.

Colorado at UCLA
Versus
Upset of the century game two! No, we still aren’t saying #gameofthecentury still?

8:00 PM
USC at Oregon (4)
ABC
I joked about the LSU and Alabama upset watches above. But this one is serious. USC going to Oregon after an emotional win last week, just could sneak in an upset this week.

Oklahoma (5) at Baylor (22)
ABC
Oklahoma has stumbled their way back into the National Title picture.

Kansas State (13) at Texas (23)
FX
Texas needs a big win this week over a good Kansas State team.

10:15 PM
California at Stanford (9)
ESPN
Poor California, they get a very upset Stanford team this week. Andrew Luck throws five touchdown passes.

New Mexico State at BYU
ESPN-U
And if you are still awake and the Stanford game ends early, click over to finish off your night with BYU.






Oh, Yes, He Can!!!
It’s official. Tebowmania has taken over the league.
Beating the Dolphins, the Raiders, and the Chiefs didn’t really count. Leading the Broncos from behind with a 95-yard drive against one of the best and proudest defenses in the NFL has taken the legend of Tim Tebow to a new level.
Tim Tebow and his Broncos, after a sluggish night through more than three quarters, put together an Elway-esque effort to steal a victory from the Jets. The 17-13 win moved the Broncos to 5-5, and dropped the Jets to 5-5.
Facing third and four from the Jets 20, with a growing sense that this one would be settled in overtime, the Jets opted to blitz, Tebow avoided it by rolling left, and he rumbled past the first-down sticks and into the end zone.
Hampering the Jets was the early loss of running back Shonn Greene, who injured his ribs. Coupled with the absence of LaDainian Tomlinson (knee), the Greene injury forced Joe McKnight to carry the load, and McKnight grounded and pounded for only 59 yards on 16 carries.
Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez played erratically for most of the night, and an interception returned for a touchdown by cornerback Andre Goodman was the only seven-pointer that the Broncos could muster until Tebow orchestrated that epic 95-yard march.
It started with a near disaster, as Tebow passed from the end zone to Eddie Royal, who caught it in the end zone and nearly was tackled by Jets safety Jim Leonhard. Royal juked past a sliding Leonhard and sprinted to the 13.
The Broncos had only 134 offensive yards before that 95-yard drive, which included seven runs by Tebow for 57 yards. Perhaps most impressively, Tebow managed to keep possession of the back end of the ball as Jets linebacker David Harris tried to rip it out while Tebow was falling to the ground.
The Jets now have their backs against the wall — again — with two losses in four days and a visit from the Bills on deck in Week 12.
Next up for the Broncos? A trip to San Diego. And for the first time ever, the Broncos and Tebow widely will be expected to win the game.







NCAA Basketball Power Rankings
1 Last Week: 1 North Carolina Tar Heels (2-0)
John Henson, Carolina's most valuable defender, shoots jumpers right-handed but prefers to block them left-handed. "Most shooters are righties, so my left hand matches up well against them," the 6-foot-10 forward told me in October. "And for some reason, I believe I'm quicker with my left hand -- and that I can get more extension with it. I don't know if I think that or know that, but if a guy comes at me for a right-handed layup, I have a better chance of blocking it left-handed."
I charted Henson's career-high nine blocks from the Carrier Classic to try to understand three things that don't appear in the box score: Just how left-hand dominant he is as a defender, how far he ranges to affect shots, and how often the Tar Heels keep the ball after he gets a hand on it. In the graphic below, there's a "JH" circle marking his starting position on each block, and an "x" marking the shooter's starting position. The arrow in between is red for a lefty block, or yellow for a righty (eight of nine were lefty, it turned out). The arrow heading away from each "x" is the post-block path of the ball; it's light blue if UNC secured possession, or green if Michigan State did (the Tar Heels got it five of nine times).
Henson, who boasts a 7-4 wingspan, has quite a bit of range: On three occasions, he started with at least one foot in the lane, but leapt to swat shots hoisted from well outside the painted area.
Next three: 11/20 vs. Mississippi Valley State, 11/22 vs. Tennessee State, 11/25 vs. South Carolina (Las Vegas Invitational)

