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.

2013 4-Star Defensive End Joey Bosa Commits To Ohio State

Bosa is #12 for the Class of '13

It doesn’t get much better than the defensive end trio Urban Meyer signed for his 2012 recruiting class, which included Noah Spence, Adolphus Washington and Se’Von Pittman that Urban Meyer landed last recruiting season.

Now, though, Meyer may just be outdoing himself as the Buckeyes added a fantastic defensive end earlier this afternoon.

Joey Bosa, the country’s No. 2 strong-side defensive end in the 247Sports rankings, has tweeted that he has committed to Ohio State. This makes Bosa the 12th commitment to Meyer and OSU's Class of 2013.

Bosa made his decision while visiting Ohio State over the weekend and attending the Ohio State spring game on Saturday. However, he waited - for good reason - to make his announcement this morning.

Bosa is more familiar with Ohio State football than most high school football players in the state of Florida. Bosa’s mother is from Chicago and his uncle Eric Kumerow was a high school star there before heading to Ohio State where he became a star defensive end for the Buckeyes.

The 6'5", 260-pound Bosa played in every game during his sophomore season and started two for one of the country’s top prep teams. He missed four games during his junior season with a concussion, but still made 50 tackles including eight sacks. Bosa had 16 tackles for loss as St. Thomas Acquinas finished with a 10-3 record.

Bosa picked Ohio State over an impressive list of scholarship offers that includes Florida, Florida State, Alabama, Auburn, Wisconsin, Michigan, Boston College, Notre Dame and Iowa.

In addition to being the country’s No. 2 strong-side defensive end prospect, Bosa is the country’s No. 24 overall prospect and the No. 7 prospect in the state of Florida.

This defensive line recruiting is just getting out of hand - in the best way possible. This a fantastic pick up for Ohio State and one that they really wanted to add to their class. Now that they have him, they can focus more on the other key recruits. 

Keep it at Inside The Shoe for the latest news, updates and opinions on Ohio State athletics. 

Tuesday's Buckeye Bits

Good morning Buckeye fans. Welcome to your Tuesday morning Buckeye Bits. If your new to this daily feature we here at ITS attempt to scour the web for interesting stories for you to read. Think of it as a quicker way to get your sporting fix before the boss makes his/her morning rounds.

The basketball Bucks are a #2 seed this year and open up play this Thursday. We have some great writers that will have tons of info on the upcoming game and tournament as it approaches. With that said, I thought it would be nice to keep it on the football side of things today. Off we go!

Butch Davis Leaves His Mark- Well, it's probably not his fault entirely as Butch hasn't been linked to any of the problems at North Carolina but as a Browns fan I don't miss an opportunity to slander his name. I found it extra hilarious that this story was buried down the page on ESPN. Where is all the outrage that was expressed during Tatgate? How much do you want to bet this story doesn't come up until half way through Sportscenter? Ahh, got to love that bias.

Buckeyes Fall At Home To Wisconsin

Buford's last home game was a loss

Jordan Taylor netted 19 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out four assists, and No. 16 Wisconsin edged No. 8 Ohio State, 63-60, in a thriller on Sunday.

Jared Berggren scored 18 points and Ryan Evans had a double-double with 10 points to go with 10 boards for the Badgers (21-8, 10-6 Big Ten), who bounced back from a one-point loss at Iowa on Thursday.

Deshaun Thomas led all scorers with 23 points and William Buford contributed 15 points and nine rebounds for the Buckeyes (23-6, 11-5), who have lost two of three. Aaron Craft added 13 points in defeat. Jared Sullinger, Ohio State's leading scorer averaging 17.2 points per game, was held to eight points.

In a scintillating game that featured 22 lead changes, none was more important than Berrgen's three-pointer, giving the Badgers a 61-59 edge. It was a lead that they did not relinquish. Down 59-58, Berggren accepted a pass from Taylor just beyond the arc on the left wing and drained his decisive three.

