Buckeyes Main Page

Ohio State Buckeyes

2010 Season: 12-1

Won the Allstate Sugar Bowl vs Arkansas

Number 5 in the AP Poll

2011 Schedule:

Ohio State vs. Akron, Saturday September 3rd

Ohio State vs. Toledo, Saturday September 10th

Ohio State @ Miami (FL), Saturday September 17th

Ohio State vs. Colorado, Saturday September 24th

Ohio State vs. Michigan State*, Saturday October 1st

Ohio State @ Nebraska*, Saturday October 8th

Ohio State @ Illinois*, Saturday October 15th

Ohio State vs. Wisconsin*, Saturday October 29th

Ohio State vs. Indiana*, Saturday November 5th

Ohio State @ Purdue*, Saturday November 12th

Ohio State vs. Penn State*, Saturday November 19th

Ohio State @ Michigan*, Saturday November 26th

Ohio State vs. TBD, Big Ten Championship Game @ Indianapolis, IN, Saturday December 3rd

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Links:

Ohio State Main Page

Bucknuts

Unbelievable

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I was in the car listening to Lance McAllister on 700 WLW and I am amazed that some people do not want to give Mick Cronin any credit for the job he has done. When he became head coach at UC he took over a program in shambles. He had one scholarship player, that's not a typo, yes one player under scholarship for a division one school in the toughest conference in the nation. He took over a team that had one scholarship player and went and played against Syracuse, Connecticut, Louisville, West Virginia, Villanova, Georgetown, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, and you get the picture. So he gets this team with one scholarship player and goes out and plays against teams that are perennial powerhouses that make deep runs in March.

Now he has to go out and recruit after a season of getting his brains beat in by these schools and try to convince kids he's going to turn it around. Remember these are 18 year olds with short memories who don't know much about the tradition at UC. All they know is he had 11 wins that year and got his butt kicked in the Big East. Still he improves on his record after that first year. Then he improves again, and again, and again. Now his team is 11-7 in the Big East and 24-7 overall. Now he has a recruiting class coming in with 5 players that have grades in the 90's according to ESPN's recruiting page. Now his team is playing as well as most teams in the country and probably don't have a single future NBA on that team. And you people want to tell me he hasn't done anything yet just because he was one of 68 teams that made the tournament. Not only did they make the tournament this year, but if they don't get screwed on their seeding they should win a couple games in that tournament. To say he hasn't done anything yet is a false statement and you're ignorant if you say that out loud.

Not to mention now that the ball is rolling it's only gonna get better from here and recruiting will get easier for the Bearcats. Now that they are playing as well as they are and when they do win a couple games in the tournament the media is going to have no choice but to talk about them. I've seen a couple articles where they talk about people getting on Mick for "whining" about not getting respect. Mick is no dummy, he knows that exposure on ESPN only helps the program. UC isn't talked about as much as they should be, they are playing very well right now and a deep run in the Big East Tournament could earn them a seed as high as 4th. Who had that predicted in the pre season? Yeah right, put your hand down. Do you know who did say they were going to win this year? That's right, Mick Cronin said they were going to win. Everyone laughed at that, well look who's laughing now. So for those who still don't want to give him any credit or respect, you're not a real UC fan, you're still stuck in the past and want Huggins back, so go root for West Virginia. Don't get me wrong I'm a huge Bob Huggins fan, but before that I'm a UC fan and it's time to get behind our coach right now! It's tournament time!

Big East Tournament Preview

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It's being projected that the Big East is going to get eleven teams in the NCAA Tournament. The eleven teams are Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Louisville, Syracuse, St. Johns, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Georgetown, Connecticut, Villanova, and Marquette. If someone other than those teams wins the Big East Tournament they will get twelve in. Either way it's going to be a record for most teams from one conference in the NCAA Tournament. That shows how loaded the Big East is and the fact that UC went 11-7 in the conference is a huge accomplishment. They were a couple of plays away from going 13-5 which would have earned them a double bye. It doesn't matter though they have earned a 1st round bye.

The tournament is held in New York city at Madison Square Garden every year and it's the best conference tournament of any conference in the country. Villanova is the 10th seed and it's ranked in the top 20 in the country, that tells you how deep this conference is. The games start tomorrow, Tuesday the 8th at noon and ends with the championship Saturday the 12th at 9 pm. There are a number of different teams that could win it all including the Bearcats who are playing about as well as any team in the conference right now. Over the past five years teams rated 6th or lower have made the Finals every year. Teams want to win here to improve seeding, but a lot of the top teams that have a high seed locked up may not play their best players as many minutes to keep them fresh for the NCAA Tournament, that's my theory of why teams from the middle of the pack and lower make it to the championship game every year. That being said West Virginia won it last year and they made the Final Four so winning this tournament will not burn your team out for the NCAA's.