2 Last Week: 2 Kentucky Wildcats (2-0)
As amazing as Henson is, could Wildcats freshman Anthony Davis -- who's the same height with the same wingspan but has even more speed -- end up blocking a higher percentage of shots? After two games apiece, Henson's block percentage was 16.3 and Davis' was 19.2.
I charted the seven swats Davis had against Kansas in the Champions Classic, and identified a few differences between him and Henson. All of Davis' blocks were right-handed. Davis' mode of attack is mostly to shadow drivers and then swoop in to block them from behind, whereas five of Henson's blocks were due to him lunging out at shooters. A Davis block was more likely to end a defensive possession, as UK recovered five of the seven. And aside from one tipped three-pointer, Davis did most of his work around the rim:
Next three: 11/19 vs. Penn State, 11/20 vs. Old Dominion/South Florida (Hall of Fame Tip-Off), 11/23 vs. Radford

3 Last Week: 3 Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0)
Buckeyes point guard Aaron Craft was by far the best turnover creator in SI's defensive study, generating a takeaway on 6.59 percent of the possessions he was on the floor for as a freshman. (That may seem like a low number, but believe me -- it's an incredibly high rate.)
Because so many things Craft does aren't credited in box scores, I created the "Turnometer" to monitor his overall turnover impact as a sophomore. It will appear periodically in this season's Power Rankings, in the form of the graphic below. "Steals credited" are his deserved* steals from the official stat sheet; "charges taken" is self-explanatory; "moving screens" are the offensive fouls he draws by running hard through screens; and "TOs uncredited" is a catch-all for his outside-the-box-score production. For example, in the first half of the opener against Wright State, Craft stripped the ball from a driver, only to have a teammate corral it, and he also forced a shot-clock violation by suffocating two different guards over the final 10 seconds of the possession.
Through two games, Craft has created 11 turnovers, or one on 9.69 percent of his possessions:
* I actually had to take one steal away, as the box score on Ohio State's website gave Craft a first-half steal against Florida that should have gone to William Buford.
Next three: 11/18 vs. Jackson State, 11/21 vs. North Florida, 11/23 vs. VMI

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker shut out-SI Article on Penn St-

Read the SI Article on Penn State


click HEREto read the si article at si.com

Woods and Stricker tie worst loss in Presidents Cup history

Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker shut out
MELBOURNE, Australia -- The handshake between Tiger Woods and ex-caddie Steve Williams was routine. The loss by Woods and Steve Stricker turned out to be the real drama in the Presidents Cup.
Adam Scott and K.J. Choi were relentless Thursday at Royal Melbourne in dishing out the worst loss for Woods in any format of match play. The International tandem won 7 and 6, tying the record for biggest margin of victory in Presidents Cup history.
Woods and Stricker, undefeated two years ago, turned out to be the only weak link for the Americans.
They won three matches handily, and rallied to halve two other matches to build a 4-2 lead after the opening session.
Woods and Stricker, winners of their first six matches together, now have lost their last two -- including 6 and 5 last year in the Ryder Cup to Lee Westwood and Luke Donald. What looked particularly bad about this one is the American tandem didn't win a hole and was the only team that failed to make a single birdie.
They will get new partners for Friday's fourballs matches. Woods will play with Dustin Johnson, while Stricker will play with Matt Kuchar. It will be the first time since 2007 that Woods plays with anyone but Stricker.
The only other match that went 12 holes since the Presidents Cup began in 1994 was when David Frost beat Kenny Perry by the same score in singles in 1996.
"Unfortunately, they got off to a quick start and we just couldn't keep up," Woods said. "We kept falling to the wrong side of these slopes. The golf course is so difficult, it's hard to make up shots."
Two of the six matches went the distance. Geoff Ogilvy and Masters champion Charl Schwartzel lost a late 2-up lead and had to settle for a halve against Bill Haas and Nick Watney. Johnson and Kuchar rallied from 3 down with six holes to play and won the last two holes with pars to earn an unlikely halve.
"It did not look like 4-2 about an hour and a half ago," U.S. captain Fred Couples said. "We'll take that any day."
It was the third straight time in the Presidents Cup that the Americans won the opening session. They are 6-1-1 in this competition, the only loss coming 13 years ago at Royal Melbourne.
The Americans won the other three matches in a rout, led by the opening match of Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson. They were 7 under through 16 holes in a 4-and-2 win over Ernie Els and Ryo Ishikawa.
Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk, together for the first time since Brookline in the 1999 Ryder Cup, won 4 and 3 over Retief Goosen and Robert Allenby. Hunter Mahan and David Toms drilled the Korean duo of Y.E. Yang and K.T. Kim, 6 and 5.
"The only hole that they won, we three-putted," Toms said. "So for the most part, we kept the pressure on, hitting fairways, hitting greens, made a few putts. Just a good day overall."
Woods and Williams exchanged a firm, businesslike handshake on the opening hole and otherwise kept their distance. That was about all the drama in what might be the final chapter of this bitter split between player and caddie.
Williams now works for Scott, and just like so many other team competitions, he had the best horse. Scott was crisp off the tee and into the firm greens. He rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt to win the 11th hole, then hit an approach into 8 feet as Choi made the birdie to close out the match.


