Basketball Preview: #3 Ohio State vs. #8 Florida

Matta has another talented squad

A lot of teams would rather not have a huge test in their second game of the season.

But that's just fine with No. 3 Ohio State and No. 7 Florida.

"I love playing a game like this," Buckeyes preseason All-American Jared Sullinger said about the Tuesday night showdown. "They have a team that comes in and they like to transition and they like to shoot 3s, they like to score. And they're also physical down low. This really determines what type of a team we are. Are we strong enough to handle the transition 3s back to back and then come down and score? Or are we just going to crumble?"

They met in the second game for each last year, too. In that one, Ohio State's veteran presence on the perimeter showed it was a perfect match with Sullinger, a callow freshman with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and the Buckeyes coasted in Gainesville, Fla., 93-75.

"Even though they beat us handily at our place last year, I still felt coming out of that game a lot of things, for us, got exposed that we had to address and get better at. It ultimately ended up being a good game for us," Gators coach Billy Donovan said.

Donovan and Matta might not seem like kindred spirits. But they're best friends, trading calls and getting together whenever possible except for when they're opposing each other.

"He's one of the good guys," Matta said of the coach that beat his Buckeyes in the 2006 NCAA title game. "We bounce things off of each other through the course of the season. We always laugh because we like to get together and talk basketball, but when we're playing each other we don't want to divulge any secrets."

There aren't a whole lot of secrets to reveal. Both teams are defending conference champions. Both are also replacing three starters and have a talented group of freshmen.

Preview: #25 Ohio State vs. Indiana

Should stick to basketball

Ohio State (5-3, 2-2) is back in the ITS BlogPoll Top 25 after their big upset against Wisconsin, which puts them in the hunt for the first ever B1G Conference Championship Game (CCG). The Buckeyes have gained some serious momentum after their 2nd half collapse to Nebraska, bouncing back to upset a then-undefeated Illinois team at Memorial Stadium, and then last week handing Wisconsin their second straight loss, on a Hail Mary from Braxton Miller to Devin Smith. Indiana (1-8, 0-5), on the other hand, is at the bottom of the Big Ten this year, with no hope of coming back up.

Like Luke Fickell, Hoosier head coach Kevin Wilson is in his first year at the helm, and while they weren't expecting a National Title run, they were hoping for some improvement on last year's 5-7 record, and rejoin the bowl eligible teams. Clearly, it's gotten worse, as the Hoosiers are facing tough times, with 3 decent football games ahead of them, including this game. While an upset in the 'Shoe would be great for them, they aren't expecting any sort of miracle.

The 12 PM EST noon game should mostly be a snoozer, but a very important match up for Braxton Miller and the rest of this young offense. OSU sometimes gets lazy and plays down to opponents, but then turns it on when it gets close. That was under Tressel, granted, but Fickell has many of the same ideas and concepts, as he's already proven this season.

Preview: Ohio State vs. #14 Illinois

The defense will have their hands full

For once in a long time, the sides are flipped. The Illinois Fighting Illini (6-0, 2-0) are undefeated and host the Ohio State Buckeyes (3-3, 0-2), who are in a down year without a doubt, in this week's Big Ten match-up. The Illini enter perfect, behind the arm of sensational sophomore quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase, who has thrown 80/120 (66% completion percentage) for 1,238 yards and 10 touchdowns so far this season. Illinois has reason to be excited heading into this game against the Buckeyes, as the Illini are off to their best start since 1951, and has a lot of motivation to win this game, since the last time they beat Ohio State in Champaign was 1991. Senior receiver A.J. Jenkins is the go-to man in this offense, and he leads the conference in receptions. With all of this hype, a win over the Buckeyes could be the cherry on top for an already amazing season. This could give them some serious momentum heading into the rest of their conference slate, and could provide Illinois with a chance for a shot at BCS glory.

Of course, Ohio State has some weapons of their own. Carlos Hyde rushed for 109 yards against Nebraska, and Braxton Miller controlled the squad to a big 20 point lead. The offense in the second half suffered a huge blow when Miller went down with an ankle injury, but reports tell us that Miller is fine, and is ready to play against Illinois. Boom Herron returns in this game, but might not see many carries with the way Jordan Hall and Hyde have been carrying the ball. Against the Illini defense, which is ranked 17th in the country, the Buckeyes will have to bring their best.

Preview: #19 Ohio State vs. Miami

Can Bauserman lead the Bucks?

