Ohio State Basketball Ranks As 2nd Best Coaching Job In The Big Ten

Matta is in an enviable position at OSU

Over at ESPN, it's "Coaches Week" and during this week, the writers go through each conference to rank the best and worst coaching jobs, as voted on by 14 of their writers and television analysts.

For a little more on how it works, here's the explanation:

"A few important notes: This is not an attempt to rank the programs or their histories. A school's tradition was taken into account of course, but more emphasis was given to recent years and how hard or easy it is for a new coach to win there. Current recruits don't remember much beyond, what, 2008?

When voting, our 14 panelists were asked to take into consideration facilities, expectation level, athletic budget, wins and losses, recruiting base, fan support/pressure and all of the other factors that go into determining the "best" jobs in the ever-crazy profession of college basketball coaching.

In short: If you were an agent and every single job was open in a particular conference, where would you direct your client? Where would you tell him to avoid if there are better options?"

The Top 5

1. Indiana

2. Ohio State

3. Michigan State

4. Michigan

5. Wisconsin

Join us after the jump to look at the breakdown of each of these jobs.

ITS's BlogPoll Ballot: Post Spring

Spring Football is all wrapped up and now college football fans will have to wait a couple of more months before the beginning of the 2012-2013 season. Until that time is upon us, you can look at the Post-Spring Preseason BlogPoll. Spring practices are done, recruiting classes are in, and it's time to make our judgement as to who goes where among the top 25 best teams in college football.

Of course, we remind you that this BlogPoll is as much ours as it is yours. We want your feedback as to who should go where and why. What you post (within reason) will have an effect on where we place teams the next time the poll comes around. 

With that, here is our early look at the Post Spring BlogPoll:

* Keep in mind that we did NOT rank USC last season at any point because of their ban from postseason play. As much as it pains me to do so, I will not be placing any teams that are banned from postseason play which includes Ohio State.

   

 

 