Day 2 pairings, Fourballs
5:35 p.m. -- Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson, United States, vs. Ernie Els and Ryo Ishikawa, International.
5:49 p.m. -- Dustin Johnson and Tiger Woods, United States, vs. Aaron Baddeley and Jason Day, International.
6:03 p.m. -- Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk, United States, vs. Adam Scott and K.T. Kim, International.
6:17 p.m. -- Bill Haas and Nick Watney, United States, vs. Geoff Ogilvy and K.J. Choi, International.
6:31 p.m. -- Matt Kuchar and Steve Stricker, United States, vs. Y.E. Yang and Robert Allenby, International.
6:45 p.m. -- Hunter Mahan and David Toms, United States, vs. Retief Goosen and Charl Schwartzel, International.


Scott and Choi never came close to a bogey and were 4 under through 12 holes. Woods and Stricker were 3 over.
"It seemed like we were just a little bit off," Stricker said after his first competition since Sept. 25 at the Tour Championship. "It seemed like I put him in the rough by a foot or so. If you're in the rough here, trying to hit to some of these greens is pretty difficult."
Scott called it a "very pleasing victory," more to do with being home in Australia than anything to do with his caddie.
"A good win, because they were a tough team last time, took a lot of points off us," Scott said. "So it was pleasing to get one up there."
Williams first showed the animosity in the split when he said after Scott won the Bridgestone Invitational that it was the "best win of my life." Then came that night in Shanghai two weeks ago at a caddies' award party, when Williams made a racial comment about Woods while getting roasted for that TV interview at the Bridgestone.
The handshake on the first tee was symbolic -- it was strictly business out there.
Williams was on the second tee when Choi was hitting in alternate shot. Not long after Woods arrived to watch his partner, Williams walked up the fairway to join Scott about 40 yards away.
The final handshake also was brief, and it happened much sooner than anyone might have expected. It was the first time in any match Woods has played that he failed to play the 14th hole.
For the longest time, it looked as though the day would end in a tie. International captain Greg Norman did not lose hope.
"We had the ability to go out there and win more points than we did," Norman said. "Day one is day one. It's a four-day event."



1) No. 18 USC at No. 4 Oregon
Sat., Nov. 19 — 8 p.m. ET, ABC

All the pressure is on the Ducks. Every trend points to them and so do most of the matchups. A two-touchdown favorite, Oregon is supposed to win comfortably. Saddled with probation, the Trojans have far less to gain or lose.

When a game shapes up like this, normally we start to envision the unexpected. However, Oregon (9-1, 7-0 in Pac-12) could be the least uptight team in the nation. The Ducks simply march along at their own ultra-rapid pace and seem to get the job done with relative ease, particularly against USC (8-2, 5-2) in recent years.

Oregon has totaled 100 points in its last two games against the Trojans, coasting to a pair of victories. Duck running back LaMichael James enjoys playing against USC more than any other team. The junior has rushed for 422 yards and four scores in those two previous outings versus Tailback U.

For the past couple games, USC has started freshmen at all three linebacker spots. Their speed will serve them well, but those youngsters will have their hands full pre-snap, getting aligned properly against the Ducks’ hurry-up, and post-snap, dealing with lightening fast weaponry, which now includes De’Anthony Thomas, an L.A. product and one-time Trojan commit.

USC has been unsuccessful in its last five visits to the state of Oregon (losses to the Ducks in 2007 and 2009, and to Oregon State in 2006, 2008 and 2010) and has won only twice in its last seven trips to Eugene. If this game were in Los Angeles, we’d go with the upset.

Opening point spread: Oregon by 14 1/2

The pick: Oregon 42-31



3) No. 17 Nebraska at No. 20 Michigan
Sat., Nov. 19 — Noon ET, ESPN

The Cornhuskers did an admirable job blocking out all the distractions at Penn State last Saturday, coming away with a 17-14 victory that kept them in the running for the Big Ten’s Legends Division.