The Ineligi-bowl is upon us. After an atrocious off-season for both Miami and Ohio State, both sides are looking to push that aside for the rest of the season, starting with this game. #19 Ohio State is coming off of an ugly 27-22 win over in-state opponent Toledo (who plays at Boise later today). Miami, meanwhile is returning 7 starters on both sides of the ball in the wake of their opening game loss to Maryland.

Last season, the talk of both towns was a rematch of the 2002 National championship game, in which Miami would exact it's revenge. Now, both are trying to get a win so they can move on and hopefully have a successful 2011 campaign. For Ohio State, Jordan Hall and Travis Howard return to the lineup, which should be a tremendous help. Joe Bauserman was again named the starter, but Braxton Miller is still listed as "OR" next to Bauserman. I wonder if Fickell is trying to save him as a secret weapon. There were rumors swirling that Miller was in the doghouse, injured, and didn't know enough of the playbook to play. The good thing is that this week he has done much better and he's now 100% healthy.

Preview: #14 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Akron Zips

Fickell In Charge In 2011

The Ohio State Buckeyes are without head coach Jim Tressel for the first time in 10 years. Luke Fickell has taken over a program that continues to hold the headlines with the NCAA, and that's not good news for any football program in America. Yet, despite all this the Buckeyes are still ranked fairly high with some decent expectations. 


The departures of Tressel and Pryor aren't the only absences which may plague the Buckeyes. Although the team returns top rusher Boom Herron and brings back receiver DeVier Posey, they are among four players who were suspended the first five games for taking part in the exchange.

Also sitting out will be starting tackle Mike Adams, backup defensive end Soloman Thomas, starting running back Jordan Hall, starting corner Travis Howard, and 2nd string defensive back Corey Brown. The last 3 came with the release from Ohio State yesterday, when we reported that they had received a combined total of $300 in a supposed gift basket from a Breast cancer charity event. 

#3 Ohio State Takes On The Hoosiers In Value City Arena

When Indiana (12-16, 3-12) comes to Columbus today, the importance rests not so much on who the opponent is for Ohio State as it does that one more win brings the Buckeyes closer to a conference title. Should Michigan State knock off Purdue earlier in the day, they could clinch a share of the Big Ten title with a win.


Ohio State gets a breather of sorts with a home date against Indiana. The Hoosiers have lost 5 straight and 14 of their last 17 as they continue to battle Iowa for the not-so-coveted Big Ten cellar position. Indiana leads the all-time series 99-73 but OSU holds a 49-34 advantage playing at home. 


Jared Sullinger has been named one of five finalists for the Wayman Tisdale Award, to be given to the National Freshman of the Year. The winner will be announced on April 11. Ohio State is 18-0 at home after its most recent win vs. Illinois last Tuesday. 


The win total equals the school record set by the 2006-07 squad. Since Thad Matta took over Buckeye program in 2004-05, Ohio State is 117-10 in Columbus, the most home wins among Big Ten schools.


This game, I think, will go smoothly, and the Buckeyes should come out on top with a win. 

Preview: Ohio State vs. Wisconsin

Who: The Wisconsin Cheeseheads Badgers

What: Step 6 to the Championship game

When: 7:00 P.M. EST

Where: Camp Randall

Why: Cause we're comin' to your city!


Our Ohio State Buckeyes will head over to Camp Randall tomorrow to meet the Gameday crew, and get ready for one of the best Big Ten match ups this year. We told you early on in the season that Ohio State would have three key games. Miami, Wisconsin, and Iowa all have great squads, that if we beat, can take us to the National Championship (barring any Purdue Harbors). Ohio State took care of Miami in an impressive fashion, but now Wisconsin is making the call.

Of course, we all know that the Buckeyes are now ranked #1 in the country, but many national pundits didn't think too much of the Buckeyes. Ohio State has played exactly one game away from the 'Shoe, and had a bit of a scare. As for the Badgers, they aren't a slouch. Only dropping a game to undefeated Michigan State (6-0, 2-0) Wisconsin still has a shot at Big Ten glory. The Badgers (5-1, 1-1) are good and particularly good at home. They've gone 40-4 at Camp Randall Stadium since the start of the 2004 season. What's more, the game is at night, allowing an already rambunctious student section to get even more fired up for the big showdown. The Badgers have won 25 of their last 28 night games, and those are impressive numbers.