Inside The Shoe Ballot - Week 18

Rank	Team	Delta
1	USC Trojans - The Trojan's first season off of the postseason bans have them coming in at #1. With Matt Barkley leading the charge, USC has a chance at a title run once more.	--
2	LSU Tigers - Les Miles and his squad are picking right up where they left off. Solid recruiting and playmakers all over the field will help LSU contend for a title again.	--
3	Alabama Crimson Tide - The Crimson Tide are right there with LSU, just like last season. With returning starter A.J. McCarron improving and a more-than capable running back in Eddie Lacy, things are looking bright for Bama.	--
4	Georgia Bulldogs - One of the darkhorses in the SEC this season, the Bulldogs have the talent to compete with the best of them, starting with QB Aaron Murray. A favorable schedule helps as well.	--
5	Oregon Ducks - While Chip Kelly and the Ducks lose LaMichael James and Darron Thomas, Oregon still has plenty of firepower in DeAnthony Thomas and Kenjon Barner.	--
6	Oklahoma Sooners - Landry Jones is back again and the receiving core is one of the best in the country with Kenny Stills and Jaz Reynolds returning, as well as signing top receivers in the 2012 recruiting class.	--
7	South Carolina Gamecocks - Marcus Lattimore is coming off of an ACL tear, but Connor Shaw will try and lead the Gamecocks without WR Alshon Jeffrey. This really comes down to Lattimore.	--
8	Florida St. Seminoles - Jimbo Fisher is recruiting like a madman, signing top prospects such as Mario Edwards and Eddie Goldman. E.J. Manuel returns to quarterback the offense in 2012.	--
9	West Virginia Mountaineers - The Mountaineers have everything going for them, following the Orange Bowl smashing of Clemson, 70-33. Geno Smith and Dustin Garrison look to improve on the 2011 season and become an early favorite to win the Big 12.	--
10	Arkansas Razorbacks - Arkansas lost a lot of talent at the wide receiver position, but with Knile Davis returning from an injury and QB Tyler Wilson, the Razorbacks will try to take the SEC by surprise under John L. Smith.	--
11	Michigan Wolverines - Coming off of a Sugar Bowl-winning season, the Wolverines look to finally take back the Big Ten title in 2012. Early Heisman candidate Denard Robinson will lead UM on offense while Greg Mattison continues to improve the defense.	--
12	Wisconsin Badgers - Russell Wilson is gone, but the Badgers were able to nab Montee Ball from joining the NFL, instantly making the Badgers competitors in the Big Ten. The coaching staff lost 6 assistants over the course of the off-season, so it's up to the school to replace them with quality coaches.	--
13	Clemson Tigers - Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins are back as one of the top dynamic duos in the country. While they need to figure things out defensively, Clemson can still get back to national prominence under Dabo Swinney.	--
14	Michigan St. Spartans - The Spartans will have to replace some key positions, including the QB spot that Kirk Cousins held down for the past couple of years. A stingy defense will help propel any offensive troubles, as MSU tries to head back to Indy for the B1G Championship Game.	--
15	Nebraska Cornhuskers - Taylor Martinez enters his 3rd year as a Cornhusker and again big things are expected from the Big Red. Rex Burkhead will have to be more than efficient to help Nebraska in it's second season in the Big Ten.	--
16	TCU Horned Frogs - A recent addition to the Big 12, TCU will try to show what they've got under head coach Gary Patterson. TCU brings back much of its firepower on offense, with quarterback Casey Pachall, tailbacks Waymon James and Ed Wesley and receivers Josh Boyce and Skye Dawson coming back.	--
17	Kansas St. Wildcats - With quarterback Collin Klein and linebacker Arthur Brown coming back this season, the Wildcats might be among the Big 12 favorites, along with Oklahoma and West Virginia. Klein is also an early candidate for the Heisman trophy.	--
18	Illinois Fighting Illini - You might be surprised to find the Fighting Illini this high, but don't be. With Nathan Scheelhaase in his third year as a QB, expect him to be among the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten. Under new head coach Tim Beckman, the Illini should not be overlooked.	--
19	Texas Longhorns - The Longhorns rebounded nicely this past season, after a head-scratching 5-7 finish in 2010. David Ash will have the edge entering spring practice, but he'll continue to be pushed by Case McCoy. The running game should be better if tailbacks Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron can stay healthy, and incoming freshman Johnathan Gray.	--
20	Washington Huskies - Quarterback Keith Price has given Huskie fans some hope for this season. Price has the offense resting completely on his shoulders, but after dazzling against RG3 in the Alamo Bowl (though they lost), Washington should be pretty decent this year.	--
21	Virginia Tech Hokies - Quarterback Logan Thomas will be back for his second season as a starter and he showed he was capable in 2011. Incoming freshman Joel Caleb might need to emerge as a big-play threat early in his career. The good news is that as many as eight starters might be back on defense.	--
22	Oklahoma St. Cowboys - If OSU coach Mike Gundy is going to keep his program near the top of the Big 12, he's going to have to rebuild his record-setting offense after losing quarterback Brandon Weeden and receiver Justin Blackmon. Rising junior Clint Chelf, RS FR J.W. Walsh and incoming FR West Lunt will battle for the starting QB job this spring.	--
23	Boise St. Broncos - The Broncos went 73-6 in coach Chris Petersen's first six seasons and flirted with playing for a BCS national championship in each of the past two seasons. Rising junior Joe Southwick will be the favorite to replace Moore, but he'll get competition from rising sophomore Grant Hedrick and incoming freshman Nick Patti.	--
24	Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Brian Kelly will again oversee a quarterback battle in the offseason, with Tommy Rees, Andrew Hendrix, Everett Golson and freshman Gunner Kiel (who enrolled in January) battling for the starting job.	--
25	Stanford Cardinal - David Shaw lead Stanford to an 11-2 record and BCS bowl game in his first season and also signed arguably the best recruiting class in school history. Stanford signed top offensive line prospects, including tackles Andrus Peat and Kyle Murphy and guard Josh Garnett. Tailback Barry Sanders Jr., the son of NFL Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, also was a big recruiting coup. Of course, the Cardinal have to replace quarterback Andrew Luck.	--

Receiving Votes: Florida, Auburn, Miami (Fl.), Washington State

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »

ITS's BlogPoll Ballot: Week 12

Some monumental upsets took place during the weekend, shaking up the rankings once more. Stanford, Boise State, and Penn State all went down. Virginia Tech got a big win, leaping them higher into the rankings, while Clemson fought to stay alive. Arkansas might be the biggest winner this week, even though they blew out unranked Tennessee, due to the teams above them losing. One of the big questions is where Houston will land at the end of the season. Let's find out who's where in this weeks BlogPoll Ballot.

 

 