Michigan (8-2, 4-2 in the Big Ten) also won its game last week, taking care of Illinois, 31-14, but Wolverine quarterback Denard Robinson picked up a slight injury to his right wrist. Michigan might not opt to go to the air too often against Nebraska, which allows a generous 161 yards rushing per game (eighth in the conference), but when Robinson does fling the football, a gimpy wrist won’t help him break his unfortunate streak of five consecutive games with an interception (total of 13 on the season).

This will be the second time this season that the Cornhuskers play on the road in consecutive weeks. In the first instance, Nebraska got whipped at Wisconsin, 48-17.

Running back Fitzgerald Toussaint, who rushed for 192 yards on 27 carries last week versus the Fighting Illini, will be the home team’s hero.

Opening point spread: Michigan by 2 1/2

The pick: Michigan 28-23

5) No. 21 Penn State at Ohio State
Sat., Nov. 19 — 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC

Tom Bradley vs. Luke Fickell. It doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as Joe Paterno vs. Jim Tressel, but if you dig deep enough through the muck, it’s still Penn State vs. Ohio State and both teams have a lot to play for on the football field.

Penn State (8-2, 5-1 in Big Ten) can clinch at least a share of the Leaders Division title with a victory over Ohio State (6-4, 3-3), which is still in the picture for the inaugural Legends Division championship.

Both teams are looking to rebound from disappointing losses that saw them fall three points short. The Nittany Lions got beat, 17-14, by Nebraska at home, while the Buckeyes fell, 26-23, in overtime at Purdue.

Unlike the oddsmakers, we see this as a toss up and we’ll adopt the opinion that Penn State will find refuge and focus by being together as a team on the road.

Opening point spread: Ohio State by 7

The pick: Penn State 21-17

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Congrats to Coach K-Buckeyes Defeat Florida-

Boxscore
Ohio State 81 • 2-0
Total 3-Ptr Rebounds
## Player FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA Off Def Tot PF TP A TO Blk Stl Min
00 Sullinger,Jared f 4-8 0-1 8-8 1 5 6 3 16 3 1 0 1 34
01 Thomas,Deshaun f 4-10 1-4 6-6 2 4 6 3 15 0 1 0 0 32
04 Craft,Aaron g 4-11 0-2 5-8 0 3 3 3 13 7 3 1 3 37
32 Smith,Jr,Lenzelle g 2-4 0-1 2-4 1 2 3 2 6 2 1 0 2 26
44 Buford,William g 7-15 2-5 5-6 0 6 6 0 21 3 0 1 1 40-
02 Sibert,Jordan 1-2 1-2 0-0 0 0 0 3 3 1 1 0 0 14
03 Scott,Shannon 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3
12 Thompson,Sam 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0+
30 Ravenel,Evan 3-3 0-0 1-2 1 0 1 2 7 0 0 0 1 14
Team 2 2 4
Totals 25-53 4-15 27-34 7 22 29 18 81 16 7 2 8 200
FG % 1st Half: 12-26 46.2%
3FG % 1st Half: 3-8 37.5%
FT % 1st Half: 8-10 80.0%
2nd half: 13-27 48.1%
2nd half: 1-7 14.3%
2nd half: 19-24 79.2%
Game: 25-53 47.2%
Game: 4-15 26.7%
Game: 27-34 79.4%
Deadball