Basketball Preview: #8 Ohio State vs. #16 Wisconsin

Buford is playing his last home game

Despite its recent losses, Ohio State remains in contention for another Big Ten title. Another subpar performance against a ranked opponent, though, might all but end those championship hopes. The eighth-ranked Buckeyes will try to keep those alive by getting past No. 16 Wisconsin in their final home game of the season Sunday.

Ohio State (23-5, 11-4) has split its past four games -- with both of those losses against Top 25 teams -- and is 1 1/2 games behind Michigan State in the conference race. The Buckeyes, seeking their fifth title in seven seasons and third in a row, will visit the Spartans on March 4 to conclude the regular season.

After shooting 38.8 percent in a 56-51 loss at rival Michigan on Feb. 18, Ohio State bounced back with a 65.3 percent performance -- its second-best this season -- in an 83-67 rout of visiting Illinois on Tuesday. The Buckeyes made 11 of their first 12 shots in that game.

Deshaun Thomas finished with a team-best 19 points while making six of his eight shots, and William Buford had 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting.

Buford, who has been a part of 108 wins over his four seasons, will be the only Buckeyes player participating in his final home game. The senior guard is 34 points shy of surpassing Michael Redd for fifth on the school's scoring list.

Tuesday's Buckeye Bits

Good morning fellow Buckeye's and welcome to your Tuesday Buckeye Bits.

Super Bowl!!- This past weekend was a sad one as it marked the final football being played until the spring game in April. The Super Bowl lived up to the hype as the game in Indianapolis turned into a thriller at the end. Watching Tom Brady and company lose was pretty satisfying to me. As a Browns fan, I must use the misery of other's as fuel to make it through a football season. Mmmmm, that misery tasted good. I guess we can't expect anything more from a guy who couldn't beat out Drew Henson while in college.

Foot meet your friend Mouth- After the game, his billionaire girlfriend Gisele Bundchen tried to take some heat off her beau as she claimed it was Tom's receivers that let him down all night. Umm, Gisele honey, I don't think that was the right play. If anything that will intensify the heat on your boy toy. People in Boston aren't interested in your "professional" opinion about football. They would've been happy to bitch and moan about the Welker drop but you just threw your family's hat in the ring. I will just sit back and laugh at what becomes of this story in the coming days.

Tuesday's Buckeye Bits

Good morning Buckeye fans. Welcome to your Tuesday Buckeye Bits. Unfortunately we are entering the worst month on the sporting calendar tomorrow. February is the worst.

College basketball is still weeks away from the greatest tournament on earth, the NFL will be coming to a close with this weekend’s super bowl, pitchers and catchers are still a couple weeks away from reporting and it’s COLD.

Don’t fret Buckeye fans! I am here to scour the internet in hopes of finding some interesting tidbits for you to read. Let’s get to it.

Buckeyes continue their hot streak- National signing day is only a few days away and the Buckeyes continue to pull in the blue chippers. The latest commit was corner Armani Reeves out of West Roxbury, MA. Depending on what recruiting site you look at, Reeves is listed anywhere from the 17th to 8th best corner available. It came down to OSU and Michigan in the end and I think we all know he made the right choice. It probably didn’t hurt that his high school teammate Cam Williams signed on last week but we’ll take them any way we can get them.

Thursday's Buckeye Bits

Happy Thursday, everybody.  It is one day closer to the weekend and, more importantly, one day closer to Buckeye football.

David Perkins is a Buckeye.  The Class of 2012 added more firepower on Wednesday as the Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes got another commit, this time a four-star linebacker/running back from South Bend (Ind.) Washington.  Perkins was originally committed to the Fighting Irish, but changed his mind during the season before picking Ohio State.  Perkins was a key member of the Washington team that went to the 4A state finals for the first time in nearly 40 years.

The Fall Continues for the Hoosiers.  This time, Indiana lost on the road to Nebraska 70-69, despite leading 63-52 with about six minutes remaining.  I can’t say I feel bad for the Hoosiers, especially considering some of the recent comments by Tom Crean.  Crean went on a rant on his weekly radio show, making statements seemingly aimed at the Ohio State coaching staff, as well as the players.