Here is my reasoning why UC has a decent chance to win the toughest tournament in the nation. This tournament starts Tuesday and ends Saturday. If you win you play again the next day and so on. There are no off days. Teams that have to play the first day are at a disadvantage because some teams don't play their first game until Thursday so if you advance from the first round you will play two games before one of the top four teams plays a single game. UC doesn't play until Wednesday so they aren't at that big of a disadvantage. The reason I say Cincy has a good shot to win the whole thing is they average playing nine players 10 minutes or more per game. So if they can just win two games they will have a big advantage over the competition. In fact I think if they win their first two games they will atleast make the Finals and unless they play Pitt who also plays a deep rotation they will win the whole thing. Why two games? Well if they beat Villanova/South Florida they will play a Notre Dame team that has a double bye and will have fresh legs. If they can get by that game they will be in the semis and playing a team that played the night before. However that team will not be as fresh because other than Pitt no other team in the conference plays that many players so this tourney is set up for them to win if they can make it past Notre Dame.

So the action starts tomorrow at noon, here's a look at the first round games.

#9 Connecticut vs. #16 Depaul at 12 pm
#12 Seton Hall vs. #13 Rutgers at 2 pm
#10 Villanova vs. #15 South Florida at 7 pm
#11 Marquette vs. #14 Providence at 9 pm

Here's the schedule for the 2nd Round on Wednesday

Connecticut/Depaul vs. #8 Georgetown at 12 pm
Seton Hall/Rutgers vs. #5 St. Johns at 2 pm
Villanova/South Florida vs. #7 Cincinnati at 7 pm
Marquette/Providence vs. #6 West Virginia at 9 pm

Quarterfinals Schedule for Thursday

Winner of 12 pm game on Wednesday vs. #1 Pittsburgh at 12 pm
Winner of 2 pm game on Wednesday vs. #4 Syracuse at 2 pm
Winner of 7 pm game on Wednesday vs. #2 Notre Dame at 7 pm
Winner of 9 pm game on Wednesday vs. #3 Louisville at 9 pm

Semifinals Schedule for Friday

1st Semifinal Game winner of Thursday's 12 pm game vs. winner of Thursday's 2 pm game,7pm
2nd Semifinal Game winner of Thursday's 7 pm game vs. winner of Thursday's 9 pm game,9pm

Finals Schedule for Saturday

Winner of Semifinal number 1 vs. Winner of Semifinal number 2, at 9pm

It's Championship Week!

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As far as sports go this is one of my favorite times of the year, March Madness! This month and the beginning of Football season. A run to the National Championship starts this week. No matter what your record is if you win your conference tournament you get in the NCAA Tournament, win six games and you're National Champions. It's decided on the court, as long as you keep winning you keep playing no matter who you are, Duke or Indiana State University. The small school has the same opportunity as the blue blooded programs. Soon one of these small schools are going to win the National Championship, it's almost happened a couple times with George Mason making the Final Four and last year Butler was one shot away from winning the National Championship.

This year the Bearcats are back in the tournament where they belong. It's sucked the past five years watching the selections show early Sunday evening and knowing that you're favorite team isn't going to get into the tourney. There was the one year under Andy Kennedy they were on the bubble and got screwed and didn't get in. Now I can't wait until selection Sunday to see not if, but who and where the University of Cincinnati plays.

Right now Joe Lunardi has the Bearcats in as a 7th seed playing 10th seeded Washington in Charlotte. I wouldn't mind that match up as Washington has been an underachieving team that would have to fly across country to play the Bearcats. That being said I think the Bearcats are better than a seven seed. Right now if I was doing the seeding I would have them as a 5th seed. They are playing great basketball right now and are definitely one of the top 20 teams in the country. He has Xavier as a 5th seed and while I respect Xavier and they have been on a roll, UC crushed them by over 20 points. UC would be on just as good of a roll if they played in the Atlantic 10. Xavier wouldn't be on such a roll had they played in the Big East. Cincinnati is a better team, that beat Xavier, and is playing better basketball than Xavier right now. Also Georgetown is a 6th seed and UC just blew them out of the gym to complete a two game season sweep of Georgetown, how can he seed them higher?