Buckeyes Defeat FloridaCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Florida was hitting 3-pointers and the crowd was surprisingly quiet. It was a telling moment for Ohio State.
"It seemed like it was going to be a long night," Buckeyes guard Aaron Craft said.
But with William Buford scoring 21 points, No. 3 Ohio State survived the seventh-ranked Gators' quick start for an 81-74 win on Tuesday night.
Jared Sullinger added 16 points, Deshaun Thomas scored 15 and Craft had 13 points and seven assists for the Buckeyes (2-0), who forced 16 turnovers and hit 27 of 34 free throws to lead by double figures for most of the final 20 minutes.
"I didn't know how we were going to play tonight," coach Thad Matta said of his team, which has just one senior (Buford) and one junior. "During the drive in the morning I was saying, `What if? What if?' But I thought we played with good composure. They knocked us early by making shots and our guys did a nice job of continuing to play and weathering the storm."
Freshman Bradley Beal had 17 points, Kenny Boynton 15 and Patric Young and Erik Murphy 14 apiece for the Gators (1-1), who have never beaten a top-3 team in a true road game. Down as much as 16 points, they got as close as five with under a minute left before Buford sealed it with two foul shots.
"Obviously, we got off to a really good start, which I think you want to do on the road," Florida coach Billy Donovan said. "The difference was our defense in the first half was really, really good. For a period of time there, shots were not going in for us and we needed to have a better resiliency in terms of understanding that we have to go back and play defense."
The game matched teams that won their conferences a year ago but were trying to replace three lost starters.
One of the new starters for Ohio State is Craft, a sixth man as a freshman last season who usually ended up playing 35 minutes a game. Donovan said the difference in the game was the pesty Craft.
"Clearly he dominated the game from start to finish," he said. "He was the whole key. He physically manhandled our guys - steals, strips, loose balls and drives."
The Gators jumped out to an 11-4 lead and the Buckeyes appeared to be back on their heels. By scoring 13 of the last 18 points of the half, they took a 35-32 lead.
With Sullinger controlling the lane, Buford scoring from both outside and inside, and Craft seeming to get a hand on every Florida pass and have a hand on every Ohio State assist, they pulled away.
"We did a good job adjusting as a team and getting it under control," Craft said.
Ohio State scored the first five points of the half for an eight-point edge and never let the Gators cut into the lead until the final minute.
Still, Sullinger picked up his third foul with 13:58 left and soon after headed to the bench. With Evan Ravenel filling in and Buford and Craft setting the pace on offense, the Buckeyes didn't blink at the loss of their preseason All-American.
"Their guards are just terrific," said Beal, a national high school player of the year last season. "From Aaron Craft on to Buford and all the others, they all contributed."
Ravenel had two baskets in a 6-1 run for a 50-38 lead. Buford scored six in a row for Ohio State to swell the lead to 59-44.
A rested Sullinger then returned to the lineup.
The foul line helped the Buckeyes maintain their advantage the rest of the way. Florida was just 13 of 21.
"Florida stung us early," Matta said. "As young as we are, we were constantly making adjustments out of timeouts. We kept playing and offensively we did a better job of executing. We did not play perfect. I told the coaches, we're going to look at this and there's a lot of things we have to learn. But for our program, we beat a great basketball team tonight."
Ohio State has won eight of the 12 meetings, but the Gators captured the big one. They beat the Buckeyes 84-75 to clinch their second straight national championship on April 2, 2007.
Sullinger said the win didn't mean much.
"As young as we are, we've only played two games. They've only played two games," he said. "We're only going to get better and so are they. It's just a stepping stone."