“We don’t have a team of guys that are out wearing their Beats headphones as they’re warming up,” Crean said, “Our guys are out there working with them.”

I really do not understand that quote from Crean. Are you saying that your team is working before the game, the other team is just fooling around, and you still got manhandled by a closer-than-it-looked 17 points? Do the B1G a favor, Tom Crean, and just keep your mouth closed. It’s better for you, it’s better for your school, and it’s better for us, so we don’t have to hear you.

3 Burning Questions About The Big Ten And College Football

This combo is dangerous.

The Big Ten wrapped up its' inaugural Championship game this past weekend in Indianapolis as the Wisconsin Badgers squeaked by the Michigan St. Spartans in a thriller. The game was a classic back-and-forth contest that featured numerous lead changes, stellar running back play and some big hits that are commonplace here in the Midwest. I thought it was a great showcase game for the Big Ten which allowed our great conference to remain in the discussion one precious week later than years past. I believe that extra exposure was instrumental in getting the conference 2 BCS bids for yet another year even when it appeared the Big Ten was a little down this season. It didn't hurt that the game was a barn burner as well.

As I sat watching the game unfold in the Mandalay Bay sports book in fabulous Las Vegas on Saturday, I pondered some questions to discuss for Inside the Shoe. Is Wisconsin the right team to represent the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl this year? Did Michigan deserve to get a BCS bid? Does Monte Ball deserve to be a finalist for the Heisman? Finally, why did I bet football parlays instead of just sticking to the Blackjack table? I have definitive answers for the first three but am still dumbfounded by putting my hard earned Blackjack money on College Football. Lesson learned I suppose so let's get back to football rather than discuss my foolish betting practices. Early on this season Wisconsin looked as if it could waltz into the National Championship game with ease. They were destroying opponents with the running game and signed..err gained access to a stud quarterback without having to wait a year.

Ryan Shazier Emerging

Glorious

This season has been a rollercoaster ride from the beginning. It was apparent OSU wasn't really going to contend this year but I, along with many of you, tried to convince myself that this team had a chance to contend. After all this was Ohio St. and we still had the athletic cream of the crop in the big ten.

Unfortunately, many of those top athletes were suspended for more than half the season and our starting quarterback bolted for the NFL to hold a clipboard. It was OK I told myself. We had one of the top-rated quarterbacks coming in to replace him and a slew of young talent itching to see the field and become the next set of stars in Columbus.

The defense always played with a chip on its' shoulder and the running backs went almost 5 deep heading into the Akron game. It all sounded great in my head and looked even better on paper. Unfortunately that’s not how things have played out this year. This team has been extremely tough to watch at times. Beginning the year with Akron served as a temporary cloak as to what OSU really was. Things went downhill in a hurry after that opening game and culminated with the disaster in South Beach.

My Thoughts: Wisconsin

Fickell gaining respect

For those of you who have recently read my posts I know I have been a bit negative as of late. I have constantly attacked Coach Fickell and many of the decisions that he and the coaching staff have made, though I am still not sold on him being our head coach, I am thrilled with how the Wisconsin game turned out. This is not just for the fact that because the Buckeyes won, my brother (a Wisconsin alumnus) had to dress in a Buckeye uniform for Halloween, and I did not have to repeat last year when I wore a Badger uniform, revenge is sweet. I am happy because the Buckeyes played with much of the heart and skill that we have become accustomed too. For 3 and a half quarters our defense played like the Silver Bullets.

Wisconsin is a running team, both Monte Ball and Russell Wilson are as dangerous a QB and RB rushing tandem as there is in college football. They run behind a monster offensive line who many people thought would push around a talented but young Buckeye defensive line. Well guess what, that young Buckeye defensive line had the last laugh. They held the powerful Badger running attack to 89 yards (most of that gained on 1 big run).

Inside The Shoe: Game for the Ages

Braxton was all smiles

Ed. Note: Brady was at the game Saturday, giving his view/look and opinions from being "Inside The Shoe". Literally.