Inside The Shoe Ballot - Week 12

Rank	Team	Delta
1	LSU Tigers - LSU got a bit of a scare from Western Kentucky, before finally settling down and winning handily to maintain the #1 spot. Up Next: Ole Miss	--
2	Oklahoma St. Cowboys - The Cowboys had one of the most impressive showings on Saturday, just destroying Texas Tech 66-7, who upset Oklahoma easily. Up Next: Iowa State	--
3	Oregon Ducks - Chip Kelly and his Ducks are back in the National Title race after speeding past Stanford with ease, 55-30. Up Next: USC	2
4	Arkansas Razorbacks - Arkansas gets to jump up in the rankings thanks to the teams ahead falling on Saturday. Tennessee was no match for the Razorbacks. Up Next: Mississippi State	3
5	Oklahoma Sooners - The team in Norman got off with a BYE, but had better have their defense ready for some RG3. Up Next: Baylor	1
6	Virginia Tech Hokies - Frank Beamer's squad impressed folks on Thursday, taking care of business against Georgia Tech 37-26. Up Next: North Carolina	3
7	Alabama Crimson Tide - The Tide seemed just as beat as LSU, but then were able to turn on the afterburners to silence Mississippi State 24-7. Up Next: Georgia South	1
8	Clemson Tigers - The play of the game, a game-winning FG, pushes the Tigers into the ACC Championship Game, and a Division title. Up Next: NC State	2
9	Stanford Cardinal - Andrew Luck did all he could, but the defense couldn't stop anything the Ducks threw at them. Their hopes for a National Title are over. Up Next: California	-6
10	Houston Cougars - The Cougars have finally made it into the Top 10 as one of very few undefeated teams left in college football. Can they make it into a BCS bowl game? Up Next: SMU	1
11	Boise St. Broncos - The Broncos have done it again. A year after an upset loss to Nevada after missing 2 field goals consecutively, the Horned Frogs gave them a chance to win, but another missed FG ended any BCS dreams. Up Next: San Diego State	-7
12	South Carolina Gamecocks - Don't ask me how they keep doing it, but the Gamecocks continue to win down the line without a really solid QB and their starting running back out for the season. Up Next: Citadel	2
13	Georgia Bulldogs - The Bulldogs continue their turnaround, and now move to 8-2 on the year. That's 8 straight wins for Georgia. Up Next: Kentucky	--
14	Nebraska Cornhuskers - Nebraska escaped Happy Valley with a W, 17-14. Penn State fans and players were pretty upset. Up Next: #21 Michigan	1
15	Michigan St. Spartans - MSU is still on track, trying to fight their way into the Legends division for the spot in the B1G CCG. Up Next: Indiana	1
16	Kansas St. Wildcats - It took 4 overtimes for the Wildcats to finally beat Texas A&M in a high scoring affair, but this is certainly still a great season. Up Next: Texas	2
17	Southern Miss. Golden Eagles - The Golden Eagles survived a scare from Central Florida, but continue to rise in the rankings. Up Next: UAB	3
18	Wisconsin Badgers - Wisconsin demolished an upbeat Minnesota team 42-13 after a slow start. The Badgers only have to win out to get to the B1G CCG. Up Next: Illinois	4
19	Penn St. Nittany Lions - While Penn State is going through a rough time without their head coach, there is still 1 last opportunity to make it into the B1G CCG. That chance comes from winning out. Up Next: Ohio State	-7
20	Florida St. Seminoles - Florida State makes it back into the BlogPoll after a long absence, after a big kick return for a touchdown lifted the Seminoles over Miami 23-16. Up Next: #23 Virginia	--
21	Michigan Wolverines - Denard Robinson has been mostly ineffective since October, but they keep on winning regardless, this time against Illinois. Up Next: #14 Nebraska	--
22	Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Brian Kelly might be wishing he never left Cincinatti at this point, but the Fighting Irish improved to 7-3 after an easy win over Maryland. Up Next: Boston College	--
23	Virginia Cavaliers - The Cavaliers make an entrance to the BlogPoll after ending their woes of losing to Duke. They now sit at 7-3. Up Next: #20 Florida State	--
24	TCU Horned Frogs - Gary Patterson once again proved the Horned Frogs won't go down so easily, this time going for 2 against the Broncos and shutting down Kellen Moore. Up Next: Colorado State	--
25	West Virginia Mountaineers - The Mountaineers have improved to 7-3 and get a BYE this week! Up Next: BYE	--
Dropouts: Cincinnati Bearcats, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Arizona St. Sun Devils, Auburn Tigers, Texas Longhorns, Ohio St. Buckeyes

 

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ITS's BlogPoll Ballot: Week 5

The last college football weekend in September was a one that left some strong impressions as to who are the dark horses in the national title race. Some big winners were LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma State, Clemson and more. Teams continue to make statements, and we're nearing the point of no return for teams that are undefeated. Some new teams enter this week, as well as previous teams that dropped out. Week 4 is over, and it's time for our BlogPoll ballot for Week 5. See you after the jump!

Troy Smith Shines Again, BCS Thoughts

Is there anyone else you would rather see?

Troy Smith got his first start 2 weeks ago in London. Many didn't expect much, because this was Alex Smith's team. With the 1-6 49ers trailing early, Troy Smith started to make his comeback, and not just for that game. He lead his team to a 24-16 victory over the Broncos, while going 12/19 for 196 yards and a Touchdown in running and passing. Also, he had no interceptions. It was a great performance, but everyone thought that it was a one time showing by Smith.

Yesterday, Troy got the start again, this time against the St. Louis Rams (a game filled with Buckeyes). With another outstanding performance, (he went 17/28 for a career high 356 yards and a touchdown), ESPN gave this quote:

"After getting back into the NFC West race with two gutsy performances by their new starting quarterback, the San Francisco 49ers think they've finally found the right Smith for the job."


A starting job? For the man that you said couldn't start, because he was too small and wouldn't be able to see over the offensive line, and that his running ablilty was overrated? How's this possible?


"Coach Mike Singletary wouldn't pick his starter for next week, but it's fairly clear Troy Smith energizes his teammates in ways Alex Smith hasn't mastered."


I think it's obvious who he should go with. Buckeye Nation is proud of Troy Smith, and we're all rooting for the man that brought Ohio State a great season and a Heisman Trophy. He proved he's still got it.