NEW YORK -- She wasn't allowed on the team bus. Back then, Army's game-day transportation was considered government-issue military transport, designed for cadets only.
So Mickie Krzyzewski, only a handful of years into her marriage, would pile her two daughters (the youngest, Jamie, would be born later) into the Toyota station wagon, and follow her husband and his team to games.
Forty-two years of marriage later, the transportation has improved slightly, the stage has grown exponentially and the guy with the one-letter last name has become Norm -- everyone knows his name.
"He always thought he would be a coach, but I don't think he knew what that meant,'' she said. "It didn't mean all of this.''
All this would be a scene befitting college basketball's royalty, which is what Mike Krzyzewski officially is.
Duke's 74-69 win against Michigan State was Krzyzewski's 903rd career win, making him the all-time winningest coach in men's college basketball history.
Swarmed by a paparazzi crew usually reserved for Beyonce in this town, Krzyzewski crossed the court as the buzzer sounded, making his way to the television table to embrace ESPN analyst Bob Knight, his college coach, his mentor and the man whose record he had broken.
Knight grabbed a teary-eyed Krzyzewski by the scruff of the neck and whispered into his ear while the crowd and media surrounded them.
Later, Krzyzewski said he told Knight that he loved him, to which Knight replied, "Boy, you've done pretty good for a kid who couldn't shoot."
"I think that means he loves me,'' Krzyzewski quipped.
That Knight was here was just one of the fortuitous moments to make a meaningful evening even more poignant.
The misfortune of the NBA lockout allowed Duke's former players to flood a makeshift reception in the bowels of Madison Square Garden. Bobby Hurley, Carlos Boozer, Grant Hill and Shane Battier were just a few of the Blue Devils' alums to gather and embrace their former coach.
The game also was played at the Garden, the game's grandest court and a building a mere 55 miles from the U.S. Military Academy, where a cadet -- just three hours after graduating -- took a bride and began a life he couldn't dream of.
"It's all so weird -- weird because this was never a goal,'' Mickie Krzyzewski said. "We got this, 903 or whatever you want to call it, while we were pursuing other goals. When we got started, we had no clue what we were doing.''
Sports fans like numbers. We are, at some level, slaves to them.
Statistics tell us who won, who is better and who is best.
Yet a man whose entire adult life has been defined by numbers has, like his wife, trouble making sense of 903.
It was only fitting that Krzyzewski would break his mentor's record with Bob Knight calling the game courtside at Madison Square Garden.
"I don't know what it means yet,'' Mike Krzyzewski said honestly. "I coach every game the same way. Maybe when it's all over, I'll be able to comprehend it all.''
Certainly it means he is unrivaled in his success.
In 35 years as a head coach, Krzyzewski has had just four losing seasons and none since 1983, a run of almost incomprehensible success.
He's won four national titles and made 11 Final Fours, driven by the opposite of what most people would expect.
"I'm more into not losing than winning,'' he said.
Four and 11.
Again, those are only numbers. Success in the modern sports era doesn't come easily. There are too many obstacles and challenges, and the chronic evolution of the game can leave the less innovative far behind.
Yet Krzyzewski has won pre-3-pointer and post, before the one-and-done and after.
"It's more than numbers; it's leadership,'' said his assistant coach and former player Jeff Capel. "He's been given this amazing opportunity to lead young people and he's run with it. When you're around Coach, you learn basketball, but you learn about life.''
The message Krzyzewski tried to deliver this week was to ignore the noise. It was "business as usual,'' Capel said. Krzyzewski used what his assistant called "incredible tunnel vision" to concentrate solely on Michigan State.
He told his players to do the same. Except that's an easy message for a 64-year-old to digest, and an entirely different one for teenagers and guys in their early 20s.
Duke looked tight early against Michigan State, perhaps too aware of the moment.
"Coach told us it was just a normal game, but you know it's hard not to think about it. You want to be part of the team that does it,'' guard Andre Dawkins said. "Then last night, coach Knight came to the hotel to talk to us. He said if we didn't win, he was going to run practice for the next two days, so that's why I decided to go out and score some points.''
Dawkins fortunately scored more than a few. He dropped 26 on the Spartans, including an unconscious 6-of-10 from the arc. Coupled with 20 from Seth Curry, it was more than enough for the Blue Devils to get the win and put the milestone in the books.
Or perhaps more accurately, the albatross out of the way.
Once No. 903 was secured, Krzyzewski admitted the week hadn't necessarily been a lot of fun. There was too much concentration on him and too little focus on his team.
"I'm tired of talking about me,'' he said. "I look in the mirror and I don't see Brad Pitt. I'm more of a realist. I know I'm a good coach, but I also know I've had really good guys and we fight like hell to win.''
Mostly there has been too much trying to define a man's accomplishments by a number.
Or at least the wrong number.
"There are numbers that evoke such emotion and meaning, but for us 903 isn't one of them,'' Mickie Krzyzewski said.
Three, she pointed out, that's a big one. The Krzyzewskis have three daughters.
Or seven. There are seven grandchildren now.
Then there's 11. That was the number Bobby Hurley wore, Mickie remembered, and 33 belonged to Grant Hill.
"But 903? What does it mean?'' she said. "It doesn't really mean anything.''
Except when Mike Krzyzewski went into the crowd to hug his family -- his older brother Bill, a fireman who's plagued by bad knees and a bad back, his girls, sons-in-law, grandchildren and wife -- Mickie was holding a sign.
"903 and Kounting,'' it read.
The Toyota station wagon is long gone.
The road continues.


Bob Knight, who held the all-time coaching wins record until it was broken by Mike Krzyzewski, released the following statement:
After reading about Roger Banister and the Four Minute Mile, I thought it would be neat to be the first coach to win 900 games. Once I reached that, I was hoping Mike would be the first person to surpass it. I also think it is neat for a coach and his former player to have the opportunity to win this many games while each one was coaching at nearly the same time. He made great contributions to our Army team, as a player and has been a great example as a coach of how to do things the right way. There is no one I respect more for the way he went about coaching and following the rules than Mike. The history of college basketball has had no better coach than Mike Krzyzewski.