What a game to select as my only trip to Columbus for football this season! I'm not claiming to be a genius as any Buckeye fan would've picked the Wisconsin game if put in the same situation but damn that was F'n awesome! That trip was everything I could have hoped for and more. I got to party like a rock star the night before in my killer pilot costume, tailgate my ass off behind the varsity club in a private party, watch our freshman quarterback become a star right in front of my eyes, witness one of the great moments in Horseshoe history and watch fat Wisconsin children dressed in cow outfits be taunted on the way out of the stadium.

What more could you ask for? Sure I ended up with a hangover that lasted two days and a hoarse voice from yelling all night but those were just minor inconveniences. The magic and excitement of Buckeye football is back... for another week at least. So how did OSU come out on top against the Badgers? Let's hand out some game balls to those who were able to help the bucks come out on top.

Booooooooooom Herron- The crowd was all over this chant the entire game and for good reason. Boom ran hard all night and was pretty much the only consistent weapon for OSU on Saturday. It was a helluva weapon though. Wisconsin did not have an answer for Herron, especially in the 2nd half. There were many occasions that he was only getting 2-3 yards on first down but it was still positive yardage. Even though we all would like to see 5 yards on first down the Badgers were never able to bottle him up behind the line to force Ohio St. to throw on second down. The offensive line definitely had a part in Herron's huge night but the majority of those yards came from Boom's sick moves, surprising speed and brute strength. We really missed this guy during the first half of the season.

Holy Buckeye, Part Two

Devin Smith stunned Bucky

What a game.  What a finish.  What an effort.  The Ohio State Buckeyes showed tremendous poise under pressure after surrendering a 12-point lead to Wisconsin with less than four minutes on the clock.  Braxton Miller did not play like a freshman, he played like a man who knew he had a job to do, and that job was to win a football game.  Much like Terrelle Pryor did back in 2008 against Bucky, Miller led a late 4^th quarter drive to win the game for Ohio State.

The second half of the game was the Braxton Miller show, rushing for two touchdowns and, of course, throwing a 40-yard strike to Devin Smith to win the game.  Miller showed excellent composure on his first touchdown run to give the Buckeyes their first lead of the game early in the 3^rd quarter.  On 4^th-and-goal, Ohio State needed a touchdown to cap their opening drive of the half, a drive kick-started by Boom Herron’s 57-yard dash.  A fake to the running back, a nifty move on a Badger defender and Braxton Miller walked into the end zone.

Miller’s second touchdown run of the game seemingly put the game out of reach when Braxton kept an option play and ran 44 yards untouched to the house.  However, two Russell Wilson touchdown passes to Jared Abbrederis gave Wisconsin a 29-26 lead with 1:18 left in the game. 

What Went Right/Wrong: Wisconsin

Now that the Buckeyes have upset the Badgers, the Big Ten's Leaders division is wide open. Thanks to a strong effort from the defense, mixed in with some dazzling plays from Boom Herron and Braxton Miller, Ohio State controls their own destiny to get to Indianapolis for the inaugural B1G Championship Game. Let's take a look back on Saturday to see what went right and wrong for the Scarlet and Gray.

What Went Right


- Defense Wins Championships Big Games: The Silver Bullets have shown flashes of defensive domination in games, such as against Michigan State, the first half of Nebraska, and now Wisconsin. Almost collapsing in the 2nd half similar to the Nebraska game, this time Braxton Miller and the rest of the offense were able to give this defense more of a break, to allow for Andrew Sweat and John Simon to continue to harass Russell Wilson all night long. The defense was also able to hold Montee Ball down on rushing the entire night, and was very effective to contain Wilson until the end of the 4th quarter.

- Special Teams Are Back To Being Special: Up until the very last year of Jim Tressel's tenure, Ohio State was known for having very solid special teams, especially when it came to kick and punt returning, thanks to Ray Small and Ted Ginn Jr. Now, after last year's horrendous showing, it appears the special teams are once again clicking. Kick coverage has been fantastic, while the obvious blocked punt by Ryan Shazier was huge, the unit as a whole has been very impressive. Nate Ebner and Shazier are similar to missiles when it comes down to moments where we need a special teams play.