Oh well, I would have UC as a 5 seed playing Belmont in the 1st round. Maybe that's being a little biased, but teams that the Bearcats finished ahead of are seeded higher than they are and I don't get that. I also believe if they make a run to at least the Semis they should be a lock for a 5 seed. IF they make the Finals of the Big East Tourney put them as a 4th and if they somehow win it a 3rd seed. That's right a 3rd seed! They have won 5 of their last 6 and 4 of those games were against teams that are in the NCAA Tournament. If you add that to winning the Big East Tournament how could you not give them a 3rd seed. That's the top 12 teams in the nation right now and if they do everything I just said they will be playing like a top 12 team in the country.

This March is going to be one of the maddest Marches in a long time I'm predicting. There is no clear cut favorite and all the top teams are vulnerable and could make an early exit. This could be a year a 4th seed or lower wins it all. Also a year no one in your office pool or your brackets with your friends picks the correct National Champion. Also I'm predicting at least five teams that are tenth seed or lower will advance past the first round inluding that twelve vs five matchup which happens every year it seems. Not only that but one 14th seed is going to upset a 3rd seed. So get ready for a fun, crazy, NCAA Tournament.

Some Thoughts on the Reds

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The other day they were talking about Aroldis Chapman's role on the Reds this year. Will he be the closer if Cordero struggles? I don't think they are going to put that pressure on him with the little amount of experience he has in the Major Leagues. Plus he has been a starter before and I'd like to see them get more use out of him. For example if they need to get out of a jam in the sixth I'd like to see them bring him in to finish out that inning and then come in for the seventh. That will set up Masset to pitch the eighth and Cordero the ninth. With those three in the back end of that bullpen the Reds will basically be shortening the game to six innings. If they have a lead after six they are going to win 95% of those games.

The Reds told Janish the job was his at Shortstop this year. He is a very good defensive SS and with the pitching the Reds have he doesn't have to put up big numbers at the plate. That being said so far this spring he has been hitting the ball well. If he can bat .275 this year that's icing on the cake with the rest of the lineup the Reds have to go with that pitching.

Homer Bailey gets the start today as he is battling for basically the last spot on the pitching rotation with Mike Leake. They say it's a four man race for two spots with Bailey, Wood, Leake, and Lecure, but I think Wood has a spot as he's a lefty in a rotation that's all right handed and he's the best pitcher of the group. That basically leaves one spot open and I don't think Lecure is going to get it. That leaves Bailey against Leake for the final spot and you would have to think Bailey is going to win that competition. I personally like Leake better, but Bailey is more experienced and has a higher ceiling. It doesn't matter though as every year pitchers miss time with injury so this is a good problem to have. I don't think they should make Leake a long reliever, he would be better served to go down to Louisville and pitch every five days that'll have him more prepared to be a starter when he does get called up.

Some of the young prospects are having huge Spring Trainings and one or more could be a suprise on the 25 man roster. I know the sample size is small but Zach Cozart is hitting .455, Devin Mesoraco .444, Yonder Alonso .417, and Chris Valaika .385. Alonso is probably going to make the team but the rest aren't expected to make it. This is also a good problem to have as all these guys are going to be pushing some of the guys on the team for spots very soon which is only going to make the team even better by individual performance and team depth. The Reds have one of the best farm systems stocked with talent in all of baseball. This is how a team that is a mid market team is going to have to compete for World Series championships. What this does is allow the Reds to not have to pay that huge third contract to a player and not get hamstrung by having to pay players 20 million plus a year. It also gives them an option if they are contenders to make a deal at the trade deadline if they need to, possibly a stud Left Fielder or an ace of a staff on the last year of his deal on a losing team.

Another good problem the Reds have is Daryl Thompson is back from injury and is throwing the ball really well. That adds another player competing for a spot in the bullpen. Some good pitchers that are throwing the ball well aren't going to make the team because there isn't enough room for them and that's an excellent problem to have. In the bullpen you have locks like Cordero, Chapman, Masset, Burton, and probably Bray. I don't know how many they are going to keep in the bullpen, my guess is seven or eight. So that leaves two or three spots, probably three. So you have Thompson, Ondrusek, possibly Maloney and Lecure, Arredondo, Herrara, and Dontrel Willis for three spots. Maloney and Lecure will likely go to Louisville and be starters, so you have five pitchers battling for two or three spots. I think Ondrusek is going to get one of those spots and if they keep eight in the pen the other two will go to Willis and Thompson. That could leave Herrera who has been in the major leagues for a few years on the outside looking in and frankly I haven't been impressed with him at all. Arredondo is young and promising and if they can get him on the 40 man it'd be good to get him in their farm system. Like I said earlier pitchers are going to get hurt and you can't have too much depth at the position. That's why I'm never high on trading a young arm unless the deal is just too good to pass up on.

March Madness

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I love this time of year! The way college basketball determines their champion is the best of any sport in the world. Any team can win it all regardless of their record with the exception of the Ivy League. It starts with "Championship Week" and every conference holds a conference tournament, many of the smaller conferences have already started theirs. It's simple, if you win your conference tournament you are in the NCAA Tournament. Win six games in the NCAA Tournament and you are national champion. So even if you went 0-31 this year if you win your conference tournament and then run through the NCAA Tournament you win it all, no matter what school you are Cleveland State University or Duke, you have a chance if you keep winning.

It's going to happen soon too, a smaller school is going to win it all. Look at Butler last year or George Mason a few years ago, they came close. This is truely a sport where the champion is determined on the court/field of play. I also love how these smaller schools get chances to play against the bigger schools. Every year some of these smaller schools beat some of these bigger, blue blooded programs. That's what makes the NCAA Tournament the greatest sporting event on Earth. It doesn't matter who you are once that ball is thrown up you have 40 minutes to outscore your opponent and if you do you move on. Players that aren't known at all can become heros by making a buzzer beater from a school like Bucknell to beat a team like Kansas. A good player at Davidson can put a team on his back and carry them to the elite 8 of the tournament.

Next Sunday the field of 68 will be announced and Monday and Tuesday people all across this country will fill out brackets trying to pick the winner of each game. The funny part about this is the guy who watches college basketball all year long and knows the game pretty well will pick less correct games than Sue from accounting who doesn't watch at all and picks based on which mascot she likes better. It gives you a reason to be invested in every game and see if you can pick the correct 12 seed that is going to beat a 5 seed. That's almost a given that it will happen and you just hope your team doesn't get a 5 seed. This year is more wide open than ever before and could very well be a year that a 4th seed or lower wins it all. So if your national champion gets bounced in the 2nd or 3rd round don't think you are out of it this year because this very well could be a year not a single person in your bracket pool picks the correct national champion. There are literally 15 teams that could win it and all the top seeds can be beaten by an underdog.

This year more channels are carrying games and you will have the option to watch any game you want as every single game will be televised somewhere. That means you will be flipping back and forth instead of waiting for CBS to cut to another game with a look in. So in less than two weeks the NCAA Tournament starts, but remember anyone can win it all despite their record by going through their conference tournament and then the NCAA Tournament. So in reality March Madness has already begun.

Update of Big East Standings

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Just to let people know of how the Big East is going to play out in the standings. I'm not 100 % on how this is going to go but it looks like Marquette is going to lose to Seton Hall leaving a 3 way tie for 9th place. How does this affect UC, well they are the seven seed and will play the ten seed. Marquette, Connecticut, and Villanova will be 9th, 10th, and 11th place. Bigeasthoops.com has Marquette locked into the 9th spot but I'm not sure if this is accurate. I think they were assuming Marquette would beat Seton Hall and they're about to lose to them. Right now UConn is the 10th seed according to bigeasthoops.com but I think if Marquette loses UConn moves to 9 and Villanova to the 10th spot and UC would play Villanova/South Florida winner on Wednesday at 7 pm.


Update: Okay Marquette officially lost to Seton Hall. So UConn is the 9th seed, Villanova is the 10th, and Marquette is the 11th seed. So if Providence beats Rutgers then UC will play the Villanova vs. Providence winner Wednesday at 7 pm. If Providence loses and South Florida beats St. Johns then they play the Villanova vs. South Florida winner, and if South Florida loses then it's Providence regardless if they win or lose. So it's basically looking like UC will play the winner of Villanova vs. Providence. They play Wednesday at 7 pm no matter who it is and they likely will be playing Villanova. But Nova has been struggling lately and they could be a team that gets upset. I wouldn't mind seeing that one bit, hopefully Providence loses and South Florida wins as they are the weaker team of the two. Wouldn't mind UC with a bye getting to play a weak South Florida team that they crushed already. Providence is good at home but not on the road or neutral courts so I wouldn't mind running into them as well. Likely it's going to be Nova though and even though they've struggled they are a good team and are fully capable of beating UC they've done it once already. That said I think UC is playing better of the two right now. If they win that game they'll have Notre Dame on Thursday at 7 pm. If they win that game they'll play Friday at 9 pm. If they win there they'll play for the Big East Championship Saturday at 9 pm.