Boom's big run got things started

- Passes Are Nice, Boren Goes Boom: While the fans of Ohio State were screaming to pass the ball all season long, the offensive line and Zach Boren have been fantastic in breaking open holes for Boom Herron to run through. Boren may be the best blocking fullback in the whole country, and he proved it Saturday night. Braxton Miller didn't have any real big passes until the Hail Mary, but was pretty consistent in his attack going 7/12 (58% completion percentage) for 89 yards, and rushing for 99 yards on 19 attempts. He looked cool and collected out there even in the most tense moments. Boom Herron has great vision, as he had 160 yards on 33 carries.

Live Blog: Ohio State vs. #15 Wisconsin

Join us at 7:45 PM EST when the Buckeyes host the #15 ranked Wisconsin Badgers on ABC!

Preview: Ohio State vs. #15 Wisconsin

Bucky is invading the 'Shoe

The Buckeyes host the Badgers at 8 PM EST tomorrow night at the 'Shoe, and have had 2 weeks to prepare for this battle. Along the way, OSU officials have said that they will be honoring Eddie George at halftime, and they want a "Scarlet Out" to occur among the fans.

Wisconsin (6-1, 2-1) comes into this match up after falling to an instant classic Hail Mary play at the hands of the Michigan State Spartans. Ohio State (4-3, 1-2) got off with a BYE week, and had extra time to prepare a course of attack against this underrated Badger defense. The last time the Buckeyes played, was when they upset then undefeated 6-0 Illinois, which has lost it's past two games, including the one to Ohio State. OSU's ability to run the ball might be in danger tonight, for Bret Bielema is no fool, and will try and make Braxton Miller throw the ball again tonight.

Enemy Blogger Interview: Wisconsin

It's Wisconsin Week

As the Buckeyes prepare to host the Badgers this Saturday at 8 PM EST, Buckeye Nation knows this is a must-win game if Ohio State even wants a shot at staying in the race for the Big Ten Conference Championship game. Wisconsin is coming off it's first loss, and now travel to the 'Shoe. John Veldhuis of Bucky's 5th Quarter was nice enough to join us in answering our questions that we had about Wisconsin, and the game the 'Shoe.

1. Wisconsin has just suffered their first loss of the season after traveling to Michigan State. They still have good odds heading into this game to win the Leader's Division, since MSU falls under the Legends. What did that loss mean to the Badgers, and what does this upcoming game mean to them?

Well, the loss means that Russell Wilson is human after all. He didn't have a bad day, but the bad parts came at exactly the wrong times. In addition, it means that some of the season's high expectations came crashing down along with that tipped ball, into the hands of Keith Nichol. Preseason, I expected the Badgers to be right where they are now - 6-1 with a loss to Michigan State. After the first few games I believed (and I think a lot of other people did too) that this team was able to do something more than a Big Ten Championship. That's why it hurts now. This game is important because they still have 4 of their 5 next games against division opponents, and they'll have to beat a still talented Ohio State team on the road.

2. Ohio State traveled to Camp Randall last year ranked #1 in the country, and took their only fall the whole year. Are Wisconsin fans feeling some confidence heading into the rowdy 'Shoe?

I think they are, but it's more because of Ohio State's no-good very-bad offseason. Before the Time of Troubles started, this looked like a very tough game for the Badgers, and it still is, to an extent. Ohio State's offense doesn't strike fear into anyone right now, and I think the Wisconsin defense is coming in a little underrated after the loss to MSU, so I think they have a right to be confident for now. Ohio State will get back to their normal state sooner rather than later, so the Badgers need to take advantage while they have time. 

3. Who are the #1 play makers on offense, not counting Russell Wilson and Montee Ball?

Well, in addition to Ball, there's Nick Toon - he's the Badgers' No.1 receiver. He's had a good year so far, mostly because of his strong connection with Wilson. Toon's success has helped Jared Abbrederis, a sure-handed walk on who defenders can't forget about. If Toon is put on an island, Abbrederis usually finds ways to get open against the #2 corner. Finally, there's Jacob Pedersen. He's the Badgers' next "Big Thing" at tight end, and with all of the Badgers' other weapons drawing attention, defenses tend to forget about him. He's second in receiving touchdowns this year, so when defenses forget about him, they usually pay for it. 

Let's See What The Buckeyes Got

Coming To C-Bus

In my last post, prior to the Illinois game, I wrote how important it was for me to have bragging rights (my wife went to Illinois) in my house. Well, the Buckeyes won what it turns out may not have been as big a game (Illinois subsequently lost to Purdue) as we all thought/hoped it would be, but a win is a win and Illinois was ranked so the Buckeyes beat an undefeated ranked team on the road and that is great. Having bragging rights is fun, but honestly my wife could care less, so there was not a lot of residual gloating. Living in Chicago though I can smile a bit brighter around all of the Illini here. This week’s game though is almost as big a rivalry for me as the game against that team from up north (almost, but not quite). 

You see my older brother, my closest blood relative is a 1994 graduate of Wisconsin. He is almost as passionate for his Badgers as I am for my Buckeyes. He shares in season tickets to Wisconsin, has taken me to many a game in Madison. I have been to Madison for ties, wins and losses. For years since the early 1990s we have a “traveling trophy” (a small football) that goes to the winner of the game. Before last season we added to our bet, the loser has to dress in the other’s team uniform for Halloween. Last year on Halloween (my daughter’s birthday) there I was dressed in a Wisconsin uniform, it was a rough and tough night for me (though I did sneak a little Block O on my undershirt to keep OSU closest to my heart).

How Big Of A Game Is This For Fickell?

Can Luke stay with a win?

I really don’t think that our young coach has any shot of hanging on past this season despite the news he finally is coaching under a legit contract until the end of 2012. It’s true that Fickell was dropped into an impossible situation with all of the suspensions and the turmoil surrounding the program but most fans still believe he is in way over his head. Ohio St. is one of the few jobs in America that other coaches pine for and the school should be able to hit a home run once this season comes to an end.

However, if Luke wants to put a HUGE notch under his belt and make the brass at Ohio St. second-guess their impending coaching search, this weekend certainly presents the opportunity. Wisconsin will be a great challenge for this team and its’ coaching staff moving forward.

Will the Buckeye’s be able to throw or even move the ball against a stout Wisconsin defense? Can Braxton escape this Saturday with body intact and all wits about him? Will Bollman dial up some plays that don’t remind us of leather helmets? I don’t really have the answers to these questions but I am dying to find out the answers in person this weekend at the 'Shoe!

2013 Linebacker Recruit Tim Kimbrough To Visit OSU For Wisconsin Game

Tim would be a nice addition

Tim Kimbrough, a 2013 recruit that plays outside linebacker is rumored to be visiting Ohio State this weekend, when the Buckeyes host Wisconsin at 8 p.m. Normally, recruits don't visit unless they have an offer, and while Kimbrough may not hold an offer just yet, Ohio State might jump into this recruit at the right time. If he leaves OSU with an offer, or soon after receives one, he might lean heavily towards the Buckeyes.

Kimbrough himself is 6'1'', 218 lbs. He's another recruit that is added to the already large list of recruits attending this game. Adolphus Washington, among others, and many more recruits. This game is turning out to be pretty big for Fickell and the recruiting staff, as they continue to pile on offers to big recruits.

The Indiana Warren Central junior linebacker racked up 11 solos, seven assists, and 1 tackle for loss and four big hits in the team's season opener, which they won 64-13. Kimbrough is arguably the top prospect on a defense that includes senior top 100 defensive tackle and Notre Dame commit Sheldon Day, Indiana linebacker pledge Jordan Wallace, Purdue safety commit Jordan Shine, and Cincinnati defensive end verbals Jonathan Burt and Joshua Posley.

He currently holds offers from North Carolina and Purdue, and the Warren Central coaching staff says Iowa could be next. Other programs showing strong interest (besides Ohio State) is Notre Dame, Florida, and Cincinnati. Kimbrough is very high on the Buckeyes and Irish, and visited each campus this summer, along with Tennessee's.

Video Highlights after the jump